Magnetic and velocity fields of active regions

We have observed about 15 active regions on the Sun, with the Advanced Stokes Polarimeter and Dick Dunn Telescope at NSO/SP to map the Stokes parameters in the photospheric Fe 6302.5 Å and chromospheric Mg I 5173 Å lines, during 1999‐2002. The observations are corrected for dark current, gain, instrumental polarization and cross‐talk using ASP pipeline. The wavelength calibration is carried out using the O₂ telluric line 6302 Å which is also present in the observations. The photospheric and chromospheric longitudinal magnetograms are made from the Stokes V profiles, which were intercalibrated with the Kitt Peak magnetograms. The plasma motions are inferred from the line bisector measurements at different positions of the spectral line. In this paper we present the height dependence of Doppler velocity scatter plots of a sunspot in the photospheric Fe I 6302 Å line.     

Dynamics of line-of-sight velocities and magnetic field in the solar photosphere during the formation of the large active region NOAA 10488

Analysis of SOHO longitudinal magnetograms and Dopplergrams has revealed the appearance of a region of enhanced upflow of matter in the photosphere when the top of a loop-shaped magnetic flux tube forming a large active region passed through it. The maximum upflow velocity reached 2 km s^?1, the maximum size exceeded 20 000 km, and the lifetime was about 2 h.     

Magnetic field and current sheets in the corona above active regions

A new method for the calculation of coronal magnetic field is proposed and it is shown to reproduce the EUV features in the corona as observed by Skylab experiments satisfactorily well. One of the remarkable points is that it reproduces the loopy threads in the active region corona and also the large scale field lines connecting active regions. The existence of coronal current is expected wherever the present coronal-current-free model fails to represent the feature. A method of calculating the coronal sheet-current is also developed with the purpose of knowing the shape of the current sheet and the amount of magnetic stress energy stored due the the presence of it by comparing the calculated field configuration with the observed local distortion of the EUV threads. This may be used in pinning down the possible site of the flare and in discussing the flare occurrence in terms of the energy stored there.During the preparation of this work, Poletto et al. (1975) calculated the magnetic field shape in Schmidt's method to compare with the soft X-ray feature obtained by Skylab.     

Magnetic field inclination and atmospheric oscillations above solar active regions

Recent observational evidence for magnetic field direction effects on helioseismic signals in sunspot penumbrae is suggestive of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) mode conversion occurring at lower levels. This possibility is explored using wave mechanical and ray theory in a model of the Sun's surface layers permeated by uniform inclined magnetic field. It is found that fast-to-slow conversion near the equipartition depth at which the sound and Alfvén speeds coincide can indeed greatly enhance the atmospheric acoustic signal at heights observed by Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Michelson Doppler Imager and other helioseismic instruments, but that this effect depends crucially on the wave attack angle , i.e. the angle between the wavevector and the magnetic field at the conversion/transmission depth. A major consequence of this insight is that the magnetic field acts as a filter, preferentially allowing through acoustic signal from a narrow range of incident directions. This is potentially testable by observation.     

The velocity fields in active regions

From line-shift observations in two spectrum lines it is determined that the downward motions observed in plages may represent a real downward transport of material, not an apparent downward flow due to brightness or ionization differences in a multistream velocity model.     

Tilt-angle variations of active regions

An examination of the tilt angles of multi-spot sunspot groups and plages shows that on average they tend to rotate toward the average tilt angle in each hemisphere. This average tilt angle is about twice as large for plages as it is for sunspot groups. The larger the deviation from the average tilt angle, the larger, on average, is the rotation of the magnetic axis in the direction of the average tilt angle. The rate of rotation of the magnetic axis is about twice as fast for sunspot groups as it is for plages. Growing plages and spot groups rotate their axes significantly faster than do decaying plages and spot groups. There is a latitude dependence of this effect that follows Joy's law. The fact that these tilt angles move toward the average tilt angle and not toward 0 deg (the east-west orientation), combined with other results presented here, suggest that a commonly accepted view of the origin of active region magnetic flux at the solar surface may have to be re-examined.Operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under Cooperative Agreement with the National Science Foundation.     

