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NASA NTRS2005

Solar Type II Radio Bursts and IP Type II Events

We have examined radio data from the WAVES experiment on the Wind spacecraft in conjunction with ground-based data in order to investigate the relationship between the shocks responsible for metric type II radio bursts and the shocks in front of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The bow shocks of fast, large CMEs are strong interplanetary (IP) shocks, and the associated radio emissions often consist of single broad bands starting below approx. 4 MHz; such emissions were previously called IP type II events. In contrast, metric type II bursts are usually narrowbanded and display two harmonically related bands. In addition to displaying complete dynamic spectra for a number of events, we also analyze the 135 WAVES 1 - 14 MHz slow-drift time periods in 2001-2003. We find that most of the periods contain multiple phenomena, which we divide into three groups: metric type II extensions, IP type II events, and blobs and bands. About half of the WAVES listings include probable extensions of metric type II radio bursts, but in more than half of these events, there were also other slow-drift features. In the 3 yr study period, there were 31 IP type II events; these were associated with the very fastest CMEs. The most common form of activity in the WAVES events, blobs and bands in the frequency range between 1 and 8 MHz, fall below an envelope consistent with the early signatures of an IP type II event. However, most of this activity lasts only a few tens of minutes, whereas IP type II events last for many hours. In this study we find many examples in the radio data of two shock-like phenomena with different characteristics that occur simultaneously in the metric and decametric/hectometric bands, and no clear example of a metric type II burst that extends continuously down in frequency to become an IP type II event. The simplest interpretation is that metric type II bursts, unlike IP type II events, are not caused by shocks driven in front of CMEs.

Cane, H. V.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Ulysses solar wind plasma observations during the declining phase of solar cycle 22

Since launch in October 1990, the Ulysses mission has included an in-ecliptic cruise enroute to Jupiter encounter in February 1992 and a post-Jupiter transit through a wide range of southerly latitudes and heliocentric distances. Here we present results from the solar wind plasma experiment through June 14, 1994, at which time Ulysses was at -68.2 deg heliographic latitude. During the ecliptic phase of the mission, occurring just after solar maximum, the spacecraft encountered an irregular pattern of solar wind speed and sporadic coronal mass ejections, with mass ejections most prevalent during March 1991. Irregular, small-amplitude solar wind streams prevailed until mid-1992, after which Ulysses encountered a recurrent very high-speed stream from an equatorward extension of the South polar coronal hole. Encounters with the high-density, low-speed plasma from the coronal streamer belt ceased as Ulysses moved to increasing southerly latitudes in 1993. Many forward and reverse shocks associated with corotating interaction regions have been encountered; these shocks all had observable electron foreshocks. The shocks became less prevalent with increasing latitude, with the forward shocks disappearing first because of the tilted streamer belt and the resulting meridional shock propagation. After Ulysses passed -35 deg in July 1993 the spacecraft encountered only high-speed wind, with a speed range of 700-800 km/s and a density, scaled to 1 AU, averaging 3/cu cm. Latitudinal gradients in solar wind fluid parameters generally support previous findings, with the gradient in wind speed offset by a gradient in density such that mass momentum flux vary relatively little.

Phillips, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Synoptic observations of coronal transients and their interplanetary consequences

Conclusions reached to date after 5 yr of pooled, extensive monitoring of the solar coronal mass ejection (CME) at the Hawaiian High Altitude Observatory, Skylab and with the SMM are reported. Additional white light data have been gathered with the OSO-7 and P78-1 spacecraft. CME provides 5 percent of the solar wind mass flux and was the dominant driving force in interplanetary shocks in the last solar maximum phase. Both bubble and cloud shapes have been observed in CME events, which are nearly ubiquitous in proton events. Each of the CME shapes possesses distinctive dynamical characteristics. Finally, steady emissions of soft X-rays have been identified as precursors to CMEs, which display some latitudinal confinement.

