Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) at Gemini-South: Instrument performance and integration, first science, and next steps
Abstract
The Gemini South telescope is now equipped with a new high-resolution spectrograph called GHOST (the Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph). This instrument provides high-efficiency, high-resolution spectra covering 347-1060 nm in a single exposure of either one or two targets simultaneously, along with precision radial velocity spectroscopy utilizing an internal calibration source. It can operate at a spectral element resolving power of either 76000 or 56000, and can reach a SNR5 in a 1hr exposure on a V20.8 mag target in median site seeing, and dark skies (per resolution element). GHOST was installed on-site in June 2022, and we report performance after full integration to queue operations in November 2023, in addition to scientific results enabled by the integration observing runs. These results demonstrate the ability to observe a wide variety of bright and faint targets with high efficiency and precision. With GHOST, new avenues to explore high-resolution spectroscopy have opened up to the astronomical community. These are described, along with the planned and potential upgrades to the instrument.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2409.05855,
title = {Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) at Gemini-South: Instrument performance and integration, first science, and next steps},
author = {V. M. Kalari and R. J. Diaz and G. Robertson and A. McConnachie and M. Ireland and R. Salinas and P. Young and C. Simpson and C. Hayes and J. Nielsen and G. Burley and J. Pazder and M. Gomez-Jimenez and E. Martioli and S. B. Howell and M. Jeong and S. Juneau and R. Ruiz-Carmona and S. Margheim and A. Sheinis and A. Anthony and G. Baker and T. A. M. Berg and T. Cao and E. Chapin and T. Chin and K. Chiboucas and V. Churilov and E. Deibert and A. Densmore and J. Dunn and M. L. Edgar and J. Heo and D. Henderson and T. Farrell and J. Font and V. Firpo and J. Fuentes and K. Labrie and S. Lambert and J. Lawrence and J. Lothrop and R. McDermid and B. W. Miller and G. Perez and V. M. Placco and P. Prado and C. Quiroz and F. Ramos and R. Rutten and K. M. G. Silva and J. Thomas-Osip and C. Urrutia and W. D. Vacca and K. Venn and F. Waller and L. Waller and M. White and S. Xu and R. Zhelem},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2409.05855},
year = {2024}
}
Comments
Accepted in the Astronomical Journal; 26 pages, 24 figures and 4 tables