Next Section: Introduction

NIMPOL: An imaging polarimeter for the mid-infrared.

Craig H. Smith
Toby J.T. Moore
David K. Aitken
Takuya Fujiyoshi

School of Physics, University College, UNSW, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia.
c-smith@adfa.oz.au, t-fujiyoshi@adfa.oz.au
current address: Astrophysics Group, School of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Physics, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom St, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
tjtm@staru1.livjm.ac.uk
current address: Division of Physical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, HERTS AL10 9AB, UK
D.Aitken@roe.ac.uk

Abstract:

We have built an imaging polarimeter for use at mid-infrared wavelengths (i.e. N band or 8 - 13 m). The detecting element is a 128 x 128 element Si:Ga Focal Plane Array, supplied by Amber Engineering, USA. The polarimeter itself provides diffraction limited images on a 4-m class telescope and has a field of view of about 32 arcseconds of sky with 0.25 arcsecond pixels. We describe the optical design, control electronics, observing modes and detector sensitivities. Also presented are some observational results to demonstrate the power of this new imaging polarimetric system.

Keywords: Instrumentation: infrared, polarimetry

© Copyright Astronomical Society of Australia 1997