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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Space infrared telescope facility wide field and diffraction limited array camera (IRAC)

The wide-field and diffraction limited array camera (IRAC) is capable of two-dimensional photometry in either a wide-field or diffraction-limited mode over the wavelength range from 2 to 30 microns with a possible extension to 120 microns. A low-doped indium antimonide detector was developed for 1.8 to 5.0 microns, detectors were tested and optimized for the entire 1.8 to 30 micron range, beamsplitters were developed and tested for the 1.8 to 30 micron range, and tradeoff studies of the camera's optical system performed. Data are presented on the performance of InSb, Si:In, Si:Ga, and Si:Sb array detectors bumpbonded to a multiplexed CMOS readout chip of the source-follower type at SIRTF operating backgrounds (equal to or less than 1 x 10 to the 8th ph/sq cm/sec) and temperature (4 to 12 K). Some results at higher temperatures are also presented for comparison to SIRTF temperature results. Data are also presented on the performance of IRAC beamsplitters at room temperature at both 0 and 45 deg angle of incidence and on the performance of the all-reflecting optical system baselined for the camera.

Fazio, Giovanni G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Diffraction-limited performance of grazing incidence optical systems

Diffraction effects of X-ray optical systems are often (justifiably) ignored due to the small wavelength of the X-ray radiation. However, the extremely large obscuration ratio inherent to grazing incidence optical systems produces a profound degradation of the diffraction image over that produced by a moderately obscured aperture of the same diameter. The contradictory requirements of large collecting area and relatively short length of optical elements has tended to result in proposed designs containing many concentric shells with increasingly higher obscuration ratios. In this paper it is shown that diffraction effects in such systems can significantly affect the achievable optical performance at the low energy (long wavelength) end of the intended operating spectral range. Parametric diffraction-limited performance predictions for both imaging and spectrographic applications will be presented and compared to AXAF performance goals and/or BBXRT fabrication techniques.

Harvey, James E.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Reaching the Diffraction Limit - Differential Speckle and Wide-Field Imaging for the WIYN Telescope

Speckle imaging allows telescopes to achieve diffraction limited imaging performance. The technique requires cameras capable of reading out frames at a very fast rate, effectively 'freezing out' atmospheric seeing. The resulting speckles can be correlated and images reconstructed that are at the diffraction limit of the telescope. These new instruments are based on the successful performance and design of the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI).The instruments are being built for the Gemini-N and WIYN telescopes and will be made available to the community via the peer review proposal process. We envision their primary use to be validation and characterization of exoplanet targets from the NASA, K2 and TESS missions and RV discovered exoplanets. Such targets will provide excellent follow-up candidates for both the WIYN and Gemini telescopes. We expect similar data quality in speckle imaging mode with the new instruments. Additionally, both cameras will have a wide-field mode and standard SDSS filters. They will be highly versatile instruments and it is that likely many other science programs will request time on the cameras. The limiting magnitude for speckle observations will remain around 13-14th at WIYN and 16-17th at Gemini, while wide-field, normal CCD imaging operation should be able to go to much fainter, providing usual CCD imaging and photometric capabilities. The instruments will also have high utility as scoring cameras for telescope engineering purposes, or other applications where high time resolution is needed. Instrument support will be provided, including a software pipeline that takes raw speckle data to fully reconstructed images.

detector↗
NASA NTRS1986

Wide field and diffraction limited array camera for SIRTF

The Infrared Array Camera for the space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF/IRAC) is capable of two-dimensional photometry in either a wide field or diffraction-limited mode over the wavelength interval from 2 to 30 microns. Three different two-dimensional direct readout (DRO) array detectors will be used: Band 1-InSb or Si:In (2-5 microns) 128 x 128 pixels, Band 2-Si:Ga (5-18 microns) 64 x 64 pixels, and Band 3-Si:Sb (18-30 microns) 64 x 64 pixels. The hybrid DRO readout architecture has the advantages of low read noise, random pixel access with individual readout rates, and nondestructive readout. The scientific goals of IRAC are discussed, which are the basis for several important requirements and capabilities of the array camera: (1) diffraction-limited resolution from 2-30 microns, (2) use of the maximum unvignetted field of view of SIRTF, (3) simultaneous observations within the three infrared spectral bands, and (4) the capability for broad and narrow bandwidth spectral resolution. A strategy has been developed to minimize the total electronic and environmental noise sources to satisfy the scientific requirements.

Fazio, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Wide field and diffraction limited array camera for SIRTF

The Infrared Array Camera for the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF/IRAC) is capable of two-dimensional photometry in either a wide field or diffraction-limited mode over the wavelength interval from 2 to 30 microns. Three different two-dimensional direct readout (DRO) array detectors are being considered: Band 1-InSb or Si:In (2-5 microns) 128 x 128 pixels, Band 2-Si:Ga (5-18 microns) 64 x 64 pixels, and Band 3-Si:Sb (18-30 microns) 64 x 64 pixels. The hybrid DRO readout architecture has the advantages of low read noise, random pixel access with individual readout rates, and nondestructive readout. The scientific goals of IRAC are discussed, which are the basis for several important requirements and capabilities of the array camera: (1) diffraction-limited resolution from 2-30 microns, (2) use of the maximum unvignetted field of view of SIRTF, (3) simultaneous observations within the three infrared spectral bands, and (4) the capability for broad and narrow bandwidth spectral resolution. A strategy has been developed to minimize the total electronic and environmental noise sources to satisfy the scientific requirements.

