This grant will provide funds to build and fly a balloon borne solar vector magnetograph from McMurdo, Antarctica. The instrument will have an unprecedented spatial resolution of better than 0.2 arcseconds and is expected to make continuous observations of the sun for a period of 1-3 weeks. The purpose of the investigation will be to elucidate how the fibrous magnetic fields at the solar surface emerge, coalesce, unravel and blow up in solar flares. This is important because magnetic fields must be the root cause of flares and all other solar activity, yet the mechanism for converting magnetic energy into heat and motion is not understood. The grant will be jointly supported at NSF by the Polar Aeronomy and Astrophysics Program in the Division of Polar Programs and by the Solar-Terrestrial Program in the Division of Atmospheric Sciences and at NASA by the Solar Physics Branch in the Space Physics Division. Logistical support will be provided by NSF and the balloon and launch services will be provided by NASA.
