The enhancement of scattered Lα radiation in the geocorona during the solar flares of August 1972

The S2/68 telescope on the TD-1A satellite has observed an increase in the L radiation scattered in the geocorona during the major solar flares of August 1972. The history of the 7 August flare is presented and shows a maximum enhancement of about 40%.     

The excitation of the iron Kα feature in solar flares

We evaluate the relationship between the hard X-ray photon spectrum and the flux of iron K emission in a thick-target electron bombardment model. Results are presented for various power-law hard X-ray spectra. We then apply these results to two events observed with the Hard X-Ray Burst Spectrometer and the K channel of the X-Ray Polychromator Bent Crystal Spectrometer on the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. For one of the events, on 29 March, 1980, at 09:18 UT, the K flux predicted for a thick-target non-thermal process is significant compared to the background fluorescent component, and the data are indeed consistent with an enhancement of the predicted amount. For the other event, on 14 October, 1980 at 06:09 UT, the hard X-ray spectrum is so steep that no significant Ka flux is predicted for this process, and no enhancement is seen. We conclude that the agreement between the predicted K flux and the observed magnitude of the K enhancement above the fluorescent background at the time of the large hard X-ray bursts lends support to a thick-target non-thermal interpretation of impulsive hard X-ray emission in solar flares.     

Periodicities in the λ10 cm solar flux

An analysis has been carried out on the 32 years of 10 cm solar flux data, published by Covington, to test for evidence of the periodicities found by others using different techniques. Two features with periods of about 25 and 31 days appear to persist throughout the data, but there is no evidence for the 12.6 days periodicity claimed by Dicke and Goldenberg from solar ellipticity measurements, nor for the 12.07 day periodicity claimed by Knight et al. from an analysis of sunspot numbers. A 750 day periodicity is evident during 1970–75; this may correspond to the feature deduced by Sakurai from the sunspot numbers (and claimed to correlate with the neutrino flux); this feature can change in amplitude at other times. The other major feature has a period of about 1100 days, but disappears completely during 1970–75. The above periods are all synodic.On leave of absence at Sterrewacht, Leiden, The Netherlands during 1979/80.     

The solar minimum temperature determined by the CO (A 1Π-X 1Σ)

The synthetic Voigt profile of the following transitions (v=0,v=0), (v=0,v=1), (v=1,v=1), (v=1,v=0) have been computed for different concentrations and temperatures of CO and compaed to the measured intensities of the UV sunspot spectrum by a high resolution spectrograph. From this comparison the solar minimum temperature has been determined.     

Hα profiles from electron-heated solar flares

We briefly review the status of models of optical flare heating by electron bombardment. We recompute Brown's (1973a) flare model atmospheres using considerably revised radiative loss rates, based on Canfield's (1974b) method applied to , L, and H^–. Profiles of are computed and compared with observation. The computed profiles agree satisfactorily with those observed during the large 1972 August 7 flare, if spatial and velocity inhomogeneities are assumed. The electron injection rate inferred from is one order of magnitude less than that inferred from hard X-rays, for this event. This may be due to either (1) the neglect of a mechanism that reduces the thick-target electron injection rate or (2) failure to incorporate important radiative loss terms.     

Hα red asymmetry of solar flares

The evolutional characteristics of the red asymmetry of H flare line profiles were studied by means of a quantitative analysis of H flare spectra obtained with the Domeless Solar Telescope at Hida Observatory. Red-shifted emission streaks of H line are found at the initial phase of almost all flares which occur near the disk center, and are considered to be substantial features of the red asymmetry. It is found that a downward motion in the flare chromospheric region is the cause of the red-shifted emission streak. The downward motion abruptly increases at the onset of a flare, attains its maximum velocity of about 40 to 100 km s^-1 shortly before the impulsive peak of the microwave burst, and rapidly decreases before the intensity of H line reaches its maximum. Referring to the numerical simulations made by Livshits et al. (1981) and Somov et al. (1982), we conclude that the conspicuous red-asymmetry or the red-shifted emission streak of H line is due to the downward motion of the compressed chromospheric flare region produced by the impulsive heating by energetic electron beam or thermal conduction.Contributions from the Kwasan and Hida Observatories, University of Kyoto, No. 258.     

