The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danchi, W. C.; Allen, R. J.; Benford, D. J.; Deming, D.; Gezari, D. Y.; Kuchner, M.; Leisawitz, D. T.; Linfield, R.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Monnier, J. D.; Mumma, M.; Mundy, L. G.; Noecker, C.; Rajagopal, J.; Seager, S.; Traub, W. A.

2003-10-01

The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI) is a mission concept for an imaging and nulling interferometer for the mid-infrared spectral region (5- 28 microns). FKSI is conceived as a scientific and technological pathfinder to TPF/DARWIN as well as the NASA Vision Missions SAFIR and SPECS. It will also be a high angular resolution infrared space observatory complementary to JWST. The scientific emphasis of the mission is on detection and spectroscopy of the atmospheres of Extra-solar Giant Planets (EGPs), the search for Brown Dwarfs and other low mass stellar companions, and the evolution of protostellar systems. FKSI can observe these systems from just after the collapse of the precursor molecular cloud core, through the formation of the disk surrounding the protostar, the formation of planets in the disk, and eventual dispersal of the disk material. FKSI could also play a very powerful role in the investigation of the structure of active galactic nuclei and extra-galactic star formation. We present the major results of a set of detailed design studies for the FKSI mission that were performed as a method of understanding major trade-offs pertinent to schedule, cost, and risk in preparation for submission of a Discovery proposal.

Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer Technology Status and Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawson, Perter R.; Ahmed, A.; Gappinger, R. O.; Ksendzov, A.; Lay, O. P.; Martin, S. R.; Peters, R. D.; Scharf, D. P.; Wallace, J. K.; Ware, B.

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation on the technology status and plans for Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer is shown. The topics include: 1) The Navigator Program; 2) TPF-I Project Overview; 3) Project Organization; 4) Technology Plan for TPF-I; 5) TPF-I Testbeds; 6) Nulling Error Budget; 7) Nulling Testbeds; 8) Nulling Requirements; 9) Achromatic Nulling Testbed; 10) Single Mode Spatial Filter Technology; 11) Adaptive Nuller Testbed; 12) TPF-I: Planet Detection Testbed (PDT); 13) Planet Detection Testbed Phase Modulation Experiment; and 14) Formation Control Testbed.

Interferometer for measuring the dynamic surface topography of a human tear film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Primeau, Brian C.; Greivenkamp, John E.

2012-03-01

The anterior refracting surface of the eye is the thin tear film that forms on the surface of the cornea. Following a blink, the tear film quickly smoothes and starts to become irregular after 10 seconds. This irregularity can affect comfort and vision quality. An in vivo method of characterizing dynamic tear films has been designed based upon a near-infrared phase-shifting interferometer. This interferometer continuously measures light reflected from the tear film, allowing sub-micron analysis of the dynamic surface topography. Movies showing the tear film behavior can be generated along with quantitative metrics describing changes in the tear film surface. This tear film measurement allows analysis beyond capabilities of typical fluorescein visual inspection or corneal topography and provides better sensitivity and resolution than shearing interferometry methods. The interferometer design is capable of identifying features in the tear film much less than a micron in height with a spatial resolution of about ten microns over a 6 mm diameter. This paper presents the design of the tear film interferometer along with the considerations that must be taken when designing an interferometer for on-eye diagnostics. Discussions include eye movement, design of null optics for a range of ocular geometries, and laser emission limits for on-eye interferometry.

Measurement Via Optical Near-Nulling and Subaperture Stitching

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forbes, Greg; De Vries, Gary; Murphy, Paul; Brophy, Chris

2012-01-01

A subaperture stitching interferometer system provides near-nulling of a subaperture wavefront reflected from an object of interest over a portion of a surface of the object. A variable optical element located in the radiation path adjustably provides near-nulling to facilitate stitching of subaperture interferograms, creating an interferogram representative of the entire surface of interest. This enables testing of aspheric surfaces without null optics customized for each surface prescription. The surface shapes of objects such as lenses and other precision components are often measured with interferometry. However, interferometers have a limited capture range, and thus the test wavefront cannot be too different from the reference or the interference cannot be analyzed. Furthermore, the performance of the interferometer is usually best when the test and reference wavefronts are nearly identical (referred to as a null condition). Thus, it is necessary when performing such measurements to correct for known variations in shape to ensure that unintended variations are within the capture range of the interferometer and accurately measured. This invention is a system for nearnulling within a subaperture stitching interferometer, although in principle, the concept can be employed by wavefront measuring gauges other than interferometers. The system employs a light source for providing coherent radiation of a subaperture extent. An object of interest is placed to modify the radiation (e.g., to reflect or pass the radiation), and a variable optical element is located to interact with, and nearly null, the affected radiation. A detector or imaging device is situated to obtain interference patterns in the modified radiation. Multiple subaperture interferograms are taken and are stitched, or joined, to provide an interferogram representative of the entire surface of the object of interest. The primary aspect of the invention is the use of adjustable corrective optics in the context of subaperture stitching near-nulling interferometry, wherein a complex surface is analyzed via multiple, separate, overlapping interferograms. For complex surfaces, the problem of managing the identification and placement of corrective optics becomes even more pronounced, to the extent that in most cases the null corrector optics are specific to the particular asphere prescription and no others (i.e. another asphere requires completely different null correction optics). In principle, the near-nulling technique does not require subaperture stitching at all. Building a near-null system that is practically useful relies on two key features: simplicity and universality. If the system is too complex, it will be difficult to calibrate and model its manufacturing errors, rendering it useless as a precision metrology tool and/or prohibitively expensive. If the system is not applicable to a wide range of test parts, then it does not provide significant value over conventional null-correction technology. Subaperture stitching enables simpler and more universal near-null systems to be effective, because a fraction of a surface is necessarily less complex than the whole surface (excepting the extreme case of a fractal surface description). The technique of near-nulling can significantly enhance aspheric subaperture stitching capability by allowing the interferometer to capture a wider range of aspheres. More over, subaperture stitching is essential to a truly effective near-nulling system, since looking at a fraction of the surface keeps the wavefront complexity within the capability of a relatively simple nearnull apparatus. Furthermore, by reducing the subaperture size, the complexity of the measured wavefront can be reduced until it is within the capability of the near-null design.

Model-based phase-shifting interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Dong; Zhang, Lei; Shi, Tu; Yang, Yongying; Chong, Shiyao; Miao, Liang; Huang, Wei; Shen, Yibing; Bai, Jian

2015-10-01

A model-based phase-shifting interferometer (MPI) is developed, in which a novel calculation technique is proposed instead of the traditional complicated system structure, to achieve versatile, high precision and quantitative surface tests. In the MPI, the partial null lens (PNL) is employed to implement the non-null test. With some alternative PNLs, similar as the transmission spheres in ZYGO interferometers, the MPI provides a flexible test for general spherical and aspherical surfaces. Based on modern computer modeling technique, a reverse iterative optimizing construction (ROR) method is employed for the retrace error correction of non-null test, as well as figure error reconstruction. A self-compiled ray-tracing program is set up for the accurate system modeling and reverse ray tracing. The surface figure error then can be easily extracted from the wavefront data in forms of Zernike polynomials by the ROR method. Experiments of the spherical and aspherical tests are presented to validate the flexibility and accuracy. The test results are compared with those of Zygo interferometer (null tests), which demonstrates the high accuracy of the MPI. With such accuracy and flexibility, the MPI would possess large potential in modern optical shop testing.

High-Resolution N-Band Observations of the Nova RS Ophiuchi with the Keck Interferometer Nuller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, R. K.; Danchi, W. C.; Sokoloski, J. L.; Koresko, C.; Wisniewski, J. P.; Serabyn, E.; Traub, W.; Kuchner, M.; Greenhouse, M. A.

2007-01-01

We report new observations of the nova RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph) using the Keck Interferometer Nulling Instrument, approximately 3.8 days following the most recent outburst that occurred on 2006 February 12. The Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN) operates in K-band from 8 to 12.5 pm in a nulling mode, which means that the central broad-band interference fringe is a dark fringe - with an angular width of 25 mas at mid band - rather than the bright fringe used ill a conventional optical interferometer. In this mode the stellar light itself is suppressed by the destructive fringe, effectively enhancing the contrast of the circumstellar material located near the star. By subsequently shifting the neighboring bright fringe onto the center of the source brightness distribution and integrating, a second spatial regime dominated by light from the central portion of the source is almost simultaneously sampled. The nulling technique is the sparse aperture equivalent of the conventional corongraphic technique used in filled aperture telescopes. By fitting the unique KIK inner and outer spatial regime data, we have obtained an angular size of the mid-infrared continuum of 6.2, 4.0. or 5.4 mas for a disk profile, gaussian profile (fwhm), and shell profile respectively. The data show evidence of enhanced neutral atomic hydrogen emission located in the inner spatial regime relative to the outer regime. There is also evidence of a 9.7 micron silicate feature seen outside of this region. Importantly, we see spectral lines excited by the nova flash in the outer region before the blast wave reaches these regions. These lines are from neutral, weakly excited atoms which support the following interpretation. We discuss the present results in terms of a unifying model of the system that includes an increase in density in the plane of the orbit of the two stars created by a spiral shock wave caused by the motion of the stars through the cool wind of the red giant star. These data show the power and potential of the nulling technique which has been developed for the detection of Earth-like planets around nearby stars for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Mission and Darwin missions.

Off-Axis Nulling Transfer Function Measurement: A First Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vedova, G. Dalla; Menut, J.-L.; Millour, F.; Petrov, R.; Cassaing, F.; Danchi, W. C.; Jacquinod, S.; Lhome, E.; Lopez, B.; Lozi, J.;

Astronomical Optical Interferometry. I. Methods and Instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jankov, S.

2010-12-01

Previous decade has seen an achievement of large interferometric projects including 8-10m telescopes and 100m class baselines. Modern computer and control technology has enabled the interferometric combination of light from separate telescopes also in the visible and infrared regimes. Imaging with milli-arcsecond (mas) resolution and astrometry with micro-arcsecond (muas) precision have thus become reality. Here, I review the methods and instrumentation corresponding to the current state in the field of astronomical optical interferometry. First, this review summarizes the development from the pioneering works of Fizeau and Michelson. Next, the fundamental observables are described, followed by the discussion of the basic design principles of modern interferometers. The basic interferometric techniques such as speckle and aperture masking interferometry, aperture synthesis and nulling interferometry are disscused as well. Using the experience of past and existing facilities to illustrate important points, I consider particularly the new generation of large interferometers that has been recently commissioned (most notably, the CHARA, Keck, VLT and LBT Interferometers). Finally, I discuss the longer-term future of optical interferometry, including the possibilities of new large-scale ground-based projects and prospects for space interferometry.

Co-Phasing the Large Binocular Telescope:. [Status and Performance of LBTI-PHASECam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Defrere, D.; Hinz, P.; Downey, E.; Ashby, D.; Bailey, V.; Brusa, G.; Christou, J.; Danchi, W. C.; Grenz, P.; Hill, J. M.;

Integrated Optics Achromatic Nuller for Stellar Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ksendzov, Alexander

2012-01-01

This innovation will replace a beam combiner, a phase shifter, and a mode conditioner, thus simplifying the system design and alignment, and saving weight and space in future missions. This nuller is a dielectric-waveguide-based, four-port asymmetric coupler. Its nulling performance is based on the mode-sorting property of adiabatic asymmetric couplers that are intrinsically achromatic. This nuller has been designed, and its performance modeled, in the 6.5-micrometer to 9.25-micrometer spectral interval (36% bandwidth). The calculated suppression of starlight for this 15-cm-long device is 10(exp -5) or better through the whole bandwidth. This is enough to satisfy requirements of a flagship exoplanet-characterization mission. Nulling interferometry is an approach to starlight suppression that will allow the detection and spectral characterization of Earth-like exoplanets. Nulling interferometers separate the light originating from a dim planet from the bright starlight by placing the star at the bottom of a deep, destructive interference fringe, where the starlight is effectively cancelled, or nulled, thus allowing the faint off-axis light to be much more easily seen. This process is referred to as nulling of the starlight. Achromatic nulling technology is a critical component that provides the starlight suppression in interferometer-based observatories. Previously considered space-based interferometers are aimed at approximately 6-to-20-micrometer spectral range. While containing the spectral features of many gases that are considered to be signatures of life, it also offers better planet-to-star brightness ratio than shorter wavelengths. In the Integrated Optics Achromatic Nuller (IOAN) device, the two beams from the interferometer's collecting telescopes pass through the same focusing optic and are incident on the input of the nuller.

Nulling at the Keck Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colavita, M. Mark; Serabyn, Gene; Wizinowich, Peter L.; Akeson, Rachel L.

2006-01-01

The nulling mode of the Keck Interferometer is being commissioned at the Mauna Kea summit. The nuller combines the two Keck telescope apertures in a split-pupil mode to both cancel the on-axis starlight and to coherently detect the residual signal. The nuller, working at 10 um, is tightly integrated with the other interferometer subsystems including the fringe and angle trackers, the delay lines and laser metrology, and the real-time control system. Since first 10 um light in August 2004, the system integration is proceeding with increasing functionality and performance, leading to demonstration of a 100:1 on-sky null in 2005. That level of performance has now been extended to observations with longer coherent integration times. An overview of the overall system is presented, with emphasis on the observing sequence, phasing system, and differences with respect to the V2 system, along with a presentation of some recent engineering data.

Design Enhancements of the Fourier Kelvin Stellar Interferometer to Enable Detection of Earth Twins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, Richard K.; Danchi, William C.; Lopez, Bruno; Rinehart, Stephan; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Beust, Herve; Bonfils, Xavier; Borde, Pascal; Kern, Pierre; Leger, Alain;

The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI): A Discovery Class TPF/DARWIN Pathfinder Mission Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danchi, W. C.; Allen, R. J.; Benford, D. J.; Deming, D.; Gezan, D. Y.; Kuchner, M.; Leisawitz, D. T.; Linfield, R.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Monnier, J. D.

2003-01-01

The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI) is a mission concept for an imaging and nulling interferometer for the mid-infrared spectral region (5-30 microns). FKSI is conceived as a scientific and technological pathfinder to TPF/DARWIN as well as SPIRIT, SPECS, and SAFIR. It will also be a high angular resolution system complementary to NGST. The scientific emphasis of the mission is on the evolution of protostellar systems, from just after the collapse of the precursor molecular cloud core, through the formation of the disk surrounding the protostar, the formation of planets in the disk, and eventual dispersal of the disk material. FKSI will also search for brown dwarfs and Jupiter mass and smaller planets, and could also play a very powerful role in the investigation of the structure of active galactic nuclei and extra-galactic star formation. We have been studying alternative interferometer architectures and beam combination techniques, and evaluating the relevant science and technology tradeoffs. Some of the technical challenges include the development of the cryocooler systems necessary for the telescopes and focal plane array, light and stiff but well-damped truss systems to support the telescopes, and lightweight and coolable optical telescopes. We present results of detailed design studies of the FKSI starting with a design consisting of five one meter diameter telescopes arranged along a truss structure in a linear non-redundant array, cooled to 35 K. A maximum baseline of 20 meters gives a nominal resolution of 26 mas at 5 microns. Using a Fizeau beam combination technique, a simple focal plane camera could be used to obtain both Fourier and spectral data simultaneously for a given orientation of the array. The spacecraft will be rotated to give sufficient Fourier data to reconstruct complex images of a broad range of astrophysical sources. Alternative and simpler three and two telescope designs emphasizing nulling and spectroscopy also have been investigated and will be discussed.

Multi-Segment Radius Measurement Using an Absolute Distance Meter Through a Null Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merle, Cormic; Wick, Eric; Hayden, Joseph

2011-01-01

This system was one of the test methods considered for measuring the radius of curvature of one or more of the 18 segmented mirrors that form the 6.5 m diameter primary mirror (PM) of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The assembled telescope will be tested at cryogenic temperatures in a 17-m diameter by 27-m high vacuum chamber at the Johnson Space Center. This system uses a Leica Absolute Distance Meter (ADM), at a wavelength of 780 nm, combined with beam-steering and beam-shaping optics to make a differential distance measurement between a ring mirror on the reflective null assembly and individual PM segments. The ADM is located inside the same Pressure-Tight Enclosure (PTE) that houses the test interferometer. The PTE maintains the ADM and interferometer at ambient temperature and pressure so that they are not directly exposed to the telescope s harsh cryogenic and vacuum environment. This system takes advantage of the existing achromatic objective and reflective null assembly used by the test interferometer to direct four ADM beamlets to four PM segments through an optical path that is coincident with the interferometer beam. A mask, positioned on a linear slide, contains an array of 1.25 mm diameter circular subapertures that map to each of the 18 PM segments as well as six positions around the ring mirror. A down-collimated 4 mm ADM beam simultaneously covers 4 adjacent PM segment beamlets and one ring mirror beamlet. The radius, or spacing, of all 18 segments can be measured with the addition of two orthogonally-oriented scanning pentaprisms used to steer the ADM beam to any one of six different sub-aperture configurations at the plane of the ring mirror. The interferometer beam, at a wavelength of 687 nm, and the ADM beamlets, at a wavelength of 780 nm, pass through the objective and null so that the rays are normally incident on the parabolic PM surface. After reflecting off the PM, both the ADM and interferometer beams return to their respective instruments on nearly the same path. A fifth beamlet, acting as a differential reference, reflects off a ring mirror attached to the objective and null and returns to the ADM. The spacings between the ring mirror, objective, and null are known through manufacturing tolerances as well as through an in situ null wavefront alignment of the interferometer test beam with a reflective hologram located near the caustic of the null. Since total path length between the ring mirror and PM segments is highly deterministic, any ADM-measured departures from the predicted path length can be attributed to either spacing error or radius error in the PM. It is estimated that the path length measurement between the ring mirror and a PM segment is accurate to better than 100 m. The unique features of this invention include the differential distance measuring capability and its integration into an existing cryogenic and vacuum compatible interferometric optical test.

Nulling interferometry for the darwin mission: laboratory demonstration experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ollivier, Marc; Léger, Alain; Sekulic, Predrag; Labèque, Alain; Michel, Guy

2017-11-01

The DARWIN mission is a project of the European Space Agency that should allow around 2012 the search for extrasolar planets and a spectral analysis of their potential atmosphere in order to evidence gases and particularly tracers of life. The principle of the instrument is based on the Bracewell nulling interferometer. It allows high angular resolution and high dynamic range. However, this concept, proposed more than 20 years ago, has never been experimentally demonstrated in the thermal infrared with high levels of extinction. We present here a laboratory monochromatic experiment dedicated to this goal. A theoretical and numerical approach of the question highlights a strong difficulty: the need for very clean and homogeneous wavefronts, in terms of intensity, phase and polarisation distribution. A classical interferometric approach appears to be insufficient to reach our goals. We have shown theoretically then numerically that this difficulty can be surpassed if we perform an optical filtering of the interfering beams. This technique allows us to decrease strongly the optical requirements and to view very high interferometric contrast measurements with commercial optical pieces. We present here a laboratory interferometer working at 10,6 microns, and implementing several techniques of optical filtering (pinholes and single-mode waveguides), its realisation, and its first promising results. We particularly present measurements that exhibit stable visibility levels better than 99,9% that is to say extinction levels better than 1000.

Simple Fourier optics formalism for high-angular-resolution systems and nulling interferometry.

PubMed

Hénault, François

2010-03-01

Reviewed are various designs of advanced, multiaperture optical systems dedicated to high-angular-resolution imaging or to the detection of exoplanets by nulling interferometry. A simple Fourier optics formalism applicable to both imaging arrays and nulling interferometers is presented, allowing their basic theoretical relationships to be derived as convolution or cross-correlation products suitable for fast and accurate computation. Several unusual designs, such as a "superresolving telescope" utilizing a mosaicking observation procedure or a free-flying, axially recombined interferometer are examined, and their performance in terms of imaging and nulling capacity are assessed. In all considered cases, it is found that the limiting parameter is the diameter of the individual telescopes. A final section devoted to nulling interferometry shows an apparent superiority of axial versus multiaxial recombining schemes. The entire study is valid only in the framework of first-order geometrical optics and scalar diffraction theory. Furthermore, it is assumed that all entrance subapertures are optically conjugated with their associated exit pupils.

Adaptive nulling: a new tool for the interfoeromic exo-planet detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lay, O.; Jeganathan, M.; Peters, R.

2003-01-01

This paper describes the need for a compensator that can adaptively correct for mismatches between the optical beamtrains of a Mid-IR nulling interferometer, across the science bandwidth with a range of spectral dependences.

Exoplanet Community Report on Direct Infrared Imaging of Exoplanets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danchi, William C.; Lawson, Peter R.

2009-01-01

Direct infrared imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets will allow for detailed characterization of the atmospheric constituents of more than 200 nearby Earth-like planets, more than is possible with any other method under consideration. A flagship mission based on larger passively cooled infrared telescopes and formation flying technologies would have the highest angular resolution of any concept under consideration. The 2008 Exoplanet Forum committee on Direct Infrared Imaging of Exoplanets recommends: (1) a vigorous technology program including component development, integrated testbeds, and end-to-end modeling in the areas of formation flying and mid-infrared nulling; (2) a probe-scale mission based on a passively cooled structurally connected interferometer to be started within the next two to five years, for exoplanetary system characterization that is not accessible from the ground, and which would provide transformative science and lay the engineering groundwork for the flagship mission with formation flying elements. Such a mission would enable a complete exozodiacal dust survey (<1 solar system zodi) in the habitable zone of all nearby stars. This information will allow for a more efficient strategy of spectral characterization of Earth-sized planets for the flagship missions, and also will allow for optimization of the search strategy of an astrometric mission if such a mission were delayed due to cost or technology reasons. (3) Both the flagship and probe missions should be pursued with international partners if possible. Fruitful collaboration with international partners on mission concepts and relevant technology should be continued. (4) Research and Analysis (R&A) should be supported for the development of preliminary science and mission designs. Ongoing efforts to characterize the the typical level of exozodiacal light around Sun-like stars with ground-based nulling technology should be continued.

The path towards high-contrast imaging with the VLTI: the Hi-5 project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defrère, D.; Absil, O.; Berger, J.-P.; Boulet, T.; Danchi, W. C.; Ertel, S.; Gallenne, A.; Hénault, F.; Hinz, P.; Huby, E.; Ireland, M.; Kraus, S.; Labadie, L.; Le Bouquin, J.-B.; Martin, G.; Matter, A.; Mérand, A.; Mennesson, B.; Minardi, S.; Monnier, J. D.; Norris, B.; de Xivry, G. Orban; Pedretti, E.; Pott, J.-U.; Reggiani, M.; Serabyn, E.; Surdej, J.; Tristram, K. R. W.; Woillez, J.

2018-06-01

The development of high-contrast capabilities has long been recognized as one of the top priorities for the VLTI. As of today, the VLTI routinely achieves contrasts of a few 10- 3 in the near-infrared with PIONIER (H band) and GRAVITY (K band). Nulling interferometers in the northern hemisphere and non-redundant aperture masking experiments have, however, demonstrated that contrasts of at least a few 10- 4 are within reach using specific beam combination and data acquisition techniques. In this paper, we explore the possibility to reach similar or higher contrasts on the VLTI. After reviewing the state-of-the-art in high-contrast infrared interferometry, we discuss key features that made the success of other high-contrast interferometric instruments (e.g., integrated optics, nulling, closure phase, and statistical data reduction) and address possible avenues to improve the contrast of the VLTI by at least one order of magnitude. In particular, we discuss the possibility to use integrated optics, proven in the near-infrared, in the thermal near-infrared (L and M bands, 3-5 μm), a sweet spot to image and characterize young extra-solar planetary systems. Finally, we address the science cases of a high-contrast VLTI imaging instrument and focus particularly on exoplanet science (young exoplanets, planet formation, and exozodiacal disks), stellar physics (fundamental parameters and multiplicity), and extragalactic astrophysics (active galactic nuclei and fundamental constants). Synergies and scientific preparation for other potential future instruments such as the Planet Formation Imager are also briefly discussed. This project is called Hi-5 for High-contrast Interferometry up to 5 μm.

Interferometry in the Era of Very Large Telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, Richard K.

2010-01-01

Research in modern stellar interferometry has focused primarily on ground-based observatories, with very long baselines or large apertures, that have benefited from recent advances in fringe tracking, phase reconstruction, adaptive optics, guided optics, and modern detectors. As one example, a great deal of effort has been put into development of ground-based nulling interferometers. The nulling technique is the sparse aperture equivalent of conventional coronography used in filled aperture telescopes. In this mode the stellar light itself is suppressed by a destructive fringe, effectively enhancing the contrast of the circumstellar material located near the star. Nulling interferometry has helped to advance our understanding of the astrophysics of many distant objects by providing the spatial resolution necessary to localize the various faint emission sources near bright objects. We illustrate the current capabilities of this technique by describing the first scientific results from the Keck Interferometer Nuller that combines the light from the two largest optical telescopes in the world including new, unpublished measurements of exozodiacal dust disks. We discuss prospects in the near future for interferometry in general, the capabilities of secondary masking interferometry on very large telescopes, and of nulling interferometry using outriggers on very large telescopes. We discuss future development of a simplified space-borne NIR nulling architecture, the Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer, capable of detecting and characterizing an Earth twin in the near future and how such a mission would benefit from the optical wavelength coverage offered by large, ground-based instruments.

The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer a Low Complexity, Low Cost Space Mission for High-Resolution Astronomy and Direct Exoplanet Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, R. K.; Danchi, W. C.; Deming, L. D.; Richardson, L. J.; Kuchner, M. J.; Seager, S.; Frey, B. J.; Martino, A. J.; Lee, K. A.; Zuray, M.;

High angular resolution and position determinations by infrared interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

Interferometer systems are described in the form of publications and reports. 'Distance Meter Helps Track the Stars', 'Berkeley Heterodyne Interferometer', 'Infrared Heterodyne Spectroscopy of CO2 on Mars', and 'A 10 micron Heterodyne Stellar Interferometer' are papers reported.

Apparatus for providing a servo drive signal in a high-speed stepping interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schindler, R. A. (Inventor)

1979-01-01

An analog voltage approximately linearly proportional to a desired offset from the present null position of a moving mirror in an interferometer is applied to the mirror moving means. As the mirror moves to the next null position, as determined by the analog voltage, the fringes of a laser reference interference pattern are detected. At the occurrence of each fringe the analog voltage is reduced proportionally so that when the next null position is reached, this driving analog is effectively zero. A binary up/down counter, by its internal count, causes a digital/analog converter to supply the analog voltage to the mirror moving means. Fringe detection and direction of movement logic cause the binary up/down counter to be decremented from its offset count as the mirror is moved to the new null position. Undesirable movement of the mirror due to vibration or other sources causes a correcting drive signal to be applied to the mirror moving means that is proportional to the distance of movement.

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen

2012-01-01

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII) is an 8-meter baseline far-infrared interferometer to fly on a high altitude balloon. BETTII uses a double-Fourier Michelson interferometer to simultaneously obtain spatial and spectral information on science targets; the long baseline provides subarcsecond angular resolution, a capability unmatched by other far-infrared facilities. Here, we present key aspects of the overall design of the mission and provide an overview of the current status of the project. We also discuss briefly the implications of this experiment for future space-based far-infrared interferometers.

Measurement of steep aspheric surfaces using improved two-wavelength phase-shifting interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Liqiong; Wang, Shaopu; Hu, Yao; Hao, Qun

2017-10-01

Optical components with aspheric surfaces can improve the imaging quality of optical systems, and also provide extra advantages such as lighter weight, smaller volume and simper structure. In order to satisfy these performance requirements, the surface error of aspheric surfaces, especially high departure aspheric surfaces must be measured accurately and conveniently. The major obstacle of traditional null-interferometry for aspheric surface under test is that specific and complex null optics need to be designed to fully compensate for the normal aberration of the aspheric surface under test. However, non-null interferometry partially compensating for the aspheric normal aberration can test aspheric surfaces without specific null optics. In this work, a novel non-null test approach of measuring the deviation between aspheric surfaces and the best reference sphere by using improved two-wavelength phase shifting interferometer is described. With the help of the calibration based on reverse iteration optimization, we can effectively remove the retrace error and thus improve the accuracy. Simulation results demonstrate that this method can measure the aspheric surface with the departure of over tens of microns from the best reference sphere, which introduces approximately 500λ of wavefront aberration at the detector.

Holographic Twyman-Green interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, C. W.; Breckinridge, J. B.

1982-01-01

A dichromated gelatin off-axis Fresnel zone plate was designed, fabricated, and used in a new type of interferometer for optical metrology. This single hologram optical element combines the functions of a beam splitter, beam diverger, and aberrated null lens. Data presented show the successful application for an interferometric test of an f/6, 200-mm diam parabolic mirror.

Sensitivity of an imaging space infrared interferometer.

PubMed

Nakajima, T; Matsuhara, H

2001-02-01

We study the sensitivities of space infrared interferometers. We formulate the signal-to-noise ratios of infrared images obtained by aperture synthesis in the presence of source shot noise, background shot noise, and detector read noise. We consider the case in which n beams are combined pairwise at n(n-1)/2 detectors and the case in which all the n beams are combined at a single detector. We apply the results to future missions, Terrestrial Planet Finder and Darwin. We also discuss the potential of a far-infrared interferometer for a deep galaxy survey.

Observations of Young Stellar Objects with Infrared Interferometry: Recent Results from PTI, KI and IOTA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akeson, Rachel

Young stellar objects have been one of the favorite targets of infrared interferometers for many years. In this contribution I will briefly review some of the first results and their contributions to the field and then describe some of the recent results from the Keck Interferometer (KI), the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) and the Infrared-Optical Telescope Array (IOTA). This conference also saw many exciting new results from the VLTI at both near and mid-infrared wavelengths that are covered by other contributions.

Making High Accuracy Null Depth Measurements for the LBTI Exozodi Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mennesson, Bertrand; Defrere, Denis; Nowak, Matthias; Hinz, Philip; Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Absil, Oliver; Bailey, Vanessa; Bryden, Geoffrey; Danchi, William C.; Kennedy, Grant M.;

Making High Accuracy Null Depth Measurements for the LBTI ExoZodi Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mennesson, Bertrand; Defrere, Denis; Nowak, Matthew; Hinz, Philip; Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Absil, Olivier; Bailey, Vanessa; Bryden, Geoffrey; Danchi, William; Kennedy, Grant M.;

IMPACT OF η{sub Earth} ON THE CAPABILITIES OF AFFORDABLE SPACE MISSIONS TO DETECT BIOSIGNATURES ON EXTRASOLAR PLANETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Léger, Alain; Defrère, Denis; Malbet, Fabien

2015-08-01

We present an analytic model to estimate the capabilities of space missions dedicated to the search for biosignatures in the atmosphere of rocky planets located in the habitable zone of nearby stars. Relations between performance and mission parameters, such as mirror diameter, distance to targets, and radius of planets, are obtained. Two types of instruments are considered: coronagraphs observing in the visible, and nulling interferometers in the thermal infrared. Missions considered are: single-pupil coronagraphs with a 2.4 m primary mirror, and formation-flying interferometers with 4 × 0.75 m collecting mirrors. The numbers of accessible planets are calculated as a functionmore » of η{sub Earth}. When Kepler gives its final estimation for η{sub Earth}, the model will permit a precise assessment of the potential of each instrument. Based on current estimations, η{sub Earth} = 10% around FGK stars and 50% around M stars, the coronagraph could study in spectroscopy only ∼1.5 relevant planets, and the interferometer ∼14.0. These numbers are obtained under the major hypothesis that the exozodiacal light around the target stars is low enough for each instrument. In both cases, a prior detection of planets is assumed and a target list established. For the long-term future, building both types of spectroscopic instruments, and using them on the same targets, will be the optimal solution because they provide complementary information. But as a first affordable space mission, the interferometer looks the more promising in terms of biosignature harvest.« less

Technology Plan for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawson, Peter R. (Editor); Dooley, Jennifer A. (Editor)

2005-01-01

The technology plan for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I) describes the breadth of technology development currently envisaged to enable TPF-I to search for habitable worlds around nearby stars. TPF-I is currently in Pre-Phase A (the Advanced Study Phase) of its development. For planning purposes, it is expected to enter into Phase A in 2010 and be launched sometime before 2020. TPF-I is being developed concurrently with the Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph (TPF-C), whose launch is anticipated in 201 6. The missions are being designed with the capability to detect Earth-like planets should they exist in the habitable zones of Sun-like (F,G, and K) stars out to a distance of about 60 light-years. Each mission will have the starlight-suppression and spectroscopic capability to enable the characterization of extrasolar planetary atmospheres, identifying biomarkers and signs of life. TPF-C is designed as a visible-light coronagraph; TPF-I is designed as a mid-infrared formation-flying interferometer. The two missions, working together, promise to yield unambiguous detections and characterizations of Earth-like planets. The challenges of planet detections with mid-infrared formation-flying interferometry are described within this technology plan. The approach to developing the technology is described through roadmaps that lead from our current state of the art through the different phases of mission development to launch. Technology metrics and milestones are given to measure progress. The emphasis of the plan is development and acquisition of technology during pre-Phase A to establish feasibility of the mission to enter Phase A sometime around 2010. Plans beyond 2010 are outlined. The plan contains descriptions of the development of new component technology as well as testbeds that demonstrate the viability of new techniques and technology required for the mission. Starlight-suppression (nulling) and formation-flying technology are highlighted. Although the techniques are described herein, the descriptions are only at a high-level, and tutorial material is not included. The reader is expected to have some familiarity with the principles of long-baseline mid-infrared interferometry. Selected references to existing literature are given where relevant.

Design and Status of the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII): An Interferometer at the Edge of Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen A.; Barclay, Richard B.; Barry, R. K.; Benford, D. J.; Calhoun, P. C.; Fixsen, D. J.; Gorman, E. T.; Jackson, M. L.; Jhabvala, C. A.; Leisawitz, D. T.;

Simulation of the fixed optical path difference of near infrared wind imaging interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rong, Piao; Zhang, Chunmin; Yan, Tingyu; Liu, Dongdong; Li, Yanfen

2017-02-01

As an important part of the earth, atmosphere plays a vital role in filtering the solar radiation, adjusting the temperature and organizing the water circulation and keeping human survival. The passive atmospheric wind measurement is based on the imaging interferometer technology and Doppler effect of electromagnetic wave. By using the wind imaging interferometer to get four interferograms of airglow emission lines, the atmospheric wind velocity, temperature, pressure and emission rate can be derived. Exploring the multi-functional and integrated innovation of detecting wind temperature, wind velocity and trace gas has become a research focus in the field. In the present paper, the impact factors of the fixed optical path difference(OPD) of near infrared wind imaging interferometer(NIWII) are analyzed and the optimum value of the fixed optical path difference is simulated, yielding the optimal results of the fixed optical path difference is 20 cm in near infrared wave band (the O2(a1Δg) airglow emission at 1.27 microns). This study aims at providing theoretical basis and technical support for the detection of stratosphere near infrared wind field and giving guidance for the design and development of near infrared wind imaging interferometer.

Alignment and Polarization Sensitivity Study for the Cassini-Composite InfraRed Spectrometer (CIRS) Far InfraRed (FIR) Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crooke, Julie A.; Hagopian, John G.

1998-01-01

The Composite InfraRed Spectrometer (CIRS) instrument flying on the Cassini spacecraft to Saturn is a cryogenic spectrometer with far-infrared (FIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) channels. The CIRS FIR channel is a polarizing interferometer that contains three polarizing grid components. These components are an input polarizer, a polarizing beamsplitter, and an output polarizer/analyzer. They consist of a 1.5 micron thick mylar substrate with 2 gm wide copper wires, with 2 gm spacing (4 micron pitch) photolithographically deposited on the substrate. This paper details the polarization sensitivity studies performed on the output polarizer/analyzer, and the alignment sensitivity studies performed on the input polarizer and beamsplitter components in the FIR interferometer.

Sensitivity of the terrestrial planet finder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beichman, Charles

1998-01-01

A key long-term goal of NASA's Origins program is the detection and characterization of habitable planets orbiting stars within the solar neighborhood. A cold, space-borne interferometer operating in the mid-infrared with a approx. 75 m baseline can null the light of a parent star and detect the million-times fainter radiation from an Earth-like planet located in the "habitable zone" around stars as far as 15 pc away. Such an interferometer, designated the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) by NASA, could even detect atmospheric signatures of species such as CO2, O3, and H2O indicative of either the possibility or presence of primitive life. This talk highlights some of the sensitivity issues affecting the detectability of terrestrial planets. Sensitivity calculations show that a system consisting of 2 m apertures operating at 5 AU or 4 m apertures operating at 1 AU can detect terrestrial planets in reasonable integration times for levels of exo-zodiacal emission up to 10 times that seen in our solar system (hereafter denoted as 10xSS). Additionally, simulations show that confusion noise from structures in the exo-zodiacal cloud should not impede planet detection until the exo-zodiacal emission reaches the 10xSS level.

Overview of LBTI: A Multipurpose Facility for High Spatial Resolution Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinz, P. M.; Defrere, D.; Skemer, A.; Bailey, V.; Stone, J.; Spalding, E.; Vaz, A.; Pinna, E.; Puglisi, A.; Esposito, S.;

Enabling the Direct Detection of Earth-Sized Exoplanets with the LBTI HOSTS Project: A Progress Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danchi, W.; Bailey, V.; Bryden, G.; Defrere, D.; Ertel, S.; Haniff, C.; Hinz, P.; Kennedy, G.; Mennesson, B.; Millan-Gabet, R.;

Error analysis and system optimization of non-null aspheric testing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Yongjie; Yang, Yongying; Liu, Dong; Tian, Chao; Zhuo, Yongmo

2010-10-01

A non-null aspheric testing system, which employs partial null lens (PNL for short) and reverse iterative optimization reconstruction (ROR for short) technique, is proposed in this paper. Based on system modeling in ray tracing software, the parameter of each optical element is optimized and this makes system modeling more precise. Systematic error of non-null aspheric testing system is analyzed and can be categorized into two types, the error due to surface parameters of PNL in the system modeling and the rest from non-null interferometer by the approach of error storage subtraction. Experimental results show that, after systematic error is removed from testing result of non-null aspheric testing system, the aspheric surface is precisely reconstructed by ROR technique and the consideration of systematic error greatly increase the test accuracy of non-null aspheric testing system.

Absolute flatness measurements of silicon mirrors by a three-intersection method by near-infrared interferometry

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Absolute flatness of three silicon plane mirrors have been measured by a three-intersection method based on the three-flat method using a near-infrared interferometer. The interferometer was constructed using a near-infrared laser diode with a 1,310-nm wavelength light where the silicon plane mirror is transparent. The height differences at the coordinate values between the absolute line profiles by the three-intersection method have been evaluated. The height differences of the three flats were 4.5 nm or less. The three-intersection method using the near-infrared interferometer was useful for measuring the absolute flatness of the silicon plane mirrors. PMID:23758916

Multi-axial interferometry: demonstration of deep nulling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buisset, Christophe; Rejeaunier, Xavier; Rabbia, Yves; Ruilier, Cyril; Barillot, Marc; Lierstuen, Lars; Perdigués Armengol, Josep Maria

2017-11-01

The ESA-Darwin mission is devoted to direct detection and spectroscopic characterization of earthlike exoplanets. Starlight rejection is achieved by nulling interferometry from space so as to make detectable the faintly emitting planet in the neighborhood. In that context, Alcatel Alenia Space has developed a nulling breadboard for ESA in order to demonstrate in laboratory conditions the rejection of an on-axis source. This device, the Multi Aperture Imaging Interferometer (MAII) demonstrated high rejection capability at a relevant level for exoplanets, in singlepolarized and mono-chromatic conditions. In this paper we report on the new multi-axial configuration of MAII and we summarize our late nulling results.

Darwin : the technical challenges of an optical nulling interferometer in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viard, Thierry; Lund, Glenn; Thomas, Eric; Vacance, Michel

2017-11-01

Alcatel Space has been responsible for a feasibility study contract, awarded by the European Space Agency, and dedicated to the definition of preliminary interferometric concepts for the direct detection and characterisation of exo-planets associated with nearby stars. The retained concept is a six free-flyer-telescope interferometer, with a variable baseline ranging from 50 to 500 m. The collected wavefronts are combined on a 7th free-flying hub satellite at the centre of the array, and the observations are performed in the thermal Infra-Red spectral band. The latter choice is made for two reasons : firstly, the wavelength providing optimal contrast between the planetary and stellar (background) signals is approximately 10μm secondly, the spectral features of interest for the detection of life as we know it (CO2, H2O, O3 , CH4 ... ) lie in the band between 6 and 18 μm. The system requirements for such an instrument are very severe, owing to the physical nature of the mission concept; i.e. that of a coronographic stellar interferometer: in order to achieve satisfactory extinction of the unwanted flux generated by the central star, such a concept will impose the control of optical pathlength differences between telescopes to within a small fraction of a wavelength, milli-arcsec pointing stabilities, 10-3 amplitude equalisation, achromatic check-shifts of some beams with respect to the others, and the use of passively cooled cryogenic telescopes.

Near-Infrared Keck Interferometer and IOTA Closure Phase Observations of Wolf-Rayet stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajagopal, J.; Wallace, D.; Barry, R.; Richardson, L. J.; Traub, W.; Danchi, W. C.

We present first results from observations of a small sample of IR-bright Wolf-Rayet stars with the Keck Interferometer in the near-infrared, and with the IONIC beam three-telescope beam combiner at the Infrared and Optical Telescope Array (IOTA) observatory. The former results were obtained as part of shared-risk observations in commissioning the Keck Interferometer and form a subset of a high-resolution study of dust around Wolf-Rayet stars using multiple interferometers in progress in our group. The latter results are the first closure phase observations of these stars in the near-infrared in a separated telescope interferometer. Earlier aperture-masking observations with the Keck-I telescope provide strong evidence that dust-formation in late-type WC stars are a result of wind-wind collision in short-period binaries.Our program with the Keck interferometer seeks to further examine this paradigm at much higher resolution. We have spatially resolved the binary in the prototypical dusty WC type star WR 140. WR 137, another episodic dust-producing star, has been partially resolved for the first time, providing the first direct clue to its possible binary nature.We also include WN stars in our sample to investigate circumstellar dust in this other main sub-type of WRs. We have been unable to resolve any of these, indicating a lack of extended dust.Complementary observations using the MIDI instrument on the VLTI in the mid-infrared are presented in another contribution to this workshop.

Performance of the primary mirror center-of-curvature optical metrology system during cryogenic testing of the JWST Pathfinder telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadaway, James B.; Wells, Conrad; Olczak, Gene; Waldman, Mark; Whitman, Tony; Cosentino, Joseph; Connolly, Mark; Chaney, David; Telfer, Randal

2016-07-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) primary mirror (PM) is 6.6 m in diameter and consists of 18 hexagonal segments, each 1.5 m point-to-point. Each segment has a six degree-of-freedom hexapod actuation system and a radius of-curvature (RoC) actuation system. The full telescope will be tested at its cryogenic operating temperature at Johnson Space Center. This testing will include center-of-curvature measurements of the PM, using the Center-of-Curvature Optical Assembly (COCOA) and the Absolute Distance Meter Assembly (ADMA). The COCOA includes an interferometer, a reflective null, an interferometer-null calibration system, coarse and fine alignment systems, and two displacement measuring interferometer systems. A multiple-wavelength interferometer (MWIF) is used for alignment and phasing of the PM segments. The ADMA is used to measure, and set, the spacing between the PM and the focus of the COCOA null (i.e. the PM center-of-curvature) for determination of the ROC. The performance of these metrology systems was assessed during two cryogenic tests at JSC. This testing was performed using the JWST Pathfinder telescope, consisting mostly of engineering development and spare hardware. The Pathfinder PM consists of two spare segments. These tests provided the opportunity to assess how well the center-of-curvature optical metrology hardware, along with the software and procedures, performed using real JWST telescope hardware. This paper will describe the test setup, the testing performed, and the resulting metrology system performance. The knowledge gained and the lessons learned during this testing will be of great benefit to the accurate and efficient cryogenic testing of the JWST flight telescope.

Performance of the Primary Mirror Center-of-curvature Optical Metrology System During Cryogenic Testing of the JWST Pathfinder Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hadaway, James B.; Wells, Conrad; Olczak, Gene; Waldman, Mark; Whitman, Tony; Cosentino, Joseph; Connolly, Mark; Chaney, David; Telfer, Randal

2016-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) primary mirror (PM) is 6.6 m in diameter and consists of 18 hexagonal segments, each 1.5 m point-to-point. Each segment has a six degree-of-freedom hexapod actuation system and a radius-of-curvature (RoC) actuation system. The full telescope will be tested at its cryogenic operating temperature at Johnson Space Center. This testing will include center-of-curvature measurements of the PM, using the Center-of-Curvature Optical Assembly (COCOA) and the Absolute Distance Meter Assembly (ADMA). The COCOA includes an interferometer, a reflective null, an interferometer-null calibration system, coarse & fine alignment systems, and two displacement measuring interferometer systems. A multiple-wavelength interferometer (MWIF) is used for alignment & phasing of the PM segments. The ADMA is used to measure, and set, the spacing between the PM and the focus of the COCOA null (i.e. the PM center-of-curvature) for determination of the ROC. The performance of these metrology systems was assessed during two cryogenic tests at JSC. This testing was performed using the JWST Pathfinder telescope, consisting mostly of engineering development & spare hardware. The Pathfinder PM consists of two spare segments. These tests provided the opportunity to assess how well the center-of-curvature optical metrology hardware, along with the software & procedures, performed using real JWST telescope hardware. This paper will describe the test setup, the testing performed, and the resulting metrology system performance. The knowledge gained and the lessons learned during this testing will be of great benefit to the accurate & efficient cryogenic testing of the JWST flight telescope.

Terrestrial Planet Finder cryogenic delay line development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smythe, Robert F.; Swain, Mark R.; Alvarez-Salazar, Oscar; Moore, James D.

2004-01-01

Delay lines provide the path-length compensation that makes the measurement of interference fringes possible. When used for nulling interferometry, the delay line must control path-lengths so that the null is stable and controlled throughout the measurement. We report on a low noise, low disturbance, and high bandwidth optical delay line capable of meeting the TPF interferometer optical path length control requirements at cryogenic temperatures.

Optomechanical design of near-null subaperture test system based on counter-rotating CGH plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yepeng; Chen, Shanyong; Song, Bing; Li, Shengyi

2014-09-01

In off-axis subapertures of most convex aspheres, astigmatism and coma dominate the aberrations with approximately quadratic and linear increase as the off-axis distance increases. A pair of counter-rotating computer generated hologram (CGH) plates is proposed to generate variable amount of Zernike terms Z4 and Z6, correcting most of the astigmatism and coma for subapertures located at different positions on surfaces of various aspheric shapes. The residual subaperture aberrations are then reduced within the vertical range of measurement of the interferometer, which enables near-null test of aspheres flexibly. The alignment tolerances for the near-null optics are given with optomechanical analysis. Accordingly a novel design for mounting and aligning the CGH plates is proposed which employs three concentric rigid rings. The CGH plate is mounted in the inner ring which is supported by two couples of ball-end screws in connection with the middle ring. The CGH plate along with the inner ring is hence able to be translated in X-axis and tipped by adjusting the screws. Similarly the middle ring is able to be translated in Y-axis and tilted by another two couples of screws orthogonally arranged and connected to the outer ring. This design is featured by the large center-through hole, compact size and capability of four degrees-of-freedom alignment (lateral shift and tip-tilt). It reduces the height measured in the direction of optical axis as much as possible, which is particularly advantageous for near-null test of convex aspheres. The CGH mounts are then mounted on a pair of center-through tables realizing counter-rotation. Alignment of the interferometer, the CGHs, the tables and the test surface is also discussed with a reasonable layout of the whole test system. The interferometer and the near-null optics are translated by a three-axis stage while the test mirror is rotated and tilted by two rotary tables. Experimental results are finally given to show the near-null subaperture test capability of the system for a convex even asphere.

Spatially scanned two-color mid-infrared interferometer for FTU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canton, A.; Innocente, P.; Martini, S.; Tasinato, L.; Tudisco, O.

2001-01-01

The design of a scanning beam two-color mid-infrared (MIR) interferometer is presented. The diagnostic is being developed for the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) which calls for a new interferometer to perform detailed study of advanced confinement regimes in D-shaped plasmas. After performing a feasibility study and a prototype test, we designed a scanning interferometer based on a resonant tilting mirror providing 40 chords of ≈1 cm diameter and a full profile every 62 μs. Such a high number of chords is obtained with a very simple optical scheme, resulting in a system which is compact, low cost, and easy to align. An important feature of the interferometer is its higher immunity to fringe jumps compared to conventional far infrared (FIR) systems. Three main factors contribute to that: the high critical density associated to MIR beams, the large bandwidth provided by 40 MHz heterodyne detection, and the fact that each scan provides a "self-consistent" profile.

Interferometer for measuring dynamic corneal topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Micali, Jason Daniel

The cornea is the anterior most surface of the eye and plays a critical role in vision. A thin fluid layer, the tear film, coats the outer surface of the cornea and serves to protect, nourish, and lubricate the cornea. At the same time, the tear film is responsible for creating a smooth continuous surface where the majority of refraction takes place in the eye. A significant component of vision quality is determined by the shape of the cornea and stability of the tear film. It is desirable to possess an instrument that can measure the corneal shape and tear film surface with the same accuracy and resolution that is currently performed on common optical elements. A dual interferometer system for measuring the dynamic corneal topography is designed, built, and verified. The completed system is validated by testing on human subjects. The system consists of two co-aligned polarization splitting Twyman-Green interferometers designed to measure phase instantaneously. The primary interferometer measures the surface of the tear film while the secondary interferometer simultaneously tracks the absolute position of the cornea. Eye motion, ocular variation, and a dynamic tear film surface will result in a non-null configuration of the surface with respect to the interferometer system. A non-null test results in significant interferometer induced errors that add to the measured phase. New algorithms are developed to recover the absolute surface topography of the tear film and corneal surface from the simultaneous interferometer measurements. The results are high-resolution and high-accuracy surface topography measurements of the in vivo cornea that are captured at standard camera frame rates. This dissertation will cover the development and construction of an interferometer system for measuring the dynamic corneal topography of the human eye. The discussion starts with the completion of an interferometer for measuring the tear film. The tear film interferometer is part of an ongoing research project that has spanned multiple dissertations. For this research, the instrument was tested on human subjects and resulted in refinements to the interferometer design. The final configuration of the tear film interferometer and results from human subjects testing are presented. Feedback from this instrument was used to support the development and construction of the interferometric corneal topographer system. A calibration is performed on the instrument, and then verified against simulated eye surfaces. Finally, the instrument is validated by testing on human subjects. The result is an interferometer system that can non-invasively measure the dynamic corneal topography with greater accuracy and resolution than existing technologies.

Optics Alignment of a Balloon-Borne Far-Infrared Interferometer BETTII

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dhabal, Arnab; Rinehart, Stephen A.; Rizzo, Maxime J.; Mundy, Lee; Sampler, Henry; Juanola Parramon, Roser; Veach, Todd; Fixsen, Dale; Vila Hernandez De Lorenzo, Jor; Silverberg, Robert F.

2017-01-01

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII) is an 8-m baseline far-infrared (FIR: 30 90 micrometer) interferometer providing spatially resolved spectroscopy. The initial scientific focus of BETTII is on clustered star formation, but this capability likely has a much broader scientific application.One critical step in developing an interferometer, such as BETTII, is the optical alignment of the system. We discuss how we determine alignment sensitivities of different optical elements on the interferogram outputs. Accordingly, an alignment plan is executed that makes use of a laser tracker and theodolites for precise optical metrology of both the large external optics and the small optics inside the cryostat. We test our alignment on the ground by pointing BETTII to bright near-infrared sources and obtaining their images in the tracking detectors.

Infrared interferometer spectrometer and radiometer (IRIS) instrument for Mariner/Jupiter/Saturn 1977 (MJS'77)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanous, D. D.

1974-01-01

The development and characteristics of the infrared interferometer spectrometer and radiometer (IRIS) instrument for use with the Mariner/Jupiter/Saturn space probe. The subjects discussed are: (1) the electronic design, (2) the opto-mechanical design, (3) reliability analysis, (4) quality control, and (5) program management.

Adaptive Nulling for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeganathan, Muthu; Hirai, Akiko; Lay, Oliver P.; Peters, Robert D.

2006-01-01

Deep, stable starlight nulls are needed for the direct detection of Earth-like planets and require careful control of the intensity and phases of the beams that are being combined. We are testing a novel compensator based on a deformable mirror to correct the intensity and phase at each wavelength and polarization across the nulling bandwidth. We have successfully demonstrated intensity and phase control using a deformable mirror across a 100nm wide band in the near-IR, and are in the process of conducting experiments in the mid-IR wavelengths. This paper covers the current results and in the mid-IR.

High speed FPGA-based Phasemeter for the far-infrared laser interferometers on EAST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Y.; Liu, H.; Zou, Z.; Li, W.; Lian, H.; Jie, Y.

2017-12-01

The far-infrared laser-based HCN interferometer and POlarimeter/INTerferometer\\break (POINT) system are important diagnostics for plasma density measurement on EAST tokamak. Both HCN and POINT provide high spatial and temporal resolution of electron density measurement and used for plasma density feedback control. The density is calculated by measuring the real-time phase difference between the reference beams and the probe beams. For long-pulse operations on EAST, the calculation of density has to meet the requirements of Real-Time and high precision. In this paper, a Phasemeter for far-infrared laser-based interferometers will be introduced. The FPGA-based Phasemeter leverages fast ADCs to obtain the three-frequency signals from VDI planar-diode Mixers, and realizes digital filters and an FFT algorithm in FPGA to provide real-time, high precision electron density output. Implementation of the Phasemeter will be helpful for the future plasma real-time feedback control in long-pulse discharge.

Characterization of the JWST Pathfinder mirror dynamics using the center of curvature optical assembly (CoCOA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wells, Conrad; Hadaway, James B.; Olczak, Gene; Cosentino, Joseph; Johnston, John D.; Whitman, Tony; Connolly, Mark; Chaney, David; Knight, J. Scott; Telfer, Randal

2016-07-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Optical Telescope Element (OTE) consists of a 6.6 m clear aperture, 18 segment primary mirror, all-reflective, three-mirror anastigmat operating at cryogenic temperatures. To verify performance of the primary mirror, a full aperture center of curvature optical null test is performed under cryogenic conditions in Chamber A at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) using an instantaneous phase measuring interferometer. After phasing the mirrors during the JWST Pathfinder testing, the interferometer is utilized to characterize the mirror relative piston and tilt dynamics under different facility configurations. The correlation between the motions seen on detectors at the focal plane and the interferometer validates the use of the interferometer for dynamic investigations. The success of planned test hardware improvements will be characterized by the multi-wavelength interferometer (MWIF) at the Center of Curvature Optical Assembly (CoCOA).

Characterization of the JWST Pathfinder Mirror Dynamics Using the Center of Curvature Optical Assembly (CoCOA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, Conrad; Hadaway, James B.; Olczak, Gene; Cosentino, Joseph; Johnston, John D.; Whitman, Tony; Connolly, Mark; Chaney, David; Knight, J. Scott; Telfer, Randal

2016-01-01

The JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) Optical Telescope Element (OTE) consists of a 6.6 meter clear aperture, 18-segment primary mirror, all-reflective, three-mirror anastigmat operating at cryogenic temperatures. To verify performance of the primary mirror, a full aperture center of curvature optical null test is performed under cryogenic conditions in Chamber A at NASA Johnson Space Center using an instantaneous phase measuring interferometer. After phasing the mirrors during the JWST Pathfinder testing, the interferometer is utilized to characterize the mirror relative piston and tilt dynamics under different facility configurations. The correlation between the motions seen on detectors at the focal plane and the interferometer validates the use of the interferometer for dynamic investigations. The success of planned test hardware improvements will be characterized by the multi-wavelength interferometer (MWIF) at the Center of Curvature Optical Assembly (CoCOA).

Electromagnetic modelling of a space-borne far-infrared interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donohoe, Anthony; O'Sullivan, Créidhe; Murphy, J. Anthony; Bracken, Colm; Savini, Giorgio; Pascale, Enzo; Ade, Peter; Sudiwala, Rashmi; Hornsby, Amber

2016-02-01

In this paper I will describe work done as part of an EU-funded project `Far-infrared space interferometer critical assessment' (FISICA). The aim of the project is to investigate science objectives and technology development required for the next generation THz space interferometer. The THz/FIR is precisely the spectral region where most of the energy from stars, exo-planetary systems and galaxy clusters deep in space is emitted. The atmosphere is almost completely opaque in the wave-band of interest so any observation that requires high quality data must be performed with a space-born instrument. A space-borne far infrared interferometer will be able to answer a variety of crucial astrophysical questions such as how do planets and stars form, what is the energy engine of most galaxies and how common are the molecule building blocks of life. The FISICA team have proposed a novel instrument based on a double Fourier interferometer that is designed to resolve the light from an extended scene, spectrally and spatially. A laboratory prototype spectral-spatial interferometer has been constructed to demonstrate the feasibility of the double-Fourier technique at far infrared wavelengths (0.15 - 1 THz). This demonstrator is being used to investigate and validate important design features and data-processing methods for future instruments. Using electromagnetic modelling techniques several issues related to its operation at long baselines and wavelengths, such as diffraction, have been investigated. These are critical to the design of the concept instrument and the laboratory testbed.

Optical Analysis And Alignment Applications Using The Infrared Smartt Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, V. K.; Bolen, P. D.; Liberman, I.; Seery, B. D.

1981-12-01

The possiblility of using the infrared Smartt interferometer for optical analysis and alignment of infrared laser systems has been discussed previously. In this paper, optical analysis of the Gigawatt Test Facility at Los Alamos, as well as a deformable mirror manufactured by Rocketdyne, are discussed as examples of the technique. The possibility of optically characterizing, as well as aligning, pulsed high energy laser systems like Helios and Antares is discussed in some detail.

Optical analysis and alignment applications using the infrared Smartt interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, V. K.; Bolen, P. D.; Liberman, I.; Seery, B. D.

The possibility of using the infrared Smartt interferometer for optical analysis and alignment of infrared laser systems has been discussed previously. In this paper, optical analysis of the Gigawatt Test Facility at Los Alamos, as well as a deformable mirror manufactured by Rocketdyne, are discussed as examples of the technique. The possibility of optically characterizing, as well as aligning, pulsed high energy laser systems like Helios and Antares is discussed in some detail.

Far-infrared laser diagnostics on the HT-6M tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, X.; Lu, H. J.; Guo, Q. L.; Wan, Y. X.; Tong, X. D.

1995-01-01

A multichannel far-infrared (FIR) hydrogen cyanide (HCN) laser interferometer was developed to measure plasma electron density profile on the HT-6M tokamak. The structure of the seven-channel FIR laser interferometer is described. The laser source used in the interferometer was a continuous-wave glow discharge HCN laser with a cavity length of 3.4 m and power output of about 100 mW at 337 μm. The detection sensitivity was 1/15 fringe with a temporal resolution of 0.1 ms. Experimental results were measured by the seven-channel FIR HCN laser interferometer with edge Ohmic heating, a pumping limiter, and ion cyclotron resonant heating on the HT-6M tokamak are reported.

The Next Century Astrophysics Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, Paul N.

1991-01-01

The Astrophysics Division within the NASA Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) has defined a set of major and moderate missions that are presently under study for flight sometime within the next 20 years. These programs include the: Advanced X Ray Astrophysics Facility; X Ray Schmidt Telescope; Nuclear Astrophysics Experiment; Hard X Ray Imaging Facility; Very High Throughput Facility; Gamma Ray Spectroscopy Observatory; Hubble Space Telescope; Lunar Transit Telescope; Astrometric Interferometer Mission; Next Generation Space Telescope; Imaging Optical Interferometer; Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer; Gravity Probe B; Laser Gravity Wave Observatory in Space; Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy; Space Infrared Telescope Facility; Submillimeter Intermediate Mission; Large Deployable Reflector; Submillimeter Interferometer; and Next Generation Orbiting Very Long Baseline Interferometer.

First 2.2 micrometer results from the iota interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyck, H. M.; Benson, J. A.; Carlton, N. P.; Coldwell, C.; Lacasse, M. G.; Nisenson, P.; Panasyuk, A.; Papaliolios, C.; Pearlman, R. D.; Reasenberg, R. D.

1995-01-01

We present the first infrared fringe visibility measurements made with the Infrared Optical Telescope Array on Mt. Hopkins. Effective temperatures are derived for RX Boo, RS Cnc, and Beta Peg. RX Boo is the coolest small-amplitude variable giant star to have an effective temperature determination. We compare the size of its photosphere at infrared wavelengths with the sizes of its SiO and H20 radio emission regions. We also discuss initial performance parameters for the interferometer.

Progress in four-beam nulling: results from the Terrestrial Planet Finder planet detection testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Stefan

2006-01-01

The Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I) is a large space telescope consisting of four 4 meter diameter telescopes flying in formation in space together with a fifth beam combiner spacecraft.

Progress in four-beam nulling: results from the Terrestrial Planet Finder Planet Detection Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Stefan

2006-01-01

The Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I) is a large space telescope consisting of four 4 meter diameter telescopes flying in formation in space together with a fifth beam combiner spacecraft.

Nulling interferometry: impact of exozodiacal clouds on the performance of future life-finding space missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defrère, D.; Absil, O.; den Hartog, R.; Hanot, C.; Stark, C.

2010-01-01

Context. Earth-sized planets around nearby stars are being detected for the first time by ground-based radial velocity and space-based transit surveys. This milestone is opening the path toward the definition of instruments able to directly detect the light from these planets, with the identification of bio-signatures as one of the main objectives. In that respect, both the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have identified nulling interferometry as one of the most promising techniques. The ability to study distant planets will however depend on the amount of exozodiacal dust in the habitable zone of the target stars. Aims: We assess the impact of exozodiacal clouds on the performance of an infrared nulling interferometer in the Emma X-array configuration. The first part of the study is dedicated to the effect of the disc brightness on the number of targets that can be surveyed and studied by spectroscopy during the mission lifetime. In the second part, we address the impact of asymmetric structures in the discs such as clumps and offset which can potentially mimic the planetary signal. Methods: We use the DarwinSIM software which was designed and validated to study the performance of space-based nulling interferometers. The software has been adapted to handle images of exozodiacal discs and to compute the corresponding demodulated signal. Results: For the nominal mission architecture with 2-m aperture telescopes, centrally symmetric exozodiacal dust discs about 100 times denser than the solar zodiacal cloud can be tolerated in order to survey at least 150 targets during the mission lifetime. Considering modeled resonant structures created by an Earth-like planet orbiting at 1 AU around a Sun-like star, we show that this tolerable dust density goes down to about 15 times the solar zodiacal density for face-on systems and decreases with the disc inclination. Conclusions: Whereas the disc brightness only affects the integration time, the presence of clumps or offset is more problematic and can hamper the planet detection. Based on the worst-case scenario for debris disc structures, the upper limit on the tolerable exozodiacal dust density is approximately 15 times the density of the solar zodiacal cloud. This gives the typical sensitivity that we will need to reach on exozodiacal discs in order to prepare the scientific programme of future Earth-like planet characterisation missions. FNRS Postdoctoral Researcher

The Conceptual Design of the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buscher, D. F.; Creech-Eakman, M.; Farris, A.; Haniff, C. A.; Young, J. S.

We describe the scientific motivation for and conceptual design of the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer, an imaging interferometer designed to operate at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. The rationale for the major technical decisions in the interferometer design is discussed, the success of the concept is appraised, and the implications of this analysis for the design of future arrays are drawn out.

