Turbulence in the Solar Corona and Near-Sun Solar Wind

Some of the central open problems in heliophysics are how the solar corona is heated and how the solar wind is accelerated. Plasma turbulence near the Sun is thought to be one of the key processes involved in answering these questions. The NASA Parker Solar Probe spacecraft is currently on its way to the solar corona making in situ measurements of the solar wind at ever closer distances. This project will make use of this new data, and related plasma theory, to understand the nature of turbulence near the Sun and the role it plays in coronal heating and solar wind acceleration.