First Light with DL-NIRSP

The Diffraction-Limited Near-Infrared Spectropolarimeter (DL-NIRSP), developed at the University of Hawaii, is part of the first light instrument suite for the NSF’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST). DL-NIRSP is an integral field, dual-beam spectropolarimeter intended for studying magnetically sensitive spectral lines in the Sun’s atmosphere with high spectral resolution (125,000) and polarimetric accuracy. A novel fiber optic integral field unit, paired with selectable feed optics and a field scanning mirror provide great flexibility in spatial sampling (0.03″, 0.08″, and 0.5″) and field coverage (up to 2’x2’). Multiple wavelengths can be observed simultaneously using three spectral arms to cover visible (500-900 nm) and infrared wavelengths (900-1350 nm and 1350-1800 nm). This presentation provides a general description of the instrument and preliminary solar observations with DL-NIRSP.