a c q u is itio n a n d g u id in g s y s te m .Infu tu re , th is s y s te m w ill re p la c e th e"F /8 " p h o to m e te r u s e d

o f th e c h o p p e r a n d p h o to m e te r, w e re p o rt h e reo nth e p e rfo rm a n c e a c h ie v e d d u r in g th is fir s t te s t u s in g d e te c to r u n its e s s e n tia lly id e n tic a l to th o s e u s e d w ith th e o ld s y s te m

c h o p p in g s e c o n d a r y in s ta lle d .A sth e m ir r o r h a s a d ia m e te r o f o n ly3 3c m , itis ra th e r m o re d iffic u lt tos e e th a n th e n o rm a lF /8 s e c o n d a ry !Itis a tta c h e d

m a g n e tic a c tu a to rs w h ic h a re s e rv o -c o n tro lle d to p ro v id e e ith e r s q u a re w a v e c h o p p in g (fo r p h o to m e tr y ) o r a lin e a r s w e e po n th e s k y (fo r s p e c k le

d riv e nin o p p o s itio n to th e m irro r b y th e s a m e c o n tro l s y s te m . T h is s u b s ta n tia lly im p r o v e s th e o v e ra ll p e rfo rm a n c e b y s u p \ue000 p r e s s in g

s u p p o r t s p id e r. C h o p p in g a m p litu d e , fre q u e n c y , c e n tre p o s i\ue000 tio n , a n g le a n d th e fo c u sa rea llre m o te ly c o n tro lle dv iaa nH P te rm in a lin th e c o n tro l ro o m .

F ig .2is a p h o t o g r a p ho f t h e n e w p h o t o m e t e r m o u n t s h o w n s u p p o r tin g In S b a n d b o lo m e te r d e te c to r u n its e q u ip p e d w ith s ta n d a rd p h o to m e tr ic a n d C V F filte rs . T h e n e w s p e c k le d e te c \ue000 to r h a s a ls o b e e n d e s ig n e d to b e c o m p a tib le w ith th is m o u n t. F ig .3isa s c h e m a tico f th e o p tic a l la y o u t a n d c o n ta in s s o m e b a s ic d a ta fo r th e3 .6m a n d a ls o th e 2 .2m te le s c o p e w h e re it isp la n n e d

s h o w n , th e d e te c to r u n its a rein fa c t fe d b y s e p a ra te d ic h ro ic m irro rs w h ic h a re s u p p o rte dins u c h a w a y th a t th e c e n treo f th e

T h eT V c a m e r a is fix e d a n d v ie w s th e fie ld v ia th e fie ld m irro r, a s m a ll fla t m ir r o r lo c a te d a t th e p u p il im a g e fo r m e d b y th e fie ld m irro r a n d o n eo ftw oo b je c tiv e s w h ic h d e te r m in e th e in s ta n \ue000 ta n e o u s fie ld s iz e s g iv e ninF ig .3 . T h e la rg e fie ld o fte r s h ig h e r s e n s itiv ity

m o re o p tim u m s c a le fo r g u id in g . F o r th e la tte r p u rp o s e , o fts e t g u id e s ta rs c a n b e lo c a te d b y s c a n n in g th e in s ta n ta n e o u s fie ld s o v e r th e to ta l fie ld

m o v e m e n t o f e ith e r th e c a m e ra o r a m o r e c o n v e n tio n a l g u id e p ro b e . W ith th is m irro r a t its " c e n tr e fie ld " p o s itio n , th e o p tic a l c r o s s p r o je c te d o n to th e c a m e ra

fa c ilita te c e n tr in g g u id e s ta rs , its s iz eism a t c h e d t o th e s m a ll fie ld a n d h e n c e s h o w s th e e x te n to fth e la tte r w ith in th e la rg e fie ld . F o r a c q u is itio n , th e o b s e r v e r h a s th e c h o ic e o f v ie w in g th e c h o p \ue000 p e d

d ire c t o r th ro u g h th e d ic h r o ic . S im ila rly , th e te le s c o p e c a n b e g u id e d d ir e c tly o n th e o b je c t b e in g

c o o lin g th e c a m e r a w h ic h w a s n o t p o s s ib le o n th is o c c a s io n fo r te c h n ic a l re a s o n s . P ro v is io n fo r d a y tim e o b s e rv in g h a s a ls o b e e n

c a m e ra s u c h th a t it o r th e n o rm a l c a m e ra c a n b e s e le c te d b y s im p ly m o v in g a m e c h a n ic a l s lid e t o w h ic h b o th c a m e r a s a re p e rm a n e n tly

th e c h o p p e r,a llth e p h o to m e te r fu n c tio n s (e x c e p t s w itc h in g b e tw e e nT Vc a m e ra s ) a re re m o te ly c o n tro lle d fro m th e c o n tro l ro o m .

