Interactions and star-formation activity in Wolf–Rayet galaxies

We present the main results of the Ph.D. thesis carried out by López-Sánchez (Ph.D. thesis, 2006), in which a detailed morphological, photometric and spectroscopic analysis of a sample of 20 Wolf–Rayet (WR) galaxies was performed. The main aims are the study of the star formation and O and WR stellar populations in these galaxies, and the role that interactions between low surface brightness companion objects have in the triggering of the bursts. We analyze the morphology, stellar populations, physical conditions, chemical abundances and kinematics of the ionized gas, as well as the star-formation activity of each system.     

Evolution of the Electron Distribution Function in the Whistler Wave Turbulence of the Solar Wind

The electron distribution functions from the solar corona to the solar wind are determined in this paper by considering the effects of the external forces, of Coulomb collisions and of the wave – particle resonant interactions in the plasma wave turbulence. The electrons are assumed to be interacting with right-handed polarized waves in the whistler regime. The acceleration of electrons in the solar wind seems to be mainly due to the electrostatic potential. Wave turbulence determines the electron pitch-angle diffusion and some characteristics of the velocity distribution function (VDF) such as suprathermal tails. The role of parallel whistlers can also be extended to small altitudes in the solar wind (the acceleration region of the outer corona), where they may explain the energization and the presence of suprathermal electrons.     

Monitoring the Dynamics of the Ionosphere–Plasmasphere System by Ground-Based ULF Wave Observations

Cross-spectral analysis of ULF wave measurements recorded at ground magnetometer stations closely spaced in latitude allows accurate determinations of magnetospheric field line resonance (FLR) frequencies. This is a useful tool for remote sensing temporal and spatial variations of the magnetospheric plasma mass density. The spatial configuration of the South European GeoMagnetic Array (SEGMA, 1.56 <  L <  1.89) offers the possibility to perform such studies at low latitudes allowing to monitor the dynamical coupling between the ionosphere and the inner plasmasphere. As an example of this capability we present the results of a cross-correlation analysis between FLR frequencies and solar EUV irradiance (as monitored by the 10.7-cm solar radio flux F10.7) suggesting that changes in the inner plasmasphere density follow the short-term (27-day) variations of the solar irradiance with a time delay of 1–2 days. As an additional example we present the results of a comparative analysis of FLR measurements, ionospheric vertical soundings and vertical TEC measurements during the development of a geomagnetic storm.     

Nonlinear Evolution of a 3D Inertial Alfvén Wave and Its Implication in Particle Acceleration

A simulation based on a pseudo-spectral method has been performed in order to study particle acceleration. A model for the acceleration of charged particles by field localization is developed for the low-\(\upbeta\) plasma. For this purpose, a fractional diffusion approach has been employed. The nonlinear interaction between a 3D inertial Alfvén wave and a slow magnetosonic wave has been examined, and the dynamical equations of these two waves in the presence of ponderomotive nonlinearity have been solved numerically. The nonlinear evolution of the inertial Alfvén wave in the presence of slow magnetosonic wave undergoes a filamentation instability and results in field intensity localization. The results obtained show the localization and power spectrum of inertial Alfvén wave due to nonlinear coupling. The scaling obtained after the first break point of the magnetic power spectrum has been used to calculate the formation of the thermal tail of energetic particles in the solar corona.     

North–South Asymmetry in the Distribution of Solar Background Magnetic Field

The aim of this article is to investigate how the background magnetic field of the Sun behaves in different hemispheres. We used SOHO/MDI data obtained during a period of eight years from 2003 to 2011 to analyze the intensity distribution of the background magnetic field over the solar surface. We find that the background fields of both polarities (signs) are more intense in the southern than in the northern hemisphere. Mixed polarities are observed in the vicinity of the equator. In addition to the main field, a weaker field of opposite polarity is always present in the polar regions. In the declining phase of the cycle, the main field dominates, but at the minimum and in the rising phase of the cycle, it is gradually replaced by the growing stronger secondary field.     

Distribution of SiO and OH Maser Stars in the Galactic Plane

The observational results of the Nobeyama 45-m SiO maser survey and the Arecibo 305-m OH maser survey are assembled for an analysis of the distribution and kinematics of late-type stars in the Galactic plane.It is found that neither SiO maser stars nor OH maser stars show any concentration to the spiral arms,which imply that they do not belong to the arm population and quite possibly they are low-mass stars in late stage of evolution.A rotational curve is also derived for these objects and a few features which may be real are discussed and compared with those derived from planetary nebulae and AGB stars.     

