The MIRI medium resolution spectrometer for the James Webb Space Telescope

摘要

The MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MIRI-MRS) will increase the sensitivity of astronomical spectroscopy at thermal infrared wavelengths (from 5 to 28 microns), by a factor of 1000 over the best that can be achieved by exisiting ground-based instruments. This leap in performance is further enhanced by the first use at these wavelengths of all reflective Integral Field Units (image slicers) to provide the spectrometer with a rectangular field of view with a shortest dimension of 3.5 arcseconds. We describe the optical design of the MRS and present predictions for its delivered image quality.