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.

Phased array feed (PAF) receivers used on radio astronomy telescopes offer the promise of increased fields of view while maintaining the superlative performance attained with traditional single pixel feeds (SPFs). However, the much higher noise temperatures of room temperature PAFs compared to cryogenically-cooled SPFs have prevented their general adoption. Here we describe a conceptual design for a cryogenically cooled 2.8 – 5.18 GHz dual linear polarization PAF with estimated receiver temperature of 11 K. The cryogenic PAF receiver will comprise a 140 element Vivaldi antenna array and low-noise amplifiers housed in a 480 mm diameter cylindrical dewar covered with a RF transparent radome. A broadband two-section coaxial feed is integrated within each metal antenna element to withstand the cryogenic environment and to provide a 50 ohm impedance for connection to the rest of the receiver. The planned digital beamformer performs digitization, frequency band selection, beam forming and array covariance matrix calibration. Coupling to a 15 m offset Gregorian dual-reflector telescope, cryoPAF4 can expect to form 18 overlapping beams increasing the field of view by a factor of ~8x compared to a single pixel receiver of equal system temperature.

The first light instrument on the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project will be the InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). IRIS will be mounted on a bottom port of the facility AO instrument NFIRAOS. IRIS will report guiding information to the NFIRAOS through the On-Instrument Wavefront Sensor (OIWFS) that is part of IRIS. This will be in a self-contained compartment of IRIS and will provide three deployable wavefront sensor probe arms. This entire unit will be rotated to provide field de-rotation. Currently in our preliminary design stage our efforts have included: prototyping of the probe arm to determine the accuracy of this critical component, handling cart design and reviewing different types of glass for the atmospheric dispersion.

The Gemini High-Resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) is the newest instrument being developed for the Gemini telescopes, in a collaboration between the Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO), the NRC Herzberg in Canada and the Australian National University (ANU). We describe the process of design optimisation that utilizes the unique strengths of the new partner, NRC - Herzberg, the design and need for the slit viewing camera system, and we describe a simplification for the lenslet-based slit reformatting. Finally, we outline the updated project plan, and describe the unique scientific role this instrument will have in an international context, from exoplanets through to the distant Universe.

SPIRou is a near-TB. echelle spectropolarimeter and high-precision velocimeter under construction as a next-generation instrurrient for the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope. It is designed to cover a very wide simultaneous near-IR spectral range (0.98-2.35 mu m) at a resolving power of 73.5 K, providing unpolarized and polarized spectra of low-mass stars at a radial velocity (RV) precision of 1 m/s. The main science goals of SPIRou are the detection of habitable super-Earths around low-mass stars and the study of how critically magnetic fields impact star / planet formation. Following a successful final design review in Spring 2014, SPIRou is now under construction and is scheduled to see first light in late 2017. We present an overview of key aspects of SPIRou's optical and mechanical design.

The Next Generation Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope is a dedicated, 10m aperture, wide-field, fiber-fed multiobject spectroscopic facility proposed as an upgrade to the existing Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea. The Next Generation Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope baseline concept assumes the new facility is built on the existing Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope telescope pier and enclosure pier and occupies the same three dimensional exterior “footprint”. Three technical studies have been planned to examine the validity of these assumptions. The technical studies are executed in series as they represent technical decision points in a logical sequence. The three technical studies in succession are: 1. Telescope Pier Study – Load Capacity and Structural Interface, 2. Enclosure Fixed Base Study – Telescope and Enclosure Configuration and Load Capacity and 3. Aero- Thermal Study – Dome Thermal Seeing and Air Flow Attenuation over the Enclosure Aperture Opening. The paper outlines the baseline facility (telescope, spectrograph and enclosure) concept and the status of these studies, and discusses the proposed telescope and enclosure configuration in terms of the redevelopment assumptions. A consolidated feasibility study report will be submitted to the CFHT Board and Science Advisory Committee in the Fall of 2012, with first light for the facility aiming to be in the early 2020s.

