Preliminary studies of Solar Advance Observatory and Solar Beacon Facility
The Advance Solar Observatory, the Solar Beacon Facility, and measurement of the solar diameter using the solar beacon are discussed.
Wu, S. T.↗
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Real time digital videomagnetograph at the Aerospace San Fernando Solar Observatory
Design criteria for real time digital videomagnetograph at Aerospace San Fernando Solar Observatory
Source record↗
Virtual Solar Observatory Distributed Query Construction
Through a prototype implementation (Tian et al., this meeting) the VSO has already demonstrated the capability of unifying geographically distributed data sources following the Web Services paradigm and utilizing mechanisms such as the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP). So far, four participating sites (Stanford, Montana State University, National Solar Observatory and the Solar Data Analysis Center) permit Web-accessible, time-based searches that allow browse access to a number of diverse data sets. Our latest work includes the extension of the simple, time-based queries to include numerous other searchable observation parameters. For VSO users, this extended functionality enables more refined searches. For the VSO, it is a proof of concept that more complex, distributed queries can be effectively constructed and that results from heterogeneous, remote sources can be synthesized and presented to users as a single, virtual data product.
Gurman, J. B.↗
Advanced Solar Observatory (ASO) accommodations requirements study
Results of an accommodations analysis for the Advanced Solar Observatory on Space Station Freedom are reported. Concepts for the High Resolution Telescope Cluster, Pinhole/Occulter Facility, and High Energy Cluster were developed which can be accommodated on Space Station Freedom. It is shown that workable accommodations concepts are possible. Areas of emphasis for the next stage of engineering development are identified.
Source record↗
Toward a Virtual Solar Observatory: Starting Before the Petabytes Fall
NASA is currently engaged in the study phase of a modest effort to establish a Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO). The VSO would serve ground- and space-based solar physics data sets from a distributed network of archives through a small number of interfaces to the scientific community. The basis of this approach, as of all planned virtual observatories, is the translation of metadata from the various sources via source-specific dictionaries so the user will not have to distinguish among keyword usages. A single Web interface should give access to all the distributed data. We present the current status of the VSO, its initial scope, and its relation to the European EGSO effort.
Gurman, J. B.↗
Data processing plan for orbiting solar observatory /OSO-B2/
Scheduling, analog-to-digital conversion, and quality control of data processing for Orbiting Solar Observatory /OSO-B2/
OSO↗
The detection of global convection on the sun by an analysis of line shift data of the John M. Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University
An analysis of the absorption line shift data of the John M. Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University has yielded signatures of the existence of global convection on the sun. These include persistent periodic time variations in the east-west component of the velocity fields defined by fitting a slope to the line shift data in a certain longitude window at a specified latitude and longitude by the least squares method. The amplitude of the velocity fields estimated from these variations is of the order of 100 m/s. The results of the analysis also suggest that several modes of global convection coexist in the solar convection zone. Details of the analysis are given.
Yoshimura, Hirokazu↗
The Virtual Solar Observatory: Still a Small Box
Two and a half years after a design study began, and a year and a half after development commenced, version 1.0 of the Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO) was released at the 2004 Fall AGU meeting. Although internal elements of the VSO have changed, the basic design has remained the same, reflecting the team's belief in the importance of a simple, robust mechanism for registering data provider holdings, initiating queries at the appropriate provider sites, aggregating the responses, allowing the user to iterate before making a final selection, and enabling the delivery of data directly from the providers. In order to make the VSO transparent, lightweight, and portable, the developers employed XML for the registry, SOAP for communication between a VSO instance and data services, and HTML for the graphic user interface (GUI's). We discuss the internal data model, the API, and user responses to various trial GUI's as typical design issues for any virtual observatory. We also discuss the role of the "small box" of data search, identification, and delivery services provided by the VSO in the larger, Sun-Solar System Connection virtual observatory (VxO) scheme.
Gurman, J. B.↗
Building a Virtual Solar Observatory: I Look Around and There's a Petabyte Following Me
The 2001 July NASA Senior Review of Sun-Earth Connections missions and data centers directed the Solar Data Analysis Center (SDAC) to proceed in studying and implementing a Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO) to ease the identification of and access to distributed archives of solar data. Any such design (cf. the National Virtual Observatory and NASA's Planetary Data System) consists of three elements: the distributed archives, a "broker" facility that translates metadata from all partner archives into a single standard for searches, and a user interface to allow searching, browsing, and download of data. Three groups are now engaged in a six-month study that will produce a candidate design and implementation roadmap for the VSO. We hope to proceed with the construction of a prototype VSO in US fiscal year 2003, with fuller deployment dependent on community reaction to and use of the capability. We therefore invite as broad as possible public comment and involvement, and invite interested parties to a "birds of a feather" session at this meeting. VSO is partnered with the European Grid of Solar Observations (EGSO), and if successful, we hope to be able to offer the VSO as the basis for the solar component of a Living With a Star data system.
