Using Coronagraphs and Heliospheric Imagers to Answer the Outstanding Questions of Solar Wind Physics
Abstract
As a part of the American Geophysical Union's Centennial celebration, the Journal of Geophysical Research commissioned papers on the Grand Challenges in the Earth and Space Sciences. We present our Grand Challenge paper on nine outstanding questions of solar wind physics that synthesizes input from the heliophysics community. These involve questions about the formation of the solar wind, about the inherent properties of the solar wind (and what the properties say about its formation), and about the evolution of the solar wind. The nine questions focus on (1) origin locations on the Sun, (2) plasma release, (3) acceleration, (4) heavy-ion abundances and charge states, (5) magnetic structure, (6) Alfven waves, (7) turbulence, (8) distribution-function evolution, and (9) energetic-particle transport. We address the aspects of these questions where progress is being made with the coronagraphs and heliospheric imagers on current missions such as Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), Parker Solar Probe, and Solar Orbiter. We conclude with the aspects that require observations from the coronagraphs and heliospheric imagers on the upcoming missions Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH), COronal Diagnostic EXperiment (CODEX), as well as a mission with a polar view, such as Solaris .
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020AGUFMSH0280003V
- Keywords:
-
- 7509 Corona;
- SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY;
- 7513 Coronal mass ejections;
- SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY;
- 7594 Instruments and techniques;
- SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY;
- 7974 Solar effects;
- SPACE WEATHER