Showing papers in "Solar Physics in 2012"

The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

Abstract: The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) provides multiple simultaneous high-resolution full-disk images of the corona and transition region up to 0.5 R ⊙ above the solar limb with 1.5-arcsec spatial resolution and 12-second temporal resolution. The AIA consists of four telescopes that employ normal-incidence, multilayer-coated optics to provide narrow-band imaging of seven extreme ultraviolet (EUV) band passes centered on specific lines: Fe xviii (94 A), Fe viii, xxi (131 A), Fe ix (171 A), Fe xii, xxiv (193 A), Fe xiv (211 A), He ii (304 A), and Fe xvi (335 A). One telescope observes C iv (near 1600 A) and the nearby continuum (1700 A) and has a filter that observes in the visible to enable coalignment with images from other telescopes. The temperature diagnostics of the EUV emissions cover the range from 6×104 K to 2×107 K. The AIA was launched as a part of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) mission on 11 February 2010. AIA will advance our understanding of the mechanisms of solar variability and of how the Sun’s energy is stored and released into the heliosphere and geospace.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

Abstract: The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) was launched on 11 February 2010 at 15:23 UT from Kennedy Space Center aboard an Atlas V 401 (AV-021) launch vehicle. A series of apogee-motor firings lifted SDO from an initial geosynchronous transfer orbit into a circular geosynchronous orbit inclined by 28° about the longitude of the SDO-dedicated ground station in New Mexico. SDO began returning science data on 1 May 2010. SDO is the first space-weather mission in NASA’s Living With a Star (LWS) Program. SDO’s main goal is to understand, driving toward a predictive capability, those solar variations that influence life on Earth and humanity’s technological systems. The SDO science investigations will determine how the Sun’s magnetic field is generated and structured, how this stored magnetic energy is released into the heliosphere and geospace as the solar wind, energetic particles, and variations in the solar irradiance. Insights gained from SDO investigations will also lead to an increased understanding of the role that solar variability plays in changes in Earth’s atmospheric chemistry and climate. The SDO mission includes three scientific investigations (the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE), and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI)), a spacecraft bus, and a dedicated ground station to handle the telemetry. The Goddard Space Flight Center built and will operate the spacecraft during its planned five-year mission life; this includes: commanding the spacecraft, receiving the science data, and forwarding that data to the science teams. The science investigations teams at Stanford University, Lockheed Martin Solar Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), and University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) will process, analyze, distribute, and archive the science data. We will describe the building of SDO and the science that it will provide to NASA.

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Investigation for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

Abstract: The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument and investigation as a part of the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is designed to study convection-zone dynamics and the solar dynamo, the origin and evolution of sunspots, active regions, and complexes of activity, the sources and drivers of solar magnetic activity and disturbances, links between the internal processes and dynamics of the corona and heliosphere, and precursors of solar disturbances for space-weather forecasts. A brief overview of the instrument, investigation objectives, and standard data products is presented.

Design and Ground Calibration of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Instrument on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

Abstract: The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) investigation (Solar Phys. doi: 10.1007/s11207-011-9834-2, 2011) will study the solar interior using helioseismic techniques as well as the magnetic field near the solar surface. The HMI instrument is part of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) that was launched on 11 February 2010. The instrument is designed to measure the Doppler shift, intensity, and vector magnetic field at the solar photosphere using the 6173 A Fe i absorption line. The instrument consists of a front-window filter, a telescope, a set of waveplates for polarimetry, an image-stabilization system, a blocking filter, a five-stage Lyot filter with one tunable element, two wide-field tunable Michelson interferometers, a pair of 40962 pixel cameras with independent shutters, and associated electronics. Each camera takes a full-disk image roughly every 3.75 seconds giving an overall cadence of 45 seconds for the Doppler, intensity, and line-of-sight magnetic-field measurements and a slower cadence for the full vector magnetic field. This article describes the design of the HMI instrument and provides an overview of the pre-launch calibration efforts. Overviews of the investigation, details of the calibrations, data handling, and the science analysis are provided in accompanying articles.

Initial Calibration of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

Abstract: The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is an array of four normal-incidence reflecting telescopes that image the Sun in ten EUV and UV wavelength channels. We present the initial photometric calibration of AIA, based on preflight measurements of the response of the telescope components. The estimated accuracy is of order 25%, which is consistent with the results of comparisons with full-disk irradiance measurements and spectral models. We also describe the characterization of the instrument performance, including image resolution, alignment, camera-system gain, flat-fielding, and data compression.

Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO): Overview of Science Objectives, Instrument Design, Data Products, and Model Developments

Abstract: The highly variable solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation is the major energy input to the Earth’s upper atmosphere, strongly impacting the geospace environment, affecting satellite operations, communications, and navigation. The Extreme ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) onboard the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will measure the solar EUV irradiance from 0.1 to 105 nm with unprecedented spectral resolution (0.1 nm), temporal cadence (ten seconds), and accuracy (20%). EVE includes several irradiance instruments: The Multiple EUV Grating Spectrographs (MEGS)-A is a grazing-incidence spectrograph that measures the solar EUV irradiance in the 5 to 37 nm range with 0.1-nm resolution, and the MEGS-B is a normal-incidence, dual-pass spectrograph that measures the solar EUV irradiance in the 35 to 105 nm range with 0.1-nm resolution. To provide MEGS in-flight calibration, the EUV SpectroPhotometer (ESP) measures the solar EUV irradiance in broadbands between 0.1 and 39 nm, and a MEGS-Photometer measures the Sun’s bright hydrogen emission at 121.6 nm. The EVE data products include a near real-time space-weather product (Level 0C), which provides the solar EUV irradiance in specific bands and also spectra in 0.1-nm intervals with a cadence of one minute and with a time delay of less than 15 minutes. The EVE higher-level products are Level 2 with the solar EUV irradiance at higher time cadence (0.25 seconds for photometers and ten seconds for spectrographs) and Level 3 with averages of the solar irradiance over a day and over each one-hour period. The EVE team also plans to advance existing models of solar EUV irradiance and to operationally use the EVE measurements in models of Earth’s ionosphere and thermosphere. Improved understanding of the evolution of solar flares and extending the various models to incorporate solar flare events are high priorities for the EVE team.

How Many CMEs Have Flux Ropes? Deciphering the Signatures of Shocks, Flux Ropes, and Prominences in Coronagraph Observations of CMEs

Abstract: We intend to provide a comprehensive answer to the question on whether all Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) have flux rope structure. To achieve this, we present a synthesis of the LASCO CME observations over the last 16 years, assisted by 3D MHD simulations of the breakout model, EUV and coronagraphic observations from STEREO and SDO, and statistics from a revised LASCO CME database. We argue that the bright loop often seen as the CME leading edge is the result of pileup at the boundary of the erupting flux rope irrespective of whether a cavity or, more generally, a three-part CME can be identified. Based on our previous work on white light shock detection and supported by the MHD simulations, we identify a new type of morphology, the ‘two-front’ morphology. It consists of a faint front followed by diffuse emission and the bright loop-like CME leading edge. We show that the faint front is caused by density compression at a wave (or possibly shock) front driven by the CME. We also present highly detailed multi-wavelength EUV observations that clarify the relative positioning of the prominence at the bottom of a coronal cavity with a clear flux rope structure. Finally, we visually check the full LASCO CME database for flux rope structures. In the process, we classify the events into two clear flux rope classes (‘three-part’, and ‘Loop’), jets and outflows (no clear structure). We find that at least 40 % of the observed CMEs have clear flux rope structures and that ∼ 29 % of the database entries are either misidentifications or inadequately measured and should be discarded from statistical analyses. We propose a new definition for flux rope CMEs (FR-CMEs) as a coherent magnetic, twist-carrying coronal structure with angular width of at least 40∘ and able to reach beyond 10 R⊙ which erupts on a time scale of a few minutes to several hours. We conclude that flux ropes are a common occurrence in CMEs and pose a challenge for future studies to identify CMEs that are clearly not FR-CMEs.

Comparison of Line-of-Sight Magnetograms Taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Michelson Doppler Imager

Abstract: We compare line-of-sight magnetograms from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The line-of-sight magnetic signal inferred from the calibrated MDI data is greater than that derived from the HMI data by a factor of 1.40. This factor varies somewhat with center-to-limb distance. An upper bound to the random noise for the 1′′ resolution HMI 720-second magnetograms is 6.3 Mx cm−2, and 10.2 Mx cm−2 for the 45-second magnetograms. Virtually no p-mode leakage is seen in the HMI magnetograms, but it is significant in the MDI magnetograms. 12-hour and 24-hour periodicities are detected in strong fields in the HMI magnetograms. The newly calibrated MDI full-disk magnetograms have been corrected for the zero-point offset and underestimation of the flux density. The noise is 26.4 Mx cm−2 for the MDI one-minute full-disk magnetograms and 16.2 Mx cm−2 for the five-minute full-disk magnetograms observed with four-arcsecond resolution. The variation of the noise over the Sun’s disk found in MDI magnetograms is likely due to the different optical distortions in the left- and right-circular analyzers, which allows the granulation and p-mode to leak in as noise. Saturation sometimes seen in sunspot umbrae in MDI magnetograms is caused by the low intensity and the limitation of the onboard computation. The noise in the HMI and MDI line-of-sight magnetic-field synoptic charts appears to be fairly uniform over the entire map. The noise is 2.3 Mx cm−2 for HMI charts and 5.0 Mx cm−2 for MDI charts. No evident periodicity is found in the HMI synoptic charts.

