The Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) aboard the Hinode satellite (formerly called Solar-B) consists of the Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) and the Focal Plane Package (FPP). The OTA is a 50-cm diffraction-limited Gregorian telescope, and the FPP includes the narrowband filtergraph (NFI) and the broadband filtergraph (BFI), plus the Stokes Spectro-Polarimeter (SP). The SOT provides unprecedented high-resolution photometric and vector magnetic images of the photosphere and chromosphere with a very stable point spread function and is equipped with an image-stabilization system with performance better than 0.01 arcsec rms. Together with the other two instruments on Hinode (the X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS)), the SOT is poised to address many fundamental questions about solar magnetohydrodynamics. This paper provides an overview; the details of the instrument are presented in a series of companion papers.

https://opensky.ucar.edu/islandora/object/articles%3A6218/datastream/PDF/view

The Solar Optical Telescope for the Hinode Mission: An Overview

The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) small explorer spacecraft provides simultaneous spectra and images of the photosphere, chromosphere, transition region, and corona with 0.33 – 0.4 arcsec spatial resolution, two-second temporal resolution, and 1 km s−1 velocity resolution over a field-of-view of up to 175 arcsec × 175 arcsec. IRIS was launched into a Sun-synchronous orbit on 27 June 2013 using a Pegasus-XL rocket and consists of a 19-cm UV telescope that feeds a slit-based dual-bandpass imaging spectrograph. IRIS obtains spectra in passbands from 1332 – 1358 A, 1389 – 1407 A, and 2783 – 2834 A, including bright spectral lines formed in the chromosphere (Mg ii h 2803 A and Mg ii k 2796 A) and transition region (C ii 1334/1335 A and Si iv 1394/1403 A). Slit-jaw images in four different passbands (C ii 1330, Si iv 1400, Mg ii k 2796, and Mg ii wing 2830 A) can be taken simultaneously with spectral rasters that sample regions up to 130 arcsec × 175 arcsec at a variety of spatial samplings (from 0.33 arcsec and up). IRIS is sensitive to emission from plasma at temperatures between 5000 K and 10 MK and will advance our understanding of the flow of mass and energy through an interface region, formed by the chromosphere and transition region, between the photosphere and corona. This highly structured and dynamic region not only acts as the conduit of all mass and energy feeding into the corona and solar wind, it also requires an order of magnitude more energy to heat than the corona and solar wind combined. The IRIS investigation includes a strong numerical modeling component based on advanced radiative–MHD codes to facilitate interpretation of observations of this complex region. Approximately eight Gbytes of data (after compression) are acquired by IRIS each day and made available for unrestricted use within a few days of the observation.

/pdf/the-interface-region-imaging-spectrograph-iris-52t0ocd17t.pdf

The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS)

The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) small explorer spacecraft provides simultaneous spectra and images of the photosphere, chromosphere, transition region, and corona with 0.33-0.4 arcsec spatial resolution, 2 s temporal resolution and 1 km/s velocity resolution over a field-of-view of up to 175 arcsec x 175 arcsec. IRIS was launched into a Sun-synchronous orbit on 27 June 2013 using a Pegasus-XL rocket and consists of a 19-cm UV telescope that feeds a slit-based dual-bandpass imaging spectrograph. IRIS obtains spectra in passbands from 1332-1358, 1389-1407 and 2783-2834 Angstrom including bright spectral lines formed in the chromosphere (Mg II h 2803 Angstrom and Mg II k 2796 Angstrom) and transition region (C II 1334/1335 Angstrom and Si IV 1394/1403 Angstrom). Slit-jaw images in four different passbands (C II 1330, Si IV 1400, Mg II k 2796 and Mg II wing 2830 Angstrom) can be taken simultaneously with spectral rasters that sample regions up to 130 arcsec x 175 arcsec at a variety of spatial samplings (from 0.33 arcsec and up). IRIS is sensitive to emission from plasma at temperatures between 5000 K and 10 MK and will advance our understanding of the flow of mass and energy through an interface region, formed by the chromosphere and transition region, between the photosphere and corona. This highly structured and dynamic region not only acts as the conduit of all mass and energy feeding into the corona and solar wind, it also requires an order of magnitude more energy to heat than the corona and solar wind combined. The IRIS investigation includes a strong numerical modeling component based on advanced radiative-MHD codes to facilitate interpretation of observations of this complex region. Approximately eight Gbytes of data (after compression) are acquired by IRIS each day and made available for unrestricted use within a few days of the observation.

/pdf/the-interface-region-imaging-spectrograph-iris-2piw9mvbd7.pdf

We present an overview of solar flares and associated phenomena, drawing upon a wide range of observational data primarily from the RHESSI era Following an introductory discussion and overview of the status of observational capabilities, the article is split into topical sections which deal with different areas of flare phenomena (footpoints and ribbons, coronal sources, relationship to coronal mass ejections) and their interconnections We also discuss flare soft X-ray spectroscopy and the energetics of the process The emphasis is to describe the observations from multiple points of view, while bearing in mind the models that link them to each other and to theory The present theoretical and observational understanding of solar flares is far from complete, so we conclude with a brief discussion of models, and a list of missing but important observations

An Observational Overview of Solar Flares

The CHIANTI spectral code consists of two parts: an atomic database and a suite of computer programs in Python and IDL. Together, they allow the calculation of the optically thin spectrum of astrophysical objects and provide spectroscopic plasma diagnostics for the analysis of astrophysical spectra. The database includes atomic energy levels, wavelengths, radiative transition probabilities, collision excitation rate coefficients, ionization, and recombination rate coefficients, as well as data to calculate free-free, free-bound, and two-photon continuum emission. Version 7.1 has been released, which includes improved data for several ions, recombination rates, and element abundances. In particular, it provides a large expansion of the CHIANTI models for key Fe ions from Fe VIII to Fe XIV to improve the predicted emission in the 50-170 A wavelength range. All data and programs are freely available at http://www.chiantidatabase.org and in SolarSoft, while the Python interface to CHIANTI can be found at http://chiantipy.sourceforge.net.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/763/2/86/pdf

Chianti—an atomic database for emission lines. xiii. soft x-ray improvements and other changes

The EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on Hinode will observe solar corona and upper transition region emission lines in the wavelength ranges 170 – 210 A and 250 – 290 A. The line centroid positions and profile widths will allow plasma velocities and turbulent or non-thermal line broadenings to be measured. We will derive local plasma temperatures and densities from the line intensities. The spectra will allow accurate determination of differential emission measure and element abundances within a variety of corona and transition region structures. These powerful spectroscopic diagnostics will allow identification and characterization of magnetic reconnection and wave propagation processes in the upper solar atmosphere. We will also directly study the detailed evolution and heating of coronal loops. The EIS instrument incorporates a unique two element, normal incidence design. The optics are coated with optimized multilayer coatings. We have selected highly efficient, backside-illuminated, thinned CCDs. These design features result in an instrument that has significantly greater effective area than previous orbiting EUV spectrographs with typical active region 2 – 5 s exposure times in the brightest lines. EIS can scan a field of 6×8.5 arc min with spatial and velocity scales of 1 arc sec and 25 km s−1 per pixel. The instrument design, its absolute calibration, and performance are described in detail in this paper. EIS will be used along with the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) and the X-ray Telescope (XRT) for a wide range of studies of the solar atmosphere.

http://www.rxollc.com/windt/papers/2007_SolPhys_243_19.pdf

C. M. Castelli

Papers

The EUV Imaging Spectrometer for Hinode