Highlights
from the
NIRSpec Science Team Meeting
(and recent news)
Astrium, Ottobrunn (Munich)
2011-03-02/02
D Soderblom, J. Valenti
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Meeting agenda
Hardware status report by Astrium Project
Manager (Ralf Maurer)
• Hardware status report by ESA Project
Scientist (Peter Jakobsen)
• MSA status (Harvey Moseley)
• Observing scenarios and MSA Planning Tool
(Soderblom & Valenti)
•
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Main points
NIRSpec has been integrated and put
through the first part of T/V ground tests.
• The NIRSpec flight hardware generally meets
or exceeds specifications except for the
detectors.
• Contamination (fibers) seen on the MSAs.
• Most optical artifacts are zero- or second
order spectra: no surprise. Some
unanticipated ghosts being addressed with a
baffle/field stop.
•
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Highlights
from the
NIRSpec Cryo-Campaign
What have we learned so far?
ESA Science Team
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Summary
•
Present flight FPAs show problems
•
•
•
•
Spare FPAs tested at GSFC (T. Keyes)
Calibration campaign (T/V) split into two cycles
•
Cycle 1 concluded while we were in Ottobrunn; we returned with ~2 TB of data
on disks.
•
Cycle 2 for June-July
MSA particulate contamination
•
~19 partially open shutters containing fibers found
•
Decision made to not operate MSA in Cycle 1
•
Magnet only moved to open/close IFU aperture
•
Update: MSA has now been cleaned and failed-open shutters plugged
Only the all-closed Imaging, Fixed Slit and IFU modes were
exercised during T/V Cycle 1
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
What Have We Learned?
•
The good news:
•
NIRSpec performs extremely well optically
•
•
•
•
•
•
All dispersers behaving very close to expectations
Optical alignment appears to be very good
Fixed slits and IFU working as intended
GW, FW and RMA mechanisms function well
GW position sensor works
Little or no signs of molecular contamination
So far there have been no unexpected
surprises in the basic functioning of NIRSpec
• Only new hardware anomaly: CAA too bright
•
•
Has been fixed with smaller aperture
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Imaging Mode - IFU Open
Fixed Slits
IFU Virtual Slits
wavelength ➝
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Prism R=100 Mode - Continuum
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Prism R=100 Mode - Continuum
Failed Open
Shutters
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Prism R=100 Mode - SLS
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
R=1000 Grating - Band Iʼ Argon
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Little Sign of Contamination
Traces of hydrocarbon absorption (~3.4 µm)
only seen in some modes of CAA
• Water ice absorption (~3.1 µm) not seen
anywhere
•
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
What Have We Learned?
•
NIRSpec performs extremely well optically
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
All dispersers behaving very close to expectations
Optical alignment appears to be very good
Image quality appears to be very good
Fixed slits and IFU working as intended
GW, FW and RMA mechanisms function well
GW position sensor works (!)
Little or no signs of molecular contamination
•
No unexpected surprises in the basic
functionality of NIRSpec
•
Astrium has built us a first class instrument
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Imaging Mode - Very High Flux
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
R=10000 Grating - Band I - IFU Off
Zero Order
MSA Image
Zero Order
Substrate Leak
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
Zero Order R1000 Band I
Q1
E
Date
Q2
E
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
MSS Front Side
MSS Front Side
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
E
Date
E
Non-MetalCoated Sections
of Q1 & Q2
Silicon Boards
NIRSpec
Progress & Status
NIRSpec Science Team Meeting
Ottobrunn, 02nd March 2011
ESA Project Manager:
ESA Project Scientist:
Prime Contractor:
Project Manager:
Ralf Maurer
Astrium GmbH
Phone: +49 89 607-29469
Ralf.Maurer@astrium.eads.net
Peter Jensen
Peter Jakobsen
Astrium GmbH
Ralf Maurer
CAA Integration
24.01.2011 -
Integration
FPA GWA MSA
24.01.2011 -
FM Optics Module Integration
24.01.2011 -
FM in TV Test Chamber
24.01.2011 -
NIRSpec First Light
CLEAR/PRISM – broad-band continuum source
5 fixed-slits
2x15 IFU pseudo-slits
24.01.2011 -
Spectra of individual
Failed-open micro-shutters
Looking 6 months ahead
Completion of the first TV Test cycle
(done)
MSA and FM Optics module cleaning
(in progress)
FPA, GWA and FWA flight spare delivery
(done)
FM =>> FS Detector exchange
(done)
Second TV Test cycle
(June-July)
QR, AR & PSR
(TBD)
Ready for Delivery early September 2011
è We are approaching the final stretch
24.01.2011 -
Microshu)er Status and Plans
H. Moseley
Astrium
Mar. 2, 2011
Microshu)er Status
• In inspec>on through foreop>cs following acous>c and vibra>on tests, significant par>culate contamina>on was discovered on the MSA surface
• It was decided that un>l the contamina>on was removed, that the mechanism should not be operated
• Plans for inspec>on and cleaning following the cryogenic cycle have been developed jointly between GSFC and Astrium, to occur in mid-­‐April
Inspecting the MSA
NIRSpec IST Meeting, Astrium, 2 & 3 March 2011
What We Know
• There is a significant number of fibers on the shu)er array
• The fibers are about 10-­‐15 µm in diameter, and 100 – 300 µm long in some cases
• The shu)ers are associated with the new failed opens in some cases
32
Sca)ered Light
• Light is sca)ering from the front of the MSAs, off the inside of the MSA cover, then through the substrate to the detector.
– The light illuminates areas where dispersed spectra will be projected.
• Op>ons have been reviewed at GSFC, no easy ones iden>fied – several possibili>es
• Astrium is exploring a baffle between the MSA and the IFU bracket.
MSS Front Side
Non-MetalCoated Sections
of Q1 & Q2
Silicon Boards