Detector Development for the Advanced Technology Solar telescope
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
In recent years, a wealth of observational data from a range of (highly successful) ground- and satellite-based solar facilities has revealed the perplexing and complex nature of the Sun's atmospheric structure and dynamics. This tremendous complexity is a result of the continuous interaction of the plasma motions with the magnetic field. To understand these interactions, we need to observe, model and interpret solar phenomena over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, and in particular establish the links between the small-scale processes and the large-scale phenomena.
Solar physics research is very strong in the UK and an area of high priority in the STFC Roadmap. The commissioning of the Rapid Oscillations in Solar Atmosphere imager in 2009 allowed the UK community to expand both its user base of ground-based solar facilities and its exploitation of data from such facilities, which can provide higher spatial and temporal resolution that their satellite-based counterparts. For the future, the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST), under construction by the US National Solar Observatory with first-light expected in 2019, will be a truly revolutionary facility for ground-based solar physics. It will operate in the optical and near-infrared and be the pre-eminent ground-based solar telescope for the foreseeable future. Key advances in its instrumentation over that currently available include ultra-high spatial (25 km on the solar surface) and temporal (millisecond) resolution, high resolution imaging spectroscopy and coronal magnetometry. The first-light science objectives of the ATST are at the core of UK solar physics research programmes, and it is clearly important for the UK community to have access to the facility to remain competitive.
Current UK-led technology has been highlighted as the best option for detectors meeting the science requirements of the ATST. In this proposal we aim to secure UK participation in the ATST and maximise the science return for the UK community at the time of first-light. This will be achieved by a joint programme, funded by STFC, a consortium of UK universities/research institute and industry (Andor Technology plc), on the development of new state-of-the-art detectors for the ATST, plus a set of software tools that will allow the optimal planning of ATST observations and the processing of the resultant datasets.
The main academic benefit for the UK will be dedicated observing time on the world-leading ATST facility, which our solar physics community will be in an excellent position to exploit. In terms of non-academic benefit, the proposed detector development will have a significant socio-economic impact and is therefore in line with the STFC strategy for economic growth through innovation. It will open new technological markets and provide growth and diversity in existing detector markets.
Solar physics research is very strong in the UK and an area of high priority in the STFC Roadmap. The commissioning of the Rapid Oscillations in Solar Atmosphere imager in 2009 allowed the UK community to expand both its user base of ground-based solar facilities and its exploitation of data from such facilities, which can provide higher spatial and temporal resolution that their satellite-based counterparts. For the future, the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST), under construction by the US National Solar Observatory with first-light expected in 2019, will be a truly revolutionary facility for ground-based solar physics. It will operate in the optical and near-infrared and be the pre-eminent ground-based solar telescope for the foreseeable future. Key advances in its instrumentation over that currently available include ultra-high spatial (25 km on the solar surface) and temporal (millisecond) resolution, high resolution imaging spectroscopy and coronal magnetometry. The first-light science objectives of the ATST are at the core of UK solar physics research programmes, and it is clearly important for the UK community to have access to the facility to remain competitive.
Current UK-led technology has been highlighted as the best option for detectors meeting the science requirements of the ATST. In this proposal we aim to secure UK participation in the ATST and maximise the science return for the UK community at the time of first-light. This will be achieved by a joint programme, funded by STFC, a consortium of UK universities/research institute and industry (Andor Technology plc), on the development of new state-of-the-art detectors for the ATST, plus a set of software tools that will allow the optimal planning of ATST observations and the processing of the resultant datasets.
The main academic benefit for the UK will be dedicated observing time on the world-leading ATST facility, which our solar physics community will be in an excellent position to exploit. In terms of non-academic benefit, the proposed detector development will have a significant socio-economic impact and is therefore in line with the STFC strategy for economic growth through innovation. It will open new technological markets and provide growth and diversity in existing detector markets.
Planned Impact
We refer to the Impact Summary to the full PRPP proposal submission coordinated by the lead Institute (Queen Mary Belfast).
