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| Subaru MOIRCS | |
|---|---|
| Name | MOIRCS |
| Telescope | Subaru Telescope |
| Operator | National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
| Location | Mauna Kea, Hawaii |
| Wavelength | Near-infrared (J, H, K, Y) |
| First light | 2004 |
| Instruments | Multi-Object Spectrograph, Camera |
| Detectors | HgCdTe |
| Field of view | 4'×7' (approx.) |
| Resolution | Imaging and spectroscopy modes |
Subaru MOIRCS Subaru MOIRCS is a near-infrared multi-object spectrograph and camera on the Subaru Telescope at Mauna Kea operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. It was developed through collaboration among institutions including the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and the Subaru Telescope project, and has enabled observations tied to programs by agencies like the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the National Science Foundation. MOIRCS has been used in studies connected to projects involving the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Hubble Space Telescope, and Subaru Strategic Program.
MOIRCS was commissioned to exploit the 8.2-meter aperture of Subaru and to complement instruments such as Suprime-Cam, Hyper Suprime-Cam, and FMOS. It provides near-infrared imaging and multi-object spectroscopy to support investigations related to the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, GOODS, COSMOS, and CANDELS surveys. The instrument has been central to science programs overlapping with teams from the European Southern Observatory, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Space Telescope Science Institute. MOIRCS has supported observations that tie into studies by researchers at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, and Caltech.
The optical design incorporates cryogenic optics, slit-mask mechanisms, and HgCdTe detectors similar to arrays used in instruments such as NIRSPEC and NIRC2. Mechanical and thermal engineering drew on expertise from institutions including Kyoto University, Osaka University, and Tohoku University, and manufacturing by companies working with Mitsubishi Electric and Toshiba. MOIRCS supports multiple filters used in programs coordinated with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, Gemini Observatory, and the W. M. Keck Observatory. Its capabilities permit studies that complement spectroscopy from instruments like VLT ISAAC, VLT SINFONI, and Keck MOSFIRE.
MOIRCS offers imaging in Y, J, H, and K bands and multi-object spectroscopy using slit masks designed for surveys analogous to those of the UltraVISTA, ZFOURGE, and UKIDSS projects. Observers from institutions such as the University of California, Los Angeles, University of Hawaii, and Princeton University have exploited its sensitivity and multiplexing for deep-field work. Performance metrics have been compared with instruments on the Gran Telescopio Canarias, Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, and Anglo-Australian Telescope, and used in follow-up of targets from the Kepler mission, Gaia, and Spitzer Space Telescope. MOIRCS performance has been characterized in commissioning papers authored by teams including principal investigators from the University of Tokyo and NAOJ.
Data pipelines for MOIRCS have been developed by collaborations that included the Subaru Telescope data reduction group, software teams at Kyoto University, and community efforts informed by IRAF users, Astropy developers, and IDL analysts. Calibration strategies reference standard star catalogs maintained by the United States Naval Observatory, Two Micron All Sky Survey, and Pan-STARRS teams. Reduction steps integrate flat-fielding, wavelength calibration via arc lamps comparable to those used at Keck and VLT, and sky subtraction informed by methods applied in APOGEE and KMOS pipelines. Products have been used in analyses shared with groups at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Strasbourg Astronomical Data Center, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope consortium.
MOIRCS enabled studies of high-redshift galaxies identified in GOODS-N and GOODS-S, spectroscopic confirmation of Lyman-break galaxy candidates related to work by teams at the Space Telescope Science Institute and Carnegie Observatories, and investigations of galaxy assembly relevant to the COSMOS and SXDF surveys. Science results have been published by researchers affiliated with the Kavli Institute, Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, and Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. MOIRCS contributed to measurements of star-formation rates in targets from the Herschel Space Observatory and ALMA follow-up programs, and to kinematic studies complementing IFU observations from instruments like MUSE and SINFONI.
Operations are managed by the Subaru Telescope operations group with observing time allocated through committees including JSPS panels and international time-exchange programs involving the European Southern Observatory and NOAO. Upgrade paths have been discussed with collaborators such as the Institute of Astronomy (Cambridge), National Astronomical Observatory of China, and MIT, including detector replacements and mask-fabrication improvements akin to developments seen in MOSFIRE and FMOS upgrades. MOIRCS remains part of coordinated observing strategies alongside instruments supporting missions such as JWST, Euclid, and Roman Space Telescope.
Category:Instruments of the Subaru Telescope Category:Near-infrared astronomical instruments Category:Multi-object spectrographs