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At least 451 records · Page 25

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NASA NTRS1994

VLA stereoscopy of solar active regions. 1: Method and tests

We develop a new technique for extracting three-dimensional information from multiday solar Very Large Array (VLA) observations. While standard stereoscopic methods provide a three-dimensional view of an object by combining simultaneous observations from two different aspect angles, we relax the condition of simultaneity and exploit solar rotation to vary the aspect angle. The solar radio images are decomposed into Gaussian source components, which are then cross-correlated in maps from preceding and following days. This provides measurements of the three-dimensional position of correlated source centroids. In this first paper, we describe the stereoscopic method and perform tests with simulated and real radio maps (from the VLA at 20 cm), in order to study the accuracy of altitude measurements, and the limitations introduced by (i) source confusion, (ii) source motion, and (iii) the assumed differential rotation rate. The tests demonstrate that (i) the information content of a VLA map relevant for stereoscopic correlation can be conveniently represented in terms of a small number of Gaussian components; (ii) the fitting of the three-dimensional source position is stable within a numerical accuracy of less than or approximately equal to 0.02 map pixels, (iii) the relative accuracy of the altitude determination is uniform over the solar disk, and (iv) source confusion does not affect the accuracy of stereoscopic position measurements for sources with a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than or approximately equal to 36.

Aschwanden, Markus J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Simultaneous Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and Very Large Array (VLA) observations of solar active regions

Very Large Array observations at 20 cm wavelength can detect the hot coronal plasma previously observed at soft x ray wavelengths. Thermal cyclotron line emission was detected at the apex of coronal loops where the magnetic field strength is relatively constant. Detailed comparison of simultaneous Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) Satellite and VLA data indicate that physical parameters such as electron temperature, electron density, and magnetic field strength can be obtained, but that some coronal loops remain invisible in either spectral domain. The unprecedent spatial resolution of the VLA at 20 cm wavelength showed that the precursor, impulsive, and post-flare components of solar bursts originate in nearby, but separate loops or systems of loops.. In some cases preburst heating and magnetic changes are observed from loops tens of minutes prior to the impulsive phase. Comparisons with soft x ray images and spectra and with hard x ray data specify the magnetic field strength and emission mechanism of flaring coronal loops. At the longer 91 cm wavelength, the VLA detected extensive emission interpreted as a hot 10(exp 5) K interface between cool, dense H alpha filaments and the surrounding hotter, rarefield corona. Observations at 91 cm also provide evidence for time-correlated bursts in active regions on opposite sides of the solar equator; they are attributed to flare triggering by relativistic particles that move along large-scale, otherwise-invisible, magnetic conduits that link active regions in opposite hemispheres of the Sun.

Willson, Robert F.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Correlations between solar activity and operationally determined satellite drag variation parameters

Operational orbit determination of the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) and the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) spacecraft using the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) in the Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has yielded an orbit solution data base of 3 years for ERBS and 8 years for SMM. One of the parameters in each data base is the drag variation parameter used in the GTDS atmospheric drag model; this parameter is solved routinely to accommodate the different atmospheric densities as they are encountered solution to solution. These two data bases of the drag variation parameter solutions are analyzed to evaluate correlations in the variations of the parameter with changes in the 10.7-cm wavelength solar flux, F10.7, and the geomagnetic index. The data for SMM span a wider range of solar flux values and show a stronger correlation. The data for ERBS, which is at a higher altitude and inclination than SMM, show a significant degree of scatter. For both satellites, the data indicate that changes in the drag variation parameter are more strongly correlated with the F10.7 solar flux than with the geomagnetic index. Correlations with the geomagnetic index are apparent only for severe geomagnetic storm conditions. Results from this analysis enhance the understanding of the drag model and the accommodation density variations in operational orbit determination support.