Moment method for multiple scattering of solar Lα radiation in the nearby interstellar medium

The problem of solar L (1216 Å) photons scattered coherently by interplanetary medium is solved for a realistic density distribution using a simple three-stream division of the radiation field.     

Date of minimum of the “protracted” solar cycle 23

We offer an interpretation of the now widely discussed protracted onset of the epoch of solar activity minimum after cycle 23. The interpretation appeals to the Gnevyshev-Ohl rule, but in the context of a new statistical quantity-the product of the cycle amplitude by its duration. Considering this quantity, which has the same physical meaning as that of the integrated characteristic used by Gnevyshev and Ohl, yields a probable estimate for the onset of the minimum of the current cycle in the interval 2009.0–2012.4.     

The clustering of Lα absorption lines in the QSO spectra

For nine published high-resolution QSO spectra a correlation analysis of their L forest lines has been performed. The two-point correlation functions show some quasi-periodic structure of magnitude ||0.3. Their characteristic separation along the line-of-sight amounts to s ₀=3×10^–3 or to s ₀=5×10^–3 for =1 and 0.2, respectively. Especially the distribution of nearest neighbouring line positions in two close QSO pairs allows for the interpretation that the absorption clouds lie in sheet-like structures as predicted by the pancake theory. The correlation data contain some hints on metal absorbers within the forest of unidentified lines.     

The height distribution of the kinetic temperature and turbulent velocity of solar Hα spicules

The height distribution of the kinetic temperature of solar H spicules is determined using the widths of optically thin hydrogen and metallic lines obtained at the total solar eclipse of 1966: the temperature was found to be 8600 K at the height of 2200 km measured from the radial optical depth of unity at 5000 Å, and to decrease to a minimum of 5000 K ± 180 K at 3200 km, and to increase again to 8200 K at 6000 km.The height distribution of the non-thermal turbulent velocity is also determined and is shown to be consistent with the neutral helium line widths emitted at the kinetic temperature of 5000–8000 K.     

Oscillations of the Hα emission in solar prominences

The time dependence of Doppler shift and line-center intensity is simultaneously observed for the H emission of three solar prominences, each one during about two hours. Doppler oscillations with periods near one hour and amplitudes between 1 and 2 km s^–1 are conspicuously visible in the recordings of all three prominences. Fourier analysis yields periods of 50, 60, and 64 min, as well as slight indications of short periods near 3 and 5 min. No oscillations are found in the line-center brightness.     

The solar O i λ 7773 triplet

Profiles of the O i 7773 triplet obtained at a spatial resolution 0.5 are analyzed using spectral line inversion techniques. Inferences are made about departures from LTE, convective velocity fields, and solar temperature fluctuations.     

The solar O i λ 7773 triplet

The reduction of observations of the O i 7773 triplet obtained at high spatial resolution (0.5) at two disk positions is described. Two sets of triplet profile data are presented at each disk position. One set represents data taken from 0.5 regions centered on the brightest granules, while the other set represents data taken from 0.5 regions centered on the cooler infalling intergranular material.     

Observation of Hα line impact polarization in solar flares

We present the results of studying the impact linear polarization of 32 solar flares of X-ray classes C, M, and X (two flares) observed with the Large Solar Vacuum Telescope. It has turned out that there is evidence for impact polarization only in 13 of them. The newly obtained data have confirmed that the linear Stokes parameters are predominantly 2–7%, while the spatial sizes of flaring points with nonzero Stokes parameters are small (1″-2″). Two features of the manifestation of impact polarization in flares revealed by these studies are of greatest interest: (1) at the two foot points of a single flare loop or an arcade of loops, both the Hα intensity profiles and the Stokes profiles differ in behavior; (2) based on the Hα line, we have found for the first time that the sign of the Stokes parameters changes not only across the flare ribbon but also with depth of the chromosphere.     

