STRESSED AND UNSTRESSED GE-GA DETECTOR ARRAYS FOR AIRBORNE ASTRONOMY

We have constructed and used two dimensional arrays of both unstressed and stressed Ge:Ga photoconductive detectors for far-infrared astronomy from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO). The 25 element (5 x 5) arrays are designed for a new cryogenically cooled spectrometer, the MPE/UCB Far-Infrared Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FIFI). All of the pixels for the stressed array performed well on the first flights with FIFI; 25% of the detectors in the array are more sensitive than our best single element detector, with background limited noise equivalent powers (NEPs) less than or similar to 3.0 x 10(-15) W Hz-1/2 at 158 mum and 40 km s-1 spectral resolution. The average array element performs within +/- 15% of this value. With a bias field of 0.1 V/cm, the average detector response is 20 +/- 6 Amp/Watt at 158 mum. The cutoff wavelength and response also compare well with our single element detectors. The unstressed array delivers significantly better performance than our single element detector due to the lower thermal background in the new spectrometer. The average background limited NEP at 88 mum and 35 km s-1 spectral resolution is approximately 7 x 10(-15) W Hz-1/2. The least sensitive pixel is only 40% less sensitive. The unstressed array response at 88 mum with a bias field of 1 V/cm is 5 +/- 1 Amp/Watt. Twenty four of the 25 elements worked on the first flights - on subsequent flights all channels have worked. Some of the exciting new science possible with far-infrared detector arrays is also discussed.