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DOE OSTI2011

SPATIALLY RESOLVED NONTHERMAL LINE BROADENING DURING THE IMPULSIVE PHASE OF A SOLAR FLARE

This paper presents a detailed study of excess line broadening in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission lines during the impulsive phase of a C-class solar flare. In this work, which utilizes data from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer on board Hinode, the broadened line profiles were observed to be cospatial with the two hard X-ray footpoints as observed by RHESSI. By plotting the derived nonthermal velocity for each pixel within the Fe XV and Fe XVI rasters against its corresponding Doppler velocity a strong correlation (|r| > 0.59) was found between the two parameters for one of the footpoints. This suggested that the excess broadening at these temperatures is due to a superposition of flows (turbulence), presumably as a result of chromospheric evaporation due to nonthermal electrons. Also presented are diagnostics of electron densities using five pairs of density-sensitive line ratios. Density maps derived using the Mg VII and Si X line pairs showed no appreciable increase in electron density at the footpoints, whereas the Fe XII, Fe XIII, and Fe XIV line pairs revealed densities approaching 10{sup 11.5} cm{sup -3}. Using this information, the nonthermal velocities derived from the widths of the two Fe XIV lines were plotted against their corresponding density values derived from their ratio. This showed that pixels with large nonthermal velocities were associated with pixels of moderately higher densities. This suggests that nonthermal broadening at these temperatures may have been due to enhanced densities at the footpoints, although estimates of the amount of opacity broadening and pressure broadening appeared to be negligible.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

A MODEL FOR THE ORIGIN OF HIGH DENSITY IN LOOPTOP X-RAY SOURCES

Super-hot (SH) looptop sources, detected in some large solar flares, are compact sources of HXR emission with spectra matching thermal electron populations exceeding 30 MK. High observed emission measure (EM) and inference of electron thermalization within the small source region both provide evidence of high densities at the looptop, typically more than an order of magnitude above ambient. Where some investigators have suggested such density enhancement results from a rapid enhancement in the magnetic field strength, we propose an alternative model, based on Petschek reconnection, whereby looptop plasma is heated and compressed by slow magnetosonic shocks generated self-consistently through flux retraction following reconnection. Under steady conditions such shocks can enhance density by no more than a factor of four. These steady shock relations (Rankine-Hugoniot relations) turn out to be inapplicable to Petschek's model owing to transient effects of thermal conduction. The actual density enhancement can in fact exceed a factor of 10 over the entire reconnection outflow. An ensemble of flux tubes retracting following reconnection at an ensemble of distinct sites will have a collective EM proportional to the rate of flux tube production. This rate, distinct from the local reconnection rate within a single tube, can be measured separately through flare ribbon motion. Typical flux transfer rates and loop parameters yield EMs comparable to those observed in SH sources.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

DIRECTIONAL ALIGNMENT AND NON-GAUSSIAN STATISTICS IN SOLAR WIND TURBULENCE

The magnetic and velocity field fluctuations in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence can be characterized by their directional alignment and induced electric field. These manifest as coherent spatial correlations which are measures of Alfvenicity and turbulence cascade strength, respectively. Solar wind observations and direct numerical simulations find that these distinctive correlations, caused by rapid relaxation processes that act to suppress nonlinearity, occur in localized spatial patches. This cellularization of magnetofluid turbulence is inconsistent with a superposition of Gaussian fields and could be related to spatial intermittency or other non-Gaussian statistics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

A KINETIC ALFVEN WAVE AND THE PROTON DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION IN THE FAST SOLAR WIND

Using one-dimensional test particle simulations, the effect of a kinetic Alfven wave on the velocity distribution function (VDF) of protons in the collisionless solar wind is investigated. We first use linear Vlasov theory to numerically obtain the property of a kinetic Alfven wave (the wave propagates in the direction almost perpendicular to the background magnetic field). We then numerically simulate how the wave will shape the proton VDF. It is found that Landau resonance may be able to generate two components in the initially Maxwellian proton VDF: a tenuous beam component along the direction of the background magnetic field and a core component. The streaming speed of the beam relative to the core proton component is about 1.2-1.3 Alfven speed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2010

EULERIAN DECORRELATION OF FLUCTUATIONS IN THE INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELD

A method is devised for estimating the two-time correlation function and the associated Eulerian decorrelation timescale in turbulence. With the assumptions of a single decorrelation time and a frozen-in flow approximation for the single-point analysis, the method compares two-point correlation measurements with single-point correlation measurements at the corresponding spatial lag. This method is applied to interplanetary magnetic field measurements from the Advanced Composition Explorer and Wind spacecraft. An average Eulerian decorrelation time of 2.9 hr is found. This measures the total rate of distortion of turbulent fluid elements-including sweeping, nonlinear distortion, and wave propagation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

