1. First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester Janusz Sylwester Space Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław Sergey Kuzin P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow, RAS Yury D. Kotov MePhi, Astrophysical Laboratory, Moscow Technical University Frantisek Farnik Astronomical Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences Fabio Reale Astronomical Observatory, Palermo Universty, Italy SphinX the ideas behind the Project solar photometer in X-rays

2. SphinX aims Detect variability of the 0.5 keV– 12 keV solar signal (in the 0.1 – 0.01 Hz frequency range) with 1% accuracy Detect variability in three sharp & narrow wavelength bands containing strong emission lines (in the sub Hz frequency range) Detect changing Line-to-Continuum ratios in order to study coronal plasma composition and differential emission measure (DEM) Establish absolute soft X-ray photometry standards (5 % accuracy) through calibration with the synchrotron source (BESSY-Berlin) Push down detection limits in the 0.5 keV– 12 keV energy band by two orders of magnitude (respective to GOES X-ray standard photometry or RHESSI) First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

3. Present low activity limitations except Hinode and SOXS, no instrument can measure the quiet Sun flux reliably It is, that for the solar minimum conditions, like at present (see the 2006 March 6 example above), no positive solar soft X-ray signal can be detected - and therefore no sensible temperature and EM determinations are possible. This will not be the case with the SphinX operational, as the expected count rate would be in the range 500 – 2000 cts/s for the corresponding activity level, somewhat depending on the coronal „quietest” Sun coronal model. GOES 1 – 8 Å threshold GOES 0.5 – 4 Å threshold No clear solar signal just orbital background First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

4. SphinX placement A part of the science payload of the next CORONAS Solar Mission lead by Prof. Yuri D. Kotov. A part of the TESIS Telescope & Spectrometer complex developed at the P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow, PI dr. Sergey Kuzin. Launch: June - 2008 First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

5. Pointing Three axis stabilised in the sense that the main axis points towards the optical Sun centre within 10 arcmin box. The roll is kept constant by TESIS stellar sensors. CORONAS-Photon Russian confirmed national projest + India, Ukraine, Poland http://www.astro.mephi.ru/english/e_photon.htm Mass ~2500 kg, 8.2 Gb/day Orbit Polar, circular (500 km), 95 min, semi-Sun- synchonous (82.5°), up to 20 days uninterrupted solar illumination, passes through SAA (6 orbits/24h) and polar ovals (4 times/orbit) Nominal mission lifetime, 3 years First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

6. a)~alignment mirror, perpendicular to Sun direction, b)~entrance openings covered with optical EUV stoppers - example solar ray is indicated, c)~mechanical collimators narrowing the detectors FOV to within 2.5 degree of the Sun, d)~the shutter motor, e)~moving tray with the shutter and fluorescence calibration filters, f)~three spectrophotometric detectors, g)~electronics with microcontroller h)~cooling heat pipe, i)~three-narrow band filter- detector sections, j)~pre-amplifiers, independent for each detector. First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester SphinX components

7. Made by Amptek USA, pure Si 500 μm PIN ~20 mm 2 aperture, Equipped with Be 12.5 micrometer window, Peltier-cooled, 50 deg below the support temperature Energy resolution: 150 – 190 eV Dynamic range: 10 5 Used on Mars for mineral spectroscopy Courtesy of the University of Chicago. The detectors Fe 55 First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

8. Input Apertures SphinX characteristics: Mass ~ 3.5 kg, Power ~15 W, Telemetry ~ 50 MB/24hours SphinX construction details Heat sink pipe Shutter motor with calibration openings 5° FOV limiters 3 detector egineering model First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

9. Front apertures Narrow-band Filter- Fluorescence unit Direct full Sun fluxes illuminate detectors through three calibrated apertures of: 19.96, 0.397 and 0.0785 mm 2 overall dynamic range 7 decades  A0.1 - X20 First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

10. Energy calibration through fluorescence Filter MgFilter Ti First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

11. What will be measured? Direct soft (0.5 keV– 15 keV) X-ray photons from entire visible solar corona (within 5° FOV) –Time & energy stamping technique (1 μs) for activity levels below B GOES class (rates: 10 3 - 10 4 /sec) Photon energy spectra (0.5 keV– 15 keV) for higher activity –in 256 energy channels (100 times per sec) (rates: 10 2 - 10 3 /bin/sec) –Energy resolution (150-190 eV),depending on det. temperature Calibration peaks from three fluorescence transmission filters (e.g. Mg, Ti, Cu) – for detector gain changes Flare flags will be issued & transmitted to TESIS and entire CORONAS S/C including: flare phase, expected level to be reached, duration etc. First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

12. X20, 45000 c/s A1, 400 c/s Expected detector rates Aperture D1Aperture D2 Aperture D3 Cts/s/detector First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

13. Expected spectra- results from modeling (CHIANTI) First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

14. Expected spectra- results from modeling (CHIANTI) First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester Per 1 cm 2

15. M-class flare rates Δλ (cts/s) 7.95 – 9.54 Å Al+Mg 7.95 – 9.54 Å 2e 4 2.50 – 3.08 Å Ti+Ca 2.50 – 3.08 Å 7e 3 1.74 – 2.07 Å Fe+Cr 1.74 – 2.07 Å 3e 3 1.38 – 1.74 Å Cu+Fe 1.38 – 1.74 Å 5e 2 Narrow-band Filter-Fluorescence unit FFU new measurement concept for narrow band X-ray photometry The higher energy part of X-ray spectrum is blocked by a filter (absorption Edge). Fluorescence is excited above the emission edge First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

16. FFU design T= 3.2 MK, EM = 5.e46 cm-3 (cts/s) Al+Mg 450 Ti+Ca 0.01 Fe+Cr 0.00 T= 16 MK, EM = 1.e49 cm-3 (cts/s) Al+Mg 2e4 Ti+Ca 7e3 Fe+Cr 3e3 First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

17. Data formatting Time stamping (up to 10 4 /s rates) –energy (256 channels) –time (1 microsec)  each detector Spectral mode for higher rates –cts/energy bin (100 Hz) Will fact as the flare monitor for TESIS –algorithm to report status of solar soft X-ray activity: quiet/flare, level B  X20 First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

18. Data processing & control Served by TESIS main computer –data compression to telemetry –changing modes of data gathering: 3 modes –commanding the shutter motor: calibration –sending commands and programs to SphinX –processing the data for activity status First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

19. In-flight callibration Use of secondary fluorescence radiation with three material targets –three peaks at precisely known Energies Mg 1.5 keV Ti4.5 keV Cu8 keV –will be resolved by amplitude discriminator –possible only for flares (however)  M1 at maximum phase  Will see pile-up peaks growing First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

20. Problems to be investigated Quiet corona heating processes via photon arrival time-distance analysis Flare related soft X-ray oscillations (1 s - 500 s periods) Transient ionization plasma diagnostics (N e ) Solar coronal compositional variability for Mg, Al, Si, S, Ar, Ca and Fe (O, Ne, Na?) Differential Emission Measure variability with related flare modeling Absolute (5%) and relative (1%) solar soft X-ray photometry – development of reference system First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

21. Instrument Status All flight parts collected Flight unit under assembly Tests schedule –Permanent local test using Fe 55 and v.c. –Early Sept 2007 in BESSY synchrotron –Sept/Oct 2007 at XACT Palermo –Mid-Oct 2007 vibration Prague –End Oct. – delivery of flight unit to Moscow First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester

22. s o l a rs o l a r photometer in X-rays First SphinX Workshop 29 – 31 May, 2007, Wrocław Poland Janusz Sylwester