Resolving the source of the solar acoustic oscillations: Preparing for the era of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope

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Similar to the ringing of a bell, excitations on one portion of the surface of the Sun can cause sound (acoustic) waves to travel through the interior of the Sun and generate vibrations that can be observed elsewhere on the solar surface. Solar scientists can use these acoustic waves to probe the deep interior of the Sun through a process called helioseismology. At the very small size scales that new ground-based solar telescopes such as the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) will be able to observe, little is known about the sources of these acoustic waves. This proposal will investigate the detailed properties of these sources by numerically modeling them and using these models to predict what will be seen through telescope observations. The proposed research will support the training of the next generation of solar scientists. The PI and co-PI will jointly mentor two graduate students, with each student gaining critical experience in the theory, modeling and observation of solar phenomena. This proposal will investigate solar acoustic modes (p-modes) through a combination of theoretical modeling and observation with the Dunn Solar Telescope (DST). Despite the use of p-modes to probe the interior of the Sun through helioseismology, the detailed properties of the sources of solar p-mode excitation are not well known. The proposers will develop detailed numerical simulations to determine the source excitation mechanisms and test their efficiencies. These simulations will be used to generate synthetic spectra, which can be tested to determine their sensitivity to pressure, temperature and velocity fluctuations. Finally, observations with the DST will be used to search for the predicted signatures of these thermodynamic fluctuations in the spectral lines. The work outlined in the proposal will provide important preparatory science necessary to optimize the high spatial and spectral resolution capabilities of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST).