Noureddine E Raouafi
Johns Hopkins University, USA
Title: Parker solar probe: Results from the first encounter
Biography
Biography: Noureddine E Raouafi
Abstract
The Parker Solar Probe mission launched successfully on August 12, 2018 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. It is on its journey to unveil the mysteries of the solar corona and inner heliosphere. Parker Solar Probe is the first mission to fly into the solar corona and provide answers to questions that puzzled scientists for many decades: how the coronal plasma is heated to multi-million degrees and accelerated to hundreds of kilometers per second and how hazardous solar energetic particles are accelerated and transported near the Sun. Parker Solar Probe may also lead to discoveries of new phenomena completely unknown thus far.
The spacecraft system checks and instrument commissioning have been ongoing since the launch with great success and are nearing completion. Valuable data has been collected during this period. We are now preparing for the first solar encounter. We provide an overview on the status of the mission and science results from the first solar encounter.