Astronomy & Space Sciences
Title : | PRObing wave energy Transport in the Solar Atmosphere (PROTSAhan) |
Area of research : | Astronomy & Space Sciences |
Focus area : | Solar Physics |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Vaibhav Pant, Aryabhatta Research Institute Of Observational Sciences (Aries), Uttarakhand |
Timeline Start Year : | 2023 |
Timeline End Year : | 2025 |
Contact info : | vaibhavpant55@gmail.com |
Equipments : | Workstation |
Details
Executive Summary : | Coronal heating is a phenomenon where the temperature in the solar atmosphere increases from a few thousand to millions of degrees as it moves from the photosphere to the corona. The Sun's highly structured atmosphere is influenced by magnetic fields, which act as waveguides transporting magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave energy from the surface to the atmosphere. One mechanism of coronal heating is the dissipation of MHD waves, leading to the heating of the local plasma. However, our understanding of this mechanism is limited due to the lack of high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic observations and state-of-the-art MHD simulations using realistic background atmospheres. This project aims to answer long-standing questions about the physics of wave energy transport and the role of MHD waves in heating the solar atmosphere. The main objective is to understand how MHD waves are excited, propagate from the photosphere to the corona, and dissipate and heat the local plasma. To achieve these objectives, the project will construct MHD models using high-resolution 3D numerical simulations and generate synthetic observations using forward modeling of numerical simulations. This approach allows for the investigation of quantities like density, temperature, kinetic energy, and magnetic energy that cannot be directly observed using remote sensing instruments. In conclusion, this project will advance our understanding of wave excitation in the lower atmosphere, its propagation to the upper atmosphere, and the mechanism of damping leading to the heating of the solar corona. |
Total Budget (INR): | 15,32,497 |
Organizations involved