The performance of THz photometers for solar flare observations from space

Author

Kaufmann, Paul ; Fernandes, L.O.T. ; Kudaka, A.S. ; Marcon, R. ; Bortolucci, E.C. ; Machado, Nelson ; Abrantes, A. ; da Silva, C.M. ; Nicolaev, V. ; Timofeevsky, A. ; Marun, A.

Author_Institution

Escola de Eng., Craam Univ. Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Sao Paulo, Brazil

fYear

2013

fDate

4-7 Aug. 2013

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

5

Abstract

The performance of the double THz photometers system is presented. It is the first detection device conceived to observed solar flare THz emissions on board of stratospheric balloons. The system, named SOLAR-T, has been built, integrated to data acquisition and telemetry modules developed for this application, and tested. It utilizes two Golay cell detectors preceded by low-pass filters, 3 and 7 THz band-pass filters, and choppers. SOLAR-T photometers can detect relative temperature variations smaller than 1 K with sub second time resolution. It is intended to determine the still unrevealed spectral shape of the mysterious THz solar flares emissions. The experiment is planned to fly on board of two long-duration stratospheric balloon flights over Antarctica and Russia in 2014-2016.

Keywords

aerospace instrumentation; astronomical spectra; balloons; band-pass filters; photometers; radioastronomical techniques; solar flares; terahertz wave detectors; terahertz wave spectra; AD 2014 to 2016; Golay cell detectors; SOLAR-T photometers; SOLAR-T system; THz photometer performance; band pass filters; choppers; data acquisition modules; detection device; double THz photometer system; frequency 3 THz; frequency 7 THz; long duration stratospheric balloon; low pass filters; relative temperature variations; solar flare THz emission observations; space based solar flare observations; stratospheric balloons; telemetry modules; Image resolution; Lead; Mirrors; Rough surfaces; Surface roughness; THz detectors; THz filters; THz photometers; solar flares; stratospheric balloon platform;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Microwave & Optoelectronics Conference (IMOC), 2013 SBMO/IEEE MTT-S International

Conference_Location

Rio de Janeiro

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IMOC.2013.6646431

Filename

6646431