SGER: Coronal Studies at the 2006 Total Solar Eclipse

Williams College, Williamstown MA

Investigators

Abstract

The PI will use a new narrow band coronal filter and new lightweight telescope techniques to observe coronal velocities during the total solar eclipse of 29 March 2006 in Kastellorizo, Greece. The PI's team will use two new high efficiency CCD cameras to record coronal loops at high cadence (5 Hz) to confirm and extend their previous observations of green line (5303 A) coronal oscillations. The observations will permit researchers to discriminate among competing models of coronal heating. The PI and his team also plan to use an existing high spectral resolution (0.16 A) Fabry-Perot etalon to observe coronal velocities by simultaneously constructing Dopplergrams of the same limb region during the eclipse. The proposed activity is designed to investigate coronal oscillations and their relationship to the causes of coronal heating, while providing teaching, training, and learning opportunities to undergraduate students in all aspects of the research. Students will perform preliminary work at Williams College in Williamstown, expeditionary work at the eclipse site, and then subsequent efforts through the summer, to include data reduction in student thesis projects. Fifty percent of the students involved will be female and one minority student is also included. Greek students and researchers will work with the U.S. team at the eclipse site in Greece, giving the U.S. students an international research experience. The activity will enhance the infrastructure for research and education through the new collaboration between Williams College and JHUAPL, by restoring a high quality filter that had previously been used only on balloon flights. The results of the expedition will be disseminated broadly. Each of the past successful Williams College eclipse expeditions has resulted in at least one published refereed paper and two meeting reports. In addition, the PI is the Chair of the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Eclipses and serves on the Scientific Organizing Committee of an IAU Symposium on solar magnetic fields to be held just after the eclipse. Expedition results will appear through these and other suitable future venues. Finally, the PI is President of the IAU Commission on Education and Development, and the educational aspects of this expedition will be reported at an IAU General Assembly Special Session in August 2006, of which the PI is co-organizer. This proposal is co-funded by the NSF's Division of Atmospheric Sciences and Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE).