The brightest OH maser in the sky: A flare of emission in W75 N

A flare of maser radio emission in the 1665-MHz OH line with a flux density of about 1000 Jy was discovered in the star-forming region W75 N in 2003. At the time of its observations, it was the strongest OH maser in the entire history of research since the discovery of cosmic OH masers in 1965. The linear polarization of the flare emission reached 100%. A weaker flare with a flux density of 145 Jy was observed in this source in 2000–2001; this was probably a precursor of the intense flare. The intensity of two other spectral features decreased when the flare emerged. This change in the intensity of the emission from maser condensations (a brightening of some of them and a weakening of others) can be explained by the passage of a magnetohydrodynamic shock through regions of enhanced gas concentration.     

Observations of Double-Periodic X-Ray Emission in Interacting Systems of Solar Flare Loops

We investigate the M1.8 solar flare of 20 October 2002. The flare was accompanied by quasi-periodic pulsations (QPP) of both thermal and nonthermal hard X-ray emissions (HXR) observed by RHESSI in the 3?–?50 keV energy range. Analysis of the HXR time profiles in different energy channels made with the Lomb periodogram has indicated two statistically significant time periods of about 16 and 36 s. The 36 s QPP were observed only in the nonthermal HXR emission in the impulsive phase of the flare. The 16 s QPP were found in thermal and nonthermal HXR emission both in the impulsive and in the decay phases of the flare. Imaging analysis of the flare region, the determined time periods of the QPP, and the estimated physical parameters of the flare loops allowed us to interpret the observed QPP in terms of MHD oscillations excited in two spatially separated, but interacting systems of flaring loops.     

Observations of Giant Pulses of the Crab Pulsar

The Crab Pulsar was observed at 1540 MHz with the 25m radio telescope at Urumqi with a filterbank de-dispersion backend. A total of 2436 giant pulses with pulse energies larger than 4300 Jy μs were detected in two observing sets. All of these giant pulses are located in the main pulse (MP) and inter pulse (IP) windows of the average profile of the Crab Pulsar. The ratio of the numbers of giant pulses detected in the IP and MP windows is about 0.05. Our results show that, at 1540 MHz, the emission in the IP is contributed by giant and normal pulses, while that in the MP is almost dominated by giant pulses. The distribution of energy of the 2436 giant pulses at 1540 MHz can be described by a power-law with index α=3.13±0.09. The intrinsic threshold of giant pulse energy in the MP window is about 1400 Jy μs at 1540 MHz.     

A search for the 53-MHz OH line near G48.4−1.4 using the National MST Radar Facility

We present the results of a search for the ground-state hyperfine transition of the OH radical near 53 MHz using the National Mesosphere–Stratosphere–Troposphere (MST) Radar Facility at Gadanki, India. The observed position was G48.4−1.4 near the Galactic plane. The OH line is not detected. We place a 3σ upper limit for the line flux density at 39 Jy from our observations. We also did not detect recombination lines (RLs) of carbon, which were within the frequency range of our observations. The 3σ upper limit of 20 Jy obtained for the flux density of carbon RLs, along with observations at 34.5 and 327 MHz, are used to constrain the physical properties of the line-forming region. Our upper limit is consistent with the line emission expected from a partially ionized region with electron temperature, density and path lengths in the range 20–300 K, 0.03–0.3 cm⁻³ and 0.1–170 pc, respectively.     

Flux monitoring at 327 MHz during SL9-Jupiter collision

Jupiter flux at 327 MHz was monitored using the Ooty radio telescope from July 12th to July 29th during the collision of comet Shoemaker-Levi 9 with Jupiter. Flux was found to increase steadily from July 17th to July 26th by ∼ 2–5 Jy, after which it declined to its pre-event value. The comparison of 327 MHz observations with those at 840 MHz and 2240 MHz indicates that the enhancement was mainly due to the increased synchrotron emission and the contribution of thermal emission was very small at metric-decimetric frequencies. The enhancement in radio emission was found to be more at 840 MHz than at 327 or 2240 MHz. The steepening of the spectrum between 327 and 840 MHz as well as between 2240 and 840 MHz was also noted.     

