Liquid crystals Lyot filter for solar coronagraphy

S. Fineschi; G. Capobianco; G. Massone; T. Baur; A. Bemporad; L. Abbo; L. Zangrilli; V. Dadeppo

doi:10.1117/12.897793

12 October 2011 Liquid crystals Lyot filter for solar coronagraphy

S. Fineschi, G. Capobianco, G. Massone, T. Baur, A. Bemporad, L. Abbo, L. Zangrilli, V. Dadeppo

Proceedings Volume 8148, Solar Physics and Space Weather Instrumentation IV; 814808 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.897793
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The "Association de Satellites Pour l'Imagerie et l'Interférométrie de la Couronne Solaire", ASPIICS, is a solar coronagraph to be flown on the PROBA 3 Technology mission of the European Space Agency. ASPIICS heralds the next generation of coronagraphs for solar research, exploiting formation flying to gain access to the inner corona under eclipse-like conditions in space. The science goal is high spatial resolution imaging and two-dimensional spectrophotometry of the Fe XIV, 530.3 nm, emission line. This work describes a liquid crystal Lyot tunable-filter and polarimeter (LCTP) that can implement this goal. The LCTP is a bandpass filter with a full width at half maximum of 0.15 nm at a wavelength of 530.3 nm. The center wavelength of the bandpass is tunable in 0.01 nm steps from 528.64 nm to 533.38 nm. It is a four stage Lyot filter with all four stages wide-fielded. The free spectral range between neighboring transmission bands of the filter is 2.7 nm. The wavelength tuning is non-mechanical using nematic liquid crystal variable retarders (LCVR's). A separate LCVR of the Senarmont design, in tandem with the filter, is used for the polarimetric measurements. A prototype of the LCTP has been built and its measured performances are presented here.

Citation Download Citation

S. Fineschi, G. Capobianco, G. Massone, T. Baur, A. Bemporad, L. Abbo, L. Zangrilli, and V. Dadeppo "Liquid crystals Lyot filter for solar coronagraphy", Proc. SPIE 8148, Solar Physics and Space Weather Instrumentation IV, 814808 (12 October 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.897793

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available