How Should One Optimize Nonlinear Force-Free Coronal Magnetic Field Extrapolations from SDO/HMI Vector Magnetograms?

Abstract: The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) provides photospheric vector magnetograms with a high spatial and temporal resolution. Our intention is to model the coronal magnetic field above active regions with the help of a nonlinear force-free extrapolation code. Our code is based on an optimization principle and has been tested extensively with semianalytic and numeric equilibria and applied to vector magnetograms from Hinode and ground-based observations. Recently we implemented a new version which takes into account measurement errors in photospheric vector magnetograms. Photospheric field measurements are often affected by measurement errors and finite nonmagnetic forces inconsistent for use as a boundary for a force-free field in the corona. To deal with these uncertainties, we developed two improvements: i) preprocessing of the surface measurements to make them compatible with a force-free field, and ii) new code which keeps a balance between the force-free constraint and deviation from the photospheric field measurements. Both methods contain free parameters, which must be optimized for use with data from SDO/HMI. In this work we describe the corresponding analysis method and evaluate the force-free equilibria by how well force-freeness and solenoidal conditions are fulfilled, by the angle between magnetic field and electric current, and by comparing projections of magnetic field lines with coronal images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA). We also compute the available free magnetic energy and discuss the potential influence of control parameters.

Polarization Calibration of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

Abstract: As part of the overall ground-based calibration of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument an extensive set of polarimetric calibrations were performed. This paper describes the polarimetric design of the instrument, the test setup, the polarimetric model, the tests performed, and some results. It is demonstrated that HMI achieves an accuracy of 1% or better on the crosstalks between Q, U, and V and that our model can reproduce the intensities in our calibration sequences to about 0.4%. The amount of depolarization is negligible when the instrument is operated as intended which, combined with the flexibility of the polarimeter design, means that the polarimetric efficiency is excellent.

Computer Vision for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

Abstract: In Fall 2008 NASA selected a large international consortium to produce a comprehensive automated feature-recognition system for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The SDO data that we consider are all of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) images plus surface magnetic-field images from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). We produce robust, very efficient, professionally coded software modules that can keep up with the SDO data stream and detect, trace, and analyze numerous phenomena, including flares, sigmoids, filaments, coronal dimmings, polarity inversion lines, sunspots, X-ray bright points, active regions, coronal holes, EIT waves, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), coronal oscillations, and jets. We also track the emergence and evolution of magnetic elements down to the smallest detectable features and will provide at least four full-disk, nonlinear, force-free magnetic field extrapolations per day. The detection of CMEs and filaments is accomplished with Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) and ground-based Hα data, respectively. A completely new software element is a trainable feature-detection module based on a generalized image-classification algorithm. Such a trainable module can be used to find features that have not yet been discovered (as, for example, sigmoids were in the pre-Yohkoh era). Our codes will produce entries in the Heliophysics Events Knowledgebase (HEK) as well as produce complete catalogs for results that are too numerous for inclusion in the HEK, such as the X-ray bright-point metadata. This will permit users to locate data on individual events as well as carry out statistical studies on large numbers of events, using the interface provided by the Virtual Solar Observatory. The operations concept for our computer vision system is that the data will be analyzed in near real time as soon as they arrive at the SDO Joint Science Operations Center and have undergone basic processing. This will allow the system to produce timely space-weather alerts and to guide the selection and production of quicklook images and movies, in addition to its prime mission of enabling solar science. We briefly describe the complex and unique data-processing pipeline, consisting of the hardware and control software required to handle the SDO data stream and accommodate the computer-vision modules, which has been set up at the Lockheed-Martin Space Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), with an identical copy at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO).

