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GNIRS Integration Time Calculator

In the four sections of this form, select the appropriate astronomical source, instrument, telescope, observing condition and observation parameters. Click on the calculate button (calculate button) at the bottom of any section to submit the parameters from all the sections to the server or the reset button (reset button) to reset all parameters to their defaults. The results are reported in a separate web page that can be resized and printed.

General guidance on use of the Integration Time Calculators (ITCs) is available; specific help on each section of the form is available by following the more info and other (blue highlighted) links. Note: at this time Netscape 6 and 6.01 do not work with web forms. Changes, enhancements and bugs within the ITC are listed chronologically.

Astronomical source definition

Spatial profile and brightness:(more info)
Choose one of point, extended or user-defined source profile and the brightness in any filter/wavelength
Point source (nominal PSF) with spatially integrated brightness (e.g. 19.3 mag or 2e-17 W/m^2/um)
Extended source having ...(When this option is selected the image quality selection in section 3 of the ITC is disabled.)
  Gaussian profile with full width half maximum of arcsec and spatially integrated brightness of (e.g. 19.3 mag or 2e-17 W/m^2/um)
  Uniform surface brightness (e.g. 21.6 mag / sq arcsec)
  disabled Exponential profile with spatially integrated brightness (e.g. 19.3 mag or 2e-17 W/m^2/um) and half-light radius of arcsec (disabled)
  disabled Elliptical r^(1/4) profile with spatially integrated brightness (e.g. 19.3 mag or 2e-17 W/m^2/um) and half-light radius of arcsec (disabled)
disabled User-defined 2D image read from file (disabled)
with the above brightness normalisation applied in filter band or disabled at a wavelength micron (latter option disabled)

 


Spectral distribution: (more info)
Choose one SED, the redshift and extinction
Library spectrum of a non-stellar object
Library spectrum of a star with spectral type
Single emission line at wavelength micron with line flux and line width km/s on a flat (in wavelength) continuum of flux density
Model black body spectrum with temperature K
Model power-law spectrum (S_lambda = lambda ^ )
User-defined spectrum read from file (size < 1MB)
with the spectrum mapped to a redshift z = or a radial velocity v = km/s
...and subject to dust reddening by a foreground screen (see more info on the extinction law) having a visual extinction of Av = mag (disabled) disabled

 


Instrument (GNIRS) and telescope configuration

Instrument optical properties:(more info)
Camera: Focal plane mask:
Grating: Spectrum central wavelength: um
Cross dispersion: Polarimetry: (disabled) disabled
Detector properties:(more info)
Read mode and well depth set for: 
   medium background / bright objects [shallow well; typically for 1-2.5um, standard stars]
   low background / faint objects [shallow well; typically for 1-2.5um, science targets]
   very low background / faintest objects [shallow well; typically for 1-2.5um v. faint science targets]
   high background (i.e. thermal IR) [deep well; typically for 3-5um targets]
Dark current of 0.1 e-/s
Telescope configuration:(more info)
Mirror coating: aluminium  silver
Instrument port: option disabled up-looking (2 reflections)  side-looking (3 reflections)
Wavefront sensor for tip-tilt compensation: PWFS  OIWFS

 


Observing condition constraints

Note: you should read the explanatory notes for the meaning of the percentiles and to ensure that your selected conditions are appropriate for the observing wavelength. Further details are available on the observing condition constraints pages.
Image quality: best 20%-ile 70%-ile 85%-ile any
Sky transparency (cloud cover): best 20%-ile 50%-ile 70%-ile 90%-ile any
Sky transparency (water vapour): best 20%-ile 50%-ile 80%-ile any
Sky background: best 20%-ile 50%-ile 80%-ile any
Typical air mass during observation: <1.2 1.5 2.0

 


Details of observation

Calculation method:(more info)
Total S/N ratio resulting from exposures each having an exposure time of secs and with a fraction of exposures that observe the source
Analysis method: (more info)
Software aperture that gives 'optimum' S/N ratio
Software aperture of diameter (or slit length) arcsec
For Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectroscopy only ...
Note that calculation is for a single IFU spatial element only and is not integrated over multiple elements
Select an individual IFU element offset by arcsec from the center
Select multiple IFU elements along a radius with offsets of to arcsec
Output:
For spectroscopy, autoscale or specify limits for plotted spectra (lower wavelength micron and upper wavelength micron)

 


Last update May 24, 2007; Brian Walls