Dynamics of the solar corona in the era of data intensive observations (DynaSun)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
More than 90% of the visible Universe is in the form of a plasma - the fourth state of matter. The study of physical properties of a plasma forms one of the most far ranging and challenging research areas in physics today. From cosmological objects to controlled fusion, this complex, but fundamental state of matter is proving to be of ever-greater significance in understanding the dynamics of the Universe and in harnessing the material world for the greatest technological result and the improvement of our society.
The strategic aims of plasma research relate to the global challenges faced by humankind. One is the ecologically friendly and practically endless source of energy, the controlled fusion reaction that is believed to be achievable in magnetic confinement reactors, tokamaks. The working body in tokamaks reactors is a plasma. Another is the understanding of the key ingredient of the Earth's climate change, the solar effect on the Earth's climate. Also, the plasma research plays the central role in Space Weather, the study of the solar-terrestrial relations through the physical processes operating in the heliosphere. This branch of science is becoming increasingly important in the context of space exploration, e.g., Moon and Mars expeditions, and the stability and safety of space-based telecommunication and tele-navigation systems, energy supply lines and pipelines. Last but not least is the study of plasma physics of fundamental astrophysical processes. The solar corona is a showcase ("Rosetta stone") for plasma behaviour in other astrophysical objects. This makes the plasma research one of the strategic directions of Physical Sciences.
Despite of the abundance of the plasma state of matter in the Universe, the physical conditions on the Earth do not allow us to reach the plasma easily. The intrinsic difficulties of the laboratory plasma research are the cost and the technological problems of plasma creation and confinement. This motivates our interest in the space plasma systems, such as the atmosphere of the Sun, where the plasma is naturally created and is open to direct high-resolution study. Solar plasma systems are used as natural plasma laboratory that provide us with a vast variety of plasma configurations and physical conditions. The study of the solar corona, the upper, fully ionised and very hot part of the solar atmosphere, is of particular importance not only because of its unique physical state (high temperature, high density, strong magnetic field), which makes it close to the conditions in controlled fusion reactors, but also because of its direct relevance to solar-terrestrial relations, such as Space Weather and the Earth's climate. Coronal research itself faces several key challenges, including understanding of mechanisms for coronal plasma heating, and energetics and physical scenarios of energy releases such as flares and coronal mass ejections, and the physical conditions leading to them. In the proposed research we address outstanding questions of modern solar physics connected with dynamic phenomena in the solar atmosphere summarised below, and described in dedicated work packages (WP). The key common theme linking the proposed research are magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves which are a ubiquitous feature of solar atmospheric dynamics,
The strategic aims of plasma research relate to the global challenges faced by humankind. One is the ecologically friendly and practically endless source of energy, the controlled fusion reaction that is believed to be achievable in magnetic confinement reactors, tokamaks. The working body in tokamaks reactors is a plasma. Another is the understanding of the key ingredient of the Earth's climate change, the solar effect on the Earth's climate. Also, the plasma research plays the central role in Space Weather, the study of the solar-terrestrial relations through the physical processes operating in the heliosphere. This branch of science is becoming increasingly important in the context of space exploration, e.g., Moon and Mars expeditions, and the stability and safety of space-based telecommunication and tele-navigation systems, energy supply lines and pipelines. Last but not least is the study of plasma physics of fundamental astrophysical processes. The solar corona is a showcase ("Rosetta stone") for plasma behaviour in other astrophysical objects. This makes the plasma research one of the strategic directions of Physical Sciences.
