An evolutionary feature of solar active regions

The result that there is a time-lag between Type-I radio bursts and associated flares given in a previous paper [1] is confirmed by new statistical material.     

On the magnetic field line topology in solar active regions

The field lines of closed magnetic structures above the photosphere define a mapping from the photosphere to itself. This mapping is discontinuous, and the field line connectivity to the boundary can change discontinuously in response to continuous changes of field strength and direction, if field lines either end in a singular point of the field or are tangential to the photosphere at one end. Whereas the general existence of singular points is questionable, the field has typically a cell structure due to the presence of segments of the zero line of the photospheric longitudinal field on which the transversal field is directed from negative (pointing into the Sun) to positive fields. The cell boundaries are made up of field lines which all touch the photosphere on one of these line segments. Within each of the cells the field line mapping is continuous. When during a slow evolution a substantial part of a coronal loop or of an arcade has passed from one cell into another a fast dynamic instability may set in which was previously prevented by the anchoring of field lines in the dense photosphere.     

Error analysis regarding the calculation of nonlinear force-free field

Magnetic field extrapolation is an alternative method to study chromospheric and coronal magnetic fields. In this paper, two semi-analytical solutions of force-free fields (Low and Lou in Astrophys. J. 352:343, 1990) have been used to study the errors of nonlinear force-free (NLFF) fields based on force-free factor α. Three NLFF fields are extrapolated by approximate vertical integration (AVI) Song et al. (Astrophys. J. 649:1084, 2006), boundary integral equation (BIE) Yan and Sakurai (Sol. Phys. 195:89, 2000) and optimization (Opt.) Wiegelmann (Sol. Phys. 219:87, 2004) methods. Compared with the first semi-analytical field, it is found that the mean values of absolute relative standard deviations (RSD) of α along field lines are about 0.96–1.19, 0.63–1.07 and 0.43–0.72 for AVI, BIE and Opt. fields, respectively. While for the second semi-analytical field, they are about 0.80–1.02, 0.67–1.34 and 0.33–0.55 for AVI, BIE and Opt. fields, respectively. As for the analytical field, the calculation error of 〈|RSD|〉 is about 0.1∼0.2. It is also found that RSD does not apparently depend on the length of field line. These provide the basic estimation on the deviation of extrapolated field obtained by proposed methods from the real force-free field.     

Characteristics of proton flare active regions and force-free magnetic fields

Proton flare active regions have the common characteristic of an S-shaped neutral line caused by relative movements of sunspots. This observational feature suggested to us a method of estimating the force-free parameter. For three typical active regions we have estimated the variation in the force-free parameter, and assuming a constant force-free parameter, we calculated the structure of the force-free field and the magnetic energy of the potential field. Our calculations show that before the occurence of proton flares, the force-free parameter increases and the magnetic energy of the potential field decreases, this decrease may well be the source for the development of the force-free field, and its magnitude is sufficient for the requirement of the proton flare.     

Magnetic field inclination and atmospheric oscillations above solar active regions

Recent observational evidence for magnetic field direction effects on helioseismic signals in sunspot penumbrae is suggestive of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) mode conversion occurring at lower levels. This possibility is explored using wave mechanical and ray theory in a model of the Sun's surface layers permeated by uniform inclined magnetic field. It is found that fast-to-slow conversion near the equipartition depth at which the sound and Alfvén speeds coincide can indeed greatly enhance the atmospheric acoustic signal at heights observed by Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Michelson Doppler Imager and other helioseismic instruments, but that this effect depends crucially on the wave attack angle , i.e. the angle between the wavevector and the magnetic field at the conversion/transmission depth. A major consequence of this insight is that the magnetic field acts as a filter, preferentially allowing through acoustic signal from a narrow range of incident directions. This is potentially testable by observation.     

Skinning process stability of the magnetic field in the solar active regions

Skinning process stability of the magnetic field in homogeneous plasma is studied. A set of magnetohydrodynamic equations is used. Dependence of electrical conductivity on the plasma parameters and radiation intensity in grey-body approximation are taken into account. The investigation is carried out on the model problems in linear approximation and by means of numerical solution of MHD equations. Threshold of stability and critical gradient of magnetic field in skin-layer are obtained. The model of the phenomenon proposed in the paper indicates on overheating instability of plasma with electric current in large gradient magnetic field zones as a possible trigger mechanism of solar flare origin.     

Comments on solar linear force-free field and application of FFT analysis

We begin with some comments on the methods of computation of the magnetic fields of solar active regions in terms of force-free field, and point out some mistakes in the solutions. Then we propose a method of quasi-linear force-free field, and probe the application of fast Fourier transform (FFT) in its computation. The magnetic field of the active region NOAA 9165 on 2000-09-15 is taken as an example, and three different methods are used in the determination of the configuration of magnetic lines. The results are then compared with the fine Hα filtergrams of Ganyu Station of Purple Mountain Observatory.     

Current convection in solar active regions

Current carrying magnetic fields which penetrate sunspots can be unstable to current convective modes caused by the large gradient of electrical conductivity. The linear growth rates and wavelengths of the unstable modes are found. The unstable modes produce fine-scale vortices perpendicular to the magnetic field, which overshoot well into the solar corona. The modes provide a turbulent vorticity source at the photospheric footpoints of the field. This can cause braiding and reconnection of the coronal magnetic field. The modes twist the coronal magnetic field into loops with a typical radius of 200 km, consistent with recent X-ray observations.     

