Abstract
The concept of the Solar Ring mission was gradually formed from L5/L4 mission concept, and the proposal of its pre-phase study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in November 2018 and then by the Strategic Priority Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences in space sciences in May 2019. Solar Ring mission will be the first attempt to routinely monitor and study the Sun and inner heliosphere from a full 360-degree perspective in the ecliptic plane. The current preliminary design of the Solar Ring mission is to deploy six spacecraft, grouped in three pairs, on a sub-AU orbit around the Sun. The two spacecraft in each group are separated by about 30° and every two groups by about 120°. This configuration with necessary science payloads will allow us to establish three unprecedented capabilities: (1) determine the photospheric vector magnetic field with unambiguity, (2) provide 360-degree maps of the Sun and the inner heliosphere routinely, and (3) resolve the solar wind structures at multiple scales and multiple longitudes. With these capabilities, the Solar Ring mission aims to address the origin of solar cycle, the origin of solar eruptions, the origin of solar wind structures and the origin of severe space weather events. The successful accomplishment of the mission will advance our understanding of the star and the space environment that hold our life and enhance our capability of expanding the next new territory of human.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
References
Hudson H S, Bougeret J L, Burkepile J. Coronal mass ejections: Overview of observations. Space Sci Rev, 2006, 123: 13–30
Yashiro S. A catalog of white light coronal mass ejections observed by the SOHO spacecraft. J Geophys Res, 2004, 109: A07105
Dikpati M, Charbonneau P. A babcock-leighton flux transport dynamo with solar-like differential rotation. Astrophys J, 1999, 518: 508–520
Reid G C. Solar variability and its implications for the human environment. J Atmos Sol-Terrestrial Phys, 1999, 61: 3–14
Lean J, Rind D. Evaluating sun-climate relationships since the little ice age. J Atmos Sol-Terrestrial Phys, 1999, 61: 25–36
Nandy D, Muñoz-Jaramillo A, Martens P C H. The unusual minimum of sunspot cycle 23 caused by meridional plasma flow variations. Nature, 2011, 471: 80–82
Schrijver C J, Livingston W C, Woods T N, et al. The minimal solar activity in 2008–2009 and its implications for long-term climate modeling. Geophys Res Lett, 2011, 38: L06701
McComas D J, Angold N, Elliott H A, et al. Weakest Solar wind of the space age and the current “mini” solar maximum. Astrophys J, 2013, 779: 2
Feulner G, Rahmstorf S. On the effect of a new grand minimum of solar activity on the future climate on Earth. Geophys Res Lett, 2010, 37: L05707
Domingo V, Fleck B, Poland A I. SOHO: The solar and heliospheric observatory. Space Sci Rev, 1995, 72: 81–84
Handy B N, Acton L W, Kankelborg C C, et al. The transition region and coronal explorer. Sol Phys, 1999, 187: 229–260
Ogawara Y, Takano T, Kato T, et al. The solar-A mission—An overview. Sol Phys, 1991, 136: 1–16
Pesnell W D, Thompson B J, Chamberlin P C. The solar dynamics observatory (SDO). Sol Phys, 2012, 275: 3–15
Kosugi T, Matsuzaki K, Sakao T, et al. The hinode (solar-B) mission: An overview. Sol Phys, 2007, 243: 3–17
Kaiser M L, Kucera T A, Davila J M, et al. The stereo mission: An introduction. Space Sci Rev, 2008, 136: 5–16
Müller D, Marsden R G, St. Cyr O C, et al. Solar orbiter. Exploring the sun-heliosphere connection. Sol Phys, 2013, 285: 25–70
Ogilvie K W, Parks G K. First results from WIND spacecraft: An introduction. Geophys Res Lett, 1996, 23: 1179–1181
Stone R G, Frandsen A M, Mewaldt R A, et al. The advanced composition explorer. Space Sci Rev, 1998, 86: 1–22
NOAA. Dscovr: Deep space climate observatory. 2015. https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/content/dscovr-deep-space-climate-observatory
Winkler W. HELIOS assessment and mission results. Acta Astronaut, 1976, 3: 435–447
Wenzel K P, Marsden R G, Page D E, et al. The Ulysses mission. Astron Astrophys Suppl, 1992, 92: 207
Fox N J, Velli M C, Bale S D, et al. The solar probe plus mission: Humanity’s first visit to our star. Space Sci Rev, 2016, 204: 7–48
Solomon S C, McNutt Jr. R L, Gold R E, et al. MESSENGER mission overview. Space Sci Rev, 2007, 131: 3–39
