Showing papers on "Coronal mass ejection published in 2022"
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TL;DR: In this article , the authors trace the evolution of research on extreme solar and solar-terrestrial events from the 1859 Carrington event to the rapid development of the last twenty years.
Abstract: We trace the evolution of research on extreme solar and solar-terrestrial events from the 1859 Carrington event to the rapid development of the last twenty years. Our focus is on the largest observed/inferred/theoretical cases of sunspot groups, flares on the Sun and Sun-like stars, coronal mass ejections, solar proton events, and geomagnetic storms. The reviewed studies are based on modern observations, historical or long-term data including the auroral and cosmogenic radionuclide record, and Kepler observations of Sun-like stars. We compile a table of 100- and 1000-year events based on occurrence frequency distributions for the space weather phenomena listed above. Questions considered include the Sun-like nature of superflare stars and the existence of impactful but unpredictable solar "black swans" and extreme "dragon king" solar phenomena that can involve different physics from that operating in events which are merely large.
31 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper , the authors trace the evolution of research on extreme solar and solar-terrestrial events from the 1859 Carrington event to the rapid development of the last twenty years.
Abstract: We trace the evolution of research on extreme solar and solar-terrestrial events from the 1859 Carrington event to the rapid development of the last twenty years. Our focus is on the largest observed/inferred/theoretical cases of sunspot groups, flares on the Sun and Sun-like stars, coronal mass ejections, solar proton events, and geomagnetic storms. The reviewed studies are based on modern observations, historical or long-term data including the auroral and cosmogenic radionuclide record, and Kepler observations of Sun-like stars. We compile a table of 100- and 1000-year events based on occurrence frequency distributions for the space weather phenomena listed above. Questions considered include the Sun-like nature of superflare stars and the existence of impactful but unpredictable solar "black swans" and extreme "dragon king" solar phenomena that can involve different physics from that operating in events which are merely large.
25 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors attribute this delay to the time that it takes for the shock wave to accelerate protons e ffi ciently, i.e., it takes a long time for the protons to be accelerated.
Abstract: Context. On 2020 November 29, an eruptive event occurred in an active region located behind the to the spacecraft locations. We attribute this delay to the time that it takes for the shock wave to accelerate protons e ffi ciently.
21 citations
TL;DR: In the lower solar coronal regions where the magnetic field is dominant, the near-Earth solar wind is strongly super-Alfvénic, i.e., the wind speed greatly exceeds the local Alfvén speed as mentioned in this paper .
Abstract: In the lower solar coronal regions where the magnetic field is dominant, the Alfvén speed is much higher than the wind speed. In contrast, the near-Earth solar wind is strongly super-Alfvénic, i.e., the wind speed greatly exceeds the Alfvén speed. The transition between these regimes is classically described as the “Alfvén point” but may in fact occur in a distributed Alfvén critical region. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission has entered this region, as it follows a series of orbits that gradually approach more closely to the Sun. During its 8th and 9th solar encounters, at a distance of ≈16 R ⊙ from the Sun, PSP sampled four extended periods in which the solar wind speed was measured to be smaller than the local Alfvén speed. These are the first in situ detections of sub-Alfvénic solar wind in the inner heliosphere by PSP. Here we explore properties of these samples of sub-Alfvénic solar wind, which may provide important previews of the physical processes operating at lower altitude. Specifically, we characterize the turbulence, anisotropy, intermittency, and directional switchback properties of these sub-Alfvénic winds and contrast these with the neighboring super-Alfvénic periods.
21 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the relativistic solar proton event of solar cycle 25 was detected on 28 October 2021 by neutron monitors (NMs) on the ground and particle detectors on board spacecraft in near-Earth space.
Abstract: Aims. The first relativistic solar proton event of solar cycle 25 was detected on 28 October 2021 by neutron monitors (NMs) on the ground and particle detectors on board spacecraft in near-Earth space. This is the first ground-level enhancement (GLE) of the current cycle. A detailed reconstruction of the NM response together with the identification of the solar eruption that generated these particles is investigated based on in situ and remote-sensing measurements. Methods. In situ proton observations from a few MeV to ∼ 500MeV were combined with the detection of a solar flare in soft X-rays, a coronal mass ejection, radio bursts, and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations to identify the solar origin of the GLE. Timing analysis was performed, and a relation to the solar sources was outlined. Results. GLE73 reached a maximum particle rigidity of ∼ 2.4GV and is associated with type III, type II, and type IV radio bursts and an EUV wave. A diversity of time profiles recorded by NMs was observed. This points to the event having an anisotropic nature. The peak flux at E > 10MeV was only ∼ 30 pfu and remained at this level for several days. The release time of ≥ 1GV particles was found to be ∼ 15:40 UT. GLE73 had a moderately hard rigidity spectrum at very high energies ( γ ∼ 5 . 5). Comparison of GLE73 to previous GLEs with similar solar drivers is performed.
