Observing the integrated and spatially resolved Sun with ultra-high spectral resolution

Abstract

The Institute for Astrophysics Göttingen operates a solar observatory that combines a 50\,cm siderostat with (1) a vacuum vertical telescope, (2) a very high resolution Fourier Transform Spectrograph ($R>900,000$ at 600\,nm), and (3) a Laser Frequency Comb for extremely precise and accurate frequency calibration ($<10cm/s$). We introduce our setup that feeds the spectrograph with either a 32.5" field of view of the solar surface, or with disk-integrated sunlight for Sun-as-a-star observations and explain the necessary computational steps to guide specific positions on the solar surface into the fiber. Our instrument suite can deliver spectroscopic measurements with extremely accurate frequency calibration, which is valid across very large frequency regions (approx. 400-800\,nm in wavelength). This allows precision spectroscopy of individual lines in order to study the variability of spectral lines in Sun-as-a-star observations as well as determining the convective blueshift across the solar surface from many spectral lines.