The Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph for the VLT
R. Davies, Olivier Absil, Guido Agapito, Alex Agudo Berbel, Andrea Baruffolo, V. Biliotti, Martin Black, M. Bonaglia, M. Bonse, R. Briguglio, P. Campana, Yixian Cao, Luca Carbonaro, A. Cortes, G. Cresci, Y. Dallilar, F. Dannert, Robert J. De Rosa, M. Deysenroth, I. Di Antonio, A. Di Cianno, Gianluca Di Rico, David Doelman, M. Dolci, Reinhold J. Dorn, F. Eisenhauer, Simone Esposito, D. Fantinel, Debora Ferruzzi, H. Feuchtgruber, G. Finger, N. M. Förster Schreiber, X. Gao, H. Gemperlein, R. Genzel, S. Gillessen, C. Ginski, Adrian M. Glauser, A. Glindemann, P. Grani, M. Hartl, Jean Hayoz, M. Heida, D. Henry, R. Hofmann, H. Huber, M. Kasper, Christoph U. Keller, M. Kenworthy, K. Kravchenko, H. Kuntschner, S. Lacour, J. Lightfoot, D. Lunney, D. Lutz, M. Macintosh, F. Mannucci, M. Marsset, A. Modigliani, M. Neeser, Gilles Orban de Xivry, T. Ott, L. Pallanca, P. Patapis, D. Pearson, Eduardo Peña, I. Percheron, A. Puglisi, S. P. Quanz, S. Rabien, C. Rau, Armando Riccardi, Bernardo Salasnich, H. M. Schmid, J. Schubert, B. Serra, T. Shimizu, F. Snik, E. Sturm, L. Tacconi, W. Taylor, A. Valentini, C. Waring, E. Wiezorrek, Marco Xompero
Abstract
The Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS) is an instrument that both extends and enhances the fundamental diffraction limited imaging and spectroscopy capability for the VLT. It replaces two instruments that were being maintained beyond their operational lifetimes, combines their functionality on a single focus, provides a new wavefront sensing module for natural and laser guide stars that makes use of the Adaptive Optics Facility, and considerably improves on their performance. The observational modes ERIS provides are integral field spectroscopy at 1–2.5 μm, imaging at 1–5 μm with several options for high-contrast imaging, and long-slit spectroscopy at 3–4 μm. The instrument is installed at the Cassegrain focus of UT4 at the VLT and, following its commissioning during 2022, has been made available to the community.