Related papers: SNAP Focal Plane
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is optimized for observations in the near and mid infrared and will provide essential observations for targets that cannot be conducted from the ground or other missions during its lifetime. The state…
The infrared beamline at BESSY II storage ring was upgraded recently to extend capabilities of infrared microscopy. The end-stations available at the beamline are now facilitating improved characterization of molecules and materials at…
The (sub)millimeter sky contains a vast wealth of information that is both complementary and inaccessible to other wavelengths. Over half the light we receive is observable at (sub)millimeter wavelengths, yet we have mapped only a small…
A new far-field optical microscopy technique capable of reaching nanometer-scale resolution has been developed recently using the in-plane image magnification by surface plasmon polaritons. This microscopy is based on the optical properties…
We present a new and innovative near-infrared multi-band ultraprecise spectroimager (NIMBUS) for SOFIA. This design is capable of characterizing a large sample of extrasolar planet atmospheres by measuring elemental and molecular abundances…
We developed a scan mirror mechanism (SMM) that enable a slit-based spectrometer or spectropolarimeter to precisely and quickly map an astronomical object. The SMM, designed to be installed in the optical path preceding the entrance slit,…
An advanced Compton telescope appears to be the best instrument concept for the next generation gamma-ray space observatory in the MeV range. A first prototype of advanced Compton telescope is being developed to match the constraints of a…
SOFIA is a 2.5 meter airborne infrared telescope, mounted in a Boeing 747SP aircraft. Due to the large size of the telescope, only a few degrees of azimuth are available at the telescope bearing. This means the heading of the aircraft is…
The Wide-field Infrared Transient Explorer (WINTER) is a near-infrared time-domain survey instrument operating on a dedicated 1-meter robotic telescope at Palomar Observatory. The project takes advantage of recent technology advances in…
We present a progress report on the design and construction of the Field-Imaging Far-Infrared Line Spectrometer (FIFI LS) for the SOFIA airborne observatory. The design of the instrument is driven by the goal of maximizing observing…
We present a pair of optimized objective lenses with long working distances of 117~mm and 65~mm respectively that offer diffraction limited performance for both Cs and Rb wavelengths when imaging through standard vacuum windows. The designs…
The SALTUS Probe mission will provide a powerful far-infrared (far-IR) pointed space observatory to explore our cosmic origins and the possibility of life elsewhere. The observatory employs an innovative deployable 14-m aperture, with a…
WST - Widefield Spectroscopic Telescope: We summarise the design challenges of instrumentation for a proposed 12m class Telescope that aims to provide a large (>2.5 square degree) field of view and enable simultaneous Multi-object (> 20,000…
The continual push to directly image exoplanets at lower masses and closer separations orbiting around bright stars remains limited by both quasi-static and residual adaptive optics (AO) aberration. In previous papers we have proposed a…
The far-infrared and submillimeter portions of the electromagnetic spectrum provide a unique view of the astrophysical processes present in the early universe. Micro-Spec ($\mu$-Spec), a high-efficiency direct-detection spectrometer concept…
The Carnegie Supernova Project-II (CSP-II) was an NSF-funded, four-year program to obtain optical and near-infrared observations of a "Cosmology" sample of $\sim100$ Type Ia supernovae located in the smooth Hubble flow ($0.03 \lesssim z…
Fourier ptychography (FP) is a promising computational imaging technique that overcomes the physical space-bandwidth product (SBP) limit of a conventional microscope by applying angular diversity illuminations. However, to date, the…
The far-field resolution of optical imaging systems is restricted by the Abbe diffraction limit, a direct result of the wave nature of light. One successful technological approach to circumventing this limit is to reduce the effective size…
Assess the joint capabilities of emerging telescopes for near-Earth objects (NEOs) survey and characterization, and what they will add to the current capabilities or replace. NASA telescopes in prime mission, in development, or under study,…
Astronomers working with faint targets will benefit greatly from improved image quality on current and planned ground-based telescopes. At present, most adaptive optic systems are targeted at the highest resolution with bright guide stars.…