SPEX: The spectropolarimeter for planetary EXploration
| Autor: | Rieetjens, J.H.H., Snik, F., Stam, D.M., Smit, J.M., Harten, G. van, Keller, C.U., Verlaan, A.L., Laan, E.C., Horst, R. ter, Navarro, R., Wielinga, K., Moon, S.G., Voors, R. |
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| Přispěvatelé: | TNO Industrie en Techniek |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2010 |
| Předmět: |
Optical telescopes
Degree of linear polarization Millimeter waves Interplanetary flight Polarization scattering Intensity spectrum Planetary exploration Spectral dependences Polarization Vertical distributions Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics A-thermal Linear polarization OPT - Optics TS - Technical Sciences Sinusoidal modulation Industrial Innovation In-orbit Atmospheric composition Physics Atmospheric particles Quarter waves Dust Flight direction Single-intensity Atmospheric aerosols Vehicular tunnels Entrance pupil Ground pixels Incoming light Limb-viewing Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Polarization observations Spectropolarimetry Microphysical property Jupiters Planetary atmosphere Mars Millimeter wave devices Space telescopes Interplanetary spacecraft Optical and mechanical designs Physics & Electronics Clouds Performance simulation Cloud particles Moving parts Aerosols Polarizing beam splitters Spectropolarimeters Martian dust Ice clouds Space & Scientific Instrumentation Earth (planet) Instruments Multiple-order retarders |
| Zdroj: | Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 27 June 2010 through 2 July 2010, San Diego, CA, USA. Conference code: 81848, 7731 Cugny, B.Armandillo, E.Karafolas, N., International Conference on Space Optics, ICSO 2010, 4-8 October 2010, Rhodes, Greece, 10565 |
| Popis: | SPEX (Spectropolarimeter for Planetary EXploration) is an innovative, compact instrument for spectropolarimetry, and in particular for detecting and characterizing aerosols in planetary atmospheres. With its ∼1-liter volume it is capable of full linear spectropolarimetry, without moving parts. The degree and angle of linear polarization of the incoming light is encoded in a sinusoidal modulation of the intensity spectrum by an achromatic quarter-wave retarder, an athermal multiple-order retarder and a polarizing beam-splitter in the entrance pupil. A single intensity spectrum thus provides the spectral dependence of the degree and angle of linear polarization. Polarimetry has proven to be an excellent tool to study microphysical properties (size, shape, composition) of atmospheric particles. Such information is essential to better understand the weather and climate of a planet. The current design of SPEX is tailored to study Martian dust and ice clouds from an orbiting platform: a compact module with 9 entrance pupils to simultaneously measure intensity spectra from 400 to 800 nm, in different directions along the flight direction (including two limb viewing directions). This way, both the intensity and polarization scattering phase functions of dust and cloud particles within a ground pixel are sampled while flying over it. We describe the optical and mechanical design of SPEX, and present performance simulations and initial breadboard measurements. Several flight opportunities exist for SPEX throughout the solar system: in orbit around Mars, Jupiter and its moons, Saturn and Titan, and the Earth. © 2010 SPIE. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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