A new radio spectrometer, Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer (SBRS) with characteristics of high time resolution, high-frequency resolution, high sensitivity, and wide frequency coverage in the microwave region is described. Its function is to monitor solar radio bursts in the frequency range of 0.7-7.6 GHz with time resolution of 1-10 ms. SBRS consists of five 'component spectrometers' which work in five different wave bands (0.7-1.5 GHz, 1.0-2.0 GHz, 2.6-3.8 GHz, 4.5-7.5 GHz, and 5.2-7.6 GHz, respectively). A combination of multi-channel and scanning techniques is adopted. The component spectrometers are attached to different antennas which are separately located at Beijing, Kunming, and Nanjing. Close attention was paid to solve the problems of sensitivity, dynamic range, interference-resistance, data acquisition, and handling a large amount of data. The SBRS was put into operation in the 23th solar maximum activity period, and has proved itself to be a valuable instrument for the study of solar bursts in microwaves.

New solar broadband radio spectrometer (SBRS) in China

In the reconstructed nonlinear force-free magnetic field of NOAA Active Region 9077 before the X5.7/3B (10:24 UT) flare on 2000 July 14, we reveal for the first time the presence of a magnetic rope from the extrapolation of the three-dimensional magnetic field structure. This magnetic rope is located in a space above the magnetic neutral lines of the filament. The calculated field lines of the rope rotate around its axis for more than three turns. Overlying the rope are multilayer magnetic arcades with different orientations. These arcades are in agreement with the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer observations. The estimated free magnetic energy in this rope system is about 1.6 × 1032 ergs. Such magnetic field structure provides a favorable model for the interpretation of the energetic flare processes as revealed by Hα, EUV, and radio observations. In particular, the intermittent cospatial brightening of the rope in EUV 1600 A image leading to the onset of the flare suggests that the rope instability may have triggered the flare event, and the drifting pulsation structure in the decimetric frequency range is considered to manifest the initial phase of the coronal mass ejection.

The Magnetic Rope Structure and Associated Energetic Processes in the 2000 July 14 Solar Flare

Microwave observations of quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in multi-timescales at the Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer in Huairou (SBRS/Huairou) on 2006 December 13 are confirmed to be associated with an X3.4 flare/coronal mass ejection (CME) event. It is most remarkable that the timescales of QPPs are distributed in a broad range from hectoseconds (very long period pulsation, VLP, P>100 s), decaseconds (long period pulsation, LPP, 10 < P < 100 s), a few seconds (short period pulsation, SPP, 1 < P < 10 s), deciseconds (slow very short period pulsation, slow-VSP, 0.1 < P < 1.0 s), to centiseconds (fast very short period pulsation, fast-VSP, P < 0.1 s), and form a broad hierarchy. The statistical distribution of QPPs in logarithmic period-duration space indicates that all the QPPs can be classified into two groups: group I includes VLP, LPP, SPP, and some slow-VSPs distributed approximately around a line; group II includes fast-VSP and most of the slow-VSPs dispersively distributed away from the above line. This feature implies that the generation mechanism of group I is different from group II. Group I is possibly related to some MHD oscillations in magnetized plasma loops in the active region; e.g., VLPs may be generated bymore » standing slow sausage mode coupling, resonating with the underlying photospheric 5 minute oscillation, with the modulation amplified and forming the main framework of the whole flare/CME process; LPPs, SPPs, and some slow-VSPs are most likely to be caused by standing fast modes or LRC-circuit resonance in current-carrying plasma loops. Group II is possibly generated by modulations of resistive tearing-mode oscillations in electric current-carrying flaring loops.« less

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/723/1/25/pdf

Microwave quasi-periodic pulsations in multi-timescales associated with a solar flare/cme event

