A method of calculating 0–20 Å solar X-ray flux and its spectral distribution using 9.1 cm spectroheliograms

1–8 Å, 2–12 Å and 8–20 Å non-flare X-ray flux data and 9.1 cm spectroheliograms for 1237 days during the period July 1966 to June 1970 have been studied to derive physical models of λ < 20 Å X-ray emitting regions on the Sun under quiescent (non-flare) conditions. The preferred regions of emission below 20 Å which coincide with the coronal active regions characterised by enhanced 9.1 cm microwave emission are found to have temperature lying between 1.8 and 3 × 10⁶ K, emission measure 10⁴⁹–10⁵⁰ and electron density 10⁹-10¹⁰ per cc. The average area of an active region is 10²⁰ cm². A slow gradient of temperature and electron density is seen to exist around a region of peak activity, both temperature and electron density decreasing outwards. Based on the derived physical model of the emitting regions a new method is presented for calculating X-ray flux and spectral energy distribution in this wave length region using daily 9.1 cm solar spectroheliograms. The calculated values are in good agreement with the observed values.     

The relation between hard X-ray and transition-region line emission in solar flares

Observational evidence suggests that both the hard X-ray and ultraviolet emission from the impulsive phase of flares result from an electron beam. We present the results of model calculations that are consistent with this theory. The impulsive phase is envisioned as occurring in many small magnetically confined loops, each of which maintains an electron beam for only a few seconds. This model successfully matches several observed aspects of the impulsive phase. The corona is heated to less than 2 × 10⁶ K, maximum enhanced emission occurs in lines formed near 10⁵ K, and there is only slight enhancement between 10⁵ and 2 × 10⁶ K. The slope of the observed relationship between hard X-ray and Ov 1371 Å emission is also matched, but the relative emission is not. The calculations indicate that UV emission lines formed below a temperature of about 10⁵ K will arise predominantly from the chromospheric region heated by the electron beam to transition region temperatures. Emission lines formed at higher temperatures will be produced in the transition region. This should be detectable in density-sensitive line ratios. To account successfully for the impulsive UV emission, the peak temperature in the impulsively heated loops must remain below about 2 × 10⁶ K. Thus our model implies that the impulsive heating takes place in different loops from the hotter gradual phase emission.     

Etoile centrale et condition d'ionisation de l'enveloppe de la nova Delphini 1967

After correcting the observed flux of the forbidden lines for the supplementary reddening (due to the circumstellar envelope), we have recalculated the electron density and temperature of the envelope of the Nova. We have determined the temperature and radius of the Nova and obtained values of 1.03×10⁵ K, 1.15×10⁵ K and 1.21×10⁵ K for the temperature and values of 8.49×10¹⁰ cm, 4.32×10¹⁰ cm and 1.18×10¹⁰ cm for the radius of the Nova for 1968, 1969 and 1970, respectively. Using the temperature and radius of the Nova the electron density and temperature of the envelope and the degree of ionization, we have determined the optical depth of the envelope in the Lyman continuum, and found that it is of the order of 10 during the nebular stage.Considering the stratification of the envelope in different regions of ionization, we have determined the radius of the inner and outer edge and the electron temperature of every region. We found that the electron temperature of the inner part of the envelope is at least three times greater than that of the outer part. The variation of electron temperature as a function of the radius of the ionization region considered shows an abrupt increase of theT _e whenR/R _out(env) is between 0.44 and 0.54.     

On a cold emission in the solar corona

The faint emission of hydrogen, helium and metals in the corona which appeared near an active prominence is studied. The calculations showed that the temperature of the emission region is in the limits from 10 000 K to 30 000 K and the electron density is between 10⁹-10¹⁰ cm^-3, respectively.     

Rosat and EUVE observations of B stars

Recent observations of the X-ray and EUV emission of non-supergiant B stars are summarized. As compared with O stars, the X-rays of most of the near-main-sequence B stars are soft, and the stars show a departure from theL _x = 10^?7 L _bol relation. Using line driven wind models to provide an estimate of the density distribution, it is concluded that a major fraction of the wind emission measure is hot, whereas in shocked wind theory less than 10 percent of the wind emission measure should be hot. The X-ray observations suggest that all of the B stars are X-ray emitters with a basal X-ray luminosity of about 10^?8.5 L _bol . A hard component dominates the X-ray emission of τ Sco, and possible causes are discussed. For the Be stars, the X-ray emission is that which is expected from a normal B-star wind coming from the poles, as in the Wind Compressed Disk (WCD) model of Be stars. None of the stars, including theβ Cep stars, show noticeable variability in their X-rays.EUVE observations of∈ CMa B2 II, find it to be the brightest object in the EUV sky at 500 to 700 Å. It shows a Lyman continuum flux that is a factor of 30 higher than line blanketed model atmospheres. The continuum is seen on both sides of the He I 504 Å edge, and the discrepancy with model atmospheres is even greater shortward of 504 Å. TheEUVE spectra show emission lines both from high stages of ionization ( Feix to Fexvi) and from low stages (Heii and Oiii). The Heii Lymanα results from recombination following X-ray photoionization in the wind, and the Oiii resonance line is found to be present because of the Bowen fluorescence mechanism. Thus, there is and interesting coupling between the wind production by the EUV photospheric emission, the production of X-ray and line EUV emission by winds, and the production of fluorescence by recombination in the wind; all of these processes are now observable in B stars.     

Intensities and anisotropies of low energy solar protons measured aboard the satellites Azur,Explorer 35 and 41, November 1969–April 1970

The NRL SOLRAD 10 satellite carries six ionization chambers to measure solar X-radiation in the 0.5 to 60 Å wavelength band. The X-ray emission spectrum in this range is determined by the derivative of the coronal emission measure (∫ N _e ² dV) with respect to temperature when the thermal processes of bremsstrahlung, radiative recombination and line radiation are considered. If a simple model for this differential emission measure is used and detector responses to the calculated spectra are fitted to the SOLRAD data by a least squares method, the differential emission measure can be obtained for temperatures between 2 × 10⁶K and 64 × 10⁶K. Data during quiet and flaring periods are analyzed and the general behavior of the differential emission measure during flares is presented. This analysis is based on experimental measurements of the efficiencies of the SOLRAD detectors.     

Multi-Wavelength Eclipse Observations of a Quiescent Prominence

We construct the maps of temperatures, geometrical thicknesses, electron densities and gas pressures in a quiescent prominence. For this we use the RGB signal of the prominence visible-light emission detected during the total solar eclipse of 1 August 2008 in Mongolia and quasi-simultaneous Hα spectra taken at Ond?ejov Observatory. The method of disentangling the electron density and geometrical (effective) thickness was described by Jej?i? and Heinzel (Solar Phys. 254, 89?–?100, 2009) and is used here for the first time to analyse the spatial variations of prominence parameters. For the studied prominence we obtained the following range of parameters: temperature 6000?–?15?000 K, effective thickness 200?–?15000 km, electron density 5×10⁹?–?10¹¹ cm^?3 and gas pressure 0.02?–?0.2 dyn?cm^?2 (assuming a fixed ionisation degree n _p/n _H=0.5). The electron density increases towards the bottom of the prominence, which we explain by an enhanced photoionisation due to the incident solar radiation. To confirm this, we construct a two-dimensional radiative-transfer model with realistic prominence illumination.     

Sub-terahertz emission from solar flares: The plasma mechanism of chromospheric emission

We consider the plasma mechanism of sub-terahertz emission from solar flares and determine the conditions for its realization in the solar atmosphere. The source is assumed to be localized at the chromospheric footpoints of coronal magnetic loops, where the electron density should reach n ≈ 10¹⁵ cm^?3. This requires chromospheric heating at heights h ? 500 km to coronal temperatures, which provides a high degree of ionization needed for Langmuir frequencies ν _p ≈ 200–400 GHz and reduces the bremsstrahlung absorption of the sub-THz emission as it escapes from the source. The plasma wave excitation threshold for electron-ion collisions imposes a constraint on the lower density limit for energetic electrons in the source, n ₁ > 4 × 10⁹ cm^?3. The generation of emission at the plasma frequency harmonic ν ≈ 2ν _p rather than the fundamental tone turns out to be preferred. We show that the electron acceleration and plasma heating in the sub-THz emission source can be realized when the ballooning mode of the flute instability develops at the chromospheric footpoints of a flare loop. The flute instability leads to the penetration of external chromospheric plasma into the loop and causes the generation of an inductive electric field that efficiently accelerates the electrons and heats the chromosphere in situ. We show that the ultraviolet radiation from the heated chromosphere emerging in this case does not exceed the level observed during flares.     

