A long, continuous study of the quiet Sun is requested to form a eheritagef data-set that will be suitable for a variety of scientific investigations both for current and future solar researchers.
Through observations obtained over the initial year of Hinode operations, observing sequences have been optimised and instrumental issues characterised, and we are now in a position to make full and effective use of the suite of instruments. While all three instruments are still in excellent health it is imperative that the opportunity be taken to obtain long duration, high quality data-sets that make best use of the Hinode instruments and that will provide a long-term resource for scientists.
Here we request a single, near-uninterrupted observation of a patch of quiet Sun for a period of 72 hours as it crosses the meridian at solar minimum. The emphasis will be on obtaining detailed diagnostics of the quiet Sun with a good-to-modest cadence over the 72 hour period. Science goals that will be addressed from the observation include
. evolution and heating of coronal bright points . response of the corona to magnetic emergence and cancellation effects . appearance and disappearance of small-scale coronal holes within the quiet Sun
however the key goal of the observation is to provide a data-set that makes optimum use of each instrument and that will provide an important resource for the whole of the solar physics community.
The output from this HOP will be an archival data-set that is anticipated to very valuable to both current and future researchers: a near continuous 72 hour record of a patch of quiet Sun close to solar minimum. Because of this heritage aspect of the observation, the following special conditions are requested:
. only two XRT synoptics will be performed each day, separated by 12 hours, in order to minimize disruption of the data-set . no other activities will take place during the 72 hour period, including calibration or engineering activities, except those that are essential daily activities
In addition, a change to the instrument data recorder allocations is requested. EIS will increase to a 23% allocation, and SOT fall to a 62% allocation. The increase for EIS allows a 50% increase in the field of view, thus allowing a greater area of quiet Sun to be observed. The small, 11% decrease in the SOT data recorder allocation is deemed reasonable given that high cadence is not a key requirement of this HOP. This issue is discussed further below. |
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