TY - JOUR
T1 - Upgrading the field-imaging far-infrared line spectrometer for the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy with kinetic inductance detectors
T2 - Enabling large sample (extragalactic) surveys
AU - Colditz, Sebastian
AU - Looney, Leslie W.
AU - Bigiel, Frank
AU - Fischer, Christian
AU - Fischer, Jacqueline
AU - Hailey-Dunsheath, Steven
AU - Herrera-Camus, Rodrigo
AU - Krabbe, Alfred
AU - Leduc, Henry
AU - Wong, Tony
AU - Zmuidzinas, Jonas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.
PY - 2021/4/1
Y1 - 2021/4/1
N2 - We present the initial design, performance improvements, and science opportunities for an upgrade to the Field-Imaging Far-Infrared Line Spectrometer (FIFI-LS). FIFI-LS efficiently measures fine structure cooling lines, delivering critical constraints of the interstellar medium and star-forming environments. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) provides the only far-infrared (FIR) observational capability in the world, making FIFI-LS a workhorse for FIR lines, combining optimal spectral resolution and a wide velocity range. Its continuous coverage of 51 to 203 μm makes FIFI-LS a versatile tool to investigate a multitude of diagnostic lines within our galaxy and in extragalactic environments. The sensitivity and field of view (FOV) of FIFI-LS are limited by its 90s-era photoconductor arrays. These limits can be overcome by upgrading the instrument using the latest developments in kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs). KIDs provide sensitivity gains in excess of 1.4 and allow larger arrays, enabling an increase in pixel count by an order of magnitude. This increase allows a wider FOV and instantaneous velocity coverage. The upgrade provides gains in point source observation speed by a factor >2 and in mapping speed by a factor >3.5, enabled by the improved sensitivity and pixel count. This upgrade has been proposed to NASA in response to the 2018 SOFIA Next Generation Instrumentation call.
AB - We present the initial design, performance improvements, and science opportunities for an upgrade to the Field-Imaging Far-Infrared Line Spectrometer (FIFI-LS). FIFI-LS efficiently measures fine structure cooling lines, delivering critical constraints of the interstellar medium and star-forming environments. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) provides the only far-infrared (FIR) observational capability in the world, making FIFI-LS a workhorse for FIR lines, combining optimal spectral resolution and a wide velocity range. Its continuous coverage of 51 to 203 μm makes FIFI-LS a versatile tool to investigate a multitude of diagnostic lines within our galaxy and in extragalactic environments. The sensitivity and field of view (FOV) of FIFI-LS are limited by its 90s-era photoconductor arrays. These limits can be overcome by upgrading the instrument using the latest developments in kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs). KIDs provide sensitivity gains in excess of 1.4 and allow larger arrays, enabling an increase in pixel count by an order of magnitude. This increase allows a wider FOV and instantaneous velocity coverage. The upgrade provides gains in point source observation speed by a factor >2 and in mapping speed by a factor >3.5, enabled by the improved sensitivity and pixel count. This upgrade has been proposed to NASA in response to the 2018 SOFIA Next Generation Instrumentation call.
KW - Far-infrared
KW - Fifi-ls
KW - Integral field spectroscopy
KW - Kinetic inductance detectors
KW - Sofia
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U2 - 10.1117/1.JATIS.7.2.025002
DO - 10.1117/1.JATIS.7.2.025002
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85110559847
SN - 2329-4124
VL - 7
JO - Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems
JF - Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems
IS - 2
M1 - 025002
ER -