Space Weather Instruments for Encompassing Views of the Sun

We have only consistently measured the solar magnetic field and resulting coronal structures from a single vantage point along the Sun-Earth line, missing up to 3/4 of solar activity at any one time. It is becoming clear that space weather researchers and forecasters need a more complete picture of the emerging photospheric fields and coronal evolution to adequately understand and predict solar eruptive events. Here we present new instrument concepts designed to enable future observations off the Sun-Earth line, focusing on magnetographs and EUV imagers.

The Imaging Photonic Spectropolarimeter for Observing the Sun (IPSOS) instrument is based on aggressive application of new technology with immense benefits, both in the near and long term. IPSOS is the first application of the revolutionary combination of photonic, laser and electronic technologies developed by MICRO, the Magnetograph using Interferometric and Computational imaging for Remote Observations.

MICRO collapses the optical elements of an Imaging Spectro-Polarimeter (ISP) into a single, multilayer wafer, thus reducing the size and weight by orders of magnitude. These wafers are printed using photolithographic methods instead of painstaking manual assembly leading to a dramatic reduction in cost with improved reproducibility. These revolutionary properties expand hosting opportunities and enable the formation of novel constellations combining traditional and non-traditional platforms for monitoring solar oscillations and magnetic fields.

Experience with STEREO/EUVI and SO/EUI and the GOES-R/SUVI extended coronal imaging has shown the potential for extended views of the solar corona. We present a new compact imager designed to fill this role.