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IR Tools for Solar Astrophysics: What's Next?...(1Mar94)
The 15th NSO/Sac Peak Summer Workshop 1st Announcement
(from NSO, NOAO Newsletter No. 37, 1 March 1994)

New opportunities to understand the sun are appearing as optical
infrared detector technology begins to accommodate astronomical needs.
The first meeting on this subject occurred in Tucson two years ago,
during which time this new window into (primarily) photospheric
problems was broadly explored as an IAU colloquium.  With new
developments in IR array technology and with the coming of fully
reflecting coronagraphs, there are fascinating possibilities for direct
measurements of plasma magnetohydrodynamics in the corona.
Unfortunately, the new experimental capabilities are outpacing our
current theoretical and observational understanding of the corona;
consider the fact that, until recently, the most up-to-date measured IR
coronal spectra date from the 1960's and early 1970's.  The impending
observations demand new models and calculations - from more accurate
atomic models to determine line wavelengths to new ideas about MHD
processes in the solar atmosphere.  A major goal of this meeting will
therefore be to identify some of the largest gaps in our current
understanding, and to focus interest on how IR observations can
contribute to the outstanding empirical and theoretical issues of
coronal, chromospheric, photospheric, and related nighttime
astrophysical problems.

The National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak traditionally hosts a
"summer" workshop dealing with topics in solar physics.  These meetings
have proven successful at bringing together observers and theoreticians
in an environment which fosters very constructive interaction.  This
15th NSO/Sac Peak Summer Workshop will encompass new developments in
all areas of IR solar physics, but will emphasize topics such as the
following largely unanswered questions: What coronal emission lines can
we expect to see out into the far IR? How best can we measure T, p and v
in the corona? What diagnostics can be obtained from the strong He I
1083 nm line? Can we use forbidden lines and Zeeman splitting to map
the magnetic field in the hot plasma? What observable consequences can
we expect from competing coronal heating models?  What capabilities can
we expect from 2-m (or larger) reflecting coronagraphic telescopes,
where scattered light (atmospheric and telescopic) is far reduced from
that of conventional instruments?

We expect the workshop to attract the interest of some of our
colleagues responsible for the IR technology we plan to use in the
future.  Furthermore, much of the instrumental capability developed for
the solar problem (e.g. a large reflecting coronagraph) will have
important applications in nighttime astrophysics - we also hope to
include some of the latter community in the workshop.

This announcement is aimed at identifying prospective participants, and
soliciting comments on both the structure and content of the workshop
agenda.  We anticipate a four-day meeting some time during the third
week in September or the first part of October.  If you are interested
in this workshop, or have comments on how it should be structured,
please contact Jeff Kuhn or Matt Penn at the National Solar
Observatory, Sunspot, New Mexico 88349, phone (505) 434-7000 by 28
February.  E-mail contact is preferable to jkuhn@sunspot.noao.edu or
mpenn at the same internet address.  To date, Jeff Kuhn, Matt Penn, Ray
Smartt, Jack Zirker, and Don Neidig from NSO/Sunspot, Doug Rabin from
NSO/Tucson, Jacques Beckers, NSO, and Serge Koutchmy have agreed to
help with the meeting organization.

Jeff Kuhn, Matt Penn

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