Cryogenic Telescope On The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)
Abstract
The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)* has completed an unbiased all-sky survey at wavelengths from 10 to 100 Am. The design and performance of the focal plane array is described with emphasis on in-orbit measurements of the sensitivity and stability. In the four broad spectral bands centered at 12, 25, 60, and 100 Am, the system noise equivalent flux density (NEFD) values are, in Jy/Hz^(1/2), 0.03, 0.025, 0.046, and 0.21, respectively (Jansky = 10^(-26) W/m^2/Hz). For point sources, a single scan at the survey rate of 3.8 arcmin/s yields limiting flux densities at the 3-sigma confidence level of 0.36, 0.30, 0.39, and 1.2 Jy. The dc stability of the junction field effect transistor (JFET) amplifiers and the excellent off-axis rejection of the tele-scope permit total flux measurements of extended infrared emission at levels below 10^6 Jy/sr. Response of the extrinsic silicon and germanium photo-detectors to ionizing radiation is described.
Additional Information
© 1984 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. Invited Paper IR-104 received Sept. 12, 1983; revised manuscript received Oct. 7, 1983; accepted for publication Jan. 9, 1984; received by Managing Editor Jan. 11, 1984. This paper is a revision of Paper 430-42 which was presented at the SPIE conference on Infrared Technology IX, Aug. 23-24, 1983, San Diego, CA. The paper presented there appears (unrefereed) in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 430. The IRAS system performance stands as a lasting tribute to the dedication and skills of its designers and builders. A portion of the research described in this paper was performed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.Attached Files
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- Eprint ID
- 75259
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20170320-160425778
- NASA/JPL/Caltech
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2017-03-21Created from EPrint's datestamp field
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2021-11-15Created from EPrint's last_modified field