Flight qualification of the Cassini Composite InfraRed Spectrometer (CIRS) far-infrared (FIR) polarizing beam-splitter substrate: mylar chosen over polypropylene

Julie A. Crooke; John G. Hagopian; Kenneth P. Stewart; Scott E. Bradley; David W. Robinson

doi:10.1117/12.254135

14 October 1996 Flight qualification of the Cassini Composite InfraRed Spectrometer (CIRS) far-infrared (FIR) polarizing beam-splitter substrate: mylar chosen over polypropylene

Julie A. Crooke, John G. Hagopian, Kenneth P. Stewart, Scott E. Bradley, David W. Robinson

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2814, Cryogenic Optical Systems and Instruments VII; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.254135
Event: SPIE's 1996 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1996, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

The CIRS instrument to be flown on the Cassini mission to Saturn is a cryogenic spectrometer with far-IR (FIR) and mid-IR (MIR) channels. The CIRS FIR channel is a polarizing interferometer that contains three polarizing grid components. These components are an input polarizer, a polarizing beamsplitter, and an output polarizer/analyzer. THey consist of a 1.5 micron thick substrate with 2 micrometers wide copper wires, with 2 micrometers spacing, photolithographically deposited on the substrate. Mylar and polypropylene were chosen as the flight candidate substrates. After the testing was performed, mylar was chosen over polypropylene for the CIRS instrument due to a better cryogenic reflectance performance. These elements were fabricated at Queen Mary and Westfield College in London. This paper details the flight qualification of the mylar substrate and the characterization of the polypropylene substrate. Performance tests included cryogenic optical flatness, cryogenic polarization sensitive reflectance and transmittance measurements. Environmental tests included vibration, acoustic, humidity, and radiation survivability.

Citation Download Citation

Julie A. Crooke, John G. Hagopian, Kenneth P. Stewart, Scott E. Bradley, and David W. Robinson "Flight qualification of the Cassini Composite InfraRed Spectrometer (CIRS) far-infrared (FIR) polarizing beam-splitter substrate: mylar chosen over polypropylene", Proc. SPIE 2814, Cryogenic Optical Systems and Instruments VII, (14 October 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.254135

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available