Fluctuation analysis of solar radio bursts associated with geoeffective X-class flares

High temporal resolution solar observations in the decimetric range (1–3 GHz) can provide additional information on solar active regions dynamics and thus contribute to better understanding of solar geoeffective events as flares and coronal mass ejections. The June 6, 2000 flares are a set of remarkable geoeffective eruptive phenomena observed as solar radio bursts (SRB) by means of the 3 GHz Ondrejov Observatory radiometer. We have selected and analyzed, applying detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), three decimetric bursts associated to X1.1, X1.2 and X2.3 flare-classes, respectively. The association with geomagnetic activity is also reported. DFA method is performed in the framework of a radio burst automatic monitoring system. Our results may characterize the SRB evolution, computing the DFA scaling exponent, scanning the SRB time series by a short windowing before the extreme event. For the first time, the importance of DFA in the context of SRB monitoring analysis is presented.     

A possible mechanism of stimulation of seismic activity by ionizing radiation of solar flares

A possible mechanism of earthquake triggering by ionizing radiation of solar flares is considered. A theoretical model and results of numerical calculations of disturbance of electric field, electric current, and heat release in lithosphere associated with variation of ionosphere conductivity caused by absorption of ionizing radiation of solar flares are presented. A generation of geomagnetic field disturbances in a range of seconds/tens of seconds is possible as a result of large-scale perturbation of a conductivity of the bottom part of ionosphere in horizontal direction in the presence of external electric field. Amplitude-time characteristics of the geomagnetic disturbance depend upon a perturbation of integral conductivity of ionosphere. Depending on relation between integral Hall and Pedersen conductivities of disturbed ionosphere the oscillating and aperiodic modes of magnetic disturbances may be observed. For strong perturbations of the ionosphere conductivities amplitude of pulsations may obtain ~10² nT. In this case the amplitude of horizontal component of electric field on the Earth surface obtains 0.01 mV/m, electric current density in lithosphere –10^–6 A/m², and the power density of heat release produced by the generated current is 10^–7 W/m³. It is shown that the absorption of ionizing radiation of solar flares can result in variations of a density of telluric currents in seismogenic faults comparable with a current density generated in the Earth crust by artificial pulsed power systems (geophysical MHD generator " Pamir-2” and electric pulsed facility " ERGU-600”), which provide regional earthquake triggering and spatiotemporal variation of seismic activity. Therefore, triggering of seismic events is possible not only by man-made pulsed power sources but also by the solar flares. The obtained results may be a physical basis for a novel approach to solve the problem of short-term earthquake prediction based on electromagnetic triggering phenomena.     

The records of solar wind and solar flares in aubrites

A large number of individual enstatite crystals of the gas-rich aubrites Khor Temiki, Staroe Pesyanoe and Bustee was analyzed for implanted helium and for steep gradient ion tracks in order to investigate the relation between solar flare irradiation and solar wind implantation with extreme local resolution. Irradiated and non-irradiated crystals coexist within the gas-rich phases of the aubrites investigated. Statistically in a given meteorite the proportion of crystals with implanted solar wind is similar to the proportion of solar flare irradiated crystals. It varies from aubrite to aubrite in the sequence of their bulk contents of trapped rare gases.For nine enstatites, tracks and rare gases were subsequently measured within the same crystal. The results support the intimate association of solar flare tracks and implanted He. The⁴He-surface concentrations of irradiated crystals vary between <5 × 10^?7 and 10^?4 cm³ STP/cm².The absence of saturation effects together with the low degree of elemental gas fractionation indicates very short solar wind exposure times (< 100 yr) rather than strong diffusion losses. The evidence from tracks and rare gases can be understood in terms of an early simultaneous irradiation of aubritic crystals by solar wind and solar flare particles on top of a regolith-covered parent body.     

