An eclipse experiment to study the solar chromosphere and spicules

An experiment is proposed to measure a critical part of the chromospheric flash spectrum during the eclipse which will occur November 13, 2012. The idea is to obtain rapid (30 Hz), high signal-to-noise spectrographic data at at least one chromospheric line, the calcium H line being the most desirable, at a spectral resolution of 15,000 or higher. A small telescope with a small exit pupil can be used to feed a collimated beam, using optical fibers, to a spectrograph, which will record light from the entire chromospheric arc as a function of time. By inverting the time series of data, essentially by differentiating the time series in time, the radially-dependent spectrum of spicules and of the stratified chromosphere will be recorded for posterity, and will shed light on the dynamic and physical links between spicules and the chromosphere. By placing fibers at the exit pupil of the telescope (diameter of a mm or so), one avoids issues of seeing which otherwise would detrimentally affect the time series.