Solar/Heliospheric SW Scientific Goals for FY06-08

1. Solar/Heliospheric SW ScientificGoals for FY06-08 • Determine the magnetic and density structure of the corona and identify conditions responsible for the formation of CMEs. (Gibson, Tomczyk, Fan, Low, Holzer, deToma, Burkepile) • Determine 3-D structure of CMEs and their relationship to other forms of solar activity. (Gibson, Burkepile, Fan, Low, deToma, Holzer) • Identify geoeffective structures in the solar wind and determine their solar and solar wind sources. (Burkepile, Hundhausen, Holzer) • Determine the role of MHD wave generation and dissipation by organized motions of photospheric and chromospheric magnetic fields over network and supergranular spatial scales in heating the corona and accelerating the solar wind. (Holzer, Bogdan, Rast, Lites) Presenter Name Date of Presentation

2. Magnetic and density structure of the corona COMP observations of the azimuthal magnetic field on April 21, 2005 What’s new: COMP, STEREO (2006) CMEs are magnetically driven but until now, there have been no routine measurements of the coronal magnetic field. We will combine coronal magnetic field observations from the Coronal Multi-channel Polarimeter (CoMP) with white light and EUV coronal observations (Mauna Loa, EIT, TRACE, and STEREO) and coronal models [Gibson, Low, Fan, SCD: Flyer, St.Cyr, CU: Fornberg, SAIC: Linker/Mikic, Harvard: Vanballegooijen] to identify conditions before, during and after the formation of CMEs to understand the physical processes (e.g. magnetic reconnection) responsible for CME formation.

3. 3-D structure of CMEs and other forms of solar activity (e.g. flares, promiences, waves, SEPs). What’s New: STEREO (2006) White light observations are needed to track and measure CMEs, but provide only 2-D information. STEREO will provide 2 new lines-of-sight which can be combined with Mauna Loa MK4 and LASCO observations and HAO models (Gibson, Low, Fan) of CMEs to better determine their 3-D structure. CMEs form and accelerate low in the corona so low coronal observations are critical for understanding their formation. MK4 will provide the only low coronal white light observations along the Earth-Sun line. Artist conception of orbits of twin STEREO spacecraft Inner Corona: Mauna Loa MK3, Outer Corona: LASCO

4. Geoeffective structures in the solar wind and their solar sources. At left: LASCO C2 image of Earth-directed CME of May 2, 1998. Below: Solar wind observations from ACE showing strong southward magnetic fields within the ICME at Earth on May 3, 1998. The severity of a geomagnetic storm is determined primarily by the presence of strong southward magnetic fields in the solar wind. Identifying the solar wind structures that contain these fields and determining their solar origin is a major goal of Space Weather Research. We will use a variety of data (e.g. COMP, Mauna Loa, ACE) combined with modeling efforts (CISM-Odstrcil, Michigan-Manchester) to better understand the formation of these structures.

5. MHD wave generation and dissipation by photospheric and chromospheric magnetic fields What’s new: DLSP, SPINOR, Solar-B (2006) New, higher spatial resolution, full-vector magnetic field observations of the solar photosphere will enable HAO scientists to determine the role of small-scale, organized motions of the photospheric magnetic field in generating and dissipating MHD waves into the corona that ultimately heat the coronal plasma and accelerate the solar wind. Diffraction-Limited Spectro-Polarimeter (DLSP) STOKES vector images (V, U, I, Q) of photosphere

6. DLSP: Diffraction-Limited Spectro-Polarimeter Capabilities: • Allow precision spectro-polarimetry at “workhorse” vector magnetic field diagnostic lines (630 nm) with new NSO high-order adaptive optics system • Increased field-of-view from that of ASP • Fixed instrument setup, available immediately on demand • Allows for standardized data reduction Status: • Instrumentation Finalized, May 2005 • Initial data reduction software released July 2005 • Instrument now released to user community