Short Wave Infrared Imaging for Auroral Physics and Aeronomy Studies

Autor: Trond S. Trondsen, John Meriwether, Craig Unick, Andrew Gerrard, Matthew Cooper, Devin Wyatt
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences, Vol 41, Iss 2, Pp 121-138 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2093-5587
2093-1409
DOI: 10.5140/JASS.2024.41.2.121
Popis: Advances in solar-terrestrial physics are generally linked to the development of innovative new sensor technologies, affording us ever better sensitivity, higher resolution, and broader spectral response. Recent advances in low-noise InGaAs sensor technology have enabled the realization of low-light-level scientific imaging within the short-wave infrared (SWIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This paper describes a new and highly sensitive ultra-wide angle imager that offers an expansion of auroral and airglow imaging capabilities into the SWIR spectral range of 900–1,700 nm. The imager has already proven successful in large-area remote sensing of mesospheric temperatures and in providing intensity maps showing the propagation and dissipation of atmospheric gravity waves and ripples. The addition of an automated filter wheel expands the range of applications of an already versatile SWIR detector. Several potential applications are proposed herein, with an emphasis on auroral science. The combined data from this type of instrument and other existing instrumentation holds a strong potential to further enhance our understanding of the geospace environment.
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