Measurements of Filament Height in Hα and EUV 304 Å

In this study, we present the three-dimensional (3D) configuration of a filament observed by STEREO and the Global High Resolution H-alpha Network (GHN) in EUV 304 Å and Hα line center, respectively. This was the largest filament located close to the active region NOAA 10956 that produced a small B9.6 flare and two Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) on 19 May 2007. The 3D coordinates of multiple points traced along this filament were reconstructed by triangulation from two different aspect angles. The two STEREO (A and B) spacecraft had a separation angle α of 8.6 degree on 19 May 2007. The “true” heights of the filament were estimated using STEREO images in EUV 304 and Hα images, respectively. Our results show that EUV emission of the filament originates from higher locations than the Hα emission. We also compare the measured reconstructed heights of the filaments in EUV with those reported in previous studies.     

Developing an Advanced Automated Method for Solar Filament Recognition and Its Scientific Application to a Solar Cycle of MLSO Hα Data

We developed a method to automatically detect and trace solar filaments in Hα full-disk images. The program is able not only to recognize filaments and determine their properties, such as the position, the area, the spine, and other relevant parameters, but also to trace the daily evolution of the filaments. The program consists of three steps: First, preprocessing is applied to correct the original images; second, the Canny edge-detection method is used to detect filaments; third, filament properties are recognized through morphological operators. To test the algorithm, we successfully applied it to observations from the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO). We analyzed Hα images obtained by the MLSO from 1998 to 2009 and obtained a butterfly diagram of filaments. This shows that the latitudinal migration of solar filaments has three trends in Solar Cycle 23: The drift velocity was fast from 1998 to the solar maximum, after which it became relatively slow. After 2006, the migration became divergent, signifying the solar minimum. About 60 % of the filaments with latitudes higher than 50^° migrate toward the polar regions with relatively high velocities, and the latitudinal migrating speeds in the northern and the southern hemispheres do not differ significantly in Solar Cycle 23.     

Image Processing Techniques and Feature Recognition in Solar Physics

This review presents a comprehensive and systematic overview of image-processing techniques that are used in automated feature-detection algorithms applied to solar data: i) image pre-processing procedures, ii) automated detection of spatial features, iii) automated detection and tracking of temporal features (events), and iv) post-processing tasks, such as visualization of solar imagery, cataloguing, statistics, theoretical modeling, prediction, and forecasting. For each aspect the most recent developments and science results are highlighted. We conclude with an outlook on future trends.     

An EUV Jet and Hα Filament Eruption Associated with Flux Cancelation in a Decaying Active Region

Using data from the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), and Hida Observatory (HO), we present a detailed study of an EUV jet and the associated Hα filament eruption in a major flare in the active region NOAA 10044 on 29 July 2002. In the Hα line wings, a small filament was found to erupt out from the magnetic neutral line of the active region during the flare. Two bright EUV loops were observed rising and expanding with the filament eruption, and both hot and cool EUV plasma ejections were observed to form the EUV jet. The two thermal components spatially separated from each other and lasted for about 25 minutes. In the white-light corona data, a narrow coronal mass ejection (CME) was found to respond to this EUV jet. We cannot find obvious emerging flux in the photosphere accounting for the filament eruption and the EUV jet. However, significant sunspot decay and magnetic-flux cancelation owing to collision of opposite flux before the events were noticed. Based on the hard X-ray data from RHESSI, which showed evidence of magnetic reconnection along the main magnetic neutral line, we think that all of the observed dynamical phenomena, including the EUV jet, filament eruption, flare, and CME, should have a close relation to the flux cancelation in the low atmosphere.     

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.     

Study of Hα Jets on the Quiet Sun

High-speed jets of solar quiet regions have been observed at Big Bear Solar Observatory in H–1.0 Ú, and compared with high-resolution magnetograms. Over the whole Sun, the birthrate of the H–1.0 Ú jets is about 19±3 events s^–1, which is much lower than the birthrate of spicules. The average lifetime of these jets is 2±1 min. H–1.0 Ú jets are very different from spicules, in the sense of birthrate, lifetime, and shape. Jets tend to recur in the same sites, always located in boundaries of supergranules. Under the best observing conditions, we found that 80% of the major jet sites are associated with converging magnetic dipoles – mainly the sites where intranetwork elements are canceling with opposite polarity network elements. In order to establish a possible relationship between the disk H jets and limb macrospicules, we have also obtained time sequences of H center-line images at the limb. These images are enhanced by median filtering so that jet structures over the limb are easily studied. We found that these limb H jets (above the spicule forest) repeatedly occur in the same sites, which is the property shared by the disk H–1.0 Ú jets. However, their mean lifetime is 10 min, substantially longer than that of disk jets. Comparison with simultaneous SOHO/EIT Heii 304 Ú images shows that every Heii 304 Ú jet over the limb coincides with an H jet, although Heii 304 Ú jets extend much farther out. Some H jets do not have associated He jets, probably due to the difference in image resolutions. H spectra of selected jets are analyzed, and we found that jets are not simply blue-shifted; instead, the line profiles are broadened with significantly larger broadening on the blue side. Two-component fitting finds that the velocity of the blue-shifted component (an optically-thin component) is around 20 to 40 km s^–1.     

