SHARK-NIR: from design to installation, ready to dive into first light

Abstract

SHARK-NIR is a near-infrared coronagraphic camera designed to exploit the excellent perfomances of the LBT Adaptive Optics system SOUL. Its main science target its the detection and characterization of exoplanets. Second generation instrument of the LBT, SHARK-NIR left 5 years ago its paper and models realm to become a real working instrument. Its compact size is a consequence of the available volume and required stiffness, but shall not convince you of a simple opto-mechanical design, translating in requirements for all the interconnected fields of software, electronics, archiving, etc. In this paper we will report the main steps that drove SHARK-NIR to become a real instrument with laboratory validated performances and the upcoming path towards commissioning, focusing on the coordination, interfaces and interactions of all the different involved fields, expertise and institutes of the consortium as well as of the hosting telescope....