A model of solar (Radio) active regions

In the present model, we have assumed the plasma conditions above a solar active region to be varying continuously from the center of the active region to the adjacent quiet region and derived the 3-dimensional distributions of three physical parameters of the plasma such as electron density, electron temperature, and magnetic field to be functions of both the height above the photosphere and the distance from the central axis of the active region. Using the combined emission mechanism of gyro-resonance (cyclotron resonance) radiation and bremsstrahlung, we have built a model of solar radio active regions.     

Cyclotron lines in the spectra of solar flares and solar active regions

It was shown by Zheleznyakov and Zlotnik (1980a, b) that in complex configurations of solar magnetic fields (in hot loops above the active centres, in neutral current sheets in the preflare phase, in hot X-ray kernels in the initial flare phase) a system of cyclotron lines in the spectrum of microwave radiation is likely to be formed. Such a line was obtained by Willson (1985) in the VLA observations at harmonics of the electron gyrofrequency. This communication interprets these observations on the basis of an active region model in which thermal cyclotron radiation is produced by hot plasma filling the magnetic tube in the corona above a group of spots. In this model the frequency of the recorded 1658 MHz line corresponds to the third harmonic of electron gyrofrequency, which yields the magnetic field (196 ± 4) G along the magnetic tube axis. The linewidth f/f 0.1 is determined by the 10% inhomogeneity of the magnetic field over the cross-section of the tube; the line profile indicates the kinetic temperature distribution of electrons over the tube cross-section with the maximum value 4 × 10⁶ K. Analysis shows that study of cyclotron lines can serve as an efficient tool for diagnostics of magnetic fields and plasma in the solar active regions and flares.     

Reversal of the polarization of cyclotron radiation in a hot coronal loop

Spectropolarimetric features of thermal cyclotron radiation of solar coronal loops and the possibility of interpretation of the observed reversal of the sense of polarization of centimeter and decimeter waves are discussed. To this end, thermal cyclotron radiation is computed in terms of the simplest model of a three-dimensional hot loop (a half-torus). Such a loop is shown to be capable of changing appreciably the properties of the radiation of a solar active region at centimeter and decimeter wavelengths. A detailed analysis is performed to determine the conditions under which the radiation spectrum of an active region containing a coronal loop may have a complex pattern with several maxima or relatively narrow-band cyclotron lines, and the sense of polarization may change several times in the wavelength interval considered. These conditions are modelled by such parameters as the structure of the magnetic field, electron density, and size of the loop. The results of the computations of two-dimensional brightness temperature distributions at different wavelengths for ordinary and extraordinary waves at fixed points of the loop and the integrated parameters of the flux and polarization of radiation in terms of the model discussed are reported. Cases are considered where the line of sight is crossed by one or two loops. The expected distribution of polarization across the source in the model considered is compared to the results of RATAN-600 observations of the solar active region AR 7962 made on May 12–14, 1996.     

On the Nature of Neutral-Line-Associated Radio Sources

A number of authors claimed that radio sources above the neutral line of the magnetic field in solar active regions are due to non-thermal emission. This study shows that the thermal mechanism explains the radio emission from such sources. Models similar to those used for interpreting cyclotron lines were used in this study. Such models account for a steep decline in the spectrum at high frequencies and a low degree of polarization. The magnetic field between the two sunspots with an anti-parallel magnetic field has a lower gradient than the field above the sunspots. This, combined with the possibly high temperature in coronal loops connecting the sunspots, leads to the following conclusions. The optical thickness of the gyroresonance layers is increased and leads to more effective radiation at a harmonic number of 4 or 5. The lower gradient of the field between the sunspots also results in more rapid growth of emission intensity with increasing wavelength in this region than in the regions immediately above the sunspots. Additionally, the spatial averaging of the source structure due to the antenna beam pattern leads to a decrease in the degree of polarization in the region between the sunspots.     

Electron density and temperature measurements, and abundance anomalies in the solar atmosphere

Using spectra obtained from the SUMER (Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation) spectrograph on the spacecraft SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory), we investigate the height dependence of electron density, temperature and abundance anomalies in the solar atmosphere. In particular, we present the behaviour of the solar FIP effect (the abundance enhancement of elements with first ionization potential < 10 eV in the corona with respect to photospheric values) with height above an active region observed at the solar limb, with emphasis on the so-called transition region lines.     

Gamma-ray and microwave evidence for two phases of acceleration in solar flares

Relativistic electrons in large solar flares produce gamma-ray continuum by bremsstrahlung and microwave emission by gyrosynchrotron radiation. Using observations of the 1972, August 4 flare, we evaluate in detail the electron spectrum and the physical properties (density, magnetic field, size, and temperature) of the common emitting region of these radiations. We also obtain information on energetic protons in this flare by using gamma-ray lines. From the electron spectrum, the proton-to-electron ratio, and the time dependences of the microwave emission, the 2.2 MeV line and the gamma-ray continuum, we conclude that in large solar flares relativistic electrons and energetic nuclei are accelerated by a mechanism which is different from the mechanism which accelerates 100 keV electrons in flares.Research supported by NASA Grant 21-002-316 at the University of Maryland, College Park.     

A model of the solar radio slowly varying component

Our model uses the latest EUV data on the chromosphere-corona transition region. We take the three physical parameters (electron temperature and density and magnetic field) to be functions both of the height above the photosphere and the distance from the axis of our unipolar model. We consider both the gyroresonance radiation and the bremsstrahlung. Our calculated flux and polarization spectra peak at λ = 6 cm and 3 cm respectively, in general agreement with observations. Some features in the spatial distribution of the flux and polarization were obtained, which may be compared with future high-resolution data. We found that in the SVC radiation, the gyroresonance emission is all-important, while the contribution from the reflection of the extraordinary wave is almost nil. These results are directly opposite to the conclusions by Shimabuburo et al./1/.     

Magnetic states of the ionosphere of Venus observed by Venus Express

Strong ultraviolet radiation from the Sun ionizes the upper atmosphere of Venus, creating a dense ionosphere on the dayside of the planet. In contrast to Earth, the ionosphere of Venus is not protected against the solar wind by a magnetic field. However, the interaction between charged ionospheric particles and the solar wind dynamic and magnetic pressure creates a pseudo-magnetosphere which deflects the solar wind flow around the planet (Schunk and Nagy, 1980). The combination of changing solar radiation and solar wind intensities leads to a highly variable structure and plasma composition of the ionosphere. The instrumentation of the Venus Express spacecraft allows to measure the magnetic field (MAG experiment) as well as the electron energy spectrum and the ion composition (ASPERA-4 experiment) of the upper ionosphere and ionopause. In contrast to the earlier Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) measurements which were conducted during solar maximum, the solar activity was very low in the period 2006-2009. A comparison with PVO allows for an investigation of ionospheric properties under different solar wind and EUV radiation conditions. Observations of MAG and ASPERA have been analyzed to determine the positions of the photoelectron boundary (PEB) and the “magnetopause” and their dependence on the solar zenith angle (SZA). The PEB was determined using the ELS observations of ionospheric photoelectrons, which can be identified by their specific energy range. It is of particular interest to explore the different magnetic states of the ionosphere, since these influence the local plasma conductivity, currents and probably the escape of electrons and ions. The penetration of magnetic fields into the ionosphere depends on the external conditions as well as on the ionospheric properties. By analyzing a large number of orbits, using a combination of two different methods, we define criteria to distinguish between the so-called magnetized and unmagnetized ionospheric states. Furthermore, we confirm that the average magnetic field inside the ionosphere shows a linear dependence on the magnetic field in the region directly above the PEB.     

A semianalytical method for calculating the parameters of the electromagnetic halos around extragalactic gamma-ray sources

The ultrahigh-energy (>20 TeV ) gamma rays emitted by active galactic nuclei can be absorbed in intergalactic space through the production of electron-positron pairs during their interaction with extragalactic background photon fields. The electrons and positrons produced by this interaction form an electromagnetic halo. We have studied the halo formation and calculated the halo radiation spectrum. The magnetic field in the halo formation region is assumed to be strong enough for the electron velocities to be isotropized. For such fields, the halo formation process can be described by the method of generations. We calculated the synchrotron and Compton backscattering radiation spectra for the total halo luminosity. We obtained the spatial distribution of the radiation for a point gamma-ray source.     

