Although located at 150 million kilometers from Earth, the Sun is in our immediate neighborhood compared with all other stars. The observation of the Sun along the decades has provided amazingly detailed views of the structure and day-to-day life of a star; the high-resolution observations achieved from Earth and space in recent years, in particular, have facilitated reaching deep theoretical insights concerning the structure and evolution of stellar atmospheres and interiors.
The Sun constitutes a physics laboratory where the complex interactions between the matter (atoms, electrons and ions, or molecules) and the magnetic field can be studied in conditions difficult to reach in devices on Earth. Of particular interest for the public are the spectacular phenomena displayed by its atmosphere, its role in generating the magnetized clouds that, after traversing the interplanetary space, can impact on Earth's magnetosphere and lead to the potentially dangerous solar storms, and the mysteries of the solar interior. Understanding of all those phenomena is gained by a combination of refined theoretical methods and direct or indirect observation using leading-edge technologies.
The solar physics group at the IAC enjoys a leadership position in different branches of solar research in the world. This is exemplified by the award of four large research grants by the European Research Council in the past years to researchers of the group, by its leading role in the European Solar Telescope project, and by its participation in other international networks and instrument projects. Globally, the group combines theoretical methods (magneto-fluid dynamics and plasma physics, radiation transfer), including 3D numerical radiation-MHD modeling, and state-of-the-art observational and diagnostic techniques, to achieve deep understanding of what constitutes and drives the structure and activity of our star.
Solar Physics (FS)
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PublicationDetermination of Transverse Density Structuring from Propagating Magnetohydrodynamic Waves in the Solar AtmosphereWe present a Bayesian seismology inversion technique for propagating magnetohydrodynamic transverse waves observed in coronal waveguides. The technique uses...
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PublicationDetermining the dynamics and magnetic fields in He I 10830 Å during a solar filament eruptionAims: We investigate the dynamics and magnetic properties of the plasma, including the line-of-sight velocity (LOS) and optical depth, as well as the vertical...
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PublicationDetermining the Magnetization of the Quiet Sun Photosphere from the Hanle Effect and Surface Dynamo SimulationsThe bulk of the quiet solar photosphere is thought to be significantly magnetized, due to the ubiquitous presence of a tangled magnetic field at subresolution...
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GalleryDía de Nuestra Ciencia 2019On May 28, in the Tenerife Space for the Arts (TEA) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the IAC celebrated the XI edition of the Day of Our Science, an annual meting at...
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PublicationDiagnostic capabilities of spectropolarimetric observations for understanding solar phenomena. I. Zeeman-sensitive photospheric linesFuture ground-based telescopes will expand our capabilities for simultaneous multi-line polarimetric observations in a wide range of wavelengths, from the near...
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PublicationDiagnostic potential of the Ca II 8542 Å line for solar filamentsAims: In this study we explore the diagnostic potential of the chromospheric Ca II line at 8542 Å for studying the magnetic and dynamic properties of solar...
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GrantDiagnostics of the solar atmosphere and its stellar contextThis project aims to push forward our present understanding on the magnetism and dynamics of the solar atmosphere through the interpretation of observational...
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PublicationDiffusion of Solar Magnetic Elements up to Supergranular Spatial and Temporal ScalesThe study of spatial and temporal scales on which small magnetic structures (magnetic elements) are organized in the quiet Sun may be approached by determining...
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PublicationDirect Imaging of Fine Structure in the Chromosphere of a Sunspot UmbraHigh-resolution imaging observations from the Hinode spacecraft in the Ca II H line are employed to study the dynamics of the chromosphere above a sunspot. We...