a re c o n s is te n t w ith th e in c re a s e d th r o u g h p u to fth e te le s c o p e p lu s p h o to m e te r(" '"4 0%

u s in g th e s a m e te c h n iq u e . T h e w a v e le n g th d e p e n d e n c eo fth e s e n s itiv ity g a inis d e te r m in e d b y th e

fo r p e r fo r m a n c e te s ts s u g g e s ts th a t th e m a g n itu d e lim its q u o te d fo r th e s e b a n d s m a y h a v e b e e n s o m e w h a t d e g ra d e d b ya na d d itio n a l s k y n o is e c o m p o n e n t.

a ls o o ffe rs s e v e ra l o th e r p e rfo rm a n c e a d v a n ta g e s w h ic ha rele s s d ir e c tly o b v io u s .N o s ig n ific a n t c h o p p in g o ffs e t s ig n a lsa reg e n e ra te d fo r e x a m p le a n d th e reis th u sn o b a s e lin e d r iftin g d u e to te le s c o p e fle x u re d u rin g lo n g in te g ra tio n s . T h e

th e d ic h r o ic s a v o id s th e lo s s o f tim e re q u ire d to fin d o ffs e t g u id e s ta rs a n d th e a v a ila b ility o fa no p tic a lly g e n e ra te d re fe re n c e c ro s s p e rm its a c c u ra te o p tic a l c e n trin g in d e p e n d e n tly o f th e e le c tr o n ic s ta b ility o f th eT V s y s te m . S o m e o b s e rv a tio n a l fle x ib ility h a s a ls o b e e n g a in e d b y v ir tu e o f th e fa c t th a t s w itc h in g

M a n yE S O s ta ff h a v e b e e n in v o lv e din th e p r o je c t a t v a rio u s s ta g e s . F o r th e ir te c h n ic a l s u p p o r tinG a r c h in g w e w o u ld Iik e p a rtic u la rly to th a n kD .E n a rd ,G . H e s s ,G . H u s te r,B . J e n s e n ,

J .- L . L iz o n ,M . M o r e s m a u ,W . N e e s ,J . P a u re a u a n dG . R a ffi. D u rin g th e in s ta lla tio n a n d te s t w e w e re a ls o a b ly a s s is te d b y th eL a S illa s ta ff a n da re p a r tic u la r ly g ra te fu l fo r th e in v a lu a b le h e lp g iv e n b y1 .B o h l,P . B o u c h e t,F . G u tie r r e z ,G . Ih le ,J . R o u c h e ra n dK . T e s c h n e r.

U n til s o m e m o n th s a g o , I u s e d to e n v y th o s e o fm y c o l\ue000 le a g u e s w h o w e r e a lw a y sta lk in g a n d w r itin g w ith tr e m e n d o u s e n th u s ia s m a b o u tth e ir fa v o u rite o b je c t.My recent observa\ue000 tio n s o f th e s y m b io tic s ta rA S3 3 8 e n a b lem e n o w to te lla n e x c itin g s to r y a s w e il.

S y m b io tic s y s te m s c o n ta in la te - ty p e (b rig h t) g ia n ts o r M ira s a n d ,ina d d itio n , a h o t ra d ia tio n s o u rc e . T h e ya re s u rro u n d e d b y g a s e o u s a n d d u s ty e n v e lo p e s . T h e re fo re , th e ir ra d ia tio n s h o u ld b e p o la riz e d d u e to s c a tte r in ginth e a tm o s p h e re s o f th e

O c to b e r 1 9 8 3 , I s ta rte d a m u ltifilte r lin e a r p o la riz a tio n s u rv e y o f 1 6 s y m b io tic s ta rs , u s in g th e 1 .2 3 m te le s c o p e o f th e G e rm a n \ue000 S p a n is h A s tro n o m ic a l C e n tre . O n ly fo u r s ta rs s h o w e d s u ffi\ue000 c ie n tly la rg e in tr in s ic p o la r iz a tio n th a t c o u ld b e s e p a ra te d fro m th e

s y m b io tic sa sH MS g e ,V 10 1 6 C y g a n d R A q r a n d , la s t n o t le a s t,A S3 3 8 .T h e w a v e le n g th d e p e n d e n c e o f th e p o la r iz a tio n a n d th e p o s itio n a n g le o fA S3 3 8a s d is p la y e dinF ig . 1 s h o w s o m e in te re s tin g p ro p e rtie s : a p r o n o u n c e d m a x im u m o f th e p o la riz a tio nin th e B - filte r a n d a s ig n ific a n t, s h a rp ro ta tio n o f th e p o s itio n a n g le a tH a.Ina fo r th c o m in g a rtic leinA s tro n o m y

