10,264 research outputs found
The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) on the Herschel Space Observatory
The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) is one of the three
science instruments on ESA's far infrared and submillimetre observatory. It
employs two Ge:Ga photoconductor arrays (stressed and unstressed) with 16x25
pixels, each, and two filled silicon bolometer arrays with 16x32 and 32x64
pixels, respectively, to perform integral-field spectroscopy and imaging
photometry in the 60-210\mu\ m wavelength regime. In photometry mode, it
simultaneously images two bands, 60-85\mu\ m or 85-125\mu\m and 125-210\mu\ m,
over a field of view of ~1.75'x3.5', with close to Nyquist beam sampling in
each band. In spectroscopy mode, it images a field of 47"x47", resolved into
5x5 pixels, with an instantaneous spectral coverage of ~1500km/s and a spectral
resolution of ~175km/s. We summarise the design of the instrument, describe
observing modes, calibration, and data analysis methods, and present our
current assessment of the in-orbit performance of the instrument based on the
Performance Verification tests. PACS is fully operational, and the achieved
performance is close to or better than the pre-launch predictions
A Data Cube Extraction Pipeline for a Coronagraphic Integral Field Spectrograph
Project 1640 is a high contrast near-infrared instrument probing the
vicinities of nearby stars through the unique combination of an integral field
spectrograph with a Lyot coronagraph and a high-order adaptive optics system.
The extraordinary data reduction demands, similar those which several new
exoplanet imaging instruments will face in the near future, have been met by
the novel software algorithms described herein. The Project 1640 Data Cube
Extraction Pipeline (PCXP) automates the translation of 3.8*10^4 closely
packed, coarsely sampled spectra to a data cube. We implement a robust
empirical model of the spectrograph focal plane geometry to register the
detector image at sub-pixel precision, and map the cube extraction. We
demonstrate our ability to accurately retrieve source spectra based on an
observation of Saturn's moon Titan.Comment: 35 pages, 15 figures; accepted for publication in PAS
The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) for the Spitzer Space Telescope
The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) is one of three focal plane instruments in
the Spitzer Space Telescope. IRAC is a four-channel camera that obtains
simultaneous broad-band images at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 microns. Two nearly
adjacent 5.2x5.2 arcmin fields of view in the focal plane are viewed by the
four channels in pairs (3.6 and 5.8 microns; 4.5 and 8 microns). All four
detector arrays in the camera are 256x256 pixels in size, with the two shorter
wavelength channels using InSb and the two longer wavelength channels using
Si:As IBC detectors. IRAC is a powerful survey instrument because of its high
sensitivity, large field of view, and four-color imaging. This paper summarizes
the in-flight scientific, technical, and operational performance of IRAC.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in the ApJS. A higher
resolution version is at http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/irac/publication
The Mid-Infrared Instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope, III: MIRIM, The MIRI Imager
In this article, we describe the MIRI Imager module (MIRIM), which provides
broad-band imaging in the 5 - 27 microns wavelength range for the James Webb
Space Telescope. The imager has a 0"11 pixel scale and a total unobstructed
view of 74"x113". The remainder of its nominal 113"x113" field is occupied by
the coronagraphs and the low resolution spectrometer. We present the instrument
optical and mechanical design. We show that the test data, as measured during
the test campaigns undertaken at CEA-Saclay, at the Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory, and at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, indicate that the
instrument complies with its design requirements and goals. We also discuss the
operational requirements (multiple dithers and exposures) needed for optimal
scientific utilization of the MIRIM.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figure
PILOT: a balloon-borne experiment to measure the polarized FIR emission of dust grains in the interstellar medium
Future cosmology space missions will concentrate on measuring the
polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background, which potentially carries
invaluable information about the earliest phases of the evolution of our
universe. Such ambitious projects will ultimately be limited by the sensitivity
of the instrument and by the accuracy at which polarized foreground emission
from our own Galaxy can be subtracted out. We present the PILOT balloon project
which will aim at characterizing one of these foreground sources, the
polarization of the dust continuum emission in the diffuse interstellar medium.
The PILOT experiment will also constitute a test-bed for using multiplexed
bolometer arrays for polarization measurements. We present the results of
ground tests obtained just before the first flight of the instrument.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures. Presented at SPIE, Millimeter, Submillimeter,
and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VII. To be
published in Proc. SPIE volume 915
Scene-based nonuniformity correction with video sequences and registration
We describe a new, to our knowledge, scene-based nonuniformity correction algorithm for array detectors. The algorithm relies on the ability to register a sequence of observed frames in the presence of the fixed-pattern noise caused by pixel-to-pixel nonuniformity. In low-to-moderate levels of nonuniformity, sufficiently accurate registration may be possible with standard scene-based registration techniques. If the registration is accurate, and motion exists between the frames, then groups of independent detectors can be identified that observe the same irradiance (or true scene value). These detector outputs are averaged to generate estimates of the true scene values. With these scene estimates, and the corresponding observed values through a given detector, a curve-fitting procedure is used to estimate the individual detector response parameters. These can then be used to correct for detector nonuniformity. The strength of the algorithm lies in its simplicity and low computational complexity. Experimental results, to illustrate the performance of the algorithm, include the use of visible-range imagery with simulated nonuniformity and infrared imagery with real nonuniformity
50 Years of Spaceflight with Fourier Transform Spectrometers (FTS) Built at NASA GSFC
Over the past 50 years, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has been developing, building, testing and flying a series of Fourier Transform Spectrometers (FTS). This began with the IRIS instruments on the Earth-orbiting Nimbus satellites and progressed to more sophisticated designs optimized for interplanetary spacecraft sent to Mars and later to the outer solar system. Adaptions have been made over time, including progressively higher spectral resolution, sensitivity, numbers of detectors and complexity. Instrument operating temperatures have decreased to enable remote sensing of the cold giant planet systems. In this paper we describe the historical evolution of this instrument line, comparing and contrasting different aspects such as optical design and materials, detector types and data handling. We conclude by looking towards the future. At present the CIRS-Lite prototype is being tested at NASA GSFC for potential use on a future mission to the ice giants, Uranus and Neptune. Surpassing the previous performance of the Voyager IRIS instruments remains challenging, and new technologies that could enable these measurements are discussed
The Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope
The Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) is one of three science instruments on the
Spitzer Space Telescope. The IRS comprises four separate spectrograph modules
covering the wavelength range from 5.3 to 38micron with spectral resolutions, R
\~90 and 600, and it was optimized to take full advantage of the very low
background in the space environment. The IRS is performing at or better than
the pre-launch predictions. An autonomous target acquisition capability enables
the IRS to locate the mid-infrared centroid of a source, providing the
information so that the spacecraft can accurately offset that centroid to a
selected slit. This feature is particularly useful when taking spectra of
sources with poorly known coordinates. An automated data reduction pipeline has
been developed at the Spitzer Science Center.Comment: Accepted in ApJ Sup. Spitzer Special Issue, 6 pages, 4 figure
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