A Point-Spread Function for the Extreme Ultraviolet High-Resolution Imager on Board Solar Orbiter

Solar Orbiter and Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging

Solar Orbiter continues to provide unprecedented views of our home star through a sophisticated suite of scientific instruments. Among these, the Extreme Ultraviolet High-Resolution Imager plays a pivotal role in capturing detailed ultraviolet structures across the solar atmosphere, observing our star from close perspectives to uncover the mechanics of solar activity.

Quantifying Internal Diffusion and Scattering Effects

In a recent technical assessment, researchers evaluated the internal diffusion and light-scattering characteristics occurring within this ultraviolet instrument. By determining the instrument's point-spread function, the team successfully measured how instrumental optics scatter incoming photons, establishing an essential metric for quantifying optical stray light.

Advancing Precision in Solar Physics Observations

Understanding and correcting for optical diffusion and scattering allows scientists to sharpen acquired imagery and remove instrumental artifacts from ultraviolet observations. This calibration work significantly improves the fidelity of observational data, enabling solar physicists to model fine-scale coronal dynamics, magnetic processes, and solar emissions with greater accuracy.