Solar sessions at NAM 2025 – Abstract submission is open from 4 Feb 16:00 until 30 Mar 2025 17:00 (UK time)

Abstract Submission: Open from 4 February at 16:00 to 30 March 2025 at 17:00 (UK time).
Submit abstracts: https://conference.astro.dur.ac.uk/event/7/abstracts/

Parallel and Lunchtime Session at NAM 2025:

  • UK Solar Physics Open Session
    Organisers: Natasha Jeffrey, Marianna Korsos, Matthew Lennard, Karen Meyer, Ryan Milligan, Rahul Sharma, Suzana Silva, Peter Wyper
  • Magnetohydrodynamic waves in the solar atmosphere: new insights from advanced observations and modelling
    Organisers: Tim Duckenfield, Shahin Jafarzadeh, Samuel Skirvin
  • Advancing Our Understanding of the Solar Corona-Wind Connection in the Age of Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe
    Organiser: Jesse Coburn; co organisers: Deborah Baker, Luca Franci, Alexander James, Pauline Simon, Stephanie Yardley
  • Next generation solar physics – preparing for MUSE and Solar-C
    Organisers: Sarah Matthews, Patrick Antolin, Ineke de Moortel
  • Magnetic reconnection, topology and non-ideal instabilities
    Organisers: Alexander Russell, Jonathan Eastwood, Gunnar Hornig, James McLaughlin, Christopher Prior, Julia Stawarz, Peter Wyper, Anthony Yeates
  • Common Nature of Physical Processes in Solar and Stellar Coronae
    Organisers: Patrick Antolin, Simon Daley-Yates, Jack Jenkins, Sargam Mulay, Christopher Osborne, Aaron W. Peat, Alexander Russel
  • UK Solar Physics Business Session
    Organisers: Natasha Jeffrey, Marianna Korsos, Matthew Lennard, Karen Meyer, Ryan Milligan, Rahul Sharma, Suzana Silva, Peter Wyper
  • Astronomy futures – new missions, facilities and the support needed to exploit them
    Organisers: Martin Barstow, Giulio Del Zanna
  • Solar Physics, Stellar Physics, and Exoplanetary joint session: bridging the gap
    Organisers: David Brown, Malcolm Druett, Alex Pietrow, Don Pollacco, Angela Santos, Thomas Wilson

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UK Solar Physics Open Session
Organisers: Natasha Jeffrey, Marianna Korsos, Matthew Lennard, Karen Meyer, Ryan Milligan, Rahul Sharma, Suzana Silva, Peter Wyper

The activity of our nearest star, the Sun, drives variability within the heliosphere in a myriad of different ways, impacting the Earth and other planets. As the only star on which we can begin to resolve physical processes at their intrinsic scales, the Sun provides a unique laboratory for plasma astrophysics. In this session, we welcome all contributions describing advances relating to physical processes occurring from the interior to the outer atmosphere, based on space- or ground-based observations, simulations, or theory. This session is open to all members of our community to present their work, irrespective of career level, including early-career researchers (PhD and postdoctoral).

Session type: Parallel session: 2 blocks

Magnetohydrodynamic waves in the solar atmosphere: new insights from advanced observations and modelling
Organisers: Tim Duckenfield, Shahin Jafarzadeh, Samuel Skirvin

Building on the UK’s legacy of groundbreaking MHD wave research, this session explores the crucial role of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves in solar atmospheric dynamics and energy transport. MHD waves are powerful tools for probing plasma conditions and are thought to be key to heating the corona and driving the solar wind. This is a critical moment for MHD wave research, with new high-resolution observations from facilities like DKIST (with strong UK involvement) and SUNRISE providing unprecedented detail of magnetic oscillations across the solar atmosphere. These observations, combined with advanced modelling techniques, are revolutionising our understanding of wave generation, propagation, and dissipation across different atmospheric layers (i.e., photosphere, chromosphere, transition region, and corona) through multi-line observations and sophisticated numerical models. This session aims to connect researchers within the broad field of MHD wave research to discuss recent breakthroughs in observational, theoretical, and modelling efforts. It will provide a platform to showcase cutting-edge research using state-of-the-art facilities. In addition to the groundbreaking observations from DKIST and SUNRISE, the session will draw on the latest results from missions like Solar Orbiter, Aditya-L1, and ALMA, laying the groundwork for analysing the wealth of data soon to emerge.

