| 1. |
- Bedding, Timothy R., et al.
(author)
-
A multi-site campaign to measure solar-like oscillations in Procyon. II. mode frequencies
- 2010
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 713:2, s. 935-949
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have analyzed data from a multi-site campaign to observe oscillations in the F5 star Procyon. The data consist of high-precision velocities that we obtained over more than three weeks with 11 telescopes. A new method for adjusting the data weights allows us to suppress the sidelobes in the power spectrum. Stacking the power spectrum in a so-called echelle diagram reveals two clear ridges, which we identify with even and odd values of the angular degree (l = 0 and 2, and l = 1 and 3, respectively). We interpret a strong, narrow peak at 446 mu Hz that lies close to the l = 1 ridge as a mode with mixed character. We show that the frequencies of the ridge centroids and their separations are useful diagnostics for asteroseismology. In particular, variations in the large separation appear to indicate a glitch in the sound-speed profile at an acoustic depth of similar to 1000 s. We list frequencies for 55 modes extracted from the data spanning 20 radial orders, a range comparable to the best solar data, which will provide valuable constraints for theoretical models. A preliminary comparison with published models shows that the offset between observed and calculated frequencies for the radial modes is very different for Procyon than for the Sun and other cool stars. We find the mean lifetime of the modes in Procyon to be 1.29(-0.49)(+0.55) days, which is significantly shorter than the 2-4 days seen in the Sun.
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| 2. |
- Brucalassi, Anna, et al.
(author)
-
Full System Test and early Preliminary Acceptance Europe results for CRIRES
- 2018
-
In: Ground-Based And Airborne Instrumentation For Astronomy VII. - : SPIE. - 9781510619586
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CRIRES+ is the new high-resolution NIR echelle spectrograph intended to be operated at the platform B of VLT Unit telescope UT3. It will cover from Y to M bands (0.95-5.3um) with a spectral resolution of R = 50000 or R = 100000. The main scientific goals are the search of super-Earths in the habitable zone of low-mass stars, the characterisation of transiting planets atmosphere and the study of the origin and evolution of stellar magnetic fields. Based on the heritage of the old adaptive optics (AO) assisted VLT instrument CRIRES, the new spectrograph will present improved optical layout, a new detector system and a new calibration unit providing optimal performances in terms of simultaneous wavelength coverage and radial velocity accuracy (a few m/s). The total observing efficiency will be enhanced by a factor of 10 with respect to CRIRES. An innovative spectro-polarimetry mode will be also offered and a new metrology system will ensure very high system stability and repeatability. Fiinally, the CRIRES+ project will also provide the community with a new data reduction software (DRS) package. CRIRES+ is currently at the initial phase of its Preliminary Acceptance in Europe (PAE) and it will be commissioned early in 2019 at VLT. This work outlines the main results obtained during the initial phase of the full system test at ESO HQ Garching.
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| 3. |
- Calissendorff, Per, 1989-
(author)
-
Characterising Young Stellar Binaries
- 2018
-
Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Stars are dispersed all over the sky within our Galaxy, appearing in large varieties of ages and sizes. How- ever, estimating said traits proves not to always be trivial, but certain circumstances allow us to probe the characteristics of stellar binaries. Fortunately, most stars are found to be part of binary or multiple systems, and through their brightness we can study their sizes, while their dynamical interactions let us derive masses. Although absolute ages are near-impossible to estimate, we posses several methods for constraining age-limits of stars at various evolutionary stages. Theoretical models can provide us with an idea of some of the attributes of stars, but sometimes require assumptions that are not always validated. When fundamental physical laws can be used to deduce individual masses of stellar systems, we procure means to constrain and calibrate those models. As such, the multiplicity of different types of stars is of high importance, which separation and mass distributions can also help us constrain formation scenarios among the different mass-regimes. In this review we compile information regarding the detection of binary and multiple stellar systems, as well as how one can go about to estimate their most fundamental quantities including mass and age. We also compare the different methods and techniques employed throughout the literature, addressing various caveats, examples of usage and the future outlook with coming improvements. In the final part of the review, we present the results from a recent paper about the orbital motions of a triple system, which yield a dynamical mass of the system which shows inconsistencies with the theoretical mass obtained from current low-mass stellar evolutionary models.
