Chicken vs. Egg, Again- The Early Chromospheric Dynamics of Solar Energetic Events
Abstract
H-alpha is a spectral line formed broadly across the solar photosphere and chromosphere, easy to observe from ground-based facilities, and exquisitely useful as a diagnostic for chromospheric heating and plasma dynamics. But a comprehensive understanding of e.g., the location and especially the timing of mass acceleration vs. the appearance of flare ribbons or coronal EUV dimmings has been hampered by extremely limited Doppler information for the vast majority of H-alpha-based studies, and the lack of sample size for any study for which there is both H-alpha spectra and independent (E)UV data. Similarly, there has never been a large-sample investigation to characterize unique pre-event H-alpha spectral signatures again due to lack of appropriate data. We will address these gaps using a recently-available H-alpha dataset of imaging spectroscopy and, for a substantive sub-set of the H-alpha data, coincident SoHO-EIT data to investigate unique early-event signatures of coronal mass ejections. The outcome of our study will enable a better understanding of the chromosphere - low coronal dynamics leading up to and during the initiation of energetic events, consistent with and enabling the goal of improved solar event forecasting. The outcome could additionally guide future operationally-focused ground-based instrumentation that would allow for more insightful solar situational awareness.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 14, 2024
- Source ID
- FA95502310681
Entities
People
- K. D. Leka
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Northwest Research Associates
- United States Air Force