The performance of THz photometers for solar flare observations from space

Abstract

The performance of the double THz photometers system is presented. It is the first detection device conceived to observed solar flare THz emissions on board of stratospheric balloons. The system, named SOLAR-T, has been built, integrated to data acquisition and telemetry modules developed for this application, and tested. It utilizes two Golay cell detectors preceded by low-pass filters, 3 and 7 THz band-pass filters, and choppers. SOLAR-T photometers can detect relative temperature variations smaller than 1 K with sub second time resolution. It is intended to determine the still unrevealed spectral shape of the mysterious THz solar flares emissions. The experiment is planned to fly on board of two long-duration stratospheric balloon flights over Antarctica and Russia in 2014-2016.