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Session 52 - First Results from the Infrared Space Observatory.
Oral session, Wednesday, June 12
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The operation of ISOCAM, the camera of the Infrared Space Observatory, started 7 days after the launch of ISO. After an initial period of commissioning, the performance verification phase took place between mid-December 1995 and early February 1996. These initial phases have allowed to check the in-orbit perfromance of the instrument. Tests were performed on several objects, star forming regions in the Galaxy, planetary nebulae, mapping of large nearby galaxies, starburst galaxies, and deep surveys. The results are very close to expectations, with the photometric calibration agreeing with ground-based calibration to within 15%. The sensitivity limits in the most sensitive modes of ISOCAM are below 0.1 mJy, a factor of 1000 better than IRAS. The optical quality of the telescope and the good alignment of the camera provide a spatial resolution limited by diffraction at 10 microns. The routine phase started on February 4. Preliminary results on several scientific programs of the ISO Core Program will be presented, with an emphasis on extragalactic observations.