Apparatus Weighting Functions in measuring the line-of-sight velocities by the ‘center of gravity’ method

The conception of the Apparatus Weighting Function (AWF), numerically characterizing the contributions of different layers of the solar atmosphere to indications of the apparatus used is introduced. For the detection of line-of-sight velocities, measuring the shifts of the center of gravity of a spectral line profile, AWFs have been calculated for several single lines used by the authors in their observations of the photospheric velocity field. A comparison of AWFs is given for instruments, based on the principles of measuring both the center of gravity shifts and intensity differences in the line wings.     

Vlasov – Maxwell,Self-consistent Electromagnetic Wave Emission Simulations in the Solar Corona

1.5D Vlasov – Maxwell simulations are employed to model electromagnetic emission generation in a fully self-consistent plasma kinetic model for the first time in the context of solar physics. The simulations mimic the plasma emission mechanism and Larmor-drift instability in a plasma thread that connects the Sun to Earth with the spatial scales compressed appropriately. The effects of spatial density gradients on the generation of electromagnetic radiation are investigated. It is shown that a 1.5D inhomogeneous plasma with a uniform background magnetic field directed transverse to the density gradient is aperiodically unstable to the Larmor-drift instability. The latter results in a novel effect of generation of electromagnetic emission at plasma frequency. The generated perturbations consist of two parts: i) non-escaping (trapped) Langmuir type oscillations, which are localised in the regions of density inhomogeneity, and are highly filamentary, with the period of appearance of the filaments close to electron plasma frequency in the dense regions; and ii) escaping electromagnetic radiation with phase speeds close to the speed of light. When the density gradient is removed (i.e. when plasma becomes stable to the Larmor-drift instability) and a low density super-thermal, hot beam is injected along the domain, in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field, the plasma emission mechanism generates non-escaping Langmuir type oscillations, which in turn generate escaping electromagnetic radiation. It is found that in the spatial location where the beam is injected, standing waves, oscillating at the plasma frequency, are excited. These can be used to interpret the horizontal strips (the narrow-band line emission) observed in some dynamical spectra. Predictions of quasilinear theory are: i) the electron free streaming and ii) the long relaxation time of the beam, in accord with the analytic expressions. These are corroborated via direct, fully-kinetic simulation. Finally, the interplay of the Larmor-drift instability and plasma emission mechanism is studied by considering a dense electron beam in the Larmor-drift unstable (inhomogeneous) plasma. The latter case enables one to study the deviations from the quasilinear theory.     

Velocity and Temperature Response Functions of 61 Photospheric Lines in the Near-Infrared H Band (1500 – 1800 nm) – II

We present a list of 61 solar photospheric lines in the near-infrared H-band (1500?–?1800 nm), obtained by synthesis under the LTE approximation, and compute the corresponding velocity and temperature response functions (RF) in the line core and depth-integrated RFs as a function of wavelength. In particular, we computed the core formation heights and the ranges of atmospheric layers where thermodynamic perturbations are dominant. Moreover, we indicate the wavelength where the line is more sensitive to thermodynamic variations and quantify this sensitivity. This list is the extension of a previous work of Penza and Berrilli (Solar Phys. 277, 227, 2012).     

A Peculiar Velocity Pattern in and near the Leading Sunspot of NOAA 10781: Wave Refraction by Large-Scale Magnetic Fields?

I report observations of unusually strong photospheric and chromospheric velocity oscillations in and near the leading sunspot of NOAA 10781 on 3 July 2005. I investigate an impinging wave as a possible origin of the velocity pattern and the changes of the wave after the passage through the magnetic fields of the sunspot.     

