Friday, June 13 - Plenary Session

Name:  Carsten Denker

Affiliation:  Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP)

Title:  Progress in High-Resolution Solar Physics

Abstract:
A new generation of solar telescopes (NST and GREGOR) has risen above the 1-meter aperture limit of traditional evacuated telescopes and now delivers first science data. The quest for higher resolution is in full swing with even larger, 4-meter aperture solar telescopes (ATST and EST) on the horizon. The term “high-resolution” implies, however, more than just resolving the solar surface in ever finer details. The dynamics of solar processes can be captured on shorter time scales, and the improved light-gathering capacity of the new telescopes allows us to extract more information from spectral lines with higher fidelity and accuracy, especially with respect to magnetic field measurements. Naturally, high spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution as well as a high polarimetric sensitivity cannot be achieved at the same time. High-resolution observations are presented based on direct imaging, two-dimensional spectropolarimetry with Fabry-Pérot interferometers, and scanning long-slit spectrographs to introduce some of the science cases for high-resolution solar physics: (1) statistical properties of flows in and around pores and sunspots, (2) chromospheric dynamics associated with newly emerging flux, and (3) flare diagnostics from near-infrared spectropolarimetry. In addition, data analysis techniques and instrument concepts are critically assessed so that high-resolution data can serve as a benchmark for numerical simulations of granulation and sunspots. http://goo.gl/rwShmX