Applying speckle masking to spectra

We have applied the technique of speckle masking to spectra. The observation of elongated solar structures avoids the problem of missing information in one-dimensional spectra. Image motion perpendicular to the slit was diminished by a one-dimensional image stabilization system. The remaining influence of the Earth's atmosphere was removed by a modified speckle-masking algorithm, adapted to the single spatial dimension occurring in the spectra. The reconstructed spectra achieve the diffraction limit of the telescope and the spectrograph.The first application of this technique to observations of spicules and penumbral filaments reveals more details and also yield line profiles which differ from those before reconstruction. The H emission in spicules shows line-of-sight velocities two times larger than in the unprocessed spectra. The non-magnetic line Fe 709.03 nm shows penumbral line widths, reflecting mostly the line asymmetry from the Evershed effect, which are tightly correlated to the continuum intensity fluctuations. Our reconstruction increases the coherence between both from 0.6 to 0.8.     

The effect of screening factors and thermonuclear reaction rates in the pre-main sequence evolution of low mass stars

In understanding the nucleosynthesis of the elements in stars, one of the most important quantities is the reaction rate and it must be evaluated in terms of the stellar temperature T, and its determination involves the knowledge of the excitation function σ(E) of the specific nuclear reaction leading to the final nucleus. In this paper, the effect of thermonuclear reaction rates to the pre-main sequence evolution of low mass stars having masses 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 and 1M_⊙ are studied by using our modified Stellar Evolutionary Program.     

How can α 2-dynamos generate axisymmetric magnetic fields?

Inspired by a recently observed axisymmetric field in a fully convective star we investigate the influence of an anisotropic diffusivity on the dynamo. We find that with reasonable assumptions for the anisotropy of the diffusivity and the α -effect the preference of axisymmetric modes is achieved. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

DOT Tomography of the Solar Atmosphere VII. Chromospheric Response to Acoustic Events

We use synchronous movies from the Dutch Open Telescope sampling the G band, Ca?ii?H, and Hα with five-wavelength profile sampling to study the response of the chromosphere to acoustic events in the underlying photosphere. We first compare the visibility of the chromosphere in Ca?ii?H and Hα, demonstrate that studying the chromosphere requires Hα data, and summarize recent developments in understanding why this is so. We construct divergence and vorticity maps of the photospheric flow field from the G-band images and locate specific events through the appearance of bright Ca?ii?H grains. The reaction of the Hα chromosphere is diagnosed in terms of brightness and Doppler shift. We show and discuss three particular cases in detail: a regular acoustic grain marking shock excitation by granular dynamics, a persistent flasher, which probably marks magnetic-field concentration, and an exploding granule. All three appear to buffet overlying fibrils, most clearly in Dopplergrams. Although our diagnostic displays to dissect these phenomena are unprecedentedly comprehensive, adding even more information (photospheric Doppler tomography and magnetograms along with chromospheric imaging and Doppler mapping in the ultraviolet) is warranted.     

Constraints on the flux of meteoritic and cometary water on the Moon from volatile element (N–Ar) analyses of single lunar soil grains,Luna 24 core

We report new nitrogen and argon isotope and abundance results for single breccia clasts and agglutinates from four different sections of the Luna 24 drill core in order to re-evaluate the provenance of N trapped in lunar regolith, and to place limits on the flux of planetary material to the Moon’s surface. Single Luna 24 grains with ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios <1 show δ¹⁵N values between ?54.5‰ and +123.3‰ relative to terrestrial atmosphere. Thus, low-antiquity lunar soils record both positive and negative δ¹⁵N signatures, and the secular increase of the δ¹⁵N value previously postulated by Kerridge (Kerridge, J.F. [1975]. Science 188(4184), 162–164. doi:10.1126/science.188.4184.162) is no longer apparent when the Luna and Apollo data are combined. Instead, the N isotope signatures, corrected for cosmogenic ¹⁵N, are consistent with binary mixing between isotopically light solar wind (SW) N and a planetary N component with a δ¹⁵N value of +100‰ to +160‰. The lower δ¹⁵N values of Luna 24 grains compared to Apollo samples reflect a higher relative proportion of solar N, resulting from the higher SW fluence in the region of Mare Crisium compared to the central near side of the Moon. Carbonaceous chondrite-like micro-impactors match well the required isotope characteristics of the non-solar N component trapped in low-antiquity lunar regolith. In contrast, a possible cometary contribution to the non-solar N flux is constrained to be ?3–13%. Based on the mixing ratio of SW to planetary N obtained for recently exposed lunar soils, we estimate the flux of micro-impactors to be (2.2–5.7) × 10³ tons yr^?1 at the surface of the Moon. Our estimate for Luna 24 agrees well with that for young Apollo regolith, indicating that the supply of planetary material does not depend on lunar location. Thus, the continuous influx of water-bearing cosmic dust may have represented an important source of water for the lunar surface over the past ～1 Ga, provided that water removal rates (i.e., by meteorite impacts, photodissociation, and sputtering) do not exceed accumulation rates.     

