No abstract

Spectroscopy is a primary tool of ground-based and space-borne astronomy. It yields unique astrophysical insights across all contemporary astronomy, from mapping the chemical composition and radial velocities of stars in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, to accurate redshifts and studies of the physical properties of distant galaxies (internal motions, stellar populations, outflows, etc) over cosmic time.Multi-object spectroscopic surveys have become an essential tool to measure such properties across sufficiently large volumes to draw statistically significant conclusions. A key challenge in the design and construction of MOS instruments is the fibre positioning system. Here we present a new concept for a telescopic fibre positioner (the Edinburgh Telescopic Fibre Positioner: ETFP) in either a theta-r or theta-phi-r configuration. The positioner concept, being developed at UKATC, builds up from the technology of VLT-MOONS and VLT-KMOS and aims to provide a fast field reconfiguration, close packing for high-density targeting, and reliable fibre allocation to maximise the efficiency of observations for future multi-object spectrograph (MOS) facilities.