Nanoflare heating in the solar corona: a multi-scale, multi-physics modeling constrained by observations

The University of Maryland, College Park received a $742,776 Project Grant award from the Department of Energy Office of Science under the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (CFDA 81.049), effective from September 15, 2025 through December 14, 2026. The grant funds research on "Nanoflare Heating in the Solar Corona: A Multi-Scale, Multi-Physics Modeling Constrained by Observations," which investigates fundamental physical mechanisms driving energy release and heating processes in the sun's outer atmosphere. This research advances the Department of Energy's mission as the nation's largest sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences by contributing to scientific understanding of solar phenomena with potential applications to energy science and space weather prediction.

The project incorporates collaborative research through a sub-award to the Catholic University of America (awarded May 7, 2026), demonstrating a multi-institutional approach to addressing this complex astrophysical research challenge. The work combines multi-scale computational modeling with observational data constraints, representing hypothesis-driven basic research typical of the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program, which supports approximately 29,000 researchers across over 300 institutions nationwide in advancing fundamental scientific discovery across diverse physical science disciplines.