Magnetic flux evolution inside and outside a polar coronal hole based on data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

This paper presents the analysis results of the magnetic flux inside and outside a polar coronal hole in the north during the period August 1?C2, 2010. The location of the polar coronal hole is determined from Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) images in the Fe XII, XXIV (193 ?) line, obtained by an Atmospheric Imager Assembly (AIA) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Magnetic data are represented by the line-of-sight component of the magnetic field strength, measured with an Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). Both data sets are sampled at an interval of 720 s and are remapped onto a Carrington coordinate grid with a resolution of 0.001 in sine latitude and 0.1 degree in longitude. The preliminary results show a magnetic flux of the new cycle??s polarity (positive polarity in the north) appearing inside the coronal hole on a time scale of several hours. This ??new flux?? does not correlate with the magnetic flux of the old solar cycle (negative polarity in the north).     

Spatio-temporal Evolution of Sources of Microwave and Hard X-ray Pulsations of the Solar Flare using the NoRH,RHESSI, and AIA/SDO Observation Data

This paper reports the obtained analysis data on the spatio-temporal evolution of sources of microwave and hard X-ray pulsations for the SOL2011-06-07T06:16 event based on the observation data of the RHESSI spectrometer and the Nobeyama radioheliograph. The position of the considered pulsation sources changes from one pulsation to another. The motion of the X-ray sources is predominantly longitudinal in nature in relation to the inversion line of the magnetic polarity. The obtained analysis data on the evolution of X-ray sources are in good agreement with the results of the radio image analysis. The radio brightness center at 34 GHz changes its position from one pulsation to another along the inversion line of the magnetic polarity throughout the burst. According to the AIA/SDO telescope data, the flare region images in the ultraviolet range demonstrate a well-defined eruption of the magnetic flux rope. The flare energy release can likely be triggered by the erupting magnetic flux rope; the successive interaction of different parts of it with different loops of the surrounding magnetic arcade can result in their successive “ignition” and, as a consequence, lead to the observed changes in the position of X-ray and microwave sources from one pulsation to another.     

Long-period oscillations of sunspots according to simultaneous ground-based and space observations

An analysis of oscillatory processes with periods not shorter than several tens of minutes in three isolated sunspots, which were observed during identical periods in the optical and radio bands, is illustrated. SDO/HMI magnetograms at an interval of 45 s and radio maps at a wavelength of 1.76 cm, obtained using a Nobeyama radioheliograph (NoRH), have been used. The time profiles, which were constructed based on the NoRH and SDO/HMI data, indicate that the oscillations of the radioemission correlate with those of the sunspot magnetic field. The wavelet spectra and cross-wavelet transform reveal common oscillation periods of 30–40, 70–100, and 150–200 min. The identical oscillation periods, found using fundamentally different methods from ground-based and space observations, confirm the solar nature of these oscillations, which can be interpreted as oscillations of a sunspot as a whole.     

Long-period variations in the magnetic field of small-scale solar structures

Thirty small-scale structures in the solar atmosphere, i.e., facula nodes at ±(20°–46°) latitudes, have been studied in order to analyze quasi-periodic variations in the magnetic field. SDO/HMI magnetograms have been used for this purpose. Long-period variations in the magnetic field strength of the considered objects in the 60–280 min range have been revealed as a result of data processing. It has been shown that there are no dependences between the magnetic field and period, nor between the magnetic field and object area. It has been assumed that the discovered variations are not natural oscillations of the magnetic field strength.     

Features of Microwave Radiation and Magnetographic Characteristics of Solar Active Region NOAA 12242 Before the X1.8 Flare on December 20, 2014

This paper continues the cycle of authors’ works on the detection of precursors of large flares (M5 and higher classes) in active regions (ARs) of the Sun by their microwave radiation and magnetographic characteristics. Generalization of the detected precursors of strong flares can be used to develop methods for their prediction. This paper presents an analysis of the development of NOAA AR 12242, in which an X1.8 flare occurred on December 20, 2014. The analysis is based on regular multiazimuth and multiwavelength observations with the RATAN-600 radio telescope in the range 1.65–10 cm with intensity and circular polarization analysis and data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). It was found that a new component appeared in the AR microwave radiation two days before the X-flare. It became dominant in the AR the day before the flare and significantly decreased after the flare. The use of multiazimuth observations from RATAN-600 and observations at 1.76 cm from the Nobeyama Radioheliograph made it possible to identify the radio source that appeared before the X-flare with the site of the closest convergence of opposite polarity fields near the neutral line in the AR. It was established that the X-flare occurred 20 h after the total gradient of the magnetic field of the entire region calculated from SDO/HMI data reached its maximum value. Analysis of the evolution of the microwave source that appeared before the X-flare in AR 12242 and comparison of its parameters with the parameters of other components of the AR microwave radiation showed that the new source can be classified as neutral line associated sources (NLSs), which were repeatedly detected by the RATAN-600 and other radio telescopes 1–3 days before the large flares.     

