Discovery space for stellar astrophysics by small missions
Abstract
The last 20 years has been a time of major advances in our ability to observe stars at a variety of wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum. Many questions concerning the existence of phenomena (e.g., coronae, winds, accretion disks, nonthermal particles, shocks, magnetic fields) are now answered, but important details about the phenomena and questions concerning the physical processes responsible for the observed phenomena remain unanswered. Well-conceived small space missions can answer many of these questions. I describe one small mission-Wide Angle Stellar Coronal Explorer-that could answer many of these questions at modest cost.
- Publication:
-
Small Missions for Energetic Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- December 1999
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.1302228
- Bibcode:
- 1999AIPC..499..127L
- Keywords:
-
- 97.10.Ex;
- 95.55.-n;
- Stellar atmospheres;
- radiative transfer;
- opacity and line formation;
- Astronomical and space-research instrumentation