We use remote sensing observations spanning multiple regimes to characterize the nature of emission in the middle corona (1.3 3 rsun) and derive the conditions, processes, and magnetic connectivity…

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) received a $523.3k research grant from a civilian federal agency with an ultimate completion date of February 28, 2027. The award, issued on March 1, 2022, supports a multi-instrument remote sensing investigation of the solar corona's middle region (1.3-3 solar radii). The research leverages observations spanning multiple wavelength regimes to characterize coronal emission, determine magnetic connectivity through data-driven global models, and identify the origins of transient and steady solar wind outflows. The project initially focuses on extensive observations from the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse, when a rich archive of coordinated coronal observations across multiple wavelengths became publicly available, followed by generalization to multi-instrument campaigns spanning 2010 through early 2021, including coordinated observations during Parker Solar Probe perihelia and Solar Orbiter commissioning activities.

The research employs diagnostic techniques to derive fundamental plasma properties including temperature, density, composition, and other physical parameters of the middle corona, addressing critical gaps in understanding coronal physics that cannot be adequately addressed through routine operational observations alone. SwRI, a San Antonio-based nonprofit research and development organization with over 2,700 staff members, brings substantial expertise in heliophysics research and space mission investigations to this effort. The award includes no set-aside designation and represents competitive full and open federal procurement. This grant exemplifies SwRI's extensive portfolio of NASA Science Mission Directorate-funded research supporting investigations into solar corona heating mechanisms, magnetic reconnection processes, and space weather phenomena that advance fundamental understanding of solar-terrestrial interactions.

We use remote sensing observations spanning multiple regimes to characterize the nature of emission in the middle corona (1.3 3 rsun) and derive the conditions, processes, and magnetic connectivity that give rise to transient and steady outflows that