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Solar Wind Modeling
Objective
Model the evolution of the solar wind from the Sun to the Earth and beyond, using both semi-empirical and advanced 3D MHD numerical modeling techniques. Predict key solar wind plasma and magnetic field parameters throughout the inner heliosphere during both quiet and disturbed solar wind conditions, including disturbances due to coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and co-rotating interaction regions (CIRs) at the boundary between slow and fast wind streams. CMEs and CIRs are the drivers of major geomagnetic storms and solar energetic particle (SEP) space weather events.
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HiFi – Numerical Modeling Framework for Laboratory and Heliospheric Plasmas
Objective
Develop, maintain, verify, and validate a state-of-the-art HPC numerical framework for fluid- and particle-based predictive modeling of space weather and plasma confinement devices
To do so, build a computational plasma framework designed to maximize the combined effectiveness of its three core features:
- a scalable, efficient, and accurate underlying numerical algorithm;
- an easy-to-use flexible interface for achieving basic and applied research objectives;
- modular structure that allows to improve and upgrade the framework in-step with the latest computer science and hardware advances
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Coronal Mass Ejection Initiation
Objectives
- Drive Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) eruptions by self-consistently emerging convection zone magnetic field into pre-existing, coronal magnetic field configurations. Test validity of current CME models.
- Improve our understanding of how CMEs are driven or destabilized. Enhance the Navy’s ability to develop predictive tools for these solar eruptions and their space weather consequences, by determining how current observations of flux emergence can be incorporated into CME prediction models.
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Sun-Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI)
Objectives
Advance the understanding of the 3-D structure of the Sun’s corona, the origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), CME propagation through the heliosphere, and the dynamic coupling between CMEs and Earth.
CMEs, the most energetic phenomena in the solar system, are major drivers of geomagnetic space weather storms that adversely affect ISR, precision engagement, missile detection and intercept, Comms on the Move, spacecraft anomaly assessment, orbital tracking, polar flight activities, and the power grid. CMEs were discovered by NRL with an NRL-built solar coronagraph in 1971.
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Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI)
Objectives
Advance the understanding of the 3-D structure of the Sun’s corona, the origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), CME propagation through the heliosphere, and the dynamic coupling between CMEs and Earth.
CMEs, the most energetic phenomena in the solar system, are major drivers of geomagnetic space weather storms that adversely affect ISR, precision engagement, missile detection and intercept, Comms on the Move, spacecraft anomaly assessment, orbital tracking, polar flight activities, and the power grid. CMEs were discovered by NRL, with an NRL-built solar coronagraph, in 1971.
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Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe Plus (WISPR)
Objectives
- Understand the morphology, velocity, acceleration, and density of evolving solar wind structures when they are close to the Sun.
- Derive the 3D structure of the solar corona through which in-situ measurements are made to determine the sources of the solar wind.
- Determine the roles of turbulence, waves, and pressure-balanced structures in the solar wind.
- Measure the physical properties of SEP-producing shocks and their CME drivers as they evolve in the corona and inner heliosphere.
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Compact Coronagraph (CCOR)
Objectives
- Transition basic research on coronal mass ejection imagery technology to operational space weather forecasting of Geomagnetic Storms
- Develop a low-cost and -mass, small envelope coronagraph for operational satellite
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Large Angle Spectrometric and Coronagraphic Telescope (LASCO)
Objective
Advance the understanding of the structure of the Sun’s corona, the origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), and the dynamic coupling between CMEs and Earth.
CMEs, the most energetic phenomena in the solar system, are major drivers of geomagnetic space weather storms that adversely affect ISR, precision engagement, missile detection and intercept, Comms on the Move, spacecraft anomaly assessment, orbital tracking, polar flight activities, and the power grid. CMEs were discovered by NRL, with an NRL-built solar coronagraph, in 1971.
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HYPERION: Modeling Solar Coronal Loops
Objective
Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence has long been proposed as a mechanism for the heating of coronal loops in the framework of the Parker scenario for coronal heating. So far most studies have focused on its dynamical properties without considering its thermodynamical and radiative features because of the very demanding computational requirements. We aim to extend this previous research to the compressible regime using HYPERION, a new parallelized, visco-resistive, three-dimensional compressible MHD code.
