In this review, we introduce our recent applications of deep learning to solar and space weather data. We have successfully applied novel deep learning methods to the following applications: (1) generation of solar farside/backside magnetograms and global field extrapolation based on them, (2) generation of solar UV/EUV images from other UV/EUV images and magnetograms, (3) denoising solar magnetograms using supervised learning, (4) generation of UV/EUV images and magnetograms from Galileo sunspot drawings, (5) improvement of global IRI TEC maps using IGS TEC ones, (6) one-day forecasting of global TEC maps through image translation, (7) generation of high-resolution magnetograms from Ca II K images, (8) super-resolution of solar magnetograms, (9) flare classification by CNN and visual explanation by attribution methods, and (10) forecasting GOES solar X-ray profiles. We present major results and discuss them. We also present future plans for integrated space weather models based on deep learning.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) has started operations at the summit of Haleakalā (Hawai’i). DKIST joins the nominal science phases of the NASA and ESA Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter encounter missions. By combining in-situ measurements of the near-Sun plasma environment and detailed remote observations of multiple layers of the Sun, the three observatories form an unprecedented multi-messenger constellation to study the magnetic connectivity in the solar system. This work outlines the synergistic science that this multi-messenger suite enables.

The Aditya-L1 is the first space-based solar observatory of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The spacecraft will carry seven payloads providing uninterrupted observations of the Sun from the first Lagrangian point. Aditya-L1 comprises four remote sensing instruments, viz. a coronagraph observing in visible and infrared, a full disk imager in Near Ultra-Violet (NUV), and two full-sun integrated spectrometers in soft X-ray and hard X-ray. In addition, there are three instruments for in-situ measurements, including a magnetometer, to study the magnetic field variations during energetic events. Aditya-L1 is truly a mission for multi-messenger solar astronomy from space that will provide comprehensive observations of the Sun across the electromagnetic spectrum and in-situ measurements in a broad range of energy, including magnetic field measurements at L1.

We use a continuous wavelet transform to analyse the daily hemispheric sunspot area data from the Greenwich Royal Observatory during cycles 12–24 and then study the cause of the appearance or disappearance of the Rieger-type periodicity in the northern and southern hemispheres during a certain cycle. The Rieger-type periodicity in the northern and southern hemispheres should be developed independently in the two hemispheres. This periodicity in the northern hemisphere is generally anti-correlated with the long-term variations in the mean solar cycle strength of hemispheric activity, but the correlation of the two parameters in the southern hemisphere shows a weak correlation. The appearance or disappearance of Rieger-type periodicity in the northern and southern hemispheres during a certain solar cycle is not directly correlated with their corresponding hemispheric mean activity strength but should be related to the strength of the hemispheric activity during sunspot maximum times, which hints the Rieger-type periodicity is more related to temporal evolution of toroidal magnetic field. The Rieger-type periodicity in the two hemispheres disappears in those solar cycles with relatively weak hemispheric activity during sunspot maximum times. The reason for the disappearance of this periodicity may be due to the combined influence of relatively weak toroidal magnetic fields and torsional oscillations, the differential rotation parameters vary through the solar cycle and may not remain more or less unchanged during some time, which does not permit the strong growth of magnetic Rossby waves.

The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) is an open access telescope dedicated to studying the low-frequency (80–300 MHz) southern sky. Since beginning operations in mid-2013, the MWA has opened a new observational window in the southern hemisphere enabling many science areas. The driving science objectives of the original design were to observe 21 cm radiation from the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR), explore the radio time domain, perform Galactic and extragalactic surveys, and monitor solar, heliospheric, and ionospheric phenomena. All together $60+$ programs recorded 20 000 h producing 146 papers to date. In 2016, the telescope underwent a major upgrade resulting in alternating compact and extended configurations. Other upgrades, including digital back-ends and a rapid-response triggering system, have been developed since the original array was commissioned. In this paper, we review the major results from the prior operation of the MWA and then discuss the new science paths enabled by the improved capabilities. We group these science opportunities by the four original science themes but also include ideas for directions outside these categories.