The intensity variation of the atomic oxygen red line during morning and evening twilight on 9–10 April 1969

During the evening of 9 April and the morning of 10 April 1969, the twilight zenith intensity of the atomic oxygen red line OI(³P-¹D) at 6300 Å was measured at the Blue Hill Observatory (42°N, 17°W). At the same time incoherent scatter radar data were being obtained at the Millstone Hill radar site 50 km distant. We have used a diurnal model of the mid-latitude F-region to calculate the ionospheric structure over Millstone Hill conditions similar to 9–10 April 1969. The measured electron temperature, ion temperature, and electron density at 800 km are used as boundary conditions for the model calculations. The diurnal variation of neutral composition and temperature were obtained from the OGO-6 empirical model and the neutral winds were derived from a semiempirical three-dimensional dynamic model of the neutral thermosphere. The solar EUV flux was adjusted to yield reasonable agreement between the calculated and observed ionospheric properties.This paper presents the results of these model computations and calculations of the red line intensity. The 6300 Å emission includes contributions from photoelectron excitation, dissociative recombination, Schumann-Runge photodissociation and thermal electron impact. The variations of these four components for morning and evening twilight between 90–120° solar zenith angles, and their relative contributions to the total 6300 Å emission line intensity, are presented and the total is compared to the observations. For this particular day the Schumann-Runge photodissociation component, calculated using the solar fluxes tabulated by Ackermann (1970), is the dominant component of the morning twilight 6300 Å emission. During evening twilight it is necessary to utilize a lower O₂ density than for the morning twilight in order to bring the calculated and observed 6300 Å emission rates into agreement. The implication that there may be a diurnal variation in the O₂ density at the base of the thermosphere is discussed in the light of available experimental data and current theoretical ideas.     

Rosat X-ray observations of the WR stars HD 50896 (WN5) andγ velorum (WC8+O9I)

We present a preliminary analysis of multiple X-ray (0.1–2.5 keV) observations of HD 50896 andγ Velorum obtained with theROSAT satellite. For HD 50896, our 8 observations show variability at the 30% level on timescales of ～ 1 day, together with larger (× 1.7) epoch-changes, but no evidence for rapid variability. No phase-dependent modulation is apparent on the 3^d.766 optical period. The mean PSPC spectrum gives kT = 0.28 keV, log N(H) = 20.6, and L_x = 3.8 × 10³² erg s^?1, and implies that the observed X-rays have undergone little absorption in the WN5 wind. Forγ Velorum, we have 13 observations secured over several cycles in the 78^d.5 binary period. At most binary phases, the X-ray emission is relatively constant, with kT ? 0.19 keV, log N(H) = 20.2, and L_x = 2.5 × 10³¹ erg s^?1. Near orbital phase 0.5, the X-ray emission is enhanced by a factor of 4, due almost entirely to an additional harder component with kT ≥ 2 keV. We believe this is due to X-ray emission produced in the collision of the two stellar winds.     

HCN fluorescence on Titan

The HCN emission features near 3 μm recently detected by Geballe et al. (2003, Astrophys. J. 583, L39) are analyzed with a model for fluorescence of sunlight in the ν₃ band of HCN. The emission spectrum is consistent with current knowledge of the atmospheric temperature profile and the HCN distribution inferred from millimeter-wave observations. The spectrum is insensitive to the abundance of HCN in the thermosphere and the thousand-fold enhancement relative to photochemical models suggested by Geballe et al. (2003, Astrophys. J. 583, L39) is not required to explain the observations. We find that the spectrum can be matched with temperatures from 130 to 200 K, with slightly better fits at high temperature, contrary to the temperature determination of 130±10 K of Geballe et al. (2003, Astrophys. J. 583, L39). The HCN emission spectrum is sensitive to the collisional de-excitation probability, P₁₀, for the ν₃ state and we determine a value of 10⁻⁵ with an accuracy of about a factor of two. Analysis of absorption lines in the C₂H₂ν₃ band near 3 μm, detected in the same spectrum, indicate a C₂H₂ mole fraction near 0.01 μbar of 10⁻⁵ for P₁₀=10⁻⁴. The derived mole fraction, however, is dependent upon the value adopted for P₁₀ and lower values are required if P₁₀ at Titan temperatures is less than its room temperature value.     

The slowly varying component of the solar radio emission around 1 cm wavelength

The slowly varying component of the solar radio emission (S-component) has been investigated from data obtained in the United States and Japan at 35, 17, 9.4 and 4 GHz. A good correlation occurs between the 35 GHz flux of the S-component and the corresponding plage area. This is interpreted by the assumption that the 35 GHz radiation is due to pure free-free emission, and the electron density in the coronal condensation is estimated to be about 2 × 10⁹/cm³, assuming the electron temperature to be 2 × 10⁶ K and the scale height of the coronal condensation to be 3 × 10⁴ km.The S-component radiation at 17 GHz has, in turn, two components, one is due to pure free-free emission and the other is due to thermal-gyro emission. It is concluded that in the active regions a magnetic field of more than 2000 gauss extends horizontally over about 10⁴ km.     