20 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the results of the search for multipoint in situ and imaging observations of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) starting with the first Solar Orbiter (SolO) data in 2020 April - 2021 April are reported.
Abstract: We report the result of the first search for multipoint in situ and imaging observations of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) starting with the first Solar Orbiter (SolO) data in 2020 April - 2021 April. A data exploration analysis is performed including visualizations of the magnetic field and plasma observations made by the five spacecraft SolO, BepiColombo, Parker Solar Probe (PSP), Wind and STEREO-A, in connection with coronagraph and heliospheric imaging observations from STEREO-A/SECCHI and SOHO/LASCO. We identify ICME events that could be unambiguously followed with the STEREO-A heliospheric imagers during their interplanetary propagation to their impact at the aforementioned spacecraft, and look for events where the same ICME is seen in situ by widely separated spacecraft. We highlight two events: (1) a small streamer blowout CME on 2020 June 23 observed with a triple lineup by PSP, BepiColombo and Wind, guided by imaging with STEREO-A, and (2) the first fast CME of solar cycle 25 ($ \approx 1600$ km s$^{-1}$) on 2020 November 29 observed in situ by PSP and STEREO-A. These results are useful for modeling the magnetic structure of ICMEs and the interplanetary evolution and global shape of their flux ropes and shocks, and for studying the propagation of solar energetic particles. The combined data from these missions are already turning out to be a treasure trove for space weather research and are expected to become even more valuable with an increasing number of ICME events expected during the rise and maximum of solar cycle 25.
18 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors review the basic methodology of data-driven coronal models, state-of-the-art developments, their typical applications, and new physics that have been derived using these models.
17 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the scaling of SEP fluence and hardness of energy spectra with CME speed and associated flare energy was derived for the prebiotic chemistry and expected atmospheric biosignatures from young rocky exoplanets as well as the chemistry and isotopic composition of circumstellar disks around infant solar-like stars.
Abstract: Discovery of frequent superflares on active cool stars opened a new avenue in understanding the properties of eruptive events and their impact on exoplanetary environments. Solar data suggest that coronal mass ejections (CMEs) should be associated with superflares on active solar-like planet hosts and produce solar/stellar energetic particle (SEP/StEP) events. Here, we apply the 2D Particle Acceleration and Transport in the Heliosphere model to simulate the SEPs accelerated via CME-driven shocks from the Sun and young solar-like stars. We derive the scaling of SEP fluence and hardness of energy spectra with CME speed and associated flare energy. These results have crucial implications for the prebiotic chemistry and expected atmospheric biosignatures from young rocky exoplanets as well as the chemistry and isotopic composition of circumstellar disks around infant solar-like stars.
16 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors analyzed the pairwise time lags between three global solar and heliospheric indices: sunspot numbers (SSN), representing the solar surface magnetic activity, the open solar flux (OSF), and the galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) intensity near Earth, using the standard cross-correlation and the more detailed wavelet-coherence methods.
Abstract: Abstract Solar magnetic activity drives the dominant 11-year cyclic variability of different space environmental indices, but they can be delayed with respect to the original variations due to the different physical processes involved. Here, we analyzed the pairwise time lags between three global solar and heliospheric indices: sunspot numbers (SSN), representing the solar surface magnetic activity, the open solar flux (OSF), representing the heliospheric magnetic variability, and the galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) intensity near Earth, using the standard cross-correlation and the more detailed wavelet-coherence methods. All the three indices appear highly coherent at a timescale longer than a few years with persistent high coherence at the timescale of the 11-year solar cycle. The GCR variability is delayed with respect to the inverted SSN by about eight 27-day Bartels rotations on average, but the delay varies greatly with the 22-year cycle, being shorter or longer around positive $A+$ A + or negative $A-$ A − solar polarity epochs, respectively. The 22-year cyclicity of the time lag is determined by the global heliospheric drift effects, in agreement with theoretical models. The OSF lags by about one year behind SSN, and is likely determined by a combination of the short lifetime of active regions and a longer (≈3 years) transport time of the surface magnetic field to the poles. GCRs covary nearly in antiphase with the OSF, also depicting a strong 22-year cycle in the delay, confirming that the OSF is a good index of the heliospheric modulation of GCRs. This provides an important observational constraint for solar and heliospheric physics.
