Simulation of the magnetic structure of the inner heliosphere by means of a non-spherical source surface
(Previously announced in STAR as N81-18977)
Levine, R. H.↗
Engineering topics
Levine, R. H.
Publications and source records attributed to Levine, R. H..
Preacceleration in collapsing magnetic neutral sheets and anomalous abundances of solar flare particles
Levine's (1974) concept of a collapsing magnetic neutral sheet which can accelerate ambient protons to several times the mean thermal speed, provided that the collapse time scale is shorter than the proton Coulomb loss time, is applied to heavier elements in an investigation of the composition of the particles which can be accelerated by such a sheet. Tables of ionization equilibrium are combined with the thermal structure of a constant pressure loop in order to calculate phi sub x (the fraction of an element x which is accelerated) of 18 heavy elements, from carbon to nickel which satisfy a maximum-ionization criterion. Normalizing phi sub x to oxygen, it is found that relative to the composition of the ambient materials, C and N can be depleted by factors of up to 2-10, while other heavy elements, along with hydrogen, are enhanced. The numerical results obtained are qualitatively similar to anomalous abundances reported among solar flare particles.
Mullan, D. J.↗
A comparison of Type III metric radio bursts and global solar potential field models
Evidence of coronal magnetic fields from polarized metric type III radio bursts is compared with (1) global potential field models, (2) direct averages of the observed photospheric magnetic field, and (3) H-alpha synoptic charts. The comparison clearly indicates both that the principal aspects of type III burst radiation are understood and that global potential field models are a significantly more accurate representation of coronal magnetic field structure than either the large-scale photospheric field or H-alpha synoptic charts.
Jackson, B. V.↗
Generation of coronal electric currents due to convective motions on the photosphere
Generation of electric currents in a magnetized plasma overlying a dense convective layer is studied, assuming that the magnetic field perturbation is small and satisfies the force-free equation. Currents are produced by rotational motions on the boundary in the case of a uniform equilibrium field. In a simple two-dimensional bipolar configuration, however, both irrotational and incompressible motions give rise to currents, and the current density has a peak at the magnetic neutral line. Scaling laws for the current density as well as for the stored magnetic energy are derived, and the possibility of heating the solar corona through the dissipation of coronal currents generated in this way is discussed.
Sakurai, T.↗
Photospheric subrotations, differential rotation and zonal wind bands - A reverse pirouette
It is noted that on the sun the core is assumed to be rotating with a period of about 12 days while the overlying 'mantle' convection zone has a solid body component of about 27 days. It is proposed that this phenomenon could simply be understood as a 'reverse pirouette'. It is noted that while previously proposed models provide solutions of valid equations and computer analyses, they lack a simple physical picture to explain the phenomenon. In the model proposed here, the solar oblateness is conventionally providing added heat input at the poles. The result is the large scale transport of material toward the equator, causing subrotation. The model is thus seen as facilitating an understanding of the formation of a slowly rotating convection zone above the more rapidly rotating core. The latitudinal photospheric differential rotation is interpreted as a 'second order' effect associated with the horizontal transport of momentum.
Schatten, K. H.↗
Simulation of the magnetic structure of the inner heliosphere by means of non-spherical source surface
A new method for mapping the Sun's magnetic field B from the photosphere through the corona and interplanetary space is presented. The method entails the derivation of B from a scalar potential within a current-free annular volume bounded inside by photosphere and outside by a prescribed nonspherical source surface to which B is made (as nearly as possible) perpendicular. As usual we obtain the potential for the part of B that arises from currents inside the Sun by fitting an expansion to the observed line-of-sight component of B at the photosphere. A second least-squares fit is introduced to obtain the part of B that arises from currents outside the source surface. Comparisons are made between this model and observed coronal and interplanetary structures. There is evidence that observation data underestimate the strength of photospheric polar magnetic fields.
