Mercury’s Sodium Exosphere from Maui AEOS & Tohoku Observatory June 2006
Dec 22, 2015
IMAGE SLICER DETAIL
FIRST ROW SECOND ROW THIRD ROW FORTH ROW
ARROWS POINT TO FIRST COLUMN
COLUMN #1, ROW #1
COLUMN #1, ROW #1
2.4 mm
2.8 mm
• 3.7-meter telescope with adaptive optics
• Scale: 0.5 arc-seconds per fiber
• 1-minute exposures
• Twilight not significant
• Calibrated with standard stars
• June 8: 10 data cubes
• June 9: 8 data cubes
AEOS + Image-Slicer Spectrograph:Observing parameters
• Spectrally un-warp the images
• Choose wavelength (row)
• Fiber brightness = sum of 5 pixels
AEOS + Image-Slicer Spectrograph:Image Reconstruction Method
AEOSReconstructed Images
Mercury reconstructed
Flat field reconstructed
Final Image (continuum)
Each raw image yields a data cube of 1024 images
• Ganymede spectrum =
solar spectrum without Na emission
• (Ganymede spectrum) x (Merc. Image) =
artificial data cube of Mercury w/o Na
• Subtract artificial data cube from real data cube to yield Na emission
AEOS + Image-Slicer Spectrograph:Subtraction of surface-reflected solar spec.
• 16-inch Meade• Same image-slicer/spectrograph• 3 arc-seconds per fiber• 2-minute exposures• Dates:
– June 14: 5 data cubes– June 15: 5 data cubes– June 17: 9 data cubes– June 18: 8 data cubes
Tohoku Observatory, Maui+ Image-Slicer/Spectrograph:
Observing parameters