Initial phase of chromospheric evaporation in a solar flare

In this paper we discuss the initial phase of chromospheric evaporation during a solar flare observed with instruments on the Solar Maximum Mission on May 21, 1980 at 20:53 UT. Images of the flaring region taken with the Hard X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer in the energy bands from 3.5 to 8 keV and from 16 to 30 keV show that early in the event both the soft and hard X-ray emissions are localized near the footpoints, while they are weaker from the rest of the flaring loop system. This implies that there is no evidence for heating taking place at the top of the loops, but energy is deposited mainly at their base. The spectral analysis of the soft X-ray emission detected with the Bent Crystal Spectrometer evidences an initial phase of the flare, before the impulsive increase in hard X-ray emission, during which most of the thermal plasma at 10⁷ K was moving toward the observer with a mean velocity of about 80 km s^-1. At this time the plasma was highly turbulent. In a second phase, in coincidence with the impulsive rise in hard X-ray emission during the major burst, high-velocity (370 km s^-1) upward motions were observed. At this time, soft X-rays were still predominantly emitted near the loop footpoints. The energy deposition in the chromosphere by electrons accelerated in the flare region to energies above 25 keV, at the onset of the high-velocity upflows, was of the order of 4 × 10¹⁰ erg s^-1 cm^-2. These observations provide further support for interpreting the plasma upflows as the mechanism responsible for the formation of the soft X-ray flare, identified with chromospheric evaporation. Early in the flare soft X-rays are mainly from evaporating material close to the footpoints, while the magnetically confined coronal region is at lower density. The site where upflows originate is identified with the base of the loop system. Moreover, we can conclude that evaporation occurred in two regimes: an initial slow evaporation, observed as a motion of most of the thermal plasma, followed by a high-speed evaporation lasting as long as the soft X-ray emission of the flare was increasing, that is as long as plasma accumulation was observed in corona.     

VLA observations of Jupiter’s synchrotron radiation at 15 and 22 GHz

We observed Jupiter’s synchrotron radiation at frequencies of 15 and 22 GHz using the VLA (Very Large Array) in its most compact configuration (D-array) in March 1991. The spatial brightness distribution of the emission at these high frequencies appears to be very similar to that seen at lower frequencies (5 GHz down to 330 MHz). We measured a total nonthermal flux density at 15 and 22 GHz of 1.5 ± 0.15 Jy and 1.5 ± 0.4 Jy, respectively (both normalized to a geocentric distance of 4.04 AU). These numbers agree well with model spectra of Jupiter’s synchrotron radiation that were obtained by fitting the planet’s nonthermal radio emission between 74 MHz and 8 GHz and suggest a maximum cutoff in electron energies at ∼100 MeV. The degree of linear polarization observed with the VLA is 21.5 ± 1.9% at 15 GHz.     

Search for effects of comet S-L 9 fragment impacts on low radio frequency emission from Jupiter

Decametric radio observations of Jupiter were made before, during, and after the impacts of the fragments of the comet S-L 9 with the planet, from the University of Florida Radio Observatory, the Maipu Radio Astronomy Observatory of the University of Chile, and the Owens Valley Radio Observatory of the California Institute of Technology. The decametric radiation was monitored at frequencies from 16.7 to 32 MHz. The minimum detectable flux densities were on the order of 30 kJy, except for that of the large 26.3 MHz array in Florida, which was about 1 kJy. There was no significant enhancement or suppression of the decametric L-burst or S-burst emission with respect to normal activity patterns that might be attributed to the fragment entries. However, a burst of left-hand elliptically polarized radiation having a considerably longer duration than an L-burst was observed almost simultaneously with the impact of the large fragment Q2, and another with right-hand elliptical polarization was observed simultaneously with Q1. We consider the possibility that these two bursts were emitted just above the local electron cyclotron frequencies from the southern and northern ends, respectively, of magnetic flux tubes that had been excited in some way by the proximity of fragments Q2 and Q1.In addition to the monitoring of the decametric radiation, a search was conducted for possible comet-enhanced Jovian synchrotron radiation at 45 MHz using a large dipole antenna array at the observatory in Chile. This frequency is above the cutoff of the decametric radiation, but is considerably below the lowest frequency at which the synchrotron emission has previously been detected. The minimum detectable flux density with the 45 MHz antenna was about 5 Jy. No synchrotron emission at all was found before, during, or after the entry of the comet fragments.     

