Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:59, 18 May 2009

Revision as of 19:14, 18 May 2009

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{{Unreferenced|date=May 2009}}

The '''Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer''' ('''NICMOS''') is a [[Measuring instrument|scientific instrument]] for [[infrared astronomy]], installed on the [[Hubble Space Telescope]] (HST), operating from [[1997]] to [[1999]], and from [[2002]] to the present.

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NICMOS was installed on Hubble during its second servicing mission in [[1997]] along with the [[Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph]], replacing two earlier instruments.

When conducting infrared measurements, it is necessary to keep the infrared detectors cooled to avoid having infrared interference from the instrument's own thermal emissions. NICMOS contains a cryogenic [[Dewar flask|dewar]], that cooled its detectors to ~ 61 K, and optical filters to ~ 105 K, with a block of solid [[nitrogen]] ice. When NICMOS was installed in 1997, the [[dewar flask]] contained a 230 pound (104  kg) block of nitrogen ice. Due to a thermal short that arose on [[March 4]], [[1997]] during the instrument commissioning, the dewar ran out of nitrogen coolant sooner than expected in January, 1999. During Hubble Service Mission 3B in 2002, a [[cryocooler]] and external radiator were installed on the Hubble that now cools NICMOS through a cryogenic [[neon]] loop. NICMOS was returned to service soon after SM 3B.

A new software upload in Sept. 2008 necessitated a brief shutdown of the

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ice particles to evaporate from the cooling system, the cooler once again

failed to restart. A successful restart at 13:30 EST on 16 December 2008

led to four days of cooler operations followed by another shutdown.{{factFact|date=May 2009}} The

prospects for reviving NICMOS in 2009 remain uncertain.{{factFact|date=May 2009}}

NICMOS is also the name of the 256x256 pixel imaging sensor developed by [[Rockwell]] International Science Center (Now [[Teledyne]] Imaging Sensors)

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*[http://www.teledyne-si.com/imaging/standard_products.html NICMOS sensor family]

{{Hubble Space Telescope}}

[[Category:Hubble Space Telescope]]

[[Category:Space science experiments]]

[[ru:NICMOS]]