“Calibration System and tests for Spectrometer Phebus on the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission”
- Paper number
IAC-08.A3.6.8
- Author
Dr. Lucrezia Murrali, University of Padova, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Maria Guglielmina Pelizzo, LUXOR CNR-INFM, Italy
- Coauthor
Prof. Piergiorgio Nicolosi, LUXOR CNR-INFM, Italy
- Coauthor
Prof. Gabriele Cremonese, INAF - Osservatorio astronomico di Padova, Italy
- Coauthor
Prof. Eric Chassefier, Service d'Aeronomie ISPL, France
- Coauthor
Dr. Jean-Luc Maria, Service d'Aeronomie ISPL, France
- Coauthor
Dr. Nicolas Rouanet, Service d'Aeronomie ISPL, France
- Year
2008
- Abstract
This paper deals with optical test and the calibration system for Phebus, one of the payloads mounted on BepiColombo, an ESA mission in cooperation with Japan that will be launched on 2013 to explore Mercury. The scientific objectives of the mission regard mainly knowledge of Mercury interior, Mercury surface, Mercury exosphere and magnetosphere. In this manner it will be possible to have a better insight about origin and evolution of a planet close to the parent star, the structure of the whole planet and its interior, exosphere and magnetosphere composition and dynamics. Phebus is a spectrometer that can operate at UV wavelengths, both in the far and extreme ultraviolet. Phebus goal is to analyse the exosphere in order to discover new chemical species that until now have never been observed. In addition to, the instrument will derive temporal and local variations of the exosphere and albedo changes in planet dark side, to detect possible signs of ice. There are two spectrometers that scan Mercury exosphere: the first works from 55 nm to 155 nm (EUV), and the second from 145 nm to 315 nm (FUV). First of all, it is important to simulate, through ray tracing, the whole instrument in order to analyze its spectral response and to generate a radiometric model. Once obtained these results, we have to consider a calibration system as suitable as possible to reproduce, in laboratory, the effective operational optical conditions. VUV and FUV sources will be coupled with a monochromator system and an optical projector. The system performance will be optically simulated through ray tracing. The system will be interfaced in vacuum with the Phebus models. Various tests will be performed to derive optical and spectroscopic performances of the instrument. Finally radiometric calibration will be carried out.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)