Author name code: bernasconi ADS astronomy entries on 2022-09-14 author:"Bernasconi, Pietro" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Title: The Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths, ASTHROS Authors: Pineda, Jorge; Siles, Jose; Groppi, Christopher; Kawamura, Jonathan; Bernasconi, Pietro; Goldsmith, Paul Bibcode: 2022AAS...24031402P Altcode: The Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths, ASTHROS, a 2.5-m telescope that is planned to fly form Antarctica in 2023. The main science goal of the mission is to obtain large scale, high spectral resolution images of the [NII] 122um, 205um lines, to determine the electron density structure in two star forming regions and the M83 galaxy, which will provides important insights on the role of stellar feedback on the regulation of star formation in galaxies. Additionally, ASTHROS will observe the Hydrogen deuteride, HD 112um, line in a protoplanetary disk to determine its hydrogen mass distribution. ASTHROS payload will consists of a 4-pixel dual band cryogenic superconducting heterodyne array camera for high-spectral resolution imaging at 1.4-1.5 THz and 2.4-2.7 THz. ASTHROS will fly for the first time a 4-K class low-power cryocooler and thus will not require liquid helium and low power CMOS-based spectrometers. A cryocooler will enable extended lifetime missions, and its use will serve as a pathfinder for future NASA space missions. In this talk I will review the science goals and technical capabilities of the ASTHROS missio Title: GUSTO — The Galactic/Extragalactic Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory Authors: Goldsmith, Paul; Walker, Christopher; Kulesa, Craig; Bernasconi, Pietro; Tielens, Alexander; Wolfire, Mark; Melnick, Gary; Hollenbach, David; Seo, Youngmin; Shipman, Russell; Neufeld, David; Groppi, Christopher; Tolls, Volker; Young, Erick; Stark, Antony; Yorke, Harold; Pineda, Jorge; Kawamura, Jonathan Bibcode: 2022AAS...24033301G Altcode: GUSTO (Galactic/Extragalactic Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory) is a NASA Mission of Opportunity balloon mission currently scheduled to be launched in December 2022 from the Long Duration Balloon (LDB) facility near McMurdo Station, Antarctica. GUSTO will carry out large-area observations of three key fine structure lines - [NII] 3P1-3P0, [CII] 2P3/2-2P1/2, and [OI] 3P1-3P2, at frequencies 1461.1, 1900.5, and 4744.8 GHz, respectively. A zero pressure balloon will support GUSTO for a baselined 75-day mission. Observing the Southern sky from an altitude of 30-35 km, GUSTO will be above 99.99% of atmospheric water vapor and 99.7% of the dry atmosphere. This allows GUSTO to carry out spectral line observations essentially unhindered by the Earth's atmosphere. Three surveys are planned - a Galactic plane survey (GPS) covering 120o2 in the |l|< 25o region, a Large Magellanic Cloud survey (LMCS) covering 25 sq. deg. in that galaxy, and targeted deep surveys (TDS) of up to eight 1-2 sq. deg. regions. Observations of the three fine structure lines with sub-km/s velocity resolution enables GUSTO to address key questions about the life cycle of the ISM, including the structure of warm neutral regions participating in and affected by star formation (with [CII]), gas ionized by massive stars (with [NII]), and neutral dense photon dominated regions (PDR) powered by massive young stars (with [OI] and [CII]). GUSTO's 90 cm diameter Cassegrain telescope provides FWHM beam widths of 0.9' - 0.6', with the 0.7' beam width at [CII] providing spatial resolution of 2 pc at 10 kpc distance and 10 pc at the 50 kpc distance of the LMC. The telescope is under-illuminated at the highest frequency to yield beamwidth close to those at the lower frequencies. The spectrometer provides velocity resolution better than 1 km/s. 3σ GPS and LMC survey sensitivities are 5-10e-6 erg/s/cm2/sr in ~2 km/s channels at [CII] and [NII], and ~5-10e-5 erg/s/cm2/sr in ~2 km/s at [OI]. The TDS are a factor of 4 more sensitive, with sensitivity sensing column densities corresponding to Av = 0.1 mag. The extensive two-dimensional spectral line images of the Milky Way provided by the GUSTO surveys will form an extensive database of the structure of the ISM's different phases and how they connect to one another. The extensive observations of the LMC will allow investigation of star formation in a low-metallicity environment, and provide a template for the ISM and star formation in dwarf galaxies and low-metallicity distant galaxies. The TDS will permit detection of more extended neutral and ionized gas and probe the relationship between HII regions and PDRs. Title: Iridium Communications Satellite Constellation Data for Study of Earth's Magnetic Field Authors: Anderson, Brian J.; Angappan, Regupathi; Barik, Ankit; Vines, Sarah K.; Stanley, Sabine; Bernasconi, Pietro N.; Korth, Haje; Barnes, Robin J. Bibcode: 2021GGG....2209515A Altcode: Characterization of Earth's magnetic field is key to understanding dynamics of the core. We assess whether Iridium Communications magnetometer data can be used for this purpose since. The 66 Iridium satellites are in 86° inclination, 780 km altitude, circular orbits, with 11 satellites in each of six orbit planes. In one day the constellation returns 300,000 measurements spanning the globe with <2° spacing. We used data from January 2010 through November 2015, and compared against International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF-11) to inter-calibrate all data to the same model. Geomagnetically quiet 24-h intervals were selected using the total Birkeland current, auroral electrojet, and ring current indices. The z-scores for these quantities were combined and the quietest 16 intervals from each quarter selected for analysis. Residuals between the data and IGRF-11 yield consistent patterns that evolve gradually from 2010 to 2015. Residuals for each day were binned in 9° latitude by 9° longitude and the distributions about the mean in each bin are Gaussian with 1-sigma standard errors of ∼3 nT. Spherical harmonic coefficients for each quiet day were computed and time series of the coefficients used to identify artifacts at the orbit precession (8 months) and seasonal (12 months) periods and their harmonics which were then removed by notch filtering. This analysis yields time series at 800 virtual geomagnetic observatories each providing a global field map using a single day of data. The results and CHAOS 7.4 generally agree, but systematic differences larger than the statistical uncertainties are present that warrant further exploration. Title: A Roadmap For Scientific Ballooning 2020-2030 Authors: Gorham, Peter; Walker, Christopher; Jones, William; Kierans, Carolyn; Vieregg, Abigail; Anderson, James; Young, Eliot; Chakrabarti, Supriya; Millan, Robyn; Bernasconi, Pietro; Guzik, T. Gregory Bibcode: 2019BAAS...51g.197G Altcode: 2019astro2020U.197G The NASA Balloon Program Analysis Group (PAG) has been tasked by NASA to develop scientific and strategic priorities for NASA's scientific ballooning endeavors through the next decade. Here we summarize the science priorities and draft findings and recommendations of the PAG for the purpose of informing the Astrophysics 2020 Decadal survey. Title: The Far-Infrared Astronomy Stratospheric Balloon Facility Authors: Pineda, Jorge L.; Siles, Jose V.; Kawamura, J.; Langer, William D.; Goldsmith, Paul F.; Lis, Dariusz C.; Bernasconi, Pietro; Groppi, Chris; Anderson, L. D.; Battersby, Cara; Looney, Leslie W.; Cleeves, Ilse; Melnick, Gary; Smith, J. D.; Stacey, Gordon Bibcode: 2019BAAS...51g.177P Altcode: 2019astro2020U.177P We recommend to the 2020 Decadal Review Committee a cost-effective stratospheric balloon-borne facility observatory offering accommodation interfaces for a wide range of instruments for far-infrared astronomy. It will consist of four identical platforms featuring a 2.5-m class telescopes and will provide up to 4,000 hrs of observing time per year. Title: Probing ISM Structure in Trumpler 14 and Carina I Using the Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory 2 Authors: Seo, Young Min; Goldsmith, Paul F.; Walker, Christopher K.; Hollenbach, David J.; Wolfire, Mark G.; Kulesa, Craig A.; Tolls, Volker; Bernasconi, Pietro N.; Kavak, Ümit; van der Tak, Floris F. S.; Shipman, Russ; Gao, Jian Rong; Tielens, Alexander; Burton, Michael G.; Yorke, Harold; Young, Erick; Peters, William L.; Young, Abram; Groppi, Christopher; Davis, Kristina; Pineda, Jorge L.; Langer, William D.; Kawamura, Jonathan H.; Stark, Antony; Melnick, Gary; Rebolledo, David; Wong, Graeme F.; Horiuchi, Shinji; Kuiper, Thomas B. Bibcode: 2019ApJ...878..120S Altcode: 2019arXiv190309517S We present observations of the Trumpler 14/Carina I region carried out using the Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory 2. The Trumpler 14/Carina I region is in the western part of the Carina Nebula Complex (CNC), which is one of the most extreme star-forming regions in the Milky Way. We observed Trumpler 14/Carina I in the 158 μm transition of [C II] with a spatial resolution of 48″ and a velocity resolution of 0.17 km s-1. The observations cover a 0.°25 by 0.°28 area with central position l = 297.°34, b = -0.°60. The kinematics show that bright [C II] structures are spatially and spectrally correlated with the surfaces of CO clouds, tracing the photodissociation region (PDR) and ionization front of each molecular cloud. Along seven lines of sight (LOSs) that traverse Tr 14 into the dark ridge to the southwest, we find that the [C II] luminosity from the H II region is 3.7 times that from the PDR. In the same LOS, we find in the PDRs an average ratio of 1 : 4.1 : 5.6 for the mass in atomic gas : dark CO gas : molecular gas traced by CO. Comparing multiple gas tracers, including H I 21 cm, [C II], CO, and radio recombination lines, we find that the H II regions of the CNC are well described as H II regions with one side freely expanding toward us, consistent with the Champagne model of ionized gas evolution. The dispersal of the GMC in this region is dominated by EUV photoevaporation; the dispersal timescale is 20-30 Myr. Title: Getting Ready for the Third Science Flight of SUNRISE Authors: Barthol, Peter; Katsukawa, Yukio; Lagg, Andreas; Solanki, Sami K.; Kubo, Masahito; Riethmueller, Tino; Martínez Pillet, Valentin; Gandorfer, Achim; Feller, Alex; Berkefeld, . Thomas; Orozco Suárez, David; Del Toro Iniesta, Jose Carlos; Bernasconi, Pietro; Álvarez-Herrero, Alberto; Quintero Noda, Carlos Bibcode: 2018cosp...42E.215B Altcode: SUNRISE is a balloon-borne, stratospheric solar observatory dedicated to the investigation of the structure and dynamics of the Sun's magnetic field and its interaction with convective plasma flows and waves. The previous science flights of SUNRISE in 2009 and 2013 have led to many new scientific results, so far described in around 90 refereed publications. This success has shown the huge potential of the SUNRISE concept and the recovery of the largely intact payload offers the opportunity for a third flight.The scientific instrumentation of SUNRISE 3 will have extended capabilities in particular to measure magnetic fields, plasma velocities and temperatures with increased sensitivity and over a larger height range in the solar atmosphere, from the convectively dominated photosphere up to the still poorly understood chromosphere. The latter is the key interaction region between magnetic field, waves and radiation and plays a central role in transporting energy to the outer layers of the solar atmosphere including the corona.SUNRISE 3 will carry 2 new grating-based spectro-polarimeters with slit-scanning and context imaging with slitjaw cameras. The SUNRISE UV Spectro-polarimeter and Imager (SUSI) will explore the rich near-UV range between 300 nm and 430 nm which is poorly accessible from the ground. The SUNRISE Chromospheric Infrared spectro-Polarimeter (SCIP) will sample 2 spectral windows in the near-infrared, containing many spectral lines highly sensitive to magnetic fields at different formation heights. In addition to the two new instruments the Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX), an etalon-based tunable filtergraph and spectro-polarimeter flown on both previous missions, will be upgraded to IMaX+, enhancing its cadence and giving access to 2 spectral lines in the visible spectral range. All three instruments will allow investigating both the photosphere and the chromosphere and will ideally complement each other in terms of sensitivity, height coverage and resolution.A new gondola with a sophisticated attitude control system including roll damping will provide improved pointing/tracking performance. Upgraded image stabilization with higher bandwidth will further reduce residual jitter, maximizing the quality of the science data.SUNRISE 3 is a joint project of the German Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung together with the Spanish SUNRISE consortium, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, USA, the German Kiepenheuer Institut für Sonnenphysik, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the Japan Aerospace eXploraion Agency (JAXA). Title: The GUSTO balloon mission Authors: Bernasconi, Pietro; Walker, Christopher; Kulesa, Craig Bibcode: 2018cosp...42E.304B Altcode: The Galactic/Extra-Galactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory (GUSTO) is a NASA Explorer Mission of Opportunity mission led by PI Dr. Christopher Walker of the University of Arizona. The project goal is to develop a Terahertz observatory and balloon-borne platform for conducting a spectroscopic survey of the Milky Way (MW) and Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) to determine the composition energetics and dynamics of the Interstellar Medium (ISM).The University of Arizona will provide the GUSTO 0.9-m aperture telescope and instrument, which will incorporate an array of 3x8 cryogenic Terahertz superconducting heterodyne receivers built in a collaborative effort with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Virginia Diodes (VDI), and Ball Aerospace. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) will provide the gondola with all its subsystems: Avionics, Guidance and Control, and Power. JHU/APL will also provide day-to-day project management, mission systems engineering.GUSTO will launch from McMurdo Antarctica in December 2021 and is designed to stay aloft for 100 days or more by utilizing the 100-day flight potential of the new Super Pressure Balloon (SPB), provided by NASA's Balloon Program Office (BPO). During the flight the mission will measure the THz emission from three important interstellar lines: [CII], [OI], and [NII] at 158, 63, and 205 microns, respectively, spread throughout the Milky Way and the neighboring Large Magellanic Cloud. GUSTO will provide the first complete study of the life cycle of the interstellar medium, the gas and dust from which all stars and planets are formed.GUSTO will employ a development approach that uses flight heritage from the Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory (STO) and the Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) and other prior balloon missions. Title: Stratospheric balloon observations of comets C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring), C/2014 E2 (Jacques), and Ceres Authors: Cheng, Andrew F.; Hibbitts, C. A.; Espiritu, R.; McMichael, R.; Fletcher, Z.; Bernasconi, P.; Adams, J. D.; Lisse, C. M.; Sitko, M. L.; Fernandes, R.; Young, E. F.; Kremic, T. Bibcode: 2017Icar..281..404C Altcode: The Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) was launched from Fort Sumner, New Mexico on September 26, 2014 and observed Oort Cloud comets from a stratospheric balloon observatory, using a 0.8 meter aperture telescope, a pointing system that achieved < 1 arc second pointing stability, and an imaging instrument suite covering the near-ultraviolet to mid-infrared. BOPPS observed two Oort Cloud comets, C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) and C/2014 E2 (Jacques), at the 2.7 μm wavelength of water emission. BOPPS also observed Ceres at 2.7 μm wavelength to characterize the nature of hydrated materials on Ceres. Absolute flux calibrations were made using observations of A0V stars at nearly the same elevations as each target. The Comet Siding Spring brightness in R-band was magnitude R = 10.8 in a photometric aperture of 17.4″. The inferred H2O production rate from Comet Siding Spring was 6 × 1027 s-1, assuming optically thin emissions, which may be a lower limit if optical depth effects are important. A superheat dust population was discovered at Comet Jacques, producing a bright infrared continuum without evidence for line emission. Observations of Ceres from BOPPS and from IRTF, obtained the same night, did not find evidence for a strong water vapor emission near 2.7 μm and led to an approximate upper limit < 7 × 1027 s-1 for water emission from Ceres. Title: Optical design for the large balloon reflector Authors: Cortes-Medellin, German; O'Dougherty, Stefan; Walker, Christopher; Goldsmith, Paul F.; Groppi, Chris; Smith, Steve; Bernasconi, Pietro Bibcode: 2016SPIE.9906E..1YC Altcode: We present the details of the optical design, corrector system, mechanical layout, tolerances, pointing requirements, and overall performance of the sub-millimeter wavelength Large Balloon Reflector telescope (LBR). Title: the APL Balloonborne High Altitude Research Platform (HARP) Authors: Adams, D.; Arnold, S.; Bernasconi, P. Bibcode: 2015ESASP.730..393A Altcode: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has developed and demonstrated a multi-purpose stratospheric balloonborne gondola known as the High Altitude Research Platform (HARP). HARP provides the power, mechanical supports, thermal control, and data transmission for multiple forms of high-altitude scientific research equipment. The platform has been used for astronomy, cosmology and heliophysics experiments but can also be applied to atmospheric studies, space weather and other forms of high altitude research. HARP has executed five missions. The first was Flare Genesis from Antarctica in 1993 and the most recent was the Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) from New Mexico in 2014. HARP will next be used to perform again the Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory mission, a mission that it first performed in 2009. The structure, composed of an aluminum framework is designed for easy transport and field assembly while providing ready access to the payload and supporting avionics. A light-weighted structure, capable of supporting Ultra-Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) flights that can last more than 100 days is available. Scientific research payloads as heavy as 600 kg (1322 pounds) and requiring up to 800 Watts electrical power can be supported. The platform comprises all subsystems required to support and operate the science payload, including both line-of-sight (LOS) and over-the-horizon (0TH) telecommunications, the latter provided by Iridium Pilot. Electrical power is produced by solar panels for multi-day missions and batteries for single-day missions. The avionics design is primarily single-string; however, use of ruggedized industrial components provides