The Path to Interferometry in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, S. A.; Savini, G.; Holland, W.; Absil, O.; Defrere, D.; Spencer, L.; Leisawitz, D.; Rizzo, M.; Juanola-Parramon, R.; Mozurkewich, D.

2016-01-01

For over two decades, astronomers have considered the possibilities for interferometry in space. The first of these missions was the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM), but that was followed by missions for studying exoplanets (e.g Terrestrial Planet Finder, Darwin), and then far-infrared interferometers (e.g. the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope, the Far-Infrared Interferometer). Unfortunately, following the cancellation of SIM, the future for space-based interferometry has been in doubt, and the interferometric community needs to reevaluate the path forward. While interferometers have strong potential for scientific discovery, there are technological developments still needed, and continued maturation of techniques is important for advocacy to the broader astronomical community. We review the status of several concepts for space-based interferometry, and look for possible synergies between missions oriented towards different science goals.

Imaging interferometer using dual broadband quantum well infrared photodetectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reininger, F.; Gunapala, S.; Bandara, S.; Grimm, M.; Johnson, D.; Peters, D.; Leland, S.; Liu, J.; Mumolo, J.; Rafol, D.;

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen A.

2010-01-01

Astronomical studies at infrared wavelengths have dramatically improved our understanding of the universe. The relatively low angular resolution of these missions, however, is insufficient to resolve the physical scale on which mid-to far-infrared emission arises. We will build the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII), an eight-meter Michelson interferometer to fly on a high-altitude balloon. BETTII's spectral-spatial capability, provided by an instrument using double-Fourier techniques, will address key questions about the nature of disks in young star clusters and active galactic nuclei and the envelopes of evolved stars. BETTII will also lay the technological groundwork for future space interferometers.

BETTII: The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen

2011-01-01

Astronomical studies at infrared wavelengths have dramatically improved our understanding the universe. The relatively low angular resolution of these missions, however, is insufficient to resolve the physical scale on which mid-to far-infrared emission arises. We will build the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII),8oeight-meter Michelson interferometer to fly on a high-altitude balloon. BETTII's spectral-spatial capability, provided by an instrument using double-Fourier techniques, will address key questions about the nature of disks io young star clusters and active galactic nuclei and the envelopes of evolved stars. BETTII will also lay the technological groundwork for future space interferometers.

Search for extraterrestrial planets: the DARWIN mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

d'Arcio, Luigi; Karlsson, Anders; Bavdaz, Marcos; Jagemann, Thomas

2017-11-01

The ESA Darwin mission is primarily devoted to the detection of earth-like exoplanets and the spectroscopic characterization of their atmospheres for key tracers of life. Darwin is implemented as a free-flying stellar interferometer operating in the 6.5-20 micron wavelength range, and passively cooled to 40 K. The stellar flux is suppressed by destructive interference (nulling) over the full optical bandwidth. The planetary signal is extracted from the zodiacal background signature by modulating the optical response of the interferometer. The Darwin mission concept has evolved considerably in the past years. The original concept, based on six 1.5 m telescopes, has been replaced by more efficient designs using three to four three-meter class apertures. A novel 3D architecture is being evaluated, together with the conventional planar one, bearing the potential for significant volume and mass savings and enhanced straylight rejection. A number of technology development activities have been successfully completed, including optical metrology, optical delay lines, and single-mode infrared optical fibers. A second iteration of the Darwin System Assessment Study has been kicked off end 2005, aiming to consolidate the overall mission architecture and the preliminary design of the Darwin mission concept. This paper illustrates the current status of the Darwin mission, with special emphasis on the optical configuration and the technology development programme in the area of optics.

Development and testing of the infrared interferometer spectrometer for the Mariner Mars 1971 spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanel, R. H.; Schlachman, B.; Vanous, D.; Rogers, D.; Taylor, J. H.

1971-01-01

The design, development and testing of the infrared interferometer spectrometer is reported with emphasis on the unique features of the Mariner instrument as compared to previous IRIS instruments flown on the Nimbus meteorological research satellites. The interferometer functions in the spectral range from 50 microns to 6.3 microns. A noise equivalent radiance of 0.5 X 10 to the -7th power W/sq cm/ster/cm has been achieved. Major improvements that were implemented included the cesium iodide beamsplitter and electronic features to suppress the effect of vibration on the Michelson mirror motion and digital filtering through the summation of increased sampling of the infrared signal. A bit error detection and correction scheme was also implemented in order to recover the science data with a higher level of confidence over the telecommunication link.

Planet detection and spectroscopy in visible light with a single aperture telescope and a nulling coronagraph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shao, Michael; Serabyn, Eugene; Levine, Bruce Martin; Beichman, Charles; Liu, Duncan; Martin, Stefan; Orton, Glen; Mennesson, Bertrand; Morgan, Rhonda; Velusamy, Thangasamy;

Sensor System Performance Evaluation and Benefits from the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larar, A.; Zhou, D.; Smith, W.

2009-01-01

Advanced satellite sensors are tasked with improving global-scale measurements of the Earth's atmosphere, clouds, and surface to enable enhancements in weather prediction, climate monitoring, and environmental change detection. Validation of the entire measurement system is crucial to achieving this goal and thus maximizing research and operational utility of resultant data. Field campaigns employing satellite under-flights with well-calibrated FTS sensors aboard high-altitude aircraft are an essential part of this validation task. The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Airborne Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I) has been a fundamental contributor in this area by providing coincident high spectral/spatial resolution observations of infrared spectral radiances along with independently-retrieved geophysical products for comparison with like products from satellite sensors being validated. This paper focuses on some of the challenges associated with validating advanced atmospheric sounders and the benefits obtained from employing airborne interferometers such as the NAST-I. Select results from underflights of the Aqua Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) obtained during recent field campaigns will be presented.

Unique construction makes interferometer insensitive to mechanical stresses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beer, R.

1965-01-01

Michelson-type interferometer with a cat-eye reflector operates effectively even in the presence of random mechanical stresses. A cubical beamsplitter with dichroic surfaces permits operation in infrared or visible light.

Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer: 2007-2008 Progress and Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawson, P. R.; Lay, O. P.; Martin, S. R.; Peters, R. D.; Gappinger, R. O.; Ksendzov, A.; Scharf, D. P.; Booth, A. J.; Beichman, C. A.; Serabyn, E.;

Large radius of curvature measurement based on the evaluation of interferogram-quality metric in non-null interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhongming; Dou, Jiantai; Du, Jinyu; Gao, Zhishan

2018-03-01

Non-null interferometry could use to measure the radius of curvature (ROC), we have presented a virtual quadratic Newton rings phase-shifting moiré-fringes measurement method for large ROC measurement (Yang et al., 2016). In this paper, we propose a large ROC measurement method based on the evaluation of the interferogram-quality metric by the non-null interferometer. With the multi-configuration model of the non-null interferometric system in ZEMAX, the retrace errors and the phase introduced by the test surface are reconstructed. The interferogram-quality metric is obtained by the normalized phase-shifted testing Newton rings with the spherical surface model in the non-null interferometric system. The radius curvature of the test spherical surface can be obtained until the minimum of the interferogram-quality metric is found. Simulations and experimental results are verified the feasibility of our proposed method. For a spherical mirror with a ROC of 41,400 mm, the measurement accuracy is better than 0.13%.

High Contrast Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) Contrast, Performance and Null Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Petrone, Peter; Mallik, Udayan; Madison, Timothy; Bolcar, Matthew R.

2012-01-01

Herein we report on our Visible Nulling Coronagraph high-contrast result of 109 contrast averaged over a focal planeregion extending from 14 D with the Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) in a vibration isolated vacuum chamber. TheVNC is a hybrid interferometriccoronagraphic approach for exoplanet science. It operates with high Lyot stopefficiency for filled, segmented and sparse or diluted-aperture telescopes, thereby spanning the range of potential futureNASA flight telescopes. NASAGoddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a well-established effort to develop the VNCand its technologies, and has developed an incremental sequence of VNC testbeds to advance this approach and itsenabling technologies. These testbeds have enabled advancement of high-contrast, visible light, nulling interferometry tounprecedented levels. The VNC is based on a modified Mach-Zehnder nulling interferometer, with a W configurationto accommodate a hex-packed MEMS based deformable mirror, a coherent fiber bundle and achromatic phase shifters.We give an overview of the VNT and discuss the high-contrast laboratory results, the optical configuration, criticaltechnologies and null sensing and control.

Mariner Jupiter/Saturn 1977 infrared interferometer spectrometer (MJS' 77) design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A design study of the Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer and Radiometer (IRIS) instrument for the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn 1977 mission was conducted. The objective of the study was to investigate a number a potential problem areas identified in previous studies and to develop the instrument system designs along the lines providing for the optimum performance obtainable with the allowable budgets. The considerations for the optical design, mechanical design, and electronic design are examined.

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leisawitz, David T.

2014-01-01

The far-infrared astrophysics community is eager to follow up Spitzer and Herschel observations with sensitive, high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy, for such measurements are needed to understand merger-driven star formation and chemical enrichment in galaxies, star and planetary system formation, and the development and prevalence of water-bearing planets. The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT) is a wide field-of-view space-based spatio-spectral interferometer designed to operate in the 25 to 400 micron wavelength range. This talk will summarize the SPIRIT mission concept, with a focus on the science that motivates it and the technology that enables it. Without mentioning SPIRIT by name, the astrophysics community through the NASA Astrophysics Roadmap Committee recently recommended this mission as the first in a series of space-based interferometers. Data from a laboratory testbed interferometer will be used to illustrate how the spatio-spectral interferometry technique works.

Interferometry on a Balloon; Paving the Way for Space-based Interferometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

Astronomical studies at infrared wavelengths have dramatically improved our understanding of the universe, and observations with Spitzer, the upcoming Herschel mission, and SOFIA will continue to provide exciting new discoveries. The relatively low angular resolution of these missions, however, is insufficient to resolve the physical scale on which mid-to-far-infrared emission arises, resulting in source and structure ambiguities that limit our ability to answer key science questions. Interferometry enables high angular resolution at these wavelengths- a powerful tool for scientific discovery. We will build the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII), an eight-meter baseline Michelson stellar interferometer to fly on a high-altitude balloon. BETTII's spectral-spatial capability, provided by an instrument using double-Fourier techniques, will address key questions about the nature of disks in young star clusters and active galactic nuclei and the envelopes of evolved stars. BETTII will also lay the technological groundwork for future space interferometers.

OHANA, the Optical Hawaiian Array for Nanoradian Astronomy. Towards kilometric infrared arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perrin, G.

Optical/Infrared Interferometry has become a mature technique with more and more astrophysical results in the past years. For historical and technical reasons, the traditional field of investigation of interferometers is stellar physics. With the advent of large telescopes and adaptive optics, more resolving and more sensitive interferometers are within reach with the promise to widen the target list. In particular, extragalactic sources will benefit from this revolution. A prototype instrument, 'OHANA, is described here. 'OHANA uses single-mode fibers to turn the large telescopes of the Mauna Kea summit into a large near-infrared kilometric array.

Far-infrared tangential interferometer/polarimeter design and installation for NSTX-U

DOE PAGES

Scott, E. R.; Barchfeld, R.; Riemenschneider, P.; ...

2016-08-09

Here, the Far-infrared Tangential Interferometer/Polarimeter (FIReTIP) system has been refurbished and is being reinstalled on the National Spherical Torus Experiment—Upgrade (NSTX-U) to supply real-time line-integrated core electron density measurements for use in the NSTX-U plasma control system (PCS) to facilitate real-time density feedback control of the NSTX-U plasma. Inclusion of a visible light heterodyne interferometer in the FIReTIP system allows for real-time vibration compensation due to movement of an internally mounted retroreflector and the FIReTIP front-end optics. Real-time signal correction is achieved through use of a National Instruments CompactRIO field-programmable gate array.

Vacuum Nuller Testbed Performance, Characterization and Null Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, R. G.; Clampin, M.; Petrone, P.; Mallik, U.; Madison, T.; Bolcar, M.; Noecker, C.; Kendrick, S.; Helmbrecht, M. A.

2011-01-01

The Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC) can detect and characterize exoplanets with filled, segmented and sparse aperture telescopes, thereby spanning the choice of future internal coronagraph exoplanet missions. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has developed a Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) to advance this approach, and assess and advance technologies needed to realize a VNC as a flight instrument. The VNT is an ultra-stable testbed operating at 15 Hz in vacuum. It consists of a MachZehnder nulling interferometer; modified with a "W" configuration to accommodate a hexpacked MEMS based deformable mirror (DM), coherent fiber bundle and achromatic phase shifters. The 2-output channels are imaged with a vacuum photon counting camera and conventional camera. Error-sensing and feedback to DM and delay line with control algorithms are implemented in a real-time architecture. The inherent advantage of the VNC is that it is its own interferometer and directly controls its errors by exploiting images from bright and dark channels simultaneously. Conservation of energy requires the sum total of the photon counts be conserved independent of the VNC state. Thus sensing and control bandwidth is limited by the target stars throughput, with the net effect that the higher bandwidth offloads stressing stability tolerances within the telescope. We report our recent progress with the VNT towards achieving an incremental sequence of contrast milestones of 10(exp 8) , 10(exp 9) and 10(exp 10) respectively at inner working angles approaching 2A/D. Discussed will be the optics, lab results, technologies, and null control. Shown will be evidence that the milestones have been achieved.

Null test fourier domain alignment technique for phase-shifting point diffraction interferometer

DOEpatents

Naulleau, Patrick; Goldberg, Kenneth Alan

2000-01-01

Alignment technique for calibrating a phase-shifting point diffraction interferometer involves three independent steps where the first two steps independently align the image points and pinholes in rotation and separation to a fixed reference coordinate system, e.g, CCD. Once the two sub-elements have been properly aligned to the reference in two parameters (separation and orientation), the third step is to align the two sub-element coordinate systems to each other in the two remaining parameters (x,y) using standard methods of locating the pinholes relative to some easy to find reference point.

Special topics in infrared interferometry. [Michelson interferometer development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanel, R. A.

1985-01-01

Topics in IR interferometry related to the development of a Michelson interferometer are treated. The selection and reading of the signal from the detector to the analog to digital converter is explained. The requirements for the Michelson interferometer advance speed are deduced. The effects of intensity modulation on the interferogram are discussed. Wavelength and intensity calibration of the interferometer are explained. Noise sources (Nyquist or Johnson noise, phonon noise), definitions of measuring methods of noise, and noise measurements are presented.

A Lunar Optical-Ultraviolet-Infrared Synthesis Array (LOUISA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, Jack O. (Editor); Johnson, Stewart W. (Editor); Duric, Nebojsa (Editor)

1992-01-01

This document contains papers presented at a workshop held to consider 'optical ultraviolet infrared' interferometric observations from the moon. Part 1 is an introduction. Part 2 is a description of current and planned ground-based interferometers. Part 3 is a description of potential space-based interferometers. Part 4 addresses the potential for interferometry on the moon. Part 5 is the report of the workshop's working groups. Concluding remarks, summary, and conclusions are presented in Part 6.

In-flight Far-Infrared Performance of the CIRS Instrument on Cassini

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nixon, Conor A.; Brasunas, John C.; Lakew, Brook; Fettig, Rainer; Jennings, Donald E.; Carlson, Ronald; Kunde, Virgil G.

2004-01-01

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) on-board Cassini consists of two interferometers: a conventional Michelson for the mid-infrared; and a Martin-Puplett type in the far-infrared employing wire grid polarizers to split, recombine and analyze the radiation. The far-IR focal plane (FP1) assembly uses two thermopile detectors to measure the final transmitted and reflected beams at the polarizer-analyzer: if one fails, the interferometer can still operate, albeit with a lower efficiency. The combined effect is for good response from 10 to 300/cm, and declining response to 600/cm. This paper will examine in-flight performance of the far-IR interferometer, including NESR and response. Regular noise spikes, resulting from pickup from other electrical sub-systems has been found on the CIRS interferograms, and the removal of these effects is discussed. The radiometric calibration is described, and then we show how the calibration was applied to science data taken during the Jupiter flyby of December 2000. Finally, we discuss signal-to-noise on the calibrated spectra, emphasizing limitations of the current instrument and the potential for improvement in future missions.

Demonstration of a Corner-cube-interferometer LWIR Hyperspectral Imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renhorn, Ingmar G. E.; Svensson, Thomas; Cronström, Staffan; Hallberg, Tomas; Persson, Rolf; Lindell, Roland; Boreman, Glenn D.

2010-01-01

An interferometric long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) hyperspectral imager is demonstrated, based on a Michelson corner-cube interferometer. This class of system is inherently mechanically robust, and should have advantages over Sagnac-interferometer systems in terms of relaxed beamsplitter-coating specifications, and wider unvignetted field of view. Preliminary performance data from the laboratory prototype system are provided regarding imaging, spectral resolution, and fidelity of acquired spectra.

Water Vapor Measurement and Compensation in the Near and Mid-infrared with the Keck Interferometer Nuller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koresko, Chris D.; Colavita, Mark M.; Serabyn, Eugene; Booth, Andrew; Garcia, Jean I.

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation describing the methods, motivation and methods for water vapor measurement with the Keck interferometer near and mid infrared radiation band is shown. The topics include: 1) Motivation: Why measure H2O?; 2) Method: How do we measure H2O?; 3) Data: Phase and Group Delays for the K and N Bands; 4) Predicted and Actual Nband Phase and Dispersion; and 5) Validation of Atmospheric Turbulence Models with KI Data.

Cryogenic mechanisms for scanning and interchange of the Fabry-Perot interferometers in the ISO long wavelength spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, G. R.; Furniss, I.; Patrick, T. J.; Sidey, R. C.; Towlson, W. A.

1991-01-01

The Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) is an ESA cornerstone mission for infrared astronomy. Schedules for launch in 1993, its four scientific instruments will provide unprecedented sensitivity and spectral resolution at wavelengths which are inaccessible using ground-based techniques. One of these, the Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS), will operate in the 45 to 180 micron region (Emery et. al., 1985) and features two Fabry-Perot interferometers mounted on an interchange mechanism. The entire payload module of the spacecraft, comprising the 60 cm telescope and the four focal plane instruments, is maintained at 2 to 4 K by an onboard supply of liquid helium. The mechanical design and testing of the cryogenic interferometer and interchange mechanisms are described.

The Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT): Recent Progress in the Simulation and Synthesis of WIIT Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juanola Parramon, Roser; Leisawitz, David T.; Bolcar, Matthew R.; Maher, Stephen F.; Rinehart, Stephen A.; Iacchetta, Alex; Savini, Giorgio

2016-01-01

The Wide-field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT) is a double Fourier (DF) interferometer operating at optical wavelengths, and provides data that are highly representative of those from a space-based far-infrared interferometer like SPIRIT. This testbed has been used to measure both a geometrically simple test scene and an astronomically representative test scene. Here we present the simulation of recent WIIT measurements using FIInS (the Far-infrared Interferometer Instrument Simulator), the main goal of which is to simulate both the input and the output of a DFM system. FIInS has been modified to perform calculations at optical wavelengths and to include an extended field of view due to the presence of a detector array.

Retrievals with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Smith, William L.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schlussel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Calbet, Xavier; Mango, Stephen A.

2007-01-01

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the MetOp satellite was launched on October 19, 2006. The Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx) was conducted during April 2007 mainly for validation of the IASI on the MetOp satellite. IASI possesses an ultra-spectral resolution of 0.25/cm and a spectral coverage from 645 to 2760/cm. Ultraspectral resolution infrared spectral radiance obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. An advanced retrieval algorithm with a fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. Preliminary retrievals of atmospheric soundings, surface properties, and cloud optical/microphysical properties with the IASI observations during the JAIVEx are obtained and presented. These retrievals are further inter-compared with those obtained from airborne FTS system, such as the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I), dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar. The capabilities of satellite ultra-spectral sounder such as the IASI are investigated.

Quasi-optical analysis of a far-infrared spatio-spectral space interferometer concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bracken, C.; O'Sullivan, C.; Murphy, J. A.; Donohoe, A.; Savini, G.; Lightfoot, J.; Juanola-Parramon, R.; Fisica Consortium

2016-07-01

FISICA (Far-Infrared Space Interferometer Critical Assessment) was a three year study of a far-infrared spatio-spectral double-Fourier interferometer concept. One of the aims of the FISICA study was to set-out a baseline optical design for such a system, and to use a model of the system to simulate realistic telescope beams for use with an end-to-end instrument simulator. This paper describes a two-telescope (and hub) baseline optical design that fulfils the requirements of the FISICA science case, while minimising the optical mass of the system. A number of different modelling techniques were required for the analysis: fast approximate simulation tools such as ray tracing and Gaussian beam methods were employed for initial analysis, with GRASP physical optics used for higher accuracy in the final analysis. Results are shown for the predicted far-field patterns of the telescope primary mirrors under illumination by smooth walled rectangular feed horns. Far-field patterns for both on-axis and off-axis detectors are presented and discussed.

ESA to test the smartest technique for detecting extrasolar planets from the ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-03-01

GENIE will use ESO's Very Large Telescopes Credits: European Southern Observatory This photo shows an aerial view of the observing platform on the top of Paranal mountain (from late 1999), with the four enclosu Three 1.8-m VLTI Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs) and paths of the light beams have been superposed on the photo. Also seen are some of the 30 'stations' where the ATs will be positioned for observations and from where the light beams from the telescopes can enter the Interferometric Tunnel below. The straight structures are supports for the rails on which the telescopes can move from one station to another. The Interferometric Laboratory (partly subterranean) is at the centre of the platform. How nulling interferometry works Credits: ESA 2002/Medialab How nulling interferometry works In nulling interferometry, light from a distant star (red beams) hits each telescope, labelled T1 and T2, simultaneously. Before the resultant light beams are combined, the beam from one telescope is delayed by half a wavelength. This means that when the rays are brought together, peaks from one telescope line up with troughs from the other and so are cancelled out (represented by the straight red line), leaving no starlight. Light from a planet (blue beams), orbiting the star, enters the telescopes at an angle. This introduces a delay in the light reaching the second telescope. So, even after the half wavelength change in one of the rays, when the beams are combined they are reinforced (represented by the large blue waves) rather than cancelled out. Illustration by Medialab. Nulling interferometry combines the signal from a number of different telescopes in such a way that the light from the central star is cancelled out, leaving the much fainter planet easier to see. This is possible because light is a wave with peaks and troughs. Usually when combining light from two or more telescopes, a technique called interferometry, the peaks are lined up with one another to boost the signal. In nulling interferometry, however, the peaks are lined up with the troughs so they cancel out to nothing and the star disappears. Planets in orbit around the star show up, however, because they are offset from the central star and their light takes different paths through the telescope system. ESA and ESO will build a new instrument called GENIE (Ground-based European Nulling Interferometer Experiment) to perform nulling interferometry using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), a collection of four 8-metre telescopes in Chile. It will be the biggest investigation of nulling interferometry to date. "It's being tested in the lab in a number of places but we can do more," says Malcolm Fridlund, project scientist for the Darwin mission at the European Space Research and Technology Centre, the Netherlands. "We intend to use the world's largest telescope and the world's largest interferometer to get very high resolution." Using GENIE to perfect this technique will provide invaluable information for engineers about how to build the 'hub' spacecraft of the Darwin flotilla. Scheduled for launch in the middle of the next decade Darwin is a collection of six space telescopes and two other spacecraft, which will together search for Earth-like planets around nearby stars. The hub will combine the light from the telescopes. "If you see the way of getting to Darwin as being outlined by a number of technological milestones this is one of the most important ones," says Malcolm Fridlund. Once up and running, GENIE will also provide a training ground for astronomers who will later use Darwin. For example, it will allow them to perfect their methods of interpreting Darwin data because, as well as the engineering tests, GENIE will be capable of real science. One of its greatest tasks will be to develop the target list of stars for Darwin to study. As recently discovered by ESA's Ulysses spaceprobe, the signature of a planetary system is probably a ring of dust surrounding the central star. GENIE will be able to look for these dust rings and make sure that the dust is not so dense that it will mask the planets from view. GENIE will see failed stars, known as brown dwarfs and, if the instrument performs to expectations, may also see some of the already-discovered giant planets. So far, these worlds have never been seen, only inferred to exist by the effect they have on their parent stars. From Earth, two things handicap nulling interferometry. Firstly, the atmosphere smears out the starlight so that its cancellation is a hundred times less effective than it will be in space. Secondly, planets are most easily seen using infrared wavelengths because they are warm. So, observing from the surface of Earth, itself a planet emitting infrared radiation, is like peering through fog. In space, these two problems disappear and Darwin will be able to see smaller, Earth-like worlds. "We have calculated that with Darwin we could see an 'Earth' if it were ten light-years away with a few hours of observation time. With the VLT, it would be impossible because of the atmosphere. Even if the atmosphere weren't there it would take 450 days because of the infrared background released by the Earth. So we have to go into space," says Fridlund. GENIE is expected to be on-line by 2006.

Maintaining Flatness of a Large Aperture Potassium Bromide Beamsplitter through Mounting and Vibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Losch, Patricia; Lyons, James, III; Morell, Armando; Heaney, Jim

1998-01-01

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) instrument on the Cassini Mission launched in October of 1997. The CIRS instrument contains a mid-infrared and a far-infrared interferometer and operates at 170 Kelvin. The mid-infrared interferometer is a Michelson- type Fourier transform spectrometer utilizing a 3 inch diameter potassium bromide beamsplitter/compensator pair. The potassium bromide elements were tested to verify effects of cooldown and vibration prior to integration into the instrument. The instrument was then aligned at ambient temperatures, tested cryogenically and re-verified after vibration. The stringent design optical figure requirements for the beamsplitter and compensator included fabrication errors, mounting stresses and vibration load effects. This paper describes the challenges encountered in mounting the elements to minimize distortion and to survive vibration.

Next Generation Instrumentation for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quirrenbach, A.

The scientific capabilities of the VLT Interferometer can be substantially enhanced through new focal-plane instruments. Many interferometric techniques - astrometry, phase-referenced imaging, nulling, and differential phase measurements - require control of the phase to <~ 1 rad; this capability will be provided at the VLTI by the PRIMA facility. Phase-coherent operation of the VLTI will also make it possible to perform interferometry with spectral resolution up to R ~ 100,000 by building fiber links to the high-resolution spectrographs UVES and CRIRES. These developments will open new approaches to fundamental problems in fields as diverse as extrasolar planets, stellar atmospheres, circumstellar matter, and active galactic nuclei.

A Martin-Puplett cartridge FIR interferometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Roger J.; Penniman, Edwin E.; Jarboe, Thomas R.

2004-10-01

A compact prealigned Martin-Puplett interferometer (MPI) cartridge for plasma interferometry is described. The MPI cartridge groups all components of a MP interferometer, with the exception of the end mirror for the scene beam, on a stand-alone rigid platform. The interferometer system is completed by positioning a cartridge anywhere along and coaxial with the scene beam, considerably reducing the amount of effort in alignment over a discrete component layout. This allows the interferometer to be expanded to any number of interferometry chords consistent with optical access, limited only by the laser power. The cartridge interferometer has been successfully incorporated as amore » second chord on the Helicity Injected Torus II (HIT-II) far infrared interferometer system and a comparison with the discrete component system is presented. Given the utility and compactness of the cartridge, a possible design for a five-chord interferometer arrangement on the HIT-II device is described.« less

Cassini infrared Fourier spectroscopic investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunde, Virgil G.; Ade, Peter A.; Barney, Richard D.; Bergman, D.; Bonnal, Jean-Francois; Borelli, R.; Boyd, D.; Brasunas, John C.; Brown, G.; Calcutt, S. B.; Carroll, F.; Courtin, R.; Cretolle, Jacky; Crooke, Julie A.; Davis, Martin A.; Edberg, S.; Fettig, R.; Flasar, M.; Glenar, David A.; Graham, S.; Hagopian, John G.; Hakun, C. F.; Hayes, Patricia A.; Herath, L.; Horn, Linda; Jennings, Donald E.; Karpati, G.; Kellebenz, C.; Lakew, Brook; Lindsay, J.; Lohr, J.; Lyons, James J.; Martineau, Robert J.; Martino, Anthony J.; Matsumura, M.; McCloskey, J.; Melak, T.; Michel, G.; Morell, Armando; Mosier, C.; Pack, L.; Plants, M.; Robinson, D.; Rodriguez, Louis; Romani, Paul; Schaefer, W. J.; Schmidt, Steve; Trujillo, C.; Vellacott, Tim; Wagner, K.; Yun, D.

1996-10-01

The composite infrared spectrometer (CIRS) is a remote sensing instrument to be flown on the Cassini orbiter. CIRS will retrieve vertical profiles of temperature and gas composition for the atmospheres of Titan and Saturn, from deep in their tropospheres to high in their stratospheres. CIRS will also retrieve information on the thermal properties and composition of Saturn's rings and Saturnian satellites. CIRS consists of a pair of Fourier Transform Spectrometers (FTSs) which together cover the spectral range from 10-1400 cm-1 with a spectral resolution up to 0.5 cm-1. The two interferometers share a 50 cm beryllium Cassegrain telescope. The far-infrared FTS is a polarizing interferometer covering the 10-600 cm-1 range with a pair of thermopile detectors, and a 3.9 mrad field of view. The mid-infrared FTS is a conventional Michelson interferometer covering 200-1400 cm-1 in two spectral bandpasses: 600-1100 cm- 1100-1400 cm(superscript -1 with a 1 by 10 photovoltaic HgCdTe array. Each pixel of the arrays has an approximate 0.3 mrad field of view. The HgCdTe arrays are cooled to approximately 80K with a passive radiative cooler.

Deep Broad-Band Infrared Nulling Using A Single-Mode Fiber Beam Combiner and Baseline Rotation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mennesson, Bertrand; Haguenauer, P.; Serabyn, E.; Liewer, K.

2006-01-01

The basic advantage of single-mode fibers for deep nulling applications resides in their spatial filtering ability, and has now long been known. However, and as suggested more recently, a single-mode fiber can also be used for direct coherent recombination of spatially separated beams, i.e. in a 'multi-axial' nulling scheme. After the first successful demonstration of deep (<2e-6) visible LASER nulls using this technique (Haguenauer & Serabyn, Applied Optics 2006), we decided to work on an infrared extension for ground based astronomical observations, e.g. using two or more off-axis sub-apertures of a large ground based telescope. In preparation for such a system, we built and tested a laboratory infrared fiber nuller working in a wavelength regime where atmospheric turbulence can be efficiently corrected, over a pass band (approx.1.5 to 1.8 micron) broad enough to provide reasonable sensitivity. In addition, since no snapshot images are readily accessible with a (single) fiber nuller, we also tested baseline rotation as an approach to detect off-axis companions while keeping a central null. This modulation technique is identical to the baseline rotation envisioned for the TPF-I space mission. Within this context, we report here on early laboratory results showing deep stable broad-band dual polarization infrared nulls <5e-4 (currently limited by detector noise), and visible LASER nulls better than 3e-4 over a 360 degree rotation of the baseline. While further work will take place in the laboratory to achieve deeper stable broad-band nulls and test off-axis sources detection through rotation, the emphasis will be put on bringing such a system to a telescope as soon as possible. Detection capability at the 500:1 contrast ratio in the K band (2.2 microns) seem readily accessible within 50-100 mas of the optical axis, even with a first generation system mounted on a >5m AO equipped telescope such as the Palomar Hale 200 inch, the Keck, Subaru or Gemini telescopes.

Software system design for the non-null digital Moiré interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Meng; Hao, Qun; Hu, Yao; Wang, Shaopu; Li, Tengfei; Li, Lin

2016-11-01

Aspheric optical components are an indispensable part of modern optics systems. With the development of aspheric optical elements fabrication technique, high-precision figure error test method of aspheric surfaces is a quite urgent issue now. We proposed a digital Moiré interferometer technique (DMIT) based on partial compensation principle for aspheric and freeform surface measurement. Different from traditional interferometer, DMIT consists of a real and a virtual interferometer. The virtual interferometer is simulated with Zemax software to perform phase-shifting and alignment. We can get the results by a series of calculation with the real interferogram and virtual interferograms generated by computer. DMIT requires a specific, reliable software system to ensure its normal work. Image acquisition and data processing are two important parts in this system. And it is also a challenge to realize the connection between the real and virtual interferometer. In this paper, we present a software system design for DMIT with friendly user interface and robust data processing features, enabling us to acquire the figure error of the measured asphere. We choose Visual C++ as the software development platform and control the ideal interferometer by using hybrid programming with Zemax. After image acquisition and data transmission, the system calls image processing algorithms written with Matlab to calculate the figure error of the measured asphere. We test the software system experimentally. In the experiment, we realize the measurement of an aspheric surface and prove the feasibility of the software system.

First Surface-resolved Results with the Infrared Optical Telescope Array Imaging Interferometer: Detection of Asymmetries in Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragland, S.; Traub, W. A.; Berger, J.-P.; Danchi, W. C.; Monnier, J. D.; Willson, L. A.; Carleton, N. P.; Lacasse, M. G.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Pedretti, E.; Schloerb, F. P.; Cotton, W. D.; Townes, C. H.; Brewer, M.; Haguenauer, P.; Kern, P.; Labeye, P.; Malbet, F.; Malin, D.; Pearlman, M.; Perraut, K.; Souccar, K.; Wallace, G.

2006-11-01

We have measured nonzero closure phases for about 29% of our sample of 56 nearby asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, using the three-telescope Infrared Optical Telescope Array (IOTA) interferometer at near-infrared wavelengths (H band) and with angular resolutions in the range 5-10 mas. These nonzero closure phases can only be generated by asymmetric brightness distributions of the target stars or their surroundings. We discuss how these results were obtained and how they might be interpreted in terms of structures on or near the target stars. We also report measured angular sizes and hypothesize that most Mira stars would show detectable asymmetry if observed with adequate angular resolution.

High Contrast Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) Contrast, Performance and Null Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Petrone, Peter; Mallik, Udayan; Madison, Timothy; Bolcar, Matthew R.

2012-01-01

Herein we report on our contrast assessment and the development, sensing and control of the Vacuum Nuller Testbed to realize a Visible Nulling Coronagraphy (VNC) for exoplanet detection and characterization. Tbe VNC is one of the few approaches that works with filled, segmented and sparse or diluted-aperture telescope systems. It thus spans a range of potential future NASA telescopes and could be flown as a separate instrument on such a future mission. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center has an established effort to develop VNC technologies, and an incremental sequence of testbeds to advance this approach and its critical technologies. We discuss the development of the vacuum Visible Nulling Coronagraph testbed (VNT). The VNT is an ultra-stable vibration isolated testbed that operates under closed-loop control within a vacuum chamber. It will be used to achieve an incremental sequence of three visible-light nulling milestones with sequentially higher contrasts of 10(exp 8), 10(exp 9) and ideally 10(exp 10) at an inner working angle of 2*lambda/D. The VNT is based on a modified Mach-Zehnder nulling interferometer, with a "W" configuration to accommodate a hex-packed MEMS based deformable mirror, a coherent fiber bundle and achromatic phase shifters. We discuss the laboratory results, optical configuration, critical technologies and the null sensing and control approach.

MOEMS Fabry-Pérot interferometer with point-anchored Si-air mirrors for middle infrared

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuohiniemi, Mikko; Näsilä, Antti; Akujärvi, Altti; Blomberg, Martti

2014-09-01

We studied how a micromachined Fabry-Pérot interferometer, realized with wide point-anchored Si/air-gap reflectors, performs at the middle-infrared. A computational analysis of the anchor mechanical behavior is also presented. Compared with solid-film reflectors, this technology features better index contrast, which enables a wider stop band and potentially higher resolution. In this work, we investigate whether the performance is improved according to the index-contrast benefit, or whether the mechanical differences play a role. For comparison, we manufactured and characterized another design that applies solid-film reflectors of Si/SiO2 structure. This data is exploited as a reference for a middle-infrared interferometer and as a template for mapping the performance from the simulation results to the measured data. The novel Si/air-gap device was realized as a non-tunable proof-of-concept version. The measured data is mapped into an estimate of the achievable performance of a tunable version. We present the measured transmission and resolution data and compare the simulation models that reproduce the data. The prediction for the tunable middle-infrared Si/air-gap device is then presented. The results indicate that the interferometer’s resolution is expected to have improved twofold and have a much wider stop band compared with the prior art.

Last technology and results from the IOTA interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedretti, Ettore; Traub, Wesley A.; Monnier, John D.; Schuller, Peter A.; Ragland, Sam; Berger, Jean–Philippe; Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Wallace, Gary; Burke, Michael; Lacasse, Marc G.; Thureau, Nathalie D.; Carleton, Nathaniel

2008-07-01

The infrared optical telescope array (IOTA), one of the most productive interferometers in term of science and new technologies was decommissioned in summer 2006. We discuss the testing of a low-resolution spectrograph coupled with the IOTA-3T integrated-optics beam combiner and some of the scientific results obtained from this instrument.

Mid infrared MEMS FTIR spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erfan, Mazen; Sabry, Yasser M.; Mortada, Bassem; Sharaf, Khaled; Khalil, Diaa

2016-03-01

In this work we report, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, a bulk-micromachined wideband MEMS-based spectrometer covering both the NIR and the MIR ranges and working from 1200 nm to 4800 nm. The core engine of the spectrometer is a scanning Michelson interferometer micro-fabricated using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) technology. The spectrum is obtained using the Fourier Transform techniques that allows covering a very wide spectral range limited by the detector responsivity. The moving mirror of the interferometer is driven by a relatively large stroke electrostatic comb-drive actuator. Zirconium fluoride (ZrF4) multimode optical fibers are used to connect light between the white light source and the interferometer input, as well as the interferometer output to a PbSe photoconductive detector. The recorded signal-to-noise ratio is 25 dB at the wavelength of 3350 nm. The spectrometer is successfully used in measuring the absorption spectra of methylene chloride, quartz glass and polystyrene film. The presented solution provides a low cost method for producing miniaturized spectrometers in the near-/mid-infrared.

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

Astronomical studies at infrared wavelengths have dramatically improved our understanding of the universe, and observations with Spitzer, the upcoming Herschel mission, and SOFIA will continue to provide exciting new discoveries. The relatively low angular resolution of these missions, however, is insufficient to resolve the physical scales on which mid- to far-infrared emission arises, resulting in source and structure ambiguities that limit our ability to answer key science questions. Interferometry enables high angular resolution at these wavelengths, a powerful tool for scientific discovery, We will build the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETII), an eight-meter baseline Michelson stellar interferometer to fly on a high-altitude balloon. BETTII's spectral-spatial capability, provided by an instrument using double-Fourier techniques, will address key questions about the nature of disks in young star clusters and active galactic nuclei and the envelopes of evolved stars. BETTII will also lay the technological groundwork for future space interferometers,

Astronomical imaging Fourier spectroscopy at far-infrared wavelengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naylor, David A.; Gom, Brad G.; van der Wiel, Matthijs H. D.; Makiwa, Gibion

2013-11-01

The principles and practice of astronomical imaging Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTS) at far-infrared wavelengths are described. The Mach–Zehnder (MZ) interferometer design has been widely adopted for current and future imaging FTS instruments; we compare this design with two other common interferometer formats. Examples of three instruments based on the MZ design are presented. The techniques for retrieving astrophysical parameters from the measured spectra are discussed using calibration data obtained with the Herschel–SPIRE instrument. The paper concludes with an example of imaging spectroscopy obtained with the SPIRE FTS instrument.

Airborne interferometer for atmospheric emission and solar absorption.

PubMed

Keith, D W; Dykema, J A; Hu, H; Lapson, L; Anderson, J G

2001-10-20

The interferometer for emission and solar absorption (INTESA) is an infrared spectrometer designed to study radiative transfer in the troposphere and lower stratosphere from a NASA ER-2 aircraft. The Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) operates from 0.7 to 50 mum with a resolution of 0.7 cm(-1). The FTS observes atmospheric thermal emission from multiple angles above and below the aircraft. A heliostat permits measurement of solar absorption spectra. INTESA's calibration system includes three blackbodies to permit in-flight assessment of radiometric error. Results suggest that the in-flight radiometric accuracy is ~0.5 K in the mid-infrared.

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII): Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy in the Far-Infrared

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen

2009-01-01

Astronomical studies at infrared wavelengths have dramatically improved our understanding of the universe, and observations with Spitzer, the upcoming Herschel mission, and SOFIA will continue to provide exciting new discoveries. The relatively low angular resolution of these missions, however, is insufficient to resolve the physical scale on which mid-to far-infrared emission arises, resulting in source and structure ambiguities that limit our ability to answer key science questions. Interferometry enables high angular resolution at these wavelengths - a powerful tool for scientific discovery. We will build the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII), an eight-meter baseline Michelson stellar interferometer to fly on a high-altitude balloon. BETTII's spectral-spatial capability, provided by an instrument using double-Fourier techniques, will address key questions about the nature of disks in young star clusters and active galactic nuclei and the envelopes of evolved stars. BETTII will also lay the technological groundwork for future space interferometers and for suborbital programs optimized for studying extrasolar planets.

The Micro Fourier Transform Interferometer (muFTIR) - A New Field Spectrometer for Acquisition of Infrared Data of Natural Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hook, Simon J.

1995-01-01

A lightweight, rugged, high-spectral-resolution interferometer has been built by Designs and Prototypes based on a set of specifications provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Dr. J. W. Salisbury (Johns Hopkins University). The instrument, the micro Fourier Transform Interferometer (mFTIR), permits the acquisition of infrared spectra of natural surfaces. Such data can be used to validate low and high spectral resolution data acquired remotely from aircraft and spacecraft in the 3-5 mm and 8-14 mm atmospheric window. The instrument has a spectral resolutions of 6 wavenumbers, weighs 16 kg including batteries and computer, and can be operated easily by two people in the field. Laboratory analysis indicates the instrument is spectrally calibrated to better than 1 wavenumber and the radiometric accuracy is <0.5 K if the radiances from the blackbodies used for calibration bracket the radiance from the sample.

Initial Retrieval Validation from the Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Smith, WIlliam L.; Larar, Allen M.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Revercomb, Henry E.; Mango, Stephen A.; Schluessel, Peter; Calbet, Xavier

2007-01-01

The Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx) was conducted during April 2007 mainly for validation of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the MetOp satellite, but also included a strong component focusing on validation of the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) aboard the AQUA satellite. The cross validation of IASI and AIRS is important for the joint use of their data in the global Numerical Weather Prediction process. Initial inter-comparisons of geophysical products have been conducted from different aspects, such as using different measurements from airborne ultraspectral Fourier transform spectrometers (specifically, the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I) and the Scanning-High resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) aboard the NASA WB-57 aircraft), UK Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) BAe146-301 aircraft insitu instruments, dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar. An overview of the JAIVEx retrieval validation plan and some initial results of this field campaign are presented.

Dichroic filters to protect milliwatt far-infrared detectors from megawatt ECRH radiation.

PubMed

Bertschinger, G; Endres, C P; Lewen, F; Oosterbeek, J W

2008-10-01

Dichroic filters have been used to shield effectively the far infrared (FIR) detectors at the interferometer/polarimeter on TEXTOR. The filters consist of metal foils with regular holes, the hole diameter, the mutual spacing and the thickness of the foils are chosen to transmit radiation at the design frequency with transmission >90%. The attenuation at the low frequency end of the bandpass filter is about 30 dB per octave, the high frequency transmission is between 20% and 40%. The filters have been used to block the stray radiation from the megawatt microwave heating beam to the detectors of the FIR interferometer, operating with power on the detector in the milliwatt range. If required, the low frequency attenuation can be still enhanced, without compromising the transmission in the passband. The FIR interferometer used for plasma density and position control is no longer disturbed by electromagnetic waves used for plasma heating.

Imaging issues for interferometry with CGH null correctors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burge, James H.; Zhao, Chunyu; Zhou, Ping

2010-07-01

Aspheric surfaces, such as telescope mirrors, are commonly measured using interferometry with computer generated hologram (CGH) null correctors. The interferometers can be made with high precision and low noise, and CGHs can control wavefront errors to accuracy approaching 1 nm for difficult aspheric surfaces. However, such optical systems are typically poorly suited for high performance imaging. The aspheric surface must be viewed through a CGH that was intentionally designed to introduce many hundreds of waves of aberration. The imaging aberrations create difficulties for the measurements by coupling both geometric and diffraction effects into the measurement. These issues are explored here, and we show how the use of larger holograms can mitigate these effects.

Multimode simulations of a wide field of view double-Fourier far-infrared spatio-spectral interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bracken, Colm P.; Lightfoot, John; O'Sullivan, Creidhe; Murphy, J. Anthony; Donohoe, Anthony; Savini, Giorgio; Juanola-Parramon, Roser; The Fisica Consortium, On Behalf Of

2018-01-01

In the absence of 50-m class space-based observatories, subarcsecond astronomy spanning the full far-infrared wavelength range will require space-based long-baseline interferometry. The long baselines of up to tens of meters are necessary to achieve subarcsecond resolution demanded by science goals. Also, practical observing times command a field of view toward an arcminute (1‧) or so, not achievable with a single on-axis coherent detector. This paper is concerned with an application of an end-to-end instrument simulator PyFIInS, developed as part of the FISICA project under funding from the European Commission's seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7). Predicted results of wide field of view spatio-spectral interferometry through simulations of a long-baseline, double-Fourier, far-infrared interferometer concept are presented and analyzed. It is shown how such an interferometer, illuminated by a multimode detector can recover a large field of view at subarcsecond angular resolution, resulting in similar image quality as that achieved by illuminating the system with an array of coherent detectors. Through careful analysis, the importance of accounting for the correct number of higher-order optical modes is demonstrated, as well as accounting for both orthogonal polarizations. Given that it is very difficult to manufacture waveguide and feed structures at sub-mm wavelengths, the larger multimode design is recommended over the array of smaller single mode detectors. A brief note is provided in the conclusion of this paper addressing a more elegant solution to modeling far-infrared interferometers, which holds promise for improving the computational efficiency of the simulations presented here.

Solar Confocal Interferometers for Sub-Picometer-Resolution Spectral Filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gary, G. Allen; Pietraszewski, Chris; West, Edward A.; Dines, Terence C.

2006-01-01

The confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer allows sub-picometer spectral resolution of Fraunhofer line profiles. Such high spectral resolution is needed to keep pace with the higher spatial resolution of the new set of large-aperture solar telescopes. The line-of-sight spatial resolution derived for line profile inversions would then track the improvements of the transverse spatial scale provided by the larger apertures. The confocal interferometer's unique properties allow a simultaneous increase in both etendue and spectral power. Methods: We have constructed and tested two confocal interferometers. Conclusions: In this paper we compare the confocal interferometer with other spectral imaging filters, provide initial design parameters, show construction details for two designs, and report on the laboratory test results for these interferometers, and propose a multiple etalon system for future testing of these units and to obtain sub-picometer spectral resolution information on the photosphere in both the visible and near-infrared.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu Ke; Li Yanqiu; Wang Hai

Characterization of measurement accuracy of the phase-shifting point diffraction interferometer (PS/PDI) is usually performed by two-pinhole null test. In this procedure, the geometrical coma and detector tilt astigmatism systematic errors are almost one or two magnitude higher than the desired accuracy of PS/PDI. These errors must be accurately removed from the null test result to achieve high accuracy. Published calibration methods, which can remove the geometrical coma error successfully, have some limitations in calibrating the astigmatism error. In this paper, we propose a method to simultaneously calibrate the geometrical coma and detector tilt astigmatism errors in PS/PDI null test. Basedmore » on the measurement results obtained from two pinhole pairs in orthogonal directions, the method utilizes the orthogonal and rotational symmetry properties of Zernike polynomials over unit circle to calculate the systematic errors introduced in null test of PS/PDI. The experiment using PS/PDI operated at visible light is performed to verify the method. The results show that the method is effective in isolating the systematic errors of PS/PDI and the measurement accuracy of the calibrated PS/PDI is 0.0088{lambda} rms ({lambda}= 632.8 nm).« less

PERSEE: a nulling interferometer with dynamic correction of external perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacquinod, S.; Houairi, K.; Le Duigou, J.-M.; Barillot, M.; Cassaing, F.; Réess, J.-M.; Hénault, F.; Sorrente, B.; Morinaud, G.; Amans, J.-P.; Coudé du Foresto, V.; Ollivier, M.

2017-11-01

Nulling interferometry is one of the direct detection methods assessed to find and characterize extrasolar planets and particularly telluric ones. Several projects such as Darwin [1;2], TPF-I [3;4], PEGASE [5;6] or FKSI [7], are currently considered. One of the main issues is the feasibility of a stable polychromatic null despite the presence of significant disturbances, induced by vibrations, atmospheric turbulence on the ground or satellite drift. Satisfying all these requirements is a great challenge and a key issue of these missions. In the context of the PEGASE mission, it was decided (in 2006), to build a laboratory demonstrator named PERSEE. It is the first laboratory setup which couples deep nulling interferometry with a free flying GNC simulator [8]. It is developed by a consortium composed of CNES, IAS, LESIA, OCA, ONERA, and TAS. In this paper, we detail the main objectives, the set-up and the function of the bench. We describe all the subsystems and we focus particularly on two key points of PERSEE: the beam combiner and the Fringe tracker.

The Palomar Testbed Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colavita, M. M.; Wallace, J. K.; Hines, B. E.; Gursel, Y.; Malbet, F.; Palmer, D. L.; Pan, X. P.; Shao, M.; Yu, J. W.; Boden, A. F.

1999-01-01

The Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) is a long-baseline infrared interferometer located at Palomar Observatory, California. It was built as a testbed for interferometric techniques applicable to the Keck Interferometer. First fringes were obtained in 1995 July. PTI implements a dual-star architecture, tracking two stars simultaneously for phase referencing and narrow-angle astrometry. The three fixed 40 cm apertures can be combined pairwise to provide baselines to 110 m. The interferometer actively tracks the white-light fringe using an array detector at 2.2 microns and active delay lines with a range of +/-38 m. Laser metrology of the delay lines allows for servo control, and laser metrology of the complete optical path enables narrow-angle astrometric measurements. The instrument is highly automated, using a multiprocessing computer system for instrument control and sequencing.

The MPE/UCB far-infrared imaging Fabry-Perot interferometer (FIFI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poglitsch, A.; Geis, N.; Genzel, R.; Haggerty, M.; Beeman, J. W.

1991-01-01

FIFI, an imaging spectrometer with two or three Fabry-Perot interferometers in a series for astronomical observations in the FIR range, is described. Spectral resolutions of 2 km/s can be obtained with FIFI. Design considerations are discussed as well as optics, the detector array, the transimpedance amplifier array, signal demodulation, data acquisition, and instrument control.

Design of a nano-satellite demonstrator of an infrared imaging space interferometer: the HyperCube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dohlen, Kjetil; Vives, Sébastien; Rakotonimbahy, Eddy; Sarkar, Tanmoy; Tasnim Ava, Tanzila; Baccichet, Nicola; Savini, Giorgio; Swinyard, Bruce

2014-07-01

The construction of a kilometer-baseline far infrared imaging interferometer is one of the big instrumental challenges for astronomical instrumentation in the coming decades. Recent proposals such as FIRI, SPIRIT, and PFI illustrate both science cases, from exo-planetary science to study of interstellar media and cosmology, and ideas for construction of such instruments, both in space and on the ground. An interesting option for an imaging multi-aperture interferometer with km baseline is the space-based hyper telescope (HT) where a giant, sparsely populated primary mirror is constituted of several free-flying satellites each carrying a mirror segment. All the segments point the same object and direct their part of the pupil towards a common focus where another satellite, containing recombiner optics and a detector unit, is located. In Labeyrie's [1] original HT concept, perfect phasing of all the segments was assumed, allowing snap-shot imaging within a reduced field of view and coronagraphic extinction of the star. However, for a general purpose observatory, image reconstruction using closure phase a posteriori image reconstruction is possible as long as the pupil is fully non-redundant. Such reconstruction allows for much reduced alignment tolerances, since optical path length control is only required to within several tens of wavelengths, rather than within a fraction of a wavelength. In this paper we present preliminary studies for such an instrument and plans for building a miniature version to be flown on a nano satellite. A design for recombiner optics is proposed, including a scheme for exit pupil re-organization, is proposed, indicating the focal plane satellite in the case of a km-baseline interferometer could be contained within a 1m3 unit. Different options for realization of a miniature version are presented, including instruments for solar observations in the visible and the thermal infrared and giant planet observations in the visible, and an algorithm for design of optimal aperture layout based on least-squares minimization is described. A first experimental setup realized by master students is presented, where a 20mm baseline interferometer with 1mm apertures associated with a thermal infrared camera pointed the sun. The absence of fringes in this setup is discussed in terms of spatial spectrum analysis. Finally, we discuss requirements in terms of satellite pointing requirements for such a miniature interferometer.

Practical aspects of modern interferometry for optical manufacturing quality control: Part 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smythe, Robert

2012-07-01

Modern phase shifting interferometers enable the manufacture of optical systems that drive the global economy. Semiconductor chips, solid-state cameras, cell phone cameras, infrared imaging systems, space based satellite imaging and DVD and Blu-Ray disks are all enabled by phase shifting interferometers. Theoretical treatments of data analysis and instrument design advance the technology but often are not helpful towards the practical use of interferometers. An understanding of the parameters that drive system performance is critical to produce useful results. Any interferometer will produce a data map and results; this paper, in three parts, reviews some of the key issues to minimize error sources in that data and provide a valid measurement.

Practical aspects of modern interferometry for optical manufacturing quality control, Part 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smythe, Robert A.

2012-09-01

Modern phase shifting interferometers enable the manufacture of optical systems that drive the global economy. Semiconductor chips, solid-state cameras, cell phone cameras, infrared imaging systems, space-based satellite imaging, and DVD and Blu-Ray disks are all enabled by phase-shifting interferometers. Theoretical treatments of data analysis and instrument design advance the technology but often are not helpful toward the practical use of interferometers. An understanding of the parameters that drive the system performance is critical to produce useful results. Any interferometer will produce a data map and results; this paper, in three parts, reviews some of the key issues to minimize error sources in that data and provide a valid measurement.

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen

2007-01-01

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT) is a candidate NASA Origins Probe Mission. SPIRIT is a two-telescope Michelson interferometer covering wavelengths from 25-400 microns, providing simultaneously high spectral resolution and high angular resolution. With comparable sensitivity to Spitzer, but two orders of magnitude improvement in angular resolution, SPIRIT will enable us to address a wide array of compelling scientific questions, including how planetary systems form in disks and how new planets interact with the disk. Further, SPIRIT will lay the technological groundwork for an array of future interferometry missions with ambitious scientific goals, including the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer / Darwin, and the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure.

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen

2007-01-01

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT) is a candidate NASA Origins Probe Mission. SPIRIT is a two-telescope Michelson interferometer covering wavelengths from 25-400 microns, providing simultaneously high spectral resolution and high angular resolution. With comparable sensitivity to Spitzer, but two orders of magnitude improvement in angular resolution, SPIRIT will enable us to address a wide array of compelling scientific questions, including how planetary systems form in disks and how new planets interact with the disk. Further, SPIRIT will lay the technological groundwork for an array of future interferometry missions with ambitious scientific goals, including the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer/Darwin, and the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure.

Infrared Smartt Interferometer As An Alignment Tool For Carbon Dioxide Laser Fusion Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, V. K.; Bolen, P. D.

1980-11-01

It is essential to minimize the pointing and focusing errors at the focal plane for many applications involving infrared laser systems. In the case of the LASL CO2 laser fusion systems, with two beams in the Gemini System and eight beams in the Helios System, this is particularly important. The LASL Helios CO2 Laser Fusion System has eight 34-cm diameter beams emerging from the power amplifier and each beam is brought to focus by an off-aperture parabola (nearly 77.3-cm focal length) resulting in a nearly F/2.4 beam at the focal plane. The design tolerance at the focal plane for pointing accuracy is +/- 25 microns and for focusing accuracy is +/- 50 microns for this system. This paper describes an alignment scheme based on the use of the infrared Smartt interferometer' and compares the results obtained using this technique and the autocollimating Hartmann scheme2 in a laboratory setup duplicating the target chamber region of one of the beams of the Helios System. The results using the Smartt interferometer show that pointing accuracy of +/- 12.5 microns and focusing accuracies of ± 15 microns are obtained at the focal plane of the system.

Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) Performance, Characterization and Null Control: Progress Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Petrone, Peter; Mallik, Udayan; Madison, Timothy; Bolcar, Matthew R.; Noecker, M. Charley; Kendrick, Stephen; Helmbrecht, Michael

2011-01-01

Herein we report on the development. sensing and control and our first results with the Vacuum Nuller Testbed to realize a Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC) for exoplanet coronagraphy. The VNC is one of the few approaches that works with filled. segmented and sparse or diluted-aperture telescope systems. It thus spans a range of potential future NASA telescopes and could be Hown as a separate instrument on such a future mission. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a well-established effort to develop VNC technologies. and has developed an incremental sequence of VNC testbeds to advance this approach and the enabling technologies associated with it. We discuss the continued development of the vacuum Visible Nulling Coronagraph testbed (VNT). Tbe VNT is an ultra-stable vibration isolated testbed that operates under closed-loop control within a vacuum chamber. It will be used to achieve an incremental sequence of three visible-light nulling milestones with sequentially higher contrasts of 10(sup 8), 10(sup 9) and ideally 10(sup 10) at an inner working angle of 2*lambda/D. The VNT is based on a modified Mach-Zehnder nulling interferometer, with a "W" configuration to accommodate a hex-packed MEMS based deformable mirror, a coherent fiber bundle and achromatic phase shifters. We discuss the initial laboratory results, the optical configuration, critical technologies and the null sensing and control approach.

Developing Wide-Field Spatio-Spectral Interferometry for Far-Infrared Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leisawitz, David; Bolcar, Matthew R.; Lyon, Richard G.; Maher, Stephen F.; Memarsadeghi, Nargess; Rinehart, Stephen A.; Sinukoff, Evan J.

2012-01-01

Interferometry is an affordable way to bring the benefits of high resolution to space far-IR astrophysics. We summarize an ongoing effort to develop and learn the practical limitations of an interferometric technique that will enable the acquisition of high-resolution far-IR integral field spectroscopic data with a single instrument in a future space-based interferometer. This technique was central to the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT) and Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure (SPECS) space mission design concepts, and it will first be used on the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII). Our experimental approach combines data from a laboratory optical interferometer (the Wide-field Imaging Interferometry Testbed, WIIT), computational optical system modeling, and spatio-spectral synthesis algorithm development. We summarize recent experimental results and future plans.

Measurement of electron density profiles on HT-6M tokamak by 7-channel FIR HCN laser interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Gao; Qiliang, Guo

1990-12-01

Electron density measurements are periormed on HT-6M tokamak using a 7 channel Far-Infrared HCN laser interferometer. From the measured line integrals--7 channel phase shifts the electron density profile is reconstructed by a fit procedure. Results were tested by comparison to Abel inverted. Some recent interesting experimental results were reported.

Results from a multi aperture Fizeau interferometer ground testbed: demonstrator for a future space-based interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baccichet, Nicola; Caillat, Amandine; Rakotonimbahy, Eddy; Dohlen, Kjetil; Savini, Giorgio; Marcos, Michel

2016-08-01

In the framework of the European FP7-FISICA (Far Infrared Space Interferometer Critical Assessment) program, we developed a miniaturized version of the hyper-telescope to demonstrate multi-aperture interferometry on ground. This setup would be ultimately integrated into a CubeSat platform, therefore providing the first real demonstrator of a multi aperture Fizeau interferometer in space. In this paper, we describe the optical design of the ground testbed and the data processing pipeline implemented to reconstruct the object image from interferometric data. As a scientific application, we measured the Sun diameter by fitting a limb-darkening model to our data. Finally, we present the design of a CubeSat platform carrying this miniature Fizeau interferometer, which could be used to monitor the Sun diameter over a long in-orbit period.

MMI-based MOEMS FT spectrometer for visible and IR spectral ranges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Demerdash, Bassem M.; Medhat, Mostafa; Sabry, Yasser M.; Saadany, Bassam; Khalil, Diaa

2014-03-01

MEMS spectrometers have very strong potential in future healthcare and environmental monitoring applications, where Michelson interferometers are the core optical engine. Recently, MEMS Michelson interferometers based on using silicon interface as a beam splitter (BS) has been proposed [7, 8]. This allows having a monolithically-integrated on-chip FTIR spectrometer. However silicon BS exhibits high absorption loss in the visible range and high material dispersion in the near infrared (NIR) range. For this reason, we propose in this work a novel MOEMS interferometer allowing operation over wider spectral range covering both the infrared (IR) and the visible ranges. The proposed architecture is based on spatial splitting and combining of optical beams using the imaging properties of Multi-Mode Interference MMI waveguide. The proposed structure includes an optical splitter for spatial splitting an input beam into two beams and a combiner for spatial combining the two interferometer beams. A MEMS moveable mirror is provided to produce an optical path difference between the two beams. The new interferometer is fabricated using DRIE technology on an SOI wafer. The movable mirror is metalized and attached to a comb-drive actuator fabricated in the same lithography step in a self-aligned manner on chip. The novel interferometer is tested as a Fourier transform spectrometer. Red laser, IR laser and absorption spectra of different materials are measured with a resolution of 2.5 nm at 635-nm wavelength. The structure is a very compact one that allows its integration and fabrication on a large scale with very low cost.

Characterization of Mid-Infrared Single Mode Fibers as Modal Filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ksendzov, A.; Lay, O.; Martin, S.; Sanghera, J. S.; Busse, L. E.; Kim, W. H.; Pureza, P. C.; Nguyen, V. Q.; Aggarwal, I. D.

2007-01-01

We present a technique for measuring the modal filtering ability of single mode fibers. The ideal modal filter rejects all input field components that have no overlap with the fundamental mode of the filter and does not attenuate the fundamental mode. We define the quality of a nonideal modal filter Q(sub f) as the ratio of transmittance for the fundamental mode to the transmittance for an input field that has no overlap with the fundamental mode. We demonstrate the technique on a 20 cm long mid-infrared fiber that was produced by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. The filter quality Q(sub f) for this fiber at 10.5 micron wavelength is 1000 +/- 300. The absorption and scattering losses in the fundamental mode are approximately 8 dB/m. The total transmittance for the fundamental mode, including Fresnel reflections, is 0.428 +/- 0.002. The application of interest is the search for extrasolar Earthlike planets using nulling interferometry. It requires high rejection ratios to suppress the light of a bright star, so that the faint planet becomes visible. The use of modal filters increases the rejection ratio (or, equivalently, relaxes requirements on the wavefront quality) by reducing the sensitivity to small wavefront errors. We show theoretically that, exclusive of coupling losses, the use of a modal filter leads to the improvement of the rejection ratio in a two-beam interferometer by a factor of Q(sub f).

Radius of Curvature of Off-Axis Paraboloids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Brian; Reardon, Patrick; Hadaway, James; Geary, Joseph; Russell, Kevin (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We present several methods for measuring the vertex radius of curvature of off-axis paraboloidal mirrors. One is based on least-squares fitting of interferometer output, one on comparison of sagittal and tangential radii of curvature, and another on measurement of displacement of the nulled test article from the ideal reference wave. Each method defines radius of curvature differently and, as a consequence, produces its own sort of errors.

Aspheric figure generation using feedback from an infrared phase-shifting interferometer.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stahl, H. P.; Ketelsen, D.

This paper discusses the usefulness of the infrared phase-shifting interferometric system for providing figure correcting feedback to the optician during the generation of the off-axis parabolic segments and how it is affected by the surface roughness produced by each generator tool.

