Properties of the magnetic fields of coronal holes with active regions

We determine the structure of the magnetic fields of coronal holes (CHs) and investigate its change in connection with the emergence of active regions (ARs) in CHs. Based on our observations in the HeI 1083 nm line performed with the CrAO TST-2 telescope, we have selected CHs of two types: without (15 CHs) and with (28 CHs) ARs. Magnetograms obtained at the Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory have been used to calculate the magnetic fields of the same objects.     

Motions and magnetic fields in filaments

Based on the developed method of jointly using data on the magnetic fields and brightness of filaments and coronal holes (CHs) at various heights in the solar atmosphere as well as on the velocities in the photosphere, we have obtained the following results:

The upward motion of matter is typical of filament channels in the form of bright stripes that often surround the filaments when observed in the HeI 1083 nm line.

The filament channels observed simultaneously in Hα and HeI 1083 nm differ in size, emission characteristics, and other parameters. We conclude that by simultaneously investigating the filament channels in two spectral ranges, we can make progress in understanding the physics of their formation and evolution.

Most of the filaments observed in the HeI 1083 nm line consist of dark knots with different velocity distributions in them. A possible interpretation of these knots is offered.

The height of the small-scale magnetic field distribution near the individual dark knots of filaments in the solar atmosphere varies between 3000 and 20000 km.

The zero surface separating the large-scale magnetic field structures in the corona and calculated in the potential approximation changes the inclination to the solar surface with height and is displaced in one or two days.

The observed formation of a filament in a CH was accompanied by a significant magnetic field variation in the CH region at heights from 0 to 30000 km up to the change of the predominant field sign over the entire CH area. We assume that this occurs at the stage of CH disappearance.

     

Type-II Bursts in Meter and Deca – Hectometer Wavelengths and Their Relation to Flares and CMEs: II

Solar coronal holes (CHs) are large regions of the corona magnetically open to interplanetary space. The nearly rigid north?–?south CH boundaries (CHBs) of equatorward extensions of polar CHs are maintained while the underlying photospheric fields rotate differentially, so interchange magnetic reconnection is presumed to be occurring continually at the CHBs. The time and size scales of the required reconnection events at CHBs have not been established from previous observations with soft X-ray images. We use TRACE 195 Å observations on 9 December 2000 of a long-lived equatorial extension of the negative-polarity north polar CH to look for changes of ??5 arcsec to >?20 arcsec at the western CHB. Brightenings and dimmings are observed on both short (≈?5 minutes) and long (≈?7 hours) time scales, but the CHB maintains its quasi-rigid location. The transient CHB changes do not appear associated with either magnetic field enhancements or the changes in those field enhancements observed in magnetograms from the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) on SOHO. In seven hours of TRACE observations we find no examples of the energetic jets similar to those observed to occur in magnetic reconnection in polar plumes. The lack of dramatic changes in the diffuse CHB implies that gradual magnetic reconnection occurs high in the corona with large (??10°) loops and/or weak coronal fields. We compare our results with recent observations of active regions at CHBs. We also discuss how the magnetic polarity symmetry surrounding quasi-rigid CHs implies an asymmetry in the interchange reconnection process and a possible asymmetry in the solar wind composition from the eastern and western CHB source regions.     

Coronal Holes in Solar Cycles 21 to 23

We present identifications of coronal holes (CHs) from observations in the He?i 10?830 Å line made at Kitt Peak Observatory (from 1975 to 2003) and in the EUV 195 Å wavelength with SOHO/EIT (from 1996 to 2012). To determine whether a feature is a CH we have developed semi-automatic techniques for delineating CH borders on synoptic charts and for subsequent mapping of these borders on magnetic-field charts. Using these techniques, we superimposed CH borders on magnetic-field charts over the time interval from 1975 to 2012. A major contribution to the total area was made by high-latitude CHs, but in the declining phase of solar cycle 23, the contribution from low-latitude CHs increased substantially. Variations in the flux of Galactic cosmic rays and those in the inclination angle of the heliospheric current sheet followed the cyclic variations of CH areas. High-latitude CHs affect the properties of the solar wind in the ecliptic plane.     

