Large-Scale Activity in the Bastille Day 2000 Solar Event

We have analyzed dimmings, i.e., regions of temporarily reduced brightness, and manifestations of a coronal wave in the famous event of 14 July 2000 using images produced with the EUV telescope SOHO/EIT. Our analysis was inspired by a paper by Andrews (2001, Solar Phys. 204, 181 (Paper I)), in which this event was studied using running-difference EIT images at 195 Å formed by subtraction of a previous image from each current one. Such images emphasize changes of the brightness, location, and configuration of observed structures occurring during the 12-min interval between two subsequent heliograms. However, they distort the picture of large-scale disturbances caused by a CME, particularly, dimmings. A real picture of dimmings can be obtained from fixed-base difference ‘de-rotated’ images. The latter are formed in two stages: first, the solar rotation is compensated using three-dimensional rotation of all images (‘de-rotation’) to the time of a pre-event heliogram, here 10:00 UT, and then the base heliogram is subtracted from all others. We show real dimmings to be essentially different from those described by Andrews (Paper I). The restructuring of large-scale magnetic fields in the corona in connection with the CME was accompanied by the appearance and growth of two large dimmings. One of them was located along the central meridian, southward of the eruption center, at the place of the pre-eruption arcade. Another dimming occupied the space between the flare region and a remote western active region. Several smaller dimmings were observed virtually over the whole solar disk, especially, within the northwest quadrant. We have also revealed a propagating disturbance with properties of a coronal wave in the northern polar sector, where no dimmings were observed. This fact is discussed in the context of probable association between dimmings and coronal waves. Having suppressed the ‘snowstorm’ produced in the EIT images by energetic particles, we have considered dimming manifestations in all four EIT pass bands of 171, 195, 284, and 304 Å as well as the light curves of the main dimmings including several later images at 195 Å. Our analysis shows that the major cause of the dimmings was density depletion that reached up to 30% in this event. The picture of dimmings implies that the CME in the Bastille Day event was an octopus-like bundle of some magnetic ropes, with the ‘arms’ being connected to several active regions disposed over almost the whole visible solar surface.     

Observations of Solar EUV Radiation with the CORONAS-F/SPIRIT and SOHO/EIT Instruments

The SPIRIT complex onboard the CORONAS-F satellite has routinely imaged the Sun in the 171, 175, 195, 284, and 304 Å spectral bands since August 2001. The complex incorporates two telescopes. The Ritchey-Chretien telescope operates in the 171, 195, 284, and 304 Å bands and has an objective similar to that of the SOHO/EIT instrument. The Herschel telescope obtains solar images synchronously in the 175 and 304 Å bands with two multilayer-coated parabolic mirrors. The SPIRIT program includes synoptic observations, studies of the dynamics of various structures on the solar disk and in the corona up to 5 solar radii, and coordinated observations with other spaceborne and ground-based telescopes. In particular, in the period 2002–2003, synoptic observations with the SPIRIT Ritchey-Chretien telescope were coordinated with regular 6-hour SOHO/EIT observations. Since June 2003, when EIT data were temporarily absent (SOHO keyholes), the SPIRIT telescope has performed synoptic observations at a wavelength of 175 A. These data were used by the Solar Influence Data Analysis Center (SIDC) at the Royal Observatory of Belgium for an early space weather forecast. We analyze the photometric and spectral parameters of the SPIRIT and EIT instruments and compare the integrated (over the solar disk) EUV fluxes using solar images obtained with these instruments during the CORONAS-F flight from August 2001 through December 2003.     

Absorption Phenomena and a Probable Blast Wave in the 13 July 2004 Eruptive Event

We present a case study of the 13 July 2004 solar event, in which disturbances caused by eruption of a filament from an active region embraced a quarter of the visible solar surface. Remarkable are the absorption phenomena observed in the SOHO/EIT 304 Å channel, which were also visible in the EIT 195 Å channel, in the Hα line, and even in total radio flux records. Coronal and Moreton waves were also observed. Multispectral data allowed reconstructing an overall picture of the event. An explosive filament eruption and related impulsive flare produced a CME and blast shock, both of which decelerated and propagated independently. Coronal and Moreton waves were kinematically close and both decelerated in accordance with an expected motion of a coronal blast shock. The CME did not resemble a classical three-component structure, probably because some part of the ejected mass fell back onto the Sun. Quantitative evaluations from different observations provide close estimates of the falling mass, ～3×10¹⁵?g, which is close to the estimated mass of the CME. The falling material was responsible for the observed large-scale absorption phenomena, in particular, shallow widespread moving dimmings observed at 195 Å. By contrast, deep quasi-stationary dimmings observed in this band near the eruption center were due to plasma density decrease in coronal structures.     

