South Pole Submillimeter Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS)

Richard A. Chamberlin (1), Bob Martin(2), Chris Martin (3) , and Tony Stark(3).
 

Primary purpose in 2001: To measure the magnitude of the 1.5 THz atmospheric transmission window under various atmospheric conditions.

Technology:  Our FTS is a polarizing Michelson interferometer of the Martin-Puplett type.  For more information see:

booktitle = "Infrared and Millimeter Waves, Vol. 6: Systems and Components" ,
title="Polarizing Martin-Puplett Interferometric Spectrometers for the Near and Submillimeter Spectra",
Publisher = "Academic Press",
Editor="K. E. Button",
Author  = "D. H. Martin",
Year= "1982",
Pages= "66-148"

South Pole FTS in the CSO Hilo Base facility laboratory (April 2000).
 

FTS: close up view (April 2000).
 

FTS: assembled system in Hilo lab (September 2000).
 
 

FTS installed in the SUNY building at the summit of Mauna Kea for testing.  (c. Oct 2000)
 

Part of the FTS is the external "tipping" mirror assembly pictured here on the outside of the SUNY building on the summit
of  Mauna Kea. The tipping mirror allows the FTS to sample the sky signal  from zenith to  horizon and also allows the measurement of an ambient  blackbody load at nadir.

FTS installed in AST/RO annex at the South Pole (Jan, 2001).

FTS data acquisition system installed in AST/RO annex at the South Pole (Jan, 2001).

FTS external tipping mirror installed at the South Pole (Jan, 2001).
 
 

Orthognal veiw from the 3-D Autocad model from which all the working drawings were generated.  The translation stage, optical enclosures, roof reflectors, and polarizing wire grids were adapted from an earlier instrument developed by Bob Martin for the University of Arizona Steward Observatory.
 
 


South Pole FTS schematic diagram (Jan 2001).
 
 
 

Click here to see some preliminary results from the South Pole




(1) Richard A. Chamberlin, Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, 111 Nowelo Street, Hilo, HI  96720
(2) Robert Martin,  Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica,  P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 106,  Taiwan, R.O.C., and The Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii,  640 North Aohoku Place, Room 105, Hilo, HI 96720
(3) Chris Martin, Tony Stark,  Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge MA 02138


Last updated 30 June 2001

Richard A.Chamberlin / cham@submm.caltech.edu