Reconstruction of Horizontal Plasma Motions at the Photosphere from Intensitygrams: A Comparison Between DeepVel,LCT, FLCT,and CST

Direct measurements of plasma motions in the photosphere are limited to the line-of-sight component of the velocity. Several algorithms have therefore been developed to reconstruct the transverse components from observed continuum images or magnetograms. We compare the space and time averages of horizontal velocity fields in the photosphere inferred from pairs of consecutive intensitygrams by the LCT, FLCT, and CST methods and the DeepVel neural network in order to identify the method that is best suited for generating synthetic observations to be used for data assimilation. The Stein and Nordlund (Astrophys. J. Lett.753, L13, 2012) magnetoconvection simulation is used to generate synthetic SDO/HMI intensitygrams and reference flows to train DeepVel. Inferred velocity fields show that DeepVel performs best at subgranular and granular scales and is second only to FLCT at mesogranular and supergranular scales.     

Near-Surface Flow Fields Deduced Using Correlation Tracking and Time-Distance Analyses

Near-photospheric flow fields on the Sun are deduced using two independent methods applied to the same time series of velocity images observed by SOI-MDI on SOHO. Differences in travel times between f modes entering and leaving each pixel measured using time-distance helioseismology are used to determine sites of supergranular outflows. Alternatively, correlation tracking analysis of mesogranular scales of motion applied to the same time series is used to deduce the near-surface flow field. These two approaches provide the means to assess the patterns and evolution of horizontal flows on supergranular scales even near disk center, which is not feasible with direct line-of-sight Doppler measurements. We find that the locations of the supergranular outflows seen in flow fields generated from correlation tracking coincide well with the locations of the outflows determined from the time-distance analysis, with a mean correlation coefficient after smoothing of _s=0.890. Near-surface velocity field measurements can be used to study the evolution of the supergranular network, as merging and splitting events are observed to occur in these images. The data consist of one 2048-min time series of high-resolution (0.6 pixels) line-of-sight velocity images taken by MDI on 1997 January 16–18 at a cadence of one minute.     

Velocity structure and variations in the region of quiet solar filaments

We study the velocity fields in the region of quiet solar filaments using spectral observations at the Sayan Solar Observatory (ISTP, Irkutsk). Once the series of spectral images have been processed, maps of the two-dimensional distribution of the velocity and its variations in the chromosphere (in the Hβ λ = 486.13 nm line) and the photosphere (in the Fe I λ = 486.37 nm line) are constructed. The motions in the filaments have been found to consist of steady and periodic components. Our analysis of the spatial distributions of various oscillation modes shows that the short-period (<10 min) oscillations propagate mainly vertically and are observed at the filament edges, on scales of several arcseconds. The quasi-hour (>40 min) oscillations propagate mostly along the filament at a small angle to its axis. The intensity in the Hβ core in individual fragments of some filaments varies with a period of about one hour. The observed velocity structures in the filaments and the imbalance of steady motions on the opposite sides of the filaments can be explained in terms of the model of a twisted fine-structure magnetic flux tube.     

A New Inner Heliosphere Proton Parameter Dataset from the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helios</Emphasis> Mission

In the near future, Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter will provide the first comprehensive in-situ measurements of the solar wind in the inner heliosphere since the Helios mission in the 1970s. We describe a reprocessing of the original Helios ion distribution functions to provide reliable and reproducible data to characterise the proton core population of the solar wind in the inner heliosphere. A systematic fitting of bi-Maxwellian distribution functions was performed to the raw Helios ion distribution function data to extract the proton core number density, velocity, and temperatures parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. We present radial trends of these derived proton parameters, forming a benchmark to which new measurements in the inner heliosphere will be compared. The new dataset has been made openly available for other researchers to use, along with the source code used to generate it.     

Total sunspot area before 1875 (reconstruction)

Empirical functions approximating the dependences of total sunspot area A on relative sunspot number W and group sunspot number GN have been found. In the function A(W), allowance for its dependence on the secular activity cycle has been made; it is shown that this allowance is not needed for the function A(GN). The yearly mean A for 1700–1874 have been reconstructed using these functions and the available W and GN time series. Having supplemented the original data with archival observations, we have been able to reconstruct the monthly mean A _W since 1821. We discuss the causes of the systematic difference between the reconstructions using W and GN.     