Multi-label Learning for Detection of CME-Associated Phenomena

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are considered as one of the driving sources of space weather. They are usually associated with many physical phenomena, e.g. flares, coronal dimmings, and sigmoids. To detect these phenomena, traditional supervised-learning methods assumed that at most one event occurred in a CME; therefore each CME instance is associated with a single label and the phenomenon is processed in isolation. This simplifying assumption does not fit well, as CMEs might have multiple events simultaneously. We propose to detect multiple CME-associated events by multi-label learning methods. With the data available from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO), texture features representing the events are extracted from all of the associated and not-associated CMEs and converted into feature vectors for multi-label learning use. Then a function is learned to predict the proper label sets for CMEs, such that eight events, i.e. coronal dimming, coronal hole, coronal jet, coronal wave, filament, filament eruption, flare, and sigmoid, are detected explicitly. To test the proposed detection algorithm, we adopt the four-fold cross-validation strategy on a set of 551 labeled CMEs from AIA. Experimental results demonstrate the good performance of the multi-label classification methods in terms of test error.     

The Dynamics of High-Temperature Plasma in the Solar Corona according to SPIRIT Observations in Mg XII 8.42 Å Line

The spatial-distribution dynamics of the hot coronal plasma with T ～ 10 MK during a period of high solar activity is studied. We analyze images of the NOAA 9830 active region and its surroundings obtained during the second half of February 2002 with the SPIRIT spectroheliograph in the Mg XII 8.42-Å line and simultaneously on the SOHO satellite with the EIT instrument and on the TRACE satellite in the 195-Å channel. As shown by a multiwavelength analysis, a high-temperature plasma is concentrated in the corona near the apices of magnetic loops, it has long lifetimes (up to several days), and its dynamics is complex and bears no direct relation to flare activity. During the flares, conspicuous increases are observed in the X-ray flux and the emission measure for temperatures of ～5–15 MK. Our analyses of the time variations in emission during a flare suggest that hot plasma is heated by fluxes of accelerated electrons.     

A Challenging Solar Eruptive Event of 18 November 2003 and the Causes of the 20 November Geomagnetic Superstorm. I. Unusual History of an Eruptive Filament

This is the first of four companion papers, which comprehensively analyze a complex eruptive event of 18 November 2003 in active region (AR) 10501 and the causes of the largest Solar Cycle 23 geomagnetic storm on 20 November 2003. Analysis of a complete data set, not considered before, reveals a chain of eruptions to which hard X-ray and microwave bursts responded. A filament in AR 10501 was not a passive part of a larger flux rope, as usually considered. The filament erupted and gave origin to a coronal mass ejection (CME). The chain of events was as follows: i) a presumable eruption at 07:29 UT accompanied by a not reported M1.2 class flare probably associated with the onset of a first southeastern CME (CME1), which most likely is not responsible for the superstorm; ii) a confined eruption (without a CME) at 07:41 UT (M3.2 flare) that destabilized the large filament; iii) the filament acceleration around 07:56 UT; iv) the bifurcation of the eruptive filament that transformed into a large “cloud”; v) an M3.9 flare in AR 10501 associated to this transformation. The transformation of the filament could be due to the interaction of the eruptive filament with the magnetic field in the neighborhood of a null point, located at a height of about 100 Mm above the complex formed by ARs 10501, 10503, and their environment. The CORONAS-F/SPIRIT telescope observed the cloud in 304 Å as a large Y-shaped darkening, which moved from the bifurcation region across the solar disk to the limb. The masses and kinematics of the cloud and the filament were similar. Remnants of the filament were not clearly observed in the second southwestern CME (CME2), previously regarded as a source of the 20 November geomagnetic storm. These facts do not support a simple scenario, in which the interplanetary magnetic cloud is considered as a flux rope formed from a structure initially associated with the pre-eruption filament in AR 10501. Observations suggest a possible additional eruption above the bifurcation region close to solar disk center between 08:07 and 08:17 UT, which could be the source of the 20 November superstorm.     

