The digital multi-channel radiospectrograph in Nançay

We describe the new Solar Radio Spectrograph which has been operated at the Nançay Radio Astronomy Station since December 1978 for the analog part (which uses photographic film data acquisition) and since July 1979 using digital magnetic recording. This instrument was designed and built by the Space Research Department of the Paris Observatory and covers the range 469–110 MHz.The multichannel receiver yields a high sensitivity, as compared to a sweep-frequency receiver and the frequency windows where external interference is present can be eliminated from the data acquisition.The digital recording leads to convenient intensity calibration procedures and allows a modern data-handling over a large dynamic range: 50 dB with a 11 bit resolution.Intermodulation effects due to non linearities have been kept to a minimum by building the multiplexer as a tree and distributing the amplification along.The time resolution allows the data to be acquired at a rate of 100 samples per second per frequency channel. The frequency resolution can take two values: 120 channels 1 MHz-wide and 100 channels 200 kHz-wide can be positioned anywhere in the range 110–469 MHz.Some observations are shown including type V and type II-like bursts and harmonically related emission in hook structures. Some future plans are briefly mentioned aiming to perform circular polarization measurements in 120 frequency channels and real time data compression.Also at Department of Physics and Electronics, University of Athens, Greece.     

Spectral characteristics of solar S bursts

Observations of the solar radio spectrum have been made with high time and frequency resolution. Spectra were recorded over six 3-MHz bands between 30 and 82 MHz. The receivers used were capable of time and frequency resolutions of 1 ms and 2 kHz, respectively. A large number of radio bursts exhibiting a variety of find spectral structure were recorded.The bursts, referred to here as S bursts, were observed throughout the 30–82 MHz frequency range but were most numerous in the 33–44 MHz band and were very rare at 80 MHz. On a dynamic spectrum the bursts appeared as narrow sloping lines with the centre frequency of each burst decreasing with time. The rate of frequency drift was about 1/3 that of type III bursts. Most bursts were observed over only a limited frequency range (< 5 MHz) but some drifted for more than 10 MHz. The durations measured at a single frequency and the instantaneous bandwidths of S bursts were small; t = 49 ± 34 ms and f = 123 ± 56 kHz for bursts observed near 40 MHz. A significant number had t 20 ms. Flux densities of S burst sources were estimated to fall in the range 10²³-5 × 10²¹ Wm^–1 Hz^–1.A small proportion (1–2%) of bursts showed a fine structure in which the burst source apparently only emitted at discrete, regularly spaced frequencies causing the spectrogram to exhibit a series of bands or fringes. The fringe spacing increased with wave frequency and was f - 90 kHz for fringes near 40 MHz. The bandwidths of fringes was narrow, often less than 30 kHz and in some cases down to 10–15 kHz.New address: Astronomy Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, U.S.A.     

A broadband spectrometer for decimeter and microwave radio bursts

Observations of solar microwave bursts with high temporal and spectral resolution have shown interesting fine structures (FSs) of short duration and small bandwidth which are usually superimposed on the smooth continuum. These FSs are very intense (up to 10¹⁵ K) and show sometimes a high degree of circular polarization (up to 100%). They are believed to be generated by electron cyclotron maser emission (ECME) in magnetic loops. Another type are the microwave type III bursts, which are drifting microwave FSs, and are probably the signatures of travelling electron beams in the solar atmosphere. The exact emission mechanisms for these phenomena, in particular the source configuration, the plasma parameters and the distribution of radiating electrons are not clear. For a detailed study of these problems new observations of intensity and polarization with high resolution in time and in frequency in decimeter and microwave wavebands are essential. In order to investigate these features in greater detail, spectrometers with high temporal and spectral resolution are being developed by the solar radio astronomy community of China (Beijing Astronomical Observatory (BAO), Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO), Yunnan Astronomical Observatory (YAO), and Nanjing University (NJU)). The frequency range from 0.7 to about 12 GHz is covered by about five spectrometers in frequency ranges of 0.7–1.4 GHz, 1–2 GHz, 2.4–3.6 GHz, 4.9–7.3 GHz, and 8–12 GHz, respectively. The radiospectrometers will form a combined type of swept-frequency and multi-channel receivers. The main characteristics of the solar radio spectrometers are: frequency resolution: 1–10 MHz; temporal resolution: 1–10 ms; sensitivity: better than 2% of the quiet-Sun level. We pay special attention to the sensitivity and the accuracy of polarization. Now, the 1–2 GHz radiospectrometer is being set up. The full system will be set up in 3–4 years.Presented at the CESRA-Workshop on Coronal Magnetic Release at Caputh near Potsdam in May 1994.     

