Characterization of flight detector arrays for the wide-field infrared survey explorer

Amy Mainzer; Mark Larsen; Maryn G. Stapelbroek; Henry Hogue; James Garnett; Majid Zandian; Reed Mattson; Stacy Masterjohn; John Livingston; Nicole Lingner; Natali Alster; Michael Ressler; Frank Masci

doi:10.1117/12.789585

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22 July 2008 Characterization of flight detector arrays for the wide-field infrared survey explorer

Amy Mainzer, Mark Larsen, Maryn G. Stapelbroek, Henry Hogue, James Garnett, Majid Zandian, Reed Mattson, Stacy Masterjohn, John Livingston, Nicole Lingner, Natali Alster, Michael Ressler, Frank Masci

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7021, High Energy, Optical, and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy III; 70210X (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.789585
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2008, Marseille, France

Abstract

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer is a NASA Midex mission launching in late 2009 that will survey the entire sky at 3.3, 4.7, 12, and 23 microns (PI: Ned Wright, UCLA). Its primary scientific goals are to find the nearest stars (actually most likely to be brown dwarfs) and the most luminous galaxies in the universe. WISE uses three dichroic beamsplitters to take simultaneous images in all four bands using four 1024×1024 detector arrays. The 3.3 and 4.7 micron channels use HgCdTe arrays, and the 12 and 23 micron bands employ Si:As arrays. In order to make a 1024×1024 Si:As array, a new multiplexer had to be designed and produced. The HgCdTe arrays were developed by Teledyne Imaging Systems, and the Si:As array were made by DRS. All four flight arrays have been delivered to the WISE payload contractor, Space Dynamics Laboratory. We present initial ground-based characterization results for the WISE arrays, including measurements of read noise, dark current, flat field and latent image performance, etc. These characterization data will be useful in producing the final WISE data product, an all-sky image atlas and source catalog.

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Amy Mainzer, Mark Larsen, Maryn G. Stapelbroek, Henry Hogue, James Garnett, Majid Zandian, Reed Mattson, Stacy Masterjohn, John Livingston, Nicole Lingner, Natali Alster, Michael Ressler, and Frank Masci "Characterization of flight detector arrays for the wide-field infrared survey explorer", Proc. SPIE 7021, High Energy, Optical, and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy III, 70210X (22 July 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.789585

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