Organisations
- University of Warwick, United Kingdom (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of New Hampshire, United States (Collaboration)
- University of California, Berkeley (Collaboration)
- University of Leuven (Collaboration)
- University of Oslo, Norway (Collaboration)
- Graz University (Collaboration)
- ESTEC, Netherlands (Collaboration)
- University of Glasgow, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- Queen's University of Belfast, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- Andor Technology (Collaboration)
- University of Exeter, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Collaboration)
- Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) (Collaboration)
- University of St Andrews, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (Collaboration)
- University of Cambridge (Collaboration)
- NCAR National Center for Atmospheric Research (Collaboration)
- Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (Collaboration)
- Austrian Academy of Sciences (Collaboration)
- Stanford University, United States (Collaboration)
- New Mexico State University (Collaboration)
- University of Sheffield, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- Northumbria University (Collaboration)
Publications

Kohutova P.
(2016)
Analysis of Coronal Rain Observed by IRIS, HINODE/SOT, and SDO/AIA: Transverse Oscillations, Kinematics, and Thermal Evolution
in The Astrophysical Journal

Shetye Juie
(2019)
Multiwavelength High-resolution Observations of Chromospheric Swirls in the Quiet Sun
in The Astrophysical Journal

Verwichte E.
(2017)
Kinematics of coronal rain in a transversely oscillating loop: Ponderomotive force and rain-excited oscillations
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Description | As part of the UK STFC DKIST consortium Warwick PI leads the coordination of work package 2 to produce a data-analysis tool chain for solar observations. A full list of software packages from the various participating members has been identified at a workshop meeting in November 2017 at Warwick, and all information has been brought together on a website hosted at Warwick (password 'gondolin'), ready for testing, and then later to be shared with the community. |
Exploitation Route | The software developed, using IDL and Python, such as image filtering and feature extraction has elements that will be used for other science data, including ground-based solar data. |
Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Energy,Healthcare |
URL | https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/physics/research/cfsa/dkistwp2 |
Description | DKIST CSP Workshop |
Organisation | New Mexico State University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Team member of a series of two workshops investigating the science for DKIST |
Collaborator Contribution | The workshops have not begin yet, first for December 2017 |
Impact | The workshops have not begin yet, first for December 2017 but envisage it will contribute to the planning of science exploitation of the UK/Warwick funded DKIST solar telescope |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | DKIST CSP Workshop |
Organisation | Northumbria University |
Department | Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Team member of a series of two workshops investigating the science for DKIST |
Collaborator Contribution | The workshops have not begin yet, first for December 2017 |
Impact | The workshops have not begin yet, first for December 2017 but envisage it will contribute to the planning of science exploitation of the UK/Warwick funded DKIST solar telescope |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team "Towards Dynamic Solar Atmospheric Magneto-Seismology with New Generation Instrumentation" |
Organisation | Northumbria University |
Department | Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Contributing core team member |
Collaborator Contribution | This ISSI team has only begun, the first meeting occurred end of March 2017, the second meeting will take place July 2018 |
Impact | This ISSI team has only begun, the first meeting will occur end of March 2017. Likely outputs will be the advancement of the study of MHD waves in the solar atmosphere, the development of tools to analyse wave signature in plasmas in general, and application in preparation of analysis of data from the UK/Warwick funded DKIST solar telecope |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team "Towards Dynamic Solar Atmospheric Magneto-Seismology with New Generation Instrumentation" |
Organisation | University of Sheffield |
Department | School of Mathematics and Statistics |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Contributing core team member |
Collaborator Contribution | This ISSI team has only begun, the first meeting occurred end of March 2017, the second meeting will take place July 2018 |
Impact | This ISSI team has only begun, the first meeting will occur end of March 2017. Likely outputs will be the advancement of the study of MHD waves in the solar atmosphere, the development of tools to analyse wave signature in plasmas in general, and application in preparation of analysis of data from the UK/Warwick funded DKIST solar telecope |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System |
Organisation | ESA - ESTEC |
Country | Netherlands |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | team member on ISSI team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System, together with my Phd student Rebecca White, lead by Dr Claire Foullon (Univ. Exeter), with three cross-disciplinary week-long meetings, to encourage international cross-disciplinary collaboration. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations made by myself and my PhD student at the meetings |
