太阳黑子半影纤维尺度的一个解释

在黑子半影电流的磁场中存在扰动不稳定模式,本文认为黑子半影纤维是由这种不稳定扰动发展而形成的,利用短波近似,分别在黑子半径方向及围绕黑子方向上求解非绝热慢波色散方程。由不稳定条件可得到(1)纤维的长度与宽度的数值;(2)纤维模式在长度方向上是静止的,在宽度方向上几乎是不动的;(3)半影纤维是黑子在重力场中的磁流特征之一;(4)半影纤维的出现,表示着黑子扭转磁场的存在。     

The association between sunspot magnetic fields and superpenumbral fibrils

Spectropolarimetric observations of a sunspot were carried out with the Tenerife Infrared Polarimeter at Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain. Maps of the physical parameters were obtained from an inversion of the Stokes profiles observed in the infrared Fe I line at 15648 Å The regular sunspot consisted of a light bridge which separated the two umbral cores of the same polarity. One of the arms of the light bridge formed an extension of a penumbral filament which comprised weak and highly inclined magnetic fields. In addition, the Stokes V profiles in this filament had an opposite sign as the sunspot and some resembled Stokes Q or U. This penumbral filament terminated abruptly into another at the edge of the sunspot, where the latter was relatively vertical by about 30°. Chromospheric Hα and He II 304 Å filtergrams revealed three superpenumbral fibrils on the limb‐side of the sunspot, in which one fibril extended into the sunspot and was oriented along the highly inclined penumbral counterpart of the light bridge. An intense, elongated brightening was observed along this fibril that was co‐spatial with the intersecting penumbral filaments in the photosphere. Our results suggest that the disruption in the sunspot magnetic field at the location of the light bridge could be the source of reconnection that led to the intense chromospheric brightening and facilitated the supply of cool material in maintaining the overlying superpenumbral fibrils. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the width distribution of penumbral filaments in sunspots

The mean width and distribution of penumbral filaments of a sunspot have been estimated, using white light photographs obtained with a vacuum, Newtonian type, telescope. Three areas corresponding to the penumbra of a sunspot have been analysed. Data were collected during the solar eclipse of June 1973. The photometric profiles of the Moon limb over the photosphere have been analysed to obtain useful information on both, atmospheric and instrumental perturbation on each exposure. The mean value of the width of penumbral filaments is 0.37 arc sec.Now at INTA-Villafranca, S.T.S., P.O. Box 54065, Madrid, Spain.     

黑子半影内偶极运动磁特征的Hinode观测研究

利用Hinode卫星观测的单色像和磁图,对出现在黑子半影内的35对偶极运动磁特征进行形态特征、运动速度以及低层太阳大气响应3方面的研究,得出以下结论:(1)偶极运动磁特征正负两极成对出现在黑子半影较垂直的磁场之间并向着半影外边界运动,间接验证了偶极运动磁特征起源于黑子半影水平磁场,在2-8小时的时间间隔内,同一位置上会反复出现形态特征和运动速度相似的偶极运动磁特征,为海蛇状磁力线模型提供了证据支持. (2)光球和色球在偶极运动磁特征向外运动过程中会出现增亮,说明偶极运动磁特征会加热中低层太阳大气.(3)偶极运动磁特征的出现位置和半影磁场结构分布符合非梳子状黑子半影结构特征.     

Activity cycle of solar filaments

Long-term variation in the distribution of the solar filaments observed at the Observatorie de Paris, Section de Meudon from March 1919 to December 1989 is presented to compare with sunspot cycle and to study the periodicity in the filament activity, namely the periods of the coronal activity with the Morlet wavelet used. It is inferred that the activity cycle of solar filaments should have the same cycle length as sunspot cycle, but the cycle behavior of solar filaments is globally similar in profile with, but different in detail from, that of sunspot cycles. The amplitude of solar magnetic activity should not keep in phase with the complexity of solar magnetic activity. The possible periods in the filament activity are about 10.44 and 19.20 years. The wavelet local power spectrum of the period 10.44 years is statistically significant during the whole consideration time. The wavelet local power spectrum of the period 19.20 years is under the 95% confidence spectrum during the whole consideration time, but over the mean red-noise spectrum of α = 0.72 before approximate Carrington rotation number 1500, and after that the filament activity does not statistically show the period. Wavelet reconstruction indicates that the early data of the filament archive (in and before cycle 16) are more noiseful than the later (in and after cycle 17).     

