RAPID: Exploring the Dynamics and Thermodynamics of the Sun's Corona with Total Solar Eclipse Observations

这个为期一年的RAPID项目旨在提高目前对日全食期间日冕动力学和热力学的理解。日全食继续产生独特的观测条件，使日冕结构从太阳表面到几个太阳半径的不间断空间覆盖成为可能。该项目的主要目标是建立一个最先进的日食观测仪器，利用日冕禁止线的独特诊断能力。这些线在日全食期间观测效果最好，它们被用来探索太阳表面上方最初几个太阳半径内日冕等离子体的动力学和热力学，那里是太阳风和日冕物质抛射的起源和加速的地方。为了实现这些科学目标，该项目利用了2017年8月21日最新日食观测所获得的开创性见解，包括成像和光谱。在2019年7月2日和2020年12月14日即将到来的日全食期间，从对日冕的观测中收集到的知识将填补目前对控制日冕等离子体和磁场的物理过程的研究中急需的空白。这些观测结果也将影响到未来DKIST执行的科学项目。自1995年以来，PI一直领导日食观测，她将继续吸引和激励女教师、博士后、研究生和本科生，通过她们参与到探险提供的独特科学努力中来。PI将在会议上介绍观察结果，并将其发表在评审期刊上。她还将通过讲座与公众分享这些知识，重点是我们最近的恒星的魔力及其对我们周围环境的影响。该RAPID项目的研究议程支持AGS部门在发现、学习、多样性和跨学科研究方面的战略目标。这个为期一年的RAPID项目的主要目标是建立一个最先进的日食观测仪器，利用日冕禁止线的独特诊断能力。日冕禁止线在日全食期间观测效果最好，它们被用来探索太阳表面上方最初几个太阳半径内日冕等离子体的动力学和热力学，那里是太阳风和日冕物质抛射的起源和加速处。在辐射激发的主导下，日冕禁线在可见光和近红外波段以及连续体的发射可以得到日冕等离子体不同成分的化学组成、温度、密度、非热运动和流出量。因此，日冕加热过程的不同表现形式的动力学和热力学可以收集到有价值的见解。最近的日食发现表明，流出的等离子体的温度主要为1,000,000 K，而封闭结构和流星雨的凸起的发射温度为2,000,000 K。他们发现日珥比日冕的温度低100倍，密度也大100倍，日珥总是被最热的物质所覆盖，甚至在日冕爆发时也与日冕结构直接相关。来自日珥的色球物质原封不动地与日冕物质一起逃逸。该项目利用了2017年8月21日最新的日食观测所获得的开创性见解，包括成像和光谱。在这个项目中，该团队将建立一个最先进的仪器，通过添加来自Ar， Ni和s的不同电荷状态的谱线，扩大现有的Fe IX， X， XI， XIII和XIV发射谱线的波长覆盖范围，从而增强该项目期间将建立的创新成像光谱仪的诊断能力，包括近紫外和近红外波长范围。即将到来的2019年7月2日和2020年12月14日智利和阿根廷的日全食为协调多地点观测提供了机会，2017年8月21日美国大陆日全食期间的观测已经成功证明了这一点。多地点观测使用相同的仪器，最大限度地获取数据，并能够在几十分钟的时间尺度上研究日冕结构的变化。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This one-year RAPID project is aimed at improving present understanding of the dynamics and thermodynamics of the Sun's corona during total solar eclipses. Total solar eclipses continue to yield unique observing conditions, enabling an uninterrupted spatial coverage of coronal structures from the solar surface out to several solar radii. The main objective of this project is to build a state-of-the art instrument for solar eclipse observations that capitalizes on the unique diagnostic capabilities of coronal forbidden lines. These lines are best observed during total solar eclipses, and they are used to explore the dynamics and thermodynamics of the coronal plasmas within the first few solar radii above the solar surface, where the solar wind and coronal mass ejections originate and are accelerated. To achieve these science objectives, this project capitalizes on the pioneering insights achieved with the latest solar eclipse observations on 2017 Aug 21 of forbidden line emission, including imaging and spectroscopy. Knowledge gleaned from observations of the Sun's corona during the upcoming total solar eclipses on 2019 July 2 and 2020 December 14 will fill a much-needed gap in ongoing investigations of the physical processes controlling the coronal plasmas and magnetic fields. These observations will also impact the science programs to be executed by the future DKIST. The PI has been leading solar eclipse observations since 1995, and she will continue to engage and inspire women faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, through their involvement with the unique scientific endeavors offered by the expeditions. The PI will present the results of the observations at conferences and will publish them in refereed journals. She will also share the knowledge with the general public through lectures, with emphasis on the magic of our closest star and its impact on our immediate environment. The research agenda of this RAPID project supports the Strategic Goals of the AGS Division in discovery, learning, diversity, and interdisciplinary research.The main objective of this one-year RAPID project is to build a state-of-the art instrument for solar eclipse observations that capitalizes on the unique diagnostic capabilities of coronal forbidden lines. Coronal forbidden lines are best observed during total solar eclipses, and they are used to explore the dynamics and thermodynamics of the coronal plasmas within the first few solar radii above the solar surface, where the solar wind and coronal mass ejections originate and are accelerated. Dominated by radiative excitation, emission from coronal forbidden lines in the visible and near infrared, as well as the continuum, can yield the chemical composition, temperature, density, non-thermal motions and outflows of the different constituents of the coronal plasma. Valuable insights into the dynamics and thermodynamics of the different manifestations of coronal heating processes can thus be gleaned. Recent eclipse discoveries have shown that the temperature of the outflowing plasma is dominated by 1,000,000 K, while emission from closed structures and the bulge of streamers, is at 2,000,000 K. They revealed that prominences, which are 100 times cooler and denser than the corona, are invariably enshrouded by the hottest material there, and directly linked to coronal structures, even when they erupt. Chromospheric material from prominences escapes, unaltered, with the hottest coronal material in CMEs.This project capitalizes on the pioneering insights achieved with the latest solar eclipse observations on 2017 Aug 21 of forbidden line emission, including imaging and spectroscopy. In this project, the team will build a state-of-the-art instrument that expands the wavelength coverage of the existing imaging suite of Fe IX, X, XI, XIII, and XIV emission lines by adding lines from different charge states of Ar, Ni and S. This enhances the diagnostic capabilities of the innovative imaging spectrometer to be built during this project by including the near UV and near IR wavelength ranges. The upcoming 2019 July 2 and 2020 December 14 total solar eclipses over Chile and Argentina offer an opportunity for coordinated multi-site observations, which has been successfully proven with the observations acquired during the 2017 August 21 total solar eclipse over the mainland U.S. Multi-site observations, with identical instrumentation, maximize data acquisition and enable studies of changes in coronal structures on time scales of tens of minutes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.