It is able to detect exoplanets around small stars and precisely study their magnetic fields. To achieve this, SPIP, a marvel of high-precision optics, must be immersed in extreme cold… A report from the clean room of the Institute of Research in Astrophysics and Planetology (IRAP) in Toulouse where scientists are fine-tuning the instrument before its departure to the Pic du Midi observatory, where it will be installed in 2024. This article usually reserved for Futura subscribers is offered to you.
“Between optics and mechanics, we assembled a puzzle of nearly 10,000 pieces!”
Marielle Lacombe, the project manager, is proud of the work accomplished. In Toulouse, in the clean room of IRAP, a large and complex assembly of aluminum and glass is receiving all the attention. In this highly controlled atmosphere, one can only move around after donning a lab coat, disposable shoe covers, hairnet, blue mask (the familiar one since COVID), and even a beard cover if necessary. Because SPIP’s optics cannot tolerate dust.
SPIP stands for “Pyrénées Infrared Spectropolarimeter.” The instrument will join the summit of Pic du Midi in the Pyrenees, where it will be connected to the 2m diameter Bernard Lyot telescope’s focal point. Its twin is named SPIRou, for “Infrared Spectropolarimeter”… – the names of the two instruments pay homage to Spirou, the famous comic book character, and his companion squirrel. Since 2018, SPIRou has been operational at the Canada France Hawaii Telescope.
Starlight: A Treasure Trove of Information
The objective of these instruments is to analyze the light from the stars. Similar to a prism that creates a rainbow, a spectrograph can break it down into a multitude of “lines”, each representing a wavelength. The resulting “spectrum” holds valuable information such as the temperature or chemical composition of a celestial object. “SPIP is not just a spectrograph, it is also a polarimeter,” explains astrophysicist Jean-François Donati, research director at IRAP, designer and scientific lead of the instrument. The light emitted by stars can indeed be…
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