Searching for curvature pion radiation from protons in strongly magnetized pulsars

By using rather conservative estimates based on the simplest polar cap model, we search the ATNF Pulsar Catalogue for strongly magnetized stars that could accelerate relativistic protons up to the curvature pion production threshold. The best candidate turns out to be the 16 ms pulsar J0537-6910, but the corresponding characteristic parameter χ=a/m _p is yet too small to give origin to observable signals. We show that, for pulsars with period P≈1 ms, a surface polar magnetic field B≈10¹² G is required in order to induce detectable curvature pion radiation from accelerated protons in the magnetosphere. Some other emission processes are also considered.     

The spectrum and polarization of a source of synchrotron emission with components flying apart at relativistic velocities

In the present paper we consider the frequency spectrum, time variations and polarization of the flux of synchrotron radio emission from a source which consists of two components flying apart in opposite directions with relativistic velocities at the same time expanding. A comparison of the calculations with unusual double-humped spectra of some radio sources suggests the existence in their nuclei of such double components which are at an early stage of relativistic ejection. In particular the double-humped spectra of 3C 84 and 4C 50.11/NRAO-150 can be interpreted in the proposed model (see Figures 6, 7, 12 and Equations (22), (32)). In this model the ratio of maximum frequenciesv _1m/v _2m should be larger than that of the maximum fluxesF _v1m ⁽¹⁾/F _v2m ⁽²⁾.The linear polarization of the double-humped spectrum is analysed. It is found under rather specific conditions that at the low-frequency maximum of the spectrum of the type given in Figures 6 and 7 a lower degree of linear polarization is expected than at the high-frequency maximum. In addition, it is natural to expect the appearance of circular polarization in sources with internal largescale relativistic motions. The time variations of the radio flux of some QSS, N-galaxies, and nuclei of Seyfert galaxies can also be interpreted in the suggested model of two clouds of relativistic electrons flying apart in different directions with relativistic velocities while simultaneously expanding. For example, Figure 11 shows the flux variations at 3 frequencies whose ratio is 16:4:1. This picture is similar to the observations of 3C 279 at 3.4 mm, 2 cm and 6 cm, and several other sources (Kellermann andPauliny-Toth, 1968).There have been a number of attempts to explain the flux variations of radio sources in the model of successive, but unrelated outbursts of clouds of relativistic electrons caused by supernova explosions. This model meets many difficulties and seems improbable. In this paper we suggest experimental tests to make a final choice between the model of double components flying apart relativistically and the model of two successive, but unrelated, outbursts from supernovae.If the suggested model of explosions in radio sources is correct, then the processes of variable energy output in such different populations as QSS, N-galaxies, radio-galaxies and the nuclei of normal galaxies have a similar nature, differing only in quantity.Translated by D. F. Smith.     

Coherent Synchrotron Radiation of Gamma-Ray Bursts

By now there is no doubt that the gamma-ray bursts (GRB) have a cosmological origin. This allows to regard GRB as the most powerful known energy sources, ε∼ 10⁵⁴ erg (with a total number of gamma quanta N_γ∼ 10⁶⁰). A plausible mechanism of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) of relativistic electrons driven by a local magnetic field is studied in this paper. We consider relativistic electrons arising in the Compton scattering of a GRB in directions close to that of the ray from the source to a ground-based observer. The synchrotron pulses from Compton electrons located at different points on the line between the GRB source and the observer arrive at the observation point simultaneously. This simultaneity ensures the coherence of the detected radiation. Both molecular clouds in the host galaxy of the GRB and our own Galaxy, as well as the Earth atmosphere are assumed to be scatterers of the GRB radiation. Signals of each scatterer reach the Earth surface, and can be detected at radio wavelengths. We estimate the characteristics of this radiation. The comparison of GRB data with the corresponding information on CSR pulses offers a way to determine some global characteristics of the medium between the Earth and the GRB source.     

