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R. J. Thomas (NASA/GSFC), D. M. Hassler (SwRI)
The Rapid Acquisition Imaging Spectrograph Experiment (RAISE) is a recently selected sounding rocket program to investigate the dynamics and heating of the outer solar atmosphere on time scales as short as 100ms. Its optical design represents the first in a new class of two-reflection UV/EUV imaging spectrometers with Toroidal Varied-Line Space (TVLS) gratings. Due to the remarkable imaging properties of such gratings, RAISE will measure spectra simultaneously over four different wavelength bands (1205-1243Å\ & 1524-1559Å\ in first order, 602.5-621.5Å\ & 762.0-779.5Å\ in second), with an unprecedented combination of spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions. These spectral regions include many bright, well-resolved lines covering the temperature range from the low chromosphere up to the 2 MK Fe XII corona. The RAISE optical design features an extremely fast beam (f/7.0) and a minimum number of reflections, which together allow enough throughput to provide high quality spectral data even at its very short exposure times. Moreover, by operating with high magnification (x4.25), the RAISE spectrometer can most effectively utilize the full length and width available in the sounding rocket payload. First launch of this exciting new instrument is scheduled for 2006 June 21.
The RAISE program is supported by NASA Grant NNG04WC01G.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: Roger.J.Thomas@nasa.gov
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #2
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