Visible continuum emission and gravity waves

Observed oscillations in the visible continuum emission (5000 Å) are studied considering the usual visible emission mechanism, NO + O (both two-body and three-body paths). Characteristic parameters of internal gravity waves are obtained using Hines' linear theory. Values of the kinetic energy density ?, and temperature variations Δθ, due to gravity waves are calculated. The results (? ~ 10⁶cm²s^?2, Δθ = 4–9K) are in agreement with those obtained by means of different techniques reported in the literature. A similar analysis of the simultaneous green-line emission data is made and a comparison is drawn between the results obtained for both emissions. An expression relating relative brightness of continuum emission and relative perturbations of atmospheric density is proposed.     

Drift instabilities associated with the particles in ring current and inner edge of plasma sheet

Electromagnetic waves propagating transverse to the magnetic field, containing inhomogenous and loss cone plasma, may become unstable due to the excitation of resonant proton, resonant electron and drift cyclotron instabilities. Resonant proton instability gets excited in inhomogenous plasma, irrespective of the presence of temperature anisotropy, loss cone or temperature gradient. However, the growth rate of this instability is much smaller than the other two instabilities. The maximum growth rates of resonant electron instability are enhanced with the increase of loss cone index, gradients in transverse temperature and magnetic field, and with the decrease of temperature anisotropy and gradients in density and parallel temperature. The drift cyclotron instability exists in a bounded range of wave numbers and its growth rate increases with the increase of electron temperature, density and magnetic field gradient, and with the decrease of proton temperature and temperature anisotropy. In the region of ring current for beyond plasmapause the resonant proton and resonant electron instabilities have the characterstic frequencies around 0.1Ω_p and growth rates ~10^?6Ω_p and 10^?3Ω_p, respectively. In the ring current region the drift cyclotron instability is not excited whereas in the plasma sheet region the frequency and growth rate of this instability are around Ω_p and 10^?2Ω_p, respectively. These instabilities can accelerate the ring current particles along the magnetic field lines and dump them into the auroral region.     

The WHI Corona from Differential Emission Measure Tomography

A three-dimensional (3D) tomographic reconstruction of the local differential emission measure (LDEM) of the global solar corona during the whole heliosphere interval (WHI, Carrington rotation CR 2068) is presented, based on STEREO/EUVI images. We determine the 3D distribution of the electron density, mean temperature, and temperature spread, in the range of heliocentric heights 1.03 to 1.23 R _??. The reconstruction is complemented with a potential-field source-surface (PFSS) magnetic-field model. The streamer-core, streamer-leg, and subpolar regions are analyzed and compared to a similar analysis previously performed for CR 2077, very near the absolute minimum of Solar Cycle 23. In each region, the typical values of density and temperature are similar in both periods. The WHI corona exhibits a streamer structure of relatively smaller volume and latitudinal extension than during CR 2077, with a global closed-to-open density contrast about 6% lower, and a somewhat more complex morphology. The average basal electron density is found to be about 2.23 and 1.08×10⁸ cm^?3, in the streamer core and subpolar regions, respectively. The electron temperature is quite uniform over the analyzed height range, with average values of about 1.13 and 0.93 MK, in the streamer core and subpolar regions, respectively. Within the streamer closed region, both periods show higher temperatures at mid-latitudes and lower temperatures near the Equator. Both periods show ??>1 in the streamer core and ??<1 in the surrounding open regions, with CR 2077 exhibiting a stronger contrast. Hydrostatic fits to the electron density are performed, and the scale height is compared to the LDEM mean electron temperature. Within the streamer core, the results are consistent with an isothermal hydrostatic plasma regime, with the temperatures of ions and electrons differing by up to about 10%. In the subpolar open regions, the results are consistent with departures from thermal equilibrium with T _ions>T _e (and values of T _ions/T _e up to about 1.5), and/or the presence of wave-pressure mechanisms linear in the density.     

The hard X-ray emission of Hercules X-l

Using the observational data of hard X-ray emission lines of Her X-l, we make a preliminary study of the physics of the emission region. We found the emission region opaque to X-ray line radiation, with an excitation temperature sim;2.4 × 10⁸K and a perpendicular cross section area ～2 × 10⁷cm². We predict that a third line will be $\text{1}\text{13}$ as intense as the first line and 3 times as wide.     

