Solar Wind Speed and Expansion Rate of the Coronal Magnetic Field in Solar Maximum and Minimum Phases

Relationships between solar wind speed and expansion rate of the coronal magnetic field have been studied mainly by in-ecliptic observations of artificial satellites and some off-ecliptic data by Ulysses. In this paper, we use the solar wind speed estimated by interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations in the whole heliosphere. Two synoptic maps of SWS estimated by IPS observations are constructed for two Carrington rotations CR 1830 and 1901; CR 1830 starting on the 11th of June, 1990 is in the maximum phase of solar activity cycle and CR 1901 starting on the 29th of September, 1995 is in the minimum phase. Each of the maps consist of 64800 (360×180) data points. Similar synoptic maps of expansion rate of the coronal magnetic field (RBR) calculated by the so-called potential model are also constructed under a radial field assumption for CR 1830 and CR1901. Highly significant correlation (r=–0.66) is found between the SWS and the RBR during CR1901 in the solar minimum phase; that is, high-speed winds emanate from photospheric areas corresponding to low expansion rate of the coronal magnetic field and low speed winds emanate from photospheric areas of high expansion rate. A similar result is found during CR 1830 in solar maximum phase, though the correlation is relatively low (r=–0.29). The correlation is improved when both the data during CR 1830 and CR 1901 are used together; the correlation coefficient becomes –0.67 in this case. These results suggest that the correlation analysis between the SWS and the RBR can be applied to estimate the solar wind speed from the expansion rate of the coronal magnetic field, though the correlation between them may depend on the solar activity cycle. We need further study of correlation analysis for the entire solar cycle to get an accurate empirical equation for the estimation of solar wind speed. If the solar wind speed is estimated successfully by an empirical equation, it can be used as an initial condition of a solar wind model for space weather forecasts.     

Open magnetic fields and the solar cycle

Models of open magnetic structures on the Sun are presented for periods near solar minimum (CR 1626–1634) and near solar maximum (CR 1668–1678). Together with previous models of open magnetic structures during the declining phase (CR 1601–1611) these calculations provide clues to the relations between open structures, coronal holes, and active regions at different times of the solar cycle. Near solar minimum the close relation between active regions and open structures does not exist. It is suggested that near solar minimum the systematic emergence of new flux with the proper polarity imbalance to maintain open magnetic structures may occur primarily at very small spatial scales. Near solar maximum the role of active regions in maintaining open structures and coronal holes is strong, with large active regions emerging in the proper location and orientation to maintain open structures longer than typical active region lifetimes. Although the use of He I 10830 Å spectroheliograms as a coronal hole indicator is shown to be subject to significant ambiguity, the agreement between calculated open structures and coronal holes determined from He I 10830 Å spectroheliograms is very good. The rotation properties of calculated open structures near solar maximum strongly suggest two classes of features: one that rotates differentially similar to sunspots and active regions and a separate class that rotates more rigidly, as was the case for single large coronal holes during Skylab.     

Recent Progress of Hemispheric Coupling of Solar Activity Cycle

The hemispheric coupling phenomenon of solar activity cycle was discovered as early as the mid-20th century, and it is one of the most common topic in the long-term spatio-temporal evolution of the Sun, while the observational features and physical mechanism of hemispheric coupling have not been completely understood. The theoretical model of solar magnetohydrodynamics driven by this phenomenon is helpful in studying the basic information of the spatio-temporal evolution of solar activity cycle, and is also of great value to the short- and medium-term forecast of solar activity as well as the space weather. Here, we first give the discovery and observational history of the hemispheric coupling of solar activity. And then, the basic observational features of hemispheric coupling at different spatio-temporal scales and their possible mechanism are summarized. Finally, we give a discussion about the important unresolved issues and development trends in this important field.     