high reliability. The avionics features a Command and Control (C&C) computer and a Pointing Control System (PCS) computer housed within a common unpressurized unit. The avionics operates from ground pressure to 2 Torr and over a temperature range from —30 C to +85 C. Science data is stored on-board and also flows through the C&C computer where it is packetized for real-time downlink. The telecommunications system is capable of LOS downlink up to 3000 kbps and 0TH downlink up to 120 kbps. The pointing control system (PCS) provides three-axis attitude stability to 1 arcsec and can be used to aim at a fixed point for science observations, to perform science scans, and to track an object ephemeris. This paper provides a description of HARP, summarizes its performance on prior flights, describes its use on upcoming missions and outlines the characteristics that can be customized to meet the needs of the high altitude research community to support future missions. Title: Stratospheric Infra-Red Imaging and Spectroscopy for Planetary Science (SIRIS-PS) Authors: Hibbitts, C. A.; Kremic, T.; Cheng, A.; Bernasconi, P.; Rivkin, A. Bibcode: 2015LPI....46.2152H Altcode: 2015LPICo1832.2152H This infrared imaging and spectroscopy mission would conduct unique and valuable Decadal science at relatively low cost with a brief development period. Title: BOPPS Rapid Response Planetary Science: First Results Authors: Cheng, A. F.; Hibbitts, C. A.; Bernasconi, P.; Young, E. F. Bibcode: 2015LPI....46.1409C Altcode: 2015LPICo1832.1409C The first images of comets from a stratospheric balloon observatory have been obtained by the Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) mission. Title: STO-2: Support for 4th Year Operations, Recovery, and Science JHU/APL Co-I Authors: Bernasconi, Pietro Bibcode: 2015apra.prop...28B Altcode: This is a collaboration Co-I Institution proposal for the proposal "STO-2: Support for 4th Year Operations, Recovery, and Science" whose lead proposal is submitted by the University of Arizona with Dr. Christofer Walker as PI. STO-2 was flight-ready in the 2015-2016 austral summer. However, due to the late establishment of the stratospheric anti-cyclone and poor surface conditions, STO-2 was unable to launch. The decision was made to winter-over the STO-2 payload in its hangar for launch during the 2016-2017 Antarctic campaign. Funds to cover preparations and deployment of key members of the instrument team in support of the campaign are being provided by NASA under the existing grant. However, these funds are only sufficient to cover expenses up to approximately December 31st. Here we request supplemental funds to cover costs associated with STO-2 operations and recovery beyond this date. STO-2 will address a key problem in modern astrophysics, understanding the Life Cycle of the Interstellar Medium (ISM). STO-2 will survey approximately 1/4 of the Southern Galactic Plane in the dominant interstellar cooling line [CII] (158 μm) and the important star formation tracer [NII] (205 μm). In addition, STO-2 will perform path finding observations of the 63 μm [OI] line toward selected regions. With 1 arcminute angular resolution, STO-2 will spatially resolve atomic, ionic and molecular clouds out to 10 kpc. The STO-2 survey will be conducted at unparalleled sensitivity levels. STO-2 will uniquely probe the pivotal formative and disruptive stages in the life cycle of interstellar clouds and the relationship between global star formation rates and the properties of the ISM. Combined with previous HI and CO surveys, STO-2 will create 3-dimensional maps of the structure, dynamics, turbulence, energy balance, and pressure of the Milky Way's ISM, as well as the star formation rate. Once we gain an understanding of the relationship between ISM properties and star formation in the Milky Way, we can better interpret observations of nearby galaxies and the distant universe. The mission goals for these surveys are to: 1) Determine the life cycle of Galactic interstellar gas. 2) Study the creation and disruption of star-forming clouds in the Galaxy. 3) Determine the parameters that affect the star formation rate in the galaxy. 4) Provide templates for star formation and stellar/interstellar feedback in other galaxies. STO-2 reuses the 80 cm telescope and many subsystems from STO-1. It also reuses the gondola developed by APL for the BOPPS and BRISSON comet missions. For the STO- 2 flight, STO-1's high spectral resolution (<1 km/s) heterodyne receiver system was upgraded for extended cryogenic lifetime, enhanced sensitivity, and greater reliability. The flight receiver has five, cryogenic HEB mixers; two optimized for the 158 μm [CII] line, two for the 205 μm [NII] line, and one for the 63 μm [OI] line. STO is capable of detecting every giant molecular cloud, every HII region of significance, and every diffuse HI cloud with (AV >= 0.4) within its survey region. Title: BOPPS Observations of Oort Cloud Comets Siding and PanSTARRS Authors: Cheng, A. F.; Hibbitts, C.; Young, E. F.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Tibor, K. Bibcode: 2014AGUFM.P42A..04C Altcode: The Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) mission is a stratospheric balloon mission to conduct planetary science observations during a one-day flight from Ft. Sumner, NM in late September, 2014. BOPPS will fly an 80-cm telescope with two instruments to detect and characterize two Oort Cloud comets, C/2013 A1 Siding Spring and C/2012 K1 PanSTARRS. The BOPPS instruments [1,2] are the BOPPS Infrared Camera (BIRC), imaging at R band and from 2.5 to 5 microns, and the UVvis camera which includes a fine pointing system to demonstrate sub-arc second pointing and ability to obtain high SNR imaging at wavelengths near 300 nm sensitive to OH emission (1). The BIRC will image the comets in nine filter pass bands at 1.16 arc second per pixel resolution and will measure the strengths of H2O and CO2 emissions at 2.7μ and 4.3μ respectively. These are the primary volatiles driving cometary activity, and there is no alternative way to make these measurements from Earth or from space. The BIRC observations of Comet Siding Spring will occur about three weeks prior to the close approach of the comet to Mars, which will also be observed by the full constellation of Mars spacecraft. We will report initial results of BOPPS comet observations. References: [1] Young EF et al. (2014), Fall AGU this session [2] Hibbitts et al., (2014), Fall AGU Title: Brrison IR Camera (birc) Authors: McMichael, R. T.; Noble, M. W.; Adams, D.; Bernasconi, P.; Borowski, H.; Bupp, R.; Cheng, A. F.; Eaton, H.; Espiritu, R.; Fletcher, Z.; Heffernan, K.; Hibbitts, K.; Kee, C. L.; Maahs, G.; Murphy, G.; Ponnusamy, D.; Rolander, N. W.; Strohbehn, K.; Troll, J. R.; Williams, B. D. Bibcode: 2014SPIE.9145E..2WM Altcode: BIRC is a multispectral infrared imager designed to operate in 8 bandpasses between 2.5 and 5.0 μm utilizing a cryocooled HgCdTe detector and Ø80 cm telescope. The instrument was flown on a ballooncraft platform and operated in a near-space environment. BIRC was designed to measure the water and CO2 emissions from the comet ISON. The system produces an f/4 image over a field of view of 3 arcminutes, and employs shift/co-add algorithms to observe dim objects. An innovative thermal design holds the system components in separate vacuum and atmospheric zones which are independent of the neighboring instrument deck. This paper summarizes the design, test and integration of the BIRC instrument. Title: A Comparative Evaluation of Automated Solar Filament Detection Authors: Schuh, M. A.; Banda, J. M.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Angryk, R. A.; Martens, P. C. H. Bibcode: 2014SoPh..289.2503S Altcode: 2014SoPh..tmp...34S We present a comparative evaluation for automated filament detection in Hα solar images. By using metadata produced by the Advanced Automated Filament Detection and Characterization Code (AAFDCC) module, we adapted our trainable feature recognition (TFR) module to accurately detect regions in solar images containing filaments. We first analyze the AAFDCC module's metadata and then transform it into labeled datasets for machine-learning classification. Visualizations of data transformations and classification results are presented and accompanied by statistical findings. Our results confirm the reliable event reporting of the AAFDCC module and establishes our TFR module's ability to effectively detect solar filaments in Hα solar images. Title: BRRISON Mission Overview (Invited) Authors: Cheng, A. F.; Hibbitts, C.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Young, E. F.; Tibor, K.; Arnold, S. P.; Adams, D. Bibcode: 2013AGUFM.P31A1791C Altcode: The Balloon Rapid Response for ISON (BRRISON) mission will make balloon observations of Comet C/2012S1 ISON prior to the comet's perihelion on Nov. 28, 2013. Comet ISON is a sun-grazing comet, which has freshly emerged from the Oort Cloud and may not survive intact its plunge through the solar atmosphere. BRRISON will make unique observations of CO2 and H20 emissions in the fundamental vibrational bands of these most important cometary volatiles. The BRRISON stratospheric balloon-borne platform will launch from Fort Sumner, NM on a one-day flight, with the launch window opening September 17, 2013. The science payload consists of two instruments, the BRRISON IR Camera (BIRC) supplied by The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory for imaging in the 2.5 micron to 5 micron range, and the UVVis near-ultraviolet and visible camera imager supplied by the Southwest Research Institute. The UVVis Imager includes a fast steering mirror and fine pointing system. BRRISON plans to observe, in addition to the Oort Cloud comet ISON, the evolved Jupiter Family Comet 2/P Encke to compare the CO2 and H20 emissions of these end-members of the comet population. In addition, BRRISON plans to observe the Jupiter system, the Moon, hydrated main belt asteroids, and the bright, multiple star systems Castor and Mizar for calibration and for demonstration of the fine pointing system. I will present an overview of the BRRISON mission and its initial results. Title: BRISSON Mid-IR Observations of the Moon and Galilean Satellites Authors: Hibbitts, C.; Cheng, A. F.; Heffernan, K.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Young, E. F. Bibcode: 2013AGUFM.P43A2010H Altcode: The NASA BRRISON mission is performing observations of the Moon, Io, Callisto, as well as Jupiter, several asteroids, and comet Encke in addition to its primary target of comet ISON (1). The BRRISON mission will observe these secondary targets with its multispectral mid-infrared camera that is equipped with an astronomical R-band filter and an additional 8 filters, ranging from 2.5 microns to 4.6 microns, selected to characterize the peak and continuua of the CO2 and water emission bands from comet ISON (and Encke). These bands are also well positioned to characterize the hydroxyl/water absorption band in sunlight reflected from the surfaces of the Moon (2,3,4) and other airless bodies, as well as provide a multiple component temperature measurement of the thermal emission from them. The OH-related absorption bands on the Moon have already been characterized and mapped over the equatorial and mid-latitudes of the Moon (2,5), but at higher latitudes the band shape changes, broadening and possibly shifting to longer wavelengths. The later would be indicative of H2O. The multispectral capability of the IR instrument enables the BRRISON mission to determine if the molecule responsible for the 3-micron absorption band on the Moon can be attributed to H2O or if it is consistently and only OH, including mapping the distribution, depths, and shapes of the 3-micron band(s) over a significant portion of the Moon's nearside surface. Additionally, a possible change in OH- abundance with illumination/temperature has been observed by at least one of the three discovery spacecraft (2), but has not be further characterized by additional measurements. Because the BRRISON mission is planning to image a significant portion of the lunar surface, the multispectral measurements will be able to address that question as well. Third, surface temperatures will be calculated for the same pixels to enable exploring correlations between surface temperature and the 3-micron band characteristics. Surface temperatures will also be measured for other airless bodies, including the only non-icy Galilean satellite - Io. Additionally, the depth of the CO2 absorption feature on Callisto will be measured, to be compared with similar observations from Galileo NIMS and especially Cassini VIMS (6), which also obtained slightly subpixel observations of Callisto during its flyby of the Jovian system at the end of year 2000. (1) Cheng et al., AGU, 2013. (2) Pieters et al., Science, DOI: 10.1126 /science 1178658, 2009; (3) Sunshine et al., 10.1126/science.1179788, 2009; (4) Clark, R.N., 10.1126/science.1178105, 2009/; (5) McCord et al., JGR-Planets, VOL. 116, E00G05, doi:10.1029/2010JE003711, 2011; (6) McCord et al., Icarus 172 (2004) 104-126, 2013. Title: Towards the next HST: Fine Guiding Results from the BRRISON Mission Authors: Young, E. F.; Osterman, S. N.; Cheng, A. F.; Hibbitts, C.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2013AGUFM.P31A1785Y Altcode: The Balloon Rapid Response for ISON (BRRISON) mission is expected to make observations from altitudes near 125,000 ft (35 km, above 99.5% of the atmosphere) for several hours. Previous balloon missions have provided quantitative evidence that wavefront errors are negligible from this altitude. In order to take advantage of the space-like seeing conditions in the stratosphere, a balloon-borne telescope should be stabilized at a level that is comparable to the telescope's diffraction limit. The stabilization problem consists of two separate tasks: measuring the time-varying pointing error signal and correcting those pointing errors. BRRISON is equiped with coarse and fine pointing systems: a pair of star trackers and an IMU to control the elevation and azimuth pointing of the telescope and a high-speed sCMOS guide camera and a fine steering mirror to compensate for finer image motion. We will report on the precision and bandwidth of the pointing error signal and of the fine steering mirror's corrections. Expected targets include Jupiter and Comets Encke and ISON, in filters inherited from the Hale-Bopp campaign to isolate OH (310 nm) and CN (385 nm) features. Title: BRRISON Observations of Comet ISON Authors: Cheng, A. F.; Hibbitts, C.; Young, E. F.; Heffernan, K.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2013AGUFM.P24A..05C Altcode: The BRRISON mission will fly a stratospheric balloon-borne platform from Fort Sumner, NM to measure CO2 and H20 emissions at 4.3 micron and 2.7 micron, respectively from Comet ISON. If the flight duration reaches at least 18 hours, which will depend on upper level wind conditions, BRRISON will observe both ISON and the Jupiter Family comet 2P/Encke. BRRISON will carry a near-IR camera imaging in 8 near-IR filter passbands between 2.5 and 5 microns, with an additional filter for imaging in R band. ISON is an Oort Cloud comet, which preserves icy materials which have never been heated by passage through the inner solar system. As an Oort Cloud comet, it may have formed from different materials and under different conditions than Kuiper Belt comets, and particularly the Jupiter Family comets whose orbits have evolved to make repeated passes through the inner solar system. Comet Encke is a highly evolved member of the latter population with a perihelion of only 0.33 AU, inside the orbit of Mercury. Comparing the compositions of the Oort Cloud comet ISON, versus the evolved Kuiper Belt comet Encke, will help us to understand diverse cometary origins and dynamical histories. BRRISON observations may also help us understand whether and how comets formed in different regions of the early solar system may differ, and how key volatiles, including water and CO2, were distributed in the solar nebula. I will present initial results of BRRISON comet observations. Title: Plasma Disturbances in the Solar Polar Regions Authors: Raouafi, N.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2012AGUFMSH53A2269R Altcode: We investigate ubiquitous transient brightenings in coronal open structures seen with SDO/AIA and STEREO/SECCHI. EUV observations near the solar surface show that polar plumes (and also inter-plume regions) have been observed to harbor small outward-moving fluctuations in brightness on time scales of several minutes. It is not clear whether the fluctuations comprise boluses of material moving outward, wave phenomena, or both. The anti-sunward propagating blobs have velocities ranging from a few 10 km/sec to more than 100 km/sec. Title: Micro-Sigmoids as Progenitors of Polar Coronal Jets Authors: Raouafi, N. -E.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Rust, D. M.; Georgoulis, M. K. Bibcode: 2012ASPC..454..299R Altcode: Observations from the Hinode X-ray telescope (XRT) are used to study the structure of X-ray bright points (XBPs), sources of coronal jets. Several jet events are found to erupt from S-shaped bright points, suggesting that coronal micro-sigmoids are progenitors of the jets. The observations may help to explain numerous characteristics of coronal jets, such as helical structures and shapes. They also suggest that solar activity may be self-similar within a wide range of scales in terms of both properties and evolution of the observed coronal structures. Title: Solar Bolometric Imager for Investigating the Sources of Solar Irradiance Variability Authors: Bernasconi, Pietro N.; Foukal, P. V. Bibcode: 2012AAS...22020114B Altcode: The Solar Bolometric Imager is an innovative instrument for the investigation of the sources of solar irradiance variability. It makes precise, wavelength-integrated, photometric measurements of the irradiance variations originating in the solar photosphere. It provides images with spectrally flat response over the range 200-2600 nm, which includes about 95% of the total solar irradiance (TSI). It is important to realize that the SBI measures broad band contrast of thermal structures relative to their surroundings, so it does not require absolute accuracy or even high long term reproducibility. Its angular resolution (1 arcsecs/pixel) and field of view (320x240 arcsecs) are optimized to discriminate between TSI contributions from different magnetic and non-magnetic solar regions. The detector is an uncooled bolometric array with 320x240 ferro-electric pixels, coated with gold-black to achieve uniform sensitivity at all wavelengths of incident light. We are in the process of developing a space based SBI that builds upon the heritage of a stratospheric balloon-borne instrument successfully flown in 2003, and 2007. A space-based SBI will directly attack one of the most challenging problems in solar research: “What are the origins of long term solar total output variation on centennial and millennial time scales?” In addition, SBI measurements will continue to increase our understanding of solar magneto-convection, and more generally the underlying physics of solar magnetic variability.

