Photometric Calibration of the Lasco-C3 Coronagraph Using Stars

The LASCO-C3 coronagraph on SOHO, launched in December 1995, has been collecting images of the corona and background star fields in a regular manner since 1996. This instrument contains a number of broadband filters with various passbands in the range between 400 and 1100 nm. The filter used most often has been the Clear filter (400–900 nm) but there are four other filters with about 100 nm passbands that are also used periodically. Preliminary calibration of the C3 optical system was done before flight and a number of techniques that use star intensities or magnitudes and position have been applied during flight. In order to understand the long-term behavior of the C3 instrument, we have recently performed an analysis of LASCO data that examines the observed intensities of a set of moderately bright stars whose spectra is known from 13 color photometry. Using these star spectra and the observed count rates we have derived the photometric calibration factors of the C3 coronagraph for all five color filters with an absolute precision of about ± 7%. Observations with the Clear filter have been used to look for long-term trends in the instrument sensitivity. The observations indicate a very slight decrease in the instrument sensitivity of about 3.5% over the 8 years studied here.     

Automatic Detection and Classification of Coronal Mass Ejections

We present an automatic algorithm to detect, characterize, and classify coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) C2 and C3 images. The algorithm includes three steps: (1) production running difference images of LASCO C2 and C3; (2) characterization of properties of CMEs such as intensity, height, angular width of span, and speed, and (3) classification of strong, median, and weak CMEs on the basis of CME characterization. In this work, image enhancement, segmentation, and morphological methods are used to detect and characterize CME regions. In addition, Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers are incorporated with the CME properties to distinguish strong CMEs from other weak CMEs. The real-time CME detection and classification results are recorded in a database to be available to the public. Comparing the two available CME catalogs, SOHO/LASCO and CACTus CME catalogs, we have achieved accurate and fast detection of strong CMEs and most of weak CMEs.     

基于机器学习的日冕仪图像分类方法研究

日冕物质抛射(Coronal Mass Ejection, CME)的检测是建立CME事件库和实现对CME在行星际传播的预报的重要前提. 通过Visual Geometry Group (VGG) 16卷积神经网络方法对日冕仪图像进行自动分类. 基于大角度光谱日冕仪(Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment, LASCO) C2的白光日冕仪图像, 根据是否观测到CME对图像进行标记. 将标记分类的数据集用于VGG模型的训练, 该模型在测试集分类的准确率达到92.5%. 根据检测得到的标签结果, 结合时空连续性规则, 消除了误判区域, 有效分类出CME图像序列. 与Coordinated Data Analysis Workshops (CDAW)人工事件库比较, 分类出的CME图像序列能够较完整地包含CME事件, 且对弱CME结构有较高的检测灵敏度. 未来先进天基太阳天文台(Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory, ASO-S)卫星的莱曼阿尔法太阳望远镜将搭载有白光日冕仪(Solar Corona Imager, SCI), 使用此分类方法将该仪器产生的日冕图像按有无CME分类. 含CME标签的图像将推送给中国的各空间天气预报中心, 对CME进行预警.     

Origin of Coronal Shocks without Mass Ejections

We present an analysis of all the events (around 400) of coronal shocks for which the shock-associated metric type IIs were observed by many spectrographs during the period April 1997– December 2000. The main objective of this analysis is to give evidence for the type IIs related to only flare-blast waves, and thus to find out whether there are any type II-associated coronal shocks without mass ejections. By carefully analyzing the data from multi-wavelength observations (Radio, GOES X-ray, Hα, SOHO/LASCO and SOHO/EIT-EUV data), we have identified only 30 events for which there were actually no reports of CMEs. Then from the analysis of the LASCO and EIT running difference images, we found that there are some shocks (nearly 40%, 12/30) which might be associated with weak and narrow mass ejections. These weak and narrow ejections were not reported earlier. For the remaining 60% events (18/30), there are no mass ejections seen in SOHO/LASCO. But all of them are associated with flares and EIT brightenings. Pre-assuming that these type IIs are related to the flares, and from those flare locations of these 18 cases, 16 events are found to occur within the central region of the solar disk (longitude ≤45^∘). In this case, the weak CMEs originating from this region are unlikely to be detected by SOHO/LASCO due to low scattering. The remaining two events occurred beyond this longitudinal limit for which any mass ejections would have been detected if they were present. For both these events, though there are weak eruption features (EIT dimming and loop displacement) in the EIT images, no mass ejection was seen in LASCO for one event, and a CME appeared very late for the other event. While these two cases may imply that the coronal shocks can be produced without any mass ejections, we cannot deny the strong relationship between type IIs and CMEs.     

