Compact Lyman-alpha Spatial heterodyne Spectrometer (CLASS), a miniature ultra-sensitive FUV spectrometer for future heliophysics and astrophysics space explorations

Here we report the progress of the Compact Lyman-alpha Spatial heterodyne Spectrometer (CLASS), a novel, ultra-compact, EUV spectrometer that exceeds the capabilities of any previous ultraviolet (UV) coronagraph spectrometers with significantly less mass (~ 1 kg), size (~ show box), and compact telescope aperture (< 30 cm). Current sensors to study these questions are large instruments with considerable demands on spacecraft resources (mass, power, volume). CLASS is based on the reflective cyclical design Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometry (SHS) technique and obtains high spectral resolution profiles of Hydrogen Lyman-alpha emission at 1216Å from the solar atmosphere. High energy Solar Energetic Particles, when produced in large fluxes, can cause severe damage to satellite components and pose a radiation health risk to humans in space. However, these events' exact origin, timing, and intensity are poorly understood. Acknowledgments: This work has been conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract to NASA: copyright 2024, California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged.