ROSES ID: NRA-02-OSS-01 Selection Year: 2003
Program Element: Independent Investigation: LWS
Principal Investigator: J. Moses
Affiliation(s): US Naval Research Laboratory
Project Member(s):
Howard, Russell A COI Naval Research Laboratory
Delaboudiniere, Jean-Pierre COI Institute d'Astrophysique Spatiale
Newmark, Jeffrey S COI Naval Research Laboratory
Auchere, Frederic COI Universities Space Research Association
Fineschi, Silvano COI SAO
Romoli, Marco COI Universita' di Firenze
Pace, Emanuele COI Università di Firenze
Naletto, Giampiero COI University of Padova
Noci, Giancarlo COI Universita' di Firenze
Gardiol, Daniele COI INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino
Antonucci, Ester COI INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino
CACCIANI, ALESSANDRO COI Univ of Rome
Malvezzi, Marco COI Universita di Pavia
Gursky, Herbert Authorizing Official Naval Research Laboratory
Summary:
Proposal Objectives: The proposed HERSCHEL (HElium Resonance Scatter in the Corona and HELiosphere) program will: investigate the slow and fast solar wind, determine the helium distribution and abundance in the corona, and test solar wind acceleration models; by obtaining simultaneous observations of the electron, proton and helium solar coronae. The HERSCHEL will establish proof-of-principle for the Ultra-Violet Coronagraph, which is in the ESA Solar Orbiter Mission baseline. The NRL Solar Physics Branch is joining with the Italian UVC Consortium to address the objectives of the International Living With a Star program with this combination of NASA suborbital program and ESA Solar Orbiter flight opportunities. Indeed, while the Solar Orbiter flight is still many years away, the 3 year program being proposed here is essential in order to prove the validity of this exciting new concept before the Solar Orbiter instrument selection is finalized. Research Plan: This proposal will fund a three-year effort to design, fabricate, test, launch and analyze data from novel instrumentation on a suborbital rocket. The work will be performed at NRL and a number of institutions in Italy. The current EIT CalRoc payload will be used as the basis for the electronic and on-disk imaging components of the HERSCHEL sounding rocket payload. The UVCI hardware for the sounding rocket will be fabricated by the Italian UVCI consortium. NRL will assist in the coronagraph design, integrate and test the payload, lead the launch operations, and share in the analysis and publication of the data. Relevance to NASA LWS Programs: This proposal aims to develop instrumentation that for the first time will directly image and characterize on a global coronal scale the two must abundant elements, hydrogen and helium. This will directly address three outstanding questions in the Sun-Earth Connection theme: 1) Origin of the slow solar wind, 2) Acceleration mechanism of the fast solar wind, and 3) Variation of Helium abundance in coronal structures. The characterization of the ambient solar wind is essential, as it directly effects transient and recurring space weather and influences the heliospheric passage and near-Earth impact of CMEs and SEPs. Lastly, by establishing proof of concept for the Solar Orbiter UVC, this mission fits the goals of the International Living With a Star (ILWS) program.| Performance Year | Reference | Investigation Type | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moses, J. NRL - Observational Constraints in the Solar Wi... | not set | |
| 1 | Romoli, M.; Antonucci, E.; Fineschi, S.; Gardiol, D.;... | not set | |
| 1 | Fineschi, Silvano; Korendyke, Clarence M.; Moses, J. ... | not set | |
| 1 | Fineschi, Silvano; Moses, J. Dan; Thomas, Roger J.; (... | not set |
| Performance Year | Reference | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moses, J. D.; Newmark, J.; McMullin, D.; Antonucci, ... |