Photometric calibration in the ultraviolet of the Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS)

David R. Ardila, Evgenya Shkolnik, Paul Scowen, Tahina Ramiaramanantsoa, Travis Barman, Judd Bowman, Christophe Basset, Johnathan Gamaunt, Dawn Gregory, Daniel Jacobs, Logan Jensen, April Jewell, Matthew Kolopanis, Mary Knapp, Gillian Kyne, Cristy Ladwig, Joe Llama, Victoria Meadows, Shouleh Nikzad, Sarah PeacockNathaniel Struebel, Mark Swain

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

The Start-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) is a NASA-funded mission led by Arizona State University, devoted to characterizing the UV emission of low-mass stars. During its nominal one-year mission, SPARCS will observe close to 20 low-mass stars, with the goal of understanding their short and long-term UV variability. SPARCS will be ready for launch in 2025. SPARCS' payload is a 9-cm telescope paired with two delta-doped charge-coupled devices (CCDs). The data calibration converts the raw instrument counts into an average flux within the two ultraviolet bands (153-171 nm, 258-308 nm). While the system is only weakly sensitive in the infrared, the target stars are very bright at long wavelengths. This requires careful correction of the data for out-of-band emission. The system is being fully characterized on the ground to provide supporting calibration data. The calibration uses observations of very stable white dwarfs to achieve the 10% photometric accuracy requirement in both bands.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024
Subtitle of host publicationUltraviolet to Gamma Ray
EditorsJan-Willem A. den Herder, Shouleh Nikzad, Kazuhiro Nakazawa
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510675094
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024
EventSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray - Yokohama, Japan
Duration: Jun 16 2024Jun 21 2024

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume13093
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Conference

ConferenceSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
Country/TerritoryJapan
CityYokohama
Period6/16/246/21/24

Keywords

  • Calibration
  • CubeSats
  • Exoplanets
  • Ultraviolet
  • White Dwarfs

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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