Ni I 6768 Å line profile variations during a solar flare and their effect on the SOHO/MDI magnetic field measurements

Observational data on the Ni I 6768 Å line profile variations during the impulsive and post-impulsive phases of the July 18, 2002 while light flare (WLF) in the kernel of WLF emission and in other flare kernels are presented. The line profiles at the sites of intense photospheric motions in active regions are also studied. The effect of the observed Ni I 6768 Å line profile variations on the SOHO/MDI magnetic field measurements is estimated. The following conclusions have been reached. (1) The thermodynamic structure of the photo-spheric layers changes significantly during the flare. As a result, the Ni I line profile changes, particularly at the site of WLF emission. At this time, the line depth decreases significantly, but the line does not show any emission reversal. Subsequently, a relatively slow return to the conditions of an undisturbed photosphere is observed. (2) The technique of SOHO/MDI magnetic field measurements is insensitive to such line variations. Therefore, the detected variations during the flare did not result in any noticeable errors in the MDI longitudinal magnetic field measurements. (3) The line profile is broadened, shifted as a whole, and asymmetric at the sites of active regions where intense photospheric motions appear. In the MDI measurements, such changes in the profile lead to an underestimation of the magnetic field by approximately 10% if the line-of-sight velocity of the photo-spheric ejection is about 1.6 km s^?1.     

Vector magnetic fields in prominences

Observations of linear polarization in two resolved components of HeI D₃ are interpreted using the Hanle effect to determine vector magnetic fields in thirteen prominences. As in all vector magnetic field measurements, there is a two-fold ambiguity in field direction that is symmetric to a 180° rotation about the line-of-sight. The polar angles of the fields show a pronounced preference to be close to 90° from the local solar radius, i.e., the field direction is close to horizontal. Azimuth angles show internal consistency from point to point in a given prominences, but because of the rotational symmetry, the fields may be interpreted, in most cases, as crossing the prominence either in the same sense as the underlying photospheric fields or in the opposite sense. An exceptionally well observed large prominence of approximately planar geometry exhibits no measurable change in the vector magnetic field either with height or with location along the prominence axis. A second well observed large prominence overlying a sharply curved magnetic neutral line, when interpreted assuming that the prominence field has the same sense as the photospheric field, shows a rotation in the azimuth angle of the field relative to the observer by about 150° and relative to the local plane of the prominence by about 65°. In the alternative interpretation in which the prominence field has the opposite sense of the photospheric field, the field still rotates by 150° relative to the observer but remains essentially constant with respect to the plane of the prominence. This prominence erupted shortly after the extended observations. One good quality observation during the course of the eruption gives a vector field fully consistent with the pre-eruption field in the same segment of the prominence.     

An attempt to compare the differential rotation of the Ca+-network with that of the photospheric plasma

In this third paper of a series we report on results obtained from almost simultaneous observations of the differential rotation of the Ca⁺-chromosphere and the photospheric plasma. The observations (tracings of Ca⁺-mottles, Doppler-shift-measurements in a photospheric line) were performed at the Locarno station during two extended periods in 1976. Both data sets were used to search for a large scale circulation pattern. A regular long-lived pattern could not be detected, but a single cell with radial outflow (40 ms^-1) extending over more than 50° in longitude has been found. Statistically significant temporal changes of the differential rotation law of the Ca⁺-chromosphere correlated with changes of meridional motions and differences in the rotation of the two hemispheres were observed. The data of 1976 show no significant difference in the equatorial velocity of the Ca⁺-chromosphere and the photosphere. A comparison of temporal variations of the rotation velocity of the Ca⁺-mottles and the photospheric plasma yielded no significant correlation. Finally, we correlated the measurements of the photospheric rotation performed within the equatorial belts at Locarno with those obtained at Mt. Wilson by a different method during the same periods. The Locarno data show small temporal variations (±50 m^-1s) with no correlation between the two hemispheres, while from the Mt. Wilson data larger variations (±100 m s^-1) with a very high correlation between the two hemispheres have been found. A comparison of both sets of data yielded no correlation at all demonstrating the need for further coordinated observations and a drastic increase of internal accuracy.Mitteilung des Fraunhofer-Instituts Nr. 162.     

