NOAO Mini-Workshop at January AAS Meeting: “The Resurgence of High-Resolution Spectroscopy at Gemini”

Ken Hinkle, NOAO

The US National Gemini Office (US NGO) will host a mini-workshop on Gemini high-resolution spectroscopy at the January 2019 AAS meeting in Seattle. The workshop will be scheduled as an afternoon splinter session, possibly on Tuesday afternoon. Scheduling details will be provided by the AAS in late November.

Over the last few years, a variety of high-resolution spectroscopic capabilities have been available at Gemini through its visitor instrument program. Both long- and short-slit spectrographs have been offered, with capabilities spanning the optical to mid-infrared. Gemini is now building a new high-sensitivity, high-resolution optical spectrograph for the Gemini South telescope.

The AAS splinter session will focus on the science opportunities made available by these instruments:

• The session will begin with an overview from Verne Smith (NOAO) of science results from the high-resolution spectrographs offered at Gemini.
• Jeff Carlin (LSST) will then discuss science from the optical spectrograph GRACES.
• Hwihyun Kim (Gemini) will describe results from the 1.5-2.5 micron near-infrared spectrograph IGRINS, a visitor instrument that was recently scheduled at Gemini South. She will also discuss plans for the return to Gemini of IGRINS or its clone.
• Jacob Bean (Chicago) will update us on the status of the planet hunting high-precision radial velocity spectrograph Maroon-X, which should be available at Gemini North in 2019.
• Finally, Steve Margheim (Gemini) will discuss the status of the new facility optical spectrograph GHOST.

If high spectral resolution is your interest, and if you will be at the AAS meeting, then make this session a priority. Admission is free to anyone attending the AAS.