Monitoring temporal variations in instrument responses in regional broadband seismic network using ambient seismic noise

High‐quality broadband data are required to promote the development of seismology research. Instrument response errors that affect data quality are often difficult to detect from visual waveform inspection alone. Here, we propose a method that uses ambient noise data in the period range of 5?25 s to monitor instrument performance and check data quality in situ. Amplitude information of coda waves and travel time of surface waves extracted from cross‐correlations of ambient noise are used to assess temporal variations in the sensitivity and poles–zeros of instrument responses. The method is based on an analysis of amplitude and phase index parameters calculated from pairwise cross‐correlations of three stations, which provides multiple references for reliable error estimates. Index parameters calculated daily during a two‐year observation period are evaluated to identify stations with instrument response errors in real time. During data processing, initial instrument responses are used in place of available instrument responses to simulate instrument response errors, which are then used to verify our results. The coda waves of noise cross‐correlations help mitigate the effects of a non‐isotropic field and make the amplitude measurements quite stable. Additionally, effects of instrument response errors that experience pole–zero variations on monitoring temporal variations in crustal properties appear statistically significant of velocity perturbation and larger than the standard deviation. Monitoring seismic instrument performance helps eliminate data pollution before analysis begins.     

华北地区地震环境噪声特征研究

利用华北流动地震台阵观测的垂直分向连续波形数据, 通过计算功率谱密度和相应的概率密度函数, 对华北地区地震环境噪声特征进行了分析研究. 结果表明, 东部平原和沉积盆地2 Hz以上的高频环境噪声水平与全球新高噪声模型（NHNM）相近, 周期3——18 s的平均噪声水平低于NHNM和新低噪声模型（NLNM）的平均值; 山区及西部高原的高频噪声水平明显低于NHNM, 周期1——18 s的噪声水平大多明显低于NHNM和NLNM的平均值; 不同区域18 s以上周期的噪声水平差异相对较小. 流动地震台阵部分台站的环境噪声存在明显的昼夜变化, 个别台站噪声水平明显高于周边台站, 表明这些台站受人类活动干扰较大. 不同台站的噪声水平分析表明, 将台站布设在摆坑内, 能在一定程度上降低高频和低频段的噪声水平. 台站环境噪声特征的研究结果可为流动地震台阵观测数据质量的定量评估, 观测期间的台站优化调整等提供重要依据.      

The challenges of the models of solar flares

The challenges of ‘standard’ model of solar flares motivated by new observations with the spacecrafts and ground-based telescopes are presented. The most important problems are in situ heating of photospheric and chromospheric loop footpoints up to the coronal temperatures without precipitating particle beams accelerated in the corona, and the sunquakes which are unlikely to be explained by the impact of highenergy particles producing hard X-ray emission. There is also the long-standing ‘number problem’ in the physics of solar flares. It is shown that modern observations favored an important role of the electric currents in the energy release processes in the low solar atmosphere. Particle acceleration mechanism in the electric fields driven by the magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the chromosphere is proposed. The electric current value I ≥ 10¹⁰ A, needed for the excitation of super-Dreicer electric fields in the chromosphere is determined. It is shown that both Joule dissipation of the electric currents and the particles accelerated in the chromosphere can be responsible for in situ heating of the low solar atmosphere. Alternative model of the solar flare based on the analogy between the flaring loop and an equivalent electric circuit which is good tool for the electric current diagnostics is presented. Interaction of a current-carrying loop with the partially-ionized plasma of prominence in the context of particle acceleration is considered. The role of plasma radiation mechanism in the sub-THz emission from the chromosphere is discussed.     

Development of solar flares and features of the fine structure of solar radio emission

The reason for the occurrence of different elements of the fine structure of solar radio bursts in the decimeter and centimeter wavelength ranges has been determined based on all available data from terrestrial and satellite observations. In some phenomena, fast pulsations, a zebra structre, fiber bursts, and spikes have been observed almost simultaneously. Two phenomena have been selected to show that the pulsations of radio emission are caused by particles accelerated in the magnetic reconnection region and that the zebra structure is excited in a source, such as a magnetic trap for fast particles. The complex combination of unusual fiber bursts, zebra structure, and spikes in the phenomenon on December 1, 2004, is associated with a single source, a magnetic island formed after a coronal mass ejection.     

