solar dynamics observatory_june 2010
DESCRIPTION
Presented to Longmont Astronomical Society, 17 June 2010TRANSCRIPT
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Solar Dynamics Observatory
Longmont Astronomical SocietyLongmont, CO – 17 June 2010
Suzanne Metlay, Ph.D.Education & Public Outreach Lead
Secure World FoundationSuperior, CO
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NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory
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Launched 11 Feb 2010 5 year mission (follow-on to SOHO) NASA’s Living with a Star Program
Multiwavelength observation of Sun’s atmosphere, magnetic field Solar wind Solar irradiance Solar cycle Coronal Mass Ejections Sunspot Activity
Geosynchronous orbit above ground station in New Mexico White Sands, NM 90 minutes to obtain, process, and upload images to web
http://sdowww.lmsal.com/suntoday http://www.lmsal.com/helio-informatics/hpkb/
SDO images have 10x higher resolution than high definition 4096 x 4096 pixels Twice as much detail as STEREO images 1 GB data every minute
Space Weather
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SDO Science Questions
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Hope to gain insight into:
1.How and why the Sun's magnetic field changes?2.How energy is stored in the magnetic field?3.How is solar energy released into Sun-Earth system? 4.How does solar variability affect space weather?
SDO is the 1st spacecraft to observe Sun’s magnetic field and atmosphere at the same time in multiple wavelengths
Different colors indicate different temperatures and layers of atmosphere
SDO Full-disk Multiwavelength image 30 March 2010
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SDO Instruments
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2 High-gain Antennae & 2 Solar Arrays3-axis stabilized
3 Instruments: Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA)
Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab Individual light feeds designed and built at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Full-disk solar imaging in UV and extreme UV
Helioseismic & Magnetic Imager (HMI) Stanford University Full-disk high-resolution measurements of longitudinal and vector magnetic fields
Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE)
LASP (Univ. Colorado at Boulder) Takes data every 10 seconds Measures energetic EUV photons
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First Light
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Solar Prominence recorded 30 March 2010 Note twisting motion of magnetic field
http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/youtube.php - SDO launch and deployment animation
http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/firstlight/movies/prominence20100330_sm.mov
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Structure of the Sun
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Near surface convection generates acoustic waves Periods of nearly 5 minutes How does this relate to solar cycle?
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HMI Instrument
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HMI monitors magnetic field activity on solar surface
How does surface activity relate to inner dynamics?
http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/youtube.php Sun’s magnetic field in HD Solar dynamo visualizations
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Dark Filament above Active Regions
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Dark elongated filament Clearly above surface of Sun Cooler clouds of gas suspended by tenuous magnetic fields Often unstable and commonly erupt
Bright active regions Indicate where magnetic field is heating Shafts of plasma trace magnetic field lines emerging from them
“This one is estimated to be at least 60 Earth diameters long (about 500,000 miles).”― SDO Gallery Pick of the Week:http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/potw.php?v=item&id=1
Close-up of AIA image taken in 211Å (EUV Fe line) on 18 May 2010
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AIA Instrument
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Guide Telescope (GT)
Camera Electronics Box (CEB)
CEB RadiatorCCD Radiator
CEB is independently mounted to IM
http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/youtube.php “Many Different Views of the Sun – HMI and AIA” “SDO: High-res through the Sun’s atmosphere”“AIA multi-temperature images of eruption and flare”
4 Telescopes – Sampling: 0.6 arcsec per pixel 7 EUV channels:
Fe sequence (6 iron lines) He II (Helium @ 304Å)
1 UV Channel: 1600Å, 1700Å, white light filters
Field of view: 41 arcmin along detector axes 46 arcmin along detector diagonal
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AIA Wavelengths
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ChannelVisible1700Å
304Å
1600Å
171Å
193Å
211Å
335Å
94Å
131Å
††
--12.7
-4.7
6.0
7.0
16.5
0.9
4.4
Ion(s)ContinuumContinuum
He II
C IV+cont.