We have observed in the microwave range (with the radio spectrometer of the Huairu station (Beijing, NAOC) around 3 GHz) the ne structure of solar radio bursts called zebra patterns and b er bursts (seen drifting on the frequency stripes in emission and in absorption on the background burst continuum emission). In all seven observed bursts we discovered a new eect: zebra stripes have a superne structure, consisting of numerous fast spikes with duration at a limit of the time resolution of the spectrometer, 8 ms. Since for zebra patterns and microwave spikes dieren t emission mechanisms were proposed, these new observations require us to revise known theories. An alternative model of microwave millisecond spikes is based on the coupling of plasma waves (l) with ion- sound waves (s) : l + s ! t. Since the main features of zebra stripes and b er bursts are similar, we consider the zebra pattern of these bursts as whistler manifestations. Whistlers (w) yield a principal contribution in the ne structure radio emission (t) by coupling with Langmuir waves at sum as well as dierence frequencies: !l !w = !t. Allowance for the conversion of ion-sound waves into whistlers (and inversely in a pulsating regime) enables us to identify the zebra pattern consisting of spikes as a simultaneous manifestation of both those processes (l + s ! t and l + w ! t ) in radio sources, related to magnetic reconnection above are regions.

/pdf/a-superfine-structure-in-solar-microwave-bursts-cqcooxqwv8.pdf

A superfine structure in solar microwave bursts

A comparative analysis of two recent solar radio outbursts around 3 GHz with zebra structures and fiber bursts in their dynamical radio spectra is carried out using all available ground-based and satellite data (SOHO, TRACE, RHESSI). The latest theoretical models of the zebra pattern are critically discussed . New data on microwave zebra structures and fiber bursts suggests that they are analogous to similar structures observed at meter wavelengths. It was discovered that in the 2,6-3,8 GHz frequency band more than 34 zebra stripes can appear simultaneously, and some isolated fiber bursts can continuously be transformed into zebra stripes. This fact indicates a single origin for both structures. The zebra pattern was observed when the signs of magnetic reconnections were revealed in images of 195 ˚ lines, and radio sources coincided with positions of some new sources in hard X-rays. All the main properties of the stripes in emission and absorption can be explained if they are associated with interactions between electrostatic plasma waves and whistlers, taking into account the quasi-linear diusion of fast particles with the loss-cone distribution on whistlers. In this model it is possible to obtain realistic values for the magnetic field strength of B … 160G at the plasma level of about 3 GHz. The double plasma resonance model for the zebra pattern based on the known realistic dependences of electron density and magnetic field yields a frequency dependence for the frequency separation between stripes that does not agree with the observations.

/pdf/recent-data-on-zebra-patterns-4kfjszvoyc.pdf

Recent data on zebra patterns

Observations of solar microwave bursts with high temporal and spectral resolution have shown interesting fine structures (FSs) of short duration and small bandwidth which are usually superimposed on the smooth continuum. These FSs are very intense (up to 1015 K) and show sometimes a high degree of circular polarization (up to 100%). They are believed to be generated by electron cyclotron maser emission (ECME) in magnetic loops. Another type are the microwave type III bursts, which are drifting microwave FSs, and are probably the signatures of travelling electron beams in the solar atmosphere. The exact emission mechanisms for these phenomena, in particular the source configuration, the plasma parameters and the distribution of radiating electrons are not clear. For a detailed study of these problems new observations of intensity and polarization with high resolution in time and in frequency in decimeter and microwave wavebands are essential. In order to investigate these features in greater detail, spectrometers with high temporal and spectral resolution are being developed by the solar radio astronomy community of China (Beijing Astronomical Observatory (BAO), Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO), Yunnan Astronomical Observatory (YAO), and Nanjing University (NJU)). The frequency range from 0.7 to about 12 GHz is covered by about five spectrometers in frequency ranges of 0.7–1.4 GHz, 1–2 GHz, 2.4–3.6 GHz, 4.9–7.3 GHz, and 8–12 GHz, respectively. The radiospectrometers will form a combined type of swept-frequency and multi-channel receivers. The main characteristics of the solar radio spectrometers are: frequency resolution: 1–10 MHz; temporal resolution: 1–10 ms; sensitivity: better than 2% of the quiet-Sun level. We pay special attention to the sensitivity and the accuracy of polarization. Now, the 1–2 GHz radiospectrometer is being set up. The full system will be set up in 3–4 years.

Liben Pei

Papers

A broadband spectrometer for decimeter and microwave radio bursts