Ground-Based Solar Research An Assessment and Strategy for the Future (1998) / Chapter Skim
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3 Strategy for the Future
3 Strategy for the Future
Pages 34-50
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From page 34... ...
This is so for several reasons. First, new observing facilities are required to address the major scientific questions in solar research.
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From page 35... ...
. When it becomes operational, the SOLIS instrument suite will enable the precision monitoring of daily solar activity with whole-disk vector magnetograms, velocitygrams, and spectroheliograms, replacing and greatly surpassing the capability offered by the Kitt Peak Vacuum Telescope and providing opportunities for new, heretofore infeasible, investigations ofthe Sun.
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From page 36... ...
Since then, local helioseismology and investigation of the upper convection zone have become major research areas whose study requires higher angular resolution than is currently possible with this suite of instruments. The original GONG design permits a straightforward upgrade that will provide a resolution limited mostly by atmospheric seeing, with the major changes being the installation of a new charge-coupled device (CCD)
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From page 37... ...
Carrying on site testing to determine an accessible site with the best available seeing as quickly as possible so as to define the task for the adaptive optics and be ready for construction of the AST. Rationale for the AST The task group believes that development of the instrument it calls the Advanced Solar Telescope is the single most important step that can be undertaken to energize ground-based solar physics programs at both national centers and universities.
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From page 38... ...
Development of Adaptive Optics The critical enabling technology for the Advanced Solar Telescope is adaptive optics- without its successful development there will be no way to study the basic microstructure of the solar activity. The current adaptive optics program at NSO is being calTied out in collaboration with a U.S.
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From page 39... ...
The I.5-m McMath-Pierce telescope is the obvious place to carry on the development of the adaptive optics following the success of the current program at the Sac Peak VTT. However, the seeing is relatively poor both inside and outside the McMath-Pierce telescope, although penods of excellent seeing do occur, particularly during the summer months.
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From page 40... ...
and adaptive optics are shown as separate entries and have been broken out of the quoted cost estimates of the three proposed telescopes; the estimates for CLEAR are shown for two apertures. TABLE 3.1 Solar Telescope Costs (1996 millions U.S.$)
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From page 41... ...
The task group sees the AST together with the upgraded GONG and the recently approved SOLIS instrument array as the cornerstones of a program that will offer the international solar physics community access to the best ground-based solar observing facilities in the world. i2The open tower telescope (011)
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From page 42... ...
The task group points out that a FASR could be developed at relatively low cost on a cooperative international basis using existing large antennas, so that the telescope could be up and running in time for the solar maximum in approximately 201 I Compared to the capabilities of the existing dedicated solar radio facilities discussed in Chapter 2- the French Nan,cay Radioheliograph and the Japanese Nob eyama Solar Radio Telescope-the FASR concept presented to the task group (Appendix E)
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From page 43... ...
The recommended facilities for ground-based solar optical astronomy are intended to replace the existing NSO solar telescopes at Sacramento Peak and Kitt Peak. However, neither the Sac Peak site nor the Kitt Peak site provides the optimal seeing necessary to achieve the high angular resolution that is essential to the success of the AST.
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From page 44... ...
Given these circumstances, the task group believes that the best and least expensive way to restore the lost capabilities would be the inclusion of the complementary emission line coronagraphic instrument in the SOLIS array, which would have great sensitivity arising from subtraction of sky brightness. The task group is aware that the AST will not replace all the scientific performance of all the instruments on Sac Peak, or of the McMath telescope on Kitt Peak some valuable observing modes will be lost.
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From page 45... ...
Now is a good time for NSF to recognize the progress toward separate operations by encouraging establishment of a solar council to represent the NSO on an equal footing with the Gemini project and the nighttime NOAO operations, each with its own council. The present solar subcommittee would be dissolved upon establishment of the solar council.
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From page 46... ...
In particular, HAO is directly involved with its Advanced Stokes Polarimeter, its Advanced Coronal Observing System at the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory, and the forthcoming SOLIS facility. A second example is Sur~RISE.
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From page 47... ...
In fact, the task group believes that provisions for data archiving and distribution should be an integral part of planning for future observing facilities. Finally, the task group notes that many organizations now maintain profusely illustrated interactive sites on the World Wide Web; these are excellent platforms for public outreach and public education.
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From page 49... ...
Appendixes
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Key Terms
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