SOHO Mission · ESA & NASA · 1996–2013

UltraViolet
Coronagraph
Spectrometer

UVCS observed the ultraviolet emission from the solar corona between 1.5 and 10 solar radii, providing unprecedented spectroscopic measurements of solar wind acceleration, coronal heating, and the physical properties of coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

17 yrOperation
~4M Observations
700+ TBC Publications
1.5–10R☉ FOV
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Mission Overview
Scientific goals, space agency contributions, team members and instrument heritage.
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Instrument Description
Optical layout, UV and VL channels, spectral lines, FOV, and performance tables.
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Archival Data
Search and download L0/L1 FITS files and L2/L3 maps by time, channel, height, and feature.
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Analysis Software
IDL DAS tools, Python packages, and spectral analysis routines.
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Calibrations
Effective area, wavelength calibration, stray light, and radiometric corrections.
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Publications
Recent papers, ADS bibliography, and citation metrics for the UVCS archive.
Instrument at a Glance

Key Parameters

MissionSOHO (ESA/NASA)
OperationJan 1996 – Jan 2013
Field of View1.4 – 10 R☉
UV spectral range945 – 1270 Å (first order)
UV spectral range500 – 630 Å (second order)
VL channel4500 – 6000 Å polarimetry
Spatial res. (slit)14 arcsec
Spectral res.~0.10 Å (UV)
PI InstitutionSAO / Harvard (L. Strachan)

Principal Observed Lines

H I Lyα 1216 Å O VI 1032 Å O VI 1037 Å Si XII 499 Å Si XII 521 Å Mg X 610 Å C III 977 Å N V 1238 Å H I Lyβ 1026 Å

Scientific Objectives

UVCS was designed to investigate the physical processes that accelerate the solar wind and heat the solar corona, addressing:

  • Measurement of the velocity distribution function of protons and minor ions in the extended corona (1.5–10 R☉)
  • Determination of solar wind outflow velocities via Doppler dimming of coronal UV emission
  • Physical parameters (density, temperature, velocity) of coronal streamers, coronal holes, and active regions
  • Spectroscopic characterization of CMEs and their associated shocks
  • Observation of sungrazing comets and stellar UV sources passing through the FOV