3 3 8 c a n b e e x p la in e d b y t w o s c a tte r in g re g io n s : M ie s c a tte r in g b y s o lid p a r tic le sinth e e x te n d e d a tm o s p h e re o f th e M s ta r a n d T h o m s o n s c a tte rin gina na s y m m e tr ic c ir c u m s te lla r n e b u la ( p o s s ib lya na c c r e tio n d is k a ro u n d a c o m p a n io n s ta r). E n c o u ra g e d b y th is re s u lt1d e c id e d th a tA S 3 3 8 m e rits a m o re th o r o u g h in v e s tig a tio n . L u c k ily , th e lo w d e c lin a tio n o fA S3 3 8 a llo w s its o b s e r v a tio n fro m th e s o u th e rn h e m is p h e rea sw e il.In J u ly /A u g u s t 1 9 8 3 , I h a d o b s e r v in g tim e a t E S O 's 1 .5 m a n d 5 0c m te le s c o p e s fo r s p e c tr o s c o p ic a n d p h o to m e tric s tu d ie s o f s o u th e rn s y m b io tic s ta rs . D u rin g th is o b s e rv in gru n ,I had a lre a d y s e c u re d o n eID Ss p e c tru min th e ra n g e 4 5 0 0to 6 8 0 0\u00c4

3 3 8 . S u b s e q u e n tly , I c o u ld c o n v in c em yc o lle a g u eF .J . Z ic k g r a f o f th e im p o r ta n c e o f g e ttin g J H K L p h o to m e try o fA S3 3 8 d u r in g h is o w n o b s e r v in g ru na t th eE S O 1 m te le s c o p ein A p ril 1 9 8 4 ; a n dJ . B o u v ie r,in J u ly 1 9 8 4 , to o k a n o th e rlO S s p e c tr u m a t th e 1 .5 m te le s c o p e , c o v e rin g fro m

s tro n g e m is s io n lin e s o f th e B a lm e r s e r ie s a n dH ela n dn u m e ro u s w e a k e r e m is s io n lin e s o f s in g ly io n iz e d ir o n . O n ly a tr a c e o f t h e u n d e rly in g la te - ty p e c o n tin u u misv is ib le lo n g w a r d fro mH ain th e 1 9 8 4 s p e c tr o g r a m . D a v id A lle n 's r e c e n tly p u b lis h e d n e w " C a ta lo g u eo fS y m b io tic S ta rs " a ls o c o n ta in s a s p e c tru m o f

th is s p e c tro g ra m s h o w s it to b e q u ite d iffe re n t fro m m y o w n o n e s :InA lle n 's s p e c tr o g r a m , th e B a lm e r lin e s a n d th e H e l lin e sa res tro n g e r a n d ,in a d d itio n , th e re a ree m is s io n lin e s o f h ig e r io n iz e d s p e c ie s s u c ha sH e11,[0 1 1 1 ]and[F eV II]. The M \ue000 ty p e a b s o rp tio n s p e c tru m is p ro m in e n t w ith s tro n gT i0b a n d s . M y s u rp ris e c h a n g e d in to fe a r w h e n I re c a lle d th a t, fo r id e n tify \ue000 in gA S3 3 8 , I h a d n o t u s e d a fin d in g c h a rt, b u t th e d e s c r ip tio n o f its p o s itio n g iv e n b y

a p p e a re do nth eT V g u id e r s c re e n . A c o m p a r is o n o f th is " fin d in g c h a r t" w ith th e o n e p u b lis h e d n o w b y A lle n n o t o n ly p ro v e s th a t I a c tu a lly d id o b s e rv e th e rig h t o b je c t, b u t,in 1 9 8 3 , th e s ta r s e e m e d to b e m u c h b r ig h te r c o m p a re d to o th e r fie ld s ta rs th a no n th eP O S S p r in t u s e d b y A lle n .

3 3 8 b e c o m e e x p la in a b le if w e a s s u m e th a t it h a s u n d e r g o n ea n o u tb u rs ta s s o m e tim e s o b s e rv e d