A HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING SPECTROMETER FOR VISIBLE CORONAL EMISSION LINES
Lead Research Organisation:
Aberystwyth University
Department Name: Inst of Mathematical and Physical Sci
Abstract
The Earth orbits through a sea of magnetised plasma flowing from the Sun called the solar wind. Travelling at high speed through the solar wind, Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) are enormous clouds of high-density plasma associated with eruptions and flares at the Sun. The Earth's magnetic field acts as a shield to prevent damage from CMEs. Society, however, depends on satellites and large CMEs under certain conditions may cause widespread damage. The ability to predict the occurrence of a CME, and to predict their subsequent evolution, depends critically on understanding the dominant physical processes which occur in the corona, and on understanding the medium through which CMEs propagate - the solar wind.
In understanding the solar wind and CMEs, the extended inner corona is a critical region. This complex region starts at the solar surface and extends to where the coronal plasma starts to expand radially and becomes supersonic. Current observations of this region are very limited. There are a handful of broadband visible light coronagraphs which provide rather noisy measurements of the Thomson-scattered light from coronal electrons such as the COR1/STEREO coronagraphs, or the MLSO MKIV coronameters (to be upgraded to COSMO soon). Current EUV imagers and spectrometers provide very high-quality data, but their field of view is typically limited to a few tenths of solar radii from the photosphere at best. There is no spectrometer currently in use which can observe the corona above a few tenths of a solar radius from the limb, severely restricting efforts to understand the source region of CMEs and the solar wind.
The goal of the proposed spectrometer is to capitalize on the diagnostic properties of coronal forbidden emission lines in the visible and near-IR, to infer electron temperatures, ion densities, elemental abundances and charge states, bulk flow speeds, non-thermal heating (i.e. wave heating) and indirectly the properties of the coronal magnetic field. The scientific advantage of observing these lines stems primarily from the strength of their radiatively excited component, which enables the emission to extend out to large heliocentric distances. It is surprising therefore that observations of forbidden coronal emission lines in the visible have been seriously neglected in current solar missions. The proposed spectrometer directly addresses this shortcoming and will provide unique constraints on the physical processes that heat the solar atmosphere to over one million degrees and accelerate the solar wind.
In understanding the solar wind and CMEs, the extended inner corona is a critical region. This complex region starts at the solar surface and extends to where the coronal plasma starts to expand radially and becomes supersonic. Current observations of this region are very limited. There are a handful of broadband visible light coronagraphs which provide rather noisy measurements of the Thomson-scattered light from coronal electrons such as the COR1/STEREO coronagraphs, or the MLSO MKIV coronameters (to be upgraded to COSMO soon). Current EUV imagers and spectrometers provide very high-quality data, but their field of view is typically limited to a few tenths of solar radii from the photosphere at best. There is no spectrometer currently in use which can observe the corona above a few tenths of a solar radius from the limb, severely restricting efforts to understand the source region of CMEs and the solar wind.
The goal of the proposed spectrometer is to capitalize on the diagnostic properties of coronal forbidden emission lines in the visible and near-IR, to infer electron temperatures, ion densities, elemental abundances and charge states, bulk flow speeds, non-thermal heating (i.e. wave heating) and indirectly the properties of the coronal magnetic field. The scientific advantage of observing these lines stems primarily from the strength of their radiatively excited component, which enables the emission to extend out to large heliocentric distances. It is surprising therefore that observations of forbidden coronal emission lines in the visible have been seriously neglected in current solar missions. The proposed spectrometer directly addresses this shortcoming and will provide unique constraints on the physical processes that heat the solar atmosphere to over one million degrees and accelerate the solar wind.
Planned Impact
Economy
The economical impact of our research can be measured in our efforts to limit the potential trillions of dollars of damage to the worldwide economy in the event of a catastrophic solar storm. The type of research conducted is an important part of understanding, and eventually forecasting, the behaviour of the Sun-Earth system.
The economic beneficiaries of our work will be Public bodies and government, and commerical entities. The increased understanding of the source region of the solar wind and CMEs will aid governments and related bodies to spend public money more effectively.
Society
We are lucky as eclipse scientists to have access to the most spectacular images of the solar system. This places an unique responsibility for us to engage with public audiences. The 2017 US eclipse in particular offers a marvellous chance to engage with a potential audience of millions.
