Validating an Atmospheric Absorption Model through Solar Instrumentation on Sounding Rockets

Abstract

Extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray data taken from suborbital sounding rocket platforms are affected by atmospheric absorption. The absorption correction factor varies with time, launch location, launch profile, and atmospheric conditions. This discussion is the first application of our spherical shell model for computing atmospheric absorption features. We find good agreement between the predicted and observed absorption in the first two flights of the High-resolution Coronal Imager sounding rocket instrument. We also find that the model agrees with the near-negligible absorption found at the longer wavelengths observed with the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer X-ray spectra. We now intend to explore the results from past and future missions, apply this model with greater confidence, and uncover novel insights.

Keywords

• Atmospheric effects
• Spectroscopy
• Solar x-ray emission
• Earth atmosphere
• Theoretical models
• Experimental data