The Laboratory for Scientific Advanced Instrumentation (Laboratorio de Instrumentación Científica Avanzada, LICA) started with an optical bench in a 25 m² room in the Astrophysics Department headquarters of the Facultad CC. Físicas of the UCM. LICA is considered a top priority facility by the Campus Moncloa Campus de Excelencia Internacional (UCM-UPM) Project (Actuación E11, clúster Cambio Global y Nuevas Energías). Prof. J. Zamorano is the coordinator for this facility.

A significant fraction of the LICA activities are devoted to the MEGARA instrument project. LICA is funded by the UCM, the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Comunidad de Madrid (ASTRID and ASTROMADRID projects), CDTI, the Campus Moncloa Campus de Excelencia Internacional (UCM-UPM) and the GTC Consolider-Ingenio 2010 project.

Since october 2013, the LICA laboratory started activities in the new headquarters. The new 60 m² room has been kindly provided by the Departamento de Astrofísica y CC de la Atmósfera of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. A new large Newport 2m x 3m (6.5' x 10') optical table arrived to the new facilities. This is the optical bench where the MEGARA spectrograph is being assembled and tested.

LICA Facilities

Test Bench for detector characterization

• Optical calibration and alignment tools (monochromator, arc lamp, optical system)
• SDSU Detector Controller 
• UK/ATC   S/W for Detector Controller
• Control and Pressure controllers and sensors
• Vacuum system
• Calibrated Photodiode
• test detector
• LabView S/W

Test Bench for VPH characterization

• Optical and alignment tools
• VPH sliced-pupil grating prototype

Fibers characterization

S/W development Test Bench

Instruments and services of other UCM CAI (Centros de Asistencia a la Investigación) are available on request including Clean Room and Mechanical Workshop.

LICA  Filter DataBase of astronomical filters characterized at LICA

LICA  Database of lamps spectra used in public lighting and characterized at LICA

LICA   LICA - AstroCalc free software for lamps characterization

LICA News and past activities  (only until December 2011)

UCM CAIs
Laboratory activities of our group also make use of the UCM CAIs (Centros de Apoyo a la Investigación)... Read

UCM CPD (Data Processing Center)
Computing resources for our instrumental projects are both hosted and provided by the CPD (Data Procesing Center) of the UCM... read

Low-cost Instrumental developments for the Observatorio UCM
During the last years, our group has designed and built several zero-cost instrumental developments for the Observatorio UCM... read