SuperBIT Superpressure Flight Instrument Overview and Performance: Near-diffraction-limited Astronomical Imaging from the Stratosphere

Ajay S. Gill; Steven J. Benton; Christopher J. Damaren; Spencer W. Everett; Aurelien A. Fraisse; John W. Hartley; David Harvey; Bradley Holder; Eric M. Huff; Mathilde Jauzac; William C. Jones; David Lagattuta; Jason S.Y. Leung; Lun Li; Thuy Vy T. Luu; Richard Massey; Jacqueline E. McCleary; Johanna M. Nagy; C. Barth Netterfield; Emaad Paracha; Susan F. Redmond; Jason D. Rhodes; Andrew Robertson; L. Javier Romualdez; Jürgen Schmoll; Mohamed M. Shaaban; Ellen L. Sirks; Georgios N. Vassilakis; André Z. Vitorelli

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad5840

SuperBIT Superpressure Flight Instrument Overview and Performance: Near-diffraction-limited Astronomical Imaging from the Stratosphere

Ajay S. Gill, Steven J. Benton, Christopher J. Damaren, Spencer W. Everett, Aurelien A. Fraisse, John W. Hartley, David Harvey, Bradley Holder, Eric M. Huff, Mathilde Jauzac, William C. Jones, David Lagattuta, Jason S.Y. Leung, Lun Li, Thuy Vy T. Luu, Richard Massey, Jacqueline E. McCleary, Johanna M. Nagy, C. Barth Netterfield, Emaad ParachaSusan F. Redmond, Jason D. Rhodes, Andrew Robertson, L. Javier Romualdez, Jürgen Schmoll, Mohamed M. Shaaban, Ellen L. Sirks, Georgios N. Vassilakis, André Z. Vitorelli

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

SuperBIT was a 0.5 m near-UV to near-infrared wide-field telescope that launched on a NASA superpressure balloon into the stratosphere from New Zealand for a 45-night flight. SuperBIT acquired multiband images of galaxy clusters to study the properties of dark matter using weak gravitational lensing. We provide an overview of the instrument and its various subsystems. We then present the instrument performance from the flight, including the telescope and image stabilization system, the optical system, the power system, and the thermal system. SuperBIT successfully met the instrument’s technical requirements, achieving a telescope pointing stability of 0.″34 ± 0.″10, a focal plane image stability of 0.″055 ± 0.″027, and a point-spread function FWHM of ∼0.″35 over 5-minute exposures throughout the 45-night flight. The telescope achieved a near-diffraction-limited point-spread function in all three science bands (u, b, and g). SuperBIT served as a pathfinder to the GigaBIT observatory, which will be a 1.34 m near-UV to near-infrared balloon-borne telescope.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	85
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	168
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad5840
State	Published - Aug 1 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.3847/1538-3881/ad5840

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Gill, A. S., Benton, S. J., Damaren, C. J., Everett, S. W., Fraisse, A. A., Hartley, J. W., Harvey, D., Holder, B., Huff, E. M., Jauzac, M., Jones, W. C., Lagattuta, D., Leung, J. S. Y., Li, L., Luu, T. V. T., Massey, R., McCleary, J. E., Nagy, J. M., Netterfield, C. B., ... Vitorelli, A. Z. (2024). SuperBIT Superpressure Flight Instrument Overview and Performance: Near-diffraction-limited Astronomical Imaging from the Stratosphere. Astronomical Journal, 168(2), Article 85. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad5840

@article{0b21615803454460a805dba6acc920c4,

title = "SuperBIT Superpressure Flight Instrument Overview and Performance: Near-diffraction-limited Astronomical Imaging from the Stratosphere",

abstract = "SuperBIT was a 0.5 m near-UV to near-infrared wide-field telescope that launched on a NASA superpressure balloon into the stratosphere from New Zealand for a 45-night flight. SuperBIT acquired multiband images of galaxy clusters to study the properties of dark matter using weak gravitational lensing. We provide an overview of the instrument and its various subsystems. We then present the instrument performance from the flight, including the telescope and image stabilization system, the optical system, the power system, and the thermal system. SuperBIT successfully met the instrument{\textquoteright}s technical requirements, achieving a telescope pointing stability of 0.″34 ± 0.″10, a focal plane image stability of 0.″055 ± 0.″027, and a point-spread function FWHM of ∼0.″35 over 5-minute exposures throughout the 45-night flight. The telescope achieved a near-diffraction-limited point-spread function in all three science bands (u, b, and g). SuperBIT served as a pathfinder to the GigaBIT observatory, which will be a 1.34 m near-UV to near-infrared balloon-borne telescope.",

