Are the high-latitude torsional oscillations of the sun real?

A numerical test is made to determine if the high-latitude torsional wave is generated from the low-latitude torsional pattern as a result of our reduction procedures. The results indicate that the high-latitude motions are not an artifact of the analysis, but are true solar features. We demonstrate also that the one-wave-per-hemisphere torsional oscillation does not result from the reduction procedure. These results place the observations in conflict with the predictions of - () models of the solar cycle.Now at Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, U.S.A.     

Can Dopplergrams be corrected for straylight?

Straylight effects in solar intensity images have been framed in a well-established mathematical formulation (Chae et al., 1998a, b). Many procedures can be applied to recover the point spread function (PSF) and correct the atmospheric and instrumental distortions. Concerning velocity data, some procedures to make corrections for straylight have been addressed. Many experiments infer the velocity as the mean displacement of a spectral line and build a Dopplergram as a nonlinear combination of the intensity images sampled at different wavelengths. Unfortunately, often only the final products are available and it is not possible to apply an appropriate correction to the individual intensity images. A standard procedure to correct for the straylight has been applied to a time-series of velocity data and the results have been controlled in the single Dopplergram (that seems to be good) and in a power spectrum at the atmospheric frequencies (where any correction should reduce the power). These frequencies are characteristic of the observing site and typically in the range of the g modes: this means that no long run from a network would decrease their contribution to the noise. The results show that the correction procedures, based on the intensity and velocity gradients, are not reliable if controlled in the power spectrum. This conclusion has led to a change of the acquisition procedure at the Kanzelhöhe Solar Observatory, where now the individual intensity images that build the Dopplergram are stored.     

Can the temperature of Ellerman Bombs be more than 10000 K?

Ellerman bombs(EBs) are small brightening events in the solar lower atmosphere.By their original definition,the main characteristic of EBs is the two emission bumps in both wings of chromospheric lines,such as Hα and CaII 8542  lines.Up to now,most authors have found that the temperature increase of EBs around the temperature minimum region is in the range of 600–3000 K.However,with recent IRIS observations,some authors proposed that the temperature increase of EBs could be more than 10000 K.Using non-LTE semi-empirical modeling,we investigate the line profiles,continuum emission and radiative losses for EB models with different temperature increases,and compare them with observations.Our result indicates that if the EB maximum temperature reaches more than 10000 K around the temperature minimum region,then the resulting Hα and CaII 8542  line profiles and the continuum emission would be much stronger than those of EB observations.Moreover,due to the high radiative losses,a high temperature EB would have a very short lifetime,which is not compatible with observations.Thus,our study does not support the proposal that EB temperatures are higher than 10000 K.     

Astrobiology—What Can We Do on the Moon?

The Moon does not seem to be a place for a biologist. However, it offers the possibility of unravelling a better understanding of the conditions for habitability on the Earth and the conditions for life on the early Earth. It will be a place where much of the life sciences technologies required to establish a permanent human presence in space can be tested to complete reliability. Specifically, a long-term life sciences laboratory on the Moon can be used to investigate three areas of science that are currently poorly understood: (1) the linearity or non-linearity of the effects of different magnitudes of space environmental stresses on organisms, particularly gravity; (2) the effects of cumulative environmental effects both in individual organisms and across generations, (3) the synergistic effects of different space environmental parameters on organisms. The close proximity and scientific importance of the Moon makes it a useful permanent location and staging post for the human expansion into space.     

Can baryonic dark matter be solid hydrogen?

Some requirements are discussed for solid hydrogen formation in cold dark dense clouds in galaxies. If temperatures in the clouds are near the microwave background temperature of 2.7 K and molecular hydrogen densities are 3×10⁵ cm^–3 or higher, as suggested by recent observations, it may be possible for solid hydrogen objects to form. Comet size hydrogen solids could build from molecular hydrogen condensation on grains and by collisions. Heated primarily by cosmic rays, objects with 100 km radii could last billions of years. The larger objects may be detectable, in the future, by sensitive gravitational lensing or eclipsing observations. Other possibilities are discussed for future detection of the cold dark dense molecular hydrogen regions. In our model, helium is added along with the hydrogen to preserve the primordial helium to hydrogen mass ratio,Y _p , of the standard model. In the hot regions of the universe the solid hydrogen objects sublime and melt so our model predictsY _p =0.250, the same as other baryonic dark matter models with identical values of =0.1,H _o =50 and =6.8×10^–10. This value cannot be ruled out at present because of the large systematic uncertainties in the observed value of 0.232. In the cold dark regions where solid hydrogen objects exist, we predict thatY _p will be greater than 0.250. Observations are not yet sensitive enough to measure this ratio.     

