Assembly, integration, and laboratory testing of the EXCITE spectrograph

Thumbnail Image

Files

Assembly_Integration.pdf (9.72 MB)
Assembly_Integration_Erratum.pdf (192.89 KB)
Assembly_Integration_Poster.pdf (69.86 MB)

Links to Files

https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/13096/13096A5/Assembly-integration-and-laboratory-testing-of-the-EXCITE-spectrograph/10.1117/12.3019286.full

Permanent Link

http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.3056735
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/37732

Collections

UMBC Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST) / Center for Research and Exploration in Space Sciences & Technology II (CRSST II)
UMBC Faculty Collection

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9238-4918

Date

2024-07-30

Type of Work

conference papers and proceedings
posters
Text

Department

Program

Citation of Original Publication

Bernard, Lee, Johnathan Gamaunt, Logan Jensen, Andrea Bocchieri, Nat Butler, Quentin Changeat, Azzurra D’Alessandro, et al. “Assembly, Integration, and Laboratory Testing of the EXCITE Spectrograph.” In Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy X, 13096:3476–88. SPIE, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3019286.

Rights

This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
Public Domain

Subjects

Abstract

The EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope (EXCITE) is a near-infrared spectrograph (0.8-3.5 µm, R∼50) designed for measuring spectroscopic phase curves of transiting hot Jupiter-type exoplanets that operates off a high-altitude balloon platform. Phase curves produce a combination of phase curve and transit/eclipse spectroscopy, providing a wealth of information for characterizing exoplanet atmospheres. EXCITE will be a firstof- kind dedicated telescope uniquely able to observe a target nearly uninterrupted for tens of hours, enabling phase curve measurements, and complementing JWST. The spectrometer has two channels, a 0.8-2.5 µm band and a 2.5-3.5 µm band, providing a spectrum with a spectral resolution of R≥50. Two Off-Axis Parabolic (OAP) mirrors reimage the telescope focal plane to provide on-axis, diffraction-limited performance, wth a CaF2 prism providing dispersion. The spectrum is imaged with a single JWST flight spare Teledyne H2RG detector, providing Nyquist sampling of each channel. Here, we discuss the spectrograph’s mechanical design, acceptance testing, assembly, and cryostat integration.