Impact | An extensive review paper on the topic of the team is in preparation. |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System |
Organisation | University of Cambridge |
Department | Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | team member on ISSI team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System, together with my Phd student Rebecca White, lead by Dr Claire Foullon (Univ. Exeter), with three cross-disciplinary week-long meetings, to encourage international cross-disciplinary collaboration. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations made by myself and my PhD student at the meetings |
Impact | An extensive review paper on the topic of the team is in preparation. |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System |
Organisation | University of Exeter |
Department | School of Mathematics |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | team member on ISSI team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System, together with my Phd student Rebecca White, lead by Dr Claire Foullon (Univ. Exeter), with three cross-disciplinary week-long meetings, to encourage international cross-disciplinary collaboration. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations made by myself and my PhD student at the meetings |
Impact | An extensive review paper on the topic of the team is in preparation. |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System |
Organisation | University of Graz |
Department | Institute of Physics |
Country | Austria |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | team member on ISSI team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System, together with my Phd student Rebecca White, lead by Dr Claire Foullon (Univ. Exeter), with three cross-disciplinary week-long meetings, to encourage international cross-disciplinary collaboration. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations made by myself and my PhD student at the meetings |
Impact | An extensive review paper on the topic of the team is in preparation. |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System |
Organisation | University of Leuven |
Department | Department of Mathematics |
Country | Belgium |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | team member on ISSI team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System, together with my Phd student Rebecca White, lead by Dr Claire Foullon (Univ. Exeter), with three cross-disciplinary week-long meetings, to encourage international cross-disciplinary collaboration. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations made by myself and my PhD student at the meetings |
Impact | An extensive review paper on the topic of the team is in preparation. |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System |
Organisation | University of New Hampshire |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | team member on ISSI team on Flow-driven Instabilities of the Sun-Earth System, together with my Phd student Rebecca White, lead by Dr Claire Foullon (Univ. Exeter), with three cross-disciplinary week-long meetings, to encourage international cross-disciplinary collaboration. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations made by myself and my PhD student at the meetings |
Impact | An extensive review paper on the topic of the team is in preparation. |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling |
Organisation | Austrian Academy of Sciences |
Department | Space Research Institute |
Country | Austria |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | member of ISSI team, together with my PhD student Petra Kohutova, (lead by Patrick Antolin) on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling. Three workshops where international experts gather to share and collaborate on the topic of solar atmospheric heat balance. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations by myself and my PhD student at meetings |
Impact | Joint publication are envisaged. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling |
Organisation | Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency |
Country | Japan |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | member of ISSI team, together with my PhD student Petra Kohutova, (lead by Patrick Antolin) on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling. Three workshops where international experts gather to share and collaborate on the topic of solar atmospheric heat balance. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations by myself and my PhD student at meetings |
Impact | Joint publication are envisaged. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling |
Organisation | NCAR National Center for Atmospheric Research |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | member of ISSI team, together with my PhD student Petra Kohutova, (lead by Patrick Antolin) on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling. Three workshops where international experts gather to share and collaborate on the topic of solar atmospheric heat balance. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations by myself and my PhD student at meetings |
Impact | Joint publication are envisaged. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling |
Organisation | National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
Country | Japan |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | member of ISSI team, together with my PhD student Petra Kohutova, (lead by Patrick Antolin) on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling. Three workshops where international experts gather to share and collaborate on the topic of solar atmospheric heat balance. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations by myself and my PhD student at meetings |
Impact | Joint publication are envisaged. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling |
Organisation | Stanford University |
Department | Stanford Lockheed Institute for Space Research |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | member of ISSI team, together with my PhD student Petra Kohutova, (lead by Patrick Antolin) on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling. Three workshops where international experts gather to share and collaborate on the topic of solar atmospheric heat balance. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations by myself and my PhD student at meetings |
Impact | Joint publication are envisaged. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling |
Organisation | University of California, Berkeley |
Department | Space Sciences Laboratory |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | member of ISSI team, together with my PhD student Petra Kohutova, (lead by Patrick Antolin) on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling. Three workshops where international experts gather to share and collaborate on the topic of solar atmospheric heat balance. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations by myself and my PhD student at meetings |
Impact | Joint publication are envisaged. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling |
Organisation | University of Leuven |
Country | Belgium |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | member of ISSI team, together with my PhD student Petra Kohutova, (lead by Patrick Antolin) on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling. Three workshops where international experts gather to share and collaborate on the topic of solar atmospheric heat balance. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations by myself and my PhD student at meetings |
Impact | Joint publication are envisaged. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | ISSI (International Space Science Institute) team on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling |
Organisation | University of Oslo |
Country | Norway |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | member of ISSI team, together with my PhD student Petra Kohutova, (lead by Patrick Antolin) on Implications for coronal heating and magnetic fields from coronal rain observations and modelling. Three workshops where international experts gather to share and collaborate on the topic of solar atmospheric heat balance. |
Collaborator Contribution | Presentations by myself and my PhD student at meetings |
Impact | Joint publication are envisaged. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | UK consortium: Detector Development for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope |
Organisation | Andor Technology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Funded very recently by STFC, a collaborative project to make the UK contribution to the development of the US-lead Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (now DKIST) by developing and building the camera systems for the telescope. Verwichte is the Warwick PI. Warwick has made a contribution of £100000 towards the project to guarantee early access to observing time. Warwick also contributes through the development of data analysis tools. Verwichte is the lead coordinator of the UK data-analysis work-package (WP2). |
Collaborator Contribution | All Universities involved contribute to the project through financial contributions (as Warwick) and through participation in work packages to develop data-analysis tools and observing strategies. |
Impact | A bid has been made to STFC for a PPRP grant and we have recently had confirmation that it will be funded for approximately £3M. Starting date is July 2014. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | UK consortium: Detector Development for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope |
Organisation | Armagh Observatory and Planetarium |
Department | Armagh Observatory |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Funded very recently by STFC, a collaborative project to make the UK contribution to the development of the US-lead Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (now DKIST) by developing and building the camera systems for the telescope. Verwichte is the Warwick PI. Warwick has made a contribution of £100000 towards the project to guarantee early access to observing time. Warwick also contributes through the development of data analysis tools. Verwichte is the lead coordinator of the UK data-analysis work-package (WP2). |
Collaborator Contribution | All Universities involved contribute to the project through financial contributions (as Warwick) and through participation in work packages to develop data-analysis tools and observing strategies. |
Impact | A bid has been made to STFC for a PPRP grant and we have recently had confirmation that it will be funded for approximately £3M. Starting date is July 2014. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | UK consortium: Detector Development for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope |
Organisation | Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Funded very recently by STFC, a collaborative project to make the UK contribution to the development of the US-lead Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (now DKIST) by developing and building the camera systems for the telescope. Verwichte is the Warwick PI. Warwick has made a contribution of £100000 towards the project to guarantee early access to observing time. Warwick also contributes through the development of data analysis tools. Verwichte is the lead coordinator of the UK data-analysis work-package (WP2). |
Collaborator Contribution | All Universities involved contribute to the project through financial contributions (as Warwick) and through participation in work packages to develop data-analysis tools and observing strategies. |
