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The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) on the HerschelSpace Observatory*
- Source :
- Astronomy and Astrophysics; July 2010, Vol. 518 Issue: 1
- Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) is one of the three science instruments on ESA's far infrared and submillimetre observatory. It employs two Ge:Ga photoconductor arrays (stressed and unstressed) with 16×25 pixels, each, and two filled silicon bolometer arrays with 16×32 and 32×64 pixels, respectively, to perform integral-field spectroscopy and imaging photometry in the 60–210 μm wavelength regime. In photometry mode, it simultaneously images two bands, 60–85 μm or 85–125 μm and 125–210 μm, over a field of view of ~1.75'× 3.5', with close to Nyquist beam sampling in each band. In spectroscopy mode, it images a field of 47” × 47”, resolved into 5×5 pixels, with an instantaneous spectral coverage of ~1500 km s-1and a spectral resolution of ~175 km s-1. We summarise the design of the instrument, describe observing modes, calibration, and data analysis methods, and present our current assessment of the in-orbit performance of the instrument based on the performance verification tests. PACS is fully operational, and the achieved performance is close to or better than the pre-launch predictions.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00046361 and 14320746
- Volume :
- 518
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Publication Type :
- Periodical
- Accession number :
- ejs53146366
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201014535