PROGRESS REPORT THE SOLAR-A SOFT X-RAY TELESCOPE (SXT) PROGRAM (CONTRACT NAS8-00119) (for August-September 2002) OVERVIEW The YOHKOH Mission is a program of the Japanese Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) with collaboration by the U. S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U. K. Science and Engineering Research Council. The YOHKOH satellite was launched on 30 August 1991 from Kagoshima Space Center (KSC) in Japan. The purpose of this mission is to study high energy phenomena in solar flares and the Sun's corona. Under an international cooperative agreement, Lockheed Martin, under NASA contract, is providing a scientific investigation using the Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT), one of the primary experiments of the mission. The SXT was developed at the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory in cooperation with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and the Institute for Astronomy of the University of Tokyo. MAJOR PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES IN THE MONTH No significant programmatic activities have taken place this reporting period. We are still waiting for a signed contract modification to complete the orderly shut down of operations and to continue the archiving of the data. HIGHLIGHTS The accuracy of the spacecraft attitude and pointing database is critical not only for scientific analysis involving coalignment of Yohkoh images with other data, but also two key SXT image calibration steps: 1.The removal of stray-light patterns from SXT raw images and 2. The removal of CCD saturation effects from the SXT images using image compositing. There are a variety of factors which can influence the quality of the pointing solution. We have made preliminary models of the orbital variation of the spacecraft pointing drift, and are testing the practicality of interpolating these models to fill badly sampled intervals. We believe this to be a promising approach. We estimate that the 'best possible' calibration of the SXT pointing database can be incrementally achieved in the next several weeks and that all possible improvements may be tested and, where useful, incorporated into the database within two months. The final calibration of the SXT image archive has several components, which are being pursued in parallel: 1. Calibration and removal of the instrumental CCD dark current contamination of the images; 2. Removal of optical light contamination of the X-ray images; 3. Removal of CCD saturation effects; 4. Removal of accumulated permanent CCD degradation effects; 5. Removal of the SXT X-ray mirror scattering function; 6. Removal of telescope FOV vignetting effects.Item 1 (dark current) has been achieved to a 'best possible' level consistent with available time and budget resources. Item 2 (leak contamination) has been the subject of intense work, primarily by Acton et al at Montana State University and Metcalf, Freeland and Shirts at Lockheed Martin. The LMSAL work has most recently concentrated on exploiting the correlation between x-ray and leak calibration images, while Acton's approach has been to model higher order corrections to the initial leak calibration. Item 3 (CCD saturation removal) has been largely closed to the level permitted by the observations. Item 4 (CCD defect removal) has been completed. Item 5 (point spread function removal) for full-frame images has been treated at MSU and is largely finished. In order to guarantee the integrity of the reformatted Yohkoh data (Level 0 product) a consistency check of the entire mission archive against summary files of the archives that were generated during the reformatting process has been executed. Mission long consistency checks have been completed for all scientific instrument data archives (SXT, HXT, BCS, WBS) as well as the reformatted pointing data archive (ADA). Reformatting of the raw telemetry data was re- executed in all cases where inconsistencies existed. The final FITS format for the Yohkoh Galileo Archives, while not completely defined due to on-going discussions with the solar physics community (e.g., the EGSO, the VSO, and the SOHO, Solar-B, and STEREO programs), is sufficiently complete that a mission-long archive of SXT image data was successfully generated in FITS format. This archive is available on the Web for evaluation. We are now confident that the conversion of the full set of archives for the Yohkoh Galileo Project can be accomplished easily after the completion of archive generation tasks. Experimentation is also underway at LMSAL to develop the most high fidelity compressed version of the SXT image archive possible. Significant compression is necessary in order to fit the entire full disk SXT movie on one or two DVDs. Page 5 PUBLIC USE OF SXT IMAGES We are continuing to make Yohkoh/SXT images available for a variety of uses. We receive requests for the Yohkoh posters (#2 and #3) by way of the form on the SXT homepage. Currently we receive requests via our homepage at the rate of 2 or 3 per day. The WEB access statistics in August were 65,147 accesses and 6,735 Mbytes transferred for the SXT website and 116,233 accesses and 2,032 Mbytes transferred for the YPOP website. The WEB access