FASR Science Use Cases

The initial science drivers and reference design parameters for FASR were established through community white papers and technical studies. The topics of the white papers are grouped into four general themes, organized as the Science Working Groups (SWGs). The current development phase builds on this foundation, expanding and refining the scientific vision with direct input from the heliophysics community. We invite the community to submit Science Use Cases as FASR progresses through the Conceptual Design Phase. If you are interested in submitting a new Science Use Case for consideration, please fill out the FASR Science Use Case Submission Form. Community input will directly inform decisions about:

Observing modes
Frequency coverage and resolution
Calibration and data processing requirements
Standard and high-level data products
Long-term science priorities

Science Use Case Submission Form and Templates

We use the Science Use Case Submission Form to gather community input. The questionnaire has two sections. The first section contains key input on the science goal and basic information on the target. The second section can be used to enter more details on technical requirements. You are welcome to skip any question if you do not feel you have the information on hand. We encourage all contributions across the full spectrum of heliophysics, from foundational plasma physics to operational space weather forecasting. Contributors are not expected to develop all technical details independently. The FASR team and Science Working Groups can assist, particularly in translating science goals into observational and instrumental requirements.

To preview what questions are on the form, here are

A printout of the full Google Forms questionnaire
An example of a filled out Science Use Case form with basic input: Study of Electron Acceleration with High Time Resolution
An example of a full Science Use Case writeup based on completed form with full technical input: Investigation of compact transient structures in the low corona

After receiving the community input, the FASR team and Science Working Groups (see the section below) will sort through the submissions, and work with the authors to further develop and refine the technical requirements. The results will be used to form the final collection of FASR science use cases and published on our website. Template of the full science use case is available in Docx format and Overleaf.

For full consideration, please submit your Science Use Case using the following link by April 30, 2026:

Submitting your Science Use Case here

FASR Science Working Groups (SWGs)

Science use cases are being developed and evaluated within four current Science Working Groups, spanning the major areas of solar radio physics.

SWG1: Magnetic Reconnection & Particle Acceleration
Probing the physics of energy release, particle acceleration, and the formation of flare-accelerated populations during solar flares and eruptive events.

SWG2: Coronal Magnetography
Mapping coronal magnetic fields using advanced radio diagnostics to understand field topology, dynamics, and their role in structuring the solar atmosphere.

SWG3: Coronal Heating & Solar Wind Acceleration
Investigating the conversion of magnetic energy into thermal and kinetic energy, including mechanisms that heat the corona and drive the solar wind.

SWG4: Drivers of Space Weather
Characterizing solar activity that perturbs the heliosphere and affects the geospace environment, improving our ability to forecast space-weather conditions.

Science Use Cases for topics outside these areas are also welcome.

Reference Specifications

The working reference design below is evolving with community input—new science use cases help refine these targets and trade-offs.

Specification	Value
Angular resolution	20″/ν_GHz (≈1″ @ 20 GHz)
Dynamic range	> 1000:1
Frequency range	200 MHz–20 GHz (possibly 30 GHz)
Data channels	2 (dual polarization)
Instantaneous Bandwidth	A: 20-30 GHz; B: 2-3 GHz
Frequency resolution	Instrumental: 125 kHz; Science: min(1%, 5 MHz)
Time resolution	Standard: 1 s (full sweep); Bursty: 20 ms (full sweep); Special: <1 ms (single band)
Polarization	Full Stokes (IQUV)
Antennas deployed	A (1–20 or 2-30 GHz): ~100-120; B (0.2–2 or 0.3-3 GHz): 60-100
Antenna sizes	A (1–20 or 1.5-30 GHz): 2 m; B (0.2–2 or 0.3-3 GHz): 6 m
Array size	4 × 5 km
Absolute position error	1 arcsec
Absolute flux calibration	Better than 10%