Showing papers on "Dipole model of the Earth's magnetic field published in 2013"

Magnetic inhibition of convection and the fundamental properties of low-mass stars. i. stars with a radiative core

Abstract: Magnetic fields are hypothesized to inflate the radii of low-mass stars—defined as less massive than 0.8 M ☉—in detached eclipsing binaries (DEBs). We investigate this hypothesis using the recently introduced magnetic Dartmouth stellar evolution code. In particular, we focus on stars thought to have a radiative core and convective outer envelope by studying in detail three individual DEBs: UV Psc, YY Gem, and CU Cnc. Our results suggest that the stabilization of thermal convection by a magnetic field is a plausible explanation for the observed model-radius discrepancies. However, surface magnetic field strengths required by the models are significantly stronger than those estimated from observed coronal X-ray emission. Agreement between model predicted surface magnetic field strengths and those inferred from X-ray observations can be found by assuming that the magnetic field sources its energy from convection. This approach makes the transport of heat by convection less efficient and is akin to reduced convective mixing length methods used in other studies. Predictions for the metallicity and magnetic field strengths of the aforementioned systems are reported. We also develop an expression relating a reduction in the convective mixing length to a magnetic field strength in units of the equipartition value. Our results are compared with those from previous investigations to incorporate magnetic fields to explain the low-mass DEB radius inflation. Finally, we explore how the effects of magnetic fields might affect mass determinations using asteroseismic data and the implication of magnetic fields on exoplanet studies.

Interplanetary Magnetic Flux Ropes and Solar Filaments

Abstract: This paper aims at clarifying the physical relationship between interplanetary magnetic clouds and solar magnetic fields. For this purpose, we analyzed twelve magnetic clouds whose magnetic field variations are well explained by a flux rope model. Attempts were made to determine the geometry of flux ropes that fit the observed magnetic field variations and to identify disappearances of solar filaments that can be associated with the generation of those magnetic structures. A comparison of the magnetic field structures of flux ropes fitted to the interplanetary observations and the structures of solar magnetic fields suggests a model for the generation of magnetic clouds, or interplanetary magnetic flux ropes. We propose that the solar magnetic field surrounding a disappearing filament already has a flux rope structure at the time of eruption and that the structure extends through interplanetary space to be observed as an interplanetary flux rope. In addition, a model is proposed for a possible three-dimensional structure of an interplanetary magnetic flux rope, and observational support is presented.

Magnetic Field Extrapolations into the Corona: Success and Future Improvements

Abstract: The solar atmosphere being magnetic in nature, the understanding of the structure and evolution of the magnetic field in different regions of the solar atmosphere has been an important task over the past decades. This task has been made complicated by the difficulties to measure the magnetic field in the corona, while it is currently known with a good accuracy in the photosphere and/or chromosphere. Thus, to determine the coronal magnetic field, a mathematical method has been developed based on the observed magnetic field. This is the so-called magnetic field extrapolation technique. This technique relies on two crucial points: i) the physical assumption leading to the system of differential equations to be solved, ii) the choice and quality of the associated boundary conditions. In this review, I summarise the physical assumptions currently in use and the findings at different scales in the solar atmosphere. I concentrate the discussion on the extrapolation techniques applied to solar magnetic data and the comparison with observations in a broad range of wavelengths (from hard X-rays to radio emission).

Models of Auroral‐Zone Conductances

Abstract: The magnetosphere-ionosphere system is strongly coupled, with magnetospheric Birkeland currents feeding ionospheric Pedersen and Hall currents Central to any computer simulation of this system is a detailed, valid conductivity model An accurate conductivity model is also vital in order to infer Birkeland currents and electric field patterns from inversions of magnetometer chain data Several recent attempts at constructing conductivity models are presented and their strengths and weaknesses discussed Incoherent scatter radar measurements can determine height profiles of electron content, from which Pedersen and Hall conductances may be calculated These yield excellent spatial and good temporal resolution; however, they are limited in field of view A global pattern requires either 24 hours of data or a chain of stations Synoptic empirical models (quantized by indices such as Kp or AE) typically are limited by their large bin size (1 deg invariant latitude x 1 hour MLT), and cannot reproduce arcs Estimating conductivity globally from Dynamics Explorer auroral images is promising, and can yield reasonable time scales (of about 10 minutes); however, this procedure is still only now being tested

