The third flight of the Colorado high-resolution echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS): improvements, calibrations, and preliminary results

Nicholas Kruczek; Nicholas Nell; Kevin France; Keri Hoadley; Brian Fleming; Robert Kane; Stefan Ulrich; Arika Egan; Dawson Beatty

doi:10.1117/12.2274834

29 August 2017 The third flight of the Colorado high-resolution echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS): improvements, calibrations, and preliminary results

Nicholas Kruczek, Nicholas Nell, Kevin France, Keri Hoadley, Brian Fleming, Robert Kane, Stefan Ulrich, Arika Egan, Dawson Beatty

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 10397, UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XX; 103971G (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2274834
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2017, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

In this proceeding, we describe the scientific motivation and technical development of the Colorado HighResolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), focusing on the hardware advancements and testing of components for the third launch of the payload (CHESS-3). CHESS is a far ultraviolet rocket-borne instrument designed to study the atomic-to-molecular transitions within translucent cloud regions in the interstellar medium. CHESS is an objective echelle spectrograph, which uses a mechanically-ruled echelle and a powered (f/12.4) crossdispersing grating, and is designed to achieve a resolving power R > 100,000 over the bandpass λλ 1000−1600 Å. Results from final efficiency and reflectivity measurements for the optical components of CHESS-3 are presented. An important role of sounding rocket experiments is the testing and verification of the space flight capabilities of experimental technologies. CHESS-3 utilizes a 40mm-diameter cross-strip anode microchannel plate detector fabricated by Sensor Sciences LLC, capable of achieving high spatial resolution and a high global count rate (∼1 MHz). We present pre-flight laboratory spectra and calibration results, including wavelength solution and resolving power of the instrument. The fourth launch of CHESS (CHESS-4) will demonstrate a δ-doped CCD, assembled in collaboration with the Microdevices Laboratory at JPL and Arizona State University. In support of CHESS-4, the CHESS-3 payload included a photomultiplier tube, used as a secondary confirmation of the optical alignment of the payload during flight. CHESS-3 launched on 26 June 2017 aboard NASA/CU sounding rocket mission 36.323 UG. We present initial flight results for the CHESS-3 observation of the β¹ Scorpii sightline.

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Nicholas Kruczek, Nicholas Nell, Kevin France, Keri Hoadley, Brian Fleming, Robert Kane, Stefan Ulrich, Arika Egan, and Dawson Beatty "The third flight of the Colorado high-resolution echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS): improvements, calibrations, and preliminary results", Proc. SPIE 10397, UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XX, 103971G (29 August 2017); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2274834

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