Abstract
We are developing a stable and precise spectrograph for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) named "iLocater." The instrument comprises three principal components: a cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph that operates in the YJ-bands (0.97-1.30 μm), a fiber-injection acquisition camera system, and a wavelength calibration unit. iLocater will deliver high spectral resolution (R∼150,000-240,000) measurements that permit novel studies of stellar and substellar objects in the solar neighborhood including extrasolar planets. Unlike previous planet-finding instruments, which are seeing-limited, iLocater operates at the diffraction limit and uses single mode fibers to eliminate the effects of modal noise entirely. By receiving starlight from two 8.4m diameter telescopes that each use "extreme" adaptive optics (AO), iLocater shows promise to overcome the limitations that prevent existing instruments from generating sub-meter-per-second radial velocity (RV) precision. Although optimized for the characterization of low-mass planets using the Doppler technique, iLocater will also advance areas of research that involve crowded fields, line-blanketing, and weak absorption lines.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VI |
Editors | Luc Simard, Christopher J. Evans, Hideki Takami |
Publisher | SPIE |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781510601956 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2016 |
Event | Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VI - Edinburgh, United Kingdom Duration: Jun 26 2016 → Jun 30 2016 |
Publication series
Name | Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering |
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Volume | 9908 |
Other
Other | Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VI |
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Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | Edinburgh |
Period | 6/26/16 → 6/30/16 |
Keywords
- Adaptive optics
- Exoplanets
- Optical fibers
- Radial velocity
- Spectroscopy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Computer Science Applications
- Applied Mathematics
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering