Understanding Our Star
As the only star observable at high spatial and temporal resolution, the Sun provides a unique laboratory for plasma physics and astrophysics. Leveraging this advantage, EST will probe fundamental processes in magnetized plasma at the smallest scales and address three core questions:
- Fundamental physics: How stellar magnetic fields are generated, transporting energy, and accelerating particles? Observations of the Sun reveal intricate patterns of magnetic fields and complex stellar atmosphere dynamics. EST will provide unique, groundbreaking data to explain fundamental astrophysical processes.
- Solar variability: What drives the 11-year solar cycle and explosive phenomena? How can these events be predicted? The Sun shows variability across many scales, producing complex sunspot active regions and explosive phenomena, such as flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). EST will undertake a major challenge to understand and predict long-term patterns and eruptive events through advanced observations.
- Impacts on Earth: How does the Sun affect near-Earth space, infrastructure, and human health in an increasingly technology-dependent society? Solar magnetic activity disturbs Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere, influencing critical infrastructure and human health. EST will greatly enhance our ability to understand and forecast space-weather and climate impacts.
EST detailed science cases developed by the EST community have been published in a peer-reviewed article (Quintero Noda et al. 2022) and are summarized below:
Structure and Evolution of Magnetic Fields: Revealing how magnetic fields emerge from the solar interior and organize themselves at the surface.
Wave Generation and Propagation: Understanding how magnetic waves transfer energy from the surface to the outer layers.
Chromospheric Dynamics and Heating: Solving the mystery of why the solar atmosphere gets hotter further away from the surface.
Solar Flares and Eruptive Events: Investigating the mechanisms that trigger sudden releases of energy and their impact on space weather.
The Scattering Polarization Signals: Using high-precision polarimetry to map weak and turbulent magnetic fields.