Colloquium: Christian Vocks (AIP)

Exploring the inner heliosphere with combined LOFAR and Parker Solar Probe / Solar Orbiter observations

The phenomena of the active Sun, like flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), have significant influence on Earth and our technical civilization. This is usually referred to as "Space Weather". Flares and CMEs accelerate electrons and ions to high energies. These particles are studied both remotely by ground- and space-based telescopes, and in situ by spacecraft. Energetic electrons emit radio waves as they move through the coronal plasma. This plasma emission is observed by radio telescopes, e.g. LOFAR. Since the frequency decreases with plasma density higher in the solar atmosphere, and radio waves below 10 MHz cannot pass Earth's ionosphere, spacecraft are needed to continue observations further into interplanetary space. They are also required for measuring energetic particles and observations of X-ray emission in the corona. Therefore, combining LOFAR and spacecraft data provides new insights into the physical processes in the region where the solar corona turns into the solar wind. Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and Solar Orbiter are two missions currently exploring the inner heliosphere. I'll present LOFAR observing campaigns during PSP perihelia, that cover the Sun and it's surroundings by making use of LOFAR's capability of running multiple observing modes in parallel, and show how they connect the corona with the heliosphere. I'll further present results on type III electron beam observations during an M class flare on their way through the outer corona into interplanetary space.

• Date:
  Dec. 3, 2020, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
  
  
• Location:

  Virtual lecture hall (Schwarzschildhaus), Zoom

  
  
• Contact:
  Silva Järvinen