AFTA Coronagraph Working Group Recommendation to Astrophysics Division
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Through both simulation and hardware experiments, we examine and establish the key data requirements, such as the defocus levels and imagin signal-to noise level, that are necessary to obtain the desired wave front sensing accuracy and bandwidth.
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Calculation of Mie scattering functions
Coronal condensation spectra during 4 February 1962 total eclipse, determining abundances, ionization equilibria, electron densities, etc, from Fe and Ca XV lines analysis
Calculations of Mie scattering functions involved individual as well as mixed scattering of particles. In particular, computations were completed for a 15A particle and for particles subjected to incident light of ultraviolet wavelengths. Calculations of contaminant atmospheres for Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab considered leakage rates for the respective vehicles and the mass column density of the atmospheres surrounding them. Atmospheres for these vehicles have been computed for a uniform particle size distribution, and for a particle size distribution in which size varied.
Observation of nine coronal emission lines representing five stages of Fe ionization and one stage of Ni in an enhanced coronal region. The data from these observations are presented along with a density model of the enhanced region obtained from the Fe XIII and Ni XV emission line ratios as a function of position angle. The electron densities obtained from Fe XIII lines range from 10 to the 8th to 10 to the 9th per cu cm, and are slightly lower for Ni XV line data. Estimates of the variation of temperature over the enhanced region are inferred from the observed line intensities.
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The processing of over 35,000 photographs of the solar corona obtained by the white-light coronograph on Skylab is described. Calibration of the vast amount of data was complicated by temporal effects of radiation fog and latent image loss. These effects were compensated by imaging a calibration step wedge on each data frame. Absolute calibration of the wedge was accomplished through comparison with a set of previously calibrated glass opal filters. Analysis employed average characteristic curves derived from measurements of step wedges from many frames within a given camera half-load. The net absolute accuracy of a given radiance measurement is estimated to be 20%.
Spectroscopic measurements of temperatures, densities and flow velocities in the solar wind acceleration region provide critical empirical constraints on solar stellar wind theory. Preliminary results of an analysis of H I Lyman-alpha and white light measurements made on 16 February 1980 in a polar coronal region are reported. The hydrogen kinetic temperatures in the observed region were found to be nearly constant with T sub HI approximately equals 10 degrees K at heliocentric distances between 1.5 and 4 solar radii. The outflow velocities were found to be subsonic indicating that the critical point in the observed region was located at r approximately greater than 4 solar radii.
The discovery has recently been reported of a comet (Howard-Koomen-Michels: 1979 XI) that apparently collided with the sun on 30 August 1979. A report is presented of observations of two additional sungrazers that encountered the sun on 27 January 1981 and 20 July 1981, respectively. Like comet 1979 XI, these two new comets seem to have been members of the Kreutz group of sungrazers, and like 1979 XI the new comets did not reappear after their encounters with the sun. The discovery of three previously unreported comets during the initial 2.3 yr of satellite coronal observations suggests that sungrazers are much more common than one might suppose from the list of only nine known sungrazers observed during the years 1668-1970.
The WLC and UVS together reveal the corona and the roots of the solar wind from 1.5 to 6 solar radii from sun center. The WLC measures the plasma density and spatial structure of the corona and coronal mass ejections at a plasma density and spatial structure of the corona and coronal mass ejections at a resolution of about 20 arcsec. The UVCS in combination with the WLC measures the temperature and radial outflow speed of the coronal plasma. These instruments will detect mass ejections from active regions and high speed solar wind streams from coronal holes a few days before the source regions rotate onto the face of the Sun, thus giving a week or more of advanced warning for disturbed geomagnetic conditions at Earth.
The major activities on the Spartan Ultraviolet Coronal Spectrometer project include both scientific and experimental/technical efforts. In the scientific area, a detailed analysis of the previously reported Doppler dimming of HI Ly-alpha from the July 1982 rocket flight has determined an outflow velocity at 2 solar radii from sun center to be between 153 and 251 km/s at 67 percent confidence. The technical activities include, several improvements made to the instrument that will result in enhanced scientific performance or in regaining a capability that had deteriorated during the delay time in the launch date. These include testing and characterizing the detector for OVI radiation, characterizing a serrated occulter at UV and visible wavelengths, fabricating and testing telescope mirrors with improved edges, testing and evaluating a new array detector system, modifying the slit mask mechanism and installing a mask in the instrument to block the Ly-alpha resonance line when the electron scattered component is being observed.
This status report for the period 1 October 1992 to 30 September 1994 covers the final preparation and first observations with the Spartan Ultraviolet Coronal Spectrometer on Spartan 201-1, and the preparation and second flight for Spartan 201-2. Both flights were fully successful and resulted in high quality spectroscopic observations of the extended solar corona out to 3.5 solar radii from Sun-center. The primary focus of this report is the results from Spartan 201-1. There is also a brief description of the evaluation of the quick look data from the second flight. Highlights from the first flight include a discovery that the proton velocity distribution in coronal holes is complex and consists of a central core with elevated high velocity wings compared to a Gaussian shape.