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At least 415 records · Page 23
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DOE OSTI2010

SLOW SHOCKS AND CONDUCTION FRONTS FROM PETSCHEK RECONNECTION OF SKEWED MAGNETIC FIELDS: TWO-FLUID EFFECTS

In models of fast magnetic reconnection, flux transfer occurs within a small portion of a current sheet triggering stored magnetic energy to be thermalized by shocks. When the initial current sheet separates magnetic fields which are not perfectly anti-parallel, i.e., they are skewed, magnetic energy is first converted to bulk kinetic energy and then thermalized in slow magnetosonic shocks. We show that the latter resemble parallel shocks or hydrodynamic shocks for all skew angles except those very near the anti-parallel limit. As for parallel shocks, the structures of reconnection-driven slow shocks are best studied using two-fluid equations in which ions and electrons have independent temperature. Time-dependent solutions of these equations can be used to predict and understand the shocks from reconnection of skewed magnetic fields. The results differ from those found using a single-fluid model such as magnetohydrodynamics. In the two-fluid model, electrons are heated indirectly and thus carry a heat flux always well below the free-streaming limit. The viscous stress of the ions is, however, typically near the fluid-treatable limit. We find that for a wide range of skew angles and small plasma {beta} an electron conduction front extends ahead of the slow shock but remains within the outflow jet. In such cases, conduction will play a more limited role in driving chromospheric evaporation than has been predicted based on single-fluid, anti-parallel models.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2010

LOCALIZATION OF A TYPE III RADIO BURST OBSERVED BY THE STEREO SPACECRAFT

Ray tracing calculations show that (1) emissions from a localized source escape as direct and reflected waves along different paths, (2) the reflected waves experience higher attenuation and group delay because they travel longer path lengths in regions of reduced refractive index, and (3) widely separated spacecraft 'A' and 'B' can detect the direct as well as reflected emissions escaping along different directions. It is proposed that the source of a radio burst observed by twin spacecraft 'A' and 'B' can be localized if at a given frequency the emission at one of them is identified as the direct emission and is identified at the other as the reflected emission by comparing the observed time delays {Delta}T, as well as intensity ratios I{sub B} /I{sub A} with the corresponding values of the direct and reflected emissions obtained for a given coronal model. A type III event observed by the STEREO spacecraft 'A' and 'B' shows that its characteristics are consistent with direct and reflected emissions by being less intense and delayed at 'A' in comparison to that at 'B'. By applying the proposed technique to this event, the location of its source is found to lie between the turning point of the ray and the harmonic layer corresponding to f {sub pe} = f/2, where f and f {sub pe} are the frequency of the emission and the electron plasma frequency, respectively. The comparisons of the widths of the fundamental and harmonic emission cones with the angular separation of spacecraft 'A' and 'B' indicate that the mode of the observed emission is probably the harmonic.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

A UNIVERSAL LAW FOR SOLAR-WIND TURBULENCE AT ELECTRON SCALES

The interplanetary magnetic fluctuation spectrum obeys a Kolmogorovian power law at scales above the proton inertial length and gyroradius which is well regarded as an inertial range. Below these scales, a power-law index around -2.5 is often measured and associated with nonlinear dispersive processes. Recent observations reveal a third region at scales below the electron inertial length. This region is characterized by a steeper spectrum that some refer to as the dissipation range. We investigate this range of scales in the electron magnetohydrodynamic approximation and derive an exact and universal law for a third-order structure function. This law can predict a magnetic fluctuation spectrum with an index of -11/3 which is in agreement with the observed spectrum at the smallest scales. We conclude on the possible existence of a third turbulence regime in the solar wind instead of a dissipation range as recently postulated.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2010

