MSU-developed
infrared camera jewel of SOAR telescope
Contact:
Edwin Loh, Physics and Astronomy, (517)
355-9200, Ext. 2405, loh@pa.msu.edu
; or Tom Oswald, University Relations,
(517) 355-2281, oswald@msu.edu
4/15/2004
EAST
LANSING ,
Mich. - What separates the SOuthern
Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope
from other similar instruments is an
infrared camera, developed and built
at Michigan State University , whose
images could rival those that are captured
by space-based telescopes.
Once
installed in the SOAR Telescope, which
is scheduled to be in operation later
this year, the Spartan Infrared Camera
will set the standard for capturing
images in the infrared (IR).
"With
the sharp images of this instrument,
we'll be able to see detail that you
wouldn't be able to see even with the
infrared camera on the space telescope,"
said Edwin Loh, an MSU professor of
physics and astronomy who led the MSU
team that created the camera. "In addition,
we'll be able to see extremely faint
stars and galaxies."
The
SOAR Telescope is a joint venture between
MSU, the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, the country of Brazil
and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories.
The nation of Chile is a de facto partner.
Located in the clear-aired Andes Mountains
of Chile , the 4.1-meter telescope will
provide astronomers with some of the
best views ever of stars within the
Milky Way and other galaxies.
The
telescope has the capability to capture
images in both standard optical and
the infrared. By capturing images in
the infrared, astronomers will be able
to view images of stars and galaxies
with much more detail.
"The
problem is a lot of astronomical sources
have dust in them, and visible light
is severely absorbed by dust," Loh said.
"In the visible spectrum you can't see
much, but in the infrared you can."
A
good example of that is the center of
our own Milky Way galaxy. Studying the
plane of the galaxy is nearly impossible
with the use of optic telescopes because
there is so much dust.
"If
you want to see the center of the Milky
Way, you have to look through all this
dust," Loh said. "In the visible you're
out of luck, you can't see it at all.
But in the IR, you can."
Loh
himself will use the instrument to observe
distant supernovae, or exploding stars.
His mission: To confirm or refute, through
use of the infrared camera, a recent
discovery that disputed a long-running
theory that expansion of the universe
was slowing down.
"Looking
at distant supernovae, astronomers figured
out that expansion of the universe was
not slowing but actually speeding up,"
he said. "This work was done with visible
cameras.
"What
I want to do is the same thing, only
with the IR camera. If we find even
more distant supernovae and figure out
how bright they are, this will tell
us if the universe is really expanding."
The
Spartan camera itself is a 250-pound
collection of mirrors, wires and other
equipment that rests in a large box.
Adding to the complication is the camera's
detectors can't function at room temperature,
so they must be cooled by liquid nitrogen.
"The
detector's own thermal emission can
interfere with the detection of infrared
radiation from astronomical sources,"
Loh said. "Therefore, we have to work
at extremely cold temperatures - around
minus 220 degrees Celsius."
A
15-member team consisting of staff,
students and even a few high school
students have been working on the camera
for several years. The camera is scheduled
to be installed in the SOAR telescope
sometime this summer.
For
more information on the Spartan Infrared
Camera, visit the Web at www.pa.msu.edu/astro/spartan_camera.htm
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