The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager for the Solar Dynamics Observatory
Abstract
The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is the first mission in the NASA Living With a Star (LWS) Program. SDO is set to launch in August of 2008 and it will be placed into an inclined geosynchronous orbit. SDO is being designed to help us understand the origin of solar variability and its impact on the geospace environment. SDO has three instruments: HMI (Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager), AIA (Atmospheric Imaging Assembly) and EVE (Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment). The primary goal of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) investigation is to study the origin of solar variability and to characterize and understand the Sun's interior and the various components of magnetic activity. HMI makes measurements of the motion of the solar photosphere to study solar oscillations and measurements of the polarization in a spectral line to study all three components of the photospheric magnetic field. The instrument has significant heritage from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) with enhancements to achieve higher resolution, higher cadence, and the addition of a second channel to provide full Stokes polarization measurements. In this presentation, we will give a brief overview of the HMI instrument and describe its science goals. stabilized 1"-resolution full-disk Doppler velocity and line-of-sight magnetic flux images every 45 seconds, and vector-magnetic field maps every 90 seconds. In this presentation , we will give a brief overview of the HMI instrument and describe its science goals.
- Publication:
-
IAU Joint Discussion
- Pub Date:
- August 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006IAUJD..17E..30R