Day-One Scientific instruments

GTC have the following Day One instruments: OSIRIS (an optical camera and multi-object spectrograph) and CanariCam (a thermal infrared (IR) camera and spectrograph with polarimetry and coronography capabilities). These two instruments have been developed by consortia formed by several research centers. The consortium that developed OSIRIS was leaded by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), with the participation of the IA-UNAM, IFCA and IAA. CanariCam was built by the Universidad de Florida.

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Post-Day-One instrumentation

The next common-user scientific instrument is being built for the GTC: a multi-object spectrograph in the near infrared called EMIR. This is the first of the instruments adopted to be installed in the GTC after the date of Day One, which is also called second-generation instruments. EMIR is being developed by a consortium led by the IAC.

Another second-generation instrument, being developed by the University of Florida, is CIRCE: an infrared camera that will also work in the near-infrared range (1 - 2.5 μ m), which provides the GTC capacity in the IR image before the arrival of EMIR.

FRIDA is another instrument for GTC that is being developed. FRIDA, will make use of the Adaptive Optics system of the GTC, will be able to take pictures in broadband and narrowband. Besides, FRIDA will allow comprehensive field spectroscopy in the spectral range of 0.9 - 2.5 μm. Its development is led by the Universidad Nacional de México UNAM.

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New generation of instruments

In order to help define the progression needed to keep GTC scientifically competitive throughout the next decade, a work panel was assigned with the aim of analysing GTC´s growth potential against other telescopes present and future plans. Recommendations provided by this work panel can be found here.

Based on the outcome of this study, it has been decided to proceed with the development of two medium dispersion spectrographs, one in the visible range and another in the near infrared, to be implemented in the telescope around the middle of the next decade (2015/2016). In 2009 GTC´s scientific community members were invited to present instrument proposals that fulfil this need.

In June 2010 four valid proposals were received (GO-IRS, MEGARA, MIRADAS, and NIRINTS), which are currently (September 2010) under study to select the most suitable for development in the next years

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