Diagnostics for spectropolarimetry and magnetography

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the capabilities of modern spectropolarimeters and magnetographs, emphasizing response functions and analytical uncertainty estimates, using IMaX and PHI as case studies.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical approach to assess the probing capabilities and uncertainties of spectropolarimetric instruments in astrophysics.

Findings

Response functions effectively gauge spectral line sensitivity.

Instrumental effects significantly impact measurement uncertainties.

Case studies demonstrate the analytical approach's applicability.

Abstract

An assessment on the capabilities of modern spectropolarimeters and magnetographs is in order since most of our astrophysical results rely upon the accuracy of the instrumentation and on the sensitivity of the observables to variations of the sought physical parameters. A contribution to such an assessment will be presented in this talk where emphasis will be made on the use of the so-called response functions to gauge the probing capabilities of spectral lines and on an analytical approach to estimate the uncertainties in the results in terms of instrumental effects. The Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX) and the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) will be used as study cases.