Large-scale structure of the interplanetary medium

We propose that the coronal source longitude and latitude of solar wind plasma can be estimated within 10°. Previous writers have argued that the solar wind in the ecliptic should originate near the equator and that a quasi-radial hypervelocity (QRH) approximation (constant radial flow) is valid beyond the magnetohydrodynamic critical points. We demonstrate that an extension of the QRH approximation (as if the solar wind flowed radially with constant velocity from the center of the Sun) yields a proper estimate of the high coronal source location at the release zone where the solar wind makes its transition to radial interplanetary flow. This extrapolated QRH (or EQRH) approximation succeeds because the two main corrections to this source estimate, coronal corotation and interplanetary acceleration, tend to cancel (the former correcting the source location eastward, the latter westward). Although this ideal spiral approximation was first suggested by Snyder and Neugebauer (1966), only recently has it been demonstrated that it relates a wide range of interplanetary plasma, magnetic field and energetic particle data to observed coronal magnetic structure. We estimate quantitatively the error in the EQRH approximation by comparison with steady-state streamlines predicted by azimuthally independent and dependent theoretical solutions to the steady-state plasma equations. We find the error in both cases 10° in longitude and therefore suggest that the EQRH approximation offers the means to relate observed solar initial conditions in the release zone directly to interplanetary measurements. If, in addition, the EQRH approximation also leads to agreement with low coronal structure, then there should be a straightforward correspondence to otherwise unobservable high coronal structure.     

Isotopes of magnesium in the solar atmosphere

We have analysed MgH A ² -X ²(0.0), (1.1), (2.2), (0.1) and (1.2) absorption bands in a sunspot spectrum. By two different methods, which are almost independent of the estimated value of the correction for stray light, we have determined the solar isotopic ratios of magnesium. These ratios are equal to the terrestrial ones - ²⁴Mg²⁵Mg²⁶Mg = 801010.     

Study of alpha component dynamics in the solar wind using the Prognoz satellite

The analysis of solar wind He⁺⁺ and H⁺ ion distribution functions, collected over five months by the satellite Prognoz 1, shows that these are in general maxwellian but that often tails appear at higher speeds. The existing relation V-T, the observation of ratios of T/Tp 3.83 and V/Vp 1.035 give evidence of preferential He⁺⁺ ion heating and acceleration. The criteria for heating by dissipation of hydromagnetic waves proposed by Barnes and Hung (1973) are tested experimentally. Finally, multifluid models are likely to predict certain observations such as dependence of the velocity ratio V/Vp on the solar wind flux.     

Large-scale solar velocity fields

Daily observations of Doppler line shifts made with very low spatial resolution (3) with the Stanford magnetograph have been used to study the equatorial rotation rate, limb effect on the disk, and the mean meridonial circulation. The equatorial rotation rate was found to be approximately constant over the interval May 1976–January 1977 and to have the value 2.82 rad s^–1 (1.96 km s^–1). This average compares favorably with the results of Howard (1977) of 2.83 rad s^–1 for the same time period. The RMS deviation of the daily measurements about the mean value was 1% of the rate (20 m s^–1), much smaller than the fluctuations reported by Howard and Harvey (1970) of several per cent. These 1% fluctuations are uncorrelated from day-to-day and may be due to instrumental problems. The limb effect on the disk was studied in equatorial scans (after suppressing solar rotation). A redshift at the center of the disk relative to a position 0.60R from the center of 30 m s^–1 was found for the line Fe i 5250 Å. Central meridian scans were used (after correcting for the limb effect defined in the equatorial scans) to search for the component of mean meridonial circulation symmetric across the equator. A signal is found consistent with a polewards flow of 20 m s^–1 approximately constant over the latitude range 10–50°. Models of the solar differential rotation driven by an axisymmetric meridonial circulation and an anisotropic eddy viscosity (Kippenhahn, 1963; Cocke, 1967; Köhler, 1970) predict an equatorwards flow at the surface. However, giant cell convection models (Gilman, 1972, 1976, 1977) predict a mean polewards flow (at the surface). The poleward-directed meridonial flow is created as a by-product of the giant cell convection and tends to limit the differential rotation. The observation of a poleward-directed meridonial circulation lends strong support to the giant cell models over the anisotropic eddy viscosity models.Now at Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, Ariz., U.S.A.     

