Letters of Intent received in 2018

LoI 2020-2040
Solar Physics in the Next Decade: New Instruments, New Advances

Date: 14 September 2020 to 18 September 2020
Category: Non-GA Symposium
Location: TBD, United States
Contact: Dale Gary (dgary@njit.edu)
Coordinating division: Division E Sun and Heliosphere
Other divisions: Division B Facilities, Technologies and Data Science
Co-Chairs of SOC: Dale Gary (NJIT)
Tim Bastian (NRAO)
Chair of LOC: Valentin Pillet (National Solar Observatory)

 

Topics

• Solar physics science challenges in the coming decade include
◦ Heating of the solar atmosphere and generation of the solar wind
◦ Coronal/chromospheric magnetic field structure and dynamics
◦ Acceleration and transport of energetic particles
◦ The role of turbulence and waves
◦ The precursors of solar eruptions
• New and next-generation instrumentation to meet the challenges
• New observational techniques
• New data analysis and modeling techniques
• Synergies between remote sensing and in situ observations

 

Rationale

The coming decade will see the completion and maturation of stunning new instrumentation designed to address outstanding problems in solar physics, led by two flagship facilities—Parker Solar Probe in space, and the Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) on the ground. These instruments are designed to produce fundamentally new observables allowing new diagnostic techniques, such as coronal in situ particle and wave measurements, broadband imaging spectroscopy at radio wavelengths, and new spectropolarimetry techniques in optical and infrared bands. The continued development of techniques for data analysis, mining, and modeling is also needed for the full utilization of existing instruments on the ground and in space. Hence, the time is right for solar observers, theorists, and modelers to come together to address the outstanding scientific problems posed by the new observations, and to anticipate areas where progress is needed to meet the science challenges of the coming decade. This symposium seeks to foster international and interdisciplinary collaboration among a wide cross-section of these communities. The broad and balanced Scientific Organizing Committee will ensure a meeting that is likewise well balanced geographically, in gender, in career level, and in scientific expertise.