A review of SOHO/UVCS observations of sungrazing comets

In the last 10 years more than 1000 sungrazing comets have been discovered by the LASCO coronagraphs aboard SOHO the spacecraft; from this huge amount of data it has been possible to study the common origin of these comets and to explain some of the main peculiarities observed in their lightcurves. Moreover, the UV Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) aboard SOHO allowed EUV spectroscopy of sungrazers in the final stage of their trajectory (i.e. between 1.4 and 10 solar radii), but a few sungrazers have been observed with this instrument. In this paper we review the main results from the UVCS observation of sungrazers C/1996 Y1, C/2000 C6 and C/2001 C2, discussing also the first possible detection of two fragments and the determination of the pyroxene dust grain number density in the latter one. Preliminary results on the UVCS data interpretation of a sungrazer observed in 2002 (C/2002 S2) are also presented here.     

Dynamics of a Quiescent Solar Prominence Observed with the SUMER/SOHO Instrument

We present the results obtained from analyzing SUMER/SOHO observational data of a quiescent solar prominence. The studied prominence is made of complex structures. From the 1-hr data set, we derive characteristic frequencies in terms of intensity and velocity oscillations, as measured in 4 transition-region lines. The presence of different types of frequencies is detected: chromospheric oscillations and intermediate periods (6 min to 12 min). This result suggests that these oscillations are transmitted by the magnetic fields from the chromosphere to the transition region.     

Tracking UVCS/SOHO Responsivity with Observations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ζ</Emphasis> Tau

We have tracked the spectral responsivity of the ultraviolet channels of the UVCS (Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer) instrument on SOHO by repeated observations of a stable hot star. We demonstrate first that the ultraviolet spectral irradiance of the Be star ζ Tau (HD 37202) for the 100- to 125-nm wavelength range has been sufficiently constant for our purposes when measured periodically over the course of the SOHO mission. We then use ζ Tau as a radiometric transfer standard to determine an average decrease beginning in November of 1998 of 13.0% per year in the responsivity of the UVCS O vi channel for wavelengths near H i Ly α and for a particular UVCS unvignetted aperture used for science observations. The calibration tracking method involves separating two ζ Tau spectral regions that are overlapped on part of the detector. The change in the responsivity of UVCS/SOHO began in late 1998 as determined by comparison of simultaneous observations of the corona carried out with UVCS/SOHO and the freshly-calibrated UVCS instrument on the Spartan 201 satellite in early November of 1998. B. Valcu now at BrainLAB, Inc, 3 Westbrook Corporate Ctr., Tower 3, Suite 400, Westchester, IL 60154, USA, e-mail: bogdan.valcu@brainlab.com or Bogdan_valcu@hotmail.com     

A Note on Saturation Seen in the MDI/SOHO Magnetograms

A type of saturation is sometimes seen in sunspot umbrae in MDI/SOHO magnetograms. In this paper, we present the underlying cause of such saturation. By using a set of MDI circular polarization filtergrams taken during an MDI line profile campaign observation, we derive the MDI magnetograms using two different approaches: the on-board data processing and the ground data processing, respectively. The algorithms for processing the data are the same, but the former is limited by a 15-bit lookup table. Saturation is clearly seen in the magnetogram from the on-board processing simulation, which is comparable to an observed MDI magnetogram taken one and a half hours before the campaign data. We analyze the saturated pixels and examine the on-board numerical calculation method. We conclude that very low intensity in sunspot umbrae leads to a very low depth of the spectral line that becomes problematic when limited to the 15-bit on-board numerical treatment. This 15-bit on-board treatment of the values is the reason for the saturation seen in sunspot umbrae in the MDI magnetogram. Although it is possible for a different type of saturation to occur when the combination of a strong magnetic field and high velocity moves the spectral line out of the effective sampling range, this saturation is not observed.     