Svedhem H, Titov D V, McCoy D, et al. Venus expressłthe first european mission to venus. Planet Space Sci, 2007, 55: 1636–1652
Schmidt R. Mars express-ESA’s first mission to planet Mars. Acta Astronaut, 2003, 52: 197–202
Jakosky B M, Lin R P, Grebowsky J M, et al. The mars atmosphere and volatile evolution (MAVEN) mission. Space Sci Rev, 2015, 195: 3–48
Wang Y M, Chen X, Wang P C, et al. Concept of the solar ring mission: Preliminary design and mission profile. Sci China Tech Sci, 2020, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-020-1612-y
Allen Gary G, Hagyard M J. Transformation of vector magnetograms and the problems associated with the effects of perspective and the azimuthal ambiguity. Sol Phys, 1990, 126: 21–36
Schou J, Scherrer P H, Bush R I, et al. Design and ground calibration of the helioseismic and magnetic imager (HMI) instrument on the solar dynamics observatory (SDO). Sol Phys, 2012, 275: 229–259
Liu L, Wang Y, Wang J, et al. Why is a flare-rich active region CME-poor? Astrophys J, 2016, 826: 119
Jin C L, Wang J X, Xie Z X. Solar intranetwork magnetic elements: Intrinsically weak or strong? Sol Phys, 2012, 280: 51–67
Wiegelmann T, Sakurai T. Solar force-free magnetic fields. Living Rev Sol Phys, 2012, 9: 5
Wiegelmann T. Nonlinear force-free modeling of the solar coronal magnetic field. J Geophys Res, 2008, 113: A03S02
Christensen-Dalsgaard J, Dappen W, Ajukov S V, et al. The current state of solar modeling. Science, 1996, 272: 1286–1292
Scherrer P H, Bogart R S, Bush R I, et al. The solar oscillations investigation-michelson doppler imager. Sol Phys, 1995, 162: 129–188
Harvey JW, Hill F, Hubbard R P, et al. The global oscillation network group (GONG) project. Science, 1996, 272: 1284–1286
Thompson M J, Toomre J, Anderson E R, et al. Differential rotation and dynamics of the solar interior. Science, 1996, 272: 1300–1305
Howe R, Christensen-Dalsgaard J, Hill F, et al. Deeply penetrating banded zonal flows in the solar convection zone. Astrophys J, 2000, 533: L163–L166
Zhao J, Bogart R S, Kosovichev A G, et al. Detection of equatorward meridional flow and evidence of double-cell meridional circulation inside the sun. Astrophys J, 2013, 774: L29
Miesch M S, Brown B P. Convective babcock-leighton dynamo models. Astrophys J, 2012, 746: L26
Simnett G M, Hudson H S. The evolution of a rapidly-expanding active region loop into a trans-equatorial coronal mass ejection. In: Prcoceedings of the Correlated Phenomena at the Sun, in the Heliosphere and in Geospace, 31st ESLAB symposium (ESA SP-415). Netherlands, 1997. 437–441
Moon Y J, Choe G S, Wang H, et al. Sympathetic coronal mass ejections. Astrophys J, 2003, 588: 1176–1182
Zhou G, Wang J, Wang Y, et al. Quasi-simultaneous flux emergence in the events of October–November 2003. Sol Phys, 2007, 244: 13–24
Schrijver C J, Title A M. Long-range magnetic couplings between solar flares and coronal mass ejections observed by SDO and STEREO. J Geophys Res, 2011, 116: A04108
Zhang Y, Wang J, Attrill G D R, et al. Coronal magnetic connectivity and EUV dimmings. Sol Phys, 2007, 241: 329–349
Pevtsov A A. Transequatorial loops in the solar corona. Astrophys J, 2000, 531: 553–560
Heinemann S G, Temmer M, Hofmeister S J, et al. Three-phase evolution of a coronal hole. I. 360◦ remote sensing and in situ observations. Astrophys J, 2018, 861: 151
Liu Y, Hoeksema J T, Scherrer P H, et al. Comparison of line-of-sight magnetograms taken by the solar dynamics observatory/helioseismic and magnetic imager and solar and heliospheric observatory/michelson doppler imager. Sol Phys, 2012, 279: 295–316
Aschwanden MJ, Wülser J P, Nitta N V, et al. First three-dimensional reconstructions of coronal loops with the STEREO A and B spacecraft. I. Geometry. Astrophys J, 2008, 679: 827–842
Liu J J, Wang Y M, Liu R, et al. When and how does a prominence-like jet gain kinetic energy? Astrophys J, 2014, 782: 94
Kwon R Y, Chae J, Zhang J. Stereoscopic determination of heights of extreme ultraviolet bright points using data taken by SECCHI/EUVI aboard STEREO. Astrophys J, 2010, 714: 130–137
Robbrecht E, Patsourakos S, Vourlidas A. No trace left behind: STEREO observation of a coronal mass ejection without low coronal signatures. Astrophys J, 2009, 701: 283–291
