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John C. Pearson Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Geoff Blake California Institute of Technology Susanna Widicus Weaver Emory David Plusquellic NIST. What is the THz gap?.
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John C. PearsonJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologyGeoff BlakeCalifornia Institute of TechnologySusanna Widicus WeaverEmoryDavid PlusquellicNIST
What is the THz gap? • The THz gap – The spectral region above where electronics becomes difficult due to the scale required to minimize parasitic capacitance and below where quantum mechanical devices become small enough to be readily feasible • Historically ~1-10 THz • The THz gap contains rotational transitions of very light molecules, fine structure transitions of many abundant atoms, many large amplitude vibrations, and the lowest vibrational modes of large molecules • Sources limit coherent receivers as well
Bridges • Historical methods of bridging the THz gap • Laser side band (low power, often no absolute frequency reference, limited tuning range) • Tunable Far Infrared Two lamb dip stabilized CO2 lasers mixed with a microwave source in a Metal Insulator Metal diode (low power, limited tuning range per pair of laser lines, complex system) • Photo mixing Two lasers with THz difference, low power limited to lower part of THz gap. If frequency comb is used as a reference frequency can be very precise • Electronic upconversion A.K.A. frequency multiplication currently limited to 3 THz • Fourier Transform spectroscopy (limited resolution, low source brightness, diffraction spillover losses)
Why do we need a bridge • ~Half of Herschel time was devoted to photometery to determine why stars form • We now know that the dust is filamentary and that stars form where filaments join. • Photometry has thus far been unable to determine what causes stars to form • Magnetic fields? Polarization? • Turbulence? Velocity resolved lines? • Phase/composition of gas/dust? • Interaction with the ISM? • All except polarization requires spectroscopy • Need strong lines and array receivers
What is in the THz Gap 1/2 Galaxies: • Strongest Features to 6 THz are fine structure lines • CII, OI, NII, NIII, OIII • Strongest molecular lines • CO, H2O, OH, • Lines that remain to be studied • CH Ground state 2.01 THz • HD 2.675 THz • HeH+ 2.01 THz • CH2 1.96/2.3 THz • CH2+ (no lab data) • FH+ • H2D+ ground state
What is in the THz Gap 2/2 Above 6 THz • NeIII, NeV, SIII, OIV, SiII • H2 S(0) 28 microns • H2 S(1) 17 microns Dust peaks near 100 microns General black body shape UIR (PAH?) bands peak at 6 microns
What we can do now 1/2 Methanol with a multiplier Can easily find Log(I(T))=-6.0 in the data Possible to assign many transitions J=41 aR vt=2 2810+/- to vt=0 2815+/- vt=1 E1 K=12-11 Q-branch
Fourier Transform Spectroscopy • Long path ~190 Meter synchrotron source FTIR spectrum of NH3 8-1-7-2 v4 s-s l=1 to l=-1 95 v4 l=1 S-84 2v2 S 111 2v2 S-100 v4 l=-1 9-4 v4 s l=1 – 8-3 2v2 S 92 v4 l=-1 A-8-2 v4 l=-1 S 8-2 v4 S l=-1-74 v4 l=1 A 85-75 v2 A-S 80-73 GS S 80-73 GS A
Other Techniques • Geoff Blake – THz time domain Spectroscopy • Susanna Widicus Weaver – High Sensitivity THz Spectroscopy • David Plusquellic – Chirp Pulse THz Spectroscopy