Project Title: Dynamics of the Solar Corona

Project Advisor: Dr. L. Golub

Background: Hot, X-ray emitting plasmas are ubiquitous throughout astrophysics, and the mechanism(s) responsible for their heating is poorly understood.

Scientific Questions: What causes the heating and dynamics of the hot, magnetized solar outer atmosphere? What combinations of observations and modeling can be carried out to determine the mechanisms involved?

Scientific Methodology: A combination of theory, modelling and experiment: calculate the plasma properties resulting from proposed instability mechanisms, model the observable effects, and compare to observations of the solar corona.

Other links related to this project

• http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/hea/sss/sun.html