16 citations
TL;DR: In this article , van der Holst et al. used AWSoM to model the solar corona and inner heliosphere of the first encounter of NASA's Parker Solar Probe (PSP) using the Alfvén Wave Solar atmosphere model (AWSoM) with Air Force Data Assimilative Photospheric flux Transport-Global Oscillation Network Group magnetograms.
Abstract: In van der Holst et al. (2019), we modeled the solar corona and inner heliosphere of the first encounter of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe (PSP) using the Alfvén Wave Solar atmosphere Model (AWSoM) with Air Force Data Assimilative Photospheric flux Transport–Global Oscillation Network Group magnetograms, and made predictions of the state of the solar wind plasma for the first encounter. AWSoM uses low-frequency Alfvén wave turbulence to address the coronal heating and acceleration. Here, we revise our simulations, by introducing improvements in the energy partitioning of the wave dissipation to the electron and anisotropic proton heating and using a better grid design. We compare the new AWSoM results with the PSP data and find improved agreement with the magnetic field, turbulence level, and parallel proton plasma beta. To deduce the sources of the solar wind observed by PSP, we use the AWSoM model to determine the field line connectivity between PSP locations near the perihelion at 2018 November 6 UT 03:27 and the solar surface. Close to the perihelion, the field lines trace back to a negative-polarity region about the equator.
15 citations
TL;DR: The Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) as mentioned in this paper is a mission composed of a multislit extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrograph (in three spectral bands around 171, 284 and 108 Å) and an EUV context imager (in two passbands around 195 Å and 304 Å).
Abstract: Abstract The Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) is a proposed mission composed of a multislit extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrograph (in three spectral bands around 171 Å, 284 Å, and 108 Å) and an EUV context imager (in two passbands around 195 Å and 304 Å). MUSE will provide unprecedented spectral and imaging diagnostics of the solar corona at high spatial (≤0.″5) and temporal resolution (down to ∼0.5 s for sit-and-stare observations), thanks to its innovative multislit design. By obtaining spectra in four bright EUV lines (Fe ix 171 Å, Fe xv 284 Å, Fe xix –Fe xxi 108 Å) covering a wide range of transition regions and coronal temperatures along 37 slits simultaneously, MUSE will, for the first time, “freeze” (at a cadence as short as 10 s) with a spectroscopic raster the evolution of the dynamic coronal plasma over a wide range of scales: from the spatial scales on which energy is released (≤0.″5) to the large-scale (∼170″ × 170″) atmospheric response. We use numerical modeling to showcase how MUSE will constrain the properties of the solar atmosphere on spatiotemporal scales (≤0.″5, ≤20 s) and the large field of view on which state-of-the-art models of the physical processes that drive coronal heating, flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) make distinguishing and testable predictions. We describe the synergy between MUSE, the single-slit, high-resolution Solar-C EUVST spectrograph, and ground-based observatories (DKIST and others), and the critical role MUSE plays because of the multiscale nature of the physical processes involved. In this first paper, we focus on coronal heating mechanisms. An accompanying paper focuses on flares and CMEs.
TL;DR: In this paper , a case study for the global extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave and its chromospheric counterpart the Moreton-Ramsey Wave associated with the second X-class flare in Solar Cycle 25 and a halo coronal mass ejection (CME) was presented.
Abstract: We present a case study for the global extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave and its chromospheric counterpart the Moreton-Ramsey Wave associated with the second X-class flare in Solar Cycle 25 and a halo coronal mass ejection (CME). The EUV wave was observed in the Hα and EUV passbands with different characteristic temperatures. In the 171 Å and 193/195 Å images, the wave propagates circularly with an initial velocity of 600–720 km s−1 and a deceleration of 110–320 m s−2. The local coronal plasma is heated from log(T/K) ≈ 5.9 to log(T/K) ≈ 6.2 during the passage of the wave front. The Hα and 304 Å images also reveal signatures of wave propagation with a velocity of 310–540 km s−1. With multiwavelength and dual-perspective observations, we found that the wave front likely propagates forwardly inclined to the solar surface with a tilt angle of ∼53°.2. Our results suggest that this EUV wave is a fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic wave or shock driven by the expansion of the associated CME, whose wave front is likely a dome-shaped structure that could impact the upper chromosphere, transition region, and corona.
