In-orbit performance of the spectrometers of the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE), launched on June 7, 1992, is an extremely successful NASA astrophysics mission that contains three extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometers designed to be used in pointed spectroscopic observations of astrophysical sources in the 70-760 angstrom wavelength region. The spectrometers utilize a slitless design based on grazing- incidence optics and variable line-space gratings. Detailed wavelength scales determined from ground-based calibrations and refined with in-orbit data are used to assign wavelengths for each detected photon to within half a resolution element (less that 0.8 angstrom in all cases). Spectral resolving power (FWHM of non-Gaussian profiles) varies in the range R approximately 150-450. Spectrometer throughputs were determined from an extensive laboratory calibration and then were adjusted slightly based on in-flight calibration spectra of known astrophysical continuum sources (hot DA white dwarf stars). We also have measured count rates from the detector and the geocoronal and distributed backgrounds, parameters critical to assessment of accurate flux levels from the astrophysical sources.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: