The Infrared Camera (IRC) for AKARI - Design and Imaging Performance
T. Onaka, H. Matsuhara, T. Wada, N. Fujishiro, H. Fujiwara, M., Ishigaki, D. Ishihara, Y. Ita, H. Kataza, W. Kim, T. Matsumoto, H. Murakami,, Y. Ohyama, S. Oyabu, I. Sakon, T. Tanabe, T. Takagi, K. Uemizu, M. Ueno, F., Usui, H. Watarai, M. Cohen, K. Enya, T. Ootsubo

TL;DR
The IRC instrument on the AKARI satellite provides wide-field infrared imaging and spectroscopy across multiple channels, with confirmed in-flight performance aligning with pre-flight expectations, enabling advanced astrophysical studies.
Contribution
This paper details the design, in-flight operation, and imaging performance of the IRC instrument, highlighting its capabilities for infrared astronomical observations.
Findings
In-flight performance matches pre-flight expectations.
IRC's multi-channel design enables comprehensive infrared observations.
The instrument successfully conducts wide-field deep imaging and spectroscopy.
Abstract
The Infrared Camera (IRC) is one of two focal-plane instruments on the AKARI satellite. It is designed for wide-field deep imaging and low-resolution spectroscopy in the near- to mid-infrared (1.8--26.5um) in the pointed observation mode of AKARI. IRC is also operated in the survey mode to make an all-sky survey at 9 and 18um. It comprises three channels. The NIR channel (1.8--5.5um) employs a 512 x 412 InSb array, whereas both the MIR-S (4.6--13.4um) and MIR-L (12.6--26.5um) channels use 256 x 256 Si:As impurity band conduction arrays. Each of the three channels has a field-of-view of about 10' x 10' and are operated simultaneously. The NIR and MIR-S share the same field-of-view by virtue of a beam splitter. The MIR-L observes the sky about $25' away from the NIR/MIR-S field-of-view. IRC gives us deep insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies, the evolution of planetary…
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