Smith, E. A.↗

NASA NTRS2017

The MSFC Solar Activity Future Estimation (MSAFE) Model

The Natural Environments Branch of the Engineering Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) provides solar cycle forecasts for NASA space flight programs and the aerospace community. These forecasts provide future statistical estimates of sunspot number, solar radio 10.7 cm flux (F10.7), and the geomagnetic planetary index, Ap, for input to various space environment models. For example, many thermosphere density computer models used in spacecraft operations, orbital lifetime analysis, and the planning of future spacecraft missions require as inputs the F10.7 and Ap. The solar forecast is updated each month by executing MSAFE using historical and the latest month's observed solar indices to provide estimates for the balance of the current solar cycle. The forecasted solar indices represent the 13-month smoothed values consisting of a best estimate value stated as a 50 percentile value along with approximate +/- 2 sigma values stated as 95 and 5 percentile statistical values. This presentation will give an overview of the MSAFE model and the forecast for the current solar cycle.

Suggs, Ron↗

NASA NTRS2017

The MSFC Solar Activity Future Estimation (MSAFE) Model

Suggs, Ron↗

NASA NTRS2017

The MSFC Solar Activity Future Estimation (MSAFE) Model

Suggs, Ron↗

NASA NTRS1975

High energy gamma-ray radiation above 300 keV associated with solar activity

The present state of knowledge about the production of gamma-ray lines and continuum during the impulsive phase of solar flares is reviewed. It is noted that the only definite evidence for gamma rays associated with solar flares was obtained by OSO 7 during the events of August 4 and 7, 1972. This experimental evidence is examined, and gamma-ray line emission mechanisms are discussed, particularly positron annihilation through positronium formation. It is shown that if all the data are taken into account, neither the preflare nor the postflare accumulation model for gamma-ray emission can be ruled out.

Chupp, E. L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Abundance variations in solar active regions

The diversity in the published values of coronal abundances is unsettling, especially as the range of results seems to be beyond the quoted uncertainties. Measurements of the relative abundance of iron and neon derived from soft X-ray spectra of active regions are presented. From a data base of over 200 spectra taken by the Solar Maximum Mission Flat Crystal Spectrometer, it is found that the relative abundance can vary by as much as a factor of about 7 and can change on timescales of less than 1 h.

Strong, K. T.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Measurement and interpretation of magnetic shear in solar active regions

In this paper a summary and synthesis are presented for results on the role of magnetic shear in the flare process that have been derived from the series of Flare Buildup Study Workshops in the Solar Maximum Analysis program. With emphasis on observations, the mechanisms that seem to produce the sheared magnetic configurations observed in flaring active regions are discussed. The spatial and temporal correlations of this shear with the onset of solar flares are determined from quantitative analyses of measurements of the vector magnetic field. The question of why some areas of sheared magnetic fields are the sites of flares and others are not is investigated observationally.

Hagyard, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Relationship between solar activities and thunderstorm activities in the Beijing area and the northeast region of China

An analysis of the relationship between the IMF section boundary crossing, solar flares, the sunspot 11 year cycle variation and the thunderstorm index is given, using the superposition epoch method, for data from more than 13,000 thunderstorms from 10 meteorological stations in the Beijing area and the Northeast region during 1957 to 1978. The results show that for some years a correlation exists between the thunderstorm index and the positive IMF section boundary crossing. The thunderstorm index increases obviously within three days near the crossing and on the seventh day after the crossing. The influence of the crossing on thunderstorms is stronger in the first half year than the latter half year. For different classes of solar flares, the influences are not equally obvious. The solar flares which appeared on the west side, especially in the western region (from 0 to 30 deg) have the most obvious influence. There is no discernible correlation between the thunderstorm index and the sunspot eleven-year cycle.

Zhuang, Hong C.↗

NASA NTRS1994

VLA stereoscopy of solar active regions. 2: Altitude, relative motion, and center-to-limb darkening of 20 centimeter emission

