LMIRcam : an L/M-band imager for the LBT combined focus

The L/M-band mid-InfraRed Camera (LMIRcam) will use a mid-wave (5.1 μm cut-off) Teledyne Imaging Systems HgCdTe HAWAII 1-RG array to image the coherently combined (Fizeau) focus of the Large Binocular Telescope's twin 8.4-meter primary mirrors generated by the University of Arizona's beam combiner - the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI). The 1024x1024 array will have a pixel scale of 10.9 milliarcsec (mas) per pixel and a field of view of 10"x10". The highest achievable angular resolution will be 26mas (34mas) for 3.6 μm (4.8 μm). LMIRcam will operate in parallel with the Nulling Infrared Camera (NIC), sharing the same Dewar. In addition to a suite of broad and narrow-band filters, LMIRcam will contain grisms for low-resolution spectroscopy, and serve as a test-bed for novel pupil masks to enable high-contrast imaging. The opto-mechanical design, anticipated performance, and a sample of potential science applications are presented. LMIRcam is funded by the National Science Foundation and the University of Virginia.