Detection of coronal mass ejections using AdaBoost on grayscale statistic features

We present an automatic algorithm to detect coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) C2 running difference images. The algorithm includes 3 steps: (1) split the running difference images into blocks according to slice size and analyze the grayscale statistics of the blocks from a set of images with and without CMEs; (2) select the optimal parameters for slice size, gray threshold and fraction of the bright points and (3) use AdaBoost to combine the weak classifiers designed according to the optimal parameters. Experimental results show that our method is effective and has a high accuracy rate.     

The Solar Minimum Active Region 7978, Its X2.6/1B Flare,CME, and Interplanetary Shock Propagation of 9 July 1996

The first X-class flare in four years occurred on 9 July 1996. This X2.6/1B flare reached its maximum at 09:11 UT and was located in active region 7978 (S10° W30°) which was an old-cycle sunspot polarity group. We report the SOHO LASCO/EIT/MDI and SOONSPOT observations before and after this event together with Yohkoh SXT images of the flare, radio observations of the type II shock, and GOES disk-integrated soft X-ray flux during an extended period that included energy build-up in this active region.The LASCO coronagraphs measured a significant coronal mass ejection (CME) on the solar west limb beginning on 8 July at about 09:53 UT. The GOES 8 soft X-ray flux (0.1–0.8 nm) had started to increase on the previous day from below the A-level background (10^-8 W m^-2). At the start time of the CME, it was at the mid-B level and continued to climb. This CME is similar to many events which have been seen by LASCO and which are being interpreted as disruption of existing streamers by emerging flux ropes.LASCO and EIT were not collecting data at the time of the X-flare due to a temporary software outage. A larger CME was in progress when the first LASCO images were taken after the flare. Since the first image of the 'big' CME was obtained after the flare's start time, we cannot clearly demonstrate the physical connection of the CME to the flare. However, the LASCO CME data are consistent with an association of the flare and the CME. No eruptive filaments were observed during this event.We used the flare evidence noted above to employ in real time a simplified Shock-Time-of-Arrival (STOA) algorithm to estimate the arrival of a weak shock at the WIND spacecraft. We compare this prediction with the plasma and IMF data from WIND and plasma data from the SOHO/CELIAS instrument and suggest that the flare - and possibly the interplanetary consequences of the 'big' CME - was the progenitor of the mild, high-latitude, geomagnetic storm (daily sum of Kp=16+, Ap=8) on 12 July 1996. We speculate that the shock was attenuated enroute to Earth as a result of interaction with the heliospheric current/plasma sheet.presently at High Altitude Observatory, Boulder, CO80309, U.S.A.presently at Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, 20375, U.S.A.     

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

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

Search for Compact x-ray Sources in sxt Observations

We show the result of a search for compact sources in observations of Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) aboard the Yohkoh satellite. We focused the search on the highest-resolution SXT images taken with the SXT thick aluminum filter. Non-standard methods have been used in order to avoid data corrupted by spikes or dark current saturation effects. Search criteria and certain questions concerning the SXT database are addressed and discussed in more detail. For the most compact structures found we show also comparison of their brightness spatial distribution with ground calibration data. The search was performed to identify regions with well-localized X-ray emission in SXT images and to gather basic information about them.     

The Depiction of Coronal Structure in White-Light Images

The very steep decrease in density with heliocentric distance makes imaging of coronal density structures out to a few solar radii challenging. The radial gradient in brightness can be reduced using numerous image processing techniques, thus quantitative data are manipulated to provide qualitative images. We introduce a new normalizing-radial-graded filter (NRGF): a simple filter for removing the radial gradient to reveal coronal structure. Applied to polarized brightness observations of the corona, the NRGF produces images which are striking in their detail. Total-brightness, white-light images include contributions from the F corona, stray light, and other instrumental contributions which need to be removed as effectively as possible to properly reveal the electron corona structure. A new procedure for subtracting this background from LASCO C2 white-light, total-brightness images is introduced. The background is created from the unpolarized component of total-brightness images and is found to be remarkably time-invariant, remaining virtually unchanged over the solar cycle. By direct comparison with polarized-brightness data, we show that the new background-subtracting procedure is superior in depicting coronal structure accurately, particularly when used in conjunction with the NRGF. The effectiveness of the procedures is demonstrated on a series of LASCO C2 observations of a coronal mass ejection (CME).     

Background Subtraction for the SECCHI/COR1 Telescope Aboard STEREO

COR1 is an internally occulted Lyot coronagraph, part of the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) instrument suite aboard the twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft. Because the front objective lens is subjected to a full solar flux, the images are dominated by instrumental scattered light which has to be removed to uncover the underlying K corona data. We describe a procedure for removing the instrumental background from COR1 images. F coronal emission is subtracted at the same time. The resulting images are compared with simultaneous data from the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory Mk4 coronagraph. We find that the background subtraction technique is successful in coronal streamers, while the baseline emission in coronal holes (i.e. between plumes) is suppressed. This is an expected behavior of the background subtraction technique. The COR1 radiometric calibration is found to be either 10 – 15% lower, or 5 – 10% higher than that of the Mk4, depending on what value is used for the Mk4 plate scale, while an earlier study found the COR1 radiometric response to be ∼ 20% higher than that of the Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) C2 telescope. Thus, the COR1 calibration is solidly within the range of other operating coronagraphs. The background levels in both COR1 telescopes have been quite steady in time, with the exception of a single contamination event on 30 January 2009. Barring too many additional events of this kind, there is every reason to believe that both COR1 telescopes will maintain usable levels of scattered light for the remainder of the STEREO mission.     

Interacting CMEs and their associated flare and SEP activities

We have analyzed a set of 25 interacting events which are associated with the DH type II bursts. These events are selected from the Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) observed during the period 1997–2010 in SOHO/LASCO and DH type IIs observed in Wind/WAVES. Their pre and primary CMEs from nearby active regions are identified using SOHO/LASCO and EIT images and their height–time diagrams. Their interacting time and height are obtained, and their associated activities, such as, flares and Solar Energetic Particles (>10 pfu) are also investigated. Results from the analysis are: primary CMEs are much faster than the pre-CMEs, their X-ray flares are also stronger (X- and M-class) compared to the flares (C- and M-class) of pre-CMEs. Most of the events (22/25) occurred during the period 2000–2006. From the observed width and speed of pre and primary CMEs, it is found that the pre-CMEs are found to be less energetic than the primary CMEs. While the primary CMEs are tracked up to the end of LASCO field of view (30 R_s), most of the pre-CMEs can be tracked up to <26 R_s. The SEP intensity is found to be related with the integrated flux of X-ray flares associated with the primary CMEs for nine events originating from the western region.     

A Challenging Solar Eruptive Event of 18 November 2003 and the Causes of the 20 November Geomagnetic Superstorm. II. CMEs, Shock Waves, and Drifting Radio Bursts

We continue our study (Grechnev et al., 2013, doi: 10.1007/s11207-013-0316-6 ; Paper I) on the 18 November 2003 geoffective event. To understand possible impact on geospace of coronal transients observed on that day, we investigated their properties from solar near-surface manifestations in extreme ultraviolet, LASCO white-light images, and dynamic radio spectra. We reconcile near-surface activity with the expansion of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and determine their orientation relative to the earthward direction. The kinematic measurements, dynamic radio spectra, and microwave and X-ray light curves all contribute to the overall picture of the complex event and confirm an additional eruption at 08:07?–?08:20 UT close to the solar disk center presumed in Paper I. Unusual characteristics of the ejection appear to match those expected for a source of the 20 November superstorm but make its detection in LASCO images hopeless. On the other hand, none of the CMEs observed by LASCO seem to be a promising candidate for a source of the superstorm being able to produce, at most, a glancing blow on the Earth’s magnetosphere. Our analysis confirms free propagation of shock waves revealed in the event and reconciles their kinematics with “EUV waves” and dynamic radio spectra up to decameters.     