An empirical model of ground‐level geomagnetic perturbations

Abstract: [1] A new empirical model for predicting ground-level geomagnetic perturbations has been developed. This model is based on global measurements of the magnetic field at multiple stations in the Northern Hemisphere collected over an 8 year period, along with the simultaneous measurements of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Variations in ionospheric conductivity are implicitly contained in the measurements used in the model's construction, including the solar F10.7 index. Provided with the IMF, solar wind velocity, dipole tilt angle (for season), and F10.7 index, this model computes all three vector components of the magnetic perturbations at specified locations. The model results are consistent with the corresponding maps of the ionospheric electric potential. Interestingly, maps of the vertical component have patterns that resemble maps of the overhead, ionospheric field-aligned currents. Comparisons of model calculations with measurements at different locations show very good results, particularly at low frequencies. There are random variations at higher frequencies that are not reproduced well with the model, but they tend to occur in proportion to the predicted levels. This model could be useful for providing regional forecasts of geomagnetic activity with an approximately 1 h lead time.

Magnetic field strength distribution of magnetic bright points inferred from filtergrams and spectro-polarimetric data

Abstract: Context. Small scale magnetic fields can be observed on the Sun in G-band filtergrams as magnetic bright points (MBPs) or identified in spectro-polarimetric measurements due to enhanced signals of Stokes profiles. These magnetic fields and their dynamics play a crucial role in understanding the coronal heating problem and also in surface dynamo models. MBPs can theoretically be described to evolve out of a patch of a solar photospheric magnetic field with values below the equipartition field strength by the so-called convective collapse model. After the collapse, the magnetic field of MBPs reaches a higher stable magnetic field level. Aims. The magnetic field strength distribution of small scale magnetic fields as seen by MBPs is inferred. Furthermore, we want to test the model of convective collapse and the theoretically predicted stable value of about 1300 G. Methods. We used four different data sets of high-resolution Hinode/SOT observations that were recorded simultaneously with the broadband filter device (G-band, Ca II-H) and the spectro-polarimeter. To derive the magnetic field strength distribution of these small scale features, the spectropolarimeter (SP) data sets were treated by the Merlin inversion code. The four data sets comprise different solar surface types: active regions (a sunspot group and a region with pores), as well as quiet Sun. Results. In all four cases the obtained magnetic field strength distribution of MBPs is similar and shows peaks around 1300 G. This agrees well with the theoretical prediction of the convective collapse model. The resulting magnetic field strength distribution can be fitted in each case by a model consisting of log-normal components. The important parameters, such as geometrical mean value and multiplicative standard deviation, are similar in all data sets, so only the relative weighting of the components is different.

Evolution of Relative Magnetic Helicity: Method of Computation and Its Application to a Simulated Solar Corona above an Active Region

Abstract: For a better understanding of solar magnetic field evolution it is appropriate to evaluate the magnetic helicity based on observations and to compare it with numerical simulation results. We have developed a method for calculating the vector potential of a magnetic field given in a finite volume; the method requires the magnetic flux to be balanced on all the side boundaries of the considered volume. Our method uses a fast Laplace/Poisson solver to obtain the vector potentials for a given magnetic field and for the corresponding potential (current-free) field. This allows an efficient calculation of the relative magnetic helicity in a finite 3D volume. We tested our approach on a theoretical model (Low and Lou, Astrophys. J. 352, 343, 1990) and also applied our method to the magnetic field above active region NOAA 8210 obtained by a photospheric-data-driven MHD model. We found that the amount of accumulated relative magnetic helicity coincides well with the relative helicity inflow through the boundaries in the ideal and non-ideal cases. The temporal evolution of relative magnetic helicity is consistent with that of magnetic energy. The maximum value of normalized helicity, H m/Φ2=0.0298, is reached just before a drastic energy release by magnetic reconnection. This value is close to the corresponding value inferred from the formula that connects the magnetic flux and the accumulated magnetic helicity based on the observations of solar active regions.

An MHD simulation model of time‐dependent global solar corona with temporally varying solar‐surface magnetic field maps

Abstract: [1] We present a model of a time-dependent three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulation of the sub-Alfvenic solar corona and super-Alfvenic solar wind with temporally varying solar-surface boundary magnetic field data. To (i) accommodate observational data with a somewhat arbitrarily evolving solar photospheric magnetic field as the boundary value and (ii) keep the divergence-free condition, we developed a boundary model, here named Confined Differential Potential Field model, that calculates the horizontal components of the magnetic field, from changes in the vertical component, as a potential field confined in a thin shell. The projected normal characteristic method robustly simulates the solar corona and solar wind, in response to the temporal variation of the boundary Br. We conduct test MHD simulations for two periods, from Carrington Rotation number 2009 to 2010 and from Carrington Rotation 2074 to 2075 at solar maximum and minimum of Cycle 23, respectively. We obtained several coronal features that a fixed boundary condition cannot yield, such as twisted magnetic field lines at the lower corona and the transition from an open-field coronal hole to a closed-field streamer. We also obtained slight improvements of the interplanetary magnetic field, including the latitudinal component, at Earth.

