PRIMA includes both a sensitive wideband spectrometer, the Far-Infrared Enhanced Survey Spectrometer (FIRESS), and a multi-band spectrophotometric imager / polarimeter, the PRIMA Imager (PRIMAger). Both instruments use detectors limited by the natural background, and PRIMA's sensitivity unlocks the potential of the far-IR waveband to advance astrophysics across a broad range of topics spanning from galaxy and dust evolution in the early universe to the formation of planets and planetary atmospheres.
| ? | ? |
|---|---|
| Telescope | 1.8-m all aluminum 4.5 Kelvin |
| PRIMAger Imager and Polarimeter |
R = 10 hyperspectral imaging (25-80 μm) R = 4 imaging and polarimetry (91-261 μm) |
| FIRESS Spectrometer |
R > 85 spectroscopy 24-235 μm High-Res mode R = 4400 × (λ/112μm) |
| Detectors | 100 mK KID arrays (~12k total) |
| Data | IPAC |
| Orbit | Earth-Sun L2 |
| Instantaneous Field of Regard | 26% of sky |
| Launch | 2032 |
| Observations | 75% of time allocated to General Observer programs 25% Principal Investigator programs (available for Guest Investigators) |
