The GREGOR Fabry-P\'erot Interferometer

TL;DR

The GREGOR Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (GFPI) is a high-cadence, high-resolution solar instrument capable of capturing dynamic solar phenomena and magnetic fields with detailed spectral and spatial data.

Contribution

This paper presents the design, capabilities, and potential scientific applications of the GFPI instrument at the GREGOR solar telescope.

Findings

High spectral resolution of about 250,000.

Field-of-view of 50" x 38" for quiet Sun observations.

Potential for discovering dynamic solar phenomena at 50 km spatial scales.

Abstract

The GREGOR Fabry-P\'erot Interferometer (GFPI) is one of three first-light instruments of the German 1.5-meter GREGOR solar telescope at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain. The GFPI uses two tunable etalons in collimated mounting. Thanks to its large-format, high-cadence CCD detectors with sophisticated computer hard- and software it is capable of scanning spectral lines with a cadence that is sufficient to capture the dynamic evolution of the solar atmosphere. The field-of-view (FOV) of 50" x 38" is well suited for quiet Sun and sunspot observations. However, in the vector spectropolarimetric mode the FOV reduces to 25" x 38". The spectral coverage in the spectroscopic mode extends from 530-860 nm with a theoretical spectral resolution R of about 250,000, whereas in the vector spectropolarimetric mode the wavelength range is at present limited to 580-660 nm. The combination of fast narrow-band imaging and post-factum image restoration has the potential for discovery science concerning the dynamic Sun and its magnetic field at spatial scales down to about 50 km on the solar surface.