Wang Y, Chen C, Gui B, et al. Statistical study of coronal mass ejection source locations: Understanding CMEs viewed in coronagraphs. J Geophys Res, 2011, 116: A04104
Thernisien A F R, Howard R A, Vourlidas A. Modeling of flux rope coronal mass ejections. Astrophys J, 2006, 652: 763–773
Sheeley N R, Lee D D H, Casto K P, et al. The structure of streamer blobs. Astrophys J, 2009, 694: 1471–1480
Lugaz N, Vourlidas A, Roussev I I. Deriving the radial distances of wide coronal mass ejections from elongation measurements in the heliosphere—application to CME-CME interaction. Ann Geophys, 2009, 27: 3479–3488
Feng L, Inhester B, Mierla M. Comparisons of CME morphological characteristics derived from five 3D reconstruction methods. Sol Phys, 2013, 282: 221–238
Li X L, Wang Y M, Liu R, et al. Reconstructing solar wind inhomogeneous structures from stereoscopic observations in white-light: Solar wind transients in 3d. J Geophys Res Space Phys, 2020, doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JA027513
Li X L, Wang Y M, Liu R, et al. Reconstructing solar wind inhomogeneous structures from stereoscopic observations in white-light: Small transients along the Sun-Earth line. J Geophys Res Space Phys, 2018, 123: 7257–7270
Wang Y, Zhang Q, Liu J, et al. On the propagation of a geoeffective coronal mass ejection during 15–17 March 2015. J Geophys Res Space Phys, 2016, 121: 7423–7434
Wang Y, Shen C, Wang S, et al. Deflection of coronal mass ejection in the interplanetary medium. Sol Phys, 2004, 222: 329–343
Riley P, Crooker N U. Kinematic treatment of coronal mass ejection evolution in the solar wind. Astrophys J, 2004, 600: 1035–1042
Manchester IVW, Gombosi T, DeZeeuw D, et al. Eruption of a buoyantly emerging magnetic flux rope. Astrophys J, 2004, 610: 588–596
Wang Y, Wang B, Shen C, et al. Deflected propagation of a coronal mass ejection from the corona to interplanetary space. J Geophys Res Space Phys, 2014, 119: 5117–5132
Kay C, Opher M. The heliocentric distance where the deflections and rotations of solar coronal mass ejections occur. Astrophys J, 2015, 811: L36
Gopalswamy N, Lara A, Lepping R P, et al. Interplanetary acceleration of coronal mass ejections. Geophys Res Lett, 2000, 27: 145–148
Vršnak B, Vrbanec D, Čalogović J. Dynamics of coronal mass ejections. Astron Astrophys, 2008, 490: 811–815
Vršnak B, Žic T, Vrbanec D, et al. Propagation of interplanetary coronal mass ejections: The drag-based model. Sol Phys, 2013, 285: 295–315
Shen C L, Wang Y M, Pan Z H, et al. Full-halo coronal mass ejections: Arrival at the Earth. J Geophys Res Space Phys, 2014, 119: 5107–5116
Dasso S, Mandrini C H, Démoulin P, et al. A new model-independent method to compute magnetic helicity in magnetic clouds. Astron Astrophys, 2006, 455: 349–359
Ruffenach A, Lavraud B, Farrugia C J, et al. Statistical study of magnetic cloud erosion by magnetic reconnection. J Geophys Res Space Phys, 2015, 120: 43–60
Wang Y M, Shen C L, Liu R, et al. Understanding the twist distribution inside magnetic flux ropes by anatomizing an interplanetary magnetic cloud. J Geophys Res Space Phys, 2018, 123: 3238–3261
Shen C, Wang Y, Wang S, et al. Super-elastic collision of large-scale magnetized plasmoids in the heliosphere. Nat Phys, 2012, 8: 923–928
Lugaz N, Farrugia C J, Davies J A, et al. The deflection of the two interacting coronal mass ejections of 2010 May 23–24 as revealed by combined in site measurements and heliospheric imaging. Astrophys J, 2012, 759: 68
Temmer M, Veronig A M, Peinhart V, et al. Asymmetry in the CME-CME interaction process for the events from 2011 February 14–15. Astrophys J, 2014, 785: 85
Mishra W, Wang Y, Srivastava N, et al. Assessing the nature of collisions of coronal mass ejections in the inner heliosphere. Astrophys J Suppl Ser, 2017, 232: 5
Larson D E, Lin R P, McTiernan J M, et al. Tracing the topology of the October 18–20, 1995, magnetic cloud with ∼ 0:1 − 102 kev electrons. Geophys Res Lett, 1997, 24: 1911–1914
Wang Y, Zhou Z, Shen C, et al. Investigating plasma motion of magnetic clouds at 1 AU through a velocity-modified cylindrical force-free flux rope model. J Geophys Res Space Phys, 2015, 120: 1543–1565
Wang Y, Zhuang B, Hu Q, et al. On the twists of interplanetary magnetic flux ropes observed at 1 AU. J Geophys Res Space Phys, 2016, 121: 9316–9339
Démoulin P, Janvier M, Dasso S. Magnetic flux and helicity of magnetic clouds. Sol Phys, 2016, 291: 531–557
