1. PSP, SO, and Ground-based Synoptic Observations from NSO
Frank Hill
Oct 5, 2017

2. A powerful combination
In-situ + remote sensing z understanding
Example: driving in traffic
Driver X, an in-situ sensor, cannot make good decisions on route strategy without knowing the context
Is there an accident? Where is it? Does the driver have an acceptable alternate route?
The context is provided by the TV traffic reporter

3. So too for PSP and SO
PSP will provide in-situ sensing close in to the Sun
SO will provide in-situ and remote sensing at high latitudes
The goal is to understand how the in-situ measurements fit in to the solar and heliospheric system
For this we need to know:
The global magnetic configuration that is present at the time of the measurement
The connectivity of the magnetic field from the sun to the spacecraft – what field line is it on?
The characteristics of solar activity prior to and during the in- situ measurement

4. The NSO Integrated Synoptic Program (NISP)
Provides the needed context
Comprises GONG and SOLIS
Long history of producing magnetic field, intensity images, and helioseismology observations
43 years of magnetic field
22 years of helioseismology
7 years of H-α intensity
Many products already seen at this meeting

5. NISP Components - GONG GONG=Global Oscillation Network Group
GONG is a six-site network of instruments located around the world to observe the sun as continuously as possible
Originally intended for helioseismology, now also supplies magnetic field measurements and H- intensity images
Important dates:
1995 operations start
2001 camera upgrade from 256 x 256 to 1k x 1k
2006 start of continual magnetic field measurements
2010 start of H- data

7. GONG Instrumentation Two instruments: Michelson Interferometer
helioseismology Doppler velocity, intensity and LOS magnetic field
1k x 1k full-disk images in Ni I nm
60-sec cadence
10-min average magnetic field
Air Force-funded filter system
H- intensity
2k x 2k full-disk images
60-sec cadence at a given site, 20-sec cadence from network
NSO/GONG Udaipur
H Intensity
2012/02/14

8. GONG derived data products
Non-helioseismology:
Hourly synoptic magnetic field maps
PFSS coronal field extrapolations
Solar wind speed (AFRL) from WSA
Geomagnetic storm forecasts (NOAA/SWPC) from WSA+ Enlil
H-α images and movies (AFWA)
Helioseismology:
Mode frequencies (108 day time series every 36 days)
Farside images
Ring diagram flow maps

9. Derived Magnetic fields
Synoptic maps every hour
PFSS extrapolations

10. Big challenge – combining multi-instrument magnetogram observations
GONG has 6 “identical” instruments measuring the solar magnetic field
However, the instrumental background (“zero-point”) is significantly different from site to site
Raw difference is as much as 1 to 3 G – mainly due to small differences in the state switching speed of the polarization modulators
Seeing also plays a role
Assuming simultaneous observations see the same solar field, and discarding the first 3 raw observing frames, we have achieved a background zero-point of 0.1 G
This took a lot of effort, so DO NOT underestimate the difficulty of combining magnetic field observations.

11. H-α data Provides location, time, brightness of flares
Provides filament observations

12. GONG Far-side Maps (October 7 – 21, 2014)
Front-side AR 2192 is clearly visible in these maps.

13. NISP Components - SOLIS
SOLIS=Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigations of the Sun
SOLIS is composed of a single equatorial mount carrying three telescopes:
The 50-cm Vector Spectromagnetograph (VSM)
Measures the solar magnetic field
The 14-cm Full-Disk Patrol (FDP)
Provides intensity images in several wavelengths
The 0.8-cm Integrated Sunlight Spectrometer (ISS)
Obtains spectra of the sun as a star in nine wavelength regions
Continues the > 40 year record of synoptic data from NSO
Daily observing cadence for VSM full-disk magnetograms

14. SOLIS instrumentation on Kitt Peak
FDP
ISS
VSM

15. SOLIS VSM data products

16. SOLIS VSM Vector full-disk observations

17. Many choices of SOLIS VSM synoptic maps
Photosphere or chromosphere
Near-real-time or Carrington rotation
Data or spatial variance
Longitudinal or vector
If vector, then radial, theta or phi
1 or 0.2-degree resolution
Sine (latitude) or latitude

18. Longitudinal synoptic maps
Photosphere
Longitudinal synoptic maps
Chromosphere

19. Spatial variance map - Photosphere

20. Vector synoptic maps - Photosphere

21. NISP status
SOLIS is moving from Tucson to Big Bear Solar Observatory as part of NSO relocation
Good consistent seeing
70% clear time
County permits obtained
Construction about to start
4-month data gap (Nov – Feb 2018)
GONG test/engineering site moving from Tucson to Boulder
Construction has started
Units to arrive in Boulder on 10/16
GONG refurbishment is under way
Improved magnetic field measurements
H-α Doppler-shift observations will be provided – filament dynamics

22. Summary
PSP and SO need context/remote sensing to fully exploit science return of the missions
The NSO Integrated Synoptic Program (NISP) has many relevant context data products that are continually produced and freely available to the missions
Do not hesitate to contact NISP for technical issues, or if you have an idea for a new product