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Paper: Solar Astronomy and its Wealth of Data
Volume: 461, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XXI
Page: 457
Authors: Rieutord, M.
Abstract: The only part of the Sun of which we have a detailed view is its surface. But this surface is also that of its convection zone which evolves on shorter and shorter time scales as smaller and smaller length scales are detected. Monitoring the Sun at a given (visible) wavelength thus generates a data flow which increases as the cube of the spatial resolution. A series of images covering the whole visible hemisphere of the Sun at the resolution of a 50 cm aperture would generate a data flow rate of 0.8Tb per day. However, knowing its physical state reduces to the knowledge of eight physical quantities: vx, vy, vz, Bx, By, Bz, ρ, T (velocity, magnetic, density and temperature fields respectively). In this work, I give the orders of magnitude of the data flow rates that should be expected for an ideal monitoring of the Sun. I also discuss the effects of seeing or the physical constraints that affect the measurement of quantities like the horizontal component of the velocity field. Finally, I present the various numerical simulations data sets that have emerged while investigating the dynamics of the Sun.
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