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Hagyard, M. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Hagyard, M. J..

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Measurement and interpretation of magnetic shear in solar active regions

In this paper a summary and synthesis are presented for results on the role of magnetic shear in the flare process that have been derived from the series of Flare Buildup Study Workshops in the Solar Maximum Analysis program. With emphasis on observations, the mechanisms that seem to produce the sheared magnetic configurations observed in flaring active regions are discussed. The spatial and temporal correlations of this shear with the onset of solar flares are determined from quantitative analyses of measurements of the vector magnetic field. The question of why some areas of sheared magnetic fields are the sites of flares and others are not is investigated observationally.

Hagyard, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Characteristics, location and origin of flare activity in a complex active region

The observational characteristics of series of multiple-loop flares from a complex active region are summarized. The location of the highest observed photospheric magnetic shear is found to be the commonly observed site of flare onset, but not, in many cases, the magnetic region where the largest time-integrated energy release is observed. The observations thus reveal a consistent pattern of energy-release processes related to the magnetic-field topology.

Machado, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Measurements of Solar Vector Magnetic Fields

Various aspects of the measurement of solar magnetic fields are presented. The four major subdivisions of the study are: (1) theoretical understanding of solar vector magnetic fields; (3) techniques for interpretation of observational data; and (4) techniques for data display.

Hagyard, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

On the numerical computation of nonlinear force-free magnetic fields

An algorithm has been developed to extrapolate nonlinear force-free magnetic fields from a source surface, given the proper boundary conditions. The results of this work; describing the mathematical formalism that was developed, the numerical techniques employed, and the stability criteria developed for these numerical schemes are presented. An analytical solution is used for a test case; the results show that the computational accuracy for the case of a nonlinear force-free magnetic field was on the order of a few percent ( 5%).

Wu, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Inferred flows of electric currents in solar active regions

Techniques to identify sources of major current systems in active regions and their channels of flow are explored. Measured photospheric vector magnetic fields together with high resolution white light and H-alpha photographs provide the data base to derive the current systems in the photosphere and chromosphere of a solar active region. Simple mathematical constructions of active region fields and currents are used to interpret these data under the assumptions that the fields in the lower atmosphere (below 200 km) may not be force free but those in the chromosphere and higher are. The results obtained for the complex active region AR 2372 are: (1) Spots exhibiting significant spiral structure in the penumbral filaments were the source of vertical currents at the photospheric surface; (2) Magnetic neutral lines where the transverse magnetic field was strongly sheared were channels along which a strong current system flowed; (3) The inferred current systems produced a neutral sheet and oppositely-flowing currents in the area of the magnetic delta configuration that was the site of flaring.

Ding, Y. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Evidence for submergencew of magnetic flux in a growing active region

In NOAA Active Region 2372 (April 1980), 4 x 10 to the 20th power maxwell of magnetic flux concentrated within a 30" circular area disappeared overnight. Vector magnetograms show that all components of the magnetic field weakened together. If the field had weakened through diffusion or fluid flow, 80% of the original flux would still have been detected by the magnetograph within a suitably enlarged area. In fact there was at least a threefold decrease in detected flux. Evidently, magnetic field was removed from the photosphere. Since the disappearing flux was located in a region of low magnetic shear and low activity, it is unlikely that the field dissipated through reconnection. The most likely possibility is that flux submerged. Observations suggest that even in the growth phase of active regions, submergence is a strong process comparable in magnitude to emergence.

Rabin, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A case for submergence of magnetic flux in a solar active region

In NOAA Active Region 2372 (April 1980), 4 x 10 to the 20th maxwells of magnetic flux concentrated in an area 30 arcsec across disappeared overnight. Vector magnetograms show that all components of the magnetic field weakened together. If the field had weakened through diffusion or fluid flow, 90 percent of the original flux would still have been detected by the magnetograph within a suitably enlarged area. In fact there was a threefold decrease in detected flux. Evidently, magnetic field was removed from the photosphere. Since the disappearing flux was located in a region of low magnetic shear and low activity in H-alpha and Ly-alpha, it is unlikely that the field dissipated through reconnection. It is argued that the most likely possibility is that flux submerged. The observations suggest that even during the growth phase of active regions, submergence is a strong process comparable in magnitude to emergence.

