Solar connections of geoeffective magnetic structures

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and high-speed solar wind streams (HSS) are two solar phenomena that produce large-scale structures in the interplanetary (IP) medium. CMEs evolve into interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs) and the HSS result in corotating interaction regions (CIRs) when they interact with preceding slow solar wind. This paper summarizes the properties of these structures and describes their geoeffectiveness. The primary focus is on the intense storms of solar cycle 23 because this is the first solar cycle during which simultaneous, extensive, and uniform data on solar, IP, and geospace phenomena exist. After presenting illustrative examples of coronal holes and CMEs, I discuss the internal structure of ICMEs, in particular the magnetic clouds (MCs). I then discuss how the magnetic field and speed correlate in the sheath and cloud portions of ICMEs. CME speed measured near the Sun also has significant correlations with the speed and magnetic field strengths measured at 1 AU. The dependence of storm intensity on MC, sheath, and CME properties is discussed pointing to the close connection between solar and IP phenomena. I compare the delay time between MC arrival at 1 AU and the peak time of storms for the cloud and sheath portions and show that the internal structure of MCs leads to the variations in the observed delay times. Finally, we examine the variation of solar-source latitudes of IP structures as a function of the solar cycle and find that they have to be very close to the disk center.     

Solar activity and geomagnetic disturbances

An analysis of IZNIRAN magnetic observatory data indicated that geomagnetic storms with sudden and gradual commencements form two independent populations with respect to the disturbance occurrence time and character because the solar sources of these disturbances are different. Storms with sudden and gradual commencements are caused by coronal mass ejections and high-speed solar wind streams from coronal holes, respectively.     

Solar cycle evolution of the heliospheric magnetic field: The Ulysses legacy

Important contributions of Ulysses to understanding the solar cycle evolution of the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) and solar wind are reviewed: a dramatic reorientation of the HMF as the solar dipole rotates between axial and equatorial orientations; solar cycle variation of the total heliospheric magnetic flux and its response to changes in solar magnetic fields; the unusual on-going solar minimum and its effects; a connection between magnetic flux and solar wind mass flux in the heliosphere and at the source; a recurrent north–south heliospheric asymmetry at solar minimum and the equatorial offset of the solar magnetic dipole.     

Solar wind velocity distribution on the heliospheric current sheet during Carrington rotations 1787-1795

The solar wind velocity distribution in the heliosphere is best represented using a v-map, where velocity contours are plotted in heliographic latitude-longitude coordinates. It has already been established that low-speed regions of the solar wind on the source surface correspond to the maximum bright regions of the K-corona and the neutral line of the coronal magnetic field. In this analysis, v-maps on the source surface for Carrington rotations (CRs) 1787-1795, during 1987, have been prepared using the interplanetary scintillation measurements at Research Institute of Atmospherics (RIA), Nagoya Univ., Japan. These v-maps were then used to study the time evolution of the low-speed (\leq450 km s⁻¹) belt of the solar wind and to deduce the distribution of solar wind velocity on the heliospheric current sheet. The low-speed belt of the solar wind on the source surface was found to change from one CR to the next, implying a time evolution. Instead of a slow and systematic evolution, the pattern of distribution of solar wind changed dramatically at one particular solar rotation (CR 1792) and the distributions for the succeeding rotations were similar to this pattern. The low-speed region, in most cases, was found to be close to the solar equator and almost parallel to it. However, during some solar rotations, they were found to be organised in certain longitudes, leaving regions with longitudinal width greater than 30^○ free of low-speed solar wind, i.e. these regions were occupied by solar wind with velocities greater than 450 km s⁻¹. It is also noted from this study that the low-speed belt, in general, followed the neutral line of the coronal magnetic field, except in certain cases. The solar wind velocity on the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) varied in the range 300–585 km s⁻¹ during the period of study, and the pattern of velocity distribution varied from rotation to rotation.     

Structural and dynamic features of geoeffective coronal ejections

The structure and physical conditions in 104 coronal mass ejections (CMEs) with a clear-cut leading shock front have been considered using satellite data for 1996–2008. In 99% of cases, the action of increased shock front dynamic pressure on the Earth’s magnetosphere resulted in the origination of geomagnetic storms with sudden commencement.     

On geoeffective solar flares and variations of the seismic noise level

The work continues the study of interrelations between strong flare-induced magnetic storms and variations of seismicity. Using data on the time dependences of the parameters of seismic noise (average level and root mean squared (RMS)), recorded by stations of the KNET seismic network during monitoring of the territory of Bishkek geodynamic site (North Tien Shan). The presented results indicate the high sensitivity of the seismic noise in the frequency range of 10–20 Hz to external and, in particular, electromagnetic effects in comparison to the seismic activity. We noted the manifestations of the effects of magnetic storms that occurred after strong and super-strong solar flares in 2000–2006. These were short-term increases in the RMS of seismic noise, preceding changes in the accumulation rate of the number of events. The obtained results agree with conclusions about the interrelation between seismicity and magnetic storms. A model is suggested to describe one of the possible mechanisms by which the electromagnetic pulses and the currents induced by them in a medium devoid of piezoelectric properties influence the seismic process.     

Solar terminator and auroral sources for traveling ionospheric disturbances in the midlatitude F region

The occurrence of Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs) at a midlatitude location (London, Canada, 43°N, 81°W) has been examined using data recorded by standard 5 min ionograms during the year 2000. It is found that the dominant source of TIDs during daytime appears to be the sunrise terminator but during nighttime the sunset terminator and magnetic disturbances both contribute to the TIDs. The daytime TIDs show a weak semiannual variation with maxima in solstices. The nighttime TIDs show insignificant annual variation.     