A newly developed method of stereoscopic correlation is applied to solar radio maps at a wavelength of 20 cm. On the basis of stereoscopic correlations between radio maps obtained on 6 different days we establish the presence of 66 radio source components associated with 22 active regions. We find the following statistical results for active region source structures at 20 cm: 1. The observed lifetime is consistent with an exponential distribution having an e-folding time scale of greater than 18 days. 2. The average altitude of 20 cm sources is 25 +/- 15 Mm; 90% of the sources are found in heights less than 40 Mm. 3. The average diameter of discrete source structures is 48 +/- 15 Mm, implying a vertical/horizontal aspect ratio of q(sub A) approx. = 0.5. 4. No significant source motion has been found with respect to the standard differential rotation rate of Omega = 13.45 deg - ((3 deg (sin(exp 2)B)). 5. We find a statistical limb darkening, which can be described by the relation (T(sub B)(alpha))/T(sub B)(0)) = 0.4 + ((0.6(cos(exp 2) alpha)) for sources with T(sub B) greater than 0.5 MK. 6. The degree of source polarization is 15% +/- 10% and is independent of source location. 7. Bright sources (greater than or approximately equal to 0.5 MK), or equivalently, long-lived sources (greater than or approximately equal to 5 days) show a systematic variation of their altitude as function of the center-limb distance.

Aschwanden, Markus J.↗

DOE OSTI2014

On the area expansion of magnetic flux tubes in solar active regions

We calculated the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of the area expansion factors in a potential magnetic field, extrapolated from the high-resolution Hinode/SOT magnetogram of the quiescent active region NOAA 11482. Retaining only closed loops within the computational box, we show that the distribution of area expansion factors show significant structure. Loop-like structures characterized by locally lower values of the expansion factor are embedded in a smooth background. These loop-like flux tubes have squashed cross-sections and expand with height. The distribution of the expansion factors show an overall increase with height, allowing an active region core characterized by low values of the expansion factor to be distinguished. The area expansion factors obtained from extrapolation of the Solar Optical Telescope magnetogram are compared to those obtained from an approximation of the observed magnetogram by a series of 134 submerged charges. This approximation retains the general flux distribution in the observed magnetogram, but removes the small-scale structure in both the approximated magnetogram and the 3D distribution of the area expansion factors. We argue that the structuring of the expansion factor can be a significant ingredient in producing the observed structuring of the solar corona. However, due to the potential approximation used, these results may not be applicable to loops exhibiting twist or to active regions producing significant flares.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1987

X-ray photographs of a solar active region with a multilayer telescope at normal incidence

An astronomical photograph was obtained with a multilayer X-ray telescope. A 4-cm tungsten-carbon multilayer mirror was flown as part of an experimental solar rocket payload, and successful images were taken of the sun at normal incidence at a wavelength of 44 A. Coronal Si XII emission from an active region was recorded on film; as expected, the structure is very similar to that observed at O VIII wavelengths by the Solar Maximum Mission flat-crystal spectrometer at the same time. The small, simple optical system used in this experiment appears to have achieved a resolution of 5 to 10 arcsec.

Underwood, J. H.↗

DOE OSTI2014

Formation of a double-decker magnetic flux rope in the sigmoidal solar active region 11520

In this paper, we address the formation of a magnetic flux rope (MFR) that erupted on 2012 July 12 and caused a strong geomagnetic storm event on July 15. Through analyzing the long-term evolution of the associated active region observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, it is found that the twisted field of an MFR, indicated by a continuous S-shaped sigmoid, is built up from two groups of sheared arcades near the main polarity inversion line a half day before the eruption. The temperature within the twisted field and sheared arcades is higher than that of the ambient volume, suggesting that magnetic reconnection most likely works there. The driver behind the reconnection is attributed to shearing and converging motions at magnetic footpoints with velocities in the range of 0.1-0.6 km s{sup –1}. The rotation of the preceding sunspot also contributes to the MFR buildup. Extrapolated three-dimensional non-linear force-free field structures further reveal the locations of the reconnection to be in a bald-patch region and in a hyperbolic flux tube. About 2 hr before the eruption, indications of a second MFR in the form of an S-shaped hot channel are seen. It lies above the original MFR that continuously exists and includes a filament. The whole structure thus makes up a stable double-decker MFR system for hours prior to the eruption. Eventually, after entering the domain of instability, the high-lying MFR impulsively erupts to generate a fast coronal mass ejection and X-class flare; while the low-lying MFR remains behind and continuously maintains the sigmoidicity of the active region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1995

New model of iron spectra in the extreme ultraviolet and application to SERTS and EUV observations: A solar active region and capella

We report new predictions for the EUV spectral emission of FeIX-FeXXIV, based on data now available from the Solar EUV Rocket Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS) and the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) spectrometers. The iron spectral emission model is the first result of a larger effort to revise the Raymond & Smith model and to update the atomic rates. We present here predicted emissivities for selected densities and temperatures applicable to various astrophysical plasmas. Comparisons of our predicted spectra with two recent observations provide important tests of the atomic data. They also test to some extent some basic assumptions of coronal emission codes: optically thin spectral lines and ionization equilibrium.

