Multi Application Solar Telescope - MAST
MAST is a 50 cm, a multi-application, off-axis solar telescope, which is
getting ready for installation at the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO) by
September this year. Our main interest is in the polarimetry of active
regions, initially in two wavelengths, FeI 617.3nm and CaII 854.2nm,
originating in the photospheric and chromospheric heights, respectively.
The telescope is being developed by AMOS, Belgium. The telescope will be
installed in a newly built observatory building on an island equipped with
a 9m collapsible fabric dome for better seeing conditions. Gentle wind
along with the temperature control system on the telescope is expected to
provide good image quality. The first-light instruments are being
developed, which include an adaptive-optics system, polarimeter and an
imager. The polarimeter will have two LCVRs along with a linear polarizer
and the auxiliary calibration optics. The LCVRs are tunable and could be
used in both the wavelengths. Two tandem lithium niobate voltage tunable
Fabry-Perot etalons along with switchable pre-filters will enable us to
scan the line profiles at the above two wavelengths to obtain
2-dimensional images with spectral information.
MAST original proposal is
available HERE
[Contact Prof. P. Venkatakrishnan for more details]
Last update on 31 March 2010