Fractal-cluster analysis and small-scale structures of solar flares

Solar flare films obtained on the TRACE spacecraft with a resolution of 1″ in the 160-nm (CIV) band with a frame separation of 2 s are examined. It has been indicated that the flare scenario is determined by the dynamics of numerous structures of about 1000 km in diameter. The fractal nature of the flare is confirmed. A self-organized criticality (SOC) mechanism is proposed to explain the flare formation and development. The most probable source of the flare energy is considered to be the chain of three-dimensional solitons.     

Disturbances in the topside ionosphere during solar flares

The results of studying the ionospheric response to solar flares, obtained from the data of the GPS signal observations and incoherent scatter radars and as a result of the model calculations, are presented. It is shown that, according to the GPS data, a flare can cause a decrease in the electron content at altitudes of the topside ionosphere (h > 300 km). Similar effects of formation of a negative disturbance in the ionospheric F region were also observed during the solar flares of May 21 and 23, 1967, with the Arecibo incoherent scatter radar. The mechanism by which negative disturbances appear in the topside ionosphere during solar flares has been studied in this work based on the theoretical model of the ionosphere-plasmasphere coupling. It has been indicated that the formation of the electron density negative disturbance in the topside ionosphere is caused by an intense removal of O⁺ ions into the overlying plasmasphere under the action of an abrupt increase in the ion production rate and thermal expansion of the ionospheric plasma.     

Relation between the active region magnetic field and solar flares

A weak active region (NOAA 11158) appeared on the solar disk near the eastern limb. This region increased rapidly and, having reached the magnetic flux higher than 10²² Mx, produced an X-class flare. Only weak field variations at individual points were observed during the flare. An analysis of data with a resolution of 45 s did not indicate any characteristic features in the photospheric field dynamics during the flare. When the flux became higher than 3 × 10²² Mx, active region NOAA 10720 produced six X-class flares. The field remained quiet during these flares. An increase in the magnetic flux above ～10²² Mx is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for the appearance of powerful flares. Simple active regions do not produce flares. A flare originates only when the field distribution in an active region is complex and lines of polarity inversion have a complex shape. Singular lines of the magnetic field can exist only above such active regions. The current sheets, in the magnetic field of which the solar flare energy is accumulated, originate in the vicinity of these lines.     

由地震背景噪声提取介质衰减:衰减介质中的空间相干表示

传统基于地震背景噪声互相关的层析成像技术,主要利用了互相关函数的相位信息,即利用走时来反演地球介质的速度和各向异性特征.最近,开始有研究人员利用互相关函数的振幅信息提取介质的衰减.主要是将二维弹性情形下,互相关函数正比于第一类零阶贝塞尔函数J_0(k_0r)这一结论,通过引入指数衰减系数,直接推广到衰减介质情形,令衰减介质中背景噪声互相关函数类比于J_0(k_0r)·e~(-α(ω)r),以此来反演介质的衰减系数α.然而,在衰减介质中,互相关受源的方位平均的影响,这种简单的推广,可能无法提取可靠的衰减系数.本文基于平面波的叠加模型,研究不同的互相关定义和坐标选择下,衰减介质中两点间互相关函数的理论表达式.结果表明,在平面波叠加模型下,互相关函数的表达形式随着坐标原点的选择,并因而随着源分布的变化而变化,对不同的归一化因子,表达式也不尽相同.利用J_0(k_0r)·e~(-α(ω)r)的形式拟合背景噪声的观测数据得到的衰减比实际值偏小.     

