磁云传播的动力学演化过程研究进展

磁云因其独特的磁场结构经常是重大灾害性空间天气的驱动源. 近来从磁云的边界层结构、环向通量、大尺度结构等方面关于磁云传播的动力学演化过程的研究取得了一些进展. 在磁云边界存在一个由于磁场重联而形成的边界层结构. 在磁云传播过程中, 这种发生在边界处的磁场重联可能会把磁云的磁场剥蚀掉, 进而引起其磁通量绳结构环向通量的减少以及不对称. 在磁云内部, 经常会观测到多个子通量绳结构. 这些特性各异的子通量绳可以通过磁场重联而合并, 进而引起磁云磁结构的改变. 关于磁云大尺度磁场拓扑位形的演化机制, 除了较早提出的交换重联外, 目前的研究表明在行星际空间中, 磁云边界处的重联过程也可以将磁云闭合或半开放的磁场线打开或断开. 尽管在相关研究中已经取得了较大进展, 但关于磁云传播的动力学演化过程还有许多问题尚不清楚. 在行星际小尺度磁通量绳边界也发现了边界层结构, 那么磁云是否会因剥蚀而成为小尺度通量绳? 磁云内子通量绳结构在相互作用中会不会引起某些不稳定性而导致整个通量绳系统的崩溃? 这些问题的解决还有待于进一步的理论、观测和数值模拟研究.     

行星际磁通量绳尺度及能量研究

行星际磁通量绳是太阳风中一种重要的磁结构.从1995-2001年的Wind卫星的观测资料中认证了144个行星际磁通量绳.其时间尺度介于几十分钟到几十小时之间,其空间尺度呈现连续分布.通过估算磁通量绳单位长度的能量和总能量发现:磁通量绳的能量分布和耀斑的类似都呈现很好的幂率谱.通过讨论行星际磁通量绳和太阳活动爆发的关系,建议所有的小、中、大尺度通量绳都直接起源于太阳上的爆发,和磁云对应于通常的日冕物质抛射一样,中、小尺度的通量绳对应相对较小的日冕物质抛射.     

中尺度磁绳结构的行星际观测

由磁绳结构主导、平均尺度约二、三十个小时的行星际磁云是日冕物质抛射在行星际膨胀、传播的体现。最近，Moldwin等人报道在太阳风中还观测到一些尺度在几十分钟的小尺度磁绳结构，并认为太阳风中的磁绳结构在尺度分布上可能具有双峰特征，在全面检视了WIND卫星(1995年-2000年)和ACE卫星(1998年-2000年)的观测资料后，发现了在行星际太阳风中一些尺度为几个小时的中尺度磁绳结构，利用初步整理的其中28个中尺度磁绳结构事件，认为太阳风中的磁绳结构在尺度分布上可能是连续的，这对行星际太阳风中磁绳结构物理起源的研究可能提出重要的物理限制。     

通过建立自然坐标系确定磁云边界方法的探讨

通常卫星探测到的关于行星际空间磁场的数据都是在GSE坐标系(地心太阳黄道坐标系)里表示出来的．磁云是行星际日冕物质抛射事件的一个重要子集,它们的边界认证一直是磁云研究中感兴趣的问题之一．通过讨论坐标系转换确定磁云边界的方法,由磁云的磁通量管特征建立磁云自然坐标系,然后把行星际空间的磁场转换到磁云自然坐标系里．在磁云自然坐标系里磁云作为一个磁通量管的结构能够清晰地显示出来．结合磁云的等离子体特征就可以比较容易地把磁云和背景太阳风分辨出来,即确定了磁云的边界．     

行星际磁重联的观测与研究

近50多年来,磁重联的概念越来越多地被应用到空间物理领域中,用以解释地球磁层、太阳大气以及行星际空间等环境下发生的爆发性物理现象。从观测方面对当前行星际磁重联研究的现状做了概述。首先介绍了磁重联的理论模型,接着回顾了行星际磁重联观测研究的历史,随后介绍了当前行星际磁重联的证认方法及磁云边界层磁重联在观测上的研究现状及存在的问题,然后分别介绍了近些年来,单飞船及多飞船联合观测的结果,最后总结了行星际磁重联现象的特点以及一些尚未解决的问题。     

