Spitzer Space Telescope - Archive Research Proposal #20077


Creating a Spitzer Zodiacal Cloud Database

Principal Investigator: Sumita Jayaraman
           Institution: Planetary Science Institute

Co-Investigators: 
Martin Cohen, MIRA                                                    
Keith Grogan, JPL                                                     
James Ingalls, SSC                                                    
David Lien, Planetary Science Institute                               
William Reach, SSC/IPAC                                               
John Stansberry, University of Arizona                                
Mark Sykes, Planetary Science Institute                               
Russell Walker, MIRA                                                  

Science Category: zodiacal dust 
Dollars Approved: 154558.0 

Abstract:
We propose to develop the Spitzer Zodiacal Database, a sparse, high
resolution map of the zodiacal emission using all relevant Legacy, and
available GTO and GO, data from MIPS, IRAC as well as IRS.  The final
product will include a) time-tagged images and for studies of
asteroids, comet trails, dust bands, b) coadded images for precise
estimates of the background emission for the broader astronomical
community as a whole and c) 1-D scans for the study of the large scale
zodiacal background as well as fine structure.  In addition, there
will be a catalog of comet trails using software specifically
developed for trail detection - including trails associated with
comets and 'orphan' trails (with no detected source).  This database
will be web-accessible and searchable through the Planetary Data
System's Dust Subnode.  This is a unique data product giving the
extended emission maps (away from the Galactic plane) that will be
applicable to other areas of research beyond the Solar System.  It
will characterize the foreground zodiacal emission especially near the
poles and give us insight into distant background emissions like the
Cosmic Infrared Background.