7 research outputs found
Concept and Design of Martian Far-IR ORE Spectrometer (MIRORES)
Sulfide ores are a major source of noble (Au, Ag, and Pt) and base (Cu, Pb, Zn, Sn, Co, Ni, etc.) metals and will, therefore, be vital for the self-sustainment of future Mars colonies. Martian meteorites are rich in sulfides, which is reflected in recent findings for surface Martian rocks analyzed by the Spirit and Curiosity rovers. However, the only high-resolution (18 m/pixel) infrared (IR) spectrometer orbiting Mars, the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), is not well-suited for detecting sulfides on the Martian surface. Spectral interference with silicates impedes sulfide detection in the 0.4–3.9 μm CRISM range. In contrast, at least three common hydrothermal sulfides on Earth and Mars (pyrite, chalcopyrite, marcasite) have prominent absorption peaks in a narrow far-IR (FIR) wavelength range of 23–28 μm. Identifying the global distribution and chemical composition of sulfide ore deposits would help in choosing useful targets for future Mars exploration missions. Therefore, we have designed a new instrument suitable for measuring sulfides in the FIR range called the Martian far-IR Ore Spectrometer (MIRORES). MIRORES will measure radiation in six narrow bands (~0.3 µm in width), including three bands centered on the sulfide absorption bands (23.2, 24.3 and 27.6 µm), two reference bands (21.5 and 26.1) and one band for clinopyroxene interference (29.0 µm). Focusing on sulfides only will make it possible to adapt the instrument size (32 × 32 × 42 cm) and mass (<10 kg) to common microsatellite requirements. The biggest challenges related to this design are: (1) the small field of view conditioned by the high resolution required for such a study (<20 m/pixel), which, in limited space, can only be achieved by the use of the Cassegrain optical system; and (2) a relatively stable measurement temperature to maintain radiometric accuracy and enable precise calibration
Fundamentals of impulsive energy release in the corona
It is essential that there be coordinated and co-optimized observations in
X-rays, gamma-rays, and EUV during the peak of solar cycle 26 (~2036) to
significantly advance our understanding of impulsive energy release in the
corona. The open questions include: What are the physical origins of
space-weather events? How are particles accelerated at the Sun? How is
impulsively released energy transported throughout the solar atmosphere? How is
the solar corona heated? Many of the processes involved in triggering, driving,
and sustaining solar eruptive events -- including magnetic reconnection,
particle acceleration, plasma heating, and energy transport in magnetized
plasmas -- also play important roles in phenomena throughout the Universe. This
set of observations can be achieved through a single flagship mission or, with
foreplanning, through a combination of major missions (e.g., the previously
proposed FIERCE mission concept).Comment: White paper submitted to the Decadal Survey for Solar and Space
Physics (Heliophysics) 2024-2033; 5 pages, 1 figur
XIPE: the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer
X-ray polarimetry, sometimes alone, and sometimes coupled to spectral and
temporal variability measurements and to imaging, allows a wealth of physical
phenomena in astrophysics to be studied. X-ray polarimetry investigates the
acceleration process, for example, including those typical of magnetic
reconnection in solar flares, but also emission in the strong magnetic fields
of neutron stars and white dwarfs. It detects scattering in asymmetric
structures such as accretion disks and columns, and in the so-called molecular
torus and ionization cones. In addition, it allows fundamental physics in
regimes of gravity and of magnetic field intensity not accessible to
experiments on the Earth to be probed. Finally, models that describe
fundamental interactions (e.g. quantum gravity and the extension of the
Standard Model) can be tested. We describe in this paper the X-ray Imaging
Polarimetry Explorer (XIPE), proposed in June 2012 to the first ESA call for a
small mission with a launch in 2017 but not selected. XIPE is composed of two
out of the three existing JET-X telescopes with two Gas Pixel Detectors (GPD)
filled with a He-DME mixture at their focus and two additional GPDs filled with
pressurized Ar-DME facing the sun. The Minimum Detectable Polarization is 14 %
at 1 mCrab in 10E5 s (2-10 keV) and 0.6 % for an X10 class flare. The Half
Energy Width, measured at PANTER X-ray test facility (MPE, Germany) with JET-X
optics is 24 arcsec. XIPE takes advantage of a low-earth equatorial orbit with
Malindi as down-link station and of a Mission Operation Center (MOC) at INPE
(Brazil).Comment: 49 pages, 14 figures, 6 tables. Paper published in Experimental
Astronomy http://link.springer.com/journal/1068
ADAHELI+: Exploring the fast, dynamic Sun in the X-ray, optical, and near-infrared
Advanced Astronomy for Heliophysics Plus (ADAHELI+) is a project concept for a small solar and
space weather mission with a budget compatible with an European Space Agency (ESA) S-class mission,
including launch, and a fast development cycle. ADAHELI+ was submitted to the European Space Agency
by a European-wide consortium of solar physics research institutes in response to the “Call for a small mission
opportunity for a launch in 2017,” of March 9, 2012. The ADAHELI+ project builds on the heritage of the former
ADAHELI mission, which had successfully completed its phase-A study under the Italian Space Agency 2007
Small Mission Programme, thus proving the soundness and feasibility of its innovative low-budget design.
ADAHELI+ is a solar space mission with two main instruments: ISODY+: an imager, based on Fabry–Pérot
interferometers, whose design is optimized to the acquisition of highest cadence, long-duration, multiline spectropolarimetric
images in the visible/near-infrared region of the solar spectrum. XSPO: an x-ray polarimeter for
solar flares in x-rays with energies in the 15 to 35 keV range. ADAHELI+ is capable of performing observations
that cannot be addressed by other currently planned solar space missions, due to their limited telemetry, or by
ground-based facilities, due to the problematic effect of the terrestrial atmospher