Searching for Photospheric Causes of Small-Scale Chromospheric Activity

这个研究小组将使用大熊太阳天文台(BBSO)的新太阳望远镜(NST)来研究太阳色球特征的起源，如针状物、“快速蓝移事件”和所谓的“海葵喷流”，以及BBSO工作人员最近利用NST发现的微小颗粒间喷流。特别是，这个团队将通过分析高分辨率的NST和航天器对日冕空洞和“安静的太阳”区域的观测，来限制色球上升的驱动机制。他们将研究色球喷流的性质(如速度、与太阳磁场的关联和时间演变)，以及色球对太阳光球动力学的响应。研究小组还将组织几次联合观测和数据分析活动，涉及NST和选定的航天器，以前所未有的清晰度捕捉太阳表面现象的细节，揭示太阳光球和色球中小尺度磁场的动力学。该团队希望他们的分析能为较低太阳大气中的日冕加热和相关过程提供新的见解，并促进我们对太阳风加速的理解。团队成员将向更广泛的太阳界提供他们新的NST数据，并应外部研究人员的要求进行具体的太阳观测。他们指出，最近高质量的NST图像已经引起了公众的极大兴趣(例如，进入了《国家地理》2010年最佳太空图片名单)，他们预计这种形式的推广将继续下去。这项研究活动还将支持研究生的继续教育和专业成长。

This research team will use the New Solar Telescope (NST) of the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) to investigate the origins of solar chromospheric features, such as spicules, "rapid blue shifted events," and so-called "anemone jets," as well as the tiny intergranular jets recently discovered by BBSO staff using the NST. In particular, this team will constrain the driving mechanisms of chromospheric upflows by analyzing high resolution NST and spacecraft observations of coronal holes and "quiet Sun" areas. They will study chromospheric jet properties (such as velocities, association with the solar magnetic field, and time evolution), as well as chromospheric response to solar photospheric dynamics. The research team will also organize several joint observational and data analysis campaigns involving NST and selected spacecraft for capturing the details of solar surface phenomena with unprecedented clarity, revealing the dynamics of small scale magnetic fields in the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere. This team expects their analysis to provide new insight into coronal heating and related processes in the lower solar atmosphere, as well as to advance our understanding of solar wind acceleration.The team members will provide their new NST data to the wider solar community and perform specific solar observations upon request from outside researchers. They note that recent high quality NST imagery has already generated significant interest among the general public (for example, making the list of National Geographic's "Best Space Pictures of 2010") and they anticipate that this form of outreach will continue. This research activity will also support the further education and professional growth of a graduate student.