IHY Science Themes

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IHY Science Themes

• N. U. Crooker
• and G. L. Siscoe

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Topics

• Better science or just more science?
• Objectives of IHY predecessors
• Themes from US Planning Meeting
• Universal processes theme
• Motivation, meaning, examples
• Process vs. phenomena tables
• Historical context and implications for future
• Explicit incorporation into IHY objectives
• Leveraging CEDAR, GEM, and SHINE

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IHYBetter science or just more science?

• Organized programs bring focus to what are
  otherwise individually-directed efforts
• cf. AGU Meetings, where The individual
  presentations tend to take on very narrow slices
  of the universe. No one gives a talk titled
  Whats It All About? Or Geophysics The Big
  Picture. Or Our Friend, the Sun. No, here
  are the scintillating titles of some of the
  talks.......To the lay person it might seem
  pointless, but a better word would be
  pointillist. They are adding a little dot of
  datum to what slowly emerges as a coherent
  picture of the world. Joel Achenbach, The
  Washington Post
• Focus of organized programs accelerates emergence
  of coherent view
• cf. CEDAR, GEM, SHINE

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IHY PredecessorsProgression of Program Objectives
Objectives

• Program
• 1st International Polar Year 1882
• 2nd International Polar Year 1932
• International Geophysical Year 1957
• International Quiet Sun Year 1964
• International M'spheric Study 1976
• Solar-Terr. Energy Program 1990

Synoptic obs network of polar stations Map
phenomena
Add third dimension Explore upper atmosphere
Add Antarctica and space Explore space
Add solar min. Complement IGY
Add SSC and CDAWs Study system complexity
Add numerical modeling Study integrated
interactive system
Primary theme Synoptic studiesSecondary theme
Underlying physics
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Proposed IHY Campaign Themes

• Traditional synoptic studies
• End-to-end solar terrestrial system
• small, widely distributed observatories
• participation by developing countries
• Extension to the new frontier at the local
  interstellar medium
• Underlying physics
• Comparative studies of universal heliophysical
  processes

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Motivation for Studies of Universal Processes
It cannot be emphasized too strongly that
the development of a solid understanding of the
magnetic activity, occurring in so many forms in
so many circumstances in the astronomical
universe, can be achieved only by coordinated
study of the various forms of activity that are
accessible to quantitative observation in the
solar system. E. Parker Cosmical Magnetic
Fields
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Context for Study of Universal Processes

• Division of the Universe
• Gravitationally organized matter planets, stars,
  galaxies
• Magnetically organized matter sunspots,
  magnetospheres, stellar and galactic spiral
  fields, galactic plumes
• Interactions between divisions
• Planetary ionospheres
• Solar and stellar winds
• Galactic cosmic rays

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Organization of Research
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Heliophysical Exemplars of Universal Processes
inMagnetically Organized Matter
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Studies of Universal Processes

• Cross-disciplinary comparative approach
• Search for
• Organizing principles
• Universal laws
• Examples

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Comparative Magnetosphere/Ionospheres
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Comparative Cross-Scale Coupling
Coronal Mass Ejections And Substorms
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Comparative Sudden Energy Conversions
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Comparative Particle Acceleration
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Universal relationship between magnetic flux and
power dissipated through coronal heating
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Comparative SMEs
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Systematizing our Science

• Tables of Phenomena vs. Processes
• Solar WG example from US Planning Workshop
• Draft for Magnetospheres and Ionospheres WG
• New tables for cross-disciplinary studies
  Comparative objects vs.
• Processes
• Magnetic Structures
• Flows and Circulations