Global Forces in Eruptive Solar Flares: The Lorentz Force Acting on the Solar Atmosphere and the Solar Interior

Abstract: We compute the change in the Lorentz force integrated over the outer solar atmosphere implied by observed changes in vector magnetograms that occur during large, eruptive solar flares. This force perturbation should be balanced by an equal and opposite force perturbation acting on the solar photosphere and solar interior. The resulting expression for the estimated force change in the solar interior generalizes the earlier expression presented by Hudson, Fisher, and Welsch (Astron. Soc. Pac. CS-383, 221, 2008), providing horizontal as well as vertical force components, and provides a more accurate result for the vertical component of the perturbed force. We show that magnetic eruptions should result in the magnetic field at the photosphere becoming more horizontal, and hence should result in a downward (toward the solar interior) force change acting on the photosphere and solar interior, as recently argued from an analysis of magnetogram data by Wang and Liu (Astrophys. J. Lett. 716, L195, 2010). We suggest the existence of an observational relationship between the force change computed from changes in the vector magnetograms, the outward momentum carried by the ejecta from the flare, and the properties of the helioseismic disturbance driven by the downward force change. We use the impulse driven by the Lorentz-force change in the outer solar atmosphere to derive an upper limit to the mass of erupting plasma that can escape from the Sun. Finally, we compare the expected Lorentz-force change at the photosphere with simple estimates from flare-driven gasdynamic disturbances and from an estimate of the perturbed pressure from radiative backwarming of the photosphere in flaring conditions.

On the Nature and Genesis of EUV Waves: A Synthesis of Observations from SOHO, STEREO, SDO, and Hinode (Invited Review)

Abstract: A major, albeit serendipitous, discovery of the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory mission was the observation by the Extreme Ultraviolet Telescope (EIT) of large-scale extreme ultraviolet (EUV) intensity fronts propagating over a significant fraction of the Sun’s surface. These so-called EIT or EUV waves are associated with eruptive phenomena and have been studied intensely. However, their wave nature has been challenged by non-wave (or pseudo-wave) interpretations and the subject remains under debate. A string of recent solar missions has provided a wealth of detailed EUV observations of these waves bringing us closer to resolving the question of their nature. With this review, we gather the current state-of-the-art knowledge in the field and synthesize it into a picture of an EUV wave driven by the lateral expansion of the CME. This picture can account for both wave and pseudo-wave interpretations of the observations, thus resolving the controversy over the nature of EUV waves to a large degree but not completely. We close with a discussion on several remaining open questions in the field of EUV waves research.

Heliophysics Event Knowledgebase for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and Beyond

Abstract: The immense volume of data generated by the suite of instruments on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) requires new tools for efficient identifying and accessing data that is most relevant for research. We have developed the Heliophysics Events Knowledgebase (HEK) to fill this need. The HEK system combines automated data mining using feature-detection methods and high-performance visualization systems for data markup. In addition, web services and clients are provided for searching the resulting metadata, reviewing results, and efficiently accessing the data. We review these components and present examples of their use with SDO data.

The Large Longitudinal Spread of Solar Energetic Particles During the 17 January 2010 Solar Event

Abstract: We investigate multi-spacecraft observations of the 17 January 2010 solar energetic particle event. Energetic electrons and protons have been observed over a remarkable large longitudinal range at the two STEREO spacecraft and SOHO, suggesting a longitudinal spread of nearly 360 degrees at 1 AU. The flaring active region, which was on the backside of the Sun as seen from Earth, was separated by more than 100 degrees in longitude from the magnetic footpoints of each of the three spacecraft. The event is characterized by strongly delayed energetic particle onsets with respect to the flare and only small or no anisotropies in the intensity measurements at all three locations. The presence of a coronal shock is evidenced by the observation of a type II radio burst from the Earth and STEREO-B. In order to describe the observations in terms of particle transport in the interplanetary medium, including perpendicular diffusion, a 1D model describing the propagation along a magnetic field line (model 1) (Droge, Astrophys. J. 589, 1027 – 1039, 2003) and the 3D propagation model (model 2) by Droge et al. (Astrophys. J. 709, 912 – 919, 2010) including perpendicular diffusion in the interplanetary medium have been applied. While both models are capable of reproducing the observations, model 1 requires injection functions at the Sun of several hours. Model 2, which includes lateral transport in the solar wind, reveals high values for the ratio of perpendicular to parallel diffusion. Because we do not find evidence for unusual long injection functions at the Sun, we favor a scenario with strong perpendicular transport in the interplanetary medium as an explanation for the observations.

