First Performance Results of a New Field-Widened Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer for Geocoronal Hα Research

D. D. Gardner; E. J. Mierkiewicz; F. L. Roesler; J. M. Harlander; K. P. Jaehnig; S. M. Nossal; L. M. Haffner

doi:10.1002/2016JA022625

First Performance Results of a New Field-Widened Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer for Geocoronal Hα Research

D. D. Gardner
, E. J. Mierkiewicz
, F. L. Roesler
, J. M. Harlander
, K. P. Jaehnig
, S. M. Nossal
, L. M. Haffner

Physical Sciences

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Saint Cloud State University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

<p> A new, high-resolution &filig;eld-widened spatial heterodyne spectrometer (FW-SHS) designed to observe geocoronal Balmer α (Hα, 6563 Å) emission was installed at Pine Bluff Observatory (PBO) near Madison, Wisconsin. FW-SHS observations were compared with an already well-characterized dual-etalon Fabry-Perot Interferometer (PBO FPI) optimized for Hα, also at PBO. The FW-SHS is a robust Fourier transform instrument that combines a large throughput advantage with high spectral resolution and a relatively long spectral baseline (~10 times that of the PBO FPI) in a compact, versatile instrument with no moving parts.Coincident Hα observations by FW-SHS and PBO FPI were obtained over similar integration times, resolving powers (~67,000 and 80,000 at Hα) and &filig;elds of view (1.8° and 1.4°, respectively). First light FW-SHS observations of Hα intensity and temperature (Doppler width) versus viewing geometry (shadow altitude) show excellent relative agreement with the geocoronal observations previously obtained at PBO by FPI. The FW-SHS has a 640 km/s (14 Å) spectral band pass and is capable of determining geocoronal Hα Doppler shifts on the order of 100 m/s with a temporal resolution on the order of minutes. These characteristics make the FW-SHS well suited for spectroscopic studies of relatively faint (~12–2 R), diffuse-source geocoronal Hα emission from Earthˈs upper thermosphere and exosphere and the interstellar medium in our Galaxy. Current and future FW-SHS observations extend long-term geocoronal hydrogen observation data sets already spanning three solar minima. This paper describes the FW-SHS &filig;rst light performance and Hα observational results collected from observing nights across 2013 and 2014.</p>

Original language	American English
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume	122
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JA022625
State	Published - Jan 1 2017

Keywords

exosphere
geocoronal Balmer-alpha
interstellar medium
spatial heterodyne spectrometer

Disciplines

Astrophysics and Astronomy
Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy

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First Performance Results of a New Field-Widened Spatial HeterodyFinal published version, 1.28 MBLicense: CC BY
First Performance Results of a New Field-Widened Spatial HeterodyFinal published version, 1.28 MBLicense: CC BY

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@article{6c16cd91d64e40ec8df5200df3733b3a,

title = "First Performance Results of a New Field-Widened Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer for Geocoronal Hα Research",

abstract = " A new, high-resolution \&filig;eld-widened spatial heterodyne spectrometer (FW-SHS) designed to observe geocoronal Balmer \α (H\α, 6563 \Å) emission was installed at Pine Bluff Observatory (PBO) near Madison, Wisconsin. FW-SHS observations were compared with an already well-characterized dual-etalon Fabry-Perot Interferometer (PBO FPI) optimized for H\α, also at PBO. The FW-SHS is a robust Fourier transform instrument that combines a large throughput advantage with high spectral resolution and a relatively long spectral baseline (\textasciitilde{}10 times that of the PBO FPI) in a compact, versatile instrument with no moving parts.Coincident H\α observations by FW-SHS and PBO FPI were obtained over similar integration times, resolving powers (\textasciitilde{}67,000 and 80,000 at H\α) and \&filig;elds of view (1.8\° and 1.4\°, respectively). First light FW-SHS observations of H\α intensity and temperature (Doppler width) versus viewing geometry (shadow altitude) show excellent relative agreement with the geocoronal observations previously obtained at PBO by FPI. The FW-SHS has a 640 km/s (14 \Å) spectral band pass and is capable of determining geocoronal H\α Doppler shifts on the order of 100 m/s with a temporal resolution on the order of minutes. These characteristics make the FW-SHS well suited for spectroscopic studies of relatively faint (\textasciitilde{}12\–2 R), diffuse-source geocoronal H\α emission from Earthˈs upper thermosphere and exosphere and the interstellar medium in our Galaxy. Current and future FW-SHS observations extend long-term geocoronal hydrogen observation data sets already spanning three solar minima. This paper describes the FW-SHS \&filig;rst light performance and H\α observational results collected from observing nights across 2013 and 2014.",

keywords = "exosphere, geocoronal Balmer-alpha, interstellar medium, spatial heterodyne spectrometer",

author = "Gardner, \{D. D.\} and Mierkiewicz, \{E. J.\} and Roesler, \{F. L.\} and Harlander, \{J. M.\} and Jaehnig, \{K. P.\} and Nossal, \{S. M.\} and Haffner, \{L. M.\}",

year = "2017",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1002/2016JA022625",

language = "American English",

volume = "122",

journal = "Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics",

issn = "2169-9402",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - First Performance Results of a New Field-Widened Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer for Geocoronal Hα Research

AU - Gardner, D. D.