Detection of Periodic Oscillations in Sunspot-Associated Radio Sources

Using microwave observations made with the Nobeyama radioheliograph (=1.76 cm), we have studied temporal variations of sunspot-associated sources in the circularly polarized component. For all three cases of well-developed and rather stable sunspots we found nearly harmonic oscillations with periods in a range of 120–220 s. In one case of an unstable and quickly devolving active region, the fluctuations appear to be irregular with no dominant period. Sunspot-associated solar radio sources are known to be generated by cyclotron radiation of thermal electrons in magnetic tubes of sunspots at the level of the lower solar corona or chromosphere–corona transition region (CCTR). At the wavelength of 1.76 cm, the polarized emission arises in a layer where the magnetic field is B=2000 G (assuming the emission generated at the third harmonic of electron gyrofrequency). We suggest that the observed effect is a manifestation of the well-known 3-min oscillations observed in the chromosphere and photosphere above sunspots. The observed effects are believed to be a result of resonance oscillation of MHD waves inside a magnetic tube. Radio observations of this phenomenon open a new tool for studying regions of reflection of MHD waves near CCTR level. The method is very sensitive both to the height of the CCTR and magnetic fields above sunspots. Thus, detection of oscillations of the height of the transition region even with an amplitude of a few km are possible. The use of a spectrum of one of the observed sources obtained with the radio telescope RATAN-600 allows us to conclude that oscillations in magnetic field strength of about 4 G could be responsible for the effect and are reliably registered. The appearance of the famous 5-min oscillations in the solar atmosphere was also registered in some spectra of radio oscillations.     

Physical properties of the quiet solar chromosphere–corona transition region

The physical properties of the quiet solar chromosphere–corona transition region are studied. Here the structure of the solar atmosphere is governed by the interaction of magnetic fields above the photosphere. Magnetic fields are concentrated into thin tubes inside which the field strength is great. We have studied how the plasma temperature, density, and velocity distributions change along a magnetic tube with one end in the chromosphere and the other one in the corona, depend on the plasma velocity at the chromospheric boundary of the transition region. Two limiting cases are considered: horizontally and vertically oriented magnetic tubes. For various plasma densities we have determined the ranges of plasma velocities at the chromospheric boundary of the transition region for which no shock waves arise in the transition region. The downward plasma flows at the base of the transition region are shown to be most favorable for the excitation of shock waves in it. For all the considered variants of the transition region we show that the thermal energy transfer along magnetic tubes can be well described in the approximation of classical collisional electron heat conduction up to very high velocities at its base. The calculated extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission agrees well with the present-day space observations of the Sun.     

Acceleration of the solar wind by whistler waves from coronal holes

We investigate the possibility of an additional acceleration of the high speed solar wind by whistler waves propagating outward from a coronal hole. We consider a stationary, spherically symmetric model and assume a radial wind flow as well as a radial magnetic field. The energy equation consists of (a) energy transfer of the electron beam which excites the whistler waves, and (b) energy transfer of the whistler waves described by conservation of wave action density. The momentum conservation equation includes the momentum transfer of two gases (a thermal gas and an electron beam). The variation of the temperature is described by a polytropic law. The variation of solar wind velocity with the radial distance is calculated for different values of energy density of the whistler waves. It is shown that the acceleration of high speed solar wind in the coronal hole due to the whistler waves is very important. We have calculated that the solar wind velocity at the earth's orbit is about equal to 670 km/sec (for wave energy density about 10^?4 erg cm^?3 at 1.1R⊙). It is in approximate agreement with the observed values.     

