太阳耀斑电子束在日冕区产生的静电不稳定性

依据太阳耀斑爆发特征,建立了双耀斑电子束与日冕背景相作用的模型,数值结果表明,该等离子体系统将激发静电不稳定性,其时间增长率ω_i受耀斑热束密度与日冕背景密度比值（n_h/n_o）以及耀斑冷束相对论电子密度与日冕密度值（n_c/n_o）影响较大,并随它们增大而增大,其实频大小在耀斑热束等离子体频率附近。因此,此系统可激发大于1GHz的高频静电辐射,这些结果对揭示耀斑粒子在日冕空间传播行为有一定作用,并可用于探讨高频Ⅲ型射电机制。     

Ejection and descent of matter in the solar atmosphere

The descent and ejection of matter in the solar atmosphere observed in the CaII 8498-Å line have been studied. In the NOAA active region no. 10 792 on July 30, 2005 before the flare, the dense cold gas cloud descended with a ray velocity of ～8 km/s and then ascended in the impulsive phase. The plasma ascended with an acceleration reaching 0.4 km/s² in the flare maximum. The acceleration of the matter likely continued after the flare maximum, because an acceleration of higher than 0.5 km/s² was required for the appearance of the ejection at the edge of the occulting disk of the LASCO C2 coronagraph at 0557 UT. The descent of the matter resulting in the local heating of the chromosphere was also observed in the NOAA active region no. 10656 on August 9, 2004 before the flare. The maximum descent velocity was no more than 24.7 km/s.     

Observations of subterahertz radiation of solar flares with an RT-7.5 radiotelescope

We analyzed unique observations of two flare events at frequencies of 93 and 140 GHz. The observations were carried out with an RT-7.5 radiotelescope at the Bauman State Technical University (Moscow) using the method of continuous active region tracking with spatial resolutions of 2.5 (at a frequency of 93 GHz) and 1.5 arc-minutes (at 140 GHz). The light curves of the bursts were analyzed and compared with the time profiles of soft and hard X-ray emission obtained by the GOES and RHESSI spacecraft. The radio delete this word flux density spectra were plotted. It was found that the radiation flux at a frequency of 140 GHz exceeded the flux at 93 GHz. This constitutes a new independent confirmation of the presence of a subterahertz flare component, the appearance of which may be associated with the thermal radiation of the hot plasma at the base of flare loops.     

利用GS流场重构方法研究磁尾等离子体片涡流

2000年9月30日Geotail卫星分别于17∶54∶36~18∶09∶00UT和18∶59∶00~19∶30∶00UT在磁尾晨侧等离子体片内(n≈0.4 cm^-3,T≈6 keV)观测到等离子体涡流事件.本文采用Grad-Shafranov (GS)流场重构技术再现了这些涡流的二维速度场、离子数密度和离子温度的分布图像.结果显示:从地心太阳磁层坐标系(GSM)赤道面上面看, 涡流的尺度约为5000 km×1400 km , 朝地球的运动速度约为15~25 km/s.所有5个涡流的旋转方向都为顺时针方向,旋转周期约为6~11 min.相邻涡流的相互作用导致它们之间的磁场强度增强.考察观测数据发现,涡流内不仅包含等离子体片热等离子体成分,也包含较大通量的类似源自磁鞘的冷等离子体成分(T<1 keV).这与观测到涡流等离子体的平均温度(T≈4 keV)较磁尾等离子体片等离子体的典型温度(T≈6 keV)明显偏低的事实是一致的.不仅如此,离子数密度和温度在结构内的分布也不均匀,数密度在涡流内部偏离中心的位置比较低而在每个涡流的边缘位置比较高,温度的分布大体上与密度相反.分析认为观测到的磁尾等离子体涡流事件可能由发生在低纬边界层的Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定性引起,涡流结构内的冷等离子体可能来自磁层顶外部的磁鞘.     