Understanding Solar Flare Waiting-Time Distributions

The observed distribution of waiting times t between X-ray solar flares of greater than C1 class listed in the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) catalog exhibits a power-law tail (t) for large waiting times (t>10hours). It is shown that the power-law index varies with the solar cycle. For the minimum phase of the cycle the index is =–1.4±0.1, and for the maximum phase of the cycle the index is –3.2±0.2. For all years 1975–2001, the index is –2.2±0.1. We present a simple theory to account for the observed waiting-time distributions in terms of a Poisson process with a time-varying rate (t). A common approximation of slow variation of the rate with respect to a waiting time is examined, and found to be valid for the GOES catalog events. Subject to this approximation the observed waiting-time distribution is determined by f(), the time distribution of the rate . If f() has a power-law form for low rates, the waiting time-distribution is predicted to have a power-law tail (t)^–(3+) (>–3). Distributions f() are constructed from the GOES data. For the entire catalog a power-law index =–0.9±0.1 is found in the time distribution of rates for low rates (<0.1hours ^–1). For the maximum and minimum phases power-law indices =–0.1±0.5 and =–1.7±0.2, respectively, are observed. Hence, the Poisson theory together with the observed time distributions of the rate predict power-law tails in the waiting-time distributions with indices –2.2±0.1 (1975–2001), –2.9±0.5 (maximum phase) and –1.3±0.2 (minimum phase), consistent with the observations. These results suggest that the flaring rate varies in an intrinsically different way at solar maximum by comparison with solar minimum. The implications of these results for a recent model for flare statistics (Craig, 2001) and more generally for our understanding of the flare process are discussed.     

The limits of possible values of inclination of Mercury's equator

The method of estimation of the limits, containing the equator inclination of a celestial body, had been developed. In this method it is necessary to know the orbital elements and the mass of a celestial body. Another condition is that the axial rotation of a body should be in the resonance with its orbital motion. It has been found that the equator inclinations should have the values between 1 .7 and 2 .6 for Mercury and between 1 .0 and 1 .8 for the Moon. It also has been found that largest harmonics in Mercury's physical libration are the harmonics sin( – 3g), cos( – 3g), sin g and sin 2.     

Effects of metal abundances on the evolutionary period changes of classical Cepheids

Some peculiarities in the behaviour of a model self-gravitating system described by hydrodynamical equations and isothermal equation of state connected with the presence of thermodynamical fluctuations in real systems were investigated in numerical experiment. The values of density and velocity , , respectively, were computed by numerical code perturbed on each time-step and in each computational cell by random values , for modeling such fluctuations. Perturbed values _i = _i + _i ,v _i = _i + v _i were used to initiate the next step of computations. This procedure is equivalent to an introduction into original hydrodynamical equations of Langevin sources which are random functions. It is shown that these small fluctuations (= v =0,² =v ² = 10^–8) grow many times in marginally-stable state.     

Particle lifetimes in strong diffusion

The mean lifetime of a particle distribution, driven to isotropy by intense pitch-angle diffusion, is calculated by analytical means for conditions applicable to the Earth's magnetosphere. The resulting algebraic expressions reduce to [64La/35v _c ² (1–)] in the limit of a small equatorial loss cone (half-angle _c ), wherev is the particle speed,L is the magnetic shell parameter,a is the radius of the Earth, and is the particle albedo from the atmosphere at either foot of the field line. Distinction is made in the full expressions for between complete isotropy (caused by strong pitch-angle diffusion all along the field line) and incomplete isotropy (caused by strong diffusion that is localized at the magnetic equator) over the upward hemisphere in velocity space.     

