NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)
SOFIA — The Observatory
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SOFIA — The ObservatorySOFIA — The Observatory open cavity
(door not shown)
TELESCOPE
pressure bulkhead
scientific instrument (1 of 7)
Scientist work stations, telescope and instrument control, etc.
Educator work stations
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Primary MirrorVisible Light Camera
Light Tube
Spherical Hydraulic Bearing
Secondary Mirror
Infrared Light Mirror
Visible Light Mirror
Infrared Instrument
SOFIA Light PathIncoming Infrared Light
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Representing the resolution of a 90-cm (36-
inch) telescope
DIFFRACTION: larger telescope produces sharper images
… versus a 250 cm
(100-inch) telescope
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SOFIA’s newly-aluminized primary mirror
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Putting it together:Putting it together:L-3 Communications Integrated Systems,L-3 Communications Integrated Systems,
Waco, TexasWaco, Texas
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Telescope Cavity, with Door Telescope Cavity, with Door openopen
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““Line Ops” (ground tests)Line Ops” (ground tests)
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First 100%-Open Door Test First 100%-Open Door Test FlightFlight
December 2009December 2009
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The telescope:The telescope:Floating on spherical bearing;Floating on spherical bearing;Orientation/position sensed by Orientation/position sensed by
gyroscopes/GPS;gyroscopes/GPS;Optical TV cameras view field around Optical TV cameras view field around
targettarget
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The SOFIA TelescopeThe SOFIA Telescope
Exposed to the Sky
Inside the Cabin
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Aero-acoustics (1)Aero-acoustics (1)
Acoustic Power Spectrum Density (PSD) versus frequency
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Telescope Pointing Telescope Pointing StabilityStability
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Image Quality (PSF Image Quality (PSF size)size)
Point source image size in focal plane versus wavelength
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SOFIA’s AdvantagesSOFIA’s AdvantagesWh at d oe s SO FI A d o th at t he H ubb le S pa ce T el esc op e ca n’ t?Wh at d oe s SO FI A d o th at t he H ubb le S pa ce T el esc op e ca n’ t?
SO FI A ca n ea si ly st ud y:SO FI A ca n ea si ly st ud y:
>> IR : o bj ec ts m uch c oo le r th an no rm al s ta rs l ike t he S unIR : o bj ec ts m uch c oo le r th an no rm al s ta rs l ike t he S un
fo r ex am pl e: s tar s an d pl an et s i n th e pr oc es s o f fo rm in g;fo r ex am pl e: s tar s an d pl an et s i n th e pr oc es s o f fo rm in g;
>> IR : o bj ec ts e mbe dd ed i n, o r beh in d, o pa qu e ISM d us t cl ou ds ;IR : o bj ec ts e mbe dd ed i n, o r beh in d, o pa qu e ISM d us t cl ou ds ;
SO FI A’ s in st ru men ts c an s ee i nto a nd t hr ou gh th os e cl ou dsSO FI A’ s in st ru men ts c an s ee i nto a nd t hr ou gh th os e cl ou ds
>> IR : o rg an ic m ole cu le s in s pa ce, w hi ch h av e man y of t he ir s pec tr al l in es a nd ba nd s at i nf rar ed w av el en gt hs;IR : o rg an ic m ole cu le s in s pa ce, w hi ch h av e man y of t he ir s pec tr al l in es a nd ba nd s at i nf rar ed w av el en gt hs;
>> Mo bi li ty : F or egr ou nd s ol ar s yst em o bj ec ts a s t he y oc cu lt b ack gr ou nd s ta rs .Mo bi li ty : F or egr ou nd s ol ar s yst em o bj ec ts a s t he y oc cu lt b ack gr ou nd s ta rs .
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SOFIA’s advantages, cont’SOFIA’s advantages, cont’
What are SOFIA’s capabilities relative to the Spitzer What are SOFIA’s capabilities relative to the Spitzer infrared space telescope?infrared space telescope?
SOFIA’s telescope mirror is 3x larger than Spitzer’s, soSOFIA’s telescope mirror is 3x larger than Spitzer’s, so
> SOFIA can see details 3x smaller> SOFIA can see details 3x smaller
> SOFIA can resolve objects in 9x more crowded regions> SOFIA can resolve objects in 9x more crowded regions
SOFIA has more instruments than Spitzer (7 versus 3), SOFIA has more instruments than Spitzer (7 versus 3), so:so:
> SOFIA has more ways to analyze a wider range of > SOFIA has more ways to analyze a wider range of wavelengthswavelengths
>> SOFIA will have 2SOFIA will have 2ndnd-, 3-, 3rdrd- and 4- and 4thth-generation -generation instrumentsinstruments
SOFIA has a design lifetime of 20 years, versus SOFIA has a design lifetime of 20 years, versus Spitzer’s 5 years (limited by cryogen supply)Spitzer’s 5 years (limited by cryogen supply)
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The 7 first-generation instruments cover the full IR range with
imagers and low-to-high resolution spectrographs
(http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/instruments/)
SOFIA’s First-generationSOFIA’s First-generationScientific InstrumentsScientific Instruments
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First four instruments …First four instruments …
HIPOoptical
high-speedphotometer(Lowell
Observatory)
FLITECAMnear-IRcamera(UCLA)
FORCASTmid-IRcamera
(Cornell)
GREAT far-IR
heterodyne spectrometer (MPIfR)
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GREAT far-IR GREAT far-IR spectrometer =>spectrometer =>
FORCAST mid-IR<= camera
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SOFIA’s Scientific SOFIA’s Scientific InstrumentsInstruments
FORCAST (camera; Cornell)FORCAST (camera; Cornell) 20102010 GREAT (spectrometer; Germany)GREAT (spectrometer; Germany) 20112011 HIPO (photometer; Lowell Obs.)HIPO (photometer; Lowell Obs.) 20112011 FLITECAM (camera; UCLA)FLITECAM (camera; UCLA) 20112011 FIFI LS (spectrometer; DSI)FIFI LS (spectrometer; DSI) 20142014 HAWC (camera; U. Chicago)HAWC (camera; U. Chicago) 20142014 EXES (spectrometer; Ames/UC-Davis)EXES (spectrometer; Ames/UC-Davis) 20142014
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Cycle 1 (Nov.’12 – Dec.13) Instrument Cycle 1 (Nov.’12 – Dec.13) Instrument CapabilitiesCapabilities
• FORCASTFORCAST– Facility Class Infrared CameraFacility Class Infrared Camera– Imaging modes fully supported in Facility Instrument Mode Imaging modes fully supported in Facility Instrument Mode
5-40 5-40 mm– GRISM spectroscopy will be offered with resolutions of GRISM spectroscopy will be offered with resolutions of
typically a few hundred (see SOFIA web site) on a shared typically a few hundred (see SOFIA web site) on a shared risk basisrisk basis
• GREATGREAT– Principal Investigator Class SpectrometerPrincipal Investigator Class Spectrometer– L1a/b and L2 modes offered ( Likely L1 and L2 )L1a/b and L2 modes offered ( Likely L1 and L2 )– GO and GREAT team collaborate after selectionGO and GREAT team collaborate after selection
• FLITECAMFLITECAM– Facility Class InstrumentFacility Class Instrument– Imaging modes will be fully supported after commissioningImaging modes will be fully supported after commissioning– GRISM spectroscopy ( R~2000) offered as shared riskGRISM spectroscopy ( R~2000) offered as shared risk
• HIPO/ FLIPOHIPO/ FLIPO– Special purpose instrumentSpecial purpose instrument– Requires collaboration with instrument PIRequires collaboration with instrument PI