The full electromagnetic spectrum …The full electromagnetic spectrum …

Temperature determines theTemperature determines themain type of radiation main type of radiation

emitted …emitted …

(left to right: Compton, Chandra, Hubble, and Spitzer space observatories)

M101 -- The “Pinwheel” Galaxy

EARTH ATMOSPHERIC OPACITY VERSUS WAVELENGTH

There’s a problem for IR There’s a problem for IR astronomy...astronomy...

Earth’s Earth’s atmospheric water atmospheric water vapor absorbs vapor absorbs almost all almost all incoming infrared incoming infrared radiationradiation

Even mountain-top Even mountain-top observatories get observatories get a limited view of a limited view of the infrared the infrared universeuniverse

And a Solution...And a Solution...

High-flying High-flying aircraft --above aircraft --above 40,000 ft -- can 40,000 ft -- can observe most of observe most of the infrared the infrared universeuniverse

Airborne infrared Airborne infrared telescopes can be telescopes can be more versatile -- more versatile -- and much less and much less expensive -- expensive -- than space than space infrared infrared telescopestelescopes

NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) C-141 with a 36-inch telescope onboard, based at NASA-Ames near San Francisco, flew from 1975 - 1995

,

SOFIA’s AdvantagesSOFIA’s AdvantagesWh at d oe s SO FI A d o th at t he H ubb le S pa ce T el esc op e ca n’ t?Wh at d oe s SO FI A d o th at t he H ubb le S pa ce T el esc op e ca n’ t?

SO FI A ca n ea si ly st ud y:SO FI A ca n ea si ly st ud y:

>> IR : o bj ec ts m uch c oo le r th an no rm al s ta rs l ike t he S unIR : o bj ec ts m uch c oo le r th an no rm al s ta rs l ike t he S un

fo r ex am pl e: s tar s an d pl an et s i n th e pr oc es s o f fo rm in g;fo r ex am pl e: s tar s an d pl an et s i n th e pr oc es s o f fo rm in g;

>> IR : o bj ec ts e mbe dd ed i n, o r beh in d, o pa qu e ISM d us t cl ou ds ;IR : o bj ec ts e mbe dd ed i n, o r beh in d, o pa qu e ISM d us t cl ou ds ;

SO FI A’ s in st ru men ts c an s ee i nto a nd t hr ou gh th os e cl ou dsSO FI A’ s in st ru men ts c an s ee i nto a nd t hr ou gh th os e cl ou ds

>> IR : o rg an ic m ole cu le s in s pa ce, w hi ch h av e man y of t he ir s pec tr al l in es a nd ba nd s at i nf rar ed w av el en gt hs;IR : o rg an ic m ole cu le s in s pa ce, w hi ch h av e man y of t he ir s pec tr al l in es a nd ba nd s at i nf rar ed w av el en gt hs;

>> Mo bi li ty : F or egr ou nd s ol ar s yst em o bj ec ts a s t he y oc cu lt b ack gr ou nd s ta rs .Mo bi li ty : F or egr ou nd s ol ar s yst em o bj ec ts a s t he y oc cu lt b ack gr ou nd s ta rs .

SOFIA’s advantages, cont’SOFIA’s advantages, cont’

What are SOFIA’s capabilities relative to the What are SOFIA’s capabilities relative to the Herschel infrared space telescope (= Herschel infrared space telescope (= European mission operating from 2009 to European mission operating from 2009 to 2013)?2013)?

SOFIA has more instruments than Herschel (7 SOFIA has more instruments than Herschel (7 versus 3), so:versus 3), so:

> SOFIA has more ways to analyze a wider range > SOFIA has more ways to analyze a wider range of wavelengths.of wavelengths.

>> SOFIA will have 2SOFIA will have 2ndnd-, 3-, 3rdrd- and 4- and 4thth-generation -generation instrumentsinstruments

SOFIA has a design lifetime of 20 years, versus SOFIA has a design lifetime of 20 years, versus Herschel’s 5 years (limited by cryogen supply).Herschel’s 5 years (limited by cryogen supply).

1010

View aft from Principal Investigator console; FORCAST mid-IR camera installed

ONBOARD SOFIA

The Interstellar Medium and Star The Interstellar Medium and Star FormationFormation

^SOFIA mid-IR

image ofOrion Messier 42

star-forming region

Milky Way Nucleus & Supermassive Black Milky Way Nucleus & Supermassive Black HoleHole

Other Galaxies – Star FormationOther Galaxies – Star Formation

The Milky Way Galaxy’s CenterThe Milky Way Galaxy’s Center

* SOFIA’s angular and spectral resolution will allow study of:

- Mass infall rate and gravitational potential energy rate around the central black hole

- Characteristics of the resulting variable infrared source

- How our galaxy compares with other galaxies hosting active nuclei

Based on a slide by Kimberlee Gresham

“Starburst” galaxy Messier 82

The Pinwheel Galaxy – M101

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2009/07

Planets and Planetary EvolutionPlanets and Planetary Evolution

SOFIA’s“First Light”

Image of Jupiter

May, 2010

VENUS – did it once have oceans? Need further spectroscopy (esp. D/H ratio) and modeling of atmospheric chemistry.

Methane in the Martian Methane in the Martian AtmosphereAtmosphere

• Methane gas was recently detected in Mars’s atmosphere using ground-based telescopes.

• The methane gas distribution is patchy and changes with time.

• Most methane in Earth’s atmosphere is produced by life, raising questions about its origin on Mars.

View of Mars colored according to the methane concentration

observed in the atmosphere. Warm colors depict high concentrations.