The Hα development of an intense limb flare and associated flaring arches

The H analysis of the development of the strong impulsive and faint gradual phase of the June 26, 1983 flare indicates the following: (1) The flare originated from two microprominences on the southeast border of NOAA 4227. Several similar events are summarized in Table II. (2) The main flare structure was a flare cone, which consisted of a bright surge-like stream, elevated above two flare ribbons (located in the cone's base). The flare cone had a height of about 40 × 10³ km and lasted 4 min in H. The upper part of the cone was terminated by a very fine loop, which was bent to the west, where later a chromospheric brightening occurred at the footpoint of a flaring arch. A 300 keV burst and radio spikes were observed during the maximum flare phase. (3) The flaring arch system, with its apex at a height of about 48 × 10³ km, formed the skeleton for the coronal helmet structure (Figure 7(c)). The velocity of the plasma moving along the flaring arch was between 3500 km s^–1} and 6900 km s^–1} during the first brightening (14:07 UT).     

The Morphology of Decimetric Emission from Solar Flares: GMRT Observations

Observations of a solar flare at 617 MHz with the Giant Meter-wave Radio Telescope (GMRT) are used to study the morphology of flare radio emission at decimetric wavelengths. There has been very little imaging in the 500 – 1000 MHz frequency range, but it is of great interest, since it corresponds to densities at which energy is believed to be released in solar flares. This event has a very distinctive morphology at 617 MHz: the radio emission is clearly resolved by the 30″ beam into arc-shaped sources seeming to lie at the tops of long loops, anchored at one end in the active region in which the flare occurs, with the other end lying some 200 000 km away in a region of quiet solar atmosphere. Microwave images show fairly conventional behaviour for the flare in the active region: it consists of two compact sources overlying regions of opposite magnetic polarity in the photosphere. The decimetric emission is confined to the period leading up to the impulsive phase of the flare, and does not extend over a wide frequency range. This fact suggests a flare mechanism in which the magnetic field at considerable height in the corona is destabilized a few minutes prior to the main energy release lower in the corona. The radio morphology also suggests that the radiating electrons are trapped near the tops of magnetic loops, and therefore may have pitch angles near 90˚.     

Multiple-loop structure of a solar flare from Microwave,EUV and X-ray Imaging Data

We present the results of an analysis of a flare event of importance M2.8 that occurred at 00:56 UT 28 August 1999. The analysis is based upon observations made with the Nobeyama radioheliograph (NoRH) and polarimeters (NoRP), TRACE, SOHO/MDI, EIT, and Yohkoh/SXT. The images show a very complex flaring region. Pre-flare TRACE and EIT images at 00:24 UT show a small brightening in the region before the flare occurred. The active region in which the flare occurred had evolving magnetic fields, and new magnetic flux seems to have emerged. The X-ray and radio time profiles for this event show a double-peaked structure. The polarimeter data showed that the maximum radio emission (1200 s.f.u.) occurred at 9.4 GHz. At 17 GHz the NoRH images appear to show four different radio sources including the main spot and the main flare loop. Most of the microwave emission seems to originate from the main flare loop. Comparison of BATSE and microwave time profiles at 17 and 34 GHz from the main sunspot source shows that these profiles have similar structures and they coincide with the hard X-ray peaks. The maximum of the flare loop emission was delayed by 10 s relative to the second maximum of the sunspot associated flare emission. Analysis of SXT images during the post-flare phase shows a complex morphology – several intersecting loops and changes in the shape of the main flare loop.     

Decametric radio spectra and positions during the flare of August 28, 1966: 1522 UT

During a period of intense decametric continuum arising near the center of the sun, there occurred additional very strong emission closely associated with the flare beginning at 1522 UT on August 28, 1966. Owing to strong ionospheric absorption from about 1527 UT on, which eliminated telecommunications interference, the frequency range over which the flare-associated emission appears is unusually large, from the upper limit of the spectrograph, 41 MHz, to about 11 MHz, where external reflection cuts off the solar signals. Strong bursts of Type III (fast drift) occur from 1527 to 1531 UT, and a complex Type II (slow drift) from 1532 to 1547 UT. As the Type-II burst progresses at frequencies from 15 to 25 MHz, Northward position shifts of many solar radii probably take place; at higher frequencies the burst moves in a complicated pattern through a much narrower range of distances to the North of the sun. Type-IV emission, from 1540 UT on, moves a large distance to the sun's North, and then, after 1600 UT, returns to a stable position quite close to the sun.     