Particle Acceleration and High-Frequency (X-ray and γ-ray) Emission in the Jets of Active Galactic Nuclei

It is suggested that the outflowing plasma in the jets of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is inhomogeneous and consists of separate clouds. These clouds are strongly magnetized and move away from the central engine at relativistic speeds. The clouds interact with an ambient medium which is assumed to be at rest. In the process of this interaction, particles of the ambient medium are accelerated to high energies at the cloud front and flow ahead of the front. It is shown that the radiation of the accelerated particles may be responsible for the X-ray and γ-ray emission from AGN jets. TeV γ-ray emission is generated in the inner parts of AGN jets where the Lorentz factor of the cloud fronts is Γ0≥ 30, while GeV γ-ray emission emanates from the outer parts of AGN jets where Γ0 is ∼ 10. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Visco–Resistive Dissipation in Transient Reconnection Driven by the Orszag–Tang Vortex

Viscous effects are expected to significantly contribute to reconnective energy release mechanisms in solar flares. While simple scaling arguments based on head-on reconnection suggest that viscous dissipation may dominate resistive dissipation, it is not clear whether these findings can be applied in more general merging situations. Here we perform side-by-side planar reconnection simulations driven by the Orszag–Tang vortex, for both classical and Braginskii forms of the viscosity. This formulation has the advantage of providing an autonomous MHD system that develops strong current layers, sustained by large-scale vortical shearing flows. The dissipation rates are shown to follow analytically based scaling laws, which suggest that viscous losses generated from large-scale non-uniform velocity fields are likely to dominate resistive losses in current-sheet reconnection solutions.     

Type II bursts in Meter and Decameter – Hectometer Wavelength Ranges and Their Relation to Flares and CMEs

Statistical analysis of the relationship between type II radio bursts appearing in the metric (m) and decameter-to-hectometer (DH) wavelength ranges is presented. The associated X-ray flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are also reported. The sample is divided into two classes using the frequency-drift plots: Class I, representing those events where DH-type-II bursts are not continuation of m-type-II bursts and Class II, where the DH-type-II bursts are extensions of m-type-II bursts. Our study consists of three steps: i) comparison of characteristics of the Class I and II events; ii) correlation of m-type-II and DH-type-II burst characteristics with X-ray flare properties and iii) correlation of m-type-II and DH-type-II burst characteristics with CME properties. We have found no clear correlation between properties of m-type-II bursts and DH-type-II bursts. For example, there is no correlation between drift rates of m-type-II bursts and DH-type-II bursts. Similarly there is no correlation between their starting frequencies. In Class I events we found correlations between X-ray flare characteristics and properties of m-type-II bursts and there is no correlation between flare parameters and DH-type-II bursts. On the other hand, the correlation between CME parameters and m-type-II bursts is very weak, but it is good for CME parameters and DH-type-II bursts. These results indicate that Class I m-type-II bursts are related to the energy releases in flares, whereas DH-type-II bursts tend to be related to CMEs. On the contrary, for Class II events in the case of m-type-II and DH-type-II bursts we have found no clear correlation between both flare and CMEs.     

Tidal effects in the earth–moon system and the earth's rotation

Analytical expressions for tidal torques induced by a tide‐arising planet which perturbs rotation of a nonrigid body are derived. Corresponding expressions both for secular and periodic perturbations of the Euler's angles are given for the case of the earth's rotation. Centennial secular rates of the nutation angle θ and of the earth's angular velocity ω, as well as the centennial logarithmic decrement ν of the Chandler wobble are evaluated:  mas, . In the Universal Time (UT) a large out‐of‐phase (sine) dissipative term with the period 18.6 years and the amplitude 2.3 ms is found. Corrections to nutation coefficients, which presumably have not been taken into account in IAU theory, are given. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The “Same Side – Opposite Side Effect” of the Heliospheric Current Sheet in Ionospheric Negative Storms

Using 141 CME-interplanetary shock (CME-IPS) events and foF2 from eight ionosonde stations from January 2000 to September 2005, from the statistical results we find that there is a “same side?–?opposite side effect” in ionospheric negative storms, i.e., a large portion of ionospheric negative disturbances are induced by the same-side events (referring to the CMEs whose source located on the same side of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) as the Earth), while only a small portion is associated with the opposite-side events (the CMEs source located on the opposite side of the HCS as the Earth); the ratio is 128 vs. 46, and it reaches 41 vs. 14 for the intense ionospheric negative storms. In addition, the ionospheric negative storms associated with the same-side events are often more intense. A comparison of the same-side event (4 April 2000) and the opposite-side event (2 April 2001) shows that the intensity of the ionospheric negative storm caused by the same-side event is higher than that by the opposite-side event, although their initial conditions are quite similar. Our preliminary results show that the HCS has an “impeding” effect to CME-IPS, which results in a shortage of energy injection in the auroral zone and restraining the development of ionospheric negative perturbations.     