Hα surges and associated Soft X-ray loops

A recurrent H surge was observed on 7 October, 1991 on the western solar limb with the Meudon MSDP spectrograph. The GOES satellite recorded X-ray subflares coincident with all three events. During two of the surges high-resolutionYohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) images have been taken. Low X-ray loops overlying the active region where the surges occurred were continuously restructuring. A flare loop appeared at the onset of each surge event and somewhat separated from the footpoint of the surge. The loops are interpreted as causally related to the surges. It is suggested that surges are due to magnetic reconnection between a twisted cool loop and open field lines. Cold plasma bubbles or jets squeezed among untwisting magnetic field lines could correspond to the surge material. No detection was made of either X-ray emission along the path of the surges or X-ray jets, possibly because of the finite detection threshold of theYohkoh SXT.     

High resolution observation of Hα solar flares and temporal relation between Hα and X-ray,microwave emission

We studied the evolutional characteristics of fine structures in H flare emitting regions and their relation to X-ray and microwave emissions for selected events observed with the 60 cm Domeless Solar Telescope at Hida Observatory, University of Kyoto. The principal conclusions of this investigation are: (1) H kernel consists of some finer bright points or Hflare points whose individual size is less than 1 arc sec. (2) Impulsive brightnenings of H flare points occurred simultaneously with the spikes of the hard X-ray and microwave bursts within the time resolution of our H observations which varied from 1 to 10 s. (3) It is concluded that fast electron beams must be the principal mechanism of heating H flares during the impulsive phase of a flare.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984. Contributions from the Kwasan and Hida Observatories, University of Kyoto, No. 265.     

Comparison between some Hα and X-ray flares

In the present paper, H-evolutive curves of chromospheric events are compared with flux evolutive curves of X-ray events observed at the same time in different spectral regions. A correspondence between the emissions E(I _H/I _chr)'s at higher and higher H-intensity levels, and the X-ray fluxes F()'s in harder and harder -ranges is shown. Further, the present observations seem to indicate the existence of a single triggering mechanism during the flash-phase of a flare. It is also shown that these results may be in agreement with Brown's model for chromospheric flares.     

The influence of chromospheric condensation on Hα line profiles

The influence of the chromospheric condensation on H line profiles for the thermal model of a solar flare has been empirically studied in this paper. The so-called thermal model here means that there is no temperature increase relative to the quiet-Sun chromosphere but with a chromospheric condensation in the lower part of its transition region, which case is assumed to represent the early stage of the impulsive phase. The main results include: when the temperature within the condensation region is assumed to be equal to that in front of it, the influence is to create an additional absorption profile overlapping on the original one; by increasing the condensation strength, the H line profile changes from a little line-center increase to broadened red asymmetry, then to the reversed red asymmetry, and finally to two independent absorption profiles; the thickness of the condensation determines the absorption of the additional profile; descending the transition region has no obvious effect on the basic characteristic of the H line profile except a little increase in the line center. Assuming that the temperature within the condensation is higher than that ahead of the condensation, the calculated H line profiles may be strong enough to be comparable with the observations. This means that if the condensation in the purely thermal model can reach a higher temperature, we may also use only thermal origin to explain a chromospheric flare.Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, on leave from Purple Mountain Observatory, Nanjing, China.     

High-Resolution Hα Observations of Proper Motion in NOAA 8668: Evidence for Filament Mass Injection by Chromospheric Reconnection

There have been two different kinds of explanations for the source of cool material in prominences or filaments: coronal condensations from above and cool plasma injections from below. In this paper, we present observational results which support filament mass injection by chromospheric reconnection. The observations of an active filament in the active region NOAA 8668 were performed on 17 August 1999 at a wavelength of H–0.6 Å using the 65 cm vacuum reflector, a Zeiss H birefringent filter, and a 12-bit SMD digital camera of Big Bear Solar Observatory. The best image was selected every 12 s for an hour based on a frame selection algorithm. All the images were then co-aligned and corrected for local distortion due to the seeing. The time-lapse movie of the data shows that the filament was undergoing ceaseless motion. The H flow field has been determined as a function of time using local correlation tracking. Time-averaged flow patterns usually trace local magnetic field lines, as inferred from H fibrils and line-of-sight magnetograms. An interesting finding is a transient flow field in a system of small H loops, some of which merge into the filament. The flow is associated with a cancelling magnetic feature which is located at one end of the loop system. Initially a diverging flow with speeds below 10 km s^–1 is visible at the flux cancellation site. The flow is soon directed along the loops and accelerated up to 40 km s^–1 in a few minutes. Some part of the plasma flow then merges into and moves along the filament. This kind of transient flow takes place several times during the observations. Our results clearly demonstrate that reconnection in the photosphere and chromosphere is a likely way to supply cool material to a filament, as well as re-organizing the magnetic field configuration, and, hence, is important in the formation of filaments.     