Michels, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Evolution of Interplanetary Shocks and their CME Drivers

Shock-driving coronal mass ejections (CMEs) constitute the most energetic phenomena in the heliosphere. The shocks can be identified in a number of ways based on remote-sensing and in situ observations. Type II radio bursts are the earliest indicators of shocks that accelerate electrons to energies up to -10 keV. Solar energetic particle (SEP) events are always accompanied by long wavelength type II bursts indicating that the same shock accelerates ions and electrons. A recent investigation involving a large number of interplanetary (IP) shocks revealed that about 35% of them do not produce type II bursts (radio quiet, RQ) or SEPs. Comparison of the RQ shocks with the radio loud (RL) ones revealed some interesting results such as: (1) the lack of evidence for blast waves,(2) energetic particle enhancement in the shock front in -20% of RQ shocks, and (3) determination of the difference between the RQ and RL shocks in terms of the different kinematic properties of the associated CMEs. On the other hand the shock properties measured at I AU are not too different for the RQ and RL cases. This can be attributed to the interaction with the IP medium, which seems to erase the difference. Implications of this evolution for the geoeffectiveness is also discussed.

Gopalswamy, Natchimuthuk↗

NASA NTRS1980

Mechanical energy output of the 5 September 1973 flare

The mechanical energy flux of observed macroscopic mass plasma motions in the solar flare of Sept. 5, 1973, is estimated. Consideration is given to the cool eruptive material in the eruptive filament and large surge as revealed by H alpha observations, the moving emission front seen in Ca II as well as H alpha, the piston-driven shock and mass ejection coronal transient observed in radio spectra and flare core motions, and mechanical energy estimates of 5.6 x 10 to the 29th to 8.9 x 10 to the 30th, 9.0 x 10 to the 29th, 2 x 10 to the 30th (thermal) and 10 to the 31st (magnetic), and 9 x 10 to the 24th erg are obtained, respectively, in agreement with previous estimates. It is concluded that the mechanical energy of large-scale mass motions dominates the radiative output of the flare by more than two orders of magnitude, and that a significant portion of the mechanical energy is in the form of magnetic flux delivered to interplanetary space.

Webb, D. F.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Solar and Interplanetary Sources of Major Geomagnetic Storms (Dst less than or equal to -100 nT) During 1996 - 2005

We present the results of an investigation of the sequence of events from the Sun to the Earth that ultimately led to the 88 major geomagnetic storms (defined by minimum Dst less than or equal to -100 nT) that occurred during 1996 - 2005. The results are achieved through cooperative efforts that originated at the Living with a Star (LWS) Coordinated Data- Analysis Workshop (CDAW) held at George Mason University in March 2005. Based on careful examination of the complete array of solar and in-situ solar wind observations, we have identified and characterized, for each major geomagnetic storm, the overall solar-interplanetary (solar-IP) source type, the time, velocity and angular width of the source coronal mass ejection (CME), the type and heliographic location of the solar source region, the structure of the transient solar wind flow with the storm-driving component specified, the arrival time of shock/disturbance, and the start and ending times of the corresponding IP CME (ICME). The storm-driving component, which possesses a prolonged and enhanced southward magnetic field (B(sub s)) may be an ICME, the sheath of shocked plasma (SH) upstream of an ICME, a corotating interaction region (CIR), or a combination of these structures. We classify the Solar-IP sources into three broad types: (1) S-type, in which the storm is associated with a single ICME and a single CME at the Sun; (2) M-type, in which the storm is associated with a complex solar wind flow produced by multiple interacting ICMEs arising from multiple halo CMEs launched from the Sun in a short period; (3) C-type, in which the storm is associated with a CIR formed at the leading edge of a high speed stream originating from a solar coronal hole (CH). For the 88 major storms, the S-type, M-type and C-type events number 53 (60%): 24 (27%) and 11 (13%), respectively. For the 85 events for which the surface source regions could be investigated, 54 (63%) of the storms originated in solar active regions, 10 (12%) in quiet Sun regions associated with quiescent filaments or filament channels, and 11 (13%) were associated with coronal holes. Remarkably, 10 (12%) CME-driven events showed no sign of eruptive features on the surface (e.g., no flare, no coronal dimming, and no loop arcade, etc), even though all the available solar observation in a suitable time period were carefully examined. Thus, while it is generally true that a major geomagnetic storm is more likely to be driven by a front-side fast halo CME associated with a major flare, our study indicates a broad distribution of source properties. The implications of the results for space weather forecasting are briefly discussed.

