In order to evaluate the ground-based infrared telescope sensitivity affected by the noise from the atmosphere,instruments and detectors,we construct a sensitivity model that can calculate limiting magnitudes and sign...In order to evaluate the ground-based infrared telescope sensitivity affected by the noise from the atmosphere,instruments and detectors,we construct a sensitivity model that can calculate limiting magnitudes and signal-to-noise ratio(S/N).The model is tested with tentative measurements of M’-band sky brightness and atmospheric extinction obtained at the Ali and Daocheng sites.We find that the noise caused by an excellent scientific detector and instruments at-135℃can be ignored compared to the M’-band sky background noise.Thus,when S/N=3 and total exposure time is 1 second for 10 m telescopes,the magnitude limited by the atmosphere is 13.01^(m)at Ali and 12.96^(m)at Daocheng.Even under lessthan-ideal circumstances,i.e.,the readout noise of a deep cryogenic detector is less than 200 e-and the instruments are cooled to below-87.2℃,the above magnitudes decrease by 0.056^(m)at most.Therefore,according to observational requirements with a large telescope in a given infrared band,astronomers can use this sensitivity model as a tool for guiding site surveys,detector selection and instrumental thermal-control.展开更多
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC,Nos.11803089,U1931124)。
文摘In order to evaluate the ground-based infrared telescope sensitivity affected by the noise from the atmosphere,instruments and detectors,we construct a sensitivity model that can calculate limiting magnitudes and signal-to-noise ratio(S/N).The model is tested with tentative measurements of M’-band sky brightness and atmospheric extinction obtained at the Ali and Daocheng sites.We find that the noise caused by an excellent scientific detector and instruments at-135℃can be ignored compared to the M’-band sky background noise.Thus,when S/N=3 and total exposure time is 1 second for 10 m telescopes,the magnitude limited by the atmosphere is 13.01^(m)at Ali and 12.96^(m)at Daocheng.Even under lessthan-ideal circumstances,i.e.,the readout noise of a deep cryogenic detector is less than 200 e-and the instruments are cooled to below-87.2℃,the above magnitudes decrease by 0.056^(m)at most.Therefore,according to observational requirements with a large telescope in a given infrared band,astronomers can use this sensitivity model as a tool for guiding site surveys,detector selection and instrumental thermal-control.