Variation in Coronal Activity from Solar Cycle 24 Minimum to Maximum Using Three-Dimensional Reconstructions of the Coronal Electron Density from STEREO/COR1

Three-dimensional electron density distributions in the solar corona are reconstructed for 100 Carrington rotations (CR 2054?–?2153) during 2007/03?–?2014/08 using the spherically symmetric method from polarized white-light observations with the inner coronagraph (COR1) onboard the twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO). These three-dimensional electron density distributions are validated by comparison with similar density models derived using other methods such as tomography and a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model as well as using data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO)-C2. Uncertainties in the estimated total mass of the global corona are analyzed based on differences between the density distributions for COR1-A and -B. Long-term variations of coronal activity in terms of the global and hemispheric average electron densities (equivalent to the total coronal mass) reveal a hemispheric asymmetry during the rising phase of Solar Cycle 24, with the northern hemisphere leading the southern hemisphere by a phase shift of 7?–?9 months. Using 14 CR (\(\approx13\)-month) running averages, the amplitudes of the variation in average electron density between Cycle 24 maximum and Cycle 23/24 minimum (called the modulation factors) are found to be in the range of 1.6?–?4.3. These modulation factors are latitudinally dependent, being largest in polar regions and smallest in the equatorial region. These modulation factors also show a hemispheric asymmetry: they are somewhat larger in the southern hemisphere. The wavelet analysis shows that the short-term quasi-periodic oscillations during the rising and maximum phases of Cycle 24 have a dominant period of 7?–?8 months. In addition, it is found that the radial distribution of the mean electron density for streamers at Cycle 24 maximum is only slightly larger (by \(\approx30\%\)) than at cycle minimum.     

Short-term variations of the galactic cosmic ray intensity: 1964–1967

Variations of the ground-level nucleonic intensity and of indices of solar photospheric, chromospheric, and coronal activity at time scales of less than forty days show strong 27-day recurrent structure. Correlation functions for these time series suggest an origin for short-term modulation in impulsive solar activity. Flare-associated shocks originating in long-lived active zones fixed in solar longitude produce recurrent cosmic ray variations during 1964–1967, and corotating solar wind disturbances are of secondary importance to short-term modulation.     

Solar-cycle evolution of the coronal general magnetic field of 1959–1974 and the synchronous variation of high-speed solar wind streams and galactic cosmic rays

The simultaneous enhancement or subsidence of both the high-speed solar wind streams and the galactic cosmic rays in the minimum or the maximum phase of the solar cycle are interpreted in a unified manner by the concept of geometrical evolution of the general magnetic field of the corona-heliomagnetosphere system. The coronal general magnetic field evolves from an open dipole-like configuration in the minimum phase to a closed configuration with many loop-like formations in the maximum phase of the solar cycle. This concept, developed in a theoretical solar-cycle model driven by the dynamo action of the global convection, is examined and found to be valid by studying the evolution of the coronal general magnetic field calculated from the observed surface general magnetic field of 1959–1974. It is also found that the energy density of the poloidal component of the general surface field, from which the coronal field originates, attained a maximum in the maximum phase and showed a evolution with virtually no phase delay with respect to that of the toroidal component of the field, to which the sunspot activity is related. The subsidence of the high-speed solar wind in the maximum phase is understood as a braking of the solar wind streams by the tightly closed and strong coronal field lines in the lower corona in the maximum phase. The field lines of the heliomagnetosphere, which originate from the coronal field lines drawn by the solar wind, are inferred to be also more tightly closed at the heliopause in the maximum phase than in the minimum phase. The decrease of the galactic cosmic rays in the maximum phase (known as the Forbush's negative correlation between the galactic cosmic ray intensity and the solar activity or the Forbush solar-cycle modulation of the galactic cosmic rays) is interpreted as a braking of the cosmic rays by the closed magnetic field lines at the heliopause. The observed phase lag (approximately one year) of the galactic cosmic ray modulation with respect to the evolution of the solar cycle, and the observed absence of the gradient of the total cosmic ray intensity between 1 AU and 8 AU, are discussed to support this view of the cosmic ray modulation at the remote heliopause, and reject other hypotheses to explain the phenomenon in terms of the magnetic irregularities of various kinds carried by the solar wind: The short-term Forbush decrease at a time of a flare shows that the magnetic irregularities can react on the cosmic rays relatively near the Sun if they even played a dominant role in the long-term modulation. The concept of the general magnetic field of the corona and the surface is also used to understand the basic nature of the surface field itself, by comparing the geometry of the calculated coronal field lines with the eclipse photographs of the corona, and by discussing, in the context of the coronal general magnetic field associated with the solar cycle, the process of the emergence of the coronal field lines from the interior and the formation of the transequatorial arches and loops connecting the two hemispheres in the corona.     

