Advisors: Sabrina Savage & David McKenzie
When magnetic fields rearrange themselves in a solar flare through the process of magnetic reconnection, the newly formed magnetic loops retract away from the reconnection site at speeds of hundreds of km/s. These reconnection outflow events, termed SADs (or Supra-Arcade Downflows) have been observed close to the solar surface by various solar satellites including Yohkoh, TRACE, and very recently, Hinode. Over the past few years, we have developed software to detect and track these SADs close to the Sun. Similar events have been observed on a much larger scale by the coronagraphic imager SoHO/LASCO, which monitors the corona at heights greater than one solar radius above the solar surface. Determining if there is a link between these flare signatures may provide vital clues into understanding the magnetic mechanisms behind eruptions on the solar surface.
The participating student will learn to gather data from several satellite instruments and process the images in order to find and track downflows close to the limb as well as those seen in the LASCO field of view. The student will determine what temporal and spatial links, if any, there are between the observed downflows and then apply this knowledge to proposed reconnection models which will ultimately enhance our understanding of solar flare energetics. A qualifying student should have computer experience and writing skills. Knowledge of a programming language, such as IDL or C, is highly desired.