行星际物理和磁层物理进展

本文综述80年代以来,行星际空间和地球磁层研究方面的进展。 在行星际物理方面,太阳风的加速机制、太阳风高速流与低速流之间的相互作用、耀斑激波在行星际空间传播等问题都有长足进展,特别是行星际磁云结构的存在,表明行星际有大小尺度的复杂结构,它们都与日冕和太阳风相关而且都对磁层有不同影响。     

行星际磁通量绳尺度的幂律谱分布

利用最小二乘法拟合了1995年1月至2001年9月Wind卫星观测到的行星际磁通量绳。根据拟合所得磁通量绳的直径,分析了行星际磁通量绳在这段时间内的发生率随磁通量绳直径D变化的关系,发现磁通量绳的发生率P(D)随直径D的变化可近似以幂律形式表示为:P(D)≈64D-0.768。行星际磁通量绳的发生率相对其直径的幂律分布表明所有行星际磁通量绳很可能是同一类现象且有共同的源,即它们都是太阳上日冕物质抛射的行星际对应物,只不过小尺度的磁通量绳对应较小的日冕物质抛射。最后,对行星际磁通量绳、日冕物质抛射和太阳耀斑的可能关系做了讨论。     

太阳表面小尺度磁场的结构和演化

太阳表面小尺度磁场,是指太阳活动区之外的小尺度磁结构。它们目前被区分为网络磁场、网络内磁场和瞬现活动区(或瞬现区)三类。小尺度磁场遍及太阳表面,在太阳活动的任何位相都组成太阳表面磁通量的主要部分,其生消变化可能对上层大气的加热有重要影响。 瞬现区的浮现是小尺度磁通量产生的重要方式。瞬现区组成了太阳活动区在小尺民一端的谱的延伸。网络内磁场的产生和演化的研究,仍处于刚刚开始的阶段,是一个十分活跃的研究领域。初步研究表明,网络内包含的总磁通量比瞬现区的总和多两个量级。最近被广泛证认和研究的磁场对消现象,可能首次提供了磁力线重联的观测证据,被证明是磁通量从太阳表面消失的主要观测模式。对消磁结构与日冕X-射线亮点相关的间接证据已为Harvey给出。由于浮现、对消、分裂和聚合等各种动力学过程的存在,网络磁场不再被认为仅仅是衰减活动区的残余。     

全日面日冕磁场的计算：边界元法与级数法的比较

本文以线性无力场模式下边界元法（ＢＥＭ）为基础，根据Ｃａｒｒｉｎｇｔｏｎ１７３３—１７４２周的光球磁场观测数据，计算出相应各Ｃａｒｒｉｎｇｔｏｎ周日冕高度（２．５Ｒ＿⊙）全日面的太阳磁场。计算结果同势场模式下的级数解法（即待定系数法）的相应结果对比表明，两种方法都体现了较为一致的大尺度日冕磁场特征，但在数值上存在某些差异；有些Ｃａｒｒｉｎｇｔｏｎ周的磁中性线形状差异较明显；另外，两者都没有反映出光球磁场中原有的并在行星际空间探测到的中小尺度强磁场结构。本文最后指出了发展较精确的三维全日面磁场计算理论尚待解决的一些问题。     

太阳光球层磁重联的直接证据

本文首次给出了发生在太阳光球磁重联的一个直接的观测证据。 这一磁重联的观测特征是:(1)重联发生在一新浮现磁通量区的一极与极性相反的老磁通量之间;(2)重联前中性线附近磁剪切明显;(3)被重联两极为一对消磁结构,重联发生在稳定的磁通量损失数小时之后;(4)一个级别为C2.9的亚耀斑发生在重联之前。该耀斑以重联区为中心,双带离重联位置2～3万公里,直到耀斑极大相后14分钟,重联仍未发生;(5)重联后,磁对消速率呈增大趋势。     

Nonlinear Coupling of Langmuir Waves with Whistler Waves in the Solar Wind

Close temporal correlation between high-frequency Langmuir waves and low-frequency electromagnetic whistler waves has been observed recently within magnetic holes of the solar wind. In order to account for these observations, a theory is formulated to describe the nonlinear coupling of Langmuir waves and whistler waves. It is shown that a Langmuir wave can interact nonlinearly with a whistler wave to produce either right-hand or left-hand circularly polarized electromagnetic waves. Nonlinear coupling of Langmuir waves and whistler waves may lead to the formation of modulated Langmuir wave packets as well as the generation of circularly polarized radio waves at the plasma frequency in the solar wind. Numerical examples of whistler frequency, nonlinear growth rate and modulation frequency for solar wind parameters are calculated.     

