Table of Contents

Yohkoh SXT: Introduction

The Yohkoh Science Nuggets

The Authors

Chronological Listing

Topical Listing

We're Fascinated

Related Links

The Yohkoh Science Nuggets

H. S. Hudson, D. E. McKenzie, and N. V. Nitta

Background

The Yohkoh science nuggets have appeared weekly on the Web since 1997, and have mainly been written by the SXT chief observer. This is a position rotating among several individuals, who take weekly turns at conducting SXT science operations tasks. The nuggets came from the obligation to summarize SXT operations at the Yohkoh weekly operations meeting; we gradually decided to extend the weekly reports to include noteworthy new observational things and to put them on the Web for convenience. These chief observers needed to look at all the new data in order to optimize the scientific results, and of course they frequently spotted new remarkable phenomena. Also they have always had the obligation to anticipate worthwhile applications of the data from SXT.

Purposes

The dual needs of "gee whiz" and solid science have motivated most of the science nuggets. From the outset the style of the nuggets really had to be such that a non-specialist, but somebody technically proficient at a certain level, could benefit from a quick glance at a few pictures and some text. Luckily, we are basically astronomers, and have a strongly visual approach to science. Here is why we do them:

For SXT science planning
To record new discoveries without the hassle of the refereeing cycle
For "public outreach," aiming at the technically literate
As first drafts of papers that might be written (by anybody)
To encourage further studies
To provide convenient input for further outreach activities, such as the Astronomy Picture of the Day
For Yohkoh team coordination

We started writing nuggets without much of a plan, so our view of the purposes has evolved a bit. One of the more interesting effects has been the continuity of reporting -- some topics recur, and the nuggets sometimes become chapters in continuing scientific sagas. Although the nuggets are written by SXT observers and by visitors to the Yohkoh data analysis center at ISAS, who mainly work on SXT data, we have always tried to maximize breadth and have included other Yohkoh and non-Yohkoh data as seemed proper.

Participants

The SXT "chief observers" are a collective, and the full list of contributors thus (including guests, visitors, and casual bystanders in some cases) now numbers 25.

This version of the nuggets

To fit the Yohkoh science nuggets into the allocation for this CD-ROM, we have had to eliminate some of the animations and replace GIF images with JPEG versions. This has not been kind to some of the nice Javascript movies in the original science nuggets; please refer to these if need be. We have also left many of the lower-level links pointing to material not on this CD-ROM, but only accessible via the Internet. We hope this does not cause readers too much of a problem. The nugget collection presented here ends on March 2, 2001. We thank Solar Physics for this opportunity and congratulate the editor and publishers of this indispensable journal on the occasion of its 200th volume.