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph Polarimetric Calibration

We present a polarimetric characterization and correction for the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (SOHO/LASCO) C2 and C3 white light coronagraphs. By measuring the uncorrected polarization angles in solar minimum C2 coronal images, we have determined that the coronagraph acts as an optical phase retarder which converts a small fraction of the incoming radiation polarization from linear to circular. In addition, from the measurements of polarization angle in C3 coronal images we have determined that a component of the instrumentally scattered light in that instrument is polarized. We infer the retardation angle for C2 and compute the corresponding Mueller matrix, and determine the polarized stray light spatial profile in C3. The C2 Mueller matrix and C3 polarized stray light profiles are used to correct for instrumental effects in solar minimum coronal observations to obtain polarized brightness between two and thirty-two solar radii, which show deep polar coronal holes extending to the limit of the field of view.     

CME Velocity and Acceleration Error Estimates Using the Bootstrap Method

The bootstrap method is used to determine errors of basic attributes of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) visually identified in images obtained by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission’s Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) instruments. The basic parameters of CMEs are stored, among others, in a database known as the SOHO/LASCO CME catalog and are widely employed for many research studies. The basic attributes of CMEs (e.g. velocity and acceleration) are obtained from manually generated height-time plots. The subjective nature of manual measurements introduces random errors that are difficult to quantify. In many studies the impact of such measurement errors is overlooked. In this study we present a new possibility to estimate measurements errors in the basic attributes of CMEs. This approach is a computer-intensive method because it requires repeating the original data analysis procedure several times using replicate datasets. This is also commonly called the bootstrap method in the literature. We show that the bootstrap approach can be used to estimate the errors of the basic attributes of CMEs having moderately large numbers of height-time measurements. The velocity errors are in the vast majority small and depend mostly on the number of height-time points measured for a particular event. In the case of acceleration, the errors are significant, and for more than half of all CMEs, they are larger than the acceleration itself.     

Automated Processing of LASCO Coronal Images: Spurious Point-Source-Filtering and Missing-Blocks Correction

We report on automated procedures for correcting the images of the LASCO coronagraph for i) spurious quasi-point-sources such as the impacts of cosmic rays, stars, and planets, and ii) the absence of signal due to transmission errors or dropouts, which results in blocks of missing information in the images. Correcting for these undesirable artifacts is mandatory for all quantitative works on the solar corona that require data inversion and/or long series of images, for instance. The nonlinear filtering of spike noise or point-like objects is based on mathematical morphology and implements the procedure opening by morphological reconstruction. However, a simple opening filter is applied whenever the fractional area of corrupted pixels exceeds 50 % of the original image. We describe different strategies for reconstructing the missing information blocks. In general, it is possible to implement the method of averaged neighbors using the two images obtained immediately before and after the corrupted image. For the other cases, and in particular when missing blocks overlapped in three images, we developed an original procedure of weighted interpolation along radial profiles from the center of the Sun that intercept the missing block(s). This procedure is also adequate for the saturated images of bright planets (such as Venus) that bleed along the neighboring pixels. Missing blocks in polarized images may generally be reconstructed using the associated unpolarized image of the same format. But in the case of overlapping missing blocks, we implemented our procedure of weighted interpolation. All tests performed on numerous LASCO-C2 images at various periods of solar activity (i.e. varying complexity of the structure of the corona) demonstrate the excellent performance of these new procedures, with results vastly superior to the methods implemented so far in the pipeline-processing of the LASCO images.     

Lasco and eit Observations of the Bastille day 2000 Solar Storm

The period of 10–14 July 2000 saw a large number of energetic solar events ending with a very energetic flare that was associated with a large solar energetic particle event and a fast halo coronal mass ejection (CME) that produced the largest geomagnetic disturbance since 1989. This paper tries to summarize the complex coronal activity observed during this period, in order to establish a background for a number of papers in this topical issue. The GOES X-ray data are presented. Data animations of observations from EIT and LASCO C2 and C3 are presented on the accompanying CD-ROM. The observations around the time of the three X-class flares are considered. EIT observations of the Bastille Day flare show coronal brightening followed by dimming. LASCO had good data coverage for all three events. For one of the flares, no coronal response was seen. The other two flares are associated with halo CMEs. The timing suggests that the start of the flares and CMEs are simultaneous to approximately 30 min. Analysis of the LASCO and EIT images following the Bastille Day flare show the arrival of energetic particles at SOHO at approximately 10:41 UT on 14 July. Individual features of these CMEs have been tracked and the height–time plots used to estimate the dynamics of the CMEs. The initial speed and deceleration of the halo CMEs estimated from the fitting of height–time plots are compared with the in-situ observations at L1. The three flares are identified as the solar sources of three shocks observed at 1 AU. Finally, it is stressed that global heliospheric effects during periods of exceptional activity should consider a cumulative scenario rather than events in isolation.     

