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The Multi Application Solar Telescope


Affiliations
1 Udaipur Solar Observatory, Physical Research Laboratory, Udaipur 313 001, India
 

Multi Application Solar Telescope (MAST), a telescope for the detailed study of solar activity, was operationalized at the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO) of Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), on 16 June 2015. This article traces the history of the conceptualization to realization of MAST and describes its salient features. MAST is an off-axis Gregorian-Coudé telescope with a 50 cm aperture. The first light backend instruments include a narrow band polarimetric imager to map the photospheric and chromospheric magnetic fields and a multi-slit spectro-polarimeter. An adaptive optics system is also being developed for the on-line corrections of the image distortions produced by atmospheric seeing. The main objective of MAST is to obtain high spatial and temporal resolution observations of solar photospheric and chromospheric activity, with the ultimate goal of predicting space weather.

Keywords

Adaptive Optics, Back-End Instruments, Dome, Solar Telescope.
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  • Mathew, S. K., A new 0.5 m telescope (MAST) for solar imaging and polarimetry. In Solar Polarization Workshop 5 (eds Berdiyugina, S. V., Nagendra, S. K. and Ramelli, R.), Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, 2009, vol. 405, p. 461.

  • Denis, S. et al., Multi-application solar telescope: assembly, integration, and testing. Proc. SPIE, 2010, 7733, 35.

  • Kumar, B., Venkatakrishnan, P., Raja Bayanna, A. and Venugopalan, K., Site characterization using solar H images. Solar Phys., 2007, 241, 427–437.

  • Tiwari, A. R., Mathew, S. K., Bayanna, A. R., Venkatakrishnan, P. and Yadav, R., Imaging spectropolarimeter for the multi-application solar telescope at Udaipur Solar Observatory: characterization of polarimeter and preliminary observations. Solar Phys., 2017, 292, 49.

  • Bayanna, A. R. et al., Development of a low-order adaptive optics system at Udaipur Solar Observatory. J. Astrophys. Astron., 2008, 29, 353.

  • Bayanna, A. R., Mathew, S. K., Venakatakrishnan, P. and Srivastava, N., Narrow-band imaging system for the multi-application solar telescope at Udaipur Solar Observatory: characterization of lithium niobate etalons. Solar Phys., 2014, 289, 4007.


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  • The Multi Application Solar Telescope

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Authors

P. Venkatakrishnan
Udaipur Solar Observatory, Physical Research Laboratory, Udaipur 313 001, India
Shibu K. Mathew
Udaipur Solar Observatory, Physical Research Laboratory, Udaipur 313 001, India
Nandita Srivastava
Udaipur Solar Observatory, Physical Research Laboratory, Udaipur 313 001, India
A. R. Bayanna
Udaipur Solar Observatory, Physical Research Laboratory, Udaipur 313 001, India
Brajesh Kumar
Udaipur Solar Observatory, Physical Research Laboratory, Udaipur 313 001, India
Bireddy Ramya
Udaipur Solar Observatory, Physical Research Laboratory, Udaipur 313 001, India
Naresh Jain
Udaipur Solar Observatory, Physical Research Laboratory, Udaipur 313 001, India
Mukesh Saradava
Udaipur Solar Observatory, Physical Research Laboratory, Udaipur 313 001, India

Abstract


Multi Application Solar Telescope (MAST), a telescope for the detailed study of solar activity, was operationalized at the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO) of Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), on 16 June 2015. This article traces the history of the conceptualization to realization of MAST and describes its salient features. MAST is an off-axis Gregorian-Coudé telescope with a 50 cm aperture. The first light backend instruments include a narrow band polarimetric imager to map the photospheric and chromospheric magnetic fields and a multi-slit spectro-polarimeter. An adaptive optics system is also being developed for the on-line corrections of the image distortions produced by atmospheric seeing. The main objective of MAST is to obtain high spatial and temporal resolution observations of solar photospheric and chromospheric activity, with the ultimate goal of predicting space weather.

Keywords


Adaptive Optics, Back-End Instruments, Dome, Solar Telescope.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv113%2Fi04%2F686-690