Instrument Information
IDENTIFIER urn:nasa:pds:context:instrument:orm.galileo_zeiss3m5.nics::1.1
NAME NEAR INFRARED CAMERA SPECTROMETER (NICS)
TYPE IMAGER

SPECTROMETER
DESCRIPTION NICS (Near Infrared Camera Spectrometer) is the TNG infrared (0.9-2.5 micron)multimode instrument which is based on a HgCdTe Hawaii 1024x1024 array. Its observingcapabilities include imaging (4.2' x 4.2' f.o.v.), high-throughput low resolutionspectroscopy (RS=50-500), medium resolution spectoscopy (max-R=2500), imagingpolarimetry, spectropolarimetry and, when coupled to the adaptive optics module,nearlydiffraction limited imaging.Long slit spectroscopic observations are performed by inserting a slit at theentrance focal plane and a disperser (grism or prism) in the collimated beam. Thetable here lists the slits available in NICS which, thanks to the refurbishment worksof Feb-Mar 2003, have now a very stable and repeatable positioning. All spectroscopicmodes make use of the LF camera with a scale of 0.25 arcsec/pixel.NICS slitsName Width Length0.5 0.5" = 2 pix 4'0.75 0.75" = 3 pix 4'1.0 1.0" = 4 pix 4'1.5 1.5" = 6 pix 4'2.0 2.0" = 8 pix 4'The instrument is equipped with one prism and a number of grism disperserswhose main characteristics are listed in the table below. Note that thegrisms have a fairly constant dispersion (angstroms/pix) throughout thespectrum and, therefore, their resolving power increases going towards thered. The Amici prism, on the contrary, delivers a spectrum with aquasi-constant resolving power and, therefore, its dispersion varies by morethan a factor of 3 over its spectral range.All the low resolution dispersers can be used in combination with the greyfilters to take spectra of very bright objects which would otherwise saturatethe array.NICS dispersersName wl-range (micron) disp. (angstrom/pix) Res. power with 1" slit Low resolutionAmici 0.8-2.5 30-100 50IJ 0.9-1.45 5.5 500JH 1.15-1.75 6.6 500JK' 1.15-2.23 11.6 350HK 1.40-2.50 11.2 500 Medium resolution1mic 0.96-1.09 2.0 1250Js 1.17-1.33 2.5 1200J 1.12-1.40 2.5 1200H 1.48-1.78 3.5 1150KB 1.95-2.34 4.3 1250Reference:Baffa, C. and 16 colleagues, NICS: The TNG near-infrared camera spectrometer,Astronomy and Astrophysics, 378, 722-728, 2001.
MODEL IDENTIFIER
NAIF INSTRUMENT IDENTIFIER
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REFERENCES Baffa, C. and 16 colleagues, NICS: The TNG near-infrared camera spectrometer,Astronomy and Astrophysics, 378, 722-728, 2001.