Near-infrared echelle-AOTF spectrometer ACS-NIR for the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
Résumé
The near-Infrared echelle-AOTF spectrometer is one channel of the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) package dedicated for the studies of the Martian atmosphere on board ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter planned for launch in 2016. The near-infrared (NIR) channel of ACS is a versatile spectrometer for the spectral range of 0.7–1.6 μm with a resolving power of <20,000. The NIR channel is intended to measure the atmospheric water vapor, aerosols, airglows, in nadir, in solar occultation, and on the limb. The science goals of NIR are basically the same as for SPICAM IR channel presently in flight on board Mars Express ESA orbiter, but it offers significantly better spectral resolution. The instrument employs the principle of an echelle spectrometer with an acoustooptical tunable filter (AOTF) as a preselector. The same principle was employed in SOIR, operated on Venus Express ESA mission in 2006-2014, and in RUSALKA, operated onboard ISS in 2009-2012. The NIR channel of ACS consists of entry optics, the AOTF, a Littrow echelle spectrometer, and an electrically cooled InGaAs detector array. It is a complete block with power and data interfaces, and the overall mass of 3.2 kg. The protoflight model of NIR is completed, calibrated, integrated within the ACS suite, and is undergoing tests at the spacecraft. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.