Helium-Cooled Michelson Interferometer For Far-Infrared Astronomy Aboard German Infrared Laboratory (GIRL)

S. Drapatz; R. Hofmann; R. Katterloher

doi:10.1117/12.932128

29 October 1981 Helium-Cooled Michelson Interferometer For Far-Infrared Astronomy Aboard German Infrared Laboratory (GIRL)

S. Drapatz, R. Hofmann, R. Katterloher

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 0289, 1981 Intl Conf on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy; (1981) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.932128
Event: 1981 International Conference on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, 1981, Columbia, United States

Abstract

Spectroscopy of astronomical objects in the mid- and far-infrared region will contribute substantially to our understanding of basic astrophysical processes (e.g. formation of stars and galaxies). Therefore, a Michelson Interferometer is being built for line spectroscopy in the wavenumber range below 500 cm^-1 allowing a maximum spectral resolution of 0.03 cm^-1 for a field of view between 1 and 3 arcmin. Several specific components are used in the helium cooled environment (heat loss permitted ≈200 mW): (i) a special type of stepping motor driving a ball pivot, (ii) a corner cube reflector for tilt compensation, (iii) a diode laser measuring the path difference, (iv) piezoelectric transducers for mirror alignment, (v) high sensitivity photoconductors giving a NESR = 8 x 10^-13 W/(cm² sr cm^-1) which is orders of magnitude lower than for comparable astronomical instruments that exist. The instrument shall be used aboard the German Infrared Laboratory (GIRL) which is an infrared astronomy observatory on SPACELAB to be flown in 1986.

Citation Download Citation

S. Drapatz, R. Hofmann, and R. Katterloher "Helium-Cooled Michelson Interferometer For Far-Infrared Astronomy Aboard German Infrared Laboratory (GIRL)", Proc. SPIE 0289, 1981 Intl Conf on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, (29 October 1981); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.932128

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