Research
Project description
SOLSTEL connects solar physics, solar-terrestrial physics, heliospheric physics, space weather & climate, geophysics, and stellar physics. In particular, several specific topics are addressed: solar activity and eruptive phenomena in the solar atmosphere, solar-activity impact on the Earth, stellar eruptive activity, radiation processes in solar and stellar atmospheres, exoplanets and substellar companions.
Some aspects of the research, particularly photometric monitoring of variable stars and solar-activity related observations, represent a continuation of the fruitful 40-year research activity of Hvar Observatory (established in 1972). In this respect it is also important to note that the proposed programme is to a certain degree a continuation of the research efforts in the frame of national projects "Eruptive Processes in the Solar Atmosphere" (2007-2012) and "Physical Processes in Solar and Stellar atmospheres" (2007-2010), as well as the EU-FP7 projects SOTERIA (2008-2011) and COMESEP (2011-2014), and are complementary to the ongoing EU-FP7 projects eHEROES (2012-2015) and SOLARNET (2013-2017), and the COST action ES1005 (TOSCA, 2011-2015).
Work Packages and Tasks
WP1: Solar activity and its influence on the heliosphere and geospace
T1.1. Eruptive processes in the solar atmosphere and variability of the solar wind
T1.2. Geoeffectiveness of solar activity and space weather
T1.3. Long-term changes of solar activity and solar rotation
WP2: Influence of solar variability on Earth's climate
T2.1. Data compiling and development of statistical methods for the data analysis
T2.2. Data analysis and interpretation
T2.3. Analysis of long-term ground-based climatologic measurements
WP3: Eruptive activity of late-type and sun-like stars
T3.1. Preparations of observing capacities
T3.2. Observations, data analysis and interpretation
WP4: Radiative processes in solar and stellar atmospheres
T4.1. Spectroscopic and photometric properties of variable stars
T4.2. Circumstellar and accretion-disc matter
T4.3. Investigation of the solar He I 1083 nm spectral line
T4.4. Analysis of solar plasma with ALMA
WP5: Search for exoplanets and/or sub-stellar companions
WP6: Dissemination, teaching and public outreach