Inner Heliosphere Science

Abstract

The future HELEX mission concept by NASA/ESA to the inner heliosphere (0.22 AU < r < 0.7 AU) and the possibility of a Solar Probe mission to the Sun (9.5 Rs < r < 0.7 AU) will allow for a comprehensive exploration of the inner heliosphere with the prospect for major discoveries and resolution of long standing issues of heliospheric science. The new Solar Probe mission being considered is equatorial and will allow exploration of the streamer belt region from a closeup perspective. We'll be able to look for the suprathermal ion population some think are necessary as the seed population for SEP events, look closeup at CMEs and formation of shock inside the Alfven critical point, probe the outer boundaries of the streamer belts, reconnection within the current sheets, MHD waves and turbulence and the inner source where they are felt to form and may reveal themselves as pickup ions. All will be launched around Solar Minimum with rise in solar activity toward the end of these missions. Extended missions could then occur during Solar Maximum. I'll talk about the complement of instrumentation and mission strategies.