Summer 2008 REU Projects

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Project type and supervisor
  Project title and brief description
(Click title for details)
Flare
reconnection model and flare observations
Data analysis with 
Maria Kazachenko  and
Jiong Qiu 
  Magnetic Reconnection in Solar Eruptive Events
Flares are spectacular manifestations of explosive energy release in the Sun's atmosphere. It is understood that the energy to fuel flares is provided by the Sun's magnetic fields, most probably through a physical process called magnetic reconnection. In this project, we will search for better understanding of the relationship between magnetic reconnection and large-scale eruptions.  
Interferogram
Hardware development with 
Tom Rust 
and
Charles Kankelborg 
  Extreme Ultraviolet Optics for Space Flight.
Much of what we know about the solar atmosphere comes from space based extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations. The Multi-Order Solar EUV Spectrograph (MOSES) is a rocket payload built at MSU that was launched successfully in February 2006. The goal of this project is to enhance the performance of the MOSES payload by developing new instrument testing techniques.  
A
partitioned magnetogram
Data analysis with 
Dana Longcope 
  How do the Magnetic Pieces Fit Together?
The Sun's activity is caused by the interaction between the different magnetic regions on its visible surface, such as sunspots. The student will learn about the structure of the magnetic field in the solar atmosphere and the Physics underlying the energetic activity which it drives, for example solar flares.  
Twisted magnetic fields
Data analysis with 
Dibyendu Nandi 
and
Richard Canfield 
  Measurement and Analysis of Solar Active Region Twist
Solar active regions are comprised of concentrated magnetic fields. When stressed by twisting, these fields contain energy that can subsequently be released via explosive eruptions such as Flares or Coronal Mass Ejections. In this project, the student will learn how to quantify magnetic field twist through the reduction and analysis of solar magnetogram instrument data.  
SSEL Activities
Hardware development with 
David Klumpar 
  Space Hardware Development: Space Flight Systems
The student(s) will develop spaceflight hardware through design, development, and testing as a member of an interdisciplinary project student team.  
Magnetic field lines
Numerical modeling with 
Charles Kankelborg 
  Numerical Modeling of Solar Magnetic Fields
The student will simulate solar magnetic fields and eruptive events using a new numerical model. The student will learn about equilibria and instabilities in magnetized plasmas, modeling techniques and visualization of 3D numerical data.  
Supra-Arcade Downflows
Data analysis with 
Sabrina Savage
and
David McKenzie
  Reconnection Observations: The Bigger Picture
When magnetic fields rearrange themselves in a solar flare through the process of magnetic reconnection, newly formed magnetic loops retract away from the reconnection site at speeds of hundreds of km/s. The student will learn to gather data from several satellite instruments and process the images in order to find and track these flows close to the Sun as well as much farther out.