SPIRou is a near-IR (0.98-2.35 mu m), echelle spectropolarimeter / high precision velocimeter being designed as a next-generation instrument for the 3.6m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, with the main goal of detecting Earth-like planets around low mass stars and magnetic fields of forming stars. The unique scientific and technical capabilities of SPIRou are described in a series of seven companion papers. In this paper, the fiber links which connects the polarimeter unit to the cryogenic spectrograph unit (35 meter apart) are described. The pupil slicer which forms a slit compatible with the spectrograph entrance specifications is also discussed in this paper.Some challenging aspects are presented. In particular this paper will focus on the manufacturing of 35 meter fibers with a very low loss attenuation (< 13dB/km) in the non-usual fiber spectral domain from 0.98 mu m to 2.35 mu m. Other aspects as the scrambling performance of the fiber links to reach high accuracy radial velocity measurements (1m/s) and the design of the pupil slicer exposed at a cryogenic and vacuum environment will be discussed.

SPIRou is a near-infrared, echelle spectropolarimeter/velocimeter under design for the 3.6m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The unique scientific capabilities and technical design features are described in the accompanying (eight) papers at this conference. In this paper we focus on the lens design of the optical spectrograph. The SPIROU spectrograph is a near infrared fiber fed double pass cross dispersed spectrograph. The cryogenic spectrograph is connected with the Cassegrain unit by the two science fibers. It is also fed by the fiber coming from the calibration box and RV reference module of the instrument. It includes 2 off-axis parabolas (1 in double pass), an echelle grating, a train of cross disperser prisms (in double pass), a flat folding mirror, a refractive camera and a detector. This paper describes the optical design of the spectrograph unit and estimates the performances. In particular, the echelle grating options are discussed as the goal grating is not available from the market.

This paper presents an overview of the PDR level mechanical and opto-mechanical design of the cryogenic spectrograph unit of the nIR spectropolarimeter (SPIROU) proposed as a new-generation instrument for CFHT. The design is driven by the need for high thermo-mechanical stability in terms of the radial velocity (RV) of 1 m/s during one night, with the requirement for thermal stability set at 1 mK/24 hours. This paper describes stress-free design of the cryogenic optical mounts, mechanical design of the custom-build cryostat, mechanical design of the optical bench, and thermal design for 1 mK thermal stability. The thermal budget was calculated using lumped-mass model thermal analysis, implemented in Modelica multi-domain modeling language. Discussion of thermal control options to achieve 1 mK thermal stability is included.

SPIRou is a near-IR (0.98-2.35 mu m), echelle spectropolarimeter / high precision velocimeter being designed as a next-generation instrument for the 3.6m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, with the main goals of detecting Earth-like planets around low-mass stars and magnetic fields of forming stars. The unique scientific and technical capabilities of SPIRou are described in a series of eight companion papers. In this paper, the means of controlling the instrument are discussed. Most of the instrument control is fairly normal, using off-the-shelf components where possible and reusing already available code for these components. Some aspects, however, are more challenging. In particular, the paper will focus on the challenges of doing fast (50 Hz) guiding with 30 mas repeatability using the object being observed as a reference and on thermally stabilizing a large optical bench to a very high precision (similar to 1 mK).

SPIRou is a near-infrared, echelle spectropolarimeter/velocimeter under design for the 3.6m Canada-France- Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The unique scientific capabilities and technical design features are described in the accompanying papers at this conference. In this paper we focus on the data reduction software (DRS) and the data simulation tool. The SPIRou DRS builds upon the experience of the existing SOPHIE, HARPS and ESPADONS spectrographs; class-leaders instruments for high-precision RV measurements and spectropolarimetry. While SPIRou shares many characteristics with these instruments, moving to the near- infrared domain brings specific data-processing challenges: the presence of a large number of telluric absorption lines, strong emission sky lines, thermal background, science arrays with poorer cosmetics, etc. In order for the DRS to be fully functional for SPIRou's first light in 2015, we developed a data simulation tool that incorporates numerous instrumental and observational e_ects. We present an overview of the DRS and the simulation tool architectures.

