Sun-Earth Connection: A Tale of Two Ends from a Personal Perspective

Our Sun, as a variable star, plays a dominant role in controlling the near-Earth space environment. It is constantly emitting highly ionized material mostly composed of protons and electrons (so-called "solar wind"), carrying solar magnetic field. Thus formed solar atmosphere, called corona, stretches all the way to the Earth and beyond. Its dynamic and magnetic interactions with near-Earth space generate various adverse effects, ranging from spacecraft malfunction in space to power outage on the ground, impacting various aspects of human activities. I will briefly describe such effects related to the emerging research area of space weather. Then I will report my contributions to this area on two topics. One is the extrapolation of the solar coronal magnetic field from magnetic field observations on the solar surface, especially that in a finite active region. The other is the quantitative characterization, from in-situ spacecraft data, of transient structures ejected from the Sun that are often responsible for causing disturbances in near-Earth environment. The effort of seeking physical and causal connections between the Sun and Earth will also be presented. Finally I will summarize and offer some outlook for future endeavors, especially in the context of further collaborations with solar physicists and support by observational facilities, within CSPAR

Qiang Hu

UAHuntsville