EVIDENCE FOR INHOMOGENEOUS HEATING IN THE SOLAR WIND

Solar wind observations and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations are used to probe the nature of turbulence heating. In particular, the electron heat flux, electron temperature, and ion temperature in the solar wind are studied using ACE and Wind data. These heating diagnostics are also compared with MHD simulation estimates of the local dissipation density. Coherent structures, which are sources of inhomogeneity and intermittency in MHD turbulence, are found to be associated with enhancements in every heating-related diagnostic. This supports the hypothesis that significant inhomogeneous heating occurs in the solar wind, connected with current sheets that are dynamically generated by MHD turbulence. Indeed, a subset of these coherent current sheets might be candidates for magnetic reconnection. However, the specific kinetic mechanisms that heat and accelerate particles within these structures require further study.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

COMPARISON BETWEEN OBSERVATION AND SIMULATION OF MAGNETIC FIELD CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH FLARES

It has been a long-standing question in solar physics how magnetic field structure changes with eruptive events (e.g., flares and coronal mass ejections). In this Letter, we present the eruption-associated changes in the magnetic inclination angle, the horizontal component of magnetic field vectors, and the Lorentz force. The analysis is based on the observation of the X3.4 flare on 2006 December 13 and in comparison to the numerical simulation of Fan. Both observation and simulation show that (1) the magnetic inclination angle in the decayed peripheral penumbra increases, while that in the central area close to the flaring polarity inversion line (PIL) deceases after the flare; (2) the horizontal component of magnetic field increases at the lower altitude near the flaring PIL after the flare. The result suggests that the field lines at the flaring neutral line turn to more horizontal near the surface, that is in agreement with the prediction of Hudson et al.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE SPECTROSCOPIC SIGNATURE OF QUASI-PERIODIC UPFLOWS IN ACTIVE REGION TIMESERIES

Quasi-periodic propagating disturbances are frequently observed in coronal intensity image sequences. These disturbances have historically been interpreted as being the signature of slow-mode magnetoacoustic waves propagating into the corona. The detailed analysis of Hinode EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) timeseries observations of an active region (known to contain propagating disturbances) shows strongly correlated, quasi-periodic, oscillations in intensity, Doppler shift, and line width. No frequency doubling is visible in the latter. The enhancements in the moments of the line profile are generally accompanied by a faint, quasi-periodically occurring, excess emission at {approx}100 km s{sup -1} in the blue wing of coronal emission lines. The correspondence of quasi-periodic excess wing emission and the moments of the line profile indicates that repetitive high-velocity upflows are responsible for the oscillatory behavior observed. Furthermore, we show that the same quasi-periodic upflows can be directly identified in a simultaneous image sequence obtained by the Hinode X-Ray Telescope. These results are consistent with the recent assertion of De Pontieu and McIntosh that the wave interpretation of the data is not unique. Indeed, given that several instances are seen to propagate along the direction of the EIS slit that clearly shows in-phase, quasi-periodic variations of intensity, velocity, width (without frequency doubling), and blue wing enhanced emission, this data set would appear to provide a compelling example that upflows are more likely to be the main cause of the quasi-periodicities observed here, as such correspondences are hard to reconcile in the wave paradigm.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

ATMOSPHERIC IMAGING ASSEMBLY OBSERVATIONS OF HOT FLARE PLASMA

We present observations of hot plasma from solar eruptions recorded by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory. AIA is the first narrowband instrument capable of taking images of hot plasma in the 5-15 MK range. We find that there are hot structures above flare loops, and that they are typically more diffuse and nebulous than the well-defined flare loops. Because of the narrowband response, high sensitivity, and high spatial resolution of AIA, these supra-arcade structures are visible in exquisite detail, particularly in the 131 A and 94 A channels. In one event, a C4.9 flare observed on 2010 November 3, hot plasma is seen to outline an erupting plasmoid and possibly a current sheet. We compare hot plasma observed with AIA to structures observed with the X-Ray Telescope on the Hinode mission and find that the plasma imaged in AIA contains more fine detail. These new AIA observations show that supra-arcade flare structures and coronal mass ejections are highly structured not only in space and time, but also in temperature. This thermal structuring is expected, based on modeling efforts, but has now been imaged directly for the first time over a large range of temperatures.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2011