In the context of instrumentation for Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs), an Integral Field Spectrographs (IFSs), fed with a Multi-Object Adaptive Optics (MOAO) system, has many scientific and technical advantages. Integrated with an ELT, a MOAO system will allow the simultaneous observation of up to 20 targets in a several arc-minute field-of-view, each target being viewed with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. However, before building a MOAO instrument for an ELT, several critical issues, such as open-loop control and calibration, must be solved. The Adaptive Optics Laboratory of the University of Victoria, in collaboration with the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, the Subaru telescope and two industrial partners, is starting the construction of a MOAO pathfinder, called Raven. The goal of Raven is two-fold: first, Raven has to demonstrate that MOAO technical challenges can be solved and implemented reliably for routine on-sky observations. Secondly, Raven must demonstrate that reliable science can be delivered with multiplexed AO systems. In order to achieve these goals, the Raven science channels will be coupled to the Subaru's spectrograph (IRCS) on the infrared Nasmyth platform. This paper will present the status of the project, including the conceptual instrument design and a discussion of the science program.

The InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is a first light client science instrument for the TMT observatory that operates as a client of the NFIRAOS facility multi-conjugate adaptive optics system. This paper reports on the concept study and baseline concept design of the On-Instrument WaveFront Sensors (OIWFS) and NFIRAOS interface subsystems of the IRIS science instrument, a collaborative effort by NRC-HIA, Caltech, and TMT AO and Instrument teams. This includes work on system engineering, structural and thermal design, sky coverage modeling, patrol geometry, probe optics and mechanics design, camera design, and controls design.

We report on the concept study of the IRIS On-Instrument WaveFront Sensors (OIWFS), a collab- orative effort by NRC-HIA, Caltech, and TMT AO and Instrument teams. Our concept study includes work on the system design of the low order natural guide star wavefront sensors located on-instrument within IRIS as well as the NFIRAOS-IRIS interface. The OIWFS study involves patrol geometry, detector alternatives, sky coverage modeling, acquisition, guiding, and dithering scenarios, and interfaces with NFIRAOS, IRIS, and the TMT observatory. It also includes work on probe optics, mechanics, and controls, detector arrays and controllers, instrument rotator and cable wrap, and thermal and structural design of the OIWFS enclosure.

The NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (NRC-HIA) is currently responsible to contribute Band 3 (84-116 GHz) receivers to the international ALMA project - a partnership involving North America, Europe and, now, Asia. Not only are the technical requirements for these receivers far more stringent than those for any existing radio astronomy receivers operating at these frequencies, but the delivery schedule for these receivers is equally challenging. Since the Asian partnership joined the ALMA project in 2006, NRC-HIA has been asked to deliver an additional I I cartridges, for a total of 73 units. Some of these new cartridges will be used for the ALMA Compact Array (ACA) and others as spares. Moreover, the project has also requested that these additional cartridges be delivered in the same time period as the original 62 units. To meet this requirement, production must increase from the existing rate of one unit every four weeks to one every two, taxing the existing production infrastructure at NRC-HIA. Additional test facilities and human resources must be planned to sustain the required production rate over the next several years. Industrial involvement is one of the important elements in our production plan. In order to supplement the existing human resources at NRC-HIA, we are planning to outsource a number of low-risk and labor-intensive tasks to industry. However, NRC-HIA will retain overall project management responsibility and will conduct all the cartridge integration and acceptance test activities in-house. This paper focuses on the resource estimation, planning and project management required to deliver the Band 3 receivers to the ALMA project on time and on budget.

The Flamingos-2 Tandem Tunable filter is a tunable, narrow-band filter, consisting of two Fabry-Perot etalons in series, capable of scanning to any wavelength from 0.95 to 1.35 microns with a spectral resolution of R 800. It is an accessory mode instrument for the near-IR Flamingos-2 imaging-spectrograph designed for the Gemini South 8m Observatory and will be fed through the upcoming Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics feed. The primary science goal of the F2T2 filter is to perform a ground-based search for the first star forming regions in the universe at redshifts of 7 < z < 11. The construction of the F2T2 filter is complete and it is currently in its calibration and commissioning phases. In this proceeding, we describe the calibration and performance of the instrument.

COM DEV Ltd. is building a tandem tunable Fabry-Perot etalon to be mounted inside the Flamingos-2 imaging spectrograph on the Gemini South Telescope. The Flamingos-2 Tandem Tunable Filter has a target spectral resolution of R similar to 800 and a clear aperture of 60 mm, and will be fed by the telescope's Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics system. The system is designed to undertake ultra-deep searches for "First-Light" sources at redshifts of z = 7-10 using foreground gravitational lensing. This paper describes preliminary characterization and expected performance F2T2.