1. Obserwacje strumienia promieniowania rentgenowskiego Słońca „jako gwiazdy” w okresie głębokiego minimum aktywności
Recent solar activity as observed with X-ray spectrophotometer SphinX aboard the CORONAS-PHOTON
Janusz Sylwester
for the SphinX team
Solar Physics Division, Space Research Centre
Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Kopernika 11
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

2. The SphinX Team SRC PAS Wrocław
Mirek Kowalinski, Szymon Gburek, Marek Siarkowski, Jarek Bakala, Zbigniew Kordylewski, Piotr Podgorski, Barbara Sylwester, Anna Kepa, Witold Trzebiński
P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow
Sergey Kuzin-TESIS PI, Andrei Pertsov, Sergey Bogaczev
Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov
Frantisek Farnik
Astronomical Observatory, Palermo
Fabio Reale, Alfonso Collura
University College, London
Ken Phillips
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

3. SphinX: Solar Photometer in X-rays, PI: SRC-PAS
Mass ~2500 kg,
8.2 GB/day
Launched
30 Jan at 13:30 UT from Plesetsk Cosmodrome
CORONAS PHOTON
Pointing
Semi-Three axis stabilised
TESIS with
SphinX
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

4. The orbit 96 min 550km , 82.5 deg. Polar orbit Life ~7 years
Encountered
SAA
~1000 cts/s
&
Polar ovals
~100 cts/s
4 times/96 min
CORONAS-F
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

5. SphinX Polish concept, design & manufacture
Measures the X-ray fluence of the Sun 0.85 – 15 keV with unprecedented
Time resolution ~ s
Sensitivity 100 x better than GOES XRM – the standard for 30+years
Energy resolution
3x RHESSI (NASA)
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

6. Total cost of the project ~ 1 mln PLN KBN T12 grant
The construction
EUV filters (doubly aluminized Mylar)
Photometer
Collimators (+-2.5 deg)
Three apertures
D1, D2, D3
Shutter
Stepper motor
FFU
Filters
Targets D4
Electronics
Front end Amptek
Digital „our”
Controller
Software
reprogramming
Heat sink
Alignment mirror
Total cost of the project ~ 1 mln PLN KBN T12 grant
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

7. Measurement channels D1 D2 D3 D4 P h o t o m e t r i c FFU φ: 5 mm
A: 20.4mm2
8 μs
Up to
cts/s
FWHM: 490 eV
φ: 4 mm
A: 0.50 mm2
25 μs
Up to
cts/s
FWHM: 290 eV
φ: 4 mm
A: mm2
25 μs
Up to
cts/s
FWHM: 290 eV
φ: 4 mm
A: 13.0 mm2
25 μs
Up to
cts/s
FWHM: 290 eV
Detectors (four units): 256/1024 energy bins
Amptek, Peltier cooled (-50 deg C below the support T) Si PIN diodes.
Detectors’ support plate passively
cooled through the heat sink pipe to the external radiator
Photon arrival time measured to within 2μs (in Time Stamping Mode)
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

8. How performance looks from the tests
The BESSY synchrotron input spectrum (red) with overplotted response of SphinX D2 detector (black). Nominal effective areas have been used. The agreement is better than 5% in the energy band where SphinX detectors are the most sensitive.
BESSY
Berlin
Synchrotron:
- All detectors’ linearity: perfect (0.1% ) over keV; & dynamic range 104.
- absolute response known to better than 5% against reference synchrotron source.
- pile-up matrices known as measured from X-ray 4 crystal monochromator spectra
obtained at 8 energies between 1.5 and 8 keV
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

9. GOES X class range  to be extended down
10-6
W/m2
10-7
10-8
10-9
10-10
10-11
SphinX detection
threshold
A = 10-8 W/m2
S = 10-9 W/m2
Q = W/m2
SAA
S/C night
Solar X-ray flux remains at background levels:
i.e. Max Millenium message
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

10. New X-ray classes
We are introducing new „classes” of X-ray solar variability, below GOES A1.0
A = 10-8 W/m2 (present lowest)
S = 10-9 W/m2
Q = W/m2
SphinX in its D1 channel is capable to observe events 100 x less intense than GOES
Most of variability since the launch is observed to happen below the GOES delectability threshold
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

11. GOES detection threshold
Solar activity: longer-term only around 80 flares,detected by GOES, among them C2.7 on 6 July and triple B on March 26, 2009
SphinX D2 record cts/s
GOES detection threshold
Long S/C
day
The Lowest observed level
Since Launch: GOES  80 events, SphinX  550 events
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

12. Determination of absolute levels of X-ray solar luminosity E > 1 keV
D1- DGI 1s D1 D2
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

