Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2012
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21924118a&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #241.18
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The time-tagged mode of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) provides a convenient method of studying the orbital variation of geocoronal Lyman-alpha emission at the altitude of HST. We have analyzed G130M blank sky exposures from scheduled STIS parallels and observations for which the target acquisition failed. We supplement these with observations of WD standard stars from flat field and sensitivity monitoring programs where the stellar Lyα profile can be modeled and its contribution to the geocoronal emission removed. Data were corrected for time-dependent sensitivity changes and gain sag. The measurements have been fit by an analytical model based on the orbital position of HST and the angle between the target and the Earth as seen from HST. The Lyα emission varies from less than 2 kR for a target observed at orbit midnight to 37 kR for one observed at the bright Earth limb at orbit noon. A long-term trend of increasing flux is evident, consistent with solar Lyα measurements by SOLSTICE on SORCE as the next solar maximum is approached. We expect the irradiance at solar maximum to be at least 50-55 kR. This level still should not trigger local count rate violations for the FUV detector, but will accelerate gain sag of the microchannel plates in the regions where Lyα falls.
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