The HARPS polarimeter
Frans Snik, Oleg Kochukhov, Nikolai Piskunov, Michiel Rodenhuis,, Sandra Jeffers, Christoph Keller, Andrey Dolgopolov, Eric Stempels, Vitaly, Makaganiuk, Jeff Valenti, Christopher Johns-Krull
TL;DR
The HARPS polarimeter, recently upgraded at ESO's 3.6-m telescope, enables high-precision full Stokes spectropolarimetry with excellent sensitivity and minimal instrumental effects, enhancing stellar magnetic field studies.
Contribution
This paper introduces the design and performance of the newly commissioned HARPS polarimeter, demonstrating its high sensitivity and stability for spectropolarimetric observations.
Findings
Achieved polarimetric sensitivity of ~10^-5
No significant instrumental polarization effects detected
Successful initial observations confirming instrument performance
Abstract
We recently commissioned the polarimetric upgrade of the HARPS spectrograph at ESO's 3.6-m telescope at La Silla, Chile. The HARPS polarimeter is capable of full Stokes spectropolarimetry with large sensitivity and accuracy, taking advantage of the large spectral resolution and stability of HARPS. In this paper we present the instrument design and its polarimetric performance. The first HARPSpol observations show that it can attain a polarimetric sensitivity of ~10^-5 (after addition of many lines) and that no significant instrumental polarization effects are present.
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Taxonomy
TopicsStellar, planetary, and galactic studies · Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies · Astronomy and Astrophysical Research