CORONAL FARADAY ROTATION FLUCTUATIONS AND A WAVE/TURBULENCE-DRIVEN MODEL OF THE SOLAR WIND

Some recent models for coronal heating and the origin of the solar wind postulate that the source of energy and momentum consists of Alfven waves of solar origin dissipating via MHD turbulence. We use one of these models to predict the level of Faraday rotation fluctuations (FRFs) that should be imposed on radio signals passing through the corona. This model has the virtue of specifying the correlation length of the turbulence, knowledge of which is essential for calculating the FRFs; previous comparisons of observed FRFs with models suffered from the fact that the correlation length had to be guessed. We compare the predictions with measurements of FRFs obtained by the Helios radio experiment during occultations in 1975 through 1977, close to solar minimum. We show that only a small fraction of the FRFs are produced by density fluctuations; the bulk of the FRFs must be produced by coronal magnetic field fluctuations. The observed FRFs have periods of hours, suggesting that they are related to Alfven waves which are observed in situ by spacecraft throughout the solar wind; other evidence also suggests that the FRFs are due to coronal Alfven waves. We choose a model field line in an equatorial streamer which has background electron concentrations that match those inferred from the Helios occultation data. The predicted FRFs are found to agree very well with the Helios data. If the FRFs are in fact produced by Alfven waves with the assumed correlation length, our analysis leads us to conclude that wave-turbulence models should continue to be pursued with vigor. But since we cannot prove that the FRFs are produced by Alfven waves, we state the more conservative conclusion, still subject to the correctness of the assumed correlation length, that the corona contains long-period magnetic fluctuations with sufficient energy to heat the corona and drive the solar wind.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

RECONSTRUCTING CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS WITH COORDINATED IMAGING AND IN SITU OBSERVATIONS: GLOBAL STRUCTURE, KINEMATICS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING

We reconstruct the global structure and kinematics of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) using coordinated imaging and in situ observations from multiple vantage points. A forward modeling technique, which assumes a rope-like morphology for CMEs, is used to determine the global structure (including orientation and propagation direction) from coronagraph observations. We reconstruct the corresponding structure from in situ measurements at 1 AU with the Grad-Shafranov method, which gives the flux-rope orientation, cross section, and a rough knowledge of the propagation direction. CME kinematics (propagation direction and radial distance) during the transit from the Sun to 1 AU are studied with a geometric triangulation technique, which provides an unambiguous association between solar observations and in situ signatures; a track fitting approach is invoked when data are available from only one spacecraft. We show how the results obtained from imaging and in situ data can be compared by applying these methods to the 2007 November 14-16 and 2008 December 12 CMEs. This merged imaging and in situ study shows important consequences and implications for CME research as well as space weather forecasting: (1) CME propagation directions can be determined to a relatively good precision as shown by the consistency between different methods; (2) the geometric triangulation technique shows a promising capability to link solar observations with corresponding in situ signatures at 1 AU and to predict CME arrival at the Earth; (3) the flux rope within CMEs, which has the most hazardous southward magnetic field, cannot be imaged at large distances due to expansion; (4) the flux-rope orientation derived from in situ measurements at 1 AU may have a large deviation from that determined by coronagraph image modeling; and (5) we find, for the first time, that CMEs undergo a westward migration with respect to the Sun-Earth line at their acceleration phase, which we suggest is a universal feature produced by the magnetic field connecting the Sun and ejecta. The importance of having dedicated spacecraft at L4 and L5, which are well situated for the triangulation concept, is also discussed based on the results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

CHROMOSPHERIC SIGNATURES OF SMALL-SCALE FLUX EMERGENCE AS OBSERVED WITH NEW SOLAR TELESCOPE AND HINODE INSTRUMENTS

With the ever-increasing influx of high-resolution images of the solar surface obtained at a multitude of wavelengths, various processes occurring at small spatial scales have become a greater focus of our attention. Complex small-scale magnetic fields have been reported that appear to have enough stored energy to heat the chromosphere. While significant progress has been made in understanding small-scale phenomena, many specifics remain elusive. We present here a detailed study of a single event of disappearance of a magnetic dipole and associated chromospheric activity. Based on New Solar Telescope H{alpha} data and Hinode photospheric line-of-sight magnetograms and Ca II H images, we report the following. (1) Our analysis indicates that even very small dipoles (elements separated by about 0.''5 or less) may reach the chromosphere and trigger non-negligible chromospheric activity. (2) Careful consideration of the magnetic environment where the new flux is deposited may shed light on the details of magnetic flux removal from the solar surface. We argue that the apparent collision and disappearance of two opposite polarity elements may not necessarily indicate their cancellation (i.e., reconnection, emergence of a 'U' tube, or submergence of {Omega} loops). In our case, the magnetic dipole disappeared by reconnecting with overlying large-scale inclined plage fields. (3) Bright points (BPs) seen in off-band H{alpha} images are very well correlated with the Ca II H BPs, which in turn are cospatial with G-band BPs. We further speculate that, in general, H{alpha} BPs are expected to be cospatial with photospheric BPs; however, a direct comparison is needed to refine their relationship.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