Automated Detection Of Eit Waves And Dimmings

Studies of the onset of Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) rely on solar disk observations where CME structures are difficult to disentangle because of the diversity and transient character of the phenomena involved. Dimmings and coronal waves are among the best evidence of the large-scale reorganization of coronal magnetic fields associated with the onset of CMEs. The physical mechanism behind EIT waves is still unclear: they are considered as MHD waves and/or as a consequence of plasma compression on the extending border of a dimming. In this paper, we address the problem of automatically detecting and analyzing EIT waves and dimmings in EUV images. This paper presents a “proof of principle” that automated detection of EIT wave and dimmings is indeed possible. At the current stage of work, the method can unambiguously detect dimmings and EIT waves when applied on a typical test-case event. Moreover, we propose a way to extract these events from the data, and determine such parameters as life time, depth, area and volume of dimmings for future catalogs. For EIT waves we unambiguously define, in near solar minimum conditions, the eruption center, the front of EIT wave and its propagation velocity. In addition, we show that the presented methods yield new insights about the geometrical shape of dimmings and the connection with the EIT wave front properties, and the apparent angular rotation of the EIT wave under study.     

Determining the Intrinsic CME Flux Rope Type Using Remote-sensing Solar Disk Observations

A key aim in space weather research is to be able to use remote-sensing observations of the solar atmosphere to extend the lead time of predicting the geoeffectiveness of a coronal mass ejection (CME). In order to achieve this, the magnetic structure of the CME as it leaves the Sun must be known. In this article we address this issue by developing a method to determine the intrinsic flux rope type of a CME solely from solar disk observations. We use several well-known proxies for the magnetic helicity sign, the axis orientation, and the axial magnetic field direction to predict the magnetic structure of the interplanetary flux rope. We present two case studies: the 2 June 2011 and the 14 June 2012 CMEs. Both of these events erupted from an active region, and despite having clear in situ counterparts, their eruption characteristics were relatively complex. The first event was associated with an active region filament that erupted in two stages, while for the other event the eruption originated from a relatively high coronal altitude and the source region did not feature a filament. Our magnetic helicity sign proxies include the analysis of magnetic tongues, soft X-ray and/or extreme-ultraviolet sigmoids, coronal arcade skew, filament emission and absorption threads, and filament rotation. Since the inclination of the post-eruption arcades was not clear, we use the tilt of the polarity inversion line to determine the flux rope axis orientation and coronal dimmings to determine the flux rope footpoints, and therefore, the direction of the axial magnetic field. The comparison of the estimated intrinsic flux rope structure to in situ observations at the Lagrangian point L1 indicated a good agreement with the predictions. Our results highlight the flux rope type determination techniques that are particularly useful for active region eruptions, where most geoeffective CMEs originate.     

An Early Diagnostics of the Geoeffectiveness of Solar Eruptions from Photospheric Magnetic Flux Observations: The Transition from SOHO to SDO

In our previous articles (Chertok et al. in Solar Phys. 282, 175, 2013; Chertok et al. in Solar Phys. 290, 627, 2015), we presented a preliminary tool for the early diagnostics of the geoeffectiveness of solar eruptions based on the estimate of the total unsigned line-of-sight photospheric magnetic flux in accompanying extreme ultraviolet (EUV) arcades and dimmings. This tool was based on the analysis of eruptions observed during 1996?–?2005 with the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) and the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). Empirical relationships were obtained to estimate the probable importance of upcoming space weather disturbances caused by an eruption, which just occurred, without data on the associated coronal mass ejections. In particular, it was possible to estimate the intensity of a non-recurrent geomagnetic storm (GMS) and Forbush decrease (FD), as well as their onset and peak times. After 2010?–?2011, data on solar eruptions are obtained with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). We use relatively short intervals of overlapping EIT–AIA and MDI–HMI detailed observations, and additionally, a number of large eruptions over the next five years with the 12-hour cadence EIT images to adapt the SOHO diagnostic tool to SDO data. We show that the adopted brightness thresholds select practically the same areas of arcades and dimmings from the EIT 195 Å and AIA 193 Å image, with a cross-calibration factor of 3.6?–?5.8 (5.0?–?8.2) for the AIA exposure time of 2.0 s (2.9 s). We also find that for the same photospheric areas, the MDI line-of-sight magnetic flux systematically exceeds the HMI flux by a factor of 1.4. Based on these results, the empirical diagnostic relationships obtained from SOHO data are adjusted to SDO instruments. Examples of a post-diagnostics based on SDO data are presented. As before, the tool is applicable to non-recurrent GMSs and FDs caused by nearly central eruptions from active regions, provided that the southern component of the interplanetary magnetic field near the Earth is predominantly negative, which is not predicted by this tool.     

