Motivation; design, and development of 12-um imaging stokes polarimeters for solar magnetic field studies

Drake Deming; Donald E. Jennings; George H. McCabe; Thomas Moran; Pedro Sada; Kimberly A. Ennico

doi:10.1117/12.460372

11 February 2003 Motivation, deisgn, and development of 12-micron imaging stokes polarimeters for solar magnetic field studies

Drake Deming, Donald E. Jennings, George H. McCabe, Thomas Moran, Pedro Sada, Kimberly A. Ennico

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4853, Innovative Telescopes and Instrumentation for Solar Astrophysics; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.460372
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

We discuss the scientific motivations, design considerations, and development status of imaging Stokes polarimeters based on the extremely Zeeman-senstive infrared emission line of MgI at 12.32 μm. The resolved Zeeman splitting exhibited by this far-infrared line enables significant progress on many problems in solar physics. These problems include vertical gradients in field strength, the magnetic structure of sunspots, the nature of magnetic energy release associated with solar flares, the measurement of horizontal currents in solar active regions, improved measurements of vertical currents, direct measurement of photospheric reconnection, the occurrence and nature of weak magnetic fields, and other problems. We discuss why 12 μm measurements are well suited to these investigations, and we comment on the capability of current instrumentation to enable these studies. Several instruments currently exist to perform 12 μm Stokes polarimetry: a Fabry-Perot system, a grating spectrometer, and the McMath-Pierce Fourier transform spectrometer (which remains crucial for many aspects). We elaborate on some design considerations and development issues, and discuss the optimal approach to be taken in future 12 μm imaging Stokes polarimetry.

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Drake Deming, Donald E. Jennings, George H. McCabe, Thomas Moran, Pedro Sada, and Kimberly A. Ennico "Motivation, deisgn, and development of 12-micron imaging stokes polarimeters for solar magnetic field studies", Proc. SPIE 4853, Innovative Telescopes and Instrumentation for Solar Astrophysics, (11 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.460372

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KEYWORDS

Magnetism

Polarimetry

Solar processes

Fabry–Perot interferometers

Fourier transforms

Sun

Solar energy

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