Update on the Preliminary Design of SCALES: the Santa Cruz Array of Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy

Abstract

SCALES (Santa Cruz Array of Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy) is a 2-5 micron high-contrast lenslet integral-field spectrograph (IFS) driven by exoplanet characterization science requirements and will operate at W. M. Keck Observatory. Its fully cryogenic optical train uses a custom silicon lenslet array, selectable coronagraphs, and dispersive prisms to carry out integral field spectroscopy over a 2.2 arcsec field of view at Keck with low (<300) spectral resolution. A small, dedicated section of the lenslet array feeds an image slicer module that allows for medium spectral resolution (5000−10000), which has not been available at the diffraction limit with a coronagraphic instrument before. Unlike previous IFS exoplanet instruments, SCALES is capable of characterizing cold exoplanet and brown dwarf atmospheres (<600 K) at bandpasses where these bodies emit most of their radiation while capturing relevant molecular spectral features.