The First Flight of the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS)

TL;DR

MaGIXS is a pioneering solar X-ray spectrometer that captured high-resolution spectral images of the solar corona, enabling advanced plasma diagnostics and insights into coronal heating.

Contribution

This paper introduces the first flight and results of MaGIXS, a novel instrument with unique spatially resolved X-ray spectral imaging capabilities for solar observations.

Findings

First successful flight of MaGIXS instrument

High-quality X-ray spectral images of solar coronal regions obtained

Initial data analysis reveals new insights into coronal heating mechanisms

Abstract

The Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS) sounding rocket experiment launched on July 30, 2021 from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. MaGIXS is a unique solar observing telescope developed to capture X-ray spectral images, in the 6 - 24 Angstrom wavelength range, of coronal active regions. Its novel design takes advantage of recent technological advances related to fabricating and optimizing X-ray optical systems as well as breakthroughs in inversion methodologies necessary to create spectrally pure maps from overlapping spectral images. MaGIXS is the first instrument of its kind to provide spatially resolved soft X-ray spectra across a wide field of view. The plasma diagnostics available in this spectral regime make this instrument a powerful tool for probing solar coronal heating. This paper presents details from the first MaGIXS flight, the captured observations, the data processing and inversion techniques, and the first science results.