Three-dimensional Stokes inversion with magnetohydrostationary constraints

• Applicant: Dr. Juan Manuel Borrero
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 321818926

Non-potential configurations of the Solar magnetic field are characterized by the presence of large electric currents on the solar atmosphere. These configurations are early precursors of chromospheric and coronal activity. This activity manifests itself as highly energetic events like coronal mass ejections, flares, eruptions, etc, that travel through the interplanetary medium and can interrupt satellites communications and cause power blackouts that affect large populations. They can also interrupt cell phone communications, GPS tracking, and even cause delays and/or re-routing of polar flights. The goal of our proposal is to develop the first inversion code capable of inferring the real three-dimensional topology of the magnetic field in the atmosphere of the Sun in a way that is consistent with both Maxwell's equations and the magneto-hydrostatic equations. This will be achieved by using this new code to analyze spectropolarimetric data (Stokes vector) from the recently built German 1.5 meter GREGOR solar telescope located on the Canary Islands (Spain). This combination of modeling and data-analysis will allow us to correctly infer electric currents and non-potential configurations of the magnetic field, thereby greatly improving our ability to forecast energetic and explosive events that are of fundamental importance for the interplanetary medium and for the higher layers of Earth's atmosphere.The methods and techniques that will be developed should become the backbone of future space-weather predictions. Therefore a number of industries can also benefit from these studies, namely tele-communication industries, airlines and power-transmission industries.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Spain, USA
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Wolfgang Schmidt
• Cooperation Partners: Matthias Rempel, Ph.D.; Dr. Basilio Ruiz Cobo