The Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array as a Community Facility

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。太阳耀斑和太阳大气中的活动区代表着两种现象，这两种现象对于更好地理解太阳活动的启动机制至关重要。不断变化的磁场为太阳能量的爆炸性释放提供动力，因此，它们的测量对于了解和预测影响地球和近地空间环境(空间气象)的太阳活动至关重要。这项工作将支持在扩建的欧文斯谷太阳能电池阵(EOVSA)进行的运营和研究。EOVSA是美国唯一的太阳能专用无线电设施，能够提供太阳活动的常规光谱成像，并以3D形式直接测量太阳磁场。最近通过的两党PROSWIFT法案(促进空间天气研究和观测，以改善对明天的预报)，除其他事项外，呼吁“维持地面观测能力”，包括“维持和改善对太阳的地面观测”。这项工作通过在太阳周期第25周的上升阶段提供太阳无线电数据直接解决了这一问题。这项工作还将建立从目前未利用的偏振数据推断太阳环境信息的数学框架，这将为太阳耀斑中的活动区结构和粒子加速的理论理解提供关键信息。此外，该项目将改进图像重建技术，更准确地说明太阳的不同自转，这将大大提高对太阳耀斑和活动区成像的能力。该项目将通过直接支持新泽西理工学院和加州大学伯克利分校的几名研究生来促进研究和教育的整合，这些研究生将轮流负责EOVSA的运作，并通过支持和参与学生和早期博士后研究人员来发展STEM员工队伍。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).Solar flares and active regions in the solar atmosphere represent two phenomena that are key to better understanding of initiation mechanisms of solar activity. The evolving magnetic fields power explosive releases of the solar energy, and their measurements are therefore of utmost importance for understanding and forecasting of solar activity that impact the Earth and near-Earth space environment (Space Weather). The work will support operations and research conducted at the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA). EOVSA is the US sole solar-dedicated radio facility with the capability to provide routine spectral imaging of the solar activity and directly measure the solar magnetic fields in 3D. The recently passed bipartisan PROSWIFT Act (Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow) calls, among other things, for "sustaining ground-based observational capability" including "maintain and improve ground-based observations of the Sun." The work directly addresses this call by providing solar radio data during the rising phase of Solar Cycle 25. This work will also develop the mathematical framework to deduce information about solar environment from the currently unutilized polarized data, which will provide key information for both active region structure and theoretical understanding of particle acceleration in solar flares. Further, this project will improve image reconstruction techniques by more accurately accounting for differential solar rotation, which will greatly enhance the capability to image solar flares and active regions. This project will stimulate integration of research and education by directly supporting several graduate students at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the University of California Berkeley who will be responsible for EOVSA operations on a rotating basis as well as develop STEM workforce by supporting and involving students and early-career postdoctoral researcher.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.