Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science
Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS)
Project Description
The Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS) will observe the Sun in the 6-24 Angstrom wavelength range with 6 arcsec resolution along the 8 armin slit. The data will be used to determine the frequency of heating in the solar corona and the FIP bias in different hot coronal structures. This information can be used to discriminate between coronal heating mechanisms and fractionation mechanisms that cause the FIP effect. MaGIXS is composed of three subsystems : an X-ray telescope, a spectrograph, and a detector. The X-ray telescope optic will produce focused images on a slit; a slit jaw imaging system will be used for pointing and data alignment. The spectrograph consists of a collimating and re-focusing pair of corrective X-ray optics and a blazed grating. The detector is a low-noise, fast-readout camera. The alignment of the system will occur in stages, with the final alignment at the Marshall Space Flight Center Stray Light Facility.
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Anticipated Benefits
Support NASA's Heliophysics strategic science objectives to understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather. This will be achieved by developing/demonstrating instrumentation technology necessary to address the following science goals: Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and throughout the solar system; Advance our understanding of the connections that link the Sun, the Earth, planetary space environments, and the outer reaches of our solar system; Develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society and to safeguard human and robotic explorers beyond Earth.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Marshall Space Flight Center
(MSFC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Huntsville, Alabama |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
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Alabama
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District of Columbia
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Massachusetts
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Montana
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Texas
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