Scientific/Technical Abstract:

FORCAST is a facility-class, mid/far-infrared camera for SOFIA. The instrument has a short wavelength camera (SWC) that operates from ~5 - 25 µm and a long wavelength camera (LWC) that operates from 25 - 40 µm, with several filters available in both cameras. The cameras can be used individually over the whole wavelength range, or together for simultaneous imaging of the same field of view (FOV) but with restricted wavelength coverage in the SWC of 10 - 25 µm. Using 256x256 Si:As and Si:Sb blocked-impurity-band detector arrays to provide high-sensitivity wide-field imaging, FORCAST samples at 0.75 arcsec/pixel giving a 3.2 arcmin x 3.2 arcmin instantaneous field-of-view. Diffraction limited imaging for λ > 15 µm is expected during full operations. The current filter set includes filters centered at 5.4, 6.4, 6.6, 7.7, 8.6, 11.1, 11.3, 19.7, 24.2, 31.5, 33.6, 34.8, and 37.1 µm. For sufficiently small objects, chopping can be performed on the array. The FORCAST instrument uses mature, low-risk technology ensuring high reliability.

Additional References:

Adams et al., "FORCAST: a first light facility instrument for SOFIA," Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III, Ian S. McLean, Suzanne K. Ramsay, & Hideki Takami, Editors, Proc. SPIE 7735, 77351U (2010), DOI: 10.1117/12.857049 [pdf]

Keller et al., "Progress report on FORCAST grism spectroscopy as a future general observer instrument mode on SOFIA," Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III, Ian S. McLean, Suzanne K. Ramsay, & Hideki Takami, Editors, Proc. SPIE 7735, 77356N (2010), DOI: 10.1117/12.857127 [pdf]

Deen et al., "Quick-look reduction software for FORCAST grism mode on SOFIA," Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III, Ian S. McLean, Suzanne K. Ramsay, & Hideki Takami, Editors, Proc. SPIE 7735, 773570 (2010), DOI: 10.1117/12.856608

Deen et al., "A silicon and KRS-5 grism suite for FORCAST on SOFIA," Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy II, Ian S. McLean & Mark M. Casali, Editors, Proc. SPIE 7014, 70142C (2008), DOI: 10.1117/12.788565 [pdf]

Ennico et al., "Grism performance for mid-IR (5-40 micron) spectroscopy," Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy, Ian S. McLean & Masanori Iye, Editors, Proc. SPIE 6269, 62691Q (2006), DOI: 10.1117/12.672256 [pdf]

Adams et al., "Testing of mid-infrared detector arrays for FORCAST," Optical and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy, James D. Garnett & James W. Beletic, Editors, Proc. SPIE 5499, 442 (2004), DOI: 10.1117/12.551490