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Quantitative measurement of solar extreme-ultraviolet radiation: mission extended

20.04.2011

The solar spectrometer SolACES (Solar Auto-Calibrating EUV/UV Spectrophotometers), developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques (IPM) in Freiburg (Germany), has been measuring the solar spectrum in the wavelength interval between 17 nm and 220 nm since 2008. Originally planned for an 18 month operation period only, the European Space Agency (ESA) has now decided after three years of acquiring data to further operate the instrument for another three-year period. SolACES was characterized in the PTB laboratory at the Berlin electron storage ring BESSY II in 2007 regarding its spectral characteristics, therefore accomplishing the radiometric base for its successful operation in space. The spectrometer allows the solar emission to be measured quantitatively with high spectral resolution and thus delivers important data about solar activity which are also of high relevance for climate research.

 

Contact:

A. Gottwald, 7.23, E-mail: Alexander.Gottwald(at)ptb.de