Electromagnetic radiation outbursts from the collision of P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet with Jupiter

The forthcoming collision by debris of P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet with Jupiter during the week of July 18, 1994 has generated considerable scientific and public interest. This collision may release an amount of energy ranging from 10²⁵-10³¹ ergs in the Jovian atmosphere. Two possible phenomena associated with this event are described in this Letter to the Editor. The first one is the likely display of deformed Jovian magnetic field lines as the comet interacts with the Jovian magnetosphere. The second one is electromagnetic radiation outbursts during comet explosions over a wide frequency range from radio up to gamma ray emissions. If relativistic electrons with energies up to ~ 1000 MeV could be produced during comet explosions, then synchrotron radiations with frequencies from radio up to infrared range could be detectable. Hard X-rays and gamma rays could be produced by bremsstrahlung and inverse Compton processes. Since one cannot exclude the possible transient presence of relativistic electrons with Lorentz factor 2 × 10⁶, synchrotron radiation component might even be extended into gamma ray frequency range during intermittent short time intervals.     

Acceleration of particles in the vicinity of a massive black hole

Recent results of the gamma-ray Cherenkov astronomy definitely prove the existence of fast variability in the very high energy (V.H.E.) gamma-ray flux of some active galactic nuclei. The BL Lac PKS 2155-304 for instance showed variations down to a few minutes time scale. From standard light travel time argument, these variations put extremely strong constraints on the size of the TeV emitting zone, which has to be of the order of a few Schwarzschild radius, even for high values of the relativistic Doppler factor of the emitting jets. Such discovery is a challenge for particle acceleration scenarios, which have to imagine efficient acceleration processes at work in a very compact zone. Eventually, the immediate vicinity of the central black hole appears as the most conservative choice for the location of the TeV emission region of active galactic nuclei. In this paper, we propose a two-step mechanism for charged particle acceleration in the magnetosphere of a massive black hole surrounded by an accretion disk. Particles first gain energy by a stochastic process during the accretion phase. It is shown that effective proton acceleration up to energies 10¹⁷–10¹⁹ eV is possible in a low-luminosity magnetized accretion disk with 2D turbulent motion. The distribution function of energetic protons over energies is a power law function with typical index ≃−1. Here electrons are not very efficiently accelerated because of their drastic losses by synchrotron radiation. In a second time, part of the fast particles escape from the disk and are then entrained by the magnetic structure above the disk, in the rotating black hole magnetosphere. They thus gain additional energy by direct centrifugal mechanism, up to about 10²⁰ eV for the protons and to 10–100 TeV for the electrons when they cross the light cylinder surface. Such energetic particles can further radiate in the TeV spectral range observed by Cherenkov experiments as HESS, MAGIC and VERITAS. Energetic protons can produce γ-radiation in the energy band 1 GeV–100 TeV and above mainly by nuclei collisions with the disk matter, clouds, or ambient low energy photons. Energetic electrons can also reach the required spectral range by inverse Compton emission. However their acceleration is less efficient due to heavy radiation losses, and only gained by centrifugal process during the second phase of the whole mechanism we describe. Our present analysis would therefore favor hadronic scenarios for TeV emission of active galactic nuclei. It is tempting to relate long term variability over years of TeV active galactic nuclei to the first stochastic acceleration phase, which also provides the needed power law particle distributions, while short term variability over minutes is more likely due to perturbations of the second fast direct acceleration phase.     

Implications of Non-cylindrical Flux Ropes for Magnetic Cloud Reconstruction Techniques and the Interpretation of Double Flux Rope Events

Magnetic clouds (MCs) are a subset of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) which exhibit signatures consistent with a magnetic flux rope structure. Techniques for reconstructing flux rope orientation from single-point in situ observations typically assume the flux rope is locally cylindrical, e.g., minimum variance analysis (MVA) and force-free flux rope (FFFR) fitting. In this study, we outline a non-cylindrical magnetic flux rope model, in which the flux rope radius and axial curvature can both vary along the length of the axis. This model is not necessarily intended to represent the global structure of MCs, but it can be used to quantify the error in MC reconstruction resulting from the cylindrical approximation. When the local flux rope axis is approximately perpendicular to the heliocentric radial direction, which is also the effective spacecraft trajectory through a magnetic cloud, the error in using cylindrical reconstruction methods is relatively small (≈ 10^∘). However, as the local axis orientation becomes increasingly aligned with the radial direction, the spacecraft trajectory may pass close to the axis at two separate locations. This results in a magnetic field time series which deviates significantly from encounters with a force-free flux rope, and consequently the error in the axis orientation derived from cylindrical reconstructions can be as much as 90^∘. Such two-axis encounters can result in an apparent ‘double flux rope’ signature in the magnetic field time series, sometimes observed in spacecraft data. Analysing each axis encounter independently produces reasonably accurate axis orientations with MVA, but larger errors with FFFR fitting.     