Hard x-ray and Metric/Decimetric Radio Observations of the 20 February 2002 Solar Flare

The GOES C7.5 flare on 20 February 2002 at 11:07 UT is one of the first solar flares observed by RHESSI at X-ray wavelengths. It was simultaneously observed at metric/decimetric wavelengths by the Nançay radioheliograph (NRH) which provided images of the flare between 450 and 150 MHz. We present a first comparison of the hard X-ray images observed with RHESSI and of the radio emission sites observed by the NRH. This first analysis shows that: (1) there is a close occurrence between the production of the HXR-radiating most energetic electrons and the injection of radio-emitting non-thermal electrons at all heights in the corona, (2) modifications with time in the pattern of the HXR sources above 25 keV and of the decimetric radio sources at 410 MHz are observed occurring on similar time periods, (3) in the late phase of the most energetic HXR peak, a weak radio source is observed at high frequencies, overlying the EUV magnetic loops seen in the vicinity of the X-ray flaring sites above 12 keV. These preliminary results illustrate the potential of combining RHESSI and NRH images for the study of electron acceleration and transport in flares.     

A small-size (less than 1 min of ARC) decametric radio source in the Perseus cluster

Results of observations of decametric readio emission from the Perseus cluster with the aid of URAN-1 interferometer are presented. The 42.2 km baseline of the interferometer is oriented along the parallel. The object is shown to contain a radio source with dimensions which do not exceed 60 and whose flux is not less than 95 Jy over the frequency range from 16.7 to 25 MHz. Several source models are considered and a comparison with higher-frequency measurements is carried out. It seems possible that the source is a component of 3C84A which was reportedly observed earlier by the interferometry technique at 408 and 1415 MHz.     

Seismic Emissions from a Highly Impulsive M6.7 Solar Flare

On 10 March 2001 the active region NOAA 9368 produced an unusually impulsive solar flare in close proximity to the solar limb. This flare has previously been studied in great detail, with observations classifying it as a type 1 white-light flare with a very hard spectrum in hard X-rays. The flare was also associated with a type II radio burst and coronal mass ejection. The flare emission characteristics appeared to closely correspond to previous instances of seismic emission from acoustically active flares. Using standard local helioseismic methods, we identified the seismic signatures produced by the flare that, to date, is the least energetic (in soft X-rays) of the flares known to have generated a detectable acoustic transient. Holographic analysis of the flare shows a compact acoustic source strongly correlated with the impulsive hard X-rays, visible continuum, and radio emission. Time?–?distance diagrams of the seismic waves emanating from the flare region also show faint signatures, mainly in the eastern sector of the active region. The strong spatial coincidence between the seismic source and the impulsive visible continuum emission reinforces the theory that a substantial component of the seismic emission seen is a result of sudden heating of the low photosphere associated with the observed visible continuum emission. Furthermore, the low-altitude magnetic loop structure inferred from potential-field extrapolations in the flaring region suggests that there is a significant anti-correlation between the seismicity of a flare and the height of the magnetic loops that conduct the particle beams from the corona.     

Observations of the supernova remnants HB 9 and 1C 443 at 34.5MHz

We have observed the extended supernova remnants HB 9 (G 160.5 + 2.8) and IC 443 (G 189.1 + 2.9) at 34.5 MHz with a resolution of 26 arcmin × 40 arcmin. A map of HB 9 is presented. The integrated flux density of HB 9 at 34.5 MHz is 750 ± 150 Jy. The spectral index in the frequency range from 34.5 MHz to 2700 MHz is found to be constant (- 0.58 ± 0.06) without any spectral break such as was reported earlier by Willis (1973). There is no significant variation of the spectral index across the remnant. The integrated flux density of IC 443 at 34.5 MHz is 440 ± 88 Jy. The spectral index in the frequency range from 20 MHz to 10700 MHz is - 0.36 ± 0.04. The reduction in flux at very low frequencies (10 MHz) is attributable to free-free absorption in the interstellar medium and/or in the H II region S 249.     

