1. Frédéric Clette SIDC - ROB March 2009 1 SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland

2. 1. Production of solar images:  Synoptic CCD images of the photosphere > WP2  Hα, CaII-K high-cadence > WP3 2. Recovery of past visual information:  Systematic 60-year catalog of sunspot groups from the Uccle visual drawings 3. Image-based photospheric indices Areas of collaboration in red March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 2

3. NNeed for long-term detailed info: MMost studies limited to last 30-60 years (only « Grand Maximum ») BBeyond, total sunspot index (1-D time series) GGlobal spatial patterns: IImportance of hemispheric asymmetries and time delays. BButterfly diagrams (North-South asymmetries) AActive longitudes (position of heliospheric current sheet, CME angular distribution) DDynamo: start and end of cycles > flux transport and decay MMorphological sunspot group parameters: DDynamo: DDipole tilt and reconstruction of poloidal field (Babcock-Leighton mechanism) SSignature of diffusive versus advective modes in kinematic dynamos? SSignature of emerging flux rope « explosion »? IIrradiance (TSI, SSI): DDifferences in ascending/descending phases of cycles IIndex families: strong emerging fields versus weak dispersed field (delay) March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 3

4.  Upgrade of the White-light telescope (D=150mm):  New 2kx2k camera [July 2008]  New optimized focal reducer under test  1kx1k images (2003-2008): 2-3/day  Upgrade of the Hα telescope (D=80mm):  New 0.5Å Fabry-Pérot monochromator  New 2kx2k CCD camera [January 2008]  1kx1k images (2003-2007): mainly synoptic, <10/day March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 4

5.  CaII K telescope (D=132mm):  Telescope, filters & 2Kx2K camera delivered  Barr filters: 2Å filters (cf. PSPT)  Remaining tasks:  Relay optics (Telecentric Barlow)  Mechanical assembly  Needed support:  Optical design  Start of operations: Early 2010 March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 5 CaII K Coming soon CaII K Coming soon

6.  Implementation of image calibration (flat-fielding):  Solar pointer [Spring 2010]  Independent motorized telescope off points [mid-2009 to end-2009]  Software:  flat-field extraction, limb-darkening extraction  Image sorting & selection, event detection  Coordination and common standards  Support both to WP2 and WP3 March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 6

7.  Need for coordination (G-B observation working group):  File format: filenaming, FITS header keywords (WP6)  Observing procedures:  Synoptic (W-L, CaII K): cadence, image quality measure  Flares & Moreton waves (Hα, CaII K + W-L?): cadence, (semi)automatic detection tools, event flags in header?  Graphics format for real-time diffusion: file type, disk size, orientation, contrast/intensity settings  Instrumentation:  Imaging system documentation & comparison  Exchange of practical & technical experience: optimization and homogenization, design.  Core of ground-base solar patrol observing community? (Cf. JOSO) March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 7

8.  ROB action items:  Development of a « universal » sunspot drawing measurement software tool (DIGISUN) [mid-2009]  Digitization of the Uccle drawing series [mid 2009-2011] :  1940-today, > 20000 drawings, 270 days/year (duty cycle: ~75%)  Development of a sunspot group tracking software: connection of all observations of the same group in a chronological sequence [end 2010]  Sunspot catalogs [2011]:  Raw measurements (level 0)  Active region catalog (level 1): lifetime history for each sunspot group (evolution, rotation rate, etc.) March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 8

9. March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 9 Sunspot group Parameter Measure ofApplications Group count & Wolf number (total)Emerging magnetic flux Activity indices Dynamo theory Group count & Wolf number (hemispheric) Asymmetry between North and South dynamos Activity indices Dynamo theory Sunspot count (per group)Single flux rope emergence Dynamo theory (flux emergence) Flare prediction Zürich classification (Brunner, 1939)Magnetic dipole size and complexity Flare prediction McIntosh classification (McIntosh, 1990)Magnetic dipole size and complexity Flare prediction Group size & E-W extentMagnetic dipole size Dynamo theory (flux emergence) Main spot spacingMagnetic dipole size Dynamo theory (flux emergence) Main spot dipole orientationMagnetic dipole tilt Dynamo theory (dipolar flux regeneration) Group latitude Inclusion in a specific solar cycle Latitude of the « dynamo wave » Dynamo theory (flux generation) Group longitude Longitude of flux emergence Rotation rate Dynamo theory (flux generation) Differential rotation (convection theory)

