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Solar Orbiter Exploring the Sun- heliosphere connection

Solar Orbiter Exploring the Sun- heliosphere connection. Science questions Mission overview Status update. The Sun creates the heliosphere. Why study the Sun-space connection?. Addresses ESA’s Cosmic Vision question “How does the solar system work?”

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Solar Orbiter Exploring the Sun- heliosphere connection

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  1. Solar OrbiterExploring the Sun-heliosphere connection Science questions Mission overview Status update

  2. The Sun creates the heliosphere

  3. Why study the Sun-space connection? • Addresses ESA’s Cosmic Vision question “How does the solar system work?” • Study plasma phenomena which occur throughout the Universe • Shocks, particle acceleration, magnetic reconnection, turbulence, etc. • Also addresses Cosmic Vision question “What are the fundamental physical laws of the Universe?” • Solar wind and energetic particles directly affect life on Earth • Impact on space and ground-based assets • Builds on European heritage: Ulysses and SoHO

  4. The need for near-Sun observations In-situ density Distance Solar Orbiter Solar Orbiter 1 2 3 4 5 6 Days

  5. How and where do the solar wind plasma and magnetic field originate in the corona? • Solar wind is variable and structured • Originates in complex magnetic “carpet” • Small scale transient jets are common coronal funnel polar coronal hole Tu, Zhou, Marsch et al., Science 2005 • Solar Orbiter will measure the spatial and temporal variability of the solar source and solar wind in unprecedented detail

  6. Linking Sun and the solar wind • We need to measure the same parameter on the Sun and in space to make the link • Heavy ion charge states and composition • Magnetic polarity • Energetic particles • Solar Orbiter will make all of these measurements with both remote sensing and in situ instruments He+ H+

  7. How do solar transients drive heliospheric variability? • How are substructures of coronal mass ejections related to interplanetary transients? • How are CMEs processed as they travel from the Sun? • Solar Orbiter will image CMEs and measure their evolution in the inner heliosphere

  8. Coronal mass ejections in space

  9. How do solar eruptions produce energetic particle radiation? • Around 10% of coronal mass ejection energy is in accelerated particles • Understanding release and transport mechanisms requires going close to the Sun • Solar Orbiter will measure energetic particles within a mean free path of their acceleration site 0.3 AU 1.0 AU

  10. How does the solar dynamo work? • The unexplored poles are central to the operation of the Sun’s dynamo • Solar Orbiter will provide the first accurate measurements of polar flows and magnetic fields

  11. The Sun has changed

  12. What is required • Close to the Sun • Out of the ecliptic • Long duration observations of the same region • Remote measurements of the Sun and corona • In situ measurements of fields and particles • It is this unique combination provided by Solar Orbiter that makes it possible to address the question of how the Sun creates and controls the heliosphere

  13. Summary Carefully optimised payload of ten remote sensing and in situ instruments Launch: January 2017 Cruise Phase: 3 years Nominal Mission: 3.5 years Extended Mission: 2.5 years Perihelion: 0.28 – 0.3 AU Fast perihelion motion: solar features visible for almost complete rotation Out of ecliptic: first good view of solar poles

  14. Mission profile

  15. Solar Orbiter spacecraft • Three-axis stabilised, Sun pointing • Heatshield at front • Re-use of BepiColombo unit designs as practical • Mass: 1750kg • Power: 1100W • Launch: ELV

  16. SPICE and SIS • ESA tasked external review committee to study scientific impact of NASA decision not to support SPICE and SIS • Committee urged ESA to investigate ways to recover measurement capabilities of SIS and SPICE

  17. SPICE – UV imaging spectrograph • Returns 2D high resolution spectral images • Intensity, Doppler shift, line width • Complete temperature coverage from chromosphere to flaring corona • Provides remote characterisation of plasma properties near the Sun • Map outflow velocities and composition of surface features to solar wind structures

  18. SPICE - status • Proposal exists for provision of SPICE instrument • Retains Red Book capabilities • Full on disk capabilities • Off-limb up to 1.3 solar radii • METIS augments this with off-limb spectroscopy beyond 1.3 solar radii • All mission science goals achieved

  19. SIS – Supra-thermal ion spectrograph • Measures supra-thermal heavy ions • Part of EPD suite • Covers energy range between solar wind and energetic particles • Explores near-Sun ion pool, plus flares and shocks

  20. SIS - status • Proposal exists for provision of SIS instrument • Retains Red Book capability • All mission science goals achieved

  21. Science windows High-latitude remote sensing • Orbit: 150-168 days • In situ instruments on at all times • Three science “windows” of 10 days each • All remote sensing instruments operational • Observing strategies based on science targets • Active regions, coronal hole boundaries, flares, high speed wind, polar structures • Autonomous burst mode triggers for unpredictable events • Telemetry and mass memory tailored to return planned instrument data volumes Perihelion remote sensing High-latitude remote sensing

  22. Links to Solar Probe Plus • Many conjunctions will occur between Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus • Extends science return from both msisions • Solar Probe Plus is not required for any Solar Orbiter science goal

  23. Solar Orbiter • Answers the Cosmic Vision question “How does the solar system work?” • Unique combination of orbit and instruments • Selected payload is optimised answer the most fundamental questions of solar and heliospheric physics • Timely, mature and well studied mission with compelling scientific objectives

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