1. The high-energy Sun - probing the origins of particle acceleration on our nearest star
- Author
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A. L. MacKinnon, G. Del Zanna, Eduard P. Kontar, Lyndsay Fletcher, David M. Smith, Michail Mathioudakis, D. N. Baker, D. S. Bloomfield, Robertus Erdélyi, Iain G. Hannah, Säm Krucker, David Long, H. A. S. Reid, L. Klein, Philippa Browning, Albert Y. Shih, N. L. S. Jeffrey, Sarah A. Matthews, Ryan O. Milligan, A. Calcines, Astrid Veronig, M. Pesce-Rollins, Nicole Vilmer, Valery M. Nakariakov, G. Mann, Matthews, SA [0000-0001-9346-8179], Reid, HAS [0000-0002-6287-3494], Baker, D [0000-0002-0665-2355], Bloomfield, DS [0000-0002-4183-9895], Browning, PK [0000-0002-7089-5562], Calcines, A [0000-0002-5767-1695], Del Zanna, G [0000-0002-4125-0204], Erdelyi, R [0000-0003-3439-4127], Fletcher, L [0000-0001-9315-7899], Hannah, IG [0000-0003-1193-8603], Jeffrey, N [0000-0001-6583-1989], Kontar, E [0000-0002-8078-0902], Long, DM [0000-0003-3137-0277], MacKinnon, A [0000-0002-3558-4806], Mann, G [0000-0002-4452-3028], Mathioudakis, M [0000-0002-7725-6296], Milligan, R [0000-0001-5031-1892], Nakariakov, VM [0000-0001-6423-8286], Pesce-Rollins, M [0000-0003-1790-8018], Shih, AY [0000-0001-6874-2594], Smith, D [0000-0002-0542-5759], Veronig, A [0000-0003-2073-002X], Vilmer, N [0000-0002-6872-3630], Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository, Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL), University College of London [London] (UCL), University of Northumbria at Newcastle [United Kingdom], University of Manchester [Manchester], Durham University, University of Cambridge [UK] (CAM), University of Sheffield [Sheffield], University of Glasgow, University of Oslo (UiO), Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique (LESIA (UMR_8109)), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP), University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), Queen's University [Belfast] (QUB), University of Warwick [Coventry], Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare [Pisa] (INFN), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), University of California [Santa Cruz] (UCSC), University of California, University of Graz, and Karl-Franzens-Universität [Graz, Autriche]
- Subjects
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Wave turbulence ,Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena ,Particle acceleration ,Hard X-rays ,Solar corona ,Electron ,F500 ,7. Clean energy ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,Acceleration ,law ,0103 physical sciences ,Radiative transfer ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,QB ,Physics ,Range (particle radiation) ,γ-rays ,Particle accelerator ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,gamma-rays ,Computational physics ,Space and Planetary Science ,[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] ,Solar flares ,Temporal resolution - Abstract
As a frequent and energetic particle accelerator, our Sun provides us with an excellent astrophysical laboratory for understanding the fundamental process of particle acceleration. The exploitation of radiative diagnostics from electrons has shown that acceleration operates on sub-second time scales in a complex magnetic environment, where direct electric fields, wave turbulence, and shock waves all must contribute, although precise details are severely lacking. Ions were assumed to be accelerated in a similar manner to electrons, but γ-ray imaging confirmed that emission sources are spatially separated from X-ray sources, suggesting distinctly different acceleration mechanisms. Current X-ray and γ-ray spectroscopy provides only a basic understanding of accelerated particle spectra and the total energy budgets are therefore poorly constrained. Additionally, the recent detection of relativistic ion signatures lasting many hours, without an electron counterpart, is an enigma. We propose a single platform to directly measure the physical conditions present in the energy release sites and the environment in which the particles propagate and deposit their energy. To address this fundamental issue, we set out a suite of dedicated instruments that will probe both electrons and ions simultaneously to observe; high (seconds) temporal resolution photon spectra (4 keV – 150 MeV) with simultaneous imaging (1 keV – 30 MeV), polarization measurements (5–1000 keV) and high spatial and temporal resolution imaging spectroscopy in the UV/EUV/SXR (soft X-ray) regimes. These instruments will observe the broad range of radiative signatures produced in the solar atmosphere by accelerated particles.
- Published
- 2021
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