SIRPOL: a <i>JHK</i><sub>s</sub>-simultaneous imaging polarimeter for the IRSF 1.4-m telescope

Ryo Kandori; Nobuhiko Kusakabe; Motohide Tamura; Yasushi Nakajima; Takahiro Nagayama; Chie Nagashima; Jun Hashimoto; Jim Hough; Shuji Sato; Tetsuya Nagata; Akika Ishihara; Phil Lucas; Misato Fukagawa

doi:10.1117/12.670967

28 June 2006 SIRPOL: a JHK_s-simultaneous imaging polarimeter for the IRSF 1.4-m telescope

Ryo Kandori, Nobuhiko Kusakabe, Motohide Tamura, Yasushi Nakajima, Takahiro Nagayama, Chie Nagashima, Jun Hashimoto, Jim Hough, Shuji Sato, Tetsuya Nagata, Akika Ishihara, Phil Lucas, Misato Fukagawa

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6269, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy; 626951 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.670967
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2006, Orlando, Florida , United States

Abstract

We describe a polarimeter for the near-infrared camera SIRIUS mounted on the IRSF 1.4 m telescope in South Africa. The polarimeter, SIRPOL, consists of an achromatic (1-2.5 μm) wave plate rotator unit and a polarizer located upstream of the camera, both of which are at a room temperature. This minimizes the effect of the mirrors in the camera on instrumental polarization. The combination of the polarimeter with the SIRIUS camera enables a deep (J = 19.2 mag, 5σ in one hour) and wide-field (7.7' × 7.7') imaging polarimetry at JHK_s simultaneously. The three color near-infrared polarimetry is useful for understanding the properties of dust grains that cause scattering and absorption in various environments (e.g., star forming regions, late-type stars, and galaxies). Using IRSF and SIRPOL, wide-field near-infrared polarization surveys in various star-forming regions are being conducted, starting from 2006, which aim to study both reflection nebulae associated with young stars and interstellar polarizations of background stars. In this contribution, we describe the hardware and software of SIRPOL and report its first results on the telescope.

Citation Download Citation

Ryo Kandori, Nobuhiko Kusakabe, Motohide Tamura, Yasushi Nakajima, Takahiro Nagayama, Chie Nagashima, Jun Hashimoto, Jim Hough, Shuji Sato, Tetsuya Nagata, Akika Ishihara, Phil Lucas, and Misato Fukagawa "SIRPOL: a JHK_s-simultaneous imaging polarimeter for the IRSF 1.4-m telescope", Proc. SPIE 6269, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy, 626951 (28 June 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.670967

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available