Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration
Abstract
Program Officer: Leonard Berman Department: Space Environment Branch Space Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Division Project Summary/Abstract We propose a research program with the overall goal of improving the physics underlying solar wind ,acceleration and coronal heating, both of which are still poorly understood. The Sun s milli9n degree outer atmosphere, the corona, is so hot that it generates a continuous outflow of ionized gas called the solar wind. The high electrical conductivity of the solar wind enables coronal magnetic field lines to be dragged away by the flow out into the heliosphere. Energetic particles can travel along these field lines, and, when closer to Earth, they can damage key instrumentation on satellites used for communications and navigation (e.g., GPS) and can also expose astronauts to high levels of radiation. It is thus important to understand better the physics behind coronal heating and solar wind acceleration in order to improve the physical models used to forecast the potentials hazards the solar wind presents to near Earth ground and space systems. Two closely related research projects are here proposed. In the first project we will investigate the role of the magnetic expansion factor Is in the acceleration of solar winds. Our objective is to determine whether fluctuations observed in the fast solar wind emerging from deep within coro11al holes correlate well with solar wind speed model predictions based on magnetic expansion factor. Existing models predicting the wind speeds will be applied, and compared to observations. In the second project the objective is to work out a method to determine density and density variations in different regions of the transition region between the chromosphere and the corona. The results thereof can be used to improve and test models of energy transport and heating mechanisms of the corona. This research will be conducted using existing radio and millimeter observational facilities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 19, 2016
- Source ID
- FA94531510333
Entities
People
- Ylva Pihlstrom
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory
- United States Air Force
- University of New Mexico