Solar Cycle Predictions (Invited Review)

Abstract: Solar cycle predictions are needed to plan long-term space missions, just as weather predictions are needed to plan the launch. Fleets of satellites circle the Earth collecting many types of science data, protecting astronauts, and relaying information. All of these satellites are sensitive at some level to solar cycle effects. Predictions of drag on low-Earth orbit spacecraft are one of the most important. Launching a satellite with less propellant can mean a higher orbit, but unanticipated solar activity and increased drag can make that a Pyrrhic victory as the reduced propellant load is consumed more rapidly. Energetic events at the Sun can produce crippling radiation storms that endanger all assets in space. Solar cycle predictions also anticipate the shortwave emissions that cause degradation of solar panels. Testing solar dynamo theories by quantitative predictions of what will happen in 5 – 20 years is the next arena for solar cycle predictions. A summary and analysis of 75 predictions of the amplitude of the upcoming Solar Cycle 24 is presented. The current state of solar cycle predictions and some anticipations of how those predictions could be made more accurate in the future are discussed.

Relation Between Coronal Hole Areas on the Sun and the Solar Wind Parameters at 1 AU

Abstract: We analyze the relationship between the coronal hole (CH) characteristics on the Sun (area, position, and intensity levels) and the corresponding solar wind parameters (solar wind speed v, proton temperature T, proton density n, and magnetic field strength B) measured in situ at 1 AU with a 6-h time resolution. We developed a histogram-based intensity thresholding method to obtain fractional CH areas from SOHO/EIT 195 A images. The algorithm was applied to 6-h cadence EIT 195 A images for the year 2005, which were characterized by a low solar activity. In calculating well-defined peaks of the solar wind parameters corresponding to the peaks in CH area, we found that the solar wind speed v shows a high correlation with correlation coefficient cc=0.78, medium correlation for T and B with cc=0.41 and cc=0.41. No significant correlation was found with the proton density n. Applying an intensity-weighted CH area did not improve the relations, since the size and the mean intensity of the CH areas are not independent parameters but strongly correlated (cc=− 0.72). Comparison of the fractional CH areas derived from GOES/SXI and SOHO/EIT and the related solar wind predictions shows no systematic differences (cc=0.79).

Interplanetary Signatures of Unipolar Streamers and the Origin of the Slow Solar Wind

Abstract: Unipolar streamers (also known as pseudo-streamers) are coronal structures that, at least in coronagraph images, and when viewed at the correct orientation, are often indistinguishable from dipolar (or “standard”) streamers. When interpreted with the aid of a coronal magnetic field model, however, they are shown to consist of a pair of loop arcades. Whereas dipolar streamers separate coronal holes of the opposite polarity and whose cusp is the origin of the heliospheric current sheet, unipolar streamers separate coronal holes of the same polarity and are therefore not associated with a current sheet. In this study, we investigate the interplanetary signatures of unipolar streamers. Using a global MHD model of the solar corona driven by the observed photospheric magnetic field for Carrington rotation 2060, we map the ACE trajectory back to the Sun. The results suggest that ACE fortuitously traversed through a large and well-defined unipolar streamer. We also compare heliospheric model results at 1 AU with ACE in-situ measurements for Carrington rotation 2060. The results strongly suggest that the solar wind associated with unipolar streamers is slow. We also compare predictions using the original Wang–Sheeley (WS) empirically determined inverse relationship between solar wind speed and expansion factor. Because of the very low expansion factors associated with unipolar streamers, the WS model predicts high speeds, in disagreement with the observations. We discuss the implications of these results in terms of theories for the origin of the slow solar wind. Specifically, premises relying on the expansion factor of coronal flux tubes to modulate the properties of the plasma (and speed, in particular) must address the issue that while the coronal expansion factors are significantly different at dipolar and unipolar streamers, the properties of the measured solar wind are, at least qualitatively, very similar.

Comparing Values of the Relative Magnetic Helicity in Finite Volumes

Abstract: Relative magnetic helicity, as a conserved quantity of ideal magnetohydrodynamics, has been highlighted as an important quantity to study in plasma physics. Due to its nonlocal nature, its estimation is not straightforward in both observational and numerical data. In this study we derive expressions for the practical computation of the gauge-independent relative magnetic helicity in three-dimensional finite domains. The derived expressions are easy to implement and rapid to compute. They are derived in Cartesian coordinates, but can be easily written in other coordinate systems. We apply our method to a numerical model of a force-free equilibrium containing a flux rope, and compare the results with those obtained employing known half-space equations. We find that our method requires a much smaller volume than half-space expressions to derive the full helicity content. We also prove that values of relative magnetic helicity of different magnetic fields can be compared with each other in the same sense as free-energy values can. Therefore, relative magnetic helicity can be meaningfully and directly compared between different datasets, such as those from different active regions, but also within the same dataset at different times. Typical applications of our formulae include the helicity computation in three-dimensional models of the solar atmosphere, e.g., coronal-field reconstructions by force-free extrapolation and discretized magnetic fields of numerical simulations.

