Scanning Coronal and Heliospheric Imager

We seek to develop technology for producing high-resolution, wide field-of-view (FOV) maps of the white light solar corona with reduced instrument size and complexity. White light observations of the corona are crucial for understanding large-scale coronal structures and tracking the evolution of solar transients, such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which have important space weather impacts. With conventional optical designs, scanning the corona with a small instantaneous FOV or accommodating a telescope on a spinning or non-Sun-centered spacecraft would require large/complex gimbaled systems. To avoid these complex systems, conventional heliospheric imagers are designed with a wide FOV, sacrificing spatial resolution and throughput for coverage. The Scanning Coronal and Heliospheric Imager (SCHI) aims to address this need, consisting of a visible light telescope which uses novel achromatic hybrid metasurface Risley prisms (MRPs) to create high-resolution, wide-FOV maps of the solar corona in a small form factor. Risley prisms (RPs) enable rapid mapping of a large field of regard with a small instantaneous FOV. Optical beam steering is achieved by rotating two RPs relative to each other using rotational stages. Having improved spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio for white light observations across a broad field of regard will enable the following science questions to be addressed: --What is the fine-scale internal structure of CMEs? --How do CME-driven shocks develop and accelerate particles? In the proposed investigation, we will advance the TRL of achromatic hybrid MRPs through design, modeling, fabrication, and testing. We will refine the science/instrument requirements and develop a preliminary design for SCHI, including design/fabrication of hybrid MRPs optimized for this application. A major technical achievement of this proposed effort will be the optimization of nanofabricated large-area (20 mm aperture) MRPs capable of achromatic performance over a bandpass >100 nm in the visible light regime, with metasurfaces efficiencies in excess of 80%. Using a tabletop optical setup, we will measure the spatial resolution, spectral bandpass, and FOV distortions of the optical system. Our investigation is relevant to the Heliophysics overarching goal to “understand the Sun and its interactions with the Earth and the Solar System, including space weather” and to the combined objectives to “Advance our understanding of the Sun’s activity...” and “Develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space...” in ROSES Element B.1. The development of a scanning coronal imager using hybrid MRPs will combine the FOV of a heliospheric imager with the performance of a coronagraph, all within a compact and versatile instrument package. The small form factor enables incorporation of this instrument on platforms with restricted resources, including CubeSats and deep space missions. Additionally, our work to develop a metasurface-based optical system will serve as a major advance in applying metsurface technology for Heliophysics science observations. Since metamaterials can be designed for different wavebands/polarizations/efficiencies, they can address a variety of other science objectives and applications including optical communications, star tracking, formation flying, spectroscopy, Earth imaging, and more.

Support NASA's Heliophysics strategic science objectives to understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather. This will be achieved by developing/demonstrating instrumentation technology necessary to address the following science goals: Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and throughout the solar system; Advance our understanding of the connections that link the Sun, the Earth, planetary space environments, and the outer reaches of our solar system; Develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society and to safeguard human and robotic explorers beyond Earth.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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