Coronal oscillations as revealed by solar hard X-ray bursts

During the 21st solar activity cycle the HXRBS aboard SMM satellite and the HXM on HINOTORI spacecraft detected several thousand hard X-ray solar flares. Studies of the temporal properties of these events had revealed hundreds of examples of fast spikes with durations of less than 1 sec. We analysed part of these observations and found that they have four common characteristics. Among these characteristics, quasi-periodic oscillations led us to believe the possibility of oscillations existing in the corona. We have studied the characteristics of the oscillations and derived their periods. The conditions of trapping the oscillations are also discussed.     

The characteristics of type IV-associated spikes at metric wavelengths

Out of 120 solar type IV events recorded at the Trieste Astronomical Observatory, we have selected 15 groups of spike bursts. We analyze their properties, concentrating on the characteristics of their polarization. We find that the polarization of the spikes varies over a wide range, but that within a particular group of spikes it remains almost constant. Sometimes groups of spikes with different degrees of polarization occur almost contemporaneously, probably indicating that more than one source is active at nearly the same time.Occasionally spike bursts accompany type III bursts. Then, unlike the case with type IV-associated events, the polarization of the spikes varies greatly.Proceedings of the Workshop on Radio Continua during Solar Flares, held at Duino (Trieste), Italy, 27–31 May, 1985.     

Fast transients in hard X-ray solar flares

We present the results of a search for fast spikes in 5483 hard X-ray solar flares as observed with the Hard X-Ray Burst Spectrometer on the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM). Hundreds of fast spikes with durations of less than 1 second have been detected at time resolutions of 128 ms and 10 ms. Fast spikes have been detected with rise and decay times as short as 20 ms and with widths as short at 45 ms that represent the fastest hard X-ray variations yet seen from the Sun. The observations of such fast variations place new constraints on the physical nature of the source.     

Ion-Sound Model of Microwave Spikes with Fast Shocks in the Reconnection Region

A new model for solar spike bursts is considered based on the interaction of Langmuir waves with ion-sound waves: l+st. Such a mechanism can operate in shock fronts, propagating from a magnetic reconnection region. New observations of microwave millisecond spikes are discussed. They have been observed in two events: 4 November 1997 between 05:52–06:10 UT and 28 November 1997 between 05:00–05:10 UT using the multichannel spectrograph in the range 2.6–3.8 GHz of Beijing AO. Yohkoh/SXT images in the AR and SOHO EIT images testify to a reconstruction of bright loops after the escape of a CME. A fast shock front might be manifested as a very bright line in T _e SXT maps (up to 20 MK) above dense structures in emission measure (EM) maps. Moreover one can see at the moment of spike emission (for the 28 November 1997 event) an additional maximum at the loop top on the HXR map in the AR as principal evidence of fast shock propagation. The model gives the ordinary mode of spike emission. Sometimes we observed a different polarization of microwave spikes that might be connected with the depolarization of the emission in the transverse magnetic field and rather in the vanishing magnetic field in the middle of the QT region. Duration and frequency band of isolated spikes are connected with parameters of fast particle beams and shock front. Millisecond microwave spikes are probably a unique manifestation of flare fast shocks in the radio emission.     

High time resolution observations of solar radio emission at four frequencies: evidence for energy release in microflares

As evidence for energy release in microflares, high time resolution observations of solar radio emission obtained with our “synchronous observation system of solar radio radiation with high time resolution at four frequencies (1.42, 2.13, 2.84 and 4.26 GHz)” from December 1989 to April 1993 are presented in this paper. The observed events include weak ms spikes, “spike-likes”, fast pulsations as well as two kinds of newly discovered fast fine structures, i.e., microwave type III bursts and microwave patch-like structures. A statistical study of the duration of fast fine structures has been made and on its basis the various types of phenomena are illustrated with actual examples.     

