Strengthening the Weakest Links in the Solar Connections Chain
Solar Connections will allow us to:
- Understand the flow of energy through the complex transition region
between space and the lower atmosphere, using remote sensing and imaging
techniques, with the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and
Dynamics (TIMED) spacecraft.
- Obtain images and spectra of solar flare explosions on the Sun with
the High Energy Solar Imager (HESI), to pinpoint the location and dynamics
of high-energy processes.
- Obtain the first images of the complete magnetosphere using the
Magnetosphere Imager (MI), to determine the shape of the magnetosphere and
how it changes in response to interplanetary disturbances.
- Obtain the first direct in-situ measurements in the Sun's
corona and unprecedented views of the Sun from the Solar Probe. The
objective is to understand the mechanisms that heat the extended solar
atmosphere and accelerate the solar wind.
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representation of the figure at the top of the page.
Solar Connections: A Science Initiative for NASA Space Physics
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