Observations of flux rope – associated particle bursts with GEOTAIL in the distant tail

Geotail energetic particle, magnetic field data and plasma observations (EPIC, MGF and CPI experiments) have been examined for a number of energetic particle bursts in the distant tail (120Re < |X_GSM| < 130 Re), associated with moving magnetic field structures, following substorm onsets. The features obtained from this data analysis are consistent with the distant magnetotail dynamics determined first by ISEE3 observations and explained in terms of the neutral line model. At the onset of the bursts, before plasma sheet entrance, energetic electrons appear as a field-aligned beam flowing in the tailward direction, followed by anisotro-pic ions. Within the flux rope region, suprathermal ions exhibit a convective anisotropy, which allows determination of the plasma flow velocity, assuming that the anisotropy arises from the Compton-Getting effect. The velocities thus determined in the plasma sheet are estimated to be 200–650 km/s, and compare favourably with the velocities derived from the CPI electron and proton experiment. The estimated length of magnetic field structures varies between 28 and 56 Re and depends on the strength of the westward electrojet intensification. Finally, the three structures reported here show clear magnetic field signatures of flux rope topology. The existence of a strong magnetic field aligned approximately along the Y-axis and centred on the north-to-south excursion of the field, and the bipolar signature in both By and/or Bz components, is consistent with the existence of closed field lines extending from Earth and wrapping around the core of the flux rope structure.     

Multiple Flux Rope Events at the High-Latitude Magnetopause: Cluster/Rapid Observation on 26 January, 2001

Cluster measurements of the cusp and high latitude magnetopause boundary on 26 January, 2001 confirm that the cusp is a dynamic region full of energetic charged particles and turbulence. An energetic ion layer at high-latitudes beyond and adjacent to the duskside magnetopause exists when the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) has a southward orientation. Multiple energetic ion flux bursts were observed in the energetic ion layer. Each energetic ion flux burst was closely related to a magnetic flux rope. The axes of the flux ropes lie in the direction pointing duskward/tailward and somewhat upward. An intense axis-aligned current flows inside the ropes, with the current density reaching ∼10⁻⁸ A/m². The main components of the energetic ions are protons, helium and CNO ions, which originate from the magnetosphere, flowing out into the magnetosheath along the axis of the flux ropes. The velocity of the magnetosheath thermal plasma relative to the deHoffman-Teller (DHT) frame is found to be basically along the axis of the flux ropes also, but towards the magnetosphere. These flux ropes seem to be produced somewhere away via magnetic reconnection and move at similar DHT velocities passing over the spacecraft. These observations further confirm that the high-latitude magnetopause boundary region plays an important role in the solar wind-magnetopause coupling.     

Moreton wave, “EIT wave”, and type II radio burst as manifestations of a single wave front

We show that a Moreton wave, an “EIT wave,” and a type II radio burst observed during a solar flare of July 13, 2004, might have been a manifestation of a single front of a decelerating shock wave, which appeared in an active region (AR) during a filament eruption. We propose describing a quasi-spheroidal wave propagating upward and along the solar surface by using relations known from a theory of a point-like explosion in a gas whose density changes along the radius according to a power law. By applying this law to fit the drop in density of the coronal plasma enveloping the solar active region, we first managed to bring the measured positions and velocities of surface Moreton wave and “EIT wave” into correspondence with the observed frequency drift rate of the meter type II radio burst. The exponent of the vertical coronal density falloff is selected by fitting the power law to the Newkirk and Saito empirical distributions in the height range of interest. Formal use of such a dependence in the horizontal direction with a different exponent appears to be reasonable up to distances of less than 200 Mm around the eruption center. It is possible to assume that the near-surface shock wave weakens when leaving this radius and finally the active region, entering the region of the quiet Sun where the coronal plasma density and the fast-mode speed are almost constant along the horizontal.     

Interrelation between localized energetic particle precipita ion and cold plasma inhomogeneities in the magnetosphere

Situations when localized precipitation of energetic (E > 30 keV) protons and electrons, associated with the development of cyclotron instability in the magnetosphere, is recorded during one satellite pass are identified in the data of particle flux observations on the NOAA-12 low-orbiting satellite. Such events were observed only in the evening sector of the magnetosphere. This precipitation is compared with the data on the cold (E < 10 eV) plasma density obtained on the LANL geostationary satellites. The comparison showed that the precipitation of energetic particles is related to the presence of cold plasma with a density of 20–100 cm^?3 in geostationary orbit in the evening sector of the magnetosphere. The conclusion has been made that the localized precipitation of energetic particles is generated at the edges of small-scale structures of cold plasma, forming the so-called “plasmaspheric tail,” i.e., the cold plasma region extending from the evening plasmapause toward the Sun.     