Session type: Parallel session: 1 block

Advancing Our Understanding of the Solar Corona-Wind Connection in the Age of Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe
Organiser: Jesse Coburn; co organisers: Deborah Baker, Luca Franci, Alexander James, Pauline Simon, Stephanie Yardley

The Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe missions have both been operating for several years now providing state-of-the-art in situ measurements of the solar wind and remote sensing observations of its source regions on the Sun. They have ventured closer to the Sun than ever before providing new insights into the mechanisms that heat the corona and accelerate the solar wind. This unprecedented view of the solar corona-wind connection with the aid of advanced magnetic field modelling permits precise identification of the solar wind source regions (such as coronal holes and active region boundaries). In particular, we are able to put observational constraints on theories that invoke magnetic field reconnection and energisation by plasma turbulence and waves to explain coronal heating and solar wind acceleration. In this session, we will celebrate and discuss the latest advances in solar wind and solar corona research. We encourage observations from Solar Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe, Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST), Advanced Composition Explorer, Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope, Solar Dynamics Observatory, Hinode and other Heliospheric observatories.

Session type: Parallel session: 2 blocks

Next generation solar physics – preparing for MUSE and Solar-C
Organisers: Patrick Antolin, Sarah Matthews

In 2017 the international solar physics community agreed the highest priority science questions for solar physics in the coming decade and the measurements and instruments needed to answer those questions:
o Formation mechanisms of the hot and dynamic outer solar atmosphere
o Mechanisms of large-scale solar eruptions and foundations for predictions
o Mechanisms driving the solar cycle and irradiance variation

The realisation of those recommendations is the combination of two complementary solar space missions: NASA’s MUlti-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) and JAXA’s multi-agency Solar-C. MUSE (launch 2027) will be a unique multi-slit spectrograph able to provide imaging spectroscopy of the corona at multiple wavelengths up to 100 times faster than current instruments. Solar-C (launched 2028), combines the EUV High-throughput Spectroscopic Telescope (EUVST) and the Solar Spectroscopic Irradiance Monitor (SoSpIM). EUVST will seamlessly and simultaneously observe a range of temperatures spanning more than three orders of magnitude from the chromosphere to the corona, providing unprecedented plasma diagnostic capability, while SoSpIM will provide complementary EUV spectral irradiance measurements. The combination of MUSE and EUVST will revolutionise our ability to probe the multi-scale nature of the physical processes in the corona, from small-scale energy release to large-scale impacts.

Supported by STFC and ESA the UK is both developing the short-wavelength camera for EUVST and helping to develop the science and tools to exploit MUSE, EUVST and SoSpIM. This session will bring together observers, modellers and theoreticians to discuss current work and future directions on all relevant science topics to promote optimum UK science return.

Session type: Parallel session: 1 block

Magnetic reconnection, topology and non-ideal instabilities
Organisers: Alexander Russell, Jonathan Eastwood, Gunnar Hornig, James McLaughlin, Christopher Prior, Julia Stawarz, Peter Wyper, Anthony Yeates

Magnetic reconnection is one of the most important processes in solar, space and astrophysical plasmas. In a highly conducting plasma with large length scales, magnetic field connections between plasma elements are conserved, allowing the accumulation of magnetic energy over time. However, conservation of connectivity can break down in small volumes – this has global consequences, for example enabling rapid conversion of magnetic energy in solar flares, auroral substorms and astrophysical jets and disks.

This session aims to bring together researchers working on magnetic reconnection, magnetic topology and resistive and collisionless instabilities, from the solar, space and astrophysics communities. Cross-cutting scientific discussions will cover theory, simulations, remote observations and in-situ observations.

Some of the key questions we are interested in addressing are:
o What do the latest numerical simulations and observations reveal about reconnection and non-ideal instabilities?
o How do recent new perspectives on topological properties, such as magnetic skeletons or helicity, shed light on dynamics such as flaring and coronal heating?
o How does turbulence affect reconnection, and vice-versa?
o How have results from the latest missions (e.g. Solar Orbiter and MMS), observatories (e.g. DKIST) and analysis tools (e.g. field line helicity) changed our understanding of these topics?

Session type: Parallel session: 1 block

Common Nature of Physical Processes in Solar and Stellar Coronae
Organisers: Patrick Antolin, Simon Daley-Yates, Jack Jenkins, Sargam Mulay, Christopher Osborne, Aaron W. Peat, Alexander Russell

The Sun offers unique insight and observational applications to the detailed understanding of stellar physics. The Sun serves as both a benchmark and laboratory for stellar processes. High-resolution and novel observations allow for the investigation of magnetic structure, coronal heating, condensations, and solar wind, to name a few. The broader statistical studies of stellar events can assist in the understanding of patterns and extremes of solar phenomena.

Stellar statistics constrain the frequency of, and energy associated with, extreme events. These, in turn, offer insight into coronal energy release mechanisms with applications to solar physics. Flare statistics and prominence formation are of great interest to the solar community as it can assist in the constraint of the formation and properties of these phenomena.

