SCIENTIFIC RATIONALE

The Sun's magnetic field is key to the diverse structures and phenomena observed in the solar atmosphere. Ranging from large-scale flux ropes in solar prominences/filaments to sub-arcsec bright points in the quiet-Sun photosphere, ascertaining the processes that are responsible for the generation, accumulation, and dispersal of the Sun's magnetic field over this broad spectrum of spatial scales is a fundamental challenge in Solar Physics. The last two decades have witnessed major advancements in ground- and space-based observational facilities, numerical simulations, and data analysis techniques, all of which serve to examine the interaction of magnetic fields, plasma flows, and radiation at fundamental spatial and temporal scales to gain critical insight on the inner workings of our closest star.

The Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO) is a leading international centre in Solar Physics and a scientific division of the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, which is an autonomous institute under the Dept. of Space, Government of India, since 1981. The Observatory was established in 1975 under the vision of the late Prof. Arvind Bhatnagar on an island in Lake Fateshsagar in the picturesque and historical city of Udaipur. Since its inception, USO has endeavoured to become a world-class observing facility to monitor our dynamic star using several telescopes and a suite of post-focus instruments. USO is also a partner in the National Solar Observatory's Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG), a flagship synoptic programme that began in 1995 and is supported by the National Science Foundation of the USA. A major accomplishment of the Observatory came in 2015 with the installation of the 50-cm Multi-Application Solar Telescope (MAST), making it India's largest, modern solar facility equipped with state-of-the-art back-end instruments and Adaptive Optics to carry out observations of the Sun with high spatial and temporal resolution. A host of diverse research topics are undertaken at the Observatory that include sub-surface dynamics, sunspot physics, atmospheric coupling, magnetic reconnection, solar eruptions, space weather, and, most importantly, instrumentation development.

This year marks the Golden Jubilee of the Udaipur Solar Observatory, along with MAST completing a decade of operations. On the eve of this historic milestone, USO is organising an international meeting on "Exploring the Sun at High-Resolution: Present Perspectives & Future Horizons" with the objective of bringing together observers, modellers, and instrument specialists to discuss our current understanding of various phenomena across the solar atmosphere, the capabilities and results from the latest ground-based telescopes and space missions, and the future of Solar Physics in the high-resolution domain.