PRELIMINARY FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE SOLAR OBSERVATION PAYLOADS FOR STSAT-CLASS SATELLITES

Abstract

In this paper, we present preliminary feasibility studies on three types of solar observation payloads for future Korean Science and Technology Satellite (STSAT) programs. The three candidates are (1) an UV imaging telescope, (2) an UV spectrograph, and (3) an X-ray spectrometer. In the case of UV imaging telescope, the most important constraint seems to be the control stability of a satellite in order to obtain a reasonably good spatial resolution. Considering that the current pointing stability estimated from the data of the Far ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (FIMS) onboard the Korean STSAT-1, is around 1 arc minutes/sec, we think that it is hard to obtain a spatial resolution sufficient for scientific research by such an UV Imaging Telescope. For solar imaging missions, we realize that an image stabilization system, which is composed of a small guide telescope with limb sensor and a servo controller of secondary mirror, is quite essential for a very good pointing stability of about 0.1 arcsec. An UV spectrograph covering the solar full disk seems to be a good choice in that there is no risk due to poor pointing stability as well as that it can provide us with valuable UV spectral irradiance data valuable for studying their effects on the Earth's atmosphere and satellites. The heritage of the FIMS can be a great advantage of developing the UV spectrograph. Its main disadvantage is that two major missions are in operation or scheduled. Our preliminary investigations show that an X-ray spectrometer for the full disk Sun seems to be the best choice among the three candidates. The reasons are : (1) high temporal and spectral X-ray data are very essential for studying the acceleration process of energetic particles associated with solar flares, (2) we have a good heritage of X-ray detectors including a rocket-borne X-ray detector, (3) in the case of developing countries such as India and Czech, solar X-ray spectrometers were selected as their early stage satellite missions due to their poor pointing stabilities, and (4) there is no planned major mission after currently operating Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) mission. Finally, we present a preliminary design of a solar X-ray spectrometer covering soft X-ray (2 keV) to gamma ray (10 MeV).