Characterizing Solar Spectral Irradiance Variability with Synthetic Models and Their Applicability to LWS Science Goals

Authors: Peter Fox, O.R. White; J.M. Fontenla
Affiliation: National Center for Atmospheric Research, High Altitude Observatory; LASP, University of Colorado

The Solar Dynamics Observatory, coupled with existing and planned space missions are significantly contributing to our understanding of parts of the solar spectrum. Substantial progress has also been made on the physical understanding of these measurements and their solar origins. To refine this understanding, and to make quantitative estimates of radiative variability that can be utilized in models or analyses related to the terrestrial atmosphere, requires a detailed comparison and contrast of high spectral resolution spectra with extant observations, and a characterization of the observed variability measured at a lower spectral resolution. This study also needs to be performed, self-consistently over much of the solar spectrum. In this presentation, we outline our approach of combining observed solar images with semi-empirical models and theory for calculation of a mixed line+continuum spectrum emitted from realistic representations of the observed solar disk. We present specific results in the UV and EUV spectrum and related observations.
NCAR is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. This work is partly sponsored by the NSF RISE and NASA SORCE programs.