statistics in September were 77,920 accesses and 6,134 Mbytes transferred for the SXT website and 146,107 accesses and 2,513 Mbytes transferred for the YPOP website. Respectfully submitted, Thomas R. Metcalf Frank Friedlaender Page 5 ================================================================= Montana State Univ Activity Report for August 2002-September 2002 ================================================================= (L. Acton) The MSU group has concentrated on tasks connected with preparing the Yohkoh/SXT data for archive and maintained coordination and oversight of the Galileo Project. McKenzie has quantified the fraction of x-ray scattering through the different SXT filters, verified that this has been stable over the mission, and completed work on an IDL program, sxt_decon.pro, for deconvolving the scattering and point spread function from SXT full-frame images. He has also worked on converting the Yohkoh Public Outreach Project web site to it post-mission form. Before the final SXT data products can be produced the corrections for time and pointing dependent visible stray light must be perfected. Furthermore, the conversion of these data products to physical units depends upon the absolute calibration of the SXT effective area, which evolved during the mission because of failures of the SXT entrance filters. Acton has directed his primary efforts, along with colleagues at LMSAL, towards these tasks. This has proven to be more difficult than expected but recent progress on the stray light correction task is very encouraging. The research on SXT filter failures has progressed but our understanding remains quantitatively unsatisfactory. Fortunately, the creation of SXT data products does not depend upon this calibration task. Jun Sato has invested great effort in creating a web-based HXT/SXT flare catalog that interactively returns flare images and GOES and HXT light curves. A pre-release version of this impressive work may be viewed at http://solar.physics.montana.edu/sato/shxtdbase.html. Subsequent to the Yohkoh scientific symposium in Hawaii, Piet Martens (MSU) and Dave Cauffman (LMATC) edited the "Proceedings of the Yohkoh 10th Anniversary Symposium", held in Kona, HI, 21-24 January 2002. We recently received word that the book has been published - a remarkable achievement in such a short time Page 5 ==================================================================== Solar Physics Research Corp. Activity Report for June 2002-July 2002 ==================================================================== KAREN L. HARVEY (J. Harvey): Activities in August and September 2002: Continued work on shutting down the Solar Physics Research Corporation. This mainly involved closing the office in the University of Arizona area. The sole ways of getting in contact with SPRC are now via mail to 4720 Calle Desecada, Tucson, AZ 85718, telephone (520) 299-1280, and e-mail kharvey@sprc.com. Prepared payments, invoices and reports associated with this subcontract. The budget presently authorized appears to be sufficient to cover costs during the final month of this subcontract. Plans for October: Initiate discussions with Lockheed Martin about how to dispose of various pieces of hardware funded under this and previous contracts. Prepare final payments and final invoice. ************** HUGH S. HUDSON Dr. Hudson completed his work on this project during the prior report period. ************** AKI TAKEDA ACTIVITIES IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2002 While I am slowly getting along my study on the coronal holes, I have recently got involved in the research lead by D. Prasad at PRL in India on the TransEquatorial Loops (TEL) related to the CMEs. According to the list of more than 150 TELs, which he identified in the SXT movies since 1991 through 2000, I am processing the images of each TEL and provide them for him. For this work, I have accessed 4-hour cadence SSS image archive at Lockheed. Now 2/3 of the images has already been prepared, and the rest will be finished within a few weeks. With expiration of my contract with SPRC at the end of October, I am under negotiation with a real estate agency on changing name of the lease of the apartment from Lockheed to myself. Also, since Janos Bartus is leaving from Japan due to the same reason, I am arranging the treatment of the waste furniture in his room. My plan is that, at first, inviting ISAS students (or anyone) to give something they want, next, asking a recycle center to accept as many things as possible, then call a city office to take away the final disposal. ********************* JANOS BARTUS Activities for August and September, 2002: ------------------------------------------ * Since galileo project requires large disk capacities I built two disk servers: - Computer "curly" was built from scratch. I used 6x160 GB disks to make a protected RAID-5 system. The total capacity of this RAID array is 750 GB. I also transferred and installed another RAID-5 system from isass0. Its capacity is about 200 GB. Together this server offers almost 1 TB storage area. The new disks were crossmounted in the solar network so that many computer's computational resource could be used in the file generation. The latest