Spatial correlation of Hα filaments and photospheric velocity

The location of H filaments is compared with maps of the photospheric line of sight velocity V and the magnetic field H . It is found that (1) H filaments are associated with regions of ¦V ¦ 300m s^–1, (2) always both positive as well as negative velocities are present under H structures, (3) stable (long lasting) portion of filaments frequently occur at the position of H = 0 as well as V = 0 lines, (4) this association remains valid for the longitudes less than 50° from central meridian.     

Hα and hard X-ray development in two-ribbon flares

Morphological features of two-ribbon flares have been studied, using simultaneous ISEE-3 hard X-ray records and high-resolution Big Bear H movies for more than 20 events. Long-lasting and complex hard X-ray bursts are almost invariably found associated with flares of the two-ribbon type. We find at least three events, namely March 31, 1979, April 10, 1980, and July 1, 1980, where the occurrence of individual spikes in hard X-ray radiation coincides with suddenly enhanced H emission covering the sunspot penumbra. There definitely exist important ( 1B) two-ribbon H flares without significant hard X-ray emission.     

Hα Emission and Dynamics in Groups of Galaxies

H_α luminosities of a sample of galaxies in nearby compactgroups are presented. Our purpose is to study the influence of thegroup environment on the star formation rates (SFRs) of the galaxies in thegroups, provided that the H_α luminosity is a good tracer of theSFR of disc galaxies. Measuring the global L /L _B of the groups – including early-type galaxies – we find that the average value of the H_α emission is not significantly different from thatmeasured for field galaxies, and that most of the groups that show thehighest level of L /L _B, with respect to a set of synthetic groups built out of field galaxies, show tidal features in at least one of their members. Finally, we have exploredthe relationship between the ratio L /L _B and severalrelevant dynamical parameters of the groups (velocity dispersion, crossingtime, radius and mass-to-luminosity ratio) and have found no clearcorrelation. This suggests that the exact dynamical state of a groupdoes not appear to control the SFR of the group as a whole. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Hβ Chromospheric Magnetic Field in a Quiescent Filament

We observed the line-of-sight magnetic field in the chromosphereand photosphere of a large quiescent filament on the solar disk on September 6, 2001 using the Solar Magnetic Field Telescope in Huairou Solar Observing Station. The chromospheric and photospheric magnetograms together with Hβ filtergrams of the filament were examined. The filament was located on the neutral line of the large scale longitudinal magnetic field in the photosphere and the chromosphere. The lateral feet of the filament were found to be related to magnetic structures with opposite polarities. Two small lateral feet are linked to weak parasitic polarity. There is a negative magnetic structure in the photosphere under a break of the filament. At the location corresponding to the filament in the chromospheric magnetograms, the magnetic strength is found to be about 40-70 Gauss (measuring error about 39 Gauss). The magnetic signal indicates the amplitude and orientation of the internal magnetic field in the filament. We discuss several possible causes which may produce such a measured signal. A twisted magnetic configuration inside the filament is suggested .     

Hα line emission and infrared excess in Be stars

The H observations of a selected sample of bright Be stars are presented. The available infrared observations at K band (2.2 m) of these stars have been used to find the infrared excess emission. The analysis of the combined data show thatL _H, the luminosity of the H emission line, is proportional toL _IR, the luminosity of the infrared excess emission. The linear correlation betweenL _IR andL _H shows that both the infrared excess and the H line originate in a common region. It is also detected that the infrared excess emission is produced throughout the whole envelope whereas the H is emitted in some defined region of the circumstellar (CS) envelope.     

A Correlation between Proton Events and Hα Flares and its Possible Interpretation

1 INTRoDUCTIONIt is well known that solar proton flares are maiuly correlated with strong, bright H. flares,in particular, with two ribbon flares. Ellison et al. (l961) were the first to draw attelltion tothe faCt that all cosndc-ray flares had the typical two-ribbon shape. Then, Svestka and Simon(1976) drew uP the "Catalog of Solar Particle Evellts, 195ty1969", and using this Catalog,Dodson and Hedeman could safely identify the flare sources for 50 proton events. Out of the 50idellti…     

Evolution of an active region and associated Hα arch structures

We have studied the early stages of development of two adjacent active regions observed at the center and the wings of H for six days. From the growth of spots and arch structures we found that periods of slow flux emergence were followed by periods of vigorous flux emergence. We observed arch filaments covering an appreciable range of sizes (from a length of about 27 000 km and a height of 2000–3000 km to a length of 45 000 km and a height of about 15 000 km). Individual arch filaments within the same arcade sometimes have different inclinations of their planes with respect to the vertical. We observed isolated cases of arches crossing each other at an angle of 45°. During their early stages arch filament systems are short and they expand at a rate of about 0.8 km s^–1. The rate of growth of arch filament systems is faster when the orientation of the flux tubes is nearly parallel to the equator. Our observations suggest that the early part of the evolution of individual arch filaments in a grown system is not visible; however, in a few cases we observed arch filaments appearing as dark features near one footpoint and expanding towards the other, with a mean velocity of about 30 km s^–1.