Astronomical longslit spectrograph utilizing a 256x256 InSb focal plane array

Richard R. Joyce; Albert M. Fowler; Gerald B. Heim

doi:10.1117/12.176722

1 June 1994 Astronomical longslit spectrograph utilizing a 256x256 InSb focal plane array

Richard R. Joyce, Albert M. Fowler, Gerald B. Heim

Proceedings Volume 2198, Instrumentation in Astronomy VIII; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.176722
Event: 1994 Symposium on Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation for the 21st Century, 1994, Kailua, Kona, HI, United States

Abstract

The Cryogenic Spectrometer (CRSP) is a longslit astronomical spectrograph which has been in service at Kitt Peak National Observatory since 1988, utilizing a 58 x 62 Santa Barbara Research Corporation InSb array in the dispersive focal plane. We have recently completed an extensive upgrade to the instrument which includes: installation of a SBRC 256 x 256 InSb array in the focal plane. CRSP is thus the first astronomical IR spectrograph to utilize the new 256 x 256 InSb focal plane. By comparison to the 62 x 58 focal plane, the 256 x 256 array has significantly less dark current (<1 e/s vs 50 e/s) and lower read noise (30 vs 350 electrons for a single read), resulting in improved performance for low background observations. In addition, the smaller pixels yield plate scales which are well- suited to sampling the typical seeing at Kitt Peak. This yields significant gains in the reduction of systematic errors associated with the extraction of point-source spectra against the challenging background of the IR night sky, which is dominated by emission lines of OH and by thermal emission from telluric absorption lines at wavelengths > 2.3 micrometers .

Citation Download Citation

Richard R. Joyce, Albert M. Fowler, and Gerald B. Heim "Astronomical longslit spectrograph utilizing a 256x256 InSb focal plane array", Proc. SPIE 2198, Instrumentation in Astronomy VIII, (1 June 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.176722

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