运用三维运动学模型对行星际磁场南北分量的预测

提出一种可能产生行星际磁场南北分量扰动的物理机制,并将此物理机制运用于三维运动学模型,对原模型作了改进. 使用改进后的模型模拟研究了1997年5月12日06:30UT爆发的晕状(halo)日冕物质抛射(CME)事件对行星际磁场和等离子体的扰动,以及1978-1981年间17个与CME有关的行星际扰动事件. 在17个事件中有14个事件可准确预测出行星际磁场南北分量的方向,准确率为82%. 结果表明,模型计算出的行星际磁场南北分量的扰动方向与观测的方向是基本一致的.     

Acceleration Phase of Coronal Mass Ejections: II. Synchronization of the Energy Release in the Associated Flare

We analyze the relationship between the acceleration of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and the energy release in associated flares, employing a sample of 22 events in which the CME kinematics were measured from the pre-eruption stage up to the post-acceleration phase. The data show a distinct correlation between the duration of the acceleration phase and the duration of the associated soft X-ray (SXR) burst rise, whereas the CME peak acceleration and velocity are related to the SXR peak flux. In the majority of events the acceleration started earlier than the SXR burst, and it is usually prolonged after the SXR burst maximum. In about one half of the events the acceleration phase is very closely synchronized with the fastest growth of the SXR burst. An additional one quarter of the events may be still considered as relatively well-synchronized, whereas in the remaining quarter of the events there is a considerable mismatch. The results are interpreted in terms of the feedback relationship between the CME dynamics and the reconnection process in the wake of the CME.     

Recent advances in the long-wavelength radio physics of the Sun

Solar radio bursts at long wavelengths provide information on solar disturbances such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and shocks at the moment of their departure from the Sun. The radio bursts also provide information on the physical properties (density, temperature and magnetic field) of the medium that supports the propagation of the disturbances with a valuable cross-check from direct imaging of the quiet outer corona. The primary objective of this paper is to review some of the past results and highlight recent results obtained from long-wavelength observations. In particular, the discussion will focus on radio phenomena occurring in the outer corona and beyond in relation to those observed in white light. Radio emission from nonthermal electrons confined to closed and open magnetic structures and in large-scale shock fronts will be discussed with particular emphasis on its relevance to solar eruptions. Solar cycle variation of the occurrence rate of shock-related radio bursts will be discussed in comparison with that of interplanetary shocks and solar proton events. Finally, case studies describing the newly-discovered radio signatures of interacting CMEs will be presented.     

Numerical simulations of rotational bursting of F-coronal dust in eccentric orbits due to coronal mass ejections

Model calculations were carried out to determine the extent of the effects on the rotational bursting of F-coronal dust in eccentric orbits due to their interaction with the flow of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The model included an initial limiting perihelion distance of 8 solar radii (R_S) for all particles used. The parameters of the CMEs (velocity and proton number density) along with the various parameters of the dust particles (size and median density) were taken into consideration. By keeping these parameters the same and varying one of them, it was found that the velocity of the CMEs protons plays a major role in determining at which heliocentric distance the particle bursts. To a lesser degree, the median density of the particle also had a similar effect. Depending on the values of the dust particles orbital eccentricity, limiting sizes of the dust particles were found beyond which the particles do not burst. More particles bursted in regions close to their perihelion passage, however very few particles bursted near 8R_S from which we conclude that the majority of the fragmented particles were outside the F-corona region. The results show that rotational bursting of the dust in eccentric orbits inside the F-corona forces the particles to fragment outside 8R_S.     

Size and Physical Properties of the Comet Hale–Bopp (C/1995 O1) Nucleus

This article uses fractal and correlation analysis of solar radio emission for determining the solar coronal rotation. It is clear from this analysis that radio emissions are modulated by the solar rotation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

An Extreme Solar Event of 20 January 2005: Properties of the Flare and the Origin of Energetic Particles

The famous extreme solar and particle event of 20 January 2005 is analyzed from two perspectives. Firstly, using multi-spectral data, we study temporal, spectral, and spatial features of the main phase of the flare, when the strongest emissions from microwaves up to 200 MeV gamma-rays were observed. Secondly, we relate our results to a long-standing controversy on the origin of solar energetic particles (SEP) arriving at Earth, i.e., acceleration in flares, or shocks ahead of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Our analysis shows that all electromagnetic emissions from microwaves up to 2.22 MeV line gamma-rays during the main flare phase originated within a compact structure located just above sunspot umbrae. In particular, a huge (≈ 10⁵ sfu) radio burst with a high frequency maximum at 30 GHz was observed, indicating the presence of a large number of energetic electrons in very strong magnetic fields. Thus, protons and electrons responsible for various flare emissions during its main phase were accelerated within the magnetic field of the active region. The leading, impulsive parts of the ground-level enhancement (GLE), and highest-energy gamma-rays identified with π ⁰-decay emission, are similar and closely correspond in time. The origin of the π ⁰-decay gamma-rays is argued to be the same as that of lower-energy emissions, although this is not proven. On the other hand, we estimate the sky-plane speed of the CME to be 2 000 – 2 600 km s⁻¹, i.e., high, but of the same order as preceding non-GLE-related CMEs from the same active region. Hence, the flare itself rather than the CME appears to determine the extreme nature of this event. We therefore conclude that the acceleration, at least, to sub-relativistic energies, of electrons and protons, responsible for both the major flare emissions and the leading spike of SEP/GLE by 07 UT, are likely to have occurred nearly simultaneously within the flare region. However, our analysis does not rule out a probable contribution from particles accelerated in the CME-driven shock for the leading GLE spike, which seemed to dominate at later stages of the SEP event. S.N. Kuznetsov deceased 17 May 2007.     

