A new numerical method for simulating the solar wind Alfvén waves: Development of the Vlasov-MHD model

A novel scheme of plasma simulation particularly suited for computing the one-dimensional nonlinear evolution of parallel propagating solar wind Alfvén waves is presented. The scheme is based on the Vlasov and the MHD models, for solving the longitudinal and the transverse components, respectively. As long as the nonlinearity is not very large (so that the longitudinal and transverse components are well separated), our Vlasov-MHD model can correctly describe evolution of finite amplitude parallel Alfvén waves, which are typical in the solar wind, both in the linear and nonlinear stages. The present model can be applied to discussions of phenomena where the parallel Alfvén waves play major roles, for example, the solar coronal heating and solar wind acceleration by the Alfvén waves propagating from the photosphere.     

The solar system evolution

The concepts on the spatially-periodic condensation in the solar system have been considered in the light of the general theory of the evolution of the solar system. It has been shown that as protodisks arise and compress, the role of hydromagnetic effects weakens. After the stage of spatially-periodic condensation and accretion, the concentration of gas in protodisks decreases and the role of hydromagnetic effects increases again. Specific features of the formation of planets near the Sun and satellites near the planets can be explained if these peculiarities of the evolution are taken into account. The corresponding role of the above processes has been evaluated numerically.The accretion of gas molecules both by jet streams arising after spatially-periodic condensation and by planet embryos has also been considered. Characteristic times of these processes have been estimated.The results obtained show that the general concept on the solar system evolution (Alfvén and Arrhenius, 1976) is in good agreement with the mechanism of spatially-periodic condensation, which takes place during the formation of primary rings of the solar and satellite systems (Gladyshev, 1977).     

Interaction Between A Fast Plasmoid and the Solar Wind

In this note a kinetic interaction process between a fast plasmoid ejected by the Sun, which represents another form of CME, and the background solar wind in the corona is discussed. We consider a system which consists of the plasmoid ions moving faster than the solar wind. We are interested in the time evolution of the ion distribution functions due to wave–particle interactions. Simulation results show that both perpendicular and parallel temperatures of the solar wind ions increase when the relative velocity between the plasmoid and the solar wind is sufficiently greater than the Alfvén velocity of the plasmoid ions. We suggest that this process is significant for the heating and acceleration of the solar wind in the low-heliographic latitude regions near the Sun.     

Plasma emission: A review

The theory of plasma emission is reviewed emphasizing general concepts rather than the details of the analysis. The generation of the Langmuir turbulence, its evolution due to nonlinear processes, and the plasma emission processes are described. Several outstanding difficulties in the applications to solar radio bursts are discussed, concentrating on those with implications on local density inhomogeneities in the sources.Proceedings of the Second CESRA Workshop on Particle Acceleration and Trapping in Solar Flares, held at Aubigny-sur-Nère (France), 23–26 June, 1986.     

Umbral oscillations in the presence of a spreading magnetic field

Résumé Des onze observatoires qui, depuis 1947, ont à des degrés divers participé à l'obtention de données coronales au coronographe, six seulement sont encore en service. Rendues homogènes à partir d'un traitement statistique, ces données permettraient de couvrir trente cinq années d'activité solaire, soit près de quatre cycles complets. Une exploitation intéressante de ces mesures est la recherche des trous coronaux (autre que polaires), sources du vent solaire à haute vitesse dont les retombées en matière d'accroissement de nos connaissances sur la physique de la haute atmosphère et relations avec le climat terrestre sont primordiales. De nombreuses résolutions récentes de symposium ont conclu en ce sens et il serait bon que les commissions spécialisées concernées de l'UAI se prononcent sur ce problème au cours de l'une de ses prochaines réunions.

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Thirty-five years of patrol measurements of the intensity of the solar corona outside eclipses

A review of the various observatories having done daily measurements of the activity of the solar corona and having regularly published their results is being given hereby. Out of eleven observatories having taken out to the observation campaign since 1947, only six are still working in this field. Due to the fact that the scales, the focus and photometric systems are not always the same, the measurements are not homogeneous and directly comparable. However, astronomers can find there a great lot of statistical data covering thirty five years of coronal activity, that is more than three solar cycles. Some of these data, such as those of the Pic-du-Midi observatory, are readily available on magnetic tapes and may be asked from the authors. One of the most interesting exploitations of these data is the search of coronal holes (other than polar holes which are simply the signature of the periodic activity of corona) and it is shown here that such features are easily detectable. So, it will be vital for future research in solar physics, and especially in solar weather and climate relationships (bearing in mind that coronal holes are the sources of high speed streamers of the solar wind which interacts with the Earth magnetosphere), to ensure continuity and quality of patrol ground-based corona intensities outside eclipses. A number of recent conclusions of symposia in this field have led to such recommendations, and it would be suitable if next specialized commissions of IAU meetings were to think about that matter.