The possibility that the Sun's radius is changing, even at a faint level, has been discussed over a long time. As the solar radius is certainly one of the most important basic pieces of astrophysical information, it is crucial to determine the physical mechanisms that may cause shrinking or expansion of the solar envelope. The wavelength dependence has been poorly inspected up to now. Here we examine recent solar radius determinations from space observations, mainly from Mercury and Venus transits, made by different teams in 2006, 2012 and 2014. Seemingly, the results are not consistent: authors interpreted the discrepancies because of the different methods of analysis used in their work. However, looking at the wavelength dependence, adding other available observations, from X-EUV up to radio, a typical relationship between the radius and the wavelength can be found, reflecting the different heights at which the lines are formed. Possible explanations are discussed. Such results can be interesting for studying solar-stellar connections.

Started its regular, daily operational phase in 2011, by the occasion of the Symp264 in the XXVII IAU GA at Rio de Janeiro, the results so far obtained show that the Heliometer of the Observatorio Nacional fulfilled its planed performance of single measurement to the level of few tens of milli-arcsecond, freely pivoting around the heliolatitudes without systematic deviations or error enhancement. We present and discuss the astrometric additions required on ground based astronomic programs. We also discuss instrumental and observations terms, namely the constancy of the basic heliometric angle, against which the measurements are made, and the independence to meteorological and pointing conditions.

In 1811, François Arago observed the disk of the Sun with his “lunette polariscopique”. From the absence of detectable polarization compared with his laboratory observations of glowing solids, liquids, and flames he concluded that the Sun's visible surface is an incandescent gas. From this beginning, thanks to orders of magnitude technology improvements, a remarkable amount of what we know about the physics of the Sun has continued to flow from solar polarimetry. This short review compares some selected polarimetric discoveries with subsequent recent observations to illustrate the tremendous progress of solar polarimetry during the last two centuries.

The workshop programme of a new first year university astronomy subject with low capital costs incorporates diverse learning experiences: planisphere, time around the world, sundial, telescope, computer simulation, planetarium, spectroscope, poster, debate, night-time observatory trip. The practical activities, used to address specific learning objectives, emerged clearly as a major strength of the subject as evaluated by the mixed student cohort.

As an introduction to the theme of this symposium, I give a simple review of the photospheric magnetic field, the properties of the solar cycle, the way in which the magnetic field is thought to be generated by dynamo action, and finally the unusual properties of the recent solar minimum. This has awakened an interest in improving predictions of the solar cycle and in the nature of solar minima not just as gaps between maxima but as phenomena of intrinsic interest in their own right.

It is analytically shown that passages of comets near the Sun's surface with velocities more than 600 km/s is accompanied by aerodynamic crushing of their nuclei within the solar chromosphere and transversal expansion of the crushed matter. The deceleration of the flattened hypervelocity body within the solar photosphere has sharply impulsive and strongly explosive character. The specific energy release in the explosion zone near the solar surface 10-100 thousand times exceeds the evaporation heat of the nucleus material, so that the process is accompanied by generation of high-temperature plasma and non-stationary explosive phenomena around the photosphere. Spectral observations of these phenomena by SOHO and SDO type space observatories with high spatial and temporal resolutions are of interest for the plasma astrophysics as well as the physics of solar flares.

We will present the relevant activities performed during the International Heliophysical Year (IHY) program during the 5 year period 2004 - 2008. The IHY was a major international effort that involved the deployment of new instrumentation, new observations from the ground and in space, and a strong education component. Under the United Nations Office for Outer Space program called Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI), instrument arrays have been deployed to provide global measurements of heliophysical phenomena. As a result, significant scientific and educational collaborations emerged between the organizing groups and the host country teams. In view of the great successes achieved by the IHY during these years, we propose to continue the highly successful collaboration with the UN program to study the universal processes in the solar system that affect the interplanetary and terrestrial environments, and to continue to coordinate the deployment and operation of new and existing instrumentation arrays aimed at understanding the impacts of Space Weather on Earth and the near-Earth environment. To this end, we propose a new program, the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI). The ISWI strongly complements the International Living With a Star (ILWS) program, providing more attention nationally, regionally, and internationally for the ILWS program. Based on a three-year program activity, the ISWI would provide the opportunity for scientists around the world to participate in this exciting quest to understand the effect of space disturbances on our Earth environment.

We have recently found signals of candidates for two historical supernovae and past solar cycles in a depth profile of nitrate ion concentrations in an ice core portion corresponding to the 10th and the 11th centuries. This ice core was drilled in 2001 at Dome Fuji (Dome F) station in Antarctica. We briefly review our findings and discuss why Dome F is appropriate for this study.

