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Kundu, M. R.

Publications and source records attributed to Kundu, M. R..

At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Observation with the VLA of a stationary loop structure on the sun at 6 centimeter wavelength

A looplike structure connecting two sunspots of opposite polarity in an active region has been observed at 6 cm with a resolution of 3.5 arcsec, using the Very Large Array. This loop structure is reminiscent of the X-ray loops, as observed, for example, from Skylab. The brightness temperature in the 'loop' is one-million K and five-million K near its foot points. Most of the bright peaks in the 'loop' are well aligned with a long neutral line. Several compact, highly circularly polarized emission peaks were observed over emerging flux regions near one of the spots. Some of these sources appear to be associated with arch filament systems. The low brightness emission in the 'loop' is attributed to optically thin thermal bremsstrahlung.

Kundu, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Synthesized map of a solar filament at 6 cm with approximately 15 arc sec resolution

Radio telescope observations have been used to provide the first synthesized map of a filament at 6 cm with angular resolution of about 15 arcsec. The 'dirty' map of the north limb of the sun is shown along with the dirty map of the residual after subtracting the three component least squares model. There is very good correspondence between the radio contours and the H alpha filament; the darkest feature of the filament has a radio temperature depression of 7500 plus or minus 1500 K, and the corresponding brightness temperature of the filament is 12500 plus or minus 1500 K. It is concluded that for this particular filament the radio size is not larger than the optical one.

Rao, A. P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

6 cm observations of a solar active region and bursts with approximately 6 arcsec resolution

The paper examines the solar active region located near N04E49, that was mapped at a 6 cm wavelength over a period of 12 hours, employing the Westerbork synthesis radio telescope. Two impulsive radio bursts were recorded during this time, one of which was associated with a chromospheric flare. One-dimensional fan beam scans of the burst sources were synthesized in order to display their time history with regard to intensity, polarization, position and size.

Erskine, F. T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Association of flaring X-ray bright points with type III bursts

Using the swept-frequency radio observations obtained at the Clark Lake Radio Observatory and the X-ray photographs taken by the S-054 experiment aboard Skylab, a search has been made for type III bursts associated with X-ray bright point (XBP) flares. Using temporal as well as spatial criteria for the association, four such events are found over a period of 43 days. The time period was selected in such a way that the level of flare and radio activity was low in order to minimize the chance coincidences. The detection of type III bursts from the flaring XBPs is of great interest, since it identifies them with the flare process, of which XBP flares are thought to be the simplest form.

Kundu, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

A model for sunspot associated emission at 6 cm wavelength

Two-dimensional maps of total intensity and circular polarization of a sunspot region at 6 cm have been calculated using a simple model for the chromosphere-corona transition region and observations of the longitudinal component of the photospheric magnetic field. The calculations are in good agreement with the high resolution observations of the same sunspot region at 6 cm, obtained with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope. It is shown that the 6 cm radiation is predominantly due to gyroresonance absorption process at the second and third harmonics of the gyrofrequency (H = 900-600 G). Estimates of the conductive flux and the electron density in the transition region above the sunspot are also given.

Alissandrakis, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Microwave, EUV, and X-ray observations of active region loops - Evidence for gyroresonance absorption in the corona

The combined data from 3.7 and 11 cm radio maps, EUV spectroheliograms, and X-ray photographs of an active region (McMath 12379) are analyzed. The near equality of the radio brightness temperatures and the electron temperature determined from the EUV and X-ray data implies that the radio emission is thermal. Since the free-free absorption is inadequate to account for this, the large optical depth must be produced by gyroresonance absorption. It is inferred that the magnetic scale height must be of the same order as the observed width of the coronal loops (one-billion cm). The scale of emission in the radio, and hence the scale of the absorbing region transverse to the line of sight, is also of this order.

