Conference proceeding
Aspera: The UV SmallSat telescope to detect and map the warm-hot gas phase in nearby galaxy halos
UV/OPTICAL/IR SPACE TELESCOPES AND INSTRUMENTS: INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND CONCEPTS X, Vol.11819, pp.1181903-1181903-14
Proceedings of SPIE
01/01/2021
DOI: 10.1117/12.2593001
Abstract
Aspera is an extreme-UV (EUV) Astrophysics small satellite telescope designed to map the warm-hot phase coronal gas around nearby galaxy halos. Theory suggests that this gas is a significant fraction of a galaxy's halo mass and plays a critical role in its evolution, but its exact role is poorly understood. Aspera observes this warm-hot phase gas via OVI emission at 1032 angstrom using four parallel Rowland-Circle-like spectrograph channels in a single payload. Aspera's robust-and-simple design is inspired by the FUSE spectrograph, but with smaller, four 6.2 cm x 3.7 cm, off-axis parabolic primary mirrors. Aspera is expected to achieve a sensitivity of 4.3x10(-19) erg/s/cm(2)/arcsec(2) for diffuse OVI line emission. This superb sensitivity is enabled by technological advancements over the last decade in UV coatings, gratings, and detectors. Here we present the overall payload design of the Aspera telescope and its expected performance. Aspera is funded by the inaugural 2020 NASA Astrophysics Pioneers program, with a projected launch in late 2024.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Aspera: The UV SmallSat telescope to detect and map the warm-hot gas phase in nearby galaxy halos
- Creators
- Haeun Chung - University of ArizonaCarlos J. Vargas - University of ArizonaErika Hamden - University of ArizonaThomas McMahon - University of ArizonaKerry Gonzales - University of ArizonaAafaque R. Khan - University of ArizonaSimran Agarwal - University of ArizonaHop Bailey - University of ArizonaPeter Behroozi - University of ArizonaTrenton Brendel - University of ArizonaHeejoo Choi - University of ArizonaTom Connors - University of ArizonaLauren Corlies - NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin ObservatoryJason Corliss - University of ArizonaRalf-Juergen Dettmar - Ruhr University BochumDavid Dolana - University of ArizonaEwan S. Douglas - University of ArizonaJohn Guzman - University of ArizonaDave Hamara - University of ArizonaWalt Harris - University of ArizonaKarl Harshman - University of ArizonaCarl HergenrotherKeri Hoadley - California Institute of TechnologyJohn KiddDaewook Kim - University of ArizonaJessica S. Li - University of ArizonaManny Montoya - University of ArizonaCorwynn Sauve - University of ArizonaDavid Schiminovich - Columbia UniversitySanford SelznickOswald SiegmundMichael Ward - University of ArizonaEllie M. Wolcott - University of ArizonaDennis Zaritsky - University of Arizona
- Contributors
- A A Barto (Editor)J B Breckinridge (Editor)H P Stahl (Editor)
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding
- Publication Details
- UV/OPTICAL/IR SPACE TELESCOPES AND INSTRUMENTS: INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND CONCEPTS X, Vol.11819, pp.1181903-1181903-14
- Series
- Proceedings of SPIE
- DOI
- 10.1117/12.2593001
- ISSN
- 0277-786X
- eISSN
- 1996-756X
- Publisher
- Spie-Int Soc Optical Engineering
- Number of pages
- 14
- Grant note
- Arizona Board of Regents Technology Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) David & Ellen Lee Postdoctoral Fellowship in Experiment Physics at Caltech University of Arizona's College of Science, Office of Research, Innovation, and Impact (ORII) Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory 80NSSC21M0117 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) University of Arizona Space Institute (UASI)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/01/2021
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984428791702771
Metrics
52 Record Views