The Heterodyne Spectrometer Instrument (HSI) is one of two instruments designed for the Far-IR Spectroscopy Space Telescope (FIRSST) recently proposed to NASA in response to the Astrophysics Probe Explorer call. HSI will be the first THz cryogenic heterodyne array receiver implemented for a space mission. It has extremely high spectral resolving power (R>10^6) in order to allow detailed spectral observations. HSI covers a very wide bandwidth range between 150 and 600 microns in only 3 bands, each equipped with two 5-pixel arrays. HSI enables highly sensitive dual-polarization, multi-pixel and multi-frequency observations on a space telescope, by a careful design and by employing low-heat dissipating, low-power, but high TRL components.
FIRSST is a far-infrared pointed space-borne observatory led at APL for the 2023 Astrophysics $1B Probe
Class mission competition. FIRSST payload consists of a 1.8m telescope that is cryo-cooled to a temperature
of 4.7K and two instruments that allow sensitive far-infrared spectroscopy between 35 to 600 microns with
resolving powers up to a million. The PI-led science program of FIRSST aims to understand how galaxies grow in
the universe, why super-Earths to mini-Neptunes are the most frequent planets, and what is the source of water
in rocky planets. As required by NASA, 75% of the mission five-year lifetime is left open to be used by the
astronomical community through a time allocation process, similar to the selection of science programs with
Hubble and JWST. This talk will summarize the history of far-infrared astronomy, science objectives and
requirements, and the technical details of FIRSST.
The Heterodyne Spectrometer Instrument (HSI) is one of two instruments designed for the recently submitted Far-IR Spectroscopy Space Satellite proposal to NASA. HSI stands out as the first heterodyne array receiver for a space mission. It covers a broad bandwidth range between 150 and 600 microns in just three bands, each equipped with two 5-pixel arrays. HSI facilitates dual-polarization, multi-pixel, and multi-frequency observations on a satellite, achieved through careful design and the utilization of low-heat dissipating, low-power, yet high TRL components. We provide details of the optical design and present a solution for thermal/background compatibility between the direct detector and heterodyne instrument.
Far-infrared astronomy has advanced rapidly since its inception in the late 1950s, driven by a maturing technology base and an expanding community of researchers. This advancement has shown that observations at far-infrared wavelengths are important in nearly all areas of astrophysics, from the search for habitable planets and the origin of life to the earliest stages of galaxy assembly in the first few hundred million years of cosmic history. The combination of a still-developing portfolio of technologies, particularly in the field of detectors, and a widening ensemble of platforms within which these technologies can be deployed, means that far-infrared astronomy holds the potential for paradigm-shifting advances over the next decade. We examine the current and future far-infrared observing platforms, including ground-based, suborbital, and space-based facilities, and discuss the technology development pathways that will enable and enhance these platforms to best address the challenges facing far-infrared astronomy in the 21st century.
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