Zhang, J.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Two classes of solar energetic particle events associated with impulsive and long duration soft X-ray flares

Solar energetic particle events observed in space have different properties depending on the class of associated flare. Impulsive flares, which occur low in the corona in regions of high energy density, are associated with particle events which are deficient in protons. These events are rarely associated with coronal mass ejections and interplanetary shocks. The vast majority of large, high energy proton events are associated with long duration flares, many of which are also associated with fast coronal mass ejections and strong interplanetary shocks. Such flare events originate relatively high in the corona.

Cane, H. V.↗

NASA NTRS1986

On the association of magnetic clouds with disappearing filaments

Evidence is presented that an interplanetary magnetic cloud preceding an interaction region, observed at earth on January 24, 1974, is associated with the eruptive filament of disparition brusque (DB) near central meridian on January 18. The DB was also associated with a long-decay soft X ray transient and a long-duration gradual-rise-and-fall radio burst. To assess whether magnetic clouds are generally associated with DBs, results from statistical testing of the relation of 33 magnetic clouds (and 33 control samples without magnetic clouds) to disappearing filaments near central meridian (approximately less than 45 deg central meridian distance) are presented. The hypothesis that magnetic cloud are the 1-AU counterparts of either eruptive filaments or the coronal mass ejections which probably accompany them is supported. The major result is that disappearing filaments occur more frequently on the days when magnetic clouds are launched than on control days, a result obtained with greater than 99 pct confidence. There is a suggestion that clouds following shocks, probably launched at times of solar flares, are not as strongly associated with disappearing filaments as are clouds launched less violently.

Wilson, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Simulation studies of electron acceleration by ion ring distributions in solar flares

A 2.5-dimensional fully relativistic EM, particle-in-cell code (PIC) is used to investigate a potential electron acceleration mechanism in solar flares. The free energy is provided by ions which have a ring velocity distribution about the magnetic-field direction. Ion rings may be produced by perpendicular shocks, which could in turn be generated by the super-Alfvenic motion of magnetic flux tubes emerging from the photosphere or by coronal mass ejections. Such ion distributions are known to be unstable to the generation of lower hybrid waves, which have phase velocities in excess of the electron thermal speed parallel to the field and can, therefore, resonantly accelerate electrons in that direction. The simulations show the transfer of perpendicular ion energy to energetic electrons via lower hybrid wave turbulence. With plausible ion ring velocities, the process can account for the observationally inferred fluxes and energies of non-thermal electrons during the impulsive phase of flares.

Mcclements, K. G.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Tutorial on Solar Energetic-Particle Events

Particles from the Sun at energies above approx. 1 MeV/nucleon have been studied in space for over 35 years. There have been major advances in instrumentation for studying elemental and isotopic composition, kinetic energy, charge states, time intensity histories, and anisotropies of energetic particles. There have also been extensive improvements in the observations of solar phenomena, including radio bursts, Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), and solar photons from soft X-ray to gamma-ray energies. Despite these advances, there is a lack of agreement as to the acceleration processes responsible for the particles seen in space shortly after the solar event. In particular, the relative importance of solar flares and CME-driven shocks is disputed for events of moderate to larger size. The reasons for this will be reviewed, and the prospects for resolving this issue will be evaluated.

vonRosenvinge, Tycho T.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Heliocentric Distance of Coronal Mass Ejections at the Time of Energetic Particle Release: Revisiting the Ground Level Enhancement Events of Solar Cycle 23

