A Total Solar Eclipse Earth-Based Mission: Multi-wavelength Observations from Land, Sea and Air to Probe the Critical middle Corona

Abstract

There has been an unfortunate gap in coronal emission line observations from space in the visible and near IR (V+NIR). Their distinct scientific advantage stems from the dominance of radiative excitation in their formation, whereby their emission can be detected out to several solar radii above the limb. V+NIR emission lines can thus yield the only inferences of the physical properties of the coronal plasma, such as species temperatures, densities, elemental abundances, and speeds along and perpendicular to the line of sight in this critical spatial span. These diagnostics have been demonstrated with decades of unsurpassed high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic observations during total solar eclipses. This white paper calls for dedicated funding for a Total Solar Eclipse Earth-Based Mission for ground, airborne and seaborne observations of the corona during totality for the next decade starting in 2024. The proposed Mission capitalizes on the unique diagnostic potential offered by the V+NIR coronal emission lines for the inference of key plasma parameters over a distance range of at least 5 Rs from the solar surface. This critical coronal space is currently missing from existing and to-be launched coronagraphic instrumentation in the proposed time frame. Multi-site observing platforms for each eclipse would further capture the temporal variability of coronal plasmas over a time span of at least 1 hour, with a temporal resolution of a fraction of a minute. Furthermore, this Mission offers unsurpassed opportunities for the exploration of new technologies for future implementation with coronagraphs. This Mission has a unique significant broader impact for outreach opportunities to engage the public and the younger generations in heliospheric science from an awe-inspiring cosmic event.