Owens M J. Do the legs of magnetic clouds contain twisted flux-rope magnetic fields? Astrophys J, 2016, 818: 197
Zhao A, Wang Y, Chi Y, et al. Main cause of the poloidal plasma motion inside a magnetic cloud inferred from multiple-spacecraft observations. Sol Phys, 2017, 292: 58
Owens M J, Lockwood M, Barnard L A. Coronal mass ejections are not coherent magnetohydrodynamic structures. Sci Rep, 2017, 7: 4152
Desai M, Giacalone J. Large gradual solar energetic particle events. Living Rev Sol Phys, 2016, 13: 3
Cane H V, Reames D V, von Rosenvinge T T. The role of interplanetary shocks in the longitude distribution of solar energetic particles. J Geophys Res, 1988, 93: 9555–9567
Guo J N, Dumbović M, Wimmer-Schweingruber R F, et al. Modeling the evolution and propagation of 10 September 2017 CMEs and SEPs arriving at Mars constrained by remote sensing and in situ measurement. Space Weather, 2018, 16: 1156–1169
Hassler D M, Zeitlin C, Wimmer-Schweingruber R F, et al. The radiation assessment detector (RAD) investigation. Space Sci Rev, 2012, 170: 503–558
Wang Y, Zhang J, Shen C. An analytical model probing the internal state of coronal mass ejections based on observations of their expansions and propagations. J Geophys Res, 2009, 114: A10104
Mishra W, Wang Y. Modeling the thermodynamic evolution of coronal mass ejections using their kinematics. Astrophys J, 2018, 865: 50
Wang Y, Cao H, Chen J, et al. Solar limb prominence catcher and tracker (SLIPCAT): An automated system and its preliminary statistical results. Astrophys J, 2010, 717: 973–986
Gosling J T. Magnetic reconnection in the solar wind. Space Sci Rev, 2012, 172: 187–200
Shen F, Shen C, Wang Y, et al. Could the collision of CMEs in the heliosphere be super-elastic? Validation through three-dimensional simulations. Geophys Res Lett, 2013, 40: 1457–1461
Reiner M J, Stone R G. A new method for reconstructing Type-III trajectories. Sol Phys, 1986, 106: 397–401
Krupar V, Maksimovic M, Santolik O, et al. Statistical survey of type III radio bursts at long wavelengths observed by the solar terrestrial relations observatory (STEREO)/waves instruments: Goniopolarimetric properties and radio source locations. Sol Phys, 2014, 289: 4633–4652
Magdalenić J, Marqué C, Krupar V, et al. Tracking the CME-driven shock wave on 2012 March 5 and radio triangulation of associated radio emission. Astrophys J, 2014, 791: 115
Zhang P, Wang C, Ye L, et al. Forward modeling of the type III radio burst exciter. Sol Phys, 2019, 294: 62
Cecconi B, Bonnin X, Hoang S, et al. STEREO/waves goniopolarimetry. Space Sci Rev, 2008, 136: 549–563
Leamon R J, Smith CW, Ness N F, et al. Observational constraints on the dynamics of the interplanetary magnetic field dissipation range. J Geophys Res, 1998, 103: 4775–4788
Hu R X, Shan X, Yuan G Y, et al. A low-energy ion spectrometer with half-space entrance for three-axis stabilized spacecraft. Sci China Tech Sci, 2019, 62: 1015–1027
Malandraki O E, Lario D, Lanzerotti L J, et al. October/November 2003 interplanetary coronal mass ejections: ACE/EPAM solar energetic particle observations. J Geophys Res, 2005, 110: A09S06
Wu W, Chen M, Zhang Z, et al. Overview of deep space laser communication. Sci China Inf Sci, 2018, 61: 040301
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This work was supported by the Strategic Priority Program of CAS (Grant Nos. XDB41000000 and XDA15017300), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant No. 41842037). WANG YuMing, SHEN ChengLong, GUO JingNan, ZHANG QuanHao, LIU Kai, LI XiaoLei, LIU Rui and WANG Shui are also supported by the CAS Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences (Grant No. QYZDB-SSW-DQC015), and the NSFC (Grant Nos. 41774178, 41761134088, 41750110481 and 11925302), JI HaiSheng by the NSFC (Grant No. 11790302), and Xia LiDong and Huang ZhengHua by the NSFC (Grant No. 41627806). We thank Dr. J. Zhao from Stanford University for reading the manuscript and providing suggestions.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, Y., Ji, H., Wang, Y. et al. Concept of the solar ring mission: An overview. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 63, 1699–1713 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-020-1603-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-020-1603-2