Abstract

The Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) is a high resolution (R~45,000) NIR spectrograph that simultaneously covers the H & K bands (1.45-2.45 um) in a single pointing. After being commissioned at McDonald Observatory in 2014, IGRINS has had continued success at both the Lowell Discovery Channel Telescope (from 2016-2018) and Gemini South (2018-Present), producing over 26,000 H- & K-band spectra over 9 years on sky. I introduce The Raw and Reduced IGRINS Spectral Archive (RRISA) which provides streamlined public access to IGRINS raw and reduced data products featuring over 3,600 unique observations of both science targets and A0V standards. Using the archive, I have selected a sample of 106 Taurus objects to study molecular hydrogen (H_2) emission in the inner disks of young stellar objects (YSOs). Armed with the ability to detect over a hundred H_2 emission lines with IGRINS and physical models describing H_2 emissivity in the circumstellar disk, I discuss progress towards understanding the dominate circumstellar H_2 excitation mechanism for YSOs. Turning towards new science, I briefly touch on the legacy of IGRINS science through RRISA and a new era of increased science capabilities with the Giant Magellan Telescope Near Infrared Spectrograph (GMTNIRS). I motivate the need for an improved UV exposure system to manufacture higher quality J-band gratings for future instruments. Finally, I discuss progress with the lab experiments leading to the redesign of the UV exposure system that will enable J-band grating manufacturing success.