Fine structure of convective motions in the solar photosphere: Observations and theory

The granulation brightnesses and convective velocities in the solar photosphere between the levels of formation of the continuum radiation and the temperature minimum are examined. Spectral images of the granulation observed in lines of neutral and ionized iron with high spatial (0.5″) and temporal (9 s) resolutions were obtained using the German Vacuum Tower Telescope in Izana (Tenerife, Spain). A correlation analysis shows that the granules and intergranules change their relative brightness at a height near 250 km, and a general reversal of the velocity occurs near a height of 490 km, where the material above granules begins to predominantly descend, and the material above intergranules, to ascend. The maximum correlation coefficient between the velocity and the line brightnesdoesnot exceed 0.75. The properties of the brightness and velocity are analyzed in a sixteen-column model. Four sorts of motions are most typical and efficient. In the first two, only the sign of the relative contrast of the material changes (an efficiency of 46%). This occurs, on average, at a height of 270 km. In the last two motions, both the sign of the contrast and the direction of the motion are reversed near a height of 350 km (an efficiency of 28%). All the observed dependences are compared with theoretical relations obtained in a three-dimensional hydrodynamical model, with deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium included in the calculation of the spectral-line profiles. This model can satisfactorily reproduce all the basic features of the convective velocities and intensities. It is concluded that the convective motions maintain their column structure throughout the photosphere, right to the level of the temperature minimum. This makes a separation of the photosphere into two regions with different granulation brightnesses and convective motions unjustified.     

Periodic processes and plasma motions in solar coronal holes

Episodic observations of coronal holes were carried out simultaneously in several spectral lines during the 2002–2005 observational seasons. An analysis of eighteen time series is used to obtain the amplitude—spectral properties of oscillatory wave motions of the solar plasma at the bases of coronal holes. It is found that the amplitudes of the 5-min and 3-min line-of-sight velocity oscillations increase in coronal holes. Low-frequency (1–2 mHz) oscillations are concentrated at the boundaries of the chromospheric network, while the 3-mHz and 5-mHz oscillations dominate in the network cells. Clear indications of propagating waves have been found at the bases of coronal holes. The 3 mHz phase velocities are 45 ± 5 km/s and 80–100 km/s for the equatorial and polar coronal holes, respectively.     

Properties of oscillations in sunspot penumbras

Observations of oscillations in the penumbras of seven sunspots are analyzed. High-sensitivity differential measurements of the line-of-sight velocity (11 time series) and variations of the Ni I 4857 Å and H_β line profiles (four series) have provided new data making it possible to improve estimates of the amplitude and spectral characteristics of the oscillations. In the middle penumbras, oscillations of the line-of-sight velocity with fundamental periods of 5 and 8–10 min predominate at the photospheric level; their amplitude does not exceed 40–50 m/s, and the spatial coherence scale in the radial direction is no greater than 5″–10″. At frequencies of 0.5–2.0 mHz, the phase difference between the photosphere and chromosphere (NiI 4857 Å-H_β) is close to 180°. The line-of-sight velocity component due to Evershed motions is responsible for oscillations with periods of 15–35 min, which occur synchronously at both heights.     

Quasi-periodic line-of-sight velocity variations at the bases of polar coronal holes

Spatial and temporal variations in the line-of-sight velocities and brightnesses measured in the Hα and FeI 6564 Å Hβ and FeI 4864 Å NiI 4857 Å lines at the bases of polar coronal holes are analyzed. Time series with durations of 43–120 min were recorded using a CCD strip (3700 pixels 200×7 µm in size) and a CCD array (256×1024 pixels 24 µm in size). Quasi-stationary upward flows (with radial velocities reaching 3 km/s in the photosphere and 12–15 km/s in the chromosphere) were observed near dark points at the boundaries of the chromospheric network. The acoustic 3-min and 5-min oscillations are amplified in the coronal hole, and reach 1 km/s in the photosphere and 3–4 km/s in the chromosphere. The spectra of fluctuations of the line-of-sight velocity exhibit significant maxima at low frequencies, clustering near 0.4, 0.75, and 1 mHz.     

