An Improved Infrared Passband System for Ground‐based Photometry: Realization

ABSTRACT We describe new simulations and field trials of the new infrared passband system developed and discussed by Young, Milone, & Stagg, who discussed and illustrated the state of infrared photometry and suggested ways in which it could be improved. In particular, they presented a new set of passbands that minimize the dependence of the photometry on the water vapor bands of the atmospheric windows, which defined the edges of many previous infrared passbands, especially when used at sites and under conditions for which they were not designed. In this paper, we present numerical simulations for three atmospheric models, demonstrate a measure of the signal‐to‐noise ratio in the new passbands for these models, and present observational data obtained at a relatively low‐elevation site. The latter demonstrate the utility of this system for most astronomical sites where photometry can be performed, and permit the transformation of observations to this system.