Geophysical science to ride on shuttle

Abstract

The space shuttle orbiter Columbia in its third voyage is the first of a long‐planned series to carry a broad variety of geophysical experiments. As the space shuttle program continues to feel its way through elaborate tests in space to determine everything from contamination to thermal effects, ‘science’ experiments are being conducted by sophisticated instrument packages within the spacecraft's cargo bay. The two major experiments are the solar flare X ray polarimeter and the solar ultraviolet spectral irradiance monitor.The solar flare X ray polarimeter's purpose is to measure X rays emitted during solar flare activities on the sun. more definitive determination of what takes place during these solar eruptions could provide a major advance in understanding the physical processes that generate solar flares. Already, researchers have determined, through observations of gamma rays, radio emissions, and other manifestations of energetic particles, that particles are accelerated, sometimes in two or more stages, in such an event. Nevertheless, two fundamental questions remain: what is the nature of the mechanism by which these particles are energized, and how do they produce the observed emissions?