Pre- and post-flare X-ray variations in active regions

Extremely low background noise of the HXIS experiment aboard the SMM made it possible to detect > 3.5 keV X-ray emissions from non-flaring active regions which are 10³–10⁴ times weaker than the X-ray flux from flares. Short-lived X-ray bursts and long-lived X-ray enhancements of various intensities seem to characterize active regions in different phases of their development. After major two-ribbon flares, giant X-ray arches are seen in the corona, slowly decaying for many hours after the flare end. Associated with these arches appear to be quasi-periodic flare-like variations of purely coronal nature.     

Photospheric, chromospheric and helioseismic signatures of a large flare in super-active region NOAA 10486

NOAA 10486 produced several powerful flares, including the 4B/X17.2 superflare of October 28, 2003/11:10 UT. This flare was extensively covered by theH _α and GONG instruments operated at the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO). The central location of the active region on October 28,2003 was well-suited for the ring diagram analysis to obtain the 3-D power spectra and search for helioseismic response of this large flare on the amplitude, frequency and width of the p-modes. Further, using USO observations, we have identified the sites of new flux emergences, large proper motions and line-of-sight velocity flows in the active region and their relationship with the flare.     

On the chromospheric velocity field in sunspot regions

The wavelength shifts of approximately 8000 absorption elements in the H-line from spectra of 66 different sunspot regions have been measured.The average velocity field in the chromosphere close to sunspots is determined. Inside 15000 km from the spot's penumbral rim the average velocity vector is directed towards the spot and downwards in the chromosphere; the angle with the horizontal direction is on the average equal to 20°. The magnitude of the average velocity vector shows a maximum of 6.8 ± 1.2 km/sec just outside the penumbral rim and decreases quickly with increasing distance from the spot. Outside 15000 km from the penumbral rim the average velocity vector is small (-0.7 km/sec) and directed nearly vertically outwards from the sun. No significant tangential component of the average velocity field is found.The deviations of the individual elements from the average velocity field are on the average larger than the value of the average velocity. The total rms deviation in the line of sight velocity is equal to 6.8 km/sec. Thus, a large number of elements, as used in this investigation, is required to give significant values of the average velocity vector.We have also observed velocities in the penumbra. The average velocity vector is here probably small and its direction uncertain. The rms deviation in the line of sight velocities observed in the penumbra is equal to 7.5 km/sec.     

Magnetic and microwave structure in solar active regions

The structure of six active regions observed at 2.8 cm with the Stanford interferometer is compared with the configuration of the underlying photospheric magnetic fields, as given by the Kitt Peak magnetograph.The similar resolution and accuracy on the measured positions of both instruments allowed us to establish a more detailed spatial correspondence between radio and magnetic features than previously reached.The radio features which correspond to the cores of the active sources are always found to overlay regions of enhanced magnetic fields. Different spatial associations have been found depending on the brightness temperature of the sources. The possibility that this effect might be due to the development of the active region is also considered.     

Fine-scan velocity and magnetic-field measurements in solar active regions

Fine scan (5 × 5 aperture) simultaneous Doppler and magnetograms have been obtained over solar active regions near the central meridian passage. Besides the mainly horizontal Evershed motion in sunspots, there appears a conspicuous descending motion over all active regions. A comparison of H-filtergrams with the fine scan magnetograms shows that dark filaments generally lie along the neutral longitudinal magnetic zone, while the H-fibrils lie along the field lines, joining regions of opposite polarity.     

Sunspot cycle variations of ensemble-averaged active regions

We examine published sunspot and calcium plage areas for 1620 solar active regions between 1974 and 1985. With these data we study the properties of ensemble-averaged active regions. The average sunspot area per region, the average plage to sunspot area ratio, and the average plage intensity of regions all vary significantly with the sunspot cycle and in correlation with one another. The average plage area per region varies significantly but is uncorrelated with the sunspot cycle and with the other quantities. While the plage and sunspot areas and the plage intensities of individual active regions observed over a two-year period are strongly correlated, the relationship among these quantities appears to change over an 11-yr period. These results suggest the existence of some energetic connection between active region sunspot areas and plage intensities. Further, if energy balance between sunspot luminosity deficits and facular luminosity excesses holds, then standard models relating these quantities to sunspot and plage areas will have to be modified. Overall energy balance can neither be established nor ruled out.Solar Cycle Workshop Paper.     

