Performance of the WIYN high-resolution infrared camera

Margaret Meixner; Stephen Smee; Ryan L. Doering; Robert H. Barkhouser; Todd Miller; Joseph Orndoff; Patricia Knezek; Edward Churchwell; Gregg Scharfstein; Jeff Percival; David Mills; Charles Corson

doi:10.1117/12.790224

9 July 2008 Performance of the WIYN high-resolution infrared camera

Margaret Meixner, Stephen Smee, Ryan L. Doering, Robert H. Barkhouser, Todd Miller, Joseph Orndoff, Patricia Knezek, Edward Churchwell, Gregg Scharfstein, Jeff Percival, David Mills, Charles Corson

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7014, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy II; 70142W (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.790224
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2008, Marseille, France

Abstract

We present the design overview and on-telescope performance of the WIYN High Resolution Infrared Camera (WHIRC). As a dedicated near-infrared (0.8-2.5 μm) camera on the WIYN Tip-Tilt Module (WTTM), WHIRC will provide near diffraction-limited imaging with a typical FWHM of ~0.25". WHIRC uses a 2048 x 2048 HgCdTe array from Raytheon's VIRGO line, which is a spinoff from the VISTA project. The WHIRC filter complement includes J, H K_S, and 10 narrowband filters. WHIRC's compact design makes it the smallest near-IR camera with this capability. We determine a gain of 3.8 electrons ADU^-1 via a photon transfer analysis and a readout noise of ~27 electrons. A measured dark current of 0.23 electrons s^-1 indicates that the cryostat is extremely light tight. A plate scale of 0.098" pixel^-1 results in a field of view (FOV) of ~3' x 3', which is a compromise between the highest angular resolution achievable and the largest FOV correctable by WTTM. Measured throughput values (~0.33 in H-band) are consistent with those predicted for WHIRC based on an elemental analysis. WHIRC was delivered to WIYN in July 2007 and was opened for shared risk use in Spring 2008. WHIRC will be a facility instrument at the WIYN telescope enabling high definition near-infrared imaging studies of a wide range of astronomical phenomena including star formation regions, proto-planetary disks, stellar populations and interstellar medium in nearby galaxies, and supernova and gamma-ray burst searches.

Citation Download Citation

Margaret Meixner, Stephen Smee, Ryan L. Doering, Robert H. Barkhouser, Todd Miller, Joseph Orndoff, Patricia Knezek, Edward Churchwell, Gregg Scharfstein, Jeff Percival, David Mills, and Charles Corson "Performance of the WIYN high-resolution infrared camera", Proc. SPIE 7014, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy II, 70142W (9 July 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.790224

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available