The status and science of the Proba-3 mission

Dr. Stanislav Gunar
Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences

The giant distributed coronagraph ASPIICS onboard the formation-flying mission PROBA-3 of ESA investigates the hitherto practically unexplored inner depths of the solar corona. This region lies above the reach of disk imagers such as SDO/AIA and below the inner limit of other space coronagraphs. Although difficult to observe, the inner corona is a place of great interest. This is where the fast solar wind gets accelerated to supersonic velocities and where CMEs also reach their maximum accelerations. It is also the place where the transition between the regions of the closed and open magnetic field often happens and the slow solar wind originates.

We will present the current status and the most recent scientific results obtained by the Proba-3 mission. We will also look at the unique concept of the formation-flying technology that is the focus of the PROBA-3 mission and the workings of ASPIICS, and discuss which scientific fields are benefiting from its capabilities. For example, thanks to its field of view reaching from 1.098 to 3 Rsun, good spatial resolution and minimized straylight, ASPIICS is able to follow the connectivity of magnetic structures in the corona down to the solar surface. When coupled with regular long duration (up to 6 hours) observations, it allows us to compare and validate the MHD models of the large-scale coronal magnetic field configuration and its evolution. The inner field-of-view limit reaching very close to the solar surface also enables us to study the onset and early evolution of CMEs or to follow erupting prominences beyond the reaches of the disk imagers.

Conference Room A (1257) (2nd floor/ New Building A),　Via Zoom