Jacob W. Kooi

In-orbit performance of Herschel-HIFI

Aims. In this paper the calibration and in-orbit performance of the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) is described. Methods. The calibration of HIFI is based on a combination of ground and in-flight tests. Dedicated ground tests to determine those instrument parameters that can only be measured accurately using controlled laboratory stimuli were carried out in the instrument level test (ILT) campaign. Special in-flight tests during the commissioning phase (CoP) and performance verification (PV) allowed the determination of the remaining instrument parameters. The various instrument observing modes, as specified in astronomical observation templates (AOTs), were validated in parallel during PV by observing selected celestial sources. Results. The initial calibration and in-orbit performance of HIFI has been established. A first estimate of the calibration budget is given. The overall in-flight instrument performance agrees with the original specification. Issues remain at only a few frequencies.

Low-noise submillimeter-wave NbTiN superconducting tunnel junction mixers

We have developed a low-noise 850 GHz superconductor–insulator–superconductor quasiparticle mixer with NbTiN thin-film microstrip tuning circuits and hybrid Nb/AlN/NbTiN tunnel junctions. The mixer uses a quasioptical configuration with a planar twin-slot antenna feeding a two-junction tuning circuit. At 798 GHz, we measured an uncorrected double-sideband receiver noise temperature of TRX = 260 K at 4.2 K bath temperature. This mixer outperforms current Nb SIS mixers by a factor of nearly 2 near 800 GHz. The high-gap frequency and low loss at 800 GHz make NbTiN an attractive material with which to fabricate tuning circuits for SIS mixers. NbTiN mixers can potentially operate up to the gap frequency, 2Delta/h~1.2 THz.

A FULL-HEIGHT WAVEGUIDE TO THIN-FILM MICROSTRIP TRANSITION WITH EXCEPTIONAL RF BANDWIDTH AND COUPLING EFFICIENCY

We describe a waveguide to thin-film microstrip transition for high-performance submillimetre wave and teraherz applications. The proposed constant-radius probe couples thin-film microstrip line, to full-height rectangular waveguide with better than 99% efficiency (VSWR ≤ 1.20) and 45% fractional bandwidth. Extensive HFSS simulations, backed by scale-model measurements, are presented in the paper. By selecting the substrate material and probe radius, any real impedance between ≈ 15-60 Ω can be achieved. The radial probe gives significantly improved performance over other designs discussed in the literature. Although our primary application is submillimetre wave superconducting mixers, we show that membrane techniques should allow broad-band waveguide components to be constructed for the THz frequency range.

Noise Stability of SIS Receivers

There is a strong interest in the submillimeter astronomy community to increase the IF bandwidth of SIS receivers in order to better facilitate broad spectral linewidth and continuum observations of extragalactic sources. However, with an increase in receiver IF bandwidth there is a decrease in the mixer stability. This in turn effects the integration efficiency and quality of the measurement. In order to better understand the noise mechanisms responsible for reducing the receiver stability, we employed a technique first described by D.W. Allan and later elaborated upon by Schieder et al. In this paper we address a variety of factors that degrade the noise stability of SIS receivers. The goal of this exercise is to make recommendations aimed at maximizing SIS receiver stability.

A low-noise 492 GHz SIS waveguide receiver

In this paper we discuss the design and performance of an SIS waveguide receiver which provides low noise performance from 375 to 510 GHz. At its design frequency of 492 GHz the receiver has a double sideband noise temperature of ∼172 K. By using embedded magnetic field concentrators, we are able to effectively suppress Josephson pair tunneling. Techniques for improving receiver performance are discussed.

Herschel/HIFI measurements of the ortho/para ratio in water towards Sagittarius B2(M) and W31C

We present Herschel/HIFI observations of the fundamental rotational transitions of ortho- and para-H 16 Oa nd H 18 O in absorption towards Sagittarius B2(M) and W31C. The ortho/para ratio in water in the foreground clouds on the line of sight towards these bright continuum sources is generally consistent with the statistical high-temperature ratio of 3, within the observational uncertainties. However, somewhat unexpectedly, we derive a low ortho/para ratio of 2.35± 0.35, corresponding to a spin temperature of ∼27 K, towards Sagittarius B2(M) at velocities of the expanding molecular ring. Water molecules in this region appear to have formed with, or relaxed to, an ortho/para ratio close to the value corresponding to the local temperature of the gas and dust.

