Parkes observations for project P1189 semester 2024OCTS_03

Full description

The solar wind and space weather events have a significant impact on the solar system and can pose hazards to both space and Earth-based technologies. Understanding the origins of the solar wind and space weather is therefore essential to comprehend how these events are driven and to enhance space weather prediction efforts. Magnetic structures such as coronal holes, helmet streamers, and prominences in the lower corona are believed to be key drivers of the winds and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). However, there are very few observational constraints on the solar wind and space weather events at low solar altitudes (< 20 solar radii), as this region is inaccessible to space probes. In this proposal, we aim to monitor a set of pulsars as they pass within 5.7 degrees of the Sun. Using the UWL receiver on the Parkes Radio Telescope, we will make precision measurements of the dispersive group delay and Faraday rotation of the pulses. This will enable us to investigate the densities and magnetic fields of the coronal structures driving the wind and to observe approximately $6 \\pm 4$ CMEs as they pass by the pulsars serendipitously. We will integrate this data with complementary efforts to study the solar wind via interplanetary scintillation, constraints from space probes, and simulations. This approach provides an exciting opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of the solar wind and space weather.