author = "Gill, {Ajay S.} and Benton, {Steven J.} and Damaren, {Christopher J.} and Everett, {Spencer W.} and Fraisse, {Aurelien A.} and Hartley, {John W.} and David Harvey and Bradley Holder and Huff, {Eric M.} and Mathilde Jauzac and Jones, {William C.} and David Lagattuta and Leung, {Jason S.Y.} and Lun Li and Luu, {Thuy Vy T.} and Richard Massey and McCleary, {Jacqueline E.} and Nagy, {Johanna M.} and Netterfield, {C. Barth} and Emaad Paracha and Redmond, {Susan F.} and Rhodes, {Jason D.} and Andrew Robertson and Romualdez, {L. Javier} and J{\"u}rgen Schmoll and Shaaban, {Mohamed M.} and Sirks, {Ellen L.} and Vassilakis, {Georgios N.} and Vitorelli, {Andr{\'e} Z.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.",

year = "2024",

month = aug,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-3881/ad5840",

language = "English (US)",

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journal = "Astronomical Journal",

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Gill, AS, Benton, SJ, Damaren, CJ, Everett, SW, Fraisse, AA, Hartley, JW, Harvey, D, Holder, B, Huff, EM, Jauzac, M, Jones, WC, Lagattuta, D, Leung, JSY, Li, L, Luu, TVT, Massey, R, McCleary, JE, Nagy, JM, Netterfield, CB, Paracha, E, Redmond, SF, Rhodes, JD, Robertson, A, Romualdez, LJ, Schmoll, J, Shaaban, MM, Sirks, EL, Vassilakis, GN & Vitorelli, AZ 2024, 'SuperBIT Superpressure Flight Instrument Overview and Performance: Near-diffraction-limited Astronomical Imaging from the Stratosphere', Astronomical Journal, vol. 168, no. 2, 85. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad5840

TY - JOUR

T1 - SuperBIT Superpressure Flight Instrument Overview and Performance

T2 - Near-diffraction-limited Astronomical Imaging from the Stratosphere

AU - Gill, Ajay S.

AU - Benton, Steven J.

AU - Damaren, Christopher J.

AU - Everett, Spencer W.

AU - Fraisse, Aurelien A.

AU - Hartley, John W.

AU - Harvey, David

AU - Holder, Bradley

AU - Huff, Eric M.

AU - Jauzac, Mathilde

AU - Jones, William C.

AU - Lagattuta, David

AU - Leung, Jason S.Y.

AU - Li, Lun

AU - Luu, Thuy Vy T.

AU - Massey, Richard

AU - McCleary, Jacqueline E.

AU - Nagy, Johanna M.

AU - Netterfield, C. Barth

AU - Paracha, Emaad

AU - Redmond, Susan F.

AU - Rhodes, Jason D.

AU - Robertson, Andrew

AU - Romualdez, L. Javier

AU - Schmoll, Jürgen

AU - Shaaban, Mohamed M.

AU - Sirks, Ellen L.

AU - Vassilakis, Georgios N.

AU - Vitorelli, André Z.

PY - 2024/8/1

Y1 - 2024/8/1

N2 - SuperBIT was a 0.5 m near-UV to near-infrared wide-field telescope that launched on a NASA superpressure balloon into the stratosphere from New Zealand for a 45-night flight. SuperBIT acquired multiband images of galaxy clusters to study the properties of dark matter using weak gravitational lensing. We provide an overview of the instrument and its various subsystems. We then present the instrument performance from the flight, including the telescope and image stabilization system, the optical system, the power system, and the thermal system. SuperBIT successfully met the instrument’s technical requirements, achieving a telescope pointing stability of 0.″34 ± 0.″10, a focal plane image stability of 0.″055 ± 0.″027, and a point-spread function FWHM of ∼0.″35 over 5-minute exposures throughout the 45-night flight. The telescope achieved a near-diffraction-limited point-spread function in all three science bands (u, b, and g). SuperBIT served as a pathfinder to the GigaBIT observatory, which will be a 1.34 m near-UV to near-infrared balloon-borne telescope.

AB - SuperBIT was a 0.5 m near-UV to near-infrared wide-field telescope that launched on a NASA superpressure balloon into the stratosphere from New Zealand for a 45-night flight. SuperBIT acquired multiband images of galaxy clusters to study the properties of dark matter using weak gravitational lensing. We provide an overview of the instrument and its various subsystems. We then present the instrument performance from the flight, including the telescope and image stabilization system, the optical system, the power system, and the thermal system. SuperBIT successfully met the instrument’s technical requirements, achieving a telescope pointing stability of 0.″34 ± 0.″10, a focal plane image stability of 0.″055 ± 0.″027, and a point-spread function FWHM of ∼0.″35 over 5-minute exposures throughout the 45-night flight. The telescope achieved a near-diffraction-limited point-spread function in all three science bands (u, b, and g). SuperBIT served as a pathfinder to the GigaBIT observatory, which will be a 1.34 m near-UV to near-infrared balloon-borne telescope.

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JO - Astronomical Journal

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ER -

SuperBIT Superpressure Flight Instrument Overview and Performance: Near-diffraction-limited Astronomical Imaging from the Stratosphere

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