More on Srijan's Research

Solar variability and its impact on near-Earth space weather are rooted in the interior dynamics of the Sun. Helioseismology uses solar oscillations, observed by satellite or ground-based instruments, to discover its internal material properties, rotation, convection, and magnetism. Solar variations on the scale of days to decades depend critically on the internal magnetic field. Yet, due to the absence of formal methods for imaging magnetic fields, past studies suffered formidable challenges. Srijan’s work derived sensitivity kernels for solar magnetic field imaging which, for the first time, exactly link surface observations to inference of the solar internal magnetic field. His work also showed that a precise understanding of rotational effects is indispensable to modeling the magnetic field from helioseismic measurements. His second and third papers were devoted to accurately measuring solar internal rotation and carrying out precise inversions for near-surface rotation rates. For the concluding chapters of his dissertation, Srijan plans to introduce mode splitting functions to helioseismology. This approach has been a stalwart in terrestrial seismology, e.g., for mapping wave speed anisotropy in Earth’s inner core. Combining splitting functions with magnetic sensitivity kernels and accurately measured internal rotation rates will open up new avenues in the scientific study of solar internal magnetism.

Srijan will use the Dahlen Memorial Fund award to conduct research at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, India, collaborating with Professor Shravan Hanasoge, formerly an Associate Research Scholar at Princeton.