Kundu, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Impulsive phase of solar flares

The present understanding of the impulsive phase of a solar flare, characterized by short-duration bursts of impulsive hard X-ray, EUV, optical and radio emission indicating the release of energetic electrons is reviewed. Observations of the spectral distribution of impulsive hard X-ray bursts and of Type III and radio continuum bursts are presented and interpreted in terms of energetic electron distributions, and impulsive EUV, XUV, soft X-ray and optical observations, which provide a lower limit to total energy release during the impulsive phase, are discussed. The role of energetic electrons in exciting the hard X-ray, EUV and microwave emissions is considered, and thin-target, thick-target, partial-precipitation and thermal models of impulsive phase electron acceleration are evaluated in light of the observations. It is noted that available data do not allow discrimination between a thermal or a nonthermal electron distribution, on which depends the proportion of flare energy supplied by the energetic electrons, and that data favors models which permit at least partial electron precipitation. Future observational and theoretical work is indicated.

Kane, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Radio physics of the sun; Proceedings of the Symposium, University of Maryland, College Park, Md., August 7-10, 1979

Papers are presented in the areas of the radio characteristics of the quiet sun and active regions, the centimeter, meter and decameter wavelength characteristics of solar bursts, space observations of low-frequency bursts, theoretical interpretations of solar active regions and bursts, joint radio, visual and X-ray observations of active regions and bursts, and the similarities of stellar radio characteristics to solar radio phenomena. Specific topics include the centimeter and millimeter wave characteristics of the quiet sun, radio fluctuations arising upon the transit of shock waves through the transition region, microwave, EUV and X-ray observations of active region loops and filaments, interferometric observations of 35-GHz radio bursts, emission mechanisms for radio bursts, the spatial structure of microwave bursts, observations of type III bursts, the statistics of type I bursts, and the numerical simulation of type III bursts. Attention is also given to the theory of type IV decimeter bursts, Voyager observations of type II and III bursts at kilometric wavelengths, radio and whitelight observations of coronal transients, and the possibility of obtaining radio observations of current sheets on the sun.

Kundu, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Decametric radio bursts associated with coronal loop structures

The association of X-ray loop structures with type III bursts is examined using soft X-ray (2-54 A) pictures which were obtained from the Skylab S-054 experiment. The properties of meter-decameter wavelength radio bursts (type III) appear to be associated with two different kinds of loop structures: (1) short lived small scale loops, which are found to link magnetic fields of opposite polarity, called X-ray bright points (XBP); and (2) long lasting loop systems which connect opposite magnetic polarities of an active region as well as active region complexes. It is judged that the presence of active region loop complexes on the disk is a necessary yet insufficient condition for the occurrence of a decametric storm and that conditions concerning the geometry of the magnetic field must also be important in the process.

Gergely, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Decameter radio and white light observations of the 21 August 1973 coronal transient

The forces driving the ejecta of the coronal transient of August 21, 1973 are estimated using physical parameters derived by joint radio and white light observations. The radio emission associated with the transient was continuum in nature, and lasted for almost 5 hours. Simultaneous radio and white light measurements show that the radio source was cospatial with one of the secondary white light loops. Assuming a coronal temperature of 1,500,000 K, the results yield an approximate equality of the gas and magnetic pressures at 2.0 solar radii. It is concluded that for this transient, the gas is strongly influenced by changes in the magnetic field.

Gergely, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

An interpretation of the polarization of microwave bursts

High-spatial-resolution (a few seconds of arc) observations of microwave bursts have demonstrated that only the impulsive phase of the burst is polarized; one observes only one polarity in the burst source if it is weak (Alissandrakis and Kundu) and both polarities if it is intense (Enome et al.). These results are interpreted in terms of an asymmetrical bipolar field structure of the loop in which the energetic electrons responsible for the radiation are contained. The role of unequal field strengths at the feet of the loop on the number of electrons trapped and their pitch angle distribution are discussed in a specific model. Computations of the polarized intensity originating from each foot of the loop seem to be consistent with the observations at present available.

