AGS-PRF: Novel Analyses of Total Solar Eclipse Data as a Tool for Coronal Physics

日全食(TSE)是一种罕见的事件，月球的阴影遮住了地球上的太阳表面。这使得科学家能够研究太阳非常炎热、稀薄的外层，即日冕。该项目将使博士后研究员能够研究TSE观测，以了解太阳风和日冕--这对预测空间天气影响非常重要。该项目还支持与当地夏威夷社区的外联活动，通过一个高中学者计划和额外的外联和辅导活动。工作包括四个不同的日冕物理分项目，基于来自TSE观测的现有白光和窄带发射线数据：(I)使用冻结距离和温度诊断来调查日冕中的太阳风源区域；(Ii)使用多条Fe线进行微分发射测量(DEM)分析；(Iii)对成像数据进行绝对校准，以确定K日冕(电子散射)、F日冕(尘埃散射)和绝对线发射的密度和结构；以及(Iv)将TSE的结果与尖端的日冕和太阳风模型进行比较，这些模型提供了可以用TSE观测验证的明确预测。这一奖项反映了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。

A total solar eclipse (TSE) is a rare event where the shadow of the moon blocks out the surface of the Sun on the Earth. This enables scientists to study the very hot, tenuous outer layer of the Sun, known as the corona. This project will enable a postdoctoral research fellow to study TSE observations to understand the solar wind and corona – which is important in predicting space weather effects. The project also supports outreach activities with the local Hawaiian community, through a high school scholars’ program and additional outreach and mentoring activities.The work includes four distinct sub-projects on coronal physics based on existing white-light and narrowband emission line data from TSE observations: (i) An investigation of solar wind source regions in the corona using freeze-in distance and temperature diagnostics; (ii) A Differential Emission Measure (DEM) analysis using multiple Fe lines; (iii) Absolute calibrations of the imaging data to determine the density and structure of both the K corona (electron scattering), F corona (dust scattering) and absolute line emission; and (iv) Compare the TSE results with cutting edge coronal and solar wind models which make explicit predictions that can be tested with TSE observations.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.