Impact | A bid has been made to STFC for a PPRP grant and we have recently had confirmation that it will be funded for approximately £3M. Starting date is July 2014. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | UK consortium: Detector Development for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope |
Organisation | Northumbria University |
Department | Mathematics and Information Sciences |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Funded very recently by STFC, a collaborative project to make the UK contribution to the development of the US-lead Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (now DKIST) by developing and building the camera systems for the telescope. Verwichte is the Warwick PI. Warwick has made a contribution of £100000 towards the project to guarantee early access to observing time. Warwick also contributes through the development of data analysis tools. Verwichte is the lead coordinator of the UK data-analysis work-package (WP2). |
Collaborator Contribution | All Universities involved contribute to the project through financial contributions (as Warwick) and through participation in work packages to develop data-analysis tools and observing strategies. |
Impact | A bid has been made to STFC for a PPRP grant and we have recently had confirmation that it will be funded for approximately £3M. Starting date is July 2014. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | UK consortium: Detector Development for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope |
Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
Department | School of Mathematics and Physics |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Funded very recently by STFC, a collaborative project to make the UK contribution to the development of the US-lead Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (now DKIST) by developing and building the camera systems for the telescope. Verwichte is the Warwick PI. Warwick has made a contribution of £100000 towards the project to guarantee early access to observing time. Warwick also contributes through the development of data analysis tools. Verwichte is the lead coordinator of the UK data-analysis work-package (WP2). |
Collaborator Contribution | All Universities involved contribute to the project through financial contributions (as Warwick) and through participation in work packages to develop data-analysis tools and observing strategies. |
Impact | A bid has been made to STFC for a PPRP grant and we have recently had confirmation that it will be funded for approximately £3M. Starting date is July 2014. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | UK consortium: Detector Development for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope |
Organisation | University of Glasgow |
Department | Physics and Astronomy Department |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Funded very recently by STFC, a collaborative project to make the UK contribution to the development of the US-lead Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (now DKIST) by developing and building the camera systems for the telescope. Verwichte is the Warwick PI. Warwick has made a contribution of £100000 towards the project to guarantee early access to observing time. Warwick also contributes through the development of data analysis tools. Verwichte is the lead coordinator of the UK data-analysis work-package (WP2). |
Collaborator Contribution | All Universities involved contribute to the project through financial contributions (as Warwick) and through participation in work packages to develop data-analysis tools and observing strategies. |
Impact | A bid has been made to STFC for a PPRP grant and we have recently had confirmation that it will be funded for approximately £3M. Starting date is July 2014. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | UK consortium: Detector Development for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope |
Organisation | University of Sheffield |
Department | School of Mathematics and Statistics |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Funded very recently by STFC, a collaborative project to make the UK contribution to the development of the US-lead Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (now DKIST) by developing and building the camera systems for the telescope. Verwichte is the Warwick PI. Warwick has made a contribution of £100000 towards the project to guarantee early access to observing time. Warwick also contributes through the development of data analysis tools. Verwichte is the lead coordinator of the UK data-analysis work-package (WP2). |
Collaborator Contribution | All Universities involved contribute to the project through financial contributions (as Warwick) and through participation in work packages to develop data-analysis tools and observing strategies. |
Impact | A bid has been made to STFC for a PPRP grant and we have recently had confirmation that it will be funded for approximately £3M. Starting date is July 2014. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | UK consortium: Detector Development for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope |
Organisation | University of St Andrews |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Funded very recently by STFC, a collaborative project to make the UK contribution to the development of the US-lead Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (now DKIST) by developing and building the camera systems for the telescope. Verwichte is the Warwick PI. Warwick has made a contribution of £100000 towards the project to guarantee early access to observing time. Warwick also contributes through the development of data analysis tools. Verwichte is the lead coordinator of the UK data-analysis work-package (WP2). |
