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Home , Carrington event, Luna 1, Parker Solar Probe, Solar observatory, SWEAP, WISPR

A Mission to Touch the

Presented by: David Malaspina Based on a huge amount of work by the NASA, APL, FIELDS, SWEAP, WISPR, ISOIS teams Who am I? Recent Space Group Missions:

Van Allen Probes Assistant Professor in:

Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) Professional Researcher in the Space Plasma Group (SPG) at:

Parker Solar Probe

Space Plasma Physicist Studying:

The Solar Planetary Planetary Ionospheres Plasma MAVEN Electric Field Sensors Charging A Tale in Four Acts

[1] History - How do we know that a wind exists? - Why do we care? - What have we learned about the ?

[2] Solar Wind Science - Key unanswered questions - The need for a Solar Probe

[3] Preparing a Mission - A battle for funding - Mission design - Instrument design

[4] A Mission to Touch the Sun - Launch - First orbits - First results Per Act: The future ~10-15 min talk + - ~5-10 min questions Act 0:

Terminology Plasma: A gas so hot, the atoms separate into and ions - Ionization

Common plasmas: - The Sun - Lightning plasma - Neon signs, fluorescent lights - TIG welders / Plasma cutters

Plasmas have complicated motions: Fluid motion and electromagnetic motion

Simplest magnetic fields are dipoles north and south pole

Iron filings “” magnetic field of a bar magnet by aligning with the field Sun

Plasmas and magnetic fields Electrons and ions follow magnetic field lines in helical paths Plasmas “trace” magnetic field lines Act 1:

History Where to start? 1859 : The Colorado Gold Rush In 1858: 620 g of gold found in Little Dry Creek (now Englewood, CO) By 1860: ~100,000 gold-seekers had moved to Colorado

1858: City of Denver founded 1859: Boulder City Town Company organized

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Denver https://bouldercolorado.gov/visitors/history ‘‘On the night of [September 1] we were high up on the Rocky Mountains sleeping in the open air. A lile aer midnight we were awakened by the auroral light, so bright that one could easily read common print. Some of the party insisted that it was daylight and began the preparaon of breakfast. The light connued unl morning, varying in intensity in different parts of the heavens, and slowly changing posion. We can best describe it as the sky being overcast with very light cirrus clouds, waed before a gentle breeze, and lighted up by an immense conflagraon. ’’

-- (Rocky Mountain News, September 17, 1859) The Carrington Event

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859 September 1859 Amateur astronomer Richard Carrington (using his private observatory, on his country estate)

Observed a ‘white light’ flare from a group of Sun spots

~3 days later, Earth’s magnec field responds, Largest geoeffecve solar storm ever recorded

Effects on Earth Carrington’s sketch as bright as day in the Rocky Mountains Aurora in Panama / Caribbean Islands Telegraphs (long conductors, subject to induced currents) - some fail - some catch fire - some operate without baeries

Solar Acvity Produces Geomagnec Acvity (!) What carries solar influences to the Earth? - Light is too fast ( roughly known in 1676) Kew Observatory Magnetogram (British Geological Survey) - Must be much slower than light: parcle - A solar “wind” ? The Carrington Event

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859 September 1859 Amateur astronomer Richard Carrington (using his private observatory, on his country estate)

Observed a ‘white light’ flare from a group of Sun spots

~3 days later, Earth’s magnec field responds, Largest geoeffecve solar storm ever recorded

Effects on Earth Carrington’s Sunspot sketch Aurora as bright as day in the Rocky Mountains Aurora in Panama / Caribbean Islands Telegraphs (long conductors, subject to induced currents) - some fail - some catch fire - some operate without baeries

Solar Acvity Produces Geomagnec Acvity (!) What carries solar influences to the Earth? - Light is too fast (speed of light roughly known in 1676) Kew Observatory Magnetogram (British Geological Survey) - Must be much slower than light: parcle - A solar “wind” ?

Imagine: a Carrington-Class Event in the Modern World Other Hints at a Solar Wind

George Ellery Hale (1908) Demonstrated that Sun spots are magnetic (Zeeman effect)

Eugene Parker (1958) With knowledge of solar magnetism and ionized solar atmosphere: Introduces magnetic field into flow model

Predicts a super-sonic solar wind flow Kivelson and Russell, Fig 5.1 (: An Introduction) Predicts that magnetic fields produce a spiral pattern (Parker Spiral) First Observations USSR launches 1 (1959) Reaches > 100,000 km altitude (intended for , Khrushchev had ordered a new demonstration to coincide with political anniversary)

Included: Scintillation Counter, Geiger counter,

Measurements consistent with a solar wind - Australia received the data (real time only) - did not share ()

USA launches (1962) Mission to

Includes Solar Plasma Spectrometer

Marcia Neugebauer (JGR, 1966): Direct measurements of ions (< 2keV) Flow speeds of ~400 km/s Flow velocity variations (100’s km/s) Density variations Fast Forward ~60 years

Heliosphere System Observatory (HSO) - circa 2017 Fast Forward ~60 years Fast Forward ~60 years

DeForest et al. 2013 DeForest Video, SDO Video

Learned a lot about the Sun, the solar wind

STEREO A

Earth (Wind) The

The Sun’s gravity and energy output defines the Heliosphere and determines the dynamics of bodies

NASA/JSC Fisk+ 2005

ESA//NavCam ISAS/JAXA NASA Exploration of the Solar System is Very New Science!

