Heliophysics Research Focus Areas for a new

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Heliophysics Research Focus Areas for a
new Heliophysics Roadmap
A summary of suggested updates to the
current RFA, and some possible outcomes
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There were many, wide ranging suggestions on how
the RFAs might be modified to better reflect an
updated set of heliophysics science goals

• I thought they were basically fine
• The main RFAs are OK, but the sub-questions need
  better focus/leave out some important science
  questions.
• These RFAs contain baffling wording, left out
  lttopicgt, and this whole section ltXgt (read, J)
  does not define a focused area of scientific
  research.

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There were many, wide ranging suggestions on how
the RFAs might be modified to better reflect an
updated set of heliophysics science goals

• I had to read all the sub-questions to reverse
  engineer the actual meaning of the specific RFA
• This is hopeless, I rewrote all of them.

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F Frontier to Prediction? How about
FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE

• F1. Understand magnetic reconnection as revealed
  in solar ?ares, coronal mass ejections, and
  geospace storms.
• F2. Understand the plasma processes that
  accelerate and transport particles.
• F3. Understand the role of plasma and neutral
  interactions in nonlinear coupling of regions
  throughout the solar system.
• F4. Understand the creation and variability of
  magnetic dynamos and how they drive the dynamics
  of solar, planetary and stellar environments.

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F Frontier to Prediction? How about
FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE

• F1. Understand magnetic reconnection as revealed
  in solar ?ares, coronal mass ejections, and
  geospace storms.
• Why just in these places?
• Reconnection in the solar wind
• Reconnection in the magnetospheres of outer
  planets
• SUGGEST AGNOSTIC READING
• Understand the conditions under which magnetic
  reconnection occurs, and the consequences
  thereof, followed by an appropriate list of
  locations, scales, etc. in expanded list of
  sub-questions.

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F Frontier to Prediction? How about
FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE

• F2. Understand the plasma processes that
  accelerate and transport particles.
• What about - acceleration and transport of
  neutral particles,  
• What about - understand multi-step acceleration
  processes.
• What about specifically calling out waves and
  turbulence in the RFA?
• Suggested F2. Understand plasma processes such
  as waves and turbulence, which can accelerate
  particles and transport mass and energy.

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F Frontier to Prediction? How about
FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE

• F3. Understand the role of plasma and neutral
  interactions in nonlinear coupling of regions
  throughout the solar system.
• Why nonlinear?
• The sub-questions did not mention coupling the
  IMT with the lower atmosphere

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F Frontier to Prediction? How about
FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE

• F4. Understand the creation and variability of
  magnetic dynamos and how they drive the dynamics
  of solar, planetary and stellar environments.
• This is Heliophysics?
• Where do atmosphere-ionosphere dynamos fit?
• Rewrite to "understand the creation and
  variability of the solar dynamos and its
  relationship to planetary stellar dynamos".

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H - Our Home In Space Understand how human
society, technological systems, and the
habitability of planets are affected by solar
variability interacting with planetary magnetic
?elds and atmospheres.

• H1. Understand the causes and subsequent
  evolution of solar activity that affects Earths
  space climate and environment.
• H2. Determine changes in the Earths
  magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere
  to enable speci?cation, prediction, and
  mitigation of their effects.
• H3. Understand the role of the Sun as an energy
  source to Earths atmosphere and, in particular,
  the role of solar variability in driving change.
• H4. Apply our understanding of space plasma
  physics to the role of stellar activity and
  magnetic shielding in planetary system evolution
  and habitability.

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H - Our Home In Space Understand how human
society, technological systems, and the
habitability of planets are affected by solar
variability interacting with planetary magnetic
?elds and atmospheres.

• H1. Understand the causes and subsequent
  evolution of solar activity that affects Earths
  space climate and environment.
• H2. Determine changes in the Earths
  magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere
  to enable speci?cation, prediction, and
  mitigation of their effects.
• H3. Understand the role of the Sun as an energy
  source to Earths atmosphere and, in particular,
  the role of solar variability in driving change.
• H4. Apply our understanding of space plasma
  physics to the role of stellar activity and
  magnetic shielding in planetary system evolution
  and habitability.

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H - Our Home In Space

• H1. Understand the causes and subsequent
  evolution of solar activity that affects Earths
  space climate and environment.
• RFA is OK but questions are too narrow one
  table suggested shortening to"...and subsequent
  evolution of solar activity.
• H2. Determine changes in the Earths
  magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere
  to enable speci?cation, prediction, and
  mitigation of their effects.
• Fails to acknowledge upward propagation of
  energy from planetary surfaces/atmospheres that
  modifies the planetary space environment

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H - Our Home In Space

• H3. Understand the role of the Sun as an energy
  source to Earths atmosphere and, in particular,
  the role of solar variability in driving change.
• Reads poorly. variability in driving change. ?
  
• role of SEPs in driving isotopic composition.
• H.3.3 Should simply read How does long
  mid-term solar variability affect Earths
  climate?
• H4. Apply our understanding of space plasma
  physics to the role of stellar activity and
  magnetic shielding in planetary system evolution
  and habitability.
• Why is this here?
• Do any HPS proposals ever reference this?  It's
  OK to leave it in for linkage with planetary
  astrophysics or it might be deleted if there is
  desire to reduce the number of RFA's.

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J
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Safeguard the Journey of Exploration Maximize
the safety and productivity of human and robotic
explorers by developing the capability to predict
the extreme and dynamic conditions in space. J1.
Characterize the variability, extremes, and
boundary conditions of the space environments
that will be encountered by human and robotic
explorers. J2. Develop the capability to predict
the origin and onset of solar activity and
disturbances associated with potentially
hazardous space weather events. J3. Develop the
capability to predict the propagation and
evolution of solar disturbances to enable safe
travel for human and robotic explorers. J4.
Understand and characterize the space weather
effects on and within planetary environments to
minimize risk in exploration activities.
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J1 J4 could be combined. The distinction
between them is subtle.   J4 is very strongly
aimed at Mars exploration--still necessary? J2
J3 contain good science and are clearly written
but their science topics could have also have
been included in F and H entries if J were to
disappear. J2 J3 could be combined, although
the physics involved in "origin and onset"is very
different from "propagation evolution.  
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• J4 Impact -- Needs lots of work.... what is
  really minimizing risk, and what is fundamental
  (and thus should be in F)