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ARIEL is based on a 1 m class telescope feeding two instruments: a moderate resolution spectrometer covering the wavelengths from 1.95 to 7.8 microns; and a three-channel photometer (which also acts as a fine guidance sensor) with bands between 0.5 and 1.2 microns combined with a low resolution spectrometer covering 1.25 to 1.9 microns. During its 3.5 years of operation from an L2 orbit, ARIEL will continuously observe exoplanets transiting their host star. This paper presents an overall view of the integrated design of the payload proposed for this mission. The design tightly integrates the various payload elements in order to allow the exacting photometric stability targets to be met, while providing simultaneous spectral and photometric data from the visible to the mid-infrared. We identify and discuss the key requirements and technical challenges for the payload and describe the trade-offs that were assessed during phase A, culminating in the baseline design for phase B1. We show how the design will be taken forward to produce a fully integrated and calibrated payload for ARIEL that can be built within the mission and programmatic constraints and will meet the challenging scientific performance required for transit spectroscopy. |
CITATIONS
Cited by 1 scholarly publication.
Spectroscopy
Sensors
Infrared spectroscopy
Prisms
Exoplanets
Infrared radiation
Telescopes
