Solar & Stellar Group Research

Magnetic Coupling in the Heliosphere

Many strands of research are undertaken within the Solar & Stellar Physics group at MSSL under these general area. Projects mainly fall into one of the following four areas:

• Triggering and Evolution of Solar Eruptions
• Solar Wind Formation
• Emergence & Evolution of Solar Magnetic Fields
• Sun-Earth Connection

Triggering & Evolution of Solar Eruptions

Solar Wind Formation

Emergence & Evolution of Solar Magnetic Fields

Sun-Earth Connection

Source of the Solar Wind?Plasma streams away from the solar surface at the edges of active regions and may contibrute a 1/4 of the solar wind's total material.

Sakao et al., Science, 318, 1585, 2007.

Using EIS as a Speed CameraHinode's EIS instrument reveals that the outflowing streams of plasma from the edges of active regions can reach speeds of over 100 km/s.

Harra et al., Astrophys. J. Lett., 676, L147-L150, 2008.

Outflowing Plasma is DistinctOutflows at the edges of active regions have low density and radience, which are opposite to similar temperature plasma in the active region.

Del Zanna, Astron. & Astrophys., 481, L49-L52, 2008.

Outflow Driver 1: Magnetic ReconnectionReconnection at the edges of active regions will produce plamsa jets and chromospheric evaporation, which are both types of outflows.

Baker et al., Astrophys. J., submitted, 2009.

Outflow Driver 2: Active Region ExpansionExpanding active regions can compress neighbouring field, generating forces in the latter that can accelerate plasma upwards as outflows.

Murray et al., Solar Physics, submitted, 2009.

Outflow Driver 3: Coronal CirculationOutflows may rise along funnels of open magnetic field and sink back to the solar surface along the closed loops of the active regions.

Marsch, Hui, Sun et al., Astrophys. J., 685, 1262-1269, 2008.

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