Analysis of the heliospheric current sheet fine structure: Single or multiple current sheets

When studying the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) local structure, it is not unusual to find wide HCS crossings. In this paper, we present one crossing that appears to have a complex internal structure composed of three parallel sheets and several possible HCS crossings that are consecutive and are on the order of minutes. Depending on their origin, different scenarios can explain multiple current sheets such as complex structures of helmet streamer at the Corona flowing into the solar wind, local waviness in the HCS structure, local oscillations of the HCS, and inverted magnetic fields or planar magnetic structures (PMS) close to the HCS. Distinguishing among these scenarios using just one observational point is very difficult because all of them are 3D structures. Nevertheless, we think that nearly parallel sheets are more likely in the first and in the last scenarios, i.e. multiple helmet streamer structure and PMS. In order to make the distinction between them, we have studied the possible reversal in the Q_e·B sign for every event. Our results suggest that the existence of not-wide HCS composed of multiple parallel sheets cannot be rejected.     

Daubechies wavelet coefficients: a tool to study interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations

We have studied a set of 41 magnetic clouds (MCs) measured by the ACE spacecraft, using the discrete orthogonal wavelet transform (Daubechies wavelet of order two) in three regions: Pre-MC (plasma sheath), MC and Post-MC. We have used data from the IMF GSM-components with time resolution of 16 s. The mathematical property chosen was the statistical mean of the wavelet coefficients (〈Dd1 〉). The Daubechies wavelet coefficients have been used because they represent the local regularity present in the signal being studied. The results reproduced the well-known fact that the dynamics of the sheath region is more than that of the MC region. This technique could be useful to help a specialist to find events boundaries when working with IMF datasets, i.e., a best form to visualize the data. The wavelet coefficients have the advantage of helping to find some shocks that are not easy to see in the IMF data by simple visual inspection. We can learn that fluctuations are not low in all MCs, in some cases waves can penetrate from the sheath to the MC. This methodology has not yet been tested to identify some specific fluctuation patterns at IMF for any other geoeffective interplanetary events, such as Co-rotating Interaction Regions (CIRs), Heliospheric Current Sheet (HCS) or ICMEs without MC signatures. In our opinion, as is the first time that this technique is applied to the IMF data with this purpose, the presentation of this approach for the Space Physics Community is one of the contributions of this work.     

Solar connections of geoeffective magnetic structures

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and high-speed solar wind streams (HSS) are two solar phenomena that produce large-scale structures in the interplanetary (IP) medium. CMEs evolve into interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs) and the HSS result in corotating interaction regions (CIRs) when they interact with preceding slow solar wind. This paper summarizes the properties of these structures and describes their geoeffectiveness. The primary focus is on the intense storms of solar cycle 23 because this is the first solar cycle during which simultaneous, extensive, and uniform data on solar, IP, and geospace phenomena exist. After presenting illustrative examples of coronal holes and CMEs, I discuss the internal structure of ICMEs, in particular the magnetic clouds (MCs). I then discuss how the magnetic field and speed correlate in the sheath and cloud portions of ICMEs. CME speed measured near the Sun also has significant correlations with the speed and magnetic field strengths measured at 1 AU. The dependence of storm intensity on MC, sheath, and CME properties is discussed pointing to the close connection between solar and IP phenomena. I compare the delay time between MC arrival at 1 AU and the peak time of storms for the cloud and sheath portions and show that the internal structure of MCs leads to the variations in the observed delay times. Finally, we examine the variation of solar-source latitudes of IP structures as a function of the solar cycle and find that they have to be very close to the disk center.     

Geoeffectiveness of solar wind interplanetary magnetic structures

We address the geoeffectiveness of three interplanetary structures in the interplanetary space: magnetic clouds (MCs), interplanetary shocks (IPSs), and corotating interaction regions (CIRs). The geoeffectiveness is evaluated using the geomagnetic indices Kp, AE, and Dst. We find that MCs are more geoeffective than IPSs, or CIRs. The average values of magnetic indices are significantly enhanced during disturbed periods associated with MCs, IPSs and CIRs, compared to the whole interval. The highest effect is noted for MC disturbed periods.Results obtained for the three data sets are used to derive a theoretical (continuous) probability distribution function (PDF) by fitting the histograms representing the percentage of events against the intervals of magnetic index. PDFs allow estimation of the probability of a given level of geomagnetic activity to be reached after the detection, by in situ solar wind observations, of a given interplanetary structure approaching the Earth.     