Magnetic Topology of Active Regions and Coronal Holes: Implications for Coronal Outflows and the Solar Wind

Abstract: During 2 – 18 January 2008 a pair of low-latitude opposite-polarity coronal holes (CHs) were observed on the Sun with two active regions (ARs) and the heliospheric plasma sheet located between them. We use the Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) to locate AR-related outflows and measure their velocities. Solar-Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) imaging is also employed, as are the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in-situ observations, to assess the resulting impacts on the solar wind (SW) properties. Magnetic-field extrapolations of the two ARs confirm that AR plasma outflows observed with EIS are co-spatial with quasi-separatrix layer locations, including the separatrix of a null point. Global potential-field source-surface modeling indicates that field lines in the vicinity of the null point extend up to the source surface, enabling a part of the EIS plasma upflows access to the SW. We find that similar upflow properties are also observed within closed-field regions that do not reach the source surface. We conclude that some of plasma upflows observed with EIS remain confined along closed coronal loops, but that a fraction of the plasma may be released into the slow SW. This suggests that ARs bordering coronal holes can contribute to the slow SW. Analyzing the in-situ data, we propose that the type of slow SW present depends on whether the AR is fully or partially enclosed by an overlying streamer.

Validation of the 3D AMR SIP–CESE Solar Wind Model for Four Carrington Rotations

Abstract: We carry out the adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) implementation of our solar–interplanetary space-time conservation element and solution element (CESE) magnetohydrodynamic model (SIP–CESE MHD model) using a six-component grid system (Feng, Zhou, and Wu, Astrophys. J. 655, 1110, 2007; Feng et al., Astrophys. J. 723, 300, 2010). By transforming the governing MHD equations from the physical space (x,y,z) to the computational space (ξ,η,ζ) while retaining the form of conservation (Jiang et al., Solar Phys. 267, 463, 2010), the SIP–AMR–CESE MHD model is implemented in the reference coordinates with the aid of the parallel AMR package PARAMESH available at . Meanwhile, the volumetric heating source terms derived from the topology of the magnetic-field expansion factor and the minimum angular separation (at the photosphere) between an open-field foot point and its nearest coronal-hole boundary are also included. We show the preliminary results of applying the SIP–AMR–CESE MHD model for simulating the solar-wind background of different solar-activity phases by comparison with SOHO observations and other spacecraft data from OMNI. Our numerical results show overall good agreements in the solar corona and in interplanetary space with these multiple-spacecraft observations.

Nonlinear force-free extrapolation of emerging flux with a global twist and serpentine fine structures

Abstract: We study the flux emergence process in NOAA active region 11024, between 29 June and 7 July 2009, by means of multi-wavelength observations and nonlinear force-free extrapolation. The main aim is to extend previous investigations by combining, as much as possible, high spatial resolution observations to test our present understanding of small-scale (undulatory) flux emergence, whilst putting these small-scale events in the context of the global evolution of the active region. The combination of these techniques allows us to follow the whole process, from the first appearance of the bipolar axial field on the east limb, until the buoyancy instability could set in and raise the main body of the twisted flux tube through the photosphere, forming magnetic tongues and signatures of serpentine field, until the simplification of the magnetic structure into a main bipole by the time the active region reaches the west limb. At the crucial time of the main emergence phase high spatial resolution spectropolarimetric measurements of the photospheric field are employed to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of the nonlinear force-free coronal field, which is then used to test the current understanding of flux emergence processes. In particular, knowledge of the coronal connectivity confirms the identity of the magnetic tongues as seen in their photospheric signatures, and it exemplifies how the twisted flux, which is emerging on small scales in the form of a sea-serpent, is subsequently rearranged by reconnection into the large-scale field of the active region. In this way, the multi-wavelength observations combined with a nonlinear force-free extrapolation provide a coherent picture of the emergence process of small-scale magnetic bipoles, which subsequently reconnect to form a large-scale structure in the corona.