TL;DR: In this article , the role of coronal mass ejection (CME) driven shocks in the acceleration of solar energetic electrons was investigated using observations by the two STEREO spacecraft.
Abstract: We study the role of coronal mass ejection (CME) driven shocks in the acceleration of solar energetic electrons. Using observations by the two STEREO spacecraft, we correlate electron peak intensities of solar energetic particle events measured in situ with various parameters of the associated coronal shocks. These shock parameters were derived by combining 3D shock reconstructions with global modeling of the corona. This modeling technique provides also shock properties in the specific shock regions that are magnetically connected to the two STEREO spacecraft. We find significant correlations between the peak intensities and the Mach number of the shock with correlation coefficients of about 0.7, which are similar for electrons at ∼1 MeV and protons at >60 MeV. Lower-energy electrons with <100 keV show a smaller correlation coefficient of 0.47. The causal relationship between electron intensities and the shock properties is supported by the vanishing correlations when peak intensities at STEREO A are related with the Alfvénic Mach number at the magnetic footpoint of STEREO B and vice versa, which yields correlation coefficients of 0.03 and −0.13 for ∼1 MeV and <100 keV electron peak intensities, respectively. We conclude that the high-energy electrons are accelerated mainly by the shock, while the low-energy electrons are likely produced by a mixture of flare and shock-related acceleration processes.
TL;DR: In this paper , particle, radio, and X-ray observations during the first relativistic proton event of solar cycle 25 detected on Earth were analyzed to gain insight into the relationship between relativistically solar particles detected in space get access to the open field lines to the Earth through these reconnection events.
Abstract: Aims. We analyse particle, radio, and X-ray observations during the first relativistic proton event of solar cycle 25 detected on Earth. The aim is to gain insight into the relationship between relativistic solar particles detected in space get access to the open field lines to the Earth through these reconnection events.
TL;DR: In this paper , a 3D numerical modeling of the quiescent stellar wind from AU Mic, as well as time-dependent simulations describing the evolution of a highly energetic coronal mass ejection (CME) event in this system are incorporated in their models.
Abstract: Two close-in planets have been recently found around the M-dwarf flare star AU Microscopii (AU Mic). These Neptune-sized planets (AU Mic b and c) seem to be located very close to the so-called “evaporation valley” in the exoplanet population, making this system an important target for studying atmospheric loss on exoplanets. This process, while mainly driven by high-energy stellar radiation, will be strongly mediated by the space environment surrounding the planets. Here we present an investigation of this last area, performing 3D numerical modeling of the quiescent stellar wind from AU Mic, as well as time-dependent simulations describing the evolution of a highly energetic coronal mass ejection (CME) event in this system. Observational constraints on the stellar magnetic field and properties of the eruption are incorporated in our models. We carry out qualitative and quantitative characterizations of the stellar wind, the emerging CMEs, as well as the expected steady and transient conditions along the orbit of both exoplanets. Our results predict extreme space weather for AU Mic and its planets. This includes sub-Alfvénic regions for the large majority of the exoplanet orbits, very high dynamic and magnetic pressure values in quiescence (varying within 102–105 times the dynamic pressure experienced by Earth), and an even harsher environment during the passage of any escaping CME associated with the frequent flaring observed in AU Mic. These space weather conditions alone pose an immense challenge for the survival of exoplanetary atmospheres (if any) in this system.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors analyzed the plasma data obtained by the solar orbiter and the PSO in situ during the month of June 2020 and showed that the dynamic regions measured by both spacecraft are pervaded with flux ropes close to the HCS.
Abstract: Context. Solar Orbiter and PSP jointly observed the solar wind for the first time in June 2020, capturing data from very different solar wind streams, calm and Alfv\'enic wind as well as many dynamic structures. Aims. The aim here is to understand the origin and characteristics of the highly dynamic solar wind observed by the two probes, in particular in the vicinity of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). Methods. We analyse the plasma data obtained by PSP and Solar Orbiter in situ during the month of June 2020. We use the Alfv\'en-wave turbulence MHD solar wind model WindPredict-AW, and perform two 3D simulations based on ADAPT solar magnetograms for this period. Results. We show that the dynamic regions measured by both spacecraft are pervaded with flux ropes close to the HCS. These flux ropes are also present in the simulations, forming at the tip of helmet streamers, i.e. at the base of the heliospheric current sheet. The formation mechanism involves a pressure driven instability followed by a fast tearing reconnection process, consistent with the picture of R\'eville et al. (2020a). We further characterize the 3D spatial structure of helmet streamer born flux ropes, which seems, in the simulations, to be related to the network of quasi-separatrices.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors studied the origin of two homologous accelerated electron beams and a quasiperiodic fast-propagating (QFP) wave train associated with a solar jet on 2012 July 14.
