| Presentation Title: | Spectral Soft X-ray Measurement Improvements of the three Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS-1, -2, -3) CubeSats and New Instrumentation to Open New Parameter Space |
| Author(s): | Christopher S. Moore
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Amir Caspi
Southwest Research Institute
Phil Chamberlin
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Brendan D'Aquino
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Anant Kumar
University of Alberta
James Mason
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Bennet Schwab
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Robert Sewell
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Crisel Suarez
Vanderbilt University
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Tom Woods
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics |
Abstract:
The three Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS-1, -2, -3) CubeSats measured the absolute radiometric energy distribution of solar soft X-ray emission from 0.5 – 20 keV at moderate (0.15 keV at 5.9 keV) energy resolution. The intermittent MinXSS solar flare, active region and quiet Sun measurements spanning 2015 – present have provided improved constraints on low-FIP elemental abundance plus temperature distribution over previous full-Sun soft X-ray spectrometers. This talk will discuss the quality of those observations and the improvement over the three versions of MinXSS due to instrument design/capability changes. Even with these improvements, there are limitations to the plasma temperature, abundance, and dynamics inferred from spatially integrated soft X-ray spectra. Thus, is a fundamental limitation due to the instrument type and measurement method. This talk will highlight how new detectors and imaging optics can open a new parameter space in overcoming these limitations with spatial soft X-ray observations. This talk will also discuss he efforts by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and collaborators to bring make these measurements a reality soon.