Periodic Appearance of Coronal Holes and the Related Variation of Solar Wind Parameters

We compared the variability of coronal hole (CH) areas (determined from daily GOES/SXI images) with solar wind (daily ACE data) and geomagnetic parameters for the time span 25 January 2005 until 11 September 2005 (late declining phase of solar cycle 23). Applying wavelet spectral analysis, a clear 9-day period is found in the CH time series. The GOES/SXI image sequence suggests that this periodic variation is caused by a mutual triangular distribution of CHs ∼120° apart in longitude. From solar wind parameters a 9-day periodicity was obtained as well, simultaneously with the 9-day period in the CH area time series. These findings provide strong evidence that the 9-day period in solar wind parameters, showing up as higher harmonic of the solar rotation frequency, is caused by the “periodic” longitudinal distribution of CHs on the Sun recurring for several solar rotations. The shape of the wavelet spectrum from the Dst index matches only weakly with that from the CH areas and is more similar to the wavelet spectrum of the solar wind magnetic field magnitude. The distinct 9-day period does not show up in sunspot group areas which gives further evidence that the solar wind modulation is strongly related to CH areas but not to active region complexes. The wavelet power spectra for the whole ACE data range (∼1998 – 2006) suggest that the 9-day period is not a singular phenomenon occurring only during a specific time range close to solar minimum but is occasionally also present during the maximum and decay phase of solar cycle 23. The main periods correspond to the solar rotation (27^d) as well as to the second (13.5^d) and third (9^d) harmonic. Electronic Supplementary Material The online version of this article () contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Magnetic and velocity fields of active regions

We have observed about 15 active regions on the Sun, with the Advanced Stokes Polarimeter and Dick Dunn Telescope at NSO/SP to map the Stokes parameters in the photospheric Fe 6302.5 Å and chromospheric Mg I 5173 Å lines, during 1999‐2002. The observations are corrected for dark current, gain, instrumental polarization and cross‐talk using ASP pipeline. The wavelength calibration is carried out using the O₂ telluric line 6302 Å which is also present in the observations. The photospheric and chromospheric longitudinal magnetograms are made from the Stokes V profiles, which were intercalibrated with the Kitt Peak magnetograms. The plasma motions are inferred from the line bisector measurements at different positions of the spectral line. In this paper we present the height dependence of Doppler velocity scatter plots of a sunspot in the photospheric Fe I 6302 Å line.     

Rotation of solar structures in the upper chromosphere. II. Time variations in the latitudinal distribution of the rotation of active regions and coronal holes

The time variations in the latitudinal distribution of the rotation of active regions and coronal holes are investigated. The synoptic maps obtained from observations in the He I 1083 nm line at Kitt Peak Observatory over almost three solar cycles are used as observational data. A Fourier analysis of the time series constructed from synoptic maps has yielded the following results. The rotation of active regions differs significantly from the rotation of coronal holes in all parameters: the set of the most significant rotation periods, their latitudinal distribution, and time variations. The rotation of active regions and coronal holes is characterized by variations from cycle to cycle, a time-varying north-south asymmetry. The power spectra for consecutive cycles of solar activity differ significantly for both epochs of high activity and minima. Analysis of the total power of the spectra within four selected intervals of periods from 21 to 33 days has shown that the total power is highest in the intervals of periods 24–27 and 27–30 days. This is valid for both active regions and coronal holes. The correlation between the total powers in the above intervals of periods changes noticeably with time. Long-lived or successively appearing active regions with rotation periods in the range 24–30 days are typical of the time of a sharp decrease in the total equivalent width of active regions. This includes not only the decline time of the 11-year cycles, but also the minima between recurrent activity maxima during one cycle. A predominance of long-lived coronal holes as their total equivalent width decreases is noticeable for coronal holes with rotation periods in the interval 30–33 days. All of the above results suggest that the rotation of solar structures is determined mainly by the subphotospheric sources of specific structures, not by the rotation of the main volumes of solar plasma of the quiet Sun.     

Variations of Photospheric Magnetic Field Associated with Flares and CMEs

Using high-cadence magnetograms from the SOHO/MDI we have investigated variations of the photospheric magnetic field during solar flares and CMEs. In the case of a strong X-class flare of May 2, 1998, we have detected variations of magnetic field in a form of a rapidly propagating magnetic wave. During the impulsive phase of the flare we have observed a sudden decrease of the magnetic energy in the flare region. This provides direct evidence of magnetic energy release in solar flares. We discuss the physics of the magnetic field variations, and their relations to the Moreton Hα waves and the coronal waves observed by the EIT.     

