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A new era of solar observation
For the first time, scientists, including lead author Newkirk graduate student Zihao Yang, have taken near-daily measurements of the Sun’s global coronal magnetic field, a region of the Sun that has only been observed irregularly in the past. The resulting observations are providing valuable insights into the processes that drive the intense solar storms that impact fundamental technologies, and thus lives and livelihoods, here on Earth. See NSF NCAR News article.
HAO flew observers to MLSO to observe the Sun during the solar eclipse
On April 8, 2024, the day of the total solar eclipse, HAO observers Ben Berkey (site manager) and Lisa Perez-Gonzalez flew by helicopter to the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) located at 11,200 feet on the north face of Mauna Loa to observe the Sun’s corona using the MLSO coronagraphs.
Chasing the IR Corona through Solar Eclipse Experiments
The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, was a great opportunity for the team of HAO, NSO, and NOAA scientists and collaborators to travel to a location on the totality path with the goal of running unique science experiments. Using additional telescopes, binoculars, and outreach materials, we were able to capture the eclipse throughout its phases and share our passion with a very excited local crowd.
Latest Research Highlights
SubAuroral Red Arcs Generated by Inner Magnetospheric Heat Flux and by SubAuroral Polarization Streams
Dong Lin, Wenbin Wang, Mei-Ching Fok, Kevin Pham, Jia Yue, and Haonan Wu, utilize first-principles inner magnetosphere model and ionosphere-thermosphere model to illustrate the thermodynamic coupling effects between the topside ionosphere and the magnetosphere, and compare the relative significance between the heat flux and plasma convection due to electrodynamic coupling.
On the intermittency of hot plasma loops in the solar corona
P. Judge and N.P.M. Kuin ask why and how are entire hydromagnetic structures only intermittently loaded with bright coronal plasma in the Sun? Their findings consolidate the claim that unobserved physical processes are at work which govern the heating of long-lived coronal loops.
Erratum: Analysis of Seeing-Induced Polarization Cross-Talk and Modulation Scheme Performance
R. Casini, A. G. de Wijn, P. G. Judge analyze (Published 2012 September 4) the generation of polarization cross-talk in Stokes polarimeters by atmospheric seeing, and its effects on the noise statistics of spectropolarimetric measurements for both single-beam and dual-beam instruments.