A search for photometric and spectroscopic evolutionary changes in the young planetary nebula Vy 2-2

The results of long-term photometric and spectroscopic observations of the young compact planetary nebula Vy 2-2 (PNG 045.4-02.7) are presented. The UBV photometry in 1990–2016 has revealed a slight brightness trend in the yearly averaged data, most pronounced in the V band. We have measured the relative fluxes of optical emission lines on the spectrograms taken with the 1.25-m telescope at the Southern Station of the SAI MSU in 1999–2016, estimated the absolute flux in the Hβ line to be F(Hβ) = (2.1 ± 0.4) × 10^?12 erg cm^?2 s^?1, and determined the interstellar extinction constant c(Hβ) = 1.8. The electron temperature and density in the nebula have been estimated from diagnostic line ratios: T_e = (10?12) × 10³ K and Ne ≥ 10⁵ cm^?3. To detect any possible evolutionary changes, we have compared the new observations with the archival data obtained over the entire history of spectroscopic observations of Vy 2-2. No significant changes in the relative intensities of the strongest emission lines and the integrated flux in the Hβ line exceeding the observational errors have been found. We have revealed a tendency for the intensity ratio F(λ4363)/F(λ4959) to decrease with time, which may be related to a decrease in the electron density in the nebula. Based on our photometric and spectroscopic data, we have estimated the luminosity of the central star of Vy 2-2, which corresponds to the evolutionary tracks for the most massive post-AGB stars of the O-rich sequence.     

The coronal and transition region temperature structure of a solar active region

Using measurements of EUV and X-ray spectral lines we derive the differential emission measure vs electron temperature T from the transition region to the corona of an active region (10⁵ T <5 × 10⁶ K). The total emission measure and radiative losses are of order 3 × 10⁴⁸ cm^–3 and 4 × 10²⁶ ergss^–1 respectively. The emission measure at T > 10⁶ K (i.e. that mainly responsible for the X-ray emission) is about 75% of the total. We also examine the use of Mg x 625 Å as an indicator of coronal electron density. A set of theoretical energy balance models of coronal loops in which the loop divergence is a variable parameter is presented and compared with the observations. Particular attention is given to the limitations inherent in any such comparison.     

Temperature structure of active regions deduced from the helium-like sulphur lines

Solar active-region temperatures have been determined from the full-Sun spectra of helium-like sulphur (Sxv) observed by the Bragg Crystal Spectrometer on board theYohkoh satellite. The average temperature deduced from Sxv is demonstrated to vary with the solar activity level: A temperature of 2.5 × 10⁶ K is derived from the spectra taken during low solar activity, similar to the general corona, while 4 × 10⁶ K is obtained during a higher activity phase. For the latter, the high-temperature tail of the differential emission measure of active regions is found most likely due to the superposition of numerous flare-like events (micro/nano-flares).     

Direct measurement of conjugate photoelectrons and predawn 630 nm airglow

A sounding rocket was flown during the predawn on 17 January, 1976 from Uchinoura, Japan, to measure directly the behaviour of the conjugate photoelectrons at magnetically low latitudes. On board the rocket were an electron energy analyzer, 630 nm airglow photometer, and plasma probes to measure electron density and temperature. The incoming flux of the photoelectrons was measured in the altitude range between 210 and 340 km. The differential flux at the top of the atmosphere was determined to be $\text{F = (1.3 ± 0.4) × 10}{}^{11}\text{exp}\text{[?}\text{E(}\text{eV}\text{)}\text{12}\text{]}$ electron · m^?2 · sr^?1 · s^?1 in the energy range 10 ? E ? 50 eV. The emission rate of the 630 nm airglow was observed in the altitude range between 90 and 360 km. The apparent emission rate observed at 80 km was 32 ± 5 R. From a theoretical calculation of the optical excitation rate using the observed electron flux data along with a model distribution of atomic oxygen, it was estimated that more than 65% of the emission could be produced by direct impact of the photoelectrons with atomic oxygen in the thermosphere between 200 and 360 km. Using the observed electron density and the model distribution of oxygen molecules the residual of the emission was ascribed to the excitation of O(¹D) through dissociative recombination, $\text{O}{}_2{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{e}\text{→}\text{O}{}^1\text{+}\text{O}{}^7$. The direct collisional excitation by ambient electrons is estimated to be negligibly small at the level of observed electron temperature.