Brickhouse, N. S.↗

DOE OSTI2016

MINIFILAMENT ERUPTIONS THAT DRIVE CORONAL JETS IN A SOLAR ACTIVE REGION

We present observations of eruptive events in an active region adjacent to an on-disk coronal hole on 2012 June 30, primarily using data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory ( SDO )/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), SDO /Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), and STEREO - B . One eruption is of a large-scale (∼100″) filament that is typical of other eruptions, showing slow-rise onset followed by a faster-rise motion starting as flare emissions begin. It also shows an “EUV crinkle” emission pattern, resulting from magnetic reconnections between the exploding filament-carrying field and surrounding field. Many EUV jets, some of which are surges, sprays and/or X-ray jets, also occur in localized areas of the active region. We examine in detail two relatively energetic ones, accompanied by GOES M1 and C1 flares, and a weaker one without a GOES signature. All three jets resulted from small-scale (∼20″) filament eruptions consistent with a slow rise followed by a fast rise occurring with flare-like jet-bright-point brightenings. The two more-energetic jets showed crinkle patters, but the third jet did not, perhaps due to its weakness. Thus all three jets were consistent with formation via erupting minifilaments, analogous to large-scale filament eruptions and to X-ray jets in polar coronal holes. Several other energetic jets occurred in a nearby portion of the active region; while their behavior was also consistent with their source being minifilament eruptions, we could not confirm this because their onsets were hidden from our view. Magnetic flux cancelation and emergence are candidates for having triggered the minifilament eruptions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1989

Design of the polarimeter for the Solar Activity Measurements Experiments (SAMEX) vector magnetograph

A design concept developed for a polarimeter on the vector magnetograph of the SAMEX satellite that would be very sensitive to solar vector magnetic fields is described. A description of the Poincare sphere is presented, along with the instrument scientific requirements, to provide an understanding of how the polarimeter design has been selected. It is shown that the design goal of a polarimetric sensitivity of 0.0001 can be achieved in the linear measurements using a hybrid analyzer. It is also noted that the systematic errors that produce linear crosstalk into the circular measurement will require the use of the redundant polarization measurements for in-flight calibrations and corrections of the data.

West, E. A.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Seismic Study of the Solar Interior: Inferences from SOI/MDI Observations During Solar Activity

We have continued in collaboration with Dr. Eff-Darwich (University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain) the study of the structure, asphericity and dynamics of the solar interior from p-mode frequencies and frequency splittings. In March 2001, Dr. Eff-Darwich came for 3 weeks visit to CfA. During this visit we completed our work on the inversion of the internal solar rotation rate, and submitted a paper describing this work to the Astrophysical Journal. This paper has been recently revised in response to the referee comments and I expect that it will be accepted for publication very soon. We also have analyzed helioseismic data looking for temporal variations of the solar stratification near the base of the convection zone. We have expanded on the initial work that was presented at the SOHO-10/GONG-2000 meeting (October 2000, Tenerife), and are in the process of writing this up. Substantial progress towards the characterization of high-degree p-modes has been achieved. Indeed, in collaboration Dr. Rabello-Soares (Stanford University), we have gained a clear conceptual understanding of the various elements that affect the leakage matrix of the SOI/MDI instrument. This was presented in an invited talk at the SOHO-10/GONG-2000 meeting (October 2000, Tenerife). Once we will have successfully migrated from a qualitative to a quantitative assessment of these effects, we should be able to generate high-degree p-modes frequencies so crucial in the diagnostic of the layers just below solar surface.

Korzennik, Sylvain G.↗