Evaporation and Condensation Processes of Giant Molecular Clouds in a Hot Plasma

2D hydrodynamical simulations are performed to examine the evaporation and condensation processes of giant molecular clouds in the hot phase of the interstellar medium. The evolution of cold and dense clouds (T = 1000 K, n _H = 3 cm^-3,M = 6·10⁴ M_⊙) is calculated in the subsonic stream of a hot tenuous plasma (T = 5 ·10⁶ K, n _H = 6·10^-4cm^-3). Our code includes self-gravity, heating and cooling processes and heat conduction by electrons. The thermal conductivity of a fully ionized hydrogen plasma (κ ∝ T^5/2) is applied as well as a saturated heat flux in regions where the mean free path of the electrons is large compared to the temperature scaleheight. Significant differences occur between simulations with and without heat conduction. In the simulations without heat conduction, the clouds outermost regions is stired up by Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability after only a few dynamical times. This prevents an infiltration of a significant amount of hot gas into the cloud before its destruction. In contrast, models including heat conduction evolve less violently. The boundary of the cloud remains nearly unsusceptible to KH instabilities. In this scenario it is possible to mix the formerly hot streaming gas very effectively with the cloud material. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hydrodynamic and turbulent motions in the galactic disk

Statistics in absorption 21-cm data show two main types of clouds at low galactic latitudes: dense small clouds, many of them with molecular cores, with dispersions σ≈1.5 km s⁻¹ and large clouds forming the fine features of the spiral arms (the shingle like features) with a dispersion range α≈3–4 km s⁻¹. Sizes and dispersions of both types of clouds are compatible with the Kolmogorov law of turbulence: σ∞d ^1/3. The large clouds forming the shingle-like features can be considered as the largest clouds of a Kolmogorov spectrum (the initial vortices), or as the hydrodynamic features with minimum sizes in the Galaxy. In order to define hydrodynamic motions in the same sense as given by Ogrodnikov (1965) we use here the tensorial form of the Helmholtz theorem to obtain an approximation for the hydrodynamic motions depending on distances and seen from the local standard of rest:V _r ∞r. The intermediate range of sizes between turbulent motions and hydrodynamic motions is 100<d<300 pc which is also the range of sizes of the large clouds forming the fine features of the spiral arms. A classification on of motions in the Galaxy is postulated: (a) a basic rotation motion given by an smooth unperturbed curveΘ _b (R) associated to the old disk population. (b) Systematic motions of the spiral arms. (c) Systematic motions in the fine structure of the arms. For scale sizes smaller than these fine features one has turbulent motions according to the Kolmogorov law. The densities and sizes of the turbulent clouds behave asn _H ∝d ⁻² in a range of sizes 7 pc<d<300 pc. The obtained gas densities of the clouds are confirmed with the dust densities from photometric studies. The conditions for gravitational binding of the clouds are analyzed. Factors as the geometry and the magnetic field within the clouds increases the critic densities for gravitational binding. When we consider these factors we find that the wide component clouds have densities below such a critical value. The narrow component clouds have densities similar or above the critical value; but the real fraction of collapsing clouds remains unknown as far as the factor of geometry and the inner magnetic field of each cloud are not determinated.     

Direct GRB fireball Lorentz factor measurements through REM early afterglow observations

The huge energies involved in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) coupled with the short emission time scales unavoidably imply that the emitting source is moving relativistically, with a speed close to that of light. Here we present the REM telescope observations of the early-time near-infrared light curves of the GRB 060418 and GRB 060607A afterglows. The detection of the afterglow peak provides for the first time a direct measurement of the initial Lorentz factor Γ₀ of the radiating material. We find that the emitting region was indeed highly relativistic in the first seconds after the explosions, with Γ₀∼400. Comparison with the Lorentz factor as determined at later epochs provides direct evidence that the emitting shell is decelerating and confirms that the afterglow emission is powered by the dissipation of bulk kinetic energy. The deceleration radius was inferred to be R _dec≈10¹⁷ cm. This is much larger than the internal shocks radius (believed to power the prompt emission), thus providing further evidence for a different origin of the prompt and afterglow stages of the GRB. Susanna D. Vergani on behalf of the REM collaboration.     

