HAWCPol: A first generation far-infrared polarimeter for SOFIA

C. Darren Dowell; Brant T. Cook; D. Al Harper; Lung Sheng Lin; Leslie W. Looney; Giles Novak; Ian Stephens; Marc Berthoud; David T. Chuss; Richard M. Crutcher; Jessie L. Dotson; Roger H. Hildebrand; Martin Houde; Terry J. Jones; Megan Krejny; Alexandre Lazarian; S. Harvey Moseley; Kostas Tassis; John E. Vaillancourt; Michael W. Werner

doi:10.1117/12.857842

HAWCPol: A first generation far-infrared polarimeter for SOFIA

C. Darren Dowell, Brant T. Cook, D. Al Harper, Lung Sheng Lin, Leslie W. Looney, Giles Novak, Ian Stephens, Marc Berthoud, David T. Chuss, Richard M. Crutcher, Jessie L. Dotson, Roger H. Hildebrand, Martin Houde, Terry J. Jones, Megan Krejny, Alexandre Lazarian, S. Harvey Moseley, Kostas Tassis, John E. Vaillancourt, Michael W. Werner

Astronomy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

We describe our ongoing project to build a far-infrared polarimeter for the HAWC instrument on SOFIA. Far-IR polarimetry reveals unique information about magnetic fields in dusty molecular clouds and is an important tool for understanding star formation and cloud evolution. SOFIA provides flexible access to the infrared as well as good sensitivity to and angular resolution of continuum emission from molecular clouds. We are making progress toward outfitting HAWC, a first-generation SOFIA camera, with a four-band polarimeter covering 50 to 220 microns wavelength. We have chosen a conservative design which uses quartz half-wave plates continuously rotating at ∼0.5 Hz, ball bearing suspensions, fixed wire-grid polarizers, and cryogenic motors. Design challenges are to fit the polarimeter into a volume that did not originally envision one, to minimize the heating of the cryogenic optics, and to produce negligible interference in the detector system. Here we describe the performance of the polarimeter measured at cryogenic temperature as well as the basic method we intend for data analysis. We are on track for delivering this instrument early in the operating lifetime of SOFIA.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III
Edition	PART 1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857842
State	Published - 2010
Event	Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III - San Diego, CA, United States Duration: Jun 27 2010 → Jul 2 2010

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Number	PART 1
Volume	7735
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X

Other

Other	Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III
Country/Territory	United States
City	San Diego, CA
Period	6/27/10 → 7/2/10

Keywords

SOFIA
far infrared
magnetic fields
polarimetry

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Computer Science Applications
Applied Mathematics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Online availability

10.1117/12.857842

Library availability

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Dowell, C. D., Cook, B. T., Harper, D. A., Lin, L. S., Looney, L. W., Novak, G., Stephens, I., Berthoud, M., Chuss, D. T., Crutcher, R. M., Dotson, J. L., Hildebrand, R. H., Houde, M., Jones, T. J., Krejny, M., Lazarian, A., Moseley, S. H., Tassis, K., Vaillancourt, J. E., & Werner, M. W. (2010). HAWCPol: A first generation far-infrared polarimeter for SOFIA. In Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III (PART 1 ed.). Article 77356H (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 7735, No. PART 1). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857842

HAWCPol: A first generation far-infrared polarimeter for SOFIA. / Dowell, C. Darren; Cook, Brant T.; Harper, D. Al et al.
Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III. PART 1. ed. 2010. 77356H (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 7735, No. PART 1).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Dowell, CD, Cook, BT, Harper, DA, Lin, LS, Looney, LW, Novak, G, Stephens, I, Berthoud, M, Chuss, DT, Crutcher, RM, Dotson, JL, Hildebrand, RH, Houde, M, Jones, TJ, Krejny, M, Lazarian, A, Moseley, SH, Tassis, K, Vaillancourt, JE & Werner, MW 2010, HAWCPol: A first generation far-infrared polarimeter for SOFIA. in Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III. PART 1 edn, 77356H, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, no. PART 1, vol. 7735, Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III, San Diego, CA, United States, 6/27/10. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857842

