The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) is a dedicated high-contrast imaging facility instrument. After six years, GPI has helped establish that the occurrence rate of Jovian planets peaks near the snow. GPI 2.0 is expected to achieve deeper contrasts, especially at small inner working angles, to extend GPI’s operating range to fainter stars, and to broaden its scientific capabilities. GPI shipped from Gemini South in 2022 and is undergoing an upgrade as part of a relocation to Gemini North. We present the status of the upgrades including replacing the current wavefront sensor with an EMCCD-based pyramid wavefront sensor, adding a broadband low spectral resolution prism, new apodized-pupil Lyot coronagraph designs, upgrades of the calibration wavefront sensor and increased queue operability. Further we discuss the progress of reintegrating these components into the new system and the expected performance improvements in the context of GPI 2.0’s enhanced science capabilities.
Polarimetric observations can provide important information on many astrophysical phenomena beyond that available via conventional imaging and spectroscopy alone. As a first step toward providing Gemini North instrument support for polarimetric observations, an instrument upgrade program is currently under way to bring one of the GPOL polarization modulator units (GPOL-N) into operation in concert with NIRI at Gemini North (GN) to provide an IR imaging polarimetry in the visiting instrument mode. Featuring three deployable trays that accommodate swappable, rotatable polarizing waveplates and calibration polarizers, GPOL is designed to facilitate polarimetric observations over the opticalinfrared wavelength range of 0.3 – 5 μm. When installed on the telescope, GPOL is physically situated inside the Acquisition and Guidance (A&G) unit, and is designed to work in concert with bottom port instruments containing an oninstrument Wollaston prism, such as NIRI. We present here an overview of the functional characteristics of GPOL and the current status of the GPOL+NIRI commissioning project. Following control board and software updates, the GPOL-N unit is currently undergoing further testing as a prelude to refurbishment. We also briefly discuss subsequent Gemini North polarimetric instrumentation plans, which include the possible future commissioning of a visitor mode that combines GPOL with the GNIRS multifunction spectrograph to provide NIR spectropolarimetry, and polarimetric imaging via the GPI 2.0 instrument.
IGRINS-2 is a high-resolution, near-infrared spectrograph developed by Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) for Gemini Observatory as a new facility instrument. It provides spectral resolving power of ~45,000 and a simultaneous wavelength coverage of 1.49-2.46 μm. IGRINS-2 is an improved version of IGRINS (Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer) with minor optical and mechanical design changes, new detector controllers, and operating software to be fully integrated into Gemini operating systems. Since the project began in early 2020, project key milestones including assembly and pre-delivery performance verification were completed, and delivered to Gemini North in early September, 2023. After the successful post-delivery verification and telescope integration, the first light spectra were acquired in October 2023. We present design changes and upgrades made to IGRINS-2 from the original IGRINS, assembly and alignment procedures, and verification of the instrument requirements. We also report the preliminary results of the system performance tests.
MAROON-X is a fiber-fed, optical EPRV spectrograph at the 8-m Gemini North Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawai’i. MAROON-X was commissioned as a visiting instrument in December 2019 and is in regular use since May 2020. Originally designed for RV observations of M-dwarfs, the instrument is used for a broad range of exoplanet and stellar science cases and has transitioned to be the second-most requested instrument on Gemini North over a number of semesters. We report here on the first two years of operations and radial velocity observations. MAROON-X regularly achieves sub-m/s RV performance on sky with a short-term instrumental noise floor at the 30 cm/s level. We will discuss various technical aspects in achieving this level of precision and how to further improve long-term performance
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