Conceptual design and prototyping of a three-color polarimetric imaging instrument for auroral observations | Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate

Open Access

Issue		J. Space Weather Space Clim. Volume 16, 2026


Article Number		25
Number of page(s)		19
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1051/swsc/2026022
Published online		03 July 2026

Astropy Collaboration, Price-Whelan AM, Lim PL, Earl N, Starkman N, et al. 2022. The Astropy Project: Sustaining and growing a community-oriented open-source project and the latest major release (v5.0) of the core package. Astrophys J 935: 167. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac7c74. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
Bagnulo S, Landolfi M, Landstreet JD, Landi Degl’Innocenti E, Fossati L, et al. 2009. Stellar spectropolarimetry with retarder waveplate and beam splitter devices. Publ Astron Soc Pac 121: 993. https://doi.org/10.1086/605654. [Google Scholar]
Barthelemy M, Lamy H, Vialatte A, Johnsen MG, Cessateur G, et al. 2019. Measurement of the polarisation in the auroral N2+ 427.8 nm band. J Space Weather Space Clim 9: A26. https://doi.org/10.1051/swsc/2019024. [CrossRef] [EDP Sciences] [Google Scholar]
Barthélémy M, Lilensten J, Pitout F, Simon Wedlund C, Thissen R, et al. 2011. Polarisation in the auroral red line during coordinated EISCAT Svalbard Radar/optical experiments. Ann Geophys 29(6): 1101–1112. https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-29-1101-2011. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
Bommier V, Sahal-Bréchot S, Dubau J, Cornille M. 2011. The theoretical impact polarization of the O I 6300 Å red line of Earth aurorae. Ann Geophys 29(1): 71–79. https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-29-71-2011. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
Bosse L, Lilensten J, Gillet N, Rochat S, Delboulbe A, et al. 2020. On the nightglow polarisation for space weather exploration. J Space Weather Space Clim 10: 35. https://doi.org/10.1051/swsc/2020036. [CrossRef] [EDP Sciences] [Google Scholar]
Bosse L, Lilensten J, Gillet N, Brogniez C, Pujol O, et al. 2022a. At the source of the polarisation of auroral emissions: Experiments and modeling. J Space Weather Space Clim 12: 7. https://doi.org/10.1051/swsc/2022004. [CrossRef] [EDP Sciences] [Google Scholar]
Bosse L, Lilensten J, Johnsen MG, Gillet N, Rochat S, et al. 2022b. The polarisation of auroral emissions: A tracer of the E region ionospheric currents. J Space Weather Space Clim 12: 17. https://doi.org/10.1051/swsc/2022014. [CrossRef] [EDP Sciences] [Google Scholar]
Bourgeois S, Bosse L, Lilensten J, Gillet N, Curaba S, et al. 2022. Laboratory experiments confirm the polarization of auroral emissions. Geophys Res Lett 49(13): e2022GL098707. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098707. [Google Scholar]
Burggraaff O, Schmidt N, Zamorano J, Pauly K, Pascual S, et al. 2019. Standardized spectral and radiometric calibration of consumer cameras. Opt Express 27: 19,075. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.27.019075. [Google Scholar]
Chamberlain JW. 1959. On the polarization of the oxygen red line in aurorae. Planet Space Sci 2(1): 73–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/0032-0633(59)90063-7. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
Dekemper E, Vanhamel J, Kastelik J-C, Pereira N, Bolsée D, et al. 2019. New AOTF-based instrumental concepts for atmospheric science. In: Fourteenth School on Acousto-Optics and Applications, Grulkowski I, Linde BBJ, Duocastella M (Eds.), Vol. 25, SPIE. ISBN 978-1-5106-3183-0 978-1-5106-3184-7. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2540981. [Google Scholar]
Donati JF, Semel M, Rees DE, Taylor K, Robinson RD. 1990. Detection of a magnetic region of HR 1099. Astron Astrophys 232: L1–L4. URL https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1990A&A…232L…1D. [Google Scholar]
Duncan RA. 1959. Polarization of the red oxygen auroral line. Planet Space Sci 1(2): 112–IN3. https://doi.org/10.1016/0032-0633(59)90006-6. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
Galand M, Chakrabarti S. 2006. Proton aurora observed from the ground. J Atmos Sol-Terr Phys 68(13): 1488–1501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2005.04.013. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
Ginsburg VL. 1943. Polarization of lines in the night sky luminescence spectrum and in the spectrum of northern lights. In: Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR, Vol. 38, pp. 237–240. [Google Scholar]
Hagen N, Stockmans T, Otani Y, Buranasiri P. 2024. Fourier-domain filtering analysis for color-polarization camera demosaicking. Appl Opt 63: 2314. https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.516696. [Google Scholar]
Harang L. 1933. Eine Untersuchung der Polarisation des Nordlichtes. Z Geophys 9: 162–164. [Google Scholar]
Jiang H, Fan R, Ji Y, Guo K, Xiong S, et al. 2023. Development of visible multi-bandpass filter based on F-P structure. Coatings 13(8): 1341. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13081341. [Google Scholar]
Lilensten J, Simon C, Barthélémy M, Moen J, Thissen R, et al. 2006. Considering the polarization of the oxygen thermospheric red line for space weather studies. Space Weather 4(11). https://doi.org/10.1029/2006SW000228. [Google Scholar]
