Spectroscopic Imaging of the Sun with MeerKAT: Opening a New Frontier in Solar Physics

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad0b7f
• Publication Date: 2024-01-17T09:33:46Z
• Authors: Devojyoti Kansabanik; Surajit Mondal; Divya Oberoi; James O. Chibueze; N. E. Engelbrecht; R. D. Strauss; E. P. Kontar; G. J. J. Botha; P. J. Steyn; Amoré E. Nel
• Keywords: Solar telescope; Optical telescope; Corona (planetary geology); Snapshot (computer storage)

Abstract Solar radio emissions provide several unique diagnostics to estimate different physical parameters of the solar corona, which are otherwise simply inaccessible. However, imaging highly dynamic coronal spanning a large range angular scales at wavelengths is extremely challenging. At gigahertz frequencies, MeerKAT telescope possibly globally best-suited instrument present for providing high-fidelity spectroscopic snapshot images. Here, we first published images Sun made using observations with in 880–1670 MHz band. This work demonstrates high fidelity through comparison simulated frequencies. The observed show good morphological similarities Our analysis shows that below ∼900 can recover essentially entire flux density from angular-scale disk. Not surprisingly, higher missing be as ∼50%. it potentially estimated and corrected for. We believe once observation commissioned, will enable host novel studies, open door unexplored phase space significant discovery potential, also pave way science upcoming Square Kilometre Array-Mid telescope, precursor.