Interchange Slip-Running Reconnection and Sweeping SEP Beams

Abstract: We present a new model to explain how particles, accelerated at a reconnection site that is not magnetically connected to the Earth, could eventually propagate along the well-connected open flux tube. Our model is based on the results of a low-beta resistive magnetohydrodynamics simulation of a three-dimensional line-tied and initially current-free bipole, that is embedded in a non-uniform open potential field. The topology of this configuration is that of an asymmetric coronal null-point, with a closed fan surface and an open outer spine. When driven by slow photospheric shearing motions, field lines, initially fully anchored below the fan dome, reconnect at the null point, and jump to the open magnetic domain. This is the standard interchange mode as sketched and calculated in 2D. The key result in 3D is that, reconnected open field lines located in the vicinity of the outer spine, keep reconnecting continuously, across an open quasi-separatrix layer, as previously identified for non-open-null-point reconnection. The apparent slipping motion of these field lines leads to form an extended narrow magnetic flux tube at high altitude. Because of the slip-running reconnection, we conjecture that if energetic particles would be travelling through, or be accelerated inside, the diffusion region, they would be successively injected along continuously reconnecting field lines that are connected farther and farther from the spine. At the scale of the full Sun, owing to the super-radial expansion of field lines below 3 solar radius, such energetic particles could easily be injected in field lines slipping over significant distances, and could eventually reach the distant flux tube that is well-connected to the Earth.

Constraining the Angular Momentum of the Sun with Planetary Orbital Motions and General Relativity

Abstract: The angular momentum of a star is an important astrophysical quantity related to its internal structure, formation, and evolution. Helioseismology yields $S_{\odot}= 1.92\times10^{41}\ \mathrm{kg\ m^{2}\ s^{-1}}$ for the angular momentum of the Sun. We show how it should be possible to constrain it in a near future by using the gravitomagnetic Lense–Thirring effect predicted by General Relativity for the orbit of a test particle moving around a central rotating body. We also discuss the present-day situation in view of the latest determinations of the supplementary perihelion precession of Mercury. A fit by Fienga et al. (Celestial Mech. Dynamical Astron. 111, 363, 2011) of the dynamical models of several standard forces acting on the planets of the solar system to a long data record yielded milliarcseconds per century. The modeled forces did not include the Lense–Thirring effect itself, which is expected to be as large as from helioseismology-based values of S ⊙. By assuming the validity of General Relativity, from its theoretical prediction for the gravitomagnetic perihelion precession of Mercury, one can straightforwardly infer $S_{\odot}\leq0.95\times10^{41}\ \mathrm{kg\, m^{2}\, s^{-1}}$ . It disagrees with the currently available values from helioseismology. Possible sources for the present discrepancy are examined. Given the current level of accuracy in the Mercury ephemerides, the gravitomagnetic force of the Sun should be included in their force models. MESSENGER, in orbit around Mercury since March 2011, will collect science data until 2013, while BepiColombo, to be launched in 2015, should reach Mercury in 2022 for a year-long science phase: the analysis of their data will be important in effectively constraining S ⊙ in about a decade or, perhaps, even less.

Are Solar Active Regions with Major Flares More Fractal, Multifractal, or Turbulent Than Others?

Abstract: Multiple recent investigations of solar magnetic-field measurements have raised claims that the scale-free (fractal) or multiscale (multifractal) parameters inferred from the studied magnetograms may help assess the eruptive potential of solar active regions, or may even help predict major flaring activity stemming from these regions. We investigate these claims here, by testing three widely used scale-free and multiscale parameters, namely, the fractal dimension, the multifractal structure function and its inertial-range exponent, and the turbulent power spectrum and its power-law index, on a comprehensive data set of 370 timeseries of active-region magnetograms (17 733 magnetograms in total) observed by SOHO’s Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) over the entire Solar Cycle 23. We find that both flaring and non-flaring active regions exhibit significant fractality, multifractality, and non-Kolmogorov turbulence but none of the three tested parameters manages to distinguish active regions with major flares from flare-quiet ones. We also find that the multiscale parameters, but not the scale-free fractal dimension, depend sensitively on the spatial resolution and perhaps the observational characteristics of the studied magnetograms. Extending previous works, we attribute the flare-forecasting inability of fractal and multifractal parameters to i) a widespread multiscale complexity caused by a possible underlying self-organization in turbulent solar magnetic structures, flaring and non-flaring alike, and ii) a lack of correlation between the fractal properties of the photosphere and overlying layers, where solar eruptions occur. However useful for understanding solar magnetism, therefore, scale-free and multiscale measures may not be optimal tools for active-region characterization in terms of eruptive ability or, ultimately, for major solar-flare prediction.