Time variations in the X-ray emission of solar active regions

The X-ray emission of individual solar active regions is found from OSO-5 data to vary on three main timescales. Flare associated events typically last for times of minutes to an hour. Events lasting several hours, with several peaks in the X-ray emission, are accompanied by a simplification in the magnetic field, and often mark a turning point in the life of the region. Smooth changes over periods of several days are associated with the general development of a region. Examples of these last two variations are presented.     

Solar irradiance variations from photometry of active regions

The Extreme Limb Photometer (ELP) has been used to measure the irradiance fluctuation of the Sun due to selected active regions. Forty-five active regions that were completely scanned at various disk positions are included in the analysis. The contribution of these active regions to a global solar irradiance fluctuation has been correlated with photometric sunspot and facular indices (PSI and PFI) using published values of sunspot and calcium plage areas. The measured ELP fluctuations are converted to a global brightness fluctuation, B/B. The sunspot component of B/B correlates with PSI with r = 0.95. The facular component of B/B correlates with PFI with r - 0.72. The expression for PFI is important to the question of energy balance between sunspots and faculae and the results presented here are not incompatible with energy balance between the two phenomena; that is the energy deficit of sunspots may be balanced by the energy excess of faculae.     

Statistical mechanics of velocity and magnetic fields in solar active regions

A statistical mechanics of the velocity and magnetic fields is formulated for an active region plasma. The plasma subjected to the conservation laws emerges in a most probable state which is described by an equilibrium distribution function containing a lagrange multiplier for every invariant of the system. The lagrange multipliers are determined by demanding that the measured expectation values of the invariants be reproduced. For a numerical exercise, we have assumed some probable values for these invariants. The total energy of a coronal loop is estimated from energy balance considerations. Doppler widths of the UV and EUV lines excited in the coronal loop plasma give a measure of the root-mean-square velocities. Measurements of magnetic helicity are not available for the solar corona.     

Magnetic field gradient and flare: study of a small flare in NOAA 8038

Active region NOAA 8038 was observed from 10 to 13 May, 1997 using the USO solar video magnetograph. During this period, the active region was mostly inactive, and gave rise to only a single notable flare of 1N/C1.3 class on May 12, 1997/04:45 UT. The flare occurred in a weak field location, but new emerging fluxes were observed prior to the flare onset. Horizontal motions of the network photospheric magnetic fluxes were inferred using USO and SOHO magnetograms, and velocities in the range 300–800 m s^–1 were estimated. The initial flare brightening was observed at the flux cancellation site where magnetic field gradients were found to increase. Detailed analyses of flux motions, cancellation and their relation with the flare are presented.     

On the magnetic field line topology in solar active regions

The field lines of closed magnetic structures above the photosphere define a mapping from the photosphere to itself. This mapping is discontinuous, and the field line connectivity to the boundary can change discontinuously in response to continuous changes of field strength and direction, if field lines either end in a singular point of the field or are tangential to the photosphere at one end. Whereas the general existence of singular points is questionable, the field has typically a cell structure due to the presence of segments of the zero line of the photospheric longitudinal field on which the transversal field is directed from negative (pointing into the Sun) to positive fields. The cell boundaries are made up of field lines which all touch the photosphere on one of these line segments. Within each of the cells the field line mapping is continuous. When during a slow evolution a substantial part of a coronal loop or of an arcade has passed from one cell into another a fast dynamic instability may set in which was previously prevented by the anchoring of field lines in the dense photosphere.     

Magnetic field topology of an active region

The global 3-dimensional topology of the magnetic field of the weakly flaring active region AR 5420 in the early phase has been estimated using a series of photospheric longitudinal and vector magnetogams together with Hα filtergrams and white-light images. As a physical model for this task, we have used the assumption ofa force-free magnetic field character. An arcade-like structure of the magnetic field has been identified in the preflare phase with an apparent sheared configuration already present in the current-free field case. This system might have been an important source of generation of a field-aligned current system for the eruptions that followed. That was, in particular, suggeted by a significant extension of the active region area in the observation period from June 22 to 25, 1984, that resulted in a stronger shear of the detected arcade-like system. The atmospheric electric currents generated in such a way and the transition triggered by a large-amplitude perturbation generated by new flux emergences on June 23 at this place together might be the reason of the sequence of flares observed. Despite the changes in the Hα structure, the global force-free character of the field did not change significantly over the time of observations. The invariance (in the first order) of the force-free (nearly current-free) character of the magnetic field is consistent with the occurrence of relatively small flares only.