Bibcode
Griffin, M. J.; Abergel, A.; Abreu, A.; Ade, P. A. R.; André, P.; Augueres, J.-L.; Babbedge, T.; Bae, Y.; Baillie, T.; Baluteau, J.-P.; Barlow, M. J.; Bendo, G.; Benielli, D.; Bock, J. J.; Bonhomme, P.; Brisbin, D.; Brockley-Blatt, C.; Caldwell, M.; Cara, C.; Castro-Rodriguez, N.; Cerulli, R.; Chanial, P.; Chen, S.; Clark, E.; Clements, D. L.; Clerc, L.; Coker, J.; Communal, D.; Conversi, L.; Cox, P.; Crumb, D.; Cunningham, C.; Daly, F.; Davis, G. R.; de Antoni, P.; Delderfield, J.; Devin, N.; di Giorgio, A.; Didschuns, I.; Dohlen, K.; Donati, M.; Dowell, A.; Dowell, C. D.; Duband, L.; Dumaye, L.; Emery, R. J.; Ferlet, M.; Ferrand, D.; Fontignie, J.; Fox, M.; Franceschini, A.; Frerking, M.; Fulton, T.; Garcia, J.; Gastaud, R.; Gear, W. K.; Glenn, J.; Goizel, A.; Griffin, D. K.; Grundy, T.; Guest, S.; Guillemet, L.; Hargrave, P. C.; Harwit, M.; Hastings, P.; Hatziminaoglou, E.; Herman, M.; Hinde, B.; Hristov, V.; Huang, M.; Imhof, P.; Isaak, K. J.; Israelsson, U.; Ivison, R. J.; Jennings, D.; Kiernan, B.; King, K. J.; Lange, A. E.; Latter, W.; Laurent, G.; Laurent, P.; Leeks, S. J.; Lellouch, E.; Levenson, L.; Li, B.; Li, J.; Lilienthal, J.; Lim, T.; Liu, S. J.; Lu, N.; Madden, S.; Mainetti, G.; Marliani, P.; McKay, D.; Mercier, K.; Molinari, S.; Morris, H.; Moseley, H.; Mulder, J.; Mur, M. et al.
Bibliographical reference
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 518, id.L3
Advertised on:
7
2010
Journal
Citations
1000
Refereed citations
979
Description
The Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE), is the Herschel
Space Observatory`s submillimetre camera and spectrometer. It contains a
three-band imaging photometer operating at 250, 350 and 500 μm, and
an imaging Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) which covers
simultaneously its whole operating range of 194-671 μm (447-1550
GHz). The SPIRE detectors are arrays of feedhorn-coupled bolometers
cooled to 0.3 K. The photometer has a field of view of 4´×
8´, observed simultaneously in the three spectral bands. Its main
operating mode is scan-mapping, whereby the field of view is scanned
across the sky to achieve full spatial sampling and to cover large areas
if desired. The spectrometer has an approximately circular field of view
with a diameter of 2.6´. The spectral resolution can be adjusted
between 1.2 and 25 GHz by changing the stroke length of the FTS scan
mirror. Its main operating mode involves a fixed telescope pointing with
multiple scans of the FTS mirror to acquire spectral data. For extended
source measurements, multiple position offsets are implemented by means
of an internal beam steering mirror to achieve the desired spatial
sampling and by rastering of the telescope pointing to map areas larger
than the field of view. The SPIRE instrument consists of a cold focal
plane unit located inside the Herschel cryostat and warm electronics
units, located on the spacecraft Service Module, for instrument control
and data handling. Science data are transmitted to Earth with no
on-board data compression, and processed by automatic pipelines to
produce calibrated science products. The in-flight performance of the
instrument matches or exceeds predictions based on pre-launch testing
and modelling: the photometer sensitivity is comparable to or slightly
better than estimated pre-launch, and the spectrometer sensitivity is
also better by a factor of 1.5-2.
Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided
by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important
participation from NASA.
Related projects
Formation and Evolution of Galaxies: Observations in Infrared and other Wavelengths
This IAC research group carries out several extragalactic projects in different spectral ranges, using space as well as ground-based telescopes, to study the cosmological evolution of galaxies and the origin of nuclear activity in active galaxies. The group is a member of the international consortium which built the SPIRE instrument for the
Ismael
Pérez Fournon