High-resolution spectroscopic imaging of the Sun with a universal birefringent filter and a Fabry-Perot Interferometer

Summary We describe an optical device consisting of a Universal Birefringent Filter and a Fabry-Perot interferometer used in tandem to obtain monochromatic images of the Sun in the visible spectrum (between 4200 and 7000 ?). The spectral resolving power is about 300000 and the wavelength stability might reach 0.02 m? at 5000 ? (≈1.2 m/s) with an integration time of 1 s. The image is recorded by a CCD camera based on a Thomson THX31159 device with 512×512 square pixels 19 μm in size. A prototype of this instrument was tested at the G. B. Donati Solar Tower of the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory by obtaining, at fixed time intervals, several series of full disk monochromatic images of the Sun at different wavelengths inside the Fe I 5905.7 ? photospheric line. In this paper we describe the instrument and its characteristics and we give an cccount of the preliminary results obtained by measuring the global velocity field on the solar photosphere. These results show that the instrument is well suited for global oscillation measurements. Paper presented at the V Cosmic Physics National Conference, S. Miniato, November 27–30, 1990.