An empirical model of the daily evolution of the coronal index

Global changes of the solar activity can be expressed by the coronal index that is based upon the total irradiance of the coronal 530.3 nm green line from observations at five stations. Daily mean values of the coronal index of solar activity and other well-correlated solar indices are analyzed for the period 1966–1998 covering over three solar cycles. The significant correlation of this index with the sunspot number and the solar flare index have led to an analytical expression which can reproduce the coronal index of solar activity as a function of these parameters. This expression explains well the existence of the two maxima during the solar cycles taking into account the evolution of the magnetic field that can be expressed by some sinusoidal terms during solar maxima and minima. The accuracy between observed and calculated values of the coronal index on a daily basis reaches the value of 71%. It is concluded that the representative character of the coronal index is preserved even when using daily data and can therefore allow us to study long-term, intermediate and short-term variations for the Sun as a star, in association with different periodical solar–terrestrial phenomena useful for space weather studies.     

Evolution of the Green Corona in 1996–2002

We analysed the green-line coronal intensities (530.3 nm, Fexiv), both their time- latitudinal distribution as well as the coronal index of solar activity (CI) over the period 1996–2002. Maximum values of the CI (smoothed) were observed in mid-August 2001, even though the `first' peak was observed in the period January–April 2000. The maximum of the Wolf number occurred in 2000, April – July, and the `second peak' occurred in December 2001–March 2002. Both indices have a similar course in the cycle, but their maxima are shifted by 1.5 year. There was high correlation between CI and Wolf number, the 2800 MHz radio flux, the X-ray 0.1–0.8 nm flux and cosmic-ray flux. The CI values in present cycle 23 are lower than those of the two former solar cycles 21 and 22 by about 1/3. Polar branches, which separated from the principal equatorward branch at mid-latitudes in the cycle minimum, 1996, reached the poles around 2000. The new principal branch for cycle 24 split in 2001, turned over around ±60° in 2002.5 and moves to the equator, where it will end in 2019. Minimum between cycles 23 and 24 will occur around 2007.5, cycle maximum 24 around 2012.5. Poleward branches in cycle 24 will reach the solar poles in 2011.     

TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF THE CORONAL GREEN-LINE INDEX (1947–1998)

Temporal variability of the coronal index – the `Sun as a star' coronal green-line irradiance – is presented using wavelet transform over the epoch of almost 5 solar cycles. A significant index variability was found for all periods, particularly for the periods of 150 days and 1year as well as 28days. Connection of the variability with the phase of solar magnetic activity is outlined. The enhanced power of the 150-day period is dominant before and after the magnetic activity maxima in four out of the five cycles analyzed. To the contrary, no enhanced power was found just during the maxima of all cycles for this period. No clear periodic power behavior was found for the periods at about one year. Substantial rotation period variations of the coronal index up to 5days take place over relatively short time intervals. A comparison of the results of the Fourier transform and the time-period wavelet transform of the coronal index time series shows that only the application of the wavelet analysis enables one to find the relation between the coronal index variability and the course of the magnetic activity of the Sun.     

Coronal line intensity as an integrated index of solar activity

The relation between coronal green line intensity and high-speed streams of solar wind emitted by coronal holes or by loop structures of the corona is studied. As well as these exclusive regions of coronal radiative emission, other factors of solar activity have been taken into account in this relation, such as proton events, sunspot number, faculae, and solar magnetic fields.Although the investigated time period (1964–1974) is very short, because of lack of data, we attempted to define the intensity of the coronal green line as an integrated index of the solar activity which can express all the photospheric and coronal phenomena of the Sun. The contraction of the low-density coronal-hole regions and the presence of bright loops during solar maximum provide a theoretical explanation of the above-mentioned relation.     

Periodic variation of the north-south asymmetry of solar activity phenomena

We report here a study of various solar activity phenomena occurring in both north and south hemispheres of the Sun during solar cycles 8–23. In the study we have used sunspot data for the period 1832–1976, flare index data for the period 1936-1993, Hα flare data 1993–1998 and solar active prominences data for the period 1957–1998. Earlier Verma reported long-term cyclic period in N-S asymmetry and also that the N-S asymmetry of solar activity phenomena during solar cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 will be south dominated and the N-S asymmetry will shift to north hemisphere in solar cycle 25. The present study shows that the N-S asymmetry during solar cycles 22 and 23 are southern dominated as suggested by Verma.     

Coronal index of solar activity VIII, years 1992–1994

The coronal index of solar activity over the period 1992–1994 is given. The data are a good tool to study solar activity, for the Sun as a star, in the solar corona over a solar cycle and its influence in the heliosphere.     

