utexas.edu College of Natural Sciences McDonald Observatory

Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar

Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar

Stars, Planets, and ISM seminar

Jan

21

2026

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

In Person (view details)

The Slicer Combined with Array of Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy: Development Status and Plans for Early Science

Description

The Slicer Combined with Array of Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy: Development Status and Plans for Early Science

The Slicer Combined with Array of Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (SCALES) is a 2-5 micron integral field spectrograph that will be deployed at Keck Observatory later this year. SCALES is designed to directly characterize exoplanets significantly colder than those accessible at shorter wavelengths, with sensitivity to planets as cold as ~300 K. This will enable a wide range of exoplanet studies, including confirmation of cold Gaia-detected planets, measurements of molecular abundances in atmospheres, and characterization of accreting protoplanets. SCALES will also produce novel observations of protoplanetary disks, Solar System objects, supernovae, nearby galaxies, and more. I will describe SCALES' observational capabilities and development status, including recent results from laboratory testing at UC Observatories. I will also present plans for the SCALES Science Demonstration Survey – an open-access, 30-night survey of representative SCALES targets spanning all of these science applications. With all science-grade data products being released to the public immediately, the survey will enable the community to hit the ground running with SCALES.

Location

PMA 15.216B

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