Mimir - A Near-Infrared Wide-Field Imager, Spectrometer, and Polarimeter

Mimir is the name (not acronym) for a new facility-class infrared instrument built at our IAR lab and at Lowell Observatory. Mimir saw first light on the 1.8 meter Perkins telescope outside Flagstaff, Arizona on August 19, 2004. Boston University and Lowell Observatory share equal use of this telescope and its instruments.

Mimir is a multi-function instrument that covers a broad wavelength range and allows users to perform complex observations with a single instrument. The three main functions Mimir performs are imaging (much as a camera takes pictures), spectroscopy (decomposing infrared star light into its constituent colors), and polarimetry. (click here for the recent article describing Mimir in the December 2007 issue of PASP).

Mimir’s wavelength coverage is from 1 to 5 micro-meters, or from about twice the wavelength of green light to about ten times that wavelength. This near-infrared light passes through the earth’s atmosphere only in a few bands of wavelengths (click here to see a plot). These bands are identified by letters, running from the shortest wavelength band, called J, through H, K, L, and M.

Mimir is open for regular scheduling and use by certified users. Mimir's schedule usage on the Perkins telescope for the current quarter may be found on the status page.

NEWS - (click links to see details)

Software: new Spectroscopy Wavelength Calibration Tool (GUI based) available

Proposals: Next Proposal Deadline = Feb 1 (for 2008Q2 - Apr/May/June)

Hardware: May Unscheduled Servicing (05/29/2007)

Observers: Updates, Instrument Changes (LM spectroscopy commissioned)

These and other past items of Mimir news

Thumb of 3-color (JHK) image of binary star system observed using Mimir's F/17 high resolution camera. Pixel size is 0.18 arcsec and the stellar separation is only 1.2 arcsec. Observed at the Perkins in June 2007. Click image to see full-sized image.

 

Mimir consists of a large vacuum cryostat that contains lenses, filters, motors, and a large format near-infrared array detector. The lenses take light from the Perkins telescope and focus it onto the detector array. The optics and the detector must operate at low temperatures, so Mimir is kept cool by a helium gas closed-cycle refrigeration system.

All instrument adjustments are made within the cryostat using vacuum cryogenic stepper motors and gear systems. These are controlled by computers located in the warm control room. All control information and image data are conveyed via fiber optics between Mimir and its computers.

Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University

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