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| 4. |
- Cataldi, Gianni, 1986-
(author)
-
Debris disks from an astronomical and an astrobiological viewpoint
- 2013
-
Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this licentiate thesis, I consider debris disks from an observational, astronomical viewpoint, but also discuss a potential astrobiological application. Debris disks are essentially disks of dust and rocks around main-sequence stars, analogue to the Kuiper- or the asteroid belt in our solar system. Their observation and theoretical modeling can help to constrain planet formation models and help in the understanding of the history of the solar system. After a general introduction into the field of debris disks and some basic debris disk physics, the thesis concentrates on the observation of gas in debris disks. The possible origins of this gas and its dynamics are discussed and it is considered what it can tell us about the physical conditions in the disk and possibly about the dust composition. In this way, the paper associated with this thesis (dealing with the gas in the β Pic debris disk) is set into context. More in detail, we observed the CII emission originating from the carbon-rich β Pic disk with Herschel HIFI and attempted to constrain the spatial distribution of the gas from the shape of the emission line. This is necessary since the gas production mechanism is currently unknown, but can be constraint by obtaining information about the spatial profile of the gas. The last part of the thesis describes our preliminary studies of the possibility of a debris disk containing biomarkers, created by a giant impact on a life-bearing exoplanet.
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| 5. |
- Chew, Yilen Gomez Maqueo, et al.
(author)
-
Luminosity Discrepancy in the Equal-Mass, Pre-Main-Sequence Eclipsing Binary Par 1802 : Non-Coevality or Tidal Heating?
- 2012
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 745:1, s. 58-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Parenago 1802, a member of the similar to 1 Myr Orion Nebula Cluster, is a double-lined, detached eclipsing binary in a 4.674 day orbit, with equal-mass components (M-2/M-1 = 0.985 +/- 0.029). Here we present extensive VI(C)JHK(S) light curves (LCs) spanning similar to 15 yr, as well as a Keck/High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES) optical spectrum. The LCs evince a third light source that is variable with a period of 0.73 days, and is also manifested in the high-resolution spectrum, strongly indicating the presence of a third star in the system, probably a rapidly rotating Classical T Tauri star. We incorporate this third light into our radial velocity and LC modeling of the eclipsing pair, measuring accurate masses (M-1 = 0.391 +/- 0.032 and M-2 = 0.385 +/- 0.032 M-circle dot), radii (R-1 = 1.73 +/- 0.02 and R-2 = 1.62 +/- 0.02 R-circle dot), and temperature ratio (T-eff,T-1/T-eff,T-2 = 1.0924 +/- 0.0017). Thus, the radii of the eclipsing stars differ by 6.9% +/- 0.8%, the temperatures differ by 9.2% +/- 0.2%, and consequently the luminosities differ by 62% +/- 3%, despite having masses equal to within 3%. This could be indicative of an age difference of similar to 3 x 10(5) yr between the two eclipsing stars, perhaps a vestige of the binary formation history. We find that the eclipsing pair is in an orbit that has not yet fully circularized, e = 0.0166 +/- 0.003. In addition, we measure the rotation rate of the eclipsing stars to be 4.629 +/- 0.006 days; they rotate slightly faster than their 4.674 day orbit. The non-zero eccentricity and super-synchronous rotation suggest that the eclipsing pair should be tidally interacting, so we calculate the tidal history of the system according to different tidal evolution theories. We find that tidal heating effects can explain the observed luminosity difference of the eclipsing pair, providing an alternative to the previously suggested age difference.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Dorn, Reinhold J., et al.