Effects of Hall current on hydromagnetic free-convective flow through a porous medium

An analysis of the effects of Hall current on hydromagnetic free-convective flow through a porous medium bounded by a vertical plate is theoretically investigated when a strong magnetic field is imposed in a direction which is perpendicular to the free stream and makes an angle to the vertical direction. The influence of Hall currents on the flow is studied for various values of .Nomenclature c _p specific heat at constant pressure - e electrical charge - E Eckert number - E electrical field intensity - g acceleration due to gravity - G Grashof number - H ₀ applied magnetic field - H magnetic field intensity - (j _x , j _y , j _z ) components of current densityJ - J current density - K permeability of porous medium - M magnetic parameter - m Hall parameter - n _e electron number density - P Prandtl number - q velocity vector - (T, T _w , T ) temperature - t time - (u, v, w) components of the velocity vectorq - U ₀ uniform velocity - v ₀ suction velocity - (x, y, z) Cartesian coordinates Greek Symbols angle - coefficient of volume expansion - _e cyclotron frequency - frequency - dimensionless temperature - thermal conductivity - coefficient of viscosity - magnetic permeability - kinematic viscosity - mass density of fluid - _e charge density - electrical conductivity - _e electron collision time     

Magnetic field energy dissipation in neutral current sheets

An extended current sheet characterized by two peculiarities was formed in a configuration with opposite magnetic fields in a laboratory plasma on a -pinch device. First, development of the small scale turbulence leads to abnormal low sheet conductivity, through-sheet plasma diffusion and establishes the sheet thickness an order greater than the skin thicknessc/ _pe ( _pe is electron plasma frequency). Second, there develops and quickly stabilizes in a sheet the magnetic force line reconnection. As a result, a stable neutral sheet has the complicated structure of a magnetic field, including closed magnetic loops elongated along the axis of the system. The neutral sheet plasma becomes intensively heated, probably due to ion-sound turbulence, while a group of accelerated electrons, which on the energy spectrum lead to a plateau formation, are observed. The absence of any predominant direction is a typical feature for the motion of accelerated particles. The experimental data, obtained over a broad range of plasma densities and magnetic field values typical for the solar atmosphere, show that the antiparallel magnetic field turbulent dissipation could play an important role in the mechanism of solar energy release. The parameters of accelerated particles (energy 4–12 keV, the energy content being 10^–1–10² of all the energy dissipated in a sheet) agree nicely with the data of astrophysical observations.     

Photospheric subrotation,differential rotation and zonal wind bands: A reverse pirouette

Recently Mayr et al. (1980) have suggested that the superrotation of planetary atmospheres could, in principle, be understood as a pirouette. Equatorial heating is pumping atmospheric material toward the poles, and with a concomitant reduction in moment of inertia, the atmosphere has the tendency of spinning up. On the Sun, the core is assumed to be rotating with a period of about 12 days (Dicke, 1976; Knight et al., 1979) while the overlaying mantle convection zone has a solid body component of about 27 days. We propose here that this phenomenon could simply be understood as a reverse pirouette. Our model is similar to the models put forth by Kippenhahn (1963), Weiss (1965), Durney (1968), Busse (1970), Yoshimura (1972), Gilman (1974), and Gierasch (1974). Whereas the models listed provided solutions of valid equations and computer analyses, they lack a simple physical picture to explain the phenomenon. In our case, we have the solar oblateness conventionally providing added heat input at the poles. The result is the large scale transport of material toward the equator giving rise to subrotation. The model thus facilitates an understanding of the formation of a slowly rotating convection zone above the more rapidly rotating core. The latitudinal photospheric differential rotation is interpreted as a second order effect associated with horizontal momentum transport. The recent observations of zonal winds drifting equatorward with a 22-year period (Howard and LaBonte, 1980) may be related by this model as a third order effect from a similar periodicity in differential solar heating (pole to equator).     