Torsional oscillations of umbra and penumbra of sunspots

Torsional oscillations of seven single spots are studied based on the observations of the longitudinal magnetic field and the field of radial velocities in the photospheric Fe I λ 525.3 nm line. The periods of umbra and penumbra oscillations are 2.2–7.1 and 3.3–7.7 days, respectively. The spots at a greater solar latitude are characterized by a longer period of oscillations and a smaller axial strength of the magnetic field. The periods of umbra and penumbra oscillations increase with an increase in the period and amplitude of the sunspot umbra oscillations. The obtained results can point to a unitary mechanism of torsional oscillations of umbra and penumbra of single spots and a connection of these oscillations with the differential rotation of the Sun.     

Fractal and Multifractal Properties of Active Regions as Flare Precursors: A Case Study Based on SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI Observations

Several studies indicate that fractal and multifractal parameters inferred from solar photospheric magnetic field measurements may help assessing the eruptive potential of Active Regions (ARs) and also predicting their flare activity. We further investigate this topic, by exploring the sensitivity of some parameters already used in the literature on data and methods employed for their estimation. In particular, we measured the generalized fractal dimensions D ₀ and D ₈, and the multifractal parameters C _div and D _div, on the time series of photospheric magnetograms of the flaring AR NOAA 11158 obtained with the SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI. The observations by the latter instrument are characterized by a higher spatial and temporal resolution, as well as higher flux sensitivity, than the ones obtained from SOHO/MDI, which were widely employed in earlier studies. We found that the average and peak values of complexity parameters measured on the two data sets agree within measurement uncertainties. The temporal evolution of the parameters measured on the two data sets show rather similar trends, but the ones derived from the SOHO/MDI observations show larger and spurious variations over time than those deduced from analysis of the corresponding SDO/HMI data. We also found a larger sensitivity of these measurements to characteristics of the data analyzed than reported by earlier studies. In particular, analysis of the higher resolution and higher cadence SDO/HMI data allows us also to detect slight variations of the complexity indicators that cannot be derived from the analysis of the SOHO/MDI data. These variations occur right after the major events in the analyzed AR. They may be the signature of photospheric effects of coronal magnetic field re-arrangement.     

Spectral Study of Ellerman Bombs. Photosphere

The results of analysis of spectral observations of two Ellerman bombs (EB-1 and EB-2), which were formed and have evolved in the area of emerging magnetic flux in active region (AR) NOAA 11024, are presented. Spectral data with high spatial and temporal (approximately 3 s) resolution were obtained using the THEMIS French–Italian solar telescope on July 4, 2009. The observation duration was 20 min. The spectral region of λ ≈ 630 nm with photospheric lines forming in a wide altitude range (neutral iron lines Fe I λ 630.15, 630.25, and 630.35 nm and titanium line Ti I λ 630.38 nm) was examined. The brightness of EB-1 decreased in the process of observations, while the brightness of EB-2 increased. The profiles of metal lines determined at different stages of EBs evolution were asymmetric. This asymmetry was more pronounced in lines that had formed in the lower photospheric layers and often had profiles with several components. The half-width of profiles increased with a reduction in their central depth. The variation of central intensities of Fraunhofer lines in the spectra of EBs and their vicinity at different stages of EB evolution was analyzed. The EBs formed in intergranular lanes. An increase in the core intensity of all the studied photospheric lines was correlated spatially with an increase in the wings intensity of the H_α line. Brightness variations at all photospheric levels were of an oscillatory nature with an interval of 1–5 min. The observed temporal variations of Fraunhofer line intensities in the spectra of the studied AR section suggest that the emergence of the new magnetic flux induced consecutive magnetic reconnections in the EB-1 region, the excitation propagated along a magnetic loop and initiated the formation of EB-2, and the two bombs then evolved as a physically connected pair.     

Photospheric Plasma Flows Around a Solar Spot

We study photospheric plasma flows in an active region NOAA 8375, by using uninterrupted high-resolution SOHO/MDI observations (137 intensity images, 44 hours of observations). The active region consists of a stable large spot and many small spots and pores. Analyzing horizontal flow maps, obtained with local correlation tracking technique, we found a system of stable persistent plasma flows existing in the active region. The flows start on either side of the sunspot and extend over 100′′ to the east. Our measurements show that the speed of small sunspots and pores, averaged over 44 hours, was about 100 m s⁻¹, which corresponds to root-mean-square longitudinal drifts of sunspots of 0.67°–0.76° day⁻¹. We conclude that these large-scale flows are due to faster proper motion of the large sunspot relative to the ambient photospheric plasma. We suggest that the flows may be a good carrier to transport magnetic flux from eroding sunspots into the outer part of an active region.     