Mechanisms of the electron density depletion in the SAR arc region

This study compares the measurements of electron density and temperature and the integral airglow intensity at 630 nm in the SAR arc region and slightly south of this (obtained by the Isis 2 spacecraft during the 18 December 1971 magnetic storm), with the model results obtained using the time dependent one-dimensional mathematical model of the Earth’s ionosphere and plasmasphere. The explicit expression in the third Enskog approximation for the electron thermal conductivity coefficient in the multicomponent mixture of ionized gases and a simplified calculation method for this coefficient presents an opportunity to calculate more exactly the electron temperature and density and 630 nm emission within SAR arc region are used in the model. Collisions between N₂ and hot thermal electrons in the SAR arc region produce vibrationally excited nitrogen molecules. It appears that the loss rate of O⁺(⁴S) due to reactions with the vibrationally excited nitrogen is enough to explain electron density depression by a factor of two at F-region heights and the topside ionosphere density variations within the SAR arc if the erosion of plasma within geomagnetic field tubes, during the main phase of the geomagnetic storm and subsequent filling of geomagnetic tubes during the recovery phase, are considered. To explain the disagreement by a factor 1.5 between the observed and modeled SAR arc electron densities an additional plasma drift velocity \sim-30 m s⁻¹ in the ion continuity equations is needed during the recovery phase. This additional plasma drift velocity is likely caused by the transition from convecting to corotating flux tubes on the equatorward wall of the trough. The electron densities and temperatures and 630 nm integral intensity at the SAR arc and slightly south of this region as measured for the 18 December 1971 magnetic storm were correctly described by the model without perpendicular electric fields. Within this model framework the effect of the perpendicular electric field \sim100 mv m⁻¹ with a duration \sim1 h on the SAR arc electron density profiles was found to be large. However, this effect is small if \sim1-2 h have passed after the electric field was set equal to zero.     

Structure of the low-latitude magnetopause: MAGION-4 observations

The aims of this paper are (1) briefly to describe the plasma devices onboard the MAGION-4 satellite, launched on 3 August 1995, of the INTER-BALL project, and (2) to discuss first observations made near the magnetopause region. During the presented boundary crossings the MAGION–4 observed quasi-periodic pulses of magnetosheath-like plasma in a region of low plasma density. This region is located just earthwards of the magnetopause and is populated by a plasma which, except for the density, has the same parameters as in the magnetosheath. Deeper in the magnetosphere, the encounter of a layer of hot electrons and high-energy ions was interpreted as low-latitude boundary layer.     

Skin-layer of the eruptive magnetic flux rope in large solar flares

The analysis of observations of large solar flares made it possible to propose a hypothesis on existence of a skin-layer in magnetic flux ropes of coronal mass ejections. On the assumption that the Bohm coefficient determines the diffusion of magnetic field, an estimate of the skin-layer thickness of ~10⁶ cm is obtained. According to the hypothesis, the electric field of ~0.01–0.1 V/cm, having the nonzero component along the magnetic field of flux rope, arises for ~5 min in the surface layer of the eruptive flux rope during its ejection into the upper corona. The particle acceleration by the electric field to the energies of ~100 MeV/nucleon in the skin-layer of the flux rope leads to their precipitation along field lines to footpoints of the flux rope. The skin-layer presence induces helical or oval chromospheric emission at the ends of flare ribbons. The emission may be accompanied by hard X-ray radiation and by the production of gamma-ray line at the energy of 2.223 MeV (neutron capture line in the photosphere). The magnetic reconnection in the corona leads to a shift of the skin-layer of flux rope across the magnetic field. The area of precipitation of accelerated particles at the flux-rope footpoints expands in this case from the inside outward. This effect is traced in the chromosphere and in the transient region as the expanding helical emission structures. If the emission extends to the spot, a certain fraction of accelerated particles may be reflected from the magnetic barrier (in the magnetic field of the spot). In the case of exit into the interplanetary space, these particles may be recorded in the Earth’s orbit as solar proton events.     

