Consolidated Grant in Solar Physics

在这个方案中，我们研究动态太阳，以测量和了解其大气层中的等离子体、粒子和过程以及它所创造的延伸的日光层。我们专注于太阳物理学中几个尚未解决的关键问题，这些问题也是更广泛和更深入地理解宇宙等离子体作为一个整体的原型。我们的顶级问题是：太阳是如何在其磁化的大气层中储存和释放能量的，通过研究从无线电到X射线的辐射，我们可以从这个过程中了解到什么？高能辐射粒子在太阳耀斑和行星际空间中的行为如何？它们是如何加速的，它们是被发射的吗？它们在耀斑及其对地面的影响中扮演着关键角色吗？磁场是太阳大气层中发生的一切的关键。密集的磁区穿过太阳表面进入大气层。在这里，它们存储能量，还与预先存在的磁场相互作用，通常会导致被称为耀斑的强烈辐射爆发，亚原子粒子(电子和离子)的加速，并加热到数百万度。这还可能导致磁化等离子体向空间喷射，从而造成破坏性的“空间天气”。耀斑具有独特的辐射特征，这与能量沿着磁场从日冕向下到太阳表面并向外进入遥远的日光层，并在过程中转化为其他形式的方式密切相关。通过解释太阳稀薄的外层大气--日冕--和密度较高的低层大气--色球--的辐射，我们可以理解耀斑中发生的事情。更广泛地说，太阳磁场在太阳大气中创造了偏心和动态的形状，例如被称为日冕的冷物质云，显然漂浮在太阳表面上方(尽管实际上受到磁力的支持)。我们的方案将天基和地面望远镜的观测数据与理论和数值模拟相结合，以解决所有这些主题，并涵盖了广泛的技术问题，从辐射通过等离子体的建模到高能粒子加速；从电磁波到相对论粒子束；从机器学习和图像处理到微弱信号的统计分析，从数学‘纸笔’计算到高级数值模拟。我们将把所有这些技能运用到当前努力的核心问题上，以更好地了解我们最近的恒星。

In this proposal we study the dynamic Sun, to measure and understand the plasmas, particles and processes in its atmosphere and the extended heliosphere that it creates. We focus on several key unsolved problems in solar physics, that are also prototypes for a wider and deeper understanding of cosmic plasmas as a whole. Our top-level questions are: How does the Sun store and release energy in its magnetised atmosphere, and what can we learn about this process by studying the radiation that is emitted, from radio to X-rays? How do high-energy radiating particles behave in solar flares and in interplanetary space? How are they accelerated, are they beamed and do they play a key role in flares and their terrestrial impact? The magnetic field is key to everything that happens in the Sun's atmosphere. Concentrated magnetic regions emerge through the Sun's surface and into its atmosphere. Here they store energy and also interact with the pre-existing magnetic field often resulting in intense bursts of radiation known as flares, acceleration of sub-atomic particles (electrons and ions), and heating to millions of degrees. These can also lead to expulsion of magnetised plasma into space which can cause damaging `space weather'. Flares have distinctive radiation signatures that are closely related to the way that energy is transmitted along the magnetic field from the corona down to the solar surface and out into the distant heliosphere, and converted into other forms as it goes. By interpreting this radiation both from the Sun's tenuous outer atmosphere - its corona - and its denser lower atmosphere - its chromosphere - we can understand what is happening in a flare. More generally, solar magnetic fields create eccentric and dynamic shapes in the solar atmosphere, for example the clouds of cool material called prominences, apparently floating (though in reality supported by magnetic forces) above the solar surface.Our programme combines observational data from space-based and ground-based telescopes with theoretical and numerical modelling to address all of these topics, and spans a wide range of technical problems, from the modeling of radiation moving through a plasma to high-energy particle acceleration; from electromagnetic waves to relativistic particle beams; from machine learning and image processing to statistical analysis of weak signals, and from mathematical `pen-and-paper' calculations to advanced numerical simulations. We will bring all these skills to bear on questions at the heart of current efforts to better understand our nearest star.