Abstract

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has undertaken a 3-year initiative to develop the Community Spectro-polarimetric Analysis Center (CSAC). The goal of this effort is to provide the community with standardized tools for extracting the solar magnetic field vector and related atmos... Show moreThe National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has undertaken a 3-year initiative to develop the Community Spectro-polarimetric Analysis Center (CSAC). The goal of this effort is to provide the community with standardized tools for extracting the solar magnetic field vector and related atmospheric parameters from spectro-polarimetric observations. The emphasis will be to develop portable, effcient, and well-documented procedures for analysis of data from the many new and upcoming observational facilities, both ground- and space-based. The initial focus of CSAC will be the development of robust methods for inversion of Stokes spectral data, starting with a standard Milne-Eddington inversion that has been the workhorse for analysis of data from e.g. the Advanced Stokes Polarimeter. Upon completion of that code, the program will move to more sophisticated methods that embrace more realistic and detailed models of the solar atmosphere. Very fast methods for inversion (neural networks or pattern recognition techniques, for example) are also candidates. Finally, the CSAC is intended to eventually provide standardized methods for resolution of the 180-degree field azimuth ambiguity, and for visualization of the resulting magnetic field vector maps. CSAC is formulated as a community effort, and as such will receive guidance and input from the community. Show less