Horizontal magnetic fields in the solar photosphere

Two-dimensional simulations of time-dependent solar magnetogranulation are used to analyze the horizontal magnetic fields and the response of the synthesized Stokes profiles of the IR FeI λ1564.85 nm line to the magnetic fields. The 1.5-h series of MHD models used for the analyses reproduces a region of the magnetic network in the photosphere with an unsigned magnetic flux density of 192 G at the solar surface. According to the magnetic-field distribution obtained, the most probable absolute strength of the horizontal magnetic field at an optical depth of τ ₅ = 1(τ ₅ denotes τ at λ = 500 nm) is 50 G, while the mean value is 244 G. On average, the horizontal magnetic fields are stronger than the vertical fields to heights of about 400 km in the photosphere due to their higher density and the larger area they occupy. The maximum factor by which the horizontal fields are greater is 1.5. Strong horizontal magnetic flux tubes emerge at the surface as spots with field strengths of more than 500 G. These are smaller than granules in size, and have lifetimes of 3–6 min. They form in the photosphere due to the expulsion of magnetic fields by convective flows coming from deep subphotospheric layers. The data obtained qualitatively agree with observations with the Hinode space observatory.     

A study of the shell of Nova V2659 Cyg

Results of a study of the shell of Nova V2659 Cyg based on spectrophotometric observations carried out over a year and a half after its eruption are presented. The physical conditions in the nova shell have been studied. The electron temperature (9000 K) and density (5 × 10⁶ cm^?3) in the nebular stage have been estimated, together with the abundances of helium, oxygen, nitrogen, neon, argon, and iron. The abundances of nitrogen, oxygen, neon, and argon are enhanced relative to the solar values. The relative abundances are [N/H] = 2.26 ± 0.25 dex, [O/H] = 1.66 ± 0.35 dex, [Ne/H] = 0.78 ± 0.25 dex, and [Ar/H] = 0.32 ± 0.38 dex. The estimated mass of oxygen and total mass of the emitting shell are ≈1 × 10^?4M_⊙ and ≈3 × 10^?4M_⊙, respectively. In the period of chaotic brightness oscillations, the maximum velocity of the shell expansion derived from the radial velocities of the absorption components of the HI and FeII line profiles increased by ≈400 km/s 41 days after the maximum, and by ≈200 km/s 101 days after the maximum, reaching 1600 km/s in both cases.     

Sources of the global magnetic field of the Sun

Data on the global magnetic field (GMF) of the Sun as a star for 1968–1999 are used to determine the correlation of the GMF with the radial component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) |B _r|; all data were averaged over a half year. The time variations in the GMF |H| are better correlated with variations in |B _r|; than the results of extrapolating the field from the “source surface” to the Earth’s orbit in a potential model based on magnetic synoptic maps of the photosphere. Possible origins for the higher correlation between the GMF and IMF are discussed. For both the GMF and IMF, the source surface actually corresponds to the quiet photosphere—i.e., background fields and coronal holes—rather than to a spherical surface artificially placed ≈2.5 R _⊙ from the center of the Sun, as assumed in potential models (R _⊙ is the solar radius). The mean effective strength of the photospheric field is about 1.9 G. There is a nearly linear dependence between |H| and |B _r|. The strong correlation between variations in |H| and |B _r| casts doubt on the validity of correcting solar magnetic fields using the so-called “saturation” factor δ^?1 (for magnetograph measurements in the λ 525.0 nm FeI line).     

The active region Orion KL in polarized emission in the Orion

The fine structure of the active region in the Orion KL gas-dust complex has been measured in polarized H₂O maser emission (epoch December 12, 1998) with an angular resolution of 0.15 mas, or 0.07 AU, and a velocity resolution of 0.05 km/s. The maser emission is concentrated in a line with ΔV = 0.45 km/s, V _LSR = 7.65 km/s, and a flux density of F = 2.1 MJy. The structure consists of a compact source (ejector), highly collimated bipolar outflow, and a toroidal component. The brightness temperature of the ejector is T _b = 2 × 10¹⁶ K, and its degree of linear polarization reaches m ≈ 20%. The variation of the polarization angle across the profile is dX/dV = ?23°/(km/s), which considerably exceeds the Faraday rotation in the HII region foreground to the molecular cloud. The observed “rotation” is explained as an effect of different orientations for the polarization of the ejected outflows. The brightness temperature of the bipolar outflow is T _b ≈ 10¹⁴ K, while that of individual components is T _b ≈ 10¹⁵ K. The degree of polarization in the components exceeds that of the ejector and reaches m ≈ 50%. The position angle of the polarization is X ≈ 45° relative to the outflow. The torus, which is observed edge-on, has a diameter of 0.38 AU and a thickness of 0.08 AU. The brightness temperature of the tangential directions in the torus is T _b ≈ 5 × 10¹⁵ K, and the rotational velocity is V _rot ≈ 0.02 km/s. The degree of polarization is m ≈ 40%, and its position angle relative to the azimuthal plane is X ≈ 43°. The relative deviations of the polarization plane in the bipolar outflow and torus relative to the pumping direction are nearly the same and are determined by Faraday rotation within the HII region.     

