SPIRou: nIR velocimetry & spectropolarimetry at the CFHT

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of SPIRou, the new-generation near-infrared spectropolarimeter / precision velocimeter recently installed on the 3.6-m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). Starting from the two main science goals, namely the quest for planetary systems around nearby M dwarfs and the study of magnetized star / planet formation, we outline the instrument concept that was designed to efficiently address these forefront topics, and detail the in-lab and on-sky instrument performances measured throughout the intensive testing phase that SPIRou was submitted to before passing the final acceptance review in early 2019 and initiating science observations. With a central position among the newly started programmes, the SPIRou Legacy Survey (SLS) Large Programme was allocated 300 CFHT nights until at least mid 2022. We also briefly describe a few of the first results obtained in the various science topics that SPIRou started investigating, focusing in particular on planetary systems of nearby M dwarfs, transiting exoplanets and their atmospheres, magnetic fields of young stars, but also on alternate science goals like the atmospheres of M dwarfs and the Earth's atmosphere. We finally conclude on the essential role that SPIRou and the CFHT can play in coordination with forthcoming major facilities like the JWST, the ELTs, PLATO and ARIEL over the decade.

MNRAS, in press (20 pages, 18 figures, 1 table)

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Cited by in corpus (38)

• Line-by-line velocity measurements, an outlier-resistant method for precision velocimetry
• Investigating the young AU~Mic system with SPIRou: large-scale stellar magnetic field and close-in planet mass
• APERO: A PipelinE to Reduce Observations -- Demonstration with SPIRou
• CRIRES${}^{+}$ on sky at the ESO Very Large Telescope
• The magnetic field and multiple planets of the young dwarf AU~Mic
• Two temperate super-Earths transiting a nearby late-type M dwarf
• TOI-1452 b: SPIRou and TESS reveal a super-Earth in a temperate orbit transiting an M4 dwarf
• One year of AU Mic with HARPS: I -- measuring the masses of the two transiting planets
• The large-scale magnetic field of Proxima Centauri near activity maximum
• Robustness Measures for Molecular Detections using High-Resolution Transmission Spectroscopy of Exoplanets
• CO or no CO? Narrowing the CO abundance constraint and recovering the H2O detection in the atmosphere of WASP-127 b using SPIRou
• Constraining atmospheric parameters and surface magnetic fields with $\text{ZeeTurbo}$: an application to SPIRou spectra
• TOI-1278 B: SPIRou unveils a rare Brown Dwarf Companion in Close-In Orbit around an M dwarf
• Automatic model-based telluric correction for the ESPRESSO data reduction software. Model description and application to radial velocity computation
• TOI-1759 b: a transiting sub-Neptune around a low mass star characterized with SPIRou and TESS
• The SPIRou Legacy Survey Rotation period of quiet M dwarfs from circular polarization in near-infrared spectral lines: I. The SPIRou APERO analysis
• Multi-instrumental view of magnetic fields and activity of $\epsilon$ Eridani with SPIRou, NARVAL, and TESS
• The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs: Stable radial-velocity variations at the rotation period of AD~Leonis -- A test case study of current limitations to treating stellar activity
• The TIME Table: Rotation and Ages of Cool Exoplanet Host Stars
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• Estimating the atmospheric properties of 44 M dwarfs from SPIRou spectra
• TOI-3884 b: A rare 6-R${}_{\oplus }$ planet that transits a low-mass star with a giant and likely polar spot
• Estimating fundamental parameters of nearby M dwarfs from SPIRou spectra
• The T Tauri star V410 Tau in the eyes of SPIRou and TESS
• Optical and near-infrared stellar activity characterization of the early M dwarf Gl~205 with SOPHIE and SPIRou
• TESS discovery of a sub-Neptune orbiting a mid-M dwarf TOI-2136
• Revisiting Radial Velocity Measurements of the K2-18 System with the Line-by-Line Framework
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• The Surface Magnetic Activity of the Weak-Line T Tauri Stars TWA 7 and TWA 25
• Fundamental effective temperature measurements for eclipsing binary stars -- III. SPIRou near-infrared spectroscopy and CHEOPS photometry of the benchmark G0V star EBLM J0113+31
• Small-scale magnetic fields of the spectroscopic binary T Tauri stars V1878 Ori and V4046 Sir
• The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs. Line-by-line sensitivity to activity in M dwarfs
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• Improved precision of radial velocity measurements after correction for telluric absorption
• Correlations between laboratory line lists for FeH, CrH, and NiH and M-star spectra collected with ESPaDOnS and SPIRou
• Near-IR and optical radial velocities of the active M dwarf star Gl 388 (AD Leo) with SPIRou at CFHT and SOPHIE at OHP: A 2.23 day rotation period and no evidence for a corotating planet