Abstract: Using imaging and radio multi-wavelength observations, we studied the origin of two homologous accelerated electron beams and a quasiperiodic fast-propagating (QFP) wave train associated with a solar jet on 2012 July 14. The jet occurred in a small-scale fan-spine magnetic system embedded in a large-scale pseudostreamer associated with a GOES C1.4 flare, a jet-like coronal mass ejection (CME), a type II radio burst, and a type III radio burst. During the initial stage, a QFP wave train and a fast-moving on-disk radio source were detected in succession ahead of the jet along the outer spine of the fan-spine system. When the jet reached a height of about 1.3 solar radii, it underwent a bifurcation into two branches. Based on our analysis results, all the observed phenomena in association with the jet can be explained by using a fan-spine magnetic system. We propose that both the type III radio burst and the on-disk fast-moving radio source were caused by the same physical process, i.e., energetic electrons accelerated by magnetic reconnection at the null point, and these energetic electrons were propagating along the open field lines of the pseudostreamer and the closed outer spine of the fan-spine structure, respectively. Due to the bifurcation of the jet body, the lower branch along the closed outer spine of the fan-spine structure fell back to the solar surface, while the upper branch along the open field lines of the pseudostreamer caused the jet-like CME in the outer corona.
TL;DR: In this paper , an optical spectroscopic and photometric observation of a long-duration superflare on the young solar-type star EK Draconis (50-120 Myr age) with the Seimei telescope and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite is reported.
Abstract: Young solar-type stars are known to show frequent “superflares,” which may severely influence the habitable worlds on young planets via intense radiation and coronal mass ejections. Here we report an optical spectroscopic and photometric observation of a long-duration superflare on the young solar-type star EK Draconis (50–120 Myr age) with the Seimei telescope and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. The flare energy 2.6 × 1034 erg and white-light flare duration 2.2 hr are much larger than those of the largest solar flares, and this is the largest superflare on a solar-type star ever detected by optical spectroscopy. The Hα emission profile shows no significant line asymmetry, meaning no signature of a filament eruption, unlike the only previous detection of a superflare on this star. Also, it did not show significant line broadening, indicating that the nonthermal heating at the flare footpoints is not essential or that the footpoints are behind the limb. The time evolution and duration of the Hα flare are surprisingly almost the same as those of the white-light flare, which is different from general M-dwarf (super-)flares and solar flares. This unexpected time evolution may suggest that different radiation mechanisms than general solar flares are predominant, such as: (1) radiation from (off-limb) flare loops and (2) re-radiation via radiative back-warming, in both of which the cooling timescales of flare loops could determine the timescales of Hα and white light.
TL;DR: In this paper , the effects of the evolutionary processes in the internal magnetic structure of two interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) detected in situ between 2020 November 29 and December 1 by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP).
Abstract: We investigate the effects of the evolutionary processes in the internal magnetic structure of two interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) detected in situ between 2020 November 29 and December 1 by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP). The sources of the ICMEs were observed remotely at the Sun in EUV and subsequently tracked to their coronal counterparts in white light. This period is of particular interest to the community as it has been identified as the first widespread solar energetic particle event of solar cycle 25. The distribution of various solar and heliospheric-dedicated spacecraft throughout the inner heliosphere during PSP observations of these large-scale magnetic structures enables a comprehensive analysis of the internal evolution and topology of such structures. By assembling different models and techniques, we identify the signatures of interaction between the two consecutive ICMEs and the implications for their internal structure. We use multispacecraft observations in combination with a remote-sensing forward modeling technique, numerical propagation models, and in situ reconstruction techniques. The outcome, from the full reconciliations, demonstrates that the two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are interacting in the vicinity of the PSP. Thus, we identify the in situ observations based on the physical processes that are associated with the interaction and collision of both CMEs. We also expand the flux rope modeling and in situ reconstruction technique to incorporate the aging and expansion effects in a distorted internal magnetic structure and explore the implications of both effects in the magnetic configuration of the ICMEs.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors explore how subjectivity affects the 3D CME parameters that are obtained from the GCS reconstruction technique, and they have designed two different synthetic scenarios where the ''true'' geometric parameters are known in order to quantify such uncertainties for the first time.
TL;DR: In this paper , the transverse coronal-loop oscillations induced by the eruption of a prominence-carrying flux rope on 7 December 2012 have been investigated in extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the SDO spacecraft and in the Hα$ line center by the ground-based telescope at the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO).