Radio emission of the NGC 1499 nebula at decametric wavelengths

Observations of the ionized hydrogen region NGC 1499 have been carried out with the radio telescope UTR-2 at frequencies 12.6, 14.7, 16.7, 20 and 25 MHz. The half-power resolution of the instrument to zenith is 28×34 at 25 MHz. The average volume density of the non-thermal radio emission between the Sun and the nebula (1.75×10^–40 W m^–3 Hz^–1 ster^–1 at 25 MHz), the electron temperature of the HII nebula (T _e =4400 K), the measure of emission (ME=1500 cm^–6 pc) and other parameters have been obtained. Maps of brightness distribution over the source are presented for each observation frequency. The results are compared with previously obtained data.     

The digital system ARTEMIS for real-time processing of radio transient emissions in the solar corona

We present the real-time digital data processing system named ARTEMIS that was developed and constructed by the Space Research Department (DESPA) of Paris-Meudon Observatory to digitize, calibrate, format, date, process, compress, and archive in real time signals from multichannel receivers. This system is controlled by a multiprocessor computer based on Motorola MC 68010/68020 processors; it permits the automatic, routine recording of 128 parallel channels at a rate up to 300 samples per second and per channel with a 12-bit accuracy (4096 levels of intensity); it is used to process and record the 120 channels of a multichannel solar radiospectrograph in the frequency range 110–469 MHz; the remaining 8 channels are used for a scanning spectrograph in the frequency range 30–80 MHz and a two-dimensional multicorrelator interferometer at 75.5 MHz. The large quantity of raw data is reduced in real-time from about 1.3 Gbytes to about 40 Mbytes per day by the use of an original algorithm for real-time data compression. It is expected that this new facility will allow us to build a very large data base of digitized and accurately calibrated solar events, in order to achieve statistical measurements over long periods of time.     

Brazilian Solar Spectroscope (bss)

Digital, decimetric (200–2500 MHz) Brazilian Solar Spectroscope (BSS) with high time (10–1000 ms) and frequency (1–10 MHz) resolution is in regular operation since April, 1998, at National Space Research Institute (INPE) at São José dos Campos, Brazil. BSS operates in conjunction with a 9-m diameter polar mounted antenna. It allows to select suitable observing frequency range, frequency and time resolutions and data can be digitized up to 100 channels. BSS has capabilities of quasi-real time display of the ongoing dynamic spectra of the solar activity that enables the observer to modify observational parameters so as to suit a specific type of activity such as spikes and improve the quality of data acquisition and storage. Minimum detectable flux density of the spectroscope, for different combinations of the observational parameters, is 3 s.f.u. Observations are carried out routinely from 11 UT to 19 UT. Necessary software for data acquisition and reductions has been developed in IDL 5.3 environment. Data are available in FITS and ASCII formats. Absolute timing accuracy of the station is less than 3 ms. Here, we present examples of the bursts which have been recorded by BSS and available display facilities.     

