The Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM) is a NASA-funded balloon-borne telescope that aims to measure the [CII] emission from star forming galaxies over an enormous cosmic volume. TIM’s cryogenic receiver, based on the BLAST-TNG design, utilizes a three-stage He sorption refrigerator backed by a 280-liter liquid helium tank to achieve a base temperature of 250 mK, which enables photon noise-limited performance for its MKID detectors. Two low-impedance multi-channel heat exchangers enhance cooling efficiency, contributing to a designed hold time of 20 days under ground conditions. Preliminary simulations and assembly tests showcase the cryostat's reliability, and data validation is anticipated by the summer of 2024. We will present the design and current status of the TIM cryogenic receiver and our ongoing characterization effort toward an Antarctic flight in 2026.
We present preparation for fabrication and deployment of science-grade kilo-pixel Kinetic Inductance Detector (KID) based arrays for the Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM). TIM is a NASA-funded balloon-borne experiment planning its Antarctic flight for 2026. TIM employs two focal planes, each with four subarrays of ~900 hexagonal-packed, horn-coupled aluminum KIDs. Fabrication yield is high, and we have successfully mapped KID resonant frequencies to spatial locations with our LED mapper. The spatial and frequency information associated with every yielded pixel allows a study of spatial coincidences as cosmic rays interact with the array, as well as interpretation of a covariance analyses performed on the noise timestreams. We also describe the improvement on the science-usable yield of our 864-pixel array achieved by (1) the lithographic trimming that de-collides resonators, and (2) our characterization of interpixel crosstalk. This pioneering work on the postprocessing will pave the way for science with our large KID arrays.
The Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) is a proposed space observatory which will use arrays of thousands of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) to perform low- and moderate-resolution spectroscopy throughout the far-infrared. The detectors must have noise equivalent powers (NEPs) at or below 1×10−19 W Hz−1/2 to be subdominant to noise from sky backgrounds and thermal noise from PRIMA’s cryogenically cooled primary mirror. Using a Radio Frequency System on a Chip for multitone readout, we measure the NEPs of detectors on a flight-like array designed to observe at a wavelength of 210 μm. We find that 92% of the KIDs measured have an NEP below 1 × 10−19 W Hz−1/2 at a noise frequency of 10 Hz.
The PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) is a future cryogenic space observatory that will revolutionize study of evolving galaxies and forming planetary systems with highly-sensitive far-infrared (far-IR) imaging and spectroscopy. PRIMA’s spectrometer, the Far-InfraRed Enhanced Survey Spectrometer (FIRESS), will deploy kilo-pixel aluminum kinetic inductance detector (KID) arrays covering wavelengths from 24-235 μm. Here we present optical characterization of a prototype FIRESS array operating at 25 μm. We employ a blackbody modulation technique to measure the detector responsivity, and discuss methods for reducing 1/f noise from the multi-tone readout electronics. We measure an NEP below 3.5 × 10−20 W/ √ Hz at 10 Hz accross the array, which exceeds the requirement to be limited by the astrophysical background limit for PRIMA’s FIRESS spectrometer. We discuss limitations of the multi-tone readout and compare results to measurements with a single-tone readout system.
The Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM) is a balloon-borne far-infrared imaging spectrometer designed to characterize the star formation history of the universe. In its Antarctic science flight, TIM will map the redshifted 158um line of ionized carbon over the redshift range 0.5-1.7 (lookback times of 5-10 Gyr). TIM will spectroscopically detect ~100 galaxies, determine the star formation rate history over this time interval through line intensity mapping, and measure the stacked CII emission from galaxies in its well-studied target fields (GOODS-S, SPT Deep Field). TIM consists of a 2-meter telescope feeding two grating spectrometers that that cover 240-420um at R~250 across a 1.3deg field of view, detected with 7200 kinetic inductance detectors and sampled through a novel RF system-on-chip readout. TIM will serve as an important scientific instrument, accessing wavelengths that cannot easily be studied from the ground, and as a testbed for future FIR space technology.
The Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM) is designed to probe the star formation history in dust-obscured star-forming galaxies around the peak of cosmic star formation. This will be done via measurements of the redshifted 157.7 µm line of singly ionized carbon ([CII]). TIM employs two R~250 long-slit grating spectrometers covering 240 to 420 µm. Each is equipped with a focal plane unit containing four wafer-sized subarrays of horn-coupled aluminum kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs). We present the design and performance of a prototype focal plane assembly for one of TIM’s KID-based subarrays. The overall detector package must satisfy thermal and mechanical requirements, while maintaining high optical efficiency and a suitable electromagnetic environment for the KIDs. In particular, our design manages to strictly maintain a 50 µm air gap between the array and the horn block. The prototype detector housing in combination with the first flight-like quadrant were tested at 250 mK. A frequency scan using a vector network analyzer shows 823 resonance features, which represents ⪆90% yield, indicating a good performance of our TIM detector wafer and the whole focal plane unit. Initial measurements also showed that many resonances were affected by collisions and/or very shallow transmission dips as a result of a degraded internal quality factor. This is attributed to the presence of an external magnetic field during cooldown. We report on a study of magnetic field dependence of the quality factor of our quadrant array. We implemented a Helmholtz coil to vary the magnetic field at the detectors by (partially) nulling earth’s. Our investigation shows that the earth magnetic field can significantly affect our KIDs’ performance by degrading the quality factor by a factor of two to five, well below those expected from the operational temperature or optical loading. We find that we can sufficiently recover our detectors’ quality factor by tuning the current in the coils to generate a field that matches earth’s magnetic field in magnitude to within a few µT. We emphasize that it is impractical to fly a Helmholtz coil on TIM and dynamically “null” earth’s. Therefore, it is necessary to employ a properly designed magnetic shield enclosing the TIM focal plane unit. Based on the results presented in this paper, we set a shielding requirement of |B| ⪅3 µT.