Millisecond Radio Spikes in the Decimetric Band

We present the results of the analysis of thirteen events consisting of dm-spikes observed in Toruń between 15 March 2000 and 30 October 2001. The events were obtained with a very high time resolution (80 microseconds) radio spectrograph in the 1352 – 1490 MHz range. These data were complemented with observations from the radio spectrograph at Ondřejov in the 0.8 – 2.0 GHz band. We evaluated the basic characteristics of the individual spikes (duration, spectral width, and frequency drifts), as well as their groups and chains, the location of their emission sources, and the temporal correlations of the emissions with various phases of the associated solar flares. We found that the mean duration and spectral width of the radio spikes are equal to 0.036 s and 9.96 MHz, respectively. Distributions of the duration and spectral widths of the spikes have positive skewness for all investigated events. Each spike shows positive or negative frequency drift. The mean negative and positive drifts of the investigated spikes are equal to −776 MHz s⁻¹ and 1608 MHz s⁻¹, respectively. The emission sources of the dm-spikes are located mainly at disk center. We have noticed two kinds of chains, with and without frequency drifts. The mean durations of the chains vary between 0.067 s and 0.509 s, while their spectral widths vary between 7.2 MHz and 17.25 MHz. The mean duration of an individual spike observed in a chain was equal to 0.03 s. While we found some agreement between the global characteristics of the groups of spikes recorded with the two instruments located in Toruń and Ondřejov, we did not find any one-to-one relation between individual spikes.     

SPIKES和FFS辐射偏振状态的快速逆转

本文简述了1991年5月16日叠加在一个47GB微波大爆发上的快速精细结构(FFS)和spike群的偏振状态.在相隔100MHz的2645、2545MHz两频率上,spike的偏振状态随时间或随频率在50～100ms量级短时标内发生快速交替变化.我们认为这可能与小尺度空间内spike辐射源区的等离子体密度出现短时标的波动及磁场强度的起伏有关.这种波动和起伏使得等离子体频率与磁迴旋频率的比值(ω_p/Q_e)在2~(1/2)附近起伏变化,从而造成电磁波X波模和O波模的电子迴旋脉塞不稳定性增长率交替支配着电磁波的辐射,产生spike 辐射偏振状态的逆转.     

The Source Regions of Impulsive Solar Electron Events

Low-energy (2–19 keV) impulsive electron events observed in interplanetary space have been traced back to the Sun, using their interplanetary type III radiation and metric/decimetric radio-spectrograms. For the first time we are able to study the highest frequencies and thus the radio signatures closest to the source region. All the selected impulsive solar electron events have been found to be associated with an interplanetary type III burst. This allows to time the particle events at the 2 MHz plasma level and identify the associated coronal radio emissions. Except for 5 out of 27 cases, the electron events were found to be associated with a coronal type III burst in the metric wavelength range. The start frequency yields a lower limit to the density in the acceleration region. We also search for narrow-band spikes at the start of the type III bursts. In about half of the observed cases we find metric spikes or enhancements of type I bursts associated with the start of the electron event. If interpreted as the plasma emission of the acceleration process, the observed average frequency of spikes suggests a source density of the order of 3×10⁸ cm^–3 consistent with the energy cut-off observed.     

Solar Decameter Spikes

We analyze and discuss the properties of decameter spikes observed in July?–?August 2002 by the UTR-2 radio telescope. These bursts have a short duration (about one second) and occur in a narrow frequency bandwidth (50?–?70 kHz). They are chaotically located in the dynamic spectrum. Decameter spikes are weak bursts: their fluxes do not exceed 200?–?300 s.f.u. An interesting feature of these spikes is the observed linear increase of the frequency bandwidth with frequency. This dependence can be explained in the framework of the plasma mechanism that causes the radio emission, taking into account that Langmuir waves are generated by fast electrons within a narrow angle θ≈13^°?–?18^° along the direction of the electron propagation. In the present article we consider the problem of the short lifetime of decameter spikes and discuss why electrons generate plasma waves in limited regions.     

