AMISR Optics Support

1
AMISR Optics Support

• Roger W. Smith
• Geophysical Institute

2
General Concept

• The AMISR PFRR facility will be used to answer
  questions on the auroral ionosphere requiring
  both optical and radar sensors.
• The suite of optical instruments should be
  implemented in cooperation with the radar.
• Operations will require cooperative schedules set
  up in advance with options for modification in
  the course of any experiment.
• Primary data from all instruments should be
  available in real time through a web portal.
  Preliminary reductions to geophysical parameters
  should be available in near real time.

3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
Developing the Optics part

• Establish a basis for combined optics and radar
  research employing AMISR at Poker Flat.
• Identify a core set of instrumentation. Done
• Identify PIs for instrument building. Done
• Set up schedule to complete the facility.
• Obtain funding. Just done.
• Modify schedule to adapt to current situation.
• Implement in phases
• Prioritize for early opportunities.

10
List of current permanent instrumentation at PFRR
and downrange

• All-sky cameras
• low-light TV bw
• PFRR, Fort Yukon, Kaktovik.
• Meridian scanning photometers
• Filter photometers with scanning mirror.
• PFRR (4-channel), FYU (1-channel), KAK
  (1-channel)
• Auroral spectrometers
• Grating imager, narrow field PFRR
• Grating imager, meridional spectrometer PFRR
• BOMEM DA8 PFRR
• Fabry-Perot Wind Imager
• Conde imaging all-sky instrument at PFRR
• Smith narrow-field instrument at Inuvik

11
New Optical Instrumentation

• Plan to provide general purpose first class
  optical instrumentation for the AMISR facility.
• Implementation will furnish 3 new ASCs, 2 new
  narrow-field imagers, 1 new auroral spectrometer.
  There will also be 3 refurbished FP
  Spectrometers, also the MSP at PFRR will be
  refurbished.
• All instrumentation will run automatically and
  report to a web address enabling general
  availability of the data.

12
Core instrument specifications

• All-sky cameras Poker, Fort Yukon, Toolik Lake
• Poker Camera Non-intensified, monochromatic.
• Apogee Alta U6 ccd.
• Telecentric optics with filter wheel, automatic
  selectivity.
• Real-time reporting linked with radar and
  spectrometer pointing.
• Ft Yukon Camera non-intensified, monochromatic
• Nikon D100 SLR camera
• Fixed filter, manually selectable.
• Toolik Lake Camera same as Ft. Yukon

13
Core Instrument Specifications

• Bore-sighted imager and spectrograph
• Location at Poker pointed up field line
• Modified meridian spectrograph
• Non-intensified Starlight Express SXV-H9 ccd
• 6 selectable first order spectral ranges
  400-900nm
• Modified narrow field imager
• Non-intensified Starlight Express SXV-H9 ccd
• 16 x 20 field of view
• Selectable filters mounted on filter wheel.
• Web reporting as pairs of images with associated
  near-simultaneous all-sky image.

14
Core Instrument Specifications

• Meridian Scanning Photometers
• Poker 4-channel instrument
• 4 second scans coadded 4x, reported each degree
  of elevation from horizon to horizon
• Photomultiplier detectors.
• Current wavelengths 5577, 6300, 4278, 4861A
• Tilt-filter method to remove background.
• Reported real-time to web site.
• Intensity calibration each scan.
• Fort Yukon and Kaktovik
• Same as for Poker except
• Single channel, currently 5577A
• Tilt filter method not used to remove background

15
Map of instrumentation
16
Indexing with current all sky image

• Mark up all-sky image display with current radar
  pointing position and grid of standard positions.
• Mark up all-sky image display with current
  pointing position (alt/elev) of steerable
  spectrometer/narrow-field imager, FPS and any
  other steerable instruments.
• Install pointer on all-sky image display to read
  out azimuth and elevation of a selected feature.
• Provide alternate all-sky image display with FP
  wind imager vectors superimposed.

17
Common Program Modes

• It is assumed that AMISR will adopt certain
  common modes for general purpose observing.
• Common modes should have a principal scientific
  question identified with radar and optical modes
  prescribed.
• Standard operations should coordinate radar and
  optics the same way each time a common mode is
  used.
• Optical instruments should be maintained and
  operated in a manner consistent with the schedule
  of common modes.

18
Conclusions

• A core set of instruments is being prepared for
  full operation of AMISR at Poker Flat. These have
  been chosed to optimize observations for auroral
  research.
• Existing instruments will be available to provide
  service while new instruments are being phased
  in.
• A plan for common program modes needs to be
  prepared for the coming months of operations.