CALISTO: a cryogenic far-infrared/submillimeter observatory

Abstract

We present a design for a cryogenically cooled large aperture telescope for far-infrared astronomy in the wavength range 30 μm to 300 μm. The Cryogenic Aperture Large Infrared Space Telescope Observatory, or CALISTO, is based on an off-axis Gregorian telesocope having a 4 m by 6 m primary reflector. This can be launched using an Atlas V 511, with the only optical deployment required being a simple hinged rotation of the secondary reflector. The off-axis design, which includes a cold stop, offers exceptionally good performance in terms of high efficiency and minimum coupling of radiation incident from angles far off the direction of maximum response. This means that strong astronomical sources, such as the Milky Way and zodiacal dust in the plane of the solar system, add very little to the background. The entire optical system is cooled to 4 K to make its emission less than even this low level of astronomical emission. Assuming that detector technology can be improved to the point where detector noise is less than that of the astronomical background, we anticipate unprecedented low values of system noise equivalent power, in the vicinity of 10^(-19) WHz^(-0.5), through CALISTO's operating range. This will enable a variety of new astronomical investigations ranging from studies of objects in the outer solar system to tracing the evolution of galaxies in the universe throughout cosmic time.