Enabling a New Instrument 'IGRINS' for the Gemini South Telescope User Community

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

The Gemini Observatory consists of two large astronomical telescopes, Gemini-North (situated in Hawaii) and Gemini-South (located in Chile). Each telescope allows astronomers in the US and the Gemini partner countries - Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Chile - to make unique observations of planets, stars, and galaxies. However, modern telescopes are only as good as the cameras and spectrometers used with them. It is therefore essential that a national observatory like Gemini continues to modernize the suite of instruments mounted on each telescope. The proposers aim to make available to the Gemini community an instrument that has already been built and tested on smaller telescopes. Funds are needed to support modest adaptation of the instrument so that it can be used on either Gemini telescope. The instrument, a spectrometer, will allow researches to analyze in great detail the infrared light from all manner of objects. Striking data have already been published and presented to the community at national astronomical meetings, demonstrating the power and versatility of the device. Important results and new discoveries are expected once the spectrometer is mounted on one of the much larger Gemini telescopes. The proposal seeks to adapt the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS), a near-infrared (H- and K-band) high-resolution (R~45,000) single-object spectrometer for use on either the Gemini-North or Gemini-South telescope. The proposers will also provide observational support for the community. IGRINS was built jointly by the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) as a precursor to a similar, future instrument for the Giant Magellan Telescope. The instrument contains no moving parts and comes with an existing data reduction pipeline; the need for future development and support by Gemini staff is thus likely to be minimal. IGRINS has been used on the McDonald Observatory 2.7-meter telescope and at the 4.3-meter Discovery Channel Telescope, where its performance has been shown to exceed that of similar instruments at other 4-to-8 meter class telescopes. The proposers have already approached the observatory and have secured, through a competitive review process, 135 hours of telescope time in 2018 to pursue a "Large and Long" program to survey Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) and planetary systems in Ophiuchius. The data -- to be reduced and archived for public use -- will represent the most extensive high-resolution, high-S/N, spectral survey of YSOs obtained to date, and will be a valuable resource to the star formation community.