ON THE RELATIVE SPEED AND TEMPERATURE RATIO OF SOLAR WIND ALPHA PARTICLES AND PROTONS: COLLISIONS VERSUS WAVE EFFECTS

We study the relative flow speed and the temperature ratio of alpha particles and protons and their connections to the helium ion abundance, the collisional age, and the power of transverse fluctuations within the inertial range. It is found that the alpha-to-proton temperature ratio, T{sub {alpha}}/T{sub p} , anti-correlates with the helium ion abundance. Despite a relatively high collisional age and small wave power, the ratio T{sub {alpha}}/T{sub p} can reach comparatively high values (even above 2) whenever the helium ion abundance is below about 0.02. In contrast, the differential speed of alpha particles with respect to protons is correlated with the total wave power and anti-correlated with the collisional age. Ultimately, the individual heating of each ion species is positively correlated with the total wave power. Our findings suggest that a high-friction collision could be efficient in reducing the differential speed between alpha particles and protons, but appears not to be sufficient to equalize the alpha and proton temperatures, i.e., to make T{sub {alpha}} {approx_equal} T{sub p} . This is a hint that the local wave heating process is acting on a timescale shorter than the collision time.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

ACCELERATION, MAGNETIC FLUCTUATIONS, AND CROSS-FIELD TRANSPORT OF ENERGETIC ELECTRONS IN A SOLAR FLARE LOOP

Plasma turbulence is thought to be associated with various physical processes involved in solar flares, including magnetic reconnection, particle acceleration, and transport. Using RHESSI observations and the X-ray visibility analysis, we determine the spatial and spectral distributions of energetic electrons for a flare (GOES M3.7 class, 2002 April 14, 23:55 UT), which was previously found to be consistent with a reconnection scenario. It is demonstrated that because of the high density plasma in the loop, electrons have to be continuously accelerated about the loop apex of length {approx}2 x 10{sup 9} cm and width {approx}7 x 10{sup 8} cm. Energy-dependent transport of tens of keV electrons is observed to occur both along and across the guiding magnetic field of the loop. We show that the cross-field transport is consistent with the presence of magnetic turbulence in the loop, where electrons are accelerated, and estimate the magnitude of the field line diffusion coefficient for different phases of the flare. The energy density of magnetic fluctuations is calculated for given magnetic field correlation lengths and is larger than the energy density of the non-thermal electrons. The level of magnetic fluctuations peaks when the largest number of electrons is accelerated and is below detectability or absent at the decay phase. These hard X-ray observations provide the first observational evidence that magnetic turbulence governs the evolution of energetic electrons in a dense flaring loop and is suggestive of their turbulent acceleration.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

SLOW MAGNETOACOUSTIC WAVES IN TWO-RIBBON FLARES

We demonstrate that disturbances observed to propagate along the axis of the arcade in two-ribbon solar flares at the speed of a few tens of km s{sup -1}, well below the Alfven and sound speeds, can be interpreted in terms of slow magnetoacoustic waves. The waves can propagate across the magnetic field, parallel to the magnetic neutral line, because of the wave-guiding effect due to the reflection from the footpoints. The perpendicular group speed of the perturbation is found to be a fraction of the sound speed, which is consistent with observations. The highest value of the group speed grows with the increase in the ratio of the sound and Alfven speeds. For a broad range of parameters, the highest value of the group speed corresponds to the propagation angle of 25 deg. - 28 deg. to the magnetic field. This effect can explain the temporal and spatial structure of quasi-periodic pulsations observed in two-ribbon flares.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

A COLD, TENUOUS SOLAR FLARE: ACCELERATION WITHOUT HEATING

We report the observation of an unusual cold, tenuous solar flare, which reveals itself via numerous and prominent non-thermal manifestations, while lacking any noticeable thermal emission signature. RHESSI hard X-rays and 0.1-18 GHz radio data from OVSA and Phoenix-2 show copious electron acceleration (10{sup 35} electrons s{sup -1} above 10 keV) typical for GOES M-class flares with electrons energies up to 100 keV, but GOES temperatures not exceeding 6.1 MK. The imaging, temporal, and spectral characteristics of the flare have led us to a firm conclusion that the bulk of the microwave continuum emission from this flare was produced directly in the acceleration region. The implications of this finding for the flaring energy release and particle acceleration are discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

MEASUREMENT OF INTERMITTENCY OF ANISOTROPIC MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE IN HIGH-SPEED SOLAR WIND

