Solar CIV vacuum-ultraviolet Fabry-Perot interferometers

¹ National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, AL, 35812, USA e-mail: Allen.Gary@nasa.gov
² Hovemere Ltd., Sevenoaks, Kent, TN145HD, UK e-mail: Hovemere@yahoo.co.uk
³ Remote Sensor Concepts, Washington, DC, 20010, USA e-mail: Jack.McKay@verizon.net
⁴ Cascade Optical Corporation, Santa Ana, CA, 92705, USA e-mail: MZukic@c-optical.com
⁵ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S-3G4, Canada e-mail: HermanP@ecf.utoronto.ca

Received: 13 July 2006
Accepted: 23 September 2006

Abstract

Aims.A tunable, high spectral resolution, high effective finesse, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) is designed for obtaining narrow-passband images, magnetograms, and Dopplergrams of the transition region emission line of CIV (155 nm).

Methods.The integral part of the CIV narrow passband filter package (with a 2–10 pm FWHM) consists of a multiple etalon system composed of a tunable interferometer that provides high-spectral resolution and a static low-spectral resolution interferometer that allows a large effective free spectral range. The prefilter for the interferometers is provided by a set of four mirrors with dielectric high-reflective coatings. A tunable VUV piezoelectric-control interferometer has undergone testing using the surrogate F₂ eximer laser line at 157 nm for the CIV line. We present the results of these tests with a description of the overall concept for a complete narrow-band CIV spectral filter. The static interferometer of the filter will be built using a set of fixed MgF₂ plates. The four-mirror prefilter is designed to have dielectric multilayer Π-stacks employing the concept used in the Ultraviolet Imager of NASA's Polar Spacecraft. A 10-pm dual etalon system allows the effective free spectral range to be commensurate with the prefilter profile. With an additional etalon, a triple etalon system would allow a spectrographic resolution of 2 pm. The basic strategy has been to combine the expertise of spaceflight etalon manufacturing with VUV coating technology to build a VUV FPI which combines the best attributes of imagers and spectrographs into a single compact instrument.

Results.High spectral-resolution spectro-polarimetry observations of the transition region CIV emission can be performed to increase our understanding of the magnetic forces, mass motion, evolution, and energy release within the solar atmosphere at the base of the corona where most of the magnetic field is approximately force-free. The 2D imaging of the full vector magnetic field at the height of maximum magnetic influence (minimum plasma beta) can be accomplished, albeit difficult, by measuring the Zeeman splitting of the CIV resonance pair. Designs of multiple VUV FPIs can be developed for integration into future orbiting solar observatories to obtain rapid cadence, spectral imaging of the transition region.