STATISTICS OF FLARING LOOPS OBSERVED BY THE NOBEYAMA RADIOHELIOGRAPH. III. ASYMMETRY OF TWO FOOTPOINT EMISSIONS

Two footpoint (FP) emissions are compared in a total of 24 events with loop-like structures imaged by the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH), which are divided into two groups: when the optically thin radio spectrum in the looptop is harder than those in the two FPs (group 1) and when it is softer than those in at least one FP (group 2). There are always correlative variations of the brightness temperatures and polarization degrees, the spectral indices, the column densities of nonthermal electrons, and magnetic field strengths in the two FPs. The maximum differences of these parameters in the two FPs may reach one or two orders of magnitude (except the polarization degree). The logarithm of the ratio of the magnetic field strengths in the two FPs is always anti-correlated with the logarithms of the ratios of the brightness temperatures in the two FPs, but correlated with the differences of the spectral indices in the two FPs. Only two anti-correlations exist in group 1, between the difference of the absolute polarization degrees in the two FPs and the logarithm of the ratio of the brightness temperatures in the two FPs and between the difference of the spectral indices in the two FPs and the logarithm of the ratio of the column densities of nonthermal electrons in the two FPs. Only two positive correlations appear in group 1, between the difference of the absolute polarization degrees in the two FPs and the relative ratio of magnetic field strengths in the two FPs and between the logarithm of the ratio of the column densities of nonthermal electrons in the two FPs and the logarithm of the ratio of the brightness temperatures in the two FPs. These four statistics in group 2 are just opposite to those in group 1, which may be directly explained by gyrosynchrotron theory. Moreover, the asymmetry of the two FP emissions in group 2 is more evident than that in group 1, which may be explained by two kinds of flare models, respectively, in the two groups of events, i.e., the energy release above a single loop (group 1) and in the coalescence of two flaring loops (group 2). The asymmetry of the two FP emissions cannot simply be explained by the mirroring effect, but it may strongly depend on the asymmetry of the initial pitch angles of nonthermal electrons in the two FPs. The normal or abnormal events are defined as whether a stronger emission corresponds to a stronger or weaker polarization in the two FPs, with a comparable proportion of the normal and abnormal events in the two groups.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

COMPARING SHOCKS IN PLANETARY NEBULAE WITH THE SOLAR WIND TERMINATION SHOCK

We show that suprathermal particles, termed pick-up ions (PUIs), might reduce the postshock temperature of the fast wind and jets in some planetary nebulae (PNs) and in symbiotic systems. The goal is to explain the finding that the temperature of the 'hot bubble' formed by the postshock gas in some PNs and symbiotic nebulae is lower, sometimes by more than an order of magnitude, than the value expected from simple hydrodynamical calculations. Although various explanations have been proposed, there is as yet no preferred solution for this 'low temperature problem'. PUIs have been invoked to explain the low temperature behind the termination shock of the solar wind. While in the case of the solar wind the neutral atoms that turn into PUIs penetrate the preshock solar wind region from the interstellar medium, in PNs the PUI source is more likely slowly moving clumps embedded in the fast wind or jets. These clumps are formed by instabilities or from backflowing cold gas. Our estimates indicate that in young PNs these PUIs will thermalize before leaving the system. Only in older PNs whose sizes exceed {approx}5000 AU and for which the fast wind mass loss rate is M-dot{sub w{approx}}<10{sup -7} M-sun yr{sup -1} do we expect the PUIs to be an efficient carrier of energy out of the postshock region (the hot bubble).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