Revealing the Fine Structure of Coronal Dimmings and Associated Flows with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hinode</Emphasis>/EIS

We study two CME events on 13 and 14 December 2006 that were associated with large-scale dimmings. We study the eruptions from pre-event on 11 December through the recovery on 15 December, using a combination of Hinode/EIS, SOHO/EIT, SOHO/MDI, and MLSO Hα data. The GOES X-class flares obscured the core dimmings, but secondary dimmings developed remote from the active region (AR) in both events. The secondary dimmings are found to be formed by a removal of bright coronal material from loops in the plage region to the East of the AR. Using Hinode/EIS data, we find that the outflows associated with the coronal-dimming regions are highly structured. The concentrated outflows are located at the footpoints of coronal loops (which exist before, and are re-established after, the eruptions), and these are correlated with regions of positive magnetic elements. Comparative study of the Hinode/EIS and SOHO/EIT data shows that the reduction in outflow velocity is consistent with the recovery in intensity of the studied regions. We find that concentrated downflows develop during the recovery phase of the dimmings and are also correlated with the same positive magnetic elements that were previously related to outflows.     

Mass-Loss Evolution in the EUV Low Corona from SDO/AIA Data

We carry out an analysis of the mass that is evacuated from three coronal dimming regions observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The three events are unambiguously identified with white-light coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that are associated in turn with surface activity of diverse nature: an impulsive (M-class) flare, a weak (B-class) flare, and a filament eruption without a flare. The use of three AIA coronal passbands allows applying a differential emission measure technique to define the dimming regions and identify their evacuated mass through the analysis of the electronic density depletion associated with the eruptions. The temporal evolution of the mass loss from the three dimmings can be approximated by an exponential equation followed by a linear fit. We determine the mass of the associated CMEs from COR2 data. The results show that the evacuated masses from the low corona represent a considerable amount of the CME mass. We also find that plasma is still being evacuated from the low corona at the time when the CMEs reach the COR2 field of view. The temporal evolution of the angular width of the CMEs, of the dimming regions in the low corona, and of the flux registered by GOES in soft X-rays are all in close relation with the behavior of mass evacuation from the low corona. We discuss the implications of our findings toward a better understanding of the temporal evolution of several parameters associated with the analyzed dimmings and CMEs.     

Stereoscopic Analysis of the 19 May 2007 Erupting Filament

A filament eruption, accompanied by a B9.5 flare, coronal dimming, and an EUV wave, was observed by the Solar TERrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) on 19 May 2007, beginning at about 13:00 UT. Here, we use observations from the SECCHI/EUVI telescopes and other solar observations to analyze the behavior and geometry of the filament before and during the eruption. At this time, STEREO A and B were separated by about 8.5°, sufficient to determine the three-dimensional structure of the filament using stereoscopy. The filament could be followed in SECCHI/EUVI 304 Å stereoscopic data from about 12 hours before to about 2 hours after the eruption, allowing us to determine the 3D trajectory of the erupting filament. From the 3D reconstructions of the filament and the chromospheric ribbons in the early stage of the eruption, simultaneous heating of both the rising filamentary material and the chromosphere directly below is observed, consistent with an eruption resulting from magnetic reconnection below the filament. Comparisons of the filament during eruption in 304 Å and Hα? show that when it becomes emissive in He II, it tends to disappear in Hα?, indicating that the disappearance probably results from heating or motion, not loss, of filamentary material.     

Automated Identification of Coronal Holes from Synoptic EUV Maps

Coronal holes (CHs) are regions of open magnetic field lines in the solar corona and the source of the fast solar wind. Understanding the evolution of coronal holes is critical for solar magnetism as well as for accurate space weather forecasts. We study the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) synoptic maps at three wavelengths (195 Å/193 Å, 171 Å and 304 Å) measured by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SOHO/EIT) and the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA) instruments. The two datasets are first homogenized by scaling the SDO/AIA data to the SOHO/EIT level by means of histogram equalization. We then develop a novel automated method to identify CHs from these homogenized maps by determining the intensity threshold of CH regions separately for each synoptic map. This is done by identifying the best location and size of an image segment, which optimally contains portions of coronal holes and the surrounding quiet Sun allowing us to detect the momentary intensity threshold. Our method is thus able to adjust itself to the changing scale size of coronal holes and to temporally varying intensities. To make full use of the information in the three wavelengths we construct a composite CH distribution, which is more robust than distributions based on one wavelength. Using the composite CH dataset we discuss the temporal evolution of CHs during the Solar Cycles 23 and 24.     