Anomalous Cosmic-Ray Helium,Nitrogen and Oxygen in 1996 – Measurements of the ERNE Instrument on-board SOHO

The energy spectra of the anomalous components of helium, nitrogen and oxygen have been measured by the ERNE experiment on board the SOHO spacecraft. During February 28–April 30, 1996, the maximum intensity of anomalous helium was found to be 3.8 × 10^-5 cm^-2 sr^-1 s^-1 (MeV nucl^-1)^-1 in the energy range 10–15 MeV nucl^-1. During the period January 26–April 30, 1996, the maximum oxygen intensity was 1.2 × 10^-5 cm^-2 sr^-1 s^-1 (MeV nucl^-1)^-1 at 4–7 MeV nucl^-1, and the maximum nitrogen intensity 1.7 × 10^-6 cm^-2 sr^-1 s^-1 (MeV nucl^-1)^-1 at 4–9 MeV nucl^-1. These peak intensities are at the same level as two solar cycles ago in 1977, but significantly higher than in 1986. This gives observational evidence for a 22-year solar modulation cycle. A noteworthy point is that the spectra of anomalous nitrogen and oxygen appear to be somewhat broader than in 1977.     

EIT: Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope for the SOHO mission

The Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) will provide wide-field images of the corona and transition region on the solar disc and up to 1.5 R above the solar limb. Its normal incidence multilayer-coated optics will select spectral emission lines from Fe IX (171 ), Fe XII (195 ), Fe XV (284 ), and He II (304 ) to provide sensitive temperature diagnostics in the range from 6 × 10⁴ K to 3 × 10⁶ K. The telescope has a 45 x 45 arcmin field of view and 2.6 arcsec pixels which will provide approximately 5-arcsec spatial resolution. The EIT will probe the coronal plasma on a global scale, as well as the underlying cooler and turbulent atmosphere, providing the basis for comparative analyses with observations from both the ground and other SOHO instruments. This paper presents details of the EIT instrumentation, its performance and operating modes.     

基于MDI/SOHO合成图的全球磁场外推

用势场方法和格林函数解构造了三维日冕磁场.相关的边界条件是所观测的光球磁场以及光球上2.6个太阳半径的开放场(源表面).所用的光球数据来自高精度的MDI/SOHO观测(2″/像素,1桢/98min).这种外推方法可以用来分析太阳大事件在大尺度上的可能触发机制.作为一个例子,我们分析了活动区NOAA9077的外推日冕场,发现它们的形态与EIT/SOHO的日冕观测相符很好.结合全日面Hα演化,我们推测来自活动区9082的一次激波扰动应该是导致2000年7月14日大耀斑和日冕物质抛射的触发原因,该扰动沿着外推所得到的一个磁环系统直接传到大耀斑爆发位置.     

SWAN: A study of Solar Wind Anisotropies on SOHO with Lyman alpha sky mapping

On board the SOHO spacecraft poised at L1 Lagrange point, the SWAN instrument is mainly devoted to the measurement of large scale structures of the solar wind, and in particular the distribution with heliographic latitude of the solar wind mass flux. This is obtained from an intensity map of the sky Lyman emission, which reflects the shape of the ionization cavity carved in the flow of interstellar H atoms by the solar wind. The methodology, inversion procedure and related complications are described. The subject of latitude variation of the solar wind is shortly reviewed: earlier Lyman results from Prognoz in 1976 are confirmed by Ulysses. The importance of the actual value of the solar wind mass flux for the equation of dynamics in a polar coronal hole is stressed. The instrument is composed of one electronic unit commanding two identical Sensor Units, each of them allowing to map a full hemisphere with a resolution of 1°, thanks to a two-mirrors periscope system. The design is described in some details, and the rationale for choice between several variants are discussed. A hydrogen absorption cell is used to measure the shape of the interplanetary Lyman line and other Lyman emissions. Other types of observations are also discussed : the geocorona, comets (old and new), the solar corona, and a possible signature of the heliopause. The connexion with some other SOHO instruments, in particular LASCO, UVCS, SUMER, is briefly discussed.     

A Study on the Paul-Baker System as an Instrument for Multi-object Spectrum Observation

Paul-Baker systems with 4°flat field and 5°flat field are studied. Their light obstructions under different f/ratios of the primary mirror are analyzed. Due to the strong f/ratio of the system, a focal length extender is designed in order to match the following fiber instrumentation, and two kinds of dispersion prism correctors are designed for correcting the atmospheric dispersion. We compare the designed Paul-Baker system with LAMOST, the national major scientific project now under construction.     

