AGS-PRF: ground-based radio and space-based white-light observations to study the structure of the solar corona

The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded $202,000 to investigate the structure of the solar corona using ground-based radio observations and space-based white-light imaging under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) effective October 1, 2026.

The research employs two complementary observational approaches: white-light image data from the Wide-Field Imager for Parker Solar Probe (WISPR) and radio Faraday rotation data from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). The first component applies a refined translational tomography technique to WISPR imagery to reveal the three-dimensional density structure of the corona and solar wind, constraining small-scale density inhomogeneities arising from magnetic field anisotropies. The second component probes coronal magnetic field structure across different physical regimes and conditions using radio data. The project addresses fundamental questions about coronal heating and the interplay between plasma and magnetic fields that governs the solar wind's expansion into space. Activities also include community-based educational programs, mentorship of early-career researchers, and publication of a children's heliophysics poetry book.

The award period runs through September 30, 2028, with place of performance in Denver, Colorado.

Abstract

The solar corona ? The sun?s outermost atmosphere ? Continuously expands into space as the solar wind. Fundamental questions about the physical conditions and processes in corona and solar wind remain open, including how the corona gets so hot. Resolving this particular question requires understanding the complex interplay between the plasma and magnetic fields there. This research project investigates the coronal plasma density structure using close-up pictures captured by the wide-field imager for parker solar probe (wispr). This project also probes the magnetic fields that structure the plasma. Finally, this project includes activities such as community-based educational programs, mentorship of early-career researchers, and the publication of a children?s heliophysics poetry book. With a multi-observatory, multi-wavelength approach, this research project sets out to investigate the fine-scale plasma density structure of the solar corona and solar wind, and to shed light on the underlying magnetic field morphology that governs the density structure therein. White-light image data, from the wide-field imager for parker solar probe (wispr), and radio faraday rotation (FR) data, from the karl g. Jansky very large array (VLA), offer distinct but complementary information about the corona. The first component of this project aims to reveal the three-dimensional density structure of the corona and solar wind, using a refined ?translational tomography? Technique based on wispr image data. Wispr-based tomographic inversions leverage images of the corona, captured within the corona, to discern large-scale coronal morphology and to constrain scale sizes of small-scale density inhomogeneities arising from magnetic field anisotropies. The second component of this project probes coronal magnetic field structure in different physical regimes and conditions using radio coronal FR observations made with the VLA. Furthermore, wispr-based tomography products will be incorporated into FR analyses to provide additional plasma density information, thereby enhancing the sensitivity of the resulting magnetic field measurements. Combining disparate datasets and techniques, this research project aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of precisely how the corona and solar wind are dynamically structured. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.