Probing the Sun with ALMA: observations and simulations

Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) will open a new chapter in the study of the Sun by providing a leap in spatial resolution and sensitivity compared to currently available millimeter wavelength observations. In preparation of ALMA, we have carried out a large number of observational tests and state-of-the-art radiation MHD simulations. Here we review the best available observations of the Sun at millimeter wavelengths focusing on the quiet solar chromosphere and sunspots. Using state of the art radiation MHD simulations of the solar atmosphere we demonstrate the huge potential of ALMA observations for uncovering the nature of the solar chromosphere. We show that ALMA will not only provide a reliable probe of the thermal structure of the chromosphere, it will also open up a powerful new diagnostic of magnetic field at chromospheric heights, a fundamentally important, but so far poorly known parameter.