CHESS: An innovative concept for high-resolution, far-UV spectroscopy

Abstract

The space ultraviolet (UV) is a critical astronomical observing window, where a multitude of atomic, ionic, and molecular signatures provide crucial insight into planetary, interstellar, stellar, intergalactic, and extragalactic objects. The next generation of large space telescopes require highly sensitive, moderate-to-high resolution UV spectrograph. However, sensitive observations in the UV are difficult, as UV optical performance and imaging efficiencies have lagged behind counterparts in the visible and infrared regimes. This has historically resulted in simple, low-bounce instruments to increase sensitivity. In this study, we present the design, fabrication, and calibration of a simple, high resolution, high throughput FUV spectrograph -the Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS). CHESS is a sounding rocket payload to demonstrate the instrument design for the next-generation UV space telescopes. We present tests and results on the performance of several state-ofthe-art diffraction grating and detector technologies for FUV astronomical applications that were flown aboard the first two iterations of CHESS. The

Analysis of the Limit Resolution of Grating Spectrometer

“…Hoadley et al pointed out that sensitive observations in ultraviolet conditions are difficult because UV optical performance and imaging efficiency lag behind their visible and infrared counterparts [10]. Because UV optical performance and imaging efficiency are not as good as the corresponding characteristics of visible light and infrared light, it is difficult to make accurate observations in ultraviolet conditions.…”

Identification of DNA Bases and Their Cations in Astrochemical Environments: Computational Spectroscopy of Thymine as a Test Case

“…Nowadays, it is thought that some starting prebiotic molecular materials may be widely distributed throughout the Universe (Sandford et al, 2020) and the search for the biosignatures is one of the main goals of current and future space missions involving the next generation of space telescopes (JWST, ARIEL, OST, HabEx, LUVOIR) (Lasne, 2021), spectrometers onboard of spacecrafts or rovers (Flasar et al, 2005;Vago et al, 2017;Vago et al, 2018;Williford et al, 2018) or the new class of high-resolution spectrometers operating in the UV region, (i.e., CHESS) (Hoadley et al, 2020) allowing observations beyond capacities of present-day facilities such as the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). In the case of essential molecules of life, it has been shown that carbonaceous meteorites contain a wide range of extraterrestrial nucleobases (Callahan et al, 2011), but uracil is still the only pyrimidine base formally reported in such meteorites (Stoks and Schwartz, 1979).…”