Project description
Assessing past solar storms and solar variability
The Sun is a stable energy source essential for life, but it exhibits variability. Solar storms can release harmful particles, and historical data suggests that these storms could be much larger than those observed during the space age. By studying cosmogenic radionuclides in natural archives, we can use them as a ‘natural detector’ to assess past solar activity and improve predictions of future events. The ERC-funded PastSolarStorms project aims to enhance this natural cosmic ray detector to better evaluate past solar storms and solar variability. It will study the process from solar energetic particles to the deposition of cosmogenic radionuclides. Using advanced ice core sampling and analytical methods, it will create a unique database for these studies.
Objective
Our Sun is a remarkably stable energy source which is crucial for life on Earth. However, we know that the Sun exhibits variations on a wide range of time scales. Occasionally, violent eruptions on the Sun’s surface, so-called solar storms, release energetic particles that can damage our modern society. Nowadays the Sun is constantly monitored and a wealth of information has been obtained about its variability from ground-based and satellite observations. However, our Sun exhibits variations that exceed the range measured during the space era as evidenced from sunspot observations over the past 400 years. Similarly, as demonstrated by historical observations and indirect proxy data, the Sun can produce solar storms orders of magnitudes larger than anything observed during the space era. Presently, we do not know the recurrence rate of large solar storms and how these are linked to solar activity. Mapping out the linkages may help to understand underlying processes and to predict the risks for future events.
To achieve this we can take advantage of the “natural detector” of past solar activity – cosmogenic radionuclides in highly resolved and well-dated natural archives. I am proposing to develop this natural cosmic ray detector to increase its detection limit, resolution and reliability for assessing solar storms and solar variability in the past. This involves an assessment of the complete chain from solar energetic particles to cosmogenic radionuclide deposition for ground-truthing of the natural cosmic ray detector. Furthermore, novel ice core sampling and improved analytical methods will allow us to produce an unprecedented database for these studies. We will test hypotheses of the recurrence rate of solar storms and their relationship to solar activity. Our results will extend space weather research to millennial time scales and lead to a ground breaking new understanding of the temporal variability of our star.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences databases
- natural sciences chemical sciences nuclear chemistry radiation chemistry
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-ADG
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22100 Lund
Sweden
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