High Resolution Observations Of Evolution Of Magnetic Fields And Flows Associated With Solar Eruptions

This 3-year project is aimed at studying the solar-flare-associated magnetic field evolution, which has the promise to reveal the underlying physical mechanism(s) responsible for solar eruptions --- the main drivers of space weather. The project has a strong education component: it will mainly support a female graduate student as well as a female junior researcher. The data analysis and imaging processing tools that will result from this project can be used in many other areas of science and engineering. The research and EPO agenda of this project supports the Strategic Goals of the AGS Division in discovery, learning, diversity, and interdisciplinary research.

The main thrust of this 3-year project is to investigate the evolution of vector magnetic fields and flow motions associated with solar eruptions. The specific science objectives of the project are to (i) gain improved physical understanding of the rapid changes of photospheric magnetic fields following solar eruptions, and (ii) study the photospheric flow motions, both horizontal and vertical, associated with these eruptions. The project team will use recent state-of-the-art data as well as continuing new observations from SDO and NST. Most of the data analysis tools that are needed to conduct the research studies have been developed and validated by the project team in the past.