TIMMI: a 10-um camera for the ESO 3.6-m telescope

摘要

Abstract: TIMMI is the ESO Infrared camera dedicated to 10 $mu@m high angular resolution imaging of the austral sky. This camera, built for the European Southern Observatory (ESO) by the Service d'Astrophysique at Saclay (SAp), has been successfully commissioned during 2 observing runs at the ESO 3.6-m telescope: one in July 1992 and the other in January 1993. Based on a LIR 64*64 pixel Si:Ga/DVR detector array optimized for ground-based broad-band 10-$mu@m astronomical observations, the camera, operated at a frame rate of 120 Hz, has achieved a noise equivalent flux density of 0.01 Jy min$+$MIN@1/2$/ pixel$+$MIN@1$/ (1 $sigma@) during N$-2$/-band observations with a pixel field of view of 0.48 arcsec. Two other fields of view are available: 0.32 and 0.65 arcsec. A filter wheel allows to select between 14 broad-band and narrow-band filters covering the atmospheric window (8 - 13 $mu@m); a M filter allows observations in the 4 $mu@m atmospheric window with substantial sensitivity. The instrument is now available to visiting astronomers.!16