Levine, R. H.↗
Pre-acceleration in collapsing magnetic neutral sheets and composition anomalies among solar flare particles
In flares occurring in magnetic neutral sheets, the collapsing of the magnetic fields toward the neutral sheet results in their acting as mirrors in a first-order Fermi acceleration process and constitutes an intrinsic source of particle pre-acceleration. Although modest, the acceleration injects particles into the main flare acceleration with a composition which is different from that of the ambient corona. Upon calculating the fractions of 18 elements which are accelerated in the collapsing mirrors, covering the series from C to N, and then normalizing to O, peak abundances are found at Si and Fe, with local minima at N and in the S-Ca region. There is a qualitative similarity between these relative abundances and the relative enhancement factors of the elements among solar flare particles.
Mullan, D. J.↗
The coronal and transition region temperature structure of a solar active region
Using measurements of EUV and X-ray spectral lines, the differential emission measure vs electron temperature from the transition region to the corona of an active region (electron temperature between 100,000 and 5,000,000 K) is derived. The total emission measure and radiative losses are of the order 3 x 10 to the 48th/cu cm and 4 x 10 to the 26th ergs/sec, respectively. The emission measure at electron temperatures greater than approximately 1,000,000 K (i.e. that mainly responsible for the X-ray emission) is about 75% of the total. The use of the Mg x line at 625 A as an indicator of coronal electron density is also examined. A set of theoretical energy balance models of coronal loops in which the loop divergence is a variable parameter is presented and compared with the observations.
Levine, R. H.↗
Spatial distribution of large-scale solar magnetic fields and their relation to the interplanetary magnetic field
The spatial organization of the observed photospheric magnetic field as well as its relation to the polarity of the IMF have been studied using high resolution magnetograms from the Kitt Peak National Observatory. Systematic patterns in the large scale field are due to contributions from both concentrated flux and more diffuse flux. The polarity of the photospheric field, determined on various spatial scales, correlates with the polarity of the IMF. Analyses based on several spatial scales in the photosphere suggest that new flux in the interplanetary medium is often due to relatively small photospheric features which appear in the photosphere up to one month before they are manifest at the earth.
Levine, R. H.↗
The relation of open magnetic structures to solar wind flow
A study has been made of solar wind observations and models of the low-coronal magnetic field of the sun during the Skylab mission. Potential sources of solar wind plasma have been identified and in most cases systematically associated with observed solar wind flow features. The study pinpoints the problems of associating significant portions of the observed solar wind with sources outside coronal holes, although such associations are strongly suggested by the models. The phenomenological relationship between observed high solar wind speed at 1 AU and small coronal field divergence near the sun is examined and found to be well established but causally inconclusive in light of models of the outer heliosphere.
Levine, R. H.↗
EUV structure of a small flare
Observations of a small flare are presented using data from the Harvard spectroheliometer on Skylab. The event is discussed in terms of the magnetic structure of the active region as deduced from the EUV observations and from field line extrapolations. The role of emerging flux in the initial flare brightenings is emphasized. A detailed model of one loop is deduced using the EUV data. This self-consistent model indicates initial heating of the loop modeled near its top, and mass flow into the cool core of the loop, with matter preferentially concentrating in a few distinct knots along the loop. Implications for theories of the flare process are discussed.
Levine, R. H.↗
Open magnetic fields in active regions
Soft X-ray images and magnetograms of several active regions and coronal holes are examined which support the interpretation that some of the dark X-ray gaps seen between interconnecting loops and inner cores of active regions are foot points of open field lines inside the active regions. Characteristics of the investigated dark gaps are summarized. All the active regions with dark X-ray gaps at the proper place and with the correct polarity predicted by global potential extrapolation of photospheric magnetic fields are shown to be old active regions, indicating that field opening is accomplished only in a late phase of active-region development. It is noted that some of the observed dark gaps probably have nothing in common with open fields, but are either due to the decreased temperature in low-lying portions of interconnecting loops or are the roots of higher and less dense or cooler loops.