Digital multichannel spectrometer for solar microwave observations

Observations of solar microwave bursts have shown fine structures (e.g., the millisecond spikes), not resolvable in time and frequency by existing instruments. In order to investigate these features in greater detail we have developed a spectrometer with high temporal and spectral resolution. The frequency range from 3000 to 4000 MHz is covered by 32 channels with different bandwidths (0.1, 5, and 20 MHz). The instrument is fully controlled by a multiprocessor computer system and allows the recording of about 200 000 measurements per second. Thus it is possible to observe the intensity and the circular polarization of all the 32 channels with a time resolution of about 350 s. A very flexible frequency selection system allows the use of many different observation modes.     

On the relationships between sfe (crochet) and solar X-ray and microwave bursts

Geomagnetic crochets (sfe) observed at Kodaikanal over the period 1966–71 have been studied in relation to solar X-ray bursts observed by NRL satellite (SOLRAD-9) in the 0.5–3 Å, 1–8 Å and 8–20 Å bands and radio bursts observed in the frequency range 1000–17000 MHz. The amplitude of sfe is linearly correlated with the peak intensities of X-ray bursts in the 1–8 Å and 8–20 Å bands. The single frequency correlation of sfe with radio bursts is a flat maximum in the frequency range 2000–3750 MHz. Following the spectral classification of AFCRL for microwave bursts, it is noticed that sfe are mostly associated with the A type burst spectra and are very poorly correlated with bursts with the G, C and M type spectra. These features differ from those of other SID's reported earlier.     

Fast drift burst observations with the new Ondřejov radiospectrograph

The new 100–4200 MHz Ondejov radiospectrograph and the high-time resolution 3 GHz radiometer are described and the observations of fast drift bursts during the increased solar activity of September 5–7, 1992 are presented and analyzed.     

On sky characterization of the BAORadio wide band digital backend

We have observed regions of three galaxy clusters at z～[0.06÷0.09] (Abell85, Abell1205, Abell2440) with the Nançay radiotelescope (NRT) to search for 21 cm emission and to fully characterize the FPGA based BAORadio digital backend. We have tested the new BAORadio data acquisition system by observing sources in parallel with the NRT standard correlator (ACRT) back-end over several months. BAORadio enables wide band instantaneous observation of the [1250,1500] MHz frequency range, as well as the use of powerful RFI mitigation methods thanks to its fine time sampling. A number of questions related to instrument stability, data processing and calibration are discussed. We have obtained the radiometer curves over the integration time range [0.01,10 000] seconds and we show that sensitivities of few mJy over most of the wide frequency band can be reached with the NRT. It is clearly shown that in blind line search, which is the context of H _I intensity mapping for Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, the new acquisition system and processing pipeline outperforms the standard one. We report a positive detection of 21 cm emission at 3σ-level from galaxies in the outer region of Abell85 at ?1352 MHz (14400 km/s) corresponding to a line strength of ?0.8 Jy km/s. We also observe an excess power around ?1318 MHz (21600 km/s), although at lower statistical significance, compatible with emission from Abell1205 galaxies. Detected radio line emissions have been cross matched with optical catalogs and we have derived hydrogen mass estimates.     

On the spectra of type-III solar radio bursts observed at low frequencies

The spectra of strong bursts observed at low frequencies by OGO-5 during 1968–1970 are presented. They usually exhibit an intense main peak between 100 kHz and 1 MHz, and sometimes a less intense secondary peak between 1 and 3.5 MHz. Main peaks of 10^–12 Wm^–2 Hz^–1 or more were obtained in very strong events, but because of antenna calibration problems those could be one or two orders of magnitude too high. Recently published work supports the finding that type III bursts at low frequencies can be at least four orders of magnitude more intense than at ground-based frequencies of observation. It is found that the energy received at the Earth increases with decreasing frequency approximately as f ^–n, where 3 n 4.     