The Atypical Sunquake of May 10, 2012, and Specifics of Nonstationary Processes in the Active Region with a Magnetic Field of Composite Topology

The M flare that arises after magnetic field emersion in a small spot is analyzed. The disturbance, which propagated downwards and generated a source of acoustic waves (sunquake), was simultaneous with an outburst of hard X-radiation. The reasons of such sunquakes are discussed. Rearrangement of the magnetic configuration in the analyzed event is confirmed: field lines and strong currents at low altitudes above the polarity boundary line are transformed into the currents along the system of loops oriented at wide angles to the neutral line. This rearrangement occurred in the proximity of a small region (sigmoid) presumably identified by the location of the primary pulse energy release. In this case, there was no development of a high-energy sigmoid flare with the formation and ejection of large-scale magnetized ropes. Apparently, this was hindered by the nonstationarity of the phenomena at this activity center with a magnetic field of composite topology and multiple flare-generating centers.     

等离子体湍流对电子的加速

本文讨论了等离子体湍流对电子加速的两种模型:（1）假定在空间中存在一个空间均匀的等离子体湍流区,当具有一定初始分布的电子束通过此湍流区时,研究湍流场对电子束的加速过程;（2）在某一封闭的区域中,存在着具有一定初始分布和空间均匀的等离子体,当某种类型的等离子体波突然传入此等离子体区,然后考察此区中电子的加速过程。在这两种模型中,可能存在着某种电子消失机制。假定湍谱是幂指数形式,我们给出了不同类型湍流扩散系数的普遍形式。利用较简单的数学方法,求解了包括消失过程的一维准线性动力学方程,对于给定的初始分布,得出了分布函数的解析解,并给出了平均能量时间关系的表达式。另外,对于特定的湍谱指数,解出了当平行电场和湍流同时存在时的分布函数。最后,对所得结果进行了数值分析和讨论。     

Long-term rainfall trends and change points in hot and cold arid regions of India

This study examined trends and change points in 100-year annual and seasonal rainfall over hot and cold arid regions of India. Using k-means clustering, 32 stations were classified into two clusters: the coefficient of variation for annual and seasonal rainfall was relatively high for Cluster-II compared to Cluster-I. Short-term and long-term persistence was more dominant in Cluster-II (entirely arid) and Cluster-I (partly arid), respectively. Trend tests revealed prominent increasing trends in annual and wet season rainfall of Cluster-II. Dry season rainfall increased by 1.09 mm year^?1 in the cold arid region. The significant change points in annual and wet season rainfall mostly occurred in the period 1941–1955 (hot and cold), and in the dry season in the period 1973–1975 (hot arid) and in 1949 (cold arid). The findings are useful for managing a surplus or deficiency of rainwater in the Indian arid region.

EDITOR A. Castellarin; ASSOCIATE EDITOR S. Kanae     

青藏高原东北缘远震P波走时层析成像研究

利用青藏高原东北缘地区固定地震台网2010年4月至2015年3月期间记录的远震事件,采用多道波形互相关方法（Multi-Channel Cross-Correlation）拾取了10697个有效P波相对走时残差数据,进而采用FMTT （Fast Marching Teleseismic Tomography）方法获得了青藏高原东北缘上地幔400 km深度范围内的P波速度结构,结果显示：秦祁地块下面存在深达70 km的高速异常,阻断了青藏高原块体中下地壳低速层向东北方向的延伸;40~140 km深度范围内,四川西南部存在一个低速区,该低速区穿过龙门山断裂带进入到四川盆地内部;祁连山造山带东部低速异常区从地壳一直延伸到上地幔400 km处,表明这里可能存在一个上地幔到地壳间的热流通道;松潘-甘孜地块分布大面积的低速异常区,而鄂尔多斯地块西南缘相对速度较高,这与青藏高原为软块体、介质密度低和鄂尔多斯块体为硬块体、介质密度高相吻合.     

Spatio-temporal Evolution of Sources of Microwave and Hard X-ray Pulsations of the Solar Flare using the NoRH,RHESSI, and AIA/SDO Observation Data

This paper reports the obtained analysis data on the spatio-temporal evolution of sources of microwave and hard X-ray pulsations for the SOL2011-06-07T06:16 event based on the observation data of the RHESSI spectrometer and the Nobeyama radioheliograph. The position of the considered pulsation sources changes from one pulsation to another. The motion of the X-ray sources is predominantly longitudinal in nature in relation to the inversion line of the magnetic polarity. The obtained analysis data on the evolution of X-ray sources are in good agreement with the results of the radio image analysis. The radio brightness center at 34 GHz changes its position from one pulsation to another along the inversion line of the magnetic polarity throughout the burst. According to the AIA/SDO telescope data, the flare region images in the ultraviolet range demonstrate a well-defined eruption of the magnetic flux rope. The flare energy release can likely be triggered by the erupting magnetic flux rope; the successive interaction of different parts of it with different loops of the surrounding magnetic arcade can result in their successive “ignition” and, as a consequence, lead to the observed changes in the position of X-ray and microwave sources from one pulsation to another.     