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.     

Spectral-temporal peculiarities of the microwave emission preceding geoeffective coronal mass ejections

Data on the complex of wave and spectral phenomena in the sporadic microwave emission that are associated with the formation and initial propagation of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the solar atmosphere are presented. Their characteristic time interval extends from 2–3 days preceding the event to the time of CME recording on coronagraphs.     

Wavelet image of a heliospheric storm in cosmic rays

During the sign reversal of the global solar magnetic field, the variations in the ratio of the quadrupole component of the field to its dipole part manifest themselves in a change of the two-sector structure of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) into the four-sector and, then, multisector structures. At that time, a soliton-like wave packet (soliton of the envelope), precisely which is responsible for a wavelet image of heliospheric storm in cosmic rays, is formed in HCS.     

内日球子午面瞬态激波的传播特性

采用日球子午面内的二维三分量MHD模型,研究瞬态激波的传播特性,着重分析日球 电流片（HCS）、日球等离子体片（HPS）和低速流结构对激波传播的影响．结果表明,HCS 和HPS对激波传播几乎没有影响,而跨越HCS和HPS的低速流则显著改变激波的传播特性. 低 速流对激波的反射,导致激波扰动源一侧的激波速度加快、强度增强,低速流对激波透射的 阻碍作用导致激波扰动源异侧的激波滞后、强度减弱,但激波阵面的纬度跨度有所加宽．在 激波穿越过后,低速流区朝激波传播方向弯曲并受到骚扰,使得激波下游出现复杂的扰动结 构;对于激波扰动源同侧的激波下游,反射波与该处等离子体的相互作用同样会导致较为复 杂的扰动出现.     

On ionospheric disturbances in relation to geomagnetic disturbances

Summary Disturbances in the critical frequency of theF2-region of the ionosphere at Watheroo on international magnetically disturbed days are analyzed together with simultaneous geomagnetic data at the same station. The results show that the daily average disturbanceDm (foF2) becomes negative or positive according as the maximum of the disturbance daily variationSD (foF2) takes place in night time or in daytime respectively. This fact may show that bothDm (foF2) andSD (foF2) are due to the condition that the daytime increase in the daily variation of theF2-region is reduced or enhanced owing to vertical drift of the ionosphere caused by electric currents responsible for geomagneticSD.     

Solar eclipse of August 1, 2008, above Kharkov: 2. Observation results of wave disturbances in the ionosphere

Quasi-periodic variations in the power of incoherent scattered signals, caused by wave disturbances of the electron concentration in the ionosphere, are analyzed for the day of a partial solar eclipse and for a background day. The windowed and adaptive Fourier transforms and the wavelet transform are used for spectral analysis. The spectral parameters of the wave disturbances at altitudes of 100–500 km in the 10–120 min period range differed significantly on the day of the solar eclipse and on the background day. Variations in the spectrum began near the onset of the phase of maximum disk occultation and continued no less than 2 h. The amplitude of time variations N was 2 × 10⁹–4 × 10¹⁰ m^?3, and the relative amplitude was 0.10–0.15. Wave disturbances have been compared for five solar eclipses; the comparison shows a noticeable variation in the spectrum of the wave disturbances during these events.     

Analysis of the heliospheric current sheet fine structure: Single or multiple current sheets

When studying the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) local structure, it is not unusual to find wide HCS crossings. In this paper, we present one crossing that appears to have a complex internal structure composed of three parallel sheets and several possible HCS crossings that are consecutive and are on the order of minutes. Depending on their origin, different scenarios can explain multiple current sheets such as complex structures of helmet streamer at the Corona flowing into the solar wind, local waviness in the HCS structure, local oscillations of the HCS, and inverted magnetic fields or planar magnetic structures (PMS) close to the HCS. Distinguishing among these scenarios using just one observational point is very difficult because all of them are 3D structures. Nevertheless, we think that nearly parallel sheets are more likely in the first and in the last scenarios, i.e. multiple helmet streamer structure and PMS. In order to make the distinction between them, we have studied the possible reversal in the Q_e·B sign for every event. Our results suggest that the existence of not-wide HCS composed of multiple parallel sheets cannot be rejected.     

地磁扰动事件的描述及处理

影响地磁观测的因素很多,只有充分了解干扰的机制,才能对其数据进一步的处理。而在GM3,GM4提供秒采样数据后,观测数据中干扰数据的形态就可以非常清晰。本文就是利用秒采样的数据对几种常见干扰情况进行了描述,并使用软件对干扰数据进行剔除。     

Solar constant and sunspots

Summary The relationship, already found by the authors, between sunspot numbers and the solar constant, as deduced from the highest global irradiance values at noon, is here reexamined and confirmed. Some attempts at explanation and further inferences are presented.     

Mid-latitude airglow during heliogeophysical disturbances

This is a brief review of the results of studies on mid-latitude airglow of the Earth’s upper atmosphere carried out at the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics in recent years.     

Characteristics of disturbances in the atmosphere and oceans

The characteristics of the disturbances in the atmosphere and oceans and in other stably stratified and rotating fluids are analyzed according to their phase and group velocities. It is shown that both stable stratification and rotation augment the velocity of the sound waves, and that the internal gravity waves and inertial waves are mutually exclusive when the Brunt-Väisälä frequency is different from the Coriolis parameter. It is also shown that both the barotropic and the internal Rossby waves are well separated from the gravity waves and that they can be represented accurately by the quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity equation, even close to the equator, except for the one member withn=0 which is coupled with an eastward propagating gravity wave.     

Solar convection and magnetic fields

Mike Proctor looks at the interplay between convection and magnetism in the Sun's photosphere, using powerful numerical simulations.