Fazio, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1996

The First Diffraction-Limited Images from the W. M. Keck Telescope

The first diffraction limited, 0.05s resolution, images on the W. M. Keck Telescope have been obtained at a wavelength of 2.2 micrometers. These images were part of an experiment to test the suitability of the Keck Telescope for speckle imaging. In order to conduct this test, it was necessary to modify the pixel scale of the Keck facility Near Infrared Camera (NIRC) to optimally sample the spatial frequencies made available by the Keck telescope. The design and implementation of the external reimaging optics, which convert the standard fl25 beam from the secondary mirror to fl182, are described here. Techniques for reducing speckle data with field rotation on an alt-az telescope are also described. Three binary stars were observed in this experiment with separations as small as 0.05s. With only 100 frames of data on each, a dynamic range of at least 3.5 mag was achieved in all cases. These observations imply that a companion as faint as 14.5 mag at 2.2 micrometers could be detected around an 11th magnitude point source.

Matthews, K.↗
NASA NTRS1995

A diffraction-limited far-infrared imager for the KAO

We describe both our current instrument and a follow-on instrument expected to be operational at the start of the next flight year on the KAO. The current instrument uses a 20-channel bolometer array arranged in two columns of 10 detectors each. Broadband observations can be made at the true diffraction limit, lambda/2D, at either 50 or 100 microns during a flight. Our forthcoming system will use two arrays of 3 x 10 detectors to enable simultaneous imaging at both 50 and 100 microns at the KAO diffraction limit for each wavelength. Observing modes and typical sensitivities will be discussed.

Harvey, Paul M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Diffraction-limited 10 microns imaging with 3 meter telescopes

An IR imaging system that achieves diffraction-limited spatial resolution (about 0.8 arcsec) at 10 microns on 3-meter ground-based telescopes. The system uses a linear array of sensitive HgCdTe photodiodes, scanned in the direction perpendicular to the array axis, to form two-dimensional images. Scans are completed rapidly enough to freeze atmospheric fluctuations. Individual detectors are small compared to the diameter of the Airy disk, and images are oversampled heavily in the scan direction. This method has a number of advantages for studying small fields with very high spatial resolution, and has been applied successfully to the problem of directly imaging faint circumstellar dust shells.

Bloemhof, E. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Diffraction-limited spatial resolution of circumstellar shells at 10 microns

A new spatial array instrument provided diffraction-limited mid-infrared intensity profiles of the type-M supergiant stars alpha Orionis and alpha Scorpii, both of which are known to exhibit excess 10 microns radiation due to the presence of circumstellar dust shells. In the case of alpha Ori, there is a marked asymmetry in the dust distribution, with peak intensity of dust emission a distance of 0.9 inches from the star.

Bloemhof, E. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Diffraction-limited spatial resolution of circumstellar dust shells at 10 microns

A new spatial array instrument has provided diffraction-limited mid-infrared intensity profiles of the type M supergiant stars Alpha Orionis and Alpha Scorpii, both of which are known to exhibit excess 10 micron radiation due to the presence of circumstellar dust shells. In the case of Alpha Ori, there is a marked asymmetry in the dust distribution, with peak intensity of dust emission a distance of 0.9 sec from the star.

Bloemhof, E. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Image contrast of diffraction-limited telescopes for circular incoherent sources of uniform radiance

A simple approximate formula is derived for the background intensity beyond the edge of the image of uniform incoherent circular light source relative to the irradiance near the center of the image. The analysis applies to diffraction-limited telescopes with or without central beam obscuration due to a secondary mirror. Scattering off optical surfaces is neglected. The analysis is expected to be most applicable to spaceborne IR telescopes, for which diffraction can be the major source of off-axis response.

Shackleford, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Sub-diffraction limit resolution in microscopy

A method and apparatus for visualizing sub-micron size particles employs a polarizing microscope wherein a focused beam of polarized light is projected onto a target, and a portion of the illuminating light is blocked from reaching the specimen, whereby to produce a shadow region, and projecting diffracted light from the target onto the shadow region.

Cheng, Ming↗
NASA NTRS1982

Throughput of diffraction-limited field optics systems for infrared and millimetric telescopes

Telescopes for submillimeter wavelengths have point spread functions some millimeters or centimeters in diameter, but the detectors may be only fractions of a millimeter in size. Thus a field aperture and collecting optics are needed. Optimizing the aperture by a calculation of the effects of diffraction on signal and resolution as a function of size of the collecting aperture is shown. Calculations are compared to experimental results from observations of Mars at submillimeter wavelengths.

Hildebrand, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Reaching the Diffraction Limit - Differential Speckle and Wide-Field Imaging for the Gemini-N Telescope

Speckle imaging allows telescopes to achieve di raction limited imaging performance. The technique requires cameras capable of reading out frames at a very fast rate, e ectively `freezing out' atmospheric seeing. The resulting speckles can be correlated and images reconstructed that are at the di raction limit of the telescope. These new instruments are based on the successful performance and design of the Di erential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI) [2, 1]. The instruments are being built for the Gemini-N and WIYN telescopes and will be made available to the community via the peer review proposal process. We envision their primary use to be validation and characterization of exoplanet targets from the NASA K2 and TESS missions and RV discovered exoplanets. Such targets will provide excellent follow-up candidates for both the WIYN and Gemini telescopes [3]. Examples of DSSI data are shown in the gures below. We expect similar data quality in speckle imaging mode with the new instruments. Additionally, both cameras will have a wide- eld mode and standard SDSS lters. They will be highly versatile instruments and it is that likely many other science programs will request time on the cameras. The limiting magnitude for speckle observations, will remain around 13-14th at WIYN and 16-17th at Gemini, while wide- eld, normal CCD imaging operation should be able to go to much fainter, providing usual CCD imaging and photometric capabilities. The instruments will also have high utility as scoring cameras for telescope engineering purposes, or other applications where high time resolution is needed. Instrument support will be provided, including a software pipeline that takes raw speckle data to fully reconstructed images.

Gemini-N↗