Periodic Reporting for period 3 - SOLARNET (Integrating High Resolution Solar Physics)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-01-01 do 2023-09-30
The full characterisation of solar activity, i.e. studying the astrophysics of the Sun’s variable magnetic field, which has influence in form of “Space Weather” on the heliosphere and direct impact on humanity’s technology in space and on ground, requires high-class multi-instrument observations. Access to such ground-based infrastructures is limited. In addition, new scientific questions require the upgrade and new development of advanced instrumentation for solar observations. Exploiting the large data volumes that are recorded by space missions and ground-based installations is another significant challenge.
SOLARNET focused on integrating the activities of the European Solar Physics researcher community and opening up key research infrastructures/facilities in the field of solar physics to all European researchers, from both academia and industry, to ensure their optimal use and joint development. This opened routes towards working with the best available science data, data analysis tools, and state-of-the-art theoretical models required for advancing the understanding of the intricate processes on the Sun.
SOLARNET specific objectives were:
• Form a strengthened European solar physics community along with complementary expertise in observational techniques, instrumentation, theoretical astrophysics, numerical simulations and modelling.
• Make key research installations easily accessible for the benefit of all researchers that support European Solar Physics research. These infrastructures are the telescopes, the related data repositories and those of the space missions, and data from theoretical modelling as well as supercomputing resources.
• Improve the research service of the infrastructures by upgrading and designing new instrumentation including designs for the future 4-metre European Solar Telescope (EST) and the ground-based network Solar Physics Research Integrated Network Group (SPRING).
• An ensured budding of a well-trained young generation of scientists who can take full advantage of the next generation of facilities.
SOLARNET focused on integrating the activities of the European Solar Physics researcher community and opening up key research infrastructures/facilities in the field of solar physics to all European researchers, from both academia and industry, to ensure their optimal use and joint development. This opened routes towards working with the best available science data, data analysis tools, and state-of-the-art theoretical models required for advancing the understanding of the intricate processes on the Sun.
SOLARNET specific objectives were:
• Form a strengthened European solar physics community along with complementary expertise in observational techniques, instrumentation, theoretical astrophysics, numerical simulations and modelling.
• Make key research installations easily accessible for the benefit of all researchers that support European Solar Physics research. These infrastructures are the telescopes, the related data repositories and those of the space missions, and data from theoretical modelling as well as supercomputing resources.
• Improve the research service of the infrastructures by upgrading and designing new instrumentation including designs for the future 4-metre European Solar Telescope (EST) and the ground-based network Solar Physics Research Integrated Network Group (SPRING).
• An ensured budding of a well-trained young generation of scientists who can take full advantage of the next generation of facilities.
Despite the disruption to the project caused by the pandemic, which led to the cancellation or virtualisation of some activities, the project was able to achieve its key objectives. The pandemic fostered, as a positive development, the transition to predominantly remote observations. During the third reporting period volcanic activity and forest fires in the Canary Islands hindered ground-based observations, resulting in delays in accessing the telescopes and carrying out the observing plan. Consequently, not all observations could be completed as scheduled.
1. Networking and coordination (WP2 - WP4)
SOLARNET provided access to four world-class solar telescopes in the Canary Islands and to the Piz Daint high-performance supercomputing facility. And, several coordinated observations involving multiple ground-based installations and space missions were conducted.
A forum with 200 participants was established for observers, users, and the operators of the solar telescopes and data bases.
The Project brought together communities from SOLARNET and the PRE-EST H2020 initiative developing instrumentation and preparing for the next-generation solar telescope EST.
Activities also focused on developing software tools, numerical simulations, and defining metadata standards and database structures.
The programme supported eight major international meetings, five schools with around 140 participants, training of early-career researchers on solar observations, and mobility for 28 scientists.
Communication and dissemination were achieved via online platforms, social media, conferences, and publications. Outreach training was offered during the schools, and dedicated workshops on science communication and engagement were provided by experts.
2. Joint research (WP5 - WP8)
SOLARNET has completed four joint research activities:
Data centre activities were coordinated to boost data use and re-use in the spirit of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). The long-term goal is to build up a European Solar Data Centre, envisaged for EST. Hence, special focus was put on data calibration, automated pipelines and improved image reconstruction techniques. In this framework, the Solar Virtual Observatory, which started in SOLARNET FP7, has now become fully operational. Adding value to solar data, tools for data visualization and analysis were developed and provided to the community.
The joint research activity on instrumentation development completed its tasks on the design, prototyping and qualified tests of high precision post-focus instrumentation designs.
Another JRA finalized its work on multi-conjugate adaptive optics suitable for featuring the future EST.
The work on SPRING, was completed, too, i.e. the design of the telescopes, mounting, post-focus instruments and the definition of the data processing pipelines are ready to setup its first prototype.
3. Access programme (WP9, WP10)
SOLARNET opened access to Europe’s major solar telescopes (GREGOR, SST, THEMIS and VTT), delivering 392 observing days, and to the Piz Daint supercomputer with 1.5 million node-hours.
