Operating in the wavelength range 5-28 micrometers , the mid-IR array eXpandable (MAX) camera contains a 128 X 128 Si:As Blocked Impurity Band detector tailored for high background, low noise performance. The term 'expandable' refers to our ability to substitute one of the newer generation 256 X 256 arrays, when they become available. The all-reflective optics provide diffraction limited performance, and a large, interchangeable filter set allows both broad and narrow band imagery. MAX was built to our specifications by IR Laboratories of Tucson, and it achieved first light on UKIRT in November 1995. In this paper, we present the design and real-world performance of MAX, together with a sample of the scientific results already published.

Date Published: 21 August 1998
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 3354, Infrared Astronomical Instrumentation, (21 August 1998); doi: 10.1117/12.317336

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3354:
Infrared Astronomical Instrumentation
Albert M. Fowler, Editor(s)