ALFVEN SIMPLE WAVES: EULER POTENTIALS AND MAGNETIC HELICITY

The magnetic helicity characteristics of fully nonlinear, multi-dimensional Alfven simple waves are investigated, by using relative helicity formulae and also by using an approach involving poloidal and toroidal decomposition of the magnetic field and magnetic vector potential. Different methods to calculate the magnetic vector potential are used, including the homotopy and Biot-Savart formulae. Two basic Alfven modes are identified: (1) the plane one-dimensional Alfven simple wave given in standard texts, in which the Alfven wave propagates along the z-axis with wave phase {psi} = k{sub 0}(z - {lambda}t), where k{sub 0} is the wave number and {lambda} is the group velocity of the wave and (2) the generalized Barnes simple Alfven wave in which the wave normal n moves in a circle in the xy-plane perpendicular to the mean field, which is directed along the z-axis. The plane Alfven wave (1) is analogous to the slab Alfven mode and the generalized Barnes solution (2) is analogous to the two-dimensional mode in Alfvenic, incompressible turbulence. The helicity characteristics of these two basic Alfven modes are distinct. The helicity characteristics of more general multi-dimensional simple Alfven waves are also investigated. Applications to nonlinear Alfvenic fluctuations and structures observed in the solar wind are discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2011

GALEX FUV OBSERVATIONS OF COMET C/2004 Q2 (MACHHOLZ): THE IONIZATION LIFETIME OF CARBON

We present a measurement of the lifetime of ground state atomic carbon, C({sup 3}P), against ionization processes in interplanetary space and compare it to the lifetime expected from the dominant physical processes likely to occur in this medium. Our measurement is based on analysis of a far ultraviolet (FUV) image of comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) recorded by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) on 2005 March 1. The bright C I 1561 A and 1657 A multiplets dominate the GALEX FUV band. We used the image to create high signal-to-noise ratio radial profiles that extended beyond 1 x 10{sup 6} km from the comet nucleus. Our measurements yielded a total carbon lifetime of (7.1-9.6) x 10{sup 5} s (ionization rate of (1.0-1.4) x 10{sup -6} s{sup -1}) when scaled to 1 AU. This compares favorably to calculations assuming solar photoionization, solar wind proton change exchange, and solar wind electron impact ionization are the dominant processes occurring in this medium and that comet Machholz was embedded in the slow solar wind. The shape of the C I profiles inside 3 x 10{sup 5} km suggests that either the CO lifetime is shorter than previously thought and/or a shorter-lived carbon-bearing parent molecule, such as CH{sub 4}, is providing the majority of the carbon in this region of the coma of comet Machholz.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

SUPERSONIC DOWNFLOWS AT THE UMBRA-PENUMBRA BOUNDARY OF SUNSPOTS

High-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of three sunspots taken with Hinode demonstrate the existence of supersonic downflows at or close to the umbra-penumbra boundary which have not been reported before. These downflows are confined to large patches, usually encompassing bright penumbral filaments, and have lifetimes of more than 14 hr. The presence of strong downflows in the center-side penumbra near the umbra rules out an association with the Evershed flow. Chromospheric filtergrams acquired close to the time of the spectropolarimetric measurements show large, strong, and long-lived brightenings in the neighborhood of the downflows. The photospheric intensity also exhibits persistent brightenings comparable to the quiet Sun. Interestingly, the orientation of the penumbral filaments at the site of the downflows is similar to that resulting from the reconnection process described by Ryutova et al. The existence of such downflows in the inner penumbra represents a challenge for numerical models of sunspots because they have to explain them in terms of physical processes likely affecting the chromosphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

NONLINEAR THREE-DIMENSIONAL MAGNETOCONVECTION AROUND MAGNETIC FLUX TUBES

Magnetic flux in the solar photosphere forms concentrations from small scales, such as flux elements, to large scales, such as sunspots. This paper presents a study of the decay process of large magnetic flux tubes, such as sunspots, on a supergranular scale. Three-dimensional nonlinear resistive magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations are performed in a cylindrical domain, initialized with axisymmetric solutions that consist of a well-defined central flux tube and an annular convection cell surrounding it. As the nonlinear convection evolves, the annular cell breaks up into many cells in the azimuthal direction, allowing magnetic flux to slip between cells away from the central flux tube (turbulent erosion). This lowers magnetic pressure in the central tube, and convection grows inside the tube, possibly becoming strong enough to push the tube apart. A remnant of the central flux tube persists with nonsymmetric perturbations caused by the convection surrounding it. Secondary flux concentrations form between convection cells away from the central tube. Tube decay is dependent on the convection around the tube. Convection cells forming inside the tube as time-dependent outflows will remove magnetic flux. (This is most pronounced for small tubes.) Flux is added to the tube when flux caught in the surrounding convection is pushed toward it. The tube persists when convection inside the tube is sufficiently suppressed by the remaining magnetic field. All examples of persistent tubes have the same effective magnetic field strength, consistent with the observation that pores and sunspot umbrae all have roughly the same magnetic field strength.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