A study of X-ray flares – I. Active late-type dwarfs

We present temporal and spectral characteristics of X-ray flares observed from six late-type G–K active dwarfs (V368 Cep, XI Boo, IM Vir, V471 Tau, CC Eri and EP Eri) using data from observations with the XMM–Newton observatory. All the stars were found to be flaring frequently and altogether a total of 17 flares were detected above the 'quiescent' state X-ray emission which varied from 0.5 to  8.3 × 10²⁹ erg s⁻¹  . The largest flare was observed in a low-activity dwarf XI Boo with a decay time of 10 ks and ratio of peak flare luminosity to 'quiescent' state luminosity of 2. We have studied the spectral changes during the flares by using colour–colour diagram and by detailed spectral analysis during the temporal evolution of the flares. The exponential decay of the X-ray light curves, and time evolution of the plasma temperature and emission measure are similar to those observed in compact solar flares. We have derived the semiloop lengths of flares based on the hydrodynamic flare model. The size of the flaring loops is found to be less than the stellar radius. The hydrodynamic flare decay analysis indicates the presence of sustained heating during the decay of most flares.     

Pulsating microwave emission from the star AD Leo

We have performed a spectral analysis of the quasi-periodic low-frequency modulation of microwave emission from a flare on the star AD Leo. We used the observations of the May 19, 1997 flare in the frequency range 4.5–5.1 GHz with a total duration of the burst phase of about 50 s obtained in Effelsberg with a time resolution of 1 ms. The time profile of the radio emission was analyzed by using the Wigner-Ville transformation, which yielded the dynamic spectrum of low-frequency pulsations with a satisfactory frequency-time resolution. In addition to the noise component, two regular components were found to be present in the low-frequency modulation spectrum of the stellar radio emission: a quasi-periodic component whose frequency smoothly decreased during the flare from ～2 to ～0.2 Hz and a periodic sequence of pulses with a repetition rate of about 2 Hz, which was approximately constant during the flare. We consider the possibility of the combined effect of MHD and LCR oscillations of the radio source on the particle acceleration in the stellar atmosphere and give estimates of the source’s parameters that follow from an analysis of the low-frequency modulation spectra.     

Radio Observations at 232 MHz and Multifrequency Spectral Studies of SNR HB21

Radio observational results at 232 MHz and multifrequency studies of supernova remnant (SNR) HB21 are presented. Its integrated flux density at 232 MHz is about 390 ± 30 Jy. Both the integrated spectral index and the spatial variations of spectral index of the remnant were calculated by combining the new map at 232 MHz with previously published maps made at 408, 1420, 2695, and 4750 MHz. The SNR has an integrated spectral index of about α = -0.43(S _ν ∝ ν^α) between 232 and 4750 MHz. In general the spectral index varies from –0.5 in southeast and west regions of the remnant to –0.3 in the central region and near the northwest edge. The new data of 232 MHz reveals that there is interaction between the remnant and the surrounding gas along the east edge of the remnant which causes the spectrum flattening at low frequency, while the very good agreement between the structure of X-ray emission and the central flat spectrum area suggests that the existence of thermal emission is the reason of spectrum flattening in the area. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Interferometric Observations of the Quiet Sun at 20 and 25 MHz in May 2014

We present the results of solar observations at 20 and 25 MHz with the Ukrainian T-shaped Radio telescope of the second modification (UTR-2) in the interferometric session from 27 May to 2 June 2014. In this case, the different baselines 225, 450, and 675 m between the sections of the east–west and north–south arms of UTR-2 were used. On 29 May 2014, strong sporadic radio emission consisting of Type III, Type II, and Type IV bursts was observed. On other days, there was no solar radio activity in the decameter range. We discuss the observation results of the quiet Sun. Fluxes and sizes of the Sun in east–west and north–south directions were measured. The average fluxes were 1050?–?1100 Jy and 1480?–?1570 Jy at 20 and 25 MHz, respectively. The angular sizes of the quiet Sun in equatorial and polar directions were \(55'\) and \(49'\) at 20 MHz and \(50'\) and \(42'\) at 25 MHz. The brightness temperatures of the radio emission were \({T_{\mathrm{b}}} = 5.1 \times{10^{5}}~\mbox{K}\) and \({T_{\mathrm{b}}} = 5.7 \times{10^{5}}~\mbox{K}\) at 20 and 25 MHz, respectively.