Payloads
CHESS - Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph
SLICE - Sub-orbital Local Interstellar Cloud Experiment
We present the fabrication and testing of the Sub-orbital Local Interstellar Cloud Experiment (SLICE), a rocket-borne payload for ultraviolet astrophysics in the 1020 to 1070 Å bandpass. The SLICE optical system is comprised of an ultraviolet-optimized telescope feeding a Rowland Circle spectrograph. The telescope is an 8-inch Cassegrain operating at f/7, with Al optics overcoated with LiF for enhanced far-ultraviolet reflectivity. The holographically ruled grating focuses light at an open-faced microchannel plate detector employing an opaque RbBr photocathode. In this proceeding, we describe the design trades and calibration issues confronted during the build-up of this payload. We place particular emphasis on the technical details of the design, modifications, construction and alignment procedures for SLICE in order to provide a roadmap for the optimization of future ruggedized experiments for ultraviolet imaging and spectroscopy.
ArXIV Results Paper
SPIE Instrument Paper
FIRE - Far-ultraviolet Imaging Rocket Experiment
FIRE (Far-ultraviolet Imaging Rocket Experiment) is a sounding rocket payload telescope designed to image between 900-1100Å. It is scheduled to launch on January 29th, 2011 from the Poker Flats complex in northern Alaska. For its first flight, it will target G191B2B, a white dwarf calibration source, and M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy), the science target, to help determine the number of hot, young O stars, as well as the intervening dust attenuation. FIRE primary consists of a single primary mirror coated in silicon carbide, a 2000Å thick indium filter and a micro-channel plate detector coated with rubidium bromide. Combined, these create a passband of 900-1100Å for the system and reject the hydrogen Lyman-α to approximately a factor of 10-4. To ensure that the filter survives the launch, a small vacuum chamber has been built around it to keep the pressure at 10-8 torr or lower.
DICE - The Diffuse Interstellar Cloud Experiment
We have designed a sounding rocket payload to perform high resolution far ultraviolet (FUV) spectroscopy. The payload will contain a modified Rowland spectrograph, achieving resolution of 60,000 by adding a magnifying secondary optic. We will use this instrument to observe two stars on opposing sides of the Local Bubble wall. Obtaining spectra of the O VI doublet in absorption towards these stars will provide new insight into the processes governing hot gas near the cavity wall.
ISIS - Imaging Spectrograph for Interstellar Shocks
A far-ultraviolet narrow-band imaging rocket payload.