High-resolution Ionospheric and Thermospheric Spectrograph (HITS) on the Advanced Research and Global Observing Satellite (ARGOS): quick look results

Kenneth F. Dymond; Kenneth D. Wolfram; Scott A. Budzien; Clyde B. Fortna; Robert P. McCoy

doi:10.1117/12.364149

28 September 1999 High-resolution Ionospheric and Thermospheric Spectrograph (HITS) on the Advanced Research and Global Observing Satellite (ARGOS): quick look results

Kenneth F. Dymond, Kenneth D. Wolfram, Scott A. Budzien, Clyde B. Fortna, Robert P. McCoy

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3818, Ultraviolet Atmospheric and Space Remote Sensing: Methods and Instrumentation II; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.364149
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1999, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

The High-resolution Ionospheric and Thermospheric Spectrograph (HITS) is a very high resolution (> 0.5 angstroms resolution over the 500 - 1500 angstroms passband) Rowland circle spectrograph that is currently flying on the USAF Advanced Research and Global Observing Satellite (ARGOS, launched 23 February 1999). The ARGOS is in a sun- synchronous, near-polar orbit at 833 km altitude with an ascending node crossing time of 2:30 PM. The instrument is designed to spectrally resolve the 834 angstroms triplet to demonstrate a new technique for remotely sensing the electron density in the F-region ionosphere. In addition, the HITS can spectrally resolve the rotational structure of the N₂ Lyman-Birge-Hopfield bands, which can be used to infer the thermospheric temperature. The HITS can resolve the radiative recombination continuum produced by recombining O⁺ ions and electrons, which can be used to infer the electron temperature. The HITS will also produce a high spectral resolution array of the 500 - 1000 angstroms passband to produce a more accurate identification of some of the previously unresolved features of the dayglow spectrum. The instrument operates as a limb imager with a limb scan occurring every 100 seconds throughout the expected three year mission life. Its field-of-view is 0.06 degree(s) X 4.6 degree(s), which corresponds to 3 km (altitude) X 230 km (along the horizon) at the limb. The instrument's field-of-regard is 17 degree(s) X 4.6 degree(s), which covers the 100 - 750 km altitude range. We will present an overview of the instrument and discuss its calibration and in-flight performance.

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Kenneth F. Dymond, Kenneth D. Wolfram, Scott A. Budzien, Clyde B. Fortna, and Robert P. McCoy "High-resolution Ionospheric and Thermospheric Spectrograph (HITS) on the Advanced Research and Global Observing Satellite (ARGOS): quick look results", Proc. SPIE 3818, Ultraviolet Atmospheric and Space Remote Sensing: Methods and Instrumentation II, (28 September 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.364149

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