Can silicon monoxide grains be responsible for the interstellar 9.7 micrometer absorption band?

In this paper results of an experimental investigation of the spectra of submicrometersized silicon monoxide grains are presented. The grains manufactured from commercial SiO were prepared according to the Jena IR spectroscopy program for particulates of cosmic importance. The comparison of the laboratory spectra with those derived by means of Mie calculations using published refractive indices of bulk SiO revealed a fundamental discrepancy concerning the number and the positions of the bands. Therefore, the experimental SiO grains are suggested to change their internal structural state by the heating connected with the pressing of the KBr pellets, where the grains are embedded in. This sensitivity against heating by some hundred K rules out that SiO grains can be responsible for the 9.7 m circumstellar as well as interstellar spectral feature.     

Questions,questions: Can the contradictions between the petrologic,isotopic, thermodynamic,and astrophysical constraints on chondrule formation be resolved?

Abstract– Here, we show that several geochemical indicators point to number densities during chondrule formation that were far higher than can be accounted for by known nebula processes. The number densities implied by compound chondrules and nonspherical chondrules are shown to be significantly higher than estimated in previous studies. At the implied chondrule number densities, if a chondrule formation region survived a formation event it would have been gravitationally bound and would have collapsed quite rapidly to form an asteroidal‐sized body. The diversity of chondrule compositions and textures in a chondrite group could have formed in a single event in subvolumes of a formation region that were chemically isolated from one another because of slow diffusion in the gas. Within these subvolumes, equilibration between chondrules with different compositions would have been fairly rapid, although small isotopic mass fractionations in elements like Fe, Si, Mg, and O may persist. This could explain the existence of the small isotopic mass fractionations in these elements that have been observed in chondrules. However, the evidence for recycling of chondrules requires that there was more than one chondrule formation event prior to formation of a parent asteroid. Finally, we argue that OC and CO chondrule Mg‐Al systematics are both consistent with single ages or narrow ranges of ages, and that the CO, and possibly the OC, ages date parent body alteration. This would resolve the conundrum of needing to preserve in a turbulent nebula physically and chemically distinct CO and OC chondrule populations for 1–2 Myr.     

Electric currents and Hα emission in two active regions on the sun

We investigated the structure of magnetic field and vertical electric currents in two active regions through a comparison of the observed transverse field with the potential field, which was computed according to Neumann boundary-value problem for the Laplace equation using the observed H _z -value. Electric currents were calculated from the observations of the transverse magnetic field.There exist two systems of vertical electric currents in active regions: a system of local currents and a global one. The global current is about 2 × 10¹² A. In the leading part of the active regions it is directed upward, and in the tail downward.Flare activity is closely connected with the value and direction of both local and global currents: the flares tend to apear in places with upward currents. The luminosity of H flocculi is also connected with vertical electric currents; the brighter the flocculi, the more frequently they appear in places of upward electric currents.The sensitivity of H emission to the sign of the current suggests that charged particles accelerated in the upper parts of magnetic loops may be responsible for these formations. Joule heating might be important for flocculi, if plasma conductivity is about 5 × 10⁸ c.g.s.e.A model of a flare is suggested based on current redistribution in a system of emerging loops due to changes of loop inductance.     

Can ε Carinae be a triple system?

We examine the possibility that ε Carinae is a triple system. We show that a stable hierarchical system is possible, although perhaps only marginally.
We outline a speculative scenario for the history of the system, in which the giant outburst of the last century is associated with an interchange of components in a dynamically unstable triple system. We point out that the currently observed spectroscopic 'event' could be used to distinguish among the different possible configurations of the system.     

Can We Get the Bottom B?

Solar Physics - Understanding the solar dynamics and the origin of active regions depends crucially on our knowledge of the magnetic fields deep within the convection zone. Can we determine...     

