A long-standing problem of astrophysical research is how to simultaneously obtain spectra of thousands of sources randomly positioned in the field of view of a telescope. Digital Micromirror Devices, used as optical switches, provide a most powerful solution allowing to design a new generation of instruments with unprecedented capabilities. We illustrate the key factors (opto-mechanical, cryo-thermal, cosmic radiation environment,...) that constrain the design of DMD-based multi-object spectrographs, with particular emphasis on the IR spectroscopic channel onboard the EUCLID mission, currently considered by the European Space Agency for a 2017 launch date.

Date Published: 13 February 2009
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 7210, Emerging Digital Micromirror Device Based Systems and Applications, 72100A (13 February 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.809542

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7210:
Emerging Digital Micromirror Device Based Systems and Applications
Larry J. Hornbeck; Michael R. Douglass, Editor(s)