Dynamics of the magnetic field and velocity field in an emerging active region

The dynamics of the magnetic field and velocity field during the birth and an early development stage of a major active region is studied. SOHO MDI longitudinal-component magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and continuum images are used. The presence of an enhanced material upflow in the photosphere during the passing of the top of the magnetic flux loop, forming the active region, is revealed. The maximum upflow velosity is 2 km/s and the maximum size of the upflow area exceeds 20000 km. The lifetime of the upflow is about two hours. The undulating form of the magnetic flux tubes crossing the photosphere is confirmed. A structural-analysis technique is used to show that the trailing polarity field at the formation stage of the active region is more highly structured than the leading polarity field.     

Analysis of a 12-Hour Artifact in LF Oscillations of the Magnetic Field of Sunspots According to SDO/HMI Data

The properties of the 12-h artifact in the data of the SDO/HMI instrument (Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager) caused by the nonzero radial velocity of the station relative to the Sun are investigated. The study has been carried out with respect to long-period oscillations of the magnetic field of sunspots for different station positions in the Earth’s orbit by the alternative spectral method of singular decomposition of the signal CaterPillarSSA. Features of artifact filtering, both in special positions of the station (at the points of aphelion and perihelion) and at arbitrarily selected orbital points, are considered. It is shown that the 12-h artifact mode can be completely filtered from the time series of the observed variable, not only at these two orbital points (because of the symmetry of the station’s radial velocity with respect to the zero mean here) but also at any others. It is shown that only a 12-h mode is physically justified, while the 24-h harmonic appears only as an artifact in the Fourier decomposition of the amplitude-modulated signal. It is emphasized that the values of the magnetic field measured with SDO/HMI are sensitive only to the station’s radial velocity absolute values with respect to the Sun and do not depend on its direction. It has been noted that the periods of sunspot oscillation as a whole obtained from SDO/HMI data after orbital artifact filtration fit well into the dependence diagram of the period of sunspot oscillations on the value of its magnetic field strength constructed earlier by SOHO/MDIdata.     

Search for accelerated electron anisotropy signatures based on observed polarization of the flaring loop microwave emission

The distribution maps of the circular polarization degree and radio brightness have been analyzed for more than 40 flares based on the Nobeyama Radioheliograph data. It has been shown that the observed microwave emission is polarized in the ordinary mode in some flaring loop parts in six events. Based on a joint analysis of the photospheric magnetic field maps obtained from the HMI/SDO and MDI/SOHO magnetograph’s and the radio emission dynamics in different source parts, it has been concluded that the ordinary mode predominance in all six selected events can be connected with implementation of the longitudinal pitch-angle anisotropy of emitting electrons.     

Variations of the Photospheric Magnetic Field Following the Eruptive Event on June 7, 2011

Field variations in the region of the eruptive event on June 7, 2011 are studied based on vector measurements of the photospheric magnetic field by the SDO/HMI instrument. Variations of the modulus (B), the radial (B_r) and the transverse (B_t) components of the magnetic induction, and the inclination angle (α) of the field lines to the radial direction from the center of the Sun are analyzed. It is found that, in the part of the flare region near the polarity inversion line (PIL) after the onset of the flare, the magnitude and the transverse component of the magnetic induction as well as the angles α abruptly increase. During the slow rise of filament near its channel, the inclination angles of the field lines decrease. It is shown that diverging flare ribbons are above the regions of the photosphere with local maxima of the field modulus and with deep minima of the inclination angles of the field lines at all stages of their existence over their entire length with the exception of small areas. It is established that the azimuth decreases after the onset of the flare near the PIL of the photospheric magnetic field, which means an increase in the shear. On the contrary, at a distance from the PIL there is a slight decrease in the shear.

     

Comparative Analysis of Terrestrial and Satellite Observations of Photospheric Magnetic Field in an Appendix to Simulation of Parameters of Coronal Holes and Solar Wind

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - Data from observations of the photospheric magnetic field at a number of ground stations (STOP, WSO, GONG) and by the SDO/HMI satellite for 2014–2019 are examined...     

