BepiColombo, a cornerstone mission of European Space Agency (ESA) in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), will explore Mercury the planet closest to the Sun. This first European mission toward Mercury will be launched in October 2018 from the Guiana Space Centre, on a journey lasting up to six and a half years. The data that will be brought back from the two orbiters will tell us about Mercury’s surface, the atmospheric composition, and the magnetospheric dynamics; it will also contribute to understanding the history and formation of terrestrial planets. Probing of Hermean Exosphere by Ultraviolet Spectroscopy (PHEBUS) is a double spectrometer that will be flown on the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) one of the two BepiColombo orbiters. This French-led instrument was developed with the purpose of detecting emission lines from Mercury’s exosphere to reveal its composition and distribution, in the wide UV range 55 nm - 315 nm and by recording full spectra. In this paper, we present the instrument design by focusing on the optical subsystems and giving a technical feedback of the major challenges we had to face. We also introduce the calibration philosophy and the main performance results of the instrument.
Nicolas Rouanet, Jean Francois Mariscal, Jean-Luc Maria, Pierre-Olivier Mine, Ichiro Yoshikawa, Kazuo Yoshioka, Go Murakami, Victor Gnedykh, Piergiorgio Nicolosi, Sébastien Gallet, Jean-Baptiste Rigal, Eric Quemerais, François Leblanc, Eric Chassefiere, Jean-Pierre Goutail
PHEBUS (Probing of Hermean Exosphere by Ultraviolet Spectroscopy) is a double ultraviolet spectrometer for the MPO (Mercury Planetary Orbiter) of the ESA BepiColombo cornerstone mission, which is dedicated to the study of Mercury. The goal of this instrument is to detect emission lines of Mercury exosphere in the bandwidth between 55 to 315 nm by recording full spectra. The instrument is basically composed of two ultraviolet spectrophotometers and one scanning mirror with a single axis of rotation. This movable mirror will collect the light coming from the exosphere above the limb onto the entrance slit of the spectrometers. The mirror is protected from straylight by an entrance baffle characterized by a good rejection capability. Each detector has a specific range of wavelengths: the EUV (Extreme UV) channel spreads from 55 to 155 nm, and the FUV (Far UV) channel from 145 to 315 nm. A couple of photomultipliers receive two additional wavelengths in the Near UV range (NUV) at 404 and 422 nm.
PHEBUS (Probing of Hermean Exosphere by Ultraviolet Spectroscopy) is a double spectrometer for the Extreme Ultraviolet range (55-155 nm) and the Far Ultraviolet range (145-315 nm) dedicated to the characterization of Mercury’s exosphere composition and dynamics, and surface-exosphere connections. PHEBUS is part of the ESA BepiColombo cornerstone mission payload devoted to the study of Mercury. The BepiColombo mission consists of two spacecrafts: the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) and the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) on which PHEBUS will be mounted. PHEBUS is a French-led instrument implemented in a cooperative scheme involving Japan (detectors), Russia (scanner) and Italy (ground calibration). Before launch, PHEBUS team want to perform a full absolute calibration on ground, in addition to calibrations which will be made in-flight, in order to know the instrument’s response as precisely as possible. Instrument overview and calibration philosophy are introduced along with the first lights results observed by a first prototype.
The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) telescopes and spectrometers have been used as powerful tools in a variety of space applications, especially in planetary science. Many EUV instruments adopted microchannel plate (MCP) detection systems with resistive anode encoders (RAEs). An RAE is one of the position sensitive anodes suitable for space-based applications because of its low power, mass, and volume coupled with very high reliability. However, this detection system with RAE has limitations of resolution (up to 512 x 512 pixels) and incident count rate (up to ~104 count/sec). Concerning the future space and planetary missions, a new detector with different position sensitive system is required in order to a higher resolution and dynamic range of incident photons. One of the solutions of this issue is using a CMOS imaging sensor. The CMOS imaging sensor with high resolution and high radiation tolerance has been widely used. Here we developed a new CMOS-coupled MCP detector for future UV space and planetary missions. It consists of MCPs followed by a phosphor screen, fiber optic plate, and a windowless CMOS. We manufactured a test model of this detector and performed vibration, thermal cycle, and performance tests. The test sample of FOP-coupled CMOS image sensor achieved the resolving limit of 32 lp/mm and the PSF of 28 um, corresponds to the spatial resolution of 1024 x 1024 pixels. Our results indicate that this new type of UV detector can be widely used for future space applications.
