1. Electro-optical Spectro-polarimeter for Ground- and Space-based
Solar Coronagraphy
S. Fineschi,
INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino, Italy
May 9th, MP1104 COST Action 1st WG meeting, Warsaw

2. OUTLINE Proba-3: ESA Formation-flying space coronagraph
LC Tunable-filter Polarimeter (LCTP) for the “green line”
LCTP Lab performances evaluation
Eclipse 2010 observations with LCTP prototye
Case for ground-based emission-line coronagraphy in Europe

3. ESA PROBA-3 (ESA Startiger: 2009-10 Phase-A) Formation-Flying Coronagraph
A coronagraph with the external occulter on one spacecraft and the optical instrument on the other spacecraft at ~150 meters from the first one.
Proba-3 – ESA: launch ASPIICS: 2009 selection; 2010 Phase-A (Startiger); 2012 Phase-B

4. ASPIICS
LC Lyot filter

5. Liquid-crystal Tunable Lyot Filter for Solar Coronagraphy

6. LC Tunable-filter & Polarimeter Procurement

7. LCTP Perfomances

8. SET-UP @ TURIN Astronomical Obs. LAB
Monochr. slit width= 25 µm; height = 6 mm
Monochr. spectrum= CW nm; FWHM = 0.1nm
Collim. lens (L1) f = mm
Camera lens (L2) f = mm
CCD pixel sixe = 25
Spatial scale = 5 arcsec/pix (ASPIICS: 3 arcsec/pix)

9. LCTP SPECTRAL tests

10. 0°
45°
90°
135°

11. LC SPACE VALIDATION (rad-hardness)
Proba-3 rad-hard requirement
(Summary Mission Requirements: ESA P3-EST-TN-7002)
1996 –  1.5 Mrad of < 32 MeV e- (Graham et al., SPIE 2811)
1998 –  12 krad of  20 MeV protons (Noto et al., Opt. Eng.)
2007 –  50 krad of -rad; Thermal-vac; Vibe tests
(Heredero et al., Appl. Opt. 46)
–  50 krad 100 MeV p+, 10 MeV e-
ESA-ITT “LC Space Validation for SolO”

12. The CorMag was operated during the total solar eclipse of July, 11th on Tatakoto Atoll (French Polynesia)

13. LCTP based spectropolarimeter–cormag

14. Coronal Temperature contour levels: Blue: 1.5106 K green: 2106 K
K-corona image
by M. Drukmuller

15. HAO CoMP LC Lyot filter & Polarimeter FeXIII 1074.7 nm
S. Tomczyk, et al.
Science 317, 1192 (2007);

16. COMP observations. HAO model . S. Gibson courtesy, 2012

17. CoMP-S instrument @ Lomnicky Peak Observatory (SLOVAK R.)

18. LCTP FILTER @ CLIMSO CORONAGRAPH PIc du midi (france)?

19. Sky Brightness Monitor @ Concordia
LCTP FILTER & ASPIICS telescope @ DOMEc French-italian concordia base (antartica)?
Sky Brightness Monitor @ Concordia
J. Arnaud, M. Faroubert, 2009
ESCAPE proposal L. Dame, 2011

20. Thanks !!!

21. Liquid-crystal Tunable Lyot Filter for Solar Coronagraphy
The LCTP achieves all the spectroscopy performances expected from the F-P etalon
The LCTP has additional science capabilities (e.g., polarimetry, simultaneous spectroscopy & high-res imaging)
ESA completed a LC space validation program
The LCTP operational advantages:
no mechs,
some science preserved even in “fail state”,
OPS monitoring capability also during coronal images acquisition
21 Aug., Solar Physics and Space Weather Instrumentation IV – San Diego , CA

22. OATo LAB

23. 0 -d 0 0 +d exit slit Monochromator setting
Center wavel.: nm
FWHM: nm
0 -d
0
0 +d
exit slit

24. LCTP vs. F-P etalon Spectroscopy
21 Aug., Solar Physics and Space Weather Instrumentation IV – San Diego , CA

25. LC Tunable-filter

26. LCTP and F-P Characteristics
Liquid-crystal Tunable Lyot Filter for Solar Coronagraphy
LCTP and F-P Characteristics
21 Aug., Solar Physics and Space Weather Instrumentation IV – San Diego , CA

27. LCTP based SPECTRopolarimeter - cormag
21 Aug., Solar Physics and Space Weather Instrumentation IV – San Diego , CA

28. LCTP based spectropolarimeter–cormag
21 Aug., Solar Physics and Space Weather Instrumentation IV – San Diego , CA