The formation of electron-temperature hot spots in the main ionospheric trough by the internal processes

A mathematical model of the convecting high-latitude ionosphere is described which produces three-dimensional distributions of electron density, positive-ion velocity and electron and ion temperatures at the F-layer altitudes. The results of simulation of the behaviour of the high-latitude ionosphere, in particular, the heat regime of the F-layer, are presented and analysed. From our study, it was found that electron-temperature hot spots in the main ionospheric trough can arise owing to internal ionospheric processes, and not due to effects of any external causes. Three conditions, to be satisfied simultaneously, are necessary for the formation of the considered electron-temperature hot spots: first, low values of electron density; second, solar illumination of the upper F region and darkness of the lower F region; third, low values of neutral-component densities. These conditions are valid in the main ionospheric trough near the terminator on the nightside when the density of the neutral atmosphere is not high. The physical processes which lead to the formation of the electron-temperature hot spots are the heat transfer from the upper into the lower F region, the reduced heat capacity of electron gas and the weakened cooling of electron gas due to inelastic collisions with neutral atoms and molecules. Also investigated is the influence of seasonal and solar-activity variations on the efficiency of the identified mechanism responsible for the formation of the electron temperature peaks in the main ionospheric trough by the internal processes.     

利用卫星和GPS观测研究低纬局部等离子体浓度增强现象

本文同时利用DMSP、ROCSAT-1卫星数据和地基的GPS观测数据,研究一种与低纬等离子体泡相伴随的局部等离子体浓度增强现象.地基GPS的观测表明电离层总电子含量(TEC)也能反映这种等离子体浓度增强.通过4个观测事例的详细分析表明:这种等离子体浓度增强主要出现在磁纬±10°～±20°的局部区域,有时在近磁赤道区和中纬地区的电离层顶部也能观测到;与等离子体泡的出现规律相似,这种等离子体浓度增强主要出现在地方时21∶00以后,并在午夜后也能观测到.当等离子体浓度增强和等离子体泡发生时,在午夜前一般对应着背景垂直速度明显向上的扰动,在午夜后一般处于等离子体垂直速度下降至反向前的时间段,表明东向电场对于低纬不规则体的产生有非常重要的作用.     

Origin and structures of solar eruptions I: Magnetic flux rope

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares are the large-scale and most energetic eruptive phenomena in our solar system and able to release a large quantity of plasma and magnetic flux from the solar atmosphere into the solar wind. When these high-speed magnetized plasmas along with the energetic particles arrive at the Earth, they may interact with the magnetosphere and ionosphere, and seriously affect the safety of human high-tech activities in outer space. The travel time of a CME to 1 AU is about 1–3 days, while energetic particles from the eruptions arrive even earlier. An efficient forecast of these phenomena therefore requires a clear detection of CMEs/flares at the stage as early as possible. To estimate the possibility of an eruption leading to a CME/flare, we need to elucidate some fundamental but elusive processes including in particular the origin and structures of CMEs/flares. Understanding these processes can not only improve the prediction of the occurrence of CMEs/flares and their effects on geospace and the heliosphere but also help understand the mass ejections and flares on other solar-type stars. The main purpose of this review is to address the origin and early structures of CMEs/flares, from multi-wavelength observational perspective. First of all, we start with the ongoing debate of whether the pre-eruptive configuration, i.e., a helical magnetic flux rope (MFR), of CMEs/flares exists before the eruption and then emphatically introduce observational manifestations of the MFR. Secondly, we elaborate on the possible formation mechanisms of the MFR through distinct ways. Thirdly, we discuss the initiation of the MFR and associated dynamics during its evolution toward the CME/flare. Finally, we come to some conclusions and put forward some prospects in the future.