The Case for Comprehensive Spectroscopic Measurements of the Sun: Understanding Solar Flares and Coronal Heating

We discuss spectroscopic capabilities needed to resolve two important unresolved questions in solar physics, namely, “What heats the solar corona?” and “What causes the sudden, rapid release of energy that produces flares?” We address (1) spectral resolution; (2) sensitivity & dynamic range; (3) T coverage; (4) absolute wavelength scale; (5) areal coverage; (6) spatial resolution; (7) cadence.