RDI-60 KSS

-1 The Radiometer Dynamics Inc. (RDI-60) portion of the Kitt Peak Solar Spectrograph (KSS-1) is a motorized diffraction grating spectrometer used to measure spectra in the visible and near infrared region. It employs an array of 60 individual diffraction gratings arranged in an optical spectrograph configuration to produce a continuous scanning spectrum from 350 to 1050 nanometers. The KSS-1 operates in either a scanning mode or an imaging mode, in which an image can be recorded and measured in each filter band simultaneously. It is housed in a 2 meter by 2 meter rack-mounted system and is thermally and optically stabilized to provide long-term image stability. The system includes a camera, with a range of focal length lenses, used to acquire images or scan across a spectra. The RDI-60 system is driven by a motorized diffraction grating, a computerized guidance and pointing system, and a CCD detector for data acquisition. The KSS-1 is capable of measuring solar flares and changes caused by sunspots. It is also used to measure other solar activity, such as coronal mass ejections, and coronal heating events.