Telescopes in Near Space: Balloon Exoplanet Nulling Interferometer (BigBENI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Petrone, Peter; Mallik, Udayan; Mauk, Robin

2012-01-01

A significant and often overlooked path to advancing both science and technology for direct imaging and spectroscopic characterization of exosolar planets is to fly "near space" missions, i.e. balloon borne exosolar missions. A near space balloon mission with two or more telescopes, coherently combined, is capable of achieving a subset of the mission science goals of a single large space telescope at a small fraction of the cost. Additionally such an approach advances technologies toward flight readiness for space flight. Herein we discuss the feasibility of flying two 1.2 meter telescopes, with a baseline separation of 3.6 meters, operating in visible light, on a composite boom structure coupled to a modified visible nulling coronagraph operating to achieve an inner working angle of 60 milli-arcseconds. We discuss the potential science return, atmospheric residuals at 135,000 feet, pointing control and visible nulling and evaluate the state-or-art of these technologies with regards to balloon missions.

FIFI: The MPE Garching/UC Berkeley Far-Infrared Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geis, Norbert; Genzel, Reinhard; Haggerty, M.; Herrmann, F.; Jackson, J.; Madden, Suzanne C.; Nikola, T.; Poglitsch, Albrecht; Rumitz, M.; Stacey, G. J.

1995-01-01

We describe the performance characteristics of the MPE Garching/UC Berkeley Far-Infrared Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FIFI) for the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO). The spectrometer features two or three cryogenic tunable Fabry-Perot filters in series giving spectral resolution R of up to 10(exp 5) in the range of 40 microns less than lambda less than 200 microns, and an imaging 5x5 array of photoconductive detectors with variable focal plane plate scale. The instrument works at background limited sensitivity of up to 2 x 10(exp -19) W cm(exp -2) Hz(exp -1/2) per pixel per resolution element at R = 10(exp 5) on the KAO.

Interferometric thickness calibration of 300 mm silicon wafers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Quandou; Griesmann, Ulf; Polvani, Robert

2005-12-01

The "Improved Infrared Interferometer" (IR 3) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a phase-measuring interferometer, operating at a wavelength of 1550 nm, which is being developed for measuring the thickness and thickness variation of low-doped silicon wafers with diameters up to 300 mm. The purpose of the interferometer is to produce calibrated silicon wafers, with a certified measurement uncertainty, which can be used as reference wafers by wafer manufacturers and metrology tool manufacturers. We give an overview of the design of the interferometer and discuss its application to wafer thickness measurements. The conversion of optical thickness, as measured by the interferometer, to the wafer thickness requires knowledge of the refractive index of the material of the wafer. We describe a method for measuring the refractive index which is then used to establish absolute thickness and thickness variation maps for the wafer.

Final acceptance testing of the LSST monolithic primary/tertiary mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuell, Michael T.; Burge, James H.; Cuerden, Brian; Gressler, William; Martin, Hubert M.; West, Steven C.; Zhao, Chunyu

2014-07-01

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is a three-mirror wide-field survey telescope with the primary and tertiary mirrors on one monolithic substrate1. This substrate is made of Ohara E6 borosilicate glass in a honeycomb sandwich, spin cast at the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab at The University of Arizona2. Each surface is aspheric, with the specification in terms of conic constant error, maximum active bending forces and finally a structure function specification on the residual errors3. There are high-order deformation terms, but with no tolerance, any error is considered as a surface error and is included in the structure function. The radii of curvature are very different, requiring two independent test stations, each with instantaneous phase-shifting interferometers with null correctors. The primary null corrector is a standard two-element Offner null lens. The tertiary null corrector is a phase-etched computer-generated hologram (CGH). This paper details the two optical systems and their tolerances, showing that the uncertainty in measuring the figure is a small fraction of the structure function specification. Additional metrology includes the radii of curvature, optical axis locations, and relative surface tilts. The methods for measuring these will also be described along with their tolerances.

High resolution broad-band spectroscopy in the NIR using the Triplespec externally dispersed interferometer at the Hale telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erskine, David J.; Edelstein, J.; Sirk, M.; Wishnow, E.; Ishikawa, Y.; McDonald, E.; Shourt, W. V.

2014-07-01

High resolution broad-band spectroscopy at near-infrared wavelengths has been performed using externally dis- persed interferometry (EDI) at the Hale telescope at Mt. Palomar. The EDI technique uses a field-widened Michelson interferometer in series with a dispersive spectrograph, and is able to recover a spectrum with a resolution 4 to 10 times higher than the existing grating spectrograph. This method increases the resolution well beyond the classical limits enforced by the slit width and the detector pixel Nyquist limit and, in principle, decreases the effect of pupil variation on the instrument line-shape function. The EDI technique permits arbi- trarily higher resolution measurements using the higher throughput, lower weight, size, and expense of a lower resolution spectrograph. Observations of many stars were performed with the TEDI interferometer mounted within the central hole of the 200 inch primary mirror. Light from the interferometer was then dispersed by the TripleSpec near-infrared echelle spectrograph. Continuous spectra between 950 and 2450 nm with a resolution as high as ~27,000 were recovered from data taken with TripleSpec at a native resolution of ˜2,700. Aspects of data analysis for interferometric spectral reconstruction are described. This technique has applications in im- proving measurements of high-resolution stellar template spectra, critical for precision Doppler velocimetry using conventional spectroscopic methods. A new interferometer to be applied for this purpose at visible wavelengths is under construction.

As-built performance of the monolithic interferometers for MIGHTI, the thermsopheric wind and temperature instrument on the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harlander, J.; Englert, C. R.; Brown, C. M.; Marr, K. D.; Miller, I. J.; Zastera, V.; Bach, B.; Mende, S. B.

2016-12-01

The Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) is one of four instruments on the NASA-sponsored Ionospheric Connection (ICON) Explorer mission. ICON investigates the extreme variability of the Earth's ionosphere with a unique combination of sensors on-board a low Earth orbit satellite. MIGHTI uses the Doppler Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne (DASH) Spectroscopy technique to derive thermospheric winds by measuring Doppler shifts of atomic oxygen airglow emission lines in the visible spectrum over an altitude range generally not accessible to in-situ probes. Specifically, MIGHTI measures neutral winds utilizing the atomic oxygen O(1S - 1D) transition at 557.7 nm (green line) and the O(1D - 3P) transition at 630.0 nm (red line). In addition, it uses a multiband photometric technique to derive thermospheric temperatures from the spectral shape of the molecular oxygen A-band in the near infrared near 760 nm. Two identical MIGHTI interferometers, oriented on the spacecraft to view a common atmospheric volume from orthogonal lines of sight. Both instruments use the Doppler Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne (DASH) approach with low order Echelle gratings optimized for the red, green, and near infrared wavelengths detected by MIGHTI. The design of the monolithic DASH interferometers which are the heart of the MIGHTI instrument will be reviewed followed by a description of the interferometer element fabrication, assembly and their as-built performance.

Visible Nulling Coronagraphy Testbed Development for Exoplanet Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Woodruff, Robert A.; Vasudevan, Gopal; Thompson, Patrick; Chen, Andrew; Petrone, Peter; Booth, Andrew; Madison, Timothy; Bolcar, Matthew;

2006 Interferometry Imaging Beauty Contest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawson, Peter R.; Cotton, William D.; Hummel, Christian A.; Ireland, Michael; Monnier, John D.; Thiebaut, Eric; Rengaswamy, Sridharan; Baron, Fabien; Young, John S.; Kraus, Stefan;

Community Plan for Far-Infrared/Submillimeter Space Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ade, Peter; Akeson, Rachel; Ali, Shafinaz; Amato, Michael; Arendt, Richard; Baker, Charles; Benford, Dominic; Blain, Andrew; Bock, James; Borne, Kirk

2004-01-01

This paper represents the consensus view of the 124 participants in the Second Workshop on New Concepts for Far-Infrared/Submillimeter Space Astronomy.We recommend that NASA pursue the vision for far-IR astronomy outlined in the NAS Decadal Survey, which said: A rational coordinated program for space optical and infrared astronomy would build on the experience gained with NGST1 to construct [a JWST-scale filled-aperture far-IR telescope SAFIR, and then ultimately, in the decade 2010 to 2020, build on the SAFIR, TPF, and SIM experience to assemble a space-based, far-infrared interferometer. SAFIR will study star formation in the young universe, the buildup of elements heavier than hydrogen over cosmic history, the process of galaxy formation, and the early phases of star formation, which occur behind a veil of dust that precludes detection at mid IR and shorter wavelengths. The far-infrared interferometer will resolve distant galaxies to study protogalaxy interactions and mergers and the processes that led to enhanced star formation activity and the formation of Active Galactic Nuclei, and will resolve protostars and debris disks in our Galaxy to study how stars and planetary systems form.

Self-Nulling Beam Combiner Using No External Phase Inverter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloemhof, Eric E.

2010-01-01

A self-nulling beam combiner is proposed that completely eliminates the phase inversion subsystem from the nulling interferometer, and instead uses the intrinsic phase shifts in the beam splitters. Simplifying the flight instrument in this way will be a valuable enhancement of mission reliability. The tighter tolerances on R = T (R being reflection and T being transmission coefficients) required by the self-nulling configuration actually impose no new constraints on the architecture, as two adaptive nullers must be situated between beam splitters to correct small errors in the coatings. The new feature is exploiting the natural phase shifts in beam combiners to achieve the 180 phase inversion necessary for nulling. The advantage over prior art is that an entire subsystem, the field-flipping optics, can be eliminated. For ultimate simplicity in the flight instrument, one might fabricate coatings to very high tolerances and dispense with the adaptive nullers altogether, with all their moving parts, along with the field flipper subsystem. A single adaptive nuller upstream of the beam combiner may be required to correct beam train errors (systematic noise), but in some circumstances phase chopping reduces these errors substantially, and there may be ways to further reduce the chop residuals. Though such coatings are beyond the current state of the art, the mechanical simplicity and robustness of a flight system without field flipper or adaptive nullers would perhaps justify considerable effort on coating fabrication.

A Data Exchange Standard for Optical (Visible/IR) Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauls, T. A.; Young, J. S.; Cotton, W. D.; Monnier, J. D.

2005-11-01

This paper describes the OI (Optical Interferometry) Exchange Format, a standard for exchanging calibrated data from optical (visible/infrared) stellar interferometers. The standard is based on the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) and supports the storage of optical interferometric observables, including squared visibility and closure phase-data products not included in radio interferometry standards such as UV-FITS. The format has already gained the support of most currently operating optical interferometer projects, including COAST, NPOI, IOTA, CHARA, VLTI, PTI, and the Keck Interferometer, and is endorsed by the IAU Working Group on Optical Interferometry. Software is available for reading, writing, and the merging of OI Exchange Format files.

Method and means for generation of tunable laser sidebands in the far-infrared region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pickett, Herbert M. (Inventor); Farhoomand, Jam (Inventor)

1987-01-01

A method for generating tunable far-infrared radiation is described. The apparatus includes a Schottky-barrier diode which has one side coupled through a conductor to a waveguide that carries a tunable microwave frequency; the diode has an opposite side which is coupled through a radiating whisker to a bias source. Infrared light is directed at the diode, and infrared light with tunable sidebands is radiated by the whisker through an open space to a reflector. The original infrared is separated from a tunable infrared sideband by a polarizing Michelson interferometer.

Precision Attitude Control for the BETTII Balloon-Borne Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benford, Dominic J.; Fixsen, Dale J.; Rinehart. Stephen

2012-01-01

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII) is an 8-meter baseline far-infrared interferometer to fly on a high altitude balloon. Operating at wavelengths of 30-90 microns, BETTII will obtain spatial and spectral information on science targets at angular resolutions down to less than half an arcsecond, a capability unmatched by other far-infrared facilities. This requires attitude control at a level ofless than a tenth of an arcsecond, a great challenge for a lightweight balloon-borne system. We have designed a precision attitude determination system to provide gondola attitude knowledge at a level of 2 milliarcseconds at rates up to 100Hz, with accurate absolute attitude determination at the half arcsecond level at rates of up to 10Hz. A mUlti-stage control system involving rigid body motion and tip-tilt-piston correction provides precision pointing stability to the level required for the far-infrared instrument to perform its spatial/spectral interferometry in an open-loop control. We present key aspects of the design of the attitude determination and control and its development status.

High contrast stellar observations within the diffraction limit at the Palomar Hale telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mennesson, B.; Hanot, C.; Serabyn, E.; Martin, S. R.; Liewer, K.; Loya, F.; Mawet, D.

2010-07-01

We report on high-accuracy, high-resolution (< 20mas) stellar measurements obtained in the near infrared ( 2.2 microns) at the Palomar 200 inch telescope using two elliptical (3m x 1.5m) sub-apertures located 3.4m apart. Our interferometric coronagraph, known as the "Palomar Fiber Nuller" (PFN), is located downstream of the Palomar adaptive optics (AO) system and recombines the two separate beams into a common singlemode fiber. The AO system acts as a "fringe tracker", maintaining the optical path difference (OPD) between the beams around an adjustable value, which is set to the central dark interference fringe. AO correction ensures high efficiency and stable injection of the beams into the single-mode fiber. A chopper wheel and a fast photometer are used to record short (< 50ms per beam) interleaved sequences of background, individual beam and interferometric signals. In order to analyze these chopped null data sequences, we developed a new statistical method, baptized "Null Self-Calibration" (NSC), which provides astrophysical null measurements at the 0.001 level, with 1 σ uncertainties as low as 0.0003. Such accuracy translates into a dynamic range greater than 1000:1 within the diffraction limit, demonstrating that the approach effectively bridges the traditional gap between regular coronagraphs, limited in angular resolution, and long baseline visibility interferometers, whose dynamic range is restricted to 100:1. As our measurements are extremely sensitive to the brightness distribution very close to the optical axis, we were able to constrain the stellar diameters and amounts of circumstellar emission for a sample of very bright stars. With the improvement expected when the PALM-3000 extreme AO system comes on-line at Palomar, the same instrument now equipped with a state of the art low noise fast read-out near IR camera, will yield 10-4 to 10-3 contrast as close as 30 mas for stars with K magnitude brighter than 6. Such a system will provide a unique and ideal tool for the detection of young (<100 Myr) self-luminous planets and hot debris disks in the immediate vicinity (0.1 to a few AUs) of nearby (< 50pc) stars.

Simultaneous water vapor and dry air optical path length measurements and compensation with the large binocular telescope interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defrère, D.; Hinz, P.; Downey, E.; Böhm, M.; Danchi, W. C.; Durney, O.; Ertel, S.; Hill, J. M.; Hoffmann, W. F.; Mennesson, B.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Montoya, M.; Pott, J.-U.; Skemer, A.; Spalding, E.; Stone, J.; Vaz, A.

2016-08-01

The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer uses a near-infrared camera to measure the optical path length variations between the two AO-corrected apertures and provide high-angular resolution observations for all its science channels (1.5-13 microns). There is however a wavelength dependent component to the atmospheric turbulence, which can introduce optical path length errors when observing at a wavelength different from that of the fringe sensing camera. Water vapor in particular is highly dispersive and its effect must be taken into account for high-precision infrared interferometric observations as described previously for VLTI/MIDI or the Keck Interferometer Nuller. In this paper, we describe the new sensing approach that has been developed at the LBT to measure and monitor the optical path length fluctuations due to dry air and water vapor separately. After reviewing the current performance of the system for dry air seeing compensation, we present simultaneous H-, K-, and N-band observations that illustrate the feasibility of our feedforward approach to stabilize the path length fluctuations seen by the LBTI nuller.

Spectroscopic Binary Star Studies with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boden, A. F.; Lane, B. F.; Creech-Eakman, M.; Queloz, D.; PTI Collaboration

1999-12-01

The Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) is a long-baseline near-infrared interferometer located at Palomar Observatory. Following our previous work on resolving spectroscopic binary stars with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI), we will present a number of new visual and physical orbit determinations derived from integrated reductions of PTI visibility and archival radial velocity data. The six systems for which we will present new orbit models are: 12 Boo (HD 123999), 75 Cnc (HD 78418), 47 And (HD 8374), HD 205539, BY Draconis (HDE 234677), and 3 Boo (HD 120064). Most of these systems are double-lined binary systems (SB2), and integrated astrometric/radial velocity orbit modeling provides precise fundamental parameters (mass, luminosity) and system distance determinations comparable with Hipparcos precisions. The work described in this paper was performed under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Solar Confocal interferometers for Sub-Picometer-Resolution Spectral Filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gary, G. Allen; Pietraszewski, Chris; West, Edward A.; Dines. Terence C.

2007-01-01

The confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer allows sub-picometer spectral resolution of Fraunhofer line profiles. Such high spectral resolution is needed to keep pace with the higher spatial resolution of the new set of large-aperture solar telescopes. The line-of-sight spatial resolution derived for line profile inversions would then track the improvements of the transverse spatial scale provided by the larger apertures. In particular, profile inversion allows improved velocity and magnetic field gradients to be determined independent of multiple line analysis using different energy levels and ions. The confocal interferometer's unique properties allow a simultaneous increase in both etendue and spectral power. The higher throughput for the interferometer provides significant decrease in the aperture, which is important in spaceflight considerations. We have constructed and tested two confocal interferometers. A slow-response thermal-controlled interferometer provides a stable system for laboratory investigation, while a piezoelectric interferometer provides a rapid response for solar observations. In this paper we provide design parameters, show construction details, and report on the laboratory test for these interferometers. The field of view versus aperture for confocal interferometers is compared with other types of spectral imaging filters. We propose a multiple etalon system for observing with these units using existing planar interferometers as pre-filters. The radiometry for these tests established that high spectral resolution profiles can be obtained with imaging confocal interferometers. These sub-picometer spectral data of the photosphere in both the visible and near-infrared can provide important height variation information. However, at the diffraction-limited spatial resolution of the telescope, the spectral data is photon starved due to the decreased spectral passband.

Infrared atmospheric sounding interferometer correlation interferometry for the retrieval of atmospheric gases: the case of H2O and CO2.

PubMed

Grieco, Giuseppe; Masiello, Guido; Serio, Carmine; Jones, Roderic L; Mead, Mohammed I

2011-08-01

Correlation interferometry is a particular application of Fourier transform spectroscopy with partially scanned interferograms. Basically, it is a technique to obtain the difference between the spectra of atmospheric radiance at two diverse spectral resolutions. Although the technique could be exploited to design an appropriate correlation interferometer, in this paper we are concerned with the analytical aspects of the method and its application to high-spectral-resolution infrared observations in order to separate the emission of a given atmospheric gas from a spectral signal dominated by surface emission, such as in the case of satellite spectrometers operated in the nadir looking mode. The tool will be used to address some basic questions concerning the vertical spatial resolution of H2O and to develop an algorithm to retrieve the columnar amount of CO2. An application to complete interferograms from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer will be presented and discussed. For H2O, we have concluded that the vertical spatial resolution in the lower troposphere mostly depends on broad features associated with the spectrum, whereas for CO2, we have derived a technique capable of retrieving a CO2 columnar amount with accuracy of ≈±7 parts per million by volume at the level of each single field of view.

Inference of the boundary layer structure over the oceans from satellite infrared measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Dalu, G.; Lo, R.; Nath, N. R.

1978-01-01

The characteristics of the boundary layer of the atmosphere over the global oceans between about 50 deg N to 40 deg S were remotely sensed for three different periods, about 3 months each, during the year 1970. The spectral measurements made by Nimbus 4 Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer were used for this purpose.

On the inner disc structure of MWC480: evidence for asymmetries?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamialahmadi, N.; Lopez, B.; Berio, Ph.; Matter, A.; Flament, S.; Fathivavsari, H.; Ratzka, T.; Sitko, M. L.; Spang, A.; Russell, R. W.

2018-01-01

Studying the physical conditions structuring the young circumstellar discs is required for understanding the onset of planet formation. Of particular interest is the protoplanetary disc surrounding the Herbig star MWC480. The structure and properties of the circumstellar disc of MWC480 are studied by infrared interferometry and interpreted from a modelling approach. New observations are driving this study, in particular, some recent Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI)/MIDI data acquired in 2013 December. Our one-component disc model could not reproduce simultaneously all our data: the spectral energy distribution, the near-infrared Keck Interferometer data and the mid-infrared data obtained with the MIDI instrument. In order to explain all measurements, one possibility is to add an asymmetry in our one-component disc model with the assumption that the structure of the disc of MWC480 has not varied with time. Several scenarios are tested, and the one considering the presence of an azimuthal bright feature in the inner component of the disc model provides a better fit of the data.

Comparison of slope and height profiles for flat synchrotron x-ray mirrors measured with a long trace profiler and a Fizeau interferometer.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qian, J.; Assoufid, L.; Macrander, A.

2007-01-01

Long trace profilers (LTPS) have been used at many synchrotron radiation laboratories worldwide for over a decade to measure surface slope profiles of long grazing incidence x-ray mirrors. Phase measuring interferometers (PMIs) of the Fizeau type, on the other hand, are being used by most mirror manufacturers to accomplish the same task. However, large mirrors whose dimensions exceed the aperture of the Fizeau interferometer require measurements to be carried out at grazing incidence, and aspheric optics require the use of a null lens. While an LTP provides a direct measurement of ID slope profiles, PMIs measure area height profiles frommore » which the slope can be obtained by a differentiation algorithm. Measurements of the two types of instruments have been found by us to be in good agreement, but to our knowledge there is no published work directly comparing the two instruments. This paper documents that comparison. We measured two different nominally flat mirrors with both the LTP in operation at the Advanced Photon Source (a type-II LTP) and a Fizeau-type PMI interferometer (Wyko model 6000). One mirror was 500 mm long and made of Zerodur, and the other mirror was 350 mm long and made of silicon. Slope error results with these instruments agree within nearly 100% (3.11 {+-} 0.15 {micro}rad for the LTP, and 3.11 {+-} 0.02 {micro}rad for the Fizeau PMI interferometer) for the medium quality Zerodur mirror with 3 {micro}rad rms nominal slope error. A significant difference was observed with the much higher quality silicon mirror. For the Si mirror, slope error data is 0.39 {+-} 0.08 {micro}rad from LTP measurements but it is 0.35 {+-} 0.01 {micro}rad from PMI interferometer measurements. The standard deviations show that the Fizeau PMI interferometer has much better measurement repeatability.« less

First SNPP Cal/Val Campaign: Satellite and Aircraft Sounding Retrieval Intercomparison

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Tian, Jialin; Smith, William L.; Wu, Wan; Kizer, Susan; Goldberg, Mitch; Liu, Q.

2015-01-01

Satellite ultraspectral infrared sensors provide key data records essential for weather forecasting and climate change science. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite Environmental Data Record (EDR) is retrieved from calibrated ultraspectral radiance so called Sensor Data Record (SDR). It is critical to understand the accuracy of retrieved EDRs, which mainly depends on SDR accuracy (e.g., instrument random noise and absolute accuracy), an ill-posed retrieval system, and radiative transfer model errors. There are few approaches to validate EDR products, e.g., some common methods are to rely on radiosonde measurements, ground-based measurements, and dedicated aircraft campaign providing in-situ measurements of atmosphere and/or employing similar ultraspectral interferometer sounders. Ultraspectral interferometer sounder aboard aircraft measures SDR to retrieve EDR, which is often used to validate satellite measurements of SDR and EDR. The SNPP Calibration/Validation Campaign was conducted during May 2013. The NASA high-altitude aircraft ER-2 that carried ultraspectral interferometer sounders such as the NASA Atmospheric Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I) flew under the SNPP satellite that carries the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS). Here we inter-compare the EDRs produced with different retrieval algorithms from SDRs measured by the sensors from satellite and aircraft. The available dropsonde and radiosonde measurements together with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis were also used to draw the conclusion from this experiment.

Non-null annular subaperture stitching interferometry for aspheric test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Liu, Dong; Shi, Tu; Yang, Yongying; Chong, Shiyao; Miao, Liang; Huang, Wei; Shen, Yibing; Bai, Jian

2015-10-01

A non-null annular subaperture stitching interferometry (NASSI), combining the subaperture stitching idea and non-null test method, is proposed for steep aspheric testing. Compared with standard annular subaperture stitching interferometry (ASSI), a partial null lens (PNL) is employed as an alternative to the transmission sphere, to generate different aspherical wavefronts as the references. The coverage subaperture number would thus be reduced greatly for the better performance of aspherical wavefronts in matching the local slope of aspheric surfaces. Instead of various mathematical stitching algorithms, a simultaneous reverse optimizing reconstruction (SROR) method based on system modeling and ray tracing is proposed for full aperture figure error reconstruction. All the subaperture measurements are simulated simultaneously with a multi-configuration model in a ray-tracing program, including the interferometric system modeling and subaperture misalignments modeling. With the multi-configuration model, full aperture figure error would be extracted in form of Zernike polynomials from subapertures wavefront data by the SROR method. This method concurrently accomplishes subaperture retrace error and misalignment correction, requiring neither complex mathematical algorithms nor subaperture overlaps. A numerical simulation exhibits the comparison of the performance of the NASSI and standard ASSI, which demonstrates the high accuracy of the NASSI in testing steep aspheric. Experimental results of NASSI are shown to be in good agreement with that of Zygo® VerifireTM Asphere interferometer.

Phase closure nulling: Theory and practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chelli, A.; Duvert, G.; Malbet, F.; Kern, P.

2009-11-01

We provide a complete theory of the phase closure of a binary system in which a small, feeble, and unresolved companion acts as a perturbing parameter on the spatial frequency spectrum of a dominant, bright, resolved source. We demonstrate that the influence of the companion can be measured with precision by measuring the phase closure of the system near the nulls of the primary visibility function. In these regions of phase closure nulling, frequency intervals always exist where the phase closure signature of the companion is larger than any systematic error and can thus be measured. We show that this technique allows retrieval of many astrophysically relevant properties of faint and close companions such as flux, position, and in favorable cases, spectrum. As a proof of concept, using the AMBER/VLTI instrument with 3 auxiliary telescopes of 1.8 m and only 15 minutes of on-sky integration, we detected the five magnitudes fainter companion of HD 59717 at only 3.5 stellar radii distance from the primary. This is one of the highest contrast detected by interferometry between a companion and its parent star. We conclude by a rapid study of the potentialities of phase closure nulling observations with current interferometers and explore the requirements for a new type of dedicated instrument.

Adaptive Nulling: A New Enabling Technology for Interferometric Exoplanet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lay, Oliver P.; Jeganathan, Muthu; Peters, Robert

2003-01-01

Deep, stable nulling of starlight requires careful control of the amplitudes and phases of the beams that are being combined. The detection of earth-like planets using the interferometer architectures currently being considered for the Terrestrial Planet Finder mission require that the E-field amplitudes are balanced at the level of approx. 0.1%, and the phases are controlled at the level of 1 mrad (corresponding to approx.1.5 nm for a wavelength of 10 microns). These conditions must be met simultaneously at all wavelengths across the science band, and for both polarization states, imposing unrealistic tolerances on the symmetry between the optical beamtrains. We introduce the concept of a compensator that is inserted into the beamtrain, which can adaptively correct for the mismatches across the spectrum, enabling deep nulls with realistic, imperfect optics. The design presented uses a deformable mirror to adjust the amplitude and phase of each beam as an arbitrary function of wavelength and polarization. A proof-of-concept experiment will be conducted at visible/near-IR wavelengths, followed by a system operating in the Mid-IR band.

Approaches for Achieving Broadband Achromatic Phase Shifts for Visible Nulling Coronagraphy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolcar, Matthew R.; Lyon, Richard G.

2012-01-01

Visible nulling coronagraphy is one of the few approaches to the direct detection and characterization of Jovian and Terrestrial exoplanets that works with segmented aperture telescopes. Jovian and Terrestrial planets require at least 10(exp -9) and 10(exp -10) image plane contrasts, respectively, within the spectral bandpass and thus require a nearly achromatic pi-phase difference between the arms of the interferometer. An achromatic pi-phase shift can be achieved by several techniques, including sequential angled thick glass plates of varying dispersive materials, distributed thin-film multilayer coatings, and techniques that leverage the polarization-dependent phase shift of total-internal reflections. Herein we describe two such techniques: sequential thick glass plates and Fresnel rhomb prisms. A viable technique must achieve the achromatic phase shift while simultaneously minimizing the intensity difference, chromatic beam spread and polarization variation between each arm. In this paper we describe the above techniques and report on efforts to design, model, fabricate, align the trades associated with each technique that will lead to an implementations of the most promising one in Goddard's Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC).

The Fourier Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI): A Progress Report and Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danchi, William C.; Barry, R. K.; Traub, W. A.; Unwin, S.

2008-01-01

The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI) mission is a two-telescope infrared space interferometer with a 12.5 meter baseline on a boom, operating from 3-8 (or 10) microns, and passively cooled to about 60 K. The main goals for the mission are the measurement an characterization of the exozodiacal light around nearby stars, debris disks, and characterization of the atmospheres of known exoplanets. We discuss progress on this mission in the context of the recent call from NASA for mission concepts for the upcoming National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey, where it is considered a medium class mission ($600-800 million) in terms of the overall budget.

The measurement of carbon monoxide and methane in the national capital air quality control region. III - Correlation interferometer results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, H. W.; Bortner, M. H.; Grenda, R. N.; Dick, R.; Lebel, P. J.; Lamontagne, R. A.

1976-01-01

Two types of experiments were performed with a correlation interferometer on-board a Bell Jet Ranger 206 Helicopter. The first consisted of simultaneous ground- and air-truth measurements as the instrumented helicopter passed over the Cheverly site. The second consisted of several measurement flights in and around the national capital air quality control region (Washington, D.C.). The correlation interferometer data, the infrared Fourier spectrometer data, and the integrated altitude sampling data showed agreement within the errors of the individual measurements. High values for CO were found from the D.C. flight data to be reproducible and concentrated in areas of stop-and-go traffic. It is concluded, that pollutants at low altitudes are detectable from an air-borne platform by remote correlation interferometry and that the correlation interferometer measurements agree with ground- and air-truth data.

Statistical model of exotic rotational correlations in emergent space-time

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hogan, Craig; Kwon, Ohkyung; Richardson, Jonathan

2017-06-06

A statistical model is formulated to compute exotic rotational correlations that arise as inertial frames and causal structure emerge on large scales from entangled Planck scale quantum systems. Noncommutative quantum dynamics are represented by random transverse displacements that respect causal symmetry. Entanglement is represented by covariance of these displacements in Planck scale intervals defined by future null cones of events on an observer's world line. Light that propagates in a nonradial direction inherits a projected component of the exotic rotational correlation that accumulates as a random walk in phase. A calculation of the projection and accumulation leads to exact predictionsmore » for statistical properties of exotic Planck scale correlations in an interferometer of any configuration. The cross-covariance for two nearly co-located interferometers is shown to depart only slightly from the autocovariance. Specific examples are computed for configurations that approximate realistic experiments, and show that the model can be rigorously tested.« less

Generation of singular optical beams from fundamental Gaussian beam using Sagnac interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naik, Dinesh N.; Viswanathan, Nirmal K.

2016-09-01

We propose a simple free-space optics recipe for the controlled generation of optical vortex beams with a vortex dipole or a single charge vortex, using an inherently stable Sagnac interferometer. We investigate the role played by the amplitude and phase differences in generating higher-order Gaussian beams from the fundamental Gaussian mode. Our simulation results reveal how important the control of both the amplitude and the phase difference between superposing beams is to achieving optical vortex beams. The creation of a vortex dipole from null interference is unveiled through the introduction of a lateral shear and a radial phase difference between two out-of-phase Gaussian beams. A stable and high quality optical vortex beam, equivalent to the first-order Laguerre-Gaussian beam, is synthesized by coupling lateral shear with linear phase difference, introduced orthogonal to the shear between two out-of-phase Gaussian beams.

Improved MRF spot characterization with QIS metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westover, Sandi; Hall, Christopher; DeMarco, Michael

2013-09-01

Careful characterization of the removal function of sub-aperture polishing tools is critical for optimum polishing results. Magnetorheological finishing (MRF®) creates a polishing tool, or "spot", that is unique both for its locally high removal rate and high slope content. For a variety of reasons, which will be discussed, longer duration spots are beneficial to improving MRF performance, but longer spots yield higher slopes rendering them difficult to measure with adequate fidelity. QED's Interferometer for Stitching (QIS™) was designed to measure the high slope content inherent to non-null sub-aperture stitching interferometry of aspheres. Based on this unique capability the QIS was recently used to measure various MRF spots in an attempt to see if there was a corresponding improvement in MRF performance as a result of improved knowledge of these longer duration spots. The results of these tests will be presented and compared with those of a standard general purpose interferometer.

Dual-phase-shift spherical Fizeau interferometer for reduction of noise due to internally scattered light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumagai, Toshiki; Hibino, Kenichi; Nagaike, Yasunari

2017-03-01

Internally scattered light in a Fizeau interferometer is generated from dust, defects, imperfect coating of the optical components, and multiple reflections inside the collimator lens. It produces additional noise fringes in the observed interference image and degrades the repeatability of the phase measurement. A method to reduce the phase measurement error is proposed, in which the test surface is mechanically translated between each phase measurement in addition to an ordinary phase shift of the reference surface. It is shown that a linear combination of several measured phases at different test surface positions can reduce the phase errors caused by the scattered light. The combination can also compensate for the nonuniformity of the phase shift that occurs in spherical tests. A symmetric sampling of the phase measurements can cancel the additional primary spherical aberrations that occur when the test surface is out of the null position of the confocal configuration.

The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer Mission Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danchi, W. C.; Allen, R.; Benford, D.; Gezari, D.; Leisawitz, D.; Mundy, L.; Oegerle, William (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI) is a mission concept for an imaging interferometer for the mid-infrared spectral region (5-30 microns). FKSI is conceived as a scientific and technological precursor to TPF as well as Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT), Submillimeter Probe Evolution of Cosmic Structure (SPECS), and Single Aperture for Infrared Observatory (SAFIR). It will also be a high angular resolution system complementary to Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST). The scientific emphasis of the mission is on the evolution of protostellar systems, from just after the collapse of the precursor molecular cloud core, through the formation of the disk surrounding the protostar, the formation of planets in the disk, and eventual dispersal of the disk material. FKSI will also search for brown dwarfs and Jupiter mass and smaller planets, and could also play a very powerful role in the investigation of the structure of active galactic nuclei and extra-galactic star formation. We are in the process of studying alternative interferometer architectures and beam combination techniques, and evaluating the relevant science and technology tradeoffs. Some of the technical challenges include the development of the cryocooler systems necessary for the telescopes and focal plane array, light and stiff but well-damped truss systems to support the telescopes, and lightweight and coolable optical telescopes. The goal of the design study is to determine if a mid-infrared interferometry mission can be performed within the cost and schedule requirements of a Discovery class mission. At the present time we envision the FKSI as comprised of five one meter diameter telescopes arranged along a truss structure in a linear non-redundant array, cooled to 35 K. A maximum baseline of 20 meters gives a nominal resolution of 26 mas at 5 microns. Using a Fizeau beam combination technique, a simple focal plane camera could be used to obtain both Fourier and spectral data simultaneously for a given orientation of the array. The spacecraft will be rotated to give sufficient Fourier data to reconstruct complex images of a broad range of astrophysical sources.

Simultaneous Water Vapor and Dry Air Optical Path Length Measurements and Compensation with the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Defrere, D.; Hinz, P.; Downey, E.; Boehm, M.; Danchi, W. C.; Durney, O.; Ertel, S.; Hill, J. M.; Hoffmann, W. F.; Mennesson, B.;

AGILIS: Agile Guided Interferometer for Longbaseline Imaging Synthesis. Demonstration and concepts of reconfigurable optical imaging interferometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woillez, Julien; Lai, Olivier; Perrin, Guy; Reynaud, François; Baril, Marc; Dong, Yue; Fédou, Pierre

2017-06-01

Context. In comparison to the radio and sub-millimetric domains, imaging with optical interferometry is still in its infancy. Due to the limited number of telescopes in existing arrays, image generation is a demanding process that relies on time-consuming reconfiguration of the interferometer array and super-synthesis. Aims: Using single mode optical fibres for the coherent transport of light from the collecting telescopes to the focal plane, a new generation of interferometers optimized for imaging can be designed. Methods: To support this claim, we report on the successful completion of the `OHANA Iki project: an end-to-end, on-sky demonstration of a two-telescope interferometer, built around near-infrared single mode fibres, carried out as part of the `OHANA project. Results: Having demonstrated that coherent transport by single-mode fibres is feasible, we explore the concepts, performances, and limitations of a new imaging facility with single mode fibres at its heart: Agile Guided Interferometer for Longbaseline Imaging Synthesis (AGILIS). Conclusions: AGILIS has the potential of becoming a next generation facility or a precursor to a much larger project like the Planet Formation Imager (PFI).

An Interferometry Imaging Beauty Contest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawson, Peter R.; Cotton, William D.; Hummel, Christian A.; Monnier, John D.; Zhaod, Ming; Young, John S.; Thorsteinsson, Hrobjartur; Meimon, Serge C.; Mugnier, Laurent; LeBesnerais, Guy;

A compact LWIR hyperspectral system employing a microbolometer array and a variable gap Fabry-Perot interferometer employed as a Fourier transform spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucey, Paul G.; Hinrichs, John L.; Akagi, Jason

2012-06-01

A prototype long wave infrared Fourier transform spectral imaging system using a wedged Fabry-Perot interferometer and a microbolometer array was designed and built. The instrument can be used at both short (cm) and long standoff ranges (infinity focus). Signal to noise ratios are in the several hundred range for 30 C targets. The sensor is compact, fitting in a volume about 12 x12 x 4 inches.

Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer Science Working Group Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawson, Peter R. (Editor); Lay, Oliver P. (Editor); Johnston, Kenneth J. (Editor); Beichman, Charles A. (Editor)

2007-01-01

Over the past two years, the focus of the project for the interferometric version of the Terrestrial Planet Finder(TPF-I) has been on the development of the scientific rational for the mission, the assessment of TPF-I architectures, the laboratory demonstration of key technologies, and the development of a detailed technology roadmap. The Science Working Group (SWG), in conjunction with European colleagues working on the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Darwin project, has reaffirmed the goals of TPF-I as part of a broad vision for the detection and characterization of Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars and for the search for life on those planets. The SWG also helped to assess the performance of different interferometric configurations for TPF-I/Darwin. Building on earlier SWG reports, this document restates the scientific case for TPF-I, assesses suitable target stars and relevant wavelengths for observation, discusses dramatic new capabilities for general astrophysical observations, and summarizes how Spitzer has improved our knowledge of the incidence of zodiacal emission on the search for planets. This document discusses in some detail on laboratory advances in interferometric nulling and formation flying. Laboratory experiments have now achieved stable narrow- and broad-band nulling the levels of 10-6 and 2.0x10-5, respectively. A testbed has demonstrated formation flying using two realistic spacecraft mockups. With a suitably funded program of technology development, as summarized herein and described in more detail in the Technology Plan for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (2005), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and ESA would be able to start within the coming decade a full-scale TPF-I/Darwin mission capable of finding Earths orbiting more than 150 nearby stars, or a scaled back interferometer capable of studying more than 30 stars. Finding evidence for life on just one of those planets would revolutionize our understanding of our place in the cosmos.

The MIDAS Instrument Design and Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honniball, C. I.; Wright, R.; Lucey, P. G.

2016-10-01

The Miniaturized Infrared detector of Atmospheric Species (MIDAS) utilizes an uncooled microbolometer coupled with a Sagnac interferometer. MIDAS will be used to detect and quantify atmospheric constituents for a variety of science applications.

Infrared measurements of a scramjet exhaust. [to determine combustion efficiency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, R. A.; Slack, M. W.

1980-01-01

Diagnostic 2 - 5 mm infrared spectra of a hydrogen burning scramjet exhaust were measured with an interferometer spectrometer. Exhaust gas temperatures and water vapor partial pressures were determined from the observed intensity and spectral profile of the H2O 2.7 mm infrared emission band. Overall engine combustion efficiencies were derived by combining these measurements with the known engine operating conditions. Efficiencies fall (70 - 50 percent) as fuel equivalence ratios rise (0.4 - 1.0). Data analysis techniques and sensitivity studies are also presented.

The Impact of the Assimilation of Hyperspectral Infrared Retrieved Profiles on Advanced Weather and Research Model Simulations of a Non-Convective Wind Event

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brendt. Emily; Zavodsky, Bradley; Jedlovec, Gary; Elmer, Nicholas

2014-01-01

Tropopause folds are identified by warm, dry, high-potential vorticity, ozone-rich air and are one explanation for damaging non-convective wind events. Could improved model representation of stratospheric air and associated tropopause folding improve non-convective wind forecasts and high wind warnings? The goal of this study is to assess the impact of assimilating Hyperspectral Infrared (IR) profiles on forecasting stratospheric air, tropopause folds, and associated non-convective winds: (1) AIRS: Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (2) IASI: Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (3) CrIMSS: Cross-track Infrared and Microwave Sounding Suite

Remote sensing of the surface emissivity at 9 microns over the globe. [over desert regions with IR Interferometer Spectrometer data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Dalu, G.

1976-01-01

The infrared spectral measurements made by the Nimbus 4 infrared interferometer spectrometer (Iris) for a period of about 10 months are used to study the surface emissivity properties over the globe. It is found that the surface emissivity at 9 microns, as measured by Iris with a circular field of view of about 100-km diameter, is significantly less than unity over arid and semiarid areas. The spectral features in the 8-12-micron window observed over these lands reveal emissivity characteristics essentially due to quartz (SiO2). It is found that these emissivity features are significantly weakened by the presence of clay, clay horizons, or pedogenic horizons in the soil. Low emissivity is observed over sandy or sandy loam areas (psamments) with no clay or pedogenic horizons.

How nonlinear optics can merge interferometry for high resolution imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceus, D.; Reynaud, F.; Tonello, A.; Delage, L.; Grossard, L.

2017-11-01

High resolution stellar interferometers are very powerful efficient instruments to get a better knowledge of our Universe through the spatial coherence analysis of the light. For this purpose, the optical fields collected by each telescope Ti are mixed together. From the interferometric pattern, two expected information called the contrast Cij and the phase information φij are extracted. These information lead to the Vij, called the complex visibility, with Vij=Cijexp(jφij). For each telescope doublet TiTj, it is possible to get a complex visibility Vij. The Zernike Van Cittert theorem gives a relationship between the intensity distribution of the object observed and the complex visibility. The combination of the acquired complex visibilities and a reconstruction algorithm allows imaging reconstruction. To avoid lots of technical difficulties related to infrared optics (components transmission, thermal noises, thermal cooling…), our team proposes to explore the possibility of using nonlinear optical techniques. This is a promising alternative detection technique for detecting infrared optical signals. This way, we experimentally demonstrate that frequency conversion does not result in additional bias on the interferometric data supplied by a stellar interferometer. In this presentation, we report on wavelength conversion of the light collected by each telescope from the infrared domain to the visible. The interferometric pattern is observed in the visible domain with our, so called, upconversion interferometer. Thereby, one can benefit from mature optical components mainly used in optical telecommunications (waveguide, coupler, multiplexer…) and efficient low-noise detection schemes up to the single-photon counting level.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akiyama, Kazunori; Fish, Vincent L.; Doeleman, Sheperd S.

We propose a new imaging technique for radio and optical/infrared interferometry. The proposed technique reconstructs the image from the visibility amplitude and closure phase, which are standard data products of short-millimeter very long baseline interferometers such as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and optical/infrared interferometers, by utilizing two regularization functions: the ℓ {sub 1}-norm and total variation (TV) of the brightness distribution. In the proposed method, optimal regularization parameters, which represent the sparseness and effective spatial resolution of the image, are derived from data themselves using cross-validation (CV). As an application of this technique, we present simulated observations of M87more » with the EHT based on four physically motivated models. We confirm that ℓ {sub 1} + TV regularization can achieve an optimal resolution of ∼20%–30% of the diffraction limit λ / D {sub max}, which is the nominal spatial resolution of a radio interferometer. With the proposed technique, the EHT can robustly and reasonably achieve super-resolution sufficient to clearly resolve the black hole shadow. These results make it promising for the EHT to provide an unprecedented view of the event-horizon-scale structure in the vicinity of the supermassive black hole in M87 and also the Galactic center Sgr A*.« less

A fiber-optic interferometer with subpicometer resolution for dc and low-frequency displacement measurement.

PubMed

Smith, D T; Pratt, J R; Howard, L P

2009-03-01

We have developed a fiber-optic interferometer optimized for best performance in the frequency range from dc to 1 kHz, with displacement linearity of 1% over a range of +/- 25 nm, and noise-limited resolution of 2 pm. The interferometer uses a tunable infrared laser source (nominal 1550 nm wavelength) with high amplitude and wavelength stability, low spontaneous self-emission noise, high sideband suppression, and a coherence control feature that broadens the laser linewidth and dramatically lowers the low-frequency noise in the system. The amplitude stability of the source, combined with the use of specially manufactured "bend-insensitive" fiber and all-spliced fiber construction, results in a robust homodyne interferometer system, which achieves resolution of 40 fm Hz(-1/2) above 20 Hz and approaches the shot-noise-limit of 20 fm Hz(-1/2) at 1 kHz for an optical power of 10 microW, without the need for differential detection. Here we describe the design and construction of the interferometer, as well as modes of operation, and demonstrate its performance.

Polarization-independent tunable spectral slicing filter in Ti:LiNbO3.

PubMed

Rabelo, Renato C; Eknoyan, Ohannes; Taylor, Henry F

2011-02-01

A two-port polarization-independent tunable spectral slicing filter at the 1530 nm wavelength regime is presented. The design utilizes an asymmetric interferometer with a sparse index grating along its arms. The sparse grating makes it possible to select equally spaced frequency channels from an incident WDM signal and to place nulls between them to coincide with the signal comb frequency. The number of selected channels and nulls between them depends on the number of coupling regions used in the sparse grating. The free spectral range depends on the spacing between the coupling regions. The Z-transform method is used to synthesize the filter and determine the spectral response. The operation of a device with six coupling regions is demonstrated, and good agreement with theoretical predictions is obtained. A 3 dB bandwidth of ∼1 nm and thermal tuning over a range of ∼13 nm are measured.

Towards a laboratory breadboard for PEGASE, the DARWIN pathfinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassaing, F.; Le Duigou, J.-M.; Sorrente, B.; Fleury, B.; Gorius, N.; Brachet, F.; Buisset, C.; Ollivier, M.; Hénault, F.; Mourard, D.; Rabbia, Y.; Delpech, M.; Guidotti, P.-Y.; Léger, A.; Barillot, M.; Rouan, D.; Rousset, G.

2017-11-01

PEGASE, a spaceborne mission proposed to the CNES, is a 2-aperture interferometer for nulling and interferometric imaging. PEGASE is composed of 3 free-flying satellites (2 siderostats and 1 beam combiner) with baselines from 50 to 500 m. The goals of PEGASE are the spectroscopy of hot Jupiter (Pegasides) and brown dwarves, the exploration of the inner part of protoplanetary disks and the validation in real space conditions of nulling and visibility interferometry with formation flying. During a phase-0 study performed in 2005 at CNES, ONERA and in the laboratories, the critical subsystems of the optical payload have been investigated and a preliminary system integration has been performed. These subsystems are mostly the broadband (2.5-5 μm) nuller and the cophasing system (visible) dedicated to the real-time control of the OPD/tip/tilt inside the payload. A laboratory breadboard of the payload is under definition and should be built in 2007.

Assimilation of IASI and AIRS Data: Information Content and Quality Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joiner, J.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instruments have two orders of magnitude more channels that the current operational infrared sounder (High Resolution Infra-Red Sounder (HIRS)). This data volume presents a technological challenge for using the data in a data assimilation system. Data reduction will be a necessary for assimilation. It is important to understand the information content of the radiance measurements for data reduction purposes. In this talk, I will discuss issues relating to information content and quality control for assimilation of the AIRS and IASI data.

The Nimbus 4 data catalog. Volume 8: Data orbits 5206-10,120, 1 May 1971 - 30 April 1972

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Data from various instruments onboard the Nimbus 4 are presented, including the image dissector camera system, the temperature-humidity infrared radiometer, infrared interferometer spectrometer, and monitor of ultraviolet solar energy experiments. This data was collected from 1 May 1971 to 30 Apr. 1972. Orbital elements and daily sensor data are presented in tabular form.

Integrated optics for nulling interferometry in the thermal infrared: progress and recent achievements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barillot, M.; Barthelemy, E.; Bastard, L.; Broquin, J.-E.; Hawkins, G.; Kirschner, V.; Ménard, S.; Parent, G.; Poinsot, C.; Pradel, A.; Vigreux, C.; Zhang, S.; Zhang, X.

2017-11-01

The search for Earth-like exoplanets, orbiting in the habitable zone of stars other than our Sun and showing biological activity, is one of the most exciting and challenging quests of the present time. Nulling interferometry from space, in the thermal infrared, appears as a promising candidate technique for the task of directly observing extra-solar planets. It has been studied for about 10 years by ESA and NASA in the framework of the Darwin and TPF-I missions respectively [1]. Nevertheless, nulling interferometry in the thermal infrared remains a technological challenge at several levels. Among them, the development of the "modal filter" function is mandatory for the filtering of the wavefronts in adequacy with the objective of rejecting the central star flux to an efficiency of about 105. Modal filtering [2] takes benefit of the capability of single-mode waveguides to transmit a single amplitude function, to eliminate virtually any perturbation of the interfering wavefronts, thus making very high rejection ratios possible. The modal filter may either be based on single-mode Integrated Optics (IO) and/or Fiber Optics. In this paper, we focus on IO, and more specifically on the progress of the on-going "Integrated Optics" activity of the European Space Agency.

An Interferometric Search for Bright Companions to 51 Pegasi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boden, A. F.; van Belle, G. T.; Colavita, M. M.; Dumont, P. J.; Gubler, J.; Koresko, C. D.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Lane, B. F.; Mobley, D. W.; Shao, M.;

Terrestrial Planet Finder coronagraph status and enabling technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ford, Virginia G.; Lisman, Douglas; Shaklan, Stuart B.; Ho, Timothy Y.; Kissil, Andrew; Kwack, Eug-Yun; Lowman, Andrew

2004-01-01

The goal of the Terrestrial Planet Finder Project Mission is to find life-bearing planets around nearby stars. Two types of instruments are competing for flight in 2015: a visible coronagraph and an infrared interferometer.

Improved Constraints on the Disk around MWC 349A from the 23 m LBTI

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sallum, S.; Eisner, J. A.; Hinz, P. M.

2017-07-20

We present new spatially resolved observations of MWC 349A from the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI), a 23 m baseline interferometer made up of two, co-mounted 8 m telescopes. MWC 349A is a B[e] star with an unknown evolutionary state. Proposed scenarios range from a young stellar object, to a B[e] supergiant, to a tight binary system. Radio continuum and recombination line observations of this source revealed a sub-arcsecond bipolar outflow surrounding an ∼100 mas circumstellar disk. Follow-up infrared studies detected the disk, and suggested that it may have skew and an inner clearing. Our new infrared interferometric observations, whichmore » have more than twice the resolution of previously published data sets, support the presence of both skew and a compact infrared excess. They rule out inner clearings with radii greater than ∼14 mas. We show the improvements in disk parameter constraints provided by LBTI, and discuss the inferred disk parameters in the context of the posited evolutionary states for MWC 349A.« less

Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) Handbook

DOE Data Explorer

Gero, Jonathan; Hackel, Denny; Garcia, Raymond

2005-01-01

The atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer (AERI) is a ground-based instrument that measures the downwelling infrared radiance from the Earth's atmosphere. The observations have broad spectral content and sufficient spectral resolution to discriminate among gaseous emitters (e.g., carbon dioxide and water vapor) and suspended matter (e.g., aerosols, water droplets, and ice crystals). These upward-looking surface observations can be used to obtain vertical profiles of tropospheric temperature and water vapor, as well as measurements of trace gases (e.g., ozone, carbon monoxide, and methane) and downwelling infrared spectral signatures of clouds and aerosols.The AERI is a passive remote sounding instrument, employing a Fourier transform spectrometer operating in the spectral range 3.3-19.2 μm (520-3020 cm-1) at an unapodized resolution of 0.5 cm-1 (max optical path difference of 1 cm). The extended-range AERI (ER-AERI) deployed in dry climates, like in Alaska, have a spectral range of 3.3-25.0 μm (400-3020 cm-1) that allow measurements in the far-infrared region. Typically, the AERI averages views of the sky over a 16-second interval and operates continuously.

Interferometers as probes of Planckian quantum geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogan, Craig J.

2012-03-01

A theory of position of massive bodies is proposed that results in an observable quantum behavior of geometry at the Planck scale, tP. Departures from classical world lines in flat spacetime are described by Planckian noncommuting operators for position in different directions, as defined by interactions with null waves. The resulting evolution of position wave functions in two dimensions displays a new kind of directionally coherent quantum noise of transverse position. The amplitude of the effect in physical units is predicted with no parameters, by equating the number of degrees of freedom of position wave functions on a 2D space-like surface with the entropy density of a black hole event horizon of the same area. In a region of size L, the effect resembles spatially and directionally coherent random transverse shear deformations on time scale ≈L/c with typical amplitude ≈ctPL. This quantum-geometrical “holographic noise” in position is not describable as fluctuations of a quantized metric, or as any kind of fluctuation, dispersion or propagation effect in quantum fields. In a Michelson interferometer the effect appears as noise that resembles a random Planckian walk of the beam splitter for durations up to the light-crossing time. Signal spectra and correlation functions in interferometers are derived, and predicted to be comparable with the sensitivities of current and planned experiments. It is proposed that nearly colocated Michelson interferometers of laboratory scale, cross-correlated at high frequency, can test the Planckian noise prediction with current technology.

Effect of spectral sampling on the temporal coherence analysis of a broadband source in a SFG interferometer.

PubMed

Darré, Pascaline; Szemendera, Ludovic; Grossard, Ludovic; Delage, Laurent; Reynaud, François

2015-10-05

In the frame of sum frequency generation of a broadband infrared source, we aim to enlarge the converted bandwidth by using a pump frequency comb while keeping a high conversion efficiency. The nonlinear effects are simultaneously induced in the same nonlinear medium. In this paper, we investigate the spectral filtering effect on the temporal coherence behavior with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer using two pump lines. We show that joined effects of quasi-phase matching and spectral sampling lead to an original coherence behavior.

Hyperspectral Observations of Land Surfaces Using Ground-based, Airborne, and Satellite Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knuteson, R. O.; Best, F. A.; Revercomb, H. E.; Tobin, D. C.

2006-12-01

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center (UW-SSEC) has helped pioneer the use of high spectral resolution infrared spectrometers for application to atmospheric and surface remote sensing. This paper is focused on observations of land surface infrared emission from high spectral resolution measurements collected over the past 15 years using airborne, ground-based, and satellite platforms. The earliest data was collected by the High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS), an instrument designed in the 1980s for operation on the NASA ER-2 high altitude aircraft. The HIS was replaced in the late 1990s by the Scanning-HIS instrument which has flown on the NASA ER-2, WB-57, DC-8, and Scaled Composites Proteus aircraft and continues to support field campaigns, such as those for EOS Terra, Aqua, and Aura validation. Since 1995 the UW-SSEC has fielded a ground-based Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) in a research vehicle (the AERIBAGO) which has allowed for direct field measurements of land surface emission from a height of about 16 ft above the ground. Several ground-based and aircraft campaigns were conducted to survey the region surrounding the ARM Southern Great Plains site in north central Oklahoma. The ground- based AERIBAGO has also participated in surface emissivity campaigns in the Western U.S.. Since 2002, the NASA Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) has provided similar measurements from the Aqua platform in an afternoon sun-synchronous polar orbit. Ground-based and airborne observations are being used to validate the land surface products derived from the AIRS observations. These cal/val activities are in preparation for similar measurements anticipated from the operational Cross-track InfraRed Sounder (CrIS) on the NPOESS Preparatory Platform (NPP), expected to be launched in 2008. Moreover, high spectral infrared observations will soon be made by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer (IASI) on the European MetOp platform as well as a planned series of Chinese polar orbiting satellites. The detailed understanding of the land surface infrared emission is a crucial step in the effective utilization of these advanced sounder instruments for the extraction of atmospheric composition information (esp. water vapor vertical profile) over land, which is a key goal for numerical weather prediction data assimilation.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Participation in the International Water-Vapor Project (IHOP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knuteson, Robert; Antonelli, Paolo; Best, Fred; Dutcher, Steve; Feltz, Wayne; Revercomb, Henry

2003-01-01

This is the final report for NASA grant NAG-1-02057/University of Wisconsin-Madison/Dr. Henry E Revercomb, PI. This grant supported the University of Wisconsin-Madison participation in the International Water-Vapor Project (IHOP) experiment in May-June 2002. The upwelling thermal infrared emission from the surface and atmosphere over the U. S. Southern Great Plains was obtained from the NASA DC-8 with the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) instrument, Analysis of the S-HIS radiances were used to obtain atmospheric temperature profiles below the aircraft. In a complementary manner, the downwelling thermal infrared emission at the surface was obtained by the University of Wisconsin Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) instrument from a mobile research vehicle and used to profile the atmospheric boundary layer at the Homestead site. This report summarizes the observations of the S-HIS and AERI instruments during IHOP including validation against in situ observations.

Ultra-wideband Ge-rich silicon germanium integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer for mid-infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Vakarin, Vladyslav; Ramírez, Joan Manel; Frigerio, Jacopo; Ballabio, Andrea; Le Roux, Xavier; Liu, Qiankun; Bouville, David; Vivien, Laurent; Isella, Giovanni; Marris-Morini, Delphine

2017-09-01

This Letter explores the use of Ge-rich Si 0.2 Ge 0.8 waveguides on graded Si 1-x Ge x substrate for the demonstration of ultra-wideband photonic integrated circuits in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength range. We designed, fabricated, and characterized broadband Mach-Zehnder interferometers fully covering a range of 3 μm in the mid-IR band. The fabricated devices operate indistinctly in quasi-TE and quasi-TM polarizations, and have an extinction ratio higher than 10 dB over the entire operating wavelength range. The obtained results are in good correlation with theoretical predictions, while numerical simulations indicate that the device bandwidth can reach one octave with low additional losses. This Letter paves the way for further realization of mid-IR integrated spectrometers using low-index-contrast Si 1-x Ge x waveguides with high germanium concentration.

Far Infrared Spectrometry of the Cosmic Background Radiation

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Mather, J. C.

1974-01-01

I describe two experiments to measure the cosmic background radiation near 1 mm wavelength. The first was a ground-based search for spectral lines, made with a Fabry-Perot interferometer and an InSb detector. The second is a measurement of the spectrum from 3 to 18 cm{sup -1}, made with a balloon-borne Fourier transform spectrometer. It is a polarizing Michelson interferometer, cooled in liquid helium, and operated with a germanium bolometer. I give the theory of operation, construction details, and experimental results. The first experiment was successfully completed but the second suffered equipment malfunction on its first flight. I describe the theory of Fourier transformations and give a new understanding of convolutional phase correction computations. I discuss for infrared bolometer calibration procedures, and tabulate test results on nine detectors. I describe methods of improving bolometer sensitivity with immersion optics and with conductive film blackening.

Validation of Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) spectral radiances with the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) aircraft instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, David C.; Revercomb, Henry E.; Moeller, Chris C.; Knuteson, Robert O.; Best, Fred A.; Smith, William L.; van Delst, Paul; LaPorte, Daniel D.; Ellington, Scott D.; Werner, Mark D.; Dedecker, Ralph G.; Garcia, Raymond K.; Ciganovich, Nick N.; Howell, Hugh B.; Dutcher, Steven B.; Taylor, Joe K.

2004-11-01

The ability to accurately validate high spectral resolution infrared radiance measurements from space using comparisons with aircraft spectrometer observations has been successfully demonstrated. The demonstration is based on an under-flight of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the NASA Aqua spacecraft by the Scanning High resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) on the NASA ER-2 high altitude aircraft on 21 November 2002 and resulted in brightness temperature differences approaching 0.1K for most of the spectrum. This paper presents the details of this AIRS/S-HIS validation case and also presents comparisons of Aqua AIRS and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) radiance observations. Aircraft comparisons of this type provide a mechanism for periodically testing the absolute calibration of spacecraft instruments with instrumentation for which the calibration can be carefully maintained on the ground. This capability is especially valuable for assuring the long-term consistency and accuracy of climate observations. It is expected that aircraft flights of the S-HIS and its close cousin the National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Atmospheric Sounder Testbed (NAST) will be used to check the long-term stability of the NASA EOS spacecrafts (Terra, Aqua and Aura) and the follow-on complement of operational instruments, including the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS).

Principle and analysis of a rotational motion Fourier transform infrared spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Qisheng; Min, Huang; Han, Wei; Liu, Yixuan; Qian, Lulu; Lu, Xiangning

2017-09-01

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is an important technique in studying molecular energy levels, analyzing material compositions, and environmental pollutants detection. A novel rotational motion Fourier transform infrared spectrometer with high stability and ultra-rapid scanning characteristics is proposed in this paper. The basic principle, the optical path difference (OPD) calculations, and some tolerance analysis are elaborated. The OPD of this spectrometer is obtained by the continuously rotational motion of a pair of parallel mirrors instead of the translational motion in traditional Michelson interferometer. Because of the rotational motion, it avoids the tilt problems occurred in the translational motion Michelson interferometer. There is a cosine function relationship between the OPD and the rotating angle of the parallel mirrors. An optical model is setup in non-sequential mode of the ZEMAX software, and the interferogram of a monochromatic light is simulated using ray tracing method. The simulated interferogram is consistent with the theoretically calculated interferogram. As the rotating mirrors are the only moving elements in this spectrometer, the parallelism of the rotating mirrors and the vibration during the scan are analyzed. The vibration of the parallel mirrors is the main error during the rotation. This high stability and ultra-rapid scanning Fourier transform infrared spectrometer is a suitable candidate for airborne and space-borne remote sensing spectrometer.

Principal Component-Based Radiative Transfer Model (PCRTM) for Hyperspectral Sensors. Part I; Theoretical Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.; Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen

2005-01-01

Modern infrared satellite sensors such as Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer (CrIS), Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) are capable of providing high spatial and spectral resolution infrared spectra. To fully exploit the vast amount of spectral information from these instruments, super fast radiative transfer models are needed. This paper presents a novel radiative transfer model based on principal component analysis. Instead of predicting channel radiance or transmittance spectra directly, the Principal Component-based Radiative Transfer Model (PCRTM) predicts the Principal Component (PC) scores of these quantities. This prediction ability leads to significant savings in computational time. The parameterization of the PCRTM model is derived from properties of PC scores and instrument line shape functions. The PCRTM is very accurate and flexible. Due to its high speed and compressed spectral information format, it has great potential for super fast one-dimensional physical retrievals and for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) large volume radiance data assimilation applications. The model has been successfully developed for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Airborne Sounder Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I) and AIRS instruments. The PCRTM model performs monochromatic radiative transfer calculations and is able to include multiple scattering calculations to account for clouds and aerosols.

A quantum cascade laser-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer for chemical sensing employing molecular absorption and dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayden, Jakob; Hugger, Stefan; Fuchs, Frank; Lendl, Bernhard

2018-02-01

We employ a novel spectroscopic setup based on an external cavity quantum cascade laser and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to simultaneously record spectra of absorption and dispersion of liquid samples in the mid-infrared. We describe the theory underlying the interferometric measurement and discuss its implications for the experiment. The capability of simultaneously recording a refractive index and absorption spectrum is demonstrated for a sample of acetone in cyclohexane. The recording of absorption spectra is experimentally investigated in more detail to illustrate the method's capabilities as compared to direct absorption spectroscopy. We find that absorption signals are recorded with strongly suppressed background, but with smaller absolute sensitivity. A possibility of optimizing the setup's performance by unbalancing the interferometer is presented.

