A high resolution prism-grating panoramic imaging spectrometer based on occultation observations

Occultation observation is an important technique for shadow region detection and a significant complement to the illuminated region detection method. This technology will significantly reduce the impact of background light pollution and provide clearer occultation signals. In order to achieve high-resolution all-round detection in the shadow region, this paper introduces a proposal for a prism-grating panoramic imaging spectrometer based on occultation observations. It utilizes a panoramic annular lens to enable 360-degree occultation observations within the shadow region, combines a grating for spectral separation to obtain spectral information, and achieves an overall straight-line design for the system by adjusting the prism-grating surface's deflection angle. This paper, by analyzing the non-uniformity of light rays from different fields of view after dispersion by the grating, obtains the coordinate information of the spectrum on the image plane, significantly improving the accuracy of subsequent spectral calibration. The design results indicate that the optical system of this imaging spectrometer achieves a spectral resolution of 0.67nm in the wavelength range of 365–770nm. At a Nyquist frequency of 37.04lp/mm, the MTF across the entire bandwidth exceeds 0.6. The RMS of the point spread function is less than 9μm across the full field of view, and aberration correction is excellent. This imaging spectrometer utilizes stellar occultations to achieve real-time 360-degree observations in the shadow region, and at the same time obtains total information on atmospheric components and contour information that varies with occultation height. This scheme offers a more comprehensive information for scientists in related fields.