Recent results of zebra patterns in solar radio bursts

This review covers the most recent experimental results and theoretical research on zebra patterns(ZPs)in solar radio bursts.The basic attention is given to events with new peculiar elements of zebra patterns received over the last few years.All new properties are considered in light of both what was known earlier and new theoretical models.Large-scale ZPs consisting of small-scale fiber bursts could be explained by simultaneous inclusion of two mechanisms when whistler waves"highlight"the levels of double plasma resonance(DPR).A unique fine structure was observed in the event on 2006 December 13: spikes in absorption formed dark ZP stripes against the absorptive type Ⅲ-like bursts.The spikes in absorption can appear in accordance with well known mechanisms of absorptive bursts.The additional injection of fast particles filled the loss-cone(breaking the loss-cone distribution),and the generation of the continuum was quenched at these moments.The maximum absorptive effect occurs at the DPR levels.The parameters of millisecond spikes are determined by small dimensions of the particle beams and local scale heights in the radio source.Thus,the DPR model helps to understand several aspects of unusual elements of ZPs.However,the simultaneous existence of several tens of the DPR levels in the corona is impossible for any realistic profile of the plasma density and magnetic field.Three new theories of ZPs are examined.The formation of eigenmodes of transparency and opacity during the propagation of radio waves through regular coronal inhomogeneities is the most natural and promising mechanism.Two other models(nonlinear periodic space-charge waves and scattering of fast protons on ion-sound harmonics)could happen in large radio bursts.     

Effects of the distribution function of non-thermal electrons and of cyclotron resonant absorption on millisecond radio spikes

A theoretical analysis of electron-cyclotron maser instabilities indicates that the distribution function of non-thermal electrons influences millisecond radio spikes in solar flares, and that a hollow beam distribution is more likely than a loss-cone distribution. The restrictions of classical theories of cyclotron resonant absorption are discussed and a formula is derived for the absorption coefficient near the resonant frequency. Finally, the computations show that for typical coronal parameters, the growth rates of the fundamental of fast extraordinary modes are much faster than those of their second harmonics; and because the directional angle of the fundamental is smaller, its resonant absorption may be neglected. Moreover, the band-width of the fundamental is consistent with observation of radio spikes; therefore, we claim that the millisecond radio spikes in the decimetric range are composed mainly of fundamentals of the fast extraordinary modes. The second harmonics of fast extraordinary modes may be generated for directions near to the vertical to the magnetic field, but it is impossible to observe both fundamental and second harmonics in the same direction.     

Natural spectral bandwidth of electron cyclotron maser emission

We studied the spectral properties of the electron cyclotron maser emission generated by anisotropic distributions of fast electrons with power-law magnitude distributions in solar flares. The natural bandwidth of the generated spectral line depends significantly on the angle between the direction of the wave emission and the direction of the magnetic field in the source. In addition, the line bandwidth depends on the parameters of the momentum and pitch-angle distribution functions for fast electrons. The typical spectral bandwidths are shown to lie within the range 0.1–0.4%, in agreement with the minimum observable bandwidths of millisecond solar radio spikes.     

Different time constants of solar decimetric bursts in the range 100–1000 MHz

Between 1980, January 1 and 1981, December 31 a total of 664 decimetric pulsation events, abbreviated DCIM, were observed with the Zürich spectrometers in the frequency range 100 to 1000 MHz. All of these events were recorded on film, allowing an effective resolution in time of 0.5 s, and 5 MHz in frequency. Some of these events were also recorded digitally with higher time and frequency resolution.The class of DCIM bursts can be divided into two groups depending on their duration and thus reflecting different physical mechanisms. Each of the two groups can be further divided into small and large bandwidth subgroups, reflecting differences in the source parameters. Short decimetric events ( 1s) are most abundant in this frequency range. They may be caused by fast transients in the solar atmosphere. The half-power bandwidth of the shortest DCIM bursts, the millisecond spikes, were found to be 6 to 12 MHz. A single event may consist of more than 1000 individual spikes. The long lasting DCIM bursts (5 s to 300 s) exhibit a gradual and smooth time profile. Such long lasting events indicate the presence of trapped particles in magnetic fields. In some events decimetric gyrosynchrotron radiation was observed below 1000 MHz as a continuation of corresponding microwave events.Some of the decimetric events exhibit very large drift rates (2000 MHz s^-1). Such large values request either a drastic reduction of the effective scale height of the active region in the beam model or a different explanation than the conventional beam model.     