Cme Associated with Transequatorial Loops and a Bald Patch Flare

We study a flare which occurred on 3 November 1997 at 10:31 UT in the vicinity of a parasitic polarity of AR 8100. Using SOHO/EIT 195 Å observations, we identify the brightening of thin transequatorial loops connecting AR 8100 and AR 8102, and dimmings located between the two active regions. Difference images highlight the presence of a loop-like structure rooted near the flare location usually called an EIT wave. The coronal magnetic field derived from potential extrapolations from a SOHO/MDI magnetogram shows that the topology is complex near the parasitic polarity. There, a `bald patch' (defined as the locations where the magnetic field is tangent to the photosphere) is present. We conclude that the flare was a `bald patch flare'. Moreover, the extrapolation confirms that there is a large coronal volume filled with transequatorial field lines interconnecting AR 8100 and AR 8102, and overlaying the bald patch. We show that the dimmings are located at the footpoints of these large field lines, which can be also related to the thin bright loops observed during the flare. As this event was related to a coronal mass ejection (CME) observed by SOHO/LASCO, we propose that the observed dimmings are due to a decrease in plasma density during the opening of the transequatorial loops connecting both ARs. We propose a scenario where these large field lines are in fact pushed up by the opening of low-lying sheared field lines forming the bald patch. We finally discuss how the fast opening of these field lines can produce the brightening near the footpoints of the separatrix, observed as an `EIT wave'.     

A Challenging Solar Eruptive Event of 18 November 2003 and the Causes of the 20 November Geomagnetic Superstorm. III. Catastrophe of the Eruptive Filament at a Magnetic Null Point and Formation of an Opposite-Handedness CME

Our analysis in Papers I and II (Grechnev et al., Solar Phys. 289, 289, 2014b and Solar Phys. 289, 1279, 2014c) of the 18 November 2003 solar event responsible for the 20 November geomagnetic superstorm has revealed a complex chain of eruptions. In particular, the eruptive filament encountered a topological discontinuity located near the solar disk center at a height of about 100 Mm, bifurcated, and transformed into a large cloud, which did not leave the Sun. Concurrently, an additional CME presumably erupted close to the bifurcation region. The conjectures about the responsibility of this compact CME for the superstorm and its disconnection from the Sun are confirmed in Paper IV (Grechnev et al., Solar Phys. submitted, 2014a), which concludes about its probable spheromak-like structure. The present article confirms the presence of a magnetic null point near the bifurcation region and addresses the origin of the magnetic helicity of the interplanetary magnetic clouds and their connection to the Sun. We find that the orientation of a magnetic dipole constituted by dimmed regions with the opposite magnetic polarities away from the parent active region corresponded to the direction of the axial field in the magnetic cloud, while the pre-eruptive filament mismatched it. To combine all of the listed findings, we propose an intrinsically three-dimensional scheme, in which a spheromak-like eruption originates via the interaction of the initially unconnected magnetic fluxes of the eruptive filament and pre-existing ones in the corona. Through a chain of magnetic reconnections their positive mutual helicity was transformed into the self-helicity of the spheromak-like magnetic cloud.     

Companion Event and Precursor of the X17 Flare on 28 October 2003

A major two-ribbon X17 flare occurred on 28 October 2003, starting at 11:01 UT in active region NOAA 10486. This flare was accompanied by the eruption of a filament and by one of the fastest halo coronal mass ejections registered during the October–November 2003 strong activity period. We focus on the analysis of magnetic field (SOHO/MDI), chromospheric (NainiTal observatory and TRACE), and coronal (TRACE) data obtained before and during the 28 October event. By combining our data analysis with a model of the coronal magnetic field, we concentrate on the study of two events starting before the main flare. One of these events, evident in TRACE images around one hour prior to the main flare, involves a localized magnetic reconnection process associated with the presence of a coronal magnetic null point. This event extends as long as the major flare and we conclude that it is independent from it. A second event, visible in Hα and TRACE images, simultaneous with the previous one, involves a large-scale quadrupolar reconnection process that contributes to decrease the magnetic field tension in the overlaying field configuration; this allows the filament to erupt in a way similar to that proposed by the breakout model, but with magnetic reconnection occurring at Quasi-Separatrix Layers (QSLs) rather than at a magnetic null point. Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users.     

