SOTSP: AR12974 and HOP436
2022-03-23T01:55:00 to 2022-03-23T05:50:35
Science Goal: AR long-term monitoring at high resolution with Hinode and Solar Orbiter
Program: Normal 164"x164", Q65, one side
Target: Active Region
xcen=-862 ycen=-299
Instrument: SOTSP
HOP/JOP: 436
Description:
During the third remote sensing window of the nominal mission phase (RSW3), Solar Orbiter will perform a continuous 4-day monitoring of an active region to study its decay throughout the atmosphere, focusing on dynamics, magnetic flux evolution and moving magnetic features. Specific questions to be addressed are: - What is the main mechanism of AR decay? Sunspot fragmentation by light bridges? Flux erosion by convective flows? MMFs? - How is the AR flux dispersed? - What is the fate of the dispersed flux? These observations will allow the sources of the slow solar wind at the boundaries of the AR to be studied as well. At the time of the measurements, Solar Orbiter and the Earth will be almost in quadrature, so the AR can be observed from very different vantage points. Ideally, the AR will be located on the western hemisphere, approaching the limb as seen from Earth. It will be observed with Hinode and IRIS for a few days before it disappears beyond the limb and then Solar Orbiter will take over. The coordinated observations will allow the intrinsic flux evolution of the AR to be disentangled from projection effects for the first time, without the need to resort to assumptions on the orientation of the vector magnetic field.