Study of the Imaging Capabilities of SPIRIT/SPECS Concept Interferometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Ronald J.

2002-01-01

Several new space science mission concepts under development at NASA-GSFC for astronomy are intended to carry out synthetic imaging using Michelson interferometers or direct (Fizeau) imaging with sparse apertures. Examples of these mission concepts include the Stellar Imager (SI), the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT), the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure (SPECS), and the Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI). We have been developing computer-based simulators for these missions. These simulators are aimed at providing a quantitative evaluation of the imaging capabilities of the mission by modeling the performance on different realistic targets in terms of sensitivity, angular resolution, and dynamic range. Both Fizeau and Michelson modes of operation can be considered. Our work is based on adapting a computer simulator called imSIM which was initially written for the Space Interferometer Mission in order to simulate the imaging mode of new missions such as those listed. This report covers the activities we have undertaken to provide a preliminary version of a simulator for the SPIRIT mission concept.

Reference Interferometer Using a Semiconductor Laser/LED Reference Source in a Cryogenic Fourier-Transform Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martino, Anthony J.; Cornwell, Donald M.

1998-01-01

A combination of a single mode AlGaAs laser diode and broadband LED was used in a Michelson interferometer to provide reference signals in a Fourier transform spectrometer, the Composite Infrared Spectrometer, on the Cassini mission to Saturn. The narrowband light from the laser produced continuous fringes throughout the travel of the interferometer, which were used to control the velocity of the scan mechanism and to trigger data sampling. The broadband light from the LED produced a burst of fringes at zero path difference, which was used as a fixed position reference. The system, including the sources, the interferometer, and the detectors, was designed to work both at room temperature and instrument operating temperature of 170 Kelvin. One major challenge that was overcome was preservation, from room temperature to 170 K, of alignment sufficient for high modulation of fringes from the broadband source. Another was the shift of the source spectra about 30 nm toward shorter wavelengths upon cooldown.

Hunt for infrared photons from the first binary neutron star merger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasliwal, Mansi; Growth Collaboration [Global Relay Of Observatories Watching Transients

2017-10-01

Yesterday, within two seconds of 2017 August 17 12:41:04 GMT, both LIGO interferometers and the Fermi satellite detected gravitational waves from a neutron star merger and a short contemporaneous gamma ray burst! We now have a promising optical and infrared counterpart. This may very well be a historic moment in multi-messenger astronomy, and may even prove to be of the same league as neutrinos from SN,1987A. Here, we request the Spitzer Space Telescope to engage in the hunt for infrared photons.

Advanced figure sensor operations and maintenance manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, H. J.

1972-01-01

This manual contains procedures for installing, operating, and maintaining the optical figure sensor and its associated electronic controls. The optical figure sensor, a system of integrated components, comprises: (1) a phase measuring modified interferometer employing a single frequency 6328 A laser, and a Vidissector; (2) a two-axis automatic thermal compensation control mount; (3) a five degree of freedom manual adjustment stand; and (4) a control console. This instrument provides real time output data of optical figure errors for spherical mirrors, and is also capable of measuring aspherical mirrors if a null corrector is added.

Optics of Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII): Delay Lines and Alignment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dhabal, Arnab; Rinehart, Stephen A.; Rizzo, Maxime J.; Mundy, Lee; Fixsen, Dale; Sampler, Henry; Mentzell, Eric; Veach, Todd; Silverberg, Robert F.; Furst, Stephen;

An Overview of the Mid-Infrared Spectro-Interferometer MATISSE: Science, Concept, and Current Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matter, A.; Lopez, B.; Antonelli, P.; Lehmitz, M.; Bettonvil, F.; Beckmann, U.; Lagarde, S.; Jaffe, W.; Petrov, R. G.; Berio, P.;

P-REx: The Piston Reconstruction Experiment for infrared interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widmann, Felix; Pott, Jörg-Uwe; Velasco, Sergio

2018-03-01

For sensitive infrared interferometry, it is crucial to control the differential piston evolution between the used telescopes. This is classically done by the use of a fringe tracker. In this work, we develop a new method to reconstruct the temporal piston variation from the atmosphere, by using real-time data from adaptive optics (AO) wavefront sensing: the Piston Reconstruction Experiment (P-REx). In order to understand the principle performance of the system in a realistic multilayer atmosphere, it is first extensively tested in simulations. The gained insights are then used to apply P-REx to real data, in order to demonstrate the benefit of using P-REx as an auxiliary system in a real interferometer. All tests show positive results, which encourages further research and eventually a real implementation. Especially, the tests on on-sky data showed that the atmosphere is, under decent observing conditions, sufficiently well structured and stable, in order to apply P-REx. It was possible to conveniently reconstruct the piston evolution in two-thirds of the data sets from good observing conditions (r0 ˜ 30 cm). The main conclusion is that applying the piston reconstruction in a real system would reduce the piston variation from around 10 μm down to 1-2 μm over time-scales of up to two seconds. This suggests an application for mid-infrared interferometry, for example for MATISSE at the very large telescope interferometer or the large binocular telescope interferometer. P-REx therefore provides the possibility to improve interferometric measurements without the need for more complex AO systems than already in regular use at 8-m-class telescopes.

Frequency-tuned microwave photon counter based on a superconductive quantum interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shnyrkov, V. I.; Yangcao, Wu; Soroka, A. A.; Turutanov, O. G.; Lyakhno, V. Yu.

2018-03-01

Various types of single-photon counters operating in infrared, ultraviolet, and optical wavelength ranges are successfully used to study electromagnetic fields, analyze radiation sources, and solve problems in quantum informatics. However, their operating principles become ineffective at millimeter band, S-band, and ultra-high frequency bands of wavelengths due to the decrease in quantum energy by 4-5 orders of magnitude. Josephson circuits with discrete Hamiltonians and qubits are a good foundation for the construction of single-photon counters at these frequencies. This paper presents a frequency-tuned microwave photon counter based on a single-junction superconducting quantum interferometer and flux qutrit. The control pulse converts the interferometer into a two-level system for resonance absorption of photons. Decay of the photon-induced excited state changes the magnetic flux in the interferometer, which is measured by a SQUID magnetometer. Schemes for recording the magnetic flux using a DC SQUID or ideal parametric detector, based on a qutrit with high-frequency excitation, are discussed. It is shown that the counter consisting of an interferometer with a Josephson junction and a parametric detector demonstrates high performance and is capable of detecting single photons in a microwave band.

From Michelson and Fizeau to a Space-borne Infrared Instrument Capable of Detecting an Earth Twin: Development and Recent Accomplishments of Stellar Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, Richard K.; Danchi, William C.; Lopez, Bruno; Rinehart, Stephen; Absil, Olivier; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Beust, Herve; Bonfils, Xavier; Borde, Pascal; Defrere, Denis;

SPECS: the kilometer-baseline far-IR interferometer in NASA's space science roadmap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leisawitz, David T.; Abel, Tom; Allen, Ronald J.; Benford, Dominic J.; Blain, Andrew; Bombardelli, Claudio; Calzetti, Daniela; DiPirro, Michael J.; Ehrenfreund, Pascale; Evans, Neal J., II; Fischer, Jacqueline; Harwit, Martin; Hyde, Tristram T.; Kuchner, Marc J.; Leitner, Jesse A.; Lorenzini, Enrico C.; Mather, John C.; Menten, Karl M.; Moseley, Samuel H., Jr.; Mundy, Lee G.; Nakagawa, Takao; Neufeld, David A.; Pearson, John C.; Rinehart, Stephen A.; Roman, Juan; Satyapal, Shobita; Silverberg, Robert F.; Stahl, H. Philip; Swain, Mark R.; Swanson, Theodore D.; Traub, Wesley A.; Wright, Edward L.; Yorke, Harold W.

2004-10-01

Ultimately, after the Single Aperture Far-IR (SAFIR) telescope, astrophysicists will need a far-IR observatory that provides angular resolution comparable to that of the Hubble Space Telescope. At such resolution galaxies at high redshift, protostars, and nascent planetary systems will be resolved, and theoretical models for galaxy, star, and planet formation and evolution can be subjected to important observational tests. This paper updates information provided in a 2000 SPIE paper on the scientific motivation and design concepts for interferometric missions SPIRIT (the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope) and SPECS (the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure). SPECS is a kilometer baseline far-IR/submillimeter imaging and spectral interferometer that depends on formation flying, and SPIRIT is a highly-capable pathfinder interferometer on a boom with a maximum baseline in the 30 - 50 m range. We describe recent community planning activities, remind readers of the scientific rationale for space-based far-infrared imaging interferometry, present updated design concepts for the SPIRIT and SPECS missions, and describe the main issues currently under study. The engineering and technology requirements for SPIRIT and SPECS, additional design details, recent technology developments, and technology roadmaps are given in a companion paper in the Proceedings of the conference on New Frontiers in Stellar Interferometry.

Manufacture, alignment and measurement for a reflective triplet optics in imaging spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Liyin; He, Zhiping; Wang, Yueming; Lv, Gang

2016-09-01

Reflective triplet (RT) optics is an optical form with decenters and tilts of all the three mirrors. It can be used in spectrometer as collimator and reimager to get fine optical and spectral performances. To alleviate thermal and assembly stress deformation, opto-mechanical integrated design suggests that as with all the machine elements and the mainframe, the mirrors substrates are aluminum. All the mirrors are manufactured by single-point diamond turning technology and measured by interferometer or profilometer. Because of retro-reflection by grating or prism and reimaging away from the object field, solo three mirrors optical path of RT has some aberrations. So its alignment and measurement needs an aberration corrected measuring optical system with auxiliary plane and sphere mirrors and in which the RT optics used in four pass. Manufacture, alignment and measurement for a RT optics used in long wave infrared grating spectrometer is discussed here. We realized the manufacture, alignment and test for the RT optics of a longwave infrared spectromter by CMM and interferometer. Wavefront error test by interferometer and surface profiles measured by profilometer indicate that performances of the manufactured mirrors exceed the requirements. Interferogram of the assembled RT optics shows that wavefront error rms is less than 0.0493λ@10.6μm vs design result 0.0207λ.

Adaptive spatial filtering using photochromic glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potton, R. J.

1999-12-01

Commercially available photochromic glasses exhibit a wide range of spectral sensitivities and darkening response times. Short wavelengths are more effective than long ones for causing darkening but at least one type of glass is effectively darkened by red light (icons/Journals/Common/lambda" ALT="lambda" ALIGN="TOP"/> = 633 nm) with an intensity of about 1 kW m-2. Used as adaptive spatial filters, these glasses attenuate a wavefront by an amount that depends on their recent exposure to light. One type of optical processing that can be performed with such filters is drift nulling in an interferometer excited by light of a wavelength within the sensitivity spectrum of the photochrome. This form of processing has been demonstrated by dithering the speckle pattern in a single-fibre multimode interferometer. The dither allows phase-sensitive detection techniques to be used in the detection of signal-induced phase variations in a frequency band extending from the inverse response time of the photochrome to the dither frequency.

Modelling of mid-infrared interferometric signature of hot exozodiacal dust emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirchschlager, Florian; Wolf, Sebastian; Brunngräber, Robert; Matter, Alexis; Krivov, Alexander V.; Labdon, Aaron

2018-01-01

Hot exozodiacal dust emission was detected in recent surveys around two dozen main-sequence stars at distances of less than 1 au using the H- and K-band interferometry. Due to the high contrast as well as the small angular distance between the circumstellar dust and the star, direct observation of this dust component is challenging. An alternative way to explore the hot exozodiacal dust is provided by mid-infrared interferometry. We analyse the L, M and N bands interferometric signature of this emission in order to find stronger constraints for the properties and the origin of the hot exozodiacal dust. Considering the parameters of nine debris disc systems derived previously, we model the discs in each of these bands. We find that the M band possesses the best conditions to detect hot dust emission, closely followed by L and N bands. The hot dust in three systems - HD 22484 (10 Tau), HD 102647 (β Leo) and HD 177724 (ζ Aql) - shows a strong signal in the visibility functions, which may even allow one to constrain the dust location. In particular, observations in the mid-infrared could help to determine whether the dust piles up at the sublimation radius or is located at radii up to 1 au. In addition, we explore observations of the hot exozodiacal dust with the upcoming mid-infrared interferometer Multi AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment (MATISSE) at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer.

Atmospheric ammonia and particulate inorganic nitrogen over the United States

EPA Science Inventory

We use in situ observations from the Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network, the Midwest Ammonia Monitoring Project, 11 surface site campaigns as well as Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) satellite measurements with the GEOS-Ch...

Improved density profile measurements in the C-2U advanced beam-driven Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beall, M., E-mail: mbeall@trialphaenergy.com; Deng, B. H.; Gota, H.

2016-11-15

In the prior C-2 experiment, electron density was measured using a two-color 6-chord CO{sub 2}/HeNe interferometer. Analysis shows that high-frequency common mode phase noise can be reduced by a factor of 3 by constructing a reference chord. In the system upgrade from C-2 to C-2U a 4-chord far-infrared laser interferometer was developed, which demonstrated superior sensitivity (1 × 10{sup 16} m{sup −2} at >1 MHz bandwidth) and solved the under spatial sampling issue of the C-2 interferometer system. Improved density-profile measurement results are presented in this paper, including evidence of fast-ion modified density profile and stabilization of the n =more » 1 plasma wobble mode.« less

Lunar UV-visible-IR mapping interferometric spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, W. Hayden; Haskin, L.; Korotev, R.; Arvidson, R.; Mckinnon, W.; Hapke, B.; Larson, S.; Lucey, P.

1992-01-01

Ultraviolet-visible-infrared mapping digital array scanned interferometers for lunar compositional surveys was developed. The research has defined a no-moving-parts, low-weight and low-power, high-throughput, and electronically adaptable digital array scanned interferometer that achieves measurement objectives encompassing and improving upon all the requirements defined by the LEXSWIG for lunar mineralogical investigation. In addition, LUMIS provides a new, important, ultraviolet spectral mapping, high-spatial-resolution line scan camera, and multispectral camera capabilities. An instrument configuration optimized for spectral mapping and imaging of the lunar surface and provide spectral results in support of the instrument design are described.

Calibration of misalignment errors in the non-null interferometry based on reverse iteration optimization algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xinmu; Hao, Qun; Hu, Yao; Wang, Shaopu; Ning, Yan; Li, Tengfei; Chen, Shufen

2017-10-01

With no necessity of compensating the whole aberration introduced by the aspheric surfaces, non-null test has the advantage over null test in applicability. However, retrace error, which is brought by the path difference between the rays reflected from the surface under test (SUT) and the incident rays, is introduced into the measurement and makes up of the residual wavefront aberrations (RWAs) along with surface figure error (SFE), misalignment error and other influences. Being difficult to separate from RWAs, the misalignment error may remain after measurement and it is hard to identify whether it is removed or not. It is a primary task to study the removal of misalignment error. A brief demonstration of digital Moiré interferometric technique is presented and a calibration method for misalignment error on the basis of reverse iteration optimization (RIO) algorithm in non-null test method is addressed. The proposed method operates mostly in the virtual system, and requires no accurate adjustment in the real interferometer, which is of significant advantage in reducing the errors brought by repeating complicated manual adjustment, furthermore improving the accuracy of the aspheric surface test. Simulation verification is done in this paper. The calibration accuracy of the position and attitude can achieve at least a magnitude of 10-5 mm and 0.0056×10-6rad, respectively. The simulation demonstrates that the influence of misalignment error can be precisely calculated and removed after calibration.

Imaging and Modeling Nearby Stellar Systems through Infrared Interferometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Che, Xiao; Monnier, J. D.; Ten Brummelaar, T.; Sturmann, L.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Baron, F.; Kraus, S.; Zhao, M.; CHARA

2014-01-01

Long-baseline infrared interferometers with sub-milliarcsecond angular resolution can now resolve photospheric features and the circumstellar environments of nearby massive stars. Closure phase measurements have made model-independent imaging possible. During the thesis, I have expanded Michigan Infrared Combiner (MIRC) from a 4-beam combiner to a 6-beam combiner to improve the (u,v) coverage, and installed Photometric Channels system to reduce the RMS of data by a factor of 3. I am also in charge of the Wavefront Sensor of the CHARA Adaptive Optics project to increase the sensitivity of the telescope array to enlarge the observable Young Stellar Objects (YSOs). My scientific research has focused on using mainly MIRC at CHARA to model and image rapidly rotating stars. The results are crucial for testing the next generation of stellar models that incorporate evolution of internal angular momentum. Observations of Be stars with MIRC have resolved the innermost parts of the disks, allowing us to study the evolution of the disks and star-disk interactions. I have also adopted a semi-analytical disk model to constrain Mid-InfraRed (MIR) disks of YSOs using interferometric and spectroscopic data.

Development of a low-cost, 11 µm spectral domain optical coherence tomography surface profilometry prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suliali, Nyasha J.; Baricholo, Peter; Neethling, Pieter H.; Rohwer, Erich G.

2017-06-01

A spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) surface profilometry prototype has been developed for the purpose of surface metrology of optical elements. The prototype consists of a light source, spectral interferometer, sample fixture and software currently running on Microsoft® Windows platforms. In this system, a broadband light emitting diode beam is focused into a Michelson interferometer with a plane mirror as its sample fixture. At the interferometer output, spectral interferograms of broadband sources were measured using a Czerny-Turner mount monochromator with a 2048-element complementary metal oxide semiconductor linear array as the detector. The software performs importation and interpolation of interferometer spectra to pre-condition the data for image computation. One dimensional axial OCT images were computed by Fourier transformation of the measured spectra. A first reflection surface profilometry (FRSP) algorithm was then formulated to perform imaging of step-function-surfaced samples. The algorithm re-constructs two dimensional colour-scaled slice images by concatenation of 21 and 13 axial scans to form a 10 mm and 3.0 mm slice respectively. Measured spectral interferograms, computed interference fringe signals and depth reflectivity profiles were comparable to simulations and correlated to displacements of a single reflector linearly translated about the arm null-mismatch point. Surface profile images of a double-step-function-surfaced sample, embedded with inclination and crack detail were plotted with an axial resolution of 11 μm. The surface shape, defects and misalignment relative to the incident beam were detected to the order of a micron, confirming high resolution of the developed system as compared to electro-mechanical surface profilometry techniques.

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII): Towards the First Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rizzo, Maxime J.; Rinehart, S. A.; Dhabal, A.; Ade, P.; Benford, D. J.; Fixsen, D. J.; Griffin, M.; Juanola Parramon, R.; Leisawitz, D. T.; Maher, S. F.;

Development of a feed monitor system for a helium-cooled Michelson intererometer for the Spacelab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Essenwanger, P.

1980-01-01

A Michelson interferometer feed monitor system developed for Spacelab is described. The device is helium cooled and is to be used to measure far infrared radiation sources in space. Performance data and development sequence are presented.

Fourier emission infrared microspectrophotometer for surface analysis. I - Application to lubrication problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lauer, J. L.; King, V. W.

1979-01-01

A far-infrared interferometer was converted into an emission microspectrophotometer for surface analysis. To cover the mid-infrared as well as the far-infrared the Mylar beamsplitter was made replaceable by a germanium-coated salt plate, and the Moire fringe counting system used to locate the moveable Michelson mirror was improved to read 0.5 micron of mirror displacement. Digital electronics and a dedicated minicomputer were installed for data collection and processing. The most critical element for the recording of weak emission spectra from small areas was, however, a reflecting microscope objective and phase-locked signal detection with simultaneous referencing to a blackbody source. An application of the technique to lubrication problems is shown.

High resolution spectroscopy in the microwave and far infrared

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pickett, Herbert M.

1990-01-01

High resolution rotational spectroscopy has long been central to remote sensing techniques in atmospheric sciences and astronomy. As such, laboratory measurements must supply the required data to make direct interpretation of data for instruments which sense atmospheres using rotational spectra. Spectral measurements in the microwave and far infrared regions are also very powerful tools when combined with infrared measurements for characterizing the rotational structure of vibrational spectra. In the past decade new techniques were developed which have pushed high resolution spectroscopy into the wavelength region between 25 micrometers and 2 mm. Techniques to be described include: (1) harmonic generation of microwave sources, (2) infrared laser difference frequency generation, (3) laser sideband generation, and (4) ultrahigh resolution interferometers.

Uncooled long-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucey, Paul G. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

A long-wave infrared hyperspectral sensor device employs a combination of an interferometer with an uncooled microbolometer array camera to produce hyperspectral images without the use of bulky, power-hungry motorized components, making it suitable for UAV vehicles, small mobile platforms, or in extraterrestrial environments. The sensor device can provide signal-to-noise ratios near 200 for ambient temperature scenes with 33 wavenumber resolution at a frame rate of 50 Hz, with higher results indicated by ongoing component improvements.

An electronically tunable, first-order Fabry-Perot infrared filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knudtson, J. T.; Levy, D. S.; Herr, K. C.

1995-04-01

A tunable infrared filter capable of scanning from 8.2 to 12.8 micrometers has been designed, constructed and tested. It is a first order Fabry Perot interferometer with piezoelectrically driven cavity spacing. Multilayer dielectric coatings for the partially transmitting mirrors were designed to minimize the wavelength dependent phase change produced by reflection. The transmission bandwidth ranged from 2.8 to 4.0% across the tuning range. Continuous scanning at 20 Hz rates was demonstrated.

Observations of the orbital debris complex by the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vilas, Faith; Anz-Meador, Phillip; Talent, Dave

1997-01-01

The midcourse space experiment (MSX) provides the opportunity to observe debris at multiple, simultaneous wavelengths, or in conjunction with other sensors and prior data sets. The instruments onboard MSX include an infrared telescope, an infrared interferometer, a visible telescope, an ultraviolet telescope and a spectroscopic imager. The spacecraft carries calibration spheres for instrument calibration and atmospheric drag studies. The experimental program, the implementation aspects, the data reduction techniques and the preliminary results are described.

Design of an Fiber-Coupled Laser Heterodyne Interferometer for the FLARE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Samuel; Yoo, Jongsoo; Ji, Hantao; Jara-Almonte, Jon

2016-10-01

The FLARE (Facility for Laboratory Reconnection Experiments), which is currently under construction at PPPL, requires a complete set of laboratory plasma diagnostics. The Langmuir probes that will be used in the device to gather local density data require a reliable interferometer system to serve as baseline for density measurement calibration. A fully fiber-coupled infrared laser heterodyne interferometer has been designed in order to serve as the primary line-integrated electron density diagnostic. Thanks to advances in the communications industry many fiber optic devices and phase detection methods have advanced significantly becoming increasingly reliable and inexpensive. Fully fiber coupling a plasma interferometer greatly simplifies alignment procedures needed since the only free space laser path needing alignment is through the plasma itself. Fiber-coupling also provides significant resistance to vibrational noise, a common problem in plasma interferometry systems. This device also uses a greatly simplified phase detection scheme in which chips, originally developed for the communications industry, capable of directly detecting the phase shift of a signal with high time resolution. The design and initial performance of the system will be discussed.

Null result for violation of the equivalence principle with free-fall rotating gyroscopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, J.; Nie, Y. X.; Zhang, Y. Z.; Zhou, Z. B.

2002-02-01

The differential acceleration between a rotating mechanical gyroscope and a nonrotating one is directly measured by using a double free-fall interferometer, and no apparent differential acceleration has been observed at the relative level of 2×10-6. It means that the equivalence principle is still valid for rotating extended bodies, i.e., the spin-gravity interaction between the extended bodies has not been observed at this level. Also, to the limit of our experimental sensitivity, there is no observed asymmetrical effect or antigravity of the rotating gyroscopes as reported by Hayasaka et al.

Space Interferometry Mission: Measuring the Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marr, James; Dallas, Saterios; Laskin, Robert; Unwin, Stephen; Yu, Jeffrey

1991-01-01

The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) will be the NASA Origins Program's first space based long baseline interferometric observatory. SIM will use a 10 m Michelson stellar interferometer to provide 4 microarcsecond precision absolute position measurements of stars down to 20th magnitude over its 5 yr. mission lifetime. SIM will also provide technology demonstrations of synthesis imaging and interferometric nulling. This paper describes the what, why and how of the SIM mission, including an overall mission and system description, science objectives, general description of how SIM makes its measurements, description of the design concepts now under consideration, operations concept, and supporting technology program.

Measurement of infrared optical constants with visible photons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paterova, Anna; Yang, Hongzhi; An, Chengwu; Kalashnikov, Dmitry; Krivitsky, Leonid

2018-04-01

We demonstrate a new scheme for infrared spectroscopy with visible light sources and detectors. The technique relies on the nonlinear interference of correlated photons, produced via spontaneous parametric down conversion in a nonlinear crystal. Visible and infrared photons are split into two paths and the infrared photons interact with the sample under study. The photons are reflected back to the crystal, resembling a conventional Michelson interferometer. Interference of the visible photons is observed and it is dependent on the phases of all three interacting photons: pump, visible and infrared. The transmission coefficient and the refractive index of the sample in the infrared range can be inferred from the interference pattern of visible photons. The method does not require the use of potentially expensive and inefficient infrared detectors and sources, it can be applied to a broad variety of samples, and it does not require a priori knowledge of sample properties in the visible range.

Balloon-borne and aircraft infrared measurements of ethane (C2H6) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldman, A.; Murcray, F. J.; Murcray, D. G.; Rinsland, C. P.; Coffey, M. T.; Mankin, W. G.

1984-01-01

Quantitative infrared measurements of ethane (C2H6) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere are reported. The results have been obtained from the analysis of absorption features of the nu9 band at 12.2 microns, which have been identified in high-resolution balloon-borne and aircraft solar absorption spectra. The balloon-borne spectral data were recorded at sunset with the 0.02/cm resolution University of Denver interferometer system, from a float altitude of 33.5 km near Alamogordo, New Mexico, on March 23, 1981. The aircraft spectra were recorded at sunset in July 1978 with a 0.06/cm resolution interferometer aboard a jet aircraft at 12 km altitude, near 35 deg N, 96 deg W. The balloon analysis indicates the C2H6 mixing ratio decreased from 3.5 ppbv near 8.8 km to 0.91 ppbv near 12.1 km. The results are consistent with the column value obtained from the aircraft data.

Tunable MOEMS Fabry-Perot interferometer for miniaturized spectral sensing in near-infrared

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rissanen, A.; Mannila, R.; Tuohiniemi, M.; Akujärvi, A.; Antila, J.

2014-03-01

This paper presents a novel MOEMS Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) process platform for the range of 800 - 1050 nm. Simulation results including design and optimization of device properties in terms of transmission peak width, tuning range and electrical properties are discussed. Process flow for the device fabrication is presented, with overall process integration and backend dicing steps resulting in successful fabrication yield. The mirrors of the FPI consist of LPCVD (low-pressure chemical vapor) deposited polySi-SiN λ/4-thin film Bragg reflectors, with the air gap formed by sacrificial SiO2 etching in HF vapor. Silicon substrate below the optical aperture is removed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching to ensure transmission in the visible - near infra-red (NIR), which is below silicon transmission range. The characterized optical properties of the chips are compared to the simulated values. Achieved optical aperture diameter size enables utilization of the chips in both imaging as well as single-point spectral sensors.

Coordinate interferometric system for measuring the position of a sample with infrared telecom laser diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holá, Miroslava; Lazar, Josef; Čížek, Martin; Hucl, Václav; Řeřucha, Šimon; Číp, Ondřej

2016-11-01

We report on a design of an interferometric position measuring system for control of a sample stage in an e-beam writer with reproducibility of the position on nanometer level and resolution below nanometer. We introduced differential configuration of the interferometer where the position is measured with respect to a central reference point to eliminate deformations caused by thermal and pressure effects on the vacuum chamber. The reference is here the electron gun of the writer. The interferometer is designed to operate at infrared, telecommunication wavelength due to the risk of interference of stray light with sensitive photodetectors in the chamber. The laser source is here a narrow-linewidth DFB laser diode with electronics of our own design offering precision and stability of temperature and current, low-noise, protection from rf interference, and high-frequency modulation. Detection of the interferometric signal relies on a novel derivative technique utilizing hf frequency modulation and phase-sensitive detection.

Information content in Iris spectra. [Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer of Nimbus 4 satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Price, J. C.

1975-01-01

Spectra from the satellite instrument Iris (infrared interferometer spectrometer) were examined to find the number of independent variables needed to describe the broad-band high-resolution spectral data. The radiated power in the atmospheric window from 771 to 981 per cm was the first parameter chosen for fitting observed spectra. At succeeding levels of analysis, the residual variability (observed spectrum minus best-fit spectrum) in an ensemble of observations was partitioned into spectral eigenvectors. The eigenvector describing the largest fraction of this variability was examined for a strong spectral signature; the power in the corresponding spectral band was then used as the next fitting parameter. The measured power in nine spectral intervals, when it was inserted in the spectral-fitting functions, was adequate to describe most spectra to within the noise level of Iris. Considerations of relative signal strength and scales of atmospheric variability suggest a combination sounder (multichannel, broad field of view) scanner (window channel, small field of view) as an efficient observing instrument.

Second SNPP Cal/Val Campaign: Environmental Data Retrieval Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Tian, Jialin; Smith, William L.; Kizer, Susan H.; Goldberg, Mitch D.

2016-01-01

Satellite ultraspectral infrared sensors provide key data records essential for weather forecasting and climate change science. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Soumi NPP) satellite Environmental Data Records (EDRs) are retrieved from calibrated ultraspectral radiance or Sensor Data Records (SDRs). Understanding the accuracy of retrieved EDRs is critical. The second Suomi NPP Calibration/Validation field campaign was conducted during March 2015 with flights over Greenland. The NASA high-altitude ER-2 aircraft carrying ultraspectral interferometer sounders such as the National Airborne Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I) flew under the Suomi NPP satellite that carries the Crosstrack Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). Herein we inter-compare the EDRs produced from different retrieval algorithms employed on these satellite and aircraft campaign data. The available radiosonde measurements together with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses are used to assess atmospheric temperature and moisture retrievals from the aircraft and satellite platforms. Preliminary results of this experiment under a winter, Arctic environment are presented.

Infrared Spectral Radiance Intercomparisons With Satellite and Aircraft Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larar, Allen M.; Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.

2014-01-01

Measurement system validation is critical for advanced satellite sounders to reach their full potential of improving observations of the Earth's atmosphere, clouds, and surface for enabling enhancements in weather prediction, climate monitoring capability, and environmental change detection. Experimental field campaigns, focusing on satellite under-flights with well-calibrated FTS sensors aboard high-altitude aircraft, are an essential part of the validation task. Airborne FTS systems can enable an independent, SI-traceable measurement system validation by directly measuring the same level-1 parameters spatially and temporally coincident with the satellite sensor of interest. Continuation of aircraft under-flights for multiple satellites during multiple field campaigns enables long-term monitoring of system performance and inter-satellite cross-validation. The NASA / NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I) has been a significant contributor in this area by providing coincident high spectral/spatial resolution observations of infrared spectral radiances along with independently-retrieved geophysical products for comparison with like products from satellite sensors being validated. This presentation gives an overview of benefits achieved using airborne sensors such as NAST-I utilizing examples from recent field campaigns. The methodology implemented is not only beneficial to new sensors such as the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) flying aboard the Suomi NPP and future JPSS satellites but also of significant benefit to sensors of longer flight heritage such as the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the AQUA and METOP-A platforms, respectively, to ensure data quality continuity important for climate and other applications. Infrared spectral radiance inter-comparisons are discussed with a particular focus on usage of NAST-I data for enabling inter-platform cross-validation.

Migrating the Mach-Zehnder chemical and bio-sensor to the mid-infrared region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leidner, L.; Ewald, M.; Sieger, M.; Mizaikoff, B.; Gauglitz, G.

2013-05-01

The properties of integrated optical phase-modulated Mach-Zehnder interferometers (IO-MZI) are used to set up a new generation of chemical and biochemical sensors working in the mid-infrared. First applications of the MZI principle were introduced in the beginning 1990s. They range from a gas sensor to monitor organic solvent concentrations1 to setting up an immunoassay for the detection of the herbicide simazine2. Most if not all sensors of MZI type operate at wavelengths of the visible or near infrared spectrum. There are several reasons to change this strategy and move into the mid-infrared spectral range (MIR): higher manufacturing tolerances, increased evanescent field penetration depth, signal amplification by surface enhanced infrared absorption effect (SEIRA), species identification by MIR fingerprints. The basis of the planned MIR-MZI is a GaAs waveguide pattern epitaxially grown on a substrate3. As a first step towards nanostructuring the waveguide surface, chemical deposition of Au nanoparticles on GaAs transducers was established. For the use of MIR-MZI sensors in bioanalytical assay development, chemical immobilization of molecular recognition elements on GaAs transducers was carried out. The modified surfaces were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), dark field microscopy, contact angle measurements and ellipsometric data as well as by a modified version of Reflectometric Interference Spectroscopy (RIfS)4. It was possible to monitor both the immobilization of gold nanoparticles and time-resolved specific binding using a model antibody antigen assay. After successful setup of relevant assays with RIfS, e.g. the detection of bacteria or endocrine disruptors, the assays are designed to be transferred onto the mid-infrared Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

Optical fabrication and testing; Proceedings of the Meeting, Singapore, Oct. 22-27, 1990

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenzen, Manfred; Campbell, Duncan R.; Johnson, Craig W.

1991-03-01

Various papers on optical fabrication and testing are presented. Individual topics addressed include: interferometry with laser diodes, new methods for economic production of prisms and lenses, interferometer accuracy and precision, optical testing with wavelength scanning interferometer, digital Talbot interferometer, high-sensitivity interferometric technique for strain measurements, absolute interferometric testing of spherical surfaces, contouring using gratings created on an LCD panel, three-dimensional inspection using laser-based dynamic fringe projection, noncontact optical microtopography, laser scan microscope and infrared laser scan microscope, photon scanning tunneling microscopy. Also discussed are: combination-matching problems in the layout design of minilaser rangefinder, design and testing of a cube-corner array for laser ranging, mode and far-field pattern of diode laser-phased arrays, new glasses for optics and optoelectronics, optical properties of Li-doped ZnO films, application and machining of Zerodur for optical purposes, finish machining of optical components in mass production.

Adaptive DFT-based Interferometer Fringe Tracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Edward; Pedretti, Ettore; Bregman, Jesse; Mah, Robert W.; Traub, Wesley A.

2004-01-01

An automatic interferometer fringe tracking system has been developed, implemented, and tested at the Infrared Optical Telescope Array (IOTA) observatory at Mt. Hopkins, Arizona. The system can minimize the optical path differences (OPDs) for all three baselines of the Michelson stellar interferometer at IOTA. Based on sliding window discrete Fourier transform (DFT) calculations that were optimized for computational efficiency and robustness to atmospheric disturbances, the algorithm has also been tested extensively on off-line data. Implemented in ANSI C on the 266 MHz PowerPC processor running the VxWorks real-time operating system, the algorithm runs in approximately 2.0 milliseconds per scan (including all three interferograms), using the science camera and piezo scanners to measure and correct the OPDs. The adaptive DFT-based tracking algorithm should be applicable to other systems where there is a need to detect or track a signal with an approximately constant-frequency carrier pulse.

Optical fabrication and testing; Proceedings of the Meeting, Singapore, Oct. 22-27, 1990

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lorenzen, M.; Campbell, D.R.; Johnson, C.W.

1991-01-01

Various papers on optical fabrication and testing are presented. Individual topics addressed include: interferometry with laser diodes, new methods for economic production of prisms and lenses, interferometer accuracy and precision, optical testing with wavelength scanning interferometer, digital Talbot interferometer, high-sensitivity interferometric technique for strain measurements, absolute interferometric testing of spherical surfaces, contouring using gratings created on an LCD panel, three-dimensional inspection using laser-based dynamic fringe projection, noncontact optical microtopography, laser scan microscope and infrared laser scan microscope, photon scanning tunneling microscopy. Also discussed are: combination-matching problems in the layout design of minilaser rangefinder, design and testing of a cube-corner arraymore » for laser ranging, mode and far-field pattern of diode laser-phased arrays, new glasses for optics and optoelectronics, optical properties of Li-doped ZnO films, application and machining of Zerodur for optical purposes, finish machining of optical components in mass production.« less

Radiant Temperature Nulling Radiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Robert (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A self-calibrating nulling radiometer for non-contact temperature measurement of an object, such as a body of water, employs a black body source as a temperature reference, an optomechanical mechanism, e.g., a chopper, to switch back and forth between measuring the temperature of the black body source and that of a test source, and an infrared detection technique. The radiometer functions by measuring radiance of both the test and the reference black body sources; adjusting the temperature of the reference black body so that its radiance is equivalent to the test source; and, measuring the temperature of the reference black body at this point using a precision contact-type temperature sensor, to determine the radiative temperature of the test source. The radiation from both sources is detected by an infrared detector that converts the detected radiation to an electrical signal that is fed with a chopper reference signal to an error signal generator, such as a synchronous detector, that creates a precision rectified signal that is approximately proportional to the difference between the temperature of the reference black body and that of the test infrared source. This error signal is then used in a feedback loop to adjust the reference black body temperature until it equals that of the test source, at which point the error signal is nulled to zero. The chopper mechanism operates at one or more Hertz allowing minimization of l/f noise. It also provides pure chopping between the black body and the test source and allows continuous measurements.

Science with MATISSE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Sebastian; Lopez, Bruno; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Delbo, Marco; Dominik, Carsten; Henning, Thomas; Hofmann, Karl-Heinz; Hogerheijde, Michiel; Hron, Josef; Jaffe, Walter; Lanz, Thierry; Meisenheimer, Klaus; Millour, Florentin; Pantin, Eric; Petrov, Roman; Schertl, Dieter; van Boekel, Roy; Weigelt, Gerd; Chiavassa, Andrea; Juhasz, Attila; Matter, Alexis; Meilland, Anthony; Nardetto, Nicolas; Paladini, Claudia

2016-07-01

We present an overview of the scientific potential of MATISSE, the Multi Aperture mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. For this purpose we outline selected case studies from various areas, such as star and planet formation, active galactic nuclei, evolved stars, extrasolar planets, and solar system minor bodies and discuss strategies for the planning and analysis of future MATISSE observations. Moreover, the importance of MATISSE observations in the context of complementary high-angular resolution observations at near-infrared and submillimeter/millimeter wavelengths is highlighted.

Phase-locked, high power, mid-infrared quantum cascade laser arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, W.; Slivken, S.; Razeghi, M.

2018-04-01

We demonstrate phase-locked, high power quantum cascade laser arrays, which are combined using a monolithic, tree array multimode interferometer, with emission wavelengths around 4.8 μm. A maximum output power of 15 W was achieved from an eight-element laser array, which has only a slightly higher threshold current density and a similar slope efficiency compared to a Fabry-Perot laser of the same length. Calculated multimode interferometer splitting loss is on the order of 0.27 dB for the in-phase supermode. In-phase supermode operation with nearly ideal behavior is demonstrated over the working current range of the array.

IOTA: recent science and technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schloerb, F. Peter; Berger, J.-P.; Carleton, N. P.; Hagenauer, P.; Kern, P. Y.; Labeye, P. R.; Lacasse, M. G.; Malbet, F.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Monnier, J. D.; Pearlman, M. R.; Pedretti, E.; Rousselet-Perraut, K.; Ragland, S. D.; Schuller, P. A.; Traub, W. A.; Wallace, G.

2006-06-01

We present a brief review of recent scientific and technical advances at the Infrared Optical Telescope Array (IOTA). IOTA is a long-baseline interferometer located atop Mount Hopkins, Arizona. Recent work has emphasized the use of the three-telescope interferometer completed in 2002. We report on results obtained on a range of scientific targets, including AGB stars, Herbig AeBe Stars, binary stars, and the recent outburst of the recurrent nova RS Oph. We report the completion of a new spectrometer which allows visibility measurements at several high spectral resolution channels simultaneously. Finally, it is our sad duty to report that IOTA will be closed this year.

A starting point of an integrated optics concept for a space-based interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labadie, Lucas; Kern, Pierre; Schanen, Isabelle

2017-11-01

This article deals with instrumentation challenges of the stellar interferometry mission IRSI-Darwin of the European Space Agency. The necessity to have a reliable and performant system for beam recombination has enlightened the advantages of an integrated optics solution, which is already in use for ground-base interferomety in the near infrared. However, since Darwin will operate in the mid infrared, this requires extending the integrated optics concept in this spectral range. This paper presents the guiding lines of the characterization work that should validate a new integrated optics concept for the mid infrared. We present also one example of characterization experiment we are working on.

Alignment and use of the optical test for the 8.4-m off-axis primary mirrors of the Giant Magellan Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, S. C.; Burge, J. H.; Cuerden, B.; Davison, W.; Hagen, J.; Martin, H. M.; Tuell, M. T.; Zhao, C.; Zobrist, T.

2010-07-01

The Giant Magellan Telescope has a 25 meter f/0.7 near-parabolic primary mirror constructed from seven 8.4 meter diameter segments. Several aspects of the interferometric optical test used to guide polishing of the six off-axis segments go beyond the demonstrated state of the art in optical testing. The null corrector is created from two obliquelyilluminated spherical mirrors combined with a computer-generated hologram (the measurement hologram). The larger mirror is 3.75 m in diameter and is supported at the top of a test tower, 23.5 m above the GMT segment. Its size rules out a direct validation of the wavefront produced by the null corrector. We can, however, use a reference hologram placed at an intermediate focus between the two spherical mirrors to measure the wavefront produced by the measurement hologram and the first mirror. This reference hologram is aligned to match the wavefront and thereby becomes the alignment reference for the rest of the system. The position and orientation of the reference hologram, the 3.75 m mirror and the GMT segment are measured with a dedicated laser tracker, leading to an alignment accuracy of about 100 microns over the 24 m dimensions of the test. In addition to the interferometer that measures the GMT segment, a separate interferometer at the center of curvature of the 3.75 m sphere monitors its figure simultaneously with the GMT measurement, allowing active correction and compensation for residual errors. We describe the details of the design, alignment, and use of this unique off-axis optical test.

Air-Lubricated Lead Screw

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perkins, G. S.

1983-01-01

Air lubricated lead screw and nut carefully machined to have closely matched closely fitting threads. Compressed air injected into two plenums encircle nut and flow through orifices to lubricate mating threads. Originally developed to position precisely interferometer retroreflector for airborne measurement of solar infrared radiation, device now has positioning accuracy of 0.25 micron.

The Visual Orbit and Evolutionary State of 12 Bootes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boden, A.; Creech-Eakman, M.; Queloz, D.

1999-01-01

Herein we report the determination of the 12 Boo visual orbit from near-infrared, long-baseline interferometric measurements taken with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI). We further add photometric and spectroscopic measurements in an attempt to understand the fundamental stellar parameters and evolution of the 12 Boo components.

Implementation of Time-Resolved Step-Scan Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy Using a kHz Repetition Rate Pump Laser

PubMed Central

MAGANA, DONNY; PARUL, DZMITRY; DYER, R. BRIAN; SHREVE, ANDREW P.

2011-01-01

Time-resolved step-scan Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has been shown to be invaluable for studying excited-state structures and dynamics in both biological and inorganic systems. Despite the established utility of this method, technical challenges continue to limit the data quality and more wide ranging applications. A critical problem has been the low laser repetition rate and interferometer stepping rate (both are typically 10 Hz) used for data acquisition. Here we demonstrate significant improvement in the quality of time-resolved spectra through the use of a kHz repetition rate laser to achieve kHz excitation and data collection rates while stepping the spectrometer at 200 Hz. We have studied the metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited state of Ru(bipyridine)3Cl2 in deuterated acetonitrile to test and optimize high repetition rate data collection. Comparison of different interferometer stepping rates reveals an optimum rate of 200 Hz due to minimization of long-term baseline drift. With the improved collection efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio, better assignments of the MLCT excited-state bands can be made. Using optimized parameters, carbonmonoxy myoglobin in deuterated buffer is also studied by observing the infrared signatures of carbon monoxide photolysis upon excitation of the heme. We conclude from these studies that a substantial increase in performance of ss-FT-IR instrumentation is achieved by coupling commercial infrared benches with kHz repetition rate lasers. PMID:21513597

51 OPHIUCHUS: A POSSIBLE BETA PICTORIS ANALOG MEASURED WITH THE KECK INTERFEROMETER NULLER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stark, Christopher C.; Kuchner, Marc J.; Traub, Wesley A.

2009-10-01

We present observations of the 51 Ophiuchi circumstellar disk made with the Keck interferometer operating in nulling mode at N band. We model these data simultaneously with VLTI-MIDI visibility data and a Spitzer IRS spectrum using a variety of optically thin dust cloud models and an edge-on optically thick disk model. We find that single-component optically thin disk models and optically thick disk models are inadequate to reproduce the observations, but an optically thin two-component disk model can reproduce all of the major spectral and interferometric features. Our preferred disk model consists of an inner disk of blackbody grains extendingmore » to {approx}4 AU and an outer disk of small silicate grains extending out to {approx}1200 AU. Our model is consistent with an inner 'birth' disk of continually colliding parent bodies producing an extended envelope of ejected small grains. This picture resembles the disks around Vega, AU Microscopii, and beta Pictoris, supporting the idea that 51 Ophiuchius may be a beta Pictoris analog.« less

Current Sounding Capability From Satellite Meteorological Observation With Ultraspectral Infrared Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.

2008-01-01

Ultraspectral resolution infrared spectral radiance obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. The intent of the measurement of tropospheric thermodynamic state and trace abundances is the initialization of climate models and the monitoring of air quality. The NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I), designed to support the development of future satellite temperature and moisture sounders, aboard high altitude aircraft has been collecting data throughout many field campaigns. An advanced retrieval algorithm developed with NAST-I is now applied to satellite data collected with the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) on the Aqua satellite launched on 4 May 2002 and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the MetOp satellite launched on October 19, 2006. These instruments possess an ultra-spectral resolution, for example, both IASI and NAST-I have 0.25 cm-1 and a spectral coverage from 645 to 2760 cm-1. The retrieval algorithm with a fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. The physical inversion scheme has been developed, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiance observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, to simultaneously retrieve surface, atmospheric thermodynamic, and cloud microphysical parameters. A fast radiative transfer model, which applies to the clouded atmosphere, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. A one-dimensional (1-d) variational multi-variable inversion solution is used to improve an iterative background state defined by an eigenvector-regression-retrieval. The solution is iterated in order to account for non-linearity in the 1-d variational solution. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals can be achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with relatively high accuracy (i.e., error less than 1 km). Retrievals of atmospheric soundings, surface properties, and cloud microphysical properties with the AIRS and IASI observations are obtained and presented. These retrievals are further inter-compared with those obtained from airborne FTS system, such as the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed? Interferometer (NAST I), dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar. The capabilities of satellite ultra-spectral sounder such as the AIRS and IASI are investigated. These advanced satellite ultraspectral infrared instruments are now playing an important role in satellite meteorological observation for numerical weather prediction.

Dynamic measurement of the corneal tear film with a Twyman-Green interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Micali, Jason D.; Greivenkamp, John E.; Primeau, Brian C.

2014-07-01

An interferometer for measuring dynamic properties of the in vivo tear film on the human cornea has been developed. The system is a near-infrared instantaneous phase-shifting Twyman-Green interferometer. The laser source is a 785 nm solidstate laser; the system has been carefully designed and calibrated to ensure that the system operates at eye safe levels. Measurements are made over a 6 mm diameter on the cornea. Successive frames of interferometric height measurements are combined to produce movies showing both the quantitative and qualitative changes in the topography of the tear film surface and structure. To date, measurement periods of up to 120 seconds at 28.6 frames per second have been obtained. Several human subjects have been examined using this system, demonstrating a surface height resolution of 25 nm and spatial resolution of 6 μm. Examples of features that have been observed in these in preliminary studies of the tear film include: post-blink disruption, evolution, and stabilization of the tear film; tear film artifacts generated by blinking; tear film evaporation and break-up; and the propagation of foreign objects in the tear film. This paper discusses the interferometer design and presents results from in vivo measurements.

Dynamic measurement of the corneal tear film with a Twyman-Green interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Micali, Jason D.; Greivenkamp, John E.; Primeau, Brian C.

2015-05-01

An interferometer for measuring dynamic properties of the in vivo tear film on the human cornea has been developed. The system is a near-infrared instantaneous phase-shifting Twyman-Green interferometer. The laser source is a 785 nm solid-state laser, and the system has been carefully designed and calibrated to ensure that the system operates at eye-safe levels. Measurements are made over a 6 mm diameter on the cornea. Successive frames of interferometric height measurements are combined to produce movies showing both the quantitative and qualitative changes in the topography of the tear film surface and structure. To date, measurement periods of up to 120 s at 28.6 frames per second have been obtained. Several human subjects have been examined using this system, demonstrating a surface height resolution of 25 nm and spatial resolution of 6 μm. Examples of features that have been observed in these preliminary studies of the tear film include postblink disruption, evolution, and stabilization of the tear film; tear film artifacts generated by blinking; tear film evaporation and breakup; and the propagation of foreign objects in the tear film. This paper discusses the interferometer design and presents results from in vivo measurements.

In-line interferometer for broadband near-field scanning optical spectroscopy.

PubMed

Brauer, Jens; Zhan, Jinxin; Chimeh, Abbas; Korte, Anke; Lienau, Christoph; Gross, Petra

2017-06-26

We present and investigate a novel approach towards broad-bandwidth near-field scanning optical spectroscopy based on an in-line interferometer for homodyne mixing of the near field and a reference field. In scattering-type scanning near-field optical spectroscopy, the near-field signal is usually obscured by a large amount of unwanted background scattering from the probe shaft and the sample. Here we increase the light reflected from the sample by a semi-transparent gold layer and use it as a broad-bandwidth, phase-stable reference field to amplify the near-field signal in the visible and near-infrared spectral range. We experimentally demonstrate that this efficiently suppresses the unwanted background signal in monochromatic near-field measurements. For rapid acquisition of complete broad-bandwidth spectra we employ a monochromator and a fast line camera. Using this fast acquisition of spectra and the in-line interferometer we demonstrate the measurement of pure near-field spectra. The experimental observations are quantitatively explained by analytical expressions for the measured optical signals, based on Fourier decomposition of background and near field. The theoretical model and in-line interferometer together form an important step towards broad-bandwidth near-field scanning optical spectroscopy.

A Study of Imaging Interferometer Simulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Ronald J.

2002-01-01

Several new space science mission concepts under development at NASA-GSFC for astronomy are intended to carry out synthetic imaging using Michelson interferometers or direct (Fizeau) imaging with sparse apertures. Examples of these mission concepts include the Stellar Imager (SI), the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT), the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure (SPECS), and the Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI). We have been developing computer-based simulators for these missions. These simulators are aimed at providing a quantitative evaluation of the imaging capabilities of the mission by modelling the performance on different realistic targets in terms of sensitivity, angular resolution, and dynamic range. Both Fizeau and Michelson modes of operation can be considered. Our work is based on adapting a computer simulator called imSIM, which was initially written for the Space Interferometer Mission in order to simulate the imaging mode of new missions such as those listed. In a recent GSFC-funded study we have successfully written a preliminary version of a simulator SISIM for the Stellar Imager and carried out some preliminary studies with it. In a separately funded study we have also been applying these methods to SPECS/SPIRIT.

Design and qualification of the interferometer for the GOSAT-2 spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montembault, Yan; Moreau, Louis; Roux, Michel; Buijs, Henry; Soucy, Marc-André

2016-10-01

GOSAT-2 is the successor of the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT, "IBUKI") launched in 2009 by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). GOSAT-2 will continue and enhance space borne measurements of greenhouse gases started by GOSAT and monitor the impacts of climate change and human activities on the carbon cycle. It will also contribute to climate science and climate change related policies. The GOSAT-2 spacecraft will carry two earth observation instruments: FTS-2, the second generation of the TANSO-FTS and CAI-2, a Cloud and Aerosol Imager. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is the prime contractor of GOSAT-2. Harris is the subcontractor of the spectrometer. ABB, who successfully designed, manufactured, and delivered the interferometer for the TANSO-FTS instrument for GOSAT, is currently delivering the modulator for the FTS-2 instrument to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Built on the TANSO-FTS heritage, FTS-2 is a thermal and near infrared sensor for carbon observation based on a Fourier transform spectrometer featuring larger optical throughput than TANSO-FTS. This paper presents an overview of the design of the FTS-2 interferometer as well as key qualification and performance verification activities conducted on the interferometer flight model.

Simulation of Mirror Distortion in Free-Electron LASER Oscillators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

H. Freund; S. V. Benson; Michelle D. Shinn

2006-09-01

The JLab FEL is routinely operated with sub-picosecond bunches. The short bunch length is important for high gain of the FEL. Coherent transition radiation has been used for the bunch length measurements for many years. This diagnostic can be used only in the pulsed beam mode. It is our goal to run FEL with CW beam and 74.85 MHz micropulse repetition rate. Hence it is very desirable to have the possibility of doing the bunch length measurements when running CW beam with any micropulse frequency. We use a Fourier transform infrared interferometer, which is essentially a Michelson interferometer, to measuremore » the spectrum of the coherent synchrotron radiation generated in the last dipole of the magnetic bunch compressor upstream of the FEL wiggler. This noninvasive diagnostic provides the bunch length measurements for CW beam operation at any micropulse frequency. We also compare the measurements made with the help of the FTIR interferometer with the data obtained by the Martin-Puplett interferometer. Results of the two diagnostics are usually agree within 15%. Here we present a description of the experimental setup, data evaluation procedure and results of the beam measurements.« less

Bunch Length Measurements at JLab FEL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

P. Evtushenko; J. L. Coleman; K. Jordan

2006-09-01

The JLab FEL is routinely operated with sub-picosecond bunches. The short bunch length is important for high gain of the FEL. Coherent transition radiation has been used for the bunch length measurements for many years. This diagnostic can be used only in the pulsed beam mode. It is our goal to run FEL with CW beam and 74.85 MHz micropulse repetition rate. Hence it is very desirable to have the possibility of doing the bunch length measurements when running CW beam with any micropulse frequency. We use a Fourier transform infrared interferometer, which is essentially a Michelson interferometer, to measuremore » the spectrum of the coherent synchrotron radiation generated in the last dipole of the magnetic bunch compressor upstream of the FEL wiggler. This noninvasive diagnostic provides the bunch length measurements for CW beam operation at any micropulse frequency. We also compare the measurements made with the help of the FTIR interferometer with the data obtained by the Martin-Puplett interferometer. Results of the two diagnostics are usually agree within 15%. Here we present a description of the experimental setup, data evaluation procedure and results of the beam measurements.« less

Retrieving Atmospheric Temperature and Moisture Profiles from NPP CRIS/ATMS Sensors Using Crimss EDR Algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, X.; Kizer, S.; Barnet, C.; Dvakarla, M.; Zhou, D. K.; Larar, A. M.

2012-01-01

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is a U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) mission in collaboration with the U.S. National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA) and international partners. The NPP Cross-track Infrared Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS) consists of the infrared (IR) Crosstrack Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the microwave (MW) Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). The CrIS instrument is hyperspectral interferometer, which measures high spectral and spatial resolution upwelling infrared radiances. The ATMS is a 22-channel radiometer similar to Advanced Microwave Sounding Units (AMSU) A and B. It measures top of atmosphere MW upwelling radiation and provides capability of sounding below clouds. The CrIMSS Environmental Data Record (EDR) algorithm provides three EDRs, namely the atmospheric vertical temperature, moisture and pressure profiles (AVTP, AVMP and AVPP, respectively), with the lower tropospheric AVTP and the AVMP being JPSS Key Performance Parameters (KPPs). The operational CrIMSS EDR an algorithm was originally designed to run on large IBM computers with dedicated data management subsystem (DMS). We have ported the operational code to simple Linux systems by replacing DMS with appropriate interfaces. We also changed the interface of the operational code so that we can read data from both the CrIMSS science code and the operational code and be able to compare lookup tables, parameter files, and output results. The detail of the CrIMSS EDR algorithm is described in reference [1]. We will present results of testing the CrIMSS EDR operational algorithm using proxy data generated from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) satellite data and from the NPP CrIS/ATMS data.

Confronting Standard Models of Proto-planetary Disks with New Mid-infrared Sizes from the Keck Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Che, Xiao; Monnier, John D.; Sitko, Michael L.; Russell, Ray W.; Grady, Carol A.; Day, Amanda N.; Perry, R. B.; Harries, Tim J.; Aarnio, Alicia N.; Colavita, Mark M.; Wizinowich, Peter L.; Ragland, Sam; Woillez, Julien

2016-08-01

We present near- and mid-infrared (MIR) interferometric observations made with the Keck Interferometer Nuller and near-contemporaneous spectro-photometry from the infrared telescope facilities (IRTFs) of 11 well-known young stellar objects, several of which were observed for the first time in these spectral and spatial resolution regimes. With au-level spatial resolution, we first establish characteristic sizes of the infrared emission using a simple geometrical model consisting of a hot inner rim and MIR disk emission. We find a high degree of correlation between the stellar luminosity and the MIR disk sizes after using near-infrared data to remove the contribution from the inner rim. We then use a semi-analytical physical model to also find that the very widely used “star + inner dust rim + flared disk” class of models strongly fails to reproduce the spectral energy distribution (SED) and spatially resolved MIR data simultaneously; specifically a more compact source of MIR emission is required than results from the standard flared disk model. We explore the viability of a modification to the model whereby a second dust rim containing smaller dust grains is added, and find that the 2-rim model leads to significantly improved fits in most cases. This complexity is largely missed when carrying out SED modeling alone, although detailed silicate feature fitting by McClure et al. recently came to a similar conclusion. As has been suggested recently by Menu et al., the difficulty in predicting MIR sizes from the SED alone might hint at “transition disk”-like gaps in the inner au; however, the relatively high correlation found in our MIR disk size versus stellar luminosity relation favors layered disk morphologies and points to missing disk model ingredients instead.

CONFRONTING STANDARD MODELS OF PROTO-PLANETARY DISKS WITH NEW MID-INFRARED SIZES FROM THE KECK INTERFEROMETER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Che, Xiao; Monnier, John D.

We present near- and mid-infrared (MIR) interferometric observations made with the Keck Interferometer Nuller and near-contemporaneous spectro-photometry from the infrared telescope facilities (IRTFs) of 11 well-known young stellar objects, several of which were observed for the first time in these spectral and spatial resolution regimes. With au-level spatial resolution, we first establish characteristic sizes of the infrared emission using a simple geometrical model consisting of a hot inner rim and MIR disk emission. We find a high degree of correlation between the stellar luminosity and the MIR disk sizes after using near-infrared data to remove the contribution from the innermore » rim. We then use a semi-analytical physical model to also find that the very widely used “star + inner dust rim + flared disk” class of models strongly fails to reproduce the spectral energy distribution (SED) and spatially resolved MIR data simultaneously; specifically a more compact source of MIR emission is required than results from the standard flared disk model. We explore the viability of a modification to the model whereby a second dust rim containing smaller dust grains is added, and find that the 2-rim model leads to significantly improved fits in most cases. This complexity is largely missed when carrying out SED modeling alone, although detailed silicate feature fitting by McClure et al. recently came to a similar conclusion. As has been suggested recently by Menu et al., the difficulty in predicting MIR sizes from the SED alone might hint at “transition disk”-like gaps in the inner au; however, the relatively high correlation found in our MIR disk size versus stellar luminosity relation favors layered disk morphologies and points to missing disk model ingredients instead.« less

Design of a space-based infrared imaging interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, Michael; Hope, Douglas; Romeo, Robert

2017-07-01

Present space-based optical imaging sensors are expensive. Launch costs are dictated by weight and size, and system design must take into account the low fault tolerance of a system that cannot be readily accessed once deployed. We describe the design and first prototype of the space-based infrared imaging interferometer (SIRII) that aims to mitigate several aspects of the cost challenge. SIRII is a six-element Fizeau interferometer intended to operate in the short-wave and midwave IR spectral regions over a 6×6 mrad field of view. The volume is smaller by a factor of three than a filled-aperture telescope with equivalent resolving power. The structure and primary optics are fabricated from light-weight space-qualified carbon fiber reinforced polymer; they are easy to replicate and inexpensive. The design is intended to permit one-time alignment during assembly, with no need for further adjustment once on orbit. A three-element prototype of the SIRII imager has been constructed with a unit telescope primary mirror diameter of 165 mm and edge-to-edge baseline of 540 mm. The optics, structure, and interferometric signal processing principles draw on experience developed in ground-based astronomical applications designed to yield the highest sensitivity and resolution with cost-effective optical solutions. The initial motivation for the development of SIRII was the long-term collection of technical intelligence from geosynchronous orbit, but the scalable nature of the design will likely make it suitable for a range of IR imaging scenarios.

A far-infrared spatial/spectral Fourier interferometry laboratory-based testbed instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spencer, Locke D.; Naylor, David A.; Scott, Jeremy P.; Weiler, Vince F.; MacCrimmon, Roderick K.; Sitwell, Geoffrey R. H.; Ade, Peter A. R.

2016-07-01

We describe the current status, including preliminary design, characterization efforts, and recent progress, in the development of a spatial/spectral double Fourier laboratory-based interferometer testbed instrument within the Astronomical Instrumentation Group (AIG) laboratories at the University of Lethbridge, Canada (UL). Supported by CRC, CFI, and NSERC grants, this instrument development will provide laboratory demonstration of spatial-spectral interferometry with a concentration of furthering progress in areas including the development of spatial/spectral interferometry observation, data processing, characterization, and analysis techniques in the Far-Infrared (FIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Remote sensing of Earth's atmosphere and surface using a digital array scanned interferometer: A new type of imaging spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammer, Philip D.; Valero, Francisco P. J.; Peterson, David L.; Smith, William Hayden

1991-01-01

The capabilities of the digital array scanned interferometer (DASI) class of instruments for measuring terrestrial radiation fields over the visible to mid-infrared are evaluated. DASI's are capable of high throughput, sensitivity and spectral resolution and have the potential for field-of-view spatial discrimination (an imaging spectrometer). The simplicity of design and operation of DASI's make them particularly suitable for field and airborne platform based remote sensing. The long term objective is to produce a versatile field instrument which may be applied toward a variety of atmospheric and surface studies. The operation of DASI and its advantages over other spectrometers are discussed.

Faraday-effect polarimeter-interferometer system for current density measurement on EAST

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, H. Q.; Jie, Y. X., E-mail: yx-jie@ipp.ac.cn; Zou, Z. Y.

2014-11-15

A multichannel far-infrared laser-based POlarimeter-INTerferometer (POINT) system utilizing the three-wave technique is under development for current density and electron density profile measurements in the EAST tokamak. Novel molybdenum retro-reflectors are mounted in the inside wall for the double-pass optical arrangement. A Digital Phase Detector with 250 kHz bandwidth, which will provide real-time Faraday rotation angle and density phase shift output, have been developed for use on the POINT system. Initial calibration indicates the electron line-integrated density resolution is less than 5 × 10{sup 16} m{sup −2} (∼2°), and the Faraday rotation angle rms phase noise is <0.1°.

Science objectives for ground- and space-based optical/IR interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ridgway, Stephen T.