Contrast of Coronal Holes and Parameters of Associated Solar Wind Streams

It is shown that the contrast of coronal holes, just as their size, determines the velocity of the solar wind streams. Fully calibrated EIT images of the Sun have been used. About 450 measurements in 284 Å have been analyzed. The time interval under examination covers about 1500 days in the declining phase of cycle 23. All coronal holes recorded for this interval in the absence of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have been studied. The comparison with some other parameters (e.g. density, temperature, magnetic field) was carried out. The correlations with the velocity are rather high (0.70?–?0.89), especially during the periods of moderate activity, and could be used for everyday forecast. The contrast of coronal holes is rather small.     

One-meter Schmidt telescope of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory: New capabilities

In 2013–2015 the Laboratory of spectroscopy and photometry of extragalactic objects (LS-PEO) of the Special Astrophysical Observatory together with Armenian specialists upgraded the 1-m Schmidt telescope of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. We completely redesigned the control system of the telescope: we replaced the actuating mechanisms, developed telescope control software, and made the guiding system. We reworked and prepared a 4k × 4k Apogee (USA) liquid-cooled CCD with RON ~ 11.1 e^?, a pixel size of 0.″868, and field of view of about 1□°, and in October 2015 mounted it in the focus of the telescope. The detector is equipped with a turret bearing 20 intermediate-band filters (FWHM = 250 Å) uniformly covering the 4000–9000 Å wavelength range, five broadband filters (u, g, r, i, z SDSS), and three narrow-band filters (5000 Å, 6560 Å and 6760 Å, FWHM = 100 Å). During the first year of test operation of the 1-m telescope we performed pilot observations within the framework of three programs: search for young stellar objects, AGNevolution, and stellar composition of galaxy disks.We confirmed the possibility of efficiently selecting of young objects using observations performed in narrow-band Hα and [SII] filters and the intermediate-band 7500 Å filter. Three-hours long exposures with SDSS g-, r-, and i-band filters allow us to reach the surface brightness level of 28^m/□″ when investigating the stellar content of galaxy disks for a sample of nine galaxies. We used observations performed with the 1-m telescope in five broadband (SDSS u, g, r, i, and z) and 15 intermediate-band filters (4000–7500 Å) to construct a sample of quasar candidates with 0.5 < z < 5 (330 objects) in about one-sq. degree SA68 field complete down to R_AB = 23^m. Spectroscopic observations of 29 objects (19.^m5 < R < 22^m) carried out at the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences confirmed the quasar nature of 28 objects.     

Interstellar and circumstellar medium in the direction to IR source IRAS 01005+7910

Using the high-resolution spectra obtained at the 6-meter telescope of the SAO RAS over 2002–2013, we studied the spectral features of the lines of interstellar medium. The radial velocities of the Na I 5890 Å, Na I 5896 Å, Ca II 3934 Å and Ca II 3968 Å absorption lines were analyzed. Seven diffuse interstellar bands 4964, 5780, 5797, 6196, 6203, 6379 Å were identified in the optical spectrum of IRAS01005+7910. Radial velocities V_r and equivalent widths W_λ of these DIBs were measured, for which the values of the interstellar reddening E_B?V and column density of neutral hydrogen log [N(H)] were calculated.     

Possible variability of the magnetic field of T Tau

Using the Main Stellar Spectrograph of the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope equipped with a polametric analyzer, we measured the longitudinal magnetic field component B_∥ for the T Tauri stars T Tau and AS 507 on January 16 and 18 and February 15, 2003. For both stars, we determined only the upper limits on B_∥ from photospheric lines: +15±30 G for T Tau and ?70±90 G for AS 507. The magnetic field of AS 507 was not measured previously, while B_∥ for T Tau is lower than its values that we obtained in 1996 and 2002 (B_∥?150±50G), suggesting that the longitudinal magnetic field component in the photosphere of T Tau is variable. We also measured the longitudinal magnetic field component for T Tau in the formation region of the He I 5876 Å emission line. We found B_∥ in this region to be ?+650, ?+350, and ?+1100 G on January 16, 18, and February 15, 2003, respectively. Our observations on January 18 and February 15 correspond to virtually the same phase of the star's rotation period, but the profiles of the He I 5876 Å line differ markedly on these two nights. Therefore, we believe that the threefold difference between the B_∥ values on these nights does not result from observational errors. We discuss the possible causes of the B_∥ variability in the photosphere and the magnetosphere of T Tau.