Variation of the Auroral Birkeland Current Pattern Associated with the North‐South Component of the IMF

Abstract: In this study, the data set acquired from the vector magnetometer on board MAGSAT during the period October 1979 to June 1980 is examined. Auroral zone crossings were sorted by hourly averaged values of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field. The result is a catalog of sorted data files, from which color-coded magnetic local time invariant latitude plots have been generated that image the auroral Birkeland current pattern, over each prescribed parameter range. These images are used to statistically examine the dynamics of the current pattern. Results indicate that during the periods of B(z) less than 0, the region 1 and 2 current system expands toward lower latitudes accompanied by an expansion of the auroral zones. When B(z) is greater than 0, the region 1 and 2 currents continue to flow with greatly reduced amplitude in the presence of extensive small scale structure.

Evidence for flux ropes in the earth's magnetotail

Abstract: Magnetic field reconnection is a fundamental process that occurs in the magnetotail during geomagnetic substorms. Some 2D reconnection models predict the formation of a plasmoid, or closed loop of magnetic field lines, in the noon-midnight meridional plane at those times. When the 3D magnetotail magnetic field is considered, it becomes clear that reconnection produces a flux rope with an axis transverse to the earth-sun line. Three signatures mark both 2D plasmoids and 3D flux ropes: (1) a bipolar magnetic field signature, (2) tailward flow of a hot plasma, and (3) convecting isotropic energetic particle distributions. Plasmoids and flux ropes may be distinguished by (4) the axial magnetic field that only flux ropes possess. All four signatures have been identified in near-earth, middle, and distant magnetotail observations, but their interpretation is disputed. Thus, the existence of magnetotail flux ropes remains a controversial subject.

Full-disk nonlinear force-free field extrapolation of SDO/HMI and SOLIS/VSM magnetograms

Abstract: Context. The magnetic field configuration is essential for understanding solar explosive phenomena, such as flares and coronal mass ejections. To overcome the unavailability of coronal magnetic field measurements, photospheric magnetic field vector data can be used to reconstruct the coronal field. Two complications of this approach are that the measured photospheric magnetic field is not force-free and that one has to apply a preprocessing routine to achieve boundary conditions suitable for the force-free modeling. Furthermore the nonlinear force-free extrapolation code should take uncertainties into account in the photospheric field data. They occur due to noise, incomplete inversions, or azimuth ambiguity-removing techniques. Aims. Extrapolation codes in Cartesian geometry for modeling the magnetic field in the corona do not take the curvature of the Sun’s surface into account and can only be applied to relatively small areas, e.g., a single active region. Here we apply a method for nonlinear force-free coronal magnetic field modeling and preprocessing of photospheric vector magnetograms in spherical geometry using the optimization procedure to full disk vector magnetograms. We compare the analysis of the photospheric magnetic field and subsequent force-free modeling based on full-disk vector maps from Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the solar dynamics observatory (SDO) and Vector Spectromagnetograph (VSM) of the Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigations of the Sun (SOLIS). Methods. We used HMI and VSM photospheric magnetic field measurements to model the force-free coronal field above multiple solar active regions, assuming magnetic forces to dominate. We solved the nonlinear force-free field equations by minimizing a functional in spherical coordinates over a full disk and excluding the poles. After searching for the optimum modeling parameters for the particular data sets, we compared the resulting nonlinear force-free model fields. We compared quantities, such as the total magnetic energy content, free magnetic energy, the longitudinal distribution of the magnetic pressure, and surface electric current density, using our spherical geometry extrapolation code. Results. The magnetic field lines obtained from nonlinear force-free extrapolation based on HMI and VSM data show good agreement. However, the nonlinear force-free extrapolation based on HMI data contain more total magnetic energy, free magnetic energy, the longitudinal distribution of the magnetic pressure, and surface electric current density than do the VSM data.