Rabin, D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Studies of solar magnetic fields during the solar maximum year

Observations and studies of solar magnetic fields that were carried out during the period of the solar maximum year (SMY) January 1980 to June 1981, are reviewed with the goal of providing a summary of what was learned about solar magnetic fields during the SMY. Such subjects as the relationship between solar magnetic fields and flares, the role of magnetic fields in the sunspot phenomenon, the magnetic-canopy structure overlying the supergranular network as well as the turbulent magnetic fields within the network, the fields within the polar crown prominences, and the solar magnetic cycle are addressed.

Hagyard, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Photospheric electric current and transition region brightness within an active region

Distributions of vertical electrical current density J(z) calculated from vector measurements of the photospheric magnetic field are compared with ultraviolet spectroheliograms to investigate whether resistive heating is an important source of enhanced emission in the transition region. The photospheric magnetic fields in Active Region 2372 were measured on April 6 and 7, 1980 with the Marshall Space Flight Center vector magnetograph; ultraviolet wavelength spectroheliograms (L-alpha and N V 1239 A) were obtained with the UV Spectrometer and Polarimeter experiment aboard the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. Spatial registration of the J(z) (5 arcsec resolution) and UV (3 arcsec resolution) maps indicates that the maximum current density is cospatial with a minor but persistent UV enhancement, but there is little detected current associated with other nearby bright areas. It is concluded that, although resistive heating may be important in the transition region, the currents responsible for the heating are largely unresolved in the present measurements and have no simple correlation with the residual current measured on 5-arcsec scales.

Deloach, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A quantitative study relating observed shear in photospheric magnetic fields to repeated flaring

In this paper a quantitative evaluation of the shear in the magnetic field along the neutral line in an active region during an epoch of flare activity is presented. Shear is defined as the angular difference in the photosphere between the potential magnetic field, which fits the boundary conditions imposed by the observed line-of-sight field, and the observed magnetic field. For the active region studied, this angular difference (shear) is non-uniform along the neutral line with maxima occurring at the locations of repeated flare onsets. It is suggested that continued magnetic evolution causes the field's maximum shear to exceed a critical value of shear, resulting in a flare around the site of maximum shear. Evidently, the field at the site of the flare must relax to a state of shear somewhat below the critical value (but still far from potential), with subsequent evolution returning the field to the critical threshold. This inference is drawn because several flares occured at sites of maximum photospheric shear which were persistent in location.

Hagyard, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The new MSFC Solar vector magnetograph. Center director's discretionary fund

The unique MSFC solar vector magnetograph allows measurements of all three components of the Sun's photospheric magnetic field over a wide field-of-view with spatial resolution determined by a 2.7 x 2.7 arc second pixel size. This system underwent extensive modifications to improve its sensitivity and temporal response. The modifications included replacing an SEC vidicon detector with a solid-state CCD camera; replacing the original digital logic circuitry with an electronic controller and a computer to provide complete, programmable control over the entire operation of the magnetograph; and installing a new polarimeter which consists of a single electro-optical modulator coupled with interchangeable waveplates mounted on a rotating assembly. The system is described and results of calibrations and tests are presented. Initial observations of solar magnetic fields with the new magnetograph are presented.

Hagyard, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Modeling of energy buildup for a flare-productive region

A self-consistent MHD model of shearing magnetic loops is used to investigate magnetic energy buildup in active region AR 2372 (Boulder number), in the period of April 5-7, 1980. The magnetic field and sunspot motions in this region, derived using observational data obtained by the Marshall Space Flight Center Solar Observatory, suggest the initial boundary conditions for the model. It is found that the plasma parameters (i.e., density, temperature, and plasma flow velocity) do not change appreciably during the process of energy buildup as the magnetic loops are sheared. Thus, almost all of the added energy is stored in the magnetic field. Furthermore, it is shown that dynamical processes are not important during a slow buildup (i.e., for a shearing velocity less than 1 km/s). Finally, it is concluded that the amount of magnetic energy stored and the location of this stored magnetic energy depend on the initial magnetic field (whether potential or sheared) and the magnitude of the shearing motion.