What Can We Learn from the Geoeffectiveness of the Magnetic Cloud on 2012 July 15-17?

An interplanetary shock and a magnetic cloud(MC)reached the Earth on 2012 July 14 and 15 one after another.The shock sheath and the MC triggered an intense geom...     

Elliptical galaxies: Can rotation be effective in determining their shapes?

The present paper aims to investigate the modelling of real galaxies—at least as a zeroth order approximation—in such a way that rotation can be effective in determinating their intrinsic shape. The connection between the presence of isotropy in the pressure (or equivalently in the peculiar velocity) and observed gradients of metal content in most galaxies is briefly discussed, next solid-body rotating EC polytropes are proposed as acceptable models and the limits of this approach are considered. Appropriate estimates of both the theoretical ratio of some characteristic projected rotational velocity to some characteristic projected peculiar velocity,V/, and the apparent ellipticity,ê ^*, are calculated for the whole range of axis orientations, then the behaviour ofV/ vsê ^* is compared with observations. We find that real galaxies seem to display according to two distinct sequences; a main fraction of bright ellipticals may be reproduced by both axisymmetric configurations with all degrees of central condensation and triaxial configurations with lower degree of central condensation, while the remaining bright ellipticals, SA and SB bulges and ellipticals fainter thanM _B =–20.8 are seen to be fitted by axisymmetric configurations with lower degree of central condensation only. Some implications of such results are also reported and discussed. Finally, using qualitative considerations we show that solid-body rotating EC polytropes may lead to a naive model of galactic evolution, which enables both to reconcile observed gradients of metal content with the trend exibited byV/ vsê ^*, and to simulate—at least as a zeroth order approximation—the morphological sequence of real galaxies.     

Could G-class asteroids be the parent bodies of the CM chondrites?

Abstract— I review the dynamical and compositional evidence for possibly linking CM chondrites and asteroids having G-class taxonomic designations. Three G asteroids have been identified through previous theoretical studies as being likely meteorite source bodies due to their locations near resonances. Two of these objects, 19 Fortuna and 13 Egeria, have spectral properties that are consistent with such a linkage with CM chondrites. Fortuna has a similar strength 0.7 μm absorption feature and near-infrared spectral slope to CM chondrites but a weaker ultraviolet feature. Egeria also has the characteristic 0.7 μm feature of CM chondrite spectra but does not match as well in the near-infrared. However, since the 0.7 μm feature is apparent in the spectra of approximately one-half of measured C-type asteroids, no definitive statement about any linkages can be made. Ceres is spectrally different from known meteorites in the 3 μm wavelength region and cannot be convincingly linked with any meteorite group.     

Does the Babcock-Leighton mechanism operate on the Sun?

The contribution of the Babcock-Leighton mechanism to the generation of the Sun’s poloidal magnetic field is estimated from sunspot data for three solar cycles. Comparison of the derived quantities with the A-index of the large-scale magnetic field suggests a positive answer to the question posed in the title of this paper.     

Icy craters on the Galilean satellites?

A model which possibly accounts for the unusual radar scattering behavior observed for Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto postulates a thick surface layer of ice saturated with nearly hemispherical craters. In the development of this model it is noted that a single reflection at normal incidence reverses the rotational sense of circularly polarized incident radiation, in conflict with the radar observations which show an echo predominantly not reversed. Furthermore, an ensemble of backscattering events, each the result of a large number of successive dielectric reflections, tends to produce a weak and unpolarized echo. However, two coupled reflections can produce the observed backscattering behavior, provided the angles of incidence lie between the Brewster angle and its complement. The effect is maximum when the angles equal 45°, and, for water ice, yields a ratio of 1.9 for components of the echo received in rotational senses the same as, and opposite to, the sense transmitted. Randomly oriented reflecting facets, either of ice on the surface or of rocks in the interior, cannot yield the observed behavior since too few of the total possible backscattering configurations meet the above requirement. Hemispherical surface craters, on the other hand, favor 45° dual reflection. A model consisting of such craters in ice is investigated and found capable of explaining the observed results, not only in respect to polarization, but in respect to albedo and angular scattering law as well.     

Can non-linear structure form at the era of decoupling?