Evolution of Coronal Mass Ejections in the Inner Heliosphere: A Study Using White-Light and Scintillation Images

Knowledge of the radial evolution of the coronal mass ejection (CME) is important for the understanding of its arrival at the near-Earth space and of its interaction with the disturbed/ambient solar wind in the course of its travel to 1 AU and further. In this paper, the radial evolution of 30 large CMEs (angular width > 150^∘, i.e., halo and partial halo CMEs) has been investigated between the Sun and the Earth using (i) the white-light images of the near-Sun region from the Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) onboard SOHO mission and (ii) the interplanetary scintillation (IPS) images of the inner heliosphere obtained from the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT). In the LASCO field of view at heliocentric distances R≤30 solar radii (R_⊙), these CMEs cover an order of magnitude range of initial speeds, V_CME≈260–2600 km s⁻¹. Following results have been obtained from the speed evolution of these CMEs in the Sun–Earth distance range: (1) the speed profile of the CME shows dependence on its initial speed; (2) the propagation of the CME goes through continuous changes, which depend on the interaction of the CME with the surrounding solar wind encountered on the way; (3) the radial-speed profiles obtained by combining the LASCO and IPS images yield the factual view of the propagation of CMEs in the inner heliosphere and transit times and speeds at 1 AU computed from these profiles are in good agreement with the actual measurements; (4) the mean travel time curve for different initial speeds and the shape of the radial-speed profiles suggest that up to a distance of ∼80 R_⊙, the internal energy of the CME (or the expansion of the CME) dominates and however, at larger distances, the CME's interaction with the solar wind controls the propagation; (5) most of the CMEs tend to attain the speed of the ambient flow at 1 AU or further out of the Earth's orbit. The results of this study are useful to quantify the drag force imposed on a CME by the interaction with the ambient solar wind and it is essential in modeling the CME propagation. This study also has a great importance in understanding the prediction of CME-associated space weather at the near-Earth environment.     

从MPIfR的校准数据看活动星系核的变化

从过去6年里MPIfR的VLBI校准数据中挑出有20次以上记录的15个样本源进行了初步分析，结果表明在研究活动星系核（AGN）的变化中，这些以及由其它射电望远镜或系统所积累的类似校准数据是很有用的．     

Joint NANCAY RADIOHELIOGRAPH AND LASCO OBSERVATIONS OF CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS – II. The 9 July 1996 Event

The development of a coronal mass ejection on 9 July 1996 has been analyzed by comparing the observations of the LASCO/SOHO coronagraphs with those of the Nancay radioheliograph. The spatial and temporal evolution of the associated radioburst is complex and involves a long-duration continuum. The analysis of the time sequence of the radio continuum reveals the existence of distinct phases associated with distinct reconnection processes and magnetic restructuring of the corona. Electrons are accelerated in association with these reconnection processes. An excellent spatial association is found between the position and extension of the radio source and the CME seen by LASCO. Furthermore, it is shown that the topology and evolution of the source of the radio continuum involve successive interactions between two systems of loops. These successive interactions lead to magnetic reconnection, then to a large scale coronal restructuring. Thus electrons of coronal origin may have access to the interplanetary medium in a large range of heliographic latitudes as revealed by the Ulysses observations.     

Tracking of Coronal White-Light Events by Texture

The extraction of the kinematic properties of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from white-light coronagraph images involves a significant degree of user interaction: defining the edge of the event, separating the core from the front or from nearby unrelated structures, etc. To contribute towards a less subjective and more quantitative definition, and therefore better kinematic characterization of such events, we have developed a novel image-processing technique based on the concept of “texture of the event”. The texture is defined by the so-called gray-level co-occurrence matrix, and the technique consists of a supervised segmentation algorithm to isolate a particular region of interest based upon its similarity with a pre-specified model. Once the event is visually defined early in its evolution, it is possible to automatically track the event by applying the segmentation algorithm to the corresponding time series of coronagraph images. In this paper we describe the technique, present some examples, and show how the coronal background, the core of the event, and even the associated shock (if one exists) can be identified for different kind of CMEs detected by the LASCO and SECCHI coronagraphs.