  The Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HZPF) is a proposed instrument for the 10m
class Hobby Eberly telescope that will be capable of discovering low mass
planets around M dwarfs. HZPF will be fiber-fed, provide a spectral resolution
R~ 50,000 and cover the wavelength range 0.9-1.65{\mu}m, the Y, J and H NIR
bands where most of the flux is emitted by mid-late type M stars, and where
most of the radial velocity information is concentrated. Enclosed in a chilled
vacuum vessel with active temperature control, fiber scrambling and mechanical
agitation, HZPF is designed to achieve a radial velocity precision < 3m/s, with
a desire to obtain <1m/s for the brightest targets. This instrument will enable
a study of the properties of low mass planets around M dwarfs; discover planets
in the habitable zones around these stars, as well serve as an essential radial
velocity confirmation tool for astrometric and transit detections around late M
dwarfs. Radial velocity observation in the near-infrared (NIR) will also enable
a search for close in planets around young active stars, complementing the
search space enabled by upcoming high-contrast imaging instruments like GPI,
SPHERE and PALM3K. Tests with a prototype Pathfinder instrument have already
demonstrated the ability to recover radial velocities at 7-10 m/s precision
from integrated sunlight and ~15-20 m/s precision on stellar observations at
the HET. These tests have also demonstrated the ability to work in the NIR Y
and J bands with an un-cooled instrument. We will also discuss lessons learned
about calibration and performance from our tests and how they impact the
overall design of the HZPF.