Ionization by cosmic rays of the atmosphere of Titan

Cosmic ray radiation is the main mechanism for ionizing the lower atmosphere of Titan. Their higher penetration power, in comparison with solar photons, allows cosmic rays to penetrate deep into the atmosphere of Titan, ionizing the neutral molecules and generating an ionosphere with an electron density peak, placed at around 90 km, similar in magnitude to the ionospheric peak produced by solar radiation in the upper atmosphere. In the lower atmosphere, the electron density profile, in the absence of a magnetic field, depends mainly on the modulation of cosmic rays by the solar wind and on the nature of the ionizable particles. We present here the first results of a new numerical model developed to calculate the concentration of electrons and most abundant ions in the Titan lower atmosphere. The present knowledge of Titan’s atmosphere permits us to include new neutral and ionic species, such as oxygen derivates, in a more detailed ion-chemistry calculation than previous lower ionospheric models of Titan. The electron density peaks at 90 km with a magnitude of 2150 cm⁻³. The ion distribution obtained predicts that cluster cations and hydrocarbon cations are the most abundant ions below and above the electron density peak, respectively. We also discuss the effect of solar activity at the distance of the Saturn orbit on the spectrum of the cosmic particles. We obtain that from solar minimum to solar maximum the ionization rate at the energy deposition peak changes by a factor of 1.2 at 70 km, and by a factor of 2.6 at altitudes as high as 400 km. The electron density at the concentration peak changes by a factor of 1.1 at 90 km, and by a factor of 1.6 at 400 km.     

Coronal magnetic fields from microwave polarization observations

The solar active region (AR) 7530 was observed at 6 cm on July 3 and 4, 1993 with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, using a multi-channel receiver with very narrow bandwidth. We compare the radio data with Yohkoh SXT observations and with the magnetic field extrapolated from the Marshall vector magnetograms in the force-free and current-free approximations. The comparison with soft X-rays shows that, although a general agreement exists between the shape of the radio intensity map and the X-ray loops, the brightness temperature, T _b, obtained using the parameters derived from the SXT is much lower than that observed. The comparison with the extrapolated photospheric fields shows instead that they account very well for the observed T _b above the main sunspots, if gyroresonance emission is assumed. In the observation of July 4 an inversion and strong suppression of the circular polarization was clearly present above different portions of the AR, which indicates that particular relationships exist between the electron density and the magnetic field in the region where the corresponding lines of sight cross the field quasi-perpendicularly. The extrapolated magnetic field at a much higher level ( 10¹⁰ cm), satisfies the constraints required by the wave propagation theory all over the AR. However, a rather low electron density is derived.     

Thermal cyclotron radiation from hot coronal loops and peculiarities of the polarization structure of solar microwave emission sources: I. Brightness temperature

We discuss the possible contribution of the thermal cyclotron radiation from hot coronal magnetic loops to the observed characteristics of the microwave emission from solar active regions. Based on the simplest three-dimensional model of a loop in the shape of a hot torus, we have calculated the expected peculiarities of the frequency and polarization structures of microwave emission sources associated with sunspots and containing coronal loops. Our model calculations of the two-dimensional brightness temperature distributions at various wavelengths for the ordinary and extraordinary modes and the wavelength dependences of the brightness temperatures are presented in the first part of the work. The loop size, the electron density, and the source position on the disk have been found to affect these characteristics. Our numerical calculations of the brightness temperature distributions and spectra have confirmed the well-known assumption that under certain conditions the spectrum of a hot filament can contain cyclotron lines and the sense of the polarization can change over the range. The results obtained here refer to the brightness temperature along the line of sight that crosses the photosphere at a point with given coordinates, i.e., these are the emission characteristics at a fixed point of the source. Integrated characteristics (the flux from the entire source and its polarization) and a discussion of the hot loop model will be given in the second part of the work.     

Magnetic field, helicity and the 2000 July 14 flare in solar active region 9077

In this paper we analyse the non-potential magnetic field and the relationship with current (helicity) in the active region NOAA 9077 in 2000 July, using photospheric vector magnetograms obtained at different solar observatories and also coronal extreme-ultraviolet 171-Å images from the TRACE satellite.
We note that the shear and squeeze of magnetic field are two important indices for some flare-producing regions and can be confirmed by a sequence of photospheric vector magnetograms and EUV 171-Å features in the solar active region NOAA 9077. Evidence on the release of magnetic field near the photospheric magnetic neutral line is provided by the change of magnetic shear, electric current and current helicity in the lower solar atmosphere. It is found that the 'Bastille Day' 3B/5.7X flare on 2000 July 14 was triggered by the interaction of the different magnetic loop systems, which is relevant to the ejection of helical magnetic field from the lower solar atmosphere. The eruption of the large-scale coronal magnetic field occurs later than the decay of the highly sheared photospheric magnetic field and also current in the active region.     

