Liger is a next-generation near-infrared imager and integral field spectrograph (IFS) for the W.M. Keck Observatory designed to take advantage of the Keck All-Sky Precision Adaptive Optics (KAPA) upgrade. Liger will operate at spectral resolving powers between R$\sim$4,000 - 10,000 over a wavelength range of 0.8-2.4$\mu$m. Liger takes advantage of a sequential imager and spectrograph design that allows for simultaneous observations between the two channels using the same filter wheel and cold pupil stop. We present the design for the filter wheels and pupil mask and their location and tolerances in the optical design. The filter mechanism is a multi-wheel design drawing from the heritage of the current Keck/OSIRIS imager single wheel design. The Liger multi-wheel configuration is designed to allow future upgrades to the number and range of filters throughout the life of the instrument. The pupil mechanism is designed to be similarly upgradeable with the option to add multiple pupil mask options. A smaller wheel mechanism allows the user to select the desired pupil mask with open slots being designed in for future upgrade capabilities. An ideal pupil would match the shape of the image formed of the primary and would track its rotation. For different pupil shapes without tracking we model the additional exposure time needed to achieve the same signal to noise of an ideal pupil and determine that a set of fixed masks of different shapes provides a mechanically simpler system with little compromise in performance.

In preparation for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), a new top end was installed on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The refurbished telescope and the DESI instrument were successfully commissioned on sky between 2019 October and 2020 March. Here we describe the pointing, tracking and imaging performance of the Mayall telescope equipped with its new DESI prime focus corrector, as measured by six guider cameras sampling the outer edge of DESI's focal plane. Analyzing ∼500,000 guider images acquired during commissioning, we find a median delivered image FWHM of 1.1 arcseconds (in the r-band at 650 nm), with the distribution extending to a best-case value of ∼0.6 arcseconds. The point spread function is well characterized by a Moffat profile with a power-law index of β ≈ 3.5 and little dependence of β on FWHM. The shape and size of the PSF delivered by the new corrector at a field angle of 1.57 degrees are very similar to those measured with the old Mayall corrector on axis. We also find that the Mayall achieves excellent pointing accuracy (several arcseconds RMS) and minimal open-loop tracking drift (< 1 milliarcsecond per second), improvements on the telecope's pre-DESI performance. In the future, employing DESI's active focus adjustment capabilities will likely further improve the Mayall/DESI delivered image quality.

Liger is a next generation adaptive optics (AO) fed integral field spectrograph (IFS) and imager for the W. M. Keck Observatory. This new instrument is being designed to take advantage of the upgraded AO system provided by Keck All-Sky Precision Adaptive-optics (KAPA). Liger will provide higher spectral resolving power (R∼4,000-10,000), wider wavelength coverage (∼0.8-2.4 µm), and larger fields of view than any current IFS. We present the design and analysis for a custom-made dewar chamber for characterizing the Liger opto-mechanical system. This dewar chamber is designed to test and assemble the Liger imaging camera and slicer IFS components while being adaptable for future experiments. The vacuum chamber will operate below 10-5 Torr with a cold shield that will be kept below 90 K. The dewar test chamber will be mounted to an optical vibration isolation platform and further isolated from the cryogenic and vacuum systems with bellows. The cold head and vacuums will be mounted to a custom cart that will also house the electronics and computer that interface with the experiment. This test chamber will provide an efficient means of calibrating and characterizing the Liger instrument and performing future experiments.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is an ongoing spectroscopic survey to measure the dark energy equation of state to unprecedented precision. We describe the DESI Sky Continuum Monitor System, which tracks the night sky brightness as part of a system that dynamically adjusts the spectroscopic exposure time to produce more uniform data quality and to maximize observing efficiency. The DESI dynamic exposure time calculator (ETC) will combine sky brightness measurements from the Sky Monitor with data from the guider system to calculate the exposure time to achieve uniform signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the spectra under various observing conditions. The DESI design includes 20 sky fibers, and these are split between two identical Sky Monitor units to provide redundancy. Each Sky Monitor unit uses an SBIG STXL-6303e CCD camera and supports an eight-position filter wheel. Both units have been completed and delivered to the Mayall Telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. Commissioning results show that the Sky Monitor delivers the required performance necessary for the ETC.