13. X-ray fluence at E > 1 keV
Histogram of T values
D1 rate
D2 rate
Instrument heating
Temperature
D1 rate MK
Emission Measure
Example: for data set No. 50
Te      1.71 MK     [  1.69, 1.72 ]
EM    6.2 [ 5.7 , 6.7] cm-3
Flux  [ keV]      W/m2
Flux GOES [1 – 8 Å]    W/m2
Thermodynamic Measure
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

14. TESIS images (courtesy Sergey Bogaczev FIAN)
:28: Å
:27: Å
~ K
~1 MK
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

15. Longer exposure: ~18 hours
Counts below 3 keV ~ 1 mln
Counts above 3 keV ~ 3000
Ratio: 0.003
Any coronal heating model should „obey” this measurement
from now on
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

16.
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

17. Example catalogue pageD1 D2
bcg
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

18. Summary Two components on the lightcurves:
Quasi steady X-ray intensities enhanced when AR are present
The lowest quasi-steady state level, when no AR are present, is also observed in D2, this level is still fluctuating on a 5 min time scale study is in progress.
Flares are seen on-top of this basal variability.
Flare „enhancements” are being detected from amplitudes above ~ 0.05 dex.
Both short and LDE types of events are present „without the sunspots”
The Sun is the weakest X-ray star within 7 parsecs (Schmitt et al., 1995, ApJ, 450, 392)
with our new estimated luminosity at LX = 1.3 × 1018 W 100 x less α Cen A., 47 x less previous estimates (Judge et al., 2003, ApJ, 593, 534)
Luminosity in the 1—300 Å is 8.0 × 1025 erg s-1, a value which is of interest for heating the Earth’s atmosphere, much below present estimates
Thermal energy content of the solar corona is 2 × 1030 erg
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

19. Please have a look at the poster
The End
Please have a look at the poster
Barbara Sylwester, Janusz Sylwester, Marek Siarkowski Zakład Fizyki Słońca CBK PAN Wrocław:
"Interpretacja widm uzyskanych za pomocą polskiego spektrofotometru SphinX"
XXXIV Zjazd PTA Kraków , Solar Session, 15 September Janusz Sylwester

20. Compilation of SphinX flare catalogue
SOLAR CORONAL LOOPS WORKSHOP IV , Wednesday, July 1, Janusz Sylwester: Activity - SphinX

21. Flare statistics – based on SphinX catalogue interpretation (provisional)
Increasing trend is noticeable
Flare amplitude vs
the occurence times of events
GOES detection Threshold
SOLAR CORONAL LOOPS WORKSHOP IV , Wednesday, July 1, Janusz Sylwester: Activity - SphinX

22. 30 April 2009 10:42 A3.1 flare XRT Hinode EIT SOHO 195 Å
SOLAR CORONAL LOOPS WORKSHOP IV , Wednesday, July 1, Janusz Sylwester: Activity - SphinX

23. Spectra
maximum
decay E2 E1

24. Flare evolution on T-EM diagram see poster B. Sylwester et al.
ThM = T * sqrt(EM)

25. SS RTV: 2 Log T – ½ Log EM = ½ Log(L/2A) - 6.145
Diagnostic Diagram Jakimiec, J.; Sylwester, B.; Sylwester, J.; Serio, S.; Peres, G.; Reale, F. 1992A&A
From HXIS eH eH A A C L C L
Palermo-Harvard Code
Peres et al., 1982
Jakimiec, J.; Sylwester, B.; Sylwester, J.; Mewe, R.; Peres, G., 1986AdSpR J
SS RTV: 2 Log T – ½ Log EM = ½ Log(L/2A)

26. Diagnostic diagram based on GOES
Sylwester, J.; Sylwester, B.; Phillips, K. J. H.; Kepa, A.
Warning

27. Differential 120”x120” image: flare-preflare
06 June B2.6 flare
TESIS 171 Å
XRT Hinode
SOLAR CORONAL LOOPS WORKSHOP IV , Wednesday, July 1, Janusz Sylwester: Activity - SphinX
Differential 120”x120” image: flare-preflare

28. Spectra E2 E1 maximum decay
SOLAR CORONAL LOOPS WORKSHOP IV , Wednesday, July 1, Janusz Sylwester: Activity - SphinX

29. Flare evolution on T-EM diagram see poster B. Sylwester et al.
ThM = T * sqrt(EM)

30. Conclusions
SphinX will provide flare flags to Coronas (testing algorithms in orbit)
Sphinx measurements allow
To See solar X-ray variability from the bottom level up to X20
To Determine absolute fluxes above 1 keV, each few s (also GOES in standard bands)
To Study photon arrival times statistics (needs some more work on the instrument operation)
To Study small flare statistics
Will supplement RHESSI spectra towards lower energies
Will provide the most exhaustive flare catalogue
SOLAR CORONAL LOOPS WORKSHOP IV , Wednesday, July 1, Janusz Sylwester: Activity - SphinX