Rotational splitting of solar five-minute oscillations of low degree

Solar Physics - An analysis of 28 contiguous days of whole disk observations of the solar surface by means of optical resonant scattering in the K 769.9 nm line, taken at the Teide Observatory at...     

Observations of Doppler oscillations in a solar prominence

We report on the observation of Doppler oscillations in a quiescent limb prominence. Fourier analysis of the data reveals an oscillatory period of 7.5 min, whose phase varies linearly at 16 consecutive points (7280 km) along the slit. This yields an upper limit for the perturbation wavelength of 20000 km. Wavelet analysis confirms the above period and indicates an oscillation lifetime of 12 min. Moreover, the disturbance appears to travel at a speed greater than 4.4 km s^-1. A comparison of these results with the predictions of some theoretical models is made.     

Non-radial oscillations and energy transport in rotating solar (stellar) wind

The propagation of non-radial, small amplitude perturbations superposed on a zero-order, stationary, non-magnetic, polytropic, rotating stellar wind is studied in the limit of the local theory, i.e. for k r 1, k being the module of the wave vector and r the characteristic scale of the zero-order flow. The resulting dispersion equation is of the 3rd order in (complex) frequency and the possible modes correspond to two acoustic type waves, and to a gravity-shear wave with strongly anisotropic propagation properties, due to coupling between the internal gravity waves and shear motion. The gravity-shear mode allows velocity differences in the medium to exist with no corresponding density fluctuations and hence with no shock wave formation. It is suggested that this mode corresponds to some of the fast-slow velocity streams observed in the interplanetary medium and may provide means for wave energy being transported outwards with the zero-order flow, with little dissipation in the inner region of the solar wind.     

The effect of spatial smearing on solar Doppler measurements

A mathematical method for calculating the influence of scattered light on solar Doppler measurements is developed and presented.It is shown that the main contribution to the error signal is caused by the long range scattering component of the stray-light.The method is applied on Doppler measurements of solar rotation, and the results are compared with the observations from Stanford and Mt. Wilson that hitherto have only been crudely corrected for the effects to straylight. Some of the large scatter in the published results on the solar rotation rate is shown to be caused by a too simple parameterization of the straylight.Within the uncertainties of the current measurements it is shown that the Doppler rotation rate of the solar photosphere is equal to the sunspot tracer rotation rate.     

The effect of spatial smearing on solar Doppler measurements

A general mathematical formulation of the effect of spatial smearing on solar velocity measurements is presented. The variations of the straylight induced error with wavelength and line parameters are discussed. The spatial and time dependence of the error will influence the measurement of solar limb effect and may introduce fictitious large scale velocity fields with amplitudes of the order of a few m/s.Present address: Space Science Department of ESA, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands.     

Long-duration solar and stellar flares

According to one of the most popular classifications, solar flares may be assigned either to the category of small short-lived events, or to the category of large, long-duration two-ribbon (2-R) flares. Even if such abroad division oversimplifies the flare phenomenon, our knowledge of the characteristics of stellar flares is so poor, that it is worthwhile to investigate the possibility of adopting this classification scheme for stellar flares as well. In particular we will analyze Einstein observations of a long duration flare on EQ Peg to establish whether it might be considered as a stellar analogy of 2-R solar events. To this end we apply to EQ Peg data a reconnection model, developed originally for solar 2-R flares, and conclude that stellar observations are consistent with model predictions, although additional information is required to identify uniquely the physical parameters of the flare region. Application of the model to integrated observations of a 2-R solar flare, for which high spatial resolution data are also available, shows, however, that future integrated observations may allow us to solve the ambiguities of the model and use it as a diagnostic tool for a better understanding of stellar flares.     

Asteroseismology of solar and stellar models

I discuss several asteroseismology diagnostic techniques that can be applied to the high quality data on stellar oscillations obtained, and to be obtained in the future, from ground based and space based experiments. In particular I discuss techniques using the representation of oscillation frequencies in terms of inner and outer phase shifts which can be used both for model fitting and inversion procedures to probe the inner structure of stars, and hence to test and improve our modelling.     