Kundu, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Radio and white-light observations of the 1973 August 21 coronal transient

A coronal transient, which occurred on August 21, 1973, has been observed simultaneously in white light and at decameter radio wavelengths. The radio observations were obtained with a two-dimensional swept-frequency array (called the Teepee Tee). The white-light observations consist of a series of photographs taken by the High Altitude Observatory's coronagraph aboard Skylab. The radio emission associated with the transient was continuum in nature and lasted for almost 5 hours. The source of emission was observed to be cospatial with the lower part of one of the secondary white-light loops. A lower limit of 0.6 solar radius for the depth (extension along the line of sight) of this part of the transient was derived from considerations of radio-wave propagation in the corona. The radio source showed no dispersion of height with frequency, and, therefore, the emission is attributed to gyrosynchrotron radiation. Based on this assumption, the magnetic-field strength in the lower part of the loop is estimated to be in the 2.0-4.5-gauss range at a height of 2.1 solar radii from the center of the sun.

Gergely, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Observations of Alpha Orionis, R Aquilae, and R Aquarii at 14.9 GHz

The 14.9-GHz continuum flux densities of the M-type stars Alpha Ori, R Aql, and R Aqr have been measured. For Alpha Ori and R Aql it is suggested that the emission at this frequency is primarily due to ionized gas associated with stellar chromospheres or coronae. For R Aqr a model consistent with available data is proposed in which the variable intensity of the radio emission depends on a variable mass-loss rate for the Mira.

Bowers, P. F.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A broad look at solar physics adapted from the solar physics study of August 1975

The current status of our knowledge of the basic mechanisms involved in fundamental solar phenomena is reviewed. These include mechanisms responsible for heating the corona, the generation of the solar wind, the particle acceleration in flares, and the dissipation of magnetic energy in field reversal regions, known as current sheets. The discussion covers solar flares and high-energy phenomena, solar active regions; solar interior, convection, and activity; the structure and energetics of the quiet solar atmosphere; the structure of the corona; the solar composition; and solar terrestrial interactions. It also covers a program of solar research, including the special observational requirements for spectral and angular resolution, sensitivity, time resolution, and duration of the techniques employed.

Parker, E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Fine structure and time variation of the quiet sun at 1.3 cm

The Hat Creek two-element interferometer has been used to study the quiet sun at 22 GHz. A statistical analysis of output of the interferometer clearly shows the existence of time variations on the quiet sun with time scales of approximately 180 s. The observations suggest that the fine structure on the quiet sun might consist of two components - one which varies with the time scales of approximately 3 min and the other being relatively stable. The average visibility amplitude indicates that the fine structure on the sun has a typical angular size of approximately 6 sec. The observation that the variance and the mean of the visibility amplitudes depend in the same way on the projected baseline suggests that the transient sources have angular size similar to the average size of the fine structure on the quiet sun. Power spectra of the output of the interferometer show no significant periodicity.

Rao, A. P.↗
NASA NTRS1978

6 centimeter observations of solar bursts with 6-inch resolution

During May 1974 data were collected on nine 6-cm solar bursts originating in two active regions. One-dimensional fan-beam scans were obtained every 30 seconds in order to study burst structure and evolution. Maximum burst flux was in the 0.34-12.0 sfu range. At maximum intensity the estimated brightness temperatures were in the 10 to the 6th to 2 x 10 to the 7th K range. Angular sizes ranged from 7-23 arcsec. In most cases an expansion of the burst core after maximum intensity was observed along with a drift in the position of the burst core. Four bursts were associated important H-alpha flares, and in all cases burst maximum occurred before flare maximum. The bursts were circularly polarized in the extraordinary mode sense during maximum intensity. Since the polarization was the same over the extent of the burst source, it is suggested that if the burst is associated with loop sources, the emission is associated with one leg of the loop.

Alissandrakis, C. E.↗