LASP Science Seminars

Understanding the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres is key to identifying habitable worlds and potential biosignatures. Current instruments face challenges in detecting weak atmospheric signals from small-sized exoplanets due to telluric and stellar contamination, spectral overlap, and limited resolution. To address this, we are developing VIOLA (Vipa-based Instrument for Oxygen Loaded Atmosphere), a compact, high-throughput, ultra-high-resolution spectrograph designed to target the J (1.1–1.3 μm) and H (1.5–1.7 μm) bands in a single exposure, with an additional channel for simultaneous stellar monitoring. VIOLA uses a Virtually Imaged Phased Array (VIPA) as its primary disperser, reaching a spectral resolution of R = 300,000, enabling the detection of key atmospheric molecules such as O₂, CH₄, CO₂, CO, H₂O, OH, and HCN around nearby M-dwarf super-Earth, sub-Neptune exoplanets from a ground-based observatory. By combining innovative optics with a flexible design compatible with multiple front ends, VIOLA will bridge the gap between current ground-based facilities and future ELT-class instruments, unlocking experimental exobiology in exoplanet atmospheres.