Despite of the abundance of the plasma state of matter in the Universe, the physical conditions on the Earth do not allow us to reach the plasma easily. The intrinsic difficulties of the laboratory plasma research are the cost and the technological problems of plasma creation and confinement. This motivates our interest in the space plasma systems, such as the atmosphere of the Sun, where the plasma is naturally created and is open to direct high-resolution study. Solar plasma systems are used as natural plasma laboratory that provide us with a vast variety of plasma configurations and physical conditions. The study of the solar corona, the upper, fully ionised and very hot part of the solar atmosphere, is of particular importance not only because of its unique physical state (high temperature, high density, strong magnetic field), which makes it close to the conditions in controlled fusion reactors, but also because of its direct relevance to solar-terrestrial relations, such as Space Weather and the Earth's climate. Coronal research itself faces several key challenges, including understanding of mechanisms for coronal plasma heating, and energetics and physical scenarios of energy releases such as flares and coronal mass ejections, and the physical conditions leading to them. In the proposed research we address outstanding questions of modern solar physics connected with dynamic phenomena in the solar atmosphere summarised below, and described in dedicated work packages (WP). The key common theme linking the proposed research are magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves which are a ubiquitous feature of solar atmospheric dynamics,
People |
ORCID iD |
Valery Nakariakov (Principal Investigator) |
Description | Magnetohydrodynamic Wave Mode Conversion in a Pseudostreamer Structure |
Organisation | Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Astronomy, Argentina |
Country | Argentina |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | In collaboration with Dr Mariana Cécere and Dr Andrea Costa, seeded by the research visit of Mr Yu Zhong (Warwick) to the Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental, CONICET-UNC, Córdoba, Argentina, supported by the project, we modelled the interaction of a global coronal wave with a magnetic null point in the coronal pseudostreamer magnetic configuration. Professor Nakariakov and Mr Zhong are completing the research paper which presents results of this modelling, and their comparison with observations. |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Mariana Cécere and Dr Andrea Costa (Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental, CONICET-UNC, Córdoba, Argentina) provided us with parameters of the oronal pseudostreamer magnetic configuration, helped with setting up the numerical simulations, and addressed the mitigation of numerical artefacts. |
Impact | A research paper presenting results of this collaboration is in preparation. |
Start Year | 2024 |
Title | Statistical Confidence of Oscillatory Processes with EMD |
Description | The Python-based package for detecting oscillatory signals in observational or experimental time series with the EMD technique and assessing their statistical significance vs. power-law distributed background noise. Oscillatory processes in real data sets of various origins are often contaminated by a combination of white and coloured noise with a power-law spectral dependence, so that the EMD-revealed intrinsic mode functions need to be rigorously tested against the periodic components generated by noise. To do so, we compute the EMD energy spectrum containing the total energy and dominant period of each EMD-revealed intrinsic mode and the noise confidence limits for modal energy. This allows us to identify the significant mode(s) with the energy beyond the confidence limits, which is expected to be of a non-noise origin and associated with a quasi-periodic oscillatory process of interest. The developed package does not assume the physical origin of the input data set, making it readily applicable for analysing oscillatory processes across various fields of science and industry. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2025 |
Impact | Python-based package for detecting oscillatory signals in observational or experimental time series with the EMD technique and assessing their statistical significance vs. power-law distributed background noise. |
URL | https://github.com/Warwick-Solar/scope |
Description | Advances in analysis of oscillatory processes: from Astrophysics to multidisciplinary frontiers |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | Many dynamic phenomena in various environments, from heliophysical plasmas to the stock market and the human brain, appear in the form of predominantly short-lived, highly non-stationary, multi-modal, and nonlinear oscillations. Moreover, observations are often contaminated by noise of natural and instrumental origin. Adequate analysis of such complex dynamic processes requires us to go beyond the assumptions of linearity, stationarity, harmonicity and infinite length of the analysed signal used by traditional Fourier-based techniques. Furthermore, the role of machine learning in time series and image processing in various applications continues to grow. The aim of this one-day cross-disciplinary workshop is to provide a platform for experts from academia and industry to showcase their state-of-the-art in data analysis and forecasting, discuss outstanding problems, and boost the exchange of ideas and collaborations. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
URL | https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/physics/research/cfsa/people/kolotkov/aaop-from-astro-to-multi-frontie... |