The Extreme Ultraviolet Imagers (EUVIs) were launched on 21st July 2012 as payloads to the Exposed Facility
of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EF) on the International Space Station. The EUVIs are parts of the IMAP
(Ionosphere, Mesosphere, upper Atmosphere, and Plasmasphere mapping) mission to observe the Earth’s upper
atmosphere, mesosphere, ionosphere, thermosphere and plasmasphere. The other part of IMAP is a visible and near-infrared
spectral imager (VISI). In this mission, we install two independent and identical telescopes. One telescope
detects the terrestrial EUV emission from O+ (at the wavelength of 83.4 nm), and the other one detects He+ (30.4 nm). At
the altitude of approximately 400 km, the two telescopes direct towards the Earth’s limb to look at the ionosphere and
plasmasphere from the inside-out. The maximum spatial resolution is 0.1° and time resolution is 1 minute. The optical
instruments consist of multilayer coated mirrors which are optimized for 30.4 nm, metallic thin filters and 5-stage
microchannel plates to pick up photon events efficiently. In our presentation, we report the mission overview, the
instruments and the result of ground calibrations.
The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) telescope EXCEED (Extreme Ultraviolet Spectroscope for Exospheric
Dynamics) onboard the Japan's small satellite SPRINT-A will be launched in August 2013. The EXCEED instrument
will observe tenuous gases and plasmas around the planets in the solar system (e.g., Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and
Saturn). The EXCEED instrument is designed to have a spectral range of 60-145 nm with a spectral resolution of 0.4-1.0
nm. The instrument has a field of view of 400” x 140” (maximum), and the attitude fluctuations are stabilized within ±5".
The optics of the instrument consists of an entrance mirror with a diameter of 200 mm, three types of slits, two types of
filters, a laminar type grating, and a 5-stage microchannel plate assembly with a resistive anode encoder. In this paper,
we report the general mission overview, the instrumentations, and the results of ground calibrations.
EXtreme ultraviolet spectrosCope for ExosphEric Dynamics (EXCEED) will carry out the extreme ultraviolet
(EUV) spectroscopic imaging observations from earth orbit. It clarifies the plasma distributions and compositions around
the various planets and examines the interactions with the solar wind. Observations should be carried out at high altitude
so that the earth's atmospheric absorption is free. Our spectral range is from 60 to 145 nm and the spectral resolution is
0.2 to 0.5 nm (FWHM). The mission is planned to be launched in 2013, beginning of the next period of solar maximum.
In this paper, we will introduce the general mission overview, scientific objectives and development of instrument.
EXtreme ultraviolet spectrosCope for ExosphEric Dynamics (EXCEED) is the earth-orbiting Extreme
Ultraviolet (EUV) spectroscope mission which dedicates to the planetary space science. Our mission will carry out the
EUV spectroscopic imaging which clarifies the plasma distributions and compositions around the planets and examines
the interaction with the solar wind. Orbital altitude should be enough high so that the earth's atmospheric absorption is
free. The spectral range of the mission is from 60 to 145 nm and the resolution is 0.2 to 0.5 nm FWHM. The mission is
planned to be launched in 2013, beginning of the next period of solar maximum. In this paper, we will introduce the
general mission overview, its instrument and its scientific targets.
