@article{bca99e46d7ee4a52af883eb056479041,
title = "Aspera: The UV SmallSat telescope to detect and map the warm-hot gas phase in nearby galaxy halos",
abstract = "Aspera is an extreme-UV (EUV) Astrophysics small satellite telescope designed to map the warm-hot phase coronal gas around nearby galaxy halos. Theory suggests that this gas is a significant fraction of a galaxy{\textquoteright}s halo mass and plays a critical role in its evolution, but its exact role is poorly understood. Aspera observes this warm-hot phase gas via Ovi emission at 1032 {\AA} using four parallel Rowland-Circle-like spectrograph channels in a single payload. Aspera{\textquoteright}s robust-and-simple design is inspired by the FUSE spectrograph, but with smaller, four 6.2 cm × 3.7 cm, off-axis parabolic primary mirrors. Aspera is expected to achieve a sensitivity of 4.3×10-19 erg/s/cm2/arcsec2 for diffuse Ovi line emission. This superb sensitivity is enabled by technological advancements over the last decade in UV coatings, gratings, and detectors. Here we present the overall payload design of the Aspera telescope and its expected performance. Aspera is funded by the inaugural 2020 NASA Astrophysics Pioneers program, with a projected launch in late 2024.",
keywords = "Circumgalactic medium, Micro-channel plate, NASA astrophysics pioneers, Ovi emission, Small satellite, Space telescope, Spectrograph, UV",
author = "Haeun Chung and Vargas, {Carlos J.} and Erika Hamden and Tom McMahon and Kerry Gonzales and Khan, {Aafaque R.} and Simran Agarwal and Hop Bailey and Peter Behroozi and Trenton Brendel and Heejoo Choi and Tom Connors and Lauren Corlies and Jason Corliss and Dettmar, {Ralf J{\"u}rgen} and David Dolana and Douglas, {Ewan S.} and John Guzman and Dave Hamara and Walt Harris and Karl Harshman and Carl Hergenrother and Keri Hoadley and John Kidd and Daewook Kim and Li, {Jessica S.} and Manny Montoya and Corwynn Sauve and David Schiminovich and Sanford Selznick and Oswald Siegmund and Michael Ward and Wolcott, {Ellie M.} and Dennis Zaritsky",
note = "Funding Information: This work is funded by NASA grant number 80NSSC21M0117 to the University of Arizona. This work is also supported by the University of Arizona{\textquoteright}s College of Science, Office of Research, Innovation, and Impact (ORII), the University of Arizona Space Institute (UASI), and the Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory. Portions of this work were supported by the Arizona Board of Regents Technology Research Initiative Fund (TRIF). Keri Hoadley acknowledges support by the David & Ellen Lee Postdoctoral Fellowship in Experiment Physics at Caltech. Funding Information: This work is funded by NASA grant number 80NSSC21M0117 to the University of Arizona. This work is also supported by the University of Arizona?s College of Science, Office of Research, Innovation, and Impact (ORII), the University of Arizona Space Institute (UASI), and the Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory. Portions of this work were supported by the Arizona Board of Regents Technology Research Initiative Fund (TRIF). Keri Hoadley acknowledges support by the David & Ellen Lee Postdoctoral Fellowship in Experiment Physics at Caltech. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 SPIE.; UV/Optical/IR Space Telescopes and Instruments: Innovative Technologies and Concepts X 2021 ; Conference date: 01-08-2021 Through 05-08-2021",
year = "2021",
doi = "10.1117/12.2593001",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "11819",
journal = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",
issn = "0277-786X",
publisher = "SPIE",
}