OSIRIS tunable imager and spectrograph for the GTC: from design to commissioning
OSIRIS (Optical System for Imaging and low Resolution Integrated
Spectroscopy) was the optical Day One instrument for the 10.4m Spanish
telescope GTC. It is installed at the Observatorio del Roque de Los
Muchachos (La Palma, Spain). This instrument has been operational since
March-2009 and covers from 360 to 1000 nm. OSIRIS observing modes
include direct imaging with tunable and conventional filters, long slit
and low resolution spectroscopy. OSIRIS wide field of view and high
efficiency provide a powerful tool for the scientific exploitation of
GTC. OSIRIS was developed by a Consortium formed by the Instituto de
Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the Instituto de
Astronomía de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México (IA-UNAM). The latter was in charge of the optical design,
the manufacture of the camera and collaboration in the assembly,
integration and verification process. The IAC was responsible for the
remaining design of the instrument and it was the project leader. The
present paper considers the development of the instrument from its
design to its present situation in which is in used by the scientific
community.