1992-01-01

Ground-based interferometry will make spectacular strides in the next decade. However, it will always be limited by the turbulence of the terrestrial atmosphere. Some of the most exciting and subtle problems may only be addressed from a stable platform above the atmosphere. The lunar surface offers such a platform, nearly ideal in many respects. Once built, such a telescope array will not only resolve key fundamental problems, but will revolutionize virtually every topic in observational astronomy. Estimates of the possible performance of lunar and ground-based interferometers of the 21st century shows that the lunar interferometer reaches the faintest sources of all wavelengths, but has the most significant advantage in the infrared.

Modeling Circumstellar Disks of B-Type Stars with Observations from the Palomar Testbed Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grzenia, B. J.; Tycner, C.; Jones, C. E.; Rinehart, S. A.; vanBelle, G. T.; Sigut, T. A. A.

2013-01-01

Geometrical (uniform disk) and numerical models were calculated for a set of B-emission (Be) stars observed with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI). Physical extents have been estimated for the disks of a total of15 stars via uniform disk models. Our numerical non-LTE models used parameters for the B0, B2, B5, and B8spectral classes and following the framework laid by previous studies, we have compared them to infrared K-band interferometric observations taken at PTI. This is the first time such an extensive set of Be stars observed with long-baseline interferometry has been analyzed with self-consistent non-LTE numerical disk models.

The IASI detection chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicol, Patrick; Fleury, Joel; Le Naour, Claire; Bernard, Frédéric

2017-11-01

IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) is an infrared atmospheric sounder. It will provide meteorologist and scientific community with atmospheric spectra. The instrument is composed of a Fourier transform spectrometer and an associated infrared imager. The presentation will describe the spectrometer detection chain architecture, composed by three different detectors cooled in a passive cryo-cooler (so called CBS : Cold Box Subsystem) and associated analog electronics up to digital conversion. It will mainly focus on design choices with regards to environment constraints, implemented technologies, and associated performances. CNES is leading the IASI program in collaboration with EUMETSAT. The instrument Prime is ALCATEL SPACE responsible, notably, of the detection chain architecture. SAGEM SA provides the detector package (so called CAU : Cold Acquisition Unit).

The IASI detection chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicol, Patrick; Fleury, Joel; Bernard, Frédéric

2004-06-01

IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) is an infrared atmospheric sounder. It will provide meteorologist and scientific community with atmospheric spectra. The instrument is composed of a Fourier transform spectrometer and an associated infrared imager. The presentation will describe the spectrometer detection chain architecture, composed by three different detectors cooled in a passive cryo-cooler (so called CBS : Cold Box Subsystem) and associated analog electronics up to digital conversion. It will mainly focus on design choices with regards to environment constraints, implemented technologies, and associated performances . CNES is leading the IASI program in collaboration with EUMETSAT. The instrument Prime is ALCATEL SPACE responsible, notably, of the detection chain architecture. SAGEM SA provides the detector package (so called CAU: Cold Acquisition Unit).

High Vertically Resolved Atmospheric State Revealed with IASI Single FOV Retrievals under All-weather Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Smith, William L.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schluessel, L. Peter; Strow, Larrybee; Mango, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the MetOp satellite was launched on October 19, 2006. The Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx) was conducted during April 2007 mainly for validation of the IASI on the MetOp satellite. IASI possesses an ultra-spectral resolution of 0.25 cm(exp -1) and a spectral coverage from 645 to 2760 cm(exp -1). Ultra-spectral resolution infrared spectral radiance obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. An advanced retrieval algorithm with a fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. Preliminary retrievals of atmospheric soundings, surface properties, and cloud optical/microphysical properties with the IASI observations are obtained and presented. These retrievals are further inter-compared with those obtained from airborne FTS system, such as the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I), dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar. The capabilities of satellite ultra-spectral sounder such as the IASI are investigated to benefit future NPOESS operation.

The center of curvature optical assembly for the JWST primary mirror cryogenic optical test: optical verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wells, Conrad; Olczak, Gene; Merle, Cormic; Dey, Tom; Waldman, Mark; Whitman, Tony; Wick, Eric; Peer, Aaron

2010-08-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Optical Telescope Element (OTE) consists of a 6.6 m clear aperture, allreflective, three-mirror anastigmat. The 18-segment primary mirror (PM) presents unique and challenging assembly, integration, alignment and testing requirements. A full aperture center of curvature optical test is performed in cryogenic vacuum conditions at the integrated observatory level to verify PM performance requirements. The Center of Curvature Optical Assembly (CoCOA), designed and being built by ITT satisfies the requirements for this test. The CoCOA contains a multi wave interferometer, patented reflective null lens, actuation for alignment, full in situ calibration capability, coarse and fine alignment sensing systems, as well as a system for monitoring changes in the PM to CoCOA distance. Two wave front calibration tests are utilized to verify the low and Mid/High spatial frequencies, overcoming the limitations of the standard null/hologram configuration in its ability to resolve mid and high spatial frequencies. This paper will introduce the systems level architecture and optical test layout for the CoCOA.

Resolution and Orbit Reconstruction of Spectroscopic Binary Stars with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boden, A. F.; Lane, B. F.; Creech-Eakman, M. J.; Queloz, D.; Koresko, C. D.

2000-05-01

The Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) is a long-baseline near-infrared interferometer located at Palomar Observatory. For the past several years we have had an ongoing program of resolving and reconstructing the visual and physical orbits of spectroscopic binary stars with PTI, with the goal of obtaining precise dynamical mass estimates and other physical parameters. We will present a number of new visual and physical orbit determinations derived from integrated reductions of PTI visibility and archival and new spectroscopic radial velocity data. The systems for which we will discuss our orbit models are: iota Pegasi (HD 210027), 64 Psc (HD 4676), 12 Boo (HD 123999), 75 Cnc (HD 78418), 47 And (HD 8374), HD 205539, BY Draconis (HDE 234677), and 3 Boo (HD 120064), and 3 Boo (HD 120064). All of these systems are double-lined binary systems (SB2), and integrated astrometric/radial velocity orbit modeling provides precise fundamental parameters (mass, luminosity) and system distance determinations comparable with Hipparcos precisions.

Participation in the Analysis of the Far-Infrared/Submillmeter Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorenzini, Enrico C.

2005-01-01

We have contributed to the development of the Submillimiter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure (SPECS) by analyzing various aspects related to the tethers that connect the spacecraft of this space interferometer. We have focused our analysis on key topics as follows: (a) helping in the configuration selection; (b) computing the system eigenfrequencies as a function of baseline length; (c) developing techniques and conceptual design of devices for damping the tether oscillations; (d) carrying out numerical simulations of tethered formation to assess the effects of environmental perturbations upon the baseline length variation; (e) developing control laws for reconfiguring the baseline length; (f) devising control laws for fast retargeting of the interferometer at moderate baseline lengths; (g) estimating the survivability to micrometeoroid impacts of a tether at L2; and (h) developing a conceptual design of a high- strength and survivable tether. The work was conducted for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center under Grant NNG04GQ21G with William Danchi as technical monitor.

The Nature of Ultraluminous Galaxies: Infrared Space Observatory Analysis and Instrument Team

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Satyapal, Shobita

2001-01-01

The scientific goal of the proposed research was to investigate the physical conditions in the nuclear regions of infrared luminous galaxies by carrying out detailed infrared spectroscopic observations of a large sample of infrared luminous galaxies. During the past year, these observations have been successfully analyzed and extensive modeling using photoionization and photodissociation codes has been carried out. Two first-author publications and a second-author publication have been submitted to the Astrophysical Journal and results were presented at two invited talks. Four additional journal papers are in preparation and will be submitted during year 2 of the grant. The secondary project included in this program was the development of a near-infrared cryogenic Fabry-Perot interferometer for use on future large aperture telescopes. System integration and room temperature testing was successfully carried out for this project during year 1.

Computer Generated Hologram System for Wavefront Measurement System Calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olczak, Gene

2011-01-01

Computer Generated Holograms (CGHs) have been used for some time to calibrate interferometers that require nulling optics. A typical scenario is the testing of aspheric surfaces with an interferometer placed near the paraxial center of curvature. Existing CGH technology suffers from a reduced capacity to calibrate middle and high spatial frequencies. The root cause of this shortcoming is as follows: the CGH is not placed at an image conjugate of the asphere due to limitations imposed by the geometry of the test and the allowable size of the CGH. This innovation provides a calibration system where the imaging properties in calibration can be made comparable to the test configuration. Thus, if the test is designed to have good imaging properties, then middle and high spatial frequency errors in the test system can be well calibrated. The improved imaging properties are provided by a rudimentary auxiliary optic as part of the calibration system. The auxiliary optic is simple to characterize and align to the CGH. Use of the auxiliary optic also reduces the size of the CGH required for calibration and the density of the lines required for the CGH. The resulting CGH is less expensive than the existing technology and has reduced write error and alignment error sensitivities. This CGH system is suitable for any kind of calibration using an interferometer when high spatial resolution is required. It is especially well suited for tests that include segmented optical components or large apertures.

Thickness and air gap measurement of assembled IR objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lueerss, B.; Langehanenberg, P.

2015-05-01

A growing number of applications like surveillance, thermography, or automotive demand for infrared imaging systems. Their imaging performance is significantly influenced by the alignment of the individual lens elements. Besides the lateral orientation of lenses, the air spacing between the lenses is a crucial parameter. Because of restricted mechanical accessibility within an assembled objective, a non-contact technique is required for the testing of these parameters. So far commercial measurement systems were not available for testing of IR objectives since many materials used for infrared imaging are non-transparent at wavelengths below 2 μm. We herewith present a time-domain low coherent interferometer capable of measuring any kind of infrared material (e.g., Ge, Si, etc.) as well as VIS materials. The fiber-optic set-up is based on a Michelson-Interferometer in which the light from a broadband super-luminescent diode is split into a reference arm with a variable optical delay and a measurement arm where the sample is placed. On a photo detector, the reflected signals from both arms are superimposed and recorded as a function of the variable optical path. Whenever the group delay difference is zero, a coherence peak occurs and the relative lens' surface distances are derived from the optical delay. In order to penetrate IR materials, the instrument operates at 2.2 μm. The set-up allows the contactless determination of thicknesses and air gaps inside of assembled infrared objective lenses with accuracy in the micron range. It therefore is a tool for the precise manufacturing or quality control.

Disk-averaged synthetic spectra of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tinetti, Giovanna; Meadows, Victoria S.; Crisp, David; Fong, William; Velusamy, Thangasamy; Snively, Heather

2005-01-01

The principal goal of the NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and European Space Agency's Darwin mission concepts is to directly detect and characterize extrasolar terrestrial (Earthsized) planets. This first generation of instruments is expected to provide disk-averaged spectra with modest spectral resolution and signal-to-noise. Here we use a spatially and spectrally resolved model of a Mars-like planet to study the detectability of a planet's surface and atmospheric properties from disk-averaged spectra. We explore the detectability as a function of spectral resolution and wavelength range, for both the proposed visible coronograph (TPFC) and mid-infrared interferometer (TPF-I/Darwin) architectures. At the core of our model is a spectrum-resolving (line-by-line) atmospheric/surface radiative transfer model. This model uses observational data as input to generate a database of spatially resolved synthetic spectra for a range of illumination conditions and viewing geometries. The model was validated against spectra recorded by the Mars Global Surveyor-Thermal Emission Spectrometer and the Mariner 9-Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer. Results presented here include disk-averaged synthetic spectra, light curves, and the spectral variability at visible and mid-infrared wavelengths for Mars as a function of viewing angle, illumination, and season. We also considered the differences in the spectral appearance of an increasingly ice-covered Mars, as a function of spectral resolution, signal-to-noise and integration time for both TPF-C and TPFI/ Darwin.

Disk-averaged synthetic spectra of Mars.

PubMed

Tinetti, Giovanna; Meadows, Victoria S; Crisp, David; Fong, William; Velusamy, Thangasamy; Snively, Heather

2005-08-01

The principal goal of the NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and European Space Agency's Darwin mission concepts is to directly detect and characterize extrasolar terrestrial (Earthsized) planets. This first generation of instruments is expected to provide disk-averaged spectra with modest spectral resolution and signal-to-noise. Here we use a spatially and spectrally resolved model of a Mars-like planet to study the detectability of a planet's surface and atmospheric properties from disk-averaged spectra. We explore the detectability as a function of spectral resolution and wavelength range, for both the proposed visible coronograph (TPFC) and mid-infrared interferometer (TPF-I/Darwin) architectures. At the core of our model is a spectrum-resolving (line-by-line) atmospheric/surface radiative transfer model. This model uses observational data as input to generate a database of spatially resolved synthetic spectra for a range of illumination conditions and viewing geometries. The model was validated against spectra recorded by the Mars Global Surveyor-Thermal Emission Spectrometer and the Mariner 9-Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer. Results presented here include disk-averaged synthetic spectra, light curves, and the spectral variability at visible and mid-infrared wavelengths for Mars as a function of viewing angle, illumination, and season. We also considered the differences in the spectral appearance of an increasingly ice-covered Mars, as a function of spectral resolution, signal-to-noise and integration time for both TPF-C and TPFI/ Darwin.

Infrared Imaging of Capella with the IOTA Closure Phase Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus, S.; Schloerb, F. P.; Traub, W. A.; Carleton, N. P.; Lacasse, M.; Pearlman, M.; Monnier, J. D.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Berger, J.-P.; Haguenauer, P.; Perraut, K.; Kern, P.; Malbet, F.; Labeye, P.

2005-07-01

We present infrared aperture synthesis maps produced with the upgraded Infrared Optical Telescope Array interferometer. Michelson interferograms on the close binary system Capella (α Aur) were obtained in the H band between 2002 November 12 and 16 using the IONIC3 beam combiner. With baselines of 15m<=B<=38 m, we were able to determine the relative position of the binary components with milliarcsecond precision and to track their movement along the ~14° arc covered by our observation run. We briefly describe the algorithms used for visibility and closure phase estimation. Three different hybrid mapping and bispectrum fitting techniques were implemented within one software framework and used to reconstruct the source brightness distribution. By dividing our data into subsets, the system could be mapped at three epochs, revealing the motion of the stars. The precise position of the binary components was also determined with model fits, which in addition revealed IAa/IAb=1.49+/-0.10 and apparent stellar uniform-disk diameters of ΘAa=8.9+/-0.6 mas and ΘAb=5.8+/-0.8 mas. To improve the (u,v)-plane coverage, we compensated this orbital motion by applying a rotation-compensating coordinate transformation. The resulting model-independent map with a beam size of 5.4mas×2.6 mas allows the resolution of the stellar surfaces of the Capella giants themselves.

A technique for phase correction in Fourier transform spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artsang, P.; Pongchalee, P.; Palawong, K.; Buisset, C.; Meemon, P.

2018-03-01

Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTS) is a type of spectroscopy that can be used to analyze components in the sample. The basic setup that is commonly used in this technique is "Michelson interferometer". The interference signal obtained from interferometer can be Fourier transformed into the spectral pattern of the illuminating light source. To experimentally study the concept of the Fourier transform spectroscopy, the project started by setup the Michelson interferometer in the laboratory. The implemented system used a broadband light source in near infrared region (0.81-0.89 μm) and controlled the movable mirror by using computer controlled motorized translation stage. In the early study, there is no sample the interference path. Therefore, the theoretical spectral results after the Fourier transformation of the captured interferogram must be the spectral shape of the light source. One main challenge of the FTS is to retrieve the correct phase information of the inferferogram that relates with the correct spectral shape of the light source. One main source of the phase distortion in FTS that we observed from our system is the non-linear movement of the movable reference mirror of the Michelson interferometer. Therefore, to improve the result, we coupled a monochromatic light source to the implemented interferometer. We simultaneously measured the interferograms of the monochromatic and broadband light sources. The interferogram of the monochromatic light source was used to correct the phase of the interferogram of the broadband light source. The result shows significant improvement in the computed spectral shape.

Cloud and Thermodynamic Parameters Retrieved from Satellite Ultraspectral Infrared Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schluessel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Mango, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

Atmospheric-thermodynamic parameters and surface properties are basic meteorological parameters for weather forecasting. A physical geophysical parameter retrieval scheme dealing with cloudy and cloud-free radiance observed with satellite ultraspectral infrared sounders has been developed and applied to the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS). The retrieved parameters presented herein are from radiance data gathered during the Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx). JAIVEx provided intensive aircraft observations obtained from airborne Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) systems, in-situ measurements, and dedicated dropsonde and radiosonde measurements for the validation of the IASI products. Here, IASI atmospheric profile retrievals are compared with those obtained from dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and the airborne FTS system. The IASI examples presented here demonstrate the ability to retrieve fine-scale horizontal features with high vertical resolution from satellite ultraspectral sounder radiance spectra.

Airborne Passive Remote Sensing of the Troposphere in Nashville/Middle Tennessee Area During the 1995 Southern Oxidants Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rider, D. M.; Worden, H. M.; Beer, R.; Nandi, S.; Sparks, L. C.

1998-01-01

In July of 1995 the Airborne Emission Spectrometer was deployed to Nashville, Tennessee to participate in the 1995 Ozone Study Intensive Campaign of the Southern Oxidants Study. AES is a high resolution mid-infrared interferometer that measures the spectrum of upwelling radiation in the 650-4250 cm-1 range.

A novel lightweight Fizeau infrared interferometric imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hope, Douglas A.; Hart, Michael; Warner, Steve; Durney, Oli; Romeo, Robert

2016-05-01

Aperture synthesis imaging techniques using an interferometer provide a means to achieve imagery with spatial resolution equivalent to a conventional filled aperture telescope at a significantly reduced size, weight and cost, an important implication for air- and space-borne persistent observing platforms. These concepts have been realized in SIRII (Space-based IR-imaging interferometer), a new light-weight, compact SWIR and MWIR imaging interferometer designed for space-based surveillance. The sensor design is configured as a six-element Fizeau interferometer; it is scalable, light-weight, and uses structural components and main optics made of carbon fiber replicated polymer (CFRP) that are easy to fabricate and inexpensive. A three-element prototype of the SIRII imager has been constructed. The optics, detectors, and interferometric signal processing principles draw on experience developed in ground-based astronomical applications designed to yield the highest sensitivity and resolution with cost-effective optical solutions. SIRII is being designed for technical intelligence from geo-stationary orbit. It has an instantaneous 6 x 6 mrad FOV and the ability to rapidly scan a 6x6 deg FOV, with a minimal SNR. The interferometric design can be scaled to larger equivalent filled aperture, while minimizing weight and costs when compared to a filled aperture telescope with equivalent resolution. This scalability in SIRII allows it address a range of IR-imaging scenarios.

Bunch Length Measurements at the JLab FEL Using Coherent Transition and Synchrotron Radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pavel Evtushenko; James Coleman; Kevin Jordan

2006-05-01

The JLab FEL is routinely operated with sub-picosecond bunches. The short bunch length is important for high gain of the FEL. Coherent transition radiation has been used for the bunch length measurements for many years [1]. This diagnostic can be used only in the pulsed beam mode. It is our goal to run the FEL with CW beam and a 74.85 MHz micropulse repetition rate, which, with the 135 pC nominal bunch charge corresponds to the beam average current of 10 mA. Hence it is very desirable to have the possibility of making bunch length measurements when running CW beammore » with any micropulse frequency. We use a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) interferometer, which is essentially a Michelson interferometer, to measure the spectrum of the coherent synchrotron radiation generated in the last dipole of the magnetic bunch compressor upstream of the FEL wiggler. This noninvasive diagnostic provides bunch length measurements for CW beam operation at any micropulse frequency. We also compare the measurements made with the help of the FTIR interferometer with data obtained using the Martin-Puplett interferometer [1]. Results of the two diagnostics agree within 15 %. Here we present a description of the experimental setup, data evaluation procedure and results of the beam measurements.« less

Bunch Length Measurements at the JLab FEL Using Coherent Transition and Synchrotron Radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Evtushenko, P.; Coleman, J.; Jordan, K.

2006-11-20

The JLab FEL is routinely operated with sub-picosecond bunches. The short bunch length is important for high gain of the FEL. Coherent transition radiation has been used for the bunch length measurements for many years. This diagnostic can be used only in the pulsed beam mode. It is our goal to run the FEL with CW beam and a 74.85 MHz micropulse repetition rate, which, with the 135 pC nominal bunch charge corresponds to the beam average current of 10 mA, Hence it is very desirable to have the possibility of making bunch length measurements when running CW beam withmore » any micropulse frequency. We use a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) interferometer, which is essentially a Michelson interferometer, to measure the spectrum of the coherent synchrotron radiation generated in the last dipole of the magnetic bunch compressor upstream of the FEL wiggler. This noninvasive diagnostic provides bunch length measurements for CW beam operation at any micropulse frequency. We also compare the measurements made with the help of the FTIR interferometer with data obtained using the Martin-Puplett interferometer. Results of the two diagnostics agree within 15 %. Here we present a description of the experimental setup, data evaluation procedure and results of the beam measurements.« less

Design Optimization Considerations for the MROI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creech-Eakman, M. J.; Buscher, D. F.; Haniff, C. A.; MROI Team

2014-04-01

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI) has been conceived to be a 10 element 1.4m aperture imaging interferometer working in the optical and near-infrared and located at a altitude of 10,500 feet in the mountains of south-central New Mexico. When designing the MROI, we attempted to take lessons learned from the design of other similar facilities and specifically considered sensitivity, speed of data collection, scalability and mobility of the design, along with polarization preservation and imaging capabilities to attain the present model for the facility. Several papers detailing the specifics of the design of the MROI and the philosophy behind the certain choices or trade-offs have been published in the past few years. These references and those listed therein are listed below.

Deep Fabry-Perot imaging of NGC 6240: Kinematic evidence for merging galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawthorn, J. Bland; Wilson, A. S.; Tully, R. B.

1990-01-01

The authors have observed the superluminous, infrared galaxy NGC 6240 (z = 0.025) at H alpha with the Hawaii Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (HIFI - Bland and Tully 1989). During the past decade, observational evidence from all wavebands indicates that the unusual appearance of NGC 6240 has resulted from a collision between two gas-rich systems, a view which is supported by our spectrophotometric data. However, the origin of the enormous infrared luminosity (4 times 10(exp 11) solar luminosity) detected by the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) remains highly controversial, where opinions differ on the relative roles of large-scale shocks, massive star formation or a buried 'active' nucleus. These mechanisms are discussed in the light of the author's Fabry-Perot observations.

Infrared Imaging and Characterization of Exoplanets: Can we Detect Earth-Twins on a Budget?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danchi, William

2010-01-01

During the past decade considerable progress has been made developing techniques that can be used to detect and characterize Earth twins in the mid- infrared (7-20 microns). The principal technique is called nulling interferometry, and it was invented by Bracewell in the late 1970's. The nulling technique is an interferometric equivalent of an optical coronagraph. At the present time most of the technological hurdles have been overcome for a space mission to be able to begin Phase A early in the next decade, and it is possible to detect and characterize Earth-twins on a mid- sized strategic mission budget ($600-800 million). I will review progress on this exciting method of planet detection in the context of recent work on the Exoplanet Community Forum and the US Decadal Survey (Astro2010), including biomarkers, technological progress, mission concepts, the theory of these instruments, and a.comparison of the discovery space of this technique with others also under consideration.

Results of a rocket-Nimbus sounder comparison experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, A. J.; Finger, F. G.

1972-01-01

Stratospheric temperature data obtained from instrumentation on board Nimbus 3 and 4 are compared with conventional rocket soundings to determine the compatibility of measurements. The Arcasonde 1A and Datasonde were the primary rocketsondes used, but acoustic grenade and pitot probe soundings were also involved. Observed temperature profiles and computed radiances obtained from rocket soundings are compared with 15-microns data provided by the satellite infrared spectrometers, the infrared interferometer spectrometer, and the selective chopper radiometer onboard the satellites. A reasonable agreement between the rocket and satellite data is indicated, but variations are noted which are related to the sounding techniques.

Prototyping of MWIR MEMS-based optical filter combined with HgCdTe detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozak, Dmitry A.; Fernandez, Bautista; Velicu, Silviu; Kubby, Joel

2010-02-01

In the past decades, there have been several attempts to create a tunable optical detector with operation in the infrared. The drive for creating such a filter is its wide range of applications, from passive night vision to biological and chemical sensors. Such a device would combine a tunable optical filter with a wide-range detector. In this work, we propose using a Fabry-Perot interferometer centered in the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) spectrum with an HgCdTe detector. Using a MEMS-based interferometer with an integrated Bragg stack will allow in-plane operation over a wide range. Because such devices have a tendency to warp, creating less-than-perfect optical surfaces, the Fabry-Perot interferometer is prototyped using the SOI-MUMPS process to ensure desirable operation. The mechanical design is aimed at optimal optical flatness of the moving membranes and a low operating voltage. The prototype is tested for these requirements. An HgCdTe detector provides greater performance than a pyroelectic detector used in some previous work, allowing for lower noise, greater detection speed and higher sensitivity. Both a custom HgCdTe detector and commercially available pyroelectric detector are tested with commercial optical filter. In previous work, monolithic integration of HgCdTe detectors with optical filters proved to be problematic. Part of this work investigates the best approach to combining these two components, either monolithically in HgCdTe or using a hybrid packaging approach where a silicon MEMS Fabry-Perot filter is bonded at low temperature to a HgCdTe detector.

Spectral infrared hemispherical reflectance measurements for LDEF tray clamps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Bobby E.; Cromwell, Brian K.; Pender, Charles W.; Shepherd, Seth D.

1992-01-01

This paper describes infrared hemispherical reflectance measurements (2-15 microns) that were made on 58 chromic acid anodized tray clamps retrieved from the LDEF spacecraft. These clamps were used for maintaining the experiments in place and were located at various locations about the spacecraft. Changes in reflectance of the tray clamps at these locations were compared with atomic oxygen fluxes at the same locations. A decrease in absorption band depth was seen for the surfaces exposed to space indicating that there was some surface layer erosion. In all of the surfaces measured, little evidence of contamination was observed and none of the samples showed evidence of the brown nicotine stain that was so prominent in other experiments. Total emissivity values were calculated for both exposed and unexposed tray clamp surfaces. Only small differences, usually less than 1 percent, were observed. The spectral reflectances were measured using a hemi-ellipsoidal mirror reflectometer matched with an interferometer spectrometer. The rapid scanning capability of the interferometer allowed the reflectance measurements to be made in a timely fashion. The ellipsoidal mirror has its two foci separated by 2 inches and located on the major axis. A blackbody source was located at one focus while the tray clamp samples were located at the conjugate focus. The blackbody radiation was modulated and then focused by the ellipsoid onto the tray clamps. Radiation reflected from the tray clamp was sampled by the interferometer by viewing through a hole in the ellipsoid. A gold mirror (reflectance approximately 98 percent) was used as the reference surface.

Recommendations for Technology Development and Validation Activities in Support of the Origins Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Capps, Richard W. (Editor)

1996-01-01

The Office of Space Science (OSS) has initiated mission concept studies and associated technology roadmapping activities for future large space optical systems. The scientific motivation for these systems is the study of the origins of galaxies, stars, planetary systems and, ultimately, life. Collectively, these studies are part of the 'Astronomical Search for Origins and Planetary Systems Program' or 'Origins Program'. A series of at least three science missions and associated technology validation flights is currently envisioned in the time frame between the year 1999 and approximately 2020. These would be the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM), a 10-meter baseline Michelson stellar interferometer; the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), a space-based infrared optimized telescope with aperture diameter larger than four meters; and the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF), an 80-meter baseline-nulling Michelson interferometer described in the Exploration of Neighboring Planetary Systems (ExNPS) Study. While all of these missions include significant technological challenges, preliminary studies indicate that the technological requirements are achievable. However, immediate and aggressive technology development is needed. The Office of Space Access and Technology (OSAT) is the primary sponsor of NASA-unique technology for missions such as the Origins series. For some time, the OSAT Space Technology Program has been developing technologies for large space optical systems, including both interferometers and large-aperture telescopes. In addition, technology investments have been made by other NASA programs, including OSS; other government agencies, particularly the Department of Defense; and by the aerospace industrial community. This basis of prior technology investment provides much of the rationale for confidence in the feasibility of the advanced Origins missions. In response to the enhanced interest of both the user community and senior NASA management in large space optics, OSAT is moving to improve the focus of its sensor, spacecraft, and interferometer/telescope technology programs on the specific additional needs of the OSS Origins Program. To better define Origins mission technology and facilitate its development, OSAT and OSS called for a series of workshops with broad participation from industry, academia and the national laboratory community to address these issues. Responsibility for workshop implementation was assigned jointly to the two NASA field centers with primary Origins mission responsibility, the Goddard Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Origins Technology Workshop, held at Dana Point, California between June 4 and 6, 1996 was the first in the series of comprehensive workshops aimed at addressing the broad technological needs of the Origins Program. It was attended by 64 individuals selected to provide technical expertise relevant to the technology challenges of the Origins missions. This report summarizes the results of that meeting. A higher level executive summary was considered inappropriate because of the potential loss of important context for the recommendations. Subsequent to the Origins Technology Workshop and prior to publication of this report, NASA Headquarters reorganized the activities of the Of fice of Space Access and Technology. It appears likely that responsibility for the technology programs recommended in this document will move to the Office of Space Science.

Comparison of multiple enzyme activatable near infrared fluorescent molecular probes for detection and quantification of inflammation in murine colitis models

PubMed Central

Ding, Shengli; Blue, Randal E.; Morgan, Douglas R.; Lund, Pauline K.

2015-01-01

Background Activatable near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) probes have been used for ex vivo and in vivo detection of intestinal tumors in animal models. We hypothesized that NIRF probes activatable by cathepsins or MMPs will detect and quantify dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) induced acute colonic inflammation in wild type (WT) mice or chronic colitis in IL-10 null mice ex vivo or in vivo. Methods WT mice given DSS, water controls and IL-10 null mice with chronic colitis were administered probes by retro-orbital injection. FMT2500 LX system imaged fresh and fixed intestine ex vivo and mice in vivo. Inflammation detected by probes was verified by histology and colitis scoring. NIRF signal intensity was quantified using 2D region of interest (ROI) ex vivo or 3D ROI-analysis in vivo. Results Ex vivo, seven probes tested yielded significant higher NIRF signals in colon of DSS treated mice versus controls. A subset of probes was tested in IL-10 null mice and yielded strong ex vivo signals. Ex vivo fluorescence signal with 680 series probes was preserved after formalin fixation. In DSS and IL-10 null models, ex vivo NIRF signal strongly and significantly correlated with colitis scores. In vivo, ProSense680, CatK680FAST and MMPsense680 yielded significantly higher NIRF signals in DSS treated mice than controls but background was high in controls. Conclusion Both cathepsin or MMP-activated NIRF-probes can detect and quantify colonic inflammation ex vivo. ProSense680 yielded the strongest signals in DSS colitis ex vivo and in vivo, but background remains a problem for in vivo quantification of colitis. PMID:24374874

How Well Can Infrared Sounders Observe the Atmosphere and Surface Through Clouds?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.; Strow, L. Larrabee; Yang, Ping

2010-01-01

Infrared sounders, such as the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), and the Cross-track Infrared sounder (CrIS), have a cloud-impenetrable disadvantage in observing the atmosphere and surface under opaque cloudy conditions. However, recent studies indicate that hyperspectral, infrared sounders have the ability to detect cloud effective-optical and microphysical properties and to penetrate optically thin clouds in observing the atmosphere and surface to a certain degree. We have developed a retrieval scheme dealing with atmospheric conditions with cloud presence. This scheme can be used to analyze the retrieval accuracy of atmospheric and surface parameters under clear and cloudy conditions. In this paper, we present the surface emissivity results derived from IASI global measurements under both clear and cloudy conditions. The accuracy of surface emissivity derived under cloudy conditions is statistically estimated in comparison with those derived under clear sky conditions. The retrieval error caused by the clouds is shown as a function of cloud optical depth, which helps us to understand how well infrared sounders can observe the atmosphere and surface through clouds.

Upcoming and Future Missions in the Area of Infrared Astronomy: Spacecraft and Ground-based Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sittler, E. C., Jr.

2004-01-01

The IRIS instrument on the Voyager spacecrafts made major discoveries with regard to the giant planets, their moons and rings and paved the way for future infrared observations for planetary missions within our solar system. The CIRS instrument of Cassini with much greater spectral-spatial resolution and sensitivity than that provided by IRIS is now rapidly approaching the Saturnian system with orbit insertion on July 1, 2004, for which CIRS is expected to provide an order of magnitude advance beyond that provided by IRIS. The Mars program is also presently dominated by infrared observations in the near to mid-infrared spectral bands for missions such as Mars Global Surveyor and its TES instrument and Odyssey with its THEMIS instrument. In the case of Earth science we have such missions as TIMED, which makes infrared observations of the thermosphere using the SABER instrument. With the newly formed New Frontiers Program we have the opportunity for $650M missions such as Kuiper Belt-Pluto Explorer and Jupiter Polar Orbiter with Probes. Under the Flagship line, once per decade, we have the opportunity for $1B missions for which Europa is presently being considered; for this mission infrared measurements could look for hot spots within the maze of cracks and faults on Europa s surface. On Kuiper Belt- Pluto there is an imaging near-IR spectrometer called LEISA. Another mission on the horizon is Titan Orbiter Aerorover Mission (TOAM) for which there is planned a state-of-art version of CIRS called TIRS on the orbiter that will map out the atmospheric composition with unprecedented wavelength coverage and spectral-spatial resolution. This instrument will also provide temperature maps of the surface of Titan to look for hot spots where life may form. On the same mission there will be a descent imager on the Aerorover (i.e., balloon) similar to that provided by LEISA on the Pluto mission to provide compositional-topographical maps of Titan s surface. Other future mission will also be discussed. Improved thermal detectors could have important applications in solar physics, specifically in the detection of far-IR synchrotron emission from energetic electrons in solar flares. For infrared astronomy we have missions like SIRTF and JWST, which will cover the spectral range from near-IR to far-IR in the search and probing of both new and old planetary systems in our galaxy and the measurement of the most distant galaxies of our universe. SIRTF is scheduled to be launched in August 2003, while JWST will be launched next decade. Another mission is TPF, which will use interferometer techniques at infrared wavelengths to search for planetary systems beyond 2010. With regard to ground based telescopes we have, for example, the twin 10 meter Keck telescopes and the IRTF telescope at Mauna Kea. The Keck telescopes are presently using interferometer techniques. Over the next several decades there are plans for 50 meter to 200 meter telescopes providing near-IR to far-IR measurements with the eventual plan to combine all telescopes using interferometer techniques to provide unprecedented spectral-spatial resolution and sensitivity.

Gas monitoring onboard ISS using FTIR spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gisi, Michael; Stettner, Armin; Seurig, Roland; Honne, Atle; Witt, Johannes; Rebeyre, Pierre

2017-06-01

In the confined, enclosed environment of a spacecraft, the air quality must be monitored continuously in order to safeguard the crew's health. For this reason, OHB builds the ANITA2 (Analysing Interferometer for Ambient Air) technology demonstrator for trace gas monitoring onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The measurement principle of ANITA2 is based on the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) technology with dedicated gas analysis software from the Norwegian partner SINTEF. This combination proved to provide high sensitivity, accuracy and precision for parallel measurements of 33 trace gases simultaneously onboard ISS by the precursor instrument ANITA1. The paper gives a technical overview about the opto-mechanical components of ANITA2, such as the interferometer, the reference Laser, the infrared source and the gas cell design and a quick overview about the gas analysis. ANITA2 is very well suited for measuring gas concentrations specifically but not limited to usage onboard spacecraft, as no consumables are required and measurements are performed autonomously. ANITA2 is a programme under the contract of the European Space Agency, and the air quality monitoring system is a stepping stone into the future, as a precursor system for manned exploration missions.

Fringe-jump corrected far infrared tangential interferometer/polarimeter for a real-time density feedback control system of NSTX plasmasa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juhn, J.-W.; Lee, K. C.; Hwang, Y. S.; Domier, C. W.; Luhmann, N. C.; Leblanc, B. P.; Mueller, D.; Gates, D. A.; Kaita, R.

2010-10-01

The far infrared tangential interferometer/polarimeter (FIReTIP) of the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) has been set up to provide reliable electron density signals for a real-time density feedback control system. This work consists of two main parts: suppression of the fringe jumps that have been prohibiting the plasma density from use in the direct feedback to actuators and the conceptual design of a density feedback control system including the FIReTIP, control hardware, and software that takes advantage of the NSTX plasma control system (PCS). By investigating numerous shot data after July 2009 when the new electronics were installed, fringe jumps in the FIReTIP are well characterized, and consequently the suppressing algorithms are working properly as shown in comparisons with the Thomson scattering diagnostic. This approach is also applicable to signals taken at a 5 kHz sampling rate, which is a fundamental constraint imposed by the digitizers providing inputs to the PCS. The fringe jump correction algorithm, as well as safety and feedback modules, will be included as submodules either in the gas injection system category or a new category of density in the PCS.

Systems level feasibility study for the detection of extra-solar planets. Volume 1: Infrared interferometer (IRIS) known as the Stanford Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

A sensor system for the direct detection of extrasolar planets from an Earth orbit is evaluated: a spinning, infrared interferometer (IRIS). It is shuttle deployed, free flying, requires no on-orbit assembly and no reservicing over a design life of five years. The sensor concept and the mission objectives are reviewed, and the performance characteristics of a baseline sensor for standard observation conditions are derived. A baseline sensor design is given and the enabling technology discussed. Cost and weight estimates are performed; and a schedule for an IRIS program including technology development and assessment of risk are given. Finally, the sensor is compared with the apodized visual telescope sensor (APOTS) proposed for the same mission. The major conclusions are: that with moderate to strong technology advances, particularly in the fields of long life cryogenics, dynamical control, mirror manufacturing, and optical alignment, the detection of a Jupiter like planet around a Sunlike star at a distance of 30 light years is feasible, with a 3 meter aperture and an observation time of 1 hour. By contrast, major and possibly unlikely breakthroughs in mirror technology are required for APOTS to match this performance.

Long wave infrared (8 to 14 microns) hyperspectral imager based on an uncooled thermal camera and the traditional CI block interferometer (SI-LWIR-UC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabib, Dario; Lavi, Moshe; Gil, Amir; Milman, Uri

2011-06-01

Since the early '90's CI has been involved in the development of FTIR hyperspectral imagers based on a Sagnac or similar type of interferometer. CI also pioneered the commercialization of such hyperspectral imagers in those years. After having developed a visible version based on a CCD in the early '90's (taken on by a spin-off company for biomedical applications) and a 3 to 5 micron infrared version based on a cooled InSb camera in 2008, it is now developing an LWIR version based on an uncooled camera for the 8 to 14 microns range. In this paper we will present design features and expected performance of the system. The instrument is designed to be rugged for field use, yield a relatively high spectral resolution of 8 cm-1, an IFOV of 0.5 mrad., a 640x480 pixel spectral cube in less than a minute and a noise equivalent spectral radiance of 40 nW/cm2/sr/cm-1 at 10μ. The actually measured performance will be presented in a future paper.

Imaging reconstruction for infrared interferometry: first images of YSOs environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renard, S.; Malbet, F.; Thiébaut, E.; Berger, J.-P.

2008-07-01

The study of protoplanetary disks, where the planets are believed to form, will certainly allow the formation of our Solar System to be understood. To conduct observations of these objects at the milli-arcsecond scale, infrared interferometry provides the right performances for T Tauri, FU Ori or Herbig Ae/Be stars. However, the only information obtained so far are scarce visibility measurements which are directly tested with models. With the outcome of recent interferometers, one can foresee obtaining images reconstructed independently of the models. In fact, several interferometers including IOTA and AMBER on the VLTI already provide the possibility to recombine three telescopes at once and thus to obtain the data necessary to reconstruct images. In this paper, we describe the use of MIRA, an image reconstruction algorithm developed for optical interferometry data (squared visibilities and closure phases) by E. Thiébaut. We foresee also to use the spectral information given by AMBER data to constrain even better the reconstructed images. We describe the use of MIRA to reconstruct images of young stellar objects out of actual data, in particular the multiple system GW Orionis (IOTA, 2004), and discuss the encountered difficulties.

Cutaway line drawing of STS-34 middeck experiment Polymer Morphology (PM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Cutaway line drawing shows components of STS-34 middeck experiment Polymer Morphology (PM). Components include the EAC, heat exchanger, sample cell control (SCC), sample cells, source, interferometer, electronics, carousel drive, infrared (IR) beam, and carousel. PM, a 3M-developed organic materials processing experiment, is designed to explore the effects of microgravity on polymeric materials as they are processed in space. The samples of polymeric materials being studied in the PM experiment are thin films (25 microns or less) approximately 25mm in diameter. The samples are mounted between two infrared transparent windows in a specially designed infrared cell that provides the capability of thermally processing the samples to 200 degrees Celsius with a high degree of thermal control. The samples are mounted on a carousel that allows them to be positioned, one at a time, in the infrared beam where spectra may be acquired. The Generic Electronics Module (GEM) provides all carousel and

Research on ground-based LWIR hyperspectral imaging remote gas detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhixiong; Yu, Chunchao; Zheng, Weijian; Lei, Zhenggang; Yan, Min; Yuan, Xiaochun; Zhang, Peizhong

2015-10-01

The new progress of ground-based long-wave infrared remote sensing is presented, which describes the windowing spatial and temporal modulation Fourier spectroscopy imaging in details. The prototype forms the interference fringes based on the corner-cube of spatial modulation of Michelson interferometer, using cooled long-wave infrared photovoltaic staring FPA (focal plane array) detector. The LWIR hyperspectral imaging is achieved by the process of collection, reorganization, correction, apodization, FFT etc. from data cube. Noise equivalent sensor response (NESR), which is the sensitivity index of CHIPED-1 LWIR hyperspectral imaging prototype, can reach 5.6×10-8W/(cm-1.sr.cm2) at single sampling. Hyperspectral imaging is used in the field of organic gas VOC infrared detection. Relative to wide band infrared imaging, it has some advantages. Such as, it has high sensitivity, the strong anti-interference ability, identify the variety, and so on.

Physically-Retrieving Cloud and Thermodynamic Parameters from Ultraspectral IR Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L., Sr.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Mango, Stephen A.; Huang, Hung-Lung

2007-01-01

A physical inversion scheme has been developed, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiance observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, to simultaneously retrieve surface, atmospheric thermodynamic, and cloud microphysical parameters. A fast radiative transfer model, which applies to the clouded atmosphere, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. A one-dimensional (1-d) variational multi-variable inversion solution is used to improve an iterative background state defined by an eigenvector-regression-retrieval. The solution is iterated in order to account for non-linearity in the 1-d variational solution. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals can be achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with relatively high accuracy (i.e., error < 1 km). NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I) retrievals from the Atlantic-THORPEX Regional Campaign are compared with coincident observations obtained from dropsondes and the nadir-pointing Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL). This work was motivated by the need to obtain solutions for atmospheric soundings from infrared radiances observed for every individual field of view, regardless of cloud cover, from future ultraspectral geostationary satellite sounding instruments, such as the Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) and the Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES). However, this retrieval approach can also be applied to the ultraspectral sounding instruments to fly on Polar satellites, such as the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the European MetOp satellite, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) on the NPOESS Preparatory Project and the following NPOESS series of satellites.

Adaptive DFT-Based Interferometer Fringe Tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Edward; Pedretti, Ettore; Bregman, Jesse; Mah, Robert W.; Traub, Wesley A.

An automatic interferometer fringe tracking system has been developed, implemented, and tested at the Infrared Optical Telescope Array (IOTA) Observatory at Mount Hopkins, Arizona. The system can minimize the optical path differences (OPDs) for all three baselines of the Michelson stellar interferometer at IOTA. Based on sliding window discrete Fourier-transform (DFT) calculations that were optimized for computational efficiency and robustness to atmospheric disturbances, the algorithm has also been tested extensively on offline data. Implemented in ANSI C on the 266 MHz PowerPC processor running the VxWorks real-time operating system, the algorithm runs in approximately 2.0 milliseconds per scan (including all three interferograms), using the science camera and piezo scanners to measure and correct the OPDs. The adaptive DFT-based tracking algorithm should be applicable to other systems where there is a need to detect or track a signal with an approximately constant-frequency carrier pulse. One example of such an application might be to the field of thin-film measurement by ellipsometry, using a broadband light source and a Fourier-transform spectrometer to detect the resulting fringe patterns.

OIFITS 2: the 2nd version of the data exchange standard for optical interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duvert, Gilles; Young, John; Hummel, Christian A.

2017-01-01

This paper describes version 2 of the Optical Interferometry exchange Format (OIFITS), the standard for exchanging calibrated data from optical (visible or infrared) interferometers. This IAU-endorsed standard has been in use for 10 years at most of the past and current optical interferometer projects, including COAST, NPOI, IOTA, CHARA, VLTI, PTI and the Keck interferometer. Software is available for reading, writing and merging OIFITS files. This version 2 provides definitions of additional data tables (for example for polarisation measurements), addressing the needs of future interferometric instruments. Also included are data columns for a more rigorous description of measurement errors and their correlations. In that, this document is a step towards the design of a common data model for optical interferometry. Finally, the main OIFITS header is expanded with several new keywords summarising the content to allow doing data base searches. We request that comments and suggestions related to OIFITS be directed to the OLBIN email list. (See http://www.jmmc.fr/olbin-forum for information on how to subscribe and post to the list.)

Adaptive DFT-Based Interferometer Fringe Tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Edward; Pedretti, Ettore; Bregman, Jesse; Mah, Robert W.; Traub, Wesley A.

2005-12-01

An automatic interferometer fringe tracking system has been developed, implemented, and tested at the Infrared Optical Telescope Array (IOTA) Observatory at Mount Hopkins, Arizona. The system can minimize the optical path differences (OPDs) for all three baselines of the Michelson stellar interferometer at IOTA. Based on sliding window discrete Fourier-transform (DFT) calculations that were optimized for computational efficiency and robustness to atmospheric disturbances, the algorithm has also been tested extensively on offline data. Implemented in ANSI C on the 266 MHz PowerPC processor running the VxWorks real-time operating system, the algorithm runs in approximately [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] milliseconds per scan (including all three interferograms), using the science camera and piezo scanners to measure and correct the OPDs. The adaptive DFT-based tracking algorithm should be applicable to other systems where there is a need to detect or track a signal with an approximately constant-frequency carrier pulse. One example of such an application might be to the field of thin-film measurement by ellipsometry, using a broadband light source and a Fourier-transform spectrometer to detect the resulting fringe patterns.

Cosmic Microwave Background Observations with a Compact Heterogeneous 150 GHz Interferometer in Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fowler, J. W.; Doriese, W. B.; Marriage, T. A.; Tran, H. T.; Aboobaker, A. M.; Dumont, C.; Halpern, M.; Kermish, Z. D.; Loh, Y.-S.; Page, L. A.; Staggs, S. T.; Wesley, D. H.

2005-01-01

We report on the design, first observing season, and analysis of data from a new prototype millimeter-wave interferometer, MINT. MINT consists of four 145 GHz SIS mixers operating in double-sideband mode in a compact heterogeneous configuration. The signal band is subdivided by a monolithic channelizer, after which the correlations between antennas are performed digitally. The typical receiver sensitivity in a 2 GHz band is 1.4 mK s1/2. The primary beams are 0.45d and 0.30d FWHM, with fringe spacing as small as 0.1d. MINT observed the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from Cerro Toco, in the Chilean Altiplano. The site quality at 145 GHz is good, with median nighttime atmospheric temperature of 9 K at zenith (exclusive of the CMB). Repeated observations of Mars, Jupiter, and a telescope-mounted calibration source establish the phase and magnitude stability of the system. MINT is the first interferometer dedicated to CMB studies to operate above 50 GHz. The same type of system can be used to probe the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect in galaxy clusters near the SZ null at 217 GHz. We give the essential features of MINT and present an analysis of sideband-separated, digitally sampled data recorded by the array. Based on 215 hours of data taken in late 2001, we set an upper limit on the CMB anisotropy in a band of width Δl=700 around l=1540 of δT<105 μK (95% confidence). Increased sensitivity can be achieved with more integration time, greater bandwidth, and more elements.

Maintaining Flatness of a Large Aperture Potassium Bromide Beamsplitter Through Mounting and Vibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Losch, Patricia; Lyons, James J., III; Morell, Armando; Heaney, Jim

1998-01-01

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) instrument on the Cassini Mission launched in October of 1997. The CIRS instrument contains a mid-infrared (MIR) and a far-infrared interferometer (FIR) and operates at 170 Kelvin. The MIR is a Michelson Fourier transform spectrometer utilizing a 76 mm (3 inch) diameter potassium bromide beamsplitter and compensator pair. The potassium bromide elements were tested to verify effects of cooldown and vibration prior to integration into the instrument. The instrument was then aligned at ambient temperatures, tested cryogenically and re-verified after vibration. 'Me stringent design optical figure requirements for the beamsplitter and compensator included fabrication errors, mounting stresses and vibration load effects. This paper describes the challenges encountered in mounting the elements to minimize distortion and to survive vibration.

Adaptive Nulling for Interferometric Detection of Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lay, Oliver P.; Peters, Robert D.

2010-01-01

An adaptive-nulling method has been proposed to augment the nulling-optical- interferometry method of detection of Earth-like planets around distant stars. The method is intended to reduce the cost of building and aligning the highly precise optical components and assemblies needed for nulling. Typically, at the mid-infrared wavelengths used for detecting planets orbiting distant stars, a star is millions of times brighter than an Earth-sized planet. In order to directly detect the light from the planet, it is necessary to remove most of the light coming from the star. Nulling interferometry is one way to suppress the light from the star without appreciably suppressing the light from the planet. In nulling interferometry in its simplest form, one uses two nominally identical telescopes aimed in the same direction and separated laterally by a suitable distance. The light collected by the two telescopes is processed through optical trains and combined on a detector. The optical trains are designed such that the electric fields produced by an on-axis source (the star) are in anti-phase at the detector while the electric fields from the planet, which is slightly off-axis, combine in phase, so that the contrast ratio between the star and the planet is greatly decreased. If the electric fields from the star are exactly equal in amplitude and opposite in phase, then the star is effectively nulled out. Nulling is effective only if it is complete in the sense that it occurs simultaneously in both polarization states and at all wavelengths of interest. The need to ensure complete nulling translates to extremely tight demands upon the design and fabrication of the complex optical trains: The two telescopes must be highly symmetric, the reflectivities of the many mirrors in the telescopes and other optics must be carefully tailored, the optical coatings must be extremely uniform, sources of contamination must be minimized, optical surfaces must be nearly ideal, and alignments must be extremely precise. Satisfaction of all of these requirements entails substantial cost.

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII): High Angular Resolution Astronomy at Far-Infrared Wavelengths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

Astronomical studies at infrared wavelengths have dramatically improved our understanding of the universe, and observations with Spitzer, the upcoming Herschel mission. and SOFIA will continue to provide exciting new discoveries. The comparatively low spatial resolution of these missions, however. is insufficient to resolve the physical scales on which mid- to far-infrared emission arises, resulting in source and structure ambiguities that limit our ability to answer key science questions. Interferometry enables high angular resolution at these wavelengths. We have proposed a new high altitude balloon experiment, the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII). High altitude operation makes far-infrared (30- 300micron) observations possible, and BETTII's 8-meter baseline provides unprecedented angular resolution (-0.5 arcsec) in this band. BETTII will use a double- Fourier instrument to simultaneously obtain both spatial and spectral informatioT. he spatially resolved spectroscopy provided by BETTII will address key questions about the nature of disks in young cluster stars and active galactic nuclei and the envelopes of evolved stars. BETTII will also lay the groundwork for future space interferometers.

Very Large Telescope Interferometer observations of the dust geometry around R Coronae Borealis stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bright, S. N.; Chesneau, O.; Clayton, G. C.; De Marco, O.; Leão, I. C.; Nordhaus, J.; Gallagher, J. S.

2011-06-01

We are investigating the formation and evolution of dust around the hydrogen-deficient supergiants known as R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars. We aim to determine the connection between the probable merger past of these stars and their current dust-production activities. We carried out high angular resolution interferometric observations of three RCB stars, namely RY Sgr, V CrA and V854 Cen, with the mid-infrared interferometer (MIDI) on the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), using two telescope pairs. The baselines ranged from 30 to 60 m, allowing us to probe the dusty environment at very small spatial scales (˜50 mas or 400R★). The observations of the RCB star dust environments were interpreted using both geometrical models and one-dimensional radiative transfer codes. From our analysis, we find that asymmetric circumstellar material is apparent in RY Sgr, may also exist in V CrA and is possible for V854 Cen. Overall, we find that our observations are consistent with dust forming in clumps ejected randomly around the RCB star so that over time they create a spherically symmetric distribution of dust. However, we conclude that the determination of whether there is a preferred plane of dust ejection must wait until a time series of observations are obtained. Based on observations made with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer at Paranal Observatory under programme 079.D-0415.

Infrared Astronomy Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrera, G. A.

1981-09-01

In 1982, the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) will be launched into a 900-km sun-synchronous (twilight) orbit to perform an unbiased, all-sky survey of the far-infrared spectrum from 8 to 120 microns. Observations telemetered to ground stations will be compiled into an IR astronomy catalog. Attention is given the cryogenically cooled, 60-cm Ritchey-Chretien telescope carried by the satellite, whose primary and secondary mirrors are fabricated from beryllium by means of 'Cryo-Null Figuring'. This technique anticipates the mirror distortions that will result from cryogenic cooling of the telescope and introduces dimensional compensations for them during machining and polishing. Consideration is also given to the interferometric characterization of telescope performance and Cryo/Thermal/Vacuum simulated space environment testing.

The optical design of a far infrared imaging FTS for SPICA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pastor, Carmen; Zuluaga, Pablo; Jellema, Willem; González Fernández, Luis Miguel; Belenguer, Tomas; Torres Redondo, Josefina; Kooijman, Peter Paul; Najarro, Francisco; Eggens, Martin; Roelfsema, Peter; Nakagawa, Takao

2014-08-01

This paper describes the optical design of the far infrared imaging spectrometer for the JAXA's SPICA mission. The SAFARI instrument, is a cryogenic imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (iFTS), designed to perform backgroundlimited spectroscopic and photometric imaging in the band 34-210 μm. The all-reflective optical system is highly modular and consists of three main modules; input optics module, interferometer module (FTS) and camera bay optics. A special study has been dedicated to the spectroscopic performance of the instrument, in which the spectral response and interference of the instrument have been modeled, as the FTS mechanism scans over the total desired OPD range.

Spectral infrared hemispherical reflectance measurements for LDEF tray clamps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cromwell, B. K.; Shepherd, S. D.; Pender, C. W.; Wood, B. E.

1993-01-01

Infrared hemispherical reflectance measurements that were made on 58 chromic acid anodized tray clamps from LDEF are described. The measurements were made using a hemiellipsoidal mirror reflectometer with interferometer for wavelengths between 2-15 microns. The tray clamps investigated were from locations about the entire spacecraft and provided the opportunity for comparing the effects of atomic oxygen at each location. Results indicate there was essentially no dependence on atomic oxygen fluence for the surfaces studied, but there did appear to be a slight dependence on solar radiation exposure. The reflectances of the front sides of the tray clamps consistently were slightly higher than for the protected rear tray clamp surfaces.

VLT/PIONIER Imaging of Red Supergiant Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montargès, Miguel

2018-04-01

PIONIER (Precision Integrated-Optics Near-infrared Imaging ExpeRiment) was the first 4-telescope instrument installed at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) in 2010. Benefiting from the multiple interferometric configurations available at the Cerro Paranal observatory, it can efficiently image stellar surfaces. With their large linear sizes, nearby red supergiant stars are among the most interesting targets for such instrument. Near infrared interferometry allows to study their surface in order to get a better understanding of their mass loss, mostly by constraining the characteristics of their photospheric features. I will review recent results obtain with VLTI/PIONIER on red supergiant stars, and emphasize the different techniques used to analyze these observations.

Spectral Resolution and Coverage Impact on Advanced Sounder Information Content

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L.

2010-01-01

Advanced satellite sensors are tasked with improving global measurements of the Earth s atmosphere, clouds, and surface to enable enhancements in weather prediction, climate monitoring capability, and environmental change detection. Achieving such measurement improvements requires instrument system advancements. This presentation focuses on the impact of spectral resolution and coverage changes on remote sensing system information content, with a specific emphasis on thermodynamic state and trace species variables obtainable from advanced atmospheric sounders such as the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) systems on the MetOp and NPP/NPOESS series of satellites. Key words: remote sensing, advanced sounders, information content, IASI, CrIS

Lessons Learned from AIRS: Improved Determination of Surface and Atmospheric Temperatures Using Only Shortwave AIRS Channels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Susskind, Joel

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of shortwave channels available to the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) to improve the determination of surface and atmospheric temperatures. The AIRS instrument is compared with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on-board the MetOp-A satellite. The objectives of the AIRS/AMSU were to (1) provide real time observations to improve numerical weather prediction via data assimilation, (2) Provide observations to measure and explain interannual variability and trends and (3) Use of AIRS product error estimates allows for QC optimized for each application. Successive versions in the AIRS retrieval methodology have shown significant improvement.

Evaluation of a dimension-reduction-based statistical technique for Temperature, Water Vapour and Ozone retrievals from IASI radiances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amato, Umberto; Antoniadis, Anestis; De Feis, Italia; Masiello, Guido; Matricardi, Marco; Serio, Carmine

2009-03-01

Remote sensing of atmosphere is changing rapidly thanks to the development of high spectral resolution infrared space-borne sensors. The aim is to provide more and more accurate information on the lower atmosphere, as requested by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), to improve reliability and time span of weather forecasts plus Earth's monitoring. In this paper we show the results we have obtained on a set of Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) observations using a new statistical strategy based on dimension reduction. Retrievals have been compared to time-space colocated ECMWF analysis for temperature, water vapor and ozone.

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT): Optical System Design Considerations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Mark E.; Leisawitz, David; Martino, Anthony J.; Budinoff, Jason; Quijada, Manuel; Hyde, Tupper

2007-01-01

SPIRIT is a candidate NASA Origins Probe mission. It is a spatial and spectral interferometer operating at 4 K with an operating wavelength range 25 - 400 microns. This paper describes the various components of the candidate optical system, including telescopes, pointing and tracking optics, along with their functions. Some of the tradeoffs involved in selecting various components, with their particular characteristics, are described.

An analysis of water in galactic infrared sources using the NASA Lear Airborne Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, L. L.; Hilgeman, T.

1979-01-01

The Michelson interferometer system on the NASA Lear Jet Airborne Observatory is described as well as the data reduction procedures. The objects observed (standard stars, M stars, a nebula, planets, and the moon) are discussed and the observing parameters are listed for each flight date. The spectra obtained from these data flights are presented, grouped by class of object.

Imaging of Stellar Surfaces with the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-18

geostationary satel- lite with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferome- ter,” in Proc. Optical and Infrared Interferometry II, W. C. Danchi, F...Cormier, “Imag- ing of geostationary satellites with the MRO inter- ferometer,” in Proc. Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies... geostationary satellites: Signal-to-noise considerations,” in Proc. Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference, 2011. 6. D

Comparison Study of Lightning observations from VHF interferometer and Geostationary Lightning Mapper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudo, A.; Stock, M.; Ushio, T.

2017-12-01

We compared the optical observation from Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) which is mounted on the geostationary meteorological satellite GOES-16 launched last year, and the radio observations from the ground-based VHF broad band interferometer. GLM detects 777.4 nm wavelength infrared optical signals from thunderstorm cells which are illuminated by the heated path during lightning discharge, and was developed mainly for the purpose of increasing the lead time for warning of severe weather and clarifying the discharge mechanism. Its detection has 2 ms frame rate, and 8 km square of space resolution at nadir. The VHF broad band interferometer is able to capture the electromagnetic waves from 20 MHz to 75 MHz and estimate the direction of arrival of the radiation sources using the interferometry technique. This system also has capability of observing the fast discharge process which cannot be captured by other systems, so it is expected to able to make detailed comparison. The recording duration of the system is 1 second. We installed the VHF broad band interferometer which consists of three VHF antenna and one fast antenna at Huntsville, Alabama from April 22nd to May 15th and in this total observation period, 720 triggers of data were observed by the interferometer. For comparison, we adopted the data from April 27th , April 30th. Most April 27th data has GLM "event" detection which is coincident time period. In time-elevation plot comparison, we found GLM detection timing was well coincide with interferometer during K-changes or return strokes and few detection during breakdown process. On the other hand, no GLM detection near the site for all data in April 30th and we are triyng to figure out the reason. We would like to thank University of Alabama Huntsville, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and RAIRAN Pte. Ltd for the help during the campaign.

Using mid-Infrared External Reflectance Spectroscopy to Distinguish Between Different Commercially Produced Poly[Methyl MethAcrylate] (PMMA) Samples - A Null Result

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fajardo, Mario; Neel, Christopher; Lacina, David

2017-06-01

We report (null) results of experiments testing the hypothesis that mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectroscopy can be used to distinguish samples of poly[methyl methacrylate] (PMMA) obtained from different commercial suppliers. This work was motivated by the desire for a simple non-destructive and non-invasive test for pre-sorting PMMA samples prior to use in shock and high-strain-rate experiments, where PMMA is commonly used as a standard material. We discuss: our choice of mid-IR external reflectance spectroscopy, our approach to recording reflectance spectra at near-normal (θ = 0 + / - 5 degree) incidence and for extracting the wavelength-weighted absorption spectrum from the raw reflectance data via a Kramers-Krönig analysis. We employ extensive signal, which necessitates adopting a special experimental protocol to mitigate the effects of instrumental drift. Finally, we report spectra of three PMMA samples with different commercial pedigrees, and show that they are virtually identical (+ / - 1 % error, 95% confidence); obviating the use of mid-IR reflectance spectroscopy to tell the samples apart.

Aligning Arrays of Lenses and Single-Mode Optical Fibers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Duncan

2004-01-01

A procedure now under development is intended to enable the precise alignment of sheet arrays of microscopic lenses with the end faces of a coherent bundle of as many as 1,000 single-mode optical fibers packed closely in a regular array (see Figure 1). In the original application that prompted this development, the precise assembly of lenses and optical fibers serves as a single-mode spatial filter for a visible-light nulling interferometer. The precision of alignment must be sufficient to limit any remaining wavefront error to a root-mean-square value of less than 1/10 of a wavelength of light. This wavefront-error limit translates to requirements to (1) ensure uniformity of both the lens and fiber arrays, (2) ensure that the lateral distance from the central axis of each lens and the corresponding optical fiber is no more than a fraction of a micron, (3) angularly align the lens-sheet planes and the fiber-bundle end faces to within a few arc seconds, and (4) axially align the lenses and the fiber-bundle end faces to within tens of microns of the focal distance. Figure 2 depicts the apparatus used in the alignment procedure. The beam of light from a Zygo (or equivalent) interferometer is first compressed by a ratio of 20:1 so that upon its return to the interferometer, the beam will be magnified enough to enable measurement of wavefront quality. The apparatus includes relay lenses that enable imaging of the arrays of microscopic lenses in a charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera that is part of the interferometer. One of the arrays of microscopic lenses is mounted on a 6-axis stage, in proximity to the front face of the bundle of optical fibers. The bundle is mounted on a separate stage. A mirror is attached to the back face of the bundle of optical fibers for retroreflection of light. When a microscopic lens and a fiber are aligned with each other, the affected portion of the light is reflected back by the mirror, recollimated by the microscopic lens, transmitted through the relay lenses and the beam compressor/expander, then split so that half goes to a detector and half to the interferometer. The output of the detector is used as a feedback control signal for the six-axis stage to effect alignment.