The structure and origin of magnetic clouds in the solar wind

Plasma and magnetic field data from the Helios 1/2 spacecraft have been used to investigate the structure of magnetic clouds (MCs) in the inner heliosphere. 46 MCs were identified in the Helios data for the period 1974–1981 between 0.3 and 1 AU. 85% of the MCs were associated with fast-forward interplanetary shock waves, supporting the close association between MCs and SMEs (solar mass ejections). Seven MCs were identified as direct consequences of Helios-directed SMEs, and the passage of MCs agreed with that of interplanetary plasma clouds (IPCs) identified as white-light brightness enhancements in the Helios photometer data. The total (plasma and magnetic field) pressure in MCs was higher and the plasma- lower than in the surrounding solar wind. Minimum variance analysis (MVA) showed that MCs can best be described as large-scale quasi-cylindrical magnetic flux tubes. The axes of the flux tubes usually had a small inclination to the ecliptic plane, with their azimuthal direction close to the east-west direction. The large-scale flux tube model for MCs was validated by the analysis of multi-spacecraft observations. MCs were observed over a range of up to 60° in solar longitude in the ecliptic having the same magnetic configuration. The Helios observations further showed that over-expansion is a common feature of MCs. From a combined study of Helios, Voyager and IMP data we found that the radial diameter of MCs increases between 0.3 and 4.2 AU proportional to the distance, R, from the Sun as R^0.8 (R in AU). The density decrease inside MCs was found to be proportional to R^–2.4, thus being stronger compared to the average solar wind. Four different magnetic configurations, as expected from the flux-tube concept, for MCs have been observed in situ by the Helios probes. MCs with left-and right-handed magnetic helicity occurred with about equal frequencies during 1974–1981, but surprisingly, the majority (74%) of the MCs had a south to north (SN) rotation of the magnetic field vector relative to the ecliptic. In contrast, an investigation of solar wind data obtained near Earths orbit during 1984–1991 showed a preference for NS-clouds. A direct correlation was found between MCs and large quiescent filament disappearances (disparition brusques, DBs). The magnetic configurations of the filaments, as inferred from the orientation of the prominence axis, the polarity of the overlying field lines and the hemispheric helicity pattern observed for filaments, agreed well with the in situ observed magnetic structure of the associated MCs. The results support the model of MCs as large-scale expanding quasi-cylindrical magnetic flux tubes in the solar wind, most likely caused by SMEs associated with eruptions of large quiescent filaments. We suggest that the hemispheric dependence of the magnetic helicity structure observed for solar filaments can explain the preferred orientation of MCs in interplanetary space as well as their solar cycle behavior. However, the white-light features of SMEs and the measured volumes of their interplanetary counterparts suggest that MCs may not simply be just H-prominences, but that SMEs likely convect large-scale coronal loops overlying the prominence axis out of the solar atmosphere.     

行星际激波的传播及其相应的地磁效应

基于 2.5 维理想磁流体力学（Magnetohydrodynamic,MHD）方程组分析了行星际激波在日球层子午面内的传播过程及其相应的地磁效应.日球层电流片（Heliospheric Current Sheet,HCS）-日球层等离子体片（Heliospheric Plasma Sheet,HPS）对于行星际激波的传播具有一定的阻碍作用.当行星际激波相对于HCS 倾斜传播时,相对于扰动源位于HCS 异侧的激波强度较同侧的明显减弱.局地激波面的法线（或形状）对通过激波阵面的磁力线发生偏转的程度和方向起决定性作用.沿激波传播方向其为准平行激波,磁场偏转程度较小,而其两侧部分则为斜激波,磁场偏转程度较大.位于HCS-HPS 位置处的波前形成凹槽,磁力线偏转程度明显加强.行星际激波对磁场的偏转效应是其驱动地磁暴的重要机制,而且地磁效应的强度与地球相对于HCS 的角距离Δθ_p有明显关系.数值模拟结果表明：任何行星际激波,Δθ_p=0°处均无法形成较大强度的地磁效应;沿HCS 传播的行星际激波,地磁效应最强的区域位于HCS 两侧;相对于HCS 倾斜传播的行星际激波,地磁效应最强的区域位于HCS 异侧.     

