TIRSPEC : TIFR Near Infrared Spectrometer and Imager

TL;DR

TIRSPEC is a near-infrared spectrometer and imager developed for the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, offering multiple observational modes and covering 1.0 to 2.5 microns, enabling diverse astronomical research.

Contribution

This paper introduces TIRSPEC, a new near-infrared instrument with versatile modes, designed for the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, expanding observational capabilities in the 1.0 to 2.5 micron range.

Findings

Successfully commissioned in June 2013.

Provides a field of view of 307" x 307" with 0.3"/pixel scale.

Available for global astronomical community since May 2014.

Abstract

We describe the TIFR Near Infrared Spectrometer and Imager (TIRSPEC) designed and built in collaboration with M/s. Mauna Kea Infrared LLC, Hawaii, USA, now in operation on the side port of the 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT), Hanle (Ladakh), India at an altitude of 4500 meters above mean sea level. The TIRSPEC provides for various modes of operation which include photometry with broad and narrow band filters, spectrometry in single order mode with long slits of 300" length and different widths, with order sorter filters in the Y, J, H and K bands and a grism as the dispersing element as well as a cross dispersed mode to give a coverage of 1.0 to 2.5 microns at a resolving power R of ~1200. The TIRSPEC uses a Teledyne 1024 x 1024 pixel Hawaii-1 PACE array detector with a cutoff wavelength of 2.5 microns and on HCT, provides a field of view of 307" x 307" with a plate scale of 0.3"/pixel. The TIRSPEC was successfully commissioned in June 2013 and the subsequent characterization and astronomical observations are presented here. The TIRSPEC has been made available to the worldwide astronomical community for science observations from May 2014.