Initial formation of an “impulsive” coronal mass ejection

An “impulsive” coronal mass ejection (CME) observed on August 24, 2014 is analyzed using ultraviolet images obtained in the SDO/AIA 193, 304, 1600, and 1700 Å channels and Hα (6562.8 Å) data obtained with the EI Teide and Big Bear telescopes. The formation of this impulsive CME was related to a magnetic tube (rope) moving with a velocity of ≈35 km/s and containing plasma that was cooler than the photospheric material. Moving in the corona, the magnetic tube collides with a quasi-stationary coronal magnetic rope, with its two bases rooted in the photosphere. This interaction results in the formation of the CME, with the surface of the coronal magnetic rope becoming the CME frontal structure. According to SDO/HMI data, no enhancements or changes in magnetic flux were detected in the vicinity of the CME bases during its formation. This may support the hypothesis that the magnetic tube starts its motion from layers in the vicinity of the temperature minimum.     

Twenty-year-long monitoring of the H2O maser S269

Results of observations of the H₂O maser in S269 carried out from October 1980 to February 2001 on the 22-m telescope (RT-22) of the Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory are presented. During the monitoring of S269, variability of the integrated flux of the maser emission with a cyclic character and an average period of 5.7 years was observed. This may be connected with cyclic activity of the central star during its formation. Emission at radial velocities of 4–7 km/s was detected. Thus, the H₂O maser emission in S269 extends from 4 to 22 km/s, and is concentrated in three radial-velocity intervals: 4–7, 11–14, and 14–22 km/s. In some time intervals, the main group of emission features (14–22 km/s) had a triplet structure. The central velocity of the total spectrum is close to the velocity of the CO molecular cloud and HII region, differing from it by an amount that is within the probable dispersion of the turbulent gas velocities in the core of the CO molecular cloud. A radial-velocity drift of the component at V _LSR≈20 km/s with a period of ≈26 years has been detected. This drift is likely due to turbulent (vortical) motions of material.     

Coronal mass ejection of April 27, 2003, and evolution of the active region NOAA 10338 in the radio

The results of a study of the coronal mass ejection (CME) of April 27, 2003, which was intrinsically associated with the active region NOAA 10338, are reported. Particular attention is paid to the initial stage of the event, which was accompanied by X-ray bursts of class C9.3 and C6.7, with the aim of determining the origin of CMEs. The energy source of the ejection was in the active region NOAA 10338. This region had a complicated and dynamic magnetic-field topology, and produced a series of CME-type events. The basis for the study was observations at wavelengths of 1.92–17 cm with high spatial resolution, 17″–20″, obtained on the Siberian Solar Radio Telescope (SSRT) and RATAN-600, together with simultaneous data from the Nobeyama Radio Heliograph (NoRH, wavelength 1.76 cm) and 195 Å ultraviolet data from the TRACE spacecraft. The development of the event was followed over three hours, first through observations against the disk at heights of 10,000–100,000 km from the photosphere, then in the post-limb stage to distances of the order of 10⁶ km from the solar center, i.e., in the zone inaccessible to the LASCO coronographs. According to the radio observations, ～10 min before the beginning of the event, the radio structure of the active region NOAA 10338 had an S-shaped (sigmoid) configuration. A rising, gradually expanding dark loop originated at the points where this structure was observed; according to the TRACE data, this loop initiated the event. Subsequently, the structure of the radio image drastically changed, suggesting that coronal plasma was heated and cooled at different sites of the emission region (or was shielded by the cooler material of the ejection). Profiles of the burst that accompanied the ejection are presented for four points in the region. The post-limb part of the event first had a compact (～50″) structure receding from the Sun and visible to distances ～10⁶ km. An asymmetric loop was then formed, with its material falling back onto the Sun at the end of the event. The brightness temperature of the loop was ～15 × 10³ K, and its emission was weakly polarized (P ≈16%). The mean speed of the material was 160 km/s. It is concluded that the observations of the event of April 27, 2003 are most consistent with the model of Amari et al., in which the formation of an eruptive twisted magnetic rope, taken to be responsible for CME-type events, is explained by the emergence of new magnetic flux within an old field of opposite polarity.     

A statistical model of the earth's crust: Method and results

A model of the earth's crust has been adopted for interpretation of seismic reflection profiles in Kazakhstan. Within it, the smooth variation of seismic velocities with depth becomes complicated by small random fluctuations of various scales. These velocity fluctuations are manifested in oscillations of amplitudes and arrival times of the recorded signals.

