Spectroscopic Imaging of the Sun with MeerKAT: Opening a New Frontier in Solar Physics
Solar radio emissions provide several unique diagnostics to estimate different physical parameters of the solar corona, which are otherwise simply inaccessible. However, imaging the highly dynamic solar coronal emissions spanning a large range of angular scales at radio wavelengths is extremely chal...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad0b7f |
| _version_ | 1797353384325414912 |
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| author | Devojyoti Kansabanik Surajit Mondal Divya Oberoi James O. Chibueze N. E. Engelbrecht R. D. Strauss E. P. Kontar G. J. J. Botha P. J. Steyn Amoré E. Nel |
| author_facet | Devojyoti Kansabanik Surajit Mondal Divya Oberoi James O. Chibueze N. E. Engelbrecht R. D. Strauss E. P. Kontar G. J. J. Botha P. J. Steyn Amoré E. Nel |
| author_sort | Devojyoti Kansabanik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Solar radio emissions provide several unique diagnostics to estimate different physical parameters of the solar corona, which are otherwise simply inaccessible. However, imaging the highly dynamic solar coronal emissions spanning a large range of angular scales at radio wavelengths is extremely challenging. At gigahertz frequencies, MeerKAT radio telescope is possibly globally the best-suited instrument at present for providing high-fidelity spectroscopic snapshot solar images. Here, we present the first published spectroscopic images of the Sun made using the observations with MeerKAT in the 880–1670 MHz band. This work demonstrates the high fidelity of spectroscopic snapshot MeerKAT solar images through a comparison with simulated radio images at MeerKAT frequencies. The observed images show extremely good morphological similarities with the simulated images. Our analysis shows that below ∼900 MHz MeerKAT images can recover essentially the entire flux density from the large angular-scale solar disk. Not surprisingly, at higher frequencies, the missing flux density can be as large as ∼50%. However, it can potentially be estimated and corrected for. We believe once solar observation with MeerKAT is commissioned, it will enable a host of novel studies, open the door to a large unexplored phase space with significant discovery potential, and also pave the way for solar science with the upcoming Square Kilometre Array-Mid telescope, of which MeerKAT is a precursor. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:30:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b923b5b7fc94e46a8a7d5f8defc4d6a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:30:19Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b923b5b7fc94e46a8a7d5f8defc4d6a2024-01-17T09:33:39ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-0196119610.3847/1538-4357/ad0b7fSpectroscopic Imaging of the Sun with MeerKAT: Opening a New Frontier in Solar PhysicsDevojyoti Kansabanik0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8801-9635Surajit Mondal1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2325-5298Divya Oberoi2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4768-9058James O. Chibueze3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9875-7436N. E. Engelbrecht4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3659-7956R. D. Strauss5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0205-0808E. P. Kontar6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8078-0902G. J. J. Botha7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5915-697XP. J. Steyn8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2099-8093Amoré E. Nel9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6917-1105National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, S.P. Pune University Campus , Pune 411007, India ; dkansabanik@ncra.tifr.res.inCenter for Solar-Terrestrial Research, New Jersey Institute of Technology , 323 M L King Jr Boulevard, Newark, NJ 07102-1982, USANational Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, S.P. Pune University Campus , Pune 411007, India ; dkansabanik@ncra.tifr.res.inDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, University of South Africa , Cnr Christian de Wet Rd and Pioneer Avenue, Florida Park, 1709, Roodepoort, South Africa; Centre for Space Research, Physics Department, North-West University , Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Nigeria , Carver Building, 1 University Road, Nsukka 410001, NigeriaCentre for Space Research, Physics Department, North-West University , Potchefstroom 2520, South AfricaCentre for Space Research, Physics Department, North-West University , Potchefstroom 2520, South AfricaSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow , Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UKDepartment of Mathematics, Physics, and Electrical Engineering, Northumbria University , Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UKCentre for Space Research, Physics Department, North-West University , Potchefstroom 2520, South AfricaThe South African National Space Agency , Hermanus, 7200, South AfricaSolar radio emissions provide several unique diagnostics to estimate different physical parameters of the solar corona, which are otherwise simply inaccessible. However, imaging the highly dynamic solar coronal emissions spanning a large range of angular scales at radio wavelengths is extremely challenging. At gigahertz frequencies, MeerKAT radio telescope is possibly globally the best-suited instrument at present for providing high-fidelity spectroscopic snapshot solar images. Here, we present the first published spectroscopic images of the Sun made using the observations with MeerKAT in the 880–1670 MHz band. This work demonstrates the high fidelity of spectroscopic snapshot MeerKAT solar images through a comparison with simulated radio images at MeerKAT frequencies. The observed images show extremely good morphological similarities with the simulated images. Our analysis shows that below ∼900 MHz MeerKAT images can recover essentially the entire flux density from the large angular-scale solar disk. Not surprisingly, at higher frequencies, the missing flux density can be as large as ∼50%. However, it can potentially be estimated and corrected for. We believe once solar observation with MeerKAT is commissioned, it will enable a host of novel studies, open the door to a large unexplored phase space with significant discovery potential, and also pave the way for solar science with the upcoming Square Kilometre Array-Mid telescope, of which MeerKAT is a precursor.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad0b7fSolar coronaSolar radio emissionSolar coronal radio emissionSolar instrumentsSolar radio telescopesRadio interferometers |
| spellingShingle | Devojyoti Kansabanik Surajit Mondal Divya Oberoi James O. Chibueze N. E. Engelbrecht R. D. Strauss E. P. Kontar G. J. J. Botha P. J. Steyn Amoré E. Nel Spectroscopic Imaging of the Sun with MeerKAT: Opening a New Frontier in Solar Physics The Astrophysical Journal Solar corona Solar radio emission Solar coronal radio emission Solar instruments Solar radio telescopes Radio interferometers |
| title | Spectroscopic Imaging of the Sun with MeerKAT: Opening a New Frontier in Solar Physics |
| title_full | Spectroscopic Imaging of the Sun with MeerKAT: Opening a New Frontier in Solar Physics |
| title_fullStr | Spectroscopic Imaging of the Sun with MeerKAT: Opening a New Frontier in Solar Physics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spectroscopic Imaging of the Sun with MeerKAT: Opening a New Frontier in Solar Physics |
| title_short | Spectroscopic Imaging of the Sun with MeerKAT: Opening a New Frontier in Solar Physics |
| title_sort | spectroscopic imaging of the sun with meerkat opening a new frontier in solar physics |
| topic | Solar corona Solar radio emission Solar coronal radio emission Solar instruments Solar radio telescopes Radio interferometers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad0b7f |
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