Performance and applications of a hypertemporal hyperspectral Fourier-transform infrared spectroradiometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Bruce H.; Ellis, Thomas; Old, Tom E.

2009-05-01

A fast-scanning, high-resolution FTIR spectroradiometer has been designed and built for use in remote sensing, stand-off detection, and spectral-temporal characterization of fast, energetic infrared events. The instrument design uses a Michelson-type interferometer with a rotary modulator which is capable of continuous measurement of infrared spectra at a rate of 1000 scans per second with 4 cm-1 resolution in the 2 - 25 micron spectral range. Sensitivity, spectral accuracy, and radiometric precision are discussed along with specific design parameters. This instrument can be used for passive sensing as a stand-alone sensor, or for active sensing as a receiver when used in conjunction with a highenergy excitation source such as a laser. Applications include muzzle flash signature measurement, ordnance detonation characterization, missile plume identification, and rocket motor combustion diagnostics.

The Navy Precision Optical Interferometer: an update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, J. T.; Baines, Ellyn K.; Schmitt, Henrique R.; Restaino, Sergio R.; Clark, James H.; Benson, James A.; Hutter, Donald J.; Zavala, Robert T.; van Belle, Gerard T.

2016-08-01

We describe the current status of the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI), including developments since the last SPIE meeting. The NPOI group has added stations as far as 250m from the array center and added numerous infrastructure improvements. Science programs include stellar diameters and limb darkening, binary orbits, Be star disks, exoplanet host stars, and progress toward high-resolution stellar surface imaging. Technical and infrastructure projects include on-sky demonstrations of baseline bootstrapping with six array elements and of the VISION beam combiner, control system updates, integration of the long delay lines, and updated firmware for the Classic beam combiner. Our plans to add up to four 1.8 m telescopes are no longer viable, but we have recently acquired separate funding for adding three 1 m AO-equipped telescopes and an infrared beam combiner to the array.

Direct Interferometric Imaging with IOTA Interferometer: Morphology of the Water Shell around U Ori

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pluzhnik, Eugene; Ragland, S.; Le Coroller, H.; Cotton, W.; Danchi, W.; Traub, W.; Willson, L.

2007-12-01

Optical interferometric observations of Mira stars with adequate resolution using the 3-telescope Infrared Optical Telescope Array (IOTA) interferometer have shown detectable asymmetry in several Mira stars. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the observed asymmetry. In this paper, we present subsequent IOTA observations of a Mira star, namely, U Ori taken at 1.51, 1.64 and 1.78 μm in 2005. The reconstructed images based on a model independent algorithm are also presented. These images show asymmetric structures of the water shell that is similar to the structure of 22 GHz masers obtained by Vlemmings et al. in 2003. We explore the possibility of the detection of molecular shell rotation with a period of about 30 years by comparing our results with radio observations and discuss a possible geometric structure of the shell.

White Light Heterodyne Interferometry SNR

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-09

interferometers in the visible- and near-IR, where shot - noise -limited detectors are available. In the LWIR, the advantage of a direct detection...wavebands where shot - noise -limited detection is possible with direct detection systems, the relationship changes in the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and...flux, without either having to split the light N – 1 ways or take the extra shot - noise penalty from Fizeau beam combining light from all apertures

Results of Absolute Cavity Pyrgeometer (ACP), InfraRed Integrating Sphere (IRIS), and Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) Comparisons and CIMO Recommendations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reda, Ibrahim M; Dooraghi, Michael R; Sengupta, Manajit

Presenting results of five comparisons between ACPs and IRISs and the difference between the longwave irradiance measured by the ACPs and IRISs versus the average irradiance measured by the WISG. The process of CIMO recommendation to establish the world reference for measuring the atmospheric longwave irradiance with traceability to the International System of Units (SI) is also presented.

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT): High-resolution Imaging and Spectroscopy in the Far-infrared

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leisawitz, D,; Baker, G.; Barger, A.; Benford, D.; Blain, A; Boyle, R.; Broderick, R.; Budinoff, J.; Carpenter, J.; Caverly, R.;

Demonstration of the Wide-Field Imaging Interferometer Testbed Using a Calibrated Hyperspectral Image Projector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolcar, Matthew R.; Leisawitz, David; Maher, Steve; Rinehart, Stephen

2012-01-01

The Wide-field Imaging Interferometer testbed (WIIT) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center uses a dual-Michelson interferometric technique. The WIIT combines stellar interferometry with Fourier-transform interferometry to produce high-resolution spatial-spectral data over a large field-of-view. This combined technique could be employed on future NASA missions such as the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT) and the Sub-millimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure (SPECS). While both SPIRIT and SPECS would operate at far-infrared wavelengths, the WIIT demonstrates the dual-interferometry technique at visible wavelengths. The WIIT will produce hyperspectral image data, so a true hyperspectral object is necessary. A calibrated hyperspectral image projector (CHIP) has been constructed to provide such an object. The CHIP uses Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology to produce customized, spectrally-diverse scenes. CHIP scenes will have approximately 1.6-micron spatial resolution and the capability of . producing arbitrary spectra in the band between 380 nm and 1.6 microns, with approximately 5-nm spectral resolution. Each pixel in the scene can take on a unique spectrum. Spectral calibration is achieved with an onboard fiber-coupled spectrometer. In this paper we describe the operation of the CHIP. Results from the WIIT observations of CHIP scenes will also be presented.

Thickness and air gap measurement of assembled IR objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lueerss, B.; Langehanenberg, P.

2015-10-01

A growing number of applications like surveillance, thermography, or automotive demand for infrared imaging systems. Their imaging performance is significantly influenced by the alignment of the individual lenses. Besides the lateral orientation of lenses, the air spacing between the lenses is a crucial parameter. Because of restricted mechanical accessibility within an assembled objective, a non-contact technique is required for the testing of these parameters. So far, commercial measurement systems were not available for testing of IR objectives since most materials used for infrared imaging are non-transparent at wavelengths below 2 μm. We herewith present a time-domain low coherent interferometer capable of measuring any kind of infrared material (e.g., Ge, Si, etc.) as well as VIS materials. The set-up is based on a Michelson interferometer in which the light from a broadband superluminescent diode is split into a reference arm with a variable optical delay and a measurement arm where the sample is placed. On a detector, the reflected signals from both arms are superimposed and recorded as a function of the variable optical path. Whenever the group delay difference is zero, a coherence peak occurs and the relative distances of the lens surfaces are derived from the optical delay. In order to penetrate IR materials, the instrument operates at 2.2 μm. Together with an LWIR autocollimator, this technique allows for the determination of centering errors, lens thicknesses and air spacings of assembled IR objective lenses with a micron accuracy. It is therefore a tool for precision manufacturing and quality control.

A long-wave infrared hyperspectral sensor for Shadow class UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucey, P. G.; Akagi, Jason T.; Hinrichs, John L.; Crites, S. T.; Wright, R.

2013-05-01

The University of Hawaii has developed a concept to ruggedize an existing thermal infrared hyperspectral system for use in the NASA SIERRA UAV. The Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology has developed a suite of instruments that acquire high spectral resolution thermal infrared image data with low mass and power consumption by combining microbolometers with stationary interferometers, allowing us to achieve hyperspectral resolution (20 wavenumbers between 8 and 14 micrometers), with signal to noise ratios as high as 1500:1. Several similar instruments have been developed and flown by our research group. One recent iteration, developed under NASA EPSCoR funding and designed for inclusion on a microsatellite (Thermal Hyperspectral Imager; THI), has a mass of 11 kg. Making THI ready for deployment on the SIERRA will involve incorporating improvements made in building nine thermal interferometric hyperspectral systems for commercial and government sponsors as part of HIGP's wider program. This includes: a) hardening the system for operation in the SIERRA environment, b) compact design for the calibration system, c) reconfiguring software for autonomous operation, d) incorporating HIGP-developed detectors with increased responsiveness at the 8 micron end of the TIR range, and e) an improved interferometer to increase SNR for imaging at the SIERRA's air speed. UAVs provide a unique platform for science investigations that the proposed instrument, UAVTHI, will be well placed to facilitate (e.g. very high temporal resolution measurements of temporally dynamic phenomena, such as wildfires and volcanic ash clouds). Its spectral range is suited to measuring gas plumes, including sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, which exhibit absorption features in the 8 to 14 micron range.

Far infrared diagnostics of electron concentration in combustion MHD plasmas using interferometry and Faraday rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzmenko, P. J.

1985-12-01

The plasma electrical conductivity is a key parameter in determining the efficiency of an magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator. Electromagnetic waves offer an accurate, non-intrusive probe. The electron concentration and mobility may be deduced from the refractive index and absorption coefficient measured with an interferometer. The first experiment used an HCOOH laser at 393.6 microns feeding a Michelson interferometer mounted around a combustor duct with open ports. Simultaneous measurements of positive ion density and plasma temperature made with a Langmuir probe and line reversal apparatus verified the operation of the interferometer. With a magnetic field present, measurement of the polarization rotation and induced ellipticity in a wave traveling along the field provides information on the plasma conductivity. Compared to interferometry, diagnostic apparatus based on Faraday rotation offers simpler optics and requires far less stringent mechanical stability at a cost of lower sensitivity. An advanced detection scheme, using a polarizing beam splitter improved the sensitivity to be comparable to that of interferometry. Interferometry is the preferred technique for small scale, high accuracy measurements, with Faraday rotation reserved for large systems or measurements within a working generator.

Mid-Infrared Spectrally-Dispersed Visibilities of Massive Stars Observed with the MIDI Instrument on the VLTI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, D. J.; Rajagopal, J.; Barry, R.; Richardson, L. J.; Lopez, B.; Chesneau, O.; Danchi, W. C.

The mechanism driving dust production in massive stars remains somewhat mysterious. However, recent aperture-masking and interferometric observations of late-type WC Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars strongly support the theory that dust formation in these objects is a result of colliding winds in binaries. Consistent with this theory, there is also evidence that suggests the prototypical Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) star, Eta Carinae, is a binary. To explore and quantify this possible explanation, we have conducted a high resolution interferometric survey of late-type massive stars utilizing the VLTI, Keck, and IOTA interferometers. We present here the motivation for this study as well as the first results from the MIDI instrument on the VLTI. (Details of the Keck Interferometer and IOTA interferometer observations are discussed in this workshop by Rajagopal et al.). Our VLTI study is aimed primarily at resolving and characterizing the dust around the WC9 star WR 85a and the LBV WR 122, both dust-producing but at different phases of massive star evolution. The pectrally-dispersed visibilities obtained with the MIDI observations will provide the first steps towards answering many outstanding issues in our understanding of this critical phase of massive star evolution

Progress on the FIReTIP Diagnostic on NSTX-U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Evan; Barchfeld, Robert; Riemenschneider, Paul; Muscatello, Chris; Sohrabi, Mohammad; Domier, Calvin; Ren, Yang; Kaita, Robert; Luhmann, Neville, Jr.; NSTX-U Team

2016-10-01

The Far-infrared Tangential Interferometer/Polarimeter (FIReTIP) system on NSTX-U at the PPPL aims to provide robust, line-averaged electron density measurements. The system consists of three optically-pumped 119 µm methanol lasers, one of which can be tuned via Stark broadening, allowing for uniquely high intermediate frequencies and time resolutions. One of the major goals of FIReTIP is to incorporate it into the NSTX-U plasma control system (PCS) for real-time plasma density feedback control. The front-end optics mounted to Bay G, which shape and position the beam going into the plasma, and internal retroreflector located near Bay B, which facilitates double-pass measurements, are hard-mounted to the NSTX-U vacuum vessel. Because interferometric density measurements are sensitive to vibrational effects, FIReTIP has been upgraded to a two-color interferometer system with the inclusion of a 633 nm laser interferometer for the direct measurement of vibrations and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) for the subsequent subtraction of vibrational effects from the density measurement in real-time. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Grant DE-FG02-99ER54518.

Manufacturing and testing of wavefront filters for DARWIN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flatscher, R.; Artjushenko, V.; Sakharova, T.; Pereira do Carmo, Joao

2017-11-01

Wavefront filtering is mandatory in the realisation of nulling interferometers with high star light suppression capability required to detect extrasolar planets, such as the one foreseen for the ESA Darwin mission. This paper presents the design, manufacturing, and test results of single mode fibres to be used as wavefront filters in mid-infrared range. Fibres made from chalcogenide glass and silver halide crystals were produced. The first class can serve as wavefront filters up to a wavelength of 11 microns, while silver halide fibres can be used over the full Darwin wavelength range from 6.5 to 18 micron. The chalcogenide glass fibres were drawn by double crucible method whereas polycrystalline fibres from silver halides were fabricated by multiple extrusion from a crystalline preform. Multi-layer AR-coatings for fibre ends were developed and environmentally tested for both types of fibres. Special fibre facet polishing procedures were established, in particular for the soft silver halide fibre ends. Cable design and assembly process were also developed, including termination by SMA-connectors with ceramic ferrules and fibre protection by loose PEEK-tubings to prevent excessive bending and chemical attacks for fibres. The wavefront filtering capability of the fibres was demonstrated on a high quality Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Two different groups of laser sources were used to measure the wavefront filtering of the fibres by using a CO-laser for testing in the lower sub-band and a CO2-laser to check the upper sub-band. Measurements of the fibres far field intensity distribution and transmission were performed for numerous cable samples. Single mode behaviour was observed in more than 25 silver halide fibre cables before AR-coating of their ends, while after that 17 cables were compliant with all technical requirements. Residual cladding modes existing in short single mode fibres were effectively removed by applying of a proper absorbing jacket to the fibre's lateral surface and by adding an oversized output aperture in front of fibre ends. Several fibres were exposed to gamma radiation of total dose of 25, 50, and even 500 krad. No deterioration was found on AR-coated fibre ends and on fibre material. Five fibres were irradiated by proton radiation of 10MeV energy and 1010 p/cm2 equivalent fluence. Several fibres were cooled down to 10 K by plunging them in a dipstick into liquid Helium. Silver halide fibres survived that test when cables were properly assembled. The brittle chalcogenide glass fibres were much more sensitive to thermal gradients and the related cables did not survive the thermal shock. Critical issues have been revealed in multiple drawings of chalcogenide glass fibres where core and cladding composition were not stable at some fabrication stages - resulting in a poor single mode guiding. Much better results have been achieved with polycrystalline fibres from silver halides made with a small core and low NA and enabling single mode guiding in the mid infrared.

First results of the PERSEE experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Duigou, J.-M.; Lozi, J.; Cassaing, F.; Houairi, K.; Sorrente, B.; Montri, J.; Jacquinod, S.; Reess, J.-M.; Pham, L.; Lhomé, E.; Buey, T.; Hénault, F.; Marcotto, A.; Girard, P.; Mauclert, N.; Barillot, M.; Coudé du Foresto, V.; Ollivier, M.

2017-11-01

Although it has been recently postponed due to high cost and risks, nulling interferometry in space remains one of the very few direct detection methods able to characterize extrasolar planets and particularly telluric ones. Within this framework, several projects such as DARWIN [1], [2], TPF-I [3], [4], FKSI [5] or PEGASE [6], [7], have been proposed in the past years. Most of them are based on a free flying concept. It allows firstly to avoid atmosphere turbulence, and secondly to distribute instrumental function over many satellites flying in close formation. In this way, a very high angular resolution can be achieved with an acceptable launch mass. But the price to pay is to very precisely position and stabilize relatively the spacecrafts, in order to achieve a deep and stable extinction of the star. Understanding and mastering all these requirements are great challenges and key issues towards the feasibility of these missions. Thus, we decided to experimentally study this question and focus on some possible simplifications of the concept. Since 2006, PERSEE (PEGASE Experiment for Research and Stabilization of Extreme Extinction) laboratory test bench is under development by a consortium composed of Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), Observatoire de Paris-Meudon (LESIA), Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (OCA), Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), and Thalès Alénia Space (TAS) [8]. It is mainly funded by CNES R&D. PERSEE couples an infrared wide band nulling interferometer with local OPD and tip/tilt control loops and a free flying Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) simulator able to introduce realistic disturbances. Although it was designed in the framework of the PEGASE free flying space mission, PERSEE can adapt very easily to other contexts like FKSI (in space, with a 10 m long beam structure) or ALADDIN [9] (on ground, in Antarctica) because the optical designs of all those missions are very similar. After a short description of the experimental setup, we will present first the results obtained in an intermediate configuration with monochromatic light. Then we will present some preliminary results with polychromatic light. Last, we discuss some very first more general lessons we can already learn from this experiment.

Mid-Infrared Interferometry on Spectral Lines. II. Continuum (Dust) Emission Around IRC +10216 and VY Canis Majoris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monnier, J. D.; Danchi, W. C.; Hale, D. S.; Lipman, E. A.; Tuthill, P. G.; Townes, C. H.

2000-11-01

The University of California Berkeley Infrared Spatial Interferometer has measured the mid-infrared visibilities of the carbon star IRC +10216 and the red supergiant VY CMa. The dust shells around these sources have been previously shown to be time variable, and these new data are used to probe the evolution of the dust shells on a decade timescale, complementing contemporaneous studies at other wavelengths. Self-consistent, spherically symmetric models at maximum and minimum light both show the inner radius of the IRC +10216 dust shell to be much larger (150 mas) than expected from the dust-condensation temperature, implying that dust production has slowed or stopped in recent years. Apparently, dust does not form every pulsational cycle (638 days), and these mid-infrared results are consistent with recent near-infrared imaging, which indicates little or no new dust production in the last 3 yr. Spherically symmetric models failed to fit recent VY CMa data, implying that emission from the inner dust shell is highly asymmetric and/or time variable.

Error Consistency Analysis Scheme for Infrared Ultraspectral Sounding Retrieval Error Budget Estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.; Strow, Larry, L.

2013-01-01

Great effort has been devoted towards validating geophysical parameters retrieved from ultraspectral infrared radiances obtained from satellite remote sensors. An error consistency analysis scheme (ECAS), utilizing fast radiative transfer model (RTM) forward and inverse calculations, has been developed to estimate the error budget in terms of mean difference and standard deviation of error in both spectral radiance and retrieval domains. The retrieval error is assessed through ECAS without relying on other independent measurements such as radiosonde data. ECAS establishes a link between the accuracies of radiances and retrieved geophysical parameters. ECAS can be applied to measurements from any ultraspectral instrument and any retrieval scheme with its associated RTM. In this manuscript, ECAS is described and demonstrated with measurements from the MetOp-A satellite Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). This scheme can be used together with other validation methodologies to give a more definitive characterization of the error and/or uncertainty of geophysical parameters retrieved from ultraspectral radiances observed from current and future satellite remote sensors such as IASI, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), and the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS).

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silverburg, Robert

2009-01-01

Astronomical studies at infrared wavelengths have dramatically improved our understanding of the universe, and observations with Spitzer, the upcoming Herschel mission, and SOFIA will continue to provide exciting new discoveries. The comparatively low spatial resolution of these missions, however, is insufficient to resolve the physical scales on which mid- to far-infrared emission arises, resulting in source and structure ambiguities that limit our ability to answer key science questions. Interferometry enables high angular resolution at these wavelengths. We have proposed a new high altitude balloon experiment, the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII). High altitude operation makes far-infrared (30- 300micron) observations possible, and BETTII's 8-meter baseline provides unprecedented angular resolution (approx. 0.5 arcsec) in this band. BETTII will use a double-Fourier instrument to simultaneously obtain both spatial and spectral information. The spatially resolved spectroscopy provided by BETTII will address key questions about the nature of disks in young cluster stars and active galactic nuclei and the envelopes of evolved stars. BETTII will also lay the groundwork for future space interferometers.

Seasonal Disappearance of Far-Infrared Haze in Titan's Stratosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jennings, Donald E.; Anderson, C. M.; Flasar, F. M.; Nixon, C. A.; Kunde, V. G.; Achterberg, R. K.; Cottini, V.; deKok, R.; Coustenis, A.; Vinatier, S.;

Synchrotron Based Fourier Transform Far-Infrared Spectroscopy of CH3NO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Twagirayezu, Sylvestre; Billinghurst, Brant E.; May, Tim; Dawadi, Mahesh B.; Perry, David S.

2013-06-01

As a slightly asymmetric top molecule (κ = 0.25) with both a free internal rotor and a methyl group, CH_3NO_2 is a benchmark system for studies of torsional motion in a 6-fold potential and of the coupling between a large amplitude vibration and other small-amplitude vibrations. For this purpose, rotationally resolved infrared spectra of CH_3NO_2, have been recorded using the Far-Infrared beamline at the Canadian Light Source, which is equipped with a high resolution Bruker IFS 125HR spectrometer. The observed infrared spectra, in the range 550-1000cm^{-1}, are the average of 300 interferometer scans collected at a nominal resolution of 0.00096cm^{-1}. Two a-type bands, centered at 657.08cm^{-1}for NO symmetric bend and at 917.99cm^{-1}for CN-stretch, have been measured. The initial analysis of a number of torsional states is currently being carried out and the progress will be reported in this talk.

Laser heterodyne detection techniques. [for atmospheric monitoring applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menzies, R. T.

1976-01-01

The principles of heterodyne radiometry are examined, taking into account thermal radiation, the Dicke microwave radiometer, photomixing in the infrared, and signal-to-noise considerations. The passive heterodyne radiometer is considered and a description is presented of heterodyne techniques in active monitoring systems. Attention is given to gas emissivities in the infrared, component requirements, experimental heterodyne detection of gases, a comparison of the passive heterodyne radiometer with the Michelson interferometer-spectrometer, airborne monitoring applications, turbulence effects on passive heterodyne radiometry, sensitivity improvements with heterodyning, atmosphere-induced degradation of bistatic system performance, pollutant detection experiments with a bistatic system, and the airborne laser absorption spectrometer. Future improvements in spectral flexibility are also discussed.

Design of a cryogenic test facility for evaluating the performance of interferometric components of the SPICA/SAFARI instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veenendaal, Ian T.; Naylor, David A.; Gom, Brad G.

2014-08-01

The Japanese SPace Infrared telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA), a 3 m class telescope cooled to ~ 6 K, will provide extremely low thermal background far-infrared observations. An imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (SAFARI) is being developed to exploit the low background provided by SPICA. Evaluating the performance of the interferometer translation stage and key optical components requires a cryogenic test facility. In this paper we discuss the design challenges of a pulse tube cooled cryogenic test facility that is under development for this purpose. We present the design of the cryostat and preliminary results from component characterization and external optical metrology.

Select Methodology for Validating Advanced Satellite Measurement Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larar, Allen M.; Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xi; Smith, William L.

2008-01-01

Advanced satellite sensors are tasked with improving global measurements of the Earth's atmosphere, clouds, and surface to enable enhancements in weather prediction, climate monitoring capability, and environmental change detection. Measurement system validation is crucial to achieving this goal and maximizing research and operational utility of resultant data. Field campaigns including satellite under-flights with well calibrated FTS sensors aboard high-altitude aircraft are an essential part of the validation task. This presentation focuses on an overview of validation methodology developed for assessment of high spectral resolution infrared systems, and includes results of preliminary studies performed to investigate the performance of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) instrument aboard the MetOp-A satellite.

Analysis and design of optically pumped far infrared oscillators and amplifiers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Galantowicz, T. A.

1978-01-01

A waveguide laser oscillator was designed and experimental measurements made of relationships among output power, pressure, pump power, pump frequency, cavity tuning, output beam pattern, and cavity mirror properties for various active gases. A waveguide regenerative amplifier was designed and gain measurements were made for various active gases. An external Fabry-Perot interferometer was fabricated and used for accurate wavelength determination and for measurements of the refractive indices of solids transparent in the far infrared. An electronic system was designed and constructed to provide an appropriate error signal for use in feedback control of pump frequency. Pump feedback from the FIR laser was decoupled using a vibrating mirror to phase modulate the pump signal.

OVMS: the optical path difference and vibration monitoring system for the LBT and its interferometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kürster, M.; Bertram, T.; Borelli, J. L.; Brix, M.; Gässler, W.; Herbst, T. M.; Naranjo, V.; Pott, J.-U.; Trowitzsch, J.; Connors, T. E.; Hinz, P. M.; McMahon, T. J.; Ashby, D. S.; Brynnel, J. G.; Cushing, N. J.; Edgin, T.; Esguerra, J. D.; Green, R. F.; Kraus, J.; Little, J.; Beckmann, U.; Weigelt, G. P.

2010-07-01

Characterisation, mitigation and correction of telescope vibrations have proven to be crucial for the performance of astronomical infrared interferometers. The project teams of the interferometers for the LBT, LINC-NIRVANA and LBTI, and LBT Observatory (LBTO) have embarked on a joint effort to implement an accelerometer-based vibration measurement system distributed over the optical elements of the LBT. OVMS, the Optical Path Difference and Vibration Monitoring System will serve to (i) ensure conditions suitable for adaptive optics (AO) and interferometric (IF) observations and (ii) utilize vibration information, converted into tip-tilt and optical path difference data, in the control strategies of the LBT adaptive secondary mirrors and the beam combining interferometers. The system hardware is mainly developed by Steward Observatory's LBTI team and its installation at the LBT is underway. The OVMS software development and associated computer infrastructure is the responsibility of the LINC-NIRVANA team at MPIA Heidelberg. Initially, the OVMS will fill a data archive provided by LBTO that will be used to study vibration data and correlate them with telescope movements and environmental parameters thereby identifiying sources of vibrations and to eliminate or mitigate them. Data display tools will help LBTO staff to keep vibrations within predefined thresholds for quiet conditions for AO and IF observations. Later-on real-time data from the OVMS will be fed into the control loops of the AO systems and IF instruments in order to permit the correction of vibration signals with frequencies up to 450 Hz.

The Primordial Inflation Explorer (PIXIE): A Nulling Polarimeter for Cosmic Microwave Background Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kogut, Alan J.; Fixsen, D. J.; Chuss, D. T.; Dotson, J.; Dwek, E.; Halpern, M.; Hinshaw, G. F.; Meyer, S. M.; Moseley, S. H.; Seiffert, M. D.;

Probing extra dimension through gravitational wave observations of compact binaries and their electromagnetic counterparts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, Hao; Gu, Bao-Min; Wang, Yong-Qiang

The future gravitational wave (GW) observations of compact binaries and their possible electromagnetic counterparts may be used to probe the nature of the extra dimension. It is widely accepted that gravitons and photons are the only two completely confirmed objects that can travel along null geodesics in our four-dimensional space-time. However, if there exist extra dimensions and only GWs can propagate freely in the bulk, the causal propagations of GWs and electromagnetic waves (EMWs) are in general different. In this paper, we study null geodesics of GWs and EMWs in a five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space-time in the presence of themore » curvature of the universe. We show that for general cases the horizon radius of GW is longer than EMW within equal time. Taking the GW150914 event detected by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory and the X-ray event detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor as an example, we study how the curvature k and the constant curvature radius l affect the horizon radii of GW and EMW in the de Sitter and Einstein-de Sitter models of the universe. This provides an alternative method for probing extra dimension through future GW observations of compact binaries and their electromagnetic counterparts.« less

A Multiwavelength Study of Cygnus X-3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCollough, M. L; Robinson, C. R.; Zhang, S. N.; Paciesas, W. S.; Harmon, B. A.; Hjellming, R. M.; Rupen, M.; Waltman, E. B.; Foster, R. S.; Ghigo, F. D.

1997-01-01

We present a global comparison of long term observations of the hard X-ray (20-100 keV), soft X-ray (1.5-12 keV), infrared (1-2 micron) and radio (2.25, 8.3 and 15 GHz) bands for the unusual X-ray binary Cygnus X-3. Data were obtained in the hard X-ray band from CGRO/BATSE, in the soft X-ray band from Rossi Xray Timing Explorer (RXTE)/ASM, in the radio band from the Green Bank Interferometer and Ryle Telescope and in the infrared band from various ground based observatories. Radio flares, quenched radio states and quiescent radio emission can all be associated with changes in the hard and soft X-ray intensity. The injection of plasma into the radio jet is directly related to changes in the hard and soft X-ray emission. The infrared observations are examined in the context of these findings.

Designing the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen

2011-01-01

While infrared astronomy has revolutionized our understanding of galaxies, stars, and planets, further progress on major questions is stymied by the inescapable fact that the spatial resolution of single-aperture telescopes degrades at long wavelengths. The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII) is an 8-meter boom interferometer to operate in the FIR (30-90 micron) on a high altitude balloon. The long baseline will provide unprecedented angular resolution (approx. 5") in this band. In order for BETTII to be successful, the gondola must be designed carefully to provide a high level of stability with optics designed to send a collimated beam into the cryogenic instrument. We present results from the first 5 months of design effort for BETTII. Over this short period of time, we have made significant progress and are on track to complete the design of BETTII during this year.

Aspheric figure generation using feedback from an infrared phase-shifting interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stahl, H. P.; Ketelsen, D.

An infrared phase-shifting interferometric system has been integrated with a novel optical figure generator at the University of Arizona Optical Sciences Center. This unique generator facility can produce generalized axially symmetric surface figures in a timely and cost-effective manner. The success of this facility depends on both its ability to efficiently remove material while forming the surface figure, and its ability to monitor the surface figure during the generation process to provide feedback to the optician. The facility has been used on several occasions to custom-generate off-axis parabolic segments. Figures to within 0.30 microns rms of the desired figure have been obtained. This paper discusses the usefulness of the infrared phase-shifting interferometric system for providing figure correcting feedback to the optician during the generation of the off-axis parabolic segments, and how it is affected by the surface roughness produced by each generator tool.

Surveying the IR corona during the 2017 solar eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryans, P.; Hannigan, J. W.; Sewell, S. D.; Judge, P. G.

2017-12-01

The spectral emission of the infrared solar corona is the most promising direct diagnostic of the coronal magnetic field, and yet remains poorly measured. During the 2017 total solar eclipse, we will perform the first spectral survey of the IR corona using the NCAR Airborne Interferometer. This Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer is configured to observe the coronal spectrum from 1.5 to 5.5 microns at R 10,000 from a ground-based site. The location is atop Casper Mountain, Wyoming (42.73ºN, 106.32ºW, 2400 masl), 8 km from the center-line of totality. In this presentation, we will outline the need for such measurements, describe the instrument design and adaptation for the eclipse measurement, observation scheme, and present preliminary results. We will also discuss implications for observing infrared coronal lines from the ground, for example with the upcoming DKIST facility.

NASA Tech Briefs, July 2012

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2012-01-01

Topics covered include: Instrument Suite for Vertical Characterization of the Ionosphere-Thermosphere System; Terahertz Radiation Heterodyne Detector Using Two-Dimensional Electron Gas in a GaN Heterostructure; Pattern Recognition Algorithm for High-Sensitivity Odorant Detection in Unknown Environments; Determining Performance Acceptability of Electrochemical Oxygen Sensors; Versatile Controller for Infrared Lamp and Heater Arrays; High-Speed Scanning Interferometer Using CMOS Image Sensor and FPGA Based on Multifrequency Phase-Tracking Detection; Ultra-Low-Power MEMS Selective Gas Sensors; Compact Receiver Front Ends for Submillimeter-Wave Applications; Dynamically Reconfigurable Systolic Array Accelerator; Blocking Losses With a Photon Counter; Motion-Capture-Enabled Software for Gestural Control of 3D Mod; Orbit Software Suite; CoNNeCT Baseband Processor Module Boot Code SoftWare (BCSW); Trajectory Software With Upper Atmosphere Model; ALSSAT Version 6.0; Employing a Grinding Technology to Assess the Microbial Density for Encapsulated Organisms; Demonstration of Minimally Machined Honeycomb Silicon Carbide Mirrors; Polyimide Aerogel Thin Films; Nanoengineered Thermal Materials Based on Carbon Nanotube Array Composites; Composite Laminate With Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Matching D263 Glass; Robust Tensioned Kevlar Suspension Design; Focal Plane Alignment Utilizing Optical CMM; Purifying, Separating, and Concentrating Cells From a Sample Low in Biomass; Virtual Ultrasound Guidance for Inexperienced Operators; Beat-to-Beat Blood Pressure Monitor; Non-Contact Conductivity Measurement for Automated Sample Processing Systems; An MSK Radar Waveform; Telescope Alignment From Sparsely Sampled Wavefront Measurements Over Pupil Subapertures; Method to Remove Particulate Matter from Dusty Gases at Low Pressures; Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser With Efficient Coupling and Beam Profile; Measurement Via Optical Near-Nulling and Subaperture Stitching; 885-nm Pumped Ceramic Nd:YAG Master Oscillator Power Amplifier Laser System; Airborne Hyperspectral Imaging System; Heat Shield Employing Cured Thermal Protection Material Blocks Bonded in a Large-Cell Honeycomb Matrix; and Asymmetric Supercapacitor for Long-Duration Power Storage.

Atomic emission spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andrew, K. H.

1975-01-01

The relationship between the Slater-Condon theory and the conditions within the atom as revealed by experimental data was investigated. The first spectrum of Si, Rb, Cl, Br, I, Ne, Ar, and Xe-136 and the second spectrum of As, Cu, and P were determined. Methods for assessing the phase stability of fringe counting interferometers and the design of an autoranging scanning system for digitizing the output of an infrared spectrometer and recording it on magnetic tape are described.

Grating Beam Combiner.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

with an nff-axis section of a 16-in. paraboloid. The expanded beam is split using a •• dielectrically coated 12.5-in. glass beam splitter at...equivalently the groove straightness). This was done prior to a recoating of the 12.5-in. beam splitter used in the interferometer after which it displayed...alternative to the full-aperture holographic sampler. It diffracts samples of an outgoing high-energy infrared (IR) beam and an incoming designator beam

1D-VAR Retrieval Using Superchannels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Xu; Zhou, Daniel; Larar, Allen; Smith, William L.; Schluessel, Peter; Mango, Stephen; SaintGermain, Karen

2008-01-01

Since modern ultra-spectral remote sensors have thousands of channels, it is difficult to include all of them in a 1D-var retrieval system. We will describe a physical inversion algorithm, which includes all available channels for the atmospheric temperature, moisture, cloud, and surface parameter retrievals. Both the forward model and the inversion algorithm compress the channel radiances into super channels. These super channels are obtained by projecting the radiance spectra onto a set of pre-calculated eigenvectors. The forward model provides both super channel properties and jacobian in EOF space directly. For ultra-spectral sensors such as Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST), a compression ratio of more than 80 can be achieved, leading to a significant reduction in computations involved in an inversion process. Results will be shown applying the algorithm to real IASI and NAST data.

Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer observations of geosynchronous satellites.

PubMed

Hindsley, Robert B; Armstrong, J Thomas; Schmitt, Henrique R; Andrews, Jonathan R; Restaino, Sergio R; Wilcox, Christopher C; Vrba, Frederick J; Benson, James A; DiVittorio, Michael E; Hutter, Donald J; Shankland, Paul D; Gregory, Steven A

2011-06-10

Using a 15.9  m baseline at the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI), we have successfully detected interferometric fringes in observations of the geosynchronous satellite (geosat) DirecTV-9S while it glinted on two nights in March 2009. The fringe visibilities can be fitted by a model consisting of two components, one resolved (≳3.7  m) and one unresolved (∼1.1  m). Both the length of the glint and the specular albedos are consistent with the notion that the glinting surfaces are not completely flat and scatter reflected sunlight into an opening angle of roughly 15°. Enhancements to the NPOI that would improve geosat observations include adding an infrared capability, which could extend the glint season, and adding larger, adaptive-optics equipped telescopes. Future work may test the feasibility of observing geosats with aperture-masked large telescopes and of developing an array of six to nine elements.

The Terrestrial Planet Finder and Darwin Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danchi, William C.

2004-01-01

Both in the United States and in Europe, teams of scientists and engineers are exploring the feasibility of the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and Darwin missions, which are designed to search for Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of nearby stars. In the US, the TPF Science Working Group is studying four options - small (4m by 6 m primary mirror) and large (4m by 10 m primary mirror) coronagraphs for planet detection at visible wavelengths, and structurally connected and free-flyer interferometers at thermal infrared wavelengths. The US TPF-SWG is charged with selecting an option for NASA by the end of 2006. In Europe the Darwin Terrestrial Exo-planet Advisory Team (TE- SAT) is exploring the free-flyer interferometer option only at this time. I will discuss the vurtures and difficulties of detecting and characterizing extra-solar planets in both wavelength regions as well as some of the technical challenges and progress in the past year.

Electromagnetic evidence that SSS17a is the result of a binary neutron star merger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilpatrick, C. D.; Foley, R. J.; Kasen, D.; Murguia-Berthier, A.; Ramirez-Ruiz, E.; Coulter, D. A.; Drout, M. R.; Piro, A. L.; Shappee, B. J.; Boutsia, K.; Contreras, C.; Di Mille, F.; Madore, B. F.; Morrell, N.; Pan, Y.-C.; Prochaska, J. X.; Rest, A.; Rojas-Bravo, C.; Siebert, M. R.; Simon, J. D.; Ulloa, N.

2017-12-01

Eleven hours after the detection of gravitational wave source GW170817 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory and Virgo Interferometers, an associated optical transient, SSS17a, was identified in the galaxy NGC 4993. Although the gravitational wave data indicate that GW170817 is consistent with the merger of two compact objects, the electromagnetic observations provide independent constraints on the nature of that system. We synthesize the optical to near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of SSS17a collected by the One-Meter Two-Hemisphere collaboration, finding that SSS17a is unlike other known transients. The source is best described by theoretical models of a kilonova consisting of radioactive elements produced by rapid neutron capture (the r-process). We conclude that SSS17a was the result of a binary neutron star merger, reinforcing the gravitational wave result.

A compact LWIR imaging spectrometer with a variable gap Fabry-Perot interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Fang; Gao, Jiaobo; Wang, Nan; Zhao, Yujie; Zhang, Lei; Gao, Shan

2017-02-01

Fourier transform spectroscopy is a widely employed method for obtaining spectra, with applications ranging from the desktop to remote sensing. The long wave infrared (LWIR) interferometric spectral imaging system is always with huge volume and large weight. In order to miniaturize and light the instrument, a new method of LWIR spectral imaging system based on a variable gap Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometer is researched. With the system working principle analyzed, theoretically, it is researched that how to make certain the primary parameter, such as, the reflectivity of the two interferometric cavity surfaces, field of view (FOV) and f-number of the imaging lens. A prototype is developed and a good experimental result of CO2 laser is obtained. The research shows that besides high throughput and high spectral resolution, the advantage of miniaturization is also simultaneously achieved in this method.

The use of a cubesat to validate technological bricks in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakotonimbahy, E.; Vives, S.; Dohlen, K.; Savini, G.; Iafolla, V.

2017-11-01

In the framework of the FP7 program FISICA (Far Infrared Space Interferometer Critical Assessment), we are developing a cubesat platform which will be used for the validation in space of two technological bricks relevant for FIRI. The first brick is a high-precision accelerometer which could be used in a future space mission as fundamental element for the dynamic control loop of the interferometer. The second brick is a miniaturized version of an imaging multi-aperture telescope. Ultimately, such an instrument could be composed of numerous space-born mirror segments flying in precise formation on baselines of hundreds or thousands of meters, providing high-resolution glimpses of distant worlds. We are proposing to build a very first space-born demonstrator of such an instrument which will fit into the limited resources of one cubesat. In this paper, we will describe the detailed design of the cubesat hosting the two payloads.

Far-forward collective scattering measurements by FIR polarimeter-interferometer on J-TEXT tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shi, P.; Chen, J., E-mail: jiech@hust.edu.cn; Gao, L.

The multi-channel three-wave polarimeter-interferometer system on J-TEXT tokamak has been exploited to measure far-forward collective scattering from electron density fluctuations. The diagnostic utilizes far infrared lasers operated at 432 μm with 17-channel vertical chords (3 cm chord spacing), covering the entire cross section of plasma. Scattering laser power is measured using a high-sensitivity Schottky planar diode mixer which can also detect polarimetric and interferometric phase simultaneously. The system provides a line-integrated measurement of density fluctuations with maximum measurable wave number: k{sub ⊥max} ≤ 2 cm{sup −1} and time response up to 350 kHz. Feasibility of the diagnostic has been tested,more » showing higher sensitivity to detect fluctuation than interferometric measurement. Capability of providing spatial-resolved information of fluctuation has also been demonstrated in preliminary experimental applications.« less

Electromagnetic evidence that SSS17a is the result of a binary neutron star merger.

PubMed

Kilpatrick, C D; Foley, R J; Kasen, D; Murguia-Berthier, A; Ramirez-Ruiz, E; Coulter, D A; Drout, M R; Piro, A L; Shappee, B J; Boutsia, K; Contreras, C; Di Mille, F; Madore, B F; Morrell, N; Pan, Y-C; Prochaska, J X; Rest, A; Rojas-Bravo, C; Siebert, M R; Simon, J D; Ulloa, N

2017-12-22

Eleven hours after the detection of gravitational wave source GW170817 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory and Virgo Interferometers, an associated optical transient, SSS17a, was identified in the galaxy NGC 4993. Although the gravitational wave data indicate that GW170817 is consistent with the merger of two compact objects, the electromagnetic observations provide independent constraints on the nature of that system. We synthesize the optical to near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of SSS17a collected by the One-Meter Two-Hemisphere collaboration, finding that SSS17a is unlike other known transients. The source is best described by theoretical models of a kilonova consisting of radioactive elements produced by rapid neutron capture (the r-process). We conclude that SSS17a was the result of a binary neutron star merger, reinforcing the gravitational wave result. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Effects of sounds generated by a dental turbine and a stream on regional cerebral blood flow and cardiovascular responses.

PubMed

Mishima, Riho; Kudo, Takumu; Tsunetsugu, Yuko; Miyazaki, Yoshifumi; Yamamura, Chie; Yamada, Yoshiaki

2004-09-01

Effects of sound generated by a dental turbine and a small stream (murmur) and the effects of no sound (null, control) on heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and hemodynamic changes (oxygenated, deoxygenated, and total hemoglobin concentrations) in the frontal cortex were measured in 18 young volunteers. Questionnaires completed by the volunteers were also evaluated. Near-infrared spectroscopy and the Finapres technique were employed to measure hemodynamic and vascular responses, respectively. The subjects assessed the murmur, null, and turbine sounds as "pleasant," "natural," and "unpleasant," respectively. Blood pressures changed in response to the murmur, null, and turbine sound stimuli as expected: lower than the control level, unchanged, and higher than the control level, respectively. Mean blood pressure values tended to increase gradually over the recording time even during the null sound stimulation, possibly because of the recording environment. Oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations decreased drastically in response to the dental turbine sound, while deoxygenated hemoglobin concentrations remained unchanged and thus total hemoglobin concentrations decreased (due to the decreased oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations). Hemodynamic responses to the murmuring sound and the null sound were slight or unchanged, respectively. Surprisingly, heart rate measurements remained fairly stable in response to the stimulatory noises. In conclusion, we demonstrate here that sound generated by a dental turbine may affect cerebral blood flow and metabolism as well as autonomic responses. Copyright 2004 The Society of the Nippon Dental University

Retrieval of volcanic ash properties from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ventress, Lucy; Carboni, Elisa; Smith, Andrew; Grainger, Don; Dudhia, Anu; Hayer, Catherine

2014-05-01

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), on board both the MetOp-A and MetOp-B platforms, is a Fourier transform spectrometer covering the mid-infrared (IR) from 645-2760cm-1 (3.62-15.5 μm) with a spectral resolution of 0.5cm-1 (apodised) and a pixel diameter at nadir of 12km. These characteristics allow global coverage to be achieved twice daily for each instrument and make IASI a very useful tool for the observation of larger aerosol particles (such as desert dust and volcanic ash) and the tracking of volcanic plumes. In recent years, following the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, interest in the the ability to detect and characterise volcanic ash plumes has peaked due to the hazards to aviation. The thermal infrared spectra shows a rapid variation with wavelength due to absorption lines from atmospheric and volcanic gases as well as broad scale features principally due to particulate absorption. The ash signature depends upon both the composition and size distribution of ash particles as well as the altitude of the volcanic plume. To retrieve ash properties, IASI brightness temperature spectra are analysed using an optimal estimation retrieval scheme and a forward model based on RTTOV. Initially, IASI pixels are flagged for the presence of volcanic ash using a linear retrieval detection method based on departures from a background state. Given a positive ash signal, the RTTOV output for a clean atmosphere (containing atmospheric gases but no cloud or aerosol/ash) is combined with an ash/cloud layer using the same scheme as for the Oxford-RAL Retrieval of Aerosol and Cloud (ORAC) algorithm. The retrieved parameters are ash optical depth (at a reference wavelength of 550nm), ash effective radius, layer altitude and surface temperature. The potential for distinguishing between different ash types is explored and a sensitivity study of the retrieval algorithm is presented. Results are shown from studies of the evolution and composition of ash plumes for recent volcanic eruptions.

Instrumental concept and preliminary performances of SIFTI: static infrared fourier transform interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hébert, Philippe-Jean; Cansot, E.; Pierangelo, C.; Buil, C.; Bernard, F.; Loesel, J.; Trémas, T.; Perrin, L.; Courau, E.; Casteras, C.; Maussang, I.; Simeoni, D.

2017-11-01

The SIFTI (Static Infrared Fourier Transform Interferometer) instrument aims at supporting an important part in a mission for atmospheric pollution sounding from space, by providing high spectral resolution and high Signal to Noise Ratio spectra of the atmosphere. They will allow to resolve tropospheric profiles of ozone (03) and carbon monoxide (C0), especially down to the planetary boundary layer (PBL), an altitude region of very high interest, though poorly monitored to date, for air quality and pollution monitoring. The retrieved profile of ozone, resp. C0, will contain 5 to 7, resp. 2.5 to 4, independent pieces of information. The French space agency CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) has proposed and is studying an instrument concept for SIFTI based on a static interferometer, where the needed optical path are generated by a pair of crossed staircase fixed mirrors (replacing the moving reflector of dynamic Fourier transform interferometers like IASI or MIPAS). With the SIFTI design, a very high spectral resolution ( 0.1 cm-1 apodised) is achieved in a very compact optical setup, allowing a large throughput, hence a high SNR. The measurements are performed in the 9.5 μm band for 03 and in the 4.6 μm band for C0. The science return of the sounder can be further increased if an "intelligent pointing" process is implemented. This consists in combining the TIR sounder with a companion TIR imager, providing information on the cloud coverage in the next observed scene. 0nboard, real-time analysis of the IR image is used to command the sounder staring mirror to cloud free areas, which will maximize the probability for probing down to the surface. After the first part of the phase A, the architecture of SIFTI was studied as a trade-off between performance and resource budget. We review the main architecture and functional choices, and their advantages. The preliminary instrument concept is then presented in its main aspects and in terms of main subsystem functions. The preliminary budgets of mass, volume, size and power are also evaluated. Eventually the science performances are estimated, at instrument level and at mission level, and are compared to the specifications. To finish, the ways forward are discussed.

Highly accurate FTIR observations from the scanning HIS aircraft instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revercomb, Henry E.; Tobin, David C.; Knuteson, Robert O.; Best, Fred A.; Smith, William L., Sr.; van Delst, Paul F. W.; LaPorte, Daniel D.; Ellington, Scott D.; Werner, Mark W.; Dedecker, Ralph G.; Garcia, Raymond K.; Ciganovich, Nick N.; Howell, Hugh B.; Olson, Erik R.; Dutcher, Steven B.; Taylor, Joseph K.

2005-01-01

Development in the mid 80s of the High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS) instrument for the high altitude NASA ER2 aircraft demonstrated the capability for advanced atmospheric temperature and water vapor sounding and set the stage for new satellite instruments that are now becoming a reality [AIRS(2002), CrIS(2006), IASI(2006), GIFTS(200?), HES(2013)]. Follow-on developments at the University of Wisconsin that employ Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) for Earth observations include the ground-based Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) and the new Scanning HIS aircraft instrument. The Scanning HIS is a smaller version of the original HIS that uses cross-track scanning to enhance spatial coverage. Scanning HIS and its close cousin, the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed (NAST), are being used for satellite instrument validation and for atmospheric research. A novel detector configuration on Scanning HIS allows the incorporation of a single focal plane and cooler with three or four spectral bands that view the same spot on the ground. The calibration accuracy of the S-HIS and results from recent field campaigns are presented, including validation comparisons with the NASA EOS infrared observations (AIRS and MODIS). Aircraft comparisons of this type provide a mechanism for periodically testing the absolute calibration of spacecraft instruments with instrumentation for which the calibration can be carefully maintained on the ground. This capability is especially valuable for assuring the long-term consistency and accuracy of climate observations, including those from the NASA EOS spacecrafts (Terra, Aqua and Aura) and the new complement of NPOESS operational instruments. It is expected that aircraft flights of the S-HIS and the NAST will be used to check the long-term stability of AIRS and the NPOESS operational follow-on sounder, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), over the life of the mission.

Optical Frequency Comb Fourier Transform Spectroscopy with Resolution Exceeding the Limit Set by the Optical Path Difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foltynowicz, Aleksandra; Rutkowski, Lucile; Johanssson, Alexandra C.; Khodabakhsh, Amir; Maslowski, Piotr; Kowzan, Grzegorz; Lee, Kevin; Fermann, Martin

2015-06-01

Fourier transform spectrometers (FTS) based on optical frequency combs (OFC) allow detection of broadband molecular spectra with high signal-to-noise ratios within acquisition times orders of magnitude shorter than traditional FTIRs based on thermal sources. Due to the pulsed nature of OFCs the interferogram consists of a series of bursts rather than a single burst at zero optical path difference (OPD). The comb mode structure can be resolved by acquiring multiple bursts, in both mechanical FTS systems and dual-comb spectroscopy. However, in all existing demonstrations the resolution was ultimately limited either by the maximum available OPD between the interferometer arms or by the total acquisition time enabled by the storage memory. We present a method that provides spectral resolution exceeding the limit set by the maximum OPD using an interferogram containing only a single burst. The method allows measurements of absorption lines narrower than the OPD-limited resolution without any influence of the instrumental lineshape function. We demonstrate this by measuring undistorted CO2 and CO absorption lines with linewidth narrower than the OPD-limited resolution using OFC-based mechanical FTS in the near- and mid-infrared wavelength ranges. The near-infrared system is based on an Er:fiber femtosecond laser locked to a high finesse cavity, while the mid-infrared system is based on a Tm:fiber-laser-pumped optical parametric oscillator coupled to a multi-pass cell. We show that the method allows acquisition of high-resolution molecular spectra with interferometer length orders of magnitude shorter than traditional FTIR. Mandon, J., G. Guelachvili, and N. Picque, Nat. Phot., 2009. 3(2): p. 99-102. Zeitouny, M., et al., Ann. Phys., 2013. 525(6): p. 437-442. Zolot, A.M., et al., Opt. Lett., 2012. 37(4): p. 638-640.

NLTE modeling of a small active region filament observed with the VTT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, P.; Balthasar, H.; Kuckein, C.; Koza, J.; Gömöry, P.; Rybák, J.; Heinzel, P.; Kučera, A.

2016-11-01

An active region mini-discretionary-filament was observed with the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) in Tenerife simultaneously in the He I infrared triplet using the Tenerife Infrared Polarimeter 1 (TIP 1), in Hα with the TESOS Fabry-Pérot interferometer, and in Ca II 8542 Å with the VTT spectrograph. The spectropolarimetric data were inverted using the HAZEL code and Hα profiles were modelled by solving a NLTE radiative transfer in a simple isobaric and isothermal 2D slab irradiated both from its bottom and sides from the solar surface. It was found that the mini-discretionary-filament is composed of horizontal fluxtubes, along which the cool plasma of T˜10 000 K can flow with very large, even supersonic, velocities.

Director's Discretionary Fund Report for Fiscal Year 1996

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Topics covered include: Waterproofing the Space Shuttle tiles, thermal protection system for Reusable Launch Vehicles, computer modeling of the thermal conductivity of cometary ice, effects of ozone depletion and ultraviolet radiation on plants, a novel telemetric biosensor to monitor blood pH on-line, ion mobility in polymer electrolytes for lithium-polymer batteries, a microwave-pumped far infrared photoconductor, and a new method for measuring cloud liquid vapor using near infrared remote sensing. Also included: laser-spectroscopic instrument for turbulence measurement, remote sensing of aircraft contrails using a field portable imaging interferometer, development of a silicon-micromachined gas chromatography system for determination of planetary surface composition, planar Doppler velocimetry, chaos in interstellar chemistry, and a limited pressure cycle engine for high-speed output.

Determination of atmospheric moisture structure and infrared cooling rates from high resolution MAMS radiance data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menzel, W. Paul; Moeller, Christopher C.; Smith, William L.

1991-01-01

This program has applied Multispectral Atmospheric Mapping Sensor (MAMS) high resolution data to the problem of monitoring atmospheric quantities of moisture and radiative flux at small spatial scales. MAMS, with 100-m horizontal resolution in its four infrared channels, was developed to study small scale atmospheric moisture and surface thermal variability, especially as related to the development of clouds, precipitation, and severe storms. High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS) data has been used to develop a high spectral resolution retrieval algorithm for producing vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and moisture. The results of this program are summarized and a list of publications resulting from this contract is presented. Selected publications are attached as an appendix.

Study of plastic strain localization mechanisms caused by nonequilibrium transitions in mesodefect ensembles under high-speed loading

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sokovikov, Mikhail, E-mail: sokovikov@icmm.ru; Chudinov, Vasiliy; Bilalov, Dmitry

2015-10-27

The behavior of specimens dynamically loaded during split Hopkinson (Kolsky) bar tests in a regime close to simple shear conditions was studied. The lateral surface of the specimens was investigated in-situ using a high-speed infrared camera CEDIP Silver 450M. The temperature field distribution obtained at different time allowed one to trace the evolution of plastic strain localization. The process of target perforation involving plug formation and ejection was examined using a high-speed infrared camera and a VISAR velocity measurement system. The microstructure of tested specimens was analyzed using an optical interferometer-profiler and a scanning electron microscope. The development of plasticmore » shear instability regions has been simulated numerically.« less

Trace hydrogen sulfide gas sensor based on tungsten sulfide membrane-coated thin-core fiber modal interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Dashen; Feng, Wenlin; Wei, Jianwei; Qin, Xiang; Chen, Rong

2017-11-01

A novel fiber-optic hydrogen sulfide sensor based on a thin-core Mach-Zehnder fiber modal interferometer (TMZFI) is demonstrated and fabricated. This in-line interferometer is composed of a short section of thin-core fiber sandwiched between two standard single mode fibers, and the fast response to hydrogen sulfide is achieved via the construction of tungsten sulfide film on the outside surface of the TMZFI using the dip-coating and calcination technique. The fabricated sensing nanofilm is characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectrometer, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and spectroscopic analysis technology, etc. Experimental results showed that the WS2 sensing film has a hexagonal structure with a compact and porous morphology. The XPS and FTIR indicate that the existence of two elements (W and S) is demonstrated. With the increasing concentration of hydrogen sulfide, the interference spectra appear blue shift. In addition, a high sensitivity of 18.37 pm/ppm and a good linear relationship are obtained within a measurement range from 0 to 80 ppm. In addition, there is an excellent selectivity for H2S, which has also been proved by the surface adsorption energy results of tungsten sulfide with four gases (H2S, N2, O2 and CO2) by using the density functional theory calculations. This interferometer has the advantages of simple structure, high sensitivity and easy manufacture, and could be used in the safety monitoring field of hydrogen sulfide gas.

IBIS: An Interferometer-Based Imaging System for Detecting Extrasolar Planets with a Next Generation Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diner, David J.

1989-01-01

The direct detection of extrasolar planetary systems is a challenging observational objective. The observing system must be able to detect faint planetary signals against the background of diffracted and scattered starlight, zodiacal light, and in the IR, mirror thermal radiation. As part of a JPL study, we concluded that the best long-term approach is a 10-20 m filled-aperture telescope operating in the thermal IR (10-15 microns). At these wavelengths, the star/planet flux ratio is on the order of 10(exp 6)-10(exp 8). Our study supports the work of Angel et al., who proposed a cooled 16-m IR telescope and a special apodization mask to suppress the stellar light within a limited angular region around the star. Our scheme differs in that it is capable of stellar suppression over a much broader field-of- view, enabling more efficient planet searches. To do this, certain key optical signal-processing components are needed, including a coronagraph to apodize the stellar diffraction pattern, an infrared interferometer to provide further starlight suppression, a complementary visible-wavelength interferometer to sense figure errors in the telescope optics, and a deformable mirror to adaptively compensate for these errors. Because of the central role of interferometry we have designated this concept the Interferometer-Based Imaging System (IBIS). IBIS incorporates techniques originally suggested by Ken Knight for extrasolar planet detection at visible wavelengths. The type of telescope discussed at this workshop is well suited to implementation of the IBIS concept.

Enabling two-dimensional fourier transform electronic spectroscopy on quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, Robert John, Jr.

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals exhibit unique properties not seen in their bulk counterparts. Quantum confinement of carriers causes a size-tunable bandgap, making them attractive candidates for solar cells. Fundamental understanding of their spectra and carrier dynamics is obscured by inhomogeneous broadening arising from the size distribution. Because quantum dots have long excited state lifetimes and are sensitive to both air and moisture, there are many potential artifacts in femtosecond experiments. Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy promises insight into the photo-physics, but required key instrumental advances. Optics that can process a broad bandwidth without distortion are required for a two-dimensional optical spectrometer. To control pathlength differences for femtosecond time delays, hollow retro-reflectors are used on actively stabilized delay lines in interferometers. The fabrication of rigid, lightweight, precision hollow rooftop retroreflectors that allow beams to be stacked while preserving polarization is described. The rigidity and low mass enable active stabilization of an interferometer to within 0.6 nm rms displacement, while the return beam deviation is sufficient for Fourier transform spectroscopy with a frequency precision of better than 1 cm -1. Keeping samples oxygen and moisture free while providing fresh sample between laser shots is challenging in an interferometer. A low-vibration spinning sample cell was designed and built to keep samples oxygen free for days while allowing active stabilization of interferometer displacement to ˜1 nm. Combining these technologies has enabled 2D short-wave infrared spectroscopy on colloidal PbSe nanocrystals. 2D spectra demonstrate the advantages of this key instrumentation while providing valuable insight into the low-lying electronic states of colloidal quantum dots.

Multiorder etalon sounder (MOES) development and test for balloon experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hays, Paul B.; Wnag, Jinxue; Wu, Jian

1993-01-01

The Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI), with its high throughput and high spectral resolution has been used in the remote-sensing measurements of the earth's atmospheric composition, winds, and temperatures. The most recent satellite instruments include the Fabry-Perot interferometer flown on the Dynamics Explorer-2 (DE-2), the High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI), and the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) flown on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). These instruments measure the Doppler line profiles of the emission and absorption of certain atmospheric species (such as atomic oxygen) in the visible and infrared spectral region. The successful space flight of DE-FPI, HRDI, and CLAES on UARS demonstrated the extremely high spectral resolution and ruggedness of the etalon system for the remote sensing of earth and planetary atmospheres. Recently, an innovative FPI focal plane detection technique called the Circle-to-Line Interferometer Optical (CLIO) system was invented at the Space Physics Research Laboratory. The CLIO simplifies the FPI focal plane detection process by converting the circular rings or fringes into a linear pattern similar to that produced by a conventional spectrometer, while retaining the throughput advantage of the etalon interferometer. The combination of FPI and CLIO allows the development of more sensitive Fabry-Perot interferometers in the infrared for the remote sensing of the lower atmospheres of Earth and possibly other planets. The Multiorder Etalon Sounder (MOES), a combination of the rugged etalon and the CLIO, compares very favorably to other space-borne optical instruments in terms of performance versus complexity. The new instrument is expected to be rugged, compact, and very suitable for an operational temperature and moisture sounder. With this technique, the contamination of radiance measurements by emissions of other gases is also minimized. At the Space Physics Research Laboratory (SPRL), the MOES concept and laboratory experiments were worked on for the past several years. Both theoretical studies and laboratory prototype experiments showed that MOES is very competitive compared with other high resolution sounders in terms of complexity and performance and has great potential as a compact and rugged high resolution atmospheric temperature and trace species sounder from the polar platform or the geostationary platform. The logical next step is to convert our laboratory prototype to a balloon instrument, so that field test of MOES can be carried out to prove the feasibility and capability of this new technology. Some of the activities related to the development of MOES for a possible balloon flight demonstration are described. Those research activities include the imaging quality study on the CLIO, the design and construction of a MOES laboratory prototype, the test and calibration of the MOES prototype, and the design of the balloon flight gondola.

Operational Implementation Design for the Earth System Prediction Capability (ESPC): A First-Look

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-20

Hybrid NAVDAS-AR data assimilation system assisting by providing dynamic estimates of the error in the background forecasts. 2.1.2 NAVDAS-AR – the...directly assimilates radiances from microwave radiometers and from interferometers and spectrometers in the infrared, and bending angle from Global...real-time analysis (at +3:00). Late in the 12-hr watch (around +8:00), a post-time NAVGEM/NAVDAS-AR run generates the background fields for the next

DISENTANGLING CONFUSED STARS AT THE GALACTIC CENTER WITH LONG-BASELINE INFRARED INTERFEROMETRY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stone, Jordan M.; Eisner, J. A.; Monnier, J. D.

2012-08-01

We present simulations of Keck Interferometer ASTRA and VLTI GRAVITY observations of mock star fields in orbit within {approx}50 mas of Sgr A*. Dual-field phase referencing techniques, as implemented on ASTRA and planned for GRAVITY, will provide the sensitivity to observe Sgr A* with long-baseline infrared interferometers. Our results show an improvement in the confusion noise limit over current astrometric surveys, opening a window to study stellar sources in the region. Since the Keck Interferometer has only a single baseline, the improvement in the confusion limit depends on source position angles. The GRAVITY instrument will yield a more compact andmore » symmetric point-spread function, providing an improvement in confusion noise which will not depend as strongly on position angle. Our Keck results show the ability to characterize the star field as containing zero, few, or many bright stellar sources. We are also able to detect and track a source down to m{sub K} {approx} 18 through the least confused regions of our field of view at a precision of {approx}200 {mu}as along the baseline direction. This level of precision improves with source brightness. Our GRAVITY results show the potential to detect and track multiple sources in the field. GRAVITY will perform {approx}10 {mu}as astrometry on an m{sub K} = 16.3 source and {approx}200 {mu}as astrometry on an m{sub K} = 18.8 source in 6 hr of monitoring a crowded field. Monitoring the orbits of several stars will provide the ability to distinguish between multiple post-Newtonian orbital effects, including those due to an extended mass distribution around Sgr A* and to low-order general relativistic effects. ASTRA and GRAVITY both have the potential to detect and monitor sources very close to Sgr A*. Early characterizations of the field by ASTRA, including the possibility of a precise source detection, could provide valuable information for future GRAVITY implementation and observation.« less

Electro-optic correlator for large-format microwave interferometry: Up-conversion and correlation stages performance analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, D.; Casas, Francisco J.; Ruiz-Lombera, R.; Mirapeix, J.

2017-04-01

In this paper, a microwave interferometer prototype with a near-infra-red optical correlator is proposed as a solution to get a large-format interferometer with hundreds of receivers for radio astronomy applications. A 10 Gbits/s Lithium Niobate modulator has been tested as part of an electro-optic correlator up-conversion stage that will be integrated in the interferometer prototype. Its internal circuitry consists of a single-drive modulator biased by a SubMiniature version A (SMA) connector allowing to up-convert microwave signals with bandwidths up to 12.5 GHz to the near infrared band. In order to characterize it, a 12 GHz tone and a bias voltage were applied to the SMA input using a polarization tee. Two different experimental techniques to stabilize the modulator operation point in its minimum optical carrier output power are described. The best achieved results showed a rather stable spectrum in amplitude and wavelength at the output of the modulator with an optical carrier level 23 dB lower than the signal of interest. On the other hand, preliminary measurements were made to analyze the correlation stage, using 4f and 6f optical configurations to characterize both the antenna/fiber array configuration and the corresponding point spread function.

