Magnetic connection and current distribution in black hole accretion discs

We discuss one of the possible origins of large-scale magnetic fields based on a continuous distribution of toroidal electric current flowing in the inner region of the disc around a Kerr black hole (BH) in the framework of general relativity. It turns out that four types of configuration of the magnetic connection (MC) are generated, i.e. MC of the BH with the remote astrophysical load (MCHL), MC of the BH with the disc (MCHD), MC of the plunging region with the disc (MCPD) and MC of the inner and outer disc regions (MCDD). It turns out that the Blandford–Znajek process can be regarded as one type of MC, i.e. MCHL. In addition, we propose a scenario for fitting the quasi-periodic oscillations in BH binaries based on MCDD associated with the magnetic reconnection.     

How well do we understand cosmological recombination?

The major theoretical limitation for extracting cosmological parameters from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) sky lies in the precision with which we can calculate the cosmological recombination process. Uncertainty in the details of hydrogen and helium recombination could effectively increase the errors or bias the values of the cosmological parameters derived from the Planck satellite, for example. Here, we modify the cosmological recombination code recfast by introducing one more parameter to reproduce the recent numerical results for the speed-up of the helium recombination. Together with the existing hydrogen fudge factor, we vary these two parameters to account for the remaining dominant uncertainties in cosmological recombination. By using the C osmo MC code with Planck forecast data, we find that we need to determine the parameters to better than 10 per cent for He  i and 1 per cent for H, in order to obtain negligible effects on the cosmological parameters. For helium recombination, if the existing studies have calculated the ionization fraction to the 0.1 per cent level by properly including the relevant physical processes, then we already have numerical calculations which are accurate enough for Planck . For hydrogen, setting the fudge factor to speed up low-redshift recombination by 14 per cent appears to be sufficient for Planck . However, more work still needs to be done to carry out comprehensive numerical calculations of all the relevant effects for hydrogen, as well as to check for effects which couple hydrogen and helium recombination through the radiation field.     

The Bastille day Magnetic Clouds and Upstream Shocks: Near-Earth Interplanetary Observations

The energetic charged particle, interplanetary magnetic field, and plasma characteristics of the `Bastille Day' shock and ejecta/magnetic cloud events at 1 AU occurring over the days 14–16 July 2000 are described. Profiles of MeV (WIND/LEMT) energetic ions help to organize the overall sequence of events from the solar source to 1 AU. Stressed are analyses of an outstanding magnetic cloud (MC2) starting late on 15 July and its upstream shock about 4 hours earlier in WIND magnetic field and plasma data. Also analyzed is a less certain, but likely, magnetic cloud (MC1) occurring early on 15 July; this was separated from MC2 by its upstream shock and many heliospheric current sheet (HCS) crossings. Other HCS crossings occurred throughout the 3-day period. Overall this dramatic series of interplanetary events caused a large multi-phase magnetic storm with min Dst lower than −300 nT. The very fast solar wind speed (≥ 1100 km s⁻¹) in and around the front of MC2 (for near average densities) was responsible for a very high solar wind ram pressure driving in the front of the magnetosphere to geocentric distances estimated to be as low as ≈ 5 R _E, much lower than the geosynchronous orbit radius. This was consistent with magnetic field observations from two GOES satellites which indicated they were in the magnetosheath for extended times. A static force-free field model is used to fit the two magnetic cloud profiles providing estimates of the clouds' physical and geometrical properties. MC2 was much larger than MC1, but their axes were nearly antiparallel, and their magnetic fields had the same left-handed helicity. MC2's axis and its upstream shock normal were very close to being perpendicular to each other, as might be expected if the cloud were driving the shock at the time of observation. The estimated axial magnetic flux carried by MC2 was 52×10²⁰ Mx, which is about 5 times the typical magnetic flux estimated for other magnetic clouds in the WIND data over its first 4 years and is 17 times the flux of MC1. This large flux is due to both the strong axially-directed field of MC2 (46.8 nT on the axis) and the large radius (R ₀=0.189 AU) of the flux tube. MC2's average speed is consistent with the expected transit time from a halo-CME to which it is apparently related.     