Penumbral filaments: A dissipation form of the magnetic field

In this paper we suggest that penumbral filaments are a phenomenon of magnetohydrodynamic instability, developed in a stable and uniform magnetic field of sunspots during a dissipation process. We have solved local magnetohydrodynamic disturbance equations and have obtained the necessary condition for filament instability mode, that the ratio of filament length to width must be larger than the ratio of Alfvén speed to sound speed. We have also obtained correlations between two fluctuations from their phase difference. Although there are two correlations between the fluctuation of temperature (or filament intensity) and (1) the fluctuation of magnetic field, and (2) the fluctuation of the flow during the phases of developing and dissipating of the filament, we cannot distinguish whether the correlation is associated with the light filament or dark filament and we cannot decide whether the phase difference is 0° or 180° from tg() = 0. However, we can make a judgment: if the correlation is associated with a light filament during its development phase, it will be associated with a dark filament during its dissipation phase, andvice versa. In addition, there are no correlations between the fluctuations mentioned above for a stable filament, because the phase difference of the filament is changing with time.The phase differences of filaments are related to the existence of a gravitational field.     

Nonlinear Evolution of Axisymmetric Twisted Flux Tubes in the Solar Tachocline

We study the periodicity of twisting motions in sunspot penumbral filaments, which were recently discovered from space (Hinode) and ground-based (SST) observations. A sunspot was well observed for 97 minutes by Hinode/SOT in the G-band (4305 Å) on 12 November 2006. By the use of the time?–?space gradient applied to intensity space?–?time plots, twisting structures can be identified in the penumbral filaments. Consistent with previous findings, we find that the twisting is oriented from the solar limb to disk center. Some of them show a periodicity. The typical period is about ≈?four minutes, and the twisting velocity is roughly 6 km s^?1. However, the penumbral filaments do not always show periodic twisting motions during the time interval of the observations. Such behavior seems to start and stop randomly with various penumbral filaments displaying periodic twisting during different intervals. The maximum number of periodic twists is 20 in our observations. Studying this periodicity can help us to understand the physical nature of the twisting motions. The present results enable us to determine observational constraints on the twisting mechanism.     

The temperature of penumbral filaments

The intensity of individual penumbral filaments has recently been measured at the Pic-du-Midi Observatory as well as from observations obtained during the third flight of the Soviet Stratospheric Solar Station. We have used the results of these measurements to calculate the corresponding average penumbral intensity as function of wavelength. The calculated average intensity is compared with the average intensity observed at the Oslo Solar Observatory. The Pic-du-Midi observations are supported by this comparison. The run of temperature versus optical depth is given for bright and dark penumbral filaments.The variation of gas pressure with geometrical depth is discussed. It is suggested that the magnetic field direction has a different variation with depth in bright and dark filaments.     

The nature of running penumbral waves

Solar Physics - A model of a sunspot penumbra, including the effects of magnetic field, compressibility, and buoyancy, is studied in order to identify the mode of running penumbral waves. It is...     

Magnetoacoustic–Gravity Surface Waves with Evershed flow – A model for Running Penumbral Waves

The penumbral region of a sunspot is modelled as a two-layer plasma. The upper layer with magnetic field is taken with Evershed flow and the static lower layer is assumed to be field-free. The magnetoacoustic–gravity surface wave (MAGSW) propagation along this interface is studied. Our results show that the flow suppresses the fast MAGSW and allows only slow MAGSW. More importantly, we suggest that the running penumbral waves are more likely to be slow MAGSW.     

Moving Magnetic Features in and out of Penumbral Filaments

A time sequence of high-resolution SOHO/MDI magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and continuum images is used to study the moving magnetic features (MMFs) in and out of penumbral filaments. Precursors of MMFs have been observed inside the penumbral filaments. One hundred and fifteen out of 127 well-observed individual MMFs in the moat of two sunspots have been identified to have precursors at an average distance of 4″ inside the penumbral filaments. The velocity of these precursors is small inside the penumbral filaments and becomes large once the MMFs cross the outer penumbra. The paths followed by the MMFs exhibit large fluctuations in their magnetic field strength values, with an additional hike in the fluctuations near the outer penumbra. It is also observed that the path followed by the MMFs appear as a cluster of fibrils which could be traced back inside the penumbra. The appearance of MMFs and their azimuthal velocity is position and time dependent. Electronic Supplementary Material Electronic Supplementary Material is available for this article at     

