Daystar Quantum PE H-alpha Filter 0.7Å

Daystar Quantum PE H-alpha Filter 0.7Å

The Daystar Quantum H-alpha Filter 0.7Å is perfect to reveal prominences in high contrast and occasionally, surface texture.

Our precision Quantum housing incorporates ALL the desired features for today’s solar astronomer… and then some. Operation couldn’t be simpler, just plug it in and a green light indicates when the filter is onband.

The housing offers live LCD readout of the filter’s wavelength output (accurate to 0.1Å) and red /blue wing shift buttons that can precisely tune wavelength up or down for Doppler studies. The unit operates at 12VDC for field or battery use, included is a 100-240 power supply with US, European, UK and Australian adapter wall plates and even includes a serial port for computer control capability for on-screen display of filter readout. The new Quantum Series body style is all about ease of operation…. total simplicity.

The Daystar Quantum H-alpha Filter 0.7Å is applied near the rear of the telescope or optical path rather than before the primary objective. This application within the concentrated beam of the optical path offers seeing limited applications, as it may be applied to a telescope system of any objective size. The same Quantum may also be reapplied under different applications on different telescope equipment and in different configurations.

Considerations in the configuration must be made to allow light to enter the Quantum filter at a normal angle of incidence. This is accomplished by assuring the light cone is approximately F/30 on encounter with the Quantum filter. Please use only telecentric Barlows, as single element Barlow lenses will cause vignetting on the perimeter of the image.

The Fabry Perot etalon design offers sub‐angstrom bandpass transmissions of as narrow as 0.2Å FWHM. A precision tuned temperature regulated oven assures accurate wavelength transmission at all times. The Quantum is able to transmit just one wavelength range and is restricted in tuning to ±1.0Å total in steps of 0.1Å.

An Energy Rejection Filter is recommended for anything other than short duration applications. The ERF may be Red glass, Yellow Glass or Dielectric reflection coatings which eliminate IR, UV or both from entering the telescope. This prevents overheating of your telescope, poor performance and premature failure of your filter.

Available for H-alpha, Na D, Ca II K-Line, Helium and Custom wavelength Filters.

Half-Bandwidth (Maximum @ f/30)	Views to Expect
0.8 ångström	Filters with 0.8 ångström bandwidths will reveal prominences in high contrast.
0.7 ångström	Filters with 0.7 ångström bandwidths will reveal prominences in high contrast and occasionally, surface texture. Prominences are generally larger with .7Å filters than in narrower bandwidths.
0.6 ångström	Filters with 0.6 ångström bandwidths will reveal some surface contrast as well as prominences.  A .6Å filter can be a good compromise for those having a difficult decision.
0.5 ångström	Filters with 0.5 ångström bandwidths will reveal better surface contrast as well as great prominences.
0.4 ångström	Filters with 0.4 ångström bandwidths will reveal excellent surface contrast as well as fine chromosphere detail.
0.3 ångström	Filters with 0.3Å ångström bandwidths will reveal superior surface contrast above any other filter. Views are generally somewhat dimmer.  Expect “Pencil-Thin” details on surface and prominence features.

Quantum PE Grade Series

Our Quantum PE grade series is designed for professional research studies and applications in which precision homogeneity and onband transmitance values across the substrate surface are required. These filters require additional quality control steps and additional fabrication and testing time.

Our precision Quantum housing incorporates ALL of the desired features for today’s professional solar astronomer.

Daystar Filters is pleased to offer new, high resolution spectrographic scanning services for all our Quantum PE clients. Our new, specially engineered spectroscopic testing equipment provides high resolution mapping of all new DayStar Filters we manufacture.

PE grade filters are manufactured and qualified to a spectral uniformity in CWL (Central Wavelength) accuracy of ± 0.05 ångström*. Our high resolution etalon mapping equipment offers qualification certified accurate by independent testing with etalon transmission sample sizes of 5mm, 2mm or 1mm sample sizes with certification printouts available on new PE filter purchases.

*The mean peak wavelength of all 12 mm. dia. areas shall be within ± 0.05 ångström of the full aperture wavelength measurement.

H-alpha Wavelength

Various wavelengths are typically isolated as they relate to Fraunhofer lines. A majority of Quantum filters are applied in direct observation of the solar disk. Absorption lines of Hydrogen are extensively used for observation of the chromosphere and prominences. The Hydrogen Alpha (Hα) absorption line as observed from within the Earth’s atmosphere has a width of approximately 0.8 Å. Due to the presence of other absorption and emission lines near Hα, a filter of less than 1.0 Å width is required in order to isolate Hα light from the solar continuum. The narrower the FWHM, the greater isolation of desired wavelength and the greater the effective contrast in the observable image through exclusion of continuum and Doppler shifted light.

A filter of FWHM 1.0 Å or narrower is required to observe prominence detail. A filter of FWHM 0.7 Å or narrower is preferred to observe prominence detail and spicule. Light emitted from prominences typically travels at such velocity as to exhibit wing shift in red or blue wing. As filter bandpass is reduced, less wing shifted light emitted from prominences is allowed to pass and detail becomes finer in structure. Filters below 0.5 Å FWHM typically do not reveal as significant prominence structure.

A filter of FWHM 0.5 Å or narrower is suggested to observe surface structure of the chromosphere, while still revealing prominences. A filter of FWHM 0.4 Å or narrower is required to observe the chromospheric network. A filter of FWHM 0.3 Å is typically used only in research applications, for examination of surface and prominence structure with wing shift effects eliminated.