NSSDCA ID: 1975-057A-08
Mission Name: OSO 8This NRL experiment, mounted in the wheel section, obtained spatial and temporal measurements of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emissions of hydrogen, helium, and oxygen in the earth's atmosphere and in interplanetary and galactic space. Three photometers were designed to measure EUV resonance radiation in various wavelengths from 170 to 1080 A and in portions of the 1125 to 1230 A band. Each photometer consisted of a continuous-channel electron multiplier used as a photon detector, together with a thin metal film or a magnesium fluoride-oxygen cell to serve as optical bandpass filters. There were four such bandpass filters: (1) a thin film of 1000 A-thick aluminum and 500 A-thick carbon (bandwidth of 170 to 440 A), (2) a thin film of 1000 A-thick aluminum (bandwidth of 170 to 800 A), (3) a thin film of 1500 A-thick indium (bandwidth of 730 to 1080 A), and (4) a cell with a magnesium fluoride window (bandwidth of 1130 to 1500 A). These bandpass filters were mounted on a wheel in front of the photon detectors and were rotated at regular intervals to change the filters. This made three of the indicated wavelength ranges operational at any given time. The instrument was mounted with the photometer axes at a small angle to the satellite-sun line and with sufficient baffling that the photometers would never see the sun. For more information, see S. P. Maran and R. J. Thomas, Sky & Teles., v. 3, p. 355, 1977.
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. Charles S. Weller, Jr. | Principal Investigator | US Naval Research Laboratory |