The Advanced Solar Observatory

Arthur B. C. Walker II; Wayne L. Bailey; Edward L. Chupp; Hugh S. Hudson; Ronald L. Moore; William T. Roberts; Richard B. Hoover; Shi Tsan Wu

doi:10.1117/12.55729

1 October 1990 The Advanced Solar Observatory

Arthur B. C. Walker II, Wayne L. Bailey, Edward L. Chupp, Hugh S. Hudson, Ronald L. Moore, William T. Roberts, Richard B. Hoover, Shi Tsan Wu

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 29, Issue 10, (October 1990). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.55729

Abstract

We describe a conceptual plan for the development of a comprehensive long duration solar space observatory, the Advanced Solar Observatory (ASO). The ASO is intended to provide solar astronomers with the observational power (spectral, spatial, and temporal resolution, sensitivity, and breadth of wavelength coverage) necessary to address fundamental problems relating to the solar convection zone and activity cycle, the thermal and nonthermal processes that control the transport of energy, mass, and magnetic flux in the solar atmosphere, the generation of the solar wind, and the dynamics of the inner heliosphere. The ASO concept encompasses three proposed space station based instrument ensembles: (i) the High Resolution Telescope Cluster, which includes far ultraviolet, extreme ultraviolet, and x-ray telescopes, (ii) the Pinhole/Occulter Facility, which includes Fourier transform and coded aperture hard x-ray and gamma ray telescopes and occulted ultraviolet and visible light coronagraphs, and (iii) the High Energy Facility, which contains neutron, gamma ray, and low frequency radio spectrometers. Two other facilities, the Orbiting Solar Laboratory, which will contain high resolution visible and ultraviolet telescopes on a free-flying platform, and a package of Global Dynamics Instrumentation will, with the space station ensembles, form a comprehensive capability for solar physics. We describe the scientific program of the ASO, current instrument concepts for the space station based ASO instrument ensembles, and plans for their accommodation on the space station.

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Arthur B. C. Walker II, Wayne L. Bailey, Edward L. Chupp, Hugh S. Hudson, Ronald L. Moore, William T. Roberts, Richard B. Hoover, and Shi Tsan Wu "The Advanced Solar Observatory," Optical Engineering 29(10), (1 October 1990). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.55729

Published: 1 October 1990

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