On polarimetry in solar active regions

High resolved magnetograms ( 3) were obtained 3 hrs before and 1 hr after a 1b flare, respectively, the only bright flare reported for that active region. Careful comparison between both magnetograms shows that the line-of-sight component of the active region magnetic field remains constant. In particular there is no simplification of the rather complicated field structure in connection with the flare. Magnetic flux and field gradients also do not show any variation above the 3 scale. Essential changes, however, were observed after 19 hrs without flare activity. This indicates that evolutionary field changes predominate over flare related variations.     

On polarimetry in solar active regions

Phase retardation originating in a telescope is measured by means of polarizer and analyzer. The amount of this retardation depends only on the declination of the telescope. The retardation axes rotate with the Coudé image.The influence of this retardation on a Zeeman triplet, is measured photoelectrically. Consequences for solar polarimetry are discussed: Strong effects originate from the miscentering of the asymmetric Zeeman triplet introduced by the Doppler compensator. This yields a non-vanishing V-Stokes parameter in the central exit slit and thus the often observed crosstalk between the U and V-Stokes parameters.     

On polarimetry in solar active regions

Measurements of the circular polarization V in different lines show that the deduced magnetic field strength and flux are systematically influenced by variations of the line absorption coefficient from photosphere to spot and faculae.Disbalances between preceding and following flux seem to be due mainly to such variations rather than to real physical conditions in active regions.The spatial distribution of the normal component of the magnetic field in an active region near the disc center have been observed during two days using the temperature insensitive line Fe 6302.5. The initial field structure seems to become more and more bipolar. The increase of the flux exceeds that of the area thus suggesting the appearance of new magnetic fields. Backward extrapolation in time leads to a date of first appearance of the magnetic field which agrees with the appearance of first H anomalies.     

On polarimetry in solar active regions

A new modulation procedure for Zeeman polarimeters is described and tested. The azimuth rotation by means of two steady /4-plates, combined with the common EOLM, has several advantages as compared to two-EOLM-polarimeters. The new polarimeter operates with two /4-plates which are alternately passed through the beam in front of the EOLM by means of an electro-mechanical chopper. The exact time of the /4-plate change is monitored by a photoelectric sensor. The obtained signals drive a number of relays by use of an intervening bistable electronic device. These relays allow to cut-off the erroneous Doppler signal mode and they furthermore distribute the U and Q signals into the corresponding lock-in amplifiers. As a first application of the new polarimeter, the linear polarization is measured in a sunspot penumbra. The telescope was first compensated for instrumental linear polarization down to 5 × 10^-4 by means of a tilted glass plate and well as for phase retardation down to 1° by means of a Bowen compensator.     

On polarimetry in solar active regions

The usefulness of magnetically sensitive iron lines Fe 5250.2, 6173.3 and 6302.3 for solar polarimetry is investigated. The line-to-continuum absorption coefficient ₀ for Fe 5250.2 depends strongly on temperature variations. Thus a photospheric calibration of polarimeter signals cannot be used for the different parts of an active region. This is also true for the Doppler calibration of longitudinal magnetographs.Fe 6302.5 is shown to be useful for polarimetry in active regions. A Milne-Eddington approximation is possible so that Unno's formulae are sufficient for the interpretation of polarimetric data.The ambiguity of the azimuth of the linear polarization prevents the determination of the true field structure with respect to the solar surface. The magnetic flux cannot be determined outside the disc centre without making assumptions for the unknown field structure. This determination is possible only for single stable sunspots; for irregular active regions the field configuration remains ambiguous even at the disc centre.     

A new technique of observing the magnetic field of solar active regions

By fitting a new type of polarization detector after the entrance slit of a solar spectrograph, the two dimensional magnetic field of solar active regions can be obtained. Not only the field intensity, but also the longitudinal map is obtained quickly. The simultaneous observation of a few lines will also provide data on the structure of the magnetic tubes etc.     

On the causes of the observed magnetic field imbalance in solar active regions

Based on a topological magnetic field model for active region (AR) 8086 observed on September 15–21, 1997, we calculate the evolution of the magnetic flux imbalance during its disk passage. We have established possible causes of the observed imbalance. Using model ARs produced by perfectly balanced magnetic field sources as examples, we show that even in this case, the observed imbalance can reach a significant value, depending on the AR size and location. The peculiar properties of the magnetic field imbalance in ARs predicted by the topological model must be taken into account when present-day magnetographic observations of the Sun are interpreted.     

On polarimetry in solar active regions

The miscentering by the Doppler compensator of the Locarno polarimeter is investigated in detail. It is shown that the linear polarization is strongly falsified by this effect which also occurs at the Crimean and Izmiran polarimeters.The new design for the exit slits of the Locarno polarimeter is described. It avoids the ambiguities in the determination of the magnetic field vector that always occur when using two exit slits.A new simple electronic setup avoids most of the difficulties which are usually involved in eliminating instrumental polarization and compensating intensity fluctuations.The observational techniques for solar polarimetry at the Locarno observatory are described.To avoid mutual influences of V and U, the line centre ₀ (corresponding to V = 0 and U = max.) must coincide with the centre of slit II. Only in this case we have 234-01     

Methods for deriving the magnetic field in solar (radio) active regions

In the present paper, in terms of the theory about the mechanisms of radio radiation, we have briefly classified, induced, summarized and reviewed the methods for deriving the magnetic field in the solar (radio) active regions. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Infrared photometry of solar active regions

Simultaneous time series of broad-band images of two active regions close to the disk center were acquired at the maximum (0.80Μm) and minimum (1.55Μm) continuum opacities. Dark faculae are detected in images obtained as weighted intensity differences between both wave-length bands. The elements of quiet regions can be clearly distinguished from those of faculae and pores in scatter plots of brightness temperatures. There is a smooth transition between faculae and pores in the scatter plots. These facts are interpreted in terms of the balance between the inhibition of convective energy transport and the lateral radiative heating.