The Velocity Distribution of Solar Photospheric Magnetic Bright Points

We use high spatial resolution observations and numerical simulations to study the velocity distribution of solar photospheric magnetic bright points. The observations were obtained with the Rapid Oscillations in the Solar Atmosphere instrument at the Dunn Solar Telescope, while the numerical simulations were undertaken with the MURaM code for average magnetic fields of 200 G and 400 G. We implemented an automated bright point detection and tracking algorithm on the dataset, and studied the subsequent velocity characteristics of over 6000 structures, finding an average velocity of approximately 1 km/s, with maximum values of 7 km/s. Furthermore, merging magnetic bright points were found to have considerably higher velocities, and significantly longer lifetimes, than isolated structures. By implementing a new and novel technique, we were able to estimate the background magnetic flux of our observational data, which is consistent with a field strength of 400 G.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL, 12 pages, 2 figure

High-resolution wave dynamics in the lower solar atmosphere

The magnetic and convective nature of the Sun's photosphere provides a unique platform from which generated waves can be modelled, observed, and interpreted across a wide breadth of spatial and temporal scales. As oscillations are generated in-situ or emerge through the photospheric layers, the interplay between the rapidly evolving densities, temperatures, and magnetic field strengths provides dynamic evolution of the embedded wave modes as they propagate into the tenuous solar chromosphere. A focused science team was assembled to discuss the current challenges faced in wave studies in the lower solar atmosphere, including those related to spectropolarimetry and radiative transfer in the optically thick regions. Following the Theo Murphy international scientific meeting held at Chicheley Hall during February 2020, the scientific team worked collaboratively to produce 15 independent publications for the current Special Issue, which are introduced here. Implications from the current research efforts are discussed in terms of upcoming next-generation observing and high performance computing facilities.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, Introduction to the "High-resolution wave dynamics in the lower solar atmosphere" special issue of the Philosophical Transactions A: https://walsa.team/u/rst

Overview of a Proposed Flight Validation of Aerocapture System Technology for Planetary Missions

Aerocapture System Technology for Planetary Missions is being proposed to NASA's New Millennium Program for flight aboard the Space Technology 9 (ST9) flight opportunity. The proposed ST9 aerocapture mission is a system-level flight validation of the aerocapture maneuver as performed by an instrumented, high-fidelity flight vehicle within a true in-space and atmospheric environment. Successful validation of the aerocapture maneuver will be enabled through the flight validation of an advanced guidance, navigation, and control system as developed by Ball Aerospace and two advanced Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials, Silicon Refined Ablative Material-20 (SRAM-20) and SRAM-14, as developed by Applied Research Associates (ARA) Ablatives Laboratory. The ST9 aerocapture flight validation will be sufficient for immediate infusion of these technologies into NASA science missions being proposed for flight to a variety of Solar System destinations possessing a significant planetary atmosphere

Applicability of dynamic facilitation theory to binary hard disk systems

We numerically investigate the applicability of dynamic facilitation (DF) theory for glass-forming binary hard disk systems where supercompression is controlled by pressure. By using novel efficient algorithms for hard disks, we are able to generate equilibrium supercompressed states in an additive nonequimolar binary mixture, where microcrystallization and size segregation do not emerge at high average packing fractions. Above an onset pressure where collective heterogeneous relaxation sets in, we find that relaxation times are well described by a “parabolic law” with pressure. We identify excitations, or soft spots, that give rise to structural relaxation and find that they are spatially localized, their average concentration decays exponentially with pressure, and their associated energy scale is logarithmic in the excitation size. These observations are consistent with the predictions of DF generalized to systems controlled by pressure rather than temperature