Solar flares: The impulsive phase

Only during the previous solar cycle have systematic observations begun to be made with the sensitivity and time resolution, and the continuous coverage required to catch the impulsive phase and measure the rapid variations present in many wavelength ranges. Observations in X-rays, gamma-rays, UV, H, and radio wavelengths all reveal rapid variations during the impulsive phase and have contributed to our understanding of the different phenomena involved. Results have been obtained from several spacecraft, from rocket and balloon flights, and from ground-based observations. These are reviewed in the context of a simple single loop flare model with a view to showing what results are consistent with this model and what the major problems are in our understanding of the impulsive phase. New instrumentation planned for observations during the present Cycle 22 will provide a concerted attack on the impulsive phase as part of the Max '91 program.     

Is the ‘superhot’ hard x-ray component in solar flares consistent with a thermal source?

It has been shown by Brown and Emslie (1988) that any optically thin thermal bremsstrahlung source must emit an energy spectrumL () (keV s^–1 keV^–1) which has the property that higher derivatives alternate in sign, i.e., (–) ^j L(^j)() > 0 for allj. In this short note, we apply this test to the superhot component discussed by Linet al. (1981) in order to determine whether a strictly thermal interpretation of this component is valid. We find that all statistically significant higher derivatives do indeed have the correct sign; this strengthens the identification of this component as due to a thermal source.Presidential Young Investigator.     

Chemical abundances from B-stars in the Magellanic Clouds

We observed near-Main-Sequence B-stars in the Magellanic Clouds with the 3.6 m telescope and CASPEC at La Silla. We obtained spectra of high resolution and high S/N-ratio. The stars are members of the blue globular clusters NGC 1818 (LMC) and NGC 330 (SMC). The spectra are used for differential abundance analyses using HER as galactic reference star. Apart from CNO the metals are underabundant by about a factor of three and four for the LMC and SMC star, respectively. The CNO pattern is interesting since in both stars oxygen is considerably more abundant than carbon.Based on observations collected at ESO, La Silla and on Calar Alto, Spain and on observations made with the International Ultraviolet Explorer.     

The global structure of the pulsar magnetospheres

The model of the pulsar magnetosphere filled with massless charged particles (rest massm=0) is considered. The gas of charged massless particles can be found in two different phases: (1) dynamical phase (DP), when the particles move with nonvanishing energy along some base line, determined by the electromagnetic field only, (2) statical phase (SP), when the particles have vanishing energy =0. The pulsar magnetosphere occurs to be divided into regions of different types: (a) the accelerating regions (DP-regions) containing only DP, (b) the capture regions, containing only SP, (3) leaky capture regions, where DP moves through SP. The leaky capture regions are the active regions, which are responsible for the pulsar radioemission. In the case of oblique magnetic moment the equation for the capture surface has been obtained. The capture region is formed around this surface. Expressions for jumps of the electromagnetic field, the current density and the charge density on the capture region boundary have been obtained. The problem of the pulsar magnetosphere is stated mathematically in the case of oblique magnetic moment and ejection of only electrons.     

Radiometry of near-earth asteroids

We report 10 micrometers infrared photometry for 22 Aten, Apollo, and Amor asteroids. Thermal models are used to derive the corresponding radiometric albedos and diameters. Several of these asteroids appear to have surfaces of relatively high thermal inertia due to the exposure of bare rock or a coarse regolith. The Apollo asteroid 3103, 1982 BB, is recognized as class E. The Jupiter-crossing Amor asteroid 3552, 1983 SA, is confirmed as class D, but low albedos remain rare for near-Earth asteroids.     

The possibility of transition radiation in planetary nebulae

A new concept —the Paradox of Nebula IC4997 — is the main subject of the present article. The essence of this paradox arises when the variations of the intensities of forbidden lines 4363 [Oiii] andN ₁+N ₂ [Oiii] take place not in unison as is predicted by the classical theory. An attempt is made to solve this paradox, suggesting the possibility both of spontaneous appearance of relativistic electrons in the nebula and the generation of so-calledtransition radiation as a result of electrodynamic interaction of these electrons with dust particles in nebula. The parameters of relativistic electrons and power of transition radiation are obtained. The problems which need further examination are also enumerated.     

