<title>Novel optical MEMS/micromechanical devices as field selectors for imaging spectrometry</title>

Abstract

Multi-object spectrometry is a special version of imaging spectrometry, where only a relatively small number of objects or interesting image points of a scene is spectrally resolved. This allows to measure nearly all interesting points of a typical astronomical scene within one or only a few measurement steps. The essential component of a multi-object spectrometer is the field selector device, which selects multiple image points for a simultaneous measurement. Reconfigurable field selectors or reconfigurable slit masks can be MEMS, such as micro mirror or micro shutter arrays.Alternative field selectors will be based on micro-mechanical devices and can mostly be referred to as slit positioning systems, since the elements which form the slits are mechanically positioned. Novel examples for such field selectors are an individual micro-mirror element positioner and bar arrays with slit structures. Two layer devices are presented, which form transmissive and reflective slits.The concepts are focused on the near infrared multi-object-spectrometer for the Next Generation Space Telescope.

Canary: ion spectroscopy for ionospheric sensing

“…The ability to miniaturize instruments presents several advantages in the arena of microtechnology for space systems in terms of reduction in size, mass, power, and cost. [9][10][11][12][13] Future directions in space instrumentation will be enabled by the use of MEMS fabrication techniques. The path is clear tht began with the Flat Plasma Spectrometer (FlaPS) [14] and carried to the more aggressive miniaturization demonstration in the Wafer Integrated Spectrometer [15] and now to the CANARY.…”

Random Access Addressing of MEMS Electrostatic Shutter Array for Multi-Object Astronomical Spectroscopy

“…Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology is therefore expected to be an enabling solution to construct an agile and compact reconfigurable multi slit array for a MOS in a remote unmanned observatory, and several possible configurations have been proposed by Riesenberg and Wuttig [ 12 ]. As a most advanced example, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has developed a micro shutter array (MSA) for the James Web Space Telescope (JSWT), in which a matrix of micromechanical shutters coated with a thin-film magnetic material is used as reconfigurable apertures to select multiple objects at a time [ 13 ].…”