Early Results from the Odyssey THEMIS Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, Philip R.; Bandfield, Joshua L.; Bell, James F., III; Hamilton, Victoria E.; Ivanov, Anton; Jakosky, Bruce M.; Kieffer, Hugh H.; Lane, Melissa D.; Malin, Michael C.; McConnochie, Timothy

2003-01-01

The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) began studying the surface and atmosphere of Mars in February, 2002 using thermal infrared (IR) multi-spectral imaging between 6.5 and 15 m, and visible/near-IR images from 450 to 850 nm. The infrared observations continue a long series of spacecraft observations of Mars, including the Mariner 6/7 Infrared Spectrometer, the Mariner 9 Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS), the Viking Infrared Thermal Mapper (IRTM) investigations, the Phobos Termoscan, and the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS TES). The THEMIS investigation's specific objectives are to: (1) determine the mineralogy of localized deposits associated with hydrothermal or sub-aqueous environments, and to identify future landing sites likely to represent these environments; (2) search for thermal anomalies associated with active sub-surface hydrothermal systems; (3) study small-scale geologic processes and landing site characteristics using morphologic and thermophysical properties; (4) investigate polar cap processes at all seasons; and (5) provide a high spatial resolution link to the global hyperspectral mineral mapping from the TES investigation. THEMIS provides substantially higher spatial resolution IR multi-spectral images to complement TES hyperspectral (143-band) global mapping, and regional visible imaging at scales intermediate between the Viking and MGS cameras.

Monitoring a local extreme weather event with the scope of hyperspectral sounding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satapathy, Jyotirmayee; Jangid, Buddhi Prakash

2018-06-01

Operational space-based hyperspectral Infrared sounders retrieve atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles from the measured radiances. These sounders like Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder, Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer as well as INSAT-3D sounders on geostationary orbit have proved to be very successful in providing these retrievals on global and regional scales, respectively, with good enough spatio-temporal resolutions and are well competent with that of traditional profiles from radiosondes and models fields. The aim of this work is to show how these new generation hyperspectral Infrared sounders can benefit in real-time weather monitoring. We have considered a regional extreme weather event to demonstrate how the profiles retrieved from these operational sounders are consistent with the environmental conditions which have led to this severe weather event. This work has also made use of data products of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer as well as by radiative transfer simulation of clear and cloudy atmospheric conditions using Numerical Weather Prediction profiles in conjunction with INSAT-3D sounder. Our results indicate the potential use of high-quality hyperspectral atmospheric profiles to aid in delineation of real-time weather prediction.

Constraints on Circumstellar Dust Grain Sizes from High Spatial Resolution Observations in the Thermal Infrared

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloemhof, E. E.; Danen, R. M.; Gwinn, C. R.

1996-01-01

We describe how high spatial resolution imaging of circumstellar dust at a wavelength of about 10 micron, combined with knowledge of the source spectral energy distribution, can yield useful information about the sizes of the individual dust grains responsible for the infrared emission. Much can be learned even when only upper limits to source size are available. In parallel with high-resolution single-telescope imaging that may resolve the more extended mid-infrared sources, we plan to apply these less direct techniques to interpretation of future observations from two-element optical interferometers, where quite general arguments may be made despite only crude imaging capability. Results to date indicate a tendency for circumstellar grain sizes to be rather large compared to the Mathis-Rumpl-Nordsieck size distribution traditionally thought to characterize dust in the general interstellar medium. This may mean that processing of grains after their initial formation and ejection from circumstellar atmospheres adjusts their size distribution to the ISM curve; further mid-infrared observations of grains in various environments would help to confirm this conjecture.

Foreword

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aime, C.; Soummer, R.

This book reports the proceedings of the second Journées d'Imagerie grave{a} Très Haute Dynamique et Détection d'Exoplanètes (Days on High Contrast Imaging and Exoplanets Detection) that were held in Nice in October, 6-10, 2003 with the joint efforts of the Collège de France, the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) and the Laboratoire Universitaire d'Astrophysique de Nice which organized the meeting. The first Journées led to the publication of Volume 8, 2003 EAS Publications Series: Astronomy with High Contrast Imaging: From Planetary Systems to Active Galactic Nuclei that collected 33 papers presented during the session of May, 13-16, 2002. It covered a very large domain of research in high contrast imaging for exoplanet detection: astrophysical science (from protoplanetary disks to AGNs), instruments and techniques (from coronagraphy to nulling), data processing. These Journées took place because of the need of a working session giving enough time to the participants to explain their work and understand that of their colleagues. The second Journées took the form of an École thématique du CNRS. The courses were held in French, but the reports are in English. The present edition reports 29 courses and short presentations given at this occasion. The texts correspond to original presentations, and a few communications, too similar to those of 2002, were not reported here to avoid duplication. This makes the two books complementary. The general theme of the school was similar to that of the former meeting, with a marked teaching objective. The courses and presentations were also more centered in optics and instrumental techniques. The main idea was to study what we could call “exoplanetographs”, instruments using apodisation, coronagraphy, nulling or other techniques to directly record the light of an exoplanet. Fundamental aspects of signal processing were deferred to a third edition of the school. A very short explanation of how the reports are ordered is given here. The Journées of 2003 started with the delocalized lectures (delocalized means here “not in Paris”!) of the Collège de France, of Antoine Labeyrie who wrote a report on Removal of coronagraphy residues with an adaptive hologram. Three invited seminars follow: Olivier Guyon (Pupil remapping techniques), Daniel Rouan (Ultra-nulling interferometers), and Kjetil Dohlen (Phase masks in astronomy). An illustration from Daniel Rouan's talk on the properties of Prouhet-Thué-Morse series was also selected for the cover figure of this edition. These papers are followed by the courses and communications given during the 4 days of the school, in a slightly different order of their presentation. The first two days were on atmospheric turbulence and adaptive optics for coronagraphy, and also coronagraphic space projects. Steve Ridgway gives a general introduction to the problem (Astronomy with high contrast imaging). This is followed by a presentation on Fourier and Statistical Optics: Shaped and Apodized apertures (Claude Aime), The effect of a coronagraph on the statistics of adaptive optics pinned speckles (Claude Aime and Rémi Soummer). A general introduction to the problem of atmospheric turbulence is made by Julien Borgnino. A presentation of the Concordia site with emphasis on its advantages for high contrast imaging is given by Eric Fossat. Several presentations relative to numerical simulations of Adaptive Optics and coronagraphy follow: Marcel Carbillet (AO for very high contrast imaging), Lyu Abe and Anthony Boccaletti share two presentations on Numerical simulations for coronagraphy. These presentations are followed by reports on experiments: Sandrine Thomas (SAM-the SOAR adaptive module), Pierre Baudoz (Cryogenic IR test of the 4QPM coronagraph), Anthony Boccaletti (Coronagraphy with JWST in the thermal IR). Pierre Bourget (Hg-Mask Coronagraph) ends this part with a coronagraph using a mercury drop as a Lyot mask. The next session focused on nulling interferometry and we gather here the corresponding contribution. Two complementary reports on theory and experiment of Bracewell interferometry were made by Yves Rabbia (Theoretical aspects of Darwin) and Marc Ollivier (Experimental aspects of Darwin). Olivier Absil gave a report on the ground based nulling interferometer experiment (Effects of atmospheric turbulence on GENIE) and Valérie Weber on MAII (Nulling interferometric broadbord). A comparison between nulling and different classes of coronagraphs was made by Olivier Guyon (Coronagraphy vs. nulling). A few prospective papers have been regrouped at the end of the book: Interferometric remapped array nulling (Lyu Abe), Multiple-stage apodized Lyot coronagraph (Claude Aime and Rémi Soummer), Piston sensor using dispersed speckles (Virginie Borkowski), Principle of a coaxial achromatic interfero coronagraph (Jean Gay), Coronagraphic imaging on the VLTI with VIDA (Olivier Lardière), Phase contrast apodisation (Frantz Martinache) The last section regroups science aspects and results on sky, using high contrast imaging: Low mass companions searches using high dynamic range imaging (Jean-Luc Beuzit). The last paper by Claire Moutou (Ground-based direct imaging of exoplanets) can be read as a prospective conclusion of the Journées. C. Aime and R. Soummer

A freely available real-time operating system well suited for astronomy and the physical sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedretti, Ettore; Monnier, John D.; Thureau, Nathalie D.; Berger, David H.

2006-06-01

This paper wants to be a practical example in building a real-time data-acquisition and control system from scratch using relatively non-expensive PC hardware and open-source software. The practical example of building the control system for the Michigan Infrared Combiner (MIRC) at the CHARA interferometer will be used to give the reader a 'hands-on' experience in installing and configuring the RTAI-Fusion real-time operating system and developing a complete control system with it.

Contactless ultrasonic device to measure surface acoustic wave velocities versus temperature.

PubMed

Hubert, C; Nadal, M H; Ravel-Chapuis, G; Oltra, R

2007-02-01

A complete optical experimental setup for generating and detecting surface acoustic waves [Rayleigh waves (RWs)] in metals versus temperature up to the melting point is described. The RWs were excited by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser and detected by a high sensitivity subangstrom heterodyne interferometer. A special furnace was used to heat the sample using infrared radiation with a regulation of the sample temperature less than 0.1 K. First measurements on an aluminum alloy sample are presented to validate the setup.

Long baseline interferometric observations of HD 195019: no K dwarf companion detected

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koresko, C.; Memmesson, B.; Boden, A. F.; Akeson, R. L.; Fisher, D. A.; Butter, R. P.; Marcy, G. W.; Vogt, S. S.

2003-01-01

Radial velocity measurements of the G3V/IV star HD 195019 revealed the presence of an orbiting companion with m sin(i) = 3.5 Jupiter masses and a period of 18 days. Here we present new visability measurements obtained at the Palomar Testbed Interferometer which rule out any companion in an orbit consistent with the spectroscopic data and having more than 1% of the flux of the primary star in the near-infrared K band.

Optical Testing of Diamond Machined, Aspheric Mirrors for Groundbased, Near-IR Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambers, V. John; Mink, Ronald G.; Ohl, Raymond G.; Connelly, Joseph A.; Mentzell, J. Eric; Arnold, Steven M.; Greenhouse, Matthew A.; Winsor, Robert S.; MacKenty, John W.

2002-01-01

The Infrared Multi-Object Spectrometer (IRMOS) is a facility-class instrument for the Kitt Peak National Observatory 4 and 2.1 meter telescopes. IRMOS is a near-IR (0.8-2.5 micron) spectrometer and operates at approximately 80 K. The 6061-T651 aluminum bench and mirrors constitute an athermal design. The instrument produces simultaneous spectra at low- to mid-resolving power (R=lambda/delta lambda= 300-3000) of approximately 100 objects in its 2.8 x 2.0 arcmin field. We describe ambient and cryogenic optical testing of the IRMOS mirrors across a broad range in spatial frequency (figure error, mid-frequency error, and microroughness). The mirrors include three rotationally symmetric, off-axis conic sections, one off-axis biconic, and several flat fold mirrors. The symmetric mirrors include convex and concave prolate and oblate ellipsoids. They range in aperture from 94x86 mm to 286x269 mm and in f-number from 0.9 to 2.4. The biconic mirror is concave and has a 94x76 mm aperture, R(sub x)=377 mm, k(sub x)=0.0778, R(sub y)=407 mm, and k(sub y)=0.1265 and is decentered by -2 mm in X and 227 mm in Y. All of the mirrors have an aspect ratio of approximately 6:1. The surface error fabrication tolerances are less than 10 nm RMS microroughness, 'best effort' for mid-frequency error, and less than 63.3 nm RMS figure error. Ambient temperature (approximately 293 K) testing is performed for each of the three surface error regimes, and figure testing is also performed at approximately 80 K. Operation of the ADE Phaseshift MicroXAM white light interferometer (micro-roughness) and the Bauer Model 200 profilometer (mid-frequency error) is described. Both the sag and conic values of the aspheric mirrors make these tests challenging. Figure testing is performed using a Zygo GPI interferometer, custom computer generated holograms (CGH), and optomechanical alignment fiducials. Cryogenic CGH null testing is discussed in detail. We discuss complications such as the change in prescription with temperature and thermal gradients. Correction for the effect of the dewar window is also covered. We discuss the error budget for the optical test and alignment procedure. Data reduction is accomplished using commercial optical design and data analysis software packages. Results from CGH testing at cryogenic temperatures are encouraging thus far.

The Beauty and Limitations of 10 Micron Heterodyne Interferometry (ISI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danchi, William C.

2003-01-01

Until recently, heterodyne interferometry at 10 microns has been the only successful technique for stellar interferometry in the very difficult atmospheric window from 9-12 microns. For most of its operational lifetime the U.C. Berkeley Infrared Spatial Interferometer was a single-baseline two telescope (1.65 m aperture) system using CO2 lasers as local oscillators. This instrument was designed and constructed from 1983-1988, and first fringes were obtained at Mt. Wilson in June 1988. During the past few years, a third telescope was constructed and just recently the first closure phases were obtained at 11.15 microns. We discuss the history, physics and technology of heterodyne interferometry in the mid-infrared, and some key astronomical results that have come from this unique instrument.

Adaptive optics and interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beichman, Charles A.; Ridgway, Stephen

1991-01-01

Adaptive optics and interferometry, two techniques that will improve the limiting resolution of optical and infrared observations by factors of tens or even thousands, are discussed. The real-time adjustment of optical surfaces to compensate for wavefront distortions will improve image quality and increase sensitivity. The phased operation of multiple telescopes separated by large distances will make it possible to achieve very high angular resolution and precise positional measurements. Infrared and optical interferometers that will manipulate light beams and measure interference directly are considered. Angular resolutions of single telescopes will be limited to around 10 milliarcseconds even using the adaptive optics techniques. Interferometry would surpass this limit by a factor of 100 or more. Future telescope arrays with 100-m baselines (resolution of 2.5 milliarcseconds at a 1-micron wavelength) are also discussed.

Stratospheric NO and NO2 profiles at sunset from analysis of high-resolution balloon-borne infrared solar absorption spectra obtained at 33 deg N and calculations with a time-dependent photochemical model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinsland, C. P.; Boughner, R. E.; Larsen, J. C.; Goldman, A.; Murcray, F. J.; Murcray, D. G.

1984-01-01

Simultaneous stratospheric vertical profiles of NO and NO2 at sunset were derived from an analysis of infrared solar absorption spectra recorded from a float altitude of 33 km with an interferometer system during a balloon flight. A nonlinear least squares procedure was used to analyze the spectral data in regions of absorption by NO and NO2 lines. Normalized factors, determined from calculations of time dependent altitude profiles with a detailed photochemical model, were included in the onion peeling analysis to correct for the rapid diurnal changes in NO and NO2 concentrations with time near sunset. The CO2 profile was also derived from the analysis and is reported.

Photoacoustic Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy Of Solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidrine, D. Warren

1981-10-01

After discovering the photoacoustic effect, Alexander Graham Bell predicted its use in spectrometers, and that it would find its greatest utility "in the ultra-red." More than ninety years were required to fulfil his first prediction, and the second is still a prophecy. There is no record whether he ever imagined that an invention being developed that same winter by a young protege of his named Albert Michelson would ever be combined with his photoacoustic effect. A century later, the combination was made by Farrow Burnham, and Eyring, using a visible-range interferometer spectrometer of their own design. Soon afterwards, Rockley and myself, working independently, applied the technique to infrared measurements of solid samples. Photoacoustic cells are now commercially available as FT-IR accessories, and the technique is in use in the field.

Experimental and numerical study of plastic shear instability under high-speed loading conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sokovikov, Mikhail, E-mail: sokovikov@icmm.ru, E-mail: naimark@icmm.ru; Chudinov, Vasiliy, E-mail: sokovikov@icmm.ru, E-mail: naimark@icmm.ru; Bilalov, Dmitry, E-mail: sokovikov@icmm.ru, E-mail: naimark@icmm.ru

2014-11-14

The behavior of specimens dynamically loaded during the split Hopkinson (Kolsky) bar tests in a regime close to simple shear conditions was studied. The lateral surface of the specimens was investigated in a real-time mode with the aid of a high-speed infra-red camera CEDIP Silver 450M. The temperature field distribution obtained at different time made it possible to trace the evolution of plastic strain localization. The process of target perforation involving plug formation and ejection was examined using a high-speed infra-red camera and a VISAR velocity measurement system. The microstructure of tested specimens was analyzed using an optical interferometer-profilometer andmore » a scanning electron microscope. The development of plastic shear instability regions has been simulated numerically.« less

Illuminating Gravitational Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasliwal, Mansi; GROWTH (Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen) Team

2018-01-01

On August 17 2017, for the first time, an electromagnetic counterpart to gravitational waves was detected. Two neutron stars merged and lit up the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from gamma-rays to the radio. The infrared signature vividly demonstrates that neutron star mergers are indeed the long-sought production sites that forge heavy elements by r-process nucleosynthesis. The weak gamma-rays are dissimilar to classical short gamma-ray bursts with ultra-relativistic jets. Instead, by synthesizing a panchromatic dataset, we suggest that break-out of a wide-angle, mildly-relativistic cocoon engulfing the jet elegantly explains the low-luminosity gamma-rays, the high-luminosity ultraviolet-optical-infrared and the delayed radio/X-ray emission. I conclude with the promise of a literally bright and loud future, thanks to even more sensitive survey telescopes and gravitational wave interferometers.

An FTIR point sensor for identifying chemical WMD and hazardous materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norman, Mark L.; Gagnon, Aaron M.; Reffner, John A.; Schiering, David W.; Allen, Jeffrey D.

2004-03-01

A new point sensor for identifying chemical weapons of mass destruction and other hazardous materials based on Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is presented. The sensor is a portable, fully functional FT-IR system that features a miniaturized Michelson interferometer, an integrated diamond attenuated total reflection (ATR) sample interface, and an embedded on-board computer. Samples are identified by an automated search algorithm that compares their infrared spectra to digitized databases that include reference spectra of nerve and blister agents, toxic industrial chemicals, and other hazardous materials. The hardware and software are designed for use by technicians with no background in infrared spectroscopy. The unit, which is fully self-contained, can be hand-carried and used in a hot zone by personnel in Level A protective gear, and subsequently decontaminated by spraying or immersion. Wireless control by a remote computer is also possible. Details of the system design and performance, including results of field validation tests, are discussed.

Thermal stability of lightweight graphite glass sandwich reflectors for far infrared astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bluege, J. H.; Mayor, R. A.; Hoffman, W. F.

1986-01-01

Graphite fiber-reinforced glass matrix composites are being developed for a variety of structural applications requiring excellent thermomechanical stability. These materials are ideally suited for lightweight, high strength, thermally stable infrared mirrors because of their low density, low thermal expansion, high strength and stiffness, and their ability to be machined, replicated and figured using standard polishing techniques. These properties are particularly promising for applications such as a 3-meter balloon-borne far-infrared and submillimeter telescope mirror which must be both very lightweight and able to retain its figure accuracy when cycled between room temperature and its operating temperature of -50 C. This paper presents the results of a set of low temperature optical tests conducted to determine the figure stability of a 30-cm diameter, frit-bonded graphite/glass mirror in the +20 to -60 C temperature range using a 10.6 micron laser interferometer. The results indicate that the residual change in figure was less than 0.3 microns, rms.

Development Challenges of Utilizing a Corner Cube Mechanism Design with Successful IASI Flight Heritage for the Infrared Sounder (IRS) on MTG: Recurrent Mechanical Design not Correlated to Recurrent Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spanoudakis, Peter; Schwab, Philippe; Kiener, Lionel; Saudan, Herve; Perruchoud, Gerald

2015-09-01

The Corner Cube Mechanism (CCM) design for the Infra-Red Sounder (IRS) on MTG is based on the successful mechanism currently in orbit on the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometers (IASI) on the Metop satellites. The overall CCM performance is described with attention given to the specific design developments for the MTG project. A description is presented of the modifications introduced and challenges encountered to adapt the IASI space heritage design (which is only 15 years old) to meet the MTG specifications. A detailed account is provided regarding the tests performed on the adapted components for the new programme. The major issues encountered and solutions proposed are illustrated concerning the voice- coil actuator development, optical switch design, fatigue life of the flexure components and the adaptation of the launch locking device. Nevertheless, an Engineering Qualification Model was rapidly manufactured and now undergoing a qualification test campaign.

Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) on Cassini

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jennings, Donald E.; Flasar, F. M.; Kunde, V. G.; Nixon, C. A.; Segura, M. E.; Romani, P. N.; Gorius, N.; Albright, S.; Brasunas, J. C.; Carlson, R. C.;

Sensor development in the Shuttle era. [infrared temperature sounders and microwave radiometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerding, R. B.; Mantarakis, P. Z.; Webber, D. S.

1975-01-01

The use of the Space Shuttle in the development of earth observation sensors is examined. Two sensor classes are selected for case histories: infrared temperature sounders and microwave radiometers. The most significant finding in each of the developmental studies of these two sensor classes is considered to be the feasibility and value of using the Shuttle/Spacelab as a test vehicle for the operation in space of a versatile multimode experimental sensor. The Shuttle Electrically Scanned Microwave Radiometer and the Shuttle Infrared Interferometer are found to be the most effective instruments in this context. The Shuttle/Spacelab Sortie mission characteristics provide opportunities for new approaches to the development of sensors, using the Shuttle as a test vehicle to improve the efficiency of the process with respect to time, cost, and/or quality of the final product. As for crew functions, the short-term Spacelab mission requires some near real-time evaluation of data quality and sensor function in order to insure efficient data collection.

First Images of R Aquarii and Its Asymmetric H2O Shell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragland, S.; Le Coroller, H.; Pluzhnik, E.; Cotton, W. D.; Danchi, W. C.; Monnier, J. D.; Traub, W. A.; Willson, L. A.; Berger, J.-P.; Lacasse, M. G.

2008-05-01

We report imaging observations of the symbiotic long-period Mira variable R Aquarii (R Aqr) at near-infrared and radio wavelengths. The near-infrared observations were made with the IOTA imaging interferometer in three narrowband filters centered at 1.51, 1.64, and 1.78 μm, which sample mainly water, continuum, and water features, respectively. Our near-infrared fringe visibility and closure phase data are analyzed using three models. (1) A uniform disk model with wavelength-dependent sizes fails to fit the visibility data, and is inconsistent with the closure phase data. (2) A three-component model, consisting of a Mira star, water shell, and an off-axis point source, provide a good fit to all data. (3) A model generated by a constrained image reconstruction analysis provides more insight, suggesting that the water shell is highly nonuniform, i.e., clumpy. The VLBA observations of SiO masers in the outer molecular envelope show evidence of turbulence, with jetlike features containing velocity gradients.

Measuring Cyclic Error in Laser Heterodyne Interferometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Daniel; Abramovici, Alexander; Zhao, Feng; Dekens, Frank; An, Xin; Azizi, Alireza; Chapsky, Jacob; Halverson, Peter

2010-01-01

An improved method and apparatus have been devised for measuring cyclic errors in the readouts of laser heterodyne interferometers that are configured and operated as displacement gauges. The cyclic errors arise as a consequence of mixing of spurious optical and electrical signals in beam launchers that are subsystems of such interferometers. The conventional approach to measurement of cyclic error involves phase measurements and yields values precise to within about 10 pm over air optical paths at laser wavelengths in the visible and near infrared. The present approach, which involves amplitude measurements instead of phase measurements, yields values precise to about .0.1 microns . about 100 times the precision of the conventional approach. In a displacement gauge of the type of interest here, the laser heterodyne interferometer is used to measure any change in distance along an optical axis between two corner-cube retroreflectors. One of the corner-cube retroreflectors is mounted on a piezoelectric transducer (see figure), which is used to introduce a low-frequency periodic displacement that can be measured by the gauges. The transducer is excited at a frequency of 9 Hz by a triangular waveform to generate a 9-Hz triangular-wave displacement having an amplitude of 25 microns. The displacement gives rise to both amplitude and phase modulation of the heterodyne signals in the gauges. The modulation includes cyclic error components, and the magnitude of the cyclic-error component of the phase modulation is what one needs to measure in order to determine the magnitude of the cyclic displacement error. The precision attainable in the conventional (phase measurement) approach to measuring cyclic error is limited because the phase measurements are af-

Proceedings from the 2nd International Symposium on Formation Flying Missions and Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Topics discussed include: The Stellar Imager (SI) "Vision Mission"; First Formation Flying Demonstration Mission Including on Flight Nulling; Formation Flying X-ray Telescope in L2 Orbit; SPECS: The Kilometer-baseline Far-IR Interferometer in NASA's Space Science Roadmap Presentation; A Tight Formation for Along-track SAR Interferometry; Realization of the Solar Power Satellite using the Formation Flying Solar Reflector; SIMBOL-X : Formation Flying for High-Energy Astrophysics; High Precision Optical Metrology for DARWIN; Close Formation Flight of Micro-Satellites for SAR Interferometry; Station-Keeping Requirements for Astronomical Imaging with Constellations of Free-Flying Collectors; Closed-Loop Control of Formation Flying Satellites; Formation Control for the MAXIM Mission; Precision Formation Keeping at L2 Using the Autonomous Formation Flying Sensor; Robust Control of Multiple Spacecraft Formation Flying; Virtual Rigid Body (VRB) Satellite Formation Control: Stable Mode-Switching and Cross-Coupling; Electromagnetic Formation Flight (EMFF) System Design, Mission Capabilities, and Testbed Development; Navigation Algorithms for Formation Flying Missions; Use of Formation Flying Small Satellites Incorporating OISL's in a Tandem Cluster Mission; Semimajor Axis Estimation Strategies; Relative Attitude Determination of Earth Orbiting Formations Using GPS Receivers; Analysis of Formation Flying in Eccentric Orbits Using Linearized Equations of Relative Motion; Conservative Analytical Collision Probabilities for Orbital Formation Flying; Equations of Motion and Stability of Two Spacecraft in Formation at the Earth/Moon Triangular Libration Points; Formations Near the Libration Points: Design Strategies Using Natural and Non-Natural Ares; An Overview of the Formation and Attitude Control System for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Formation Flying Interferometer; GVE-Based Dynamics and Control for Formation Flying Spacecraft; GNC System Design for a New Concept of X-Ray Distributed Telescope; GNC System for the Deployment and Fine Control of the DARWIN Free-Flying Interferometer; Formation Algorithm and Simulation Testbed; and PLATFORM: A Formation Flying, RvD and Robotic Validation Test-bench.

Satellite and airborne IR sensor validation by an airborne interferometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gumley, L.E.; Delst, P.F. van; Moeller, C.C.

1996-11-01

The validation of in-orbit longwave IR radiances from the GOES-8 Sounder and inflight longwave IR radiances from the MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) is described. The reference used is the airborne University of Wisconsin High Resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS). The calibration of each sensor is described. Data collected during the Ocean Temperature Interferometric Survey (OTIS) experiment in January 1995 is used in the comparison between sensors. Detailed forward calculations of at-sensor radiance are used to account for the difference in GOES-8 and HIS altitude and viewing geometry. MAS radiances and spectrally averaged HIS radiances are compared directly. Differences between GOES-8 andmore » HIS brightness temperatures, and GOES-8 and MAS brightness temperatures, are found to be with 1.0 K for the majority of longwave channels examined. The same validation approach will be used for future sensors such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). 11 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.« less

BBAERI vs. BNAERI: A Comparison of Two Hyperspectral Atmospheric Downwelling Radiance Interferometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, R.; McMillan, W.; Shaw, J.

2006-12-01

Simultaneous measurements of atmospheric downwelling infrared radiances have been measured at UMBC's Atmospheric Remote sensing Facility (ARF). We present BBAERI and BNAERI spectral comparisons to demonstrate their consistent radiometric calibration and will show examples of retrieval products from each. The atmospheric emitted radiances were measured using two different Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometers' (AERI): the Baltimore Bomem AERI (BBAERI) entirely built by ABB Bomem and the Baltimore NOAA AERI (BNAERI) assembled by research scientists at NOAA. BBAERI previously has been used for field experiments in support of satellite validation, but now will spend most of its time at UMBC. BNAERI was designed for autonomous field operations. Planned upcoming field campaigns for BNAERI include experiments in central Alaska or in the Baltimore-Washington area. AERI devices were originally designed by the University of Madison Wisconsin to retrieve temperature and water vapor profiles up to the boundary layer every eight to ten minutes. In addition to boundary layer temperature and water vapor profiling, we will report retrieved boundary layer abundances of trace gases.

Applications and testing of the LSCAD system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Althouse, Mark L.; Gross, Robert L.; Ditillo, John T.; Lagna, William M.; Kolodzey, Steve J.; Keiser, Christopher C.; Nasers, Gary D.

1996-06-01

The lightweight standoff chemical agent detector (LSCAD) is an infrared Michelson interferometer operating in the 8 - 13 micron band and is designed primarily for military contamination avoidance and early warning applications. The system is designed to be operated autonomously from a vehicle while on the move and provide 360 degree coverage. The first group of prototypes were delivered in 1994 and have undergone integration into several platforms including the HMMWV, the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the M109 self- propelled Howitzer and the Pioneer and Hurricane unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). Additional vehicles and platforms are planned. To meet the restrictions of military applications, the prototype interferometer subsystem has a weight of about 10 lbs and is approximately 0.20 cu fit in size. The full system size and weight depends upon the particular platform and its operational requirements. LSCAD employs onboard instrument control, data collection, analysis and target detection decision software, all of which are critical to real-time operation. The hardware, software, and test results are discussed.

High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS), phase 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS) was successfully built, tested, and flight proven on the NASA U-2/ER-2 high altitude aircraft. The HIS demonstration has shown that, by using the technology of Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTS), it is possible to measure the spectrum of upwelling infrared radiance needed for temperature and humidity sounding with high spectral resolution and high radiometric precision. By resolving individual carbon dioxide lines, the retrieved temperature profiles have vertical resolutions of 1 to 2 km and RMS errors less than 1 C, about 2 to 4 times better than possible with current sounders. Implementing this capability on satellite sounders will greatly enhance the dynamical information content of temperature measurements from space. The aircraft model HIS is now a resource which should be used to support field experiments in mesoscale meteorology, to monitor trace gas concentrations and to better understand their effects on climate, to monitor the surface radiation budget and the radiative effects of clouds, and to collect data for research into retrieval techniques, especially under partially cloudy conditions.

Few Skewed Results from IOTA Interferometer YSO Disk Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monnier, J. D.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Berger, J.-P.; Pedretti, E.; Traub, W.; Schloerb, F. P.

2005-12-01

The 3-telescope IOTA interferometer is capable of measuring closure phases for dozens of Herbig Ae/Be stars in the near-infrared. The closure phase unambiguously identifies deviations from centro-symmetry (i.e., skew) in the brightness distribution, at the scale of 4 milliarcseconds (sub-AU physical scales) for our work. Indeed, hot dust emission from the inner circumstellar accretion disk is expected to be skewed for (generic) flared disks viewed at intermediate inclination angles, as has been observed for LkHa 101. Surprisingly, we find very little evidence for skewed disk emission in our IOTA3 sample, setting strong constraints on the geometry of the inner disk. In particular, we rule out the currently-popular model of a VERTICAL hot inner wall of dust at the sublimation radius. Instead, our data is more consistent with a curved inner wall that bends away from the midplane as might be expected from the pressure-dependence of dust sublimation or limited absorption of stellar luminosity in the disk midplane by gas.

Large-aperture ground glass surface profile measurement using coherence scanning interferometry.

PubMed

Bae, Eundeok; Kim, Yunseok; Park, Sanguk; Kim, Seung-Woo

2017-01-23

We present a coherence scanning interferometer configured to deal with rough glass surfaces exhibiting very low reflectance due to severe sub-surface light scattering. A compound light source is prepared by combining a superluminescent light-emitting diode with an ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier. The light source is attuned to offer a short temporal coherence length of 15 μm but with high spatial coherence to secure an adequate correlogram contrast by delivering strongly unbalanced optical power to the low reflectance target. In addition, the infrared spectral range of the light source is shifted close to the visible side at a 1,038 nm center wavelength, so a digital camera of multi-mega pixels available for industrial machine vision can be used to improve the correlogram contrast further with better lateral image resolutions. Experimental results obtained from a ground Zerodur mirror of 200 mm aperture size and 0.9 μm rms roughness are discussed to validate the proposed interferometer system.

Orexin Receptor Antagonism Improves Sleep and Reduces Seizures in Kcna1-null Mice.

PubMed

Roundtree, Harrison M; Simeone, Timothy A; Johnson, Chaz; Matthews, Stephanie A; Samson, Kaeli K; Simeone, Kristina A

2016-02-01

Comorbid sleep disorders occur in approximately one-third of people with epilepsy. Seizures and sleep disorders have an interdependent relationship where the occurrence of one can exacerbate the other. Orexin, a wake-promoting neuropeptide, is associated with sleep disorder symptoms. Here, we tested the hypothesis that orexin dysregulation plays a role in the comorbid sleep disorder symptoms in the Kcna1-null mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Rest-activity was assessed using infrared beam actigraphy. Sleep architecture and seizures were assessed using continuous video-electroencephalography-electromyography recordings in Kcna1-null mice treated with vehicle or the dual orexin receptor antagonist, almorexant (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). Orexin levels in the lateral hypothalamus/perifornical region (LH/P) and hypothalamic pathology were assessed with immunohistochemistry and oxygen polarography. Kcna1-null mice have increased latency to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep onset, sleep fragmentation, and number of wake epochs. The numbers of REM and non-REM (NREM) sleep epochs are significantly reduced in Kcna1-null mice. Severe seizures propagate to the wake-promoting LH/P where injury is apparent (indicated by astrogliosis, blood-brain barrier permeability, and impaired mitochondrial function). The number of orexin-positive neurons is increased in the LH/P compared to wild-type LH/P. Treatment with a dual orexin receptor antagonist significantly increases the number and duration of NREM sleep epochs and reduces the latency to REM sleep onset. Further, almorexant treatment reduces the incidence of severe seizures and overall seizure burden. Interestingly, we report a significant positive correlation between latency to REM onset and seizure burden in Kcna1-null mice. Dual orexin receptor antagonists may be an effective sleeping aid in epilepsy, and warrants further study on their somnogenic and ant-seizure effects in other epilepsy models. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Method to Enhance the Operation of an Optical Inspection Instrument Using Spatial Light Modulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trolinger, James; Lal, Amit; Jo, Joshua; Kupiec, Stephen

2012-01-01

For many aspheric and freeform optical components, existing interferometric solutions require a custom computer-generated hologram (CGH) to characterize the part. The overall objective of this research is to develop hardware and a procedure to produce a combined, dynamic, Hartmann/ Digital Holographic interferometry inspection system for a wide range of advanced optical components, including aspheric and freeform optics. This new instrument would have greater versatility and dynamic range than currently available measurement systems. The method uses a spatial light modulator to pre-condition wavefronts for imaging, interferometry, and data processing to improve the resolution and versatility of an optical inspection instrument. Existing interferometers and Hartmann inspection systems have either too small a dynamic range or insufficient resolution to characterize conveniently unusual optical surfaces like aspherical and freeform optics. For interferometers, a specially produced, computer-generated holographic optical element is needed to transform the wavefront to within the range of the interferometer. A new hybrid wavefront sensor employs newly available spatial light modulators (SLMs) as programmable holographic optical elements (HOEs). The HOE is programmed to enable the same instrument to inspect an optical element in stages, first by a Hartmann measurement, which has a very large dynamic range but less resolution. The first measurement provides the information required to precondition a reference wave that avails the measurement process to the more precise phase shifting interferometry. The SLM preconditions a wavefront before it is used to inspect an optical component. This adds important features to an optical inspection system, enabling not just wavefront conditioning for null testing and dynamic range extension, but also the creation of hybrid measurement procedures. This, for example, allows the combination of dynamic digital holography and Hartmann sensing procedures to cover a virtually unlimited dynamic range with high resolution. Digital holography technology brings all of the power and benefits of digital holographic interferometry to the requirement, while Hartmann-type wavefront sensors bring deflectometry technologies to the solution. The SLM can be used to generate arbitrary wavefronts in one leg of the interferometer, thereby greatly simplifying its use and extending its range. The SLM can also be used to modify the system into a dynamic Shack-Hartmann system, which is useful for optical components with large amounts of slope. By integrating these capabilities into a single instrument, the system will have tremendous flexibility to measure a variety of optical shapes accurately.

Orexin Receptor Antagonism Improves Sleep and Reduces Seizures in Kcna1-null Mice

PubMed Central

Roundtree, Harrison M.; Simeone, Timothy A.; Johnson, Chaz; Matthews, Stephanie A.; Samson, Kaeli K.; Simeone, Kristina A.

2016-01-01

Study Objective: Comorbid sleep disorders occur in approximately one-third of people with epilepsy. Seizures and sleep disorders have an interdependent relationship where the occurrence of one can exacerbate the other. Orexin, a wake-promoting neuropeptide, is associated with sleep disorder symptoms. Here, we tested the hypothesis that orexin dysregulation plays a role in the comorbid sleep disorder symptoms in the Kcna1-null mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Methods: Rest-activity was assessed using infrared beam actigraphy. Sleep architecture and seizures were assessed using continuous video-electroencephalography-electromyography recordings in Kcna1-null mice treated with vehicle or the dual orexin receptor antagonist, almorexant (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). Orexin levels in the lateral hypothalamus/perifornical region (LH/P) and hypothalamic pathology were assessed with immunohistochemistry and oxygen polarography. Results: Kcna1-null mice have increased latency to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep onset, sleep fragmentation, and number of wake epochs. The numbers of REM and non-REM (NREM) sleep epochs are significantly reduced in Kcna1-null mice. Severe seizures propagate to the wake-promoting LH/P where injury is apparent (indicated by astrogliosis, blood-brain barrier permeability, and impaired mitochondrial function). The number of orexin-positive neurons is increased in the LH/P compared to wild-type LH/P. Treatment with a dual orexin receptor antagonist significantly increases the number and duration of NREM sleep epochs and reduces the latency to REM sleep onset. Further, almorexant treatment reduces the incidence of severe seizures and overall seizure burden. Interestingly, we report a significant positive correlation between latency to REM onset and seizure burden in Kcna1-null mice. Conclusion: Dual orexin receptor antagonists may be an effective sleeping aid in epilepsy, and warrants further study on their somnogenic and ant-seizure effects in other epilepsy models. Citation: Roundtree HM, Simeone TA, Johnson C, Matthews SA, Samson KK, Simeone KA. Orexin receptor antagonism improves sleep and reduces seizures in Kcna1-null mice. SLEEP 2016;39(2):357–368. PMID:26446112

A real-time laser feedback control method for the three-wave laser source used in the polarimeter-interferometer diagnostic on Joint-TEXT tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, C. Y.; Chen, J.; Li, Q.; Liu, Y.; Gao, L.

2014-12-01

A three-wave laser polarimeter-interferometer, equipped with three independent far-infrared laser sources, has been developed on Joint-TEXT (J-TEXT) tokamak. The diagnostic system is capable of high-resolution temporal and phase measurement of the Faraday angle and line-integrated density. However, for long-term operation (>10 min), the free-running lasers can lead to large drifts of the intermediate frequencies (˜100-˜500 kHz/10 min) and decay of laser power (˜10%-˜20%/10 min), which act to degrade diagnostic performance. In addition, these effects lead to increased maintenance cost and limit measurement applicability to long pulse/steady state experiments. To solve this problem, a real-time feedback control method of the laser source is proposed. By accurately controlling the length of each laser cavity, both the intermediate frequencies and laser power can be simultaneously controlled: the intermediate frequencies are controlled according to the pre-set values, while the laser powers are maintained at an optimal level. Based on this approach, a real-time feedback control system has been developed and applied on J-TEXT polarimeter-interferometer. Long-term (theoretically no time limit) feedback of intermediate frequencies (maximum change less than ±12 kHz) and laser powers (maximum relative power change less than ±7%) has been successfully achieved.

A real-time laser feedback control method for the three-wave laser source used in the polarimeter-interferometer diagnostic on Joint-TEXT tokamak.

PubMed

Xiong, C Y; Chen, J; Li, Q; Liu, Y; Gao, L

2014-12-01

A three-wave laser polarimeter-interferometer, equipped with three independent far-infrared laser sources, has been developed on Joint-TEXT (J-TEXT) tokamak. The diagnostic system is capable of high-resolution temporal and phase measurement of the Faraday angle and line-integrated density. However, for long-term operation (>10 min), the free-running lasers can lead to large drifts of the intermediate frequencies (∼100-∼500 kHz/10 min) and decay of laser power (∼10%-∼20%/10 min), which act to degrade diagnostic performance. In addition, these effects lead to increased maintenance cost and limit measurement applicability to long pulse/steady state experiments. To solve this problem, a real-time feedback control method of the laser source is proposed. By accurately controlling the length of each laser cavity, both the intermediate frequencies and laser power can be simultaneously controlled: the intermediate frequencies are controlled according to the pre-set values, while the laser powers are maintained at an optimal level. Based on this approach, a real-time feedback control system has been developed and applied on J-TEXT polarimeter-interferometer. Long-term (theoretically no time limit) feedback of intermediate frequencies (maximum change less than ±12 kHz) and laser powers (maximum relative power change less than ±7%) has been successfully achieved.

Interferometric measurement of refractive index modification in a single mode microfiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Farid; Ahsani, Vahid; Jun, Martin B. G.

2017-02-01

Efficient and cost effective measurement of the refractive index profile in an optical fiber is a significant technical job to design and manufacture in-fiber photonic devices and communication systems. For instance, to design fiber gratings, it is required to estimate the refractive index modulation to be inscribed by the fabrication apparatus such as ultraviolet or infrared lasers. Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) based quantification of refractive index change written in single mode microfiber by femtosecond laser radiation is presented in this study. The MZI is constructed by splicing a microfiber (core diameter: 3.75 μm, cladding diameter: 40 μm) between standard single mode fibers. To measure the RI inscribed by infrared femtosecond laser, 200 μm length of the core within the MZI was scanned with laser radiation. As the higher index was written within 200 μm length of the core, the transmission spectrum of the interferometer displayed a corresponding red shift. The observed spectral shift was used to calculate the amount of refractive index change inscribed by the femtosecond irradiation. For the MZI length of 3.25 mm, and spectral shift of 0.8 nm, the calculated refractive index was found to be 0.00022. The reported results display excellent agreement between theory and experimental findings. Demonstrated method provides simple yet very effective on-site measurement of index change in optical fibers. Since the MZI can be constructed in diverse fiber types, this technique offers flexibility to quantify index change in various optical fibers.

A new Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer channel selection and assessment of its impact on Met Office NWP forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noh, Young-Chan; Sohn, Byung-Ju; Kim, Yoonjae; Joo, Sangwon; Bell, William; Saunders, Roger

2017-11-01

A new set of Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) channels was re-selected from 314 EUMETSAT channels. In selecting channels, we calculated the impact of the individually added channel on the improvement in the analysis outputs from a one-dimensional variational analysis (1D-Var) for the Unified Model (UM) data assimilation system at the Met Office, using the channel score index (CSI) as a figure of merit. Then, 200 channels were selected in order by counting each individual channel's CSI contribution. Compared with the operationally used 183 channels for the UM at the Met Office, the new set shares 149 channels, while the other 51 channels are new. Also examined is the selection from the entropy reduction method with the same 1D-Var approach. Results suggest that channel selection can be made in a more objective fashion using the proposed CSI method. This is because the most important channels can be selected across the whole IASI observation spectrum. In the experimental trial runs using the UM global assimilation system, the new channels had an overall neutral impact in terms of improvement in forecasts, as compared with results from the operational channels. However, upper-tropospheric moist biases shown in the control run with operational channels were significantly reduced in the experimental trial with the newly selected channels. The reduction of moist biases was mainly due to the additional water vapor channels, which are sensitive to the upper-tropospheric water vapor.

Probing Dust Formation Around Evolved Stars with Near-Infrared Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sargent, B.; Srinivasan, S.; Riebel, D.; Meixner, M.

2014-09-01

Near-infrared interferometry holds great promise for advancing our understanding of the formation of dust around evolved stars. For example, the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI), which will be an optical/near-infrared interferometer with down to submilliarcsecond resolution, includes studying stellar mass loss as being of interest to its Key Science Mission. With facilities like MROI, many questions relating to the formation of dust around evolved stars may be probed. How close to an evolved star such as an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) or red supergiant (RSG) star does a dust grain form? Over what temperature ranges will such dust form? How does dust formation temperature and distance from star change as a function of the dust composition (carbonaceous versus oxygen-rich)? What are the ranges of evolved star dust shell geometries, and does dust shell geometry for AGB and RSG stars correlate with dust composition, similar to the correlation seen for planetary nebula outflows? At what point does the AGB star become a post-AGB star, when dust formation ends and the dust shell detaches? Currently we are conducting studies of evolved star mass loss in the Large Magellanic Cloud using photometry from the Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution (SAGE; PI: M. Meixner) Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy program. We model this mass loss using the radiative transfer program 2Dust to create our Grid of Red supergiant and Asymptotic giant branch ModelS (GRAMS). For simplicity, we assume spherical symmetry, but 2Dust does have the capability to model axisymmetric, non-spherically-symmetric dust shell geometries. 2Dust can also generate images of models at specified wavelengths. We discuss possible connections of our GRAMS modeling using 2Dust of SAGE data of evolved stars in the LMC and also other data on evolved stars in the Milky Way's Galactic Bulge to near-infrared interferometric studies of such stars. By understanding the origins of dust around evolved stars, we may learn more about the later parts of the life of stardust; e.g., its residence in the interstellar medium, its time spent in molecular clouds, and its inclusion into solid bodies in future planetary systems.

Satellite remote sensing of volcanic plume from Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI): results for recent eruptions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carboni, Elisa; Smith, Andrew; Grainger, Roy; Dudhia, Anu; Thomas, Gareth; Peters, Daniel; Walker, Joanne; Siddans, Richard

2013-04-01

The IASI high resolution infrared spectra is exploited to study volcanic emission of ash and sulphur dioxide (SO2). IASI is a Fourier transform spectrometer that covers the spectral range 645 to 2760 cm-1 (3.62-15.5 μm). The IASI field of view consists of four circles of 12 km inside a square of 50 x 50 km, and nominally it can achieve global coverage in 12 hours. The thermal infrared spectra of volcanic plumes shows a rapid variation with wavelength due to absorption lines from atmospheric and volcanic gases as well as broad scale features principally due to particulate absorption. IASI spectra also contain information about the atmospheric profile (temperature, gases, aerosol and cloud) and radiative properties of the surface. In particular the ash signature depends on the composition and size distribution of ash particles as well on their altitude. The sulphur dioxide signature depends on SO2 amount and vertical profile. The results from a new algorithm for the retrieval of sulphur dioxide (SO2) from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) data will be presented. The SO2 retrieval follows the method of Carboni et al. (2012) and retrieves SO2 amount and altitude together with a pixel by pixel comprehensive error budget analysis. IASI brightness temperature spectra are analysed, to retrieve ash properties, using an optimal estimation retrieval scheme and a forward model based on RTTOV. The RTTOV output for a clean atmosphere (containing gas but not cloud or aerosol/ash) will be combined with an ash layer using the same scheme as for the Oxford-RAL Retrieval of Aerosol and Cloud (ORAC) algorithm. We exploit the IASI measurements in the atmospheric window spectral range together with the SO2 absorption bands (at 7.3 and 8.7 μm) to study the evolution of ash and SO2 volcanic plume for recent volcanic eruptions case studies. Particular importance is given to investigation of mismatching between the forward model and IASI measurements which can be due, for example, to imperfect knowledge of ash optical properties.

The radio spectral energy distribution of infrared-faint radio sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herzog, A.; Norris, R. P.; Middelberg, E.; Seymour, N.; Spitler, L. R.; Emonts, B. H. C.; Franzen, T. M. O.; Hunstead, R.; Intema, H. T.; Marvil, J.; Parker, Q. A.; Sirothia, S. K.; Hurley-Walker, N.; Bell, M.; Bernardi, G.; Bowman, J. D.; Briggs, F.; Cappallo, R. J.; Callingham, J. R.; Deshpande, A. A.; Dwarakanath, K. S.; For, B.-Q.; Greenhill, L. J.; Hancock, P.; Hazelton, B. J.; Hindson, L.; Johnston-Hollitt, M.; Kapińska, A. D.; Kaplan, D. L.; Lenc, E.; Lonsdale, C. J.; McKinley, B.; McWhirter, S. R.; Mitchell, D. A.; Morales, M. F.; Morgan, E.; Morgan, J.; Oberoi, D.; Offringa, A.; Ord, S. M.; Prabu, T.; Procopio, P.; Udaya Shankar, N.; Srivani, K. S.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Subrahmanyan, R.; Tingay, S. J.; Wayth, R. B.; Webster, R. L.; Williams, A.; Williams, C. L.; Wu, C.; Zheng, Q.; Bannister, K. W.; Chippendale, A. P.; Harvey-Smith, L.; Heywood, I.; Indermuehle, B.; Popping, A.; Sault, R. J.; Whiting, M. T.

2016-10-01

Context. Infrared-faint radio sources (IFRS) are a class of radio-loud (RL) active galactic nuclei (AGN) at high redshifts (z ≥ 1.7) that are characterised by their relative infrared faintness, resulting in enormous radio-to-infrared flux density ratios of up to several thousand. Aims: Because of their optical and infrared faintness, it is very challenging to study IFRS at these wavelengths. However, IFRS are relatively bright in the radio regime with 1.4 GHz flux densities of a few to a few tens of mJy. Therefore, the radio regime is the most promising wavelength regime in which to constrain their nature. We aim to test the hypothesis that IFRS are young AGN, particularly GHz peaked-spectrum (GPS) and compact steep-spectrum (CSS) sources that have a low frequency turnover. Methods: We use the rich radio data set available for the Australia Telescope Large Area Survey fields, covering the frequency range between 150 MHz and 34 GHz with up to 19 wavebands from different telescopes, and build radio spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for 34 IFRS. We then study the radio properties of this class of object with respect to turnover, spectral index, and behaviour towards higher frequencies. We also present the highest-frequency radio observations of an IFRS, observed with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer at 105 GHz, and model the multi-wavelength and radio-far-infrared SED of this source. Results: We find IFRS usually follow single power laws down to observed frequencies of around 150 MHz. Mostly, the radio SEDs are steep (α < -0.8; %), but we also find ultra-steep SEDs (α < -1.3; %). In particular, IFRS show statistically significantly steeper radio SEDs than the broader RL AGN population. Our analysis reveals that the fractions of GPS and CSS sources in the population of IFRS are consistent with the fractions in the broader RL AGN population. We find that at least % of IFRS contain young AGN, although the fraction might be significantly higher as suggested by the steep SEDs and the compact morphology of IFRS. The detailed multi-wavelength SED modelling of one IFRS shows that it is different from ordinary AGN, although it is consistent with a composite starburst-AGN model with a star formation rate of 170 M⊙ yr-1. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain).

No Expanding Fireball: Resolving the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi with Infrared Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monnier, J. D.; Barry, R. K.; Traub, W. A.; Lane, B. F.; Akeson, R. L.; Ragland, S.; Schuller, P. A.; Le Coroller, H.; Berger, J.-P.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Pedretti, E.; Schloerb, F. P.; Koresko, C.; Carleton, N. P.; Lacasse, M. G.; Kern, P.; Malbet, F.; Perraut, K.; Kuchner, M. J.; Muterspaugh, M. W.

2006-08-01

Following the recent outburst of the recurrent nova RS Oph on 2006 February 12, we measured its near-infrared size using the IOTA, Keck, and PTI Interferometers at multiple epochs. The characteristic size of ~3 mas hardly changed over the first 60 days of the outburst, ruling out currently popular models whereby the near-infrared emission arises from hot gas in the expanding shock. The emission was also found to be significantly asymmetric, evidenced by nonzero closure phases detected by IOTA. The physical interpretation of these data depends strongly on the adopted distance to RS Oph. Our data can be interpreted as the first direct detection of the underlying RS Oph binary, lending support to the recent ``reborn red giant'' models of Hachisu & Kato. However, this result hinges on an RS Oph distance of <~540 pc, in strong disagreement with the widely adopted distance of ~1.6 kpc. At the farther distance, our observations imply instead the existence of a nonexpanding, dense, and ionized circumbinary gaseous disk or reservoir responsible for the bulk of the near-infrared emission. Longer baseline infrared interferometry is uniquely suited to distinguish between these models and to ultimately determine the distance, binary orbit, and component masses for RS Oph, one of the closest known (candidate) Type 1a supernova progenitor systems.

Surface characterization and testing II; Proceedings of the Meeting, San Diego, CA, Aug. 10, 11, 1989

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greivenkamp, John E. (Editor); Young, Matt (Editor)

1989-01-01

Various papers on surface characterization and testing are presented. Individual topics addressed include: simple Hartmann test data interpretation, optimum configuration of the Offner null corrector, system for phase-shifting interferometry in the presence of vibration, fringe variation and visibility in speckle-shearing interferometry, functional integral representation of rough surfaces, calibration of surface heights in an interferometric optical profiler, image formation in common path differential profilometers, SEM of optical surfaces, measuring surface profiles with scanning tunneling microscopes, surface profile measurements of curved parts, high-resolution optical profiler, scanning heterodyne interferometer with immunity from microphonics, real-time crystal axis measurements of semiconductor materials, radial metrology with a panoramic annular lens, surface analysis for the characterization of defects in thin-film processes, Spacelab Optical Viewport glass assembly optical test program for the Starlab mission, scanning differential intensity and phase system for optical metrology.

LOITA: Lunar Optical/Infrared Telescope Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

LOITA (Lunar Optical/Infrared Telescope Array) is a lunar-based interferometer composed of 18 alt-azimuth telescopes arranged in a circular geometry. This geometry results in excellent uv coverage and allows baselines up to 5 km long. The angular resolution will be 25 micro-arcsec at 500 nm and the main spectral range of the array will be 200 to 1100 nm. For infrared planet detection, the spectral range may be extended to nearly 10 mu m. The telescope mirrors have a Cassegrain configuration using a 1.75 m diameter primary mirror and a 0.24 m diameter secondary mirror. A three-stage (coarse, intermediate, and fine) optical delay system, controlled by laser metrology, is used to equalize path lengths from different telescopes to within a few wavelengths. All instruments and the fine delay system are located within the instrument room. Upon exiting the fine delay system, all beams enter the beam combiner and are then directed to the various scientific instruments and detectors. The array instrumentation will consist of CCD detectors optimized for both the visible and infrared as well as specially designed cameras and spectrographs. For direct planet detection, a beam combiner employing achromatic nulling interferometry will be used to reduce star light (by several orders of magnitude) while passing the planet light. A single telescope will be capable of autonomous operation. This telescope will be equipped with four instruments: wide field and planetary camera, faint object camera, high resolution spectrograph, and faint object spectrograph. These instruments will be housed beneath the telescope. The array pointing and control system is designed to meet the fine pointing requirement of one micro-arcsec stability and to allow precise tracking of celestial objects for up to 12 days. During the lunar night, the optics and the detectors will be passively cooled to 70-80 K temperature. To maintain a continuous communication with the earth a relay satellite placed at the L4 libration point will be used in conjunction with the Advanced Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (ATDRSS). Electrical power of about 10 kW will be supplied by a nuclear reactor based on the SP-100 technology. LOITA will be constructed in three phases of six telescopes each. The total mass of the first operational phase is estimated at 58,820 kg. The cost of the fully operational first phase of the observatory is estimated at $8.9 billion. LOITA's primary objectives will be to detect and characterize planets around nearby stars (up to ten parsec away), study physics of collapsed stellar objects, solar/stellar surface features and the processes in nuclear regions of galaxies and quasars. An interferometric array such as LOITA will be capable of achieving resolutions three orders of magnitude greater than Hubble's design goal. LOITA will also be able to maintain higher signal to noise ratios than are currently attainable due to long observation times available on the moon.

From Darwin to Internet at the speed of light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-11-01

Data moving around the Internet are like road traffic in that a car can be driven fast down a straight road but has to slow down a great deal when changing direction at a junction. The same thing happens on information highways. Beams of light carry data along fibre-optic cables at very high speeds. When the data arrive at computers, known as servers, the servers redirect them to their final destinations. Presently, you need to convert the light signals into electricity, and that slows everything down. Electrons move at a speed of a few kilometres per second through a circuit, whereas light travels at nearly 300 000 kilometres per second. Integrated optics would leave the data as light and simply channel it through the chip, in the right direction. Scientists call this area integrated optics, referring to the integrated circuit board on which chips are mounted. Instead of miniaturised electronics, however, miniaturised optics are placed on a microchip. ESA has a strategy to enable more sophisticated searches for extra-solar planets in the future. Two planned developments rely on combining the light from such planets in a number of different telescopes. These are the Darwin mission and its precursor, the ESA/ESO Ground-based European Nulling Interferometer Experiment (GENIE). When you combine light beams, you traditionally need moving mirrors and lenses to divert the light beams to where you want them. However, if the system moves, it can break. As Malcolm Fridlund, Project Scientist for Darwin and GENIE says, “To change to integrated optics, which is much smaller and has no moving parts, would be highly desirable.” Desirable certainly, but also difficult. At present, integrated optics is a science that is far behind integrated circuit technology. For this reason, ESA is funding two studies. Astrium has been asked to study a traditional optics approach and Alcatel is investigating an integrated-optics solution. “We shall take the decision on whether GENIE will use integrated optics in just over one year,” says Fridlund. In the future, Darwin, ESA’s ambitious mission to find Earth-like planets, may also use integrated optics but using longer wavelengths of light than GENIE. This is uncharted territory as far as integrated optics is concerned. However, Fridlund is currently reviewing proposals from industrial companies which would like to take up the challenge. “What I'm reading in those proposals is making me highly optimistic,” says Fridlund, “I don’t yet know whether mid-infrared integrated optics will have any commercial application, but until we develop them, we’ll never know.” Should the integrated-optics approach work, the rewards would extend far beyond a few improvements in searching for planets. Here on Earth, for all home-computer users, for example, it could speed up the Internet by 100-1000 times. The consequences of surfing the Web at such speeds would be amazing. Note to editors : Darwin Darwin is a flotilla of eight spacecraft that will find Earth-like planets and analyse their atmospheres for the chemical signature of life. Six spacecraft will fly telescopes. The seventh will combine the light from these to simulate a mirror much larger than that of a single telescope. The eighth will communicate with Earth and the flotilla. The mission is being studied at present and is expected to launch some time after 2014. Genie GENIE (Ground-based European Nulling Interferometer Experiment) is an ESA/ESO instrument to perform nulling interferometry using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), a collection of four 8-metre telescopes in Chile. Once up and running, GENIE will provide a training ground for astronomers who will later use Darwin. One of GENIE’s major tasks will be to develop the target list of stars for Darwin to study. GENIE will see failed stars, known as brown dwarfs and, if the instrument performs to expectations, may also see some of the already-discovered giant planets. So far, these worlds have never been seen, only inferred to exist by the effects they have on their parent stars. GENIE is expected to be on-line by 2006.

Asymptotic Charges at Null Infinity in Any Dimension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campoleoni, Andrea; Francia, Dario; Heissenberg, Carlo

2018-03-01

We analyse the conservation laws associated with large gauge transformations of massless fields in Minkowski space. Our aim is to highlight the interplay between boundary conditions and finiteness of the asymptotically conserved charges in any space-time dimension, both even and odd, greater than or equal to three. After discussing non-linear Yang-Mills theory and revisiting linearised gravity, our investigation extends to cover the infrared behaviour of bosonic massless quanta of any spin.

Satellite Measurements Of OH Vibrational Populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin-Torres, F. J.; Kaufmann, M.; Copeland, R. A.; López-Puertas, M.

Vibrationally excited OH molecules are generated in the atmosphere between 80 and 90 km by the reaction of hydrogen atoms with ozone and are important in the study of the Earth's mesospheric infrared emissions. Once produced, the OH either fluoresces or undergoes deactivation in collisions with the ambient species present at these alti- tudes. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in measuring the vi- brational level dependence of the total removal rate constants for collisional processes in laboratory. Using these results we present an updated modelling of the vibrational populations of OH. The results of the model has been used to identify emission from the OH Meinel bands at 4.8mum in the measurements taken by the CRyogenic Infrared Spectrometer and Telescope (CRISTA). CRISTA was an infrared limb sounder designed by the Uni- versity of Wuppertal to measure infrared emissions of the Earth's atmosphere between 15-150 km that successfully completed two missions in 1994 and 1997. In addition, the results of the non-LTE modelling have been used to simulate the mea- surements that will be performed by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive At- mospheric Sounder (MIPAS)/ENVIromental SATellite (ENVISAT) instrument, to be launched the 1st March 2002.

The NPOESS Crosstrack Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) as a Companion to the New Generation AIRS/AMSU and IASI/AMSU Sounder Suites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bingham, G. E.; Pougatchev, N. S.; Zavyalov, V.; Esplin, M.; Blackwell, W. J.; Barnet, C.

2009-12-01

The NPOESS Preparatory Project is serving the operations and research community as the bridge mission between the Earth Observing System and the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System. The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), combined with the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) are the core instruments to provide the key performance temperature and humidity profiles (along with some other atmospheric constituent information). Both the high spectral resolution CrIS and the upgraded microwave sounder (ATMS) will be working in parallel with already orbiting Advanced Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS/AMSU) on EOS AQUA platform and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI/AMSU) on METOP-A satellite. This presentation will review the CrIS/ATMS capabilities in the context of continuity with the excellent performance records established by AIRS and IASI. The CrIS sensor is in the process of its final calibration and characterization testing and the results and Sensor Data Record process are being validated against this excellent dataset. The comparison between CrIS, AIRS, and IASI will include spectral, spatial, radiometric performance and sounding capability comparisons.

Infrared Aerosol Radiative Forcing at the Surface and the Top of the Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markowicz, Krzysztof M.; Flatau, Piotr J.; Vogelmann, Andrew M.; Quinn, Patricia K.; Welton, Ellsworth J.

2003-01-01

We study the clear-sky aerosol radiative forcing at infrared wavelengths using data from the Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-Asia) cruise of the NOAA R/V Ronald H. Brown. Limited number of data points is analyzed mostly from ship and collocated satellite values. An optical model is derived from chemical measurements, lidar profiles, and visible extinction measurements which is used to and estimate the infrared aerosol optical thickness and the single scattering albedo. The IR model results are compared to detailed Fourier Transform Interferometer based infrared aerosol forcing estimates, pyrgeometer based infrared downward fluxes, and against the direct solar forcing observations. This combined approach attests for the self-consistency of the optical model and allows to derive quantities such as the infrared forcing at the top of the atmosphere or the infrared optical thickness. The mean infrared aerosol optical thickness at 10 microns is 0.08 and the single scattering albedo is 0.55. The modeled infrared aerosol forcing reaches 10 W/sq m during the cruise, which is a significant contribution to the total direct aerosol forcing. The surface infrared aerosol radiative forcing is between 10 to 25% of the shortwave aerosol forcing. The infrared aerosol forcing at the top of the atmosphere can go up to 19% of the solar aerosol forcing. We show good agreement between satellite (CERES instrument) retrievals and model results at the top of the atmosphere. Over the Sea of Japan, the average infrared radiative forcing is 4.6 W/sq m in the window region at the surface and it is 1.5 W/sq m at top of the atmosphere. The top of the atmosphere IR forcing efficiency is a strong function of aerosol temperature while the surface IR forcing efficiency varies between 37 and 55 W/sq m (per infrared optical depth unit). and changes between 10 to 18 W/sq m (per infrared optical depth unit).

