SUMER Commissioning Progresses Successfully


SUMER had its great day of first light today. During the long pass, starting at 1:30 EST the B detector has been powered up to operating voltage and the instrument door was fully opened. The first spectrum was taken at the north limb of the Sun, and soon it could be verified that the optimum detector operating voltages were the same as before launch. Subsequently, a User Defined Programm (UDP) was loaded that made a scan along the north limb and then took a Spectral Atlas centred in the scan region, which produced the first spectrum of the full spectral range with the B-Detector from 660 to 1500 Angstroem (330 to 750 in 2nd order). Already the first look at the data showed the overwelming amount of information that will be found in the shapes and intensities of spectral lines. The overall sensitivity of the instrument is excellent (the signal in the OIV line is matching exactly the predicted value).

With the exception of the limited performance of the Rear Slit Camera, all subsystems work flawlessly.

At the time of writing, the high voltage of the A detector is being ramped up and first images apppear on the screen.

The SUMER Team at GSFC 25 January 1996


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