Connection of coronal holes with active regions

We have determined two qualitative parameters for 643 coronal holes (CHs). Parameter A characterizes the magnetic-field variation in CHs depending on the height. Parameter B characterizes the connection between the magnetic field in a CH and the polar field at the photosphere level. A comparison of these parameters corresponding to CH with and without active regions (ARs) has led to the following conclusions: the formation of AR in CH is a frequent phenomenon, since the former exist in every other CH for at least 1 day; unlike the case of a CH without an AR, the configuration of the magnetic field above the CH with an AR often changes with the height: two out of three CHs have the opposite sign of the magnetic field in photosphere, as compared to the sign of the polar magnetic field; the areas of ARs in CHs do not differ from those for many other ARs outside of CHs.     

Microwave radiation of solar coronal holes: Results of CrAO RI RT-22 observations in 2003–2006

Results of the identification of solar coronal holes (CH) with radio brightness depressions and excesses are presented, which were obtained as a result of RT-22 observations at 2.0–3.5 cm in 2004–2006. Microwave radiation inhomogeneities in CHs, quiet SUN, and small sunspots were studied using RT-22 observations of May 31, 2003; October 3, 2005; and March 29, 2006 eclipses.     

An anticorrelation between polar and equatorial rotation of the solar photosphere

Published spectroscopic measurements of solar rotation are analyzed to show that when the rotation velocity increases at high latitudes it tends to decrease at low latitudes, and conversely. The high latitude velocities typically vary over only 20% of the range of those near the equator and the smallest variations of all occurred near latitude 60° during the rising portion of the previous solar cycle. The anticorrelation is consistent with a recent suggestion that differential rotation on the sun arises from photospheric wind systems whose strength is determined, ultimately, by oscillations within the Sun.     

Spectral methods for analyzing the rotation of solar structures

The application of spectral analysis methods for studying the rotation of solar structures is considered. The time series characterizing the time variation of the solar He I 1083 nm emission in 5° latitude zones have been used. Three types of spectral analysis have been tested: the Welch method, the multitaper method, and the Schuster periodogram method. The first two methods have been chosen for the analysis of observing time intervals 26 and 3 years in length. The Schuster periodogram method is more suitable for the sliding spectral analysis in a 1-year-long temporal window with a shift by half a year. The chosen methods for analyzing the power spectra allow one to obtain the spectral densities, the powers of significant peaks in them and the corresponding periods, the total powers in the specified intervals of periods and to estimate the significance of the peaks found and the intervals in which the true periods corresponding to the peaks can be located.     

Coronal Field Opens at Lower Height During the Solar Cycles 22 and 23 Minimum Periods: IMF Comparison Suggests the Source Surface Should Be Lowered

The solar cycle 23 minimum period has been characterized by a weaker solar and interplanetary magnetic field. This provides an ideal time to study how the strength of the photospheric field affects the interplanetary magnetic flux and, in particular, how much the observed interplanetary fields of different cycle minima can be understood simply from differences in the areas of the coronal holes, as opposed to differences in the surface fields within them. In this study, we invoke smaller source surface radii in the potential-field source-surface (PFSS) model to construct a consistent picture of the observed coronal holes and the near-Earth interplanetary field strength as well as polarity measurements for the cycles 23 and 22 minimum periods. Although the source surface value of 2.5 R _⊙ is typically used in PFSS applications, earlier studies have shown that using smaller source surface heights generates results that better match observations during low solar activity periods. We use photospheric field synoptic maps from Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO) and find that the values of ≈ 1.9 R _⊙ and ≈ 1.8 R _⊙ for the cycles 22 and 23 minimum periods, respectively, produce the best results. The larger coronal holes obtained for the smaller source surface radius of cycle 23 somewhat offsets the interplanetary consequences of the lower magnetic field at their photospheric footpoints. For comparison, we also use observations from the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) and find that the source surface radius of ≈ 1.5 R _⊙ produces better results for cycle 23, rather than ≈ 1.8 R _⊙ as suggested from MWO observations. Despite this difference, our results obtained from MWO and MDI observations show a qualitative consistency regarding the origins of the interplanetary field and suggest that users of PFSS models may want to consider using these smaller values for their source surface heights as long as the solar activity is low.