GREGOR: Optics Redesign and Updates from 2018-2020

The GREGOR telescope was inaugurated in 2012. In 2018, we started a complete upgrade, involving optics, alignment, instrumentation, mechanical upgrades for vibration reduction, updated control systems, and building enhancements and, in addition, adapted management and policies. This paper describes all major updates performed during this time. Since 2012, all powered mirrors except for M1 were exchanged. Starting from 2020, GREGOR observes with diffraction-limited performance and a new optics and instrument layout.Comment: Accepted by A&A, 10 page

GREGOR Fabry-Perot Interferometer - status report and prospects

The GREGOR Fabry-Perot Interferometer (GFPI) is one of three first-light instruments of the German 1.5-meter GREGOR solar telescope at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain. The GFPI allows fast narrow-band imaging and post-factum image restoration. The retrieved physical parameters will be a fundamental building block for understanding the dynamic Sun and its magnetic field at spatial scales down to 50 km on the solar surface. The GFPI is a tunable dual-etalon system in a collimated mounting. It is designed for spectropolarimetric observations over the wavelength range from 530-860 nm with a theoretical spectral resolution of R ~ 250,000. The GFPI is equipped with a full-Stokes polarimeter. Large-format, high-cadence CCD detectors with powerful computer hard- and software enable the scanning of spectral lines in time spans equivalent to the evolution time of solar features. The field-of-view of 50" x 38" covers a significant fraction of the typical area of active regions. We present the main characteristics of the GFPI including advanced and automated calibration and observing procedures. We discuss improvements in the optical design of the instrument and show first observational results. Finally, we lay out first concrete ideas for the integration of a second FPI, the Blue Imaging Solar Spectrometer, which will explore the blue spectral region below 530 nm.Comment: 18 pages, 9 Figures, 4 Tables, "Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation", Amsterdam, 1-6 July 2012, SPIE Proc. 8446-276, in pres

Subpixel real-time jitter detection algorithm and implementation for polarimetric and helioseismic imager

The polarimetric and helioseismic imager instrument for the Solar Orbiter mission from the European Space Agency requires a high stability while capturing images, specially for the polarimetric ones. For this reason, an image stabilization system has been included in the instrument. It uses global motion estimation techniques to estimate the jitter in real time with subpixel resolution. Due to instrument requirements, the algorithm has to be implemented in a Xilinx Virtex-4QV field programmable gate array. The algorithm includes a 2-D paraboloid interpolation algorithm based on 2-D bisection. We describe the algorithm implementation and the tests that have been made to verify its performance. The jitter estimation has a mean error of 125  pixel of the correlation tracking camera. The paraboloid interpolation algorithm provides also better results in terms of resources and time required for the calculation (at least a 20% improvement in both cases) than those based on direct calculation

The 2019 surface acoustic waves roadmap

Today, surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and bulk acoustic waves are already two of the very few phononic technologies of industrial relevance and can been found in a myriad of devices employing these nanoscale earthquakes on a chip. Acoustic radio frequency filters, for instance, are integral parts of wireless devices. SAWs in particular find applications in life sciences and microfluidics for sensing and mixing of tiny amounts of liquids. In addition to this continuously growing number of applications, SAWs are ideally suited to probe and control elementary excitations in condensed matter at the limit of single quantum excitations. Even collective excitations, classical or quantum are nowadays coherently interfaced by SAWs. This wide, highly diverse, interdisciplinary and continuously expanding spectrum literally unites advanced sensing and manipulation applications. Remarkably, SAW technology is inherently multiscale and spans from single atomic or nanoscopic units up even to the millimeter scale. The aim of this Roadmap is to present a snapshot of the present state of surface acoustic wave science and technology in 2019 and provide an opinion on the challenges and opportunities that the future holds from a group of renown experts, covering the interdisciplinary key areas, ranging from fundamental quantum effects to practical applications of acoustic devices in life science

Magnetic fields inferred by Solar Orbiter: A comparison between SO/PHI-HRT and SDO/HMI

Context. The High Resolution Telescope (HRT) of the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager on board the Solar Orbiter spacecraft (SO/PHI) and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) both infer the photospheric magnetic field from polarised light images. SO/PHI is the first magnetograph to move out of the Sun–Earth line and will provide unprecedented access to the Sun’s poles. This provides excellent opportunities for new research wherein the magnetic field maps from both instruments are used simultaneously. Aims. We aim to compare the magnetic field maps from these two instruments and discuss any possible differences between them. Methods. We used data from both instruments obtained during Solar Orbiter’s inferior conjunction on 7 March 2022. The HRT data were additionally treated for geometric distortion and degraded to the same resolution as HMI. The HMI data were re-projected to correct for the 3° separation between the two observatories. Results. SO/PHI-HRT and HMI produce remarkably similar line-of-sight magnetograms, with a slope coefficient of 0.97, an offset below 1 G, and a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.97. However, SO/PHI-HRT infers weaker line-of-sight fields for the strongest fields. As for the vector magnetic field, SO/PHI-HRT was compared to both the 720-second and 90-second HMI vector magnetic field: SO/PHI-HRT has a closer alignment with the 90-second HMI vector. In the weak signal regime (< 600 G), SO/PHI-HRT measures stronger and more horizontal fields than HMI, very likely due to the greater noise in the SO/PHI-HRT data. In the strong field regime (≳600 G), HRT infers lower field strengths but with similar inclinations (a slope of 0.92) and azimuths (a slope of 1.02). The slope values are from the comparison with the HMI 90-second vector. Possible reasons for the differences found between SO/PHI-HRT and HMI magnetic field parameters are discussed.Sección Deptal. de Óptica (Óptica)Fac. de Óptica y OptometríaTRUEBMWi - Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (Alemania)AEI/MCIN/10.13039/501100011033Ministerio de ciencia e innovación de EspañaInstituto Astrofísico de Andalucía (España)Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (Fondos FEDER)Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) (Francia)CSIC (Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas) (España)pu