The Bastille day Magnetic Clouds and Upstream Shocks: Near-Earth Interplanetary Observations

The energetic charged particle, interplanetary magnetic field, and plasma characteristics of the `Bastille Day' shock and ejecta/magnetic cloud events at 1 AU occurring over the days 14–16 July 2000 are described. Profiles of MeV (WIND/LEMT) energetic ions help to organize the overall sequence of events from the solar source to 1 AU. Stressed are analyses of an outstanding magnetic cloud (MC2) starting late on 15 July and its upstream shock about 4 hours earlier in WIND magnetic field and plasma data. Also analyzed is a less certain, but likely, magnetic cloud (MC1) occurring early on 15 July; this was separated from MC2 by its upstream shock and many heliospheric current sheet (HCS) crossings. Other HCS crossings occurred throughout the 3-day period. Overall this dramatic series of interplanetary events caused a large multi-phase magnetic storm with min Dst lower than −300 nT. The very fast solar wind speed (≥ 1100 km s⁻¹) in and around the front of MC2 (for near average densities) was responsible for a very high solar wind ram pressure driving in the front of the magnetosphere to geocentric distances estimated to be as low as ≈ 5 R _E, much lower than the geosynchronous orbit radius. This was consistent with magnetic field observations from two GOES satellites which indicated they were in the magnetosheath for extended times. A static force-free field model is used to fit the two magnetic cloud profiles providing estimates of the clouds' physical and geometrical properties. MC2 was much larger than MC1, but their axes were nearly antiparallel, and their magnetic fields had the same left-handed helicity. MC2's axis and its upstream shock normal were very close to being perpendicular to each other, as might be expected if the cloud were driving the shock at the time of observation. The estimated axial magnetic flux carried by MC2 was 52×10²⁰ Mx, which is about 5 times the typical magnetic flux estimated for other magnetic clouds in the WIND data over its first 4 years and is 17 times the flux of MC1. This large flux is due to both the strong axially-directed field of MC2 (46.8 nT on the axis) and the large radius (R ₀=0.189 AU) of the flux tube. MC2's average speed is consistent with the expected transit time from a halo-CME to which it is apparently related.     

Gamma ray signatures of ultra high energy cosmic ray accelerators: electromagnetic cascade versus synchrotron radiation of secondary electrons

We discuss the possibility of observing ultra high energy cosmic ray sources in high energy gamma rays. Protons propagating away from their accelerators produce secondary electrons during interactions with cosmic microwave background photons. These electrons start an electromagnetic cascade that results in a broad band gamma ray emission. We show that in a magnetized Universe (B≳10⁻¹² G) such emission is likely to be too extended to be detected above the diffuse background. A more promising possibility comes from the detection of synchrotron photons from the extremely energetic secondary electrons. Although this emission is produced in a rather extended region of size ∼10 Mpc, it is expected to be point-like and detectable at GeV energies if the intergalactic magnetic field is at the nanogauss level.      

Electromagnetic and corpuscular emission from the solar flare of 1991 June 15: Continuous acceleraton of relativistic particles

Data on X-,γ-ray, optical and radio emission from the 1991 June 15 solar flare are considered. We have calculated the spectrum of protons that producesγ-rays during the gradual phase of the flare. The primary proton spectrum can be described as a Bessel-function-type up to 0.8 GeV and a power law with the spectral index ≈3 from 0.8 up to 10 GeV or above. We have also analyzed data on energetic particles near the Earth. Their spectrum differed from that of primary protons producingγ-ray line emission. In the gradual phase of the flare additional pulses of energy release occurred and the time profiles of cm-radio emission andγ-rays in the 0.8–10 MeV energy band and above 50 MeV coincided. A continuous and simultaneous stochastic acceleration of the protons and relativistic electrons at the gradual phase of the flare is considered as a natural explanation of the data.     