Here we present the results of our latest instrument development efforts aimed at bringing the current SBI prototype to a Technology Readiness Level suitable for a SMEX or a Mission of Opportunity. Title: A Comparative Evaluation of Automated Solar Filament Detection Authors: Schuh, Michael; Banda, J.; Bernasconi, P.; Angryk, R.; Martens, P. Bibcode: 2012AAS...22020105S Altcode: We present a comparative evaluation for automated filament detection in H-alpha solar images. By using metadata produced by the Advanced Automated Filament Detection and Characterization Code (AAFDCC) module, we adapted our Trainable Feature Recognition (TFR) component to accurately detect regions in solar images containing filaments. We first analyze the module's metadata and then transform it into labeled datasets for machine learning classification. Visualizations of data transformations and classification results are presented and accompanied by statistical findings. Our results confirm the reliable event reporting of the AAFDCC module as well as our ability to effectively detect solar filaments with our TFR component. Title: Plasma Blobs in the Solar Polar Regions: Outflows or Waves? Authors: Raouafi, Nour-Eddine; Bernasconi, P. N.; Georgoulis, M. K. Bibcode: 2012AAS...22020104R Altcode: We analyze EUV images from the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). Anti-sunward propagating blob are found almost everywhere within the solar polar regions with velocities ranging from a few 10 km s-1 to more than 100 km s-1. These structures are either flows or waves. In the former case they may reflect the structure of the nascent fast solar wind. The case is also important for the heating of the coronal plasma. Title: Computer Vision for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Authors: Martens, P. C. H.; Attrill, G. D. R.; Davey, A. R.; Engell, A.; Farid, S.; Grigis, P. C.; Kasper, J.; Korreck, K.; Saar, S. H.; Savcheva, A.; Su, Y.; Testa, P.; Wills-Davey, M.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Raouafi, N. -E.; Delouille, V. A.; Hochedez, J. F.; Cirtain, J. W.; DeForest, C. E.; Angryk, R. A.; De Moortel, I.; Wiegelmann, T.; Georgoulis, M. K.; McAteer, R. T. J.; Timmons, R. P. Bibcode: 2012SoPh..275...79M Altcode: 2011SoPh..tmp..144M; 2011SoPh..tmp..213M; 2011SoPh..tmp....8M In Fall 2008 NASA selected a large international consortium to produce a comprehensive automated feature-recognition system for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The SDO data that we consider are all of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) images plus surface magnetic-field images from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). We produce robust, very efficient, professionally coded software modules that can keep up with the SDO data stream and detect, trace, and analyze numerous phenomena, including flares, sigmoids, filaments, coronal dimmings, polarity inversion lines, sunspots, X-ray bright points, active regions, coronal holes, EIT waves, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), coronal oscillations, and jets. We also track the emergence and evolution of magnetic elements down to the smallest detectable features and will provide at least four full-disk, nonlinear, force-free magnetic field extrapolations per day. The detection of CMEs and filaments is accomplished with Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) and ground-based Hα data, respectively. A completely new software element is a trainable feature-detection module based on a generalized image-classification algorithm. Such a trainable module can be used to find features that have not yet been discovered (as, for example, sigmoids were in the pre-Yohkoh era). Our codes will produce entries in the Heliophysics Events Knowledgebase (HEK) as well as produce complete catalogs for results that are too numerous for inclusion in the HEK, such as the X-ray bright-point metadata. This will permit users to locate data on individual events as well as carry out statistical studies on large numbers of events, using the interface provided by the Virtual Solar Observatory. The operations concept for our computer vision system is that the data will be analyzed in near real time as soon as they arrive at the SDO Joint Science Operations Center and have undergone basic processing. This will allow the system to produce timely space-weather alerts and to guide the selection and production of quicklook images and movies, in addition to its prime mission of enabling solar science. We briefly describe the complex and unique data-processing pipeline, consisting of the hardware and control software required to handle the SDO data stream and accommodate the computer-vision modules, which has been set up at the Lockheed-Martin Space Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), with an identical copy at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). Title: Reflight of the Stratospheric TeraHertz Observatory: STO-2 Authors: Bernasconi, Pietro Bibcode: 2012apra.prop...98B Altcode: This is the Lead Proposal for the "Reflight of the Stratospheric TeraHertz Observatory: STO-2". STO-2 will address a key problem in modern astrophysics, understanding the Life Cycle of the Interstellar Medium (ISM). STO-2 will survey approximately 1/4 of the Southern Galactic plane in the dominant interstellar cooling line [CII] (158 μm) and the important star formation tracer [NII] (205 μm). With ~1 arcminute angular resolution, STO-2 will spatially resolve atomic, ionic and molecular clouds out to 10 kpc. Taking advantage of its enhanced, extended lifetime cryogenic receivers, the STO-2 survey will be conducted at unparalleled sensitivity levels. STO- 2 will uniquely probe the pivotal formative and disruptive stages in the life cycle of interstellar clouds and the relationship between global star formation rates and the properties of the ISM. Combined with previous HI and CO surveys, STO-2 will create 3-dimensional maps of the structure, dynamics, turbulence, energy balance, and pressure of the Milky Way's ISM, as well as the star formation rate. Once we gain an understanding of the relationship between ISM properties and star formation in the Milky Way, we can better interpret observations of nearby galaxies and the distant universe. The mission goals for these surveys are to: 1) Determine the life cycle of Galactic interstellar gas, 2) Study the creation and disruption of star-forming clouds in the Galaxy, 3) Determine the parameters that affect the star formation rate in the galaxy, and 4) Provide templates for star formation and stellar/interstellar feedback in other galaxies. STO-2 will re-use the 80cm telescope, gondola, and subsystems from STO-1. For the STO-2 flight, STO-1 s high spectral resolution (<1 km/s) heterodyne receiver system will be upgraded for extended cryogenic lifetime, enhanced sensitivity, and greater reliability. The flight receiver has eight, cryogenic HEB mixers; four optimized for the [CII] line and four for the [NII] line. STO-2 will also fly an uncooled, Schottky receiver to observe the 609 μm [CI] line at 3 arcminute resolution. The instrument spectrometer has sufficient bandwidth to detect all clouds participating in Galactic rotation in each of its 9 pixels. STO is capable of detecting every giant molecular cloud, every HII region of significance, and every diffuse HI cloud with (AV e 0.4) within its survey region. The STO-1 launch was on 15 January 2012. Before achieving float altitude a frozen absolute pressure regulator vented approximately half of the liquid helium supply to the atmosphere. This event reduced the cryogenic (THz) portion of the mission to ~5 days. The efficacy of the observations conducted during this period was hindered by several technical issues experienced early in the flight. The causes of these issues were identified and corrected in flight. STO then transitioned into its `Warm Mission science program and continued observations using an uncooled 492 GHz [CI] receiver until the end of its flight on 29 January 2012. Here we propose to re-fly STO with an upgraded, more robust cryogenic/receiver system that will allow THz observations to continue until stratospheric conditions or recovery constraints require terminating the mission (up to ~60 days). STO-2 will benefit tremendously from the heritage and experience gained during the STO-1 campaign. Title: Micro-Sigmoids as Progenitors of Polar Coronal Jets Authors: Raouafi, N. -E.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Rust, D. M.; Georgoulis, M. K. Bibcode: 2010arXiv1009.2951R Altcode: Observations from the Hinode X-ray telescope (XRT) are used to study the structure of X-ray bright points (XBPs), sources of coronal jets. Several jet events are found to erupt from S-shaped bright points, suggesting that coronal micro-sigmoids are progenitors of the jets. The observations may help to explain numerous characteristics of coronal jets, such as helical structures and shapes. They also suggest that solar activity may be self-similar within a wide range of scales in terms of both properties and evolution of the observed coronal structures. Title: Micro-sigmoids as Progenitors of Coronal Jets: Is Eruptive Activity Self-similarly Multi-scaled? Authors: Raouafi, N. -E.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2010ApJ...718..981R Altcode: 2010arXiv1005.4042R Observations from the X-ray telescope (XRT) on Hinode are used to study the nature of X-ray-bright points, sources of coronal jets. Several jet events in the coronal holes are found to erupt from small-scale, S-shaped bright regions. This finding suggests that coronal micro-sigmoids may well be progenitors of coronal jets. Moreover, the presence of these structures may explain numerous observed characteristics of jets such as helical structures, apparent transverse motions, and shapes. Analogous to large-scale sigmoids giving rise to coronal mass ejections (CMEs), a promising future task would perhaps be to investigate whether solar eruptive activity, from coronal jets to CMEs, is self-similar in terms of properties and instability mechanisms. Title: The Stratospheric THz Observatory (STO) Authors: Walker, C.; Kulesa, C.; Bernasconi, P.; Eaton, H.; Rolander, N.; Groppi, C.; Kloosterman, J.; Cottam, T.; Lesser, D.; Martin, C.; Stark, A.; Neufeld, D.; Lisse, C.; Hollenbach, D.; Kawamura, J.; Goldsmith, P.; Langer, W.; Yorke, H.; Sterne, J.; Skalare, A.; Mehdi, I.; Weinreb, S.; Kooi, J.; Stutzki, J.; Graf, U.; Brasse, M.; Honingh, C.; Simon, R.; Akyilmaz, M.; Puetz, P.; Wolfire, Mark Bibcode: 2010SPIE.7733E..0NW Altcode: 2010SPIE.7733E..20W The Stratospheric TeraHertz Observatory (STO) is a NASA funded, Long Duration Balloon (LDB) experiment designed to address a key problem in modern astrophysics: understanding the Life Cycle of the Interstellar Medium (ISM). STO will survey a section of the Galactic plane in the dominant interstellar cooling line [C II] (1.9 THz) and the important star formation tracer [N II] (1.46 THz) at ~1 arc minute angular resolution, sufficient to spatially resolve atomic, ionic and molecular clouds at 10 kpc. STO itself has three main components; 1) an 80 cm optical telescope, 2) a THz instrument package, and 3) a gondola [1]. Both the telescope and gondola have flown on previous experiments [2,3]. They have been reoptimized for the current mission. The science flight receiver package will contain four [CII] and four [NII] HEB mixers, coupled to a digital spectrometer. The first engineering test flight of STO was from Ft. Sumner, NM on October 15, 2009. The ~30 day science flight is scheduled for December 2011. Title: The "Sigmoid Sniffer” and the "Advanced Automated Solar Filament Detection and Characterization Code” Modules Authors: Raouafi, Noureddine; Bernasconi, P. N.; Georgoulis, M. K. Bibcode: 2010AAS...21640232R Altcode: We present two pattern recognition algorithms, the "Sigmoid Sniffer” and the "Advanced Automated Solar Filament Detection and Characterization Code,” that are among the Feature Finding modules of the Solar Dynamic Observatory:

1) Coronal sigmoids visible in X-rays and the EUV are the result of highly twisted magnetic fields. They can occur anywhere on the solar disk and are closely related to solar eruptive activity (e.g., flares, CMEs). Their appearance is typically synonym of imminent solar eruptions, so they can serve as a tool to forecast solar activity. Automatic X-ray sigmoid identification offers an unbiased way of detecting short-to-mid term CME precursors. The "Sigmoid Sniffer” module is capable of automatically detecting sigmoids in full-disk X-ray images and determining their chirality, as well as other characteristics. It uses multiple thresholds to identify persistent bright structures on a full-disk X-ray image of the Sun. We plan to apply the code to X-ray images from Hinode/XRT, as well as on SDO/AIA images. When implemented in a near real-time environment, the Sigmoid Sniffer could allow 3-7 day forecasts of CMEs and their potential to cause major geomagnetic storms.

2)The "Advanced Automated Solar Filament Detection and Characterization Code” aims to identify, classify, and track solar filaments in full-disk Hα images. The code can reliably identify filaments; determine their chirality and other relevant parameters like filament area, length, and average orientation with respect to the equator. It is also capable of tracking the day-by-day evolution of filaments as they traverse the visible disk. The code was tested by analyzing daily Hα images taken at the Big Bear Solar Observatory from mid-2000 to early-2005. It identified and established the chirality of thousands of filaments without human intervention. Title: Computer Vision for SDO: First Results from the SDO Feature Finding Algorithms Authors: Martens, Petrus C.; Attrill, G.; Davey, A.; Engell, A.; Farid, S.; Grigis, P.; Kasper, J.; Korreck, K.; Saar, S.; Su, Y.; Testa, P.; Wills-Davey, M.; Bernasconi, P.; Raouafi, N.; Georgoulis, M.; Deforest, C.; Peterson, J.; Berghoff, T.; Delouille, V.; Hochedez, J.; Mampaey, B.; Verbeek, C.; Cirtain, J.; Green, S.; Timmons, R.; Savcheva, A.; Angryk, R.; Wiegelmann, T.; McAteer, R. Bibcode: 2010AAS...21630804M Altcode: The SDO Feature Finding Team produces robust and very efficient software modules that can keep up with the relentless SDO data stream, and detect, trace, and analyze a large number of phenomena including: flares, sigmoids, filaments, coronal dimmings, polarity inversion lines, sunspots, X-ray bright points, active regions, coronal holes, EIT waves, CME's, coronal oscillations, and jets. In addition we track the emergence and evolution of magnetic elements down to the smallest features that are detectable, and we will also provide at least four full disk nonlinear force-free magnetic field extrapolations per day.