Constructing Semi-Empirical Sunspot Models for Helioseismology

One goal of helioseismology is to determine the subsurface structure of sunspots. In order to do so, it is important to understand first the near-surface effects of sunspots on solar waves, which are dominant. Here we construct simplified, cylindrically-symmetric sunspot models that are designed to capture the magnetic and thermodynamics effects coming from about 500 km below the quiet-Sun τ ₅₀₀₀=1 level to the lower chromosphere. We use a combination of existing semi-empirical models of sunspot thermodynamic structure (density, temperature, pressure): the umbral model of Maltby et al. (1986, Astrophys. J. 306, 284) and the penumbral model of Ding and Fang (1989, Astron. Astrophys. 225, 204). The OPAL equation-of-state tables are used to derive the sound-speed profile. We smoothly merge the near-surface properties to the quiet-Sun values about 1 Mm below the surface. The umbral and penumbral radii are free parameters. The magnetic field is added to the thermodynamic structure, without requiring magnetostatic equilibrium. The vertical component of the magnetic field is assumed to have a Gaussian horizontal profile, with a maximum surface field strength fixed by surface observations. The full magnetic-field vector is solenoidal and determined by the on-axis vertical field, which, at the surface, is chosen such that the field inclination is 45° at the umbral – penumbral boundary. We construct a particular sunspot model based on SOHO/MDI observations of the sunspot in active region NOAA 9787. The helioseismic signature of the model sunspot is studied using numerical simulations of the propagation of f, p ₁, and p ₂ wave packets. These simulations are compared against cross-covariances of the observed wave field. We find that the sunspot model gives a helioseismic signature that is similar to the observations.     

Waves in the sunspot penumbra

The stability of a plane-parallel polytropic fluid layer in the presence of a uniform horizontal magnetic field is investigated to explore the possibility of identifying the running penumbral waves and the penumbral filaments with different types of instabilities.     

Magnetic field strength and inclination in the penumbral fine-structure

The uncertainty about a possible correlation between magnetic field strength, inclination, and the continuum intensity of sunspot penumbral fine-structure has been removed from detailed analysis of a spatially very well-resolved spectrum: the darker, long penumbral lanes host a 10% stronger and 30° flatter magnetic field as compared to the field in bright penumbral locations. This finding is not only based on the high spatial resolution but also on the use of a spectral line, here Fe 6842.7 Å, obtaining its essential contribution from those deep layers where the penumbral structure is seen, i.e. the continuum intensity level. The almost perfect correlation establishes that the penumbral structure is formed by the two magnetic components mainly differing by the field inclination. The different results from other Zeeman lines, as, e.g., Fe 6302.5 Å, indicate a different field structure above the white-light penumbral layers.     

Radiation transfer in prominences with filamentary structure

Observations concerning the structure of sunspots, obtained during the fourth flight of the Soviet Stratospheric Observatory (SSO), are discussed. Objects brighter than the mean photospheric background inside the sunspot penumbra retaining the stable position sometimes vary within time intervals of a few minutes. The brightness change in pores can be explained by their different location at highest levels of the photosphere. The same mechanism can cause the brightness difference of the penumbra filaments. The gradient of the brightness variation inside the pores is determined. The value of this gradient was found to be practically the same for all dark objects. Most penumbral filaments show no magnetic expansion with growing distance from the spot center.     

Large-Scale Structure of the Sunspot Activity and the Background Magnetic Field Formation

Large-scale distribution of the sunspot activity of the Sun has been analyzed by using a technique worked out previously (Erofeev, 1997) to study long-lived, non-axisymmetric magnetic structures with different periods of rotation. Results of the analysis have been compared with those obtained by analyzing both the solar large-scale magnetic field and large-scale magnetic field simulated by means of the well-known flux transport equation using the sunspot groups as a sole source of new magnetic flux in the photosphere. A 21-year period (1964–1985) has been examined.The rotation spectra calculated for the total time interval of two 11-year cycles indicate that sunspot activity consists of a series of discrete components (modes) with different periods of rotation. The largest-scale component of the sunspot activity reveals modes with 27-day and 28-day periods of rotation situated, correspondingly, in the northern and southern hemispheres of the Sun, and two modes with rotation periods of about 29.7 days situated in both hemispheres. Such a modal structure of the sunspot activity agrees well with that of the large-scale solar magnetic field. Moreover, the magnetic field distribution simulated with the flux transport equation also reveals the same modal structure. However, such an agreement between the large-scale solar magnetic field and both the sunspot activity and simulated magnetic field is unstable in time; so, it is absent in the northern hemisphere of the Sun during solar cycle No. 20. Thus the sources of magnetic flux responsible for formation of the large-scale, rigidly rotating magnetic patterns appear to be closely connected, but are not identical with the discrete modes of the sunspot activity.     