(author)
-
CRIRES+ on sky : High spectral resolution at infrared wavelength enabling better science at the ESO VLT
- 2022
-
In: Ground-Based And Airborne Instrumentation For Astronomy IX. - : SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering. - 9781510653504 - 9781510653498
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CRIRES+ extended the capabilities of CRIRES, the CRyogenic InfraRed Echelle Spectrograph. It transformed this VLT instrument into a cross-dispersed spectrograph to increase the wavelength range that is covered simultaneously by a factor of ten. In addition, a new detector focal plane array of three Hawaii 2RG detectors with a 5.3 mu m cut-off wavelength replaced the existing detectors. Amongst many other improvements a new spectropolarimetric unit was added and the calibration system has been enhanced. The instrument was installed at the VLT on Unit Telescope 3 beginning of 2020 and successfully commissioned and verified for science operations during 2021, partly remote from Europe due to the pandemic. The instrument was subsequently offered to the community from October 2021 onwards. This article describes the performance and capabilities of this development and presents on sky results.
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| 8. |
- Dorn, R. J., et al.
(author)
-
CRIRES+ on sky at the ESO Very Large Telescope : Observing the Universe at infrared wavelengths and high spectral resolution
- 2023
-
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 671
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The CRyogenic InfraRed Echelle Spectrograph (CRIRES) Upgrade project CRIRES+ extended the capabilities of CRIRES. It transformed this VLT instrument into a cross-dispersed spectrograph to increase the wavelength range that is covered simultaneously by up to a factor of ten. In addition, a new detector focal plane array of three Hawaii 2RG detectors with a 5.3 mu m cutoff wavelength replaced the existing detectors. Amongst many other improvements, a new spectropolarimetric unit was added and the calibration system has been enhanced. The instrument was installed at the VLT on Unit Telescope 3 at the beginning of 2020 and successfully commissioned and verified for science operations during 2021, partly remotely from Europe due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The instrument was subsequently offered to the community from October 2021 onwards. This article describes the performance and capabilities of the upgraded instrument and presents on sky results.
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| 9. |
- Dorn, Reinhold J., et al.
(author)
-
The " plus " for CRIRES : enabling better science at infrared wavelength and high spectral resolution at the ESO VLT
- 2016
-
In: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY VI. - : SPIE. - 9781510601963
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The adaptive optics (AO) assisted CRIRES instrument was a IR (0.92 - 5.2 mu m) high-resolution spectrograph in operation from 2006 to 2014 at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) observatory. CRIRES was a unique instrument, accessing a parameter space (wavelength range and spectral resolution) up to now largely uncharted. It consisted of a single-order spectrograph providing long-slit (40 arcsecond) spectroscopy with a resolving power up to R=100 000. However the setup was limited to a narrow, single-shot, spectral range of about 1/70 of the central wavelength, resulting in low observing efficiency for many scientific programmes requiring a broad spectral coverage. The CRIRES upgrade project, CRIRES, transfouns this VLT instrument into a cross-dispersed spectrograph to increase the simultaneously covered wavelength range by a factor of ten. A new and larger detector focal plane array of three Hawaii 2RG detectors with 5.3 mu m cut-off wavelength will replace the existing detectors. For advanced wavelength calibration, custom-made absorption gas cells and an etalon system will be added. A spectro-polarimetric unit will allow the recording of circular and linear polarized spectra. This upgrade will be supported by dedicated data reduction software allowing the community to take full advantage of the new capabilities. CRIRES has now entered its assembly and integration phase and will return with all new capabilities by the beginning of 2018 to the Very Large Telescope in Chile. This article will provide the reader with an update of the current status of the instrument as well as the remaining steps until final installation at the Paranal Observatory.
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| 10. |
- Dubernet, M. L., et al.
