The Michigan Infrared Combiner (MIRC): IR imaging with the CHARA Array

We present the design of the Michigan Infra-Red Combiner (MIRC). MIRC is planned for deployment at the Georgia State University CHARA array to simultaneously combine all six telescope beams in an image-plane combiner. The novel design incorporates spatial-filtering with single-mode fiber optics, a synthetic (densified) pupil, and a low-resolution spectrometer to allow good calibration and efficient aperture synthesis imaging in the near-infrared. In addition, the focalization and spectrometer optics can accommodate an integrated optics component with minimal re-alignment. The MIRC concept can be scaled-up for interferometer arrays with more telescopes.