Chaos and secondary resonances in the mimas–tethys system

We have investigated the role of the 200yr period discovered by Vienne and Duriez (1992) on the tidal evolution of the Mimas–Tethys system through the 2:4 ii present resonance. Three terms are found to generate this period. We present a perturbedpendulum model in which these terms bring about a perturbation to the ideal ii resonance pendulum, which is in a direct ratio to the eccentricity e of Tethys. Although e is now very small, it is shown that this quantity could have been much greater in the past. We also show, thanks to this model, that these terms may have brought about a stochastic layer of noticeable width at the time of capture in the ii resonance, with the consequence that the possible values of the inclination i of Mimas before capture range from 0.4° to 0.6° (these uncertainties arise from the present uncertainties on e). The role of each one of the three terms is examined in the appearance of chaos. A capture into the 1/1 secondary resonance (between the libration period of the primary ii resonance and the period of about 200yr) is found possible. It means that the system could have experienced several captures in the primary resonance, instead of a single one, and that i could have been, with this assumption, much lower than 0.4°. A probability of capture into this secondary resonance as a function of the eccentricity of Tethys on encounter is derived, using Malhotra's method (Malhotra, 1990). Allan's values of i = 0.42° and e 0 (Allan, 1969) are therefore called into question, and taking e 0 is shown to be absolutely necessary if we want to understand the phenomena at work in the Mimas–Tethys system.     

Absorption Phenomena and a Probable Blast Wave in the 13 July 2004 Eruptive Event

We present a case study of the 13 July 2004 solar event, in which disturbances caused by eruption of a filament from an active region embraced a quarter of the visible solar surface. Remarkable are the absorption phenomena observed in the SOHO/EIT 304 Å channel, which were also visible in the EIT 195 Å channel, in the Hα line, and even in total radio flux records. Coronal and Moreton waves were also observed. Multispectral data allowed reconstructing an overall picture of the event. An explosive filament eruption and related impulsive flare produced a CME and blast shock, both of which decelerated and propagated independently. Coronal and Moreton waves were kinematically close and both decelerated in accordance with an expected motion of a coronal blast shock. The CME did not resemble a classical three-component structure, probably because some part of the ejected mass fell back onto the Sun. Quantitative evaluations from different observations provide close estimates of the falling mass, ～3×10¹⁵?g, which is close to the estimated mass of the CME. The falling material was responsible for the observed large-scale absorption phenomena, in particular, shallow widespread moving dimmings observed at 195 Å. By contrast, deep quasi-stationary dimmings observed in this band near the eruption center were due to plasma density decrease in coronal structures.     

Manifestations of the North – South Asymmetry in the Photosphere and in the Green Line Corona

The north – south asymmetries (NSA) of three solar activity indices are derived and mutually compared over a period of more than five solar cycles (1945 – 2001). A catalogue of the hemispheric sunspot numbers, the data set of the coronal green line brightness developed by us, and the magnetic flux derived from the NSO/KP data (1975 – 2001) are treated separately within the discrete low- and mid-latitude zones (5° – 30°, 35° – 60°). The calculated autocorrelations, cross-correlations, and regressions between the long-term NSA data sets reveal regularities in the solar activity phenomenon. Namely, the appearance of a distinct quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) is evident in all selected activity indices. Nevertheless, a smooth behavior of QBO is derived only when sufficient temporal averaging is performed over solar cycles. The variation in the significance and periodicity of QBO allows us to conclude that the QBO is not persistent over the whole solar cycle. A similarity in the photospheric and coronal manifestations of the NSA implies that their mutual relation will also show the QBO. A roughly two-year periodicity is actually obtained, but again only after significant averaging over solar cycles. The derived cross-correlations are in fact variable in degree of correlation as well as in changing periodicity. A clear and significant temporal shift of 1 – 2 months in the coronal manifestation of the magnetic flux asymmetry relative to the photospheric manifestation is revealed as a main property of their mutual correlation. This shift can be explained by the delayed large-scale coronal manifestation in responding to the emergence of the magnetic flux in the photosphere. The reliability of the derived results was confirmed by numerical tests performed by selecting different numerical values of the used parameters.     

Morphology of the Light Curves for the X-ray Novae H 1743-322 and GX 339-4 during Their Outbursts in 2005–2019

Astronomy Letters - Based on long-term SWIFT, RXTE, and MAXI observations of the X-ray novae H 1743-322 (IGR J17464-3213) and GX 339-4, we have investigated the morphology and classified the light...