11 research outputs found
FIREBall-2: advancing TRL while doing proof-of-concept astrophysics on a suborbital platform
Here we discuss advances in UV technology over the last decade, with an
emphasis on photon counting, low noise, high efficiency detectors in
sub-orbital programs. We focus on the use of innovative UV detectors in a NASA
astrophysics balloon telescope, FIREBall-2, which successfully flew in the Fall
of 2018. The FIREBall-2 telescope is designed to make observations of distant
galaxies to understand more about how they evolve by looking for diffuse
hydrogen in the galactic halo. The payload utilizes a 1.0-meter class telescope
with an ultraviolet multi-object spectrograph and is a joint collaboration
between Caltech, JPL, LAM, CNES, Columbia, the University of Arizona, and NASA.
The improved detector technology that was tested on FIREBall-2 can be applied
to any UV mission. We discuss the results of the flight and detector
performance. We will also discuss the utility of sub-orbital platforms (both
balloon payloads and rockets) for testing new technologies and proof-of-concept
scientific ideasComment: Submitted to the Proceedings of SPIE, Defense + Commercial Sensing
(SI19
FIREBall-2: The Faint Intergalactic Medium Redshifted Emission Balloon Telescope
The Faint Intergalactic Medium Redshifted Emission Balloon (FIREBall) is a
mission designed to observe faint emission from the circumgalactic medium of
moderate redshift (z~0.7) galaxies for the first time. FIREBall observes a
component of galaxies that plays a key role in how galaxies form and evolve,
likely contains a significant amount of baryons, and has only recently been
observed at higher redshifts in the visible. Here we report on the 2018 flight
of the FIREBall-2 Balloon telescope, which occurred on September 22nd, 2018
from Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The flight was the culmination of a complete
redesign of the spectrograph from the original FIREBall fiber-fed IFU to a
wide-field multi-object spectrograph. The flight was terminated early due to a
hole in the balloon, and our original science objectives were not achieved. The
overall sensitivity of the instrument and telescope was 90,000 LU, due
primarily to increased noise from stray light. We discuss the design of the
FIREBall-2 spectrograph, modifications from the original FIREBall payload, and
provide an overview of the performance of all systems. We were able to
successfully flight test a new pointing control system, a UV-optimized,
delta-doped and coated EMCCD, and an aspheric grating. The FIREBall-2 team is
rebuilding the payload for another flight attempt in the Fall of 2021, delayed
from 2020 due to COVID-19.Comment: 23 Pages, 14 Figures, Accepted for Publication in Ap
Optical design of PHARAO
Communication to : ICSO 2000 - Colloque international sur l'optique spatiale, Toulouse (France), December 05-07, 2000SIGLEAvailable from INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : 22419, issue : a.2001 n.30 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc
Design of the cold atom PHARAO space clock and initial test results
International audienceIn this paper we describe the cold atom clock PHARAO, designed for microgravity operation. All elements of the PHARAO engineering model have been manufactured and delivered to CNES, the French space agency. We present the clock design, its main characteristics, and initial science operation. PHARAO is one of the main components of the Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space payload that is scheduled to fly on board the International Space Station in 2010
FIREBall-2: advancing TRL while doing proof-of-concept astrophysics on a suborbital platform
Here we discuss advances in UV technology over the last decade, with an emphasis on photon counting, low noise, high efficiency detectors in sub-orbital programs. We focus on the use of innovative UV detectors in a NASA astrophysics balloon telescope, FIREBall-2, which successfully flew in the Fall of 2018. The FIREBall-2 telescope is designed to make observations of distant galaxies to understand more about how they evolve by looking for diffuse hydrogen in the galactic halo. The payload utilizes a 1.0-meter class telescope with an ultraviolet multi-object spectrograph and is a joint collaboration between Caltech, JPL, LAM, CNES, Columbia, the University of Arizona, and NASA. The improved detector technology that was tested on FIREBall-2 can be applied to any UV mission. We discuss the results of the flight and detector performance. We will also discuss the utility of sub-orbital platforms (both balloon payloads and rockets) for testing new technologies and proof-of-concept scientific ideas.APRA program; CNESCentre National D'etudes Spatiales; CNRSCentre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); Nancy Grace Roman Fellowship; NSF AAPFNational Science Foundation (NSF)NSF - Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS); CaltechThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
PHARAO flight model : Integration and "on ground" performances tests
International audiencePHARAO (Projet d'Horloge Atomique par Refroidissement d'Atomes en Orbite), which is being developed by the French space agency CNES, is the first primary frequency standard specially designed for operation in space. PHARAO is the main instrument of the ESA mission ACES (Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space) [1]. ACES payload will be installed on-board the International Space Station to perform fundamental physics experiments. Last year [2], some results on two flight model (FM) sub-systems have been presented: Microwave Source performances and Cesium Tube operating as a cold atom clock by using the other engineering model sub-systems. All the FM sub-systems have now passed the qualification process and the whole FM of the cold cesium clock, PHARAO, has been assembled and will undergo extensive tests during the first semester of 2014. The results on the cold atoms manipulation and the metrological evaluation are presented
The ChemCam Instrument Suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover: Body Unit and Combined System Tests
The ChemCam instrument suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity provides remote compositional information using the first laser-induced breakdown spectrometer (LIBS) on a planetary mission, and provides sample texture and morphology data using a remote micro-imager (RMI). Overall, ChemCam supports MSL with five capabilities: remote classification of rock and soil characteristics; quantitative elemental compositions including light elements like hydrogen and some elements to which LIBS is uniquely sensitive (e.g., Li, Be, Rb, Sr, Ba); remote removal of surface dust and depth profiling through surface coatings; context imaging; and passive spectroscopy over the 240-905 nm range. ChemCam is built in two sections: The mast unit, consisting of a laser, telescope, RMI, and associated electronics, resides on the rover's mast, and is described in a companion paper. ChemCam's body unit, which is mounted in the body of the rover, comprises an optical demultiplexer, three spectrometers, detectors, their coolers, and associated electronics and data handling logic. Additional instrument components include a 6 m optical fiber which transfers the LIBS light from the telescope to the body unit, and a set of onboard calibration targets. ChemCam was integrated and tested at Los Alamos National Laboratory where it also underwent LIBS calibration with 69 geological standards prior to integration with the rover. Post-integration testing used coordinated mast and instrument commands, including LIBS line scans on rock targets during system-level thermal-vacuum tests. In this paper we describe the body unit, optical fiber, and calibration targets, and the assembly, testing, and verification of the instrument prior to launch