Laboratory prototype camera for the Whipple Mission: a mission to detect and categorize small objects in our solar system

A. T. Kenter; R. Kraft; S. S. Murray; C. Alcock; T. Gauron

doi:10.1117/12.894626

14 September 2011 Laboratory prototype camera for the Whipple Mission: a mission to detect and categorize small objects in our solar system

A. T. Kenter, R. Kraft, S. S. Murray, C. Alcock, T. Gauron

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8146, UV/Optical/IR Space Telescopes and Instruments: Innovative Technologies and Concepts V; 814612 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.894626
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The proposedWhipple mission is intended to detect Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) via the "blind" occultation technique. The size, number and spatial distribution of these objects provides critical input to evolutionary models of our solar system. The Whipple project was proposed as a NASA Discovery class mission in 2010 and though not selected, it was funded to continue technology development. As part of the proposal preparation, a functional segment of the focal plane was instrumented in the laboratory. The purpose of this test segment was to verify basic detector parameters such as read noise and to detect simulated occultation events. We describe the operation of the detector and a simulator to test and verify the candidate focal plane for the proposed Whipple mission. This paper describes the design, construction and operation of the Whipple event simulator and operation of the laboratory detector.

Citation Download Citation

A. T. Kenter, R. Kraft, S. S. Murray, C. Alcock, and T. Gauron "Laboratory prototype camera for the Whipple Mission: a mission to detect and categorize small objects in our solar system", Proc. SPIE 8146, UV/Optical/IR Space Telescopes and Instruments: Innovative Technologies and Concepts V, 814612 (14 September 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.894626

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