ScienceProblem: SolarFlareOnset

Solar Flare Onset

PrimaryActor:

Solar Physicist

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ScienceGoal:

To determine the conditions that lead to the onset of a solar flare.

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DataSets:

Imaging time series data in optical, UV, EUV, SXR and HXR. Co-spatial and temporal magnetograms and spectroscopic observations.

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ProblemDescription:

In order to understand the flare trigger we need observations that precede the actual onset that provide high spatial, temporal and spectral resolution information on the pre-flare plasma. The data needs to be co-spatial, although the FOV may be different, so that relationships between different temperatures and the underlying magnetic field can be determined using overlays.

Gaining a fuller understanding of what triggers a flare will enable suitable flare activity warnings to be given - e.g. to Space Missions - Japan's Mars probe was recently damaged by a strong solar flare (Newscientist, 27 May 2002).

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CurrentSolution:

The current solution is to either try for a co-ordinated campaign of sit-and-stare observations on an active region or to trawl through data to find coincident datasets. Often a good data-set in one wavelength band will have no accompanying data in other ranges, or coincident magnetograms.

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VOSolution:

To identify flares after occurrence from a flare list and be able to determine which of them have pre-flare coverage of the required type eg. imaging time series at high time resolution in a number of wavelengths, time series of magnetograms, times series of spectroscopic observations.

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Discussion:

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KeyReferences:

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GoodStyle: Please add comments below. This area should be used for refinement of the above document. If you want to ask questions or start a dialogue with the author, please use (or create) a topic in the Science Problems Forum. For other ScienceProblems, refer to the ScienceProblemList.
Author: Once the refinements here and comments in the forum die down, perhaps you could rewrite the problem, incorporating the comments and refinements.

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-- SarahMatthews - 25 Apr 2002