Detector development for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope

近年来，从一系列（非常成功的）地面和卫星太阳能设施获得的大量观测数据揭示了太阳大气结构和动力学的复杂性。这种巨大的复杂性是等离子体运动与磁场持续相互作用的结果。为了理解这些相互作用，我们需要在广泛的空间和时间尺度上观察，建模和解释太阳现象，特别是建立小尺度过程和大尺度现象之间的联系。太阳物理学研究在英国非常强大，是STFC路线图中的一个高度优先领域。2009年太阳大气层快速振荡成像仪的启用使联合王国能够扩大其地面太阳能设施的用户群，并利用这些设施的数据，这些设施可以提供比卫星对应设施更高的空间和时间分辨率。未来，美国国家太阳天文台正在建造的先进技术太阳望远镜（ATST）预计将于2019年首次亮相，将成为地基太阳物理学的真正革命性设施。它将在光学和近红外波段工作，在可预见的未来将成为卓越的地面太阳望远镜。与目前可用的仪器相比，其仪器的关键进步包括超高空间（太阳表面25公里）和时间（毫秒）分辨率、高分辨率成像光谱学和日冕磁力测量。ATST的第一光科学目标是英国太阳物理学研究计划的核心，对于英国社区来说，获得该设施以保持竞争力显然很重要。目前英国主导的技术被认为是满足ATST科学要求的探测器的最佳选择。在这项提案中，我们的目标是确保英国参与ATST，并在曙光初现时最大限度地提高英国社会的科学回报。这将通过一项由英国大学/研究机构和工业界组成的联盟STFC资助的联合计划来实现（Andor Technology plc），为ATST开发新的最先进的探测器，加上一套软件工具，将允许ATST观测的最佳规划和所得数据集的处理。英国的主要学术利益将是专门的观测时间在世界上-领先的ATST设施，我们的太阳物理学界将处于一个很好的位置来利用。在非学术利益方面，拟议的探测器开发将产生重大的社会经济影响，因此符合STFC通过创新实现经济增长的战略。它将开辟新的技术市场，并为现有的探测器市场提供增长和多样性。

In recent years, a wealth of observational data from a range of (highly successful) ground- and satellite-based solar facilities has revealed the perplexing and complex nature of the Sun's atmospheric structure and dynamics. This tremendous complexity is a result of the continuous interaction of the plasma motions with the magnetic field. To understand these interactions, we need to observe, model and interpret solar phenomena over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, and in particular establish the links between the small-scale processes and the large-scale phenomena. Solar physics research is very strong in the UK and an area of high priority in the STFC Roadmap. The commissioning of the Rapid Oscillations in Solar Atmosphere imager in 2009 allowed the UK community to expand both its user base of ground-based solar facilities and its exploitation of data from such facilities, which can provide higher spatial and temporal resolution that their satellite-based counterparts. For the future, the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST), under construction by the US National Solar Observatory with first-light expected in 2019, will be a truly revolutionary facility for ground-based solar physics. It will operate in the optical and near-infrared and be the pre-eminent ground-based solar telescope for the foreseeable future. Key advances in its instrumentation over that currently available include ultra-high spatial (25 km on the solar surface) and temporal (millisecond) resolution, high resolution imaging spectroscopy and coronal magnetometry. The first-light science objectives of the ATST are at the core of UK solar physics research programmes, and it is clearly important for the UK community to have access to the facility to remain competitive. Current UK-led technology has been highlighted as the best option for detectors meeting the science requirements of the ATST. In this proposal we aim to secure UK participation in the ATST and maximise the science return for the UK community at the time of first-light. This will be achieved by a joint programme, funded by STFC, a consortium of UK universities/research institute and industry (Andor Technology plc), on the development of new state-of-the-art detectors for the ATST, plus a set of software tools that will allow the optimal planning of ATST observations and the processing of the resultant datasets.The main academic benefit for the UK will be dedicated observing time on the world-leading ATST facility, which our solar physics community will be in an excellent position to exploit. In terms of non-academic benefit, the proposed detector development will have a significant socio-economic impact and is therefore in line with the STFC strategy for economic growth through innovation. It will open new technological markets and provide growth and diversity in existing detector markets.