磁暴主相多阶发展行星际起因的初步分析

本文利用1998～2006年与磁云有关的80起中强磁暴(Dst*≤-50 nT),对其主相期间不同发展阶数磁暴的行星际起因进行了统计分析.重点研究了鞘区磁场单独作用、磁云本体单独作用、鞘区与磁云共同作用以及其他复杂行星际结构在磁暴主相多阶发展中的相对重要性,并对导致磁暴主相增加一阶的行星际起因做了初步分析.统计结果表明...     

地球附近第23太阳活动周磁云和非磁云ICME的对比统计

行星际日冕物质抛射（ICME）,作为影响地球空间天气的重要源头之一,根据其磁场结构特点可分为磁云（MC）和非磁云ICME两个子集.本文对第23周的磁云和非磁云ICME结构及其地磁效应进行对比统计研究.第23周ICME事件总数为317个,其中磁云占ICME比例为33.75%,非磁云ICME占66.25%.统计结果表明,非磁云ICME数与太阳黑子数呈现出非常好的正相关性,而磁云与太阳黑子数的这种相关性并不明显.相反,磁云占ICME的比率与太阳黑子数呈现出一定的反相关性.对磁云与非磁云ICME引起的地磁暴的比较研究表明：磁云及其鞘区引发的地磁暴平均水平要高于非磁云ICME及其鞘区.磁云和非磁云ICME的磁场强度、南向磁场强度和传播速度整体上都随地磁暴水平提升而增加.对磁云与非磁云ICME参数的进一步对比分析表明,磁云及其鞘区的平均磁场强度和南向磁场分量平均值都明显要比非磁云ICME的大;而二者的等离子体温度、密度和速度平均值相差并不明显.     

Geomagnetic Field Disturbances Caused by Heliospheric Current Sheet Crossings

The heliospheric current sheet (HCS) is modified by the solar activity. HCS is highly inclined during solar maximum and almost confined with the solar equatorial plane during solar minimum. Close to the HCS solar wind parameters as proton temperature, flow speed, proton density, etc. differ compared to the region far from the HCS. The Earth’s magnetic dipole field crosses HCS several times each month. Considering interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICME) and high speed solar wind streams (HSS) free periods an investigation of the HCS influence on the geomagnetic field disturbances is presented. The results show a drop of the Dst index and a rise of the AE index at the time of the HCS crossings and also that the behavior of these indices does not depend on the magnetic polarity.     

Observational connection between local high-temperature phenomena within magnetic clouds and the Sun

Magnetic clouds (MCs) frequently show abnormal high-ionization states of heavy ions. The abnormal high-charge distributions are related to the coronal temperature of their source regions. We examined the plasma and magnetic field data of 74 MCs observed by the Advanced Composition Explorer from February 1998 to December 2008. We determined that 14 of the 74 events showed local high-temperature phenomena. We analyzed the correlation between proton temperature and O⁷/O⁶ ratio (or high mean Fe charge state 〈Fe〉) within the local high-temperature regions in the 14 MCs. Results show that proton temperature and O⁷/O⁶ ratio (or high mean Fe charge state) had good correlations in nine MCs, but had no evident correlation in the other five MCs. The local high-temperature phenomena within the nine MCs have resulted from the Sun.     

Improved signal discrimination in tectonomagnetism: Discovery of a volcanomagnetic effect at Kilauea,Hawaii

Cancellation of extraterrestrial magnetic disturbances by taking simple differences between total field readings at spaced stations is imperfect. It is shown that improvement is possible when three component observatory data are available from a single station in the general, but not necessarily immediate, vicinity of an array of total field stations used in a tectonomagnetic study. The local effects of a magnetic disturbance field depend upon its orientation, so that local field differences are more effectively generated by certain orientations of the disturbance field. The orientation of the disturbance field which correlates best with a local difference field is determined by a least-squares method, so that the correlated vector signal can be routinely subtracted from the difference field record. Application of the technique to daily averages of records from three synchronised proton magnetometers on Kilauea volcano reveals a 1.5-nT change in the local field at the time of a flank eruption in May, 1973. This effect was obscured by noise in the raw difference field data.     

Dependence of geomagnetic activity during magnetic storms on the solar wind parameters for different types of streams

The dependence of the maximal values of the |Dst| and AE geomagnetic indices observed during magnetic storms on the value of the interplanetary electric field (E _y ) was studied based on the catalog of the large-scale solar wind types created using the OMNI database for 1976–2000 [Yermolaev et al., 2009]. An analysis was performed for eight categories of magnetic storms caused by different types of solar wind streams: corotating interaction regions (CIR, 86 storms); magnetic clouds (MC, 43); Sheath before MCs (Sh_MC, 8); Ejecta (95); Sheath (Sh_E, 56); all ICME events (MC + Ejecta, 138); all compression regions Sheaths before MCs and Ejecta (Sh_MC + Sh_E, 64); and an indeterminate type of storm (IND, 75). It was shown that the |Dst| index value increases with increasing electric field E _y for all eight types of streams. When electric fields are strong (E _y > 11 mV m⁻¹), the |Dst| index value becomes saturated within magnetic clouds MCs and possibly within all ICMEs (MC + Ejecta). The AE index value during magnetic storms is independent of the electric field value E _y for almost all streams except magnetic clouds MCs and possibly the compressed (Sheath) region before them (Sh_MC). The AE index linearly increases within MC at small values of the electric field (E _y < 11 mV m⁻¹) and decrease when these fields are strong (E _y > 11 mV m⁻¹). Since the dynamic pressure (Pd) and IMF fluctuations (σB) correlate with the E _y value in all solar wind types, both geomagnetic indices (|Dst| and AE) do not show an additional dependence on Pd and IMF δB. The nonlinear relationship between the intensities of the |Dst| and AE indices and the electric field E _y component, observed within MCs and possibly all ICMEs during strong electric fields E _y , agrees with modeling the magnetospheric-ionospheric current system of zone 1 under the conditions of the polar cap potential saturation.     

Dependence of geomagnetic activity during magnetic storms on solar-wind parameters for different types of streams: 4. Simulation for magnetic clouds

In this work, we confirm the possibility of approximating the main phase of a magnetic storm (Dst ≤ ?50 nT) caused by magnetic clouds (MCs) with a linear dependence on solar-wind parameters, which are integral electric field sumEy, dynamic pressure Pd, and level of field fluctuations σB. The results show that the main phase of magnetic storm induced by MC is described best by a model with individual values of the main phase approximation coefficients: the correlation coefficient between the measured and model Dst values is 0.99, and the rms deviation is 2.6 nT. The model version with coefficients averaged over all storms describes the main phase much more poorly: the correlation coefficient is 0.65, and the rms deviation is 21.7 nT. A more precise version of the model of the storm main phase induced by MC was developed after introducing corrections that takes into account the history of development of onset of the magnetic-storm main phase: the correlation coefficient is 0.83, and the rms deviation is 15.6 nT. The Dst prediction results during the main phase using the technique suggested are shown for individual magnetic storms as examples.     

Concentrations and Seasonal Trends of Extracellular Microcystins in Freshwaters of the Czech Republic – Results of the National Monitoring Program

The first outcomes of the national monitoring program on cyanobacteria and their toxins in the Czech Republic are reported. The concentrations of extracellular microcystins (MCs, analyzed by ELISA) in 206 water samples collected from 94 localities have been investigated. Observed MC concentrations were relatively high in comparison with the literature data, although weather conditions during the covered season (year 2004) were less favorable for the cyanobacterial water blooms. Detectable MCs (>0.125 μg/L) were found in 145 waters (70% of all samples) with a median concentration of 0.67 μg/L. The total median, including samples with no detectable MCs, was 0.26 μg/L. The seasonal trend showed an increase from July to September at most localities (maximum concentrations of about 8 μg/L and extremes up to 37 μg/L). However, a peak at the beginning of the season or continuously elevated MC concentrations were also observed at some localities. Positive correlations between increasing concentrations of MCs and the dominancy of Microcystis spp. have been observed. The survey provides the first large-scale study of the occurrence and seasonal variability of extracellular microcystins that are of particular interest for drinking water management.     

