MIRACLE: Magnetic Interactions Releasing Acceleration in Coronal-flaring Loop Environment

• Applicant: Professor Gregory Fleishman, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 550646140

Initial situation: The solar corona is crucial in understanding the Earth's space environment and the disturbances that can affect our technological infrastructure. The corona hosts solar flares, perhaps the strongest explosions in the solar system. The solar flares promptly release huge amounts of magnetic energy and cover a range of heights in the solar atmosphere, where they are observed as transient brightenings throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. To fully understand the solar flare physics, a reliable remote sensing of flare parameter is needed augmented by comprehensive 3D modeling. Aims of the project: The proposed project seeks to obtain new fundamental knowledge on magnetic reconnection and particle acceleration in solar flares via (i) measuring the coronal magnetic field and its variations; (ii) measuring the nonthermal electron distributions and evaluating a typical efficiency of acceleration; and (iii) understanding these dynamics in the 3D domain. Methodology: The project will combine the remote sensing of the evolving coronal magnetic field and other parameters in solar flares with data-constrained 3D modeling. Expected results: The project will yield evolving microwave images of solar flares and active regions, evolving maps of coronal parameters such as magnetic field and plasma densities, new physical phenomena derived from these data and data products, and 3D models of these phenomena. This new knowledge will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications. Evaluation of the expected results: The proposed studies are unique as they employ a unique well-vetted methodology developed by the PI that relies on unique microwave imaging spectroscopy data now available from the only one solar-dedicated broadband microwave interferometer.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants