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Synoptic Hα Full-Disk Observations of the Sun from Big Bear Solar Observatory – I. Instrumentation, Image Processing, Data Products, and First Results

Denker, C. and Johannesson, A. and Marquette, W. and Goode, P. R. and Wang, H. and Zirin, H. (1999) Synoptic Hα Full-Disk Observations of the Sun from Big Bear Solar Observatory – I. Instrumentation, Image Processing, Data Products, and First Results. Solar Physics, 184 (1). pp. 87-102. ISSN 0038-0938. doi:10.1023/a:1005047906097. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200723-174404188

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Abstract

The Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) has a long tradition of synoptic full-disk observations. Synoptic observations of contrast enhanced full-disk images in the Ca ii K-line have been used with great success to reproduce the H i Lα irradiance variability observed with the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). Recent improvements in data calibration procedures and image- processing techniques enable us now to provide contrast enhanced Hα full-disk images with a spatial resolution of approximately 2′′ and a temporal resolution of up to 3 frames min−1. In this first paper in a series, we describe the instruments, the data calibration procedures, and the image-processing techniques used to obtain our daily Hα full-disk observations. We also present the final data products such as low- and high-contrast images, and Carrington rotation charts. A time series of an erupting mini-filament further illustrates the quality of our Hα full-disk observations and motivate one of the future research projects. This lays a solid foundation for our subsequent studies of solar activity and chromospheric fine structures. The high quality and the sunrise- to-sunset operation of the Hα full-disk observations presented in this paper make them an ideal choice to study statistical properties of mini-filament eruptions, chromospheric differential rotation, and meridional flows within the chromosphere, as well as the evolution of active regions, filaments, flares, and prominences.


Item Type:Article
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URLURL TypeDescription
https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1005047906097DOIArticle
Additional Information:© 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Received 11 June 1998; accepted 1 September 1998. We would like to thank T. Bertram, R. Fear, R. Goeden, I. Johannesson, I. Sammis, and J. Varsik for developing the H I Lα full-disk system, and for their continuous efforts to improve the synoptic full-disk program. In particular, we thank J. Nenow who developed and build the mechanical system to perform the flat-fielding procedure. This work was supported by NSF under grant ATM-9796196, by ONR under grant N00014-9711037, and by NASA under grant NAG5-4919. We also acknowledge the support of NSF grant ATM-9303508 to Caltech which funded the Kodak 4.2 CCD camera.
Funders:
Funding AgencyGrant Number
NSFATM-9796196
Office of Naval Research (ONR)N00014-9711037
NASANAG5-4919
NSFATM-9303508
Subject Keywords:Flare, Solar Activity, Temporal Resolution, Differential Rotation, Meridional Flow
Issue or Number:1
DOI:10.1023/a:1005047906097
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20200723-174404188
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200723-174404188
Official Citation:Denker, C., Johannesson, A., Marquette, W. et al. Synoptic Hα Full-Disk Observations of the Sun from Big Bear Solar Observatory – I. Instrumentation, Image Processing, Data Products, and First Results. Solar Physics 184, 87–102 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005047906097
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:104553
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: Rebecca Minjarez
Deposited On:28 Jul 2020 20:15
Last Modified:16 Nov 2021 18:32

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