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

Revision as of 23:38, 22 November 2017

Revision as of 23:41, 22 November 2017

Line 24:

NICMOS was conceived and designed by the NICMOS Instrument Definition Team centered at [[Steward Observatory]], [[University of Arizona]], USA. NICMOS is an imager and spectrometer built by [[Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.]] that allows the HST to observe [[infrared light]], with [[wavelength]]s between 0.8 and 2.4 micrometers, providing imaging and slitless spectrophotometric capabilities. NICMOS contains three near-infrared detectors in three optical channels providing high (~ 0.1 arcsecond) resolution, coronagraphic and polarimetric imaging, and slitless spectroscopy in 11-, 19-, and 52-arcsecond square fields of view. Each optical channel contains a 256×256 pixel photodiode array of [[mercury cadmium telluride]] [[infrared detector]]s bonded to a sapphire substrate, read out in four independent 128×128 quadrants.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Chris J. |last1=Skinner|first2= Louis E. |display-authors=4 |last2=Bergeron |first3=Alfred B. |last3=Schultz |first4=John W. |last4=MacKenty|first5= A. |last5=Storrs|first6= Wolfram |last6=Freudling|first7= D. |last7=Axon|first8= Howard A. |last8=Bushouse|first9= Daniela |last9=Calzetti|first10= L. |last10=Colina|first11= D. |last11=Daou|first12= D. |last12=Gilmore|first13= Sherie T. |last13=Holfeltz|first14= Joan |last14=Najita|first15= Keith |last15=Noll|first16= Christine E. |last16=Ritchie|first17= William B. |last17=Sparks |first18=A. |last18=Suchkov|title=On-orbit properties of the NICMOS detectors on HST|journal=Proc. SPIE|volume= 3354|date=1998| doi=10.1117/12.317208 |pages=2–13 |url=http://www.stsci.edu/hst/nicmos/documents/papers/schultz_spie.pdf|format=pdf|series=Infrared Astronomical Instrumentation}}</ref>

NICMOS last worked in 2008, and has been largely replaced by the infrared channel of [[Wide Field Camera 3]] after its installation in 2009. NICMOS last worked in 2008, so WFC3 allowed NIR astronomy to continue in a powerful way, preparing the way for coming NIR-focused [[James Webb Space Telescope]]. Another telescope that has supported near-infrared astronomy is the [[Spitzer Space Telescope]] extended mission, capable of seeing deeper into the infrared than WFC3

==Limitations==

Line 33:

</blockquote>

Despite this, the combination of Hubble's mirror and NICMOS offered never-before seen levels of quality in near-infrared performance at that time.<ref name="spaceflightnow.com">[http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0206/06nicmos/]</ref> Dedicated infrared telescopes like the [[Infrared Space Observatory]] were ground-breaking in their own way, but had a smaller primary mirror, and were also out of service at the time of NICMOS installation because they ran out of coolant. NICMOS later over-cameovercame this problem by using a machine chiller like a refrigerator, which allowed it operate for years until it went offline in 2008

==History of NICMOS==