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Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) (Solar-B: Hinode)
Objective
Measure the physical conditions such as temperature, density, and dynamics in solar active regions and flares. Determine the physical mechanisms responsible for generating erupting prominences, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
Solar flares and CMEs are the most energetic phenomena in the solar system and are major drivers of geomagnetic space weather storms that adversely affect ISR, precision engagement, missile detection and intercept, Comms on the Move, spacecraft anomaly assessment, orbital tracking, polar flight activities, the power grid, and ionosphere variations.
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Next Generation EUV High-Resolution Spectroscopic Telescope (for Solar-C)
Objectives
Observe the entire solar atmosphere from the chromosphere into the corona (including flares) with ultra-high spatial and spectral resolution. Determine the flow of energy and dissipation throughout the entire atmosphere. Determine the mechanisms responsible for heating the solar corona.
Understanding how the solar atmosphere is formed and maintained from first principles enables a precision space weather warning system to be developed. The ultimate goal is to predict solar phenomena that are major drivers of geomagnetic disturbances that adversely affect areas such as spacecraft anomaly assessment, orbital tracking, polar flight activities, the power grid, and ionosphere variations.
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Sounding Rocket Program (Active Programs: HERSCHEL, VERIS, VAULT)
Objectives
- Enable cutting-edge scientific research through the development of low-cost, short-schedule, highly advanced suborbital payloads.
- Provide low-cost, hands-on training experiences for the development of the next generation of SSD scientists and engineers.
- Provide a low-cost (and accordingly, low-risk) test bed for the technology development for future flight projects for the DoD and other government agencies.
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Seed Populations for Large Solar Energetic Particle Events
Objective
To identify sources and to quantify the characteristics of various coronal seed populations that give rise to large solar energetic particle (SEP) events produced by coronal mass ejection (CME)-driven shocks.
At high energies, relevant to spacecraft design and operation, large SEP events are highly variable in their size, duration, spectral shape, and ionic composition. These variable factors determine the nature of the radiation hazard posed to space-based systems. This project focuses on discovering the contribution of seed-particle populations to this variability, as an input for future SEP predictive capability for satellite operations.
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Coronal Suprathermal Particle Explorer (C-SPEX)
Objective
Develop a mission concept to achieve a new capability for predicting the incidence and severity of solar energetic particle (SEP) events by detecting suprathermal seed particles currently thought to be essential for acceleration of high-energy particles in the solar corona.
SEPs can interrupt satellite-based comms, generate single event effects that destroy even hardened space assets, adversely affect ISR, precision engagement, missile detection and intercept, and polar flight activities.
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Coronal Element Abundances and Enhanced Solar EUV Forecasting
Objective
Advance the understanding of the variable elemental composition of the Sun’s corona; a vital step towards the forecasting of the solar Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) irradiance. Solar EUV radiation, mainly from ions of iron (Fe), is absorbed in the thermosphere, where it heats the ambient gas causing its scale height to lengthen, thereby increasing the density and associated drag on satellites in the earth’s upper atmosphere. Since the potential exists for debris collisions with operating spacecraft producing further explosions, thereby increasing the debris field in a runaway fashion, mitigation strategies, including forecasting the Solar EUV irradiance, are key.
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Solar-Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM)
Objective
Reduce existing major (~30%) absolute and relative 1 hr -11 year solar ultraviolet (115-440 nm) spectro-radiometric measurement discrepancies to the 0.3-3% level in order to achieve sufficient precision of irradiance data for input to models of Earth’s upper atmosphere, including the ionosphere and thermosphere.
Highly variable solar ultraviolet radiation, absorbed by Earth’s upper atmosphere, modulates formation of the ionosphere and heating of the thermosphere thus affecting space based radars, communications, and orbital tracking. SUSIM (and Hinode) data are used to validate solar EUV forecasting models.
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Helioseismic Predictions of Solar Flux Emergence
Objective
Give longer warning times for solar geoeffective disturbances via local, very high precision nearside helioseismology to forecast emergence of magnetic flux from below the solar surface that can coalesce into solar active regions and lead to solar geoeffective disturbances. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), launched in 2010, enables this objective with high-resolution solar observations at a nearly continuous science data downlink rate of 130 Megabits/sec.
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