Recent advancements in both simulation and observation are gifting us new insight into and understanding of the aforementioned phenomena. Bridging solar and stellar astrophysics, both theoretical and observational, is essential to the understanding of solar and stellar processes. This session will focus on:
o Linking stellar flare, superflare, and CME statistics to solar coronal energy release mechanisms.
o Studying stellar winds to refine solar wind models and vice versa.
o Exploring solar/stellar prominence and condensation formation and/or ejection mechanisms, and properties.
o Investigating novel trends in coronal heating to resolve solar and stellar physics questions.

This session aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and leverage stellar data to advance solar physics while using solar theories as a framework to understand stellar processes.

Session type: Parallel session: 1 block

UK Solar Physics Business Session
Organisers: Natasha Jeffrey, Marianna Korsos, Matthew Lennard, Karen Meyer, Ryan Milligan, Rahul Sharma, Suzana Silva, Peter Wyper

In this session, we will host the UK Solar Physics (UKSP) business session, which is a place where the UKSP Council will provide updates on our initiatives and projected plans to the solar community. We will have invited presentations from representatives on key funding councils (for example, the Solar System Advisory Panel). We will have an open forum for discussing key concerns within the community, including, but not limited to, access to funding opportunities, doctoral student support, space and ground-based instrumentation, and community meetings/conferences. We welcome input and participation across the breadth of the community and across all career stages.

Session type: Lunch-time session

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Astronomy futures – new missions, facilities and the support needed to exploit them
Organisers: Martin Barstow, Giulio Del Zanna

Important scientific advances in astrophysics often depend on combining specialised observations with state-of-the-art theoretical models. This requires new missions and instruments (space/ground-based) targeted on specific science goals. Such facilities need a supporting infrastructure and a critical mass of well-trained researchers, without which the science outcomes cannot be achieved.

We propose a forum for the presentation and discussion of new missions and facilities covering the wide astrophysics and planetary science interests of the UK community. Importantly, we will also address their requirements for multi-disciplinary support, covering a diverse range of topics including new technologies, laboratory astrophysics, computational needs and data analysis tools to ensure that the UK benefits fully from its investments. We will also look at training requirements for young researchers, e.g. developing new skills (e.g. AI, machine learning, code development) or recovering historically important, but neglected, underpinning knowledge (e.g. atomic and molecular physics – measurements and theory, physics modelling including radiative transfer). This key support and training is often neglected in facility planning.

Traditionally, NAM sessions are organised by science subject. However, facilities and infrastructure typically encompass many research areas and the problems often overlap. We will address shared problems spanning disciplines to the benefit of the astronomical and planetary science community at large. The meeting will be structured in a way that promotes discussion with a panel of selected experts, introduced by a number of contributed / keynote talks. The programme will include any new facilities that are being proposed or are approved and under development.

Session type: Parallel session: 1 block

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Solar Physics, Stellar Physics, and Exoplanetary joint session: bridging the
Organisers: David Brown, Malcolm Druett, Alex Pietrow, Don Pollacco, Angela Santos, Thomas Wilson

Understanding the formation, evolution, and behavior of our own Star and Solar System in a Stellar or Galactic context requires deeper coordination between solar and solar system investigations and the characterisation of stars and planets across the Milky Way.

The objectives of this session are:
(1) To bridge the gap between the stellar and solar communities, and between the exoplanet and stellar communities by bringing together experts to discuss the latest results in these fields.
(2) To provide a platform for collaborations and dissemination channels between the solar, stellar, planetary and exoplanetary communities.
(3) To provide an update about the PLATO mission (ESA’s next medium-class mission, which will continuously observe over 200,000 FGKM-dwarf stars with high cadence and quality for at least 2 years) and discuss its stellar and planetary characterisation potential.

We particularly encourage applications with relevance to the Sun-as-a-star, discoveries in Stellar physics with relevance to the Sun, advances in exoplanet discovery and characterisation, and Extreme space weather events and habitability such as:

Spatially resolved or Sun-as-a-star observations and models giving insight into mechanisms responsible for signatures in unresolved observations of stars, for example longer-term variations, flares, and other activity, and feature locations on the stellar disk.
Space weather observations and models with applications to understanding the environments and conditions around stars.

The latest findings regarding solar-type stars, including physical modelling, and stellar populations and the insights these can provide regarding behaviours that may occur on our local star and surrounding planetary environments.

Recent observations and modeling related to the spatially resolved images of nearby supergiants. How can the future of spatially resolved stellar observations help us to better understand the Sun?
Transit, radial velocity, and astrometry discovery and characterisation of terrestrial exoplanets particularly related to understanding the formation and evolution of these bodies.

Works related to the preparation and prospects for PLATO With the launch of PLATO in late 2026, this discussion is timely to highlight advances in the mission and galvanise the UK community to take full advantage of the data.

Session type: Parallel session: 2 blocks

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