Solar wind velocity and normalized scintillation index from single-station IPS observations

The recently refurbished Ooty Radio Telescope in southern India was used in a two-month campaign of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations in collaboration with the Cambridge IPS array in England during April–May 1992. The unique feature of this campaign was that, for the first time, scintillation enhancements were predicted in real time by observing solar events on 7–8 May, 1992 and then detected at both Ooty and Cambridge. Also, for the first time, high spatial resolution ( 100 sources sr^–1) solar wind all-sky velocity maps were obtained at Ooty. Good consistency is found between the IPS observations from both observatories andin-situ shocks detected at Earth by IMP-8.Yohkoh soft X-ray images were used to infer the generation of a coronal mass ejection on 7 May, 1992.     

Spectropolarimetric investigation of an Ellerman bomb: 2. Photospheric models

Semiempirical models of the photosphere of an Ellerman bomb in the NOAA 11024 active region were obtained using profiles of Stokes parameters I, Q, U, and V of photospheric lines. Spectropolarimetric observations were conducted using the French–Italian THEMIS telescope (Tenerife, Spain). The SIR inversion code [28] was used in the modeling. The models have two components: a magnetic flux tube and nonmagnetic surroundings. The dependences of temperature, magnetic field strength, inclination of the magnetic field vector, and line-of-sight velocity in the tube on the optical depth were obtained. The models demonstrate that the thermodynamic parameters of the Ellerman bomb photosphere differ considerably from those of the quiet photosphere. The temperature in the tube model varied nonmonotonically with height and deviated by up to 700–900 K from its values for the quiet photosphere. Downflows were observed in the lower and the upper photospheric layers. The line-of-sight velocity in the upper layers of the photosphere was as high as 17 km/s. The magnetic field strength in the models varied from 0.1–0.13 T in the lower photospheric layers to 0.04–0.07 T in the upper ones. The physical state of the photosphere did change in the course of observations.     

Oscillations Accompanying a He <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">i</Emphasis> 10830 Å Negative Flare in a Solar Facula

On 21 September 2012, we carried out spectral observations of a solar facula in the Si?i 10827 Å, He?i 10830 Å, and H\(\upalpha\) spectral lines. Later, in the process of analyzing the data, we found a small-scale flare in the middle of the time series. Based on the anomalous increase in the absorption of the He?i 10830 Å line, we identified this flare as a negative flare.The aim of this article is to study the influence of the negative flare on the oscillation characteristics in the facular photosphere and chromosphere.We measured the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity and intensity of all the three lines as well as the half-width of the chromospheric lines. We also used the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) magnetic field data. The flare caused a modulation of all these parameters. In the location of the negative flare, the amplitude of the oscillations increased four times on average. In the adjacent magnetic field local maxima, the chromospheric LOS velocity oscillations appreciably decreased during the flare. The facular region oscillated as a whole with a 5-minute period before the flare, and this synchronicity was disrupted after the flare. The flare changed the spectral composition of the LOS magnetic field oscillations, causing an increase in the low-frequency oscillation power.     

A preliminary radial-velocity curve for the star <Emphasis Type="Italic">θ</Emphasis><Superscript>1</Superscript> Ori D

We measured the radial velocity of the star θ¹ Ori D from IUE spectra and used published observations. Based on these data, we determined the period of its radial-velocity variations, P=20.2675±0.0010 days, constructed the phase radial-velocity curve, and solved it by least squares. The spectroscopic orbital elements were found to be the following: the epoch of periastron passage E_p=JD 2430826.6±0.1, the system's center-of-mass velocity /Gg=32.4±1.0 km s^?1, K=14.3±1.5 km s^?1, Ω=3.3±0.1 rad, e=0.68±0.09, a₁ sin i = 3 × 10¹⁰ km, and f₁ = 0.0025M_⊙. Twice the period, P=40.528±0.002 days, is also consistent with the observations.     

Estimating the Mg <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis> Index from 1961 Through 1981 Using Ca <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis> K Images from the Mt Wilson Observatory

An empirical model of solar UV spectral irradiance has been developed that is based on observed spectral radiance measurements and full disk Ca ii K images. The Mg ii index is then calculated from the estimated spectra in a narrow wavelength range (180 Å) near the Mg ii doublet at 2800 Å. Our long term goal is to expand this wavelength range from 10 to 4000 Å in continuing studies based on spectral data covering this wavelength range (e.g. Skylab, UARS/SUSIM, TIMED/SEE, etc.). Our previous modeling effort produced spectra in this 180 Å range and the resulting Mg ii index values for the period from 1991 through 1995 and we have used observations during this time period to validate the model results. The current paper presents results from this model based on a 21-year portion of the recently digitized Ca ii K images from the Mt Wilson Observatory (MWO) film archive. Here we present details of the model, the required model modifications, and the resulting Mg ii index from 1961 through 1981. Since the NOAA Mg ii index did not begin until 1978, the present model results are compared to a Mg ii index estimated from the F_10.7 radio flux over this 21-year period. The NOAA Mg ii index, which is derived from measured UV spectra, is also included for comparison from late 1978 through 1981.     