     

Wave-trains in the solar wind

The equations of motion of all relevant parameters of Alfvén waves propagating from the sun outwardly into the expanding interplanetary medium are discussed for the case of a quiet, ideal, isotropic, one-fluid solar wind plasma. It is found that the frequency of the wave reamains constant, while the wave vector and the amplitudes depend, in general, on the evolution of the background medium and on the angle between the wave vector and the interplanetary magnetic field. This latter dependence cancels approximately for the evolution of the amplitudes in the case of a pure, overall spiral magnetic field. It is shown that in this case the results of earlier discussions can be derived by less decisive restrictions.     

3. Solar System Formation and Early Evolution: the First 100 Million Years

The solar system, as we know it today, is about 4.5 billion years old. It is widely believed that it was essentially completed 100 million years after the formation of the Sun, which itself took less than 1 million years, although the exact chronology remains highly uncertain. For instance: which, of the giant planets or the terrestrial planets, formed first, and how? How did they acquire their mass? What was the early evolution of the “primitive solar nebula” (solar nebula for short)? What is its relation with the circumstellar disks that are ubiquitous around young low-mass stars today? Is it possible to define a “time zero” (t ₀), the epoch of the formation of the solar system? Is the solar system exceptional or common? This astronomical chapter focuses on the early stages, which determine in large part the subsequent evolution of the proto-solar system. This evolution is logarithmic, being very fast initially, then gradually slowing down. The chapter is thus divided in three parts: (1) The first million years: the stellar era. The dominant phase is the formation of the Sun in a stellar cluster, via accretion of material from a circumstellar disk, itself fed by a progressively vanishing circumstellar envelope. (2) The first 10 million years: the disk era. The dominant phase is the evolution and progressive disappearance of circumstellar disks around evolved young stars; planets will start to form at this stage. Important constraints on the solar nebula and on planet formation are drawn from the most primitive objects in the solar system, i.e., meteorites. (3) The first 100 million years: the “telluric” era. This phase is dominated by terrestrial (rocky) planet formation and differentiation, and the appearance of oceans and atmospheres.     

Alfvén wave plasma turbulence during solar wind-comet interaction

The large differences in drift velocities between the solar wind protons and the picked-up ions of cometary origin cause the Alfvén waves (among others) to become unstable and generate turbulence. A self-consistent treatment of such instabilities has to take into account that these cometary ions affect the solar wind plasma in a decisive way. With the help of a previously developed formalism one finds the correct Alfvén instability criterion, which is here nondispersive, in contrast to recent calculations where the cometary ions are treated as a low-density, high-speed, and non-neutral beam through an otherwise undisturbed solar wind. The true bulk speed of the combined solar wind plus cometary ion plasma clearly shows the mass-loading and deceleration of the solar wind near the cometary nucleus, indicating a bow shock. The instability criterion is also used to determine the region upstream where the Alfvén waves can be unstable, based upon recent observations near comet Halley.     

银河系化学演化研究进展

银河系的形成与演化是天体物理学研究的重大前沿课题,银河系的化学演化在其中更具有极其重要的地位。随着观测资料的不断积累和理论工作的不断深入,银河系化学演化的研究取得了一系列进展。在观测方面,从太阳附近区域,整个银盘,银晕和核球等方面简要回顾了银河系化学演化模型主要观测约束的近期结果;在化学演化模型方面,回顾了银河系化学演化研究的发展历程和近期进展,并对未来的研究进行了展望。     

Propagation of solar generated disturbances through the solar wind critical points: One-dimensional analysis

