Award Abstract #9604910
U.S.-India Cooperative Research: Study of Solar Oscillations, Phase III, Award in Indian and U.S. Currency

NSF Org:	OISE Office of International Science and Engineering
Initial Amendment Date:	June 12, 1997
Latest Amendment Date:	July 19, 2002
Award Number:	9604910
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Marjorie Lueck OISE Office of International Science and Engineering O/D OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
Start Date:	March 1, 1997
Expires:	September 30, 2003 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$51129
Investigator(s):	John Leibacher leib@noao.edu (Principal Investigator) Arvind Bhatnagar (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	AURA/National Optical Astronomy Observatories 1212 New York Avenue, N.W., WASHINGTON, DC 20005 202/483-2101
NSF Program(s):	INDIA (SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH), AFRICA, NEAR EAST, & SO ASIA
Field Application(s):	0000099 Other Applications NEC
Program Reference Code(s):	OTHR, 0000
Program Element Code(s):	6124, 5976

ABSTRACT

9604910 Leibacher Description: This award supports the U.S.-India Cooperative Research: Study of Solar Oscillations Phase III, which will examine the Sun s interior utilizing the data set from the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG). This recently completed network of six identical oscillation observing stations that circle the globe will keep the Sun under 24 hour surveillance and will yield unique data having importance not only for solar physics, but for astrophysics, solar-terrestrial physics, geophysics, and nuclear physics. The U.S. team is headed by John Leibacher of the National Solar Observatory (NSO), Tucson, and the Indian team by Arvind Bhatnagar, Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO) Udaipur, and S.M. Chitre, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. The new field of helioseismology has evolved from the discovery of solar acoustic waves that emanate from randomly-excited seismic vibrations from within the Sun. This powerful new tool for studying the Sun s interior structure and dynamics can probe the interior of the Sun with the same precision that terrestrial seismology can probe the Earth s interior. During Phase III of the study, the U.S. and Indian teams will pursue collaborative research in numerous areas that have been stimulated by GONG data. These include inversions; hydrostatic Sun structure; helium abundance in the solar envelope; excitation mechanisms for solar oscillations; background solar spectrum; global magnetic fields in the sun s deep interior; nearly steady flows and magnetic fields; and deterministic detrending. Scope: The U.S.-India component of this large international project is exceptionally well balanced. For the United States, Udaipur has physical attributes such as atmospheric clarity and a unique geographic position on the globe diametrically opposite to Tucson, as well as strong infrastructural resources. Solar physics is a field in which Indian scientists excel. The project will involve USO staff and w orld class researchers from India s premier Tata Institute. For India, the project offers entry to the field of helioseismology, state-of -the-art instrumentation, and involvement in an important international effort. This project has thus far yielded a large number of publications under U.S.-Indian authorship. ***

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