Upgrade of Near Infrared Camera Array for Palomar Observatory

目前在Palomar 200英寸望远镜上使用的卡塞格伦红外阵列相机将进行升级，购买并安装一个新的、最先进的红外阵列。目前的相机自1988年以来一直作为200英寸望远镜的主要仪器投入使用，在此期间，每年大约有90个晚上用于各种科学课题。然而，与现在商业上可用的阵列相比，现有的摄像机阵列正在变得过时。出于这个原因，照相机将配备一个新的InSb探测器阵列。通过对现有摄像机进行少量物理修改、新的读出电子设备和读取阵列的新软件，可以将新的阵列合并到现有的摄像机中。投入目前红外相机系统的绝大多数硬件和软件投资将与改进后的相机一起使用。新的红外传感器将把图像元素(像素)的数量增加16倍以上，将相机的立体角度增加3倍，并将每个像素的噪声性能提高7倍。Palomar相机的科学回报将来自以下方面：扩大视场，提高灵敏度，改进化妆品，并增加了图像和光谱的采样。有了这些成果，在从寻找原星系到对恒星形成过程中的衍射限制成像的研究中，相机带来的科学回报将大大增加。相机的升级将使人们能够处理全新的问题类别，并将保持200英寸望远镜作为红外天文学研究的首要设施。

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.