Flare fragmentation and type III productivity in the 1980 June 27 flare

We present observations of the solar flare on 1980 June 27, 16:14–16:33 UT, which was observed by a balloon-borne 300 cm² phoswich hard X-ray detector and by the IKARUS radio spectrometer. This flare shows intense hard X-ray (HXR) emission and an extreme productivity of (at least 754) type III bursts at 200–400 MHz. A linear correlation was found between the type III burst rate and the HXR fluence, with a coefficient of 7.6 × 10²⁷ photons keV^–1 per type III burst at 20 keV. The occurrence of 10 type III bursts per second, and also the even higher rate of millisecond spikes, suggests a high degree of fragmentation in the acceleration region. This high quantization of injected beams, assuming the thick-target model, shows up in a linear relationship between hard X-ray fluence and the type III rate, but not as fine structures in the HXR time profile.The generation of a superhot isothermal HXR component in the decay phase of the flare coincides with the fade-out of type III production.Universities Space Research Associates.ST Systems Corporation.     

DSN Deep-Space Array-Based Network Beamformer

NASA is proposing a new receiving facility that needs to beamform broadband signals from hundreds of antennas. This is a similar problem to SKA beamforming with the added requirement that the processing should not add significant noise or distortion that would interfere with processing spacecraft telemetry data. The proposed solution is based on an FX correlator architecture and uses oversampling polyphase filterbanks to avoid aliasing. Each beamformer/correlator module processes a small part of the total bandwidth for all antennas, eliminating interconnection problems. Processing the summed frequency data with a synthesis polyphase filterbank reconstructs the time series. Choice of suitable oversampling ratio, and analysis and synthesis filters can keep aliasing below −39 dB while keeping the passband ripple low. This approach is readily integrated into the currently proposed SKA correlator architecture.     

Highly polarized Type III microwave bursts on 15 April 1998

A group of type III bursts observed with the 2.6–3.8 GHz spectrometer of National Astronomical Observatory of China on 15 April 1998 is analyzed. They have the characteristics of broad bandwidth (>100 MHz), very short durations (<100 ms), high polarization degree (100%), high frequency drift rates (>1 GHz s^–1), and fast pulsations (with a period of about 100–200 ms). Their time profiles are also analysed. According to these characteristics, we suggest that these microwave type III bursts may be due to the fundamental plasma emission.     

Electron beams in the low corona

Selected high-resolution spectrograms of solar fast-drift bursts in the 6.2–8.4 GHz range are presented. The bursts have similar characteristics as metric and decimetric type III bursts: rise and decay in a few thermal collision times, total bandwidth 3% of the center frequency, low polarization, drift rate of the order of the center frequency per second, and flare association. They appear in several groups per flare, each group consisting of some tens of single bursts. Fragmentation is also apparent in frequency; there are many narrowband bursts randomly scattered in the spectrum. The maximum frequency of the bursts is highly variable.The radiation is interpreted in terms of plasma emission of electron beams at plasma densities of more than 10¹¹ cm^–-3. At this extremely high frequency, emission from the plasma level even at the harmonic is only possible in a very anisotropic plasma. The scale lengths perpendicular and parallel to the magnetic field can be estimated. A model of the source region and its environment is presented.Paper presented at the 4th CESRA Workshop in Ouranopolis (Greece) 1991.     

Two types of extremely short lasting decimetric bursts and their possible relation to processes in solar magnetic traps

High resolution spectral observations between 500 MHz and 550 MHz on 1972 October 25, revealed an emission event of special interest. The main feature was bursts with a single frequency duration of about 0.09 s and with a bandwidth of the same order of magnitude as the band covered by the spectrograph. The bursts occurred in showers' which lasted for one or two minutes and which were separated by quiet intervals of roughly the same length. Frequently the activity assumed a periodic nature. Periods between 0.1 s and 0.3 s were found. The most remarkable feature of the records was a very large number of bursts with the same duration as the wide band bursts, but showing a bandwidth of a mere 1–2 MHz.The wide band bursts may be plasma waves excited by proton streams trapped in coronal magnetic fields and the narrow band bursts may possibly be explained as perpendicular electrostatic electron cyclotron waves.     

