Fall Research Expo 2021

Motor Control for the Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM)

The Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM) is a balloon-borne telescope experiment designed to study galaxy formation. We want to understand how galaxies have evolved and why star formation has changed over the course of the universe's life. Our gondola is designed to answer these questions by looking at dusty galaxies through a far-infrared telescope. To do this, we must put our telescope outside the atmosphere (meaning we need a balloon). Motor control is an essential component of TIM allows us to measure our environment and respond accordingly. My work on the elevation axis and reaction wheel allows us to test our pointing sensors ( e.g. magnetometers, star cameras, etc.) to gain a greater understanding of how our electronics will function in-flight. 

PRESENTED BY
Grants for Faculty Mentoring Undergraduate Research
College of Arts & Sciences 2023
Join Jesica for a virtual discussion
PRESENTED BY
Grants for Faculty Mentoring Undergraduate Research
College of Arts & Sciences 2023

Comments

Hey Jes, your research looks really interesting! I was wondering what peak altitude the balloon actually reaches, or maybe a better question is what the ideal altitude is for data collection?

Very interesting to see part of the process of building a complex instrument like this. I'm curious as to how/if the UV/temperature conditions of the upper atmosphere impact your materials design? 

Hi Jeffry! The balloon is designed to cruise at around 120,000 ft, or about 36 kilometers. This is within the stratosphere- about where you'd expect a typical weather balloon to be. For reference, commercial planes fly at around 10km. 

Hi Leah, great question! We have sun shields on the full-scale model designed to manage the temperature and avoid direct contact with sunlight. In addition to this, we have to make sure that our mechanical parts have a temperature range that can sustain the temperature fluctuations the gondola will experience in-flight. 

Hello Jesica,

I found your research project very interesting to read about. I know that developing technology that is capable of functioning at great distances and in extreme conditions is a crucial step to expanding human research into space. I wonder then if your research could be used for future projects of a similar nature.