Dynamical conditions in planets and stars

With the available data in planets, stars and galaxies, it is studied the functions of angular momentaJ(M) and amounts of actionA _c(M) (associated to the non rotational terms in the kinetic energy). The results indicate that independently of how are these functionsJ(M),A _c(M) their ratioA _c/J remains a near invariant. It is independent also from the type of angular momenta: intrinsic spins of the bodies or the total angular (orbital) momenta of the bodies forming a system; for instance, the Solar System and the planets.The relationA _c(M) for the Solar System are analogous to these in the FGK stars of the main sequence, and the relationJ(M) (also for the Solar System) is analogous to the lower possible limit for binary stars.The different types of binary stars from the short period, detached systems to contactary systems, gives a range of functionsJ(M),A _c(M) that are the same that one can expect in stars with planetary systems. According to the detection limits given for planetary companions by Campbell, Walker and Yang (1988) (masses of less than 9 Jupiter masses and orbital periods of less than 50 years) we calculate the limits forJ(M) andA _c(M) This gives a lower limitA _c/J 1 associated to stars with planetary systems as 61 Cygni and to short period detached binaries. The upper limitA _c/J 16 correspond to planetary systems as the ours and probably to cataclysmic binaries. There are reasons to suspect that systems as the ours and in range 4 A _c/J 16 (with a lower limit analogous to contactary binaries as Algols and W Ursa Majoris) must be the most common type of planetary systems. The analogies with the functionsJ(M)A _c(M) for galaxies suggest cosmogonical conditions in the stellar formation.Independently of this, one can have boundary conditions for the Jacobi problem when applied to a collapsing cloud. Namely, from the initial stage (a molecular cloud) to the final stage (a formed stellar system: binary or planetary) the angular momenta and amounts of action decayed to 10^~4 the initial values, but in such a form thatA _c(t)/J(t) remains a near invariant.     

Evaluation of gas production rates in some comets

Emission fluxes of CN, C₂ and C₃ carbon-bearing molecular species observed in the coma of comets Bennett (1969i 1970II), West (1975n 1976VI), P Halley (1982i), Hartley-Good (19851) and Bradfield (1987s) are analysed in the framework of Haser model. CN, C₂ and C₃ production rates are determined using recently derived fluorescence efficiencies. The dependence of CN, C₂ and C₃ production rates on the heliocentric distance and the possible correlations among these radicals is studied and briefly discussed.     

The thermal continuum in coronal loops: The influence of finite resistivity on the continuous spectrum

The normal mode spectrum for the linearized MHD equations is investigated for a cylindrical equilibrium. This spectrum is examined for zero perpendicular thermal conduction, with both zero and non-zero scalar resistivity. Particular attention is paid to the continuous branches of this spectrum, or continuous spectra. For zero resistivity there are three types of continuous spectra present, namely the Alfvén, slow, and thermal continua. It is shown that when dissipation due to resistivity is included, the slow and Alfvén continua are removed and that the thermal continuum is shifted to a different position (where the shift is independent of the exact value of resistivity). The old location of the thermal continuum is covered by a dense set of nearly singular discrete modes called a quasi-continuum. The quasi-continuum is investigated numerically, and the eigenfunctions are shown to have rapid spatial oscillating behaviour. These oscillations are confined to the most unstable part of the equilibrium based on the Field criterion, and may be the cause of fine structure in prominences.     

The impulsive phase of a large solar limb flare of June 20, 1989

On 1989 June 20, we observed in H the impulsive phase of a 3B/X1.6 limb flare with high temporal resolution. Line profiles have been acquired every 2.3 s with an imaging spectrograph. During the eruption of a filament we observed in H a moving plasma blob from what we believe to be a second loop which correlated spatially and temporally with a microwave source at 1.4 GHz observed by VLA. A magnetodynamic model is used to understand the development of the moving plasma blob.