The MLSO, operated by the High Altitude Observatory, houses several instruments designed ot observe the sun at many different wavelengths, and to understand the sun's continueous release of plasma nd energy into interplanetary space.
Priority 2: Developing New Instrumentation
Instrument Development at Mauna Loa Solar Observatory
Background
A major research goal of NCAR and the solar research community is to understand the Sun's continuous and dynamic release of plasma and energy and to ultimately predict its impacts on the interplanetary environment. To support this goal, NCAR operates the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) on the island of Hawaii. MLSO instruments routinely record unique images of the solar chromosphere and low corona, which are essential for detecting solar activity in the form of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and flares. CMEs are explosions in the Sun's corona that spew out solar particles and magnetic fields that influence space weather conditions. Disturbed plasma and magnetic conditions arising from space weather events pose hazards to astronauts, satellites, and other important navigation and communication systems.
Progress
Recent observations using the instruments constituting the Advanced Coronal Observing System (ACOS) at MLSO have yielded valuable insights into coronal conditions prior to the initiation of CMEs, phenomena related to the occurrence of CMEs, and the acceleration of CMEs in the low corona following eruption. Among other things, NCAR scientists have found that the CMEs with the largest accelerations (and highest speeds) are strongly associated with solar energetic particle events.
Plans
In addition to continued daily monitoring of the physical state of the low corona, future activities will include support of efforts to develop the Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO), a community facility for studying the magnetic structure and dynamics of the outer solar atmosphere. This facility will house the next generation of coronal instrumentation and will make possible measurements of coronal and prominence magnetic fields that will further understanding of the coronal responses to changes in photospheric magnetic flux on both short and long time scales.
For Further Information