AU - Mierkiewicz, E. J.

AU - Roesler, F. L.

AU - Harlander, J. M.

AU - Jaehnig, K. P.

AU - Nossal, S. M.

AU - Haffner, L. M.

PY - 2017/1/1

Y1 - 2017/1/1

N2 - A new, high-resolution &filig;eld-widened spatial heterodyne spectrometer (FW-SHS) designed to observe geocoronal Balmer α (Hα, 6563 Å) emission was installed at Pine Bluff Observatory (PBO) near Madison, Wisconsin. FW-SHS observations were compared with an already well-characterized dual-etalon Fabry-Perot Interferometer (PBO FPI) optimized for Hα, also at PBO. The FW-SHS is a robust Fourier transform instrument that combines a large throughput advantage with high spectral resolution and a relatively long spectral baseline (~10 times that of the PBO FPI) in a compact, versatile instrument with no moving parts.Coincident Hα observations by FW-SHS and PBO FPI were obtained over similar integration times, resolving powers (~67,000 and 80,000 at Hα) and &filig;elds of view (1.8° and 1.4°, respectively). First light FW-SHS observations of Hα intensity and temperature (Doppler width) versus viewing geometry (shadow altitude) show excellent relative agreement with the geocoronal observations previously obtained at PBO by FPI. The FW-SHS has a 640 km/s (14 Å) spectral band pass and is capable of determining geocoronal Hα Doppler shifts on the order of 100 m/s with a temporal resolution on the order of minutes. These characteristics make the FW-SHS well suited for spectroscopic studies of relatively faint (~12–2 R), diffuse-source geocoronal Hα emission from Earthˈs upper thermosphere and exosphere and the interstellar medium in our Galaxy. Current and future FW-SHS observations extend long-term geocoronal hydrogen observation data sets already spanning three solar minima. This paper describes the FW-SHS &filig;rst light performance and Hα observational results collected from observing nights across 2013 and 2014.

AB - A new, high-resolution &filig;eld-widened spatial heterodyne spectrometer (FW-SHS) designed to observe geocoronal Balmer α (Hα, 6563 Å) emission was installed at Pine Bluff Observatory (PBO) near Madison, Wisconsin. FW-SHS observations were compared with an already well-characterized dual-etalon Fabry-Perot Interferometer (PBO FPI) optimized for Hα, also at PBO. The FW-SHS is a robust Fourier transform instrument that combines a large throughput advantage with high spectral resolution and a relatively long spectral baseline (~10 times that of the PBO FPI) in a compact, versatile instrument with no moving parts.Coincident Hα observations by FW-SHS and PBO FPI were obtained over similar integration times, resolving powers (~67,000 and 80,000 at Hα) and &filig;elds of view (1.8° and 1.4°, respectively). First light FW-SHS observations of Hα intensity and temperature (Doppler width) versus viewing geometry (shadow altitude) show excellent relative agreement with the geocoronal observations previously obtained at PBO by FPI. The FW-SHS has a 640 km/s (14 Å) spectral band pass and is capable of determining geocoronal Hα Doppler shifts on the order of 100 m/s with a temporal resolution on the order of minutes. These characteristics make the FW-SHS well suited for spectroscopic studies of relatively faint (~12–2 R), diffuse-source geocoronal Hα emission from Earthˈs upper thermosphere and exosphere and the interstellar medium in our Galaxy. Current and future FW-SHS observations extend long-term geocoronal hydrogen observation data sets already spanning three solar minima. This paper describes the FW-SHS &filig;rst light performance and Hα observational results collected from observing nights across 2013 and 2014.

KW - exosphere

KW - geocoronal Balmer-alpha

KW - interstellar medium

KW - spatial heterodyne spectrometer

UR - https://commons.erau.edu/publication/391

U2 - 10.1002/2016JA022625

DO - 10.1002/2016JA022625

M3 - Article

SN - 2169-9402

VL - 122

JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

ER -

First Performance Results of a New Field-Widened Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer for Geocoronal Hα Research

Abstract

Keywords

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