High Performance Near Infrared Spectrometers

近红外探测器和电子学的最新发展 读出器可以提高近红外的灵敏度， 光谱仪的性能提高了近100倍。 在此奖项下，两名 将建造仪器来实现这一进步，其中一个在环境温度下， 另一个被低温冷却。 统称 仪器应在OH设定的背景限值下运行 （氢氧化物）气流或望远镜热辐射 1至2.5微米;这些是基本的限制， 在这个光谱区域的灵敏度。 的延伸 将研究6微米的操作范围。 光谱仪将为研究提供多功能 太阳系外行星和卫星的表面 系统，低光度恒星，褐矮星，星星形成， 在星际介质中的过程，我们的银河系 中心，其他星系中的恒星种群， 星暴星系和活动星系中气体的状态 原子核。

Recent developments in near infrared detectors and electronic readouts allow improvements in the sensitivity of near infrared spectrometers by nearly a factor of 100. Under this award, two instruments will be built to realize this advance, one at ambient temperature and the other cooled cryogenically. Together, the instruments should operate at the back-ground limit set by OH (Hydroxide) airflow or telescope thermal emission from 1 to 2.5 microns; these are the fundamental limits to the sensitivity in this spectral region. The extension of the operating range to 6 microns will be investigated. The spectrometers will provide versatile capabilities for studies of the surfaces of planets and satellites in the outer solar system, low luminosity stars, brown dwarfs, star formation, processes in the interstellar medium, our Galactic Center, stellar populations in other galaxies, star formation in starburst galaxies, and the state of the gas in active galaxy nuclei.