Lilensten J, Moen J, Barthélemy M, Thissen R, Simon C, et al. 2008. Polarization in aurorae: A new dimension for space environments studies. Geophys Res Lett 35(8). https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL033006. [Google Scholar]
Lilensten J, Barthélémy M, Amblard P-O, Lamy H, Wedlund CS, et al. 2013. The thermospheric auroral red line polarization: Confirmation of detection and first quantitative analysis. J Space Weather Space Clim 3: A01. https://doi.org/10.1051/swsc/2012023. [Google Scholar]
LUCID Vision Labs I. 2018. Triton 5.0 MP Polarization Camera (Sony IMX250MZR/MYR) – LUCID. URL https://thinklucid.com/product/triton-5-mp-polarization-camera/. [Google Scholar]
Maruyama Y, Terada T, Yamazaki T, Uesaka Y, Nakamura M, et al. 2018. 3.2-MP back-illuminated polarization image sensor with four-directional air-gap wire grid and 2.5-μm pixels. IEEE Trans Electron Devices 65(6): 2544–2551. https://doi.org/10.1109/TED.2018.2829190. [Google Scholar]
Nanjo S, Nozawa S, Yamamoto M, Kawabata T, Johnsen MG, et al. 2022. An automated auroral detection system using deep learning: Real-time operation in Tromsø, Norway. Sci Rep 12(1): 8038. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11686-8. [Google Scholar]
Peverall R, Rosén S, Peterson JR, Larsson M, Al-Khalili A, et al. 2001. Dissociative recombination and excitation of O2+: Cross sections, product yields and implications for studies of ionospheric airglows. J Chem Phys 114(15): 6679–6689. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1349079. [Google Scholar]
Ratliff BM, Boger JK, Fetrow MP, Tyo JS, Black WT. 2006. Image processing methods to compensate for IFOV errors in microgrid imaging polarimeters. In: Polarization: Measurement, Analysis, and Remote Sensing VII, Vol. 6240, SPIE, pp. 106–117. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.666595. [Google Scholar]
Ratliff BM, LaCasse CF, Tyo JS. 2009. Interpolation strategies for reducing IFOV artifacts in microgrid polarimeter imagery. Opt Express 17(11): 9112–9125. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.17.009112. [Google Scholar]
Rees MH. 1989. Physics and Chemistry of the Upper Atmosphere (1st edn.), Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-32305-5 978-0-521-36848-3 978-0-511-57311-8. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511573118. [Google Scholar]
Sato T, Iijima T. 1979. Primary sources of large-scale Birkeland currents. Space Sci Rev 24(3): 347–366. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212423. [Google Scholar]
Shkarin A. 2022. AlexShkarin/pyLabLib: v1.4.1. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7324876. [Google Scholar]
Snik F, Keller CU. 2013. Astronomical polarimetry: Polarized views of stars and planets. In: Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems Volume 2: Astronomical Techniques, Software, and Data, pp. 175–221. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5618-2_4. [Google Scholar]
Snik F, Craven-Jones J, Escuti M, Fineschi S, Harrington D, et al. 2014. An overview of polarimetric sensing techniques and technology with applications to different research fields. In: SPIE Sensing Technology + Applications, Chenault DB, Goldstein DH (Eds.), Vol. 90990B, SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2053245. [Google Scholar]
Stetson PB. 1987. DAOPHOT: A computer program for crowded-field stellar photometry. Publ Astron Soc Pac 99: 191. https://doi.org/10.1086/131977. [Google Scholar]
Stockmans T, Scheinowitz N, Van Der Linden E, Malysheva I, Strelow KN, et al. 2024. Sub-percent characterization and polarimetric performance analysis of commercial micro-polarizer array detectors. In: Polarization: Measurement, Analysis, and Remote Sensing XVI, Chenault DB, Kupinski MK, Ratliff BM (Eds.), Vol. 4, SPIE. ISBN 978-1-5106-7418-9 978-1-5106-7419-6. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3013746. [Google Scholar]
Tinbergen J. 2005. Astronomical Polarimetry, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521018586. [Google Scholar]
Tyo JS, Goldstein DL, Chenault DB, Shaw JA. 2006. Review of passive imaging polarimetry for remote sensing applications. Appl Opt 45(22): 5453. https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.45.005453. [Google Scholar]
Tyo JS, LaCasse CF, Ratliff BM. 2009. Total elimination of sampling errors in polarization imagery obtained with integrated microgrid polarimeters. Opt Lett 34(20): 3187. https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.34.003187. [Google Scholar]
Vanhamel J, Dekemper E, Berkenbosch S, Clairquin R. 2021. Novel acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF) based spectropolarimeter for the characterization of auroral emission. Instrum Sci Technol 49(3): 245–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/10739149.2020.1814809. [Google Scholar]
Vaughn IJ, Rodríguez-Herrera OG, Xu M, Tyo JS. 2015. A portable imaging Mueller matrix polarimeter based on a spatio-temporal modulation approach: Theory and implementation. In: Polarization Science and Remote Sensing VII, Vol. 9613, SPIE, pp. 961312. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2188675. [Google Scholar]
Whiter DK, Partamies N, Gustavsson B, Kauristie K. 2023. The altitude of green OI 557.7 nm and blue N2⁺ 427.8 nm aurora. Ann Geophys 41(1): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-41-1-2023. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.

Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.

Initial download of the metrics may take a while.