Published July 10, 2021 | Version public
Journal Article

Cryogenic spectrometer for measuring the far-IR to millimeter-wave absorptivity of cosmic analog dusts

  • 1. ROR icon Illinois Wesleyan University
  • 2. ROR icon University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • 3. ROR icon California Institute of Technology
  • 4. ROR icon University of Wisconsin–Madison
  • 5. ROR icon New Jersey Institute of Technology
  • 6. ROR icon Indiana University Bloomington

Abstract

We report on the design, construction, and performance of a custom apparatus built to measure the frequency- and temperature-dependent absorptivity of millimeter-wave light by cosmic analog dusts. We highlight the unique challenges faced as well as a few key innovations that are part of the instrument. Among those is an ultra-compact Fourier transform spectrometer. We have measured its effective frequency range and FWHM resolution to be 150–2100 GHz and ∼45GHz, respectively. Another innovation is a cold sample positioner whose temperature can be controlled within the range of 3.7–50 K. The use of a pulse-tube cryocooler results in a pulse-synchronous signal that dominates the detector (bolometer) signal. Methods used to address that challenge are also presented.

Additional Information

© 2021 Optical Society of America. Received 15 April 2021; revised 15 June 2021; accepted 16 June 2021; posted 17 June 2021 (Doc. ID 427831); published 8 July 2021. We thank D. J. Fixsen for valuable advice and guidance during the design and construction of the FTS. Funding: National Science Foundation (AST-1313261). Data Availability: Data underlying the results presented in this paper are not publicly available at this time but may be obtained from the authors upon reasonable request. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional details

Identifiers

Eprint ID
110135
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20210803-172256346

Funding

NSF
AST-1313261

Dates

Created
2021-08-04
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2021-08-04
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