An essay on stellar oscillations and evolution

It is cautioned that solar models adjusted in such a way as to achieve a match between theoretical solar oscillation characteristics and observed ones may produce neutrino fluxes inconsistent with the observations and that this is likely to be explicable as a deficiency in modeling that portion of the envelope which is most strongly affected by uncertainties in the treatment of convection. Then follows a summary of how the results of pulsation theory and of stellar evolution theory have been used together to learn about the structure and evolution of RR Lyrae stars, classical Cepheids, and high luminosity AGB stars.     

Radial and nonradial oscillations of partially-degenerate stellar masses

The radial and nonradial modes of oscillation of partially degenerate stellar masses have been studied. It is found that the radial mode shows a decrease with increased central condensation and the configuration tends, therefore, towards a marginally stable point with increased degeneracy. The nonradial modes forl=2 and 3 also shows a similar trend. However, the decrease is slower than the corresponding radial mode.     

Linear and nonlinear oscillations of simple stellar models

A general property for the stability of the one zone model is derived in the case of linear nonadiabatic radial oscillations. The problem of the nonlinear adiabatic radial oscillations of the homogeneous model with a slow rotational velocity is discussed.     

Hydrodynamic models of solar and stellar flares

This paper discusses the hydrodynamic modeling of flaring plasma confined in magnetic loops and its objectives within the broader scope of flare physics. In particular, the Palermo-Harvard model is discussed along with its applications to the detailed fitting of X-ray light curves of solar flares and to the simulation of high-resolution Ca xix spectra in the impulsive phase. These two approaches provide complementary constraints on the relevant features of solar flares. The extension to the stellar case, with the fitting of the light curve of an X-ray flare which occurred on Proxima Centauri, demonstrates the feasibility of using this kind of model for stars too. Although the stellar observations do not provide the wealth of details available for the Sun, and, therefore, constrain the model more loosely, there are strong motivations to pursue this line of research: the wider range of physical parameters in stellar flares and the possibility of studying further the solar-stellar connection.     

Telluric water vapor contamination of the Mount Wilson solar Doppler measurements

It has been shown that the solar line 5250.2 (Fei) is weakly blended with a telluric line in the water vapor spectrum, and that magnetograms taken using this line are therefore inaccurate. We investigate the effects of this contamination on the Mount Wilson synoptic magnetograph data, which is based on 5250.2. Using spectrum scans taken at Kitt Peak, we model the contamination and develop a procedure that would correct for it, whenever the slant water vapor along the line of sight to the Sun is known. As this information is not available for the data collected thus far at Mount Wilson, we use the variation of determined quantities with airmass to obtain an average, or first-order, correction. Concentrating on the fitted coefficients for the solar rotation, the correction is found to be very slight, 0.5%, raising the value for the A coefficient, averaged over the period 3 December, 1985 to 22 July, 1990, from 2.8289 to 2.8422 rad s^-1, The correction also removes a slight annual variation that has become discernible in the data collected since 1986.Now at Oregon Heath Sciences University, Portland, OR, U.S.A.Now at Department of Astronomy, University of Minnesota, U.S.A.     

On the accuracy of the measurements of low-ℓ solar acoustic oscillations

Using a 1154 d long measurement of solar oscillations, obtained by the Global Oscillation Network Group from 1995 June 10 to 1998 August 6, we study the dependence of the accuracy of radial p-mode parameters on the duration of the observations. It is shown that relatively rare pulses of large power lead to the decrease of the accuracy achievable for a given duration of the observations and it is usually underestimated. The corresponding correction factor to the Libbrecht formula for a frequency accuracy estimation is provided. We have also investigated the influence of the solar activity on the mode parameters soon after the solar activity minimum. There is a clearly visible increase of the radial p-mode power in the beginning of the new solar cycle while the mode frequency variations are within the corresponding error bars.     

