[FPSPACE] Proposed solar sail mission - POLAR Investigation of the Sun - POLARIS

[LARRY KLAES]

POLAR Investigation of the Sun - POLARIS

Authors: T. Appourchaux, P. Liewer, M. Watt, D. Alexander, V. Andretta, F. 
Auchere, P. D'Arrigo, J. Ayon, T. Corbard, S. Fineschi, W. Finsterle, L. 
Floyd, G. Garbe, L. Gizon, D. Hassler, L. Harra, A. Kosovichev, J. 
Leibacher, M. Leipold, N. Murphy, M. Maksimovic, V. Martinez-Pillet, B.S.A. 
Matthews, R. Mewaldt, D. Moses, J. Newmark, S. Regnier, W. Schmutz, D. 
Socker, D. Spadaro, M. Stuttard, C. Trosseille, R. Ulrich, M. Velli, A. 
Vourlidas, C. R. Wimmer-Schweingruber, T. Zurbuchen

(Submitted on 28 May 2008)

Abstract: The POLAR Investigation of the Sun (POLARIS) mission uses a 
combination of a gravity assist and solar sail propulsion to place a 
spacecraft in a 0.48 AU circular orbit around the Sun with an inclination of 
75 degrees with respect to solar equator.

This challenging orbit is made possible by the challenging development of 
solar sail propulsion. This first extended view of the high-latitude regions 
of the Sun will enable crucial observations not possible from the ecliptic 
viewpoint or from Solar Orbiter.

While Solar Orbiter would give the first glimpse of the high latitude 
magnetic field and flows to probe the solar dynamo, it does not have 
sufficient viewing of the polar regions to achieve POLARIS' primary 
objective : determining the relation between the magnetism and dynamics of 
the Sun's polar regions and the solar cycle.

Comments:  23 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables, Accepted by Experimental 
Astronomy

Subjects:  Astrophysics (astro-ph)

Cite as:  arXiv:0805.4389v1 [astro-ph]

Submission history

From: Thierry Appourchaux [view email]

[v1] Wed, 28 May 2008 17:10:41 GMT (1092kb)

http://arxiv.org/abs/0805.4389