The Design of a Spectrum Scanning Observation System for the New Vacuum Solar Telescope

The New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST) is for solar observation use. It is equipped with high resolution imaging instruments and spectrometers combining with polarization analyzer. Two vertical grating spectrometers, placed in the hanging bracket below the rotating platform, aim to observe the sun spectrum finely. On the base of these instruments and equipment, this article designs a slit scanning equipment placed above the rotating platform, and based on the C# this paper develops a set of observation and control system software. For spectral scanning observation, computer controls scanning equipment's stepping movement; then image acquisition card acquires observation data through camera link bus. When the digital image data are obtained by multi-thread technology control, they will be stored in the FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) file and processed and outputted as grayscale images so as to be monitored in the software user interface. The experimental results show that this control system software is a feasible design for slit scanning observation; it provides considerable potentials for subsequent observation system upgrades.