SPHEREx: An all-sky near infrared spectral survey

Recently selected for implementation as the next medium-class mission in NASA's Explorer line, SPHEREx will produce a Near Infrared spectrum for every 6 arcsecond pixel on the celestial sphere.  Through the use of cold. wide-field optics combined with linear variable filters, this experiment is optimized to probe for signatures of inflation, imprinted on the large scale structure of the Universe.  Key science goals also include surveying the Milky Way for water and other biogenic ices, as well as tracing the history of cosmic light production through fluctuation studies of the NIR background.  In this talk I'll provide an overview of the mission, with a focus on the instrument and mission design.

Speaker: Phil Corngut, Cornell