Solar physics department
The Solar Physics Department studies our nearest star, the Sun, particularly the active phenomena in the solar atmosphere. This includes solar flares as well as accompanying heliospheric effects. Large-scale solar activity, evolution of solar active regions, the structure and evolution of sunspots and filaments, flare-energy storage, release and transport are studied. The research of the Solar Department can be characterized as a combination of solar observations in optical, radio and X-ray wavebands, analysis and interpretations of data, and theoretical research with extensive numerical modeling of the processes under study. All these activities are based on close colaboration with number of countries worldwide. This colaborations include exchange of various data and their theoretical interpretation, as well as our participation in some of the ground-based and space projects.
Solar department is involved in realisation of two infrastructures that are on the Czech national roadmap of large research infrastructures. Those infrastructures are the European solar telescope and ALMA.
Observations
- Solar Radio Telescopes (Data from the radio telescopes located at the Ondřejov observatory.)
- Solar Activity Monitoring and Forecasting (Data from the solar patrol service located at the Ondřejov observatory.)
- Multichannel Flare Spectrograph (Data from the multichannel spectrograph located at the Ondřejov observatory.)
- Satellite X-Ray Data (Data from Hard X-Ray Spectrometer, Czech-made instrument onboard the MTI satellite.)
Software and synthetic data
- KAPPA Package (Synthesis of optically thin emission lines and continuum spectra for solar and stellar coronae for the non-Maxwellian kappa-distributions.)
- PORTA (A three-dimensional multilevel radiative transfer code for modeling the intensity and polarization of spectral lines with massively parallel computers.)
- Grid of semi-empirical models (A grid of semi-empirical models of the solar photosphere and chromosphere to study the effects of various thermal stratifications on spectral lines.)
The department has four working groups
Physics of solar flares and prominences
The group focuses on research of bright and energetic phenomena, including solar filaments and prominences, flares/CME, their mutual relationships, but also on physics of the solar corona and transition region. The primary goals include understanding of the magnetic flux ropes, and also mechanisms of solar eruptions and coronal heating. To this end, our researchers use a variety of numerical models and/or multiwavelength observations (from X-rays to radio) performed by space-borne and ground-based instruments. Group members also participate in proposing new instrumentation and observing campaigns.
Part of this working group is also the Solar Patrol Service, which provides a daily overview of solar activity in the form of drawings of the solar photosphere and synoptic images. Another task of the Solar Patrol is to issue weekly and daily forecasts of solar activity.
Head: Jaroslav Dudík
Scientists: Arkadiusz Berlicki, Elena Dzifčáková, František Fárník, Vlastislav Feik, Stanislav Gunár, Petr Heinzel, Jana Kašparová, Dieter Nickeler, Martina Pavelková, Maciej Zapiór, Alena Zemanová
Structure and dynamics of the solar atmosphere
The research goal of the group is to understand the physical conditions and processes in the solar atmosphere. It focuses on both active and quiescent regions of the atmosphere and particularly on sunspots. Using numerical models and analysis of spectroscopic and spectro-polarimetric observations of number of spectral lines that form at different layers of the solar atmosphere, members of the group aim to advance our understanding of the processes that shape the Sun's atmosphere. The group is involved in the development of the large European solar telescopes in the Canary Islands. In particular, it is currently involved in the realisation of the European Solar Telescope (EST).
Head: Jiří Štěpán
Scientists: Jose Iván Campos Rozo, Marta García Rivas, Jan Jurčák, Michal Sobotka, Michal Švanda,
Heliosphere and space weather
The group studies physical processes in the solar wind using in situ spacecraft observations, numerical simulations and theoretical analyses. It concentrates on properties of solar wind particles (electrons & ions) and their interactions with waves, turbulence, and nonlinear structures. Furthermore, it investigates interactions between the solar wind and solar system planets and moons as well analogic interactions between moons and planetary magnetosperes.
Head: Petr Hellinger
Scientists: Štěpán Štverák, Marek Vandas
Group of solar radioastronomy
The working group studies physical properties of the solar atmosphere and processes there through analysis of solar radio data obtained in the wide range of wavelengths from decimeters to millimeters. At the Ondrejov observatory the group operates several solar radio telescopes running at decimetric wavelengths. The group includes members of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Regional Centre (ALMA ARC-CZ) Czech node, which runs since 2016 and supports the ALMA user community of Central and Eastern Europe. The Czech ARC node provides scientific and technical support in the field of solar and (extra) galactic research with ALMA.
Head: Artem Koval
Scientists: Miroslav Bárta, Yi Chai, Marian Karlický, Wenjuan Liu
Contact
Department head: Jan Jurčák
Deputy head: Jana Kašparová
Secretary: Alice Chytrová
e-mail: alchytr@asu.cas.cz
tel.: +420 323 620 146
Address: Fričova 298, 251 65 Ondřejov, CZ