Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE) - The Prime Focus Subsystems: Requirements and Interfaces

Abstract: MSE will be a massively multiplexed survey telescope, including a segmented primary mirror which feeds fibers at the prime focus, including an array of approximately four thousand fibers, positioned precisely to feed banks of spectrographs several tens of meters away. We describe the process of mapping top-level requirements on MSE to technical specifications for subsystems located at the MSE prime focus. This includes the overall top-level requirements based on knowledge of similar systems at other telescopes and how those requirements were converted into specifications so that the subsystems could begin working on their Conceptual Design Phases. We then discuss the verification of the engineering specifications and the compiling of lower-level requirements and specifications into higher level performance budgets (e.g. Image Quality). We also briefly discuss the interface specifications, their effect on the performance of the system and the plan to manage them going forward. We also discuss the opto-mechanical design of the telescope top end assembly and refer readers to more details for instrumentation located at the top end.