Optical design of the composite infrared spectrometer (CIRS) for the Cassini mission

摘要

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) is an instrument currently under development at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for the Cassini mission to Saturn. The CIRS optical design heritage extends back to the Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS) which flew on Voyager. CIRS is the next logical step in the exploration of the atmosphere of Saturn and Titan. It will obtain more complete sets of data with broader spectral coverage, higher spectral and spatial resolution, and greater sensitivity. The CIRS optical design consists of four subassemblies: (1) a 50.8 cm diameter Cassegrain telescope, (2) a Mid-Infrared (MIR) Michelson interferometer, (3) a Far-Infrared (FIR) polarizing interferometer, and (4) a Reference interferometer (RI).