Chromospheric Sunspot Oscillations in Hα and Ca ii 8542 Å

We study chromospheric oscillations including umbral flashes and running penumbral waves in a sunspot of active region NOAA 11242 using scanning spectroscopy in Hα and Ca?ii 8542 Å with the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) at the 1.6 meter New Solar Telescope at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. A bisector method is applied to spectral observations to construct chromospheric Doppler-velocity maps. Temporal-sequence analysis of these shows enhanced high-frequency oscillations inside the sunspot umbra in both lines. Their peak frequency gradually decreases outward from the umbra. The oscillation power is found to be associated with magnetic-field strength and inclination, with different relationships in different frequency bands.     

Velocities and Temperatures of an Ellerman Bomb and Its Associated Features

We investigated the velocity and temperature characteristics of an Ellerman bomb (EB) and its associated features based on observations made with the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) and a broadband TiO filter of the 1.6 meter New Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory. In the TiO images of the photospheric level, we found a granular cell expanding in two opposite directions near the site of the EB. When one end of this granule reached the EB site, the transverse speed of the tip of the expanding granule rapidly decreased and the EB brightened. The wings of the Hα profile of the EB indicated that the EB was blueshifted up to 7 km?s^?1. About 260 s after the EB brightening, a surge was seen in absorption and varied from a blueshift of 20 km?s^?1 to a redshift of 40 km?s^?1 seen in the Hα and Ca ii 8542 Å lines. From the Doppler absorption width of the two lines determined by applying the cloud model, we estimated the mean temperature of the surge material to be about 29000 K and the mean speed of nonthermal motion to be about 11 km?s^?1. We discuss the physical implications of our results in terms of magnetic reconnection and processes related to it.     

Evidence for non-potential magnetic fields in the quiet Sun

A comparison of BBSO H centerline filtergrams and videomagnetograms was made to investigate the existence of non- potential magnetic fields in the quiet Sun near magnetic network. We use the fibril structure in the H images as a proxy for the horizontal chromospheric magnetic field which we compare with the horizontal field obtained by potential extrapolation of the observed, line-of-sight photospheric field. The quiet-Sun field was found to be consistently and significantly non-potential in each of the three fields of view studied. A transient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) brightening, known as a blinker, occurred during the observations of a region where the field is highly non-potential, suggesting a connection between magnetic reconnection and non-potentiality.     

Counter-streaming Mass Flow and Transient Brightening in Active Region Loops

An active region loop system was observed in a decaying active region for three hours by TRACE and BBSO in a joint campaign on September 27, 1998. Continuous mass motion was seen in Hα offband filtergrams throughout the three hours, and some UV loops were exhibited transient brightenings. We find that: (1) cool material was flowing along the loops at a speed of at least 20 km s^?1. Further, in Hα red and blue wings, we see mass motion along different loops in opposite directions. This is the first report of a counter-streaming pattern of mass motion in an Hα loop system. (2) Transient brightenings of different UV loops at different times were observed at C?iv 1550 Å. These brightened UV loops were located in the same region and at the same altitudes as the Hα loops. The observations show a clear correlation between the transient brightenings of UV loops and mass motion in Hα loops. (3) Both footpoints of the loop system were located in regions of mixed magnetic polarities. Frequent micro-flares at one footpoint of the loops with small-scale brightenings spreading along the loop leg were observed before the brightening and rising of one C?iv loop. Similar to the case of a filament, the continuous mass motion along the loops seems important for maintaining the cool Hα loop system at coronal height. There may be an indication that the mass motion in cool Hα loops and the correlated transient brightening of the active region loops were due to the small-scale chromospheric magnetic reconnection at the footpoint regions of the loop system.