Discrete ULF modes in the Earth’s magnetosphere near the Alfven frequency minimum

The equation of small oscillations of ULF waves in the Earth’s magnetosphere is derived accounting for a fast magnetosonic wave. The spectrum of discrete Alfven modes near the Alfven frequency minimum is studied on the basis of this equation.     

The Hanle effect of the coronal Lα line of hydrogen: Theoretical investigation

This paper is devoted to a computation of the effect of a magnetic field on the linear polarization of the coronal L line of hydrogen. Recent works (Gabriel et al., 1971) have shown that the linear polarization of this line is due to resonant scattering of the incident chromospheric L line. The Hanle effect is the modification of this linear polarization, due to the magnetic field. After having briefly recalled the main features of this effect and the conditions of the coronal L line formation, we present the theoretical formalism to be used for Hanle effect computations. The effect of the hyperfine structure of the line is included. Then the results of our computations are given in terms of linear polarization as a function of the magnetic field. We get that the effect of the hyperfine structure on these results is negligible, although this is not evident a priori. When the hyperfine structure is neglected, the line structure is simplified and the Hanle effect can be expressed with analytical formulae, which we give in the last part of this paper. After integration along the line of sight, these formulae could be used for magnetic field determination in the solar corona from measurements of the linear polarization of the L line.     

Irradiance observations of the 1–8 Å solar soft X-ray flux from goes

The solar 0.5–8 soft X-ray flux was monitored by the NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) from 1974 to the present, providing a continuous record over two solar activity cycles. Attempts have been made to determine a soft X-ray (SXR) background flux by subtracting out solar flares (using the daily lowest flux level). The SXR background flux represents the quiescent SXR flux from heated plasma in active regions, and reflects similar (intermediate-term) variability and periodicities (e.g. 155-day period) as the SXR or hard X-ray (HXR) flare rate, although it is determined in non-flaring time intervals. The SXR background flux peaks late in Solar Cycle 21 (2–3 years after the sunspot maximum), similar to the flare rate measured in SXR, HXR, or gamma rays, possibly due the increasing complexity of coronal magnetic structures in the decay phase of the solar cycle. The SXR background flux appears to be dominated by postflare emission from the dominant active regions, while the contributions from the quiet Sun are appreciable in the Solar Minimum only (A1-level). Comparisons with full-disk integrated images from YOHKOH suggest that the presence of coronal holes can decrease the quietest SXR irradiance level by an additional order of magnitude, but only in the rare case of absence of active regions.Presented at IAU Colloquium No. 143, The Sun as a Variable Star: Solar and Stellar Irradiance Variations, Boulder, CO, June 20–25, 1993     

Properties of the solar chromosphere Hα spicules as observed spectrally

Time succession of 25 H spicules has been studied. The spectra are obtained at a height of 6 arc sec during 21 min (38 pictures) with the 53 cm Lyot coronagraph. Total intensities W, widths and radial velocities V _r are determined (about 650 H line profiles). For 14 spicules the sign of V _r varies, for the rest the sign variation is absent or it is doubtful. Characterized period of V _r variation is 3–7 min with a mean amplitude of ± 4km s^–1. W and also vary with a similar period and mean amplitudes equal to 50% and 30% respectively. dependence of W (Figure 1) points to the existence of two spicules groups: group I (70%) characterized by relatively small W and (mean values are 0.08 Å and 1.3 Å respectively); group II comprising brighter (W 0.13 Å) spicules with wider profiles ( 1.6 Å). Group II may consist of the unresolved, superimposed group I spicules. We believe, that H spicules involve formations consisting of separate elements having the temperature of 6000 K and non-thermal velocities of 25 km s^–1.