Little iLocater: paving the way for iLocater
ABSTRACT Diffraction-limited radial-velocity instruments offer a pathway towards improved precision and stability, and the exploration of new parameter spaces at high spatial and spectral resolution. However, achieving the necessary performance requires careful instrument design and considerable on-sky testing. We describe the design and construction of ‘Little iLocater’ (Lili), a compact spectrograph that has been used to validate the performance of the front-end fibre-injection system of the iLocater spectrograph. We present the design, assembly, and performance using on-sky data obtained at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), including extraction of spectra from standard stars, testing of the atmospheric dispersion corrector to elevations of 40°, and spatially resolved spectra from close companion systems. These results show the front-end fibre-injection system is performing as expected and is indicative of iLocater’s capabilities once installed at the LBT.
Authors
- Robert J. Harris (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8518-4640)
- Brian Sands
- Derek Kopon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0121-5815)
- Andrew Bechter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3047-9599)
- Santiago Barboza
- Jonathan Crass (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1503-2852)
- Andrea Bianco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7691-404X)
- Ariadna Calcines (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5767-1695)
- Marshall C. Johnson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5099-8185)
- Eric Bechter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8725-8730)
- Steve Ertel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2314-7289)
- Justin R. Crepp (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0800-0593)
- Jennifer Power
Institutions
- University of Notre Dame (US)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Durham University (GB)
- Brera Astronomical Observatory (IT)
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (DE)
- The Ohio State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Published
- 2024-12-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stae2720
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.35
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Ohio State University
- University of Minnesota
- University of Arizona
- University of Notre Dame
- University of Virginia
- Arizona Board of Regents
- Durham University
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
- Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam
- European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
- Leibniz-Gemeinschaft