     

Active Region Coronal Rain Event Observed by the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph on the NST

The Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) is being operated on the New Solar Telescope of the Big Bear Solar Observatory. It simultaneously records spectra of Hα and Ca ii 8542 Å lines, and this dual-spectra measurement provides an estimate of the temperature and nonthermal speed components. We observed a loop structure in AR 11305 using the FISS, SDO/AIA, and STEREO/EUVI in 304 Å, and found plasma material falling along the loop from a coronal height into the umbra of a sunspot, which accelerated up to 80 km?s^?1. We also observed C2 and C7 flare events near the loop. The temperature of the downflows was in the range of 10?000?–?33?000 K, increasing toward the umbra. The temperature of the flow varied with time, and the temperature near the footpoint rose immediately after the C7 flare, but the temperature toward the umbra remained the same. There seemed to be a temporal correlation between the amount of downflow material and the observed C-class flares. The downflows decreased gradually soon after the flares and then increased after a few hours. These high-speed red-shift events occurred continuously during the observations. The flows observed on-disk in Hα and Ca ii 8542 Å appeared as fragmented, fuzzy condensed material falling from the coronal heights when seen off-limb with STEREO/EUVI at 304 Å. Based on these observations, we propose that these flows were an on-disk signature of coronal rain.     

Stray-Light Effect on Magnetograph Observations

To examine the stray-light effect in magnetograph observations, we have determined the point spread functions of the vector magnetograph mounted on the Japanese Solar Flare Telescope based on two indirect methods, one analyzing the solar limb intensity profile, and the other using the Fourier power spectra of photospheric intensity distributions. Point spread functions consist of two parts: a blurring part which describes seeing and small-spread-angle stray light, and a scattering part which describes large-spread-angle stray light. The FWHM spatial resolution is typically 3.0, and the amount of scattered light is about 15% on clear days. We find that the blurring part is well described by a Moffat function whose Fourier transform is given by an exponential function. Our results indicate that polarization measurements of low-intensity magnetic elements like sunspots may be significantly underestimated due to the large-spread-angle stray light, and polarization measurements of magnetic elements which are smaller than 5–7 appear to be disturbed by small-spread-angle stray light.     

Connection Between Chromospheric Events and Photospheric Dynamics

We analyzed chromospheric events and their connection to oscillation phenomena and photospheric dynamics. The observations were done with the New Solar Telescope of Big Bear Solar Observatory using a broad-band imager at the wavelength of a TiO band and FISS spectrograph scanning Ca?ii and Hα spectral lines. The event in Ca?ii showed strong plasma flows and propagating waves in the chromosphere. The movement of the footpoints of flux tubes in the photosphere indicated flux tube entanglement and magnetic reconnection as a possible cause of the observed brightening and waves propagating in the chromosphere. An upward propagating train of waves was observed at the site of the downflow event in Hα. There was no clear relationship between photospheric waves and the Ca?ii and Hα events. Our observations indicate that chromospheric waves that were previously thought to originate from the photosphere may be generated by some events in the chromosphere as well.     

Identification of groundwater recharge sources and processes in a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer: results from multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes in a riverside agricultural area in Korea

We evaluated sources and pathways of groundwater recharge for a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer beneath an agricultural field, based on multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes of a riverside groundwater system at Buyeo, Korea. Two distinct groundwater zones were identified with depth: (1) a shallow oxic groundwater zone, characterized by elevated concentrations of NO₃^? and (2) a deeper (>10–14 m from the ground surface) sub‐oxic groundwater zone with high concentrations of dissolved Fe, silica, and HCO₃^?, but little nitrate. The change of redox zones occurred at a depth where the aquifer sediments change from an upper sandy stratum to a silty stratum with mud caps. The δ¹⁸O and δ²H values of groundwater were also different between the two zones. Hydrochemical and δ¹⁸O? δ²H data of oxic groundwater are similar to those of soil water. This illustrates that recharge of oxic groundwater mainly occurs through direct infiltration of rain and irrigation water in the sandy soil area where vegetable cropping with abundant fertilizer use is predominant. Oxic groundwater is therefore severely contaminated by agrochemical pollutants such as nitrate. In contrast, deeper sub‐oxic groundwater contains only small amounts of dissolved oxygen (DO) and NO₃^?. The ³H contents and elevated silica concentrations in sub‐oxic groundwater indicate a somewhat longer mean residence time of groundwater within this part of the aquifer. Sub‐oxic groundwater was also characterized by higher δ¹⁸O and δ²H values and lower d‐excess values, indicating significant evaporation during recharge. We suggest that recharge of sub‐oxic groundwater occurs in the areas of paddy rice fields where standing irrigation and rain water are affected by strong evaporation, and that reducing conditions develop during subsequent sub‐surface infiltration. This study illustrates the existence of two groundwater bodies with different recharge processes within an alluvial aquifer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.