Test-bed interferometer to develop active optics techniques for space interferometers in mid-IR and far-IR astronomy missions

Author

Caldwell, Martin E. ; Swinyard, B.M. ; Ferlet, Marc J.

Author_Institution

Rutherford Appleton Lab., Didcot

fYear

2007

fDate

2-9 Sept. 2007

Firstpage

182

Lastpage

183

Abstract

In this paper, we have constructed a laser test-bed experiment for the purpose of testing hardware for far-IR interferometry on space missions using LISA Pathfinder interferometer. The emphasis is on prototyping possible space-rated devices and optical layouts for active-optics systems, including the laser sources, mechanisms, cryogenic IR optics, beam recombination, and detectors.

Keywords

adaptive optics; astronomical instruments; astronomical techniques; infrared astronomy; laser ranging; light interferometers; LISA Pathfinder interferometer; active optics techniques; active-optics systems; cryogenic IR optics; far-IR astronomy missions; laser detectors; laser sources; mid-IR astronomy missions; optical layouts; space interferometers; space-rated devices; test-bed interferometer; Astronomy; Cryogenics; Hardware; Laser beams; Optical beams; Optical devices; Optical interferometry; Prototypes; Space missions; Testing; Interferometry; active optics; far-infrared; laser metrology;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Infrared and Millimeter Waves, 2007 and the 2007 15th International Conference on Terahertz Electronics. IRMMW-THz. Joint 32nd International Conference on

Conference_Location

Cardiff

Print_ISBN

978-1-4244-1438-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ICIMW.2007.4516450

Filename

4516450