Wavelet image of a heliospheric storm in cosmic rays

During the sign reversal of the global solar magnetic field, the variations in the ratio of the quadrupole component of the field to its dipole part manifest themselves in a change of the two-sector structure of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) into the four-sector and, then, multisector structures. At that time, a soliton-like wave packet (soliton of the envelope), precisely which is responsible for a wavelet image of heliospheric storm in cosmic rays, is formed in HCS.     

土壤-作物系统中微囊藻毒素生态毒性的研究进展和展望

随着蓝藻水华环境问题的日益严重,微囊藻毒素(MCs)的污染问题也越来越受到重视.一些藻毒素污染严重的湖泊、水库等周边区域的土壤也受到了影响.用含有藻毒素的地表水及地下水进行灌溉、将蓝藻作为有机肥等措施都会将MCs带入土壤.一旦MCs进入到土壤,它将会随着降水从地表迁移到土壤深层.这将会对作物的生长以及土壤生态系统造成影响,而且会对人类身体健康造成威胁.本文介绍了土壤中不同种类的MCs对一些粮食作物和蔬菜作物生长的影响、在作物体内的积累情况,以及对地下水的污染情况,概述了MCs的致毒机理,分析了其对土壤生物造成影响的可能性,并对今后的研究方向进行了展望.     

Three-dimensional MHD simulation of interplanetary magnetic field changes at 1 AU as a consequence of simulated solar flares

A fully three-dimensional (3D), time-dependent, MHD interplanetary global model (3D IGM) has been used, for the first time, to study the relationship between different forms of solar activity and transient variations of the north-south component, B_z, of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) at 1 AU. One form of solar activity, the flare, is simulated by using a pressure pulse at different locations near the solar surface and observing the simulated IMF evolution of B (=-B_z) at 1 AU. Results show that, for a given pressure pulse, the orientation of the corresponding transient variation of B_z has a strong relationship to the location of the pressure pulse and the initial conditions of the IMF. Two initial IMF conditions are considered: a unipolar Archimedean spiral with outward polarity and a flat heliospheric current sheet (HCS) with outward polarity in the northern hemisphere and which gradually reverses polarity in the solar equatorial plane to inward polarity in the southern heliospheric hemisphere. The wave guide effect of the HCS is also demonstrated.     

Latitudinal distribution of the solar wind properties in the low- and high-pressure regimes: Wind observations

The solar wind properties depend on , the heliomagnetic latitude with respect to the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), more than on the heliographic latitude. We analyse the wind properties observed by Wind at 1 AU during about 2.5 solar rotations in 1995, a period close to the last minimum of solar activity. To determine , we use a model of the HCS which we fit to the magnetic sector boundary crossings observed by Wind. We find that the solar wind properties mainly depend on the modulus ||. But they also depend on a local parameter, the total pressure (magnetic pressure plus electron and proton thermal pressure). Furthermore, whatever the total pressure, we observe that the plasma properties also depend on the time: the latitudinal gradients of the wind speed and of the proton temperature are not the same before and after the closest HCS crossing. This is a consequence of the dynamical stream interactions. In the low pressure wind, at low ||, we find a clear maximum of the density, a clear minimum of the wind speed and of the proton temperature, a weak minimum of the average magnetic field strength, a weak maximum of the average thermal pressure, and a weak maximum of the average factor. This overdense sheet is embedded in a density halo. The latitudinal thickness is about 5° for the overdense sheet, and 20° for the density halo. The HCS is thus wrapped in an overdense sheet surrounded by a halo, even in the non-compressed solar wind. In the high-pressure wind, the plasma properties are less well ordered as functions of the latitude than in the low-pressure wind; the minimum of the average speed is seen before the HCS crossing. The latitudinal thickness of the high-pressure region is about 20°. Our observations are qualitatively consistent with the numerical model of Pizzo for the deformation of the heliospheric current sheet and plasma sheet.