Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) Construction under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)

【摘要】磁场控制着不稳定的太阳。了解太阳变化及其对地球的直接影响的关键在于了解这些磁场的各个方面。这是？暗能量?因为磁场超出了当前太阳望远镜的分辨率限制，被地球的大气层所遮蔽，或者被太阳外层大气层中太阳圆盘的眩光所掩盖。太阳提供了一个实验室，在那里可以观察和理解高电离磁等离子体的非线性动力学的关键特性，并可以测试和改进模型。现在有技术可以分辨和测量太阳？美国磁场以及它们如何控制太阳大气。先进技术太阳望远镜（ATST）设计的所有方面都经过优化，可以在我们的天体物理学后院研究这些领域。有了它，我们将了解磁场的生命周期，它们如何由发电机机制产生，如何通过对流和爆炸现象演变，以及如何通过电阻和再连接磁事件消散。ATST将是一个4米口径的离轴太阳望远镜，具有集成自适应光学、低散射光、红外、日冕和偏振能力。它将解决基本的、精细的磁场特征及其动力学，这些特征决定了太阳释放的能量的变化。年代的气氛。ATST的设计经过优化（吞吐量、散射光和仪器偏振特性），使矢量磁图降至衍射极限（500 nm处0.03弧秒）。它的收集面积，是现在的16倍？美国的太阳望远镜，将提供测量弱场和快速发展的强场的灵敏度。它的收集面积比现有最大的日冕仪大64倍，并将提供测量微弱、精细日冕磁场所需的灵敏度和日冕成像能力。新的技术，以及我们对我们所知道的必须学习的东西的日益增强的认识，使ATST成为20世纪60年代和70年代建造的太阳望远镜的必要和合乎逻辑的继任者，并且是太阳动力学天文台、STEREO和太阳轨道器等太空任务的自然补充。ATST为太阳物理学的学生培训和博士后和教师招聘提供了巨大的机会，他们将成为ATST的用户，未来的仪器制造商和理论家。ATST计划与合作机构的教育和外展项目建立强大的协同作用，包括K-12课堂项目、实习、通过参观、实践展览和展览进行的公众外展。ATST计划已经并将继续积极参与美国和国际太阳物理界的大部分，帮助加强大学和国家中心的太阳天文学计划。

AbstractAST 0415302Magnetic fields control the inconstant Sun. The key to understanding solar variability and its direct impact on the Earth rests with understanding all aspects of these magnetic fields. This is the ?dark energy? problem of solar physics since the magnetic fields lie beyond the resolution limits of current solar telescopes, are obscured by Earth's atmosphere, or hidden by the glare of the solar disk in the outer solar atmosphere. The Sun provides the laboratory where crucial properties of non-linear dynamics in highly ionized magnetic plasma can be observed and understood, and models can be tested and refined. The technology now exists to resolve and measure the Sun?s magnetic fields and how they control the solar atmosphere. All aspects of the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) design are optimized to study these fields in our astrophysical backyard. With it, we will understand the life cycle of magnetic fields, how they are born by dynamo mechanisms, evolve by convective and explosive phenomena, and dissipated by resistive and reconnective magnetic events. The ATST will be a 4-m aperture, off-axis solar telescope with integrated adaptive optics, low-scattered light, infrared, coronagraphic, and polarimetric capabilities. It will resolve the essential, fine-scale magnetic features and their dynamics that dictate the varying release of energy from the Sun?s atmosphere. The ATST design is optimized (throughput, scattered light and instrumental polarization properties) to make vector magnetograms down to its diffraction limit (0.03 arcseconds at 500 nm). Its collecting area, which is a factor of 16 greater than today?s solar telescopes, will provide the sensitivity to measure both weak fields and rapidly evolving stronger fields. It has a factor of 64 greater collecting area than the largest existing coronagraph, and will provide the sensitivity and coronagraphic capability needed to measure the weak, fine-scale coronal magnetic fields. The new technologies, and our increased awareness of what we know we must learn, make ATST the necessary and logical successor to the solar telescopes built in the 1960s and 1970s, and is a natural complement to space missions such the Solar Dynamics Observatory, STEREO, and Solar Orbiter.The ATST offers tremendous opportunity for the training of students and recruitment of post-docs and faculty in solar physics who will become users of the ATST and the instrument builders and theoreticians of the future. ATST plans to establish a strong synergy with the education and outreach programs at the collaborating institutions, including programs for the K-12 classroom, internships, public outreach through tours, hands-on exhibits, and displays. The ATST program has and will continue to actively involve large segments of the US and international solar physics community, helping to strengthen solar astronomy programs at universities and national centers.