Comments on: "Eight Minutes of Terror": Solar Physicists Find a Supersonic Way to See the Transition Region http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/06/eight-minutes-of-terror-solar-physicists-find-a-supersonic-way-to-see-the-transition-region/ Space and astronomy news Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:14:11 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Matthew Lewis http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/06/eight-minutes-of-terror-solar-physicists-find-a-supersonic-way-to-see-the-transition-region/comment-page-1/#comment-41601 Matthew Lewis Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:25:18 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17786#comment-41601 I worked on this project as a summer student and can offer a little insight as to why it was not flown on a satellite. The main problem is that it is too experimental. No one has ever tried to do magnetic field mapping in the UV before (it doesn't make sense unless you're in a vacuum) . In general, the cost of putting it on a satellite is too much for an instrument that no one's ever made before. This project is much more of a proof of concept and if it works, maybe a similar instrument will earn a place on a future satellite. I worked on this project as a summer student and can offer a little insight as to why it was not flown on a satellite. The main problem is that it is too experimental. No one has ever tried to do magnetic field mapping in the UV before (it doesn't make sense unless you're in a vacuum) . In general, the cost of putting it on a satellite is too much for an instrument that no one's ever made before. This project is much more of a proof of concept and if it works, maybe a similar instrument will earn a place on a future satellite.

]]> By: Vino http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/06/eight-minutes-of-terror-solar-physicists-find-a-supersonic-way-to-see-the-transition-region/comment-page-1/#comment-32102 Vino Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:03:26 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17786#comment-32102 Hi! I am bit confused by both the article and the comments thereof...I thought that TRACE was a spacecraft dedicated to TR and Coronal exploration and also that such an important region is not so far studied....I am not a solar physicist still was very suprised ... Hi! I am bit confused by both the article and the comments thereof…I thought that TRACE was a spacecraft dedicated to TR and Coronal exploration and also that such an important region is not so far studied….I am not a solar physicist still was very suprised …

]]> By: Ian O'Neill http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/06/eight-minutes-of-terror-solar-physicists-find-a-supersonic-way-to-see-the-transition-region/comment-page-1/#comment-32090 Ian O'Neill Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:23:44 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17786#comment-32090 It is odd Astrofiend. As Cirtain said, "it's bad luck" that this zone hadn't been studied, it is a bit odd too. The TR holds the key to coronal heating and solar wind acceleration, so these results would be great.. When I was working on TRACE data, I was surprised that the probe didn't have a spectrometer on board capable of seeing the TR. Although a sounding rocket is a good idea, it probably wont revolutionize solar physics quite yet... Cheers! Ian It is odd Astrofiend. As Cirtain said, "it's bad luck" that this zone hadn't been studied, it is a bit odd too. The TR holds the key to coronal heating and solar wind acceleration, so these results would be great.. When I was working on TRACE data, I was surprised that the probe didn't have a spectrometer on board capable of seeing the TR. Although a sounding rocket is a good idea, it probably wont revolutionize solar physics quite yet…

Cheers!

Ian

]]> By: Astrofiend http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/06/eight-minutes-of-terror-solar-physicists-find-a-supersonic-way-to-see-the-transition-region/comment-page-1/#comment-32076 Astrofiend Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:53:40 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17786#comment-32076 "so Cirtain's team will have all the information they'll ever need about the magnetic field in the transition region: both magnetic filed strength and direction." All the data they'll ever need?! I bet they wish they had this thing flying on Hinode, STEREO or some other dedicated solar observation spacecraft so they could get more data than an eight minute flight will allow... Still, great to see that somebody is chasing some interesting science - best of luck to them. From what's been described, it sounds like a critically important region in the scheme of solar physics - I'm surprised that it remains completely unexplored... "so Cirtain's team will have all the information they'll ever need about the magnetic field in the transition region: both magnetic filed strength and direction."

All the data they'll ever need?! I bet they wish they had this thing flying on Hinode, STEREO or some other dedicated solar observation spacecraft so they could get more data than an eight minute flight will allow…

Still, great to see that somebody is chasing some interesting science – best of luck to them.

From what's been described, it sounds like a critically important region in the scheme of solar physics – I'm surprised that it remains completely unexplored…

]]>