We investigate the intermittency of anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in high-speed solar wind. Using the data recorded by the Ulysses spacecraft, we apply the Castaing function to model the probability density functions of the fluctuating magnetic field and calculate the magnetic structure functions (SFs) S{sup p} of the order p in the coordinates (r, {Theta}), with r being the length scale and {Theta} the direction of the local mean field. The scaling exponent {zeta}, from S{sup p} (r, {Theta}){proportional_to}r {sup {zeta}(p,{Theta})}, has an anomalous nonlinear dependence on p, implying the intermittent scaling of solar wind turbulence, which has been observed for decades. Furthermore, we study the anisotropy of solar wind turbulence introduced by the strong mean magnetic field. From S{sup p} ({Theta} = 0){proportional_to}S{sup p} ({Theta} = {pi}/2), we obtain r{sub perpendicular{proportional_to}r {sup {alpha}}p||} with {alpha}{sub p} = {zeta}{sub ||}/{zeta}{sub perpendicular} denoting the perpendicular-parallel spatial correlation of the moment of the pth order. For the magnetic field difference {delta}B, we find {alpha}{sub 2} = 1.78 {+-} 0.26, consistent with recent theories and observations. However, when the contribution from the intermittent fluctuations begins to dominate the scaling, {alpha} is not a constant but increases with p, e.g., {alpha}{sub 5} = 1.97 {+-} 0.41 and {alpha}{sub 8} {approx} 2.42 {+-} 0.64. This complication of the perpendicular-parallel spatial correlation due to the intermittency raises new questions for MHD turbulence theory.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS OF SIZES AND FLUXES DETERMINED FROM SUPRA-ARCADE DOWNFLOWS

The frequency distributions of sizes and fluxes of supra-arcade downflows (SADs) provide information about the process of their creation. For example, a fractal creation process may be expected to yield a power-law distribution of sizes and/or fluxes. We examine 120 cross-sectional areas and magnetic flux estimates found by Savage and McKenzie for SADs, and find that (1) the areas are consistent with a log-normal distribution and (2) the fluxes are consistent with both a log-normal and an exponential distribution. Neither set of measurements is compatible with a power-law distribution nor a normal distribution. As a demonstration of the applicability of these findings to improved understanding of reconnection, we consider a simple SAD growth scenario with minimal assumptions, capable of producing a log-normal distribution.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2011

FRAME DEPENDENCE OF THE ELECTRIC FIELD SPECTRUM OF SOLAR WIND TURBULENCE

We present the first survey of electric field data using the ARTEMIS spacecraft in the solar wind to study inertial range turbulence. It was found that the average perpendicular spectral index of the electric field depends on the frame of measurement. In the spacecraft frame it is -5/3, which matches the magnetic field due to the large solar wind speed in Lorentz transformation. In the mean solar wind frame, the electric field is primarily due to the perpendicular velocity fluctuations and has a spectral index slightly shallower than -3/2, which is close to the scaling of the velocity. These results are an independent confirmation of the difference in scaling between the velocity and magnetic field, which is not currently well understood. The spectral index of the compressive fluctuations was also measured and found to be close to -5/3, suggesting that they are not only passive to the velocity but may also interact nonlinearly with the magnetic field.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

NO EVIDENCE FOR HEATING OF THE SOLAR WIND AT STRONG CURRENT SHEETS

It has been conjectured that strong current sheets are the sites of proton heating in the solar wind. For the present study, a strong current sheet is defined by a >45{sup 0} rotation of the solar-wind magnetic-field direction in 128 s. A total of 194,070 strong current sheets at 1 AU are analyzed in the 1998-2010 ACE solar-wind data set. The proton temperature, proton specific entropy, and electron temperature at each current sheet are compared with the same quantities in the plasmas adjacent to the current sheet. Statistically, the plasma at the current sheets is not hotter or of higher entropy than the plasmas just outside the current sheets. This is taken as evidence that there is no significant localized heating of the solar-wind protons or electrons at strong current sheets. Current sheets are, however, found to be more prevalent in hotter solar-wind plasma. This is because more current sheets are counted in the fast solar wind than in the slow solar wind, and the fast solar wind is hotter than the slow solar wind.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2011

RESIDUAL ENERGY IN MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE

There is mounting evidence in solar wind observations and in numerical simulations that kinetic and magnetic energies are not in equipartition in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. The origin of their mismatch, the residual energy E{sub r} = E{sub v} - E{sub b} , is not understood well. In the present work this effect is studied analytically in the regime of weak MHD turbulence. We find that residual energy is spontaneously generated by turbulent dynamics, and it has a negative sign, in good agreement with the observations. We find that the residual energy condenses around k {sub ||} = 0 with its k {sub ||}-spectrum broadening linearly with k{sub perpendicular}, where k{sub ||} and k{sub perpendicular} are the wavenumbers parallel and perpendicular to the background magnetic field, and the field-perpendicular spectrum of the residual energy has the scaling E{sub r} (k{sub perpendicular}){proportional_to}k {sup -1}{sub perpendicular} in the inertial interval. These results are found to be in agreement with numerical simulations. We propose that residual energy plays a fundamental role in Alfvenic turbulence and it should be taken into account for the correct interpretation of observational and numerical data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