Whistler wave cascades in solar wind plasma

Non-linear, three-dimensional, time-dependent fluid simulations of whistler wave turbulence are performed to investigate role of whistler waves in solar wind plasma turbulence in which characteristic turbulent fluctuations are characterized typically by the frequency and length-scales that are, respectively, bigger than ion gyrofrequency and smaller than ion gyroradius. The electron inertial length is an intrinsic length-scale in whistler wave turbulence that distinguishably divides the high-frequency solar wind turbulent spectra into scales smaller and bigger than the electron inertial length. Our simulations find that the dispersive whistler modes evolve entirely differently in the two regimes. While the dispersive whistler wave effects are stronger in the large-scale regime, they do not influence the spectral cascades which are describable by a Kolmogorov-like   k ^−7/3  spectrum. By contrast, the small-scale turbulent fluctuations exhibit a Navier–Stokes-like evolution where characteristic turbulent eddies exhibit a typical   k ^−5/3  hydrodynamic turbulent spectrum. By virtue of equipartition between the wave velocity and magnetic fields, we quantify the role of whistler waves in the solar wind plasma fluctuations.     

Stochastic forces in space plasmas with ion-acoustic and lower-hybrid-drift turbulence

A Langevin equation for charged particles in a plasma with electrostatic turbulence is developed from first principles and in consistency with the kinetic theory in polarization approximation. For the case of ion-acoustic and electrostatic lower-hybrid-drift turbulence approximate expressions for the space-time spectral density of the wave energy are given and estimates of the intensities of the stochastic wave forces are made. The application is done for the plasmas of the earth's magnetosphere, the solar wind and solar flares. It seems, that ion-acoustic and electrostatic lower-hybrid-drift waves can contribute to electron chaotization in different regions of the space plasma.     

Compound Effect of Alfvén Waves and Ion-Cyclotron Waves on Heating/Acceleration of Minor Ions via the Pickup Process

A scenario is proposed to explain the preferential heating of minor ions and differential-streaming velocity between minor ions and protons observed in the solar corona and in the solar wind. It is demonstrated by test-particle simulations that minor ions can be nearly fully picked up by intrinsic Alfvén-cyclotron waves observed in the solar wind based on the observed wave energy density. Both high-frequency ion-cyclotron waves and low-frequency Alfvén waves play crucial roles in the pickup process. A minor ion can first gain a high magnetic moment through the resonant wave–particle interaction with ion-cyclotron waves, and then this ion with a large magnetic moment can be trapped by magnetic mirror-like field structures in the presence of the low-frequency Alfvén waves. As a result, the ion is picked up by these Alfvén-cyclotron waves. However, minor ions can only be partially picked up in the corona because of the low wave energy density and low plasma β. During the pickup process, minor ions are stochastically heated and accelerated by Alfvén-cyclotron waves so that they are hotter and flow faster than protons. The compound effect of Alfvén waves and ion-cyclotron waves is important in the heating and acceleration of minor ions. The kinetic properties of minor ions from simulation results are generally consistent with in-situ and remote features observed in the solar wind and solar corona.     

太阳风中电磁离子回旋波的观测与理论研究进展

太阳风中的电磁离子回旋(Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron, EMIC)波自报道以来,受到了广泛的关注和研究.由于波的频率接近质子的回旋频率, EMIC波可以通过回旋共振波粒相互作用将波能传递给离子,并在太阳风粒子加热和加速等能化现象中发挥重要作用.总结了太阳风中EMIC波的观测和理论研究进展,包括EMIC波在磁云内外、磁云和行星际日冕物质抛射鞘区中的观测研究得到的一系列结果以及基于观测进行波的激发机制所取得的研究进展,并展望未来研究太阳风中EMIC波的突破方向.     