Hinode Flare Catalogue

Abstract: We describe a catalogue of solar flares observed by the three instruments (SOT, XRT, EIS) onboard the Hinode satellite. From the launch of the Hinode satellite in September 2006 until late 2011, about 5000 solar flares (larger than A-class in the GOES classification) occurred during the five-year period of Hinode observations, and more than half of them were captured by the Hinode telescopes. Observation information for RHESSI and Nobeyama Radioheliograph are also included in the catalogue. This catalogue is distributed to users through the Internet. It will be useful and helpful for scientists in surveying flares to be analyzed, facilitate access to Hinode data, and help advance data analysis activities among the world solar community.

Line-of-Sight Observables Algorithms for the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Instrument Tested with Interferometric Bidimensional Spectrometer (IBIS) Observations

Abstract: The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory produces line-of-sight (LOS) observables (Doppler velocity, magnetic-field strength, Fe i line width, line depth, and continuum intensity) as well as vector magnetic-field maps at the solar surface. The accuracy of LOS observables is dependent on the algorithm used to translate a sequence of HMI filtergrams into the corresponding observables. Using one hour of high-cadence imaging spectropolarimetric observations of a sunspot in the Fe i line at 6173 A through the Interferometric Bidimensional Spectrometer installed at the Dunn Solar Telescope, and the Milne–Eddington inversion of the corresponding Stokes vectors, we test the accuracy of the observables algorithm currently implemented in the HMI data-analysis pipeline: the MDI-like algorithm. In an attempt to improve the accuracy of HMI observables, we also compare this algorithm to others that may be implemented in the future: a least-squares fit with a Gaussian profile, a least-squares fit with a Voigt profile, and the use of second Fourier coefficients in the MDI-like algorithm.

On-Disk Coronal Rain

Abstract: Small and elongated, cool and dense blob-like structures are being reported with high resolution telescopes in physically different regions throughout the solar atmosphere. Their detection and the understanding of their formation, morphology, and thermodynamical characteristics can provide important information on their hosting environment, especially concerning the magnetic field, whose understanding constitutes a major problem in solar physics. An example of such blobs is coronal rain, a phenomenon of thermal non-equilibrium observed in active region loops, which consists of cool and dense chromospheric blobs falling along loop-like paths from coronal heights. So far, only off-limb coronal rain has been observed, and few reports on the phenomenon exist. In the present work, several data sets of on-disk Hα observations with the CRisp Imaging SpectroPolarimeter (CRISP) at the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST) are analyzed. A special family of on-disk blobs is selected for each data set, and a statistical analysis is carried out on their dynamics, morphology, and temperature. All characteristics present distributions which are very similar to reported coronal rain statistics. We discuss possible interpretations considering other similar blob-like structures reported so far and show that a coronal rain interpretation is the most likely one. The chromospheric nature of the blobs and the projection effects (which eliminate all direct possibilities of height estimation) on one side, and their small sizes, fast dynamics, and especially their faint character (offering low contrast with the background intensity) on the other side, are found as the main causes for the absence until now of the detection of this on-disk coronal rain counterpart.

Wavelength Dependence of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Instrument onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

Abstract: The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument will produce Doppler-velocity and vector-magnetic-field maps of the solar surface, whose accuracy is dependent on a thorough knowledge of the transmission profiles of the components of the HMI optical-filter system. Here we present a series of wavelength-dependence calibration tests, performed on the instrument from 2005 onwards, to obtain these profiles. We obtained the transmittances as a function of wavelength for the tunable and non-tunable filter elements, as well as the variation of these transmittances with temperature and the angle of incidence of rays of light. We also established the presence of fringe patterns produced by interferences inside the blocking filter and the front window, as well as a change in transmitted intensity with the tuning position. This thorough characterization of the HMI-filter system confirmed the very high quality of the instrument, and showed that its properties are well within the required specifications to produce superior data with high spatial and temporal resolution.

3D MHD Flux Emergence Experiments: Idealised Models and Coronal Interactions

Abstract: This paper reviews some of the many 3D numerical experiments of the emergence of magnetic fields from the solar interior and the subsequent interaction with the pre-existing coronal magnetic field The models described here are idealised, in the sense that the internal energy equation only involves the adiabatic, Ohmic and viscous shock heating terms However, provided the main aim is to investigate the dynamical evolution, this is adequate Many interesting observational phenomena are explained by these models in a self-consistent manner