Reimagining Heliophysics: A bold new vision for the next decade and beyond

Kavli Affiliate: George Clark

| First 5 Authors: Ian J. Cohen, Dan Baker, Jacob Bortnik, Pontus Brandt, Jim Burch

| Summary:

The field of Heliophysics has a branding problem. We need an answer to the
question: “What is Heliophysics?”, the answer to which should clearly and
succinctly defines our science in a compelling way that simultaneously
introduces a sense of wonder and exploration into our science and our missions.
Unfortunately, recent over-reliance on space weather to define our field, as
opposed to simply using it as a practical and relatable example of applied
Heliophysics science, narrows the scope of what solar and space physics is and
diminishes its fundamental importance. Moving forward, our community needs to
be bold and unabashed in our definition of Heliophysics and its big questions.
We should emphasize the general and fundamental importance and excitement of
our science with a new mindset that generalizes and expands the definition of
Heliophysics to include new “frontiers” of increasing interest to the
community. Heliophysics should be unbound from its current confinement to the
Sun-Earth connection and expanded to studies of the fundamental nature of space
plasma physics across the solar system and greater cosmos. Finally, we need to
come together as a community to advance our science by envisioning,
prioritizing, and supporting — with a unified voice — a set of bold new
missions that target compelling science questions – even if they do not explore
the traditional Sun- and Earth-centric aspects of Heliophysics science. Such
new, large missions to expand the frontiers and scope of Heliophysics science
large missions can be the key to galvanizing the public and policymakers to
support the overall Heliophysics program.

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