Solar Forcing scientific goals

Key questions

1. How large were the past secular changes of TSI (Total Solar Irradiance) and SSI (Spectral Solar Irradiance) compared to the measured changes during an 11-y solar cycle. In particular, how much lower were TSI and SSI during the Maunder Minimum?

2. What does the exceptionally low solar minimum (2006-2009) tell us regarding past and future solar forcing?

3. Solar forcing and climate change: how does the climate system respond to solar forcing?

In order to answer these questions it is crucial to (a) assess the present state of the art in this field, to (b) challenge existing concepts and assumptions, and to (c) identify and fill knowledge gaps. This should hopefully lead to new strategies of how to address these and other open questions related to the solar-terrestrial interactions.