The societal beneficiaries of our work will be:
- - A broad swathe of Welsh societyThe Welsh public. The PI Huw Morgan is heavily involved with public outreach to a Welsh audience. Many aspects of the eclipse observations will be publicised to a large (~100,000) non-scientific (and often disengaged) audience via the national Eisteddfod festival. A broad cross-section of Welsh society attends the week-long Eisteddfod every year, and astronomy at Aberystwyth University has a strong presence on the field. This includes stalls and attractive exhibitions in the science pavilion, solar telescopes, and an enthusiastic group of staff and students to engage the public. The audience will benefit through gaining an understanding of the local space enviroment, and by the increased acceptance of science into a society generally dominated by music and arts. This aspect of the work is bolstered by a recent award for the RAS 200 public outreach project.
- School childrens. With the aid of University officers, we will visit schools to talk about our science, and organise activities where school children visit the University. There are obvious benefits for the children here, through enhancing their understanding of solar and planetary science and by influencing their behaviour in terms of choosing a science career in later lifelearning and their possible future reqruitment into a science career..
- The general public. We will improve on recent work to use social networking to advertise our science, and grow on our impressive media contacts to expose astronomy to a wide audience. Traditionally, Welsh culture is dominated by arts and music (and rugby!). Any work we can do to increase the exposure to science will benefit society as a whole, by increasing public understanding of our complex enviroment, and by creating an enviroment where children (and adults) are encouraged to study science, perhaps as a career.
See our Pathways to Impact document for details on how we plan to reach the beneficiaries, and for recent highlights of our public engagement and impact work.
The economical impact of our research can be measured in our efforts to limit the potential trillions of dollars of damage to the worldwide economy in the event of a catastrophic solar storm. The type of research conducted is an important part of understanding, and eventually forecasting, the behaviour of the Sun-Earth system.
The economic beneficiaries of our work will be Public bodies and government, and commerical entities. The increased understanding of the source region of the solar wind and CMEs will aid governments and related bodies to spend public money more effectively.
Society
We are lucky as eclipse scientists to have access to the most spectacular images of the solar system. This places an unique responsibility for us to engage with public audiences. The 2017 US eclipse in particular offers a marvellous chance to engage with a potential audience of millions.
The societal beneficiaries of our work will be:
- - A broad swathe of Welsh societyThe Welsh public. The PI Huw Morgan is heavily involved with public outreach to a Welsh audience. Many aspects of the eclipse observations will be publicised to a large (~100,000) non-scientific (and often disengaged) audience via the national Eisteddfod festival. A broad cross-section of Welsh society attends the week-long Eisteddfod every year, and astronomy at Aberystwyth University has a strong presence on the field. This includes stalls and attractive exhibitions in the science pavilion, solar telescopes, and an enthusiastic group of staff and students to engage the public. The audience will benefit through gaining an understanding of the local space enviroment, and by the increased acceptance of science into a society generally dominated by music and arts. This aspect of the work is bolstered by a recent award for the RAS 200 public outreach project.
- School childrens. With the aid of University officers, we will visit schools to talk about our science, and organise activities where school children visit the University. There are obvious benefits for the children here, through enhancing their understanding of solar and planetary science and by influencing their behaviour in terms of choosing a science career in later lifelearning and their possible future reqruitment into a science career..
- The general public. We will improve on recent work to use social networking to advertise our science, and grow on our impressive media contacts to expose astronomy to a wide audience. Traditionally, Welsh culture is dominated by arts and music (and rugby!). Any work we can do to increase the exposure to science will benefit society as a whole, by increasing public understanding of our complex enviroment, and by creating an enviroment where children (and adults) are encouraged to study science, perhaps as a career.
See our Pathways to Impact document for details on how we plan to reach the beneficiaries, and for recent highlights of our public engagement and impact work.
