The Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope onboard the ASO-S Mission

Abstract:

The ASO-S (Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory) is the first approved solar space mission in China. Its launch time is scheduled to be the end of 2021. The LST (Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope) payload is equipped with a dual-band coronagraph with a field of view from 1.1 to 2.5 solar radii. It is able to observe the extended corona in Lyman-alpha and polarized white-light brightness. Combining the full-disk Lyman-alpha imager on LST, it allows us to follow the initiation of eruptions and their earlier evolutions. As the mission has a Sun synchronous orbit, we receive data in high spatial and temporal resolutions. In this presentations, the LST overview, instrument designs, data pipeline and various analysis tools will be introduced. The coronagraph has an off-axis three-mirror reflective structure. It uses a beam splitter to have simultaneous dual-waveband images. We also planned the synergy of observations and data analyses between LST and Metis aboard the Solar Orbiter. The upgrades of the LST payload in the future will also be discussed.