The inhomogeneity of the medium is characterized by its coefficient of intrinsic attenuation. Investigation of this coefficient shows that for the crust, its mean value (at a frequency of 7 Hz) is equal to 10⁻³ km ⁻¹ and that over the depth interval of 10–25 km its value is very small, almost zero. It is therefore most surprising that this same depth interval (10–25 km) contains nothing unusual within the cross-section of its determined component wave velocity.     

Peculiarities and variations in the optical spectrum of the post-AGB star V448 Lac = IRAS 22223+4327

Multi-epoch observations with high spectral resolution acquired in 1998–2008 are used to study the time behavior of the spectral-line profiles and velocity fields in the atmosphere and circumstellar shell of the post-AGB star V448 Lac. Asymmetry of the profiles of the strongest absorption lines with lower-level excitation potentials χ _low < 1 eV and time variations of these profiles have been detected, most prominently the profiles of the resonance lines of BaII, YII, LaII, SiII. The peculiarities of these profiles can be explained using a superposition of stellar absorption line and shell emission lines. Emission in the (0; 1) 5635 Å Swan system band of the C₂ molecule has been detected in the spectrum of V448 Lac for the first time. The core of the Hα line displays radial-velocity variations with an amplitude of ΔV _r ≈ 8 km/s. Radial-velocity variations displayed by weak metallic lines with lower amplitudes, ΔV _r ≈ 1–2 km/s, may be due to atmospheric pulsations. Differential line shifts, ΔV _r = 0–8 km/s have been detected on various dates. The position of the molecular spectrum is stationary in time, indicating a constant expansion velocity of the circumstellar shell, V _exp = 15.2 km/s, as derived from the C₂ and NaI lines.     

Possible reasons for the frequency splitting of the harmonics of type II solar radio bursts

AIA/SDO data in the 193 Å channel preceding a coronal mass ejection observed at the solar limb on June 13, 2010 are used to simultaneously identify and examine two different shock fronts. The angular size of each front relative to the CME center was about 20°, and their propagation directions differed by ≈25° (≈4° in position angle). The faster front, called the blast shock, advanced the other front, called the piston shock, by R ≈ (0.02-0.03)R⊙ (R⊙ is the solar radius) and had a maximum initial speed of V_B ≈ 850 km/s (with V_P ≈ 700 km/s for the piston shock). The appearance and motion of these shocks were accompanied by a Type II radio burst observed at the fundamental frequency F and second harmonic H. Each frequency was split into two close frequencies f₁ and f₂ separated by Δf = f₂ - f₁ ? F, H. It is concluded that the observed frequency splitting Δf of the F and H components of the Type II burst could result from the simultaneous propagation of piston and blast shocks moving with different speeds in somewhat different directions displaying different coronal-plasma densities.     

Photodissociative absorption by H 2 + in the solar photosphere

Photoabsorption by systems of hydrogen atoms and protons in the solar photosphere is studied. Analytical formulas for the partial cross sections for photodissociation of the H ₂ ⁺ molecular ion are derived for the cases of fixed vibrational-rotational energy levels and averaging over a Boltzmann distribution for a given temperature. The photoabsorption coefficients for bound-free and free-free transitions of H-H⁺ in the solar photosphere are calculated. These are compared with the absorption coefficients for photo-ejection of an electron from a negative hydrogen ion H^? and free-free transitions of an electron in the field of a hydrogen atom H. Results can be applied to the Sun and hotter stars.     

The role of faculae in wave-energy transfer to upper layers of the solar atmosphere: Observations

The properties of Doppler-velocity oscillations in solar faculae are analyzed at the photospheric level (based on Fe I 6569 ? and Fe I 8536 ? lines) and chromospheric level (based on Hα and Ca II 8542 ? lines) to search for upward propagating waves. The similarity of the averaged power spectra at 2.5–4 mHz is not found to be convincing proof of the presence of unidirectional wave-energy transfer from the photosphere to the chromosphere. Phase relations between the photospheric and chromospheric oscillations that are indicative of either upward or downward propagating waves are obtained for various areas in many faculae. This suggests that the wave energy of the five-minute oscillations returns to the photosphere, at least partially. The derived properties suggest that the role of faculae in the transfer of the five-minute oscillations to the chromosphere and overlying layers is not as obvious as could be expected. The relatively typical presence of low-frequency (0.5–2 mHz) oscillations in faculae and their possible important role in this energy transfer are noted.     