During SDO commissioning we will install in the near-real time data pipeline the modules that provide alerts for flares, coronal dimmings, and emerging flux, as well as those that trace filaments, sigmoids, polarity inversion lines, and active regions. We will demonstrate the performance of these modules and illustrate their use for science investigations. Title: The Stratospheric THz Observatory (STO): 1st Test Flight Authors: Walker, C.; Kulesa, C.; Koostermann, J.; Cottam, T.; Groppi, C.; Bernasconi, P.; Eaton, H.; Rolander, N.; Neufeld, D.; Lisse, C.; Stark, A.; Hollenbach, D.; Kawamura, J.; Goldsmith, P.; Langer, W.; Yorke, H.; Sterne, J.; Skalare, A.; Mehdi, I.; Weinreb, S.; Kooi, J.; Stutzski, J.; Graf, U.; Honingh, C.; Puetz, P.; Martin, C.; Lesser, D.; Wolfire, Mark Bibcode: 2010stt..conf...46W Altcode: No abstract at ADS Title: Automated Feature and Event Detection with SDO AIA and HMI Data Authors: Davey, Alisdair; Martens, P. C. H.; Attrill, G. D. R.; Engell, A.; Farid, S.; Grigis, P. C.; Kasper, J.; Korreck, K.; Saar, S. H.; Su, Y.; Testa, P.; Wills-Davey, M.; Savcheva, A.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Raouafi, N. -E.; Delouille, V. A.; Hochedez, J. F. .; Cirtain, J. W.; Deforest, C. E.; Angryk, R. A.; de Moortel, I.; Wiegelmann, T.; Georgouli, M. K.; McAteer, R. T. J.; Hurlburt, N.; Timmons, R. Bibcode: 2010cosp...38.2878D Altcode: 2010cosp.meet.2878D The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) represents a new frontier in quantity and quality of solar data. At about 1.5 TB/day, the data will not be easily digestible by solar physicists using the same methods that have been employed for images from previous missions. In order for solar scientists to use the SDO data effectively they need meta-data that will allow them to identify and retrieve data sets that address their particular science questions. We are building a comprehensive computer vision pipeline for SDO, abstracting complete metadata on many of the features and events detectable on the Sun without human intervention. Our project unites more than a dozen individual, existing codes into a systematic tool that can be used by the entire solar community. The feature finding codes will run as part of the SDO Event Detection System (EDS) at the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC; joint between Stanford and LMSAL). The metadata produced will be stored in the Heliophysics Event Knowledgebase (HEK), which will be accessible on-line for the rest of the world directly or via the Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO) . Solar scientists will be able to use the HEK to select event and feature data to download for science studies. Title: Solar Magnetic Helicity Injected into the Heliosphere: Magnitude, Balance, and Periodicities Over Solar Cycle 23 Authors: Georgoulis, M. K.; Rust, D. M.; Pevtsov, A. A.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Kuzanyan, K. M. Bibcode: 2009ApJ...705L..48G Altcode: Relying purely on solar photospheric magnetic field measurements that cover most of solar cycle 23 (1996-2005), we calculate the total relative magnetic helicity injected into the solar atmosphere, and eventually shed into the heliosphere, over the latest cycle. Large active regions dominate the helicity injection process with ~5.7 × 1045 Mx2 of total injected helicity. The net helicity injected is lsim1% of the above output. Peculiar active-region plasma flows account for ~80% of this helicity; the remaining ~20% is due to solar differential rotation. The typical helicity per active-region CME ranges between (1.8-7) × 1042 Mx2 depending on the CME velocity. Accounting for various minor underestimation factors, we estimate a maximum helicity injection of ~6.6 × 1045 Mx2 for solar cycle 23. Although no significant net helicity exists over both solar hemispheres, we recover the well-known hemispheric helicity preference, which is significantly enhanced by the solar differential rotation. We also find that helicity injection in the solar atmosphere is an inherently disorganized, impulsive, and aperiodic process. Title: Computer Vision for The Solar Dynamics Observatory Authors: Martens, Petrus C.; Angryk, R. A.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Cirtain, J. W.; Davey, A. R.; DeForest, C. E.; Delouille, V. A.; De Moortel, I.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Grigis, P. C.; Hochedez, J. E.; Kasper, J.; Korreck, K. E.; Reeves, K. K.; Saar, S. H.; Savcheva, A.; Su, Y.; Testa, P.; Wiegelmann, T.; Wills-Davey, M. Bibcode: 2009SPD....40.1711M Altcode: NASA funded a large international consortium last year to produce a comprehensive system for automated feature recognition in SDO images. The data we consider are all AIA and EVE data plus surface magnetic field images from HMI. Helioseismology is addressed by another group.

We will produce robust and very efficient software modules that can keep up with the relentless SDO data stream and detect, trace, and analyze a large number of phenomena, including: flares, sigmoids, filaments, coronal dimmings, polarity inversion lines, sunspots, X-ray bright points, active regions, coronal holes, EIT waves, CME's, coronal oscillations, and jets. In addition we will track the emergence and evolution of magnetic elements down to the smallest features that are detectable, and we will also provide at least four full disk nonlinear force-free magnetic field extrapolations per day.

A completely new software element that rounds out this suite is a trainable feature detection module, which employs a generalized image classification algorithm to produce the texture features of the images analyzed. A user can introduce a number of examples of the phenomenon looked and the software will return images with similar features. We have tested a proto-type on TRACE data, and were able to "train" the algorithm to detect sunspots, active regions, and loops. Such a module can be used to find features that have not even been discovered yet, as, for example, sigmoids were in the pre-Yohkoh era.

Our codes will produce entries in the Helio Events Knowledge base, and that will permit users to locate data on individual events as well as carry out statistical studies on large numbers of events, using the interface provided by the Virtual Solar Observatory. Title: Just how much Helicity did the Sun Shed in Solar Cycle 23? Magnitude, Balance, Periodicities, and Further Implications Authors: Georgoulis, Manolis K.; Rust, D. M.; Pevtsov, A. A.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Kuzanyan, K. M. Bibcode: 2009SPD....40.0606G Altcode: Using solar magnetic field measurements, we calculate the total relative magnetic helicity injected in the solar atmosphere and eventually

transported to the heliosphere in the course of the latest solar cycle. We report on (i) the magnitude of the heliospheric helicity over cycle 23, (ii) the net helicity and its significance, and (iii) the possible

periodicities of helicity injection in the solar atmosphere. Our simple calculations raise several questions regarding the fundamental nature of solar magnetism. The lack of significant net helicity may place the solar dynamo in the category of

astrophysical dynamos without a net helicity effect over an average time scale. The strong enhancement of the hemispheric helicity preference by solar differential rotation - although the latter has a much weaker effect than intrinsic active-region plasma flows - warrants further investigation. Finally, the absence of any credible periodicity of helicity injection, in spite of numerous reported periodicities in solar activity, perhaps prompts the re-evaluation of the notion that the Sun works through a sequence of internal cycles: active-region emergence and evolution appears as an inherently disorganized, aperiodic process. Title: Recent Anomalous TSI Decrease Not Due To Low Polar Facula and Network Areas: Time to Broaden Our View of Solar Luminosity Variation? Authors: Foukal, Peter V.; Bernasconi, P.; Frohlich, C. Bibcode: 2009SPD....40.1113F Altcode: Total solar irradiance (TSI) values measured during the present activity minimum by the VIRGO, ACRIM, and TIM radiometers are significantly ( 0.018% +/- 0.006 % rms) lower than reported during the last minimum in 1996 (1). This decrease represents 1/4 the amplitude of 11 - yr TSI variation. Differences in spots, faculae and active network cannot account for this anomalous decrease. A sufficient difference in the TSI contribution from quiet network also seems unlikely, since the solar microwave flux index, F10.7, has dipped only 4 % below its 1996 minimum. This is an order of magnitude less than required to explain the TSI decrease by a decline in network area.

The remaining explanation in terms of photospheric magnetic structures, might lie in a decrease in the area of polar faculae, whose cycle amplitude is presently at a minimum for this century. We evaluate their TSI contribution using area and contrast measurements with the Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI), together with polar facula counts (2). We find that their TSI contribution between the present and 1996 activity minima, is below 0.002%. This is again, an order of magnitude below the observed TSI decrease.

We conclude that the anomalous TSI decrease is unlikely to be caused by photospheric magnetic changes. This suggests that solar luminosity may be able to change significantly over decadal time scales through an as- yet- unidentified, relatively shallow mechanism that avoids the 10*5 year thermal relaxation time of the solar convection zone.

This work was supported at Heliophysics, Inc by NSF grant ATM 0718305, and at APL by NASA grant NNG 05WC07G

References:

1. Frohlich, C. 2008, AGU Fall Meeting, Abstract # SH21C-05.

2. Sheeley, N. 2008, Ap.J. , 680, 1553. Title: A Test Flight Instrument for the Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory (STO) Authors: Walker, C.; Kulesa, C.; Groppi, C.; Young, E.; Bernasconi, P.; Eaton, H.; Rolander, N.; Lisse, C.; Hollenbach, D.; Kawamura, J.; Goldsmith, P.; Langer, W.; Yorke, H.; Sterne, J.; Skalare, A.; Mehdi, I.; Weinreb, S.; Kooi, J.; Stutzki, J.; Graf, U.; Honingh, C.; Pütz, P.; Martin, C. L. Bibcode: 2009stt..conf..107W Altcode: No abstract at ADS Title: Solar Network Bolometric Properties at Minimum of Activity Observed by the Solar Bolometric Imager Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Foukal, P. V. Bibcode: 2008AGUFMSH23A1625B Altcode: On September 13 2007, the Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) observed the Sun in wide band spectrally integrated for 16 hours while suspended from a balloon at ~120,000 feet altitude above New Mexico. SBI represents a totally new approach in finding the sources of the solar irradiance variation. Its detector is an array of 320x240 thermal IR elements whose spectral sensitivity has been extended and flattened by a layer of gold-black deposited on its IR sensitive surface. The combination of bolometric array and telescope, a 30- cm Dall-Kirkham with uncoated primary and secondary Pyrex mirrors, provide an image of the Sun with constant spectral response between ~ 280 and 2600 nm, over a field of view of 960 x 720 arcsec with a pixel size of 3 arcsec. The September 13, 2007 flight provided bolometric (integrated light) maps of the photosphere when the Sun was near a minimum of activity. At the time of the flight no active regions were present giving us the opportunity to measure with high accuracy the bolometric contrast of the weak solar magnetic network from Sun center to the limb. The network was easily detectable by SBI near the limb. We measured an average bolometric contrast of ~ 0.8 to 1.0 %, which is slightly above the 5-minute oscillation brightness signal (the most prominent solar induced noise source for us). We were also able to detect the bolometric brightness signature of network near Sun center by averaging 720 bolometric images taken close to Sun center over a period of 1 hour. The resulting RMS noise was < 0.02% and most of the 5-minute oscillation brightness was removed in the average. This enabled us to measure an average network bolometric contrast at Sun center of 0.25% with a spread of about ± 0.05%. Ours is the first bolometric measurement (constant spectral sensitivity from 280 to 2600 nm) of the center-to-limb contrast of magnetic network. Our observations demonstrate that SBI can accurately measure the bolometric contrast of even quiet network across the solar disk. These measurements will enable a more precise estimate of the TSI contribution from changes of the enhanced magnetic network, which consist of larger elements than the quiet network. This will enable us to determine whether other low level brightness sources besides faculae and spots contribute to TSI and evaluate their possible long term influence in TSI change and climate. Title: Barium strontium titanate (BST) pyroelectric detector for bolometric solar imaging Authors: Noble, M.; Bernasconi, P.; Francomacaro, A.; Eaton, H.; Carkhuff, B.; Foukal, P. Bibcode: 2008SPIE.7055E..0AN Altcode: 2008SPIE.7055E...6N The Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) is an imaging solar telescope assembly that employs a novel single-detector broadband bolometric measurement technique. An uncooled thermal IR imaging detector is coated with a thin gold-black film that absorbs over 98% of the solar spectrum. The absorbed energy is then re-radiated in the thermal IR and sampled by the detector array. This technique [4] provides an evenly weighted integrated responsivity that spans the majority of the solar spectrum (0.2-2.5μm). We present here performance results from the follow-on gold-black deposition process investigation, radiation testing results, spacecraft instrument design and some of the prototype detector/imaging system's flight performance and calibration data from our 2007 Ft. Sumner balloon flight that demonstrates the instrument met or exceeded all of its specification. Title: Do Photospheric Brightness Structures Outside Magnetic Flux Tubes Contribute to Solar Luminosity Variation? Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Foukal, P. V. Bibcode: 2008AGUSMSP53B..07B Altcode: Variations in total solar irradiance (TSI) correlate well with changes in projected area of photospheric magnetic flux tubes associated with dark sunspots and bright faculae in active regions and network. This correlation does not, however, rule out possible TSI contributions from photospheric brightness inhomogeneities located outside flux tubes, and spatially correlated with them. Previous reconstructions of TSI report agreement with radiometry that seems to rule out significant "extra-flux tube" contributions. We show that these reconstructions are more sensitive to the facular contrasts used than has been generally recognized. Measurements with the Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) provide the first reliable support for the relatively high, wide-band, disc-center contrasts required to produce 10% rms agreement. Longer-term bolometric imaging will be required to determine whether the small but systematic TSI residuals we see here are caused by remaining errors in spot and facular areas and contrasts, or by extra-flux tube brightness structures such as bright rings around sunspots, or "convective stirring" around active regions. Title: Preliminary Results Of the 2007 Flight of the Solar Bolometric Imager at Solar Minimum Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Foukal, P. V.; Eaton, H. H.; Noble, M. Bibcode: 2008AGUSMSP41B..05B Altcode: On September 13 2007, the Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) successfully observed the Sun for several hours while suspended from a balloon in the stratosphere above New Mexico. The SBI represents a totally new approach in finding the sources of the solar irradiance variation. The SBI detector is an array of 320x240 thermal IR elements whose spectral absorptance has been extended and flattened by a deposited layer of gold-black. The telescope is a 30-cm Dall-Kirkham with uncoated primary and secondary Pyrex mirrors. The combination of telescope and bolometric array provide an image of the Sun with a constant spectral response between ~ 280 and 2600 nm, over a field of view of 960 x 720 arcsec with a pixel size of 3 arcsec. This is the second successful flight of SBI, following a successful one on September 2003 which produced the first measurements in broad band of the center-to-limb variation of bolometric facular contrast (a flight attempt from Antarctica in 2006 was aborted). This latest flight provided bolometric (integrated light) maps of the solar photosphere during a time of minimum of solar activity. The SBI imagery will enable us to evaluate the photometric contribution of weak magnetic structures (e.g. network) more accurately than has been achievable with spectrally selective imaging over restricted wavebands. It will also enable us to investigate the presence, if any, of other thermal structures unrelated to magnetic activity, such as e.g. giant cells and pole-to-equator temperature gradients. During the 16 hour flight the SBI gathered several thousand bolometric images that are now being processed to produce full-disk maps of spatial variation in total solar output at solar minimum. The SBI flight is also providing important engineering data to validate the space worthiness of the novel gold-blackened thermal array detectors. In this paper we will briefly describe the characteristics of the SBI, its in-flight performance, and we will present the first results of the analysis of the bolometric images. Title: The Stratospheric TeraHertz Observatory (STO) Authors: Walker, C. K.; Kulesa, C. A.; Groppi, C. E.; Young, E.; McMahon, T.; Bernasconi, P.; Lisse, C.; Neufeld, D.; Hollenbach, D.; Kawamura, J.; Goldsmith, P.; Langer, W.; Yorke, H.; Sterne, J.; Skalare, A.; Mehdi, I.; Weinreb, S.; Kooi, J.; Stutzki, J.; Graf, U.; Honingh, C.; Puetz, P.; Martin, C.; Wolfire, M. Bibcode: 2008stt..conf...28W Altcode: No abstract at ADS Title: Do Photospheric Brightness Structures Outside Magnetic Flux Tubes Contribute to Solar Luminosity Variation? Authors: Foukal, Peter; Bernasconi, Pietro N. Bibcode: 2008SoPh..248....1F Altcode: 2008SoPh..tmp...33F Variations in total solar irradiance (TSI) correlate well with changes in projected area of photospheric magnetic flux tubes associated with dark sunspots and bright faculae in active regions and network. This correlation does not, however, rule out possible TSI contributions from photospheric brightness inhomogeneities located outside flux tubes and spatially correlated with them. Previous reconstructions of TSI report agreement with radiometry that seems to rule out significant "extra-flux-tube" contributions. We show that these reconstructions are more sensitive to the facular contrasts used than has been generally recognized. Measurements with the Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) provide the first reliable support for the relatively high, wide-band, disk-center contrasts required to produce 10% rms agreement. Longer term bolometric imaging will be required to determine whether the small but systematic TSI residuals we see here are caused by remaining errors in spot and facular areas and contrasts or by extra-flux-tube brightness structures such as bright rings around sunspots or "convective stirring" around active regions. Title: Do Photospheric Brightness Structures Outside Magnetic Flux Tubes Contribute to Solar Luminosity Variation? Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Foukal, P. Bibcode: 2007AGUFMGC31B0345B Altcode: Variations in total solar irradiance (TSI) correlate well with changes in projected area of photospheric magnetic flux tubes associated with spots, faculae and network. This correlation does not, however, rule out possible TSI contributions from photospheric brightness inhomogeneities located outside flux tubes, and spatially correlated with them. Previous reconstructions report 10% amplitude agreement with radiometry that seems to rule out significant extra-flux tube contributions. We show that, while these reconstructions are insensitive to behavior of near- limb facular contrast, their sensitivity to contrasts on the disc is relatively high. Given this sensitivity, previously used observational and theoretical approximations to wide-band facular contrast are too uncertain to support claims of 10% reconstruction accuracy. Recent measurements with the Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) provide the first observational support for the relatively high wide-band, disc-center contrasts required to produce 10% rms agreement. Longer-term bolometric imaging to measure areas and bolometric contrasts homogeneously will be required to determine whether the systematic TSI residuals we see are caused mainly by uncertainties in sunspot contrasts, or by extra-flux tube brightness structures due to bright spot rings or convective stirring. Title: Emergence of undulatory magnetic flux tubes by small scale reconnections Authors: Pariat, E.; Aulanier, G.; Schmieder, B.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2006AdSpR..38..902P Altcode: With Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), a balloon borne observatory launched in Antarctica on January 2000, series of high spatial resolution vector magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and Hα filtergrams have been obtained in an emerging active region (AR 8844). Previous analyses of this data revealed the occurence of many short-lived and small-scale H α brightenings called 'Ellerman bombs' (EBs) within the AR. We performed an extrapolation of the field above the photosphere using the linear force-free field approximation. The analysis of the magnetic topology reveals a close connexion between the loci of EBs and the existence of "Bald patches" (BP) regions (BPs are regions where the vector magnetic field is tangential to the photosphere). Some of these EBs/BPs are magnetically connected by low-lying field lines, presenting a serpentine shape. This results leads us to conjecture that arch filament systems and active regions coronal loops do not result from the smooth emergence of large scale Ω-loops, but rather from the rise of flat undulatory flux tubes which get released from their photospheric anchorage by reconnection at BPs, which observational signature is Ellerman bombs. Title: Observation of Small Scale Reconnection Role in Undulated Flux Tube Emergence Authors: Pariat, E.; Aulanier, G.; Schmieder, B.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2005ESASP.596E..34P Altcode: 2005ccmf.confE..34P No abstract at ADS Title: Can Changing Sunspot and Facular Areas Reproduce the Amplitude of Total Irradiance Variations?(Look,Mom; No Free Parameters!) Authors: Foukal, P.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Walton, S. R. Bibcode: 2005AGUSMSH22B..02F Altcode: Empirical models of total solar irradiance variation demonstrate a high correlation between observed irradiance fluctuations and the changing areas of spots and faculae. However, the contrast of these structures (especially the faculae) in integrated light is still uncertain. Consequently, the agreement in amplitude of the measured and modeled irradiance time series remains poorly known. Recently, the first measurements of facular contrast in broad - band integrated light were obtained using the balloon -borne Solar Bolometric Imager (Foukal et al., Ap.J. Letts 611,57,2004). These measurements, obtained over approximately the same wavelength range accepted by radiometers such as VIRGO or ACRIM, enable the first reconstruction of the total irradiance expected from spots and faculae, with no free parameters. We compare this reconstruction with the radiometric record to determine whether other contributions besides the darkness of spots and brightness of faculae are required to explain solar irradiance variation, at least over rotational time scales. Title: Advanced Automated Solar Filament Detection And Characterization Code: Description, Performance, And Results Authors: Bernasconi, Pietro N.; Rust, David M.; Hakim, Daniel Bibcode: 2005SoPh..228...97B Altcode: We present a code for automated detection, classification, and tracking of solar filaments in full-disk Hα images that can contribute to Living With a Star science investigations and space weather forecasting. The program can reliably identify filaments; determine their chirality and other relevant parameters like filament area, length, and average orientation with respect to the equator. It is also capable of tracking the day-by-day evolution of filaments while they travel across the visible disk. The code was tested by analyzing daily Hα images taken at the Big Bear Solar Observatory from mid-2000 until beginning of 2005. It identified and established the chirality of thousands of filaments without human intervention. We compared the results with a list of filament proprieties manually compiled by Pevtsov, Balasubramaniam and Rogers (2003) over the same period of time. The computer list matches Pevtsov's list with a 72% accuracy. The code results confirm the hemispheric chirality rule stating that dextral filaments predominate in the north and sinistral ones predominate in the south. The main difference between the two lists is that the code finds significantly more filaments without an identifiable chirality. This may be due to a tendency of human operators to be biased, thereby assigning a chirality in less clear cases, while the code is totally unbiased. We also have found evidence that filaments obeying the chirality rule tend to be larger and last longer than the ones that do not follow the hemispherical rule. Filaments adhering to the hemispheric rule also tend to be more tilted toward the equator between latitudes 10∘ and 30∘, than the ones that do not. Title: Finding the sources of irradiance variation at sunspot minimum . Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Foukal, P.; Rust, D. M.; LaBonte, B. J. Bibcode: 2005MmSAI..76..907B Altcode: In 2006-2007 the Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) will operate in the polar stratosphere where near-space conditions can be attained for 10 to 30 days. The instrument will provide bolometric (wavelength-integrated light) and color temperature images of the Sun. At the upcoming sunspot minimum, SBI observations will be able to detect subtle sources of solar irradiance variation with the least confusion by signals from the magnetic fields. This is the best observational approach to characterizing potential causes of the long-term irradiance variations. Possible predicted sources of secular variability include torsional waves and meridional flow variations. SBI uses a 30-cm diameter F/12 Dall-Kirkham telescope with uncoated mirrors, and neutral density filters to provide broadband (bolometric) sensitivity that varies only by ±7% over the wavelengths from 0.31 mu m to 2.6 mu m. Inferred solar irradiance variations will be compared with space based full-disk radiometric measurements. Title: Finding the Sources of Irradiance Variation at Sunspot Minimum Authors: Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Foukal, P. V.; Labonte, B. J. Bibcode: 2004AGUFMSH51E..02R Altcode: In 2006-2007 the Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) and the Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) will operate in the polar stratosphere where near-space conditions can be attained for 10 to 20 days. The instruments will provide bolometric (wavelength-integrated light) and color temperature images of the Sun. At the upcoming sunspot minimum, SBI observations will be able to detect subtle sources of solar irradiance variation with the least confusion by signals from the magnetic fields. This is the best observational approach to characterizing potential causes of the long-term irradiance variations. Possible predicted sources of secular variability include torsional waves and meridional flow variations. SBI uses a 30-cm diameter F/12 Dall-Kirkham telescope with uncoated mirrors, and neutral density filters to provide broadband (bolometric) sensitivity that varies only by ±7 percent over the wavelengths from 0.28 microns to 2.6 microns. The MSI is a CCD-based imager that will provide diagnostics of solar magnetic and thermal structures while SBI assesses their radiance. Sunspots, faculae and magnetic network will be identified from the MSI images. Sonic filtering of the MSI images will isolate the oscillatory signal. That signal will be used to remove oscillations from SBI averages to reduce the solar noise. Inferred solar irradiance variations will be compared with SORCE/TIM and ACRIMSAT measurements. The images and data products will be openly available via the Web. Title: An Integrated Program to Forecast Geostorms Authors: Labonte, B. J.; Rust, D.; Bernasconi, P.; Georgoulis, M. Bibcode: 2004AGUFMSA51B0243L Altcode: We have developed several operational products and automated tools for assessing the helicity content of solar regions and their probability of launching a geoeffective coronal mass ejection. These include detection of active region sigmoids, measurement of magnetic helicity injection in active regions, measurement of the sense of helicity in solar filaments, and the estimate of magnetic helicity content of active regions from vector magnetogram observations. In this presentation we discuss a new program to integrate the separate products and tools into a single product that provides a quantitative mid-term forecast of solar activity that results in geomagnetic storms. Title: Advanced Automated Solar Filament Detection and Characterization Code: Description, Performance, and Results Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Rust, D. M. Bibcode: 2004AGUFMSA51B0235B Altcode: We have developed a code for automated detection and classification of solar filaments in full-disk H-alpha images that can contribute to Living With a Star science investigations and space weather forecasting. The program can reliably identify filaments, determine their chirality and other relevant parameters like the filaments area and their average orientation with respect to the equator, and is capable of tracking the day-by-day evolution of filaments while they travel across the visible disk. Detecting the filaments when they appear and tracking their evolution can provide not only early warnings of potentially hazardous conditions but also improve our understanding of solar filaments and their implications for space weather at 1 AU. The code was recently tested by analyzing daily H-alpha images taken at the Big Bear Solar Observatory during a period of four years (from mid 2000 until mid 2004). It identified and established the chirality of more than 5000 filaments without human intervention. We compared the results with the filament list manually compiled by Pevtsov et al. (2003) over the same period of time. The computer list matches the Pevtsov et al. list fairly well. The code results confirm the hemispherical chirality rule: dextral filaments predominate in the north and sinistral ones predominate in the south. The main difference between the two lists is that the code finds significantly more filaments without an identifiable chirality. This may be due to a tendency of human operators to be biased, thereby assigning a chirality in less clear cases, while the code is totally unbiased. We also have found evidence that filaments with definite chirality tend to be larger and last longer than the ones without a clear chirality signature. We will describe the major code characteristics and present and discuss the tests results. Title: Resistive Emergence of Undulatory Flux Tubes Authors: Pariat, E.; Aulanier, G.; Schmieder, B.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2004ApJ...614.1099P Altcode: During its 2000 January flight, the Flare Genesis Experiment observed the gradual emergence of a bipolar active region, by recording a series of high-resolution photospheric vector magnetograms and images in the blue wing of the Hα line. Previous analyses of these data revealed the occurrence of many small-scale, transient Hα brightenings identified as Ellerman bombs (EBs). They occur during the flux emergence, and many of them are located near moving magnetic dipoles in which the vector magnetic field is nearly tangential to the photosphere. A linear force-free field extrapolation of one of the magnetograms was performed to study the magnetic topology of small-scale EBs and their possible role in the flux emergence process. We found that 23 out of 47 EBs are cospatial with bald patches (BPs), while 15 are located at the footpoints of very flat separatrix field lines passing through distant BPs. We conclude that EBs can be due to magnetic reconnection, not only at BP locations, but also along their separatrices, occurring in the low chromosphere. The topological analysis reveals, for the first time, that many EBs and BPs are linked by a hierarchy of elongated flux tubes showing aperiodic spatial undulations, whose wavelengths are typically above the threshold of the Parker instability. These findings suggest that arch filament systems and coronal loops do not result from the smooth emergence of large-scale Ω-loops from below the photosphere, but rather from the rise of undulatory flux tubes whose upper parts emerge because of the Parker instability and whose dipped lower parts emerge because of magnetic reconnection. EBs are then the signature of this resistive emergence of undulatory flux tubes. Title: Broadband Measurements of Facular Photometric Contrast Using the Solar Bolometric Imager Authors: Foukal, Peter; Bernasconi, Pietro; Eaton, Harry; Rust, David Bibcode: 2004ApJ...611L..57F Altcode: We present the first photometric measurements of solar faculae in broadband light. Our measurements were made during the recent flight of the Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI), a 30 cm balloon-borne telescope that imaged the Sun with a spectrally constant response between about 0.31 and 2.6 μm. Our curve of facular contrast versus limb distance agrees well with values obtained by the blackbody correction of monochromatic measurements. This decreases uncertainty in the facular irradiance contribution, which limits searches for other possible mechanisms of solar luminosity variation, besides changes of photospheric magnetism. Title: Solar constraints on new couplings between electromagnetism and gravity Authors: Solanki, S. K.; Preuss, O.; Haugan, M. P.; Gandorfer, A.; Povel, H. P.; Steiner, P.; Stucki, K.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Soltau, D. Bibcode: 2004PhRvD..69f2001S Altcode: 2004gr.qc.....2055S The unification of quantum field theory and general relativity is a fundamental goal of modern physics. In many cases, theoretical efforts to achieve this goal introduce auxiliary gravitational fields, ones in addition to the familiar symmetric second-rank tensor potential of general relativity, and lead to nonmetric theories because of direct couplings between these auxiliary fields and matter. Here, we consider an example of a metric-affine gauge theory of gravity in which torsion couples nonminimally to the electromagnetic field. This coupling causes a phase difference to accumulate between different polarization states of light as they propagate through the metric-affine gravitational field. Solar spectropolarimetric observations are reported and used to set strong constraints on the relevant coupling constant k: k2<(2.5 km)2. Title: Emerging Flux and the Heating of Coronal Loops Authors: Schmieder, B.; Rust, D. M.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Démoulin, P.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2004ApJ...601..530S Altcode: We use data collected by a multiwavelength campaign of observations to describe how the fragmented, asymmetric emergence of magnetic flux in NOAA active region 8844 triggers the dynamics in the active-region atmosphere. Observations of various instruments on board Yohkoh, SOHO, and TRACE complement high-resolution observations of the balloon-borne Flare Genesis Experiment obtained on 2000 January 25. We find that coronal loops appeared and evolved rapidly ~6+/-2 hr after the first detection of emerging magnetic flux. In the low chromosphere, flux emergence resulted in intense Ellerman bomb activity. Besides the chromosphere, we find that Ellerman bombs may also heat the transition region, which showed ``moss'' ~100% brighter in areas with Ellerman bombs as compared to areas without Ellerman bombs. In the corona, we find a spatiotemporal anticorrelation between the soft X-ray (SXT) and the extreme ultraviolet (TRACE) loops. First, SXT loops preceded the appearance of the TRACE loops by 30-40 minutes. Second, the TRACE and SXT loops had different shapes and different footpoints. Third, the SXT loops were longer and higher than the TRACE loops. We conclude that the TRACE and the SXT loops were formed independently. TRACE loops were mainly heated at their footpoints, while SXT loops brightened in response to coronal magnetic reconnection. In summary, we observed a variety of coupled activity, from the photosphere to the active-region corona. Links between different aspects of this activity lead to a unified picture of the evolution and the energy release in the active region. Title: Emerging Flux and the Heating of Coronal Loops Authors: Schmieder, B.; Démoulin, P.; Rust, D. M.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2004IAUS..219..483S Altcode: 2003IAUS..219E..18S We suggest that coronal loop heating is caused by dissipation of magnetic energy as new magnetic flux emerges from the photosphere. Based on data from a multi wavelength campaign of observations during the flight of the Flare Genesis Experiment we describe how emergence of flux from the photosphere appears directly to heat the corona to 2-3 MK. Following intense heating the loops cool and become visible through the filters of the TRACE (Transition Region and Coronal Explorer)instrument at one million degrees. We determine the relaxation time of the cooling and compare it withtheoretical heating functions. The proposed mechanism is well accepted in flare loops but we suggest that the mechanism is generally valid and helps to explain the visibility of active region loops in transition region lines. Title: The solar bolometric imager Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Eaton, H. A. C.; Foukal, P.; Rust, D. M. Bibcode: 2004AdSpR..33.1746B Altcode: The balloon-borne Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) will provide the first bolometric (integrated light) maps of the solar photosphere. It will evaluate the photometric contribution of magnetic structures more accurately than has been possible with spectrally selective imaging over restricted wavebands. More accurate removal of the magnetic feature contribution will enable us to determine if solar irradiance variation mechanisms exist other than the effects of photospheric magnetism. The SBI detector is an array of 320 × 240 ferro-electric thermal IR elements whose spectral absorptance has been extended and flattened by a deposited layer of gold-black. The telescope itself is a 30-cm Dall-Kirkham design with uncoated primary and secondary pyrex mirrors. The combination of telescope and bolometric array provides an image of the Sun with a flat spectral response between 0.28 and 2.6 μm, over a field of view of 917 × 687 arcsec, and a pixel size of 2.8 arcsec. After a successful set of ground-based tests, the instrument is being readied for a one-day stratospheric balloon flight that will take place in September 2003. The observing platform will be the gondola previously used for the Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), retrofitted to house and control the SBI telescope and detector. The balloon flight will enable SBI to image over essentially the full spectral range accepted by non-imaging space-borne radiometers such as ACRIM, making the data sets complementary. The SBI flight will also provide important engineering data to validate the space worthiness of the novel gold-blackened thermal array detectors, and verify the thermal performance of the SBI's uncoated optics in a vacuum environment. Title: Emergence of undulatory magnetic flux tubes by small scale reconnections Authors: Pariat, E.; Aulanier, G.; Schmieder, B.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2004cosp...35.1482P Altcode: 2004cosp.meet.1482P With Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), a balloon borne observatory launched in Antarctica on January 2000, series of high spatial resolution vector magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and Hα filtergrams have been obtained in an emerging active region (AR 8844). Previous analyses of this data revealed the occurence of many short-lived and small-scale Hα brightenings called 'Ellerman bombs' (EBs) within the AR. We performed an extrapolation of the field above the photosphere using the linear force-free field approximation. The analysis of the magnetic topology reveals a close connexion between the loci of EBs and the existence of ``Bald patches'' regions (BPs are regions where the vector magnetic field is tangential to the photosphere). Among 47 identified EBs, we found that 23 are co-spatial with a BP, while 19 are located at the footpoint of very flat separatrix field lines passing throught a distant BP. We reveal for the first time that some of these EBs/BPs are magneticaly connected by low-lying lines, presenting a 'sea-serpent' shape. This results leads us to conjecture that arch filament systems and active regions coronal loops do not result from the smooth emergence of large scale Ω loops, but rather from the rise of flat undulatory flux tubes which get released from their photospheric anchorage by reconnection at BPs, whose observational signature is Ellerman bombs. Title: First Results Of The Solar Bolometric Imager Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Foukal, P.; Eaton, H. H.; Rust, D. M. Bibcode: 2003AGUFMSH32A1101B Altcode: On September 1 2003, the Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) successfully observed the Sun for several hours while suspended from a balloon in the stratosphere above New Mexico. The SBI represents a totally new approach in finding the sources of the solar irradiance variation. The mission provided the first bolometric (integrated light) maps of the solar photosphere, that will allow to evaluate the photometric contribution of magnetic structures more accurately than has been achievable with spectrally selective imaging over restricted wavebands. The more accurate removal of the magnetic features contribution will enable us to determine if solar irradiance variation mechanisms exist other than the effects of photospheric magnetism. The SBI detector was an array of 320 x 240 thermal IR elements whose spectral absorptance has been extended and flattened by a deposited layer of gold-black. The telescope was a 30-cm Dall-Kirkham with uncoated primary and secondary pyrex mirrors. The combination of telescope and bolometric array provided an image of the Sun with a flat spectral response between 0.28 and 2.6 microns, over a field of view of 917 x 687 arcsec with a pixel size of 2.8 arcsec. The observing platform was the gondola previously used for the Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), retrofitted to house and control the SBI telescope and detector. During the 9 hours of flight the SBI gathered several thousand bolometric images that are now being processed to produce the first maps of the total solar irradiance. The SBI flight is also providing important engineering data to validate the space worthiness of the novel gold-blackened thermal array detectors, and to verify the thermal performance of the SBI's uncoated optics in a vacuum environment. In this paper we will briefly describe the characteristics of the SBI, its in flight performance, and we will present the first results of the analysis of the bolometric images. This work was funded by NASA under grant# NAG5-10998. Title: An Automated System for Detecting Sigmoids in Solar X-ray Images Authors: LaBonte, B. J.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2003SPD....34.0504L Altcode: 2003BAAS...35R.814L The probability of a coronal mass ejection (CME) occurring is linked to the appearance of structures, called sigmoids, in satellite X-ray images of the sun. By examination of near real time images, we can detect sigmoids visually and estimate the probability of a CME and the probability that it will cause a major geomagnetic storm. We have devised a pattern recognition system to detect the sigmoids in Yohkoh SXT and GOES SXI X-ray images automatically. When implemented in a near real time environment, this system should allow long term, 3 - 7 day, forecasts of CMEs and their potential for causing major geomagnetic storms. Title: The Solar Bolometric Imager: Characteristics and Performance. Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Foukal, P.; Rust, D. M. Bibcode: 2003SPD....34.2002B Altcode: 2003BAAS...35..844B The Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) is an innovative solar telescope capable of recording the first bolometric (integrated light) maps of the photosphere. It will enable evaluation of the photometric contribution of magnetic structures more accurately than has been achievable with spectrally selective imaging. The SBI has an angular resolution of 5", sufficient to distinguish sunspots, faculae and enhanced network. These photospheric magnetic structures are known to be linked closely to irradiance variations. Accurate removal of irradiance variations linked to the magnetic features will enable us to determine if other solar irradiance variation mechanisms exist.

