(April 1, 2016) It may go as far as to analyze the faint signals coming from extrasolar planets, looking for traces of life similar to ours. It started the study for the design of the high-resolution spectrograph that will equip the largest telescope in the world, the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). The consortium of research centers that will study the equipment will be coordinated by Alessandro Marconi, professor of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Florence. The Consortium named HIRES, which stands for High Resolution Spectrograph, was officially born on March 22 with the agreement signed by the National Astrophysics Institute and the European Austral Observatory (ESO) in the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory (INAF). “Imagine having a Formula One car equipped with the wheels of a bicycle. How much could you really push it? Certainly not up to its true limits The same is true in astronomy – said Marconi, Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics and an Inaf member -. It is not enough to have larger and larger and more complex telescopes, such as E-ELT, we require sophisticated tools that can analyze with great precision the collected signals. Hires – explains the researcher – is a tool of enormous scientific potential. The spectrograph will work simultaneously at wavelengths of visible and infrared radiation, a property that will allow it to realize extremely detailed investigation of individual celestial objects. ” “Hires – adds Marconi – will allow astronomers to study the atmospheres of planets around other stars, looking for signs which may indicate the presence of biological activity, or to investigate the evolution of galaxies, or identify the nature and characteristics of the first generation of stars in the early universe. But also determine if some of the fundamental constants of physics that govern the processes of the evolution on which the universe is based, may however change with the passage of time “. (Red)