Aspects of the long-term cosmic-ray modulation

To investigate the long-term modulation of galactic cosmic rays at the ground-based detector energies, the monthly values of the neutron monitor (Climax, Mt. Washington, Deep River, and Huancayo) and ionization chamber (Cheltenham/Fredericksburg, Huancayo, and Yakutsk) intensities have been correlated with the sunspot numbers (used as a proxy index for transient solar activity) for each phase of sunspot cycles 18 to 22. Systematic differences are found for results concerning odd and even sunspot cycles. During odd cycles (19 and 21) the onset time of cosmic-ray modulation is delayed when compared with the onset time of the sunspot cycle, while they are more similar during even (18, 20, and 22) cycles. Checking the green corona data, on a half-year basis, we found typical heliolatitudinal differences during ascending phases of consecutive sunspot cycles. This finding suggests a significant role of the latitudinal coronal behaviour in the heliospherical dynamics during a Hale cycle. Such effectiveness concerns not only the transient interplanetary perturbations but also the recurrent ones. In fact, when lag between cosmic-ray data and sunspot numbers is considered, the anticorrelation between both parameters is very high (correlation coefficient |r| > 0.9) for all the phases considered, except for the declining ones of cycles 20 and 21, when high-speed solar wind streams coming from coronal holes affect the cosmic-ray propagation, and theRz parameter is no longer the right proxy index for solar-induced effects in the interplanetary medium.     

Solar Corona: from Shklovsky to our Days

Fundamental advances in the physics of the solar corona from the 1960's to the present time are briefly reviewed. Progress in coronal investigations has mainly been associated with major space missions, which have discovered such new phenomena as coronal holes and coronal mass ejections, and have enabled detailed study of coronal arch systems. The role of magnetic fields on various scales in quasi-steady-state phenomena is discussed for various phases of the solar activity cycle.     

Solar-cycle dependence of galactic cosmic ray flux

The coronal green line intensity is inappropriate for correlation studies of galactic cosmic ray variations. Being a non-monotonic function of coronal temperature, the green line intensity is a good index of neither coronal temperature nor solar wind speed. A more appropriate measure of coronal activity is the intensity of the electron corona. Two-dimensional observations of the K-corona trace changes in coronal morphology during the solar cycle. An index based on four years of K-coronal measurements made in Hawaii shows that activity in the lower corona is not better correlated than sunspot number with long-term modulation. Correlation analysis defines the time lag of modulation much too poorly to permit its use in estimating the size of the heliosphere.     

Ancient Chinese observations of physical phenomena attending solar eclipses

The realization that solar activity probably undergoes changes in qualitative character on time scales greater than the 11 or 22 year cycle but short compared to the duration of recorded history gives renewed importance to historical documents describing the state of solar activity. Modern eclipse observation reveal the presence of solar activity through the appearance of coronal structures and prominences. It has been widely remarked that eclipse records prior to the 18th century are uniformly silent on these conspicuous solar eclipse features, raising the possibility, however unlikely, that a change in solar activity has occurred which rendered them only recently noticeable. We present here material from ancient Chinese sources, primarily astrological, that describe phenomena attending solar eclipses that are almost certainly coronal structures and prominences. Thus, these aspects of the present character of solar activity have apparently occurred at other times in history, if not continuously.     

3D Coronal Density Reconstruction and Retrieving the Magnetic Field Structure during Solar Minimum

Measurement of the coronal magnetic field is a crucial ingredient in understanding the nature of solar coronal phenomena at all scales. We employed STEREO/COR1 data obtained during a deep minimum of solar activity in February 2008 (Carrington Rotation CR 2066) to retrieve and analyze the three-dimensional (3D) coronal electron density in the range of heights from 1.5 to 4 R_⊙ using a tomography method. With this, we qualitatively deduced structures of the coronal magnetic field. The 3D electron-density analysis is complemented by the 3D STEREO/EUVI emissivity in the 195 Å band obtained by tomography for the same CR. A global 3D MHD model of the solar corona was used to relate the reconstructed 3D density and emissivity to open/closed magnetic-field structures. We show that the density-maximum locations can serve as an indicator of current-sheet position, while the locations of the density-gradient maximum can be a reliable indicator of coronal-hole boundaries. We find that the magnetic-field configuration during CR 2066 has a tendency to become radially open at heliocentric distances greater than 2.5 R_⊙. We also find that the potential-field model with a fixed source surface is inconsistent with the boundaries between the regions with open and closed magnetic-field structures. This indicates that the assumption of the potential nature of the coronal global magnetic field is not satisfied even during the deep solar minimum. Results of our 3D density reconstruction will help to constrain solar coronal-field models and test the accuracy of the magnetic-field approximations for coronal modeling.     

