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The Solar Particle Acceleration Radiation and Kinetics (SPARK) Mission Concept

Reid, Hamish; Musset, Sophie; Ryan, Daniel; Baker, Deborah; Matthews, Sarah; Green, Lucie; Andretta, Vincenzo; (2023) The Solar Particle Acceleration Radiation and Kinetics (SPARK) Mission Concept. Aerospace , 10 (12) , Article 1034. 10.3390/aerospace10121034. Green open access

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Abstract

Particle acceleration is a fundamental process arising in many astrophysical objects, including active galactic nuclei, black holes, neutron stars, gamma-ray bursts, accretion disks, solar and stellar coronae, and planetary magnetospheres. Its ubiquity means energetic particles permeate the Universe and influence the conditions for the emergence and continuation of life. In our solar system, the Sun is the most energetic particle accelerator, and its proximity makes it a unique laboratory in which to explore astrophysical particle acceleration. However, despite its importance, the physics underlying solar particle acceleration remain poorly understood. The SPARK mission will reveal new discoveries about particle acceleration through a uniquely powerful and complete combination of γ-ray, X-ray, and EUV imaging and spectroscopy at high spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions. SPARK’s instruments will provide a step change in observational capability, enabling fundamental breakthroughs in our understanding of solar particle acceleration and the phenomena associated with it, such as the evolution of solar eruptive events. By providing essential diagnostics of the processes that drive the onset and evolution of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, SPARK will elucidate the underlying physics of space weather events that can damage satellites and power grids, disrupt telecommunications and GPS navigation, and endanger astronauts in space. The prediction of such events and the mitigation of their potential impacts are crucial in protecting our terrestrial and space-based infrastructure.

Type: Article
Title: The Solar Particle Acceleration Radiation and Kinetics (SPARK) Mission Concept
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.3390/aerospace10121034
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10121034
Language: English
Additional information: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: Particle acceleration; magnetic reconnection; instrumentation; corona; coronal mass ejections (CMEs); flares; extreme ultraviolet; X-rays; gamma rays
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Space and Climate Physics
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10184015
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