基于GPS实现测频等功能的虚拟仪器的研制

设计和研制了一种适用于大专院校示范教学实验的虚拟仪器。该虚拟仪器以GPS接收模块输出的1PPS(秒脉冲)信号为基准,测量无源石英晶体振荡器频率,同时利用GPS信号实现了仪器的时间同步与测距功能。从硬件和软件两方面描述了该虚拟仪器的构成及设计方法,主要介绍和讨论基于GPS和虚拟仪器技术实现多功能测量的途径。     

Dynamics of the solar magnetic field from SOHO/MDI

The investigation of the dynamics of magnetic fields from small scales to the large scales is very important for the understanding of the nature of solar activity. It is also the base for producing adequate models of the solar cycle with the purpose to predict the level of solar activity. Since December 1995 the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) on board of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) provides full disk magnetograms and synoptic maps which cover the period of solar cycle 23 and the current minimum. In this paper, I review the following important topics with a focus on the dynamics of the solar magnetic field. The synoptic structure of the solar cycle; the birth of the solar cycle (overlapping cycles 23 and 24); the relationship of the photospheric magnetic activity and the EUV solar corona, polar magnetic fields and dynamo theory (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Composition of Coronal Streamers from the SOHO Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer

The Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer on the SOHO satellite covers the 940–1350 Å range as well as the 470–630 Å range in second order. It has detected coronal emission lines of H, N, O, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ar, Ca, Fe, and Ni, particularly in coronal streamers. Resonance scattering of emission lines from the solar disk dominates the intensities of a few lines, but electron collisional excitation produces most of the lines observed. Resonance, intercombination and forbidden lines are seen, and their relative line intensities are diagnostics for the ionization state and elemental abundances of the coronal gas. The elemental composition of the solar corona and solar wind vary, with the abundance of each element related to the ionization potential of its neutral atom (First Ionization Potential–FIP). It is often difficult to obtain absolute abundances, rather than abundances relative to O or Si. In this paper, we study the ionization state of the gas in two coronal streamers, and we determine the absolute abundances of oxygen and other elements in the streamers. The ionization state is close to that of a log T = 6.2 plasma. The abundances vary among, and even within, streamers. The helium abundance is lower than photospheric, and the FIP effect is present. In the core of a quiescent equatorial streamer, oxygen and other high-FIP elements are depleted by an order of magnitude compared with photospheric abundances, while they are depleted by only a factor of 3 along the edges of the streamer. The abundances along the edges of the streamer (‘legs’) resemble elemental abundances measured in the slow solar wind, supporting the identification of streamers as the source of that wind component.     

Ultraviolet spectroscopic observations of coronal streamers in the SOHO era

Measurements made with the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory can be used to determine physical parameters in the solar corona such as hydrogen and ion kinetic temperatures, electron densities, and absolute elemental abundances. Hydrogen and ion outflow velocities can be determined by combining the UV spectroscopic measurements with white light polarized brightness measurements. These combined measurements can be used to reveal physical characteristics of coronal streamers. To date we have studied plasma properties, such as the variation of plasma outflows in quiescent streamers, primarily in classic helmet streamers at solar minimum. Out-flows have not been observed in the centers of coronal streamers suggesting that these are closed magnetic field regions. We propose to study all of the coronal streamers in the UVCS synoptic dataset in order to investigate different types of streamers and their long-term evolution.     

The EUV spectrum of sunspot plumes observed by SUMER on SOHO

We present results from sunspot observations obtained by SUMER on SOHO. In sunspot plumes the EUV spectrum differs from the quiet Sun; continua are observed with different slopes and intensities; emission lines from molecular hydrogen and many unidentified species indicate unique plasma conditions above sunspots. Sunspot plumes are sites of systematic downflow. We also discuss the properties of sunspot oscillations     

The In-Flight Performance of the SOHO/CDS Grazing Incidence Spectrometer

We present the characteristics, operations history, performance, and calibration of the Grazing Incidence Spectrometer (GIS) of the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer onboard SOHO. The GIS sensitivity has been monitored in a direct manner by examining the quiet Sun count rates during 1996 – 2006, nearly a whole solar cycle of observations. Overall, the instrument, with its grazing-incidence optics and microchannel plates, has performed exceptionally well. For most spectral regions, changes in the instrument sensitivity have been very small over a 10-year period. The trends in sensitivities support the use of the radiometric calibration of Del Zanna et al. (Astron. Astrophys. 379, 708, 2001) throughout the mission. The verification of the detector performance over such a long period allows us to point out the spectral lines that can reliably be used for scientific analysis.     

