The Community Spectro-Polarimetric Analysis Center
Bruce Lites, Roberto Casini, Jose Garcia, Hector Socas-Navarro
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has undertaken
a new 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, efficient, 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.
Correspondence
Bruce Lites (lites@hao.ucar.edu), HAO/NCAR
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