On-sky Performance and Results of the Recently Upgraded ALES Integral Field Spectrograph

Jordan M. Stone; Andrew Skemer; Phil Hinz; Steve Ertel; Zackery Briesemeister; Jarron Leisenring; Oli Durney; Manny Montoya; Chick Woodward; Michael Skrutskie; Travis Barman

doi:10.1117/12.2630308

On-sky Performance and Results of the Recently Upgraded ALES Integral Field Spectrograph

Jordan M. Stone, Andrew Skemer, Phil Hinz, Steve Ertel, Zackery Briesemeister, Jarron Leisenring, Oli Durney, Manny Montoya, Chick Woodward, Michael Skrutskie, Travis Barman

Physics and Astronomy (Twin Cities)

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Arizona Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (ALES) is an integral field spectrograph implemented with a modular design comprising magnifiers, a lenslet array, and direct-vision prisms all installed in filterwheels within the LBTI/LMIRCam instrument. ALES is unique among high-contrast instruments for providing spatially resolved spectroscopy out to 5 microns. ALES has been operating with an upgraded lenslet array and prism assembly since late 2018. The new lenslet array includes larger lenslets to reduce diffraction losses and spatial crosstalk in the data. The lenslet array is fabricated with a unique sag surface for each lenslet, correcting for rotating off-axis astigmatism in the magnified intermediate focal plane. The result is tighter lenslet spots and better data. The new prism assembly provides increased spectral resolution in the 2.9 to 4.2 micron wavelength range. Here we characterize the performance of upgraded ALES, and report initial results probing the atmospheres of high-contrast companions to nearby stars. A calibration and data pre-processing strategy unique to the upgraded instrument is discussed. We also report laboratory tests of additional future upgrades including prism and blocking filter pairs for added bandpasses and magnification modes to facilitate Fizeau interferometry with LMIRCam and ALES.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX
Editors	Christopher J. Evans, Julia J. Bryant, Kentaro Motohara
Publisher	SPIE
ISBN (Electronic)	9781510653498
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2630308
State	Published - 2022
Event	Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX 2022 - Montreal, Canada Duration: Jul 17 2022 → Jul 22 2022

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume	12184
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)	1996-756X

Conference

Conference	Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX 2022
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Montreal
Period	7/17/22 → 7/22/22

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 SPIE.

Keywords

Adaptive Optics
Exoplanets
Integral Field Spectroscopy
Thermal-Infrared

Access

10.1117/12.2630308

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Cite this

Stone, J. M., Skemer, A., Hinz, P., Ertel, S., Briesemeister, Z., Leisenring, J., Durney, O., Montoya, M., Woodward, C., Skrutskie, M., & Barman, T. (2022). On-sky Performance and Results of the Recently Upgraded ALES Integral Field Spectrograph. In C. J. Evans, J. J. Bryant, & K. Motohara (Eds.), Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX Article 1218442 (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 12184). SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2630308

On-sky Performance and Results of the Recently Upgraded ALES Integral Field Spectrograph. / Stone, Jordan M.; Skemer, Andrew; Hinz, Phil et al.
Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX. ed. / Christopher J. Evans; Julia J. Bryant; Kentaro Motohara. SPIE, 2022. 1218442 (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 12184).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Stone, JM, Skemer, A, Hinz, P, Ertel, S, Briesemeister, Z, Leisenring, J, Durney, O, Montoya, M, Woodward, C, Skrutskie, M & Barman, T 2022, On-sky Performance and Results of the Recently Upgraded ALES Integral Field Spectrograph. in CJ Evans, JJ Bryant & K Motohara (eds), Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX., 1218442, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 12184, SPIE, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX 2022, Montreal, Canada, 7/17/22. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2630308

Stone JM, Skemer A, Hinz P, Ertel S, Briesemeister Z, Leisenring J et al. On-sky Performance and Results of the Recently Upgraded ALES Integral Field Spectrograph. In Evans CJ, Bryant JJ, Motohara K, editors, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX. SPIE. 2022. 1218442. (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering). doi: 10.1117/12.2630308

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abstract = "The Arizona Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (ALES) is an integral field spectrograph implemented with a modular design comprising magnifiers, a lenslet array, and direct-vision prisms all installed in filterwheels within the LBTI/LMIRCam instrument. ALES is unique among high-contrast instruments for providing spatially resolved spectroscopy out to 5 microns. ALES has been operating with an upgraded lenslet array and prism assembly since late 2018. The new lenslet array includes larger lenslets to reduce diffraction losses and spatial crosstalk in the data. The lenslet array is fabricated with a unique sag surface for each lenslet, correcting for rotating off-axis astigmatism in the magnified intermediate focal plane. The result is tighter lenslet spots and better data. The new prism assembly provides increased spectral resolution in the 2.9 to 4.2 micron wavelength range. Here we characterize the performance of upgraded ALES, and report initial results probing the atmospheres of high-contrast companions to nearby stars. A calibration and data pre-processing strategy unique to the upgraded instrument is discussed. We also report laboratory tests of additional future upgrades including prism and blocking filter pairs for added bandpasses and magnification modes to facilitate Fizeau interferometry with LMIRCam and ALES.",

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AB - The Arizona Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (ALES) is an integral field spectrograph implemented with a modular design comprising magnifiers, a lenslet array, and direct-vision prisms all installed in filterwheels within the LBTI/LMIRCam instrument. ALES is unique among high-contrast instruments for providing spatially resolved spectroscopy out to 5 microns. ALES has been operating with an upgraded lenslet array and prism assembly since late 2018. The new lenslet array includes larger lenslets to reduce diffraction losses and spatial crosstalk in the data. The lenslet array is fabricated with a unique sag surface for each lenslet, correcting for rotating off-axis astigmatism in the magnified intermediate focal plane. The result is tighter lenslet spots and better data. The new prism assembly provides increased spectral resolution in the 2.9 to 4.2 micron wavelength range. Here we characterize the performance of upgraded ALES, and report initial results probing the atmospheres of high-contrast companions to nearby stars. A calibration and data pre-processing strategy unique to the upgraded instrument is discussed. We also report laboratory tests of additional future upgrades including prism and blocking filter pairs for added bandpasses and magnification modes to facilitate Fizeau interferometry with LMIRCam and ALES.

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On-sky Performance and Results of the Recently Upgraded ALES Integral Field Spectrograph

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access

OpenUrl availability

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