Analysis of a Failed Eclipse Plasma Ejection Using EUV Observations

The photometry of eclipse white-light (W-L) images showing a moving blob is interpreted for the first time together with observations from space with the PRoject for On Board Autonomy (PROBA-2) mission (ESA). An off-limb event seen with great details in W-L was analyzed with the SWAP imager (Sun Watcher using Active pixel system detector and image Processing) working in the EUV near 174 Å. It is an elongated plasma blob structure of 25 Mm diameter moving above the east limb with coronal loops under. Summed and co-aligned SWAP images are evaluated using a 20-h sequence, in addition to the 11 July, 2010 eclipse W-L images taken from several sites. The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) recorded the event suggesting a magnetic reconnection near a high neutral point; accordingly, we also call it a magnetic plasmoid. The measured proper motion of the blob shows a velocity up to \(12~\mbox{km}\,\mbox{s}^{-1}\). Electron densities of the isolated condensation (cloud or blob or plasmoid) are photometrically evaluated. The typical value is \(10^{8}~\mbox{cm}^{-3}\) at \(r=1.7~\mathrm{R}_{\odot}\), superposed on a background corona of \(10^{7}~\mbox{cm}^{-3}\) density. The mass of the cloud near its maximum brightness is found to be \(1.6\times10^{13}\) g, which is typically \(0.6\times10^{-4}\) of the overall mass of the corona. From the extrapolated magnetic field the cloud evolves inside a rather broad open region but decelerates, after reaching its maximum brightness. The influence of such small events for supplying material to the ubiquitous slow wind is noticed. A precise evaluation of the EUV photometric data, after accurately removing the stray light, suggests an interpretation of the weak 174 Å radiation of the cloud as due to resonance scattering in the Fe IX/X lines.     

Quantification of tidal parameters from Solar System data

Tidal dissipation is the main driver of orbital evolution of natural satellites and a key point to understand the exoplanetary system configurations. Despite its importance, its quantification from observations still remains difficult for most objects of our own Solar System. In this work, we overview the method that has been used to determine, directly from observations, the tidal parameters, with emphasis on the Love number \(k_2\) and the tidal quality factor Q. Up-to-date values of these tidal parameters are summarized. Last, an assessment on the possible determination of the tidal ratio \(k_2/Q\) of Uranus and Neptune is done. This may be particularly relevant for coming astrometric campaigns and future space missions focused on these systems.     

Photometric observations of Cepheids from the ASAS-3 catalog: Photoelectric <Emphasis Type="Italic">BV I</Emphasis><Subscript>c</Subscript> observations of 46 low-amplitude Cepheids

From December 2006 to January 2008, we performed 1699 BV I _c observations for 46 low-amplitude Cepheids discovered in the course of the ASAS project using the 76-cm telescope of the South-African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). We provide the tables of observations and V light and B-V and V-I _c color curves. These new observations, along with data from the ASAS-3 catalog, have been used to improve the elements of the light variations. Our data allow the number of known Galactic low-amplitude Cepheids to be almost doubled. This makes it possible to increase the number of distance indicators suitable for studying the structure of the inner Galactic arms by almost 15%.     

