Tasks of Technical Section

Technical Section provides the instrumental requirements for astronomical research and technology transfer. The main area of application is the development, construction and testing of unique, predominantly earthbound focal instruments and robotic telescopes. In addition to the Institute's involvement in the construction of large telescopes and instruments such as the Large Binocular Telescope (PEPSI, AGW, ARGOS), the Very Large Telescope (MUSE), the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (4MOST) or the largest solar telescope in Europe (GREGOR), the work of the Technical Section also includes the maintenance and improvement of instruments already in use (PMAS, STELLA, BMK10k). The section is also responsible for maintaining historical instruments such as the Great Refractor or the Einstein Tower.

In addition to the precision mechanics workshops, further laboratories are available for the realisation of instrumentation projects. These include several optics laboratories, the physics laboratory with a cleaning line, heating ovens and a cooling chamber, the Faraday laboratory with a walk-in Faraday cage, detector and electronics laboratories, a metrology laboratory with a tactile 3D coordinate measuring machine, a clean room (ISO class 4) and two large integration halls, each with an overhead crane. The extensive laboratory equipment is complemented by a large telescope simulator.

In addition, Technical Section offers a training program for apprenticeships that has been very successful to date.