RAPID: Exploring the Dynamics and Thermodynamics of the Sun's Corona with Total Solar Eclipse Observations

这个为期一年的快速项目旨在改善目前对日全食期间太阳日冕的动力学和热力学的了解。日全食继续产生独特的观测条件，使从太阳表面到几个太阳半径的日冕结构能够不间断地在空间上覆盖。该项目的主要目标是建立一种最先进的日食观测仪器，利用日冕禁线的独特诊断能力。这些线最适合在日全食期间观测，它们被用来探索太阳表面上方最初几个太阳半径内日冕等离子体的动力学和热力学，太阳风和日冕物质抛射起源于太阳表面，并被加速。为了实现这些科学目标，该项目利用了2017年8月21日对禁线发射的最新日食观测所获得的开创性见解，包括成像和光谱。从2019年7月2日和2020年12月14日即将到来的日全食期间对太阳日冕的观测中收集到的知识将填补正在进行的控制日冕等离子体和磁场的物理过程研究中的一个亟需的空白。这些观察结果也将影响未来DKIST将要执行的科学计划。PI自1995年以来一直领导日食观测，她将继续通过参与探险提供的独特科学努力，吸引和激励女教职员工、博士后、研究生和本科生。PI将在会议上公布观察结果，并将在被引用的期刊上发表。她还将通过讲座与公众分享知识，重点是我们最接近的恒星的魔力及其对我们周围环境的影响。这个快速项目的研究议程支持AGS部门在发现、学习、多样性和跨学科研究方面的战略目标。这个为期一年的快速项目的主要目标是建立一个最先进的日食观测仪器，利用日冕禁线的独特诊断能力。日冕禁线最适合在日全食期间观测，它们被用来探索太阳表面上方最初几个太阳半径内日冕等离子体的动力学和热力学，太阳风和日冕物质抛射起源于日冕物质抛射并被加速。在辐射激发的主导下，在可见光和近红外以及连续介质中，日冕禁线的发射可以产生日冕等离子体不同成分的化学成分、温度、密度、非热运动和流出。因此，可以收集到对日冕加热过程不同表现的动力学和热力学的有价值的见解。最近的日食发现表明，流出的等离子体的温度主要是100万K，而来自封闭结构和流光凸起的辐射是200万K。它们揭示了日冕比日冕更冷、更密集的100倍，总是被那里最热的物质所覆盖，并与日冕结构直接相关，即使当它们喷发的时候。日冕中的色球物质以CME中最热的日冕物质原封不动地逃逸。该项目利用了2017年8月21日对禁线发射的最新观测所获得的开创性见解，包括成像和光谱。在该项目中，该团队将建造一台最先进的仪器，通过添加来自Ar、Ni和S的不同电荷状态的线来扩展现有的Fe IX、X、XI、XIII和XIV发射线成像套件的波长覆盖范围。即将于2019年7月2日和2020年12月14日在智利和阿根廷上空举行的日全食为协调多站点观测提供了机会，这一点已经通过2017年8月21日在美国大陆上空获得的日全食观测得到了成功的证明。使用相同的仪器进行多站点观测，最大限度地获取数据，并能够在数十分钟的时间尺度上研究日冕结构的变化。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This one-year RAPID project is aimed at improving present understanding of the dynamics and thermodynamics of the Sun's corona during total solar eclipses. Total solar eclipses continue to yield unique observing conditions, enabling an uninterrupted spatial coverage of coronal structures from the solar surface out to several solar radii. The main objective of this project is to build a state-of-the art instrument for solar eclipse observations that capitalizes on the unique diagnostic capabilities of coronal forbidden lines. These lines are best observed during total solar eclipses, and they are used to explore the dynamics and thermodynamics of the coronal plasmas within the first few solar radii above the solar surface, where the solar wind and coronal mass ejections originate and are accelerated. To achieve these science objectives, this project capitalizes on the pioneering insights achieved with the latest solar eclipse observations on 2017 Aug 21 of forbidden line emission, including imaging and spectroscopy. Knowledge gleaned from observations of the Sun's corona during the upcoming total solar eclipses on 2019 July 2 and 2020 December 14 will fill a much-needed gap in ongoing investigations of the physical processes controlling the coronal plasmas and magnetic fields. These observations will also impact the science programs to be executed by the future DKIST. The PI has been leading solar eclipse observations since 1995, and she will continue to engage and inspire women faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, through their involvement with the unique scientific endeavors offered by the expeditions. The PI will present the results of the observations at conferences and will publish them in refereed journals. She will also share the knowledge with the general public through lectures, with emphasis on the magic of our closest star and its impact on our immediate environment. The research agenda of this RAPID project supports the Strategic Goals of the AGS Division in discovery, learning, diversity, and interdisciplinary research.The main objective of this one-year RAPID project is to build a state-of-the art instrument for solar eclipse observations that capitalizes on the unique diagnostic capabilities of coronal forbidden lines. Coronal forbidden lines are best observed during total solar eclipses, and they are used to explore the dynamics and thermodynamics of the coronal plasmas within the first few solar radii above the solar surface, where the solar wind and coronal mass ejections originate and are accelerated. Dominated by radiative excitation, emission from coronal forbidden lines in the visible and near infrared, as well as the continuum, can yield the chemical composition, temperature, density, non-thermal motions and outflows of the different constituents of the coronal plasma. Valuable insights into the dynamics and thermodynamics of the different manifestations of coronal heating processes can thus be gleaned. Recent eclipse discoveries have shown that the temperature of the outflowing plasma is dominated by 1,000,000 K, while emission from closed structures and the bulge of streamers, is at 2,000,000 K. They revealed that prominences, which are 100 times cooler and denser than the corona, are invariably enshrouded by the hottest material there, and directly linked to coronal structures, even when they erupt. Chromospheric material from prominences escapes, unaltered, with the hottest coronal material in CMEs.This project capitalizes on the pioneering insights achieved with the latest solar eclipse observations on 2017 Aug 21 of forbidden line emission, including imaging and spectroscopy. In this project, the team will build a state-of-the-art instrument that expands the wavelength coverage of the existing imaging suite of Fe IX, X, XI, XIII, and XIV emission lines by adding lines from different charge states of Ar, Ni and S. This enhances the diagnostic capabilities of the innovative imaging spectrometer to be built during this project by including the near UV and near IR wavelength ranges. The upcoming 2019 July 2 and 2020 December 14 total solar eclipses over Chile and Argentina offer an opportunity for coordinated multi-site observations, which has been successfully proven with the observations acquired during the 2017 August 21 total solar eclipse over the mainland U.S. Multi-site observations, with identical instrumentation, maximize data acquisition and enable studies of changes in coronal structures on time scales of tens of minutes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.