Project Overview

• Analyze x-ray irradiance for full solar cycle
• Characterize dependence of the irradiance on solar latitudes
• Inspect irradiance dependence on specific solar structures

Hinode (Sunrise): A brief look

• Launched on 22 September 2006 from Uchinoura Space Center, last usage of M-V rocket
• Formerly Solar-B, the successor to Solar-A / Yohkoh (Sunlight)
• JAXA/NASA satellite mission
• Images in optical (SOT), extreme ultraviolet (EIS), and x-ray (XRT) bands
• Able to image longer x-ray wavelengths than SXT on Yohkoh
• Coronal temperature diagnostic ability
  • Able to make temperature maps of coronal plasma from 1MK to more than 10MK

Hinode XRT Data Collection

• X-rays pass through pre-filter, reflect off of metal ring, and pass through two filter wheels
• Data collected by number of photons incident on charge coupled device
• Composite images of full sun are created twice per day
  • Three exposure lengths
    • Greater dynamic range of images and data
  • Images not taken during ccd bakeout

Data Analysis

• Uses .fits files from XRT Synoptic Composite Image Archive at MSU
• Program
  • Searches .fits file for XRT data with selected filter
  • Bad data removed
  • Datasets combined into one
  • A mask is created that sets outer data points to zero
    • Image of sun centered in mask
    • Analyzes data 1.1 solar radii from center of disc
  • Videos and images are log scaled for intensity
  • Plots date vs ccd count
  • A Javascript movie can be made

Current Research

• Plotting and analyzing XRT data using aluminum mesh filter (filter 1 on filter wheel 2)
  • Most used filter, most available data
    • Greatest dynamic range of x-ray data
  • Also compared with titanium poly filter
    • Less dynamic range in low band x-rays
• Working with 2010 data as this is before major ccd contamination
• I discovered that for most the year 2010, the irradiance is greatest in the northern hemisphere
• Video of Al_mesh full year 2010

In Conclusion

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