MRI: Development of VIRUS2 - A Scalable Integral Field Spectrograph for McDonald Observatory

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

This award funds the development of a new astronomical instrument at the McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The VIRUS2 spectrograph design will be well-adapted to future applications on the next generation of extremely large telescopes, and offers a cost-effective way to instrument such telescopes. This program will provide the opportunity for students to be involved in the design, assembly, and commissioning of the instrument. VIRUS2 is a scalable Integral Field Spectrograph for the McDonald Observatory 2.7-m telescope. It will be based on technology developed for the original VIRUS instrument on the Hobby Eberly Telescope (HET), also at McDonald. The VIRUS spectrograph is adaptable to a range of spectral resolutions and wavelengths. VIRUS2 will utilize three replicated units to cover wavelengths 370-915 nm at resolution ~2300. The large investment already made in VIRUS makes this follow-on project lower in cost than starting from scratch and should allow for a rapid schedule and low risk. The resulting instrument will enable studies complementary to ongoing structure surveys of nearby galaxies (MaNGA, SAMI, CALIFA, VENGA) by extending observations to the outskirts of galaxies.