Astronomical Observations with a 10 Micron Array Camera

8-10微米操作的照相机的构造 大气窗口已经完成，实验室测试 该文书的修订工作正在进行中。 相机将被用于 对于星星形成区域的天文观测， 在我们的星系和其他星系中。 将对 仪器 一个更大的格式数组，它应该有 将安装更高的灵敏度。 循环变量 过滤器将取代固定过滤器，以允许采集 窄带图像在连续（灰尘）发射和 原子和分子特征。 观察结果将在 来自加州大学圣地亚哥分校/ 明尼苏达州1.5米望远镜。亚利桑那州图森市附近的莱蒙。 一 每像素1角秒的比例将充分采样2角秒 由衍射和视宁度的组合形成的图像。 科学计划将旨在实现更好的 了解星星的形成过程。 我们星系中 没有对已知的活跃星星的分子云进行系统的研究 由于大规模的生产， 单探测器系统所需的观测时间 热红外线 该相机将获得大面积地图， 合理的时间尺度在波长的敏感性， 冷的、年轻的源高，而尘埃的遮蔽低。 许多外部星系显示出过量的红外辐射（测量 由IRAS卫星），这已被归因于星星 由星系碰撞引起的。 它们的形态 可以使用相机研究物体。 这将揭示 星系内部结构的细节 这 由于灰尘，无法从其他波长获得信息 模糊，并可以提供关键的证据支持或反对 星系相互作用假说可能提供线索， 触发星星形成活动的机制。

Construction of a camera for operation in the 8-10 micron atmospheric window has been completed and the laboratory testing of the instrument is now in progress. The camera will be used for astronomical observations of regions of star formation both within our galaxy and in other galaxies. Some modifications and improvements will be made to the instrument. A larger format array, which is expected to have higher sensitivity, will be installed. A circular variable filter will replace the fixed filters, to allow acquisition of narrow band images both in continuum (dust) emission and in atomic and molecular features. The observations will be made from the University of California-San Diego/University of Minnesota 1.5m telescope at Mt. Lemmon near Tucson, Arizona. A scale of 1 arcsec per pixel will adequately sample the 2 arcsec images formed by a combination of diffraction and seeing. The scientific program will be aimed at achieving a better understanding of the star formation process. Within our galaxy no systematic studies of molecular clouds known to be active star formation regions have yet been feasible due to the large observing times required by single detector systems in the thermal infrared. This camera will obtain large area maps in reasonable timescales at wavelengths where the sensitivity to cool, young sources is high, and obscuration by dust is low. Many external galaxies show excess infrared emission (measured by the IRAS satellite) which has been attributed to star formation induced by galaxy collisions. The morphology of these objects can be studied using the camera. This will reveal details of the internal structure of the galaxies. This information is not available from other wavelengths due to dust obscuration, and can provide crucial evidence for or against the galaxy interaction hypothesis possibly giving clues in the mechanism which triggers star formation activity.