A 1-2.5 micron wavelength imaging system will be constructed to carry out two major research programs: a study of the morphology and stellar content of galaxies and a determination of the stellar initial mass function in regions of star formation with a wide range of physical characteristics. The instrument will be based on a Rockwell 256 x 256 HgCdTe array and be used on the Ohio State/Lowell Observatory 1.8-m telescope in Flagstaff, Arizona. A plate scale of 1.6 arcsec per pixel and a grism with a resolving power of 240 will give the instrument two unique characteristics: a large - 7 arcmin - field of view combined with high quantum efficiency (QE), and a slit length of equal size for low resolution spectroscopy. These characteristics combined with the availability of long blocks of observing time, will allow the researchers at Ohio State to carry out large scale survey programs to a level of sensitivity that would be otherwise impossible. The first of the two major undertakings will be the compilation of a multi-color near infrared (IR) atlas of normal galaxies of all types. The near IR light, which closely tracks the mass distribution, is expected to reveal structures not visible optically. The study of dark clouds and regions of star formation represents the first time a complete survey over a range of cloud masses will be obtained and will establish, for example, how the stellar initial mass function varies with environment.