Parker (83 yrs old in 2010) Me!

1st Solar Probe FIELDS science working group meeting (2010, Berkeley) Discussion on:

Act 1: History Act 2:

Solar Wind Science Unanswered Questions

Despite all this

Fundamental questions about the solar wind remain unanswered (!) Unanswered Questions

Despite all this

Fundamental questions about the solar wind remain unanswered (!)

Calvin and Hobbes, a comic by Bill Watterson Unanswered Questions

Despite all this

Fundamental questions about the solar wind remain unanswered (!)

Calvin and Hobbes, a comic by Bill Watterson Unanswered Questions

[1] What heats and accelerates the solar wind?

Acceleration to super-sonic speeds in a few Rs Solar wind self-heats (Parker, 1958) during propagation from Sun

Fast and slow wind accelerated by same (turbulent dissipation?) mechanism? different? (magnetic reconnection?)

Adiabatic prediction Observation Chen et al. 2013

Need to measure solar wind near it’s source - where remnants of acceleration processes are observable - where most heat added Unanswered Questions

[2] What solar structures are the source of the solar wind?

Evidence that slow solar wind enters space as blobs

While fast wind streams from coronal holes

Magnec field bundles ‘disconnect’ and travel outward

How do these ‘blobs’ smooth into the solar wind we see at Earth?

Need to Measure the wind near its source - How does solar surface structure dictate blob structure? - How and where does smoothing occur? Unanswered Questions

[3] How are solar energetic particles accelerated?

Solar Energec Parcle (SEP) events: Ions moving nearly the speed of light (!)

Associated with solar flares (somemes) Coronal Mass Ejecons (1%)

Gradual vs. impulsive, why?

Transport smears acceleraon signatures

SEPs can be dangerous to : - Astronauts - Spacecra electronics - Spacecra solar panels

Measure the wind near its source - What acceleration mechanisms act in SEP source regions? - How and where does smoothing occur? Discussion on:

Act 2: Solar Wind Science Act 3:

Preparing a Mission The Long Path to Flight

1958 - Parker’s paper on a supersonic solar wind 1958 - Simpson Committee recommends a Solar Probe 1958 - NASA founded 1962 - NASA’s Orbiting concept

1974 - 1 (West Germany) launches - to ~65 Rs 1976 - Helios 2 (West Germany) launches - to ~65 Rs 1978 - NASA Solar Probe concept study

1990 - NASA project concept study

2003 - National Research Council: Solar Probe mission “as soon as possible” 2003 - Solar Probe program cancelled by new NASA chief administrator 2005 - NASA: Solar Probe as “highest priority for new resources” 2008 - Solar Probe Mission Engineering Study Report 2008 - Reformulated as ‘Solar Probe Plus’

2010 - Proposals accepted for Solar Probe Plus Instruments 2010 - Engineering begins

2017 - Spacecraft and Instruments completed 2018 - Renamed ‘’, launched 2018 - First perihelion pass completed 2020 - Now The Long Path to Flight

1978-2008 Solar Probe Concept

3-4 Rs closest approach - - One-shot mission - Required nuclear power (RTGs) - Must survive extreme cold and heat, 4+ years to Jupiter and back

2009 ‘Solar Probe Plus’ Concept

9.5 Rs closest approach - Mulple Venus encounters - 19 orbits within 20 Rs - Solar powered spacecra

Note the antennas Design - Distance to the Sun

Mercury - 83 Rs Earth - 215 Rs Solar Probe close approach - 9.8 Rs

Photosphere - 1 Rs Helios - 65 Rs Venus - 155 Rs Design - Orbits

Prime Mission: 2018-2025

24 Orbits Perihelion steps down (36 Rs to 9.8 Rs) Venus gravity assists to lose angular velocity Design - Orbits

Prime Mission: 2018-2025

24 Orbits Perihelion steps down (36 Rs to 9.8 Rs) Venus gravity assists to lose angular velocity

We are here Design - Dangers

Temperature: - Heat shield + antennas: ~1500° C (~2600° F) - if > 2° poinng error, spacecra melts - Survival heaters needed far from Sun (heat shield cools too much) - Antennas + in full (Helios was mirrored - solder melted in test)

