HexPak: Building Survey Engines for the WIYN 3.5m Telescope to Explore Galaxy Disks

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

This award will fund the building of two Integral Field Units for the Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale-NOAO (WIYN) 3.5 meter telescope. These Integral Field Units will permit a wide range of science programs to be carried out with the existing spectrograph at the telescope. These include spectral-spatial measurements suitable for understanding the origin of ionized gas line-widths and their correlation with luminosity, dynamical mass, and asymmetry in nearby galaxies and the dynamics and stellar populations in nearby galaxy cores. In addition to these specific science programs, the instruments will be available to the entire astronomical community and the project will also allow for student training for development and use of spectroscopic instruments.