Main Objective: Hinode support request for PHI cross-calibration with Hinode/SP
Scientific Justification: Objective Statement: Perform coordinated observations with the Solar Orbiter PHI (SO/PHI) instrument and the Hinode spectropolarimeter (Hinode/SP) during the 7th Remote Sensing Window (RSW) of the SO science mission phase that will take place between March 22 and April 4, 2023. The main goal of this HOP is to acquire co-spatial and co-temporal SO/PHI and Hinode/SP data to perform a detailed calibration of the SO/PHI instrument, including both telescopes, the full disk telescope (FDT) and the high resolution telescope (HRT). These observations will help us bring the full capabilities of the SO instruments for science, as well as to acquire additional calibration data.
Solar Orbiter (SO) was successfully launched on Feb. 10th, 2020, and is in nominal mission phase since January 1st, 2022. Detailed scientific observations are acquired during the so-called remote sensing windows (RSWs).
SO/PHI provides maps of the vector magnetic field and line-of-sight velocities with two telescopes, the High Resolution Telescope (HRT) and the Full Disk Telescope (FDT). In order to fully test the capabilities of SO/PHI and monitor any possible degradation of the instruments, it is important to complement these observations with the Hinode/SP, as long as such so-observations are possible. Such observations need to be taken while SO is crossing the Sun-Earth line, such that SO/PHI sees the Sun from the same point of view as Hinode. In this way, a full characterization of the imaging and polarimetric properties of the SO/PHI with respect to Hinode/SP is possible. Notice that the next opportunity for co-observations will be in March 2024. After that, SO will leave the ecliptic. Hence, this is the before-last chance to get real co-aligned observations from Earth.
The SO/PHI observations that will be used for cross-calibration will be taken on March 27th and 29th, 2023, when SO is at a distance of about 0.4 au from the Sun, and at less than 2 degrees separation with Earth. At those times, the pixel scale is about 145 km for HRT and 1100 km for FDT.
The SO/PHI-FDT observations will take place during the Solar Orbiter Observation Plan (SOOP) called Eruption_Watch, led by Daniele Spadaro. The SO pointing at this time will be the disk center. The SO/PHI-HRT observations will take place during the Solar Orbiter Observation Plan (SOOP) called Composition_Mosaic, led by Deb Baker and Andy S.H. To.
As such, the HRT observations will be taken at locations decided by the SOOP coordinators about three days in advance. The pointing for Hinode will be adapted to that decision. |
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