IRIS Observations of Spicules and Structures Near the Solar Limb

We have analyzed Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) spectral and slit-jaw observations of a quiet region near the South Pole. In this article we present an overview of the observations, the corrections, and the absolute calibration of the intensity. We focus on the average profiles of strong (Mg?ii h and k, C?ii and Si?iv), as well as of weak spectral lines in the near ultraviolet (NUV) and the far ultraviolet (FUV), including the Mg?ii triplet, thus probing the solar atmosphere from the low chromosphere to the transition region. We give the radial variation of bulk spectral parameters as well as line ratios and turbulent velocities. We present measurements of the formation height in lines and in the NUV continuum from which we find a linear relationship between the position of the limb and the intensity scale height. We also find that low forming lines, such as the Mg?ii triplet, show no temporal variations above the limb associated with spicules, suggesting that such lines are formed in a homogeneous atmospheric layer and, possibly, that spicules are formed above the height of \(2''\). We discuss the spatio-temporal structure of the atmosphere near the limb from images of intensity as a function of position and time. In these images, we identify p-mode oscillations in the cores of lines formed at low heights above the photosphere, slow-moving bright features in O?i and fast-moving bright features in C?ii. Finally, we compare the Mg?ii k and h line profiles, together with intensity values of the Balmer lines from the literature, with computations from the PROM57Mg non-LTE model, developed at the Institut d’ Astrophysique Spatiale, and estimated values of the physical parameters. We obtain electron temperatures in the range of \({\sim}\, 8000~\mbox{K}\) at small heights to \({\sim}\, 20\,000~\mbox{K}\) at large heights, electron densities from \(1.1\times 10^{11}\) to \(4\times 10^{10}~\mbox{cm}^{-3}\) and a turbulent velocity of \({\sim}\, 24~\mbox{km}\,\mbox{s}^{-1}\).     

Orientation of the hipparcos frame with respect to the reference frames of the DE403/LE403 and DE405/LE405 ephemerides based on asteroid observations

Highly accurate observations of 116 asteroids are used to determine the orientation of the Hipparcos frame with respect to the reference frames of the DE403/LE403 and DE405/LE405 majorplanet ephemerides. These observations include the photographic observations of 15 asteroids obtained as part of the programs for observing selected asteroids and reduced to the Hipparcos frame using dependences, the space observations of 48 asteroids obtained by the Hipparcos satellite, and the presentday observations of 116 asteroid performed in the frame of the ACT catlog. The total number of observations used is more than 50 000 in the interval 1949–2007. Processing this series has yielded the following estimates of the orientation parameters: ω _x = 0.12 ± 0.08 mas yr^?1, ω _y = 0.66 ± 0.09 mas yr^?1, and ω _z = ?0.56 ± 0.16 mas yr^?1. This rotation may be attributable to a peculiarity of the transition from the reference frame of the DE200/LE200 ephemerides to that of DE403/LE403 ephemerides (since October 1, 1988, to J2000) that consists in the the assumption that the former reference frame has no rotation relative to the ICRF.     

Stellar velocity dispersion and mass estimation for galactic disks

Available velocity dispersion estimates for the old stellar population of galactic disks at galactocentric distances r?2L (where L is the photometric radial scale length of the disk) are used to determine the threshold local surface density of disks that are stable against gravitational perturbations. The mass of the disk M_d calculated under the assumption of its marginal stability is compared with the total mass M_t and luminosity L _B of the galaxy within r=4L. We corroborate the conclusion that a substantial fraction of the mass in galaxies is probably located in their dark halos. The ratio of the radial velocity dispersion to the circular velocity increases along the sequence of galactic color indices and decreases from the early to late morphological types. For most of the galaxies with large color indices (B–V)₀>0.75, which mainly belong to the S0 type, the velocity dispersion exceeds significantly the threshold value required for the disk to be stable. The reverse situation is true for spiral galaxies: the ratios M_d/L_B for these agree well with those expected for evolving stellar systems with the observed color indices. This suggests that the disks of spiral galaxies underwent no significant dynamical heating after they reached a quasi-equilibrium stable state.     

Deflection and Rotation of CMEs from Active Region 11158

Between 13 and 16 February 2011, a series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupted from multiple polarity inversion lines within active region 11158. For seven of these CMEs we employ the graduated cylindrical shell (GCS) flux rope model to determine the CME trajectory using both Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and coronagraph images. We then use the model called Forecasting a CME’s Altered Trajectory (ForeCAT) for nonradial CME dynamics driven by magnetic forces to simulate the deflection and rotation of the seven CMEs. We find good agreement between ForeCAT results and reconstructed CME positions and orientations. The CME deflections range in magnitude between \(10^{\circ }\) and \(30^{\circ}\). All CMEs are deflected to the north, but we find variations in the direction of the longitudinal deflection. The rotations range between \(5^{\circ}\) and \(50^{\circ}\) with both clockwise and counterclockwise rotations. Three of the CMEs begin with initial positions within \(2^{\circ}\) from one another. These three CMEs are all deflected primarily northward, with some minor eastward deflection, and rotate counterclockwise. Their final positions and orientations, however, differ by \(20^{\circ}\) and \(30^{\circ}\), respectively. This variation in deflection and rotation results from differences in the CME expansion and radial propagation close to the Sun, as well as from the CME mass. Ultimately, only one of these seven CMEs yielded discernible in situ signatures near Earth, although the active region faced toward Earth throughout the eruptions. We suggest that the differences in the deflection and rotation of the CMEs can explain whether each CME impacted or missed Earth.     

