For background-limited observations such as those at mid-infrared wavelengths, an increase in telescope aperture not only improves the angular resolution (as it does at all wavelengths) but also leads to very large increases in sensitivity because of the reduced background within the diffraction-limited point spread function. In this presentation we look at the magnitude of that increase for several different operational modes of mid-infrared instrumentation, and we consider some of the implications for science on the current generation of 8-10 meter telescopes.

Date Published: 13 February 2003
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 4834, Discoveries and Research Prospects from 6- to 10-Meter-Class Telescopes II, (13 February 2003); doi: 10.1117/12.460956

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4834:
Discoveries and Research Prospects from 6- to 10-Meter-Class Telescopes II
Puragra Guhathakurta, Editor(s)