Virtual access was granted to key satellite (HINODE, IRIS, SDO) and ground-based (GREGOR, IBIS, SST) data archives, as well as to numerical simulations linking observations and theory.
107 out of 110 deliverables were completed during the Project, and shortly after. Three could not be finished due to the pandemic. Of 23 milestones, 21 were fully achieved, and one partially.
1. Networking and coordination (WP2 - WP4)
SOLARNET provided access to four world-class solar telescopes in the Canary Islands and to the Piz Daint high-performance supercomputing facility. And, several coordinated observations involving multiple ground-based installations and space missions were conducted.
A forum with 200 participants was established for observers, users, and the operators of the solar telescopes and data bases.
The Project brought together communities from SOLARNET and the PRE-EST H2020 initiative developing instrumentation and preparing for the next-generation solar telescope EST.
Activities also focused on developing software tools, numerical simulations, and defining metadata standards and database structures.
The programme supported eight major international meetings, five schools with around 140 participants, training of early-career researchers on solar observations, and mobility for 28 scientists.
Communication and dissemination were achieved via online platforms, social media, conferences, and publications. Outreach training was offered during the schools, and dedicated workshops on science communication and engagement were provided by experts.
2. Joint research (WP5 - WP8)
SOLARNET has completed four joint research activities:
Data centre activities were coordinated to boost data use and re-use in the spirit of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). The long-term goal is to build up a European Solar Data Centre, envisaged for EST. Hence, special focus was put on data calibration, automated pipelines and improved image reconstruction techniques. In this framework, the Solar Virtual Observatory, which started in SOLARNET FP7, has now become fully operational. Adding value to solar data, tools for data visualization and analysis were developed and provided to the community.
The joint research activity on instrumentation development completed its tasks on the design, prototyping and qualified tests of high precision post-focus instrumentation designs.
Another JRA finalized its work on multi-conjugate adaptive optics suitable for featuring the future EST.
The work on SPRING, was completed, too, i.e. the design of the telescopes, mounting, post-focus instruments and the definition of the data processing pipelines are ready to setup its first prototype.
3. Access programme (WP9, WP10)
SOLARNET opened access to Europe’s major solar telescopes (GREGOR, SST, THEMIS and VTT), delivering 392 observing days, and to the Piz Daint supercomputer with 1.5 million node-hours.
Virtual access was granted to key satellite (HINODE, IRIS, SDO) and ground-based (GREGOR, IBIS, SST) data archives, as well as to numerical simulations linking observations and theory.
107 out of 110 deliverables were completed during the Project, and shortly after. Three could not be finished due to the pandemic. Of 23 milestones, 21 were fully achieved, and one partially.
SOLARNET has advanced the state of the art and impacted the solar physics research area on the long-term:
SOLARNET has provided thorough access to world-class research infrastructure and lifted them to higher levels of efficiency, quality and excellence.
The human capital development was achieved by trained researchers and the next-generation of solar physicists.
SOLARNET has actively promoted gender balance and equality in science via networking, joint research, mobility and trans-national access & service programmes.
It has furthermore created a value-chain collaborative network via its networking activities, joint research activities and its international openness.
The outcome of SOLARNET provides advanced instrumentation as well as new and improved tools and standards for data handling, data archives and numerical codes to the research community.
Strict open access dissemination of scientific knowledge in terms of publications, conference proceedings, project website, newsletters and outreach activities will assure long-term benefit from the project results.
The additional participation of private enterprises and non-European research institutions maximized the impact on a global scale and enhanced the innovation capacity in both science and industry.
SOLARNET increased productivity of the European Solar Physics community, which is mirrored in nearly 240 publications acknowledging the funding of the underlying efforts by the European Commission.
The solar physics community is now ready to face the future, and to construct EST for high-resolution observations and SPRING for synoptic observations of the Sun.
SOLARNET has provided thorough access to world-class research infrastructure and lifted them to higher levels of efficiency, quality and excellence.
The human capital development was achieved by trained researchers and the next-generation of solar physicists.
SOLARNET has actively promoted gender balance and equality in science via networking, joint research, mobility and trans-national access & service programmes.
It has furthermore created a value-chain collaborative network via its networking activities, joint research activities and its international openness.
The outcome of SOLARNET provides advanced instrumentation as well as new and improved tools and standards for data handling, data archives and numerical codes to the research community.
Strict open access dissemination of scientific knowledge in terms of publications, conference proceedings, project website, newsletters and outreach activities will assure long-term benefit from the project results.
The additional participation of private enterprises and non-European research institutions maximized the impact on a global scale and enhanced the innovation capacity in both science and industry.
SOLARNET increased productivity of the European Solar Physics community, which is mirrored in nearly 240 publications acknowledging the funding of the underlying efforts by the European Commission.
The solar physics community is now ready to face the future, and to construct EST for high-resolution observations and SPRING for synoptic observations of the Sun.