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Inflight Radiometric Calibration of New Horizons' Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC)We discuss two semi-independent calibration techniques used to determine the inflight radiometric calibration for the New Horizons Multi-spectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC). The first calibration technique compares the measured number of counts (DN) observed from a number of well calibrated stars to those predicted using the component-level calibration. The ratio of these values provides a multiplicative factor that allows a conversation between the preflight calibration to the more accurate inflight one, for each detector. The second calibration technique is a channel-wise relative radiometric calibration for MVIC's blue, near-infrared and methane color channels using Hubble and New Horizons observations of Charon and scaling from the red channel stellar calibration. Both calibration techniques produce very similar results (better than 7% agreement), providing strong validation for the techniques used. Since the stellar calibration described here can be performed without a color target in the field of view and covers all of MVIC's detectors, this calibration was used to provide the radiometric keyword values delivered by the New Horizons project to the Planetary Data System (PDS). These keyword values allow each observation to be converted from counts to physical units; a description of how these keyword values were generated is included. Finally, mitigation techniques adopted for the gain drift observed in the near-infrared detector and one of the panchromatic framing cameras are also discussed.
Document ID
20170003181
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Howett, C. J. A.
(Southwest Research Inst. Boulder, CO, United States)
Parker, A. H.
(Southwest Research Inst. Boulder, CO, United States)
Olkin, C. B.
(Southwest Research Inst. Boulder, CO, United States)
Reuter, D. C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Ennico, K.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Grundy, W. M.
(Lowell Observatory Flagstaff, AZ, United States)
Graps, A. L.
(Latvia Univ. Riga, Latvia)
Harrison, K. P.
Throop, H. B.
(Planetary Science Inst. Laguna Niguel, CA, United States)
Buie, M. W.
(Southwest Research Inst. Boulder, CO, United States)
Cruikshank, D. P.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Jennings, D. E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
April 7, 2017
Publication Date
December 6, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: Icarus
Publisher: Elsevier
Volume: 287
ISSN: 0019-1035
e-ISSN: 1090-2643
Subject Category
Instrumentation And Photography
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN40527
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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