Development of Large Format Far-Infrared Detectors

Several far-infrared (30 to 300 μm) astronomy missions and/or instruments will be proposed for the next decade. Many important astrophysical processes have signatures at these wavelengths: the peak of the spectral energy distributions of protostars and ultra-luminous galaxies falls near 100 μm; there is a wealth of biologically interesting spectral lines to be found in this range, and lines such as the 158 μm line of singly ionized carbon are important for the energy balance of the interstellar medium in our own and in external galaxies. The promise of a new generation of large format far-infrared detector arrays seems to be attainable, but getting there will require a focused development program with enough resources available to allow exploration of several paths. Development must be encouraged if we are to maximize the scientific return from future far-infrared missions. Portions of this work were carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Astro2010 Technology Development Far-IR Detectors, Ressler et al.