Millimeter-Wavelength Observations of the Active Sun: Unveiling the Origins of Space Weather

TL;DR

This paper discusses how millimeter-wavelength solar observations can improve understanding and prediction of space weather by providing direct insights into the Sun's atmospheric conditions, emphasizing the potential of the AtLAST facility.

Contribution

It highlights the importance of full-disk, high-cadence, multi-frequency millimeter observations for advancing space weather forecasting and introduces AtLAST as a key facility for this purpose.

Findings

Millimeter observations provide direct access to solar atmospheric conditions.

AtLAST can deliver high-cadence, multi-frequency imaging of the Sun.

Enhanced observations will improve space weather prediction capabilities.

Abstract

Societal dependence on space-based services demands major advances in predicting the impacts of eruptive solar events. Millimeter-wavelength observations offer uniquely direct access to the time-dependent physical conditions in the atmospheric layers of the Sun where these events originate. A facility capable of full-disk, high-cadence, multi-frequency imaging would provide a transformative view of the Sun and its influence on the heliosphere. AtLAST is ideally suited to deliver this capability, and to establish a European leadership role in advancing the scientific foundations that will enable reliable, operational space-weather forecasting for the first time.