Heliospheric Imaging from SO and SPP: Linking the solar wind to its solar origins

Abstract:

Deciphering the complexities of the solar wind structure has been hampered by the 'disconnected' nature of the observations; imaging of the near-Sun corona, in-situ sampling at 1 AU. The STEREO observations closed this gap and contributed significantly in understanding the evolution of large scale transients. However, the solar wind origin and evolution, especially at small spatial scales, remains a mystery. Two upcoming missions, Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus, are designed to address this problem head-on with comprehensive suites of remote sensing and in-situ instruments.

Coronal and heliospheric imaging plays a crucial role in connecting the activity in the solar corona with the in-situ measurements. The SO and SPP telescopes image the large scale structures measured subsequently by their in-situ suites. Never before available, this tight coupling of white light imaging and in-situ instrumentation may be the key for understanding the solar wind.

In this talk, I review the current ideas for linking hemispheric structures to their solar origin and discuss the opportunities for new science from the upcoming So and SPP missions.