Evidence of non-LTE Effects in Mesospheric Water Vapor from Spectrally-Resolved Emissions Observed by CIRRIS-1A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, D. K.; Mlynczak, M. G.; Lopez-Puertas, M.; Zaragoza, G.

1999-01-01

Evidence of non-LTE effects in mesospheric water vapor as determined by infrared spectral emission measurements taken from the space shuttle is reported. A cryogenic Michelson interferometer in the CIRRIS-1A shuttle payload yielded high quality, atmospheric infrared spectra. These measurements demonstrate the enhanced daytime emissions of H2O (020-010) which are the result of non-LTE processes and in agreement with non-LTE models. The radiance ratios of H2O (010 to 000) and (020 to 010) Q(1) transitions during daytime are compared with non-LTE model calculations to assess the vibration-to-vibration exchange rate between H2O and O2 in the mesosphere. An exchange rate of 1.2 x 10(exp -12)cc/s is derived.

Multi-color interferometric observations of Mira stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mennesson, B.; Creech-Eakman, M.; Thompson, B. B.; Foresto, V. Coude du; Merand, A.; Ridgway, S.; Perrin, G.

2002-01-01

Interferometric observations in the atmospheric windows of the near infrared (1 to 4 microns) can be efficiently used to probe the chemical composition of Miras atmosphere and provide direct measurements of extended gas layers around these stars. This is illustrated by recent Miras observations carried out with the FLUOR instrument of the IOTA interferometer (Mennesson et al. 2002, and Perrin et al. proceedings of this conference) and with the PTI test-bed (Thompson 2002, Thompson et al. 2002). These visibility measurements show evidence for continuum emission from very extended ( 2-3 stellar radii) semi-transparent gaseous atmospheric layers, and large apparent diameter changes with pulsation phase. Interestingly these observations are consistent with the extended molecular gas layers (H20, CO ...) already inferred around some of these objects from IS0 and high resolution ground-based FTS infrared spectra.

Maynooth Optical Aeronomical Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulligan, Francis J.; Niciejewski, Rick J.

1994-01-01

Ground-based measurements of upper atmospheric parameters, such as temperature and wind velocity, can be made by observing airglow emissions that have a well-defined altitude profile and that are known to be representative of the emitting region. We describe the optical observatory at Maynooth (53.23 deg N, 6.4 deg W) at which two instruments, a Fabry-Perot interferometer and a Fourier transform spectrometer, are used to record atmospheric airglow emissions in Ireland at visible and near-infrared wavelengths, respectively. Descriptions of the instruments, data acquisition, and analysis procedures are provided, together with some sample results.

Infrared spectrometer for Voyager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanel, R.; Crosby, D.; Herath, L.; Vanous, D.; Collins, D.; Creswick, H.; Harris, C.; Rhodes, M.

1980-01-01

The Voyager IR investigation is described, which uses a Michelson interferometer in the 180-2500/cm range, and a single-channel radiometer for the visible and near-IR, sharing a 50-cm diameter telescope. Emphasis is placed on the differences between the Voyager and the previous designs, including reductions in the field of view and in the noise equivalent spectral radiance of the instrument. Attention is given to the optical layout, the electronics module, power supply placement, thermal control heaters and flash heaters, data reduction, and calibration. A sample spectrum of Jupiter is also discussed.

The Role of Interfacial Potential in Adsorbate Bonding: Electrode Potential-Dependent Infrared Spectra for Saturated CO Adlayers on Pt(110) and Related Electrochemical Surfaces in Varying Solvent Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-01

as supporting electrolytes were recrystallized from methanol, water and ethanol , and water, respectively, and dried under vacuum at 110°C. Electrode...under these conditions 8,17 (vide infra). All measurements were performed at room temperature , 23±1*C. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The experimental strategy...of interferometer scans during a suitably slow (2 mV s- ) positive-going potential sweep. For solvents containing traces of water, electrooxidative

Separated Fringe Packet Observations with the Chara Array. 1. Methods and New Orbits for chi Draconis, HD 184467, and HD 198084

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

similar experiments using the Infrared Optical Telescope Array ( IOTA ) on the well- studied, widely separated binary ζ Hercules, in an attempt to revive...SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Same as Report (SAR) 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 11 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON...SFPs with IOTA As noted by Dyck et al. (1995), for a binary star for which both components are within the field of view of the interferometer, it is

First light for GRAVITY: Phase referencing optical interferometry for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gravity Collaboration; Abuter, R.; Accardo, M.; Amorim, A.; Anugu, N.; Ávila, G.; Azouaoui, N.; Benisty, M.; Berger, J. P.; Blind, N.; Bonnet, H.; Bourget, P.; Brandner, W.; Brast, R.; Buron, A.; Burtscher, L.; Cassaing, F.; Chapron, F.; Choquet, É.; Clénet, Y.; Collin, C.; Coudé Du Foresto, V.; de Wit, W.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Deen, C.; Delplancke-Ströbele, F.; Dembet, R.; Derie, F.; Dexter, J.; Duvert, G.; Ebert, M.; Eckart, A.; Eisenhauer, F.; Esselborn, M.; Fédou, P.; Finger, G.; Garcia, P.; Garcia Dabo, C. E.; Garcia Lopez, R.; Gendron, E.; Genzel, R.; Gillessen, S.; Gonte, F.; Gordo, P.; Grould, M.; Grözinger, U.; Guieu, S.; Haguenauer, P.; Hans, O.; Haubois, X.; Haug, M.; Haussmann, F.; Henning, Th.; Hippler, S.; Horrobin, M.; Huber, A.; Hubert, Z.; Hubin, N.; Hummel, C. A.; Jakob, G.; Janssen, A.; Jochum, L.; Jocou, L.; Kaufer, A.; Kellner, S.; Kendrew, S.; Kern, L.; Kervella, P.; Kiekebusch, M.; Klein, R.; Kok, Y.; Kolb, J.; Kulas, M.; Lacour, S.; Lapeyrère, V.; Lazareff, B.; Le Bouquin, J.-B.; Lèna, P.; Lenzen, R.; Lévêque, S.; Lippa, M.; Magnard, Y.; Mehrgan, L.; Mellein, M.; Mérand, A.; Moreno-Ventas, J.; Moulin, T.; Müller, E.; Müller, F.; Neumann, U.; Oberti, S.; Ott, T.; Pallanca, L.; Panduro, J.; Pasquini, L.; Paumard, T.; Percheron, I.; Perraut, K.; Perrin, G.; Pflüger, A.; Pfuhl, O.; Phan Duc, T.; Plewa, P. M.; Popovic, D.; Rabien, S.; Ramírez, A.; Ramos, J.; Rau, C.; Riquelme, M.; Rohloff, R.-R.; Rousset, G.; Sanchez-Bermudez, J.; Scheithauer, S.; Schöller, M.; Schuhler, N.; Spyromilio, J.; Straubmeier, C.; Sturm, E.; Suarez, M.; Tristram, K. R. W.; Ventura, N.; Vincent, F.; Waisberg, I.; Wank, I.; Weber, J.; Wieprecht, E.; Wiest, M.; Wiezorrek, E.; Wittkowski, M.; Woillez, J.; Wolff, B.; Yazici, S.; Ziegler, D.; Zins, G.

2017-06-01

GRAVITY is a new instrument to coherently combine the light of the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope Interferometer to form a telescope with an equivalent 130 m diameter angular resolution and a collecting area of 200 m2. The instrument comprises fiber fed integrated optics beam combination, high resolution spectroscopy, built-in beam analysis and control, near-infrared wavefront sensing, phase-tracking, dual-beam operation, and laser metrology. GRAVITY opens up to optical/infrared interferometry the techniques of phase referenced imaging and narrow angle astrometry, in many aspects following the concepts of radio interferometry. This article gives an overview of GRAVITY and reports on the performance and the first astronomical observations during commissioning in 2015/16. We demonstrate phase-tracking on stars as faint as mK ≈ 10 mag, phase-referenced interferometry of objects fainter than mK ≈ 15 mag with a limiting magnitude of mK ≈ 17 mag, minute long coherent integrations, a visibility accuracy of better than 0.25%, and spectro-differential phase and closure phase accuracy better than 0.5°, corresponding to a differential astrometric precision of better than ten microarcseconds (μas). The dual-beam astrometry, measuring the phase difference of two objects with laser metrology, is still under commissioning. First observations show residuals as low as 50 μas when following objects over several months. We illustrate the instrument performance with the observations of archetypical objects for the different instrument modes. Examples include the Galactic center supermassive black hole and its fast orbiting star S2 for phase referenced dual-beam observations and infrared wavefront sensing, the high mass X-ray binary BP Cru and the active galactic nucleus of PDS 456 for a few μas spectro-differential astrometry, the T Tauri star S CrA for a spectro-differential visibility analysis, ξ Tel and 24 Cap for high accuracy visibility observations, and η Car for interferometric imaging with GRAVITY.

High Vertically Resolved Atmospheric and Surface/Cloud Parameters Retrieved with Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Smith, WIlliam L.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schluessel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Mango, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

The Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx) was conducted during April 2007 mainly for validation of the IASI on the MetOp satellite. IASI possesses an ultra-spectral resolution of 0.25/cm and a spectral coverage from 645 to 2760/cm. Ultra-spectral resolution infrared spectral radiance obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. An advanced retrieval algorithm with a fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. This physical inversion scheme has been developed, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiance observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, to simultaneously retrieve surface, atmospheric thermodynamic, and cloud microphysical parameters. A fast radiative transfer model, which applies to the cloud-free and/or clouded atmosphere, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. A one-dimensional (1-d) variational multi-variable inversion solution is used to improve an iterative background state defined by an eigenvector-regression-retrieval. The solution is iterated in order to account for non-linearity in the 1-d variational solution. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals are achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with relatively high accuracy (i.e., error < 1 km). Preliminary retrievals of atmospheric soundings, surface properties, and cloud optical/microphysical properties with the IASI observations are obtained and presented. These retrievals will be further inter-compared with those obtained from airborne FTS system, such as the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I), dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar. The capabilities of satellite ultra-spectral sounder such as the IASI are investigated indicating a high vertical structure of atmosphere is retrieved.

A Climatology of Tropospheric CO over the Central and Southeastern United States and the Southwestern Pacific Ocean Derived from Space, Air, and Ground-based Infrared Interferometer Spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McMillian, W. Wallace; Strow, L. Larrabee; Revercomb, H.; Knuteson, R.; Thompson, A.

2003-01-01

This final report summarizes all research activities and publications undertaken as part of NASA Atmospheric Chemistry and Modeling Analysis Program (ACMAP) Grant NAG-1-2022, 'A Climatology of Tropospheric CO over the Central and Southeastern United States and the Southwestern Pacific Ocean Derived from Space, Air, and Ground-based Infrared Interferometer Spectra'. Major project accomplishments include: (1) analysis of more than 300,000 AERI spectra from the ARM SGP site yielding a 5-year (1998-2002) timeseries of CO retrievals from the Lamont, OK AERI; (2) development of a prototype CO profile retrieval algorithm for AERI spectra; (3) validation and publication of the first CO retrievals from the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (SHIS); and (4) development of a prototype AERI tropospheric O3 retrieval algorithm. Compilation and publication of the 5-year Lamont, OK timeseries is underway including a new collaboration with scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Public access to this data will be provided upon article submission. A comprehensive CO analysis of the archive of HIS spectra of remains as the only originally proposed activity with little progress. The greatest challenge faced in this project was motivating the University of Wisconsin Co-Investigators to deliver their archived HIS and AERIOO data along with the requisite temperature and water vapor profiles in a timely manner. Part of the supplied HIS dataset from ASHOE may be analyzed as part of a Master s Thesis under a separate project. Our success with the SAFARI 2000 SHIS CO analysis demonstrates the utility of such aircraft remote sensing data given the proper support from the instrument investigators. In addition to the PI and Co-I s, personnel involved in this CO climatology project include one Post Doctoral Fellow, one Research Scientist, two graduate students, and two undergraduate students. A total of fifteen presentations regarding research related to this project were delivered at eleven different scientific meetings. Thus far, three publications have resulted from this project with another five in preparation. No subject inventions resulted from this research project.

Rheo-optical near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy study of partially miscible polymer blend of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinzawa, Hideyuki; Mizukado, Junji

2018-03-01

Tensile deformations of a partially miscible blend of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) is studied by a rheo-optical characterization near-infrared (NIR) technique to probe deformation behavior during tensile deformation. Sets of NIR spectra of the polymer samples were collected by using an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) NIR spectrometer coupled with a tensile testing machine as an excitation device. While deformations of the samples were readily captured as strain-dependent NIR spectra, the entire feature of the spectra was overwhelmed with the baseline fluctuation induced by the decrease in the sample thickness and subsequent change in the light scattering. Several pretreatment techniques, including multiplicative scatter collection (MSC) and null-space projection, are subjected to the NIR spectra prior to the determination of the sequential order of the spectral intensity changes by two-dimensional (2D) correlation analysis. The comparison of the MSC and null-space projection provided an interesting insight into the system, especially deformation-induced variation of light scattering observed during the tensile testing of the polymer sample. In addition, the sequential order determined with the 2D correlation spectra revealed that orientation of a specific part of PMMA chain occurs before that of the others because of the interaction between Cdbnd O group of PMMA and terminal sbnd OH group of PEG.

Far Infrared Measurements of Cirrus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nolt, I. G.; Vanek, M. D.; Tappan, N. D.; Minnis, P.; Alltop, J. L.; Ade, A. R.; Lee, C.; Hamilton, P. A.; Evans, K. F.; Evans, A. H.

1999-01-01

Improved techniques for remote sensing of cirrus are needed to obtain global data for assessing the effect of cirrus in climate change models. Model calculations show that the far infrared/sub-millimeter spectral region is well suited for retrieving cirrus Ice Water Path and particle size parameters. Especially useful cirrus information is obtained at frequencies below 60 cm-1 where single particle scattering dominates over thermal emission for ice particles larger than about 50 m. Earth radiance spectra have been obtained for a range of cloud conditions using an aircraft-based Fourier transform spectrometer. The Far InfraRed Sensor for Cirrus (FIRSC) is a Martin-Puplett interferometer which incorporates a polarizer for the beamsplitter and can be operated in either intensity or linear polarization measurement mode. Two detector channels span 10 to 140 cm-1 with a spectral resolution of 0.1 cm-1; achieving a Noise Equivalent Temperature of approximately 1K at 30 cm-1 in a 4 sec scan. Examples are shown of measured and modeled Earth radiance for a range of cloud conditions from 1998 and 1999 flights.

Atmospheric, Cloud, and Surface Parameters Retrieved from Satellite Ultra-spectral Infrared Sounder Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Smith, William L.; Yang, Ping; Schluessel, Peter; Strow, Larrabee

2007-01-01

An advanced retrieval algorithm with a fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. This physical inversion scheme has been developed, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiance observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, to simultaneously retrieve surface, atmospheric thermodynamic, and cloud microphysical parameters. A fast radiative transfer model, which applies to the clouded atmosphere, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. A one-dimensional (1-d) variational multivariable inversion solution is used to improve an iterative background state defined by an eigenvector-regression-retrieval. The solution is iterated in order to account for non-linearity in the 1-d variational solution. This retrieval algorithm is applied to the MetOp satellite Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) launched on October 19, 2006. IASI possesses an ultra-spectral resolution of 0.25 cm(exp -1) and a spectral coverage from 645 to 2760 cm(exp -1). Preliminary retrievals of atmospheric soundings, surface properties, and cloud optical/microphysical properties with the IASI measurements are obtained and presented.

Surface Emissivity Retrieved with Satellite Ultraspectral IR Measurements for Monitoring Global Change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.; Schluessel, Peter

2009-01-01

Surface and atmospheric thermodynamic parameters retrieved with advanced ultraspectral remote sensors aboard Earth observing satellites are critical to general atmospheric and Earth science research, climate monitoring, and weather prediction. Ultraspectral resolution infrared radiance obtained from nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud information. Presented here is the global surface IR emissivity retrieved from Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) measurements under "clear-sky" conditions. Fast radiative transfer models, applied to the cloud-free (or clouded) atmosphere, are used for atmospheric profile and surface parameter (or cloud parameter) retrieval. The inversion scheme, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiances observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, has been developed to simultaneously retrieve atmospheric thermodynamic and surface (or cloud microphysical) parameters. Rapidly produced surface emissivity is initially evaluated through quality control checks on the retrievals of other impacted atmospheric and surface parameters. Surface emissivity and surface skin temperature from the current and future operational satellites can and will reveal critical information on the Earth s ecosystem and land surface type properties, which can be utilized as part of long-term monitoring for the Earth s environment and global climate change.

Highly compact fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer: A new instrument design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowakowski, B. K.; Smith, D. T.; Smith, S. T.

2016-11-01

This paper presents the design, construction, and characterization of a new optical-fiber-based, low-finesse Fabry-Perot interferometer with a simple cavity formed by two reflecting surfaces (the end of a cleaved optical fiber and a plane, reflecting counter-surface), for the continuous measurement of displacements of several nanometers to several tens of millimeters. No beam collimation or focusing optics are required, resulting in a displacement sensor that is extremely compact (optical fiber diameter 125 μm), is surprisingly tolerant of misalignment (more than 5°), and can be used over a very wide range of temperatures and environmental conditions, including ultra-high-vacuum. The displacement measurement is derived from interferometric phase measurements using an infrared laser source whose wavelength is modulated sinusoidally at a frequency f. The phase signal is in turn derived from changes in the amplitudes of demodulated signals, at both the modulation frequency, f, and its harmonic at 2f, coming from a photodetector that is monitoring light intensity reflected back from the cavity as the cavity length changes. Simple quadrature detection results in phase errors corresponding to displacement errors of up to 25 nm, but by using compensation algorithms discussed in this paper, these inherent non-linearities can be reduced to below 3 nm. In addition, wavelength sweep capability enables measurement of the absolute surface separation. This experimental design creates a unique set of displacement measuring capabilities not previously combined in a single interferometer.

Detecting volcanic SO2 emissions with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Isabelle; Carboni, Elisa; Mather, Tamsin; Grainger, Don

2017-04-01

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions are one of the many hazards associated with volcanic activity. Close to the volcano they have negative impacts on human and animal health and affect the environment. Further afield they present a hazard to aviation (as well as being a proxy for volcanic ash) and can cause global changes to climate. These are all good reasons for monitoring gas emissions at volcanoes and this monitoring can also provide insight into volcanic, magmatic and geothermal processes. Advances in satellite technology mean that it is now possible to monitor these emissions from space. The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on board the European Space Agency's MetOp satellites is commonly used, alongside other satellite products, for detecting SO2 emissions across the globe. A fast linear retrieval developed in Oxford separates the signal of the target species (SO2) from the spectral background by representing background variability (determined from pixels containing no SO2) in a background covariance matrix. SO2 contaminated pixels can be distinguished from this quickly, facilitating the use of this algorithm for near real time monitoring and for scanning of large datasets for signals to explore further with a full retrieval. In this study, the retrieval has been applied across the globe to identify volcanic emissions. Elevated signals are identified at numerous volcanoes including both explosive and passive emissions, which match reports of activity from other sources. Elevated signals are also evident from anthropogenic activity. These results imply that this tool could be successfully used to identify and monitor activity across the globe.

On the origin of the extended infrared shell around NGC 6888

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lozinskaya, T. A.; Pravdikova, V. V.; Gosachinskij, I. V.; Trushkin, S. A.

1997-06-01

The results of a program of research on the extended infrared shell around the nebula NGC 6888 and the star WR 136 are presented. We performed H-alpha observations with a Fabry-Perot interferometer mounted at the focus of a 125-cm telescope and radio continuum (2.7 to 31 cm) and 21-cm HI observations with the RATAN-600 radio telescope. A thick expanding shell of neutral hydrogen 120 pc in diameter that immediately surrounds the extended infrared shell was detected. This suggests that the infrared shell is a single structure rather than a projection of physically unrelated objects. The radial velocity of the HI shell is 11 +/- 1 km/s, the expansion velocity is 10 +/- 3 km/s, and the mass of the neutral hydrogen in the shell is 10 exp 4 solar masses. The bright radio features that we detected in the region of the infrared shell all exhibit a flat spectmm typical of thermal emission from optically thin HII regions. The same inference is probably also true for the nebula Simeiz 55. Our observations are consistent with the assumption of Marston that the extended shell was formed by the stellar wind from the precursor of WR 136, but they do not rule out the identification with a very old supernova remnant proposed by Nichols-Bohlin and Fesen.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Main-sequence A, F, G, and K stars photometry (Boyajian+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyajian, T. S.; von Braun, K.; van Belle, G.; Farrington, C.; Schaefer, G.; Jones, J.; White, R.; McAlister, H. A.; Ten Brummelaar, T. A.; Ridgway, S.; Gies, D.; Sturmann, L.; Sturmann, J.; Turner, N. H.; Goldfinger, P. J.; Vargas, N.

2016-07-01

Akin to the observing outlined in DT1 and DT2, observations for this project were made with the CHARA Array, a long-baseline optical/infrared interferometer located on Mount Wilson Observatory in southern California. The target stars were selected based on their approximate angular size (a function of their intrinsic linear size and distance to the observer). We limit the selection to stars with angular sizes >0.45mas, in order to adequately resolve their sizes to a few percent precision with the selected instrument setup. Note that all stars that meet this requirement are brighter than the instrumental limits of our detector by several magnitudes. The stars also have no known stellar companion within 3-arcsec to avoid contamination of incoherent light in the interferometers' field of view. From 2008 to 2012, we used the CHARA Classic beam combiner operating in the H band (λH=1.67um) and the K' band (λK'=2.14um) to collect observations of 23 stars using CHARA's longest baseline combinations. (5 data files).

Experimental Validation of a Forward Looking Interferometer for Detection of Clear Air Turbulence due to Mountain Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaffner, Philip R.; Daniels, Taumi S.; West, Leanne L.; Gimmestad, Gary G.; Lane, Sarah E.; Burdette, Edward M.; Smith, William L.; Kireev, Stanislav; Cornman, Larry; Sharman, Robert D.

2012-01-01

The Forward-Looking Interferometer (FLI) is an airborne sensor concept for detection and estimation of potential atmospheric hazards to aircraft. The FLI concept is based on high-resolution Infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometry technologies that have been developed for satellite remote sensing. The FLI is being evaluated for its potential to address multiple hazards, during all phases of flight, including clear air turbulence, volcanic ash, wake vortices, low slant range visibility, dry wind shear, and icing. In addition, the FLI is being evaluated for its potential to detect hazardous runway conditions during landing, such as wet or icy asphalt or concrete. The validation of model-based instrument and hazard simulation results is accomplished by comparing predicted performance against empirical data. In the mountain lee wave data collected in the previous FLI project, the data showed a damped, periodic mountain wave structure. The wave data itself will be of use in forecast and nowcast turbulence products such as the Graphical Turbulence Guidance and Graphical Turbulence Guidance Nowcast products. Determining how turbulence hazard estimates can be derived from FLI measurements will require further investigation.

Laser for high frequency modulated interferometry

DOEpatents

Mansfield, D.K.; Vocaturo, M.; Guttadora, L.J.

1991-07-23

A Stark-tuned laser operating in the 119 micron line of CH[sub 3]OH has an output power of several tens of milliwatts at 30 Watts of pump power while exhibiting a doublet splitting of about ten MHz with the application of a Stark field on the order of 500 volts/cm. This output power allows for use of the laser in a multi-channel interferometer, while its high operating frequency permits the interferometer to measure rapid electron density changes in a pellet injected or otherwise fueled plasma such as encountered in magnetic fusion devices. The laser includes a long far-infrared (FIR) pyrex resonator tube disposed within a cylindrical water jacket and incorporating charged electrodes for applying the Stark field to a gas confined therein. With the electrodes located within the resonator tube, the resonator tube walls are cooled by a flowing coolant without electrical breakdown in the coolant liquid during application of the Stark field. Wall cooling allows for substantially increased FIR output powers. Provision is made for introducing a buffer gas into the resonator tube for increasing laser output power and its operating bandwidth. 10 figures.

Laser for high frequency modulated interferometry

DOEpatents

Mansfield, Dennis K.; Vocaturo, Michael; Guttadora, Lawrence J.

1991-01-01

A Stark-tuned laser operating in the 119 micron line of CH.sub.3 OH has an output power of several tens of milliwatts at 30 Watts of pump power while exhibiting a doublet splitting of about ten MHz with the application of a Stark field on the order of 500 volts/cm. This output power allows for use of the laser in a multi-channel interferometer, while its high operating frequency permits the interferometer to measure rapid electron density changes in a pellet injected or otherwise fueled plasma such as encountered in magnetic fusion devices. The laser includes a long far-infrared (FIR) pyrex resonator tube disposed within a cylindrical water jacket and incorporating charged electrodes for applying the Stark field to a gas confined therein. With the electrodes located within the resonator tube, the resonator tube walls are cooled by a flowing coolant without electrical breakdown in the coolant liquid during application of the Stark field. Wall cooling allows for substantially increased FIR output powers. Provision is made for introducing a buffer gas into the resonator tube for increasing laser output power and its operating bandwidth.

A Quasioptical Vector Interferometer for Polarization Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chuss, David T.; Wollack, Edward J.; Moseley, Harvey S.; Novak, Giles

2005-01-01

We present a mathematical description of a Quasioptical Vector Interferometer (QVI), a device that maps an input polarization state to an output polarization state by introducing a phase delay between two linear orthogonal components of the input polarization. The advantages of such a device over a spinning wave-plate modulator for measuring astronomical polarization in the far-infrared through millimeter are: 1. The use of small, linear motions eliminates the need for cryogenic rotational bearings, 2. The phase flexibility allows measurement of Stokes V as well as Q and U, and 3. The QVI allows for both multi-wavelength and broadband modulation. We suggest two implementations of this device as an astronomical polarization modulator. The first involves two such modulators placed in series. By adjusting the two phase delays, it is possible to use such a modulator to measure Stokes Q, U, and V for passbands that are not too large. Conversely, a single QVI may be used to measure Q and V independent of frequency. In this implementation, Stokes U must be measured by rotating the instrument. We conclude this paper by presenting initial laboratory results.

Thermodynamic and cloud parameter retrieval using infrared spectral data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L., Sr.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Huang, Hung-Lung A.; Li, Jun; McGill, Matthew J.; Mango, Stephen A.

2005-01-01

High-resolution infrared radiance spectra obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. A fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. The retrieval algorithm is presented along with its application to recent field experiment data from the NPOESS Airborne Sounding Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I). The retrieval accuracy dependence on cloud properties is discussed. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals can be achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with an accuracy of approximately 1.0 km. Preliminary NAST-I retrieval results from the recent Atlantic-THORPEX Regional Campaign (ATReC) are presented and compared with coincident observations obtained from dropsondes and the nadir-pointing Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL).

IASI instrument onboard Metop-A: lessons learned after almost two years in orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buffet, Laurence; Pequignot, Eric; Blumstein, Denis; Fjørtoft, Roger; Lonjou, Vincent; Millet, Bruno; Larigauderie, Carole

2017-11-01

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) is a key element of the MetOp payload, dedicated to operational meteorology. IASI measurements allow to retrieve temperature and humidity profiles at a 1 km vertical resolution with an accuracy of respectively 1 K and 10%. The aim of this paper is to give a status of the instrument and to present some lessons learned after almost two years in orbit. As the first European infrared sounder, the IASI instrument has demonstrated its operational capability and its adequacy to user needs, with highly meaningful contributions to meteorology, climate and atmospheric chemistry studies. The in-flight performance of IASI is fully satisfactory. The sensitivity to radiative environment seems to be higher than expected: several SEU related anomalies were recorded, without any consequence on the instrument's health. The first decontamination since the commissioning phase was successfully performed in March 2008. The instrument globally shows a stable behaviour.

[Investigation on remote measurement of air pollution by a method of infrared passive scanning imaging].

PubMed

Jiao, Yang; Xu, Liang; Gao, Min-Guang; Feng, Ming-Chun; Jin, Ling; Tong, Jing-Jing; Li, Sheng

2012-07-01

Passive remote sensing by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry allows detection of air pollution. However, for the localization of a leak and a complete assessment of the situation in the case of the release of a hazardous cloud, information about the position and the distribution of a cloud is essential. Therefore, an imaging passive remote sensing system comprising an interferometer, a data acquisition and processing software, scan system, a video system, and a personal computer has been developed. The remote sensing of SF6 was done. The column densities of all directions in which a target compound has been identified may be retrieved by a nonlinear least squares fitting algorithm and algorithm of radiation transfer, and a false color image is displayed. The results were visualized by a video image, overlaid by false color concentration distribution image. The system has a high selectivity, and allows visualization and quantification of pollutant clouds.

Nondestructive surface profiling of hidden MEMS using an infrared low-coherence interferometric microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauter, Johann; Osten, Wolfgang

2018-03-01

There are a wide range of applications for micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). The automotive and consumer market is the strongest driver for the growing MEMS industry. A 100 % test of MEMS is particularly necessary since these are often used for safety-related purposes such as the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) system. The production of MEMS is a fully automated process that generates 90 % of the costs during the packaging and dicing steps. Nowadays, an electrical test is carried out on each individual MEMS component before these steps. However, after encapsulation, MEMS are opaque to visible light and other defects cannot be detected. Therefore, we apply an infrared low-coherence interferometer for the topography measurement of those hidden structures. A lock-in algorithm-based method is shown to calculate the object height and to reduce ghost steps due to the 2π -unambiguity. Finally, measurements of different MEMS-based sensors are presented.

A Near IR Fabry-Perot Interferometer for Wide Field, Low Resolution Hyperspectral Imaging on the Next Generation Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, R. K.; Satyapal, S.; Greenhouse, M. A.; Barclay, R.; Amato, D.; Arritt, B.; Brown, G.; Harvey, V.; Holt, C.; Kuhn, J.

2000-01-01

We discuss work in progress on a near-infrared tunable bandpass filter for the Goddard baseline wide field camera concept of the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). This filter, the Demonstration Unit for Low Order Cryogenic Etalon (DULCE), is designed to demonstrate a high efficiency scanning Fabry-Perot etalon operating in interference orders 1 - 4 at 30K with a high stability DSP based servo control system. DULCE is currently the only available tunable filter for lower order cryogenic operation in the near infrared. In this application, scanning etalons will illuminate the focal plane arrays with a single order of interference to enable wide field lower resolution hyperspectral imaging over a wide range of redshifts. We discuss why tunable filters are an important instrument component in future space-based observatories.

To be or not to be Asymmetric? VLTI/MIDI and the Mass-loss Geometry of AGB Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paladini, C.; Klotz, D.; Sacuto, S.; Lagadec, E.; Wittkowski, M.; Richichi, A.; Hron, J.; Jorissen, A.; Groenewegen, M. A. T.; Kerschbaum, F.; Verhoelst, T.; Rau, G.; Olofsson, H.; Zhao-Geisler, R.; Matter, A.

2017-06-01

The Mid-infrared Interferometric instrument (MIDI) at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) has been used to spatially resolve the dust-forming region of 14 asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars with different chemistry (O-rich and C-rich) and variability types (Miras, semi-regular, and irregular variables). The main goal of the programme was to detect deviations from spherical symmetry in the dust-forming region of these stars. All the stars of the sample are well resolved with the VLTI, and five are asymmetric and O-rich. This finding contrasts with observations in the near-infrared, where the C-rich objects are found to be more asymmetric than the O-rich ones. The nature of the asymmetric structures so far detected (dusty discs versus blobs)remains uncertain and will require imaging on milli-arcsecond scales.

Charles Hard Townes: Remarkable Scientist and Inspiring Teacher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldsmith, P. F.

2015-05-01

Charles Townes is renowned for his work elucidating the structure of molecules through microwave spectroscopy and for his invention of the maser and the laser. He also had a lifelong interest in astronomy, and in the later portion of his remarkable and long career devoted himself to astronomical research, pioneering the study of molecules in interstellar space and the development of infrared spectroscopy, first from the ground and then from airborne facilities. His interest in high angular resolution, as well as high spectral resolution observations, led to development of the first infrared spatial interferometer employing coherent signal processing techniques. In this short review I will only touch on some of Townes' many scientific contributions, concentrating on astronomy, and will also give some personal thoughts about how he inspired students in their research, helping to make the "Townes Group" at the University of California, Berkeley, an ideal environment in which to start a career in research.

Scattering in infrared radiative transfer: A comparison between the spectrally averaging model JURASSIC and the line-by-line model KOPRA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griessbach, Sabine; Hoffmann, Lars; Höpfner, Michael; Riese, Martin; Spang, Reinhold

2013-09-01

The viability of a spectrally averaging model to perform radiative transfer calculations in the infrared including scattering by atmospheric particles is examined for the application of infrared limb remote sensing measurements. Here we focus on the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) aboard the European Space Agency's Envisat. Various spectra for clear air and cloudy conditions were simulated with a spectrally averaging radiative transfer model and a line-by-line radiative transfer model for three atmospheric window regions (825-830, 946-951, 1224-1228 cm-1) and compared to each other. The results are rated in terms of the MIPAS noise equivalent spectral radiance (NESR). The clear air simulations generally agree within one NESR. The cloud simulations neglecting the scattering source term agree within two NESR. The differences between the cloud simulations including the scattering source term are generally below three and always below four NESR. We conclude that the spectrally averaging approach is well suited for fast and accurate infrared radiative transfer simulations including scattering by clouds. We found that the main source for the differences between the cloud simulations of both models is the cloud edge sampling. Furthermore we reasoned that this model comparison for clouds is also valid for atmospheric aerosol in general.

Inference of the boundary layer structure over the oceans from satellite infrared measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Dalu, G.; Lo, R.; Nath, N. R.

1980-01-01

Remote infrared spectral measurements in the 8-13 micron m window region, at a resolution about 3 cm/1, contain useful information about the water vapor and temperature stratification of the atmosphere within the first few kilometers above the water surface. Two pieces of information are retrieved from the spectral measurements: precipitable water vapor in the atmosphere, from the depth of the line structure between 8 and 9 micron m due to water vapor lines; and sea surface temperature, from the variation of brightness temperature between 11 and 13 micron m. Together, these two pieces of information can signify either the presence of a deep moist convective layer or the prevalence of stable conditions, such as caused by temperature inversions, which inhibit moist convection. A simple infrared radiative transfer model of the 9 micron m water vapor lines was developed to validate the method. With the help of this model and the Nimbus 4 infrared interferometer spectrometer data, a gross picture of the planetary boundary layer for different seasons over the global oceans is deduced. The important regions of the trade wind inversion and the intertropical convergence zones over all the oceans are clearly identified with this method. The derived information is in reasonable agreement with some observed climatological patterns over the oceans.

Evaluation of data thinning strategies for climate applications using the first four years of AIRS hyperspectral data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aumann, Hartmut H.; Fishbein, Evan; Gohlke, Jan

2007-09-01

The application of infrared hyper-spectral sounder data to climate research requires the global analysis of multi-decadal time series of various atmosphere, surface or cloud related parameters. The data used in this analysis has to meet stringent global and scene independent absolute accuracy and stability requirements, it also has to be spatially and radiometrically unbiased, manageable in size and self-contained. Self-contained means that the data set contains not only a globally unbiased sample of the state of the Earth Climate system as seen in the infrared, it has to contain enough data to contrast clear with average (cloudy) data and to allow an independent assessment of the radiometric and spectral accuracy and stability of the data. We illustrate this with data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer (IASI) data. AIRS and IASI were designed with fairly similar functional requirements. AIRS was launched on the EOS Aqua spacecraft in May 2002 into a 705 km polar sun-synchronous orbit with accurately maintained 1:30 PM ascending node. Essentially un-interrupted data are available since September 2002. Since October 2006 IASI is in a 9:30 AM polar orbit at 815 km altitude on the MetOp2 satellite, with data available since May 2007.

MIMA, a miniaturized Fourier infrared spectrometer for Mars ground exploration: Part I. Concept and expected performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellucci, G.; Saggin, B.; Fonti, S.; Biondi, D.; Cerulli, P.; De Luca, M.; Altieri, F.; Mattana, A.; Alberti, E.; Marzo, G.; Zasova, L.

2007-10-01

The Mars Infrared MApper (MIMA) is a FT-IR miniaturised spectrometer which is being developed for ESA ExoMars Pasteur mission. The Martian Infrared MApper Fourier Spectrometer is designed to provide remote measurements of mineralogy and atmosphere of the scene surrounding a Martian rover and guide it to key targets for detailed in situ measurements by other rover experiments. Among the main scientific objectives of the MIMA instrument are to assist the rover in rock/soils selection for further in-situ investigation and to identify rocks and soils on the Martian surface which provide evidence of past/present biological activity. The instrument is also designed to measure the water vapour abundance and vertical distribution and its diurnal and seasonal variation, dust opacity, optical properties, composition, diurnal and seasonal variation. The instrument is a double pendulum interferometer providing spectra in the 2 - 25 μm wavelength domain with a resolving power of 1000 at 2 μm and 80 at 25 μm. The radiometric performances are SNR > 40 in the near infrared and a NEDe = 0.002 in the thermal region. The instrument design is very compact, with a total mass of 1kg and an average power consumption of 5 W.

Atmospheric Sounder Spectrometer for Infrared Spectral Technology (ASSIST) Instrument Handbook

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flynn, Connor J.

The Atmospheric Sounder Spectrometer for Infrared Spectral Technology (ASSIST) measures the absolute infrared (IR) spectral radiance (watts per square meter per steradian per wavenumber) of the sky directly above the instrument. More information about the instrument can be found through the manufacturer’s website. The spectral measurement range of the instrument is 3300 to 520 wavenumbers (cm -1) or 3-19.2 microns for the normal-range instruments and 3300 to 400 cm -1 or 3-25 microns, for the extended-range polar instruments. Spectral resolution is 1.0 cm -1. Instrument field-of-view is 1.3 degrees. Calibrated sky radiance spectra are produced on cycle of about 141more » seconds with a group of 6 radiance spectra zenith having dwell times of about 14 seconds each interspersed with 55 seconds of calibration and mirror motion. The ASSIST data is comparable to the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) data and can be used for 1) evaluating line-by-line radiative transport codes, 2) detecting/quantifying cloud effects on ground-based measurements of infrared spectral radiance (and hence is valuable for cloud property retrievals), and 3) calculating vertical atmospheric profiles of temperature and water vapor and the detection of trace gases.« less

Assimilation for Skin SST in the NASA GEOS Atmospheric Data Assimilation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akella, Santha; Todling, Ricardo; Suarez, Max

2017-01-01

The present article describes the sea surface temperature (SST) developments implemented in the Goddard Earth Observing System, Version 5 (GEOS) Atmospheric Data Assimilation System (ADAS). These are enhancements that contribute to the development of an atmosphere-ocean coupled data assimilation system using GEOS. In the current quasi-operational GEOS-ADAS, the SST is a boundary condition prescribed based on the OSTIA product, therefore SST and skin SST (Ts) are identical. This work modifies the GEOS-ADAS Ts by modelling and assimilating near sea surface sensitive satellite infrared (IR) observations. The atmosphere-ocean interface layer of the GEOS atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) is updated to include near-surface diurnal warming and cool-skin effects. The GEOS analysis system is also updated to directly assimilate SST-relevant Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) radiance observations. Data assimilation experiments designed to evaluate the Ts modification in GEOS-ADAS show improvements in the assimilation of radiance observations that extend beyond the thermal infrared bands of AVHRR. In particular, many channels of hyperspectral sensors, such as those of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) are also better assimilated. We also obtained improved fit to withheld insitu buoy measurement of near-surface SST. Evaluation of forecast skill scores show neutral to marginal benefit from the modified Ts.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: High spatial resolution observations of HM Sge (Sacuto+, 2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sacuto, S.; Chesneau, O.

2008-11-01

All the data products are stored in the FITS-based, optical interferometry data exchange format (OI-FITS), described in Pauls et al. (2005PASP..117.1255P). The OI Exchange Format is a standard for exchanging calibrated data from optical (visible/infrared) stellar interferometers. The standard is based on the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS), and supports storage of the optical interferometric observations including visibilities and differential phases. Several routines to read and write this format in various languages can be found in: Webpage http://www.mrao.cam.ac.uk/~jsy1001/exchange (2 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: High spatial resolution observations of HM Sge (Sacuto+, 2007)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sacuto, S.; Chesneau, O.; Vannier, M.; Cruzalebes, P.

2007-01-01

All the data products are stored in the FITS-based, optical interferometry data exchange format (OI-FITS), described in Pauls et al. (2005PASP..117.1255P). The OI Exchange Format is a standard for exchanging calibrated data from optical (visible/infrared) stellar interferometers. The standard is based on the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS), and supports storage of the optical interferometric observations including visibilities and differential phases. Several routines to read and write this format in various languages can be found in: Webpage http://www.mrao.cam.ac.uk/~jsy1001/exchange (1 data file).

The Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed: Recent Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen

2006-01-01

We present recent results from the Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT). The data acquired with the WIIT is "double Fourier" data, including both spatial and spectral information within each data cube. We have been working with this data, and starting to develop algorithms, implementations, and techniques for reducing this data. Such algorithms and tools are of great importance for a number of proposed future missions, including the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT), the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure (SPECS), and the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I)/Darwin. Recent results are discussed and future study directions are described.

Design and characterization of Ge passive waveguide components on Ge-on-insulator wafer for mid-infrared photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Jian; Takagi, Shinichi; Takenaka, Mitsuru

2018-04-01

We present the design methodology for Ge passive components including single-mode waveguide, grating couplers, multimode interferometer (MMI) couplers, and micro-ring resonators on the Ge-on-insulator wafer at a 1.95 µm wavelength. Characterizations of the fabricated Ge passive devices reveal a good consistence between the experimental and simulation results. By using the Ge micro-ring device, we also reveal that the thermo-optic coefficient in the Ge strip waveguide is 5.74 × 10-4/°C, which is much greater than that in Si.

The IASI cold box subsystem (CBS) a passive cryocooler for cryogenic detectors and optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailly, B.; Courteau, P.; Maciaszek, T.

2017-11-01

In space, cooling down Infra Red detectors and optics to cryogenic temperature raises always the same issue : what is the best way to manage simultaneously thermal cooling, stability, mechanical discoupling and accurate focal plane components location, in a lightweight and compact solution? The passive cryocooler developed by Alcatel SPace Industries under CNES contract in the frame of the IASI instrument (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer), offers an efficient solution for 90K to 100K temperature levels. We intend you to present the architecture and performance validation plan of the CBS.

A Regularized Neural Net Approach for Retrieval of Atmospheric and Surface Temperatures with the IASI Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aires, F.; Chedin, A.; Scott, N. A.; Rossow, W. B.; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Abstract In this paper, a fast atmospheric and surface temperature retrieval algorithm is developed for the high resolution Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) space-borne instrument. This algorithm is constructed on the basis of a neural network technique that has been regularized by introduction of a priori information. The performance of the resulting fast and accurate inverse radiative transfer model is presented for a large divE:rsified dataset of radiosonde atmospheres including rare events. Two configurations are considered: a tropical-airmass specialized scheme and an all-air-masses scheme.

OVMS-plus at the LBT: disturbance compensation simplified

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Böhm, Michael; Pott, Jörg-Uwe; Borelli, José; Hinz, Phil; Defrère, Denis; Downey, Elwood; Hill, John; Summers, Kellee; Conrad, Al; Kürster, Martin; Herbst, Tom; Sawodny, Oliver

2016-07-01

In this paper we will briefly revisit the optical vibration measurement system (OVMS) at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) and how these values are used for disturbance compensation and particularly for the LBT Interferometer (LBTI) and the LBT Interferometric Camera for Near-Infrared and Visible Adaptive Interferometry for Astronomy (LINC-NIRVANA). We present the now centralized software architecture, called OVMS+, on which our approach is based and illustrate several challenges faced during the implementation phase. Finally, we will present measurement results from LBTI proving the effectiveness of the approach and the ability to compensate for a large fraction of the telescope induced vibrations.

Project Orion: A Design Study of a System for Detecting Extrasolar Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, D. C. (Editor)

1980-01-01

A design concept for a ground based astrometric telescope that could significantly increase the potential accuracy of astrometric observations is considered. The state of current techniques and instrumentation is examined in the context of detecting extrasolar planets. Emphasis is placed on the direct detection of extrasolar planets at either visual or infrared wavelengths. The design concept of the imaging stellar interferometer (ISI), developed under Project Orion, is described. The Orion ISI employs the state-of-the-art technology and is theoretically capable of attaining 0.00010 arc sec/yr accuracy in relative astrometric observations.

the Ĝ infrared search for extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies. II. Framework, strategy, and first result

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wright, J. T.; Griffith, R. L.; Sigurdsson, S.

We describe the framework and strategy of the Ĝ infrared search for extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies, which will use the wide-field infrared surveys of WISE and Spitzer to search for these civilizations' waste heat. We develop a formalism for translating mid-infrared photometry into quantitative upper limits on extraterrestrial energy supplies. We discuss the likely sources of false positives, how dust can and will contaminate our search, and prospects for distinguishing dust from alien waste heat. We argue that galaxy-spanning civilizations may be easier to distinguish from natural sources than circumstellar civilizations (i.e., Dyson spheres), although GAIA will significantlymore » improve our capability to identify the latter. We present a zeroth order null result of our search based on the WISE all-sky catalog: we show, for the first time, that Kardashev Type III civilizations (as Kardashev originally defined them) are very rare in the local universe. More sophisticated searches can extend our methodology to smaller waste heat luminosities, and potentially entirely rule out (or detect) both Kardashev Type III civilizations and new physics that allows for unlimited 'free' energy generation.« less

The Ĝ Infrared Search for Extraterrestrial Civilizations with Large Energy Supplies. II. Framework, Strategy, and First Result

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, J. T.; Griffith, R. L.; Sigurdsson, S.; Povich, M. S.; Mullan, B.

2014-09-01

We describe the framework and strategy of the Ĝ infrared search for extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies, which will use the wide-field infrared surveys of WISE and Spitzer to search for these civilizations' waste heat. We develop a formalism for translating mid-infrared photometry into quantitative upper limits on extraterrestrial energy supplies. We discuss the likely sources of false positives, how dust can and will contaminate our search, and prospects for distinguishing dust from alien waste heat. We argue that galaxy-spanning civilizations may be easier to distinguish from natural sources than circumstellar civilizations (i.e., Dyson spheres), although GAIA will significantly improve our capability to identify the latter. We present a zeroth order null result of our search based on the WISE all-sky catalog: we show, for the first time, that Kardashev Type III civilizations (as Kardashev originally defined them) are very rare in the local universe. More sophisticated searches can extend our methodology to smaller waste heat luminosities, and potentially entirely rule out (or detect) both Kardashev Type III civilizations and new physics that allows for unlimited "free" energy generation.

Lessons Learned During Cryogenic Optical Testing of the Advanced Mirror System Demonstrators (AMSDs)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hadaway, James; Reardon, Patrick; Geary, Joseph; Robinson, Brian; Stahl, Philip; Eng, Ron; Kegley, Jeff

2004-01-01

Optical testing in a cryogenic environment presents a host of challenges above and beyond those encountered during room temperature testing. The Advanced Mirror System Demonstrators (AMSDs) are 1.4 m diameter, ultra light-weight (<20 kg/mA2), off-axis parabolic segments. They are required to have 250 nm PV & 50 nm RMS surface figure error or less at 35 K. An optical testing system, consisting of an Instantaneous Phase Interferometer (PI), a diffractive null corrector (DNC), and an Absolute Distance Meter (ADM), was used to measure the surface figure & radius-of-curvature of these mirrors at the operational temperature within the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The Ah4SD program was designed to improve the technology related to the design, fabrication, & testing of such mirrors in support of NASA s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This paper will describe the lessons learned during preparation & cryogenic testing of the AMSDs.

Validation of simultaneous reverse optimization reconstruction algorithm in a practical circular subaperture stitching interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Li, Dong; Liu, Yu; Liu, Jingxiao; Li, Jingsong; Yu, Benli

2017-11-01

We demonstrate the validity of the simultaneous reverse optimization reconstruction (SROR) algorithm in circular subaperture stitching interferometry (CSSI), which is previously proposed for non-null aspheric annular subaperture stitching interferometry (ASSI). The merits of the modified SROR algorithm in CSSI, such as auto retrace error correction, no need of overlap and even permission of missed coverage, are analyzed in detail in simulations and experiments. Meanwhile, a practical CSSI system is proposed for this demonstration. An optical wedge is employed to deflect the incident beam for subaperture scanning by its rotation and shift instead of the six-axis motion-control system. Also the reference path can provide variable Zernike defocus for each subaperture test, which would decrease the fringe density. Experiments validating the SROR algorithm in this CSSI is implemented with cross validation by testing of paraboloidal mirror, flat mirror and astigmatism mirror. It is an indispensable supplement in SROR application in general subaperture stitching interferometry.

Development of an Infrared Remote Sensing System for Continuous Monitoring of Stromboli Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harig, R.; Burton, M.; Rausch, P.; Jordan, M.; Gorgas, J.; Gerhard, J.

2009-04-01

In order to monitor gases emitted by Stromboli volcano in the Eolian archipelago, Italy, a remote sensing system based on Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy has been developed and installed on the summit of Stromboli volcano. Hot rocks and lava are used as sources of infrared radiation. The system is based on an interferometer with a single detector element in combination with an azimuth-elevation scanning mirror system. The mirror system is used to align the field of view of the instrument. In addition, the system is equipped with an infrared camera. Two basic modes of operation have been implemented: The user may use the infrared image to align the system to a vent that is to be examined. In addition, the scanning system may be used for (hyperspectral) imaging of the scene. In this mode, the scanning mirror is set sequentially move to all positions within a region of interest which is defined by the operator using the image generated from the infrared camera. The spectral range used for the measurements is 1600 - 4200 cm-1 allowing the quantification of many gases such as CO, CO2, SO2, and HCl. The spectral resolution is 0.5 cm-1. In order to protect the optical, mechanical and electrical parts of the system from the volcanic gases, all components are contained in a gas-tight aluminium housing. The system is controlled via TCP/IP (data transfer by WLAN), allowing the user to operate it from a remote PC. The infrared image of the scene and measured spectra are transferred to and displayed by a remote PC at INGV or TUHH in real-time. However, the system is capable of autonomous operation on the volcano, once a measurement has been started. Measurements are stored by an internal embedded PC.

The temporal power spectrum of atmospheric fluctuations due to water vapor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lay, O. P.

1997-05-01

Irregular variations in the refractivity of the atmosphere cause fluctuations in the phase measured by interferometers, limiting the spatial resolution that can be obtained. For frequencies up to the far infrared, water vapor is the dominant cause of the variations. The temporal power spectrum of the phase fluctuations is needed to assess correction schemes such as phase referencing using a nearby calibrator and water vapor radiometry. A model is developed for the temporal power spectrum of phase fluctuations measured by an interferometer through a layer of Kolmogorov turbulence of arbitrary thickness. It is found that both the orientation of the baseline with respect to the wind direction and the elevation of the observations can have a large effect on the temporal power spectrum. Plots of the spectral density distribution, where the area under the curve is proportional to phase power, show that substantial contributions from length scales as long as 100 times the interferometer baseline are possible. The model is generally consistent with data from the 12-GHz phase monitor at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, and allows the data to be extrapolated to an arbitrary baseline, observing frequency and elevation. There is some evidence that there can be more than one component of turbulence present at a given time for the Owens Valley. The validity of the frozen turbulence assumption and the geometrical optics approximation is discussed and found to be reasonable under most conditions. The models and data presented here form the basis of an analysis of phase calibration and water vapor radiometry \\cite[(Lay 1997)]{lay96}.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kraus, Stefan; Espaillat, Catherine; Wilner, David J.

Pre-transitional disks are protoplanetary disks with a gapped disk structure, potentially indicating the presence of young planets in these systems. In order to explore the structure of these objects and their gap-opening mechanism, we observed the pre-transitional disk V1247 Orionis using the Very Large Telescope Interferometer, the Keck Interferometer, Keck-II, Gemini South, and IRTF. This allows us to spatially resolve the AU-scale disk structure from near- to mid-infrared wavelengths (1.5-13 {mu}m), tracing material at different temperatures and over a wide range of stellocentric radii. Our observations reveal a narrow, optically thick inner-disk component (located at 0.18 AU from the star)more » that is separated from the optically thick outer disk (radii {approx}> 46 AU), providing unambiguous evidence for the existence of a gap in this pre-transitional disk. Surprisingly, we find that the gap region is filled with significant amounts of optically thin material with a carbon-dominated dust mineralogy. The presence of this optically thin gap material cannot be deduced solely from the spectral energy distribution, yet it is the dominant contributor at mid-infrared wavelengths. Furthermore, using Keck/NIRC2 aperture masking observations in the H, K', and L' bands, we detect asymmetries in the brightness distribution on scales of {approx}15-40 AU, i.e., within the gap region. The detected asymmetries are highly significant, yet their amplitude and direction changes with wavelength, which is not consistent with a companion interpretation but indicates an inhomogeneous distribution of the gap material. We interpret this as strong evidence for the presence of complex density structures, possibly reflecting the dynamical interaction of the disk material with sub-stellar mass bodies that are responsible for the gap clearing.« less

Global height-resolved methane retrievals from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on MetOp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siddans, Richard; Knappett, Diane; Kerridge, Brian; Waterfall, Alison; Hurley, Jane; Latter, Barry; Boesch, Hartmut; Parker, Robert

2017-11-01

This paper describes the global height-resolved methane (CH4) retrieval scheme for the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on MetOp, developed at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). The scheme precisely fits measured spectra in the 7.9 micron region to allow information to be retrieved on two independent layers centred in the upper and lower troposphere. It also uses nitrous oxide (N2O) spectral features in the same spectral interval to directly retrieve effective cloud parameters to mitigate errors in retrieved methane due to residual cloud and other geophysical variables. The scheme has been applied to analyse IASI measurements between 2007 and 2015. Results are compared to model fields from the MACC greenhouse gas inversion and independent measurements from satellite (GOSAT), airborne (HIPPO) and ground (TCCON) sensors. The estimated error on methane mixing ratio in the lower- and upper-tropospheric layers ranges from 20 to 100 and from 30 to 40 ppbv, respectively, and error on the derived column-average ranges from 20 to 40 ppbv. Vertical sensitivity extends through the lower troposphere, though it decreases near to the surface. Systematic differences with the other datasets are typically < 10 ppbv regionally and < 5 ppbv globally. In the Southern Hemisphere, a bias of around 20 ppbv is found with respect to MACC, which is not explained by vertical sensitivity or found in comparison of IASI to TCCON. Comparisons to HIPPO and MACC support the assertion that two layers can be independently retrieved and provide confirmation that the estimated random errors on the column- and layer-averaged amounts are realistic. The data have been made publically available via the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA) data archive (Siddans, 2016).

A Proposed Robotic Astronomy Mission to the Lunar South Polar Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowman, Paul D., Jr.

2003-01-01

This paper outlines a possible mission to emplace a robotic infrared / submillimeter wave interferometer array near the lunar south pole. This region has now been investigated by the Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions, and by Earth-based radar, and its topography and thermal environment are fairly well-known. The area would be exceptionally suitable for infrared / submillimeter astronomy because of the continually low temperatures, approaching that of liquid nitrogen (77K) in some places. A submillimeter spaceborne interferometer mission, Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of the Cosmic Structure (SPECS) has been proposed by John Mather and others, covering the 40 - 500 micron region with 3 formation flying telescopes. The present paper proposes a lunar adaptation of the SPECS concept, LSPECS. This adaptation would involve landing 4 telescopes on the area north of Shackleton crater at zero degrees longitude. This is in nearly year round darkness but is continually radar visible from Earth. The landed payload of LSPECS would include a telerobotic rover, 4 three meter submm telescopes, a solar power array to be emplaced on the continually sunlit north rim of Shackleton crater, and an S-band antenna for data relay to Earth. Passive cooling without the use of expendable cryogenics. might be possible, trading long exposure time for instrument temperatures above that of liquid helium. The LSPECS would permit long-term study of an extremely wide range of cosmic and solar system phenomena in the southern celestial hemisphere. For complete sky coverage, a similar installation near the north pole would be required. The LSPECS site would also be suitable other types of observation, such as optical interferometry or centimeter wavelength radio astronomy. The lunar south pole is also of great interest because of its extensive ice deposits, which may represent cometary infall with pre-biotic compounds.

The Next Generation Heated Halo for Blackbody Emissivity Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gero, P.; Taylor, J. K.; Best, F. A.; Revercomb, H. E.; Knuteson, R. O.; Tobin, D. C.; Adler, D. P.; Ciganovich, N. N.; Dutcher, S. T.; Garcia, R. K.

2011-12-01

The accuracy of radiance measurements from space-based infrared spectrometers is contingent on the quality of the calibration subsystem, as well as knowledge of its uncertainty. Future climate benchmarking missions call for measurement uncertainties better than 0.1 K (k=3) in radiance temperature for the detection of spectral climate signatures. Blackbody cavities impart the most accurate calibration for spaceborne infrared sensors, provided that their temperature and emissivity is traceably determined on-orbit. The On-Orbit Absolute Radiance Standard (OARS) has been developed at the University of Wisconsin to meet the stringent requirements of the next generation of infrared remote sensing instruments. It provides on-orbit determination of both traceable temperature and emissivity for calibration blackbodies. The Heated Halo is the component of the OARS that provides a robust and compact method to measure the spectral emissivity of a blackbody in situ. A carefully baffled thermal source is placed in front of a blackbody in an infrared spectrometer system, and the combined radiance of the blackbody and Heated Halo reflection is observed. Knowledge of key temperatures and the viewing geometry allow the blackbody cavity spectral emissivity to be calculated. We present the results from the Heated Halo methodology implemented with a new Absolute Radiance Interferometer (ARI), which is a prototype space-based infrared spectrometer designed for climate benchmarking that was developed under the NASA Instrument Incubator Program (IIP). We compare our findings to models and other experimental methods of emissivity determination.

Estimating the marine signal in the near infrared for atmospheric correction of satellite ocean-color imagery over turbid waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourdet, Alice; Frouin, Robert J.

2014-11-01

The classic atmospheric correction algorithm, routinely applied to second-generation ocean-color sensors such as SeaWiFS, MODIS, and MERIS, consists of (i) estimating the aerosol reflectance in the red and near infrared (NIR) where the ocean is considered black (i.e., totally absorbing), and (ii) extrapolating the estimated aerosol reflectance to shorter wavelengths. The marine reflectance is then retrieved by subtraction. Variants and improvements have been made over the years to deal with non-null reflectance in the red and near infrared, a general situation in estuaries and the coastal zone, but the solutions proposed so far still suffer some limitations, due to uncertainties in marine reflectance modeling in the near infrared or difficulty to extrapolate the aerosol signal to the blue when using observations in the shortwave infrared (SWIR), a spectral range far from the ocean-color wavelengths. To estimate the marine signal (i.e., the product of marine reflectance and atmospheric transmittance) in the near infrared, the proposed approach is to decompose the aerosol reflectance in the near infrared to shortwave infrared into principal components. Since aerosol scattering is smooth spectrally, a few components are generally sufficient to represent the perturbing signal, i.e., the aerosol reflectance in the near infrared can be determined from measurements in the shortwave infrared where the ocean is black. This gives access to the marine signal in the near infrared, which can then be used in the classic atmospheric correction algorithm. The methodology is evaluated theoretically from simulations of the top-of-atmosphere reflectance for a wide range of geophysical conditions and angular geometries and applied to actual MODIS imagery acquired over the Gulf of Mexico. The number of discarded pixels is reduced by over 80% using the PC modeling to determine the marine signal in the near infrared prior to applying the classic atmospheric correction algorithm.

Retrievals of methane from IASI radiance spectra and comparisons with ground-based FTIR measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerzenmacher, T.; Kumps, N.; de Mazière, M.; Kruglanski, M.; Senten, C.; Vanhaelewyn, G.; Vandaele, A. C.; Vigouroux, C.

2009-04-01

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), launched on 19 October 2006, is a Fourier transform spectrometer onboard METOP-1, observing the radiance of the Earth's surface and atmosphere in nadir mode. The spectral range covers the 645 to 2760 cm-1 region with a resolution of 0.35 to 0.5 cm-1. A line-by-line spectral simulation and inversion code, ASIMUT, has been developed for the retrieval of chemical species from infrared spectra. The code includes an analytical calculation of the Jacobians for use in the inversion part of the algorithm based on the Optimal Estimation Method. In 2007 we conducted a measurement campaign at St Denis, Île de la Réunion where we performed ground-based solar absorption observations with a infrared Fourier transform spectrometer. ASIMUT has been used to retrieve methane from the ground-based and collocated satellite measurements. For the latter we selected pixels that are situated over the sea. In this presentation we will show the retrieval strategies, the resulting methane column time series above St Denis and the comparisons of the satellite data with the ground-based data sets. Vertical profile information in these data sets will also be discussed.

Mid-Infrared Interferometry on Spectral Lines. III. Ammonia and Silane around IRC +10216 and VY Canis Majoris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monnier, J. D.; Danchi, W. C.; Hale, D. S.; Tuthill, P. G.; Townes, C. H.

2000-11-01

Using the University of California Berkeley Infrared Spatial Interferometer with a radio frequency (RF) filter bank, the first interferometric observations of mid-infrared molecular absorption features of ammonia (NH3) and silane (SiH4) with very high spectral resolution (λ/Δλ~105) were made. Under the assumptions of spherical symmetry and uniform outflow, these new data permitted the molecular stratification around carbon star IRC +10216 and red supergiant VY CMa to be investigated. For IRC +10216, both ammonia and silane were found to form in the dusty outflow significantly beyond both the dust formation and gas acceleration zones. Specifically, ammonia was found to form before silane in a region of decaying gas turbulence (>~20R*), while the silane is produced in a region of relatively smooth gas flow much farther from the star (>~80R*). The depletion of gas-phase SiS onto grains soon after dust formation may fuel silane-producing reactions on the grain surfaces. For VY CMa, a combination of interferometric and spectral observations suggest that NH3 is forming near the termination of the gas acceleration phase in a region of high gas turbulence (~40R*).

MIPAS middle atmosphere water vapor distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Comas, Maya; Lopez-Puertas, Manuel; Funke, Bernd; Bermejo-Pantale, Diego; Stiller, Gabriele; Grabowski, Udo; von Clarmann, Thomas

Water vapor is a key constituent of the middle atmosphere. It is involved in the ozone chem-istry, it is the precursor of PSCs and PMCs, and it is an infrared cooler in the stratosphere. The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) onboard Envisat observes the H2O infrared emissions with high resolution up to the mesopause. We have derived water vapor abundance from MIPAS spectra using the IMK/IAA data processor, which includes the GRANADA non-LTE algorithm. That allows for accurate H2O retrievals in the atmospheric regions where its emissions are affected by non-LTE, i.e., above 50km and particularly in the polar summer. We describe the information gained from MIPAS spectra about the non-LTE processes affecting the H2O infrared emissions, discuss its uncertainties and present MIPAS pole-to-pole distributions of water vapor retrieved from the stratosphere to the upper meso-sphere. We pay special attention to its behavior in the polar summer mesosphere, where the presence of PMCs and particular dynamical events may perturb the H2O vertical distribution. We also compare our results with those from global circulation models and other independent measurements.