Deuterium Enhancement in Water toward Orion IRc2 Deduced from HDO Lines above 800 GHz

We present the —rst detection of two submillimeter lines of HDO in the KL region of Orion: J Ka,Kb \ (848.9619 GHz), and (893.6387 GHz). The —rst line has been mapped at 10A 2 1,2 ] 1 1,1 1 1,1 ] 0 0,0 angular resolution. These transitions involve some of the lowest energy levels of HDO and have the shortest wavelengths accessible from the ground. Therefore, they provide a perfect tool to complement previous works that made use of millimeter HDO transitions involving similar energy levels (1 1,0 ] 1 1,1 at 80.6 GHz, at 241.6 GHz, and others). The two submillimeter lines arise from the moderate 2 1,1 ] 2 1,2 expanding material or ii Plateau ˇˇ km s~1, *v ” 20 km s~1). The emission is very compact in (v LSR D 9 both HDO transitions (no more extended than D40A¨45A) with similar intensities, line shapes, and line widths. The Hot Core seems completely hidden in our data in contrast with the majority of other millimeter-wave observations. This fact can only be explained if the Hot Core is embedded or behind the region of the out—ow. The high line opacity of the submillimeter HDO lines would then hide the Hot Core emission. A comparison with our previously published high angular resolution data para-H 2 O

A low noise 230 GHz heterodyne receiver employing 0.25- mu m/sup 2/ area Nb-AlO/sub x/-Nb tunnel junctions

The authors report recent results for a full-height rectangular waveguide mixer with an integrated IF matching network. Two 0.25 mu m/sup 2/ Nb-AlO/sub x/-Nb superconducting-insulating-superconducting (SIS) tunnel junctions with a current density of approximately=8500 A/cm/sup 2/ and omega RC of approximately=2.5 at 230 GHz have been tested. One of these quasiparticle tunnel junctions is currently being used at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory in Hawaii. Detailed measurement of the receiver noise have been made from 200-290 GHz for both junctions at 4.2 K. The lowest receiver noise temperatures were recorded at 239 GHz, measuring 48 K DSB at 4.2 K and 40 K DSB at 2.1 K. The 230-GHz receiver incorporates a one-octave-wide integrated low-pass filter and matching network which transforms the pumped IF junction impedance to 50 Omega over a wide range of impedances. >

Herschel observations of EXtra-Ordinary Sources (HEXOS): Detection of hydrogen fluoride in absorption towards Orion KL

We report a detection of the fundamental rotational transition of hydrogen fluoride in absorption towards Orion KL using Herschel/HIFI. After the removal of contaminating features associated with common molecules (“weeds”), the HF spectrum shows a P-Cygni profile, with weak redshifted emission and strong blue-shifted absorption, associated with the low-velocity molecular outflow. We derive an estimate of 2.9 × 10^(13) cm^(-2) for the HF column density responsible for the broad absorption component. Using our best estimate of the H_2 column density within the low-velocity molecular outflow, we obtain a lower limit of ~1.6 × 10^(-10) for the HF abundance relative to hydrogen nuclei, corresponding to ~0.6% of the solar abundance of fluorine. This value is close to that inferred from previous ISO observations of HF J = 2–1 absorption towards Sgr B2, but is in sharp contrast to the lower limit of 6 × 10^(-9) derived by Neufeld et al. for cold, foreground clouds on the line of sight towards G10.6-0.4.

Detection of OH+ and H2O+ towards Orion KL

We report observations of the reactive molecular ions OH+, H2O+, and H3O+ towards Orion KL with Herschel/HIFI. All three N = 1-0 fine-structure transitions of OH+ at 909, 971, and 1033 GHz and both fine-structure components of the doublet ortho-H2O+ 111-000 transition at 1115 and 1139 GHz were detected; an upper limit was obtained for H3O+. OH+ and H2O+ are observed purely in absorption, showing a narrow component at the source velocity of 9 km s-1, and a broad blueshifted absorption similar to that reported recently for HF and para-H218O, and attributed to the low velocity outflow of Orion KL. We estimate column densities of OH+ and H2O+ for the 9 km s-1 component of 9 ± 3 × 1012 cm-2 and 7 ± 2 × 1012 cm-2, and those in the outflow of 1.9 ± 0.7 × 1013 cm-2 and 1.0 ± 0.3 × 1013 cm-2. Upper limits of 2.4 × 1012 cm-2 and 8.7 × 1012 cm-2 were derived for the column densities of ortho and para-H3O+ from transitions near 985 and 1657 GHz. The column densities of the three ions are up to an order of magnitude lower than those obtained from recent observations of W31C and W49N. The comparatively low column densities may be explained by a higher gas density despite the assumption of a very high ionization rate.