linux OS was also installed for this computer. - Computer "isass0" hardware structure rearranged and role was reconsidered, since it doesn't have to serve Yohkoh's operation anymore. It became the host of a new RAID disk system. The new external RAID disk unit connects to the computer through a very fast fiber channel interface card. In order to setup this system I had to update the OS to the latest linux system. The original SCSI RAID-5 system disk were reconfigured and tranferred to computer "curly". I installed the fiber channel RAID controller card, attached, configured, partitioned and created filesystem on the external disk unit. This system has presently 680 GB storage area. Additional RAID disks system will be installed on "isass0" soon, so that isass0, just like "curly", can host around 1 TB disk capacity. * Due to the fatal failure of the enclosure management chip on the internal midplane in pollux, the computer periodically crashed. I removed the midplane and sent to the US for replacement. After receiving and replacing the new midplane I optimally reconfigured the disk system and updated the OS to the latest linux version. ISAS's main Yohkoh database server is stable and running smoothly again. * I'm developing a "plug'n'play"-like software package, which will provide a way for the distributed file generation in the galileo project. It has a central, postgreSQL information database server on isass1, which can also be managed through a web-based interface. The information database has several entries for each files, or file units to be generated. After installing the software package on an individual computer, the computer connects to the database server and gets information about the next unprepared file and generates it using the local resources, then updates the information database. The generated file databases at different institutions will be synchronized by means of continuous mirroring. The software package is still in test phase, but it seems to work correctly. The software is written in perl language. The software development has required intensive study of the perl language and installation of many new software packages. * Computers were kept updated by RedHat network updates. * Everyday sysadmin tasks. Plans for October, 2002: ------------------------ * Finishing the software package mentioned above. * Teaching ISAS computer managers about our computer system and preparing a documentation for them for the future system administration. * Installing additional RAID disks for isass0. Page 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE (IN LIEU OF NASA FORM 1626) --------------------|--------------------------|------------------------------- 1. REPORT NO. | 2. GOVERNMENT | 3. RECIPIENT'S DR-01 | ACCESSION NO. | CATALOG NO. --------------------|--------------------------|------------------------------- 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE | 5. REPORT DATE Monthly progress report - for the month of | 10 August 2002 June-July 2002 |------------------------------- | 6. PERFORMING ORG | CODE: O/L9-41 -----------------------------------------------|------------------------------- 7. AUTHOR(S) | 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZA- T. R. Metcalf | TION REPORT NO: F. M. Friedlaender | |------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------|10. WORK UNIT NO. 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS | Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space |------------------------------- Advanced Technology Center, O/L9-41, B/252 |11. CONTRACT OR GRANT NO. 3251 Hanover Street, Palo Alto Ca. 94304 | NAS8 - 00119 -----------------------------------------------|------------------------------- 12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS |13. TYPE OF REPORT AND Marshall Space Flight Center (Explorer Program)| PERIOD COVERED Huntsville Alabama 35812 | Progress report for the month Contact: Larry Hill | of June-July 2002 |------------------------------- |14. SPONSORING AGENCY | CODE MSFC / AP32 -----------------------------------------------|------------------------------- 15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16. ABSTRACT The SOLAR-A Mission is a program of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), the Japanese agency for scientific space activity. The SOLAR-A satellite was launched on August 30, 1991, to study high energy phenomena in solar flares. As an international cooperative agreement, Lockheed, under NASA contract, is providing a scientific investigation and has prepared the Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT), one of the two primary experiments of the mission. SXT data collection stopped on December 14, 2001. --------------------------------------|---------------------------------------- 17. KEY WORDS (SUGGESTED BY | 18. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT AUTHOR(S)) Solar-A, X-ray, CCD, | Space Science, Solar Physics ------------------------|-------------|----------|-----------------|----------- 19. SECURITY CLASSIF. | 20. SECURITY CLASSIF. | 21. NO OF PAGES |22. PRICE (OF THIS REPORT) | (OF THIS PAGE) | | None | None | 8 | ------------------------|------------------------|-----------------|-----------