磁云传播的动力学演化过程研究进展

磁云因其独特的磁场结构经常是重大灾害性空间天气的驱动源. 近来从磁云的边界层结构、环向通量、大尺度结构等方面关于磁云传播的动力学演化过程的研究取得了一些进展. 在磁云边界存在一个由于磁场重联而形成的边界层结构. 在磁云传播过程中, 这种发生在边界处的磁场重联可能会把磁云的磁场剥蚀掉, 进而引起其磁通量绳结构环向通量的减少以及不对称. 在磁云内部, 经常会观测到多个子通量绳结构. 这些特性各异的子通量绳可以通过磁场重联而合并, 进而引起磁云磁结构的改变. 关于磁云大尺度磁场拓扑位形的演化机制, 除了较早提出的交换重联外, 目前的研究表明在行星际空间中, 磁云边界处的重联过程也可以将磁云闭合或半开放的磁场线打开或断开. 尽管在相关研究中已经取得了较大进展, 但关于磁云传播的动力学演化过程还有许多问题尚不清楚. 在行星际小尺度磁通量绳边界也发现了边界层结构, 那么磁云是否会因剥蚀而成为小尺度通量绳? 磁云内子通量绳结构在相互作用中会不会引起某些不稳定性而导致整个通量绳系统的崩溃? 这些问题的解决还有待于进一步的理论、观测和数值模拟研究.     

NTSC的双混频时差测量系统试运转结果分析

中国科学院国家授时中心(NTSC)新进口的由德国Timetech公司制造的双混频时差测量系统(dual mixer time difference system,DMTD)已经通过了试运行。介绍了DMTD的工作原理和设备结构。NTSC时频基准实验室的主钟(MC)信号作为DMTD的频率参考信号,5个氢钟和18个铯钟的频率信号作为被测信号与MC信号进行相位比对。用频率分配放大器输出的多路MC信号也作为被测信号用以监测DMTD本身的精度和稳定度。给出了DMTD和时间间隔计数器TIC实际测量结果的比较及误差分析。测量结果表明DMTD特别适用于频率短期稳定度非常高的氢原子钟这样的频标之间的频率和时间比对。该设备将用于NTSC的守时工作,不久的将来也将用于铯喷泉与氢钟的频率比对。     

Transfer of energy and angular momentum in the magnetic coupling between a rotating black hole and the surrounding accretion disc

The transfer of energy and angular momentum in the magnetic coupling (MC) of a rotating black hole (BH) with its surrounding accretion disc is discussed based on a mapping relation derived by considering the conservation of magnetic flux with two basic assumptions: (i) the magnetic field on the horizon is constant, (ii) the magnetic field on the disc surface varies as a power law with the radial coordinate of the disc. The following results are obtained: (i) the transfer direction of energy and angular momentum between the BH and the disc depends on the position of a co-rotation radius relative to the MC region on the disc, which is eventually determined by the BH spin; (ii) the evolution characteristics of a rotating BH in the MC process without disc accretion are depicted in a parameter space, and a series of values of the BH spin are given to indicate the evolution characteristics; (iii) the efficiency of converting accreted mass into radiation energy of a BH–disc system is discussed by considering the coexistence of disc accretion and the MC process; (iv) the MC effects on disc radiation and the emissivity index are discussed and it is concluded that they are consistent with the recent XMM–Newton observation of the nearby bright Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG–6-30-15 with reference to a variety of parameters of the BH–disc system.     

How Can a Negative Magnetic Helicity Active Region Generate a Positive Helicity Magnetic Cloud?

The geoeffective magnetic cloud (MC) of 20 November 2003 was associated with the 18 November 2003 solar active events in previous studies. In some of these, it was estimated that the magnetic helicity carried by the MC had a positive sign, as did its solar source, active region (AR) NOAA 10501. In this article we show that the large-scale magnetic field of AR 10501 has a negative helicity sign. Since coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are one of the means by which the Sun ejects magnetic helicity excess into interplanetary space, the signs of magnetic helicity in the AR and MC must agree. Therefore, this finding contradicts what is expected from magnetic helicity conservation. However, using, for the first time, correct helicity density maps to determine the spatial distribution of magnetic helicity injections, we show the existence of a localized flux of positive helicity in the southern part of AR 10501. We conclude that positive helicity was ejected from this portion of the AR leading to the observed positive helicity MC.     