Svestka, Z.↗
Evolution of open magnetic structures on the sun - The Skylab period
High-resolution harmonic analysis of the measured photospheric magnetic field of the sun is used to construct models of open magnetic structures over a period of 11 solar rotations. The models successfully reproduce the surface location and topology of all coronal holes during the Skylab period. In addition, there is persistent evidence in the models that open field lines are associated with active regions in a systematic way. These associations are listed for the period studied; they suggest that open field lines are a basic feature of solar magnetism. Specific examples of the evolution of coronal holes and of calculated open structures are presented. Quantitative study of the measured field strength within and neighboring a hole confirms the fact that coronal hole regions are indistinguishable by local magnetic properties. However, the calculated field strengths at the footpoints of open field lines within coronal holes show distinct evolutionary patterns and may indicate that, at least in young coronal holes, a significant amount of magnetic flux is closed. Problems of studying magnetic field divergence by using these models are discussed.
Levine, R. H.↗
Evolution of photospheric magnetic field patterns during Skylab
The evolution of the photospheric magnetic-field pattern over eleven solar rotations preceding a minimum of the activity cycle is shown to be characterized by abrupt changes in the dominant geometrical patterns of the field. These changes are associated with the onset and end of a sudden increase in the calculated total energy content of the field, which is otherwise decreasing through the period. The calculated geometrical rearrangements correspond in time to observed restructurings of the corona, the interplanetary field, and the solar rotation pattern.
Levine, R. H.↗
Open magnetic structures on the sun
High-resolution harmonic analysis of the solar magnetic field has been used succesfully to calculate the geometry of open magnetic field lines in the solar corona. Comparison of the loci of open-field-line footpoints with solar X-ray photographs shows that all the coronal holes during two solar rotations are successfully represented, including details of their evolution. Some open magnetic configurations derived in the calculations precede by up to one solar rotation the manifestation of coincident dark areas on the X-ray photographs. The only other areas that contribute open field lines to the corona are separations between active-region loop systems. By varying the radius at which field lines are forced to be open in the calculation, it is possible to reproduce more closely the surface configuration of particular coronal holes. Comparison of the size of X-ray holes with the fraction of the solar surface covered by open field lines leads to the conclusion that a significant part of the area of coronal holes must contain closed magnetic fields. Comparison of open field lines which lie in the equatorial plane of the sun with solar-wind data indicates that eventual high-speed solar-wind streams are associated with those parts of open magnetic structures that diverge the least.
Levine, R. H.↗
Numerical image manipulation and display in solar astronomy
The paper describes the system configuration and data manipulation capabilities of a solar image display system which allows interactive analysis of visual images and on-line manipulation of digital data. Image processing features include smoothing or filtering of images stored in the display, contrast enhancement, and blinking or flickering images. A computer with a core memory of 28,672 words provides the capacity to perform complex calculations based on stored images, including computing histograms, selecting subsets of images for further analysis, combining portions of images to produce images with physical meaning, and constructing mathematical models of features in an image. Some of the processing modes are illustrated by some image sequences from solar observations.
Levine, R. H.↗
Solar sources of the interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind
Open magnetic field lines, those which extend from the solar photosphere to interplanetary space, are traced in the current-free (potential field) approximation using measured photospheric fields as a boundary condition. It is found that (1) only a relatively small fraction of the photospheric area connects via open field lines to the interplanetary magnetic field; (2) those photospheric areas which do contribute open field lines lie beneath coronal holes and within the boundaries of the holes as projected onto the photosphere or else between loop systems of an active region; (3) the interplanetary magnetic field in the plane of the sun's equator, essentially the field in the ecliptic plane, may connect to photospheric regions of high latitude; and (4) the fastest solar wind streams are correlated with those magnetic flux tubes which expand least in cross-sectional area over the distance between the photosphere and the coronal height where the solar wind begins.
Levine, R. H.↗
High resolution mapping of the magnetic field of the solar corona
The mapping of the current-free magnetic field of the solar corona and the reliability of the spherical harmonic analysis of the photospheric magnetic field pattern are improved by data with much greater dynamic range and spatial resolution than previously available and a new algorithm which permits spherical harmonic expansion to a much higher value of the principal index. Coronal field maps can be drawn for local regions, for just the open field lines, and for various spatial resolutions on a global scale.
Altschuler, M. D.↗