High Resolution Polarimetry With a Balloon Borne Telescope The Flare Genesis Experiment

The Flare Genesis Experiment consists of an cm balloon borne Ritchey Chr etien telescope which will provide spatial reso lution vector magnetograms Wavelength and polarization state selection are accomplished respectively with a lithium niobate Fabry Perot etalon and a liquid crystal modulator This paper describes recent modi ca tions to the experiment mainly to the optics and to the pointing system The aim is to reach in the next ight the di raction limit of the tele scope and to assure pointing accuracy during the time needed to record a full set of vector polarimetric measurements typically sec onds The telescope optics have been extensively tuned and tested at the McMath Pierce Solar Telescope at Kitt Peak during winter and spring while the pointing system has been tested in Palestine Texas in August September Some test results are presented