A toy model for magnetic extraction of energy from black hole accretion disk

A toy model for magnetic extraction of energy from black hole (BH) accretion disk is discussed by considering the restriction of the screw instability to the magnetic field configuration. Three mechanisms of extracting energy magnetically are involved. (1) The Blandford–Znajek (BZ) process is related to the open magnetic field lines connecting the BH with the astrophysical load; (2) the magnetic coupling (MC) process is related to the closed magnetic field lines connecting the BH with its surrounding disk; and (3) a new scenario (henceforth the DL process) for extracting rotational energy from the disk is related to the open field lines connecting the disk with the astrophysical load. The expressions for the electromagnetic powers and torques are derived by using the equivalent circuits corresponding to the above energy mechanisms. It turns out that the DL power is comparable with the BZ and MC powers as the BH spin approaches unity. The radiation from a quasi-steady thin disk is discussed in detail by applying the conservation laws of mass, energy and angular momentum to the regions corresponding to the MC and DL processes. In addition, the poloidal currents and the current densities in BH magnetosphere are calculated by using the equivalent circuits.     

Integrated photometric properties of magellanic cloud star clusters

Integrated CCD BVR photometric measurements of Magellanic Cloud (MC) star clusters are described and summarized. The integrated colour-magnitude diagrams and colour-age relations for these systems imply that (a) the colour distribution of MC clusters is distinctly bi-modal (although this bi-modality is not simply explained as a distinction between young and old clusters), and (b) the MCs are probably not forming as many (if any) extremely massive clusters at the present as they did early in their lifetimes (i.e., 10 Gyr ago). Structurally, the MC clusters are seen to be intermediate between galactic globular and open clusters and their radial surface brightness profiles can generally be adequately fitted to single-mass King (1966) models (some exceptions do occur, however). Although the distribution of the derived structural parameters of young and old MC clusters are similar, they differ significantly from the distribution of structural parameters observed in intermediate-age clusters, suggesting that these structural properties do not evolve monotonically with time.Visiting astronomer at the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatories, operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under contract with the National Science Foundation.     

Effects of magnetic coupling on radiation from accretion disc around a Kerr black hole

The effects of magnetic coupling (MC) process on the inner edge of the disc are discussed in detail. It is shown that the inner edge can deviate from the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) due to the magnetic transfer of energy and angular momentum between a Kerr black hole (BH) and its surrounding accretion disc. It turns out that the inner edge could move inwards and outwards for the BH spin a _* being greater and less than 0.3594, respectively. The MC effects on disc radiation are discussed based on the displaced inner edge. A very steep emissivity can be provided by the MC process, which is consistent with the observation of MCG-6-30-15. In addition, the BH spins of GRO J1655−40 and GRS 1915+105 are detected by X-ray continuum fitting based on this model.     

Hyperaccretion after the Blandford-Znajek Process： A New Model for GRBs with X-Ray Flares Observed in Early Afterglows

We propose a three-stage model with Blandford-Znajek (BZ) and hyperaccretion process to interpret the recent observations of early afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). In the first stage, the prompt GRB is powered by a rotating black hole (BH) invoking the BZ process. The second stage is a quiet stage, in which the BZ process is shut off, and the accretion onto the BH is depressed by the torque exerted by the magnetic coupling (MC) process. Part of the rotational energy transported by the MC process from the BH is stored in the disk as magnetic energy. In the third stage, the MC process is shut off when the magnetic energy in the disk accumulates and triggers magnetic instability. At this moment, the hyperaccretion process may set in, and the jet launched in this restarted central engine generates the observed X-ray flares. This model can account for the energies and timescales of GRBs with X-ray flares observed in early afterglows.     

Post-Eruption Arcades and Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections

We compare the temporal and spatial properties of posteruption arcades (PEAs) associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) at the Sun that end up as magnetic cloud (MC) and non-MC events in the solar wind. We investigate the length, width, area, tilt angle, and formation time of the PEAs associated with 22 MC and 29 non-MC events and we find no difference between the two populations. According to current ideas on the relation between flares and CMEs, the PEA is formed together with the CME flux-rope structure by magnetic reconnection. Our results indicate that at the Sun flux ropes form during CMEs in association with both MC and non-MC events; however, for non-MC events the flux-rope structure is not observed in the interplanetary space because of the geometry of the observation, i.e. the location of the spacecraft when the structure passes through it.     

