The assembly, calibration, and preliminary results from the Colorado high-resolution Echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS)

Hoadley, Keri; Nell, Nicholas; Kane, Robert; Schultz, Ted; Beasley, Matthew; Green, James; Kulow, Jen; Kersgaard, Eliot; Fleming, Brian

doi:10.1117/12.2055661

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The most efficient gratings (Samples #4 and #6) were only 4.5% efficient at Lyα, which was comparable to the efficiency of the LightSmyth, Inc. echelle flown in CHESS-1. 1 We also saw noticeable ghosting effects − secondary diffraction patterns parallel to the primary diffraction axis − from every echelle sample fabricated with the e-beam technique, both in the optical and in the FUV. We suspect this was due to the periodicity in the e-beam process, which left a grid pattern of small squares over the entire grated surface area.…”

Section: Echelle Gratingsmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…The opto-mechanical structure of CHESS-2 is identical to that presented in Ref. 1. Below, we outline information and specifications about the structure and optical mount designs for CHESS.…”

Section: Mechanical Spectrograph Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unfortunately, the etching process was difficult to perfect, and CHESS-1 flew an echelle grating with peak order efficiencies ∼ 1 − 6% across the bandpass. 1 To improve the sensitivity of the CHESS instrument for its second flight, we worked in collaboration with the JPL Microdevices Laboratory on an experimental electron-beam (e-beam) etching process to fabricate an echelle grating with low-scatter and high order efficiency. Theoretically, groove efficiency expectations at the peak order in the FUV were around 85%.…”

Section: Echelle Gratingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The re-flight of the Colorado high-resolution Echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS): improvements, calibrations, and post-flight results

et al. 2016

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In this proceeding, we describe the scientific motivation and technical development of the Colorado Highresolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), focusing on the hardware advancements and testing supporting the second flight of the payload (CHESS-2). CHESS is a far ultraviolet (FUV) rocket-borne instrument designed to study the atomic-to-molecular transitions within translucent cloud regions in the interstellar medium (ISM). CHESS is an objective f/12.4 echelle spectrograph with resolving power > 100,000 over the band pass 1000 − 1600Å. The spectrograph was designed to employ an R2 echelle grating with "low" line density. We compare the FUV performance of experimental echelle etching processes (lithographically by LightSmyth, Inc. and etching via electron-beam technology by JPL Microdevices Laboratory) with traditional, mechanically-ruled gratings (Bach Research, Inc. and Richardson Gratings). The cross-dispersing grating, developed and ruled by Horiba Jobin-Yvon, is a holographically-ruled, "low" line density, powered optic with a toroidal surface curvature. Both gratings were coated with aluminum and lithium fluoride (Al+LiF) at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Results from final efficiency and reflectivity measurements for the optical components of CHESS-2 are presented. CHESS-2 utilizes a 40mm-diameter cross-strip anode readout microchannel plate (MCP) detector fabricated by Sensor Sciences, Inc., to achieve high spatial resolution with high count rate capabilities (global rates ∼ 1 MHz). We present pre-flight laboratory spectra and calibration results. CHESS-2 launched on 21 February 2016 aboard NASA/CU sounding rocket mission 36.297 UG. We observed the intervening ISM material along the sightline to Per and present initial characterization of the column densities, temperature, and kinematics of atomic and molecular species in the observation.

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Section: Echelle Gratingsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Mechanical Spectrograph Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Echelle Gratingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The re-flight of the Colorado high-resolution Echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS): improvements, calibrations, and post-flight results

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“…previous technical conference proceedings 35,37 ; we present a brief description here. The CHESS optical path can be described as follows (and see Figure 7):  A mechanical collimator, consisting of an array of 10.74mm 2 × 1000mm anodized aluminum square tubes with a total collecting area of 40cm 2 and 0.9° field of view, prevents off-axis light from entering the spectrograph.…”

Section: Chess -The Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrogmentioning

confidence: 99%

CHISL: the combined high-resolution and imaging spectrograph for the LUVOIR surveyor

