SH017-0017
A How-To Guide to Spectral-Imaging from Interstellar Probe

Wednesday, 9 December 2020
Poster
Michael B. Zemcov1, Caitlin Ahrens2, Charles Beichman3, Pontus C. Brandt4, Carey Michael Lisse5, Kathleen Mandt6, Ralph L McNutt Jr4, Andrew R Poppe7 and Kirby Runyon8, (1)Rochester Institute of Technology, School of Physics & Astronomy, Rochester, NY, United States, (2)NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, DC, United States, (3)Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States, (4)Johns Hopkins Univ/APL, Laurel, MD, United States, (5)JHU-APL, Laurel, MD, United States, (6)The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Space Exploration Sector, Laurel, MD, United States, (7)Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States, (8)Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, United States
Abstract:
Astronomical and planetary observations from a vantage point in the distant solar system can yield important and unique insights into a wide variety of space science questions. A suitably designed instrument for Interstellar Probe could: build a detailed understanding of the cosmic extragalactic background light (EBL), a unique and important probe of structure formation in the universe; determine the properties of dust and ice throughout our own solar system to allow direct comparison to equivalent measurements in exo-systems; and observe during planetary fly-bys to map the infrared spectral properties of a wide range of objects in the distant solar system. Crucially, these science cases require only a 10 cm-class telescope and passively cooled, high-heritage detectors, allowing a single instrument to act as a scientific ``swiss army knife.'' Measurements of the EBL and interplanetary dust to ~20 AU are enabled through low-resolution spectra at near-IR wavelengths, while studies of the cold, distant dust disk in our solar system require a low spatial resolution far-IR camera. Planetary science observations from the same instrument could help us understand the geology and evolution of bodies across a range of masses, including their ice and chemical compositions, landform type and distribution, the impact of solar irradiation interactions, and the details of sublimation of ices or organic concentrations. In this presentation we outline a compact and lightweight instrument concept that allows us to perform trade studies and develop detailed requirements for the Interstellar Probe Mission Concept.
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