Although located at 150 million kilometers from Earth, the Sun is in our immediate neighborhood compared with all other stars. The observation of the Sun along the decades has provided amazingly detailed views of the structure and day-to-day life of a star; the high-resolution observations achieved from Earth and space in recent years, in particular, have facilitated reaching deep theoretical insights concerning the structure and evolution of stellar atmospheres and interiors.
The Sun constitutes a physics laboratory where the complex interactions between the matter (atoms, electrons and ions, or molecules) and the magnetic field can be studied in conditions difficult to reach in devices on Earth. Of particular interest for the public are the spectacular phenomena displayed by its atmosphere, its role in generating the magnetized clouds that, after traversing the interplanetary space, can impact on Earth's magnetosphere and lead to the potentially dangerous solar storms, and the mysteries of the solar interior. Understanding of all those phenomena is gained by a combination of refined theoretical methods and direct or indirect observation using leading-edge technologies.
The solar physics group at the IAC enjoys a leadership position in different branches of solar research in the world. This is exemplified by the award of four large research grants by the European Research Council in the past years to researchers of the group, by its leading role in the European Solar Telescope project, and by its participation in other international networks and instrument projects. Globally, the group combines theoretical methods (magneto-fluid dynamics and plasma physics, radiation transfer), including 3D numerical radiation-MHD modeling, and state-of-the-art observational and diagnostic techniques, to achieve deep understanding of what constitutes and drives the structure and activity of our star.
Solar Physics (FS)
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PublicationThe magnetic field configuration of a solar prominence inferred from spectropolarimetric observations in the He i 10 830 Å tripletContext. Determining the magnetic field vector in quiescent solar prominences is possible by interpreting the Hanle and Zeeman effects in spectral lines...
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PublicationThe magnetic flux of the quiet Sun internetwork as observed with the Tenerife infrared polarimeterContext: Observations made with the spectropolarimeter onboard the HINODE satellite have detected abundant horizontal magnetic fields in the internetwork quiet...
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PublicationThe magnetic nature of umbra-penumbra boundary in sunspotsContext. Sunspots are the longest-known manifestation of solar activity, and their magnetic nature has been known for more than a century. Despite this, the...
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PublicationThe Magnetic Response of the Solar Atmosphere to Umbral FlashesChromospheric observations of sunspot umbrae offer an exceptional view of magnetoacoustic shock phenomena and the impact they have on the surrounding...
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PublicationThe Magnetic Sensitivity of the (250-278 nm) Fe II Polarization SpectrumThis paper presents a theoretical investigation of the polarization and magnetic sensitivity of the near-ultraviolet (near-UV) solar spectral lines of Fe II...
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PublicationThe Magnetic Sensitivity of the Resonance and Subordinate Lines of Mg II in the Solar ChromosphereWe carry out a theoretical study of the polarization of the solar Mg II h-k doublet (including its extended wings) and the subordinate ultraviolet (UV) triplet...
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PublicationThe Magnetic Sensitivity of the Stokes I Profile of the 15260 Å Line of Mn IThe near-IR line of Mn I at 15262.7 Å has recently been proposed as a new tool for diagnosing the magnetic field strength and magnetic energy density associated...
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PublicationThe Observational and Numerical Analysis of the Rayleigh–Taylor Instability beneath a Hedgerow ProminenceUsing Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope Crisp Imaging Spectro-Polarimeter 6563 Å (Hα) observations and MANCHA3D simulations, we analyze the formation and evolution of...
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PublicationThe Physical Origin and Magnetic Sensitivity of the Scattering Polarization Observed in the O i IR Triplet at 777 nmThe linearly polarized solar limb spectrum caused by the absorption and scattering of anisotropic radiation has a very rich diagnostic potential, given its...