SOLAR-C Mission

Saku Tsuneta (NAOJ)

International ISAS/JAXA SOLAR-C WG

Hinotori/ASTRO-A （ 1981–1982 ）

Yohkoh/SOLAR-A （ 1991-2001 ）

Hinode/SOLAR-B （ 2006– ）SOLAR-CSystems approach to understand solar and heliospheric magnetic

activities and to develop algorithm for activity

prediction

Solar flare observationsin X & γ-rays Hard X-ray Flares &

soft X-ray corona

Photospheric magnetic fields

Solar physics from space in Japan

188kg

390kg

900kg

Open issues in solar physics Fundamental plasma processes (SOLARC) Chromospheric and coronal heating (SOLAR-C) Acceleration of fast solar wind (SOLAR-C) Local dynamo process (SOLAR-C/D) Internal structure and flow (SOLAR-D) Global dynamo process (SOLAR-D)

Proposed mission definition

Mission: to understand solar and heliospheric magnetic activities and to develop algorithm for solar activity prediction by understanding the magnetic coupling of convection zone-photosphere-chromosphere-transition region and corona

Imaging spectroscopy instruments:

Science cases:1. 3D-magnetic structure with

neutral sheets2. Heating of chromosphere

and corona3. Acceleration of fast solar

wind4. Prediction of solar flares5. Fundamental plasma

processes such as reconnection, waves, shocks, particle acceleration and turbulence

6. Global and local dynamo 7. Sun’s influence to Earth

climate

UV: high-throughput telescope x10 more sensitive with seamless coverage in temperature

Visible: 1.5m-class telescope to obtain 3D magnetic structure from photosphere to corona with x10 more photons, and x3 resolution with high cadence

X-ray/EUV: photon-counting or ultra-high resolution EUV telescopes

Key requirements: 1. High spatial resolution to see elemental

structure inferred by Hinode2. High time resolution to freeze rapidly changing

chromospheric phenomena 3. Chromospheric magnetic observations4. Seamless spectroscopic imaging observations

from photosphere to corona5. Wide FOV to connect local and global, and to

cover AR

How do we observationally connect these regions with such different appearances?

Photosphere

?

Interface regionChromosphere

2-5MK corona

Questions to determine model instrument specifications •How do we determine chromospheric magnetic structure?•How do we determine coronal magnetic structure?•Can we identify neutral sheet structures?•Can we identify waves in chormosphere?•What is the smallest scale size inferred from filling factors in all layers?•What is the source of EIS line broadening; flows or turbulence or waves?•How do we confirm or reject the Parker and type-II spicule conjectures on coronal heating? 4

Lesson learned from Hinode for Solar-C

• Our guiding principle is that small scale plasma processes associated with magnetic emergence, waves, shocks, and magnetic reconnection dictate the evolution of the global phenomena of the Sun and the heliosphere.

• Observations so far made indicate that observations of small scale structures and processes are within our reach.

• Hinode is blind to the chromosphere in terms of diagnostics capability, and misses the key elements in the system. Hinode’s spatial resolution in the corona does not match the high resolution of the photospheric observations.

5

Approach to implement objective• is through High3 (spatial resolution, cadence, and

throughput) imaging spectroscopy for the entire solar atmosphere without gaps in temperature coverage.

• Hinode clearly showed that the combination of high spatial resolution and spectroscopy (including spectro-polarimetry) is a powerful tool for obtaining magnetic and plasma information.

• This is inevitably achieved with larger telescopes with highest possible throughput for more photons and higher spatial resolution. High S/N is critical in order to retrieve information from spectral profiles.

6

Science case 1. Reveal 3D magnetic structure from photosphere to corona

• Fundamental for all mission objectives• Requires direct chromospheric magnetic observations• Infer coronal magnetic field indirectly• To have acceptable photon statistics, we need >1m telescope• To freeze fast changing chromosphere, we need filtergraph as well

as 2D spectro-polarimeter (IFU).• To cover AR and have connectivity with global phenomena, we

need large FOV close to 200 arcsec• Issues

– Size of telescope (currently 1.5m)– Carefully chosen set of observing lines– Spatial resolution vs number of photons

Science case 1. magnetic structure from photosphere to corona Science case 2. chromospheric and coronal heating mechanism

Science case 3. mechanism of fast solar wind acceleration

• Establish magnetic connectivity (on terms of both space and time) from photosphere all the way to corona via photometric (non-magnetic) approach – We need three telescopes for seamless coverage in

temperature– LEMUR is critical for this purpose

• Issues:– Do we have observables that guarantee info. on the

connectivity between corona and photosphere with the model instruments?