Radiaon: - Solar energec parcle (SEP) flux up drascally (closer to source) - Dangerous to spacecra electronics

Dust Impacts: - Spacecra velocity reaches ~ 180 km/s (fastest human-made object!) - Impacts can damage cooling system, solar arrays

Solar Arrays: - At close approach, fold back to avoid overheang - At Venus, extend to pull in enough power

Lifeme: - Design life: 6+ years Design - Spacecraft + Instruments

SWEAP Radiators FIELDS V1-V4 Faraday cup antennas SPC

High Gain Antenna

FIELDS Heat shield Search Coil magnetometer

Feathering Solar Panels FIELDS Fluxgate

WISPR imager ISOIS SWEAP SPAN i EPI-hi SWEAP FIELDS V5 EPI-lo SPAN e antenna Instruments: WISPR

WISPR (Naval Research Lab) - white-light imager - measuring light scattered from density variations - looks ~90 deg to Sun at close approach - two telescopes - images large-scale solar wind structures

Coronal streamer - PH01 Instruments: ISOIS

ISOIS (SouthWest Research Institute) - High energy particle instruments - Targeting SEP events

e- (keV) i+ i+ H, He, C, O, Ne, EPI Lo 25 - 1000 keV 20 keV / nuc Mg, Si, Fe He,He,C,N,O,Ne,N EPI Hi 0.5 - 6 MeV 100 MeV/nuc a,Mg,Al,Si,S,Ar,Ca, Cr,Fe,Ni Instruments: SWEAP

SWEAP (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory /UCBerkeley) - Low energy particle instruments - Targeting solar wind density, temperature, speed

e- i+ SPC 50 eV - 2 keV 100 eV - 8 keV SPAN 5 eV - 30 keV 5 eV - 30 keV Instruments: FIELDS

FIELDS (UCBerkeley/UMN/GSFC/LASP/LPC2E) - Measure electric / magnetic fields - DC to 20 MHz (ionospheric cutoff) - 5 antennas, 2 fluxgates, 1 search coil - Lots of electronics Built by CU

Top PSP @ LASP: Mary Bolton Mark Kein David Summers Magnus Karlsson Alan Yehle Vaughn Hoxie + many others (!)

DFB (Digital Fields Board)

Frequency range DC - 75 kHz Bottom Components ~2200 Power 2.14 W Mass 475 g Vol. 23.3 x 15.75 x 1.82 cm Radiation > 50 krad Operational Range -55 C to +75 C Operational Life > 6 years Solar Probe Pictures Solar Probe Pictures Discussion on: Act 3: Preparing a Mission Act 4:

a Mission to Touch the Sun Launch

August 12, 2018 - Cape Canaveral FL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dm4WUx7z1A First Perihelion

Bale+ 2019, First Perihelion

Bale+ 2019, Nature First Results • First 6 month after data returned • 4 Articles in Nature • 48 in the Astrophysical Journal • > 50 more since (!) First Results

Magnetic Switchbacks Dust Free Zone

NASA Bale+ 2019 Howard+ 2019 NASA Nature Nature Unexplained Angular Momentum Tiny Energetic Particle Streams

McComas+ 2019 Nature

Kasper+ 2019 Nature Sonification - Plasma Waves

Many thanks to Rick Wilder for the audio (!) Perihelion 6 - Sept. 27, 2020

Completed encounter 5 (!) June 7, 2020 - Stepping closer to the Sun (!) - 20 solar radii - never before explored realm

Currently inbound for encounter 6 (Sept. 27, 2020) Conclusion: A Breakthrough Era of Solar and Solar Wind Physics has Dawned

DKIST Solar Orbiter First Light: Jan 2020 Launched: Feb. 2020

Parker Solar Probe Launched: Aug. 2018 Now on Orbit 6/24

Prediction: We will learn more about the origins of the solar wind in the next 10 years than we have in the last 60 years Conclusion: A Breakthrough Era of Solar and Solar Wind Physics has Dawned

Thank you ! Discover More (!)

CU Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences: https://www.colorado.edu/aps/

CU Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics: https://lasp.colorado.edu/home/

LASP Space Plasma Group: https://lasp.colorado.edu/home/science/space-physics/

Solar Probe: http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/

Solar Orbiter: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter

DKIST: https://dkist.nso.edu/media

National Solar Observatory: https://nso.edu/

Learn about the Sun: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/overview/

Carrington Event (History Channel / National Geographic) https://www.history.com/news/a-perfect-solar-superstorm-the-1859-carrington-event https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/3/110302-solar-flares-sun-storms-earth-danger-carrington-event- science/