Main Objective: Perform coordinated observations with the Solar Orbiter (SolO) PHI instrument and with the Hinode and IRIS spacecrafts during the remote sensing cruise phase observations window (RSW4) that will take place around September 2021. These observations take place out of the nominal mission phase and are meant to test the full capabilities of the SolO instruments for science, as well as to acquire additional calibration data. This early science observations will be focused on investigating the slow wind connection between different solar layers. In particular, the remote sensing instruments will try to record observations around an open-closed field boundary which will then be crossed in situ. Details about this specific science target are public and can be found in:
https://issues.cosmos.esa.int/solarorbiterwiki/display/SOSP/L_SMALL_HRES_HCAD_Slow-Wind-Connection
Details of the specific science and calibration goals to be run during the cruise phase in the second half of2021 can be found in the SolO public webpage as well:
https://issues.cosmos.esa.int/solarorbiterwiki/display/SOSP/LTP04+July+2021-Sep+2021
This iHOP proposal is meant to provide support to the SO/PHI instrument during both, the observation test campaigns and the science runs.
Scientific Justification: Solar Orbiter was successfully launched on Feb.10, 2020. All its onboard instruments are being switched on and commissioned during the early phase of the mission. Among them, the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (SO/PHI) will provide maps of the vector magnetic field and line-of-sight velocities with two telescopes (Full Disk Telescope FDT and High Resolution Telescope HRT). During the first months of the mission the different subsystems of the instrument were tested and calibrated. SolO is now in its cruise phase and will perform a special observation program in Aug-Sep 2021 period with the goal of fully testing the capabilities of the different instruments and making them ready for the nominal mission phase starting on Nov 2021. The main science target will be investigating the slow wind connection between different solar layers during a high-resolution campaign that will run from 15 to 18 Sep, 2021.
During this period, SO/PHI will take images at a cadence of 10 minutes. During a specific window lasting two hours SO/PHI will also run at its full (or close to) speed, with a cadence between 60-80 seconds (final cadence will depend on the targeted polarimetric precision). Calibration activities and synoptic maps will take place between Aug 30 and Sep 20 as well. It would be extremely beneficial to have observations taken with the Hinode spectropolarimeter and the IRIS spacecraft to, first, complement the SolO science activities during the high-resolution campaign; second, to cross-calibrate SO/PHI with Hinode and IRIS, and third, to test the coordination activities for co-observations during the nominal mission phase. The science observations will be critical for performing early science with the Solar Orbiter. All remote sensing instruments will take data during the high-resolution campaign. These co-observations are also important for learning how to coordinate SO/PHI-Hinode-IRIS in the future. Next year, just before the nominal mission phase remote sensing windows open, SolO S/C will be crossing the Earth-Sun line and a smooth coordination between PHI and other assets is extremely important for the mission.
Dates: Periods where SO/PHI will be observing follow. It is important to take into account that the specific times (UT) are still to be confirmed. Exact times will be fixed around two weeks (worst case) prior real observation starts. We request support for both, calibration activities and co-observations during the
high-resolution observations.
SO/PHI plans to do the following activities (year 2021):
- Aug 30: FDT synoptics. Data acquisition times: 3:00 - 9:00 - 15:00 - 21:00 UT
- Aug 31: FDT roll campaign. Data acquisition times: from 0:30 UT 18 maps taken with a time interval of
52 minutes.
- Sep 1 to Sep 10: FDT synoptics. Data acquisition times: 2 hours cadence starting at 00.00 UT each day.
- Sep 2 at 10:00 UT SO/PHI FDT takes 10 maps (1 minute cadence) for testing purposes.
- Sep 11: HRT re-calibration.
- Sep 12: FDT synoptics. Data acquisition times: 2 h. cadence starting at 4.00 UT and finishing at Sep 13, 05:00 UT.
- Sep 13: FDT re-calibration:
-*- Flat-field off-points campaign: 6:00 - 7:00 UT.
-*- Two FDT low-latency dataset schedule at 08:00 UT and at 08:02:40 UT to decide the specific pointing. This particular activity is very important to coordinate with the all the Remote Sensing instruments and also with Hinode and IRIS.
- Sep 14: HRT alignment campaign. SO will do several off-points to disc center and N-S-W-E limbs for aligning remote sensing instruments. (exact request for IRIS and Hinode TBD). Data acquisition times (UT): ~ 01:05, 02:50, 04:35, 06:20, 08:05, 10:15.
- Sep 15: High Resolution campaign (science support goes here):
-*-03:10 UT - 11:00 UT: spacecraft will point to disk center (PHI TBD)
-*-11:00 UT - 11:07 UT: re-pointing based on Sept 13 FDT observations.
-*-11:07 UT + 3-days: SolO S/C will perform feature tracking. Exact coordinates (from Earth perspective) will be defined on Sep 13 using the low latency data. Target will be, preferably, Active Regions, if they are present.
-*-12:00 UT - 13:00 UT (Sep 15) SO/PHI will run in high cadence mode (60-80 seconds cadence -TBD)
- Sep 16-18: 72-hours SO/PHI hi-res/med-cadence (10 minutes cadence)
- Sep 20 to Sep 26: FDT synoptics. Data acquisition times: 2 hours cadence starting at 00.00 UT each day.
SO/PHI will be taking synoptics maps from Aug 10 to Sep 30 with the FDT and EUI telescopes (synoptics program). These are specific observations that could also be covered, if possible, by Hinode and IRIS. Most critical point is the pointing decision that will take place before the high resolution campaign planned for 13 Sep. |
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