Gamma-ray emission expected from Kepler’s SNR

Nonlinear kinetic theory of cosmic ray (CR) acceleration in supernova remnants (SNRs) is used to investigate the properties of Kepler’s SNR and, in particular, to predict the γ-eay spectrum expected from this SNR. Observations of the nonthermal radio and X-ray emission spectra as well as theoretical constraints for the total supernova (SN) explosion energy E _sn are used to constrain the astronomical and particle acceleration parameters of the system. Under the assumption that Kepler’s SN is a type Ia SN we determine for any given explosion energy E _sn and source distance d the mass density of the ambient interstellar medium (ISM) from a fit to the observed SNR size and expansion speed. This makes it possible to make predictions for the expected γ-eay flux. Exploring the expected distance range we find that for a typical explosion energy E _sn=10⁵¹ erg the expected energy flux of TeV γ-rays varies from 2×10⁻¹¹ to 10⁻¹³ erg/(cm² s) when the distance changes from d=3.4 kpc to 7 kpc. In all cases the γ-eay emission is dominated by π ⁰-decay γ-rays due to nuclear CRs. Therefore Kepler’s SNR represents a very promising target for instruments like H.E.S.S., CANGAROO and GLAST. A non-detection of γ-rays would mean that the actual source distance is larger than 7 kpc.     

INTEGRAL serendipitous detection of the gamma-ray microquasar LS 5039

LS 5039 is the only X-ray binary persistently detected at TeV energies by the Cherenkov HESS telescope. It is moreover a γ-ray emitter in the GeV and possibly MeV energy ranges. To understand important aspects of jet physics, like the magnetic field content or particle acceleration, and emission processes, such as synchrotron and inverse Compton (IC), a complete modeling of the multiwavelength data is necessary. LS 5039 has been detected along almost all the electromagnetic spectrum thanks to several radio, infrared, optical and soft X-ray detections. However, hard X-ray detections above 20 keV have been so far elusive and/or doubtful, partly due to source confusion for the poor spatial resolution of hard X-ray instruments. We report here on deep (∼300 ks) serendipitous INTEGRAL hard X-ray observations of LS 5039, coupled with simultaneous VLA radio observations. We obtain a 20–40 keV flux of 1.1±0.3 mCrab (5.9 (±1.6) ×10⁻¹² erg cm⁻² s⁻¹), a 40–100 keV upper limit of 1.5 mCrab (9.5×10⁻¹² erg cm⁻² s⁻¹), and typical radio flux densities of ∼25 mJy at 5 GHz. These hard X-ray fluxes are significantly lower than previous estimates obtained with BATSE in the same energy range but, in the lower interval, agree with extrapolation of previous RXTE measurements. The INTEGRAL observations also hint to a break in the spectral behavior at hard X-rays. A more sensitive characterization of the hard X-ray spectrum of LS 5039 from 20 to 100 keV could therefore constrain key aspects of the jet physics, like the relativistic particle spectrum and the magnetic field strength. Future multiwavelength observations would allow to establish whether such hard X-ray synchrotron emission is produced by the same population of relativistic electrons as those presumably producing TeV emission through IC.     

Investigation of Quasi-periodic Variations in Hard X-Rays of Solar Flares. II. Further Investigation of Oscillating Magnetic Traps

In our recent paper (Jakimiec and Tomczak, Solar Physics 261, 233, 2010) we investigated quasi-periodic oscillations of hard X-rays during the impulsive phase of solar flares. We have come to the conclusion that they are caused by magnetosonic oscillations of magnetic traps within the volume of hard-X-ray (HXR) loop-top sources. In the present paper we investigate four flares that show clear quasi-periodic sequences of the HXR pulses. We also describe our phenomenological model of oscillating magnetic traps to show that it can explain the observed properties of the HXR oscillations. The main results are the following: i) Low-amplitude quasi-periodic oscillations occur before the impulsive phase of some flares. ii) The quasi-periodicity of the oscillations can change in some flares. We interpret this as being due to changes of the length of oscillating magnetic traps. iii) During the impulsive phase a significant part of the energy of accelerated (non-thermal) electrons is deposited within a HXR loop-top source. iv) The quick development of the impulsive phase is due to feedback between the pressure pulses by accelerated electrons and the amplitude of the magnetic-trap oscillation. v) The electron number density and magnetic field strength values obtained for the HXR loop-top sources in several flares fall within the limits of N≈(2 – 15)×10¹⁰ cm⁻³, B≈(45 – 130) gauss. These results show that the HXR quasi-periodic oscillations contain important information about the energy release in solar flares.     

