The e-CALLISTO is a network of CALLISTO (Compact Astronomical Low-frequency, Low-cost Instrument for Spectroscopy in Transportable Observatories) spectrometers which detect solar radio bursts 24 hours a day in frequency range 45-870 MHz. The number of channels per spectrum is 200 and the time resolution of whole spectrum is 0.25 second. The Korean e-CALLISTO station was developed by Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) collaborating with Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) since 2007. In this paper, we report replacement of the tracking mount and development of the control program using Visual C++/MFC. The program can make the tracking mount track the Sun and schedule CALLISTO to start and to finish its observation automatically using the Solar Position Algorithm (SPA). Daily tracking errors (RMSE) are 0.0028 degree in azimuthal axis and 0.0019 degree in elevational axis between 2014 January and 2015 July. We expect that the program can save time and labor to make the observations of solar activity for space weather monitoring, and improve CALLISTO data quality due to the stable and precise tracking methods.
We have developed a data integration system for ground-based space weather facilities in Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). The data integration system is necessary to analyze and use ground-based space weather data efficiently, and consists of a server system and data monitoring systems. The server system consists of servers such as data acquisition server or web server, and storage. The data monitoring systems include data collecting and processing applications and data display monitors. With the data integration system we operate the Space Weather Monitoring Lab (SWML) where real-time space weather data are displayed and our ground-based observing facilities are monitored. We expect that this data integration system will be used for the highly efficient processing and analysis of the current and future space weather data at KASI.
KASI and Seoul National University developed the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) as one of major scientific instruments for the 1.6 m New Solar Telescope (NST) and installed it in the Coude room of the NST at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) in May, 2010. The major objective of the FISS is to study the fine-scale structures and dynamics of plasma in the photosphere and chromosphere. To achieve it, the FISS is required to take data with a spectral resolution higher than 105 at the spectrograph mode and a temporal resolution less than 10 seconds at the imaging mode. The FISS is a spectrograph using Echelle grating and has characteristics that can observe dual bands (Hα and CaII 8542) simultaneously and perform fast imaging using fast raster scan and two fast CCD cameras. In this paper, we introduce briefly the whole process of FISS development from the requirement analysis to the first observations.
Spectral line profiles of filaments/prominences to be observed by the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) are studied. The main spectral lines of interests are Hα Ca II 8542, and Ca II K. FISS has a high spectral resolving power of 2 x 105, and supports simultaneous dual-band recording. This instrument will be installed at the 1.6m New Solar Telescope (NST) of Big Bear Solar Observatory, which has a high spatial resolution of 0.065" at 500nm. Adopting the cloud model of radiative transfer and using the model parameters inferred from pre-existing observations, we have simulated a set of spectral profiles of the lines that are emitted by a filament on the disk or a prominence at the limb. Taking into account the parameters of the instrument, we have estimated the photon count to be recorded by the CCD cameras, the signal-to-noise ratios, and so on. We have also found that FISS is suitable for the study of multi-velocity threads in filaments if the spectral profiles of Ca II lines are recorded together with Hα lines