Wave-trains in the solar wind

Applying an Alfvén-Wave-Extended-QRH-approximation and the method of characteristics, we solve the equations of motion for outwardly propagating Alfvén waves analytically for three different cases of an azimuthal dependence of the background solar wind, (a) for a pure fast-slow stream configuration, (b) for the situation where the high-speed stream originates from a diverging magnetic field region, and (c) for the case of (b) and an initially decreasing density configuration (‘coronal hole’). The reaction of these waves on the background state as well as mode-mode coupling effects are neglected. These three solar wind models are discussed shortly. For the superimposed Alfvén waves we find, on an average, that there is a strong azimuthal dependence of all relevant wave parameters which, correlated with the azimuthal distributions of the solar wind variables, leads to good agreements with observations. The signature of high-speed streams and these correlations could clearly indicate solar wind streams originating from ‘coronal holes’. Contrary to the purely radial dependent solar wind, where outwardly propagating Alfvén waves are exclusively refracted towards the radial direction, we now find a refraction nearly perpendicular to the direction of the interplanetary magnetic field in the compression region and closely towards the magnetic field direction down the trailing edge and in the low-speed regime.     

Electrostatic ion cyclotron waves in an anisotropic plasma

In the solar wind, electrostatic ion cyclotron waves can be excited, by electrons or ions when the flow velocity becomes supersonic. The instability of these waves is investigated for a situation in which ions are streaming in opposite directions along the interplanetary magnetic field in a uniform background of relatively stationary electrons. Many modes become unstable under the existing conditions. It is conjectured that the excitation of this instability may lead to a steady state electrostatic turbulence in the solar wind.     

Evolution of the Electron Distribution Function in the Whistler Wave Turbulence of the Solar Wind

The electron distribution functions from the solar corona to the solar wind are determined in this paper by considering the effects of the external forces, of Coulomb collisions and of the wave – particle resonant interactions in the plasma wave turbulence. The electrons are assumed to be interacting with right-handed polarized waves in the whistler regime. The acceleration of electrons in the solar wind seems to be mainly due to the electrostatic potential. Wave turbulence determines the electron pitch-angle diffusion and some characteristics of the velocity distribution function (VDF) such as suprathermal tails. The role of parallel whistlers can also be extended to small altitudes in the solar wind (the acceleration region of the outer corona), where they may explain the energization and the presence of suprathermal electrons.     

Acceleration of the solar wind by whistler waves from coronal holes

We investigate the possibility of an additional acceleration of the high speed solar wind by whistler waves propagating outward from a coronal hole. We consider a stationary, spherically symmetric model and assume a radial wind flow as well as a radial magnetic field. The energy equation consists of (a) energy transfer of the electron beam which excites the whistler waves, and (b) energy transfer of the whistler waves described by conservation of wave action density. The momentum conservation equation includes the momentum transfer of two gases (a thermal gas and an electron beam). The variation of the temperature is described by a polytropic law. The variation of solar wind velocity with the radial distance is calculated for different values of energy density of the whistler waves. It is shown that the acceleration of high speed solar wind in the coronal hole due to the whistler waves is very important. We have calculated that the solar wind velocity at the earth's orbit is about equal to 670 km/sec (for wave energy density about 10^?4 erg cm^?3 at 1.1R⊙). It is in approximate agreement with the observed values.     

On the role of hydromagnetic waves in the corona and the base of the solar wind

Hydromagnetic waves are of interest for heating the corona or coronal loops and for accelerating the solar wind. This paper enumerates some of the limitations that must be considered before hydromagnetic waves are taken seriously. In the lowest part of the corona, waves interact so that a significant fraction of the coronal wave flux should have periods as 10 s. If the problem of interest determines either a flux of wave energy or a dissipation rate, the distance that each wave mode can travel can be specified, and for at least one mode it must be consistent with the size and location of the region where the waves are to act. Heating of coronal loops observed by X-rays can be explained if the strength of the magnetic field along the loop lies within a rather narrow range and if the wave period is sufficiently short. In general, Alfvén waves travel furthest and reach high into the corona and into the solar wind. The radial variation of the magnetic field is the most important parameter determining where the waves are dissipated. Heating of coronal helmets by Alfvén waves is probable.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.