TMT's Guide Through Thermal-Infrared Darkness

MICHI is a possible 2nd generation instrument for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The Mid-Ifrared Camera with High spectral resolution and IFU. It is the result of a collaboration initiated by astronomers in the USA and Japan, and has now expanded to include representatives from all the partner countries of the TMT consortium.

MICHI is optimized to cover the thermal-IR region (~3-13 μm ), and capable of operation up to ~26 μm. It combines diffraction-limited broad and narrow band imaging with low- and high-spectral resolution (R~1,000 and ~120,000) across the wavelengths of optimization, and an integral field unit (N band only).

We are preparing for the next generation instrumentation call for proposals, expected in early 2017. In these pages you can find a little about who we are, the science we plan with MICHI, the instrument summary, some pictures of our development work, and some comments about the possible site location of the TMT and the implications this has to MICHI. For more information, please contact either Mitsuhiko Honda or Chris Packham.