The SBI detector is an array of 320 x 240 ferro-electric thermal IR elements whose spectral absorptance has been extended and flattened by a deposited layer of gold-black. The telescope is a 30-cm Dall-Kirkham design with uncoated primary and secondary pyrex mirrors. The combination of telescope and bolometric array provides an image of the sun with a flat spectral response between 0.28 microns and 2.6 microns, over a field of view of 917" x 687", and a pixel size of 2.8". After completion of ground tests, the balloon-borne instrument will make a one-day stratospheric flight in September 2003.

Observing from an altitude of over 30 km, the SBI will image the sun over nearly the full spectral range accepted by non-imaging satellite-borne radiometers such as ACRIM, making the data sets complementary. The SBI flight will also provide important engineering data to validate the space worthiness of the novel gold-blackened thermal array detectors, and to verify the thermal performance of the SBI's optics in a vacuum environment.

Here we will describe the SBI in more detail and present the results of various instrument performance tests, including solar observations from the ground, in preparation for the balloon flight.

This work is funded by NASA under grant NAG5-10998. Title: Near-infrared chromospheric observatory Authors: Labonte, Barry; Rust, David M.; Bernasconi, Pietro N.; Georgoulis, Manolis K.; Fox, Nicola J.; Kalkofen, Wolfgang; Lin, Haosheng Bibcode: 2003SPIE.4853..140L Altcode: NICO, the Near Infrared Chromosphere Observatory, is a platform for determining the magnetic structure and fources of heating for the solar chromosphere. NICO, a balloon-borne observatory, will use the largest solar telescope flying to map the magnetic fields, velocities, and heating events of the chromosphere and photosphere in detail. NICO will introduce new technologies to solar flight missions, such as wavefront sensing for monitoring telescope alignment, real-time correlation tracking and high-speed image motion compensation, and wide aperture Fabry-Perot etalons for extended spectral scanning. Title: Flare Genesis Experiment: magnetic topology of Ellerman bombs Authors: Schmieder, B.; Pariat, E.; Aulanier, G.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2002ESASP.506..911S Altcode: 2002svco.conf..911S; 2002ESPM...10..911S Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), a balloon borne Observatory was launched in Antarctica on January 10, 2000 and flew during 17 days. FGE consists of an 80 cm Cassegrain telescope with an F/1.5 ultra-low-expansion glass primary mirror and a crystalline silicon secondary mirror. A helium-filled balloon carried the FGE to an altitude of 37 km (Bernasconi et al. 2000, 2001). We select among all the observations a set of high spatial and temporal resolution observations of an emerging active region with numerous Ellerman bombs (EBs). Statistical and morphology analysis have been performed. We demonstrate that Ellerman bombs are the result of magnetic reconnection in the low chromosphere by a magnetic topology analysis. The loci of EBs coincide with "bald patches" (BPs). BPs are regions where the vector field is tangential to the boundary (photosphere) along an inversion line. We conclude that emerging flux through the photosphere is achieved through resistive emergence of U loops connecting small Ω loops before rising in the chromosphere and forming Arch Filament System (AFS). Title: Statistics, morphology, and energetics of Ellerman bombs Authors: Georgoulis, Manolis K.; Rust, David M.; Bernasconi, Pietro N.; Schmieder, Brigitte Bibcode: 2002ESASP.505..125G Altcode: 2002IAUCo.188..125G; 2002solm.conf..125G We have performed a detailed analysis of several hundreds Hα Ellerman bombs in the low chromosphere, above an emerging flux region. We find that Ellerman bombs may be small-scale, low-altitude, magnetic reconnection events that heat the low chromosphere in the active region. Their energy content varies between 1027 erg and 1028 erg, typical of sub-flaring activity. Title: The Near-Infrared Chromosphere Observatory Authors: Rust, David M.; Bernasconi, Pietro N.; Labonte, Barry J.; Georgoulis, Manolis K.; Fox, Nicola J.; Kalkofen, Wolfgang; Lin, Haoseng Bibcode: 2002ESASP.505..561R Altcode: 2002IAUCo.188..561R; 2002solm.conf..561R The Near-Infrared Chromosphere Observatory (NICO) is a proposed balloon-borne observatory aiming to investigate the magnetic structure and the sources of heating in the solar chromosphere. NICO will be based on the successful Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), a pioneer in applying novel technologies for the study of the Sun. NICO will map magnetic fields, velocity fields, and heating events in the chromosphere with unprecedented quality. Title: Vector magnetic field observations of flux tube emergence Authors: Schmieder, B.; Aulanier, G.; Pariat, E.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2002ESASP.505..575S Altcode: 2002IAUCo.188..575S; 2002solm.conf..575S With Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), a balloon borne Observatory high spatial and temporal resolution vector magnetograms have been obtained in an emerging active region. The comparison of the observations (FGE and TRACE) with a linear force-free field analysis of the region shows where the region is non-force-free. An analysis of the magnetic topology furnishes insights into the existence of "bald patches" regions (BPs are regions where the vector field is tangential to the boundary (photosphere) along an inversion line). Magnetic reconnection is possible and local heating of the chromopshere is predicted near the BPs. Ellerman bombs (EBs) were found to coincide with few BPs computed from a linear force-free extrapolation of the observed longitudinal field. But when the actual observations of transverse fields were used to identify BPs, then the correspondence with EB positions improved significantly. We conclude that linear force-free extrapolations must be done with the true observed vertical fields, which require the measurement of the three components of the magnetic field. Title: Moving Dipolar Features in an Emerging Flux Region Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Rust, D. M.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Labonte, B. J. Bibcode: 2002SoPh..209..119B Altcode: On 25 January, 2000, we observed active region NOAA 8844 with the Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), a balloon-borne observatory with an 80-cm solar telescope. FGE was equipped with a vector polarimeter and a tunable Fabry-Pérot narrow-band filter. It recorded time series of filtergrams, vector magnetograms and Dopplergrams at the Ca i 6122.2 Å line, and Hα filtergrams with a cadence between 2.5 and 7.5 min. At the time of the observations, NOAA 8844 was located at approximately 5° N 30° W. The region was growing rapidly; new magnetic flux was constantly emerging in three supergranules near its center. We report on the structure and behavior of peculiar moving dipolar features (MDFs) in the emerging flux, and we describe in detail how the FGE data were analyzed. In longitudinal magnetograms, the MDFs appeared to be small dipoles flowing into sunspots and supergranule boundaries. Previously, dipolar moving magnetic features (MMFs) have only been observed flowing out from sunspots. The FGE vector magnetograms show that the MDFs occurred in a region with nearly horizontal fields, the MDFs being distinguished as undulations in these fields. We identify the MDFs as stitches where the emerging flux ropes were still tied to the photosphere by trapped mass. We present a U-loop model that accounts for their unusual structure and behavior, as well as showing how emerging flux sheds entrained mass. Title: Statistics, Morphology, and Energetics of Ellerman Bombs Authors: Georgoulis, Manolis K.; Rust, David M.; Bernasconi, Pietro N.; Schmieder, Brigitte Bibcode: 2002ApJ...575..506G Altcode: We investigate the statistical properties of Ellerman bombs in the dynamic emerging flux region NOAA Active Region 8844, underneath an expanding arch filament system. High-resolution chromospheric Hα filtergrams (spatial resolution 0.8"), as well as photospheric vector magnetograms (spatial resolution 0.5") and Dopplergrams, have been acquired by the balloon-borne Flare Genesis Experiment. Hα observations reveal the first ``seeing-free'' data set on Ellerman bombs and one of the largest samples of these events. We find that Ellerman bombs occur and recur in preferential locations in the low chromosphere, either above or in the absence of photospheric neutral magnetic lines. Ellerman bombs are associated with photospheric downflows, and their loci follow the transverse mass flows on the photosphere. They are small-scale events, with typical size 1.8"×1.1" , but this size depends on the instrumental resolution. A large number of Ellerman bombs are probably undetected, owing to limited spatial resolution. Ellerman bombs occur in clusters that exhibit fractal properties. The fractal dimension, with an average value ~1.4, does not change significantly in the course of time. Typical parameters of Ellerman bombs are interrelated and obey power-law distribution functions, as in the case of flaring and subflaring activity. We find that Ellerman bombs may occur on separatrix, or quasi-separatrix, layers, in the low chromosphere. A plausible triggering mechanism of Ellerman bombs is stochastic magnetic reconnection caused by the turbulent evolution of the low-lying magnetic fields and the continuous reshaping of separatrix layers. The total energies of Ellerman bombs are estimated in the range (1027, 1028) ergs, the temperature enhancement in the radiating volume is ~2×103 K, and the timescale of radiative cooling is short, of the order of a few seconds. The distribution function of the energies of Ellerman bombs exhibits a power-law shape with an index ~-2.1. This suggests that Ellerman bombs may contribute significantly to the heating of the low chromosphere in emerging flux regions. Title: The Near-Infrared Chromosphere Observatory (NICO) Authors: Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N.; LaBonte, B. J.; Georgoulis, M. K.; Kalkofen, W.; Fox, N. J.; Lin, H. Bibcode: 2002AAS...200.3902R Altcode: 2002BAAS...34..701R NICO is a proposed cost-effective platform for determining the magnetic structure and sources of heating for the solar chromosphere. It is a balloon-borne observatory that will use the largest solar telescope flying and very high data rates to map the magnetic fields, velocities, and heating events of the chromosphere and photosphere in unprecedented detail. NICO is based on the Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), which has pioneered in the application of technologies important to NASA's flight program. NICO will also introduce new technologies, such as wavefront sensing for monitoring telescope alignment; real-time correlation tracking and high-speed image motion compensation for smear-free imaging; and wide aperture Fabry-Perot filters for extended spectral scanning. The telescope is a classic Cassegrain design with an 80-cm diameter F/1.5 primary mirror made of Ultra-Low-Expansion glass. The telescope structure is graphite-epoxy for lightweight, temperature-insensitive support. The primary and secondary mirror surfaces are coated with silver to reflect more than 97% of the incident solar energy. The secondary is made of single-crystal silicon, which provides excellent thermal conduction from the mirror surface to its mount, with negligible thermal distortion. A third mirror acts as a heat dump. It passes the light from a 15-mm diameter aperture in its center, corresponding to a 322"-diameter circle on the solar surface, while the rest of the solar radiation is reflected back out of the front of the telescope. The telescope supplies the selected segment of the solar image to a polarization and spectral analysis package that operates with an image cadence 1 filtergram/sec. On-board data storage is 3.2 Terabytes. Quick-look images will be sent in near real time to the ground via the TDRSS communications link. Title: Photospheric Vertical Current Density and Overlying Atmospheric Activity in an Emerging Flux Region Authors: Georgoulis, M. K.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Schmieder, B. Bibcode: 2002AAS...200.2004G Altcode: 2002BAAS...34..673G Using high-resolution vector magnetograms obtained by the balloon-borne Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), we construct maps of the vertical current density in the emerging flux region NOAA 8844. The vertical current density has been decomposed into components that are field-aligned and perpendicular to the magnetic field, thus allowing a straightforward identification of force-free areas, as well as of areas where the force-free approximation breaks down. Small-scale chromospheric activity, such as H α Ellerman bombs and Ultraviolet bright points in 1600 Åshow a remarkable correlation with areas of strong current density. Simultaneous data of overlying coronal loops, observed by TRACE in the Extreme Ultraviolet (171 Åand 195 Å), have been carefully co-aligned with the FGE photospheric maps. We find that the footpoints of the TRACE loops always coincide with strong vertical currents and enhancements of the current helicity density. We also investigate whether the force-free approximation is valid on the photosphere during various evolutionary stages of the active region. Title: Investigation of the Sources of Irradiance Variation on the Sun (ISIS) Authors: LaBonte, B. J.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Rust, D.; Foukal, P.; Hudson, H.; Spruit, H. Bibcode: 2002AAS...200.5608L Altcode: 2002BAAS...34..736L There is a persistent correlation of the longterm climate change and solar irradiance. ISIS is designed to understand the physical basis of this correlation. ISIS combines an innovative bolometric imager and a multiband CCD imager. The bolometric imager has uniform response from 200 nm to 3000 nm, spatial resolution < 5 arcseconds, and precision of < 0.1% in a one minute integration. The multiband imager records ultraviolet irradiance variation in the band from 200 to 350 nm, measures photospheric temperature structure, and provides chromospheric structure in Ca II K and H-alpha, with spatial resolution <1.0 arcsecond. Designed for flight on the Solar Dynamics Observatory, ISIS will provide the comprehensive photometric measurements needed to characterize the irradiance variation from identifiable structures and challenge theoretical models of convection and the solar dynamo. Title: The Solar Bolometric Imager Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Foukal, P.; Rust, D. M. Bibcode: 2002AAS...200.5605B Altcode: 2002BAAS...34R.735B The Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) is an innovative solar telescope capable of recording images in essentially total photospheric light, with an angular resolution of 5", sufficient to distinguish sunspots, faculae and enhanced network. These are the photospheric magnetic structures so far linked most closely to irradiance variation. The balloon-borne SBI will provide the first bolometric maps of the photosphere, to evaluate the photometric contribution of magnetic structures more accurately than has been achievable so far, using spectrally selective imaging over restricted wavebands. More accurate removal of the magnetic feature contribution will enable us to determine whether other solar irradiance mechanisms exist besides the effects of photospheric magnetism. The SBI detector is an array of 320 X 240 ferro-electric thermal IR elements whose spectral absorptance has been extended and flattened by a deposited layer of gold-black. The telescope itself is a 30-cm Dall-Kirkham design with uncoated primary and secondary pyrex mirrors. The combination of telescope and bolometric array provides an image of the solar irradiance with a flat spectral response between 0.28 um and 2.6 um, over a field of view of 15.2' X 11.4', and a pixel size of 2.8". After a successful set of ground-based tests, the instrument is being readied for a one-day stratospheric balloon flight that will take place in September 2003. The observing platform will be the gondola previously used for the Flare Genesis Experiment project (FGE), retrofitted to house and control the SBI telescope and detector. The balloon flight will enable SBI to image over essentially the full spectral range accepted by non-imaging space borne radiometers such as ACRIM, making the data sets complementary. The SBI flight will also provide important engineering data to validate the space worthiness of the novel gold-blackened thermal array detectors, and verify the thermal performance of the SBI's uncoated optics in a vacuum environment. This work was funded by NASA under grant NAG5-10998. Title: An Automated System for Detecting Sigmoids in Solar X-ray Images Authors: LaBonte, B. J.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2002AGUSMSH52A..02L Altcode: The probability of a coronal mass ejection (CME) occurring is linked to the appearance of structures, called sigmoids, in satellite X-ray images of the sun. By examination of near real time images, we can detect sigmoids visually and estimate the probability of a CME and the probability that it will cause a major geomagnetic storm. We have devised a pattern recognition system to detect the sigmoids in Yohkoh and GOES (when available) X-ray images automatically. When implemented in a near real time environment, this system should allow long term, 3 - 7 day, forecasts of CMEs and their potential for causing major geomagnetic storms. Title: The solar bolometric imager Authors: Rust, D.; Bernasconi, P.; Foukal, P. Bibcode: 2002cosp...34E1200R Altcode: 2002cosp.meetE1200R The balloon-borne Solar Bolometric Imager (SBI) will provide the first bolometric (integrated light) maps of the photosphere, to evaluate the photometric contribution of magnetic structures more accurately than has been achievable with spectrally selective imaging over restricted wavebands. More accurate removal of the magnetic feature contribution will enable us to determine if solar irradiance variation mechanisms exist other than the effects of photospheric magnetism. The SBI detector is an array of 320 x 240 ferro -electric thermal IR elements whose spectral absorptance has been extended and flattened by a deposited layer of gold- black. The telescope itself is a 30-cm Dall-Kirkham design with uncoated primary and secondary pyrex mirrors. The combination of telescope and bolometric array provides an image of the sun with a flat spectral response between 0.28 microns and 2.6 microns, over a field of view of 15.2 x 11.4 min, and a pixel size of 2.8 arcsec. After a successful set of ground-based tests, the instrument is being readied for a one-day stratospheric balloon flight that will take place in September 2003. The observing platform will be the gondola previously used for the Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), retrofitted to house and control the SBI telescope and detector. The balloon flight will enable SBI to image over essentially the full spectral range accepted by non-imaging space-borne radiometers such as ACRIM, making the data sets complementary. The SBI flight will also provide important engineering data to validate the space worthiness of the novel gold-blackened thermal array detectors, and verify the thermal performance of the SBI's uncoated optics in a vacuum environment. This work was funded by NASA under grant NAG5-10998. Title: Sunspot Formation from Emerging Flux Ropes - Observations from Flare Genesis Authors: Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Georgoulis, M. K.; LaBonte, B. J.; Schmieder, B. Bibcode: 2001AGUSM..SP42A09R Altcode: From January 10 to 27, 2000, the Flare Genesis payload observed the Sun while suspended from a balloon in the stratosphere above Antarctica. The goal of the mission was to acquire a long time series of high-resolution images and vector magnetograms of the solar photosphere and chromosphere. We obtained images, magnetograms and Dopplergrams in the magnetically sensitive Ca I line at 6122 Angstroms. Additional simultaneous images were obtained in the wing of H-alpha. On January 25, 2000, we observed in NOAA region 8844 at N05 W30. The rapid development of a sunspot group that apparently included a delta spot (two polarities within one umbra). We considered a variety of models for interpreting these observations, including a twisted flux tube, a bipole that annihilates, a bipole that submerges, and a field distorted by mass loading. From the vector magnetograms and Doppler measurements, we conclude that nearly horizontal flux ropes are swept into the developing spot where they tilt upward to contribute to the familiar nearly vertical sunspot fields. The largest flux rope exhibited a twisted structure, and its angle with respect to the vertical was so great that it could be mistaken for a positive magnetic field merging into a negative sunspot. Flare Genesis was supported by NASA grant NAG5-8331 and by NSF grant OPP-9909167. Title: Ellerman Bombs in a Solar Active Region: Statistical Properties and Implications Authors: Georgoulis, M. K.; Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 2001AGUSM..SP52B05G Altcode: We have embedded the concept of Self-Organized Criticality (SOC) in deterministic Cellular Automata (CA) models in an attempt to simulate the emergence of flaring and sub-flaring activity in solar active regions. SOC CA models reproduce reasonably well several aspects of the statistical properties of flares and, moreover, they allow predictions regarding the respective properties of the unresolved nanoflares. We compare the above-mentioned predictions with observed arcsecond and sub-arcsecond activity on the low-chromosphere, in a newly formed active region. The source of the observations is the Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE) which has provided us with high-resolution maps of the magnetic field and the velocity field vectors on the photospheric boundary, as well as Hα filtergrams on the low-chromosphere. Moreover, UV and EUV data from TRACE are used for determining the activity on the overlying atmospheric layers. We present preliminary results on the statistical properties of transient Hα brightenings (Ellerman Bombs) which correlate well with significant overlying UV emission. Implications of these results, as well as potential directions for modeling the low-lying activity in the solar atmosphere are discussed. This work was sponsored by NASA grant NAG5-8331 and NSF grant OPP-9909162 Title: Peculiar Moving Magnetic Features Observed With the Flare Genesis Experiment Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Rust, D. M.; Georgoulis, M. K.; LaBonte, B. J.; Schmieder, B. Bibcode: 2001AGUSM..SP51A02B Altcode: With the Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), a balloon-borne 80-cm solar telescope, we observed the active region NOAA 8844 on January 25, 2000 for several hours. FGE was equipped with a vector polarimeter and a lithium-niobate Fabry-Perot narrow-band filter. It recorded time series of filtergrams, vector magnetograms, and dopplergrams at the CaI 6122.2 Angstroms line, as well as Hα filtergrams, with a cadence between 2.5 and 7.5 minutes. At the time of the observations NOAA 8844 was located at approximately 5 deg N, 30 deg W. It was a new flux emergence that first appeared on the solar disk two days before and was still showing a very dynamic behavior. Its two main polarity parts were rapidly moving away from each other and new magnetic flux was constantly emerging from its center. Here we describe the structure and behavior of peculiar small moving magnetic dipoles (called moving magnetic features MMF's) that we observed near the trailing negative polarity sunspot of NOAA 8844. Presentations by D. M. Rust, and by M. K. Georgoulis at this meeting will focus on other aspects of the same active region. The MMF's took the form of small dipoles that first emerged into the photosphere near the center of a supergranular cell located next to the main trailing flux concentration. They rapidly migrated towards the spot, following the supergranular flow. The two polarities of the little dipoles did not separate; they moved together with same speed and in the same direction. The dipoles were oriented parallel to their motion toward the negative spot, with the positive polarity always leading. MMF's usually move away from sunspots, and their orientation is the reverse of what we see here. In addition, we noted that the dipole structure was not symmetric. The field lines of the trailing part of the MMF's (negative polarity) were always much more perpendicular to the local horizontal than the ones of the leading part. The trailing part looked more compact and circular, while the leading part was more elongated in the direction of the motion. We conclude that we observed a new type of MMF's with a totally different magnetic structure than previously seen. We present a possible model that could explain their unusual structure and behavior. This work was supported by NASA grant NAG5-8331 and NSF grant OPP-9909167. Title: High Resolution Vector Magnetograms with the Flare Genesis Vector Polarimeter Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Rust, D. M.; Eaton, H. A. C. Bibcode: 2001ASPC..236..399B Altcode: 2001aspt.conf..399B No abstract at ADS Title: Balloon-borne telescope for high-resolution solar imaging and polarimetry Authors: Bernasconi, Pietro N.; Rust, David M.; Eaton, Harry A.; Murphy, Graham A. Bibcode: 2000SPIE.4014..214B Altcode: In January 2000, an 80-cm F/1.5 Ritchey-Chretien solar telescope flew for 17 days suspended from a balloon in the stratosphere above Antarctica. The goal was to acquire long time series of high spatial resolution images and vector- magnetograms of the solar photosphere and chromosphere. Such observations will help to advance our basic scientific understanding of solar activity, in particular flares. Flying well above the turbulent layers of the Earth's atmosphere, the telescope should be able to operate close to its diffraction limited resolution of 0.2 arcsec, providing high resolution observations of small scale solar features. To achieve this goal we developed a platform for the optical telescope that is stable to nearly 10 arcsec. We also developed an image motion compensation system that stabilizes the solar image on the CCD focal plane to about 1 arcsec. Title: New Results from the Flare Genesis Experiment Authors: Rust, D. M.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Eaton, H. A.; Keller, C.; Murphy, G. A.; Schmieder, B. Bibcode: 2000SPD....31.0302R Altcode: 2000BAAS...32..834R From January 10 to 27, 2000, the Flare Genesis solar telescope observed the Sun while suspended from a balloon in the stratosphere above Antarctica. The goal of the mission was to acquire long time series of high-resolution images and vector magnetograms of the solar photosphere and chromosphere. Images were obtained in the magnetically sensitive Ca I line at 6122 Angstroms and at H-alpha (6563 Angstroms). The FGE data were obtained in the context of Max Millennium Observing Campaign #004, the objective of which was to study the ``Genesis of Solar Flares and Active Filaments/Sigmoids." Flare Genesis obtained about 26,000 usable images on the 8 targeted active regions. A preliminary examination reveals a good sequence on an emerging flux region and data on the M1 flare on January 22, as well as a number of sequences on active filaments. We will present the results of our first analysis efforts. Flare Genesis was supported by NASA grants NAG5-4955, NAG5-5139, and NAG5-8331 and by NSF grant OPP-9615073. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization supported early development of the Flare Genesis Experiment. Title: Design and Performance of the Flare Genesis Experiment Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Rust, D. M.; Eaton, H. A.; Murphy, G. A. Bibcode: 2000SPD....31.0289B Altcode: 2000BAAS...32..826B In January 2000, an 80-cm F/1.5 Ritchey-Chretien solar telescope flew for18 days suspended from a balloon in the stratosphere above Antarctica. The goal of the flight was to acquire long time series of high-resolution images and vector magnetograms of the solar photosphere and chromosphere. Such observations will help to advance our basic scientific understanding of solar activity, in particular, flares and coronal mass ejections. Flying well above the turbulent layers of the Earth's atmosphere, the telescope obtained unprecedented sharp and stable observations of small-scale solar features. To achieve this goal we developed a platform for the optical telescope that is stable to nearly 10 arcsec. In addition, we developed an image motion compensation system that stabilizes the solar image on the focal plane to about 1 arcsec. When the payload was in line of sight with the ground station, communications were accomplished via a low-speed radio link for sending commands and receiving telemetry and a high-speed downlink for receiving images. During the rest of the flight, contact with the payload was sporadic and only instrument status could be telemetered down. After the flight, the data were recovered from on-board tapes. This presentation will focus on the description of the instrument and its operating principle. Preliminary results from the January 2000 flight will be presented in a companion paper. Title: Grids of stellar models. VIII. From 0.4 to 1.0 {Msun} at Z=0.020 and Z=0.001, with the MHD equation of state Authors: Charbonnel, C.; Däppen, W.; Schaerer, D.; Bernasconi, P. A.; Maeder, A.; Meynet, G.; Mowlavi, N. Bibcode: 1999A&AS..135..405C Altcode: 1998astro.ph.10416C We present stellar evolutionary models covering the mass range from 0.4 to 1 Msun calculated for metallicities Z=0.020 and 0.001 with the MHD equation of state \cite[(Hummer & Mihalas 1988;] \cite[Mihalas et al. 1988;] \cite[Däppen et al. 1988).] A parallel calculation using the OPAL \cite[(Rogers et al. 1996)] equation of state has been made to demonstrate the adequacy of the MHD equation of state in the range of 1.0 to 0.8 Msun (the lower end of the OPAL tables). Below, down to 0.4 Msun, we have justified the use of the MHD equation of state by theoretical arguments and the findings of \cite[Chabrier & Baraffe (1997).] We use the radiative opacities by \cite[Iglesias & Rogers (1996),] completed with the atomic and molecular opacities by \cite[Alexander & Fergusson (1994).] We follow the evolution from the Hayashi fully convective configuration up to the red giant tip for the most massive stars, and up to an age of 20 Gyr for the less massive ones. We compare our solar-metallicity models with recent models computed by other groups and with observations. The present stellar models complete the set of grids computed with the same up-to-date input physics by the Geneva group (Z=0.020 and 0.001, \cite[Schaller et al. 1992;] \cite[Bernasconi 1996,] and \cite[Charbonnel et al. 1996;] Z=0.008, \cite[Schaerer et al. 1992;] Z=0.004, \cite[Charbonnel et al. 1993;] Z=0.040, \cite[Schaerer et al. 1993;] Z=0.10, \cite[Mowlavi et al. 1998;] enhanced mass loss rate evolutionary tracks, \cite[Meynet et al. 1994).] Data available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html Title: High Resolution polarimetry with a Balloon-Borne Telescope: The Flare Genesis Experiment Authors: Bernasconi, P.; Rust, D.; Murphy, G.; Eaton, H. Bibcode: 1999ASPC..183..279B Altcode: 1999hrsp.conf..279B No abstract at ADS Title: VizieR Online Data Catalog: Grids of stellar models. VIII. (Charbonnel+ 1999) Authors: Charbonnel, C.; Dappen, W.; Schaerer, D.; Bernasconi, P. A.; Maeder, A.; Meynet, G.; Mowlavi, N. Bibcode: 1998yCat..41350405C Altcode: We present stellar evolutionary models covering the mass range from 0.4 to 1M⊙ calculated for metallicities Z=0.020 and 0.001 with the MHD equation of state (Hummer & Mihalas, 1988ApJ...331..794H, Mihalas et al., 1988ApJ...331..815M, Daeppen et al., 1988ApJ...332..261D). A parallel calculation using the OPAL (Rogers et al., 1996ApJ...456..902R) equation of state has been made to demonstrate the adequacy of the MHD equation of state in the range of 1.0 to 0.8M⊙ (the lower end of the OPAL tables). Below, down to 0.4M⊙, we have justified the use of the MHD equation of state by theoretical arguments and the findings of Chabrier & Baraffe (1997A&A...327.1039C). We use the radiative opacities by Iglesias & Rogers (1996ApJ...464..943I), completed with the atomic and molecular opacities by Alexander & Fergusson (1994ApJ...437..879A). We follow the evolution from the Hayashi fully convective configuration up to the redgiant tip for the most massive stars, and up to an age of 20Gyr for the less massive ones. We compare our solar-metallicity models with recent models computed by other groups and with observations.

