Pre-shipment optical characterization of the SCALES instrument
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The Slicer Combined with an Array of Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (SCALES) instrument is a 1-5 micron imager and 2-5 micron integral field spectrograph, currently being commissioned on the Keck II Telescope. SCALES is optimized for exoplanet high-contrast imaging and spectroscopic characterization, and will be sensitive to older, colder exoplanets than existing instrumentation. The 12.3" x 12.3" imaging channel is designed to replicate the capabilities of NIRC2, and the low (R~35-200, 2.2" x 2.2" FOV) and medium (R~2500-5000, 0.36" x 0.34" FOV) spectral resolution modes offer new capabilities compared to existing Keck instrumentation. We present preliminary optical performance results from laboratory testing and commissioning of SCALES.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Kain, Isabel J., Kupke, Reni, Dillon, Daren, Stelter, R. Deno, McGurk, Rosalie, Weber-Stover, Gwendolin, Unni, Athira, Kassis, Marc, Lilley, Scott, Benac, Peyton, Lach, Mackenzie, Surya, Arun, Hasan, Amirul, Banyal, Ravinder, Martinez, Raquel, MacDonald, Nicholas, Deich, Will, Hunter, Aaron, Plume, Emily, Gonzales, Michael, Rodriguez, Cristian, Kumar, Arjun, Bourgenot, Cyril, Whiteg, Paul, Schmollg, Juergen, Wells, James, Davies, Spencer, Bramall, David, Mawet, Dimitri, Absil, Olivier, Fitzgerald, Michael, Wang, Eric, Sallum, Steph, Skemer, Andrew
Language: English
Subfield: Instrumentation
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204960573