Two-Dimensional Spectroscopy of Photospheric Shear Flows in a Small <Emphasis Type="Italic">δ</Emphasis> Spot

In recent high-resolution observations of complex active regions, long-lasting and well-defined regions of strong flows were identified in major flares and associated with bright kernels of visible, near-infrared, and X-ray radiation. These flows, which occurred in the proximity of the magnetic neutral line, significantly contributed to the generation of magnetic shear. Signatures of these shear flows are strongly curved penumbral filaments, which are almost tangential to sunspot umbrae rather than exhibiting the typical radial filamentary structure. Solar active region NOAA 10756 was a moderately complex β δ sunspot group, which provided an opportunity to extend previous studies of such shear flows to quieter settings. We conclude that shear flows are a common phenomenon in complex active regions and δ spots. However, they are not necessarily a prerequisite condition for flaring. Indeed, in the present observations, the photospheric shear flows along the magnetic neutral line are not related to any change of the local magnetic shear. We present high-resolution observations of NOAA 10756 obtained with the 65-cm vacuum reflector at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). Time series of speckle-reconstructed white-light images and two-dimensional spectroscopic data were combined to study the temporal evolution of the three-dimensional vector flow field in the β δ sunspot group. An hour-long data set of consistent high quality was obtained, which had a cadence of better than 30 seconds and subarcsecond spatial resolution.     

The structure of a sunspot

A new model for the structure of a sunspot is put forward. The features of the model are (i) the deep inhibition of convection by magnetic fields, (ii) the formation of a cool cone above the region of inhibition of convective transfer by the energy diverted around this region, and (iii) the development of the penumbra by the interaction of strong magnetic field with thermal forces in a region where the opacity prevents the transport of energy by radiation alone. A clear distinction is made between a pore, which results from the inhibition of deep convection across an area considerably greater than that of the pore, and isolated penumbral filaments, which result from strong local fields in the surface regions.It is shown that this new model provides a simple account of the birth and development of a sunspot, and this is contrasted with the difficulties faced by alternative models.On leave from the University of Sydney.     

Helicity as a Component of Filament Formation

In this paper we seek the origin of the axial component of the magnetic field in filaments by adapting theory to observations. A previous paper (Mackay, Gaizauskas, and van Ballegooijen, 2000) showed that surface flows acting on potential magnetic fields for 27 days – the maximum time between the emergence of magnetic flux and the formation of large filaments between the resulting activity complexes – cannot explain the chirality or inverse polarity nature of the observed filaments. We show that the inclusion of initial helicity, for which there is observational evidence, in the flux transport model results in sufficiently strong dextral fields of inverse polarity to account for the existence and length of an observed filament within the allotted time. The simulations even produce a large length of dextral chirality when just small amounts of helicity are included in the initial configuration. The modeling suggests that the axial field component in filaments can result from a combination of surface (flux transport) and sub-surface (helicity) effects acting together. Here surface effects convert the large-scale helicity emerging in active regions into a smaller-scale magnetic-field component parallel to the polarity inversion line so as to form a magnetic configuration suitable for a filament.     

The crossover effect in sunspots and the fine structure of penumbra

The peculiarities of magnetosensitive lines in the penumbral spectrum and the abnormal distribution of circular polarization in them are explained satisfactorily in terms of superposition of radiation originating in different elements of penumbral fine structure. Complicated asymmetric rv ^– contours can be represented as a sum of two components related to bright (BR) and dark (DR) penumbral regions. Crossover effect in sunspot penumbra appears, when there is considerable relative radial mass velocity in BR and DR, having the magnetic field of different polarities in them. Such conditions are supposed to exist in the penumbra of some sunspots, situated close to the solar limb.