Construction of an Infrared Spectropolarimeter

该奖项将支持建设一个高精度，高 灵敏度分光偏振计，用于1至4微米。 该仪器将包括冷和热旋转 具有冷内部偏振器的波片。 有效 分辨率将是R=180，仪器偏振将 低于0.1%。 该仪器将包含一个16元素 InSb探测器阵列，并将在此背景限制 分辨率从1到4微米的所有波长。 科学家们，这个奖项将针对星际尘埃 特征，彗星，非常尘埃演化的恒星和活跃的 用这个仪器来研究星系。 红外 光谱偏振法将提供重要的信息， 硅酸盐和碳化合物之间的关系 星际尘埃和星际尘埃的环境 显示出碳化合物的排放。 红外 分光偏振法也将使我们能够探测几何形状， 彗发中发射机制之间的空间关系 彗星，尘埃恒星的拱壳， 活跃星系的核心。

This award will support construction of a high accuracy, high sensitivity spectropolarimeter for use from 1 to 4 micrometers. The instrument will incorporate both cold and warm rotating waveplates with a cold internal polarizer. The effective resolving power will be R=180 and instrumental polarization will be less than 0.1%. The instrument will incorporate a 16 element InSb detector array and will be background limited at this resolution at all wavelengths from 1 to 4 micrometers. Scientifically, this award will target interstellar dust features, comets, very dusty evolved stars and nuclei of active galaxies for study with this instrument. Infrared spectropolarimetry will provide important information on the relationships between silicate and carbon compounds in interstellar dust and on the environment of interstellar dust that exhibits emission from carbonaceous compounds. Infrared spectropolarimetry will also allow us to probe the geometry and the spatial relationships between emission mechanisms in the coma of comets, the circumstellar shells of dusty stars, and the nuclei of active galaxies.