SUCCESSIVE MERGING OF PLASMOIDS AND FRAGMENTATION IN A FLARE CURRENT SHEET AND THEIR X-RAY AND RADIO SIGNATURES

Based on our recent MHD simulations, a conception of the successive merging of plasmoids and fragmentation in the current sheet in the standard flare model is presented. Then, using a 2.5-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell model with free boundary conditions, these processes are modeled on the kinetic level of plasma description. We recognize the plasmoids that mutually interacted and finally merged into one large plasmoid. Between interacting plasmoids, additional plasmoids and current sheets on smaller spatial scales were formed, congruent with the fragmentation found in MHD simulations. During interactions (merging-coalescences) between the plasmoids, the electrons were very efficiently accelerated and heated. We find that after a series of such merging processes, the electrons in some regions reached the energies necessary for emission in the hard X-ray range. Considering these energetic electrons and assuming a plasma density of 10{sup 9}-10{sup 10} cm{sup -3} and a source volume equal to the 2007 December 31 flare, we compute the X-ray spectra as produced by the bremsstrahlung emission process. Comparing these spectra with observations, we think that these processes can explain the observed above-the-loop-top hard X-ray sources. Furthermore, we show that the process of fragmentation between two merging plasmoids can generate narrow-band dm-spikes. Formulae for schematic fractal reconnection structures are derived.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF TWO GAMMA-RAY EMISSION COMPONENTS FROM THE QUIESCENT SUN

We report the detection of high-energy {gamma}-rays from the quiescent Sun with the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope (Fermi) during the first 18 months of the mission. These observations correspond to the recent period of low solar activity when the emission induced by cosmic rays (CRs) is brightest. For the first time, the high statistical significance of the observations allows clear separation of the two components: the point-like emission from the solar disk due to CR cascades in the solar atmosphere and extended emission from the inverse Compton (IC) scattering of CR electrons on solar photons in the heliosphere. The observed integral flux ({>=}100 MeV) from the solar disk is (4.6 {+-} 0.2[statistical error]{sup +1.0}{sub -0.8}[systematic error]) x 10{sup -7} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1}, which is {approx}7 times higher than predicted by the 'nominal' model of Seckel et al. In contrast, the observed integral flux ({>=}100 MeV) of the extended emission from a region of 20 deg. radius centered on the Sun, but excluding the disk itself, (6.8 {+-} 0.7[stat.]{sup +0.5}{sub -0.4}[syst.]) x 10{sup -7} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1}, along with the observed spectrum and the angular profile, is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions for the IC emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

MAGNETOACOUSTIC WAVE ENERGY FROM NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF AN OBSERVED SUNSPOT UMBRA

We aim at reproducing the height dependence of sunspot wave signatures obtained from spectropolarimetric observations through three-dimensional MHD numerical simulations. A magnetostatic sunspot model based on the properties of the observed sunspot is constructed and perturbed at the photosphere, introducing the fluctuations measured with the Si I {lambda}10827 line. The results of the simulations are compared with the oscillations observed simultaneously at different heights from the He I {lambda}10830 line, the Ca II H core, and the Fe I blends in the wings of the Ca II H line. The simulations show a remarkable agreement with the observations. They reproduce the velocity maps and power spectra at the formation heights of the observed lines, as well as the phase and amplification spectra between several pairs of lines. We find that the stronger shocks at the chromosphere are accompanied with a delay between the observed signal and the simulated one at the corresponding height, indicating that shocks shift the formation height of the chromospheric lines to higher layers. Since the simulated wave propagation matches very well the properties of the observed one, we are able to use the numerical calculations to quantify the energy contribution of the magnetoacoustic waves to the chromospheric heating in sunspots. Our findings indicate that the energy supplied by these waves is too low to balance the chromospheric radiative losses. The energy contained at the formation height of the lowermost Si I {lambda}10827 line in the form of slow magnetoacoustic waves is already insufficient to heat the higher layers, and the acoustic energy which reaches the chromosphere is around 3-9 times lower than the required amount of energy. The contribution of the magnetic energy is even lower.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

CAN OVERTURNING MOTIONS IN PENUMBRAL FILAMENTS BE DETECTED?

