The Faint Object Infrared Camera for the SOFIA Telescope

The Faint Object infraRed CAmera for the Sofia Telescope (FORCAST) is a facility-class, mid/far-infrared camera for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). FORCAST is a two-channel design with selectable filters for narrowband and broadband imaging in the 5-8, 17-25 micron, and/or 25-40 micron regions. Simultaneous imaging in the two-channels (lambda < 25 microns and lambda > 25 microns) is possible. FORCAST will sample images at 0.75 arcsec/pixel and have a 3.2?x3.2? instantaneous field-of-view. Imaging is diffraction limited for lambda > 15 microns. Since FORCAST operates in the wavelength range where the seeing from SOFIA is best, it will provide the highest spatial resolution possible with SOFIA. FORCAST may eventually support a spectroscopy mode (resolving power, R ~ 300 and R ~ 1000-2000) using silicon grisms mounted in the filter wheels. The science projects planned by the investigator team include multicolor imaging of the galactic center, Vega-like dust clouds, and star formation regions in normal spiral galaxies and active galaxies. This instrument will be of great value to the SOFIA community for imaging of protostellar environments, young star clusters, molecular clouds, and galaxies. We present details of the FORCAST instrument, including filter lists and sensitivity estimates, that will be useful to astronomers intending to use SOFIA for mid-infrared imaging.