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abstract = "We describe our ongoing project to build a far-infrared polarimeter for the HAWC instrument on SOFIA. Far-IR polarimetry reveals unique information about magnetic fields in dusty molecular clouds and is an important tool for understanding star formation and cloud evolution. SOFIA provides flexible access to the infrared as well as good sensitivity to and angular resolution of continuum emission from molecular clouds. We are making progress toward outfitting HAWC, a first-generation SOFIA camera, with a four-band polarimeter covering 50 to 220 microns wavelength. We have chosen a conservative design which uses quartz half-wave plates continuously rotating at ∼0.5 Hz, ball bearing suspensions, fixed wire-grid polarizers, and cryogenic motors. Design challenges are to fit the polarimeter into a volume that did not originally envision one, to minimize the heating of the cryogenic optics, and to produce negligible interference in the detector system. Here we describe the performance of the polarimeter measured at cryogenic temperature as well as the basic method we intend for data analysis. We are on track for delivering this instrument early in the operating lifetime of SOFIA.",

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AU - Dowell, C. Darren

AU - Cook, Brant T.

AU - Harper, D. Al

AU - Lin, Lung Sheng

AU - Looney, Leslie W.

AU - Novak, Giles

AU - Stephens, Ian

AU - Berthoud, Marc

AU - Chuss, David T.

AU - Crutcher, Richard M.

AU - Dotson, Jessie L.

AU - Hildebrand, Roger H.

AU - Houde, Martin

AU - Jones, Terry J.

AU - Krejny, Megan

AU - Lazarian, Alexandre

AU - Moseley, S. Harvey

AU - Tassis, Kostas

AU - Vaillancourt, John E.

AU - Werner, Michael W.

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - We describe our ongoing project to build a far-infrared polarimeter for the HAWC instrument on SOFIA. Far-IR polarimetry reveals unique information about magnetic fields in dusty molecular clouds and is an important tool for understanding star formation and cloud evolution. SOFIA provides flexible access to the infrared as well as good sensitivity to and angular resolution of continuum emission from molecular clouds. We are making progress toward outfitting HAWC, a first-generation SOFIA camera, with a four-band polarimeter covering 50 to 220 microns wavelength. We have chosen a conservative design which uses quartz half-wave plates continuously rotating at ∼0.5 Hz, ball bearing suspensions, fixed wire-grid polarizers, and cryogenic motors. Design challenges are to fit the polarimeter into a volume that did not originally envision one, to minimize the heating of the cryogenic optics, and to produce negligible interference in the detector system. Here we describe the performance of the polarimeter measured at cryogenic temperature as well as the basic method we intend for data analysis. We are on track for delivering this instrument early in the operating lifetime of SOFIA.

AB - We describe our ongoing project to build a far-infrared polarimeter for the HAWC instrument on SOFIA. Far-IR polarimetry reveals unique information about magnetic fields in dusty molecular clouds and is an important tool for understanding star formation and cloud evolution. SOFIA provides flexible access to the infrared as well as good sensitivity to and angular resolution of continuum emission from molecular clouds. We are making progress toward outfitting HAWC, a first-generation SOFIA camera, with a four-band polarimeter covering 50 to 220 microns wavelength. We have chosen a conservative design which uses quartz half-wave plates continuously rotating at ∼0.5 Hz, ball bearing suspensions, fixed wire-grid polarizers, and cryogenic motors. Design challenges are to fit the polarimeter into a volume that did not originally envision one, to minimize the heating of the cryogenic optics, and to produce negligible interference in the detector system. Here we describe the performance of the polarimeter measured at cryogenic temperature as well as the basic method we intend for data analysis. We are on track for delivering this instrument early in the operating lifetime of SOFIA.

KW - SOFIA

KW - far infrared

KW - magnetic fields

KW - polarimetry

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ER -

HAWCPol: A first generation far-infrared polarimeter for SOFIA

Abstract

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