We investigate the proper method for mathematically simulating the formation of an interplanetary disturbance (IPD) in the subsonic, sub-Alfvénic region near the solar surface within the constraints of one-dimensional hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) analyses. We then numerically simulate the subsequent propagation of the IPD through the solar wind critical points in the equatorial plane to the outer corona. We show that, if the IPD is initiated outside the critical points, it always contains both a forward and reverse shock (a shock pair). This result contrasts with observations indicating that shock pairs at 1 AU which can be associated with solar events are rare occurrences in the solar wind. On the other hand, IPDs initiated inside the critical points contain only a forward shock at the leading edge. When the magnetic field is included in the simulation and the IPD is originated inside the critical points, the IPD contains a forward shock at its leading edge followed by large-amplitude, nonlinear, MHD waves which are convected outward by the solar wind. Unlike shock pairs, MHD waves are often observed in the solar wind. Hence, we conclude that physically realistic studies of the propagation of IPD which are assumed to originate near the solar surface must (1) initiate the IPD inside the critical points and (2) include the magnetic field. Although this conclusion is based on a one-dimensional analysis, we speculate that it would be equally valid in multi-dimensions.     

The coupling of solar convection and rotation – (Invited Review)

In recent years, helioseismology has provided an unprecedented look at the dynamics of the solar interior. These new insights have been accompanied by tremendous advances in high-performance computing technology, prompting increasingly sophisticated and realistic numerical models of solar convection. Among the most important helioseismic constraints on global-scale convection models is the mean differential rotation profile of the solar envelope, which is established by convection under the influence of rotation. The highly turbulent nature of solar convection makes this rotational influence difficult to determine and model. I will begin this review by discussing the solar rotation profile inferred from helioseismic measurements and various theoretical and numerical approaches to account for it. Computational constraints limited early numerical models to relatively laminar flow regimes but more recent investigations have begun to explore the distinct nature of turbulent convection. After a brief overview of empirical and numerical results on the related Rayleigh-Bernard system, I will outline the current state of numerical modeling of turbulent convection in rotating, stratified fluids, first in Cartesian and then in spherical geometries. The emphasis throughout will be on how rotation influences the structure, evolution, and transport processes of turbulent convection and what type of differential rotation can result.     

On Alfvén's critical velocity for the interaction of a neutral gas with a moving magnetized plasma

A theory for the interaction of a neutral gas with a moving magnetized plasma is given. The Alfvén expression for the critical velocity is identified with that for the terminal velocity while another expression for the threshold velocity for interaction is given. The implications of these results to the Alfvén-Arrhenius model for the solar system are discussed.Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 70th birthday, 30 May, 1978.     

Light deflection during solar eclipses

A simultaneity is observed between fluctuations in ellipticity of the solar corona and variation of the light deflection by the Sun, during the eclipses.

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Résumé On constate une simultanéité entre les fluctuations de l'ellipticité de la couronne solaire et les variations des déviations de la lumière, par le soleil, durant les éclipses.

     

Loop models of solar flares: Revisions and comparisons

Due to developments in solar flare observations which appear to show that a particular class of solar flares result from instabilities occurring in magnetic loops we re-examine the Alfvén-Carlqvist flare model to show that it is workable and we update the Spicer loop model of a flare. It is noted that the Alfvén-Carlqvist model of necessity requires an external current driver which must maintain the current driven instability at marginal stability during the duration of the flare. In addition, it is argued that if the Alfvén-Carlqvist model is to work the current density must rise in a time shorter than an MHD or resistive tearing mode time scale. Otherwise, the dominant flare mechanism must be an ideal MHD or tearing type instability. Further, the distinctions between the two models are highlighted and a new hybrid model of the Alfvén-Carlqvist and Spicer models is introduced.     

La loi de danjon et les eruptions volcaniques

Résumé La loi de Danjon qui décrit les variations de la luminosité des éclipses de Lune au cours du cycle solaire de 11 ans, a été vérifiée dans 7 cas des minima solaires entre 1900 et 1965, dont deux peuvent être attribués aussi à l'activité volcanique.

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Danjon's law describing the variations of the luminosity of lunar eclipses during the 11 year cycle of solar activity has been verified in 7 cases between 1900 and 1965 from which 2 cases may be also ascribed to the volcanic activity.

     

The cosmogonical separation of matter and antimatter

Alfvén has shown that in the symmetric cosmology of O. Klein, matter and antimatter can be separated as clouds of solar masses. By considering the dynamics of these clouds it is shown that a further separation process driven by the release of rest energy can separate matter on a galactic scale.Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 70th birthday, 30 May, 1978.     

