Planck pre-launch status: The optical system

¹ European Space Agency (ESA), Research and Scientific Support Dpt., Astrophysics Division, Keplerlaan 1, 2201AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands e-mail: jtauber@rssd.esa.int
² Danish National Space Center, Juliane Mariesvej 28, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
³ Cardiff University, School of Physics and Astronomy, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK
⁴ PhotoCore GmbH, Affolternstrasse 115, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland
⁵ Thales Alenia Space, 100 Boulevard du Midi, BP 99, 06156 Cannes la Bocca, France
⁶ Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁷ INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Bologna, via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
⁸ Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
⁹ European Space Agency, Headquarters, 8–10 rue Mario Nikis, 75015 Paris, France
¹⁰ Niels Bohr Institute, Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
¹¹ European Space Agency, ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
¹² Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
¹³ IFP-CNR, Via Cozzi 53, Milano, Italy
¹⁴ Cavendish Laboratory, Dpt. of Physics, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
¹⁵ LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, 61 Av. de l'Observatoire, 75014 Paris, France
¹⁶ Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
¹⁷ Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS (UMR8617), Université Paris-Sud 11, Batiment 121, 91405 Orsay, France
¹⁸ Science Office, European Space Agency, European Space Astronomy Centre, PO Box – Apdo. de correos 78, 28691 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
¹⁹ NUI Maynooth, Dpt of Experimental Physics, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
²⁰ Ticra, Laederstraede 34, 21201 Copenhagen, Denmark
²¹ CESR, Centre d'Étude Spatiale des Rayonnements, Université Paul Sabatier and CNRS, 9 Av. du colonel Roche, BP44346, 31038 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
²² Laboratoire Astroparticule et Cosmologie (APC), Université Paris Diderot – Paris 7 and CNRS, 10 rue A. Domon et L. Duquet, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
²³ Optical Science Laboratory, Dpt of Physics and Astronomy, UCL, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
²⁴ Laboratoire de l'Accélerateur Linéaire, Université Paris 11, Bâtiment 200, 91898 Orsay, France

Received: 17 July 2009
Accepted: 2 March 2010

Abstract

Planck is a scientific satellite that represents the next milestone in space-based research related to the cosmic microwave background, and in many other astrophysical fields. Planck was launched on 14 May of 2009 and is now operational. The uncertainty in the optical response of its detectors is a key factor allowing Planck to achieve its scientific objectives. More than a decade of analysis and measurements have gone into achieving the required performances. In this paper, we describe the main aspects of the Planck optics that are relevant to science, and the estimated in-flight performance, based on the knowledge available at the time of launch. We also briefly describe the impact of the major systematic effects of optical origin, and the concept of in-flight optical calibration. Detailed discussions of related areas are provided in accompanying papers.