Elemental abundance analyses with DAO spectrograms. XXVIII. Comparisons with two series of automated elemental abundance analyses

We compare the results of our series of fine analyses based on Dominion Astrophysical Observatory long camera coudé spectra with those of the same stars from the series of automated elemental abundance analyses by Hill (1995) and by Erspamer and North (2003). We usually find good agreement with the results of the first paper for those elements with well-determined abundances and somewhat poorer agreement with results of the second paper.     

FLRW cosmological models with quark and strange quark matters in $$ gravity

In this paper, we have studied the magnetized quark matter (QM) and strange quark matter (SQM) distributions in the presence of \(f(R,T)\) gravity in the background of Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) metric. To get exact solutions of modified field equations we have used \(f(R,T ) = R + 2 f(T)\) model given by Harko et al. with two different parametrization of geometrical parameters i.e. the parametrization of the deceleration parameter \(q \), and the scale factor \(a \) in hybrid expansion form. Also, we have obtained Einstein Static Universe (ESU) solutions for QM and SQM distributions in \(f(R,T)\) gravity and General Relativity (GR). All models in \(f(R,T)\) gravity and GR for FRW and ESU Universes with QM also SQM distributions, we get zero magnetic field. These results agree with the solutions of Akta? and Aygün in \(f(R,T)\) gravity. However, we have also discussed the physical consequences of our obtained models.     

On Flare-CME Characteristics from Sun to Earth Combining Remote-Sensing Image Data with <Emphasis Type="Italic">In Situ</Emphasis> Measurements Supported by Modeling

We analyze the well-observed flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) from 1 October 2011 (SOL2011-10-01T09:18) covering the complete chain of effects – from Sun to Earth – to better understand the dynamic evolution of the CME and its embedded magnetic field. We study in detail the solar surface and atmosphere associated with the flare and CME using the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and ground-based instruments. We also track the CME signature off-limb with combined extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and white-light data from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO). By applying the graduated cylindrical shell (GCS) reconstruction method and total mass to stereoscopic STEREO-SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) coronagraph data, we track the temporal and spatial evolution of the CME in the interplanetary space and derive its geometry and 3D mass. We combine the GCS and Lundquist model results to derive the axial flux and helicity of the magnetic cloud (MC) from in situ measurements from Wind. This is compared to nonlinear force-free (NLFF) model results, as well as to the reconnected magnetic flux derived from the flare ribbons (flare reconnection flux) and the magnetic flux encompassed by the associated dimming (dimming flux). We find that magnetic reconnection processes were already ongoing before the start of the impulsive flare phase, adding magnetic flux to the flux rope before its final eruption. The dimming flux increases by more than 25% after the end of the flare, indicating that magnetic flux is still added to the flux rope after eruption. Hence, the derived flare reconnection flux is most probably a lower limit for estimating the magnetic flux within the flux rope. We find that the magnetic helicity and axial magnetic flux are lower in the interplanetary space by ～?50% and 75%, respectively, possibly indicating an erosion process. A CME mass increase of 10% is observed over a range of \({\sim}\,4\,\mbox{--}\,20~\mathrm{R}_{\odot }\). The temporal evolution of the CME-associated core-dimming regions supports the scenario that fast outflows might supply additional mass to the rear part of the CME.