Evidence of Magnetic Helicity in Emerging Flux and Associated Flare

The aim of this paper is to look at the magnetic helicity structure of an emerging active region and show that both emergence and flaring signatures are consistent with a same sign for magnetic helicity. We present a multiwavelength analysis of an M1.6 flare occurring in the NOAA active region 10365 on 27 May 2003, in which a large new bipole emerges in a decaying active region. The diverging flow pattern and the “tongue” shape of the magnetic field in the photosphere with elongated polarities are highly suggestive of the emergence of a twisted flux tube. The orientation of these tongues indicates the emergence of a flux tube with a right-hand twist (i.e., positive magnetic helicity). The flare signatures in the chromosphere are ribbons observed in Hα by the MSDP spectrograph in the Meudon solar tower and in 1600 Å by TRACE. These ribbons have a J shape and are shifted along the inversion line. The pattern of these ribbons suggests that the flare was triggered by magnetic reconnection at coronal heights below a twisted flux tube of positive helicity, corresponding to that of the observed emergence. It is the first time that such a consistency between the signatures of the emerging flux through the photosphere and flare ribbons has been clearly identified in observations. Another type of ribbons observed during the flare at the periphery of the active region by the MSDP and SOHO/EIT is related to the existence of a null point, which is found high in the corona in a potential field extrapolation. We discuss the interpretation of these secondary brightenings in terms of the “breakout” model and in terms of plasma compression/heating within large-scale separatrices.     

安顺两次特大暴雨过程的TBB和螺旋度对比分析

利用自动站观测资料、探空资料及NCEP再分析资料,对2010年6月27日夜间和2012年7月12日夜间贵州南部局地大暴雨天气过程进行对比分析。结果表明,安顺的两次特大暴雨天气过程主要是受高空槽和中低层切变共同影响,并配合低空急流,形成了有利于强降水的环流背景。安顺处于假相当位温的高能舌区和K指数、螺旋度的大值区,为特大暴雨的形成提供了很好的能量和动力条件。MCC是造成安顺特大暴雨天气的直接原因,强降水发生在云团的冷核中心内,最强降水均出现在MCC的成熟期。关岭滑坡现场与周围环境明显的海拔高度差和温度差造成的热力差异,为关岭岗乌两次特大暴雨提供了动力源和暖湿气流,并造成了关岭岗乌多次的强降水。     

弱天气系统强迫下北京地区对流下山演变的热动力机制

利用三维数值云模式和雷达资料四维变分(4DVar)同化技术,通过对京津冀地区4部新一代多普勒天气雷达观测资料进行快速更新同化和云尺度模拟,初步分析了弱天气系统强迫下两次发生在北京地区对流风暴的低层动力和热力影响机制。这两次风暴过程处于弱天气系统强迫和弱层结背景下,局地冷池和环境风场的相互配合是造成山上对流风暴是否能够顺利传播下山的关键机制。起初,两个个例平原局地热、动力不均衡形成平原冷池,而冷池的“障碍物”作用进而阻碍环境风场的传播配置。在此机制下,导致在冷池东南边缘形成较强的辐合上升、垂直风切变和螺旋度。在6月26日个例中,由于冷池强度较强且位置偏南,因此阻断了东南暖湿气流向山区的输送,形成由平原至山区的辐散区使得山区的对流风暴不断减弱。但是,随着已经消散的对流风暴下沉气流,覆盖至冷池边缘东南气流上空形成了较强的风切变和垂直螺旋度,进而促使在冷池边缘形成新的对流风暴。而且,在新对流风暴生成后,由于平原地区整体切变强度较弱,因此形成了冷池扩张强度大于对流风暴传播速度的态势。这种配置会切断暖湿入流,从而导致对流风暴快速消亡。对于8月1日个例,冷池位置偏北,因而不受冷池阻挡作用的偏南风在山脚形成较强的辐合上升,同时与下山的偏西风形成明显辐合上升区,有利于山区对流风暴的不断增强;进而,受此影响,山上风暴降水产生若干冷池,新生冷池和原有冷池的相互挤压,在迫使中、北部风暴增强的同时,最终也导致这些风暴互相靠近,最终合并组织成带状对流系统。同时,北部冷池边缘形成的辐合带也为对流风暴向山下传播提供有利条件,而回波产生的冷池进一步增强,并明显扩展。低层风场指示冷池出流(阵风锋)更加强烈且存在明显的“前冲”特征,显现出部分飑线系统的热动力特征。但是由于此时平原地区处于弱切变环境中,风切变强度不能与冷池出流强度相平衡,同样冷池扩展将领先于对流风暴移动,切断东南暖湿入流,导致原有风暴快速减弱。在文章的最后,基于观测和模拟结果,对比分析这两个个例,初步得出了与对流风暴传播下山发展演变密切相关的低层热、动力配置概念模型。     

四川盆地一次暴雨过程的数值模拟及螺旋度分析

利用常规观测资料、日本气象厅向日葵8号卫星的相当黑体亮度温度（TBB）资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料（FNL）,对四川省一次暴雨过程进行数值模拟及螺旋度诊断分析。结果表明：中高纬度“两脊一槽”环流形势、副热带高压与大陆高压脊叠加形成的“东高西低”形势,为此次暴雨过程提供了有利的背景场条件;四川盆地中多个中尺度云团的发生、发展与暴雨的发生直接相关;中尺度模式（WRF）较好地再现了四川此次暴雨过程;700 hPa垂直螺旋度的正值区可以很好地指示降水落区的位置和移动,垂直螺旋度的高低空配置对揭示对流系统的演变起着至关重要的作用。     