Radiative transfer and solar oscillations

Solar Physics - We consider the atmospheric behaviour of solar oscillations in a model including a detailed, semi-empirical atmosphere. Equations of radial and non-radial oscillation, with...     

An overview of solar and stellar flare research

An overview of the many topics discussed at IAU Colloquium No. 104 is presented as an introduction to the Proceedings. Suggested areas for future research emerging from the conference are summarized.     

Rotational models of solar prominences and flares

We assume the prominence (or flare) to be a rotating cylinder. For the two cases of the spin velocity being a constant and having a gradient, we calculate the profile of the Balmer lines and their variation from the centre of the prominence to the edge, and establish methods for finding the spin velocity from the inclination or shift of the lines and the velocity gradient from the curvature of the lines. These methods are then applied to the observed data of the ring flare of 1981 April 27.     

The optical continuum of solar and stellar flares

A further development of the Kostyuk-Pikelner's model is presented. The response of the chromosphere heated by non-thermal electrons of the power-law energy spectrum has been studied on the basis of the numerical solution of the one-dimensional time-dependent equations of gravitational gas dynamics. The ionization and energy loss for the emissions in the Lyman and Balmer lines have been determined separately for the optically thin and thick L-line layers. Due to the initial heating, a higher-pressure region is formed. From this region, disturbances propagate upwards (a shock wave with a velocity of more than 1000 km s^-1) and downwards. A temperature jump propagates downwards, and a shock is formed in front of the thermal wave. During a period of several seconds after the beginning of this process, the temperature jump intensifies the downward shock wave and the large radiative loss gives rise to the high density jump ( ₂/ ₁ 100). The numerical solution has been analyzed in detail for the case heating of the ionized and neutral plasma, and a value of this heating is close to the upper limit of the admissible values. In this case, the condensation located between the temperature jump and the shock wave front, may emit in the observed optical continuum.In their essential features, the gas dynamic processes during the flares in red dwarf atmospheres are the same as those in the solar atmosphere. However, the high atmospheric densities, smaller height scale in red dwarf atmospheres, and greater energy of this processes in stellar flares, give rise, in practice, to the regular generation of optical continuum. The photometric parameters of a source with n 0¹⁵ cm^-3, T 9000 K, and _z 10 km are in a good agreement with observations.     

Dynamic screening in solar and stellar nuclear reactions

In the hot, dense plasma of solar and stellar interiors, the Coulomb interaction is screened by the surrounding plasma. Although the standard Salpeter approximation for static screening is widely accepted and used in stellar modeling, the question of dynamic screening has been revisited. In particular, Shaviv and Shaviv apply the techniques of molecular dynamics to the conditions in the solar core in order to numerically determine the dynamic screening effect. By directly calculating the motion of ions and electrons due to Coulomb interactions, they compute the effect of screening without the mean-field assumption inherent in the Salpeter approximation. Here we reproduce their numerical analysis of the screening energy in the plasma of the solar core and conclude that the effects of dynamic screening are relevant and should be included in the treatment of the plasma, especially in the computation of stellar nuclear reaction rates.     

Modified methods of stellar magnetic field measurements

The standard methods of the magnetic field measurement, based on an analysis of the relation between the Stokes V‐parameter and the first derivative of the total line profile intensity, were modified by applying a linear integral operator L to both sides of this relation. As the operator L, the operator of the wavelet transform with DOG‐wavelets is used. The key advantage of the proposed method is an effective suppression of the noise contribution to the line profile and the Stokes parameter V. The efficiency of the method has been studied using model line profiles with various noise contributions. To test the proposed method, the spectropolarimetric observations of the A0 star α² CVn, the Of?p star HD 148937, and the A0 supergiant HD 92207 were used. The longitudinal magnetic field strengths calculated by our method appeared tobe in good agreement with those determined by other methods. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)