太阳微波尖峰辐射的高时间、高频率分辨率偏振观测

利用北京天文台 ２．６—３．８ ＧＨｚ频谱仪的观测资料,找到 １１个微波尖峰辐射事件．尖峰一般具有数十毫秒的寿命,数百个ｓｆｕ的流量密度和数十至数百ＭＨｚ的带宽,这与以前的报道类似．尖峰的偏振度各式各样,有的尖峰还有数千ＭＨｚ／ｓ的频率漂移．某些尖峰在二个偏振态之间有８毫秒的时间延迟（最大延迟可达１６毫秒）．另外,还发现了尖峰的偏振度随频率剧烈变化的偏振反转现象．     

Type III Bursts Associated with Millisecond Spikes Which Occurred Within the Frequency Range from 230 to 300 MHz

The metric spectral data obtained at the Yunnan Observatory from July 1990 to December 1991 are analysed and some type III bursts associated with millisecond spikes are found. Their different morphologies reveal the relation between the type III bursts and the millisecond spikes. Based on the occurrence time and the characteristics of continuity and changes of the morphologies in the spikes and the type III bursts of two typical events, we verify that the acceleration region of the coronal electrons is located above the emitting region of the millisecond spikes and the type III bursts. The observations show that the interface frequency of a pair of type III bursts lies near 250 MHz. Finally the authors attempt to explain qualitatively the generating mechanism of the metric millisecond spike-type III bursts by means of the plasma hypothesis.     

Analysis of narrow spikes in two cosmic gamma-ray bursts

An analysis has been made of the narrow intensity spikes occurring in two cosmic gammaray bursts which were observed with a fast time resolution germanium spectrometer on board the low altitude polar orbiting satellite 1972-076B (Imhofet al., 1974a, 1975; Nakanoet al., 1974a). The bursts on 18 December, 1972 and 21 July, 1973, were also recorded on the Vela satellite system. The durations of three spikes were observed to be 0.06 s with the limits being 0.03 to 0.10 s. Four other narrow spikes were measured to have time width limits between 0.001 and 0.10 s. An additional eight spikes had widths less than 0.9 s. During the spikes, the gamma-ray intensities increased by factors of 2 to 10, with a median value of 3. These and other characteristics of the fast time structure are presented.Paper presented at the COSPAR Symposium on Fast Transients in X- and Gamma-Rays, held at Varna, Bulgaria, 29–31 May, 1975.     

Spiky Fine Structure of Type III-like Radio Bursts in Absorption

An uncommon fine structure in the radio spectrum consisting of bursts in absorption was observed with the Chinese Solar Broadband Radiospectrometer (SBRS) in the frequency range of 2.6?–?3.8 GHz during an X3.4/4B flare on 13 December 2006 in active region NOAA 10930 (S05W33). Usual fine structures in emission such as spikes, zebra stripes, and drifting fibers were observed at the peak of every new flare brightening. Within an hour at the decay phase of the event we observed bursts consisting of spikes in absorption, which pulsated periodically in frequency. Their instantaneous frequency bandwidths were found to be in the 75 MHz range. Moreover, in the strongest Type III-like bursts in absorption, the spikes showed stripes of the zebra-pattern (ZP) that drifted to higher frequencies. All spikes had the duration as short as down to the limit of the instrument resolution of ≈8 ms. The TRACE 195 Å images indicate that the magnetic reconnection at this moment occurred in the western edge of the flare loop arcade. Taking into account the presence of the reverse-drifting bursts in emission, in the course of the restoration of the magnetic structures in the corona, the acceleration of the beams of fast particles must have occurred both upward and downward at different heights. The upward beams will be captured by the magnetic trap, where the loss-cone distribution of fast particles (responsible for the emission of continuum and ZP) were formed. An additional injection of fast particles will fill the loss-cone later, breaking the loss-cone distribution. Therefore, the generation of continuum will be quenched at these moments, which was evidenced by the formation of bursts in absorption.     