Using the kinematics of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), onset time of soft X-ray flares, and the finite size of the pre-eruption CME structure, we derive the heliocentric distan~e at which the energetic particles during the ground level enhancement (GLE) events of Solar Cycle 23. We find that the GLE particles are released when the CMEs reach an average heliocentric distance of approx.3.25 solar radii (Rs). From this we infer that the shocks accelerating the particles are located at similar heights. Type II radio burst observations indicate that the CMEs are at much lower distances (average approx.1.4 Rs) when the CME-driven shock first forms. The shock seems to travel approx.1.8 Rs over a period of approox.30 min on the average before releasing the GLE particles. In deriving these results, we made three assumptions that have observational support: (i) the CME lift off occurs from an initial distance of about 1.25 Rs; (ii) the flare onset and CME onset are one and the same because these are two different manifestations of the same eruption; and (iii) the CME has positive acceleration from the onset to the first appearance in the coronagraphic field of view (2.5 to 6 Rs). Observations of coronal cavities in eclipse pictures and in coronagraphic images justify the assumption (i). The close relationship between the flare reconnection magnetic flux and the azimuthal flux of interplanetary magnetic clouds justify assumption (ii) consistent with the standard model (CSHKP) of solar eruption. Coronagraphic observations made close to the solar surface indicate a large positive acceleration of CMEs to a heliocentric distance of approx.3 Rs before they start slowing down due to the drag force. The inferred acceleration (approx.1.5 km/s/s) is consistent with reported values in the literature.

Gopalswamy, Natchimuthuk↗

NASA NTRS2012

Coronal Mass Ejections Near the Sun and in the Interplanetary Medium

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the most energetic phenomenon in the heliosphere. During solar eruptions, the released energy flows out from the Sun in the form of magnetized plasma and electromagnetic radiation. The electromagnetic radiation suddenly increases the ionization content of the ionosphere, thus impacting communication and navigation systems. The plasma clouds can drive shocks that accelerate charged particles to very high energies in the interplanetary space, which pose radiation hazard to astronauts and space systems. The plasma clouds also arrive at Earth in about two days and impact Earth's magnetosphere, producing geomagnetic storms. The magnetic storms result in a number of effects including induced currents that can disrupt power grids, railroads, and underground pipelines. This lecture presents an overview of the origin, propagation, and geospace consequences of CMEs and their interplanetary counterparts.

Gopalswamy, Nat↗

NASA NTRS2018

Interplanetary Type II Radio Bursts from Wind/WAVES and Sustained Gamma-Ray Emission from Fermi/LAT: Evidence for Shock Source

We present quantitative evidence that interplanetary type II radio bursts and sustained gamma-ray emission (SGRE) events from the Sun are closely related. Out of about 30 SGRE events reported in Share et al. we consider 13 events that had a duration exceeding 5 hr to exclude any are-impulsive phase gamma-rays. The SGRE duration also has a linear relation with the ending frequency of the bursts. The synchronism between the ending times of SGRE and the type II emission strongly supports the idea that the same shock accelerates electrons to produce type II bursts and protons (>300 MeV) that propagate from the shock to the solar surface to produce SGRE via pion decay. The acceleration of high-energy particles is confirmed by the associated solar energetic particle (SEP) events detected at Earth and/or at the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft. Furthermore, the presence of >300 MeV protons is corroborated by the fact that the underlying coronal mass ejections (CMEs) had properties identical to those associated with ground-level enhancement events: they had speeds of >2000 km s1 and all were full-halo CMEs. Many SEP events did not have detectable flux at Earth in the >300 MeV energy channels, presumably because of poor magnetic connectivity.

Gopalswamy, Nat↗

NASA NTRS2011

Shock Formation Height in the Solar Corona Estimated from SDO and Radio Observations

Wave transients at EUV wavelengths and type II radio bursts are good indicators of shock formation in the solar corona. We use recent EUV wave observations from SDO and combine them with metric type II radio data to estimate the height in the corona where the shocks form. We compare the results with those obtained from other methods. We also estimate the shock formation heights independently using white-light observations of coronal mass ejections that ultimately drive the shocks.

Gopalswamy, N.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Testing the Empirical Shock Arrival Model Using Quadrature Observations

The empirical shock arrival (ESA) model was developed based on quadrature data from Helios (in situ) and P-78 (remote sensing) to predict the Sun-Earth travel time of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The ESA model requires earthward CME speed as input, which is not directly measurable from coronagraphs along the Sun-Earth line. The Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) were in quadrature during 20102012, so the speeds of Earth-directed CMEs were observed with minimal projection effects. We identified a set of 20 full halo CMEs in the field of view of SOHO that were also observed in quadrature by STEREO. We used the earthward speed from STEREO measurements as input to the ESA model and compared the resulting travel times with the observed ones from L1 monitors. We find that the model predicts the CME travel time within about 7.3 h, which is similar to the predictions by the ENLIL model. We also find that CME-CME and CME-coronal hole interaction can lead to large deviations from model predictions.