Solar polar magnetic field

The solar polar magnetic field has attracted the attention of researchers since the polar magnetic field reversal was revealed in the middle of the last century (Babcock and Livingston, 1958). The polar magnetic field has regularly reversed because the magnetic flux is transported from the sunspot formation zone owing to differential rotation, meridional circulation, and turbulent diffusion. However, modeling of these processes leads to ambiguous conclusions, as a result of which it is sometimes unclear whether a transport model is actual. Thus, according to the last Hinode data, the problem of a standard transport model (Shiota et al., 2012) consists in that a decrease in the polar magnetic flux in the Southern Hemisphere lags behind such a decrease in the flux in the Northern Hemisphere (from 2008 to June 2012). On the other hand, Svalgaard and Kamide (2012) consider that the asymmetry in the sign reversal simply results from the asymmetry in the emerging flux in the sunspot formation region. A detailed study of the polar magnetic flux evolution according to the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) data for May 2010–December 2012 is illustrated in the present work. Helioseismic & Magnetic Imager (HMI) magnetic data in the form of a magnetic field component along the line of sight (the time resolution is 720 s) are used here. The magnetic fluxes in sunspot formation regions and at high latitudes have been compared.     

Sunspot groups with high flare activity: Specific features of magnetic configuration,morphology, and dynamics

Specific features of the magnetic configuration, morphological structure, dynamics, and evolution of sunspot groups of the current (24th) cycle of solar activity with high flare activity are considered. The gradients of longitudinal magnetic fields at places of δ-configuration are calculated. The main finding is a time delay of 24–30 h between the time when the magnetic field gradient reaches a critical level of 0.1 G/km and the time when the first of powerful flares occurs in the active region. The study is based on data from the SDO and GOES-15 spacecrafts and ground-based solar telescopes (TST-2 at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the 150-foot telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory).     

Sunspots

Abstract

Some examples of research on structure and formation of sunspots are briefly recollected in historical sequence. They relate to many facets of sunspots, first: magnetic inhibition of convection, the conjecture of a fiat penumbra, the stratification beneath the umbra, the observable magnetic profile, the Evershed effect as syphon flow, the concept of a magnetopause; next: cooling by Alfven waves, evolution and stability, the “bright ring”, the observed change of umbra brightness with the phase of the sunspot cycle, the hypothetical cluster of separate flux strands underneath the umbra, the profile of the magnetopause, the structure of the penumbra and the inclination of its field and finally: the concept of a deep penumbra with volume currents, exchange convection and the concept of a second current sheet separating umbra and penumbra.

Of course, the rigorous theoretical modeling of local magnetoconvection is an essential tool for our understanding of all these processes. I do not deal with it here, but the reader has a fascinating review of magnetoconvection already in his hands (Weiss, 1991).     

Specific features of long-period oscillations of sunspots and photosphere according to the MDI (SOHO) data

Long-period oscillations of the magnetic field and the line-of-sight velocity have been detected in sunspots based on the synchronous 90-h time series of magnetograms and dopplergrams obtained with the MDI(SOHO) device. The sunspot eigenmode (12–30 h), the periods of which nonlinearly depend on the magnetic field strength, predominates in the magnetic field oscillation spectrum. The mode, which is probably induced by motions of supergranulation cells (33 h), predominates in the sunspot line-of-sight velocity oscillation spectrum. A strong mode (33 h), which indicates that long-period quasi-oscillations of supergranulation exist, was also detected in the velocity power spectrum for a quiet photosphere, together with the known 5-min mode.     

The kinematics of hexagonal magnetoconvection

Abstract

Calculations are presented for the evolution of a magnetic field which is subject to the effect of three-dimensional motions in a convecting layer of highly conducting fluid with hexagonal symmetry. The back reaction of the field on the motions via the Lorentz force is neglected. We consider cases where the imposed field is either vertical or horizontal. In the former case, flux accumulates at cell centres, with subsidiary concentrations at the vertices of the pattern. In the latter, topological asymmetries between up- and down-moving fluid regions generate positive flux at the base of the layer and negative flux at the top, though the system is actually an amplifier rather than a self-excited dynamo. Spiral field lines form in the interiors of the cells, and the phenomenon of “flux expulsion” found in two-dimensional solutions is somewhat altered when the imposed field is horizontal. Applications for stellar magnetic fields include a possible mechanism for burying flux at the base of a convection zone.     