(author)
-
The virtual atomic and molecular data centre (VAMDC) consortium
- 2016
-
In: Journal of Physics B. - : IOP Publishing. - 0953-4075 .- 1361-6455. ; 49:7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Centre (VAMDC) Consortium is a worldwide consortium which federates atomic and molecular databases through an e-science infrastructure and an organisation to support this activity. About 90% of the inter-connected databases handle data that are used for the interpretation of astronomical spectra and for modelling in many fields of astrophysics. Recently the VAMDC Consortium has connected databases from the radiation damage and the plasma communities, as well as promoting the publication of data from Indian institutes. This paper describes how the VAMDC Consortium is organised for the optimal distribution of atomic and molecular data for scientific research. It is noted that the VAMDC Consortium strongly advocates that authors of research papers using data cite the original experimental and theoretical papers as well as the relevant databases.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Follert, Roman, et al.
(author)
-
Characterizing the cross dispersion reflection gratings of CRIRES
- 2016
-
In: Advances In Optical And Mechanical Technologies For Telescopes And Instrumentation Ii. - : SPIE. - 9781510602038 - 9781510602045
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The CRIRES+ project attempts to upgrade the CRIRES instrument into a cross dispersed echelle spectrograph with a simultaneous recording of 8-10 diffraction orders. In order to transform the CRIRES spectrograph into a cross-dispersing instrument, a set of six reflection gratings, each one optimized for one of the wavelength bands CRIRES+ will operate in (YJHKLM), will be used as cross dispersion elements in CRIRES+. Due to the upgrade nature of the project, the choice of gratings depends on the fixed geometry of the instrument. Thus, custom made gratings would be required to achieve the ambitious design goals. Custom made gratings have the disadvantage, though, that they come at an extraordinary price and with lead times of more than 12 months. To mitigate this, a set of off-the-shelf gratings was obtained which had grating parameters very close to the ones being identified as optimal. To ensure that the rigorous specifications for CRIRES+ will be fulfilled, the CRIRES+ team started a collaboration with the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Berlin (PTB) to characterize gratings under conditions similar to the operating conditions in CRIRES+ (angle of incidence, wavelength range). The respective test setup was designed in collaboration between PTB and the CRIRES+ consortium. The PTB provided optical radiation sources and calibrated detectors for each wavelength range. With this setup, it is possible to measure the absolute efficiency of the gratings both wavelength dependent and polarization state dependent in a wavelength range from 0.9 mu m to 6 mu m.
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| 13. |
- Follert, R., et al.
(author)
-
CRIRES plus : a cross-dispersed high-resolution infrared spectrograph for the ESO VLT
- 2014
-
In: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY V. - : SPIE. - 9780819496157
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- High-resolution infrared spectroscopy plays an important role in astrophysics from the search for exoplanets to cosmology. Yet, many existing infrared spectrographs are limited by a rather small simultaneous wavelength coverage. The AO assisted CRIRES instrument, installed at the ESO VLT on Paranal, is one of the few IR (0.92-5.2 mu m) high-resolution spectrographs in operation since 2006. However it has a limitation that hampers its efficient use: the wavelength range covered in a single exposure is limited to similar to 15 nanometers. The CRIRES Upgrade project (CRIRES+) will transform CRIRES into a cross-dispersed spectrograph and will also add new capabilities. By introducing cross-dispersion elements the simultaneously covered wavelength range will be increased by at least a factor of 10 with respect to the present configuration, while the operational wavelength range will be preserved. For advanced wavelength calibration, new custom made absorption gas cells and etalons will be added. A spectro-polarimetric unit will allow one for the first time to record circularly polarized spectra at the highest spectral resolution. This will be all supported by a new data reduction software which will allow the community to take full advantage of the new capabilities of CRIRES+.
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| 14. |
- Johns-Krull, Christopher M., et al.
