Remote sensing of solar magnetic fields

New techniques for remote sensing of solar magnetic fields now provide meas ures of the magnetic field vector within the solar atmosphere with high ang ular resolution and high precision. These measurements have enabled a much improved physical understanding of magnetic processes and phenomena in the solar atmosphere, processes that drive the variability of the Sun's radiati ve and particulate output. The new techniques are reviewed here in the cont ext of the scientific advances they have fostered. Emphasis is given to tec hniques for inferring the field vector. The quantitative nature of the info rmation needed to explore the solar phenomena sharply constrains the needed precision and angular resolution of the observations. These requirements a re reviewed here, along with an assessment of how future improvements in ob serving capabilities will address these requirements. One may also attribut e much of the recent advance in our understanding of solar magnetic fields to ongoing progress in techniques for analysis of the polarization measurem ents that underlie solar magnetometry. The status and prospects of analysis techniques are also reviewed.