Temperature distribution in the solar nebula at successive stages of its evolution

We have constructed a model of the solar nebula that allows for the temperature and pressure distributions at various stages of its evolution to be calculated. The mass flux from the accretion envelope to the disk and from the disk to the Sun, the turbulent viscosity parameter α, the opacity of the disk material, and the initial angular momentum of the protosun are the input model parameters that are varied. We also take into account the changes in the luminosity and radius of the young Sun. The input model parameters are based mostly on data obtained from observations of young solar-type stars with disks. To correct the input parameters, we use the mass and chemical composition of Jupiter, as well as models of its internal structure and formation that allow constraints to be imposed on the temperature and surface density of the protoplanetary disk in Jupiter’s formation zone. Given the derived constraints on the input parameters, we have calculated models of the solar nebula at successive stages of its evolution: the formation inside the accretion envelope, the evolution around the young Sun going through the T Tauri stage, and the formation and compaction of a thin dust layer (subdisk) in the disk midplane. We have found the following evolutionary trend: an increase in the temperature of the disk at the stage of its formation, cooling at the T Tauri stage, and the subsequent internal heating of the dust subdisk by turbulence dissipation that causes a temperature rise in the formation zone of the terrestrial planets at the high subdisk density and the opacity in this zone. We have obtained the probable ranges of temperatures in the disk midplane, i.e., the temperatures of the protoplanetary material in the formation region of the terrestrial planets at the initial stage of their formation.     

A global numerical 3-D MHD model of the solar wind

A fully three-dimensional, steady-state global model of the solar corona and the solar wind is developed. A numerical, self-consistent solution for 3-D MHD equations is constructed for the region between the solar photosphere and the Earth's orbit. Boundary conditions are provided by the solar magnetic field observations. A steady-state solution is sought as a temporal relaxation to the dynamic equilibrium in the region of transonic flow near the Sun and then traced to the orbit of the Earth in supersonic flow region. The unique features of the proposed model are: (a) uniform coverage and self-consistent treatment of the regions of subsonic/sub-Alfvénic and supersonic/super-Alfvénic flows, (b) inferring the global structure of the interplanetary medium between the solar photosphere and 1 AU based on large-scale solar magnetic field data. As an experimental test for the proposed technique, photospheric magnetic field data for CR 1682 are used to prescribe boundary condition near the Sun and results of a simulation are compared with spacecraft measurements at 1 AU. The comparison demonstrates a qualitative agreement between computed and observed parameters. While the difference in densities is still significant, the 3-D model better reproduces variations of the solar wind velocity than does the 2-D model presented earlier (Usmanov, 1993).     

Speckle Masking Imaging of Sunspots and Pores

In recent years, speckle interferometry has been successfully applied to various solar phenomena and provides a powerful tool to study solar small-scale structures. The present investigation lays special emphasis on sunspots and sunspot pores. The observations have been performed with the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) at the Observatorio del Teide (Tenerife) in the years from 1992 to 1994. Time series of high-spatial-resolution observations reveal the highly dynamical evolution of sunspot fine structures such as umbral dots, penumbral grains or the small-scale brightenings in the vicinity of sunspots observed in the wings of strong chromospheric absorption lines (moustache phenomenon). The reconstructed images show small-scale structures close to the telescopic diffraction limit of 0.16 at 550 nm. Furthermore, the high transmission of a Fabry–Pérot interferometer (FPI) as the principal optical element of a two-dimensional spectrometer allows one to reconstruct directly images taken within a passband of 0.014 nm.     

An attempt to identify low l - low n solar acoustic modes

The low l solar acoustic spectrum has been measured with great accuracy (v/v 10^–4), for intermediate radial order modes, 11 n 34 (Jiménez et al., 1986; Grec, Fossat, and Pomerantz, 1983; Pallé et al., 1986). The measurement of the frequencies of modes of lower n, up to the fundamental one, are very important as they depart from asymptotic behaviour and, therefore, put more severe constraints on solar models. However, their amplitudes are very low (under 2 cm s^–1) and when compared to the solar velocity background noise (Jiménez et al., 1986), a S/N 1 is obtained. Taking advantage of the fact that lifetimes seem to be higher at lower frequencies (lower n values) (Jefferies et al., 1988; Elsworth et al., 1990), very long Doppler velocity measurements, obtained at Teide Observatory, have been used to increase S/N, therefore, providing the possibility to detect such modes. The frequencies observed are compared to those predicted by a solar model (Christensen-Dalsgaard, Däppen, and Lebreton, 1988), using the best equation of state yet computed (Mihalas, Däppen, and Hummer, 1988).