(21 data files). Title: Grids of stellar models. VII. From 0.8 to 60 M_\odot at Z = 0.10 Authors: Mowlavi, N.; Schaerer, D.; Meynet, G.; Bernasconi, P. A.; Charbonnel, C.; Maeder, A. Bibcode: 1998A&AS..128..471M Altcode: We present a new grid of stellar models from 0.8 to \massii{60} at Z=0.10, with mass loss and moderate overshooting, from the zero age main sequence to either the helium flash (low mass stars), the early AGB phase (intermediate-mass stars) or the end of carbon burning (massive stars). The calculations are done with opacities provided by \cite[Iglesias & Rogers (1993)]{igl93}, completed by those of \cite[Alexander & Ferguson (1994)]{ale94} at low temperatures. This grid is a homogeneous extension to very high metallicity of the previous grids published by the Geneva group. It is useful for the study of galactic bulges, elliptical galaxies and eventually quasars. Calculations of stars more massive than \massii{60} are not presented as these objects lose almost their entire mass during their main sequence phase, and are likely to end their life as white dwarfs. Data available at the CDS via anonymous ftp 130.79.128.5 or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html Title: Complex magnetic fields in an active region Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Keller, C. U.; Solanki, S. K.; Stenflo, J. O. Bibcode: 1998A&A...329..704B Altcode: High-resolution observations of the full Stokes vector in Fe\sc i spectral lines around 5250 Angstroms obtained at the Swedish Vacuum Solar Telescope on La Palma with the ZIMPOL I Stokes polarimeter in a complex active region reveal the presence of anomalously shaped Stokes profiles indicating the coexistence of at least two magnetic components within the same spatial resolution element. These Stokes profiles have been analyzed with an inversion code based on a 3-component atmospheric model with two magnetic and one field-free component. The fits to the observations in a magnetic region that resembles a small penumbra reveal the presence of a horizontal magnetic field component with an average field strength of /line{B}=840 G, a mean filling factor of /lineα=0.12, and an average temperature /line{T}=5400 K at log {tau_ {5000}}=-1.5 embedded in the main ``penumbral'' magnetic field that has /line{B}=1500 G, /lineα=0.56, and /line{T}=4900 K. The horizontal component exhibits a mean outflow of 2.7 km s(-1) which is mainly due to the Evershed flow. In a region where there are strong downflows up to 7 km s(-1) , we infer the possible presence of a shock front whose height changes along the slit. The height variation can be explained by a change of the gas pressure at the base of the photosphere below the shock front as proposed by Thomas & Montesinos (1991). Small plages with field strengths below 900 G have been observed in the vicinity of some pores. Finally, we present a puzzling field structure at the boundary between two adjacent pores. Ambiguous results suggest that although the inversion code is able to successfully invert even very complex Stokes profiles, we are far from a complete description of the field structure in complex magnetic regions. We warn that magnetograms and fits to data involving only a single magnetic component may hide the true complexity of the magnetic structure in at least some parts of active regions. Title: VizieR Online Data Catalog: Grids of stellar models. VII. (Mowlavi+ 1998) Authors: Mowlavi, N.; Schaerer, D.; Meynet, G.; Bernasconi, P. A.; Charbonnel, C. Maeder A. Bibcode: 1997yCat..41280471M Altcode: We present a new grid of stellar models from 0.8 to 60M⊙</S Z=0.10, with mass loss and moderate overshooting, from the zero age main sequence to either the helium flash (low mass stars), the early AGB phase (intermediate-mass stars or the end of carbon burning (massive stars). The calculations are done with opacities provided by Iglesias & Rogers (1993ApJ...412..752I), completed by those of Alexander & Ferguson (1994ApJ...437..879A) at low temperatures. This grid is a homogeneous extension to very high metallicity of the previous grids published by the Geneva group. It is useful for the study of galactic bulges, elliptical galaxies and eventually quasars. Calculations of stars more massive than 60M⊙ are not presented as these objects lose almost their entire mass during their main sequence phase, and are likely to end their life as white dwarfs.

(19 data files). Title: Geneva photometry in the young open cluster NGC 6231. Authors: Raboud, D.; Cramer, N.; Bernasconi, P. A. Bibcode: 1997A&A...325..167R Altcode: We present photoelectric (127 stars) and CCD (168 stars) Geneva photometry for the very young open cluster NGC 6231. We have searched for new cluster members out to a distance of ~13['arc], extending the Seggewiss area (~8['arc]), and we found at least 64 new probable members in this extended field. Differential reddening is clearly measured across the cluster area. We determine the cluster distance (1800 pc) and age (3.8+/-0.6x10^6^yr). The probable presence of PMS stars and the consequence of this population on the cluster formation history is analysed. We also found that the O8.5III star S161 is a long term variable and we present its light curve extending over more than 20 years. Finally we discuss the existence of Ap stars in the cluster. Title: Diffusion in differentially rotating stars. Authors: Bernasconi, P. A. Bibcode: 1997A&A...323..831B Altcode: A linear stability analysis of rotating Boussinesq flows including shear, μ-gradients and radiation losses leads to modification of the classical Ledoux criterion for convective equilibrium. The role of shear in spreading the radial extent of the convective layers is briefly investigated, and we found that some effects may be expected in the latest nuclear evolutionary stages of massive stars, whose short timescales and rather steep μ-barriers concur to hinder angular momentum redistribution within their condensed cores. Also, semiconvective shear zones (Maeder, 1997A&A...321..134M) are predicted in those radiative shells where the available shear energy is not sufficient to completely overturn the stable thermal gradient. We then provide a prescription to compute a modified diffusion coefficient for passive scalars in presence of shear and thermal conductivity. Title: VizieR Online Data Catalog: Geneva photometry in NGC 6231 (Raboud+ 1997) Authors: Raboud, D.; Cramer, N.; Bernasconi, P. A. Bibcode: 1997yCat..33250167R Altcode: We present photoelectric (127 stars) and CCD (168 stars) Geneva photometry for the very young open cluster NGC 6231. We have searched for new cluster members out to a distance of ~13arcmin, extending the Seggewiss area (~8arcmin), and we found at least 64 new probable members in this extended field. Differential reddening is clearly measured across the cluster area. We determine the cluster distance (1800pc) and age (3.8+/-0.6x106yr). The probable presence of pre-main sequence stars and the consequence of this population on the cluster formation history is analysed. We also found that the O8.5III star S161 is a long term variable and we present its light curve extending over more than 20 years. Finally we discuss the existence of Ap stars in the cluster.

For a description of the Geneva photometric system, see e.g.

(3 data files). Title: Stokes Vector Polarimetry: Observation and Analysis of Solar Magnetic Fields %J Ph.D. Thesis, ETH, Zürich Authors: Bernasconi, P. N. Bibcode: 1997PhDT........49B Altcode: No abstract at ADS Title: Grids of pre-main sequence stellar models. The accretion scenario at Z=0.001 and Z=0.020. Authors: Bernasconi, P. A. Bibcode: 1996A&AS..120...57B Altcode: I present and briefly discuss a new set of pre-main sequence (MS) evolutionary tracks computed in the framework of the accretion paradigm for star formation at metallicities Z=0.001 and Z=0.020. Improved birthlines are obtained from a time-dependent prescription for the accretion rate. These evolutionary sequences are better suited than the canonical approach which starts arbitrarily high on a luminous Hayashi adiabat, to interpret color-magnitude diagrams and ages of young stellar associations. They also constitute a (both physical and numerical) self-consistent extension to the post-MS stellar models previously published by the Geneva group (Schaller et al. 1992A&AS...96..269S). Title: About the absence of a proper zero age main sequence for massive stars. Authors: Bernasconi, P. A.; Maeder, A. Bibcode: 1996A&A...307..829B Altcode: The formation of stars up to 120Msun_ is computed in the framework of the accretion scenario. For realistic accretion rates derived from the observed line width in various molecular dark clouds, the accretion interlude lasts some 2-2.5Myr, and accounts for an appreciable nuclear evolution during the optically thick MS life. Several new results are found concerning massive stars at the top of the MS: 1) A newly formed massive star with M>=40Msun_ at the time it emerges from its parental cloud has already burned a substantial fraction of its central hydrogen content. 2) As a consequence, the formal MS lifetime is substantially reduced. 3) A proper ZAMS does not exist, since at the time it becomes visible, the star has already evolved towards lower T_eff_. 4) As a result of previous evolution, the size of the convective core for a given central H content is reduced by about 5-10%. 5) We find that for realistic accretion rates applicable to ordinary star forming regions in the Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds, a truncation of the IMF is naturally established around 85-150Msun_ where the accretion time becomes comparable to the hydrogen burning time. 6) Since massive stars spend a fraction of their H-burning phase in the parental cocoon, their true number is larger than estimated and the slope of the IMF is flatter. Title: Inversion of Stokes Vector Profiles in Terms of a 3-Component Model Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Solanki, S. K. Bibcode: 1996SoPh..164..277B Altcode: Various spectropolarimetric observations show peculiar Stokes profiles that reveal the coexistence of at least two magnetic components in the same resolution element. An example is given by observations of the full Stokes vector in a complex active region performed with the ZIMPOL I Stokes polarimeter. In order to deduce the physical parameters of the observed regions from such measured profiles, we have extended an existing inversion code, so that it can now fit the data with models composed of up to three different atmospheric components. Two of these components are magnetic and may possess different field strengths, field geometries, temperature stratifications, and velocity fields. The third component describes the field free atmosphere surrounding the magnetic features. Title: Optically Thick Main Sequence Evolution for Still Accreting Massive Stars Authors: Bernasconi, P. A. Bibcode: 1996rdfs.conf..411B Altcode: No abstract at ADS Title: Direct measurements of flux tube inclinations in solar plages. Authors: Bernasconi, P. N.; Keller, C. U.; Povel, H. P.; Stenflo, J. O. Bibcode: 1995A&A...302..533B Altcode: Observations of the full Stokes vector in three spectral lines indicate that flux tubes in solar plages have an average inclination in the photosphere of 14^o^ with respect to the local vertical. Most flux tubes are inclined in the eastwards direction, i.e., opposite to the solar rotation. We have recorded the Stokes vector of the FeI 5247.1A, FeI 5250.2A, and FeI 5250.7A lines in nine different plages with the polarization-free 20cm Zeiss coronagraph at the Arosa Astrophysical Observatory of ETH Zuerich. The telescope has been modified for solar disk observations. The chosen spectral lines are particularly sensitive to magnetic field strength and temperature. To determine the field strength and geometry of the flux tubes in the observed plages we use an inversion code that numerically solves the radiative transfer equations and derives the emergent Stokes profiles for one-dimensional model atmospheres consisting of a flux tube and its surrounding non-magnetic atmosphere. Our results confirm earlier indirect estimates of the inclination of the magnetic fields in plages. Title: Stokes Profile Asymmetries in Active Regions Authors: Balasubramaniam, K. S.; Keil, S. L.; Tomczyk, S.; Bernasconi, P. Bibcode: 1995SPD....26..205B Altcode: 1995BAAS...27..951B No abstract at ADS Title: Visible and near-infrared polarimetry with LEST. Authors: Keller, C. U.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Egger, U.; Povel, H. P.; Steiner, P.; Stenflo, J. O. Bibcode: 1995LFTR...59.....K Altcode: This document describes the LEST vector polarimeters for the visible and the near-infrared part of the solar spectrum. After some general remarks on precise polarimetry with large telescopes, the authors present the specifications based on scientific reasons and some general design considerations. The proposed instrument design for the visible is based on the ZIMPOL II concept. They present two different concepts for vector polarimetry in the near infrared. One is based on a beam-splitter system combined with liquid crystal modulators, while the other is based on the same modulator package as used in the visible and optical demodulation in the final focus. Title: Visible and Near Infrared Polarimetry with lest Authors: Keller, C. U.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Egger, U.; Powel, H. P.; Steiner, P.; Stenflo, J. O. Bibcode: 1995lest.rept....1K Altcode: No abstract at ADS Title: Observations of Active Region Dynamics: Preflare Flows and Field Observations Authors: Keil, Stephen L.; Balasubramaniam, K. S.; Bernasconi, Pietro; Smaldone, Luigi A.; Cauzzi, Gianna Bibcode: 1994ASPC...68..265K Altcode: 1994sare.conf..265K No abstract at ADS Title: Direct Measurements of Fluxtube Inclinations in Plages Authors: Bernasconi, Pietro N.; Keller, Christoph U.; Stenflo, Jan Olof Bibcode: 1994ASPC...68..131B Altcode: 1994sare.conf..131B No abstract at ADS