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Future Instrumentation at Gemini
Gemini currently has four instrument projects at advanced stages of development:
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• FLAMINGOS-2 – A near-infrared (0.95 – 2.4 microns) imager (6 × 6 arcminute field) and multi-object spectrograph (2 × 6 arcminute field). A special Fabry-Perot tunable filter will be available for narrowband imaging and the instrument will also be compatible with GeMS, the Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics System. First light occurred at Gemini South in mid-2009; however several problems have led to lengthy delays in commissioning, which is now expected to resume early in 2013. Find more instrument specifications at: www.gemini.edu/sciops/instruments/flamingos2/ |  Flamingos-2 - A commissioning first-light image of the Tarantula Nebula taken in September 2009. This image was obtained using a non-science-grade detector that has since been replaced. |
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• Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics System (GeMS) – Currently under construction at Gemini South, GeMS uses three deformable mirrors, five laser guide stars, and associated wavefront sensors to enable high Strehl and uniform image quality observations over a field of view of 2 arcminutes in diameter. GeMS will be used with the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI) and FLAMINGOS-2. For more details see the instrument page. A general update article is on pages 60-61 of the December 2009 issue of GeminiFocus. |  Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) - The Gemini Multi-Conjugate AO System (GeMS) enclosure on the altitude platform on the Gemini South telescope. |
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• Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) – GPI will use adaptive optics to deliver diffraction-limited images and spectroscopy between 0.9 and 2.4 microns. Two deformable mirrors and coronagraphic masks will provide high contrast to discover and characterize planets around young stars. GPI is currently being built by an international team led by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and should be delivered to Gemini South during 2011. For more details see the the Gemini GPI page. |  GPI - A simulated planet discovery image as it might appear using the Gemini Planet Imager. |
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• Gemini Remote Access to CFHT ESPaDOnS Spectrograph (GRACES) – GRACES will combine the large collecting area of the Gemini North telescope with the high resolving power of the ESPaDOnS spectrograph at CFHT, to deliver high resolution spectroscopy across the optical region. This will be achieved through a 270 m fiber optics feed from the Gemini North telescope to ESPaDOnS, at CFHT. GRACES will perform R ~ 50,000 echelle spectroscopy between 400 and 1,000 nm, with expected throughput redward of 600 nm exceeding those of currently available high-resolution spectrographs in 8-10 m class telescopes. A result of a cooperation between CFHT, Gemini, and HIA (which will develop the hardware) GRACES is tentatively scheduled for commissioning in March 2013. A call for SV proposals will be made once commissioning on Gemini is completed. For more information please visit the ESPaDOnS webpage at CFHT. |  GRACES - A collaboration between Gemini, CFHT, and HIA, will provide the Gemini community with a high-resolution optical spectrograph at a relatively low cost and hopefully in the very near term. |
In addition to these instruments, Gemini is currently evaluating several other projects. For example, a feasibility study for a Ground Layer Adaptive Optics (GLAO) system for Gemini North is complete and available, and its corresponding site testing has been completed. The observatory is also considering the next generation of facility instruments.
For more historical documents concerning past instrument development, including the Aspen Process, please see this page