The Near-Infrared Camera and Fabry-Perot Spectrometer (NIC-FPS) provides near-IR imaging over the wavelength range ~0.85-2.5 microns and medium resolution (R~10,000) full-field Fabry-Perot spectroscopy in the 1.4-2.4 micron range. Commisssioning and initial science observation is currently under way on the Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5-m telescope at the Apache Point Observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico.
NIC-FPS conducts a wide variety of extragalactic, galactic, and solar system observational programs. It is the first ground-based instrument to implement the Rockwell Hawaii-1RG detector, which gives high quantum efficiency (>65%) over the instrument's wavelength sensitivity range. Currently the instrument only functions in imaging mode, as the Fabry-Perot etalon has been removed for vendor repair and realignment. When installed, the Queensgate Instruments QI EC50WF etalon, enables 0.01% bandpass full-field imaging around a number of interesting atomic and molecular lines, resulting in excellent sky background subtraction. The etalon allows low-background 3D spectral datacubes at ~30 km/s spectral resolution of line-emitting objects in the near-IR over a ~5' field. For near-IR broad, medium, and narrow-band imaging, the etalon can move in and out of the beam so that the instrument becomes an imager. In both modes, the plate scale is 0.28"/pixel. Examples of the wide variety of NIC-FPS applications include full-field kinematic mapping of star forming regions, tracing stellar outflows into regions of extreme extinction, examination of mass ejection in post-Main Sequence stars, extra-solar planet detection, and the properties of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in emission.
The construction of NIC-FPS was completed at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA) at the University of Colorado (CU) this year. The instrument is a collaborative effort between scientists at CU-CASA, and the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Rice University. Professor Patrick Hartigan has purchased the etalon with Rice University funds. We deeply appreciate the assistance from Chris Stewart, David Fischer and Gary Emerson from Ball Aerospace on the optical design and system analysis. Dr. James Green has overseen the completion of the instrument at CU-CASA. Most of the NIC-FPS design and assembly has been orchestrated by Fred Hearty.
Project Description (PDF File).
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Principal Investigator & Contact:
Dr. James Green
Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy
University of Colorado
389 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309
| E-mail: jgreen@casa.colorado.edu |
| Tel: (303) 492-7645 |
| Fax: (303) 492-5941 |
Site Manager: Carl A Schmidt,
schmidtc@casa.colorado.edu