The innermost corona observed at the 1973 June 30 eclipse

Slitless flash spectrograms in heights below 8000 km above the solar limb were obtained by the University of Kyoto Expedition at Atar, Mauritania. The integrated intensities of Fexiv 5303, Fex 6374, Fexi 7892, and the continuum are measured as a function of height above the solar limb at eleven points (P.A. = 284–300°) around the third contact point. It is found that a significant amount of the emission in Fex 6374 originates in chromospheric levels well below 8000 km. This implies that the interspicular region of the chromosphere is occupied by coronal material. The average values of the electron temperature and the electron density in the interspicular region are derived from the Fex 6374 and the Fexi 7892 intensities on the assumption of spherical symmetry: T _e = 0.9–1.1 × 10⁶ K and N _e = 9–10 × 10⁸ cm^–3. The intensity variations of the coronal lines and the continuum with position angle are also studied. Strong correlations between Fexiv 5303 and the continuum and between Fex 6374 and Fexi 7892 are found. From the Fex 6374 intensities it is inferred that there is a density fluctuation in the innermost corona by at least a factor of two.Contributions from the Kwasan and Hida Observatories, University of Kyoto, No. 271.     

The brightness distribution over the moon's disk at 6 cm wavelength

On November 27, 1974, a map of the Moon was obtained at 6 cm wavelength with the 100-m-telescope in Effelsberg. The high angular and favourable temperature resolution allowed an interpretation of the observed brightness distribution. The dominant feature of the brightness distribution is the centre-to-limb variation, particularly noticeable in the direction of the poles. The exponent of the commonly adopted cos ()-law, describing the temperature variation across the lunar disk, is determined as 0.4. The North-South variation of the lunar surface temperature is estimated to be 30%; the depth of penetration (L _e) of electromagnetic waves of 6 cm wavelength is found to beL _e 17 m.     

Theory of the Trojan asteroids,IV

In a previous publication (1977) the author has constructed a family () of long-periodic orbits in the Trojan case of the restricted problems of three bodies. Here he constructs the domain of the analytical solution of the problem of the motion, excluding the vicinity of thecritical divisor which vanishes at the exact commensurability of the natural frequencies ₁ and ₂. In terms of thecritical masses m_j(₂), or the associatedcritical energies _j ² (m), is the intersection of the intervals ofshallow resonance, of the form. Inasmuch as the intervals |₂– _j ² |<_j ofdeep resonance aredisjoint, it follows that (1) the disjointed family () embraces the tadpole branch, 0²1, lying in: and (2) despite the clustering of _j ² (m) atj=, the family () includes, for ²=1, an asymptoticseparatrix that terminates the branch in the vicinity of the Lagrangian pointL ₃.In a similar manner, the family () can be extended to the horseshoe branch 1<_{2 2} ² .     

Eclipse Observations of Compact Sources in the Outer Solar Corona

We report here on high angular resolution observations of solar noise storm sources at a frequency of 75 MHz. The data for the study were obtained at the Gauribidanur Radio Observatory (long.: 77°2612 E, lat.: 13°3612 N) about 100 km north of Bangalore, India, during the solar eclipse of 24 October 1995. Our main conclusion is that there are structures of angular size 2.5 arc min in the outer solar corona.     

Anisotropic angular broadening in the solar wind

We present Very Large Array observations at wavelengths of 2, 3.5, 6, and 20 cm, of angular broadening of radio sources due to the solar wind in the region 2–16 solar radii. Angular broadening is anisotropic with axial ratios in the range 2–16. Larger axial ratios are observed preferentially at smaller solar distances. Assuming that anisotropy is due to scattering blobs elongated along magnetic field lines, the distribution of position angles of the elliptically broadened images indicates that the field lines are non-radial even at the largest heliocentric distances observed here. At 5R , the major axis scattering angle is 0.7 at =6 cm and it varies with heliocentric distance asR ^–1.6. The level of turbulence, characterized by the wave structure function at a scale of 10 km along the major axis, normalized to =20 cm, has a value 20±7 at 5R and varies with heliocentric distance asR ^–3. Comprison with earlier results suggest that the level of turbulence is higher during solar maximum. Assuming a power-law spectrum of electron density fluctuations, the fitted spectral exponents have values in the range 2.8–3.4 for scales sizes between 2–35 km. The data suggests temporal fluctuations (of up to 10%) in the spectral exponent on a time scale of a few tens of minutes. The observed structure functions at different solar distances do not show any evidence for an inner scale; the upper limits are 1 km at 2R and 4 km at 13R . These upper limits are in conflict with earlier determinations and may suggest a reduced inner scale during solar maximum.     

