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Background Estimates in Sensitivity Plots
The background estimates were generated using a prototype version
of the Spitzer background estimator. Three lines of sight were chosen
to represent low, medium, and high background.
LINE OF SIGHT PARAMETERS
| Galactic | Ecliptic |
| glon | glat | elon | elat |
| low | 96 | +30 | 239 | 89 |
| medium | 105 | -20 | 10 | 40 |
| high | 187 | +1 | 91 | 0 |
BACKGROUND CONTRIBUTIONS
The background model includes the zodiacal light, interstellar medium
(cirrus), and the cosmic infrared background (at wavelengths greater than
100 microns). The contributions of each component can be seen in the
figure below. The zodiacal light dominates IRAC and IRS
wavelengths for all these lines of sight. For MIPS 70 microns, there are
comparable interstellar and zodiacal contributions, while at 160 microns, the
interstellar contribution dominates.
Figure:
BRIGHTNESS VALUES
The background spectra were integrated over the Spitzer passbands and the
results are reported as per the Spitzer calibration convention (same as
IRAS, ISO, COBE) below. The first column is the mnemonic wavelength for
the band and the second column is the quoted surface brightness of that
band. For reference, the color corrections ranged from 0.98 to 1.08.
- A. Low-background
Wavelength
(microns) | Background
(MJy/sr) |
| 3.60000 | 0.0769 |
| 4.50000 | 0.267 |
| 5.80000 | 1.37 |
| 8.00000 | 5.47 |
| 15.7500 | 16.8 |
| 22.2500 | 16.7 |
| 24.0000 | 16.1 |
| 70.0000 | 5.15 |
| 160.000 | 6.53 |
- B. Medium-background
Wavelength
(microns) | Background
(MJy/sr) |
| 3.60000 | 0.125 |
| 4.50000 | 0.366 |
| 5.80000 | 1.93 |
| 8.00000 | 7.69 |
| 15.7500 | 24.4 |
| 22.2500 | 24.7 |
| 24.0000 | 23.9 |
| 70.0000 | 8.95 |
| 160.000 | 16.5 |
- C. High-background
Wavelength
(microns) | Background
(MJy/sr) |
| 3.60000 | 0.43 |
| 4.50000 | 0.85 |
| 5.80000 | 4.64 |
| 8.00000 | 18.3 |
| 15.7500 | 63.1 |
| 22.2500 | 67.0 |
| 24.0000 | 65.6 |
| 70.0000 | 32.3 |
| 160.000 | 84.3 |
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