Measuring Magnetic Fields in the Outer Atmosphere – SolmeX
2011
The magnetic field plays a pivotal role in many fields of Astrophysics. This is
especially true for the physics of the solar atmosphere. Measuring the
magnetic field in the upper solar atmosphere is crucial to understand the nature
of the underlying physical processes that drive the violent dynamics of the solar
corona—that can also affect life on Earth. SolmeX, a fully equipped solar space
observatory for remote-sensing observations, will provide the first
comprehensive measurements of the strength and direction of the magnetic
field in the upper solar atmosphere. The mission consists of two spacecraft,
one carrying the instruments, and another one in formation flight at a distance
of about 200 m carrying the occulter to provide an artificial total solar eclipse.
This will ensure high-quality coronagraphic observations above the solar limb.
SolmeX integrates two spectro-polarimetric coronagraphs for off-limb
observations, one in the EUV and one in the IR, and three instruments for
observations on the disk. The latter comprises one imaging polarimeter in the
EUV for coronal studies, a spectro-polarimeter in the EUV to investigate the
low corona, and an imaging spectro-polarimeter in the UV for chromospheric
studies. SOHO and other existing missions have investigated the emission of
the upper atmosphere in detail (not considering polarization), and as this will be
the case also for missions planned for the near future. Therefore it is timely that
SolmeX provides the final piece of the observational quest by measuring the
magnetic field in the upper atmosphere through polarimetric observations.
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