Abstract: We investigate the transverse coronal-loop oscillations induced by the eruption of a prominence-carrying flux rope on 7 December 2012. The flux rope, originating from NOAA Active Region (AR) 11621, was observed in extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft and in the H $\alpha $ line center by the ground-based telescope at the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). The early evolution of the flux rope is divided into two steps: a slow-rise phase at a speed of ≈ 230 km s−1 and a fast-rise phase at a speed of ≈ 706 km s−1. The eruption generates a C5.8 flare and the onset of the fast rise is consistent with the hard X-ray (HXR) peak time of the flare. The embedded prominence has a lower speed of ≈ 452 km s−1. The eruption is significantly inclined from the local solar normal by ≈ 60∘, suggesting a typical non-radial eruption. During the early eruption of the flux rope, the nearby coronal loops are disturbed and experience independent kink-mode oscillations in the horizontal and vertical directions. The oscillation in the horizontal direction has an initial amplitude of ≈ 3.1 Mm, a period of ≈ 294 seconds, and a damping time of ≈ 645 seconds. It is most striking in 171 Å and lasts for three to four cycles. The oscillations in the vertical directions are observed mainly in 171, 193, and 211 Å. The initial amplitudes are in the range of 3.4 – 5.2 Mm, with an average value of 4.5 Mm. The periods are between 407 seconds and 441 seconds, with an average value of 423 seconds. The oscillations are damping and last for nearly four cycles. The damping times are in the range of 570 – 1012 seconds, with an average value of 741 seconds. Assuming a semi-circular shape of the vertically oscillating loops, we calculate the loop lengths according to their heights. Using the observed periods, we carry out coronal seismology and estimate the internal Alfvén speeds (988 – 1145 km s−1) and the magnetic-field strengths (12 – 43 G) of the oscillating loops.
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors investigate the source of heliospheric magnetic field and find that the open magnetic flux on the Sun already lags behind the variation in sunspot number (SSN) before it convects into the heliosphere along with the solar wind.
Abstract: Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), the highly energetic particles that may raise critical health issues for astronauts in space, are modulated by solar activity, with their intensity lagging behind the variation in sunspot number (SSN) by about one year. Previously, this lag has been attributed to the combined effect of outward convecting solar wind and inward propagating GCRs. However, the lag’s amplitude and its solar-cycle dependence are still not fully understood. By investigating the solar surface magnetic field, we find that the source of heliospheric magnetic field—the open magnetic flux on the Sun—already lags behind SSN before it convects into the heliosphere along with the solar wind. The delay during odd cycles is longer than that during sequential even cycles. Thus, we propose that the GCR lag is primarily due to the very late opening of the solar magnetic field with respect to SSN, though solar wind convection and particle transport in the heliosphere also matter. We further investigate the origin of the open flux from different latitudes of the Sun and find that the total open flux is significantly contributed by that from low latitudes, where coronal mass ejections frequently occur and also show an odd–even cyclic pattern. Our findings challenge existing theories, and may serve as the physical basis of long-term forecasts of radiation dose estimates for manned deep-space exploration missions.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors analyzed 106 flares of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite class ≥M1.0 during 2010-2019 and calculated mean characteristic twist parameters α FPIL within the "flaring polarity inversion line" region and α HFED within the area of high photospheric magnetic free energy density, which both provide measures of the nonpotentiality of the AR core region.
Abstract: With the aim of investigating how the magnetic field in solar active regions (ARs) controls flare activity, i.e., whether a confined or eruptive flare occurs, we analyze 106 flares of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite class ≥M1.0 during 2010–2019. We calculate mean characteristic twist parameters α FPIL within the “flaring polarity inversion line” region and α HFED within the area of high photospheric magnetic free energy density, which both provide measures of the nonpotentiality of the AR core region. Magnetic twist is thought to be related to the driving force of electric current-driven instabilities, such as the helical kink instability. We also calculate total unsigned magnetic flux (ΦAR) of ARs producing the flare, which describes the strength of the background field confinement. By considering both the constraining effect of background magnetic fields and the magnetic nonpotentiality of ARs, we propose a new parameter α/ΦAR to measure the probability for a large flare to be associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME). We find that in about 90% of eruptive flares, α FPIL/ΦAR and α HFED/ΦAR are beyond critical values (2.2 × 10−24 and 3.2 × 10−24 Mm−1 Mx−1), whereas they are less than critical values in ∼80% of confined flares. This indicates that the new parameter α/ΦAR is well able to distinguish eruptive flares from confined flares. Our investigation suggests that the relative measure of magnetic nonpotentiality within the AR core over the restriction of the background field largely controls the capability of ARs to produce eruptive flares.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors used the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observations to study the radial evolution of the solar wind in the inner heliosphere and analyzed electron velocity distribution functions observed by the Solar Wind Electrons, Alphas, and Protons suite.
