The new 30 THz solar telescope in São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

It has been found that solar bursts exhibit one unexpected spectral component with fluxes increasing with frequency in the sub-THz range, which is distinct from the well-known microwave emission that peaks at a few to some tens of GHz. This component has been found to extend into the THz range of frequencies by recent 30 THz solar flare observations of impulsive bursts with flux intensities considerably higher than fluxes at sub-THz and microwaves frequencies. High-cadence solar observations at 30 THz (continuum) are therefore an important tool for the study of active regions and flaring events. We report the recent installation of a new 30 THz solar telescope in So Paulo, located at the top of one of the University's buildings. The instrument uses a Hale-type coelostat with two 20 cm diameter flat mirrors sending light to a 15 cm mirror Newtonian telescope. Radiation is directed to a microbolometer array camera that is kept at room temperature. Observations are usually obtained with cadence. One 60 mm refractor has been added to observe images simultaneously. We describe our new telescopes and the new observatory examples of the first results obtained.

It has been found that solar bursts exhibit one unexpected spectral component with fluxes increasing with frequency in the sub-THz range, which is distinct from the well-known microwave emission that peaks at a few to some tens of GHz. This component has been found to extend into the THz range of frequencies by recent 30 THz solar flare observations of impulsive bursts with flux intensities considerably higher than fluxes at sub-THz and microwaves frequencies. High-cadence solar observations at 30 THz (continuum) are therefore an important tool for the study of active regions and flaring events. We report the recent installation of a new 30 THz solar telescope in So Paulo, located at the top of one of the University's buildings. The instrument uses a Hale-type coelostat with two 20 cm diameter flat mirrors sending light to a 15 cm mirror Newtonian telescope. Radiation is directed to a microbolometer array camera that is kept at room temperature. Observations are usually obtained with cadence. One 60 mm refractor has been added to observe images simultaneously. We describe our new telescopes and the new observatory examples of the first results obtained.