Symbolic analytical developments of the zero pressure cosmological model of the universe

In the present paper, literal analytical solutions in power series forms are developed for the radius of curvature and the expansion velocity of the zero pressure cosmological models of the universe at any time t. Also, we develop literal analytical solutions in power series forms for the inverse problem of the zero pressure cosmological model, that is to find the time $t=\tilde{t}$ (say) at which the radius of curvature of the model $R=\tilde{R}$ (say) is known. The importance of these analytical power series representations is that, they are invariant under many operations because, addition, multiplication, exponent ion, integration, different ion, etc of a power series is also a power series. A fact which provides excellent flexibility in dealing with analytical as well as computational developments of the problems related to zero pressure cosmological models.For computational developments of these solutions, an efficient method using continued fraction theory is provided. By means of the present methods we able to analyze some known zero-pressure cosmological models, of these are Einstein and De Sitter models. In addition we also analyzed some other models by which one can know if the universe keep expanding forever, or will it reach a maximal size and then turn into contraction stage.     

Millimeter and X-Ray Emission from the 5 July 2012 Solar Flare

The 5 July 2012 solar flare SOL2012-07-05T11:44 (11:39?–?11:49 UT) with an increasing millimeter spectrum between 93 and 140 GHz is considered. We use space and ground-based observations in X-ray, extreme ultraviolet, microwave, and millimeter wave ranges obtained with the Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, Radio Solar Telescope Network, and Bauman Moscow State Technical University millimeter radio telescope RT-7.5. The main parameters of thermal and accelerated electrons were determined through X-ray spectral fitting assuming the homogeneous thermal source and thick-target model. From the data of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly/SDO and differential-emission-measure calculations it is shown that the thermal coronal plasma gives a negligible contribution to the millimeter flare emission. Model calculations suggest that the observed increase of millimeter spectral flux with frequency is determined by gyrosynchrotron emission of high-energy (\(\gtrsim 300\) keV) electrons in the chromosphere. The consequences of the results are discussed in the light of the flare-energy-release mechanisms.     

The evolution of nighttime mid-latitude mesoscale F-region structures: A case study utilizing numerical solution of the Perkins instability equations

In recent years, all-sky camera airglow observations of evolving nighttime F-region structures have raised questions regarding the formation and apparent motion of these often wave-like structures. We address these issues using a pseudo-spectral method code developed to numerically solve the Perkins (1973. Spread F and ionospheric currents. J. Geophys. Res. 78, 218-226) moment equations modeling F-region electrodynamics. To aid in interpretation of the results, we utilize a Gaussian shape initial condition of the (geomagnetic field, B, parallel) integrated conductivity under the homogeneous TEC (B-parallel total electron content) condition and a northeastward DC electric field (E-field). We find that the initial Gaussian shape conductivity structure gradually evolves into banded structures oriented along the northwest-southeast direction while the amplitude of the banded structures continues growing and the peak of the structure moves to the northwest due to the E×B drift. The potential distribution corresponding to the initial Gaussian conductivity distribution is more complex but also becomes banded with the same orientation and growing trend as the conductivity. Wave vector domain plots show structure growth in approximately the first and third quadrants and damping in the second and fourth quadrants for both the conductivity and potential, as Perkins predicts—this leads to the orientation of the structures. We note that the evolved banded structures in conductivity and potential are oriented perpendicular to the direction given by half the angle between the DC E-field and east—the direction of maximum instability growth rate predicted by Perkins. The polarization (perturbation) E-field is seen mainly perpendicular to the long axis of the banded structures—i.e., no obvious structure-parallel E-field is observed in the simulation. By tracking the maximum point of the conductivity as a function of time, it is found that the localized structures move northwestward at a nearly constant speed that corresponds to the E×B drift velocity (to within relative errors on the direction and magnitude of ?4%). We also note that the E×B drift velocity has a dominant effect on the speed and propagation direction of the wave-like bands. The “wave” velocity is the projection of the E×B drift velocity on the line perpendicular to the wave front. Thus, the movement of a northwest-southeast oriented band can be decomposed into two components—parallel (to the band, northwestward) and perpendicular (southwestward) motions. A preliminary comparison of these results with an Arecibo all-sky camera observations shows good agreement.