Coronal mass ejection and submillimeter solar activity

• Grant number: 05/02261-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2005
• Effective date (End): September 18, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Solar System Astronomy
• Principal Investigator: Pierre Kaufmann
• Grantee: Mariana Nani Costa
• Host Institution: Centro de Rádioastronomia e Astrofísica Mackenzie (CRAAM). Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM). Instituto Presbiteriano Mackenzie. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The CMEs, Coronal Mass Ejections, are the most energetic solar phenomena. The physical mechanisms that produce them are not well known, and this fact stirs up a large number of theoretical and experimental researches. On the other hand, the CMEs have great influence on the "space weather", because when they reach our planet they cause severe disturbances in the upper and lower atmosphere. Recent observations made by the Submillimetric Solar Telescope (SST) have shown examples of submillimetric pulsating activity correlated to the launch time of the CME’s, which might imply in a direct connection with explosions and/or spots, or be triggered by other solar transients. Such pulsating events present a spectra with fluxes increasing with frequency, indicating the crucial importance of analysis at higher frequencies, in the medium and far IR and and in the visible (H-alpha ray) bands, still poorly explored. This research project intends two approaches. The first one proposes to investigate active and explosive regions that produce pulsating events in submillimetrics waves and their association with the CMEs, with emphasis to the period of exceptional activity in October – November 2003. The second focuses on instrumental improvements being developed that include the SST's sensitivity improvement and the utilization of bolometric sensors in the THz band, which application may bring new observational evidences for the understanding of pulsating events.