This research is an important step to modeling contributions to the solar irradiance and full-Sun indices often used as substitutes for direct solar irradiance measurements. The PI will address three major aspects of magnetic fields' variability and their relation to emission sources on the Sun as solar activity moves from low to high levels with the rise of cycle 23. First, she will investigate how redistribution of magnetic flux and the changing connections between magnetic structures resulting from the emergence and evolution of active regions relate to identifiable variations in spectral irradiance. Second, she'll question the effect of coronal holes in modulating the UV and EUV irradiance, potentially a significant player in the radiative output at shorter wavelengths. Finally, she hopes to more fully understand the mapping functions between spectral intensity and magnetic flux density for different magnetic structures, particularly in the differences between plage and the network. This will then relate magnetic field intensities to measurable parameters of the magnetic field structure and its evolution, and thus, effect on, irradiances.