Different Periodicities in the Sunspot Area and the Occurrence of Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections in Solar Cycle 23 – 24

In order to investigate the relationship between magnetic-flux emergence, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), we study the periodicity in the time series of these quantities. It has been known that solar flares, sunspot area, and photospheric magnetic flux have a dominant periodicity of about 155 days, which is confined to a part of the phase of the solar cycle. These periodicities occur at different phases of the solar cycle during successive phases. We present a time-series analysis of sunspot area, flare and CME occurrence during Cycle 23 and the rising phase of Cycle 24 from 1996 to 2011. We find that the flux emergence, represented by sunspot area, has multiple periodicities. Flares and CMEs, however, do not occur with the same period as the flux emergence. Using the results of this study, we discuss the possible activity sources producing emerging flux.     

Solar-cycle dependence of galactic cosmic ray flux

To investigate the relationship between solar activity and cosmic ray modulation, time series of the nucleonic flux and of solar plages, sunspots, centimeter radio noise, and the brightness of the white light corona at 1.1 and 1.5 solar radii from the center of Sun are cross-correlated. Data pertain to the years 1964–1967 during the ascending phase of the current solar cycle. The amplitudes and phases of correlation functions for filtered and unfiltered indices are discussed. The existence of a superior solar index for relating solar activity to long-term modulation is not yet demonstrated conclusively, and the time lag of modulation is too poorly determined to permit its use in estimating the radius of the modulation region.Presently at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

TWO COMPONENTS OF COSMIC-RAY MODULATION

The long-term modulation of galactic cosmic rays is investigated from 1957 up to 1992 analysing the dynamic and the quasi-stationary components, separately. It has been found that the dynamic component is characterized by the presence of two peaks at the maximum phase of each solar activity cycle. We infer that the time interval between the two peaks corresponds to a period (well-related to the polar heliomagnetic reversal) in which somewhat decreased activity occurs for intense and long-lasting solar events. In fact, a contemporary dip in the magnetic energy released from the Sun was observed, in agreement with the suggested double maximum displayed by the basic features of the 11-year solar-activity cycle (Gnevyshev, 1977, and references therein). Moreover, the dynamic component of cosmic-ray modulation often shows a multi-structured profile in both peaks of activity, fairly well-connected with the pattern of the green corona brightness. On the other hand, analysing the quasi-stationary long-term trend of cosmic-ray intensity we pick out a good relationship between periods of enhanced cosmic-ray modulation and the area expansion of coronal intensity levels. The relevance of our results for solar-terrestrial forecasting is underlined.     

Dependence of the solar wind speed on the coronal magnetic field in cycle 23

The dependence of the position of the solar wind sonic point on the magnetic field in the solar corona during cycle 23 is studied. This dependence is shown to be rather strong in the rising phase and at the cycle maximum. As the coronal magnetic field grows, the distance to the sonic point decreases. Since the distance to the sonic point has been shown previously to anticorrelate with the solar wind speed, the result obtained suggests a strong positive correlation between the later and the coronal magnetic field. The situation changed dramatically two years after the calendar date of the cycle maximum. Beginning in 2004 the solar wind speed ceased to depend on the magnetic field up until the cycle minimum in December 2008. In 2009 a strong dependence of the wind speed on the coronal magnetic field was restored. It is hypothesized that this effect is associated with two different coronal heating mechanisms whose relative efficiency, in turn, depends on the contribution from magnetic fields of different scales.     

太阳表面磁场的分布与演化研究进展

太阳磁场、较差自转和内部对流使得日面磁场与磁活动在很大的时间尺度和空间尺度范围均表现得相当复杂.其中最有名的是太阳活动的11年周期,或22年磁周期.在较小时间尺度上,从几秒到几小时,有时太阳大气中会发生一些壮观的爆发事件,如耀斑、日珥爆发、日冕物质抛射等.所有这些形式的事件都与太阳磁场紧密关联.简单评述了太阳磁场起源与观测方法,重点论述了不同尺度太阳磁场的空间分布与演化,介绍了从太阳磁活动现象统计得到的有关太阳磁场的几个典型特征,同时讨论了进一步研究的方向.     

