GH $\alpha$ FaS : Galaxy H-alpha Fabry-Perot System for the WHT

Abstract

GH$\alpha$FaS a new Fabry-Perot system, is now available at the William Herschel Telescope. It was mounted, for the first time, at the Nasmyth focus of the 4.2 meter WHT on La Palma in July 2007. Using modern technology, with a spectral resolution of the order R$\sim$15000, and with a seeing limited spatial resolution, GH$\alpha$FaS will provide a new look at the H$\alpha$ -emitting gas over a 4.8 arcminutes circular field in the nearby universe. Many science programs can be done on a 4.2 metre class telescope in world class seeing conditions with a scanning Fabry-Perot. Not only galaxies but HII regions, planetary nebulae, supernova remnants and the diffuse interstellar medium are subjects for which unique data can be aquired rapidly. Astronomers from the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique Exp\'erimentale (LAE) in Montr\'eal, the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM-OAMP), and the Instituto de Astrof\'isica de Canarias (IAC), have inaugurated GH$\alpha$FaS by studying in detail the dynamics of some nearby spiral galaxies. A robust set of state-of-the-arts tools for reducing and analyzing the data cubes obtained with GH$\alpha$FaS has also been developed.