Turbulent motions in molecular clouds

We have studied the behavior of the inner motions of OH, H₂CO, and CO molecular clouds. This study shows the existence of two main components of these clouds: the narrow one, associated to dense small clouds and a wide one representing the large diffuse clouds seen in neutral hydrogen, the large clouds are the vortex and intermediate state between turbulent and hydrodynamic motions in the Galaxy.For the dense clouds with sizesd<10 pc we have found a relationship d ^0.38 consistent with the Kolmogorov law of turbulence; the densities and sizes of these clouds behave asnd ^–1. This last relation for these molecular clouds is compared with theHII one. Also, we discuss the effects of the inner magnetic field in these clouds.     

The Coronal Mass Ejection Waiting-Time Distribution

The distribution of times t between coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) CME catalog for the years 1996–2001 is examined. The distribution exhibits a power-law tail (t) with an index –2.36±0.11 for large waiting times (t>10 hours). The power-law index of the waiting-time distribution varies with the solar cycle: for the years 1996–1998 (a period of low activity), the power-law index is –1.86±0.14, and for the years 1999–2001 (a period of higher activity), the index is –2.98±0.20. The observed CME waiting-time distribution, and its variation with the cycle, may be understood in terms of CMEs occurring as a time-dependent Poisson process. The CME waiting-time distribution is compared with that for greater than C1 class solar flares in the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) catalog for the same years. The flare and CME waiting-time distributions exhibit power-law tails with very similar indices and time variation.     

Torsional oscillation patterns in photospheric magnetic features

We analyzed 689 high-resolution magnetograms taken daily with the NSO Vacuum Telescope on Kitt Peak from 1975 to 1991. Motions in longitude on the solar surface are determined by a one-dimensional crosscorrelation analysis of consecutive day pairs. The main sidereal rotation rate of small magnetic features is best fit by = 2.913(±0.004) – 0.405(±0.027) sin² – 0.422(±0.030) sin⁴ , in µrad s^–1, where is the latitude. Small features and the large-scale field pattern show the same general cycle dependence; both show a torsional oscillation pattern. Alternating bands of faster and slower rotation travel from higher latitudes toward the equator during the solar cycle in such a way that the faster bands reach the equator at cycle minimum. For the magnetic field pattern, the slower bands coincide with larger widths of the crosscorrelations (corresponding to larger features) and also with zones of enhanced magnetic flux. Active regions thus rotate slower than small magnetic features. This magnetic torsional oscillation resembles the pattern derived from Doppler measurements, but its velocities are larger by a factor of more than 1.5, it lies closer to the equator, and it leads the Doppler pattern by about two years. These differences could be due to different depths at which the different torsional oscillation indicators are rooted.Operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc. under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.     

Spectroscopic Studies of the Solar Corona – V. Physical Properties of Coronal Structures

Spectra around the 6374 Å [Fex] and 7892 Å [Fexi] emission lines were obtained simultaneously with the 25-cm coronagraph at Norikura Observatory covering an area of 200 ×500 of the solar corona. The line width, peak intensity and line-of-sight velocity for both the lines were computed using Gaussian fits to the observed line profiles at each location (4 ×4 ) of the observed coronal region. The line-width measurements show that in steady coronal structures the FWHM of the 6374 Å emission line increases with height above the limb with an average value of 1.02 mÅ arc sec^–1. The FWHM of the 7892 Å line also increases with height but at a smaller average value of 0.55 mÅ arc sec^–1. These observations agree well with our earlier results obtained from observations of the red, green, and infrared emission lines that variation of the FWHM of the coronal emission lines with height in steady coronal structures depends on plasma temperatures they represent. The FWHM gradient is negative for high-temperature emission lines, positive for relatively low-temperature lines and smaller for emission lines in the intermediate temperature range. Such a behaviour in the variation of the FWHM of coronal emission lines with height above the limb suggests that it may not always be possible to interpret an increase in the FWHM of emission line with height as an increase in the nonthermal velocity, and hence rules out the existence of waves in steady coronal structures.