The RPW Science

The Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) experiment is of prime importance for the Solar Orbiter mission since it will make key measurements in support of the first three, out of four, top-level scientific questions which drive this mission:

• How and where do the solar wind plasma and magnetic field originate in the corona?

• How do solar transient drive heliospheric variability?

• How do solar eruptions produce energetic particle radiation that fills the heliosphere?

• How does the solar dynamo work and drive connection between the Sun and the heliosphere?

These science question are directly related to more general questions of relevance to astrophysics in general.