Acceleration of Relativistic Protons During the 20 January 2005 Flare and CME

The origin of relativistic solar protons during large flare/CME events has not been uniquely identified so far. We perform a detailed comparative analysis of the time profiles of relativistic protons detected by the worldwide network of neutron monitors at Earth with electromagnetic signatures of particle acceleration in the solar corona during the large particle event of 20 January 2005. The intensity – time profile of the relativistic protons derived from the neutron monitor data indicates two successive peaks. We show that microwave, hard X-ray, and γ-ray emissions display several episodes of particle acceleration within the impulsive flare phase. The first relativistic protons detected at Earth are accelerated together with relativistic electrons and with protons that produce pion-decay γ rays during the second episode. The second peak in the relativistic proton profile at Earth is accompanied by new signatures of particle acceleration in the corona within ≈1R _⊙ above the photosphere, revealed by hard X-ray and microwave emissions of low intensity and by the renewed radio emission of electron beams and of a coronal shock wave. We discuss the observations in terms of different scenarios of particle acceleration in the corona.     

Explosion of a comet nucleus fragment in the earth’s atmosphere

This paper analyzes data on thermal explosions of large meteoroids in the earth’s atmosphere. The cumulative function of flux of space bodies is corrected with regard to the explosion height, which is determined, according to our approach, by maximum braking. As a result, the integral function of flux in the work [Brown, P., Spalding, R.E., ReVelle, D.O., et al., The Flux of Small Near-Earth Objects Colliding with the Earth, Nature, 2002, vol. 420, pp. 314–316] is consistent with the one we derived earlier. It is found that at least one phenomenon of those discussed in the paper by Brown et al. is a result of explosion of a comet nucleus fragment. It is shown that the Tunguska phenomenon cannot be explained within a monolithic body model.     

The Evaporation Regime in a Confined Flare

We studied the evolution of a small eruptive flare (GOES class C1) from its onset phase using multi-wavelength observations that sample the flare atmosphere from the chromosphere to the corona. The main instruments involved were the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) aboard SOHO and facilities at the Dunn Solar Tower of the National Solar Observatory/Sacramento Peak. Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) together with Ramaty High-Energy Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) also provided images and spectra for this flare. Hα and TRACE images display two loop systems that outline the pre-reconnection and post-reconnection magnetic field lines and their topological changes revealing that we are dealing with an eruptive confined flare. RHESSI data do not record any detectable emission at energies ≥25 keV, and the observed count spectrum can be well fitted with a thermal plus a non-thermal model of the photon spectrum. A non-thermal electron flux F ≈ 5 × 10¹⁰ erg cm⁻² s⁻¹ is determined. The reconstructed images show a very compact source whose peak emission moves along the photospheric magnetic inversion line during the flare. This is probably related to the motion of the reconnection site, hinting at an arcade of small loops that brightens successively. The analysis of the chromospheric spectra (Ca II K, He I D₃ and Hγ, acquired with a four-second temporal cadence) shows the presence of a downward velocity (between 10 and 20 km s⁻¹) in a small region intersected by the spectrograph slit. The region is included in an area that, at the time of the maximum X-ray emission, shows upward motions at transition region (TR) and coronal levels. For the He I 58.4 and O v 62.97 lines, we determine a velocity of ≈−40 km s⁻¹ while for the Fe XIX 59.22 line a velocity of ≈−80 km s⁻¹ is determined with a two-component fitting. The observations are discussed in the framework of available hydrodynamic simulations and they are consistent with the scenario outlined by Fisher (1989). No explosive evaporation is expected for a non-thermal electron beam of the observed characteristics, and no gentle evaporation is allowed without upward chromospheric motion. It is suggested that the energy of non-thermal electrons can be dissipated to heat the high-density plasma, where possibly the reconnection occurs. The consequent conductive flux drives the evaporation process in a regime that we can call sub-explosive.     