Collaborator Contribution | All Universities involved contribute to the project through financial contributions (as Warwick) and through participation in work packages to develop data-analysis tools and observing strategies. |
Impact | A bid has been made to STFC for a PPRP grant and we have recently had confirmation that it will be funded for approximately £3M. Starting date is July 2014. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Title | Continuous Wavelet and Anisotropic Diffusion Python Tools |
Description | Python modules for the calculation of continuous wavelets and anisotropic nonlinear diffusion for the purpose of advanced image filtering for the analysis of solar physics data, in particular from DKIST. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | Software is made available to the solar physics community |
URL | https://github.com/erwinverwichte/ev_tools |
Description | Key Speaker at SolarFest, University of Warwick on topic of Space Weather |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Key speaker as part SolarFest, a multi-disciplinary outreach activity hosted by the University of Warwick |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://warwick.ac.uk/about/community/publicengagement/solar/ |
Description | Physics Cafe Seminar on Space Weather |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | The Physics UG body organises regular seminars for members of staff to explain their research to them. I was invited to talk about my research on Spaceweather. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.warwicksu.com/societies/physoc/ |
Description | Public engagement with school children and UG students on the topic of solar physics through magnetism experiments |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | The Sun is an enormous ball of hot plasma in space but much of the basic physics of the Sun can be replicated with simple experiments here on Earth. The main aim of the project was to incorporate such experiments into our regular activities such as public lectures, festivals/open days, and school visits, in order to demonstrate how we take ordinary physical principals and adapt them to the extreme conditions on the Sun. The main aim was to provide a platform for our audiences to interact with experiments that demonstrate the physics of the Sun and, in the process, link to research being done at CFSA. We envisaged the equipment would be used at open days, festivals, school visits, and public lectures. The equipment would supplement the 'Our dynamic Sun' program, in particular providing hands-on activities when weather conditions are not conducive to observing with the telescopes. We aimed to educate the public about the physics of the Sun, and electromagnetism in general. To provide members of the general public with a pathway to interact with scientific equipment they do not usually have access to. To inspire the next generation of scientists. We were funded via a Warwick Public Engagement Fund of £1000. to buy new equipment. As a team we have been to 6 primary schools in the Coventry area since the new items started arriving. These were all organised in response to requests through the STEM ambassador network and all but one took place during British Science Week. We were also involved in a women in STEM event on 8th March, organised by Kayleigh Lampard, where the new equipment was used. On 20th and 21st June we participated in two events involving 60 children who were visiting the University for the day, and a breakout session as part of an Imagineering day that involved 24 students. In both cases the new equipment was used in conjunction with an activity involving UV beads and the solar telescopes. We have interacted with over 400 children during that time. At all events talks/assemblies were given to ensure the link between the equipment and the research being done at CFSA. At the end of sessions we regroup and ask students what they learnt and what they enjoyed. Around 1/3 of students choose the experiments as their favourite part of the day (there is usually an even split between 3 activities). The responses of the children suggest they are learning things. For example, one student responded that they had learnt that 'magnetic forces can be stronger than gravity' and another said that the 'dark spots on the Sun are strong magnets'. Many of the teachers enthuse at the opportunity to use equipment they do not usually have access to. The equipment has also become a useful addition to the University's Open Day where Erwin and Anne-Marie use them to convey to prospective students (and their parents) how the basics of magnetism can be translated into an understanding of plasma physics and our Sun. Furthermore, much of the equipment will also form part of demonstrations in undergraduate teaching to enhance the student experience and learning. Erwin Verwichte teaches the first year Physics module Electricity & Magnetism, attended by 200+ undergraduates. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://warwick.ac.uk/about/publicengagement/support/public-engagement-at-warwick/17-18pefund/ |
Description | Space Weather |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited speaker at the Cosmodrome in Genk, Belgium giving a seminar on the topic of "Space Weather" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://www.kattevennen.be/nl/cosmodrome/3/ |
Description | Space Weather seminar at IAU Conference Series 335 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | One-hour seminar on the topic of 'Space Weather' given in Sidmouth as part of the Outreach programme of the IAU Symposium 335 "Space Weather of the Heliosphere" organised at the University of Exeter, 17-21 July 2017. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/iaus335/education-program/lectures/ |