Solar Si XI Line Ratios Observed by the Normal Incidence Spectrometer on SOHO CDS

New measurements of line intensity ratios in the Be-like ion Si xi are presented for observations of the quiet Sun, active regions, coronal holes and above-limb regions obtained using the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. A model ion, constructed using the best available atomic data, is used to predict the line intensity ratios for a wide range of electron temperatures and densities. Comparisons of the theoretical ratios with the new intensity ratios as well as with those from previous solar observations and laboratory measurements are given. The usefulness of the ratios for electron temperature and density diagnostics, as well as for spectrometer calibration, is discussed.     

EUV Full-Sun Imaging and Pointing Calibration of the SOHO Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer

Although the field of view of the Normal Incidence Spectrometer (NIS) of the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) is 4×4 arc min, it is possible to observe the full solar disk by forming a mosaic of images taken in succession. This paper describes just such a study which has been used to collect images of the Sun simultaneously in six wavelengths between 304 Ú and 630 Ú, and with a temperature coverage between 5×10⁴ K and 2.5×10⁶ K. A representative sample of the resulting images is presented. These data can be used to explore the origin of solar EUV variability, and examine large-scale solar features. Another use of these data is to calibrate the pointing of the CDS Offset Pointing System (OPS), by comparing them against the SOHO Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) full-disk images taken at the same time. Many joint observations are made with CDS and other SOHO instruments, and calibration of the pointing is crucial to the co-pointing of the instruments, and to the analyses of these data. Coalignment is done by fitting to a cross-correlation function, using an IDL procedure which can be applied to any CDS/NIS data set. The accuracy of an individual coalignment can be demonstrated to be in the range 1–2 arc sec. The overall accuracy of the OPS calibration is ±5 arc sec, mainly attributable to measurement error in the actuator positions. An onboard Spartan Intermediate Sun Sensor of the Lockheed design, which was intended to provide greater pointing accuracy, exhibits a time-varying calibration, possibly due to a gradual loss of sensitivity.     

Investigation of Quasi-periodic Solar Oscillations in Sunspots Based on SOHO/MDI Magnetograms

In this work we study quasi-periodic solar oscillations in sunspots, based on the variation of the amplitude of the magnetic field strength and the variation of the sunspot area. We investigate long-period oscillations between three minutes and ten hours. The magnetic field synoptic maps were obtained from the SOHO/MDI. Wavelet (Morlet), global wavelet spectrum (GWS) and fast Fourier transform (FFT) methods are used in the periodicity analysis at the 95?% significance level. Additionally, the quiet Sun area (QSA) signal and an instrumental effect are discussed. We find several oscillation periods in the sunspots above the 95?% significance level: 3??C?5, 10??C?23, 220??C?240, 340 and 470 minutes, and we also find common oscillation periods (10??C?23 minutes) between the sunspot area variation and that of the magnetic field strength. We discuss possible mechanisms for the obtained results, based on the existing models for sunspot oscillations.     

A Model for the Source of Quasi-Harmonic Bursts on the Crab Pulsar

A model for the source of microwave bursts from the Crab pulsar in the form of a current sheet with a transversemagnetic field has been investigated. The emission generation mechanism is based on the excitation of plasma waves at the double plasma resonance frequencies in a nonrelativistic nonequilibrium plasma followed by their scattering into electromagnetic waves that escape from the current sheet into the neutron star magnetosphere. The basic parameters of the source explaining the observed characteristics of quasi-harmonic bursts in the interpulses of radio emission from this pulsar have been established.