太阳活动22周以来的冕洞和地磁指数

本文对２２太阳活动用以来的中低纬冕洞和地磁指数Ａｐ进行了统计。对以月、季、年及２２周以来不同时段冕洞和地磁指数（Ｐｌａｎｅｔａｒｙ的Ａ指教）的时段合成图进行了分析。     

Study of the Diurnal Variation of Cosmic Rays during Different Phases of Solar Activity

The pressure-corrected hourly counting rate data of ground-based super neutron monitor stations, situated in different latitudes, have been employed to study the characteristics of the long-term variation of cosmic-ray diurnal anisotropy for a long (44-year) period (1965?–?2008). Some of these super neutron monitors are situated in low latitudes with high cutoff rigidity. Annual averages of the diurnal amplitudes and phases have been obtained for each station. It is found that the amplitude of the diurnal anisotropy varies with a period of one solar activity cycle (11 years), whereas the diurnal phase varies with a period of 22 years (one solar magnetic cycle). The average diurnal amplitudes and phases have also been calculated by grouping the days on the basis of ascending and descending periods of each solar cycle (Cycles 20, 21, 22, and 23). Systematic and significant differences are observed in the characteristics of the diurnal variation between the descending periods of the odd and even solar cycles. The overall vector averages of the descending periods of the even solar cycles (20 and 22) show significantly smaller diurnal amplitudes compared to the vector averages of the descending periods of the odd solar cycles (21 and 23). In contrast, we find a large diurnal phase shift to earlier hours only during the descending periods of even solar cycles (20 and 22), as compared to almost no shift in the diurnal phase during the descending periods of odd solar cycles. Further, the overall vector average diurnal amplitudes of the ascending period of odd and even solar cycles remain invariant from one ascending period to the other, or even between the even and odd solar cycles. However, we do find a significant diurnal phase shift to earlier hours during the ascending periods of odd solar cycles (21 and 23) in comparison to the diurnal phase in the ascending periods of even solar cycles (20 and 22).     

Solar UV Activity at Solar Cycle 21 and 22 Minimum from NOAA-9 SBUV/2 Data

Although solar ultraviolet (UV) irradiance measurements have been made regularly from satellite instruments for almost 20 years, only one complete solar cycle minimum has been observed during this period. Solar activity is currently moving through the minimum phase between cycles 22 and 23, so it is of interest to compare recent data taken from the NOAA-9 SBUV/2 instrument with data taken by the same instrument during the previous solar minimum in 1985–1986. NOAA-9 SBUV/2 is the first instrument to make continuous solar UV measurements for a complete solar cycle. Direct irradiance measurements (e.g., 205 nm) from NOAA-9 are currently useful for examining short-term variations, but have not been corrected for long-term instrument sensitivity changes. We use the Mgii proxy index to illustrate variability on solar cycle time scales, and to provide complementary information on short-term variability. Comparisons with contemporaneous data from Nimbus-7 SBUV (1985–1986) and UARS SUSIM (1994–1995) are used to validate the results obtained from the NOAA-9 data. Current short-term UV activity differs from the cycle 21–22 minimum. Continuous 13-day periodicity was observed from September 1994 to March 1995, a condition which has only been seen previously for shorter intervals during rising or maximum activity levels. The 205 nm irradiance and Mgii index are expected to track very closely on short time scales, but show differences in behavior during the minimum between cycles 22 and 23.     

Hysteresis,time lag,and relation between solar activity and cosmic rays during solar cycle 24

We study galactic cosmic ray (GCR) modulation during solar cycle 24. For this study we utilize neutron monitor data together with sunspot number (SSN) and 10.7 cm solar radio flux (SRF) data. We plot hysteresis curve between the GCR intensity and SSN, and GCR intensity and SRF. We performed time-lag correlation analysis to determine the time lag between GCR intensity and solar activity parameters. The time lag is determined not only for the whole solar cycle, but also during the two polarity states of the heliosphere (A<0 and A>0) in solar cycle 24. We notice differences in time lags during two polarity epochs of the solar cycle. We discuss these differences in the light of existing modulation models. We compare the results of this very weak solar activity cycle with the corresponding results reported for the previous comparatively more active solar cycles.