The Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager: Second Flight and Recent Results

Steven Christe, NASA GSFC, Solar Physics Lab, Greenbelt, United States, Sam Krucker, Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, United States, Lindsay Glesener, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, United States, Shin-nosuke Ishikawa, National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Japan, Brian Ramsey, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, United States, Juan Camilo Buitrago-Casas, University of California Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, United States, Natalie Foster, Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States and FOXSI Collaboration
Abstract:
Solar flares accelerate particles up to high energies through various acceleration mechanisms which are not currently understood. Hard X-rays are the most direct diagnostic of flare-accelerated electrons. However past and current hard x-ray observation lack the sensitivity and dynamic range necessary to observe the faint signature of accelerated electrons in the acceleration region, the solar corona. These limitations can be easily overcome through the use of HXR focusing optics coupled with solid state pixelated detectors. We present on recent updates on the FOXSI sounding rocket program. During its first flight FOXSI observed imaged a microflare with simultaneous observations by RHESSI. We present recent imaging analysis of the FOXSI observations and detailed comparison with RHESSI. New detector calibration results are also presented and, time-permitting, preliminary results from the second launch of FOXSI scheduled for December 2014.
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