FIRI (Far Infrared Interferometer) is a concept for a spatial and spectral interferometer with an operating wavelength range 25-300 μm and sub-arcsecond angular resolution, and is based in the combination of two well-known techniques, Stellar Interferometry and Fourier Transform Spectroscopy to achieve high spectral and spatial resolution in the Far Infrared. The resulting technique is called Double Fourier Spatio-Spectral Interferometry (Mariotti and Ridgway 1988). With increased spatial and spectral resolution a number of interesting science cases such as the formation and evolution of AGN and the characterization of gas, ice and dust in disks undergoing planetary formation, among others, can be investigated. Here the current status of the design of the FIRI system via an instrument simulator is presented, as well as the results of a test-bed implementation.

Date Published: 18 December 2012
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 8550, Optical Systems Design 2012, 85501Y (18 December 2012); doi: 10.1117/12.2014327

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8550:
Optical Systems Design 2012
Laurent Mazuray; Daniel G. Smith; Jean-Luc M. Tissot; Tina E. Kidger; Frank Wyrowski; Stuart David; Rolf Wartmann; Jeffrey M. Raynor; Andrew P. Wood; Pablo Benítez; Andreas Erdmann; Marta C. de la Fuente, Editor(s)