Wu, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The role of magnetic field shear in solar flares

Observational results and their physical implications on magnetic field shear in relation to flares are presented. The observed character of magnetic shear and its involvement in the buildup and release of flare energy are reviewed. It is pointed out that the magnetic field in active regions can become sheared by several processes, including shear flow in the photosphere, flux emergence, magnetic reconnection, and flux submergence. Modeling studies of the buildup of stored magnetic energy by shearing are reported which show ample energy storage for flares. Observational evidence is presented that flares are triggered when the field shear reaches a critical degree, in qualitative agreement with some theoretical analyses of sheared force-free fields. Finally, a scenario is outlined for the class of flares resulting from large-scale magnetic shear; the overall instability driving the energy release results from positive feedback between reconnection and eruption of the sheared field.

Hagyard, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Interpretation of vector magnetograph data including magneto-optic effects. I - Azimuth angle of the transverse field

In this paper, the presence of Faraday rotation in measurements of the orientation of a sunspot's transverse magnetic field is investigated. Using observations obtained with the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) vector magnetograph, the derived vector magnetic field of a simple, symmetric sunspot is used to calculate the degree of Faraday rotation in the azimuth of the transverse field as a function of wavelength from analytical expressions for the Stokes parameters. These results are then compared with the observed rotation of the field's azimuth which is derived from observations at different wavelengths within the Fe I 5250 A spectral line. From these comparisons, it is found: the observed rotation of the azimuth is simulated to a reasonable degree by the theoretical formulations if the line-formation parameter is varied over the sunspot; these variations are substantiated by the line-intensity data; for the MSFC system, Faraday rotation can be neglected for field strengths less than 1800 G and field inclinations greater than 45 deg; to minimize the effects of Faraday rotation in sunspot umbrae, MSFC magnetograph measurements must be made in the far wings of the Zeeman-sensitive spectral line.

West, E. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Vertical gradients of sunspot magnetic fields

The results of a Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) guest investigation to determine the vertical gradients of sunspot magnetic fields for the first time from coordinated observations of photospheric and transition-region fields are described. Descriptions are given of both the photospheric vector field of a sunspot, derived from observations using the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center vector magnetograph, and of the line-of-sight component in the transition region, obtained from the SMM Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter instrument. On the basis of these data, vertical gradients of the line-of-sight magnetic field component are calculated using three methods. It is found that the vertical gradient of Bz is lower than values from previous studies and that the transition-region field occurs at a height of approximately 4000-6000 km above the photosphere.

Hagyard, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Observations of the longitudinal magnetic field in the transition region and photosphere of a sunspot

The Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter on the Solar Maximum Mission spacraft has observed for the first time the longitudinal component of the magnetic field by means of the Zeeman effect in the transition region above a sunspot. The data presented here were obtained on three days in one sunspot, have spatial resolutions of 10 arcsec and 3 arcsec, and yield maximum field strengths greater than 1000 G above the umbrae in the spot. The method of analysis, including a line-width calibration feature used during some of the observations, is described in some detail in an appendix; the line width is required for the determination of the longitudinal magnetic field from the observed circular polarization. The transition region data for one day are compared with photospheric magnetograms from the Marshall Space Flight Center. Vertical gradients of the magnetic field are compared from the two sets of data; the maximum gradients of 0.41 to 0.62 G/km occur above the umbra and agree with or are smaller than values observed previously in the photosphere and low chromosphere.

Henze, W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Vector magnetic field evolution, energy storage, and associated photospheric velocity shear within a flare-productive active region

Sheared photospheric velocity fields inferred from spot motions for April 5-7, 1980, are compared with both transverse magnetic field orientation changes and with the region's flare history. Rapid spot motions and high inferred velocity shear coincide with increased field alignment along the longitudinal neutral line and with increased flare activity, while a later decrease in velocity shear precedes a more relaxed magnetic configuration and decrease in flare activity. It is estimated that magnetic reconfiguration produced by the relative velocities of the spots could cause storage of about 10 to the 32nd erg/day, while flares occurring during this time expended no more than about 10 to the 31st erg/day.

Krall, K. R.↗