Design and development of the advanced technology solar telescope

High-resolution studies of the Sun's magnetic fields are needed for a better. understanding of solar magnetic fields and the fundamental processes responsible for solar variability. The generation of magnetic fields through dynamo processes, the amplification of fields through the interaction with plasma flows, and the destruction of fields are still poorly understood. There is still incomplete insight as to what physical mechanisms are responsible for heating the corona, what causes variations in the radiative output of the Sun, and what mechanisms trigger flares and coronal mass ejections. Progress in answering these critical questions requires study of the interaction of the magnetic field and convection with a resolution sufficient to observe scales fundamental to these processes. The 4-m aperture Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) will be a unique scientific tool, with excellent angular resolution, a large wavelength range, and low scattered light. With its integrated adaptive optics, ATST will achieve a spatial resolution nearly 10 times better than any existing solar telescope. Building a large aperture telescope for viewing the sun presents many challenges, some of the more difficult being: Heat control and rejection Contamination and scattered light control Control of telescope and instrument polarization Site selection This talk will present a short summary of the scientific questions driving ATST design, the design challenges faced by ATST, and the current status of the developing design and siting considerations.