Abstract: We utilize observations from the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) to study the radial evolution of the solar wind in the inner heliosphere. We analyze electron velocity distribution functions observed by the Solar Wind Electrons, Alphas, and Protons suite to estimate the coronal electron temperature and the local electric potential in the solar wind. From the latter value and the local flow speed, we compute the asymptotic solar wind speed. We group the PSP observations by asymptotic speed, and characterize the radial evolution of the wind speed, electron temperature, and electric potential within each group. In agreement with previous work, we find that the electron temperature (both local and coronal) and the electric potential are anticorrelated with wind speed. This implies that the electron thermal pressure and the associated electric field can provide more net acceleration in the slow wind than in the fast wind. We then utilize the inferred coronal temperature and the extrapolated electric + gravitational potential to show that both electric field driven exospheric models and the equivalent thermally driven hydrodynamic models can explain the entire observed speed of the slowest solar wind streams. On the other hand, neither class of model can explain the observed speed of the faster solar wind streams, which thus require additional acceleration mechanisms.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors used a double Gaussian fitting method and red-blue asymmetry analysis to estimate the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity of a solar coronal mass ejection.
Abstract: The propagation direction and true velocity of a solar coronal mass ejection, which are among the most decisive factors for its geo-effectiveness, are difficult to determine through single-perspective imaging observations. Here we show that Sun-as-a-star spectroscopic observations, together with imaging observations, could allow us to solve this problem. Using observations of the Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we found clear blueshifted secondary emission components in extreme-ultraviolet spectral lines during a solar eruption on 2021 October 28. From simultaneous imaging observations, we found that the secondary components are caused by a mass ejection from the flare site. We estimated the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity of the ejecta from both the double Gaussian fitting method and the red-blue asymmetry analysis. The results of both methods agree well with each other, giving an average LOS velocity of the plasma of ∼423 km s−1. From the 304 Å image series taken by the Extreme ultraviolet Imager onboard the Solar Terrestrial Relation Observatory-A (STEREO-A) spacecraft, we estimated the plane-of-sky velocity from the STEREO-A viewpoint to be around 587 km s−1. The full velocity of the bulk motion of the ejecta was then computed by combining the imaging and spectroscopic observations, which turns out to be around 596 km s−1 with an angle of 42.°4 to the west of the Sun–Earth line and 16.°0 south to the ecliptic plane.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors explore the possibility that the critical transition between sub-Alfvénic periods and super-Alignments in the solar atmosphere takes place in fragmented and disconnected subvolumes within a general Alfvén critical zone.
Abstract: Motivated by theoretical, numerical, and observational evidence, we explore the possibility that the critical transition between sub-Alfvénic flow and super-Alfvénic flow in the solar atmosphere takes place in fragmented and disconnected subvolumes within a general Alfvén critical zone. The initial observations of sub-Alfvénic periods by Parker Solar Probe near 16 R (cid:12) do not yet provide sufficient evidence to distinguish this possibility from that of a folded surface that separates simply-connected regions. Subsequent orbits may well enable such a distinction, but here we use a global magnetohydrodynamic model of the solar wind, coupled to a turbulence transport model, to generate possible realizations of such an Alfvén critical zone. Understanding this transition will inform theories of coronal heating, solar wind origin, solar angular momentum loss, and related physical processes in stellar winds beyond the Sun.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors used a double Gaussian fitting method and red-blue asymmetry analysis to estimate the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity of a solar coronal mass ejection.
Abstract:
The propagation direction and true velocity of a solar coronal mass ejection, which are among the most decisive factors for its geo-effectiveness, are difficult to determine through single-perspective imaging observations. Here we show that Sun-as-a-star spectroscopic observations, together with imaging observations, could allow us to solve this problem. Using observations of the Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we found clear blueshifted secondary emission components in extreme-ultraviolet spectral lines during a solar eruption on 2021 October 28. From simultaneous imaging observations, we found that the secondary components are caused by a mass ejection from the flare site. We estimated the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity of the ejecta from both the double Gaussian fitting method and the red-blue asymmetry analysis. The results of both methods agree well with each other, giving an average LOS velocity of the plasma of ∼423 km s−1. From the 304 Å image series taken by the Extreme ultraviolet Imager onboard the Solar Terrestrial Relation Observatory-A (STEREO-A) spacecraft, we estimated the plane-of-sky velocity from the STEREO-A viewpoint to be around 587 km s−1. The full velocity of the bulk motion of the ejecta was then computed by combining the imaging and spectroscopic observations, which turns out to be around 596 km s−1 with an angle of 42.°4 to the west of the Sun–Earth line and 16.°0 south to the ecliptic plane.