(author)
-
Magnetically Controlled Accretion on the Classical T Tauri Stars GQ Lupi and TW Hydrae
- 2013
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 765:1, s. 11-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present high spectral resolution (R approximate to 108,000) Stokes V polarimetry of the classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) GQ Lup and TW Hya obtained with the polarimetric upgrade to the HARPS spectrometer on the ESO 3.6 m telescope. We present data on both photospheric lines and emission lines, concentrating our discussion on the polarization properties of the He I emission lines at 5876 angstrom and 6678 angstrom. The He I lines in these CTTSs contain both narrow emission cores, believed to come from near the accretion shock region on these stars, and broad emission components which may come from either a wind or the large-scale magnetospheric accretion flow. We detect strong polarization in the narrow component of the two He I emission lines in both stars. We observe a maximum implied field strength of 6.05 +/- 0.24 kG in the 5876 angstrom line of GQ Lup, making it the star with the highest field strength measured in this line for a CTTS. We find field strengths in the two He I lines that are consistent with each other, in contrast to what has been reported in the literature on at least one star. We do not detect any polarization in the broad component of the He I lines on these stars, strengthening the conclusion that they form over a substantially different volume relative to the formation region of the narrow component of the He I lines.
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| 15. |
- Lizon, Jean Louis, et al.
(author)
-
Opto-mechanical design of a new Cross Dispersion Unit for the CRIRES plus high resolution spectrograph for the VLT
- 2014
-
In: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY V. - : SPIE. - 9780819496157
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CRIRES is one of the few IR (0.92-5.2 mu m) high-resolution spectrographs in operation at the VLT since 2006. Despite good performance it suffers a limitation that significantly hampers its ability: a small spectral coverage per exposure. The CRIRES upgrade (CRIRES+) proposes to transform CRIRES into a cross-dispersed spectrograph while maintaining the high resolution (100000) and increasing the wavelength coverage by a factor 10 compared to the current capabilities. A major part of the upgrade is the exchange of the actual cryogenic pre-disperser module by a new cross disperser unit. In addition to a completely new optical design, a number of important changes are required on key components and functions like the slit unit and detectors units. We will outline the design of these new units fitting inside a predefined and restricted space. The mechanical design of the new functions including a description and analysis will be presented. Finally we will present the strategy for the implementation of the changes.
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| 16. |
- Lizon, Jean Louis, et al.
(author)
-
Very accurate cryogenic mechanisms for CRIRES
- 2018
-
In: OPTICAL AND INFRARED INTERFEROMETRY AND IMAGING VI. - : SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING. - 9781510619562
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- After 5 years of operation on the VLT, a large upgrade of CRIRES (the ESO Cryogenic InfraRed Echelle Spectrograph) was decided mainly in order to increase the efficiency. Using a cross dispersion design allows better wavelength coverage per exposure. This means a complete re-design of the cryogenic pre-optic which were including a pre-dispersion stage with a large prism as dispersive element. The new design requires a move of the entrance slit and associated decker toward the first intermediate focal plane right behind the window. Implement 2 functions with high positioning accuracy in a pre-defined and limited space was a real challenge. The design and the test results recorded in the ESO Cryogenic Test Facility are reported in this paper. The second critical function is the grating wheel which positions the 6 cross disperser gratings into the beam. The paper describes the design of the mechanism which includes a detente system in order to guaranty the 5 arc sec positioning reproducibility requested. The design includes also feedback system, based on switches, in order to ensure that the right grating is in position before starting a long exposure. The paper reports on the tests carried out at cryogenic temperature at the sub-system level. It also includes early performances recorded in the instrument along the first phases of the system test.
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| 17. |
- Lockhart, Matthew, et al.
(author)
-
Novel infrared polarimeter for the ESO CRIRES plus instrument
- 2014
-
In: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY V. - : SPIE. - 9780819496157
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The CRIRES infrared spectrograph at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) facility will soon receive an upgrade. This upgrade will include the addition of a module for performing high-resolution spectropolarimetry. The polarimetry module will incorporate a novel infrared beamsplitter based on polarization gratings (PGs). The beamsplitter produces a pair of infrared output beams, with opposite circular polarizations, which are then fed into the spectrograph. Visible light passes through the module virtually unaltered and is then available for use by the CRIRES adaptive optics system. We present the design of the polarimetry module and measurements of PG behavior in the 1 to 2.7 mu m wavelength range.
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| 18. |
- Marconi, A., et al.
