CIRPASS Demonstration Science Results

CIRPASS, the near-infrared integral field unit (IFU) spectrograph constructed by the Institute of Astronomy (University of Cambridge), recently completed a very successful 9-night Demonstration Science run on Gemini South under the leadership of Ian Parry and Andrew Bunker (IoA). This represents the first use of a near-IR IFU on an 8m-class telescope.

A number of science programs were conducted: 

The example data shown left is from the z=1.2 radio galaxy 3C324. (Dispersion runs horizontally, spatial direction is vertical; each of the 500 IFU lenslets produces a spectrum 2 pixels high).

The preliminary processing (basic sky subtraction and cosmic ray rejection) of this single 20 minute exposure shows a very clear detection of the [OIII]500.7nm emission line (centre of the frame).

More data on 3C324 and the other science programs can be found at the IoA CIRPASS results page

As with all Gemini Demonstration Science data, it is intended that these datasets will be made publicly available within 2 months. Further details will be provided at that time. 

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Last update 15 August 2002; Phil Puxley