Upgrade of Near Infrared Camera Array for Palomar Observatory

目前在帕洛玛200英寸望远镜上使用的卡塞格伦红外阵列相机将通过购买和安装一个新的、最先进的红外阵列来升级。自1988年以来，目前的相机一直作为200英寸望远镜的主要仪器使用，在此期间，每年大约有90个夜晚用于各种科学主题。然而，现有的相机阵列与现在商用的阵列相比已经过时了。由于这个原因，相机将配备一个新的InSb探测器阵列。新的阵列可以通过对现有相机进行少量物理修改，新的读出电子设备和新的读取阵列软件来集成到现有相机中。目前红外摄像机系统在硬件和软件上的绝大部分投资将用于改进后的摄像机。新的红外传感器将使图像元素（像素）的数量增加16倍以上，将相机的立体角增加3倍，并将每个像素的噪声性能提高7倍。帕洛玛相机的科学回报将体现在以下几个方面：扩大视野、提高灵敏度、改进外观、增加图像和光谱采样。有了这些成果，照相机的科学回报将大大增加，从原星系的搜索到形成过程中恒星的衍射极限成像。相机的升级将使全新的问题得以解决，并将保持200英寸望远镜作为红外天文学研究的首要设备。

The Cassegrain infrared array camera currently in use on the Palomar 200-inch telescope is to be upgraded by purchasing and installing a new, state-of-the-art, infrared array. The current camera has been in service as a major instrument of the 200-inch telescope since 1988, and has been used approximately 90 nights/year during that time on a variety of scientific topics. The existing camera array is, however, becoming obsolete in comparison with arrays now commercially available. For this reason the camera is to be fitted with a new InSb detector array. The new array can be incorporated into the existing camera with a small amount of physical modification to the existing camera, new read-out electronics, and new software to read the array. The vast majority of the investment in hardware and software that has gone into the current infrared camera system will be usable with the modified camera. The new infrared sensor will increase the number of picture elements (pixels) by more than a factor of 16, will increase the solid angle of the camera by a factor of 3, and will improve the noise performance of each pixel by a factor of 7. Th gains in the scientific return from the Palomar camera will come in the following areas: increased field of view, increased sensitivity, improved cosmetics, and increased sampling of images and spectra. With these gains the science return from the camera, in studies ranging from searches for protogalaxies to diffraction limited imaging of stars in the process of forming will be vastly increased. The upgrading of the camera will enable entire new classes of problems to be undertaken, and will preserve the 200 inch telescope as a premier facility for research in infrared astronomy.