The ADAHELI solar mission: Investigating the structure of Sun´s lower atmosphere
Year: 2010
Authors: Berrilli F., Bigazzi A., Roselli L., Sabatini P., Velli M., Alimenti F., Cavallini F., Greco V., Moretti P. F., Orsini S., Romoli M., White S. M., Ascani, L., Carbone V., Curti F., Consolini G., Di Mauro M.P., Del Moro D., Egidi A., Ermolli I., Giordano S., Pastena M., Pulcino V., Pietropaolo E., Romano, P., Ventura P., Cauzzi G., Valdettaro L., Zuccarello F.
Autors Affiliation: Altran Italia SpA, I-00185 Rome, Italy; Univ Roma Tor Vergata, Dipartimento Fis, I-00133 Rome, Italy; Univ Perugia, Dipartimento Ingn Elettron & Informaz, I-06125 Perugia, Italy; Carlo Gavazzi Space SpA, I-20151 Milan, Italy; CALTECH, Jet Prop Lab, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA; INAF Oss Astrofis Arcetri, I-50125 Florence, Italy; INOA Ist Naz Ott Applicata, I-50125 Florence, Italy; Headquarters Consiglio Nazl Ric, I-00185 Rome, Italy; INAF IFSI Area Tor Vergata, I-00133 Rome, Italy; Univ Florence, Dipartimento Astron & Sci Spazio, I-50125 Florence, Italy; Univ Maryland, Dept Astron, College Pk, MD 20742 USA.
Abstract: ADAHELI (A Dvanced Astronomy for HELlophysics) is a small-class (500 kg) low-budget (50 MEuro) satellite mission for the study of the solar photosphere and the chromosphere and for monitoring solar flare emission. ADAHELI’s design has completed its Phase-A feasibility study in December 2008, in the framework of ASI’s (Agenzia Spaziale ltaliana) 2007 Small Missions Program (calling for two missions at 50 MEeuros each, plus the launch budget). ADAHELI’s main purpose is to explore Sun’s lower atmosphere in the near-infrared, a region so far unexplored by solar observations from space. ADAHELI will carry out observations of the solar photosphere and of the chromosphere at high-temporal rate and high spatial and spectral resolutions. ADAHELI will contribute to the understanding of Space Weather through the study of particle acceleration during flares. A radiometer operating in the millimeter radio band will continuously monitor the solar disk, throughout the spacecraft’s life time. ADAHELI’s baseline instruments are a 50-cm high resolution telescope operating in the visible and the near-infrared, and a lightweight full-disk radiometer operating at millimeter wavelengths (90 GHz). The core of the telescope’s focal plane suite is the spectral imager based on two Fabry-Perot interferometers, flying for the first time on a solar mission. The instrument will return fast-cadence, full bi-dimensional spectral images at high-resolution, thus improving on current slit-scan, mono-dimensional architectures. Moreover, the possibility of working in polarized light will enable full 3D magnetic field reconstruction on the photosphere and the chromosphere. An optional instrumental package is also being proposed to further extend ADAHELI’s scope: a full-disk telescope for helioseismology based on a double Magneto-Optical Filter, a Neutral Particle Analyzer for magnetospheric research, an Extreme Ultraviolet imaging and spectro-radiometry instrument. These options fall outside the prescribed budget. ADAHELI, flying a Sun-Synchronous orbit at 800 km, will perform continuous, long-duration (4-h), daily acquisitions, with the possibility of extending them up to 24 h. ADAHELI’s operating life is two years, plus one extension year. Launch would be nominally planned for 2014.
Journal/Review: ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH
Volume: 45 (10) Pages from: 1191 to: 1202
KeyWords: Sun: photosphere; Sun: chromosphere; Methods: space missionDOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2010.01.026Citations: 30data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-11-17References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)Connecting to view paper tab on IsiWeb: Click hereConnecting to view citations from IsiWeb: Click here