Explosive Events: Swirling Transition Region Jets

In this paper, we extend our earlier work to provide additional evidence for an alternative scenario to explain the nature of events called ??explosive events??. The bidirected, fast Doppler motion of explosive events observed spectroscopically in the transition region emission is classically interpreted as a pair of bidirectional jets moving upward and downward from a reconnection site. We discuss the problems of this model. In our previous work, we focused basically on the discrepancy of fast Doppler motion without detectable motion in the image plane. We now suggest an alternative scenario for the explosive events, based on our observations of spectral line tilts and bifurcated structure in some events. Both features are indicative of rotational motion in narrow structures. We explain the bifurcation as the result of rotation of hollow cylindrical structures and demonstrate that this kind of sheath model can also be applied to explain the nature of the puzzling ??explosive events??. We find that the spectral tilt, the lack of apparent motion, the bifurcation, and a rapidly growing number of direct observations support an alternative scenario of linear, spicular-sized jets with a strong spinning motion.     

Radio spikes and the fragmentation of flare energy release

Decimetric radio events with large numbers of spikes during the impulsive phase of flares have been selected. In the observing range of 100 to 1000 MHz some flares have of the order of 10000 spikes or more. The average half-power bandwidth of spikes has been measured to be only 1.5% of the spike frequency. Since the emission frequency is determined by some source parameter (such as plasma frequency or gyrofrequency) the source dimension must be a small fraction of the scale length. From the flare configuration a typical upper limit of the dimension of 200 km is found. The observed fragmentation in the radio emission cannot be explained by a patchy emission mechanism of a single and much larger source without an additional (and unknown) assumption. It is proposed that the fragmentation already occurs in the exciter.Four events were analyzed in detail and compared to UV, SXR, and HXR data. The density of the loops where the SXR and HXR emission was observed has been measured before the flare. The plasma frequency well agrees with the observed frequency of spikes. The spikes thus originate close to or in the energy release region. It is suggested here that the fragmentation of the exciter is due to a fragmentation of the primary energy release. Each of these 10⁴ microflares would release an energy of the order of 10²⁶ erg within 0.05 s.     

The microwave spectrum of solar millisecond spikes

The microwave radiation from solar flares sometimes shows short and intensive spikes which are superimposed on the burst continuum. In order to determine the upper frequency limit of their occurrence and the circular polarization, a statistical analysis has been performed on our digital microwave observations from 3.2 to 92.5 GHz. Additionally, fine structures have been investigated with a fast (5 ms) 32-channel spectrometer at 3.47 GHz. We found that 10% of the bursts show fine structures at 3.2 and 5.2 GHz, whereas none occurred above 8.4 GHz. Most of the observed spikes were very short ( 10 ms) and their bandwidth varied from below 0.5 MHz to more than 200 MHz. Simultaneous observations at two further frequencies showed no coincident spikes at the second and third harmonic. The observations can be explained by the theory of electron cyclotron masering if the observed bandwidths are determined by magnetic field inhomogeneities or if the rise times are independent of the source diameters. The latter would imply source sizes between 50 and 100 km.Proceedings of the Workshop on Radio Continua during Solar Flares, held at Duino (Trieste), Italy, 27–31 May, 1985.