On regularities in long-term solar quiet geomagnetic variations

We propose a simple model to describe the behaviour of solar quiet geomagnetic variations Sq over a long time. We assume that Sq variations can be expressed through 24-h components and their harmonics subject to three modulations: 1 year, 11 years and several tens years. We started from the observation that the spectral lines of 30-year geomagnetic data series are split in accordance with yearly modulation. Our model gives good approximation of Sq variations and discloses a striking correlation of amplitudes and phases of modulating functions with the sunspot number and 2.8 GHz solar radio emission. It is also a tool for monitoring the Sq variations.     

Effect of solar flares in radiochemical measurements of solar neutrino intensity

The effect of chromospheric flares at the end of the exposure has been studied for all radiochemical facilities measuring the flux of solar neutrino. For chlorine-argon measurements (Brookheaven), it has been found that the development of flared results in the count rate acceleration to 4.7 ± 1.2 SNU. The effect of this growth is fictitious; this is an increase in the effectiveness of reaction product extraction from the target matter under the action of the ULF electromagnetic disturbance induced by the flare X-rays rather than an increase in the flux. The indications that a similar effect is present in the SAGE gallium-germanium measurement have been obtained. For the GALLEX gallium-germanium experiment, the effect of flares has not been found; the sign of this effect possibly differs from that of the Brookheaven and SAGE measurements. The found difference agrees with the conclusion that the results of the SAGE and GALLEX measurements anticorrelate for the exposures that end simultaneously.     

Hard X-ray generation in the turbulent plasma of solar flares

The influence of scattering of accelerated electrons in the turbulent plasma on the transformation of their distribution function is studied. The turbulence is connected with the emergence of magnetic inhomogeneities and ion-sound mode. The level of ion-sound turbulence is specified by the ratio W ^s/nk _B T _e = 10^?3, while the value of magnetic fluctuations is δB/B = 10^–3. Different initial angular distributions of the function of accelerated-electron source are regarded: from isotropic to narrow directional distributions. For the chosen energy-density values of the ion-sound turbulence and the level of magnetic fluctuations, it is shown that both types of turbulence lead to a qualitative change in the hard X-ray brightness along the loop, moreover their influence was found to be different. Models with magnetic fluctuations and the ion sound can be distinguished not only by the difference in the hard X-ray distribution along the loop but also by the photon spectrum.     

Time structure of the X-ray emission of thermal solar flares

Based on observations of electromagnetic radiation, a concept of thermal solar flares has been proposed. The absence of hard X-ray emission implies no accelerated electrons. This fact is the basis of the proposed concept of thermal flares. Since the acceleration rate should not exceed the electron energy loss rate, plasma density in the acceleration range must be at least 10¹¹ cm^?3. The temperature of plasma emitting in the soft X-ray range is of the order of 10⁷ K. In the simplified problem of heated plasma hydrodynamics, we calculated the temperature profiles and their changes over time and by coordinate. The emission measure values determined from observations of the soft X-ray emission of flares is of the order of 10⁴⁵ cm^?3. The geometry of the source is an axial symmetric straight cylinder with a section of 10¹⁶ cm² and an axial coordinate determined by the depth of plasma heating. Time profiles of soft X-ray emission were calculated for different sources of plasma heating, which were simulated using the Gaussian distribution law with respect to the coordinate and time. We have considered two modes of plasma heating: single (in time) and multipulse modes with different pulse intervals. The dynamics of plasma heating and cooling was shown to control the experimentally observed time profiles of soft X-ray emission. A comparison of numerical results with observational data allows us to confirm the implications of the proposed concept of thermal flares and, in addition, to perform diagnostics of plasma parameters in the emission source.     

Longitudinal factor in the spatial distribution of energetic solar flares

Discrete location of large flares near zero Carrington longitude results in artificial breaks within physically related flare clusters. This effect is eliminated by using the data presentation algorithm, which results in the conclusion that drifting zones of intensified sunspot formation (concentrated cores of activity complexes) and energetic flare generation exist in either hemisphere. The indicated L zone is hypothetically related to a non-asymmetric relic solar magnetic field or to the regions where large-scale convective cells, extending to the convective zone bottom, originate.