Hernandez, O.; Fathi, K.; Carignan, C.; Beckman, J. E.; Gach, J.-L.; Balard, P.; Amram, P.; Boulesteix, J.; Corradi, R. L. M.; de Denus-Baillargeon, M.-M.; Epinat, B.; Relaño, M.; Thibault, S.; Vallée, P.
Bibliographical reference
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Volume 120, issue 868, pp.665-680
Description
GHαFaS, a new Fabry-Perot system, is now available at the William
Herschel Telescope (WHT). It was mounted, for the first time, at the
Nasmyth focus of the 4.2-m WHT on La Palma in 2007 July. Using modern
technology, with a spectral resolution of the order R˜15,000, and
with a seeing-limited spatial resolution, GHαFaS will provide a
new look at the Hα-emitting gas over a 4.8' circular field in the
nearby universe. Many science programs can be done on a 4.2-m class
telescope in world-class seeing conditions with a scanning Fabry-Perot.
Not only galaxies but H II regions, planetary nebulae, supernova
remnants, and the diffuse interstellar medium are subjects for which
unique data can be aquired rapidly. Astronomers from the Laboratoire
d'Astrophysique Expérimentale (LAE) in Montréal, the
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM-OAMP), and the Instituto
de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), have inaugurated GHαFaS
by studying in detail the dynamics of some nearby spiral galaxies. A
robust set of state-of-the-art tools for reducing and analyzing the data
cubes obtained with GHαFaS has also been developed.
Related projects
Kinematic, Structural and Composition Studies of the Interstellar and Intergalactic Media
The basic objective of the broject is to investigate the evolution of galaxies by deepening our understanding of the interaction between the insterstellar medium and the stars.The main technique which we use is the two-dimensional kinematic study of whole galaxies observed using our instrument:GHaFaS, a Fabry-Perot interferometer on the William
This project has three major objectives: 1) To determine the physico-chemical characteristics of bipolar planetary nebulae and symbiotic nebulae, to help understanding the origin of bipolarity and to test theoretical models, mainly models with binary central stars, aimed at explaining the observed morphology and kinematics. 2) To study the low