TL;DR: In this article , the effects of the evolutionary processes in the internal magnetic structure of two interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) detected in situ between 2020 November 29 and December 1 by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP).
Abstract: We investigate the effects of the evolutionary processes in the internal magnetic structure of two interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) detected in situ between 2020 November 29 and December 1 by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP). The sources of the ICMEs were observed remotely at the Sun in EUV and subsequently tracked to their coronal counterparts in white light. This period is of particular interest to the community as it has been identified as the first widespread solar energetic particle event of solar cycle 25. The distribution of various solar and heliospheric-dedicated spacecraft throughout the inner heliosphere during PSP observations of these large-scale magnetic structures enables a comprehensive analysis of the internal evolution and topology of such structures. By assembling different models and techniques, we identify the signatures of interaction between the two consecutive ICMEs and the implications for their internal structure. We use multispacecraft observations in combination with a remote-sensing forward modeling technique, numerical propagation models, and in situ reconstruction techniques. The outcome, from the full reconciliations, demonstrates that the two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are interacting in the vicinity of the PSP. Thus, we identify the in situ observations based on the physical processes that are associated with the interaction and collision of both CMEs. We also expand the flux rope modeling and in situ reconstruction technique to incorporate the aging and expansion effects in a distorted internal magnetic structure and explore the implications of both effects in the magnetic configuration of the ICMEs.
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors investigated the relationship between the expanding front, coronal streamers, and the SEP fluxes observed at different locations, and showed that the interaction between an expanding front and streamer structures can be responsible for the acceleration of high-energy SEPs up to at least 100 MeV.
Abstract: On 2013 June 21, a solar prominence eruption was observed, accompanied by an M2.9 class flare, a fast coronal mass ejection, and a type II radio burst. The concomitant emission of solar energetic particles (SEPs) produced a significant proton flux increase, in the energy range 4–100 MeV, measured by the Low and High Energy Telescopes on board the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO)-B spacecraft. Only small enhancements, at lower energies, were observed at the STEREO-A and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) spacecraft. This work investigates the relationship between the expanding front, coronal streamers, and the SEP fluxes observed at different locations. Extreme-ultraviolet data, acquired by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), were used to study the expanding front and its interaction with streamer structures in the low corona. The 3D shape of the expanding front was reconstructed and extrapolated at different times by using SDO/AIA, STEREO/Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation, and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph observations with a spheroidal model. By adopting a potential field source surface approximation and estimating the magnetic connection of the Parker spiral, below and above 2.5 R ⊙, we found that during the early expansion of the eruption, the front had a strong magnetic connection with STEREO-B (between the nose and flank of the eruption front) while having a weak connection with STEREO-A and GOES. The obtained results provide evidence, for the first time, that the interaction between an expanding front and streamer structures can be responsible for the acceleration of high-energy SEPs up to at least 100 MeV, as it favors particle trapping and hence increases the shock acceleration efficiency.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors analyzed the series of solar eruptions during October 28-November 2 as well as their correspondences with the in situ features, and found that the difference in SEP features between the two CMEs is mainly due to the seed particles probably supplied by associated flares and the magnetic connection influenced by the preceding solar wind speed.
Abstract: Two recent extremely fast coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are of particular interest. The first one originated from the southern hemisphere on 2021 October 28 and caused strong solar energetic particle (SEP) events over a wide longitude range from Earth, STEREO-A, to Mars. However, the other one, originating from the center of the Earth-viewed solar disk 5 days later, left weak SEP signatures in the heliosphere. Based on the white-light images of the CMEs from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and the Ahead Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO-A), in combination with the observations of the corresponding solar flares, radio bursts, and in situ magnetic fields and particles, we try to analyze the series of solar eruptions during October 28–November 2 as well as their correspondences with the in situ features. It is found that the difference in SEP features between the two CMEs is mainly due to (1) the seed particles probably supplied by associated flares and (2) the magnetic connection influenced by the preceding solar wind speed.