RAPID: Acquiring Extensive High Resolution Solar Data for Enhancing Research on the Build-up to Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

首席调查员打算利用一个独特的机会，完全进入加那利群岛拉帕尔马的荷兰开放望远镜(DOT)，该望远镜专门从事高分辨率太阳成像。在这个项目中，拉帕尔马天文台将为这个科学团队提供整个2010年的观测季节，从4月到10月。这一努力是非常及时的，因为在经历了一个多世纪以来最深的太阳活动极小期之后，第24太阳周期的活动出现了延迟。2010年为科学家提供了本十年中唯一的机会，在经历了如此深度的最低活动之后，研究新的太阳活动周期的兴起。DOT是一种利用先进的现场光学散斑处理技术进行高分辨率地面太阳成像的优越设施。DOT利用了拉帕尔马上极佳的白天观测条件，将湍流和云层遮蔽降至最低。DOT还能够使用设置为9个波长的滤光片对太阳进行层析观测，每个光学波长采样太阳大气中的不同高度。这项国际研究工作将直接有助于改进对日冕物质抛射和太阳耀斑的空间天气预报。首席国际和平研究所来自一家女性所有的小公司，这项工作将直接涉及四名女性科学家，以及另外一名女性科学家作为外部合作者。因此，该项目将有助于多样性和增加代表不足的群体对自然科学的参与。

The Principal Investigators (PIs) intend to take advantage of a unique opportunity for complete access to the Dutch Open Telescope (DOT) on La Palma in the Canary Islands, which specializes in high-resolution solar imaging. For this project, this science team is being offered the entire 2010 observing season which runs from April to October at La Palma. This effort is extremely timely, given the delayed rise of activity in solar cycle 24 that has followed the deepest solar minimum in over a century. The year 2010 provides the only opportunity in this decade for scientists to study the rise of a new solar cycle after such a deep minimum of activity.The DOT is a superior facility for high-resolution ground-based solar imaging, taking advantage of advanced on-site optical speckle processing. The DOT exploits excellent daytime seeing conditions on La Palma which minimize turbulence and cloud obscuration. The DOT is also capable of tomographic observations of the Sun using filters set at nine wavelengths, with each optical wavelength sampling a different height in the solar atmosphere. This international research effort will directly contribute to improved space weather forecasts of coronal mass ejections and solar flares. The lead PI is from a small woman-owned company and this effort will directly involve four female scientists, as well as one additional female scientist as an external collaborator. This project therefore will contribute to diversity and increased participation of under-represented groups in the physical sciences.