Abstract

We report on the development of a prototype multichannel infrared imaging spectrometer designed for ground-based planetary astronomy at a variety of astronomical observatories, namely the JPL Table Mountain Observatory and various telescopes at the Mauna Kea Observatory. The instrument is capable of sampling simultaneously the spectral region of 0.9 to 2.6 µm at a spectral resolution of 1% using a cooled (77K) optical bench, a concave holographic grating and a special order sorting filter to allow the acquisition of the full spectral range on a 128ö128 HgCdTe infrared detector array. The field of view of the spectrometer is 0.5 arcsec/pixel in mapping mode and designed to be 5 arcsec/pixel in spot mode. The innovative optical design has resulted in a small, transportable spectrometer, capable of remote operation. The novel design, which employs holographic optics, is applicable for any remote sensing imaging spectrometer where size and weight of the optical system is critical.

© 1990 Optical Society of America