The GTC instrument plan

Romano L. M. Corradi

GRANTECAN

GTC status

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GTC science time losses

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GTC science time use by stake holderCanariCam GT

OSIRIS GT

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Florida

ES-MX

Mexico

ESO time

Spain

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221 refereed articles published (1 Feb 2016)

- 89 from Spain (41 from IAC, 18 from IAA)

- 10 from Mexico and 9 from Florida

- 204 OSIRIS data / 16 Canaricam data

Science productivity

http://gtc-phase2.gtc.iac.es/science/publications/publications.php

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Paper/Telescope versus age

VLT Gemini Keck SUBARU LBT GTC

age

2015 scientific highlights

Santander-García et al 2015, Nature, 519, 63 Lee et al, 2015, Nature, 528, 108

The double-degenerate, super-Chandrasekhar

nucleus of the planetary nebula Henize 2-428Relativistic baryonic jets from an ultraluminous

supersoft X-ray source

GTC status

Still, a significant amount of work is needed in terms of telescope

development, in order to fully exploit the GTC capabilities, and in

particular to provide the best image quality under any observing

conditions (e.g. closed-loop active optics)

Progress toward this goal has been and is strongly limited by the

available financial/human resources, but it is essential if we want to

exploit the fact that the GTC is the largest telescope in the world

GTC instrument capability

Available focii:

2 Nasmyth

1 Cassegrain

4 folded Cassegrain

[Coudé]

[prime]

In use

In preparation

Not planned

2015 technical highlights

• NIR camera CIRCE successfully commissioned in summer 2015 is now offered to community starting on 2015B

• Dome opening limitations solved (Oct-Nov 2015 stand-down)

Wavelength (micron)

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CanariCamCIRCE

GTC instrumentation on December 2015

CIRCE

Developed by the University of Florida (USA) PI S. Eikenberry (UF)

Visitor Instrument (temporary instrument, not paid by the GTC budgets

and relaxed on the use of GTC standards; but supported and maintained

by the Instrument Team)

Wavelength range: 0.9 - 2.5 µm

2Kx2K HgCdTe (Rockwell)

Field of View: 3.4’ x 3.4’ with 0.1 arcsec/pixel

Observing Modes:

Broad band imaging and polarimetry

Narrowband imaging, low resolution spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry

(March 2016)

Status: offered to community starting from semester 2015B

CIRCE

During Integration tests

Future instrumentation plan

The GTC instrumentation plan till 2019 has been approved by the GTCgoverning boards.

Agreement signed with Canarian Government to fund the instrument plan 2014-2019. This includes all actions necessary to prepare the telescope focii(rotators, A&G and calibration units, helium supply) and to design, produce andinstall all instruments: HORS, CIRCE, EMIR, MEGARA, FRIDA, and theGTCAO with a Laser guide star (agreement with IAC).

The GRANTECAN mission/challenge is to comply with all these commitments indue time.

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CanariCamCIRCE

GTC instrumentation on December 2015

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OSIRIS

OSIRIS

MEGARA

HORS

GTC at the end of 2019

MIRADAS

CIRCE

EMIR

EMIR

CanariCam

CanariCam

Competitiveness

The ultimate goal is a good balance between general purpose instruments (OSIRIS

+ EMIR) and instruments designed to provide specific capabilities that raise the

scientific competitiveness of the GTC.

Distinguished features are:

MOS (EMIR, Megara, Miradas) and/or

IFU (Megara, Miradas, Frida) multiplexing capabilities,

with intermediate spectral resolution (Megara, Miradas, Frida).

The combination of these features and the large GTC collecting areas makes them

unique instruments, and/or with much higher sensitivity than other similar

instruments.

Beyond 2020

We will open a formal open discussion for the GTC Strategic

Plan from 2020-on very soon.

The community contribution is essential.

Early/mid-career astrophysicists should have a pivotal role here.