10.  Byproduct: application of the « group history » tool to other WP2 sunspot catalogs [2011]  Would allow the combination of datasets and filling in data gaps (temporal, resolution threshold).  Need to apply common standards (classification, group position)  Prospects for other data sets (already scanned or not) [2011 or post-SOTERIA]:  Candidates? (Konkoly, Kanzelhöhe, Zürich-Locarno + Saklnate-Pleso, Catania?)  Drawings available in which form? (paper, microfilm, digitized)  Duration and number? March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 10 DIGISUN prototype

11.  ROB action items:  Survey of past photospheric indices (end 2009)  Design of new index definitions (end 2009)  Computation of whole set of indices on SOTERIA data sets (2010)  Analysis of figure of merit of the various indices (2011): dependency on detector type, optical parameters, images quality/seeing, level of solar activity, seasonal effects, etc.  Input needed:  Survey of available sunspot parameters in past catalogs  Specification of sunspot parameters to be measured in SOTERIA data sets: mainly SDD (SOHO/MDI, Debrecen) + Kanzelhöhe, Uccle, …? March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 11

12.  Input & coordination needed (All WP2 or WG?) :  Existing Sunspot catalogs (+ faculae?): DPD (Konkoly), Kanzelhöhe (hemispheric?), Uccle + others?  Which valid catalogs do we have at our disposal?  Which parameters do they contain?  New catalogs produced by SOTERIA WP2:  Timeline of availability?  Identify now the need to add new measurements (sunspot parameters)?  Sunspot extraction tools:  Choice of a common tool for all data sets (KO?)  Index correlation tools:  Input from WP5 “Irradiance”: proxies validation (mutual information measure ?)  Byproduct (WP6): catalog standardization  Application-oriented selection and definition of sunspot and faculae descriptors March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 12 SOHO/MDI continuum USET/Uccle

13. Sunspot parameters March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 13 MeasurementInterestLimitation Sunspot count (total)Proportional to total magnetic fluxNo clustering info Mixes both hemispheres Sunspot count (hemispheric)Splitting North/SouthNo clustering info Sunspot area (total)Proportional to total magnetic fluxNo clustering info Mixes both hemispheres Sunspot area (hemispheric)Splitting North/SouthNo clustering info Umbral areaIsolates strong core magnetic fieldNo clustering info Only complementary info Penumbral areaIsolates weaker peripheral fieldNo clustering info Only complementary info Group count (total)Actual magnetic dipole countNo measure of dipole magnitude Mixes both hemispheres Group count (hemispheric)Splitting North/SouthNo measure of dipole magnitude Group classificationMagnetic complexityVarious classification schemes

14. Facular parameters March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 14 MeasurementInterestLimitation Facular area (total)Proportional to total magnetic fluxNo clustering info Mixes both hemispheres Facular area (hemispheric)Splitting North/SouthNo clustering info Facular plage count (total)Count of weakly magnetized regionsNo measure of plage extent Mixes both hemispheres Facular plage count (hemispheric) Splitting North/SouthNo measure of plage extent Facular plage classificationMagnetic association (active region, isolated, polar) Classification dependant on chronological history. Facular contrastLink with magnetic field strengthComplex dependencies (center-limb geometry, etc.)

15.  Joint work needed to answer three questions:  What is the sunspot information that is needed and that we can extract?  How do we measure it?  How can we adjust current and future observations towards a more homogeneous standard?  Focus on what we can gain by working together:  Facilitating seamless access to parallel data sets  Combining data sets: the total has more value than the sum of separate data sets.  Increasing the compatibility of future observations as a necessary step towards real operational GB networks. March 2009SOTERIA Coordination Meeting, Lapland 15