0000000000143037
AUTHOR
František Fárník
SphinX soft X-ray spectrophotometer: Science objectives, design and performance
The goals and construction details of a new design Polish-led X-ray spectrophotometer are described. The instrument is aimed to observe emission from entire solar corona and is placed as a separate block within the Russian TESIS X- and EUV complex aboard the CORONAS-PHOTON solar orbiting observatory. SphinX uses silicon PIN diode detectors for high time resolution measurements of the solar spectra in the range 0.8–15 keV. Its spectral resolution allows for discerning more than hundred separate energy bands in this range. The instrument dynamic range extends two orders of magnitude below and above these representative for GOES. The relative and absolute accuracy of spectral measurements is e…
Sphinx measurements of the 2009 solar minimum x-ray emission
The SphinX X-ray spectrophotometer on the CORONAS-PHOTON spacecraft measured soft X-ray emission in the 1-15 keV energy range during the deep solar minimum of 2009 with a sensitivity much greater than GOES. Several intervals are identified when the X-ray flux was exceptionally low, and the flux and solar X-ray luminosity are estimated. Spectral fits to the emission at these times give temperatures of 1.7-1.9 MK and emission measures between 4 x 10^47 cm^-3 and 1.1 x 10^48 cm^-3. Comparing SphinX emission with that from the Hinode X-ray Telescope, we deduce that most of the emission is from general coronal structures rather than confined features like bright points. For one of 27 intervals o…
SphinX: The Solar Photometer in X-Rays
Solar Photometer in X-rays (SphinX) was a spectrophotometer developed to observe the Sun in soft X-rays. The instrument observed in the energy range ≈ 1 – 15 keV with resolution ≈ 0.4 keV. SphinX was flown on the Russian CORONAS–PHOTON satellite placed inside the TESIS EUV and X telescope assembly. The spacecraft launch took place on 30 January 2009 at 13:30 UT at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. The SphinX experiment mission began a couple of weeks later on 20 February 2009 when the first telemetry dumps were received. The mission ended nine months later on 29 November 2009 when data transmission was terminated. SphinX provided an excellent set of observations during very low solar activ…
SphinX: A fast solar Photometer in X-rays
The scientific goals and construction details of a new design, Polish X-ray spectrophotometer are given. It will be incorporated within the Russian TESIS X and EUV complex aboard the forthcoming CORO-NAS solar mission. SphinX (Solar Photometer in X-rays) will use PIN silicon detectors for high time resolution (0.01 s) measurements of the solar spectra of quiet and active corona in the range 0.5–15 keV. A new filter-fluorescence target concept will be employed to allow for a fast photometry of the solar X-ray flux variations in selected, well defined narrow spectral bands including the Fe XXVI and Fe XXV iron line groups.