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First 7-Wavelength “CT” Image of the Sun Obtained

The sun is energy source for everything on the earth, and all life activities are related with the sun. But some solar activities such as coronal mass ejection and solar proton event, can affect our life. Some spacecraft fault caused by sun activity often occurs, 40% satellite failure induced by space weather, such as solar wind.

To prevent the disaster effect of solar activity, human need to understand the evolution of solar activities, make a warning ahead of disaster solar activity. Research team of Prof. RAO Changhui in Institute of Optics and Electronics (IOE) developed a 7-wavelength tomography imaging system of solar atmosphere. It can complete CT-like observation of the sun. The imaging system has the most imaging channels in the world for solar atmospheric tomographer.

The tomographer can provide 7 wavelengths images sampling the photosphere and chromosphere across a wide height range. The wavelengths of the four photosphere channels are 4305 Å (Gband), 5550 Å, 7057 Å (TiO) and 15653 Å. The corresponding heights of the Hα line (6562.81 Å) and Ca II IR line (8542.1 Å) are the middle chromosphere, the He line (10830 Å) is the corresponding to height of top chromosphere, the bandwidth of the narrowest filter is only 12.5 picometers.

In the following observations, 5500 Å band will be changed by Na line (5890 Å), which employs an atomic optical filter with the bandwidth of 3 picometers. At present, the system has been docked with 1m New Vacuum Solar Telescope of Full-shine Lake Solar Observatory, Yunnan Astronomical Observatory and carry on the routine observation.

Many solar images have obtained. 7-wavelength tomographer will service for space surveillance and space weather forecast.

First 7-wavelength tomographeric images for solar atmosphere
(Image plotted by RAO Changhui)

Contact:
ZHANG Lanqiang
E-mail: lqzhang@ioe.ac.cn
Key Laboratory of Adaptive Optics, Chinese Academy of Sciences(http://english.ioe.cas.cn/)

 

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