Astrophysical instrumentation

Infrared instrumentation

The instrumentation to detect and analyze the light in the infrared range of the spectrum is one of the fields of knowledge of the Instrumentation Division. The design and construction of infrared cameras and spectrographs requires high vacuum and cryogenic technologies, involving the specialties of mechanical engineering, optics and electronics, mainly. The integration and operation of mechanisms and devices in a cryogenic environment is especially complex and requires highly specialized knowledge and equipment. The Instrumentation Division has a long history of international participation in this type of instrumentation.

  • Integration and verification at the GTC with the Adaptive Optics system
    GRANCAIN: First scientific INfrared CAmera for Adaptive Optics of GTC
    GRANCAIN is a near-infrared scientific camera developed to operate with the Adaptive Optics system of the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), enabling it to reach the diffraction limit and provide the best spatial resolution from the ground. Conceived as a strategic and transitional instrument, GRANCAIN supports the commissioning of the GTC's Adaptive
    Víctor Javier
    Sánchez Bejar
    In progress
  • EMIR installed at the Nasmyth A platform of GTC and actually in operationGTC
    EMIR - Multi-object Infrared Spectrograph
    EMIR is a wide-field camera and intermediate resolution near infrared spectrograph. It is a criogenic multi-object spectrograph installed and in operation in the GTC telescope. A criogenic robotic reconfigurable slit system allows to obtain spectra from up to 50 objects simultaneously.
    Francisco
    Garzón López
    In progress
  • Infografía 3D de HARMONI
    HARMONI
    HARMONI is one of the three ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope) first light scientific instruments. It is a visible and near-infrared (0.47 to 2.45 µm) integral field spectrograph, providing the ELT's core spectroscopic capability, over a range of resolving powers from R (≡λ/Δλ) ~4000 to R~20000.
    María Begoña
    García Lorenzo
    Evencio
    Mediavilla Gradolph
    In progress
  • System level integration and tests of FRIDA
    FRIDA - inFRared Imager and Dissector for Adaptive optics
    FRIDA (inFRared Imager and Dissector for Adaptive optics) is an integral field spectrograph in the near infrared, also with image mode, which will be installed in the GTC telescope. It will use the adaptive optics system of GTC (GTCAO) to observe with very high spatial resolution and spectral resolutions of up to 30,000.
    Almudena
    Prieto Escudero
    Closed
  • Fiber link (brazo de fibras ópticas) de NIRPS
    NIRPS (Near Infra Red Planet Searcher)
    NIRPS is a next-generation, near-infrared spectrograph that uses adaptive optics and is fed via a fiber link. It is a compact cryogenic Echelle spectrograph, capable of operating alone or in combination with the HARPS instrument. It will have a spectral resolution of 100000 or 75000, and will be installed in La Silla observatory (Chile).
    Jonay Isaí
    González Hernández
    In progress
  • MIRADAS optical schema
    MIRADAS - Mid-resolution InfRAreD Astronomical Spectrograph
    MIRADAS is an intermediate resolution infrared spectrograph for the GTC telescope. It will operate in the infrared range of 1 to 2.5 microns with a spectral resolution of 20,000. It is a multi-object spectrograph capable of observing up to 20 objects simultaneously, by means of a robot with 20 arms that can patrol a 5 arcminutes field.
    Francisco
    Garzón López
    In progress