Deciphering the Birth Region, Formation, and Evolution of Ambient and Transient Solar Wind Using Heavy Ion Observations

This white paper outlines the key scientific topics to address in the upcoming decade using observations of heavy ion composition.• The Sun's chemical composition: identifying specific mechanisms driving elemental variation in the corona • Solar wind birthplace and drivers of release: determining the relative contributions of active regions (ARs), quiet sun, and coronal hole plasma to the solar wind • Principle mechanisms driving solar wind evolution from the Sun: identifying the importance and interplay of reconnection, waves, and/or turbulence in driving the extended acceleration and heating of solar wind and transient plasmaWe recommend complementary measurements that can be traced from the Sun to the heliosphere to properly connect and study these regions.The careful determination of heavy ion and elemental composition of several particle populations, matched at the Sun and in the heliosphere, will permit for a comprehensive examination of fractionation processes, wave-particle interactions, coronal heating, and solar wind release and energization that are key to understanding how the Sun forms and controls the heliosphere.