SHINE: Impact of Large-Scale Magnetic Topology on Dynamics of Solar Corona

这个为期3年的SHINE项目的主要目标是对与日冕中的一系列特征和事件相关的大尺度磁环境的拓扑结构进行大型集合研究。 该项目产生的统计分析很可能导致对太阳上破坏性事件的原因的深刻理解，这从社会角度来看是重要的，因为这些事件往往导致空间天气。 此外，NSF的本科生研究经验（REU）以及洛克希德马丁太阳能和天体物理实验室与帕洛阿尔托联合学区之间的现有合作伙伴关系等项目将使项目团队能够吸引年轻的，有前途的人才参与科学的追求。 该项目的研究和EPO议程支持AGS部门在发现，学习，多样性和跨学科研究方面的战略目标。该SHINE项目的主要研究目标是将拓扑分析软件应用于太阳黑子周期23和24（跨越约20年）期间的日冕磁场模型，并将统计方法应用于这些结果。 项目小组将调查太阳上动力学事件的产生与零点、分界面、分离磁力线和磁结构的其他关键拓扑指标之间的关系。 作为该项目的一部分，将对现有的位场源表面（PFSS）模型外推和拓扑分析代码进行若干改进，包括增加更精确的球谐计算、场插值和场线积分方法。 还将开发和实施拓扑分析代码。 因此，这项研究工作代表了现有PFSS软件包的重大升级，该软件包可通过Solar SoftWare（SSW）提供给科学界的任何人。 此外，拓扑对象的目录，如日冕零点，分界线表面和分离器将被上传到太阳物理学事件知识库（HEK），这使得这些对象可以在HEK的查询中由用户社区返回。

The main goal of this 3-year SHINE project is to perform a large ensemble study of the topology of the large-scale magnetic environments associated with a series of features and events in the solar corona. The statistical analysis resulting from this project is likely to result in a significant understanding of the causes of disruptive events on the Sun, which is important from a societal standpoint as these events often lead to space weather. Furthermore, programs such as the NSF's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and the existing partnership between the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory and the Palo Alto Unified School District, would allow the project team to involve young, up-and-coming talent in the pursuit of science. The research and EPO agenda of this project supports the Strategic Goals of the AGS Division in discovery, learning, diversity, and interdisciplinary research.The main research objective of this SHINE project is to apply topological analysis software on a series of magnetic field models of the corona during sunspot cycles 23 and 24 (spanning about 20 years), and by applying statistical methods to these results. The project team will investigate the relationship between the production of dynamical events on the Sun and the presence of null points, separatrix surfaces, separator field lines and other key topological indicators of the magnetic structure. As part of this project, several improvements to the existing Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model extrapolation and topological analysis codes will be implemented, including the addition of more accurate spherical harmonic calculation, field interpolation, and field-line integration methods. Topological analysis codes will also be developed and implemented. The research work thus represents a significant upgrade of the existing PFSS package, which is available to anyone in the scientific community via the Solar SoftWare (SSW). Additionally, the catalog of topological objects, such as coronal null points, separatrix surfaces, and separators will be uploaded to the Heliophysics Events Knowledgebase (HEK), which allows such objects to be returned in queries of the HEK by the user community.