Fe IX
Fe XII, XXIV
Fe XIV
Fe XVI
Fe XVIII
Fe XX, XXIII
Region of Atmosphere*PhotosphereTemperature minimum, photosphere
Chromosphere, transition region,
Transition region + upper photosphere
Quiet corona, upper transition region
Corona and hot flare plasma
Active-region corona
Active-region corona
Flaring regions
Flaring regions
Char. log(T)3.73.7
4.7
5.0
5.8
6.1, 7.3
6.3
6.4
6.8
7.0, 7.2
AIA wavelength bands
*Absorption allows imaging of chromospheric material within the corona; ††FWHM, in Å
Fe XVIII94 Å
Fe XX/XXIII133 Å
1600Å? Fe IX/X 171 Å
Fe XII 195 Å
Fe XIV 211 Å
C IV 1550 Å He II 304 Å
Fe XVI 335 Å
UV channel has three filters: White light, C IV 1550, UV Continuum White light for ground calibration, co-alignment with HMI & ground-based instruments
He II 304Å Observes chromosphere Monitor filaments Key driver to chemistry of the Earth’s outermost atmospheric layers
Fe ions (various wavelengths) Observes corona and flaring regions
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EVE Instrument
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Solar flare on 30 April 2010 EVE detects broad secondary peak of EUV photons missed by GOES spacecraft Secondary peak lasts longer and has nearly 4x as much energy as primary peak
Energetic extreme ultraviolet photons Prime driver to heat Earth’s upper atmosphere Creates ionosphere Constantly changing output
Moment to moment Solar cycle
http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/youtube.php “The Sun lights up for EVE”
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NASA Monitors Sun and Space Weather
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Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Launched1997
Detects solar wind gusts, CMEs, etc. Provides warnings: 30 minutes or more
Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) Launched 2006
Two spacecraft stationed on opposite sides of Sun Combined view of 90% of solar surface Sees active sunspots on Sun's farside
Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Launched 2010
Images active regions on entire Sun with unprecedented resolution & speed Magnetic field data coupled to atmospheric and internal dynamic data Monitors the sun's extreme UV output
Response of Earth's atmosphere to solar variability.
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Space Weather Effects
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Space Weather events: Solar flares Coronal mass ejections Radiation emission through coronal holes Energetic charged particles
Degrade or destroy satellites Increased drag from thermal expansion of Earth’s atmosphere Surface charging, electrostatic discharge, or other damage to onboard electronics Damaged solar panels, power loss Phantom commands, data corruption
Ground stations may also suffer Corruption of navigational data, leading to signal timing or position errors Scatter, interruption or loss of communications data from ionization of Earth’s atmosphere
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ZombieSat
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Galaxy 15 satellite = “ZombieSat” Launched 2005
Built by Orbital Sciences Corp Operated by IntelSat Navigation/Communications in geostationary orbit
Control lost 5 April 2010, likely due to space weather event
Drifting through orbital paths of other satellites SES AMC-11 had to be moved out of the way Passed within 0.2 degrees of AMC-11 during closest approach on 1 June 2010
No interference reportedTransponders still on
Could still interfere with TV signals through end of June 2010
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Galaxy 15 drifting through GEO and EM spectrum
Tim Rickard “Brewster Rockit” 24 May 2010
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Questions?
Thank [email protected]
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NEW! -- 2 Planetarium Shows Coming in 2010
PLANETARIUM SHOWS & EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT NO COST TO INTERNATIONAL PLANETARIUM SOCIETY MEMBERS AND AFFILIATES
“The Crowded Sky” – 25-minute SHOW FREE PUBLIC SHOW: 25 June 2010 What is in Earth orbit?
— Active satellites are vastly outnumbered by derelict satellites, rocket bodies, other objects Where are satellites located?
— GEO, MEO, LEO How do people use satellite technology?
Clicker question interlude – Supplementary EDUCATIONAL material Release date: 25 June 2010 Guided question and answer session for general public or classroom use Questions appropriate for university students in introductory courses
— Additional questions available for general public— Tied to US national science content standards for grades 9-12
Planetarium staff conduct this segment live— Responsive to current news events — Updated fact sheets will be provided by Secure World Foundation
and/or Fiske Planetarium throughout life of planetarium shows
“Life of a Satellite”– 25-minute SHOW Planned release date: November 2010 Launch to de-orbit of WorldView-2 satellite
— WorldView-2 satellite is owned and operated by DigitalGlobe, Inc. On-orbit hazards
— Orbital debris— Space weather
Show actual satellite operations
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