National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Living With A Star

Targeted Research and Technology

Developing Reliable Estimates of Poynting Flux from HMI Observations of Active Region Magnetic Fields

ROSES ID: NNH10ZDA001N      Selection Year: 2011      

Program Element: Solar Dynamics Observatory

Principal Investigator: William Abbett

Affiliation(s): University of California, Berkeley

Project Member(s):
Welsch, Brian T Co-I University of California
Fisher, George H Co-I University of California
Li, Yan Co-I University of California

Summary:

Ultimately, the magnetic energy in the Sun's atmosphere --- the source of dramatic eruptive events such as flares and coronal mass ejections --- is generated below the photosphere in the turbulent, differentially-rotating convective interior. The emergence of new magnetic flux into the solar atmosphere, the twisting and shearing of emerged magnetic flux by turbulent motions, and Alfven and magneto-acoustic waves from intermittent turbulent eddies are all viable mechanisms that can transport magnetic energy into the solar atmosphere. It is crucial that we understand these physical processes and be able to distinguish between them. Thus, we propose to develop and apply techniques to derive quantitative maps of the flux of electromagnetic energy into the solar atmosphere from below the visible surface. These techniques will be based on the recently-developed poloidal-toroidal decomposition (PTD) method of Fisher et al. (2010), and will use observations of the evolving vector magnetic field at the solar photosphere, and observed Doppler flows.



Specifically, the objectives of this proposal are to (1) incorporate Doppler line-of-sight data and sequences of vector magnetograms from HMI into the PTD formalism to derive reliable estimates of the photospheric electric field and the electromagnetic Poynting flux; (2) validate this method with new state-of-the-art MHD simulations of the solar interior and atmosphere where the electric field and Poynting flux are known; (3) create robust and efficient electric field and Poynting flux mapping software to be released to the Heliophysics community and to be incorporated into the HMI Joint Science Operations Center; and (4) apply this method to HMI data for a diverse sample of active regions.

Publications:

Performance YearReferenceInvestigation TypeActions
1Fisher G. H; Welsch B. T; Abbett W.P.; (2012). Can We Determ...
not set
1Abbett W. P.; Fisher G. H; (2012), Radiative Cooling in MHD ...
not set

Presentations:

Performance YearReferenceActions
1Fisher G. H; Welsch B. T: Abbett W.P.: (2011), Can We Determ...
1Fisher G. H; Welsch B. T: Abbett W.P.: (2011), Can We Determ...
1Welsch B.T.; Abbett W.P.; Fisher G.H.; (2011), Roles for Dat...
1Abbet W.P.;(2011), Modeling the Physical Connection Between...

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