Peculiarities of the magnetic flux emerging in the equatorial solar zone

The magnetic flux longitudinal distribution in the equatorial solar zone has been studied. The magnetic synoptic maps of the Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO) during Carrington rotations (CRs) 2052–2068 in 2007 and early 2008 have been analyzed. The longitudinal distributions of the area of the zones where the photospheric magnetic field locally enhanced have been constructed for each CR. The obtained distributions indicate that the zones are located discretely and that a clearly defined one narrow longitudinal interval with the maximum flux is present. The longitudinal position of this maximum shifted discretely by ≈130° at an interval of 5.5 ± 0.5 CRs. A longitudinal shift of the zones with an increased magnetic flux multiple of 60° was observed between the hemispheres. In addition, a time shift of ≈2.5 CRs existed between the instants when the position of maximum fluxes in different hemispheres shifted. The established peculiarities of the magnetic flux longitudinal distribution and time dynamics are interpreted as an action of supergiant convection cells. These actions result in that magnetic fields are removed from the generation region through the channels that are formed between such cells at a longitudinal interval of 120°. The average synodic rotation velocity of the considered equatorial channels, through which the magnetic flux emerges, is 13.43° day^–1.     

Magnetic cloud in the solar wind: A comparison with the classical model

The solar wind magnetic field distribution near the Earth has been studied and compared with the distribution anticipated according to the classical model. It has been indicated that a two-hump distribution of the IMF values discovered previously is not an artifact of averaging but reflects the actual structure of the magnetic field within the sector. In this case the magnetic field of polarity corresponding to the leading spot in the Northern Hemisphere is encountered more frequently. Not only the magnetic field magnitude but also the fields of either polarity increase with increasing activity. The distance between the peaks on the histogram of the magnetic field near the Earth increases from 6 to 10 nT. The quasi-22-year, 11-year, and quasibiennial (2.6 ± 0.3 years) cycles are observed in an alternate increase in the peaks, in the strength of the fields of either polarity, and in the ratio of the peaks to the occurrence frequency of zero values, respectively. The classical model is violated in approximately 25% of cases.     

Diagnostics of Turbulent Dynamo from the Flux Emergence Rate in Solar Active Regions

Line-of-sight magnetograms acquired by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) and by the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) for 14 emerging ARs were used to study the derivative of the total unsigned flux–the flux emergence rate, R(t). We found that the emergence regime is not universal: each AR displays a unique emergence process. Nevertheless, two types of the emergence process can be identified. First type is a “regular” emergence with quasi-constant behavior of R(t) during a 1–3 day emergence interval with a rather low magnitude of the flux derivative, R_max = (0.57 ± 0.22) × 10²² Mx day^–1. The second type can be described as “accelerated” emergence with a long interval (>1 day) of the rapidly increasing flux derivative R(t) that result in a rather high magnitude of R_max= (0.92 ± 0.29) × 10²² Mx day^–1, which later changes to a very short (about a one third of day) interval of R(t) = const followed by a monotonous decrease of R(t). The first type events might be associated with emergence of a flux tube with a constant amount of flux that rises through the photosphere with a quasi-constant speed. Such events can be explained by the traditional largescale solar dynamo generating the toroidal flux deep in the convective zone. The second-type events can be interpreted as a signature of sub-surface turbulent dynamo action that generates additional magnetic flux (via turbulent motions) as the magnetic structure makes its way up to the solar surface.     

Magnetic field variations accompanying the filament eruption and the flare related to coronal mass ejections

Field variations in the region of eruptive event of June 7, 2011, associated with the filament eruption (FE), flare, and coronal mass ejection are studied based on vector measurements of the photospheric magnetic field with the SDO/HMI instrument. Variations of the module (B), the radial (Br) and transverse (Bt) components of the magnetic induction, and the inclination angle (α) of field lines to the radial direction from the center of the Sun are analyzed. It is shown that the strongest changes of the field before the event were located near the base of the southeastern leg of the eruptive filament; after the beginning of the event, they were located in the CME flare region. It is suggested that the FE is associated with two episodes of strong and rapid field variations: before the beginning of the slow filament rise and before its sudden acceleration. For the first time, variations of the inclination angles of the field lines over time in different parts of the eruptive event are studied in detail. It was found that the inclination angles of the field lines decrease in the vicinity of its channel during the slow rise of the filament, and the inclination angles of the field lines increase sharply after the beginning of the flare in the flare region in the vicinity of the neutral line.