The PICARD Mission

Gérard Thuillier, Service d’Aéronomie du CNRS

Jean-Yves Prado, CNES

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PICARD MISSION MAIN SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES

(1) Determine the variability of several global solar properties. In particular, wether the solar diameter varies or not with solar activity by a non ambiguous measurement.

(2) Modelling of the solar machineRole of the magnetic field, on surface or deeper in the convective zone.

(3) Contribution to solar luminosity reconstruction

(4) Long term trend

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PICARD SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTS

in orbit:

- Diameter, limb shape and asphericity in the continuum- TSI (x2)- 5 spectral channels (215,393, 535, 607, 782 nm)- Activity (images at 215 nm and Ca II)=> space weather- Solar oscillations

from the ground :

- diameter, limb shape and asphericity,- local atmosphere turbulence

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SOVAP (IRM)

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PREMOS 2 (PMOD)

•2 absolute radiometers

•3 filter radiometers

Spectral solar irradiance at

215, 268, 535 and 782 nm

Total Irradiance with 2 Radiometers

PMO6-V (type „SOHO/VIRGO“)

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SODISM (SA/CNRS)

• Images of the Sunby a 2kx2k CCD• 5 channels

-3 for diameter-2 for activity

•Reference stars images

• Thermal behaviour critical

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PICARD - SOL

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PICARD MISSION MAIN FEATURES

• Sun synchronous orbit 6h/18h altitude 710 km• No propulsion• Launch by a DNEPR, autumn 2008• S- Band telemetry• ~2 Gbit/day• Science Operation Center inBelgium• Minimum mission duration 2 years• Possible extension to 3 years• Deorbitation <60 years• Authorization to proceed into phases C/D expected soon

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PI teams

SA (F)IRMB (B)PMOD (Ch)

Co’Is

OCANice UniversityIASLMD

Yale universityHAO, GSFCJPL, NRL

Barcelona U

ILWSAll data available

2 years after the mission end,at the latest

DATA POLICY

Guest Investigators

AO to be released after launch

Space weather productsimmediately available

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THE PICARD SPACECRAFT

PREMOS2

SOVAP

SODISM