RUI: Coronal Heating Studies at the 1999 and 2001 Total Solar Eclipses

Williams College, Williamstown MA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract: ATM 00-00575 Proposal Title: Coronal Heating Studies at the 1999 and 2001 Total Solar Eclipses Principal Investigator: Jay M. Pasachoff, Williams College The investigators will test proposed mechanisms to explain the heating of the solar corona via weakly compressive magnetohydrodynamic waves. The main effort is to use high time resolution observations of the solar corona taken during total eclipses to explore the spatial and temporal spectra of coronal oscillations in order to distinguish standing and propagating waves. In the 1999 eclipse, observations were coordinated with the TRACE spacecraft, which has higher spatial, but lower temporal resolution. Observations will also be conducted during the 2001 eclipse in Africa. This eclipse will occur near the peak of the solar activity cycle, making more loops, and brighter loops, than usual available for study. The investigators will also use their data to map the temperature of the solar corona by studying ratios of highly calibrated CCD images of the corona at ultraviolet wavelengths. In a third project, by arrangement with the EIT and LASCO groups on the SOHO spacecraft, the investigators have obtained data to match the field and passband of the now-defunct LASCO C1 coronagraph. These data permit an important extension of the previous correlative studies using the EIT and LASCO instruments.