Camera update for GONG refurbishment: Development and validation

TL;DR

This paper details the development and validation of new cameras for the GONG network, ensuring continued high-quality solar observations through refurbishment and testing to extend operational lifespan until 2030.

Contribution

It introduces new cameras for GONG, validates their performance, and confirms seamless integration with existing data processing pipelines.

Findings

New cameras are suitable for GONG operations.

Data quality and calibration are maintained with new cameras.

Processing pipelines transition smoothly to new hardware.

Abstract

This report provides a brief summary of the properties of new cameras selected for NSF's Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) facilities operated by the NSO Integrated Synoptic Program (NISP). These camera replacements are part of a GONG refurbishment project aimed to extend GONG operations through roughly FY 2030. Testing has confirmed the suitability of the new cameras and that current data products would be largely unchanged. GONG magnetograms show approximately one-to-one scaling with old data, and the helioseismology data (l-nu diagrams) are nearly identical without any identifiable artifacts. A number of tests were also conducted for GONG processing pipelines and have demonstrated that the modified NISP data center pipelines can transition smoothly to processing observations taken with the new cameras