FDSS: Solar and Space Science Development at the Institute for Astronomy

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The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) is heavily involved in the experimental and observational investigation of the solar magnetosphere -- this includes the photosphere, chromosphere and, especially with the recent completion of a coronal magnetograph, the outer solar atmosphere. This group has a long history of leading the community with solar magnetic field data. The most recent demonstration of direct coronal magnetic field measurements with the Haleakala SOLARC coronagraph facility on Maui is expected to yield new tests of models of coronal heating, mass ejection, and the energetics and dynamics of the solar wind. These are longstanding problems, only partially constrained by measurements of the solar magnetic boundary at the photosphere. The new ability to measure chromospheric and coronal magnetic fields can significantly improve understanding of the physics of the magnetic solar atmosphere and the solar-terrestrial interaction. Achieving this depends on making stronger connections between these new observational tools and coronal modeling activities. The IfA proposes to realize this by forming a new program, in part, around an existing research group at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy. It has recently made a significant commitment toward solar and space science and is ready to bring this program to a critical mass by hiring and supporting a faculty member to start a computational/theoretical effort. This individual will join a receptive academic environment with an abundance of local computational resources and related theoretical and computational research expertise.IfA's new faculty opportunity is ripe for individual success, and it restores an established solar physics graduate education program to "critical mass." A new graduate assistantship, a college recruiting/lectureship program, a Maui Coronal Summer School, and a focused coronal science workshop in Hawaii will amplify the impact of this new faculty member. This integrated program will make use of the IfA's investment in an expert outreach and public information support staff. Maui science activities currently benefit from interactions with the NSF-funded Center for Adaptive Optics, and will be augmented by the anticipated construction of the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) on Maui within the decade. With these new resources, IfA will enhance US graduate education opportunities in solar and space science, surpassing the IfA in the late 80's and early 90's, when it educated a significant fraction of the US solar physics community.