Max Millennium Coordinated Observing Plan #11

MAX MILLENNIUM COORDINATED OBSERVING PLAN # 011

Scientific Goal and Observational Approach | GBO Observing Program | Space Mission Observing Program | Target of Opportunity | Scheduling Considerations

TITLE:	Eruptive Flares Associated with Sigmoids (TOO)
AUTHORS:	Richard Canfield (canfield@physics.montana.edu) HESSI/MSU Hugh Hudson (hudson@isass1.solar.isas.ac.jp) Yohkoh SXT/ISAS Sarah Gibson (sg273@damtp.cam.ac.uk) DAMTP/Cambridge Lyndsay Fletcher (lyndsay@astro.gla.ac.uk) TRACE/Glasgow
VERSION:	29 November 2000
SUMMARY:	This is a target-of-opportunity plan which will be carried out when/if a sigmoidal active region appears. The purpose of the Max Millennium plan is to add flare observations to SOHO's multi-wavelength active-region observations, which will document the topology of the preflare and postflare active region as well as possible. The goal of the flare observations is to determine where in this evolving topology particle acceleration and energy release take place. If flare observations are successfully obtained, coordinated analysis of the flare data will be the focus of a Max Millennium Coordinated Data Analysis Workshop.

SCIENTIFIC GOAL AND OBSERVATIONAL APPROACH

The scientific goal of this plan is to understand where flare particle acceleration and impulsive energy release take place within the thermodynamic and magnetic topology of an erupting sigmoid. It is expected that multiwavelength observations of flares will aid in discriminating between the very different topologies that have recently been proposed. The observational approach is to:

Obtain preflare and postflare photospheric longitudinal and vector magnetograms of a sigmoidal active region over several days. The longitudinal magnetograms will be used to track footpoint motions. The vector magnetograms will be used for non-linear force-free magnetic field extrapolation.
Obtain preflare and postflare X-ray, EUV, visible, and radio observations of the active region over a wide variety of temperatures over several days. These images will be used to infer the 3-D structure of the sigmoid and its temporal evolution.
Obtain optical, EUV, radio, soft X-ray and hard X-ray images and spectra of flares that occur within the sigmoid as it erupts, to observationally define:

when and where in the evolving sigmoid the energy release, particle acceleration, and particle precipitation takes place,
the motion of the plasma and magnetic field that is associated with the eruption.

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GBO OBSERVING PROGRAM

Participating Observatories:

Bailkal Solar Vacuum Telescope	details	Contact: Larisa Kashapova or Natalia Firstova, ISTP, Irkutsk
Big Bear Solar Observatory (BIG)	details	Contact: Haimin Wang, NJIT
Crimean Astrophysical Observatory	details	Contact: N.N. Stepanian, CRAO
El Leoncito Solar Observatory (ELL)	details	Contact: Marta Rovira, IAFE, Buenos Aires
GCT, VIT, DOT, SVST	JOP_97	Contact: Karin Muglach, AIP
Helio Research	JOP_106	Contact: Sara Martin, Helio Research
Hida Domeless Solar Telescope	details	Contact: Hiroki Kurokawa, Kyoto University
Hiraiso Solar Terrestrial Research Center	details	Contact: Maki Akioka, CRL
Huairou Solar Station	details	Contact: Hongqi Zhang, BAO
Itapetinga Radio Observatory (ITA)	details	Contact: Emilia Correia or Pierre Kaufmann, CRAAM/CRAAE
Kitt Peak	details	Contact: Jack Harvey, NSO
Kitt Peak Tower Telescope	details	Contact: David Rust, JHU/APL
Marshall Space Flight Center (MAR)	details	Contact: Mona Hagyard, MSFC
Mauna Loa Observatory (MAU)	JOP_106	Contact: Joan Burkepile, HAO
Mees Solar Observatory (MEE)	JOP_106	Contact: Barry Labonte, Mees Solar Obs, IfA
Meudon Observatory	details	Contact: Jean-Marie Malherbe, Observatoire de Paris
Modra Astronomical Observatory	JOP_106	Contact: Michael Sersen, Modra
Nançay Radioheliograph (NAN)	details	Contact: Nicole Vilmer, Meudon
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka (MIT)	details	Contact: Takashi Sakurai, NAOJ
Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NOB)	details	Contact: Kiyoto Shibasaki, NRO
Ooty, Nagoya, EISCAT	JOP_106	Contact: Sarah Gibson, Cambridge
Oporto Radiospectrograph (OPO)	details	Contact: A. S. de Magalhaes, U Porto
Owens Valley Radio Observatory Solar Array (OWE)	details	Contact: Dale E. Gary, NJIT or Kjell Nelin, OVRO
RATAN 600 Radiotelescope (RAT)	details	Contact: Vladimir Bogod, Special Astrophysical Observatory
Sonora Solar Observing Station (SON)	details	Contact: Antonio Sanchez, EOS/CIFUS/UNISON
SOONSPOT	details	Contact: Alan Kiplinger, SEC, CU
Trieste Astronomical Observatory (TRI)	details	Contact: Mauro Messerotti or Paolo Zlobec, TAO

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SPACE MISSION OBSERVING PROGRAM

SOHO (EIT)	Contact: Barbara Thompson, SOHO, GSFC
SUMMARY	The plan is linked with JOP106, Sigmoidal Active Region Study for Whole Sun Month #3 .

Yohkoh (SXT)	Contact: Hugh Hudson, SXT, ISAS
SUMMARY	Standard observing modes with SXT and HXT providing thermal and nonthermal plasma diagnostics and 3D structural evolution, as well as high-energy electron parameters during flares.

TRACE (TRA)	Contact: Lyndsay Fletcher, TRACE, CfA
SUMMARY	This plan is linked with JOP106, Sigmoidal Active Region Study for Whole Sun Month #3 .

INTERBALL-Tail (INT)	Contact: Marek Siarkowski, SRC, PAS
SUMMARY	Full disk X-ray photometry from the INTERBALL RF-15I instrument. Energy range about 1 kev and 10-15-30-60-120-240 keV with time resolution 0.125 - 8 sec.

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TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY

The target for this campaign will be a sigmoid in the Eastern hemisphere. The region will be followed over several days, ideally over the west limb. If the sigmoid does not appear likely to produce a flare, or a strong flaring region is present elsewhere on the disk, a Max Millennium campaign will not be called. The Yohkoh SXT Chief Observer will issue a message when he/she spots a sigmoid that is likely to produce a flare. Announcements will be made via the Max Millennium MOTD e-mail list. To make sure you subscribe to the Max Millennium MOTD list, go to the Max Millennium E-mail and Hypermail page.
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SCHEDULING CONSIDERATIONS

This plan will be put into operation (along with SOHO JOP 106, if possible) any time a suitable target is present for the indefinite future.
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