Instrument
Fig 1. SPHEREx Observatory Overview
The SPHEREx observatory is based on a wide-field aluminium telescope. The optics are passively cooled by radiating heat to space using a 3-stage V-groove system. A series of three nested conical photon shields (shown in the Fig. 1 cutaway) protect the cooler and optics from Sun and Earth radiation.
SPHEREx is based on a telescope with an effective 20 cm diameter and a 11°x3.5° field of view. The focal plane is split with a dichroic to three short-wavelength and three long-wavelength detector arrays. Two focal plane assemblies (FPAs) simultaneously image the sky through a dichroic beam splitter. This specialized optic behaves as a mirror to short wavelengths and a window to long. Each FPA contains three 2K x 2K detector arrays placed behind a set of linear variable filters, providing narrow-band response with a band center that varies along one axis of the array. SPHEREx obtains spectra through multiple exposures, placing a given source at multiple positions in the field of view, where it is measured at multiple wavelengths by repointing the spacecraft.
Fig 2. SPHEREx is based on a telescope with an effective 20 cm diameter and a 11°x3.5° field of view.
SPHEREx implements a simple and robust design that maximizes spectral throughput and efficiency. This is done in the absence of any moving parts, with the exception of a one-time ejection of an aperture cover.
Design features employed on SPHEREx have proven effective on previous missions, and include:
- A 20 cm all-aluminum telescope with a wide 3.5° x 11° wide field of view doubly-imaged through a dichroic beam splitter.
- Six 2K x 2K HgCdTe detector arrays. These H2RG arrays have been qualified for space observations by the James Webb Space Telescope, and are built on a long successful history of space instruments using arrays in smaller formats.
- Six linear viarable filters (LVFs) to produce spectra. The spectrum of each source is obtained by moving the telescope in the wavelength-varying direction of the LVF in discrete steps. This method was demonstrated by LEISA on New Horizons to obtain excellent spectral images of Jupiter and Pluto.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Telescope Effective Aperture | 20 cm |
| Pixel Size | 6.2" x 6.2" |
| Field of View | 2 x (3.5° x 11.3°); dichroic |
| Resolving Power and Wavelength Coverage | λ= 0.75- 2.42 µm; R=41 λ= 2.42 - 3.82 µm; R=35 λ= 3.82 - 4.42 µm; R=110 λ= 4.42 - 5.00 µm; R=130 |
| Arrays | 3x Hawaii-2RG 2.5 µm 3x Hawaii-2RG 5.3 µm |
| Point Source Sensitivity | >19.2 AB mag (5σ) per frequency bin referenced at 2 µm (MEV). |
| Cooling | All-Passive |
| 2.5 µm Array and Optics Temperature | <80K |
| 5.3 µm Array Temperature | <55K |
