Plan for the next Mercury observation in Tohoku University M. Kagitani 1, Hirohito Fukazawa 1, S. Okano 1 1 Planetary Plasma and Atmospheric Research Center, Tohoku University May 6 th 2008, IMW meeting, Paris

Spatial velocity fluctuation caused by source variability We may have caught fluctuation of anti- sunward velocity of sodium tail. The velocity fluctuation in the tail region is expected to reflect variability of initial velocity at the surface. In the next observation, we will focus on the observation of velocity distribution and its short time variability (<30 min) in the tail region. We will have to take multiple data with less than 10 minutes exposure during twilight. Time-of-fight [min] Anti-sunward velocity [km/s] Distance from Mercury [RM] 6-arcmin ~20-30min

Line-of-sight integration effect The sodium emission is brighter in the tail region close to Mercury. But in the region close to Mercury, < 10 RM, the spatial structure will be smeared by Line-of-sight integration effect. For the observation shown above, high-spectral resolution and wide FOV(>20 RM) are required. Tail tube diameter Smearing width cased by ling-of-sight integration is ~6 RM for  PA =120 o and 10RM tail tube diameter. Earth

TOHOKU facility at Mt.Haleakala, Hawaii 40-cm telescope and Long-slit Echelle spectrograph. 40cm-telescope Long-slit Echelle spectrograph

New spectrograph used in the next Mercury observation covers wide-FOV, 8arcmin or >100RM with R/  R ~ 60,000, and takes Sodium D lines (60 th order) and Potassium 770nm line(45 th order) simultaneously l/mm Echelle grating 670mm F.L. Slit 60um W x 12mm L Telescope 40cm/F10 Pellicle mirror Order cut filter; c=770nm Order cut filter; c=589nm CCD2; K7699, 45 th order CCD1; Na5889&5896, 60 th orderSlit position viewer

New telescope project at Haleakala New telescope project ongoing with Collaboration of University of Hawaii (Prof. Jeff Kuhn), ETH Zurich (Prof. Svetlana Berdyugina) and Tohoku University.  Atmosphere and plasma emissions from our solar-system with VIS-IR spectroscopy/imaging  Extrasolar planets with polarimetry and spectropolarimetry  1.5-2m aperture, 7 arcmin FOV, diffraction limited image < 1 arcmin.  Telescope for high dynamic range imaging polarimetric extrasolar planet search  Off-axis Gregorian telescope  Equatorial mount (fixed image plane) Remote operation goal for telescope (most instruments) Timescale for “first light” at the end of 2010.

Summary In the next observation, we will focus on the observation of velocity distribution and its short time variability (<30 min) in the tail region (10-100RM) using long-slit Echelle spectrogarph. This new telescope project is ongoing at Haleakala.

Future plans of Hawaii facility For the continuous monitoring of Mercury’s atmosphere and other target, we are ongoing to develop remote control of telescope and instruments.

New Instruments and Techniques for Mercury observation in Tohoku University M. Kagitani 1, S. Okano 1 1 Planetary Plasma and Atmospheric Research Center, Tohoku University ・ May 5 th 2008, IMW meeting, Paris

New telescope project at Haleakala telescope Preliminary Sketch Collaboration of University of Hawaii (Prof. Jeff Kuhn), ETH Zurich (Prof. Svetlana Berdyugina) and Tohoku University.  Atmosphere and plasma emissions from our solar-system with VIS-IR spectroscopy/imaging  Extrasolar planets with Polarimetry and spectropolarimetry Polarized Light from Atmospheres of Nearby Extra Terrestrial Systems (PLANETS) project  Telescope for high dynamic range imaging polarimetric extrasolar planet search  1.5-2m aperture, 7 arcmin FOV, diffraction limited image < 1 arcmin.  Off-axis Gregorian telescope  Equatorial mount (fixed image plane) Remote operation goal for telescope (most instruments) Timescale for “first light” at the end of 2010.