Coronal Activity During the 22-Year Solar Magnetic Cycle

The existence of a 22-year heliomagnetic cycle was inferred long ago not only from direct measurements of the solar magnetic field but also from a cyclic variability of a number of the solar activity phenomena. In particular, it was stated (a rule derived after Gnevyshev and Ohl (1948) findings and referenced as the G–O rule in the following) that if sunspot number Rz cycles are organized in pairs of even–odd numbered cycles, then the height of the peak in the curve of the yearly-averaged sunspot numbers Rz-y is always lower for a given even cycle in comparison with the corresponding height of the following odd cycle. Exceptions to this rule are only cycles 4 and 8 which, at the same time, are the nearest even cycles to the limits of the so-called Dalton minimum of solar activity (i.e., the 1795–1823 time interval). In the present paper, we are looking for traces of the mentioned G–O rule in green corona brightness (measured in terms of the Fexiv 530.3 nm emission line intensity), using data covering almost five solar cycles (1943–1994). It was found that the G–O rule seems to work within the green-line corona brightness, namely, when coronal intensity measured in an extended solar middle-latitude zone is considered separately from the rest of the solar surface. On the other hand, the same G–O rule is valid at the photospheric level, as the heliographic latitudinal dependence of sunspot numbers (1947–1984) shows.     

Coronal index of solar activity: Years 1939–1963

A coronal index of solar activity (CI), based upon the total irradiance of the coronal 530.3 nm green line, has been constructed for the period 1939–1963 from observations at five stations worldwide. The monthly average CI exhibits a cyclic pattern with time, with succesive peaks monotonically increasing since solar cycle 18. Potential uses of the CI are discussed.     

Synoptic charts of solar 9.1 cm and coronal hole data

Synoptic charts for Carrington rotations 1601–1605 (May–August, 1973) were prepared using the central meridian column of the daily 9.1 cm Stanford solar radio maps. These charts were especially contoured to emphasize temperatures near the quiet solar disk level. Synoptic charts of coronal holes from the ATM-Skylab were superimposed on the radio data to investigate the ability of the radio charts to show coronal holes. This brief period is unfortunately the only interval for which both sets of data are available. The conclusion reached is that in spite of certain problems due to active regions, side-lobe effects and a rather large beamwidth, the 9.1 cm synoptic charts can be of substantial value in identifying large coronal holes, especially during periods of low solar activity. Such synoptic charts, therefore, for the years 1962–1973 that Stanford data are available, could enhance significantly the meagre data pool for coronal holes prior to the Skylab mission.     

Long-Period Cycles of the Sun's Activity Recorded in Direct Solar Data and Proxies

Different records of solar activity (Wolf and group sunspot number, data on cosmogenic isotopes, historic data) were analyzed by means of modern statistical methods, including one especially developed for this purpose. It was confirmed that two long-term variations in solar activity – the cycles of Gleissberg and Suess – can be distinguished at least during the last millennium. The results also show that the century-type cycle of Gleissberg has a wide frequency band with a double structure consisting of 50–80 years and 90–140 year periodicities. The structure of the Suess cycle is less complex showing a variation with a period of 170–260 years. Strong variability in Gleissberg and Suess frequency bands was found in northern hemisphere temperature multiproxy that confirms the existence of a long-term relationship between solar activity and terrestial climate.     

Periodicities in the green corona for the sun as a star

A coronal index (CI) derived from the limb observations of the 530.3 nm emission corona (green corona) over 1964–1987 was analyzed by the Fourier transform technique (FTT) to find periodicity in this layer of solar atmosphere. As expected, two pronounced periods were indicated: the rotational, about 27 d, and the activity cycle length, 11 years. Beside these there are seen other periodicities of less significancies, namely of about 5,2.2,1 and 0.5 year. The values of these periodicities in individual cycles 20 and 21 slightly differs that could be related to different activity zone depths beneath the photosphere.     

Coronal rotation dependence on the solar cycle phase

A study of the green corona rotation rate, during the period 1970–1974, confirms that the differential rotation degree varies systematically through a solar cycle and that the corona rotates in an almost rigid manner before sunspot minimum. During the first two years, 1970–1971, the differential rotation degree, characteristic of high solar activity periods is detected. While during the years of declining activity, 1972–1974, a drastic decrease of the differential rotation degree occurs and the green corona rotates almost rigidly, as the coronal holes observed in the same period. These conclusions are valid only for the rotation of coronal features with lifetime of at least one solar rotation.     

Frequency analysis of photometric observations of HD 101158

Observations of solar radio emission at 3 cm wavelength have been made at Japal-Rangapur Observatory for 1980–1981, the solar maximum year using the 3 m radio telescope. The correlation between microwave solar emissions and the sunspot activity on monthly basis has been found to be high during the maximum phase and in the high cm wavelength band. The basic component has been estimated statistically for successive solar rotations using the data obtained at Japal-Rangapur Observatory. Further, this was compared with the data obtained at other cm wavelengths during 1980–1981 and the solar minimum period 1975–1976 of the 21st cycle. The comparison showed pronounced dips in flux levels at different wavelengths during the summer months of the solar maximum year which may be attributed to the presence of coronal holes in the various levels of the solar atmosphere. The computed basic component values showed pronounced variation at high cm wavelengths for the solar maximum period with dissimilar variations at different wavelengths. During the solar minimum period the variations were negligibly small and showed more or less constant level of activity.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

The Green Corona Index and Soft X-Ray Flux

We present the behaviour of the coronal index (CI) of solar activity over the period 1986–(May) 1996. These data are not only a good tool for studying the activity of the Sun as a star, but they also represent an invaluable source of information in our quest to understand the properties of the heliosphere as a whole. Having compared the variations of CI and of the solar 0.05–0.8 nm soft X-ray flux over the period 1986–1995 we did not find any significant correlation between the two quantities. This favours a scenario in which the sources of the soft X-ray flux are small-scale regions of the corona, and processes of both ionization and recombination do not occur in the same volume of the solar corona as for the green corona.     