一次山东春季大暴雨中螺旋度的应用

2003年4月17~18日山东春季大暴雨过程与暖切变、850 hPa中尺度低涡的发生发展、高温和丰沛的水汽密切相关。利用中尺度有限区域模式MM5对大暴雨过程进行了数值模拟,在数值模拟比较准确的基础上,利用模式输出的细网格资料,根据螺旋度(Helicity)理论结合稳定度条件,对这次暴雨演变过程中的螺旋度进行了诊断分析。结果表明,强对流和暴雨发生在不稳定大气中,正螺旋度大值中心出现的高度与对流发展强弱有关;500 hPa螺旋度正值区长轴与造成强对流的暖区弱切变和雷达带状回波走向一致;大暴雨产生在850 hPa螺旋度中心附近,螺旋度的强度变化对强对流系统的移动、发展及暴雨的发生有一定的指示意义。     

2006年4月11～12日平顶山市沙尘天气中尺度动力机制分析

利用NCEP再分析资料(水平分辨率1°×1°)和同时间的探空、地面资料,分析了2006年4月在平顶山市出现的沙尘天气过程的天气气候背景、影响系统及这次过程的演变和动力机制,结果发现:这次天气过程的主要影响系统是强冷空气和蒙古气旋,强冷平流一方面使低槽、冷锋东移南压,另一方面与暖平流共同作用促进蒙古气旋的发展,造成平顶山市这次沙尘天气过程;沙尘上空螺旋度垂直分布及演变与沙尘天气的出现有一定的对应关系;高低空急流的稳定维持产生两个独立的次级环流,在直接环流北分支的下沉运动有利于高空急流动量下传,促进对流层中低层风力加大,冷锋南压,触发不稳定层结大气,驱动这次天气过程的发生、发展。     

2004—07—16河南省特大暴雨过程螺旋度分析

应用螺旋度理论对2004年7月16～17日河南省特大暴雨天气过程进行了诊断分析。结果表明：螺旋度分布低层天气系统有很好的对应关系，暴雨过程中相对垂直螺旋度大值区长轴始终与低层南北向切变线走向一致；大暴雨区与低空水平螺旋度大值区长轴走向一致，且与水平螺旋度梯度≥130m．s^-2的区域基本对应；暴雨首先产生在高湿中心与不稳定能量中心相重叠区域，并随相对垂直螺旋度正值增大而增强，且与水汽输送区相对应。     

The geodynamo as a bistable oscillator

Abstract

Our intent is to provide a simple and quantitative understanding of the variability of the axial dipole component of the geomagnetic field on both short and long time scales. To this end we study the statistical properties of a prototype nonlinear mean field model. An azimuthal average is employed, so that (1) we address only the axisymmetric component of the field, and (2) the dynamo parameters have a random component that fluctuates on the (fast) eddy turnover time scale. Numerical solutions with a rapidly fluctuating α reproduce several features of the geomagnetic field: (1) a variable, dominantly dipolar field with additional fine structure due to excited overtones, and sudden reversals during which the field becomes almost quadrupolar, (2) aborted reversals and excursions, (3) intervals between reversals having a Poisson distribution. These properties are robust, and appear regardless of the type of nonlinearity and the model parameters. A technique is presented for analysing the statistical properties of dynamo models of this type. The Fokker-Planck equation for the amplitude a of the fundamental dipole mode shows that a behaves as the position of a heavily damped particle in a bistable potential ∝(1 ? a ²)², subject to random forcing. The dipole amplitude oscillates near the bottom of one well and makes occasional jumps to the other. These reversals are induced solely by the overtones. Theoretical expressions are derived for the statistical distribution of the dipole amplitude, the variance of the dipole amplitude between reversals, and the mean reversal rate. The model explains why the reversal rate increases with increasing secular variation, as observed. Moreover, the present reversal rate of the geodynamo, once per (2?3) × 10⁵ year, is shown to imply a secular variation of the axial dipole moment of ～ 15% (about the current value). The theoretical dipole amplitude distribution agrees well with the Sint-800 data.     

New energy and helicity bounds for knotted and braided magnetic fields

In this article we present a review of some of the author's most recent results in topological magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), with an eye to possible applications to astrophysical flows and solar coronal structures. First, we briefly review basic work on magnetic helicity and linking numbers, and fundamental relations with magnetic energy and average crossing numbers of magnetic systems in ideal conditions. In the case of magnetic knots, we focus on the relation between their groundstate energy and topology, discussing the energy spectrum of tight knots in terms of ropelength. We compare this spectrum with the one given by considering the bending energy of such idealized knots, showing that curvature information provides a rather good indicator of magnetic energy contents. For loose knots far from equilibrium we show that inflexional states determine the transition to braid form. New lower bounds for tight knots and braids are then established. We conclude with results on energy-complexity relations for systems in presence of dissipation.