CMEs↗

NASA NTRS1989

The solar wind - Advances in our knowledge through two solar cycles

As the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft have moved outward they have gradually unfolded a view of distant regions of the heliosphere. Information on the solar wind velocity, density and temperature as a function of distance out to more than 40 AU has been gathered. Meanwhile the description of the solar wind has evolved. Long-standing questions on the sources of the wind causing geomagnetic activity were clarified by the discovery of coronal holes and coronal mass ejections. The propagation of the resultant solar wind disturbances through the heliosphere has been studied using both observations and models. Plasma physical processes have been studied. This review focuses on the development of the concepts that have been used to describe the solar wind in the three dimensional heliosphere over the last two solar cycles. Collisionless shocks, transient disturbances in space, disturbance propagation and the distant solar wind are discussed.

Feynman, Joan↗

NASA NTRS1995

Ulysses solar wind plasma observations from peak southerly latitude through perihelion and beyond

The Ulysses spacecraft trajectory includes a peak southern latitude of -80.2 deg, reached during September 1994, and perihelion in the ecliptic plane at 134 AU in March 1995. The near-perihelion mission phase features a rapid scan through solar latitude, with rates approaching one degree per day. We will present observations through mid-May 1995, when the spacecraft will be near 1.5 AU and +50 deg solar latitude. At the time of this writing, observations from the solar wind plasma experiment have been examined through -40 deg solar latitude. At that latitude Ulysses was still immersed in fast solar wind from the south polar coronal hole, with wind speeds of 700 to 800 km/s and with a variety of fine structure. Expectations for near-perihelion measurements include times of slow, dense wind characteristic of the near-equatorial heliomagnetic streamer belt. A non-zero tilt of the streamer belt would produce recurrent intervals of fast coronal hole wind and corotating interaction regions (CIRs) caused by fast wind overtaking slow wind. Forward and reverse shock waves bounding the CIRs, routinely observed at low and intermediate latitudes beyond approximately 2 AU, will likely be absent during the northward transit due to proximity to the Sun we will summarize solar wind plasma results concerning meridional gradients in fluid parameters, large-scale and fine structure, and transient events such as coronal mass ejections.

Phillips, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Global Energetics of Solar Flares. V. Energy Closure in Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections

In this study we synthesize the results of four previous studies on the global energetics of solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which include magnetic, thermal, nonthermal, and CME energies in 399 solar M and X-class flare events observed during the first 3.5 years of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) mission. Our findings are: (1) The sum of the mean nonthermal energy of flare-accelerated particles (E(sub nt)), the energy of direct heating (E(sub dir)), and the energy in coronal mass ejections (E(sub CME)), which are the primary energy dissipation processes in a flare, is found to have a ratio of (E(sub nt)+E(sub dir)+E(sub CME))/E(sub mag) = 0.87±0.18, compared with the dissipated magnetic free energy E(sub mag), which confirms energy closure within the measurement uncertainties and corroborates the magnetic origin of flares and CMEs; (2) The energy partition of the dissipated magnetic free energy is: 0.51±0.17 in nonthermal energy of ≥ 6 keV electrons, 0.17± 0.17 in nonthermal ≥ 1 MeV ions, 0.07 ± 0.14 in CMEs, and 0.07 ± 0.17 in direct heating; (3) The thermal energy is almost always less than the nonthermal energy, which is consistent with the thick-target model; (4) The bolometric luminosity in white-light flares is comparable with the thermal energy in soft X-rays (SXR); (5) Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events carry a fraction ≈ 0.03 of the CME energy, which is consistent with CME-driven shock acceleration; and (6) The warm-target model predicts a lower limit of the low-energy cutoff at ec ≈ 6 keV, based on the mean differential emission measure (DEM) peak temperature of T(sub e) = 8.6 MK during flares. This work represents the first statistical study that establishes energy closure in solar flare/CME events.

Solar activity↗