(author)
-
ANDES, the high resolution spectrograph for the ELT : science case, baseline design and path to construction
- 2022
-
In: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY IX. - : SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering. - 9781510653504 - 9781510653498
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The first generation of ELT instruments includes an optical-infrared high resolution spectrograph, indicated as ELT-HIRES and recently christened ANDES (ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph). ANDES consists of three fibre-fed spectrographs (UBV, RIZ, YJH) providing a spectral resolution of similar to 100,000 with a minimum simultaneous wavelength coverage of 0.4-1.8 mu m with the goal of extending it to 0.35-2.4 mu m with the addition of a K band spectrograph. It operates both in seeing- and diffraction-limited conditions and the fibre-feeding allows several, interchangeable observing modes including a single conjugated adaptive optics module and a small diffraction-limited integral field unit in the NIR. Its modularity will ensure that ANDES can be placed entirely on the ELT Nasmyth platform, if enough mass and volume is available, or partly in the Coude room. ANDES has a wide range of groundbreaking science cases spanning nearly all areas of research in astrophysics and even fundamental physics. Among the top science cases there are the detection of biosignatures from exoplanet atmospheres, finding the fingerprints of the first generation of stars, tests on the stability of Nature's fundamental couplings, and the direct detection of the cosmic acceleration. The ANDES project is carried forward by a large international consortium, composed of 35 Institutes from 13 countries, forming a team of more than 200 scientists and engineers which represent the majority of the scientific and technical expertise in the field among ESO member states.
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| 19. |
- Marconi, A., et al.
(author)
-
EELT-HIRES the high-resolution spectrograph for the E-ELT
- 2016
-
In: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY VI. - : SPIE. - 9781510601963
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The first generation of E-ELT instruments will include an optical infrared High Resolution Spectrograph, conventionally indicated as EELT-HIRES, which will be capable of providing unique breakthroughs in the fields of exoplanets, star and planet formation, physics and evolution of stars and galaxies, cosmology and fundamental physics. A 2-year long phase A study for EELT-HIRES has just started and will be performed by a consortium composed of institutes and organisations from Brazil, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. In this paper we describe the science goals and the preliminary technical concept for EELT-HIRES which will be developed during the phase A, as well as its planned development and consortium organisation during the study.
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| 20. |
- Marconi, A., et al.
(author)
-
ELT-HIRES, the high resolution spectrograph for the ELT : results from the Phase A study
- 2018
-
In: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY VII. - : SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING. - 9781510619586
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the results from the phase A study of ELT-HIRES, an optical-infrared High Resolution Spectrograph for ELT, which has just been completed by a consortium of 30 institutes from 12 countries forming a team of about 200 scientists and engineers. The top science cases of ELT-HIRES will be the detection of life signatures from exoplanet atmospheres, tests on the stability of Nature's fundamental couplings, the direct detection of the cosmic acceleration. However, the science requirements of these science cases enable many other groundbreaking science cases. The baseline design, which allows to fulfil the top science cases, consists in a modular fiber fed cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph with two ultra-stable spectral arms providing a simultaneous spectral range of 0.4-1.8 pm at a spectral resolution of 100, 000. The fiber-feeding allows ELT-HIRES to have several, interchangeable observing modes including a SCAO module and a small diffraction-limited IFU.
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| 21. |
- Marconi, Alessandro, et al.
(author)
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ELT-HIRES, the high resolution spectrograph for the ELT : Phase A study and path to construction
- 2020
-
In: Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII. - : SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering. - 9781510636828 - 9781510636811
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- HIRES is the high-resolution spectrograph of the European Extremely Large Telescope at optical and near-infrared wavelengths. It consists of three fibre-fed spectrographs providing a wavelength coverage of 0.4-1.8 µm (goal 0.35-2.4 µm) at a spectral resolution of 100,000. The fibre-feeding allows HIRES to have several, interchangeable observing modes including a SCAO module and a small diffraction-limited IFU in the NIR. Therefore, it will be able to operate both in seeing- and diffraction-limited modes. Its modularity will ensure that HIRES can be placed entirely on the Nasmyth platform, if enough mass and volume is available, or part on the Nasmyth and part in the Coud`e room. ELT-HIRES has a wide range of science cases spanning nearly all areas of research in astrophysics and even fundamental physics. Among the top science cases there are the detection of biosignatures from exoplanet atmospheres, finding the fingerprints of the first generation of stars (PopIII), tests on the stability of Nature’s fundamental couplings, and the direct detection of the cosmic acceleration. The HIRES consortium is composed of more than 30 institutes from 14 countries, forming a team of more than 200 scientists and engineers.