Early evolution of an X-ray emitting solar active region

The birth and early evolution of a solar active region has been investigated using X-ray observations from the Lockheed Mapping X-Ray Heliometer on board the OSO-8 spacecraft. X-ray emission is observed within three hours of the first detection of H plage. At that time, a plasma temperature of 4 × 10⁶ K in a region having a density of the order of 10¹⁰ cm^–3 is inferred. During the fifty hours following birth almost continuous flares or flare-like X-ray bursts are superimposed on a monotonically increasing base level of X-ray emission produced by plasma with a temperature of the order 3 × 10⁶ K. If we assume that the X-rays result from heating due to dissipation of current systems or magnetic field reconnection, we conclude that flare-like X-ray emission soon after active region birth implies that the magnetic field probably emerges in a stressed or complex configuration.     

Interaction of hot plasma with radiation of magnetic white dwarfs

The influence of radiation on the electron velocity distribution in a hot nonrelativistic plasma localized near the surface of magnetic white dwarfs is investigated. The part played by the plasma in the formation of cyclotron features in the optical spectrum of these stars is studied. The region of parameters where the transverse temperature of plasma is defined by the brightness temperature of extraordinary radiation at the gyrofrequency is found. When escaping from the plasma in a homogeneous magnetic field, this component forms a cyclotron line in absorption. The ordinary radiation at the gyrofrequency and both modes at higher cyclotron harmonics are in emission or absorption depending on the magnetic field strength and hot plasma density. Possible interpretation of the observed spectral features of magnetic white dwarfs in terms of the developed theory is discussed.     

Plasma temperature depressions and the open magnetic field-lines model

Plasma temperature observations in the solar wind at 1 AU show that very low temperatures of electrons and protons appear not only after interplanetary shock waves, but also after solar wind streams. It is generally believed that the region embedded by a fast preceding and a slower following solar wind is expanding. In this way, the plasma inside may become cooler. In this analysis, we use plasma measurements made aboard the VELA and IMP satellites. Due to the limitations of data, we only give a qualitative picture of the possibility that low temperature regions may be given to local expansions of the plasma. In addition, we assume that these regions are not magnetically closed and therefore not thermically isolated, but are open and connected with the hot corona along the interplanetary magnetic field lines. Therefore, these regions are heated from the corona due to the thermal conduction. In this analysis both the theoretically predicted and the experimentally measured conducted electron heat fluxes are considered.     

Effect of small-scale bernstein turbulence on low-frequency plasma waves in the preflare solar chromosphere

The studied region is a part of the current circuit of a magnetic loop in a solar active region in the altitude range of 1400–2500 km above the photosphere. At the earliest stage of development of a flare process, the magnetic field of the loop was assumed to be stationary and uniform in the interval corresponding to weak fields (the so-called deca-hectogauss fields). The conditions for emergence and development of instability of the second harmonic of Bernstein modes in this previously unexamined region were determined. This instability (and low-frequency instabilities emerging later) was assumed to be caused by the sub-Dreicer electric field of the loop, while pair Coulomb collisions were considered to be the major factor hindering its development. The obtained extremely low instability thresholds point to the possibility of subsequent emergence of low-frequency instabilities (and plasma waves corresponding to them) with much higher threshold values against the background of saturated Bernstein turbulence. The frequency of electron scattering by turbulence pulsations in this scenario normally exceeds the frequency of pair Coulomb (primarily ion–electron) collisions. Both the quasistatic sub-Dreicer field in the loop and the weak spatial inhomogeneity of plasma temperature and density were taken into account in the process of derivation and analysis of the dispersion relation for low-frequency waves. It was demonstrated that the solutions of the obtained dispersion relation in the cases of prevalent pair Coulomb collisions and dominant electron momentum losses at pulsations of saturated Bernstein turbulence are morphologically similar and differ only in the boundary values of perturbation parameters. In both cases, these solutions correspond to the two wave families, namely, kinetic Alfven waves and kinetic ion acoustic waves. These waves have their own electric fields and may play the important role in the process of preflare acceleration of energetic electrons.