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Ionospheres and Magnetospheres
Polar wind
M/I coupling
Ring currents
Plasma sheets
Cusp/mantle
Substorms
Radio emissions
Plasmaspheres
Micropulsations
Magnetosheath
Auroras
Ionospheric storms
Ell
Radiation belts
Ionosphere layers
Magnetosphere/tail
Bow shocks
Global currents
BBFs turbulence
FACs
Reconnection
Convection
S
S
S
E
E
E
E
Wave/particle int.
E
E
Accel. Fermi 1
E
S
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
S
E
Accel. Fermi 2
S
S
S
S
E
S
E
Drift
E
E
S
Charge exchange
S
E
Photoionization
E
J
E
S
E
S
Impact ionization
J
E
E
Recombination
E
E
Outflow
E
E
J
Precipitation
E
S
S
Ell mechanisms
S
S
E
E
E
E
MHD instabilities
E
E
E
Microinstabilities
S
S
E
E
S
S
S
S
S
Standing waves
S
S
S
S
Diffusion
S
E
E
E
Pressure pulses
S
E
Coupled system
S
S
S
S
E
E
S
S
S
S
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KEY TO SYMBOLS Color Unknown or
controversial Known or not controversial Sun Ac
Arcades C Corona CM Nascent CMEs P
Prominences/filaments S Sunspots Interplanetary
(IP) Medium CIR CIRs CME CMEs HCS Heliospheric
current sheet SW Solar wind Planets 1,2 Region
1 2 current systems AC auroral current
systems BS Bow shock MP Magnetopause MT
magnetosphere-tail Pl plasmoids Pm Plasma
Mantle R Boundary tail reconnection sites R1
Region 1 current system T Tail T plus
magnetopause T plus corotation sheet
Magnetic Structures
Flux ropes
Global current systems
Magnetosheaths
Dipole geometries
X-geometries
Standing MHD waves
Magnetotails
Current sheets
Cusp geometries
FAC systems
Coupled systems
Magnetospheres
Sun
IP Medium
Ac
CM
CM
CM
S,P
Comets
CMECIR
HCS
HCS
CME
Mercury
X
X
X
Objects for Comparative Studies
Venus
X
X
X
X
X
T
MT
Earth
X
X
X
Mars
X
X
X
BS MP/PM
X
R
T
1,2
R1
MT
X
Pl
Jupiter
X
X
X
Saturn
AC Io
X
X
MT
BS MP/PM
X
T
X
X
X
R
X
Uranus
BS MP/PM
X
X
X
X
T
MT
X
X
R
AC
X
Neptune
BS MP/PM
X
X
X
X
R
T
MT
X
X
X
AC
Outer heliosphere
BS MP/PM
X
X
X
X
R
T
MT
AC
X
X
X
X
X
HCS
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KEY TO SYMBOLS Color Unknown or
controversial Known or not controversial Sun
Corona Ac Arcades AR Active regions CZ
Convective Zone EP Eruptive prominences G
Granulation S Sunspots SW Solar
wind Interplanetary (IP) Medium CIR CIRs CMS
CME sheaths Planets Etc. A Aurora C
Convection BBF Bursty bulk flows HP
Heliopause HS Heliosheath IP ionopause IS
Ionosheath MP Magnetopause SS Storms or
substorms S/T Sheath and tail T Tail
Flows Circulations
Field-distorting flows
Differential rotation
Differential corotation
Bursty flows
Turbulence
Convection
Vortex/spirals
Shears
Corotation
Outflows
Sun
IP Medium
AR
CZ
SW
Ac
G
S
X
EP
Comets
X
X
CIR
X
CMS
Mercury
MS T
S/T
IP
X
S/T
Objects for Comparative Studies
Venus
IS T
MP
SS
X
X
Earth
IS T
X
IP
X
Mars
MP C
SS BBF
MS T
A
X
X
X
S/T
Jupiter
IS T
X
IP
X
Saturn
MS T
MP C
X
SS
X
X
S/T
A
Io
Uranus
MS T
MP C
A
SS
S/T
X
X
Titan
X
Neptune
MS T
MP C
X
X
SS
S/T
A
Outer heliosphere
MP C
MS T
A
X
X
SS
S/T
HP
HS
S/T
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Beyond IHY

• Why strive to establish what we do as a universal
  science like chemistry or biology?
• Being basic science, it balances the relatively
  healthy applied space weather thrust
• It makes us relevant to the larger science
  enterprise
• It may be the most viable way to maintain the
  health of the field in face of dwindling funding

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Sputnik gave birth to Heliophysics as a
privileged field

• Launched on October 4, 1957, Sputnik was billed
  by the Soviet Union as a contribution to the IGY.
  It was that and much more (McDougal 1985). The
  satellite was a tribute to modern dreams of space
  exploration. It was a hitchhiker on the Soviet
  Unions new intercontinental ballistic missile.
  It was an avowal of that nations desire to be
  second to none. Together with subsequent Soviet
  space firsts, Sputnik triggered a rapid buildup
  of American missile forces, motivated the
  creation of NASA, and stimulated a major
  expansion in funding for scientific and
  engineering research.... Nothing less, most
  Americans believed, would maintain the nations
  security and prestige. Karl Hufbauer,
  Exploring the Sun

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Heliophysics as Academic Subject

• Privileged position led to soft money jobs at
  expense of academic posts
• Need not only texts onheliophysics but
  universitydepartments that teach it
• Meteorology had similar struggle in early part
  of the 20th century

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Status of Heliophysics

• Currently slipping into single-pillar supporting
  role
• Need to fight for second pillar
• Justification
• National prestige?
• Relevance as a universal science?

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IHY Role

• Promote heliophysics as a universal science
• Incorporate idea in stated objectives

2. Global study of the Sun-heliosphere system
outward to the heliopause to understand the
external, and historic drivers of geophysical
change Replace with 2. Promote research on the
Sun-heliosphere system outward to the local
interstellar mediumthe new frontier. 3.
Facilitate studies of the physical processes that
cross discipline boundaries to promote
heliophysics as a basic science with space as its
laboratory.
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CEDAR, GEM, and SHINE Roles

• To leverage existing community efforts, Steering
  Committee Chairs will
• tell us about current challenges and projects
• extract aspects that address universal processes
• help organize IHY campaigns to conduct
  cross-disciplinary studies
• Synoptic studies that cross at boundaries
• Comparative studies of universal processes