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SOFIA First Light: Observations with FORCAST

SOFIA First Light: Observations with FORCAST. Terry Herter + FORCAST team + Project Team (Ames, Dryden, USRA). TLH: 11-Jan-11. Bottom Line. SOFIA works! FORCAST works! FORCAST images a 3.2x3.2 arcminute FoV with 0.75 arcsecond pixels from 5 – 37 m m

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SOFIA First Light: Observations with FORCAST

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  1. SOFIA First Light: Observations with FORCAST Terry Herter + FORCAST team + Project Team (Ames, Dryden, USRA) TLH: 11-Jan-11

  2. Bottom Line • SOFIA works! FORCAST works! • FORCAST images a 3.2x3.2 arcminute FoV with 0.75 arcsecond pixels from 5 – 37 mm • Obtained near diffraction limited performance for l > 30 microns • Flew 10 hour flights with ~ 3 hours at 43,000 feet and 6 hours at or above 41,000 feet • See corresponding improvements in background and transmission SOFIA First Light

  3. Outline • Preparation in pictures • lab, hanger, lineops, characterization flights • Observatory performance • Emissivity, PSF • Images • FORCAST Science observations SOFIA First Light

  4. FORCAST in DAOF lab • From left: FORCAST w/ foreoptics (test equipment), counterweight rack, and PI rack SOFIA First Light

  5. Positioning FORCAST to mount on telescope Cryogen transfers on the plane FORCAST on the telescope SOFIA First Light

  6. Taking Flight Preparation and flights consisted of the following: • LineOps (Line Operations, 15 in total) • Park plane on tarmac and look at stars • Allows end-to-end testing of H/W & S/W • Observatory characterization flights • 25-May-2010, 10-Nov-2010, 18-Nov-2010 • Observatory operational and performance checkout • High speed “jitter” measurements of bright stars • Also measured primary-secondary telescope emissivity • Short Science flights • 30-Nov-2010, 03-Dec-2010, 07-Dec-2010 • Observed Jupiter, Comet Hartley 2, M42, W3, M82 and a number of calibrators SOFIA First Light

  7. Thermal Backgrounds • Telescope mirror temperatures -30 to -40 C • Primary-secondary emissivity ~ 7 % • Made by tipping FORCAST collimator off nominal Pupil Images centered tipped difference SOFIA First Light

  8. Telescope Temperature vs. time 10 • TA primary (red) and secondary (blue) temperatures vs. UT for short science flight #1 Primary mirror 0 -10 Temperature (C) Secondary mirror -20 -30 -40 4 6 8 10 12 Time (hr) SOFIA First Light

  9. Telescope Temperature vs. time • FORCAST/SOFIA background (photoelectron rate per pixel) at 37 mm (with dichroic) for short science flight #2. Symbols indicate different zenith angles. pe_rate (Me-/s/pix) Primary Mirror Temperature (C) SOFIA First Light

  10. PSF comparisons Short term Long term Scale same as short term FWHM = 3.2 x 2.5 Theta = 60 deg (2.4”x1.9”) FWHM = 5.8 x 4.7 Theta = 51 deg (4.4”x3.5”) SOFIA First Light

  11. Image Quality • FWHM of PSF major axis vs wavelength from Short Science Flight #3 for two calibrators (red and blue symbols) at altitudes > 41k feet. The line shows the diffraction limit. Pixels are 0.75 arcseconds. SOFIA First Light

  12. It’s the plane that’s moving • Apparent motion of telescope as plane pitches, rolls, and yaws. SOFIA First Light

  13. Jupiter • Dark South Equatorial Belt (SEB) disappeared earlier this year, it is now reappearing. FORCAST Observed SEB Outbreak (SEB) at a variety of wavelengths including filters in the H2 absorption trough on 12-Dec-2010. SOFIA First Light

  14. Jupiter • Rough animation at 5.4 micron show rotation of Jupiter using observations from a single observing segment. The images are the same except with the scaling changed. Covering 35 minutes SOFIA First Light

  15. M42 • Observed M42 q1c and Orion bar regions • 6.4 (PAH), 6.6, 7.7 (PAH), 11.3 (PAH), 19.7, 31.4, and 37.1 mm • Science Objectives: • Determine luminosities of sources in the BNKL region • Measure SED of Orion proplyds to look at disk termination • Very hard due to structure in nebular emission • Excitation and destruction of PAH through the bar (ionization/shock front) SOFIA First Light

  16. SOFIA: Orion Image • Left: Visible (HST, O’Dell and Wong), • Middle: Near-IR (McCaughrean), • Right: SOFIA 19.7 mm (green) + 37 mm (red) image

  17. Questions? SOFIA First Light

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