Electric potentials in magnetic dipole fields normal and oblique to a surface in plasma: Understanding the solar wind interaction with lunar magnetic anomalies

Abstract: [1] We experimentally investigated the solar wind interaction with moderate-strength lunar magnetic anomalies in which the electrons are magnetized but the ions remain unmagnetized. Previously, we studied the plasma sheaths above an insulating surface in a magnetic dipole field oriented parallel to the surface. In this paper, when the dipole field is oriented normal to the surface, the surface potential largely rises, and a potential bump forms in the sheath in the magnetic cusp region due to a significant magnetic mirror reflection of the electrons. It is also found that the electrons are shielded from the central dipole wings and diverted into the side of the wings. When the dipole field obliquely intersects the surface, an asymmetric potential distribution develops. Our experimental results indicate that lunar surface charging can be greatly modified in the magnetic anomaly regions, creating extreme local electrical environments.

Reversals of the solar dipole

Abstract: Context. During a solar magnetic field reversal the magnetic dipole moment does not vanish, but migrates between poles, in contradiction to the predictions of mean-field dynamo theory. Aims. We try to explain this as a consequence of magnetic fluctuations. Methods. We used the statistics of fluctuations to estimate observable signatures. Results. Simple statistical estimates, taken with results from mean-field dynamo theory, suggest that a non-zero dipole moment may persist through a global field reversal. Conclusions. Fluctuations in the solar magnetic field may play a key role in explaining reversals of the solar dipole.

Inferring the magnetic field vector in the quiet Sun - III. Disk variation of the Stokes profiles and isotropism of the magnetic field

Abstract: Recent investigations of the magnetic field vector properties in the solar internetwork have provided diverging results. While some works found that the internetwork is mostly pervaded by horizontal magnetic fields, other works argued in favor of an isotropic distribution of the magnetic field vector. Motivated by these seemingly contradictory results and by the fact that most of these works have employed spectropolarimetric data at disk center only, we have revisited this problem employing high-quality data (noise level sigma approximate to 3 x 10(-4) in units of the quiet-Sun intensity) at different latitudes recorded with the Hinode/SP instrument. Instead of applying traditional inversion codes of the radiative transfer equation to retrieve the magnetic field vector at each spatial point on the solar surface and studying the resulting distribution of the magnetic field vector, we surmised a theoretical distribution function of the magnetic field vector and used it to obtain the theoretical histograms of the Stokes profiles. These histograms were then compared to the observed ones. Any mismatch between them was ascribed to the theoretical distribution of the magnetic field vector, which was subsequently modified to produce a better fit to the observed histograms. With this method we find that Stokes profiles with signals above 2 x 10(-3) (in units of the continuum intensity) cannot be explained by an isotropic distribution of the magnetic field vector. We also find that the differences between the histograms of the Stokes profiles observed at different latitudes cannot be explained in terms of line-of-sight effects. However, they can be explained by a distribution of the magnetic field vector that inherently varies with latitude. We note that these results are based on a series of assumptions that, although briefly discussed in this paper, need to be considered in more detail in the future.

Ionospheric density perturbations recorded by DEMETER above intense thunderstorms

Abstract: [1] DEMETER (Detection of Electromagnetic Emissions Transmitted From Earthquake Regions) was a three-axis stabilized Earth-pointing spacecraft launched on 29 June 2004 into a low-altitude (710 km) polar and circular orbit that was subsequently lowered to 650 km until the end of the mission in December 2010. DEMETER measured electromagnetic waves all around the Earth, except in the auroral zones (invariant latitude >65°). The frequency range for the electric field was from DC up to 3.5 MHz, and for the magnetic field, it was from a few hertz up to 20 kHz. At its altitude, the phenomena observed on the E field and B field spectrograms recorded during nighttime by the satellite in the very low frequency range are mainly dominated by whistlers. In a first step, the more intense whistlers have been searched. They correspond to the most powerful lightning strokes occurring below DEMETER. Then, it is shown that this intense lightning activity is able to perturb the electron and ion densities at the satellite altitude (up to 133%) during nighttime. These intense lightning strokes are generally associated with transient luminous events, and one event with many sprites recorded on 17 November 2006 above Europe is reported. Examining the charged particle precipitation, it is shown that this density enhancement in the high ionosphere can be related to the energetic particle precipitation induced by the strong whistlers emitted during a long-duration thunderstorm activity at the same location. Citation: Parrot, M., J. A. Sauvaud, S. Soula, J. L. Pinc¸n , and O. van der Velde (2013), Ionospheric density perturbations recorded by DEMETER above intense thunderstorms,

Deriving the geomagnetically induced electric field at the Earth’s surface from the time derivative of the vertical magnetic field

