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The continually increasing sensitivity required for the advancement of far-infrared astronomy dictates that the next generation of space-based observatories must employ cryogenically cooled telescopes and instrumentation. Operating cryogenic instrumentation in orbit poses several challenges, including the need for extremely low power dissipation and precise position measurement and control.
In prior work, we reported on the development of a homodyne three-phase range-resolved laser interferometer, which demonstrated a displacement measurement uncertainty of 2:3nmrms at <4K.1 Effects of low frequency noise (1=f) in the electrical signals at low velocities were performance limiting due to the interpretation of noise as interference fringes. To avoid 1=f noise, a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) heterodyne approach was adopted. An FMCW prototype was developed, and the preliminary results yielded an uncertainty of 29nmrms at <4K.2
In this paper we present the design of an integrated cryogenic FMCW range-resolved laser interferometer which features real time data processing for simultaneous displacement measurements of up to 8 axes. The performance of fibers and their coupling under ultra-high vacuum at cryogenic temperatures is largely unexplored, and we present the cryogenic characterization results of several key variables, including fiber type, termination, and mating, along with alignment effects due to the thermal contraction of fiber components. These results have been incorporated into the design of our cryogenic FMCW interferometer. Applications of cryogenic range resolved interferometry are discussed, with a focus on the integration of the FMCW interferometer with a custom 3-axis cryogenic accelerometer.
Making full advantage of the deeply cooled telescope (<6K), the SAFARI instrument on SPICA is a highly sensitive wide-field imaging photometer and spectrometer operating in the 34-210 μm wavelength range. Utilizing Nyquist-sampled focal-plane arrays of very sensitive Transition Edge Sensors (TES), SAFARI will offer a photometric imaging (R ≈ 2), and a low (R = 100) and medium resolution (R = 2000 at 100 μm) imaging spectroscopy mode in three photometric bands within a 2’x2’ instantaneous FoV by means of a cryogenic Mach-Zehnder Fourier Transform Spectrometer.
In this paper we will provide an overview of the SAFARI instrument design and system architecture. We will describe the reference design of the SAFARI focal- plane unit, the implementation of the various optical instrument functions designed around the central large-stroke FTS system, the photometric band definition and out-of-band filtering by quasioptical elements, the control of straylight, diffraction and thermal emission in the long-wavelength limit, and how we interface to the large-format FPA arrays at one end and the SPICA telescope assembly at the other end.
We will briefly discuss the key performance drivers with special emphasis on the optical techniques adopted to overcome issues related to very low background operation of SAFARI. A summary and discussion of the expected instrument performance and an overview of the astronomical capabilities finally conclude the paper.
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