EXtreme ultraviolet spectrosCope for ExosphEric Dynamics (EXCEED) is an earth-orbiting space Extreme
Ultraviolet (EUV) telescope mission. The satellite will be launched in 2012 by a Japanese new solid propulsion rocket
and injected into the elliptic orbit around the earth. The orbital altitude is 900 to 1200 km for perigee and apogee
respectively. EXCEED will make EUV spectroscopic and imaging observations of plasma space around various planets
in our solar system. The wavelength range is from 60 to 145 nm and the resolution is 0.2 to 0.5 nm FWHM. It enables us
to study Io plasma torus of Jupiter, and interaction of the solar wind with the upper atmosphere of the terrestrial planets
and their escape. In this paper, we will introduce the mission overview and its instrument especially for holographic
grating which is coated by Chemical vapor deposited silicon carbide.
EXtreme ultraviolet spectrosCope for ExosphEric Dynamics (EXCEED) is an earth-orbiting space Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) telescope mission that will be launched in 2012 and injected into the orbit around the earth. EXCEED will make observations of plasma space in various planets in our solar system. It is very important to put on an observing site beyond the atmospheric absorption when we observe EUV spectral range, and which enables us to study Io plasma
torus of Jupiter, and interaction of the solar wind with the upper atmosphere of the planets and their escape. In this paper,
we will introduce the mission overview, its instrument, and the scientific targets.
A multilayer coating mirror of Mo/Si is usually used for space science in the spectral range of extreme ultraviolet (EUV),
especially for He-II (30.4 nm) radiation, because it is highly stable under vacuum and atmosphere. It has the fairly high
reflectivity of 15-20%. However, the space science community needs the coating of higher reflectivity at 30.4 nm
radiation for the future satellite missions, especially for the small satellite (to reduce the size of optics). In this work, for
developing a new multilayer mirror for He-II radiation, we report the performance of a multilayer consisting of Mg/SiC
and the aging in reflectivity under atmosphere and vacuum.
A multilayer coating mirror of Mo/Si is usually used for space science in the spectral range of extreme ultraviolet (EUV), especially for He-II (30.4 nm) radiation, because it is highly stable under vacuum and atmosphere. It has the fairly high reflectivity of 15-20%. But the space science community needs the coating of higher reflectivity at 30.4 nm radiation for the future satellite missions, especially for the small satellite (to reduce the size of optics). In this work, for developing a new multilayer mirror for He-II radiation, we report the performance of a multilayer consisting of Mg/SiC and the aging in reflectivity under atmosphere and vacuum.
A multilayer coating mirror of Mo/Si is usually integrated into an EUV optics for space science, especially for He-II (30.4 nm) radiation, because it is highly stable under vacuum and atmosphere and achieves the fairly high reflectance of 15-20%. But space science community needs the coating of higher reflectance at 30.4 nm radiation for the future satellite missions. In this work, to develop a new multilayer mirror of He-II radiation, we report the design of a multilayer consisting of a pair of Mg and SiC, and its production, and aging change of the reflectance under the atmosphere and vacuum circumstance.
A multilayer coating of Mo/Si is usually used as an EUV optics for space science, especially for He-II (30.4nm) radiation, because it is highly stable under vacuum and atmosphere. The fairly high reflectivity of 15-20% was achieved. But space science community will need higher reflective coating at 30.4 nm radiation for the future satellite missions. In this work, for developing new multilayer mirror of He-II radiations, we report the design of a multilayer, consisting of a pair of Mg and SiC, and its fabrication, and result of the reflectance with the monthly degradation under the atmosphere circumstance.
Extreme and far ultraviolet imaging spectrometers will be boarded on the low-altitude satellite of the upcoming mercury msision (the BepiColombo mission) conducted by ISAS and ESA. The UV instrument, consisting of the two spectrometers with common electronics, aims at measuring, (1) emission lines from molecules, atoms and ions present in the Mercury's tenuous atmosphere, and (2) the reflectance spectrum of Mercury's surface. The instrument pursues a complete coverage in UV spectroscopy. The extreme UV spectrometer covers the spectral range of 30-150 nm with the field of view of 5.0 degree, and the spectrum from 130 nm to 430 nm is obtained by the far UV spectrometer. The extreme UV spectrometer employs a Mo/Si multi-layer coating to enhance its sensitivity at particular emission lines. This technology enables us to identify small ionospheric signals such as He II (30.4nm) and Na II (37.2nm), which the previous mission could not identify.
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