Jets in the Solar Atmosphere

Our Sun is the only star where details on its surface and atmosphere can be observed and analysed. Recently, new large solar telescopes have been installed together with new excellent instruments; also computer simulations were made with high degree of precision. These developments will permit to investigate turbulent phenomena on the solar surface and study their propagation to the lower solar chromosphere where high enrergetic events occur, like solar flares which release during several minutes an energy equivalent to several 100 million hydrogen bombs. During such events short wavelength radiation strongly influences on radiocommunication on Earth and in extreme cases even satellites can become unstable and extravehicular activity of astronauts should be avoided because of the high radiation dose. In order to better understand the processes that result into such high energetic events, simultaneous observations at different layers in the solar atmosphere are needed. The German Kiepenheuer Institute in Freiburg has developped the HELLRIDE instrument that can be used at the best solar telescopes at the canary islands. The solar physics group in Graz, Austria has expertise in solar observations as well as in the analysis oft he huge amount of data. Therefore a common execution of the project will be highly efficient.

The topic jets in the solar atmosphere was discussed at several public talks and also at talks that were given in classrooms. Topic was also presented at scientific workshops and discussed there.