The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) was installed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in 2009. The majority of science spectra are taken with the Far Ultraviolet (FUV) channel, which uses a cross delay line detector. This detector is subject to gain sag, which causes its sensitivity to decrease at locations where counts have fallen. Increasing the high voltage can be used to compensate for this effect, but when the voltage limit is reached, the spectra are moved to a different Lifetime Position (LP) by offsetting them in the cross-dispersion direction on the two-dimensional detector. However, since the optical design was optimized for the initial spectral position, other LPs show a change in the shape of the point spread function, with distortions that lead to a loss of resolution.
In anticipation of a move to a seventh lifetime position (LP7) in ~2025, we have conducted exploratory work to model the instrument performance over the full range of possible positions for the spectra on the detector. This effort includes (1) optical modeling of the spectrograph; (2) creating simulated science spectra and evaluating the resolving power and other spectral properties at a range of positions; (3) evaluating the detector properties at potential lifetime positions while considering mechanical limitations of the hardware; and (4) reserving sufficient space for later LPs. We have used this information to formulate preliminary plans for moving to the next position, which includes identifying which observing modes should be adjusted, and providing our initial thoughts on future Lifetime Positions.
Since its installation on the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009, the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) has obtained thousands of spectra in the ultraviolet. Most of these observations have used the far ultraviolet (FUV) channel. The microchannel plates in the FUV detector are subject to gain sag, resulting in a loss of sensitivity as a function of time, so the spectra are regularly repositioned to mitigate this effect. The original operations concept allowed space for spectra to be placed at five separate Lifetime Positions (LPs) on the detector, and the last of these will become operational in October 2021. Recent investigations into extending the operations of COS beyond 2025 have led to the realization that the instrument is capable of supporting additional LPs if operational changes are adopted. As a result, we have begun planning for taking data at LP6, which will use an area on the detector originally thought to be unavailable, beginning in 2022. Exploratory work for this effort began in late 2020, and additional characterization and calibration will continue over the next year. Here we discuss our plans for operating COS at LP6 and beyond.
Far-infrared astronomy has advanced rapidly since its inception in the late 1950s, driven by a maturing technology base and an expanding community of researchers. This advancement has shown that observations at far-infrared wavelengths are important in nearly all areas of astrophysics, from the search for habitable planets and the origin of life to the earliest stages of galaxy assembly in the first few hundred million years of cosmic history. The combination of a still-developing portfolio of technologies, particularly in the field of detectors, and a widening ensemble of platforms within which these technologies can be deployed, means that far-infrared astronomy holds the potential for paradigm-shifting advances over the next decade. We examine the current and future far-infrared observing platforms, including ground-based, suborbital, and space-based facilities, and discuss the technology development pathways that will enable and enhance these platforms to best address the challenges facing far-infrared astronomy in the 21st century.
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