Short-wavelength studies of solar flares and other phenomena
Spectrometers work a bit like cameras—they allow in light energy, split it with a prism, and then use multiple sensors to measure the various resulting wavelengths. These instruments are essential tools for space-based studies, and our institute has extensive experience building, deploying, and operating them.
LASP has built and deployed three generations of its Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) instrument. These are designed to measure the soft x-ray wavelengths, a region of particular interest for observations of solar flares and active solar regions.
The newest MinXSS instrument, called the Dual-zone Aperture X-ray Solar Spectrometer (DAXSS), is currently deployed aboard INSPIRESat-1.
