Summer 2016 REU Projects

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Project type and supervisor
  Project title and brief description
(Click title for details)
ribbon oscillation
Data analysis with 
Sean Brannon
  Flare Ribbon Substructure with IRIS
Flare ribbons are characteristic signatures of solar flares, and are an indirect consequence of the magnetic reconfiguration (known as reconnection) occurring higher in the solar atmosphere. The large and small scale structure of a flare ribbon as it evolves encodes information about conditions in the reconnection region. In this project, we will use observations taken with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) to identify flare ribbons which display evolving substructure and perform a preliminary imaging and spectral analysis on each event.  
explosive events
Data analysis with 
Angela Des Jardins
  Near Space Total Eclipse Solar Science
Approximately 60 student teams from colleges and universities across the country will conduct high altitude balloon flights from along the total eclipse path on August 21, 2017, sending live video and images from near space to the NASA website. This project will explore possible science questions using these observations from 80,000 - 100,000 feet in altitude, and how to answer those questions.  
reconnection
Data analysis with 
Ying Li
and
Jiong Qiu
  Dynamics of Solar Flare Loops: Spectral Diagnostics
Solar flares are energetic events in the solar atmosphere. The eruption of a solar flare releases energy and leads to plasma heating, particle acceleration, waves, mass flows, etc.. Mass motions are dynamic response to the flare heating and also plasma cooling in different evolution stages, represented by evaporation and condensation in the chromosphere and also plasma draining in the corona. In this project we will study these mass motions and their evolution throughout a solar flare.

shock
Modeling with 
Dana Longcope 
  Simulating A Solar Flare
Solar flares occur when a large amount of energy is converted into X-rays, heat, and supersonic fluid motion. Prior to the flare this energy is stored as magnetic field filling the atmosphere above sunspots and related features called active regions. The energy is released suddenly when an electric field changes the connectivity of several coronal magnetic field lines, which then retract rapidly. The fluid in these field line moves faster than the speed of sound and therefore creates shocks, which are believed to heat the plasma to tens of millions of Kelvins. In this project we will run numerical simulations to model this process.
MDI sunspots
Data analysis with 
Andres Munoz-Jaramillo
and
Dana Longcope
  Detection of Magnetic Regions in the Sun
Sunspots are manifestation of strong magnetic regions in the Sun. The number of these magnetic regions changes with the solar cycle, and their collective effect keeps the solar cycle going. Systematically monitoring these magnetic regions is very important for understanding how the solar cycle works. In this project, student will create a long-term detailed database of magnetic regions to study the solar cycle.
reconnection
Modeling with 
John Unverferth
and
Dana Longcope
  Modeling the Effects of Magnetic Field Variation on Solar Flares
Solar flares occur when a large amount of energy is converted to heat and fluid motion. Prior to the flare this energy is stored in a magnetic field filling the atmosphere. The energy is released suddenly when an electric field changes the connectivity of magnetic field lines in the corona. Solar flares occur in field lines which are weakest at the apex, and stronger at the feet. In this project, student will model magnetic energy release to understand the effects of this magnetic field variation on flare characteristics.
Optical instrumentation with
Joe Shaw
  Optical Instruments for Solar Eclipse Measurements
During a solar eclipse, the brightness and polarization of skylight is altered dramatically. Clear-sky radiance should be reduced by at least four orders of magnitude, while the polarization pattern should become azimuthally symmetric, centered at the zenith. Students on this project will help design and build instruments to observe an upcoming total solar eclipse in 2017. Students also will work with modeling and measuring atmospheric optical radiation.
SSEL Activities
Hardware development with 
David Klumpar 
and
John Sample
  Space Hardware Development: Space Flight Systems for Space Science
Join our Small Satellite Team for Summer 2016! MSU's Space Science and Engineering Laboratory (SSEL) involves science and engineering students in highly responsible roles associated with the development of space flight systems for scientific applications. The student(s) will develop spaceflight hardware through design, development, and testing as a member of an interdisciplinary project student team. Participants must be U.S. citizens.