Science development study for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST): Solar and stellar observations

<ns3:p>Observations at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths offer a complementary perspective on our Sun and other stars, offering significant insights into both the thermal and magnetic composition of their chromospheres. Despite the fundamental progress in (sub-)millimeter observations of the Sun, some important aspects require diagnostic capabilities that are not offered by existing observatories. In particular, simultaneous observations of the radiation continuum across an extended frequency range would facilitate the mapping of different layers and thus ultimately the 3D structure of the solar atmosphere. Mapping large regions on the Sun or even the whole solar disk at a very high temporal cadence would be crucial for systematically detecting and following the temporal evolution of flares, while synoptic observations, i.e., daily maps, over periods of years would provide an unprecedented view of the solar activity cycle in this wavelength regime. As our Sun is a fundamental reference for studying the atmospheres of active main sequence stars, observing the Sun and other stars with the same instrument would unlock the enormous diagnostic potential for understanding stellar activity and its impact on exoplanets. The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST), a single-dish telescope with 50m aperture proposed to be built in the Atacama desert in Chile, would be able to provide these observational capabilities. Equipped with a large number of detector elements for probing the radiation continuum across a wide frequency range, AtLAST would address a wide range of scientific topics including the thermal structure and heating of the solar chromosphere, flares and prominences, and the solar activity cycle. In this white paper, the key science cases and their technical requirements for AtLAST are discussed.</ns3:p>

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Publication Details

Journal
Open Research Europe
Published
2024-12-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.17453.2
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.33

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article

Science development study for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST): Solar and stellar observations

Hugh S. Hudson, Sven Wedemeyer, G. G. Motorina, Gregory D. Fleishman et al.
4 citations
Open Research Europe
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
1.33
article

Science development study for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST): Solar and stellar observations

Hugh S. Hudson, Sven Wedemeyer, G. G. Motorina, Gregory D. Fleishman, Mark Booth, D. Sudar, Thomas J. Maccarone, C. Cicone, Luca Di Mascolo, J. E. R. Costa, Alexander E. Thelen, Fabian Menezes, Antonio Hales, Pamela Klaassen, A. Saintonge, John Orlowski-Scherer, Doug Johnstone, Dale E. Gary, S. Gunár, Atul Mohan, Paulo J. A. Simões, Ivica Skokić, S. M. White, Martin Cordiner, C. L. Selhorst, C. G. Giménez de Castro, A. Pellizzoni, Yi Chai, Tony Mroczkowski, M. W. L. Smith, Maryam Saberi, Daizhong Liu, E. van Kampen, M. Bárta, Mats Kirkaune, Minju Lee, M. Shimojo, Roman Brajša
article en
4 citations

Abstract

<ns3:p>Observations at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths offer a complementary perspective on our Sun and other stars, offering significant insights into both the thermal and magnetic composition of their chromospheres. Despite the fundamental progress in (sub-)millimeter observations of the Sun, some important aspects require diagnostic capabilities that are not offered by existing observatories. In particular, simultaneous observations of the radiation continuum across an extended frequency range would facilitate the mapping of different layers and thus ultimately the 3D structure of the solar atmosphere. Mapping large regions on the Sun or even the whole solar disk at a very high temporal cadence would be crucial for systematically detecting and following the temporal evolution of flares, while synoptic observations, i.e., daily maps, over periods of years would provide an unprecedented view of the solar activity cycle in this wavelength regime. As our Sun is a fundamental reference for studying the atmospheres of active main sequence stars, observing the Sun and other stars with the same instrument would unlock the enormous diagnostic potential for understanding stellar activity and its impact on exoplanets. The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST), a single-dish telescope with 50m aperture proposed to be built in the Atacama desert in Chile, would be able to provide these observational capabilities. Equipped with a large number of detector elements for probing the radiation continuum across a wide frequency range, AtLAST would address a wide range of scientific topics including the thermal structure and heating of the solar chromosphere, flares and prominences, and the solar activity cycle. In this white paper, the key science cases and their technical requirements for AtLAST are discussed.</ns3:p>

Open Research EuropeVol. 4
New Jersey Institute of Technology (US), California Institute of Technology (US), Texas Tech University (US), Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (CA), United States Air Force Research Laboratory (US), Goddard Space Flight Center (US), European Southern Observatory (DE), University of Trieste (IT), University of America (US), University of Zagreb (HR), Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (BR), University of Oslo (NO), The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI (JP), University of Victoria (CA), National Radio Astronomy Observatory (US), Atacama Large Millimeter Submillimeter Array (CL), Czech Academy of Sciences, Astronomical Institute (CZ), Pulkovo Observatory (RU), Trieste Astronomical Observatory (IT), Purple Mountain Observatory (CN), Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (DE), Kennedy Center (DK), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (BR), Royal Observatory (GB), Industrial Solar (Germany) (DE), Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur (FR), Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari (IT), Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe (IT), Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (DE), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (JP), University College London (GB), UK Astronomy Technology Centre (GB), University of Glasgow (GB), Cardiff University (GB), University of Pennsylvania (US), Catholic University of America (US), University of California, Berkeley (US), Ioffe Institute (RU), Technical University of Denmark (DK), University of Wales (GB)
National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Norges Forskningsråd, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Openalex Percentile: Top 19%
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
1.33
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