RUI: Observations and Modeling of Solar Total and Spectral Variability

CSUN（加州州立大学北岭分校）运营着圣费尔南多天文台（SFO），该天文台已经制作了一套覆盖超过22年的全圆盘太阳光度图像的广泛数据集。这些图像可以精确测量各种太阳特征的相对亮度，比如太阳黑子和光斑。首席研究员（PI）将利用SFO数据以及其他来源的光度图像来解决有关太阳变化的开放性科学问题。PI计划调查许多问题，包括观测到的太阳磁场特征是否足以解释太阳总辐照度和光谱辐照度的短期和长期变化，以及各种太阳特征对这些辐照度变化的相对贡献。这项研究将分析太阳活动区域的统计特性，以发现这些特性是否在一个太阳周期内或在一个太阳周期与下一个太阳周期之间发生变化。它期望确定太阳辐照度在太阳极小期是否以系统的方式变化，以及太阳特征的测量是否可以用来重建太阳总辐照度（TSI）和光谱太阳辐照度（SSI）的当前和历史值。PI承诺将向更广泛的研究界提供这些光度图像、太阳活动区的精确信息和次级数据（如太阳总辐照度和光谱辐照度模型）。这项研究还将提高我们对太阳变化及其对地球气候和天气可能产生的影响的理解，因此对社会产生广泛的影响。PI还强调，CSUN服务于相当多的少数民族人口，因此该项目将增加代表性不足的群体对科学的参与。最后，PI将在CSUN天文馆公开演讲他的研究成果，以告知和教育更广泛的受众。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。

CSUN (California State University-Northridge) operates the San Fernando Observatory (SFO), which has produced an extensive data set of photometric full-disk solar images covering more than twenty-two years. These images allow precise measurement of the relative brightness of a variety of solar features, such as sunspots and faculae. The Principal Investigator (PI) will utilize this SFO data, as well as photometric images from other sources, to address open scientific questions about solar variability. The PI plans to investigate many issues, including whether observed solar magnetic features are sufficient to explain short and long term variations in total and spectral solar irradiance, and what the relative contributions of various solar features might be to changes in those irradiances. The research will analyze the statistical properties of solar active regions, to discover whether these vary over a solar cycle, or from one cycle to the next. It expects to determine whether the solar irradiance changes in a systematic way at solar minimum, and whether measurements of solar features can be used to reconstruct current and historical values of total solar irradiance (TSI) and spectral solar irradiance (SSI). The PI pledges that these photometric images, precision information on solar active regions, and secondary data (such as total and spectral solar irradiance models) will be made available to the wider research community. This research will also improve our understanding of solar variability and any effect it might have on the Earth's climate and weather, and therefore have broad impact on society. The PI also emphasizes that CSUN serves a significant minority population, and that this project will thus increase the participation of under-represented groups in science. Finally, the PI will give public talks in the CSUN planetarium about his research results, in order to inform and educate a wider audience.This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).