Organisations
Publications
Humphries L
(2021)
A Multi-wavelength Analysis of Small-scale Brightenings Observed by IRIS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Nieves-Chinchilla T
(2020)
Analysis of the Internal Structure of the Streamer Blowout Observed by the Parker Solar Probe During the First Solar Encounter
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Hutton Joseph
(2016)
Automated Detection of coronal mass ejections in three-dimensions using multi-viewpoint observations
in AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #48
Humphries L
(2021)
Detecting and Characterising Small-Scale Brightenings in Solar Imaging Data
in Solar Physics
Alzate N
(2017)
Dynamics of Large-scale Coronal Structures as Imaged during the 2012 and 2013 Total Solar Eclipses
in The Astrophysical Journal
Morgan H
(2017)
Global conditions in the solar corona from 2010 to 2017.
in Science advances
Yeates A
(2018)
Global Non-Potential Magnetic Models of the Solar Corona During the March 2015 Eclipse
in Space Science Reviews
Erdélyi R
(2022)
HiRISE - High-Resolution Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer - Ultrahigh resolution, interferometric and external occulting coronagraphic science
in Experimental Astronomy
Alzate N
(2017)
Identification of Low Coronal Sources of "Stealth" Coronal Mass Ejections Using New Image Processing Techniques
in The Astrophysical Journal
Alzate N
(2016)
JETS, CORONAL "PUFFS," AND A SLOW CORONAL MASS EJECTION CAUSED BY AN OPPOSITE-POLARITY REGION WITHIN AN ACTIVE REGION FOOTPOINT
in The Astrophysical Journal
Alzate Nathalia
(2016)
Low-Coronal Sources of Stealth CMEs
in AAS/Solar Physics Division Abstracts #47
Alzate Nathalia
(2016)
Low-coronal Sources of Stealth CMEs
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #227
Kuridze D.
(2019)
Mapping the magnetic field of flare coronal loops
in arXiv e-prints
Al-Shakarchi D
(2018)
Properties of the HPS-ICME-CIR Interaction Event of 9-10 September 2011
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Korreck K
(2020)
Source and Propagation of a Streamer Blowout Coronal Mass Ejection Observed by the Parker Solar Probe
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Koza J
(2019)
Spectral Diagnostics of Cool Flare Loops Observed by the SST. I. Inversion of the Ca ii 8542 Å and H ß Lines
in The Astrophysical Journal
Scullion E
(2022)
SULIS: A coronal magnetism explorer for ESA's Voyage 2050
in Experimental Astronomy
Habbal Shadia R.
(2016)
The Temperature of the Corona as Derived from Total Solar Eclipse Observations
in AAS/Solar Physics Division Abstracts #47
Morgan H
(2018)
Ubiquitous and Continuous Propagating Disturbances in the Solar Corona
in The Astrophysical Journal
Muro G
(2023)
Visible Emission Line Spectroscopy of the Solar Corona During the 2019 Total Solar Eclipse
in Solar Physics
Description | Enabled by the instrumentation developed under this award, we have measured the solar coronal rotation rate through high-precision Doppler shifts of spectral lines. The rotation rate is important since it shows how the corona is linked to the Sun, and also suggests the magnetic reconnection rates in the low solar atmosphere. |
Exploitation Route | In the field, we aim to propose the instrument as a space-based instrument. A first step for this is a high-altitude balloon platform. We believe the instrument is also an interesting design that may have applications such as characterisation of non-solar atmospheres. |
Sectors | Other |
Description | Aberystwyth University Space Exploration Centre |
Amount | £408,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2020 |
End | 04/2021 |
Title | New improved spectrometer for eclipses |
Description | An improved design of the spectrometer is being built for the 2019 July South American eclipse. Notable improvements: - less than half the size/mass of the original spectrometer - far higher signal - highly robust design - ease of use |
Type Of Technology | Detection Devices |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Impact | This development has an impact on considering the spectrometer for future space missions, or for future ground-based coronagraph use (as planned in the original proposal). |
Title | Time-normalized optical flow |
Description | New image processing technique to track extremely faint motions in solar images |
Type Of Technology | New/Improved Technique/Technology |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Impact | Currently, a method publication and the start of couple of tentative collaborations based on the method |
Description | Interview for national news |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview with BBC Radio Wales / Radio Cymru |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Public lecture to Machynlleth "Merched y Wawr" organisation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Public lecture to local Merched y Wawr group (Welsh version of the Women's Institute) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Talk at Photonex Enlighten conference - Hyperspectral Imaging and Application Ready Solutions |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Talk at the Photonex Enlighten conference - Hyperspectral Imaging and Application Ready Solutions session. The talk was titled "Hyperspectral cameras using tuneable interference filters" and presented the development of hyperspectral camera technology which rose from research on the ExoMars PanCam instrument. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.photonex.org/conference/hyperspectral-more-details.html#matt |