Planetary Science; Planetary Science; OccultationsOccultations

SOFIA is able to:SOFIA is able to:

Go anywhere on Earth to reach the Go anywhere on Earth to reach the occultation shadow of an objectoccultation shadow of an object

Can probe the sizes, Can probe the sizes, structures (rings & moons), and structures (rings & moons), and atmospheres of solar system atmospheres of solar system bodies by measuring how they bodies by measuring how they occult background starsoccult background stars

This will be the primary objectiveThis will be the primary objectivefor HIPO (High-speed Imaging for HIPO (High-speed Imaging

Photometer for Occultations)Photometer for Occultations)

TowardOcculted Star

Motion of Occulting Object

Shadow of Occulting Object

Earth

Object

Dwarf planet Pluto (V ~ 14) occulted a Dwarf planet Pluto (V ~ 14) occulted a star (V ~ 14.4).star (V ~ 14.4).

SOFIA met the shadow of Pluto in mid-SOFIA met the shadow of Pluto in mid-

Pacific. Pacific. =>=> HIPO (Lowell Obs.) and FDC (DSI) HIPO (Lowell Obs.) and FDC (DSI) instrumentsinstruments

observed the occultation simultaneously.observed the occultation simultaneously.

SOFIA observations of a stellaroccultation by Pluto on July 23, 2011

Image sequence from the Fast Diagnostic Camera (FDC) FDC

Pluto (circled) is 13 arcsec from the star 200 minutes

before the occultation

Just before occultation: Pluto and star merged, combined light

During occultation: Pluto and star merged, only Pluto light seen

After occultation: Pluto and star merged, combined light

Interstellar Chemistry and Interstellar Chemistry and Organic MoleculesOrganic Molecules

ORGANIC MOLECULES IN SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS

Murchison

meteorite

CometWild 2

Saturn’smoonTitan

Saturn’smoon

Enceladus

Eagle Nebula(Messier 19)“Pillars ofCreation”star-formingregion – brown dust is partly organic substances.

Red-brown color representsorganic moleculesin galaxy Messier 81’sstar-forming clouds

Organic Growth & Chemistry Organic Growth & Chemistry in Spacein Space

Formation Processing Fossil / Delivery

Cycle 01 Call for ProposalsCycle 01 Call for Proposals(Observing time Nov. 2012 – Dec. (Observing time Nov. 2012 – Dec.

2013)2013) 1 year (~200 hours) of observing offered 1 year (~200 hours) of observing offered

with 4 instrumentswith 4 instruments 133 US proposals and 39 German 133 US proposals and 39 German

proposals received with >5X proposals received with >5X oversubscription rateoversubscription rate

US and German Time Allocation US and German Time Allocation Committees (TACs) met separatelyCommittees (TACs) met separately

More than enough very high quality More than enough very high quality proposals to fill up the available Cycle 01 proposals to fill up the available Cycle 01 observing timeobserving time

FLITECAMNear IR Camera

HIPOOccultation Photometer

(co-mounted on SOFIA)

FORCASTMid-IR Camera

GREATHeterodyne

spectrometer

Four 1st Generation Instruments Available for Cycle 01

29

Cycle 1 Instrument CapabilitiesCycle 1 Instrument Capabilities

• FORCASTFORCAST– Facility Class Infrared CameraFacility Class Infrared Camera– Imaging modes fully supported in Facility Instrument Mode Imaging modes fully supported in Facility Instrument Mode

5-40 5-40 mm– GRISM spectroscopy will be offered with resolutions of GRISM spectroscopy will be offered with resolutions of

typically a few hundred (see SOFIA web site) on a shared typically a few hundred (see SOFIA web site) on a shared risk basisrisk basis

• GREATGREAT– Principal Investigator Class SpectrometerPrincipal Investigator Class Spectrometer– L1a/b and L2 modes offered ( Likely L1 and L2 )L1a/b and L2 modes offered ( Likely L1 and L2 )– GO and GREAT team collaborate after selectionGO and GREAT team collaborate after selection

• FLITECAMFLITECAM– Facility Class InstrumentFacility Class Instrument– Imaging modes will be fully supported after commissioningImaging modes will be fully supported after commissioning– GRISM spectroscopy ( R~2000) offered as shared riskGRISM spectroscopy ( R~2000) offered as shared risk

• HIPO/ FLIPOHIPO/ FLIPO– Special purpose instrumentSpecial purpose instrument– Requires collaboration with instrument PIRequires collaboration with instrument PI

Cycle 1 US Queue: Distribution of Cycle 1 US Queue: Distribution of ProposalsProposals

Selection AssumptionsSelection Assumptions

Observing Calendar fixed per IMS Overview of 2012 Observing Calendar fixed per IMS Overview of 2012 Aug 17Aug 17• OC 1-A is a GREAT campaign of 1 engineering, 2 OC 1-A is a GREAT campaign of 1 engineering, 2 commissioning, and 6 science flightscommissioning, and 6 science flights

• OC 1-B occurs June 2013 with 10 flightsOC 1-B occurs June 2013 with 10 flights• OC 1-C GREAT Deployment to New ZealandOC 1-C GREAT Deployment to New Zealand• OC 1-D Nov-Dec 2013 with 20 flightsOC 1-D Nov-Dec 2013 with 20 flights

US and German GI flights are mixedUS and German GI flights are mixed GREAT GTO flights are dedicated consortium flightsGREAT GTO flights are dedicated consortium flights Observatory policy is not to reschedule lost Observatory policy is not to reschedule lost flightsflights

An open question is whether an M-channel swap will An open question is whether an M-channel swap will be allowed on the GREAT deploymentbe allowed on the GREAT deployment