Advisors: Adam Kobelski and Roger Scott
Solar magnetic reconnection happens on a variety of scales. While the largest events can release around 10^32 ergs of energy, they occur infrequently and involve a large number of complicating factors. Smaller events, such as Active Region Transient Brightenings (ARTBs), release 10^25-10^29 ergs and occur significantly more frequently. ARTBs are also easier to describe with current numerical models. We aim to use observations of ARTBs in order to better understand the mechanisms behind magnetic reconnection.
The student will obtain data from the Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) onboard Yohkoh and the X-Ray Telescope (XRT) on Hinode and use a software suite to search for ARTBs. The results from the software will then be used to develop a statistical analysis of ARTB. The project will also entail using numerical codes to model the observed ARTBs as a bundle of unresolved strands evolving independently. The qualified student will use a UNIX type operating system, as well as IDL. Prior knowledge of these particular systems is not required, though previous programming experience is advantageous.