X-radiation (E > 10keV), Hα and microwave emission during the impulsive phase of solar flares

A study has been made of the variation in hard (E 10 keV) X-radiation, H and microwave emission during the impulsive phase of solar flares. Analysis shows that the rise-time in the 20–30-keV X-ray spike depends on the electron hardness, i.e., t _rise exp (0.87 ). The impulsive phase is also marked by an abrupt, very intense increase in H emission in one or more knots of the flare. Properties of these H kernels include: (1) a luminosity several times greater than the surrounding flare, (2) an intensity rise starting about 20–30 s before, peaking about 20–25 s after, and lasting about twice as long as the hard spike, (3) an effective diameter of 3000–6000 km for class 1 flares, representing less than 1/8-1/2 of the main flare, (4) a location lower in the chromosphere than the remaining flare, (5) essentially no expansion prior to the hard spike, (6) a position within 6000 km of the boundary separating polarities, usually forming on both sides of the neutral line near both feet of the same tube of force, (7) a shape often resembling isogauss contours of the photospheric field indicated on magnetograms and (8) total radiated energy less than l/50 that of the hard electrons. Correspondingly, impulsive microwave events are characterized by: (1) the detection of a burst at 8800 MHz for every X-ray spike ifthe number of electrons above 100 keV is greater than 10³³, (2) great similarity in burst structure with 20–32 keV X-rays but only at f > 5000 MHz, (3) typical low frequency burst cutoff between 1400–3800 MHz, and (4) maximum emission at f > 7500 MHz. Finally the H, X-ray and microwave data are combined to present a picture of the impulsive phase consistent with the above observations.     

Low-l 5-min oscillation observations

Medium resolution CCD-spectrograph observations have been obtained that are suitable for studying long spatial wavelength 5-min oscillations. We find evidence that at wavelengths of order one solar radius the oscillation field is not isotropic. It is also not well described by modes of uniform excitation. The velocity power density per spherical harmonic increases with decreasing l to 1.1 × 10³ cm² s^–2 per 3.5 × 10^–4 Hz angular frequency bandwidth at l = 4. These results are inconsistent with the data of Fossat and Ricort (1975) as analyzed by Christensen-Dalsgaard and Gough (1982), who found a substantially constant modal amplitude at intermediate l values. It is interesting that other calculations have seen a similar dependence at small l in the growth rate of p-modes due to the -mechanism.Visiting Astronomer, Sacramento Peak Observatory.     

A solar radio spectrograph with high time resolution

Instrumentation for obtaining high time resolution dynamic spectra of solar radio bursts at decimetric wavelengths is described. The spectrograph sweeps the frequency range of 565–1000 MHz at a rate of 100 times per second. All data are recorded both on film and as an analog signal on magnetic tape. The frequency and flux calibrations are discussed. A sampling system which allows the activity at three discrete frequencies to be plotted on a chart recorder is described.     

Culgoora radio and skylab euv observations of emerging magnetic flux in the lower corona

Detailed comparisons of Culgoora 160 MHz radioheliograms of solar noise storms and Skylab EUV spectroheliograms of coronal loop structures are presented. It is concluded that: (1) there is a close association between changes in large-scale magnetic fields in the corona and the onset or cessation of noise storms; (2) these coronal changes result from the emergence of new magnetic flux at the photospheric level; (3) although new magnetic flux at the photospheric level is often accompanied by an increase in flare activity the latter is not directly responsible for noise storm activity; rather the new magnetic flux diffuses slowly outwards through the corona at rates 1–2 km s^–1 and produces noise storms at 160 MHz 1–2 days later; (4) the coronal density above or in large-scale EUV loop systems is sufficiently dense to account for noise storm emission at the fundamental plasma frequency; (5) the scatter in noise storm positions can be accounted for by the appearance and disappearance of individual loops in a system.