Science case 1. magnetic structure from photosphere to corona Science case 2. choromospheric and coronal heating mechanism

Science case 3. mechanism of fast solar wind acceleration

• AC and DC energy inputs to upper layers

• Energy input due to quasi-static deformation

• Poynting flux via Aflven waves

9

]/[erg/cm )(4

2 svBvBB

P yyxxz

22

2

)()(4

1

]/[erg/cm 4

vvBv

sBEc

F

AA

Waves• In order to identify wave modes and propagation direction,

the phase difference of has to be observed. 　　　　　

• To estimate the Poynting flux of Alfven wave:

both magnetic and velocity field observations in the upper atmosphere are required.

• Issues– Do we need ＳＵＶＩＴ + ＣＬＡＳＰ ?

Bv ,

22 )()(4

14

vvBv

BEc

F

AA

Science case 2. choromospheric and coronal heating mechanism Science case 3. mechanism of fast solar wind acceleration

Science case 4. Prediction of solar flares Science case 5. Fundamental plasma processes

11

SUVITPhotoispheric Observable with Zeeman I+δI(t) B//+δB// (t), B┴+δB┴(t) VLOS+δVLOS(t)

v

SUVITChromospheric Observable with Zeeman/Hanle? I+δI(t) B//+δB// (t), B┴+δB┴(t) VLOS+δVLOS(t)

v

CLASPTR Observable I+δI(t) , VLOS+δVLOS(t) B+δB(t)

LEMURTR/Corona Observable I+δI(t) , VLOS+δVLOS(t)

Science case 2. choromospheric and coronal heating mechanism Science case 3. mechanism of fast solar wind acceleration

Science case 4. Prediction of solar flares Science case 5. Fundamental plasma processes

Imada et al., 2011

Slow

-mod

e Sh

ock

XIT photon counting spectrometer can address•Does slow shock (SS) really exist?•Does SS provide energy to ions or electrons? •Are fast shocks associated with SS?

Scanning time <100s

Key features for model instruments

• SUVIT– Maximum 1.5m-class large aperture for photons and

resolution– Equipped with IR-detector system for HeI observations– Equipped with both spectro-polarimeter (SP) & filter-graph– SP requires IFU unit for high cadence observations.

• ＸＩＴ– Photon counting spectroscopy for coronal and flare plasmas

or– EUV telescope with very high spatial resolution

• ＬＥＭＵＲ– High-throughput seamless temperature coverage

Science issues

• (1) What is the best set of diagnostic lines to infer chromospheric magnetic structures? Can we infer chromospheric magnetic fields as we have been doing for the photosphere?

• (2) What is the best way to use the chromospheric field information for coronal field extrapolation? It is important to understand influence of line formation in the corrugated atmosphere. How much improvement in accuracy is expected in coronal field extrapolation when we have measurements of chromospheric magnetic fields?

Science issues (continued)

• (3) Do the Hanle/Zeeman measurements with SUVIT provide diagnostic capability for studies of chromospheric waves?

• (4) Can LEMUR provide diagnostic capability to detect waves?

• (5) If we can not fly both types of X-ray/EUV telescopes, should we fly either photon counting X-ray telescope or high-resolution EUV telescope?

Summary• SOLAR-C is a fundamentally new way of viewing the solar

atmosphere because it observes the entire atmosphere with the same high spatial and temporal resolution, in addition to performing high resolution spectroscopic(polarimetric) measurements over all atmospheric regions.

• Solar-C should finally solve many outstanding solar physics problems such as chromospheric/coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, and storage and energy release in flares and CMEs.

• SOLAR-C is a very challenging mission to design, scientifically and technically. The mieesion definition is still in early phase. International collaborations among SOLAR-C, theory & simulation, and ground-based observations from early stage are very important and should be an integral part of the program. 16

Solar&helio physics roadmap 2011-2030: From SOLAR-C to SOLAR-D

2010 2020

HINODE(Solar-B)

Solar maximum Solar maximum Japan FY

D B/CA

Launch (Japan FY 2018)

Pre-A

Pre-A: Pre-Phase-A (WG activities)A: Phase-A (R&D)B/C: Phase-B/C (PM phase)D: Phase-D (FM phase)SSSC: Space Science Steering Committee

SR

R

SD

R

PD

R

CD

R

Pre

Pro

ject

Project

MD

R

WG Activities

D B/CA Pre-A

Launch

Engineering mission(*)

(ISAS small satellite series #3)

ISAS/JAXA Solar-C WGJSPEC/JAXA out-of-ecliptic solar mission WG11 March. 2011

Launch (Japan FY 2017)

D B/CAPre-A In Orbit verification

=Mission proposal to ISAS/JAXA

(*) Verification of large ion engine and other technologies to be used for future deep space missions

Solar-CHigh resolution spectroscopy(plan B-satellite)

Solar-D Out-of-ecliptic mission(Success-guaranteed plan A-satellite)

2030

17