RAPTOR Instruments for Optical Follow-up of Gravitational Wave Events

The next-generation of RApid Telescopes for Optical Response (RAPTOR) is currently undergoing commissioning at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA O4 observing run. The network consists of three wide-field, fast-slewing optical telescopes with two instruments located at Fenton Hill Observatory in the Jemez mountains (38km West of Los Alamos) and one instrument located at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The design of the telescopes represents a confluence of commercially available technologies: cooled, back-side illuminated, full-frame CMOS cameras; fast (36cm aperture, F#2.2), wide field-of-view (FOV) Rowe-Ackermann-Schmidt Astrographs; and fast-slewing direct drive mounts. With >4 sq. degree FOV and roughly 1 arcsec resolution, the RAPTOR instruments can search over 100 sq. degrees per hour per instrument. This poster will overview design, commissioning efforts, and initial operation for the O4 observing run.