NRL, Solar Physics Branch Home Page

The NRL Solar Physics Branch

GREAT SOLAR
HELIUM ERUPTION

This photograph of the sun
was taken using the extreme
ultraviolet radiation from ionized
helium, 304 Angstom wavelength.
It was taken on December 19, 1973
using the Solar Physics Branch's
SO82A Spectroheliograph
onboard the Skylab ATM.

The Solar Physics Branch is part of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Space Science Divison.

Researchers in the Solar Physics Branch have been involved in observational and theoretical studies of the solar atmosphere since the early years of the space age. Experiments developed at NRL have flown on NASA missions such as Skylab/ATM, the OSO satellite series, the Space Shuttle STS-3, Spacelab-2 and ATLAS missions.

There are three active experimental programs in the Solar Physics Branch:

The Large Angle Coronagraph-Spectrograph (LASCO) experiment is one experimental package aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a joint ESA/NASA mission, which was launched on December 2, 1995. LASCO produces coronal images from all three of its coronagraphs (C1, C2, and C3).
The Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM) experiment begun on October 11, 1991 aboard the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) continues to measure the solar UV spectral irradiance from 115-410 nm.
The High Resolution Telescope and Spectrograph (HRTS) experiment has collected spectroscopic observations of the Sun while flying on suborbital rockets since its first flight in 1975.

The Branch also maintains two database projects:

The Space Physics Data System's HRTS/SKYLAB database with solar data from the Solar Physics Branch's spectrograph and spectroheliograph instruments flown as part of the HRTS , Spacelab 2 and SKYLAB missions. This database is the under sponsorship of NASA's Space Physics Data System.
The CHIANTI database for the calculation of astrophysical spectra. This database contains the most recent atomic data for calculating a collisionally dominated spectrum and is maintained by an international consortium of scientists.

Late Breaking News and Other Items of Interest:

The EIT calibration rocket rocket flew successfully on September 20, 2001. Recovered Instrument and EUV images are doing fine.
HRTS-10 was successfully flown on September 30, 1997.
SOHO Mission status.
SUSIM UARS News, Data, or Mg II Index plot.
Code 7660 network map.
Publications of the Solar Physics Branch, 1995-1997
Publications of the Solar Physics Branch, 1998.

You can also visit the NRL Space Science Division home page.

Note: The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsment by the Naval Research Laboratory of the Web site or the information, products or services contained therin. For other than authorized activities, the Naval Research Laboratory does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistently with the stated purpose of this DOD Web site.

Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Solar Physics Branch / Code 7660

Last revised 30 October 1997
For more information send mail to Ken Dere

Certifying Official: Dr. Ken Dere, Astrophysicist