Absolute Calibration and Characterization of the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer. IV. The Spectral Energy Distribution Mode

March 2008 • 2008PASP..120..328L

Authors • Lu, Nanyao • Smith, Paul S. • Engelbracht, Charles W. • Noriega-Crespo, Alberto • Morrison, Jane • Gordon, Karl D. • Stansberry, John • Marleau, Francine R. • Rieke, George H. • Paladini, Roberta • Padgett, Deborah L. • Keene, Jocelyn • Latter, William B. • Fadda, Dario • Rho, Jeonghee

Abstract • The spectral energy distribution (SED) mode of the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope provides low-spectral resolution (R ≈ 15-25) spectroscopy in the far-infrared using the MIPS 70 μm detector. A reflective grating provides a dispersion of 1.7 μm per pixel, and an effective wavelength coverage of 52.8-98.7 μm over detector rows 1-27. The final 5 detector rows are contaminated by second-order diffracted light and are left uncalibrated. The flux calibration is based on observations of MIPS calibration stars with 70 μm flux densities of 0.5-15 Jy. The point-source flux calibration accuracy is estimated to be 10% or better down to about 0.5 Jy at the blue end of the spectrum and to ∼2 Jy near the red end. With additional uncertainties from the illumination and aperture corrections included, the surface brightness calibration of extended sources is accurate to ∼15%. Repeatability of better than 5% is found for the SED mode through multiple measurements of several calibration stars.

Links

• PREPRINT http://arxiv.org/abs/0802.3723
• NED https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/uri/NED::InRefcode/2008PASP..120..328L
• ELECTR https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/533459
• SIMBAD http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbo.pl?bibcode=2008PASP..120..328L
• PDF https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/533459/pdf
• DATA https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/bibdata/2008/L/2008PASP..120..328L.html