The effects of large-scale fluctuations on small-scale isothermal modes at the epoch of recombination are analysed. We find the following. (a) Albeit the fact that primordial fluctuations were at this epoch still well in the linear regime, a significant non-linear radiation hydrodynamic interaction could have taken place. (b) Short-wavelength isothermal fluctuations are unstable. Their growth rate is an exponential function of the amplitude of the large-scale fluctuations and is therefore very sensitive to the initial conditions. (c) The observed cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) fluctuations are of order of the limit above which the effect should be significant. Thus, depending on their exact value, the effect may be negligible or lead to structure formation out of the isothermal fluctuations within the period of recombination. (d) If the cosmological parameters are within the prescribed regime, the effect should be detectable through induced deviations in the Planck spectrum. (e) The sensitivity of the effect to the initial conditions provides a tool to set limits on various cosmological parameters with emphasis on the type and amplitude of the primordial fluctuation spectrum. (f) Under proper conditions, the effect may be responsible for the formation of sub-globular-cluster sized objects at particularly high redshifts. (g) Under certain circumstances, it can also affect horizon-sized large-scale structure.     

Can cold dark matter paradigm explain the central-surface-densities relation?

Recently, a very strong correlation between the central surface density of stars and dynamical mass in 135 disk galaxies has been obtained. It has been shown that this central-surface-densities relation agrees very well with Modified Newtonian Dynamics(MOND). In this article, we show that if we assume the baryons have an isothermal distribution and dark matter exists, then it is possible to derive by means of the Jeans equation an analytic central-surface-densities relation connecting dark matter and baryons that agrees with the observed relation. We find that the observed central-surface-densities relation can also be accommodated in the context of dark matter provided the latter is described by an isothermal profile. Therefore, the observed relation is consistent with not only MOND.     

Can we determine the filament chirality by the filament footpoint location or the barb-bearing?

We attempt to propose a method for automatically detecting the solar filament chirality and barb bearing. We first introduce the concept of an unweighted undirected graph and adopt the Dijkstra shortest path algorithm to recognize the filament spine. Then, we use the polarity inversion line(PIL) shift method for measuring the polarities on both sides of the filament, and employ the connected components labeling method to identify the barbs and calculate the angle between each barb and the spine to determine the bearing of the barbs, i.e., left or right. We test the automatic detection method with Hα filtergrams from the Big Bear Solar Observatory(BBSO) Hα archive and magnetograms observed with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager(HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory(SDO). Four filaments are automatically detected and illustrated to show the results. The barbs in different parts of a filament may have opposite bearings. The filaments in the southern hemisphere(northern hemisphere) mainly have left-bearing(rightbearing) barbs and positive(negative) magnetic helicity, respectively. The tested results demonstrate that our method is efficient and effective in detecting the bearing of filament barbs. It is demonstrated that the conventionally believed one-to-one correspondence between filament chirality and barb bearing is not valid.The correct detection of the filament axis chirality should be done by combining both imaging morphology and magnetic field observations.     

Influence of magnetic field on propagation of five-minute oscillations in the sun’s atmosphere: Phase shifts

From results of spectral (in Ba II λ 455.4-nm line) and spectropolarimetric (in Fe I λλ 1564.3–1565.8-nm lines) observations of the active region (an isolated faculae at the solar disk center) with the German vacuum tower telescope (VTT) at the Institute of Astrophysics on the Canary Islands, the peculiarities of propagation of five-minute oscillations from the photosphere base (h = 0 km) to the lower chromosphere (h = 650 km) were investigated. At the height of the continuum formation (h = 0 km), the nature of wave propagation in the active region does not differ much from that in the quiet region: 80–90% of the investigated areas are occupied by waves moving up and down. In the lower chromosphere (h = 650 km), differences in the behavior of the waves are fundamental. In a quiet area, the waves become standing for 90% of the cases. In contrast to this, in the presence of moderate and strong magnetic fields (B = 30–180 mT), in 47% of the cases, the waves are running upward, which gives the principal possibility to heat the active region. The investigations revealed the presence of the waves in the active region, for which the phase shift Φ _T,V of the temperature and velocity oscillations is between ?90° and 0°. These waves cannot propagate in a quiet atmosphere.