Early attempts to find how solar activity can influence the Earth's climate involved comparison of many physical processes, such as dynamo mechanism, magnetic reconnection and eruptive activity, irradiance, open flux and particles variations, global atmospheric chemistry and dynamics.. . . However, such direct links seem to be weak even if the solar effects has been found to be stronger during extended maxima or minima of solar activity. Thus, temporal scales ranging from days to thousand of years must be investigated. A description of the most recent results on solar variability and its possible influence on the Earth's climate and atmosphere will be here addressed, with a particular emphasize on modulations of about 120 years (and harmonics). The extrapolation indicates a significant negative decrease of the solar signal, and consequently a decrease of the global Earth's temperature in the forthcoming years. Such a modulation is also testifying by other means, such as spectral observations of temperature sensitive lines indicating a decline of solar activity around 2015 (up to a new prolonged minimum). Prediction of global effects from the Sun's influence over the climate is thus planted in a new way.

Long-term trends in the solar spectral irradiance are important to determine the impact on Earth's climate. These long-term changes are thought to be caused mainly by changes in the surface area covered by small-scale magnetic elements. The direct measurement of the contrast to determine the impact of these small-scale magnetic elements is, however, limited to a few wavelengths, and is, even for space instruments, affected by scattered light and instrument defocus. In this work we calculate emergent intensities from 3-D simulations of solar magneto-convection and validate the outcome by comparing with observations from Hinode/SOT. In this manner we aim to construct the contrast at wavelengths ranging from the NUV to the FIR.

The structure of the Universe is determined primarily by the interplay of gravity which is dominant in condensed objects, and the magnetic force which is dominant in the rarefied medium between condensed objects. Each of these forces orders the matter into a set of characteristic structures each with the ability to store and release energy in response to changes in the external environment. For the most part, the storage and release of energy proceeds through a number of Universal Processes. The coordinated study of these processes in different settings provides a deeper understanding of the underlying physics governing Universal Processes in astrophysics.

Dynamical processes are progressively introduced in stellar evolution. In this framework, the Sun is a very specific case where both models and observations have been developed in parallel during the last decade in order to progress on our present insight of solar like stars. In this poster I show the recent progress done on both sides for the rotation of the radiative zone. The present knowledge of the solar rotation profile comes from the detection of acoustic and gravity modes with the instruments GOLF and MDI aboard SoHO. In parallel we study the sensitivity of the theoretical rotation profiles obtained with the CESAM code using different rotation history in the premainsequence.

The European Grid of Solar Observations (EGSO) is a Solar virtual observatory (see Hill et al., 2002). It has been funded through the 5th Framework Program of the European Community. A dozen of laboratories, mixing Solar Physics and Information Technology, in Great Britain, France, Italy and Swiss have been involved in this project during 3 years. A grid accessing several dozens of databases and archives scattered all around the world has been developped as well as a Solar Event Catalogue and a Solar Feature Catalogue. The original aspect of this work consists in the possibility not only to search through the characteristics of observations, but also search for available data corresponding to specific kinds of events. So it is now very important to be able to follow the Sun 24 hours a day in order to enrich the events database for future queries. More informations on EGSO, catalogues and user interface can be accessd through the web site: http://www.egso.org/

Theoretical estimates of nucleosynthesis yields are widely used to infer the meaning of abundance trends, and to predict behavior of abundances in the first stars. We show that the standard prescriptions are incomplete, and illustrate some simple improvements. We consider the effects of internal gravity waves (induced in radiative regions by convective zones) on the evolution of slowly rotating (nonrotating) stars. We demonstrate that such modifications to the standard evolutionary algorithms give better agreement with observation. They imply new phenomena: interations between carbon and oxygen burning shells, detached flames in convective layers, and intermittency, for example. We argue that such hydrodynamic behavior must be part of realistic stellar evolution. Some preliminary results for the Sun and Sirius are discussed.

Ground based radio imaging observations play an useful role in the study of mass ejections from the solar corona since they do not have the limitation of an occulter and both the disk/limb events can be detected early in their development, particularly via the thermal bremmstrahlung emission from the frontal loop of the CME. I present here some of the recent results on the above topic using data obtained with the Gauribidanur radioheliograph, near Bangalore in India.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html