Gurman, J. B.↗
Solar Energetic-Particle-Associated Coronal Mass Ejections Observed by the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory Mk3 and Mk4 Coronameters
We report on the first comprehensive study of the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) associated with ~25 MeV solar energetic-proton (SEP) events in 1980 – 2013 observed in the low/inner corona by the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) Mk3 and Mk4 coronameters. Where possible, these observations are combined with space-based observations from the Solar Maximum Mission C/P, P78-1 SOLWIND, or SOHO/LASCO coronagraphs. The aim of the study is to understand directly measured (rather than inferred from proxies) CME motions in the low to midcorona and their association with SEP acceleration, and hence attempt to identify early signatures that are characteristic of SEP acceleration in ground-based CME observations that may be used to warn of impending SEP events. Although we find that SEP events are associated with CMEs that are on average faster and wider than typical CMEs observed by MLSO, a major challenge turns out to be determining reliable estimates of the CME dynamics in the low corona from the 3-min cadence Mk3/4 observations since different analysis techniques can produce inconsistent results. This complicates the assessment of what early information on a possible SEP event is available from these low-coronal observations.
I. G. Richardson↗
The IRIS network site at the Wilcox Solar Observatory
The site for the International Research on the Interior of the Sun (IRIS) instrument housed at the Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University (near San Francisco, USA) is described together with the instrument operation procedure. The IRIS instrument, which measures global oscillations of the sun, operates continuously every clear day since it was installed in August 1987.
Hoeksema, J. T.↗
Identification of atmospheric C2H2 lines in the 3230-3340/cm region of high resolution solar absorption spectra recorded at the National Solar Observatory
A search has been conducted for the presence of absorption lines of atmospheric acetylene (C2H2), taking into account the 3230-3340/cm interval of 0.01/cm resolution solar absorption spectra recorded with the interferometer of the Solar Observatory on Kitt Peak. A total of 12 lines belonging to the strong nu-3 and nu-2 + nu-4 + nu-5 bands has been identified in this interval. This letter provides a report regarding the identification analysis of selected atmospheric C2H2 lines in a representative set of Kitt Peak solar spectra.
Rinsland, C. P.↗
The detection of global convection on the sun by an analysis of line shift data of the John M. Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University
Signatures of the existence of the global convection in the sun were found in the absorption line shift data of the John M. Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University. The signatures are characterized by persistent periodic time variations in the east-west component of the velocity fields defined by fitting a slope to the line shift data in a certain longitude window at a specified latitude and longitude by a least square method. The variations indicate that the amplitude of the velocity fields is about 100 m/s. It is suggested that several modes of global convection are coexisting in the solar convection zone.
Yoshimura, Hirokazu↗
Coordination of Advanced Solar Observatory (ASO) Science Working Group (SWG) for the study of instrument accommodation and operational requirements on space station
The objectives are to coordinate the activities of the Science Working Group (SWG) of the Advanced Solar Observatory (ASO) for the study of instruments accommodation and operation requirements on board space station. In order to facilitate the progress of the objective, two conferences were organized, together with two small group discussions.
Wu, S. T.↗
COR1 Engineering Test Unit Measurements at the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory, September 2003
The COR1 Engineering Test Unit (ETU), which had been previously tested at the NCAR/HAO and NRL test facilities, was modified into an instrument capable of observing the Sun. It was then taken to the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory to observe the corona. The changes made to observe the Sun were as follows: 1. The plate scale was changed to accommodate the smaller Apogee camera. This change had already been made for the NRL tests. 2. The previous Oriel polarizer was replaced with a commercial Polarcor polarizer from Newport to be more flight-like. However, because of cost and availability considerations, this polarizer was smaller than those which will be used for flight. 3. A structure was placed around the back section of the instrument, to protect it from stray light. 4. A pointing spar borrowed from HAO was used to track the Sun. A few days into the test, it became evident that some artifacts were appearing in the data, and these artifacts were changing as the polarizer was rotated. It was decided to test two other polarizers, the Oriel polarizer which had been used in the previous tests at HAO and NRL, and a Nikon polarizer which was borrowed from a camera belonging to one of the observatory staff members. These three polarizers had much different qualities are shown.
Thompson, William↗
Experiment to measure hard solar and celestial X-rays from the fifth Orbiting Solar Observatory
Experiment to measure hard solar and celestial X rays from OSO-5 in energy range of 15 to 250 keV
Dennis, B. R.↗
A comparison of vector magnetograms from the Marshall Space Flight Center and Mees Solar Observatory
The paper compares completely independent vector magnetic field measurements from two very different polarimetric instruments. The Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) imaging vector magnetograph is based on a birefringent filter, routinely measuring all four Stokes parameters integrated over the filter bandpass (1/8 A) which is tunable across the Fe I 5250 line in 10 mA steps. The Haleakala Stokes Polarimeter of the Mees Solar Observatory (MSO) is based on a spectrometer, routinely measuring all four Stokes parameters of the Fe I 6302.5 line simultaneously and then spatially scanning to build up a vector magnetogram. Active region magnetic field data were obtained with both the MSFC and MSO systems on five days during June 1985. After interpolating the MSFC vector fields onto the more coarse spatial grid of MSO, a point-by-point comparison of the two vector fields is made for data obtained on two of these days (June 8 and 9). From this comparison it is concluded that the spatially-averaged line-of-sight components agree quite well, and that although the MSO spatial grid is coarser, the quality of the MSO image is better than that of the MSFC data because of better seeing conditions.
Ronan, R. S.↗
Large Solar Observatory
This article summarizes the scientific aim, design considerations and observatory site of a large optical solar telescope. The day time "seeing" is better on the islands, surrounded by large body of water, compared to the mountain sites. Therefore, in order to obtain the solar images with sub-arcsec resolution, the observatory site should be preferably located on an island. A list of potential sites on Himalayas and surrounding region is given. A brief description of the telescope design, enclosure and back-end instruments are also presented.
Choudhary, Debi Prasad↗