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THz photometers for solar flare observations from space

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Abstract

The search for the still unrevealed spectral shape of the mysterious THz solar flare emissions is one of the current most challenging research issues. The concept, fabrication and performance of a double THz photometer system, named SOLAR-T, is presented. Its innovative optical setup allows observations of the full solar disk and the detection of small burst transients at the same time. The detecting system was constructed to observe solar flare THz emissions on board of stratospheric balloons. The system has been integrated to data acquisition and telemetry modules for this application. SOLAR-T uses two Golay cell detectors preceded by low-pass filters made of rough surface primary mirrors and membranes, 3 and 7 THz band-pass filters, and choppers. Its photometers can detect small solar bursts (tens of solar flux units) with sub second time resolution. Tests have been conducted to confirm the entire system performance, on ambient and low pressure and temperature conditions. An artificial Sun setup was developed to simulate performance on actual observations. The experiment is planned to be on board of two long-duration stratospheric balloon flights over Antarctica and Russia in 2014–2016.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge discussions and advices received from various experts in the areas of nanotechnology, materials, sensors, data acquisition along the developments which led to the construction of SOLAR-T, specially to J,A. Diniz, E. Grossman, G. Hurford, M.K. Lebedev, R. Lin, A. Semery, A. Shih, J. Swart, G. Trottet and M.B. Zakia. The authors thank one anonymous referee which careful corrections and useful suggestions have improved this presentation. This program was partially funded by Brazil agencies FAPESP (Proc.2010/51861-8), CNPq INCT-NAMITEC, CNPq, and Mackpesquisa, Argentina CONICET and US AFOSR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola de Engenharia, CRAAM, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Pierre Kaufmann, Luis Olavo T. Fernandes & Amauri S. Kudaka

  2. Centro de Componentes Semicondutores, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil

    Pierre Kaufmann & Emilio C. Bortolucci

  3. Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil

    Rogério Marcon

  4. Observaório Solar “Bernard Lyot”, Campinas, SP, Brazil

    Rogério Marcon

  5. Propertech Ltda., Jacareí, SP, Brazil

    André Abrantes & Nelson Machado

  6. Complejo Astronômico El Leoncito, CONICET, San Juan, Argentina

    Adolfo Marun

  7. Samsung Research Institute, Campinas, SP, Brazil

    Alexandre Silva

  8. Neuron Ltda., São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil

    Claudemir S. da Silva

  9. Tydex, LLC, Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Grigory I. Kropotov, Valery Nikolaev & Alexander Timofeevsky

Authors
  1. Pierre Kaufmann
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  2. Rogério Marcon
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  3. André Abrantes
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  4. Emilio C. Bortolucci
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  5. Luis Olavo T. Fernandes
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  6. Grigory I. Kropotov
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  7. Amauri S. Kudaka
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  8. Nelson Machado
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  9. Adolfo Marun
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  10. Valery Nikolaev
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  11. Alexandre Silva
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  12. Claudemir S. da Silva
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  13. Alexander Timofeevsky
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Correspondence to Pierre Kaufmann.

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Kaufmann, P., Marcon, R., Abrantes, A. et al. THz photometers for solar flare observations from space. Exp Astron 37, 579–598 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-014-9389-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-014-9389-y

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