Slow Solar Wind Connection Science during Solar Orbiter’s First Close Perihelion Passage

The Slow Solar Wind Connection Solar Orbiter Observing Plan (Slow Wind SOOP) was developed to utilize the extensive suite of remote-sensing and in situ instruments on board the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission to answer significant outstanding questions regarding the origin and formation of the slow solar wind. The Slow Wind SOOP was designed to link remote-sensing and in situ measurements of slow wind originating at open–closed magnetic field boundaries. The SOOP ran just prior to Solar Orbiter’s first close perihelion passage during two remote-sensing windows (RSW1 and RSW2) between 2022 March 3–6 and 2022 March 17–22, while Solar Orbiter was at respective heliocentric distances of 0.55–0.51 and 0.38–0.34 au from the Sun. Coordinated observation campaigns were also conducted by Hinode and IRIS. The magnetic connectivity tool was used, along with low-latency in situ data and full-disk remote-sensing observations, to guide the target pointing of Solar Orbiter. Solar Orbiter targeted an active region complex during RSW1, the boundary of a coronal hole, and the periphery of a decayed active region during RSW2. Postobservation analysis using the magnetic connectivity tool, along with in situ measurements from MAG and SWA/PAS, showed that slow solar wind originating from two out of three of the target regions arrived at the spacecraft with velocities between ∼210 and 600 km s−1. The Slow Wind SOOP, despite presenting many challenges, was very successful, providing a blueprint for planning future observation campaigns that rely on the magnetic connectivity of Solar Orbiter

The 2019 surface acoustic waves roadmap

Abstract Today, surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and bulk acoustic waves are already two of the very few phononic technologies of industrial relevance and can been found in a myriad of devices employing these nanoscale earthquakes on a chip. Acoustic radio frequency filters, for instance, are integral parts of wireless devices. SAWs in particular find applications in life sciences and microfluidics for sensing and mixing of tiny amounts of liquids. In addition to this continuously growing number of applications, SAWs are ideally suited to probe and control elementary excitations in condensed matter at the limit of single quantum excitations. Even collective excitations, classical or quantum are nowadays coherently interfaced by SAWs. This wide, highly diverse, interdisciplinary and continuously expanding spectrum literally unites advanced sensing and manipulation applications. Remarkably, SAW technology is inherently multiscale and spans from single atomic or nanoscopic units up even to the millimeter scale. The aim of this Roadmap is to present a snapshot of the present state of surface acoustic wave science and technology in 2019 and provide an opinion on the challenges and opportunities that the future holds from a group of renown experts, covering the interdisciplinary key areas, ranging from fundamental quantum effects to practical applications of acoustic devices in life science.EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 642688 (SAWtrain)

SO/PHI - ISS Image Stabilization System for the Solar Orbiter Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager : Schlussbericht zum Vorhaben "Entwicklung der Bildstabilisierungseinheit ISS für das Instrument PHI auf Solar Orbiter" ; Förderzeitraum: 01.07.2012-31.12.2016

[no abstract available

Pyrazolate-based cobalt(II)-containing metal-organic frameworks in heterogeneous catalytic oxidation reactions: elucidating the role of entatic states for biomimetic oxidation processes

Crystal structures of two metal–organic frameworks (MFU‐1 and MFU‐2) are presented, both of which contain redox‐active CoII centres coordinated by linear 1,4‐bis[(3,5‐dimethyl)pyrazol‐4‐yl] ligands. In contrast to many MOFs reported previously, these compounds show excellent stability against hydrolytic decomposition. Catalytic turnover is achieved in oxidation reactions by employing tert‐butyl hydroperoxide and the solid catalysts are easily recovered from the reaction mixture. Whereas heterogeneous catalysis is unambiguously demonstrated for MFU‐1, MFU‐2 shows catalytic activity due to slow metal leaching, emphasising the need for a deeper understanding of structure–reactivity relationships in the future design of redox‐active metal–organic frameworks. Mechanistic details for oxidation reactions employing tert‐butyl hydroperoxide are studied by UV/Vis and IR spectroscopy and XRPD measurements. The catalytic process accompanying changes of redox states and structural changes were investigated by means of cobalt K‐edge X‐ray absorption spectroscopy. To probe the putative binding modes of molecular oxygen, the isosteric heats of adsorption of O2 were determined and compared with models from DFT calculations. The stabilities of the frameworks in an oxygen atmosphere as a reactive gas were examined by temperature‐programmed oxidation (TPO). Solution impregnation of MFU‐1 with a co‐catalyst (N‐hydroxyphthalimide) led to NHPI@MFU‐1, which oxidised a range of organic substrates under ambient conditions by employing molecular oxygen from air. The catalytic reaction involved a biomimetic reaction cascade based on free radicals. The concept of an entatic state of the cobalt centres is proposed and its relevance for sustained catalytic activity is briefly discussed