Receiver ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet radiation on the basis of corundum
Project Status: 3 Approved without Funding
Duration in months: 36 months
Objective
The Project aim. Within the project the development and creation of sensitive detectors for ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) wavelength range radiation on the base of corundum is proposed, for radiated energy transformation to visible region of the spectrum and its further registration by standard receivers of this wavelength range. The corundum crystals with certain impurities will be used for these studies. They will be selected on the basis of the electron theory of defects, electron excitation dynamics, and luminescent properties of crystals. A CCD (Charge-coupled device) matrix and visible range digital cameras usage can not only register the UV and VUV radiation, but also will allow obtaining an image of the radiating object. Current status. At the present moment, preliminary calculations of the electron levels of excited atoms in corundum are finalized. The spectral characteristics of these samples have been measured in the UV and visible regions of the spectrum. The excitation and radiation spectra of luminescence were also obtained. The project’ influence on progress in this area. This project will help to expand the field of research of spectral and luminescence properties of corundum in the vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) region of the spectrum. It will provide a possibility not only to register the VUV and UV radiation, but also to get the object image as well. In order to receive the pulse signals in the region of VUV and UV spectrum, a research of the time-characteristics of the luminescence emission must conducted and finished, which will allow to study the relaxation processes of admixture of atoms on excited electron levels. The participants’ expertise. The people involved in this project have a rich experience in studies of Spectral and time characteristics of the linear and non-linear, UV, visible and infrared (IR) spectral region. On the organization’s website there are publications and presentations available from the international conferences that related to this topic: http://www.ipr.sci.am, http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.htm Expected results and their application. As a result, the project implementation will be expanded and systematized the study of the spectral and temporal characteristics of corundum with various impurities, and by having an improved registration system of luminescence, to design a competitive receiver in VUV and UV spectrum range.
The characteristics of the proposed receiver:
• No need of high voltage usage
• Low-power consumption
• Safe and simple exploitation
• Mechanical and radiation exposure resistance
• Computer network and control system integration possibility
• No need any cooling to nitrogen (extremely low) temperatures
• No vacuum devices for UV radiation detection.
The proposed receiver can be used in the following areas:
• Astrophysical research in space
• Earth’s observation with spectral analysis
• Measuring the intensity of radiation of different wavelengths, in particular the atmosphere's ozone layer
• Colorymetry
• Biomedical research etc.
The receiver will provide an opportunity to examine the atmosphere transparency for ultraviolet (UV) rays on the whole territory of Armenia, as well as, for the measurements of solar and some hottest stars in different altitudes radiation in visible range of the light spectrum. Such studies will enable to obtain:
• The atmosphere transparency coefficients in UV range of the spectrum, on the whole territory of Armenia,
• Find areas with the transparency lowest coefficients,
• Determine the changes of transparency coefficients.
Monitoring of these studies will allow determining the main causes of Atmospheric transmission coefficient changes. These results are important for rural economics.
Participating Institutions
LEADING
Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory of the Armenian Academy of Science
