K band (infrared)

In infrared astronomy, the K band is an atmospheric transmission window centered on 2.2 μm (in the near-infrared 136 THz range).[1][2] HgCdTe-based detectors are typically preferred for observing in this band.[3]

Photometric systems used in astronomy are sets of filters or detectors that have well-defined windows of absorption, based around a central peak detection frequency and where the edges of the detection window are typically reported where sensitivity drops below 50% of peak. Various organizations have defined systems with various peak frequencies and cutoffs in the K band, including K′, and KS, and Kdark.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ifa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bernd2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sizov2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Jun Zhang (June 2023). "Sky-brightness measurements in J, H, and Ks bands at DOME A with NISBM and early results". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 521 (4): 5624–5635. doi:10.1093/mnras/stad775. Table 1., Filter sets used at Mauna Kea and the South Pole.