Shape parameters of the solar corona from 1991 to 2016

The global structure of the solar corona observed in the optical window is governed by the global magnetic field with different characteristics over a solar activity cycle. The Ludendorff flattening index has become a popular measure of global structure of the solar corona as observed during an eclipse. In this study, 15 digital images of the solar corona from 1991 to 2016 were analyzed in order to construct coronal flattening profiles as a function of radius. In most cases, the profile can be modeled with a 2nd order polynomial function so that the radius with maximum flattening index(Rmax) can be determined. Along with this value, Ludendorff index(a + b) was also calculated. Both Ludendorff index and Rmax show anti-correlation with monthly sunspot number, though the Rmax values are more scattered. The variation in Rmax can be regarded as the impact of the changing coronal brightness profile over the equator.     

A two-component solar cycle

From a previous analysis of a long series of geomagnetic data, we came to the conclusion that, during 91.5% of the time, geomagnetic activity is controlled by the solar wind flow at the Earth's orbit.In this paper, we consider the flow of the solar wind plasma in a coronal field whose source is a dipole. The temporal evolution of the dipole source as well as any small scale evolution occurring in the associated coronal field topology can be closely monitored from the latitudinal distribution of the wind velocity.In the geomagnetic data series, the index Aa is closely linked to the wind velocity at the power 2.25. From this data set, we can reconstruct the behavior of the solar dipole field from 1868 onward.The main results of our analysis are as follows. The solar cycle has two distinct components, dipole and toroidal, of which the respective cycles are out of phase. The toroidal component is strongly linked, with a 5–6 yr delay, to the preceding dipole component. This finding is in contradistinction to the view that the dipole field is a result of the poleward migration of the decaying toroidal field. This result should contribute to improve our understanding of the Sun's cyclical behaviour.     

Modified Coronal Index of the Solar Activity

The original coronal index of the solar activity (CI) has been constructed on the basis of ground-based measurements of the intensities of the coronal line of 530.3 nm (Rybanský in Bull. Astron. Inst. Czechoslov., 28, 367, 1975; Rybanský et al. in J. Geophys. Res., 110, A08106, 2005). In this paper, CI is compared with the EUV measurements on the CELIAS/SEM equipment based on the same idea as the original idea of the coronal index. The correlation is very good for the period 1996?–?2005 (r=0.94 for daily values). The principal result of this paper is the introduction of the modified coronal index (MCI) which in all uses and contexts can replace the existing CI index. Daily MCI values extend over a time period of six solar activity cycles. Future MCI measurements will be derived from more reliable measurements made by space-based observatories that are not influenced by the weather. MCI measurements are and will continue to be archived at the web site of the Slovak Central Observatory in Hurbanovo ( http://www.suh.sk/obs/vysl/MCI.htm ).     

Rotation and lifetime of coronal features

A study on the differences of rotation properties, based on the lifetime of coronal features, has been performed for the period 1972–1974. The short-lived component of the green corona associated with solar activity is differentially rotating, while long-lived coronal features persisting more than one synodic rotation period, show little or no differential rotation. These two components coexist at a same latitude within a wide latitude range at least in one of the solar hemispheres.     

The Flattening Index of the Eclipse White-Light Corona and Magnetic Fields

From observations of the solar white-light corona at 65 eclipses from 1851 to 2015 we confirm earlier findings that the flattening index of the white-light corona depends on the phase, rather than the magnitude of solar cycles, which is in contrast with behavior of other major solar activity indices like the sunspot number, the 2800 MHz radio flux, etc. This indicates that mechanisms responsible for creation and distribution of helmet streamers, the most essential coronal structures influencing the flattening index, could be of different magnetic nature from those of other manifestations of solar surface activity.     

North-South asymmetry in sudden disappearances of solar prominences

This paper presents the results of a study of the N-S asymmetry in sudden disappearances (SD) of solar prominences during solar cycles 18–21, obtained as a part of a more extensive research on SD and reappearances during years 1931–1985 (Ballester, 1984). As can be seen, the N-S SD asymmetry curve is not in phase with the solar cycle and peaks about the time of solar minimum, the asymmetry reverses in sign during the solar maximum, being, this change of sign, coincident with the reversal of the Sun's magnetic dipole. The SD asymmetry curve can be fitted by a sinusoidal function with a period of eleven years. On the other hand, the SD asymmetry curve shows a strong coincidence with the N-S asymmetries presented by other solar activity manifestations as studied by different authors.