Optics of Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII): delay lines and alignment

Arnab Dhabal; Stephen A. Rinehart; Maxime J. Rizzo; Lee Mundy; Dale Fixsen; Henry Sampler; Eric Mentzell; Todd Veach; Robert F. Silverberg; Stephen Furst; Thomas Dow; Peter Ade; Carole Tucker

doi:10.1117/12.2230218

26 July 2016 Optics of Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII): delay lines and alignment

Arnab Dhabal, Stephen A. Rinehart, Maxime J. Rizzo, Lee Mundy, Dale Fixsen, Henry Sampler, Eric Mentzell, Todd Veach, Robert F. Silverberg, Stephen Furst, Thomas Dow, Peter Ade, Carole Tucker

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9907, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging V; 99070T (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2230218
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

We present the optics of Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII) as it gets ready for launch. BETTII is an 8-meter baseline far-infrared (30-90 μm) interferometer mission with capabilities of spatially resolved spectroscopy aimed at studying star formation and galaxy evolution. The instrument collects light from its two arms, makes them interfere, divides them into two science channels (30-50 μm and 60-90 μm), and focuses them onto the detectors. It also separates out the NIR light (1-2.5 μm) and uses it for tip-tilt corrections of the telescope pointing. Currently, all the optical elements have been fabricated, heat treated, coated appropriately and are mounted on their respective assemblies. We are presenting the optical design challenges for such a balloon borne spatio- spectral interferometer, and discuss how they have been mitigated. The warm and cold delay lines are an important part of this optics train. The warm delay line corrects for path length differences between the left and the right arm due to balloon pendulation, while the cold delay line is aimed at introducing a systematic path length difference, thereby generating our interferograms from where we can derive information about the spectra. The details of their design and the results of the testing of these opto-mechanical parts are also discussed. The sensitivities of different optical elements on the interferograms produced have been determined with the help of simulations using FRED software package. Accordingly, an alignment plan is drawn up which makes use of a laser tracker, a CMM, theodolites and a LUPI interferometer.

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Arnab Dhabal, Stephen A. Rinehart, Maxime J. Rizzo, Lee Mundy, Dale Fixsen, Henry Sampler, Eric Mentzell, Todd Veach, Robert F. Silverberg, Stephen Furst, Thomas Dow, Peter Ade, and Carole Tucker "Optics of Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII): delay lines and alignment", Proc. SPIE 9907, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging V, 99070T (26 July 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2230218

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