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| 22. |
- Oliva, E., et al.
(author)
-
Concept and optical design of the cross-disperser module for CRIRES
- 2014
-
In: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY V. - : SPIE. - 9780819496157
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CRIRES, the ESO high resolution infrared spectrometer, is a unique instrument which allows astronomers to access a parameter space which up to now was largely uncharted. In its current setup, it consists of a single-order spectrograph providing long-slit, single-order spectroscopy with resolving power up to R=100,000 over a quite narrow spectral range. This has resulted in sub-optimal efficiency and use of telescope time for all the scientific programs requiring broad spectral coverage of compact objects (e.g. chemical abundances of stars and intergalactic medium, search and characterization of extra-solar planets). To overcome these limitations, a consortium was set-up for upgrading CRIRES to a cross-dispersed spectrometer, called CRIRES+. This paper presents the updated optical design of the cross-dispersion module for CRIRES+. This new module can be mounted in place of the current pre-disperser unit. The new system yields a factor of >10 increase in simultaneous spectral coverage and maintains a quite long slit (10"), ideal for observations of extended sources and for precise sky-background subtraction.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Piskunov, Nikolai, professor, 1957-, et al.
(author)
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A unique infrared spectropolarimetric unit for CRIRES
- 2018
-
In: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY VII. - : SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING. - 9781510619586
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- High-resolution infrared spectropolarimetry has many science applications in astrophysics. One of them is measuring weak magnetic fields using the Zeeman effect. Infrared domain is particularly advantageous as Zeeman splitting of spectral lines is proportional to the square of the wavelength while the intrinsic width of the line cores increases only linearly. Important science cases include detection and monitoring of global magnetic fields on solar-type stars, study of the magnetic field evolution from stellar formation to the final stages of the stellar life with massive stellar winds, and the dynamo mechanism operation across the boundary between fully-and partially-convective stars. CRIRES+ (the CRIRES upgrade project) includes a novel spectropolarimetric unit (SPU) based on polarization gratings. The novel design allows to perform beam-splitting very early in the optical path, directly after the tertiary mirror of the telescope (the ESO Very Large Telescope, VLT), minimizing instrumental polarization. The new SPU performs polarization beam-splitting in the near-infrared while keeping the telescope beam mostly unchanged in the optical domain, making it compatible with the adaptive optics system of the CRIRES+ instrument. The SPU consists of four beam-splitters optimized for measuring circular and linear polarization of spectral lines in YJ and HK bands. The SPU can perform beam switching allowing to correct for throughput in each beam and for variations in detector pixel sensitivity. Other new features of CRIRES+, such as substantially increased wavelength coverage, stability and advanced data reduction pipeline will further enhance the sensitivity of the polarimetric mode. The combination of the SPU, CRIRES+ and the VLT is a unique facility for making major progress in understanding stellar activity. In this article we present the design of the SPU, laboratory measurements of individual components and of the whole unit as well as the performance prediction for the operation at the VLT.
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| 25. |
- Piskunov, Nikolai, et al.
(author)
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HARPSpol - The New Polarimetric Mode for HARPS
- 2011
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In: The Messenger. ; 143, s. 7-10
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The HARPS spectrograph can now perform a full polarisation analysis of spectra. It has been equipped with a polarimetric unit, HARPSpol, which was jointly designed and produced by Uppsala, Utrecht and Rice Universities and by the STScI. Here we present the new instrument, demonstrate its polarisation capabilities and show the first scientific results.
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