Tuesday, 22 January 2008: 2:30 PM
EXIS: The next generation of solar EUV and X-ray Sensors for GOES-R
R02-R03 (Ernest N. Morial Convention Center)
The NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series is responsible for measurements of meteorological and space weather phenomena that directly affect public safety, property, and ultimately, economic health and development in the United States. GOES-R is the next generation in this longstanding program and incorporates improvements in design and technology to meet the ever-growing needs of our nation. The GOES-R series is currently in development, with the first launch planned for late 2014. Part of the GOES-R solar instrumentation will be the EUV and X-Ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS). The EXIS consists of two instruments, the EUV Sensor (EUVS) and the X-Ray Sensor (XRS), both designed to measure the solar spectral irradiance in different geo-effective wavelength ranges. An XRS has been included in the GOES manifest since the beginning of the program and has become the standard, real-time monitor of solar flares. The new XRS design will continue that long history, measuring the solar irradiance in the 0.05-0.4 nm and 0.1-0.8 nm bands, but will have a larger dynamic range, capturing both the lowest solar minimum and brightest flaring irradiances. An EUVS was first added to the program with the launch of GOES-13 in 2006. The variable solar EUV radiation is a primary energy source for the upper atmosphere, heating the thermosphere, creating the ionosphere, changing the evironment in which low earth orbit satellites fly, and affecting telecommunications and navigation systems. Completely redesigned for GOES-R, the new EUVS will use a combination of measurements of specific solar emissions and empirical modeling to produce a realtime solar irradiance product spanning the entire 5-127 nm wavelength range. This paper will introduce the concept designs for the GOES-R EXIS and the potential for new data products.
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