Kevin Edwards

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.

The Herschel-Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI):instrument and pre-launch testing

This paper describes the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI), to be launched onboard of ESAs Herschel Space Observatory, by 2008. It includes the first results from the instrument level tests. The instrument is designed to be electronically tuneable over a wide and continuous frequency range in the Far Infrared, with velocity resolutions better than 0.1 km/s with a high sensitivity. This will enable detailed investigations of a wide variety of astronomical sources, ranging from solar system objects, star formation regions to nuclei of galaxies. The instrument comprises 5 frequency bands covering 480-1150 GHz with SIS mixers and a sixth dual frequency band, for the 1410-1910 GHz range, with Hot Electron Bolometer Mixers (HEB). The Local Oscillator (LO) subsystem consists of a dedicated Ka-band synthesizer followed by 7 times 2 chains of frequency multipliers, 2 chains for each frequency band. A pair of Auto-Correlators and a pair of Acousto-Optic spectrometers process the two IF signals from the dual-polarization front-ends to provide instantaneous frequency coverage of 4 GHz, with a set of resolutions (140 kHz to 1 MHz), better than < 0.1 km/s. After a successful qualification program, the flight instrument was delivered and entered the testing phase at satellite level. We will also report on the pre-flight test and calibration results together with the expected in-flight performance.

Learning from FITS: Limitations in use in modern astronomical research

The Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) standard has been a great boon to astronomy, allowing observatories, scientists and the public to exchange astronomical information easily. The FITS standard, however, is showing its age. Developed in the late 1970s, the FITS authors made a number of implementation choices that, while common at the time, are now seen to limit its utility with modern data. The authors of the FITS standard could not anticipate the challenges which we are facing today in astronomical computing. Difficulties we now face include, but are not limited to, addressing the need to handle an expanded range of specialized data product types (data models), being more conducive to the networked exchange and storage of data, handling very large datasets, and capturing significantly more complex metadata and data relationships. There are members of the community today who find some or all of these limitations unworkable, and have decided to move ahead with storing data in other formats. If this fragmentation continues, we risk abandoning the advantages of broad interoperability, and ready archivability, that the FITS format provides for astronomy. In this paper we detail some selected important problems which exist within the FITS standard today. These problems may provide insight into deeper underlying issues which reside in the format and we provide a discussion of some lessons learned. It is not our intention here to prescribe specific remedies to these issues; rather, it is to call attention of the FITS and greater astronomical computing communities to these problems in the hope that it will spur action to address them.

An overview of the planned CCAT software system

CCAT will be a 25m diameter sub-millimeter telescope capable of operating in the 0.2 to 2.1mm wavelength range. It will be located at an altitude of 5600m on Cerro Chajnantor in northern Chile near the ALMA site. The anticipated first generation instruments include large format (60,000) kinetic inductance detector (KID) cameras, a large format heterodyne array and a direct detection multi-object spectrometer. The paper describes the architecture of the CCAT software and the development strategy.

Reflection control in hyper-NA immersion lithography

The impact of bottom reflection on critical dimension (CD) processing window is intensively investigated with a simulation using a full diffraction model (FDM) in which the effective reflectivity is calculated from standing wave amplitude. Most importantly, the optical phase shift of the reflection is used as a design criterion and was found to be the primary factor that affects the UV distribution, and, hence, has a strong impact on exposure latitude and depth of focus. Foot exposure (FE) is introduced as a new metric to characterize the phase shift. Some single-layer and dual-layer bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) designs were implemented with an Exitech MS-193i immersion micro-stepper (NA=1.3) for 45-nm dense lines at the Resist Test Center (RTC) at International SEMATECH, Albany, New York. The experimental results show that FE is closely related to the CD processing window. In contrast to conventional BARC usage, a small amount of substrate reflection with a controlled optical phase shift dramatically improves CD processing window.

Materials for and performance of multilayer lithography schemes

The 45-nm node will require the use of thinner photoresists, which necessitates the use of multilayer pattern transfer schemes. One common multilayer approach is the use of a silicon-rich anti-reflective hardmask (Si BARC) with a carbon-rich pattern transfer underlayer (spin-on carbon, or SOC). The combination of the two layers provides a highly planar platform for a thin resist, and provides a route to etch substrates due to the alternating plasma etch selectivities of the organic resist, inorganic Si BARC, and organic SOC. Yet such schemes will need to be optimized both for pattern transfer and optics. Optimizing optics under hyper-NA immersion conditions is more complicated than with standard (that is, NA<1) lithography. A rigorous calculation technique is used to evaluate and compare standard lithography to a hyper-NA case using a multilayer stack. An example of such a stack is shown to have reasonable lithographic performance.

Data processing pipeline for Herschel HIFI

Context. The HIFI instrument on the Herschel Space Observatory performed over 9100 astronomical observations, almost 900 of which were calibration observations in the course of the nearly four-year Herschel mission. The data from each observation had to be converted from raw telemetry into calibrated products and were included in the Herschel Science Archive. Aims. The HIFI pipeline was designed to provide robust conversion from raw telemetry into calibrated data throughout all phases of the HIFI missions. Pre-launch laboratory testing was supported as were routine mission operations. Methods. A modular software design allowed components to be easily added, removed, amended and / or extended as the understanding of the HIFI data developed during and after mission operations. Results. The HIFI pipeline processed data from all HIFI observing modes within the Herschel automated processing environment as well as within an interactive environment. The same software can be used by the general astronomical community to reprocess any standard HIFI observation. The pipeline also recorded the consistency of processing results and provided automated quality reports. Many pipeline modules were in use since the HIFI pre-launch instrument level testing. Conclusions. Processing in steps facilitated data analysis to discover and address instrument artefacts and uncertainties. The availability of the same pipeline components from pre-launch throughout the mission made for well-understood, tested, and stable processing. A smooth transition from one phase to the next significantly enhanced processing reliability and robustness.