solar orbiter
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Solar Orbiter. Sami K. Solanki Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research with thanks to Richard Marsden and Eckart Marsch. Introduction to the Solar Orbiter. Mission in ESA’s science program with a strong NASA contribution (launch plus instruments) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Sami K. SolankiSami K. Solanki
Max Planck Institute forMax Planck Institute forSolar System ResearchSolar System Research
with thanks to Richard Marsden and Eckart Marschwith thanks to Richard Marsden and Eckart Marsch
Solar Orbiter
Introduction to the Solar Orbiter
Mission in ESA’s science program with a strong NASA contribution (launch plus instruments)
It will orbit close to the Sun & will leave the ecliptic
It will carry a strong suite of in-situ and optical instruments.
Strong interaction with NASA’s Inner Heliosphere Sentinals mission Solar Orbiter + Sentinals = HELEX
Currently scheduled launch of Solar Orbiter in 2015, Sentinals to follow in 2017
Solar Orbiter Top-level Science Goals
Determine the properties, dynamics and interactions Determine the properties, dynamics and interactions of plasma, fields and particles in the near-Sun of plasma, fields and particles in the near-Sun HeliosphereHeliosphere
Investigate the Links Between the Solar Surface, Investigate the Links Between the Solar Surface, Corona, and Inner HeliosphereCorona, and Inner Heliosphere
Explore, at all Latitudes, the Energetics, Dynamics, Explore, at all Latitudes, the Energetics, Dynamics, and Fine-scale Structure of the Sun's Magnetized and Fine-scale Structure of the Sun's Magnetized AtmosphereAtmosphere
Probe the Solar Dynamo by Observing the Sun's Probe the Solar Dynamo by Observing the Sun's High-Latitude Field, Flows, and Seismic WavesHigh-Latitude Field, Flows, and Seismic Waves
Localize Sources of Energetic Particles
Problem: Multiple SEP events easily separated close to the Sun as demonstrated by Helios, but are all mixed together by the time the SEPs reach Earth orbit
Wibberenz & Cane, ApJ, 650, 1100, 2006
0.3AU
1 AU
Linking Corona and Heliosphere
Solar Orbiter will enable us to link specific sources to their in-Solar Orbiter will enable us to link specific sources to their in-situ manifestations and to discriminate between spatial and situ manifestations and to discriminate between spatial and
temporal variations, especially through temporal variations, especially through quasi-quasi-heloisynchronous observationsheloisynchronous observations
Global solar corona and solar wind
SOHO
Ulysses
High Resolution & Coupling Science
SOHO
SOHO/EIT TRACE Solar Orbiter
1850 km pixels 350 km pixels 80 km pixels
Owing to proximity, Solar Orbiter will resolve scales ~150 km in the photosphere, the chromosphere and the corona
highest resolution ever reached in the EUV ideal for studying the coupling between these layers
Polar Convection and Dynamo
SOHO
Solar Orbiter will allow us to study the:
• magnetic structure and evolution of the polar regions
• detailed surface and subsurface flow patterns in the polar regions
• the workings of the polar dynamo through these investigations
Mission & System Requirements
Orbit: Reach orbit with perihelion between 0.2 and 0.25 AU Increase inclination with respect to solar equator to:
30º minimum for nominal mission 35º minimum for extended mission
Launcher: 2 options studied (2015 with 2017 back-up):
Soyuz-Fregat 2-1b from Kourou NASA-provided launch
Payload:Mass: 140 kg max. incl. maturity marginsPower: 180 W incl. maturity margin
Trajectory for 2015 launch
Trajectory for 2015 launch
Science Payload
Instruments selected via a competetive process (AO was open to the international scientific community)
Philosophy: Resource-efficient instrumentation (e.g., remote-
sensing instruments to be "1 metre, 1 arcsec resolution" class)
Constrained resource envelope
Successful proposals have been selected by ESA and NASA, but not yet publicly announced
Baseline Mission (PDD)
Instruments Mass
kg
Power
W
Rate
kbps
Plasma Package (SWA) 17.5 15 14
Fields Package (MAG +RPW + CRS) 15 9.5 5.8
Particles Package (incl. neutrons, γ-rays, and dust)
16 15.5 3.6
Visible Light Imager & Magnetograph (VIM)
30 35 20
EUV Imager (3 telescopes incl. FSI) 15.5 25 20
EUV Spectrometer 16 25 17
Spectrometer/Telescope Imaging X-rays (STIX)
4.5 4 0.2
Coronagraph (COR) 21 25 5
Total 135.5 154 85.6
VIM: Visible-light Imager and Magnetograph
2 telescopes that provide:
• High resolution & full-disk magnetic vector and intensity.
• Local helioseismology data
Hinode images: same resolution as VIM
Extreme UV Imager (EUI)High-resolution coronal &
chromospheric imaging (75 km pixels) vs. 350 km pixels of TRACE & AIA
Full-Sun (174Å & 304Å) and high-resolution telescopes (Lyα & 174Å)
EUV Spectrometer (EUS)
High-resolution plasma diagnostics (150 km pixels)
5 times higher resolution than SUMER
Diagnostics cover broad temp. range
Off-limb capabilities out to 3 R
Global strategy - Goals
Out of Sun-Earth line/multi-point observations [3-D star,
Earth-directed ejecta]
High latitude [polar processes and dynamo,
3-D star/CMEs]
Close up/co-rotation [link Sun and inner heliosphere]
High resolution, Earth Orbit
[fundamental processes]
Global strategy - Missions
NASA STEREO [2006]
Solar Orbiter
Solar Orbiter
Sentinels
Hinode [2006]
SDO [2009]
NASA STEREO
[2006]