Physical differences between the initial phase of the formation of two types of coronal mass ejections

Physical differences in the formation of “gradual” and “impulsive” coronal mass ejections (CMEs) at heights of h < 0.2 R _⊙ just before and during the initial phase of their motion are studied using AIA/SDO ultraviolet data (h is the altitude above the solar surface and R _⊙ is the solar radius). The basic structure of a gradual CME is a magnetic rope located in the corona. During an hour or more preceding the initial phase, the magnetic rope demonstrates an increase in brightness and transverse size, first of the low, inner elements of the rope and then of elements in its outer envelope most distant from the Sun. The rope remains motionless during this time. The initial phase of a gradual CME begins from the motion of the magnetic rope’s outer envelope, which further becomes the basis for the CME frontal structure. At this stage, the inner low elements of the rope remain almost motionless. The initial phase of an impulsive CME begins with the appearance near the photosphere of a cavity moving away from the Sun; the dynamics of this cavity probably correspond to a magnetic tube filled with cool plasma rising from beneath the photosphere. This magnetic tube collides with and drags arch structures, which initially block the tube’s motion. These arch structures contribute to the CME formation, although the magnetic tube itself forms the basis of the CME.     

Analysis of the velocity field of F and G dwarfs in the solar neighborhood as a function of age

The space velocities from the catalog of Nordstr?m et al. (2004) are used to trace variations of a number of kinematic parameters of single F and G dwarfs as a function of their age. The vertex deviation of disk stars increases from 7° ± 1° to 15° ± 2° as the mean age decreases from 4.3 to 1.5 Gyr. The two-dimensional velocity distributions in the UV, UW, and VW planes are analyzed. The evolution of the main peaks in the velocity distributions can be followed to an average age of ≈9 Gyr. We find that: (1) in the distributions of the UV velocity components, stars of different types are concentrated toward several stable peaks (the Hyades, Pleiades, and Sirius Cluster), suggesting that the stars belonging to these formations did not form simultaneously; (2) the peak associated with the Hyades Cluster dominates in all age intervals; and (3) the Hyades peak is strongest for stars with an average age of 1.5 Gyr, suggesting that this peak contains a considerable fraction of stars from the Hyades cluster. The age dependences of the kinematic parameters exhibit a break near ≈4–5 Gyr, which can be explained as an effect of the different contributions of stars of the thin and thick disks. The Stromberg relation yields a solar LSR velocity of V _⊙LSR = (8.7, 6.2, 7.2) ± (0.5, 2.2, 0.8) km/s.     

Detection of spectral variability of the optical component of the IR source IRAS 20508+2011

Our high-resolution spectral observations have revealed variability of the optical spectrum of the cool star identified with the IR source IRAS 20508+2011. We measured the equivalent widths of numerous absorption lines of neutral atoms and ions at wavelengths 4300–7930 Å, along with the corresponding radial velocities. Over the four years of our observations, the radial velocity derived from photospheric absorption lines varied in the interval V _r⊙ = 15–30 km/s. In the same period, the Hα profile varied from being an intense bell-shaped emission line with a small amount of core absorption to displaying two-peaked emission with a central absorption feature below the continuum level. At all but one epoch, the positions of the metallic photospheric lines were systematically shifted relative to the Hα emission: ΔV _r = V _r(met) ? V _r(Hα, emis) ≈ ?23 km/s. The Na D doublet displayed a complex profile with broad (half-width ≈ 120 km/s) emission and photospheric absorption, as well as an interstellar component. We used model atmospheres to determine the physical parameters and chemical composition of the star’s atmosphere: T _eff = 4800 K, log g = 1.5, ξ_t = 4.0 km/s. The metallicity of the star differs little from the solar value: [Fe/H]_⊙ = ?0.36. We detected overabundances of oxygen [O/Fe]_⊙ = +1.79 (with the ratio [C/O] ≈ ?0.9), and α-process elements, as well as a deficit of heavy metals. The entire set of the star’s parameters suggests that the optical component of IRAS 20508+2011 is an “O-rich” AGB star with luminosity M _v ≈ ?3^m that is close to its evolutionary transition to the post-AGB stage.     

The effect of acoustic waves on spectral-line profiles in the solar atmosphere: Observations and theory

The fine structure of the FeI λ 532.4185-nm line of neutral iron is studied with high spatial (0.5″) and temporal (9.3 s) resolution using observations of a quiet region at the center of the solar disk. The character of the line asymmetry depends strongly on the nature of the velocity field, i.e., on whether it is due to convective or wave motions. The magnitude of the asymmetry due to acoustic waves is comparable to that due to convective motions. The propagation of acoustic waves in moving granules and intergranular lanes is studied by solving a system of hydrodynamical equations in a three-dimensional model for the solar atmosphere. The temporal variations in the bisector of the line synthesized in a non-LTE approximation agree well with the observational data.