SHARK-NIR: the near-infrared high-contrast imager for LBT

Titolo: SHARK-NIR: the near-infrared high-contrast imager for LBT

Relatore: Davide Greggio

Coordinate: venerdì 9 giugno, ore 11:00, aula Ovest OACT

Abstract: SHARK is the next generation high-contrast imager of the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona. It is composed by an optical and a near-infrared arm that can observe simultaneously the same target. The system will make use of the extreme AO correction of LBT, providing high-resolution images with Strehl Ratios as high as 95% for the brightest targets.
The NIR channel of SHARK is dedicated to the waveband between 0.96 and 1.7 micron (Y, J and H photometric bands) and is capable of simple imaging, coronagraphic imaging and low-resolution long-slit spectroscopy. The features of the instrument make it the perfect candidate for high-contrast imaging around bright targets such as direct imaging/characterization of exoplanets orbiting nearby stars, stellar disks and jets, brown dwarfs and the study of the innermost regions of the brightest AGNs. Moreover, the synergy with SHARK-VIS and LMIRCAM (the mid-infrared interferometric camera of LBT) will provide a very broad wavelength coverage, allowing to break degeneracies usually present in theoretical models.
I will present the opto-mechanical design of the instrument, the expected performances and an overview of the main scientific cases, along with a brief update on the project status.