Abstract: We present a new method for estimating the geomagnetically induced electric field at the Earth’s surface directly from the time derivative of the vertical magnetic field, without any need for additional information about the Earth’s electric conductivity. This is a simplification compared to the presently used calculation methods, which require both the magnetic variation field and ground conductivity model as input data. The surface electric field is needed e.g. in modeling Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC) that flow in man-made conductor systems, such as gas and oil pipelines or high-voltage power grids. We solve the induced electric field directly from Faraday’s law, by representing the magnetic variation field in terms of external equivalent current and taking time derivative of the associated vector potential. This gives an approximative solution, where the divergence-free part of the electric field is reproduced accurately (at least in principle), but the curl-free part related to lateral variations in ground conductivity is completely neglected. We test the new calculation method with several realistic models of typical ionospheric current systems, as well as actual data from the Baltic Electromagnetic Array Research (BEAR) network. We conclude that the principle of calculating the (divergence-free part of the) surface electric field from time derivative of the vertical magnetic field is sound, and the method works reasonably well also in practice. However, practical applications may be rather limited as the method seems to require data from a quite dense and spatially extended magnetometer network.

Galactic dynamo with helicity fluxes

Abstract: We construct an approximation for the magnetic field of galaxies that takes into account the magnetic helicity conservation law. In our calculations, we use the fact that the galactic disk is fairly thin and, therefore, the magnetic field component perpendicular to the galactic disk can be neglected (the so-called no-z approximation). However, an averaging of the magnetic field over the entire galaxy, as was done in previous works, is not performed. Our results are compared both with the approximation that disregards the helicity flux and with the results obtained in models with helicity fluxes but without averaging. We show that, compared to the classical model, there are a number of new effects (for example, magnetic field oscillations) and, compared to the model with averaging, the behavior of the magnetic field “softens”: its stationary value is reached more slowly and the oscillation amplitude decreases. This is because the dissipative processes changing the magnetic field growth rate are taken into account in our model. In contrast to the model with averaging, here it becomes possible to construct the dependence of the magnetic field and helicity on the distance from the galactic center.

The state of nonlinear force-free magnetic field extrapolation

Abstract: Magnetic field extrapolation is the construction of a model solution for the coronal magnetic field in active regions from magnetic boundary data originating close to the Sun's surface. The nonlinear force-free model (in which the electric current density is parallel to the magnetic field) is often adopted to describe the coronal field. The solution of the nonlinear force-free equations is a challenging computational task, and the application of codes to available boundary data has revealed a number of significant problems with nonlinear force-free extrapolation. This paper summarises the present status of coronal field extrapolation, and describes some recent developments.

Magnetic field generation in Galactic molecular clouds

Abstract: We investigate the magnetic field which is generated by turbulent motions of a weakly ionized gas. Galactic molecular clouds give us an example of such a medium. As in the Kazantsev-Kraichnan model we assume a medium to be homogeneous and a neutral gas velocity field to be isotropic and delta-correlated in time. We take into consideration the presence of a mean magnetic field, which defines a preferred direction in space and eliminates isotropy of magnetic field correlators. Evolution equations for the anisotropic correlation function are derived. Isotropic cases with zero mean magnetic field as well as with small mean magnetic field are investigated. It is shown that stationary bounded solutions exist only in the presence of the mean magnetic field for the Kolmogorov neutral gas turbulence. The dependence of the magnetic field fluctuations amplitude on the mean field is calculated. The stationary anisotropic solution for the magnetic turbulence is also obtained for large values of the mean magnetic field.

Study of interplanetary magnetic field with Ground State Alignment

Abstract: We demonstrate a new way of studying interplanetary magnetic field—Ground State Alignment (GSA). Instead of sending thousands of space probes, GSA allows magnetic mapping with any ground telescope facilities equipped with spectropolarimeter. The polarization of spectral lines that are pumped by the anisotropic radiation from the Sun is influenced by the magnetic realignment, which happens for magnetic field (<1 G). As a result, the linear polarization becomes an excellent tracer of the embedded magnetic field. The method is illustrated by our synthetic observations of the Jupiter’s Io and comet Halley. Polarization at each point was constructed according to the local magnetic field detected by spacecrafts. Both spatial and temporal variations of turbulent magnetic field can be traced with this technique as well. The influence of magnetic field on the polarization of scattered light is discussed in detail. For remote regions like the IBEX ribbons discovered at the boundary of interstellar medium, GSA provides a unique diagnostics of magnetic field.