Multiwavelength Observations of a Failed Flux Rope in the Eruption and Associated M-Class Flare from NOAA AR 11045

We present the multiwavelength observations of a flux rope that was trying to erupt from NOAA AR 11045 and the associated M-class solar flare on 12 February 2010 using space-based and ground-based observations from TRACE, STEREO, SOHO/MDI, Hinode/XRT, and BBSO. While the flux rope was rising from the active region, an M1.1/2F class flare was triggered near one of its footpoints. We suggest that the flare triggering was due to the reconnection of a rising flux rope with the surrounding low-lying magnetic loops. The flux rope reached a projected height of ≈0.15R _⊙ with a speed of ≈90 km s⁻¹ while the soft X-ray flux enhanced gradually during its rise. The flux rope was suppressed by an overlying field, and the filled plasma moved towards the negative polarity field to the west of its activation site. We found the first observational evidence of the initial suppression of a flux rope due to a remnant filament visible both at chromospheric and coronal temperatures that evolved a couple of days earlier at the same location in the active region. SOHO/MDI magnetograms show the emergence of a bipole ≈12 h prior to the flare initiation. The emerged negative polarity moved towards the flux rope activation site, and flare triggering near the photospheric polarity inversion line (PIL) took place. The motion of the negative polarity region towards the PIL helped in the build-up of magnetic energy at the flare and flux rope activation site. This study provides unique observational evidence of a rising flux rope that failed to erupt due to a remnant filament and overlying magnetic field, as well as associated triggering of an M-class flare.     

Dynamo Dominated Accretion and Energy Flow: The Mechanism of Active Galactic Nuclei

An explanation of the magnetic fields of the universe, the central mass concentration of galaxies, the massive black hole of every galaxy, and the AGN phenomena has been an elusive goal. We suggest here the outlines of such a theoretical understanding and point out where the physical understanding is missing. We believe there is an imperative to the sequence of mass flow and hence energy flow in the collapse of a galactic mass starting from the first non-linearity appearing in structure formation following decoupling. This first non-linearity of a two to one density fluctuation, the Lyman-α clouds, ultimately leads to the emission spectra of the phenomenon of AGN, quasars, blazars etc. The over-arching physical principle is the various mechanisms for the transport of angular momentum. We believe we have now understood the new physics of two of these mechanisms that have previously been illusive and as a consequence they impose strong constraints on the initial conditions of the mechanisms for the subsequent emission of the gravitational binding energy. The new phenomena described here are: 1) the Rossby vortex mechanism of the accretion disk viscosity, and 2) the mechanism of the α - Ω dynamo in the accretion disk. The Rossby vortex mechanism leads to a prediction of the black hole mass and rate of energy release and the α - Ω dynamo leads to the generation of the magnetic flux of the galaxy (and the far greater magnetic flux of clusters) and separately explains the primary flux of energy emission as force-free magnetic energy density. This magnetic flux and magnetic energy density separately are the necessary consequence of the saturation of a dynamo created by the accretion disk with a gain greater than unity. The predicted form of the emission of both the flux and the magnetic energy density is a force-free magnetic helix extending axially from the disk a distance depending upon its winding number and radius of its flux surfaces, a distance of Mpc's. This Poynting flux of magnetic energy would be invisible unless the currents bounding the magnetic field are dissipated. By definition of force-free, these currents are parallel to the field and throughout its volume. Therefore the dissipation must be throughout the volume as opposed to the conventional reconnection which takes place only at surface layers. This radically different interpretation of reconnection is supported by the observation of "interruption" events in fusion tokamak experiments. Here, and presumably in the galactic case as well, the parallel currents and their dissipation is mediated by run-away, high energy electrons and ions. It is then natural to seek an explanation for the emission spectrum of the dynamo-produced Poynting flux in the same synchrotron emission associated with the dissipation of these run-away currents. We propose the radically different view that these ultra high energy, run-away electrons directly produce the emission spectra as compared to the published models that assume an acceleration of bulk matter to a γ ∼ 10 and then reconvert this kinetic energy by shock heating into a highly relativistic plasma, γ ∼ 10⁶. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.