MRI: Development of the RSS/NIR Spectrograph for the SALT 11-Meter Telescope

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

This is a project to build a near infrared capability into the Robert Stobie Spectrograph (RSS) for the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) 11 meter telescope. With this capability, the RSS will be able to simultaneously record spectroscopic data in the visible and the near infrared. This capability will open a new window for the discovery and study of the most distant and earliest galaxies in the universe by measuring the onset of star-formation and the luminosity function of the first star-forming galaxies. The project will contribute to the training of a new generation of astronomical instrumental scientists including postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and undergraduate students.