First Imaging of Coronal Mass Ejections in the Heliosphere Viewed from Outside the Sun – Earth Line

We show for the first time images of solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) viewed using the Heliospheric Imager (HI) instrument aboard the NASA STEREO spacecraft. The HI instruments are wide-angle imaging systems designed to detect CMEs in the heliosphere, in particular, for the first time, observing the propagation of such events along the Sun – Earth line, that is, those directed towards Earth. At the time of writing the STEREO spacecraft are still close to the Earth and the full advantage of the HI dual-imaging has yet to be realised. However, even these early results show that despite severe technical challenges in their design and implementation, the HI instruments can successfully detect CMEs in the heliosphere, and this is an extremely important milestone for CME research. For the principal event being analysed here we demonstrate an ability to track a CME from the corona to over 40 degrees. The time – altitude history shows a constant speed of ascent over at least the first 50 solar radii and some evidence for deceleration at distances of over 20 degrees. Comparisons of associated coronagraph data and the HI images show that the basic structure of the CME remains clearly intact as it propagates from the corona into the heliosphere. Extracting the CME signal requires a consideration of the F-coronal intensity distribution, which can be identified from the HI data. Thus we present the preliminary results on this measured F-coronal intensity and compare these to the modelled F-corona of Koutchmy and Lamy (IAU Colloq. 85, 63, 1985). This analysis demonstrates that CME material some two orders of magnitude weaker than the F-corona can be detected; a specific example at 40 solar radii revealed CME intensities as low as 1.7×10⁻¹⁴ of the solar brightness. These observations herald a new era in CME research as we extend our capability for tracking, in particular, Earth-directed CMEs into the heliosphere.     

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Two Solar Coronal Mass Ejections Using the STEREO Spacecraft

Previous attempts to produce three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have required either modeling efforts or comparisons with secondary associated eruptions near the solar surface. This is because coronagraphs are only able to produce sky-plane-projected images of CMEs and it has hence been impossible to overcome projection effects by using coronagraphs alone. The SECCHI suite aboard the twin STEREO spacecraft allows us to provide the means for 3-D reconstruction of CMEs directly from coronagraph measurements alone for the first time. We present these measurements from two CMEs observed in November 2007. By identifying common features observed simultaneously with the LASCO coronagraphs aboard SOHO and the COR coronagraphs aboard STEREO we have triangulated the source region of both CMEs. We present the geometrical analysis required for this triangulation and identify the location of the CME in solar-meridional, ecliptic, and Carrington coordinates. None of the two events were associated with an easily detectable solar surface eruption, so this triangulation technique is the only means by which the source location of these CMEs could be identified. We present evidence that both CMEs originated from the same magnetic structure on the Sun, but from a different magnetic field configuration. Our results reveal some insight into the evolution of the high corona magnetic field, including its behavior over time scales of a few days and its reconfiguration after a major eruption.     

1998年11月4日至5日日冕物质抛射日地传输时间的数值模拟

在一维球坐标系下模拟了1998年11月4日至5日3个连续日冕物质抛射(CME)在行星际空间的传播和相互作用并最终形成“复杂抛射”的日地传输过程.首先在磁流体力学(MHD)数值模拟中应用Harten总变差减小(TVD)格式,通过调节计算模型中的引力无量纲参数α、等离子体参数β和气体多方指数γ,构造出数值计算所需的初态背景,使之在拉格朗日点处L1的太阳风速度vr、质子数密度Np及质子热压力与磁压力的比值βp与ACE卫星的观测数据一致.接着仅采用速度脉冲的扰动形式,其输入的幅度和持续时间由Lasco/C2、GOES、LEAR的观测数据并结合Michalek等提出的CME“锥模型”来确定.数值计算结果得到的两个激波到达时间和ACE卫星观测值的时间误差分别是3h和4h.这表明该模型能估算续发CME在行星际空间演化后驱动激波的到达时间和大致强度,在空间天气的激波到达时间的预报方面有潜在的应用价值.     

平行激波加速离子的数值研究

伴随耀斑和日冕物质抛射共生的日冕和行星际快激波作为一种粒子加速机制一直是理论研究关注的热点课题.在准平行激波传播条件下,首先建立数值求解一维输运方程的方法,然后探讨加速离子分布与激波和背景等离子参数之间的关系.取扩散系数分别为常数和能量的函数、有限自由逃逸边界的计算结果表明:(1)随着加速时间的增大,高能粒子近似呈双幂律分布,低能端(3～10 MeV)谱指数逐渐从10.2减小到2.4,能谱逐渐变硬,粒子被激波加速后能量逐渐增大;(2)随着激波压缩比从2增大到4,相同时间同一能量范围的粒子能谱谱指数逐渐从3.2减小到2.2,能谱逐渐变硬,表明激波强度的增大使得加速效率增大;(3)上下游逃逸边界由5减小到2后,粒子能谱的谱指数由2.4增大到3.3,粒子的加速效率减小;(4)当粒子注入能量增大时,粒子能谱的谱指数由2.4减小到0.9,加速效率增大;(5)当扩散系数与能量成正比时,粒子能谱指数由2.2增大到4.3,能谱变软.