Fleming

Hoadley

2016

J. Astron. Telesc. Instrum. Syst

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NASA is currently carrying out science and technical studies to identify its next astronomy flagship mission, slated to begin development in the 2020s. It has become clear that a Large Ultraviolet/Optical/IR (LUVOIR) Surveyor mission (dprimary ≈ 12 m, Δλ ≈ 1000 Å -2 µm spectroscopic bandpass) can carry out the largest number of NASA's exoplanet and astrophysics science goals over the coming decades. The science grasp of a LUVOIR Surveyor is broad, ranging from the direct detection of potential biomarkers on rocky planets to the flow of matter into and out of galaxies and the history of star-formation across cosmic time. There are technical challenges for several aspects of the LUVOIR Surveyor concept, including component level technology readiness maturation and science instrument concepts for a broadly capable ultraviolet spectrograph. We present the scientific motivation for, and a preliminary design of, a multiplexed ultraviolet spectrograph to support both the exoplanet and astrophysics goals of the LUVOIR Surveyor mission concept, the Combined High-resolution and Imaging Spectrograph for the LUVOIR Surveyor (CHISL). CHISL includes a highresolution (R ≈ 120,000; 1000 -1700Å) point-source spectroscopy channel and a medium resolution (R ≥ 14,000 from 1000 -2000 Å in a single observation and R ~ 24,000 -35,000 in multiple grating settings) imaging spectroscopy channel. CHISL addresses topics ranging from characterizing the composition and structure of planet-forming disks to the feedback of matter between galaxies and the intergalactic medium. We present the CHISL concept, a small sample of representative science cases, and the primary technological hurdles. Technical challenges include high-efficiency ultraviolet coatings and high-quantum efficiency, large-format, photon counting detectors. We are actively engaged in laboratory and flight characterization efforts for all of these enabling technologies as components on sounding rocket payloads under development at the University of Colorado. We describe two payloads that are designed to be pathfinder instruments for the high-resolution (CHESS) and imaging spectroscopy (SISTINE) arms of CHISL. We are carrying out this instrument design, characterization, and flight-testing today to support the new start of a LUVOIR Surveyor mission in the next decade.Keywords: flagship mission: LUVOIR, ultraviolet spectroscopy, suborbital payloads, science drivers, photon-counting detectors, optical coatings LUVOIR SURVEYORThe 2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey (New Worlds, New Horizons) recommended an augmentation of the NASA technology development budget for hardware supporting both a mission capable of direct spectroscopy of Earth-like planets and a large UV astrophysics mission to serve as a successor to HST 1 . These recommendations built on several exercises for Probe-class (cost ~$1B) missions during the 2000s and numerous white papers making the science case for an Advanced Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) mission submitted to the 20...

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“…(c) A "flat field" image taken with the device in response to protons and (d) a typical electron response of device 47. 4.1.4 CHESS: High Purity P-channel CCDThe Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS)48,49 is a rocket-borne farultraviolet spectrograph that serves as a pathfinder instrument and technology testbed for highresolution spectrographs for future NASA astrophysics missions (e.g., LUVOIR50 ). The CHESS rocket experiment is designed to quantify the composition and physical state of the interstellar medium (ISM), specifically the interface regions between translucent clouds and the ambient diffuse ISM; quantifying the temperature, composition, and kinematics of nearby interstellar clouds.…”

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confidence: 99%

High-efficiency UV/optical/NIR detectors for large aperture telescopes and UV explorer missions: development of and field observations with delta-doped arrays

Nikzad

Jewell

Hoenk

et al. 2017

J. Astron. Telesc. Instrum. Syst

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A number of exciting concepts are under development for Flagship, Probe class, Explorer class, and Suborbital class NASA missions in the ultraviolet/optical spectral ranges. These missions will depend on high performance silicon detector arrays being delivered affordably and in high numbers. In a focused effort we have advanced delta-doping technology to high throughput and high yield wafer-scale processing, encompassing a multitude of state-of-the-art silicon-based detector formats and designs. As part of this technology advancement and in preparation for upcoming missions, we have embarked on a number of field observations, instrument integrations, and independent evaluations of delta-doped arrays. In this paper, we present recent data and innovations from the Advanced Detectors and Systems program at JPL, including two-dimensional doping technology; our end-to-end postfabrication processing of high performance UV/Optical/NIR arrays; and advanced coatings for detectors and optical elements. Additionally, we present examples of past, in-progress, and planned observations and deployments of deltadoped arrays.

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The assembly, calibration, and preliminary results from the Colorado high-resolution Echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS)

Cited by 12 publications

References 6 publications

The re-flight of the Colorado high-resolution Echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS): improvements, calibrations, and post-flight results

The re-flight of the Colorado high-resolution Echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS): improvements, calibrations, and post-flight results

CHISL: the combined high-resolution and imaging spectrograph for the LUVOIR surveyor

High-efficiency UV/optical/NIR detectors for large aperture telescopes and UV explorer missions: development of and field observations with delta-doped arrays

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