Numerical simulations indicate that the filamentation of sunspot penumbrae and the associated systematic outflow (the Evershed effect) are due to convectively driven fluid motions constrained by the inclined magnetic field. We investigate whether these motions, in particular the upflows in the bright filaments and the downflows at their edges, can be reliably observed with existing instrumentation. We use a snapshot from a sunspot simulation to calculate two-dimensional maps of synthetic line profiles for the spectral lines Fe I 7090.4 A and C I 5380.34 A. The maps are spatially and spectrally degraded according to typical instrument properties. Line-of-sight velocities are determined from line bisector shifts. We find that the detectability of the convective flows is strongly affected by spatial smearing, particularly so for the downflows. Furthermore, the line-of-sight velocities are dominated by the Evershed flow unless the observation is made very near the disk center. These problems may have compromised recent attempts to detect overturning penumbral convection. Lines with a low formation height are best suited for detecting the convective flows.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

CO-ANALYSIS OF SOLAR MICROWAVE AND HARD X-RAY SPECTRAL EVOLUTIONS. II. IN THREE SOURCES OF A FLARING LOOP

Based on the spatially resolvable data of the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and Nobeyama Radio Heliograph (NoRH), co-analysis of solar hard X-ray and microwave spectral evolution is performed in three separate sources located in one looptop (LT) and two footpoints (FPs) of a huge flaring loop in the 2003 October 24 flare. The RHESSI image spectral evolution in 10-100 keV is always fitted by the well-known soft-hard-soft (SHS) pattern in the three sources. When the total energy is divided into four intervals similar to the Yohkoh/Hard X-ray Telescope, i.e., 12.5-32.5 keV, 32.5-52.5 keV, 52.5-72.5 keV, and 72.5-97.5 keV, the SHS pattern in lower energies is converted gradually to the hard-soft-hard (HSH) pattern in higher energies in all three sources. However, the break energy in the LT and the northeast FP ({approx}32.5 keV) is evidently smaller than that in the southwest FP ({approx}72.5 keV). Regarding microwave spectral evolution of the NoRH data, the well-known soft-hard-harder pattern appeared in the southwest FP, while the HSH pattern coexisted in the LT and the northeast FP. The different features of the hard X-ray and microwave spectral evolutions in the three sources may be explained by the loop-loop interaction with another huge loop in the LT and with a compact loop in the northeast FP, where the trapping effect is much stronger than that in the southwest FP. The comparison between the LT and FP spectral indices suggests that the radiation mechanism of X-rays may be quite different in different energy intervals and sources. The calculated electron spectral indices from the predicted mechanisms of X-rays gradually become closer to those from the microwave data with increasing X-ray energies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

PHOTOSPHERIC SIGNATURES OF GRANULAR-SCALE FLUX EMERGENCE AND CANCELLATION AT THE PENUMBRAL BOUNDARY

We studied flux emergence events of sub-granular scale in a solar active region. The New Solar Telescope (NST) of the Big Bear Solar Observatory made it possible to clearly observe the photospheric signature of flux emergence with very high spatial (0.''11 at 7057 A) and temporal (15 s) resolution. From TiO observations with the pixel scale of 0.''0375, we found several elongated granule-like features (GLFs) stretching from the penumbral filaments of a sunspot at a relatively high speed of over 4 km s{sup -1}. After a slender arched darkening appeared at the tip of a penumbral filament, a bright point (BP) developed and quickly moved away from the filament, forming and stretching a GLF. The size of a GLF was approximately 0.''5 wide and 3'' long. The moving BP encountered nearby structures after several minutes of stretching, and the well-defined elongated shape of the GLF faded away. Magnetograms from the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager and NST/InfraRed Imaging Magnetograph revealed that those GLFs are photospheric indicators of small-scale flux emergence, and their disappearance is related to magnetic cancellation. From two well-observed events, we describe detailed development of the sub-structures of GLFs and different cancellation processes that each of the two GLFs underwent.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