TIM, the Terahertz Intensity Mapper, is a NASA far-infrared balloon mission designed to perform [CII] intensity mapping of the peak of cosmic star formation. To achieve this goal, TIM will fly two grating spectrometers that together cover the 240 to 420 um wavelength range at an R~250. Each spectrometer will require large format arrays (4x~900 detectors) of dual-polarization sensitive detectors, which are photon noise limited at 100 fW of loading. We will present the design of a fully-aluminum lumped-element kinetic-inductance detector (KID) that incorporates a novel “chain-link” absorber design. Operating at 215 mK, we demonstrate that this detector achieves a photon noise limited performance at 80 fW of optical loading with a white noise spectrum down to 1 Hz. Informed by dark measurements, we except these KIDs to achieve a detector limited NEP of 2e-18 W/rt(Hz) at a loading <10 fW. In addition, we shall show our design of a kilopixel array and its initial performance measurements.
The total integrated emission from galaxies, known as the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL), is an important observable for understanding the history of star formation over the history of the universe. Spatial fluctuations in the infrared EBL as measured by the Cosmic Infrared Background ExpeRiment (CIBER), Spitzer and AKARI exceed the predicted signal from galaxy clustering alone. The CIBER-2 project seeks to extend CIBER observa- tions of the EBL throughout the near infrared into the optical, through measurements above Earth's atmosphere during a suborbital sounding rocket flight. The experiment has a LN2-cooled 28.5 cm Cassegrain telescope along with three optical paths and dichroic beamsplitters, which are used to obtain three wide-field images in six broad spectral bands between 0.5-2.0 μm. The three focal planes also contain linear variable filters (LVFs) which simultaneously take spectra with resolution R=20 across the same range. CIBER-2 is scheduled to y multiple times on a Black Brant IX sounding rocket from White Sands Missile Range in the New Mexico desert. For the first flight, scheduled for early 2021, we have completed a variety of pre-flight optical tests, which we use to make focus adjustments, spectral response measurements, and absolute photometric calibrations. In this paper, we describe the methods behind these tests and present their results for pre-flight performance evaluation. In particular, we present measurements of the PSF for each broad spectral band, along with absolute calibration factors for each band and the LVF. Through monochromator scans, we also measure the spectral responsivity of each LVF as a function of position.
TIM, the Terahertz Intensity Mapper, is a NASA balloon mission designed to perform [CII] intensity mapping of the peak of cosmic star formation. To achieve this, TIM has two longslit (1 degree slit length) grating spectrometers covering the 240-317 um and 317-420 um wavelength bands at R~250, respectively. We will present the design of the ~4000 pixel, horn-coupled kinetic inductance detector arrays servicing each of the spectrometer arms. Each pixel is a lumped-element superconducting resonator made from a 20 nm thick aluminum film, designed to achieve photon noise limited performance at 100 fW of loading. The inductor is a meandered narrow wire, designed to mimic a metal mesh grid at THz frequencies; it is optimized for absorption of both polarizations delivered by the circular waveguide. Each array will consist of four quadrants containing ~1000 pixels on a single microstrip readout line and will be mounted such that critical parameters of the absorber design are maintained.
Cosmic Infrared Background ExpeRiment-2 (CIBER-2) is an international project to make a rocket-borne measurement of the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) using three HAWAII-2RG image sensors. Since the rocket telemetry is unable to downlink all the image data in real time, we adopt an onboard data storage board for each sensor electronics. In this presentation, the development of the data storage board and the Ground Station Electronics (GSE) system for CIBER2 are described. We have fabricated, integrated, and tested all systems and confirmed that all work as expected, and are ready for flight.
The extragalactic background light (EBL) is the integrated emission from all objects outside of the Milky Way galaxy. Imprinted by the history of stellar emission, the EBL in the near infrared traces light back to the birth of the first stars in the Universe and can allow tight constraints on structure formation models. Recent studies using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope and the first Cosmic Infrared Background ExpeRiment (CIBER-1) find that there are excess fluctuations in the EBL on large scales which have been attributed to either high redshift galaxies and quasars, or to stars that were stripped from their host galaxies during merging events. To help disentangle these two models, multi-wavelength data can be used to trace their distinctive spectral features. Following the success of CIBER-1, CIBER-2 is designed to identify the sources of the EBL excess fluctuations using data in six wavebands covering the optical and near infrared. The experiment consists of a cryogenic payload and is scheduled to launch four times on a recoverable sounding rocket. CIBER-2 has a 28.5 cm telescope coupled with an optics system to obtain wide-field images in six broad spectral bands between 0.5 and 2.5 μm simultaneously. The experiment uses 2048 × 2048 HAWAII-2RG detector arrays and a cryogenic star tracker. A prototype of the cryogenic star tracker is under construction for a separate launch to verify its performance and star tracking algorithm. The mechanical, optical, and electrical components of the CIBER-2 experiment will have been integrated into the payload by mid-2018. Here we present the final design of CIBER-2 and our team’s instrument characterization efforts. The design and analysis of the optical focus tests will be discussed. We also report on the performance of CIBER-2 support systems, including the cooling mechanisms and deployable components. Finally, we outline the remaining tasks required to prepare the payload for launch.
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