We investigated the capability of mapping the solar wind outflow velocity of neutral hydrogen atoms by using synergistic visible-light and ultraviolet observations. We used polarised brightness ...images acquired by the LASCO/SOHO and Mk3/MLSO coronagraphs, and synoptic Lyα line observations of the UVCS/SOHO spectrometer to obtain daily maps of solar wind H I outflow velocity between 1.5 and 4.0 R⊙ on the SOHO plane of the sky during a complete solar rotation (from 1997 June 1 to 1997 June 28). The 28-days data sequence allows us to construct coronal off-limb Carrington maps of the resulting velocities at different heliocentric distances to investigate the space and time evolution of the outflowing solar plasma. In addition, we performed a parameter space exploration in order to study the dependence of the derived outflow velocities on the physical quantities characterising the Lyα emitting process in the corona. Our results are important in anticipation of the future science with the Metis instrument, selected to be part of the Solar Orbiter scientific payload. It was conceived to carry out near-sun coronagraphy, performing for the first time simultaneous imaging in polarised visible-light and ultraviolet H I Lyα line, so providing an unprecedented view of the solar wind acceleration region in the inner corona.
The SPES laser ion source has been tested at ISOLDE Offline 2, CERN. A two-step single resonance photo-ionization scheme has been used to ionize gallium atoms in the SPES tantalum hot-cavity ion ...source. The ion beam time structure, laser enhancement of ion yield, and ionization efficiency are investigated in relation to the ion source temperature and ion load. From the time structures, it is inferred that a significant fraction of the extracted ions are generated in the transfer line rather than just in the hot cavity. The effect of the electrostatic axial field on the movement of ions inside the ion source is discussed. Generally, there is an inverse relationship between total ion load and the laser enhancement factor. This dependency is enhanced at lower operating temperature of the ion source. This is explained by the influence of thermionic electron emission and ion density on the transverse laser-ion confinement, and therefore the survival of ions as they drift towards the extraction region of the ion source. At 2200 °C, the nominal temperature for on-line operation of the ion source, the ratio of laser-ionized to surface-ionized gallium was stable around 55 during the measurement campaign, and independent of the total extracted ion current up to the measured value of 1.1 μA. A resonance laser ionization efficiency value of 27.2% for gallium has been measured.
The report concentrates on a study of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoabsorption spectroscopy of metal atoms and ions using laser plasma generated continuum radiation. The absorption spectra of lowly ...charged ions of lead and bismuth have been obtained using the Dual Laser Plasma (DLP) photoaborption technique. While the RTDLDA code of Zangwill provides a good approximation to the overall spectral shape, the Cowan suite of codes, with input parameters tuned by comparison with spectral lines already identified in the literature are needed to identify unknown lines.
This paper describes the innovative optical design of the Metis coronagraph for the Solar Orbiter ESA-NASA mission. Metis is a multi-wavelength, externally occulted telescope for the imaging of the ...solar corona in both the visible and ultraviolet wavelength ranges. Metis adopts a novel occultation scheme for the solar disk, that we named “inverse external occulter”, for reducing the extremely high thermal load on the instrument at the spacecraft perihelion. The core of the Metis optical design is an aplanatic Gregorian telescope common to both the visible and ultraviolet channels. A suitable dichroic beam-splitter, optimized for transmitting a narrow-band in the ultraviolet (121.6 nm, HI Lyman-α) and reflecting a broadband in the visible (580–640 nm) spectral range, is used to separate the two optical paths. Along the visible light optical path, a liquid crystal electro-optical modulator, used for the first time in space, allows making polarimetric measurements.
In this work we present results of an new experiment related to low energy protons bombardments on nano-structured optical coatings. Multilayer structures protected by different capping layers have ...been fabricated and exposed to low energy protons (1 keV). The experimental parameters have been selected considering the potential application of the coatings to solar mission instrumentation. Future solar missions will investigate the Sun from very close distances and optical components are constantly exposed to low energy ion particles irradiation. The experiment was repeated fixing the proton flux while varying the total dose accumulated. Results show that physical processes occurred at the uppermost interfaces can strongly damage the structure.
In Mediterranean climates, adoption and use of the ET-based scheduling method is limited to regions characterized by considerable contributions to evapotranspiration from fog interception, dew, and ...light rainfall. While the crop evapotranspiration is often accurately estimated, the water balance is frequently in error because a considerable portion of the energy expended is used to vaporize water from the plant surfaces rather from inside the leaves (i.e., transpiration). Growers in regions with considerable fog, dew, and light rainfall are hesitant to use ET-based scheduling because the cumulative crop evapotranspiration between irrigations is often considerably higher than the soil water depletion. A correction for these surface contributions is clearly needed to improve the water balance calculations and to enhance adoption of the ET-based scheduling method. In this paper, we present a simple, practical method to estimate the contribution of fog interception, dew, and light rainfall to daily crop evapotranspiration, and we show how to use the method to improve water balance calculations.
Thin films of silicon carbide (SiC) have been prepared by means of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on sapphire (Al
2
O
3
) and Si(100) substrates with a Nd-YAG laser 1064 nm. We achieved the growth of ...cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) films at the temperatures of 650°C from a SiC target in vacuum. The as-deposited films are morphologically and structurally characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The use of off-axis PLD method placing the sample at 90° with respect to the target leads to a good quality smooth film.
Pump and probe experiments are one of the most attractive and powerful tools offered by a free electron laser facility. In these experiments it is fundamental to pump the system with a particular ...wavelength (usually the fundamental one) and to probe it with a second wavelength (e.g. higher emitted harmonics). Radiation emitted at the fundamental wavelength is 100 or more times the number of photons emitted in higher harmonics; selection of higher harmonics can be therefore critical. Multilayer (ML) mirrors that are able to provide high reflectivity peak at the desired harmonic wavelength while rejecting the fundamental have been designed and their application is foreseen to the FERMI@Elettra FEL beam transport system. The photon beam will be split into two and one of these will pass through a set of ML mirrors optimized for third harmonics selection; this scheme is also useable to realize a delay line in which the few nanosecond time delay will be controlled by changing the mirrors distance. A set of target wavelengths has been considered and multilayer structure materials have been selected. The MLs have been designed using a method based on the control of standing wave distribution at the fundamental and third harmonics wavelength, using a capping layer as a key element to achieve the willing rejection. Fabrication and test of such structures are foreseen.
SWAP (Sun Watcher using Active Pixel system detector and image processing) is a solar imager in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) that has been selected to fly in 2007 on the PROBA 2 technological ...platform, an ESA program. SWAP will use an off-axis Ritchey Chrétien telescope equipped with an EUV enhanced active pixel sensor detector (coated APS). This type of detector has advantages that promise to be very profitable for solar EUV imaging. SWAP will provide solar coronal images at a 1-min cadence in a bandpass centered on 17.5
nm. Observations with this specific wavelength allow detecting phenomena, such as solar flares or EIT-waves, associated with the early phase of coronal mass ejections. Image processing software will be developed that automatically detects these phenomena and sends out space weather warnings. Together with its sister instrument LYRA, also onboard PROBA 2, SWAP will serve as a high performance solar monitoring tool to be used in operational space weather forecasting. The SWAP data will complement the solar observations provided by instruments like SOHO-EIT, and STEREO-SECCHI.
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