Main Cause of the Poloidal Plasma Motion Inside a Magnetic Cloud Inferred from Multiple-Spacecraft Observations

Although the dynamical evolution of magnetic clouds (MCs) has been one of the foci of interplanetary physics for decades, only few studies focus on the internal properties of large-scale MCs. Recent work by Wang et al. (J. Geophys. Res. 120, 1543, 2015) suggested the existence of the poloidal plasma motion in MCs. However, the main cause of this motion is not clear. In order to find it, we identify and reconstruct the MC observed by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)-A, Wind, and STEREO-B spacecraft during 19?–?20 November 2007 with the aid of the velocity-modified cylindrical force-free flux-rope model. We analyze the plasma velocity in the plane perpendicular to the MC axis. It is found that there was evident poloidal motion at Wind and STEREO-B, but this was not clear at STEREO-A, which suggests a local cause rather than a global cause for the poloidal plasma motion inside the MC. The rotational directions of the solar wind and MC plasma at the two sides of the MC boundary are found to be consistent, and the values of the rotational speeds of the solar wind and MC plasma at the three spacecraft show a rough correlation. All of these results illustrate that the interaction with ambient solar wind through viscosity might be one of the local causes of the poloidal motion. Additionally, we propose another possible local cause: the existence of a pressure gradient in the MC. The significant difference in the total pressure at the three spacecraft suggests that this speculation is perhaps correct.     

Contribution to the structural interpretation of the Valles Marineris-Noctis Labyrinthus-Claritas Fossae regions of Mars

An inventory of tectonic trends observed in the MC 17 (Phoenicis Lacus) and MC 18 (Coprates) Mars quadrangles, has been constructed on the basis of Mariner 9 and Viking Orbiter images, with regard to their structural significance within the martian history. A scenario for the principal periods and their mechanisms, is proposed with regard to the uplift of the Tharsis Montes-Syria Planum dome.Paper presented at the European Workshop on Planetary Sciences, organised by the Laboratorio di Astrofisica Spaziale di Frascati, and held between April 23–27, 1979, at the Accademia Nazionale del Lincei in Rome, Italy.     

The Evolution of Massive Close Binaries

We present results of evolutionary computations for massive close binaries with the Brussels simultaneous evolution code for conservative and non-conservative Roche lobe overflow (RLOF). We discuss mass transfer in massive close binaries during phases of RLOF, common envelope, spiral-in and merging. We examine the effects of stellar wind during successive stellar evolution phases and the final fate of primaries. We show how our library can be used to explain well-known binaries such as the WR + OB system V444 Cyg, HMXBs Vela X-1 and Wray 977, LMXBs like Her X-1, and binary pulsars. More details on the evolution of massive close binaries can be found in “The Brightest Binaries” (Vanbeveren et al., 1998).     

行星际磁云研究新进展

从飞船的观测结果、磁云形态及演化的理论模型、磁流体动力学(MHD)数值模拟、激波对磁云的作用、多重磁云等5个方面，评述了行星际磁云的研究成果及最新进展。在太阳峰年，大部分的非重现性地磁暴都与磁云有关。最近的研究表明，压缩后的磁云往往能产生更大的地磁效应。深入研究磁云对空间天气研究有着特殊的价值，特别是对提高大磁暴的预报水平有着重要帮助。     

Discussion on the Identification of Magnetic Cloud Boundaries Using Cloud Natural Coordinate System

Magnetic clouds (MCs) belong to an important subset of interplanetary coronal mass ejections. The identification of their boundaries is always a problem in the studies of MCs. This paper discusses a method to identify the boundaries of MCs by coordinate transformation. Instead of the conventional GSE (Geocentric Solar Ecliptic) coordinate system, the interplanetary magnetic field data are converted into a cloud natural coordinate system, in which the profile of the MC as a magnetic flux tube is clearly displayed. Then, combining with the plasma properties of the MC, the boundary of the cloud can be identified easily. Six observed MCs are analyzed using this method, and the results show that this method is feasible and can reduce the uncertainty in the identification of MC boundaries.     

Connecting Coronal Mass Ejections and Magnetic Clouds: A Case Study Using an Event from 22 June 2009

Solar Physics - On 27 June 2009 the Wind and Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft near Earth detected a magnetic cloud (MC). The MC can be traced back to a slow coronal mass ejection...     

Deformation of ICMEs/MCs along their path

Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) and their subset, magnetic clouds (MCs), are important manifestations of solar activity which have substantial impact on the geomagnetic field. We re-analyze events already identified in Wind and Voyager 2 data and estimate changes of their geometry along the path from the Sun. The analysis is based on the thickness of the sheath between a shock and a particular ICME or MC which is proportional to the apparent curvature radius of ICMEs/MCs. We have found that this apparent radius of curvature increases with the Mach number and this effect is attributed to the larger deformation of the fast ICME/MC. Further, the relative sheath thickness that is proportional to the flux rope oblateness decreases with the magnetic field intensity inside the ICME/MC and increases with the heliospheric distance.