The Science Case of HIRES is constantly updated by the HIRES Science Team. It is built on the experience of the high-resolution community with the suite of VLT high-resolution spectrographs, which has been tremendously successful.
Flagship science drivers include:
- the study of the exo-planetary atmospheres with the prospect of the detection of signatures of life on rocky planets,
- the chemical composition of planetary debris on the surface of white dwarfs,
- the spectroscopic study of protoplanetary and proto-stellar disks,
- detailed stellar physics and evolution over the full space of stellar parameters
- the extension of Galactic archaeology to the Local Group and beyond,
- spectroscopic studies of the evolution of galaxies with samples that, unlike now, are no longer restricted to strongly star-forming and/or very massive galaxies,
- the unraveling of the complex roles of stellar and AGN feedback for the supply and retention of the baryonic component of galaxies across the full range of galaxy masses, morphologies and a wide range of redshift with the help of IGM tomography at high spatial resolution,
- the study of the chemical fingerprints imprinted by population III stars on the IGM during the epoch of reionization,
- the exciting possibility of paradigm-changing contributions to fundamental physics due to the precision afforded by Laser Frequency Comb calibrated high-fidelity spectroscopy.
Flagship Science Drivers demands for a stable instrument with a spectral resolution of R~100,000 and broad, simultaneous spectral coverage extending from 0.37mm to 2.5mm. Most science cases to not require spatially resolved information, and can be pursued in seeing-limited mode, although some of them would benefit of the E-ELT diffraction limited resolution. Some multiplexing as well as some polarimetric capabilities would also be beneficial for a number of the science cases.
The Science Case of HIRES is described in a "White Paper" in continuous evolution. To download the most recent version of the white book click here.
The Core Science Team:
- Livia Origlia (ITA)
- Stefano Cristiani (ITA)
- Garik Israelian (ESP)
- Carlos Allende Prieto (ESP)
- Artie P. Hatzes (DE)
- Ansgar Reiners (DE)
- Pedro Figueira (POR)
- Carlos Martins (POR)
- Christophe Lovis (CH)
- Yann Alibert (CH)
- Martin Haehnelt (UK)
- Didier Queloz (UK)
- Bengt Gustafsson (SWE)
- Oleg Kochukhov (SWE)
- Thomas Puzia (CHI)
- Manuela Zoccali (CHI)
- Patrick Petitjean (FRA)
- Andrea Chiavassa (FRA)