行星际磁通量绳尺度的幂律谱分布

利用最小二乘法拟合了1995年1月至2001年9月Wind卫星观测到的行星际磁通量绳。根据拟合所得磁通量绳的直径,分析了行星际磁通量绳在这段时间内的发生率随磁通量绳直径D变化的关系,发现磁通量绳的发生率P(D)随直径D的变化可近似以幂律形式表示为:P(D)≈64D-0.768。行星际磁通量绳的发生率相对其直径的幂律分布表明所有行星际磁通量绳很可能是同一类现象且有共同的源,即它们都是太阳上日冕物质抛射的行星际对应物,只不过小尺度的磁通量绳对应较小的日冕物质抛射。最后,对行星际磁通量绳、日冕物质抛射和太阳耀斑的可能关系做了讨论。     

Fitting of expanding magnetic clouds: A statistical study

Magnetic clouds (MCs) observed by Wind during the 1995-2003 years and listed in Lepping et al. [2006. A summary of WIND magnetic clouds for years 1995-2003: model-fitted parameters, associated errors and classifications. Ann. Geophys. 24(1), 215-245] are fitted using force-free cylindrical flux rope models. The cloud parameters yielded by a static model are compared with those obtained from a modified model that includes magnetic cloud expansion. The deviations of these fits from observations are quantified using 1 h averages of measured parameters by Wind. In the case of the static MC model, the deviations between fitted and observed magnetic fields increase with the magnetic strength and with the MC radius. The comparison of both the static and the dynamic models reveals that the modified model with expansion provides better fits in the range of low expansion speeds , whereas the results are not conclusive for larger expansion speeds. The dynamic model provides better fits than static one in 70% of investigated MCs. We conclude that the expansion of magnetic clouds plays an important role in the MC formation and propagation but a further progress requires determination of cloud parameters from a model with expansion self-consistently involved.     

Evaluation of a Selected Case of the Minimum Dissipative Rate Method for Non-Force-Free Solar Magnetic Field Extrapolations

The minimum dissipative rate (MDR) method for deriving a coronal non-force-free magnetic field solution is partially evaluated. These magnetic field solutions employ a combination of three linear (constant-α) force-free-field solutions with one being a potential field (i.e., α=0). The particular case of the solutions where the other two α’s are of equal magnitude but of opposite sign is examined. This is motivated by studying the SOLIS (Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigation of the Sun (SOLIS), a National Solar Observatory facility) vector magnetograms of AR 10987, which show a global α value consistent with an α=0 value as evaluated by (∇×B) _z /B _z over the region. Typical of the current state of the observing technology, there is no definitive twist for input into the general MDR method. This suggests that the special α case, of two α’s with equal magnitudes and opposite signs, is appropriate given the data. Only for an extensively twisted active region does a dominant, nonzero α normally emerge from a distribution of local values. For a special set of conditions, is it found that (i) the resulting magnetic field is a vertically inflated magnetic field resulting from the electric currents being parallel to the photosphere, similar to the results of Gary and Alexander (Solar Phys. 186:123, 1999), and (ii) for α≈(α _max/2), the Lorentz force per unit volume normalized by the square of the magnetic field is on the order of 1.4×10⁻¹⁰ cm⁻¹. The Lorentz force (F _L) is a factor of ten higher than that of the magnetic force d(B ²/8π)/dz, a component of F _L. The calculated photospheric electric current densities are an order of magnitude smaller than the maximum observed in all active regions. Hence both the Lorentz force density and the generated electric current density seem to be physically consistent with possible solar dynamics. The results imply that the field could be inflated with an overpressure along the neutral line. However, the implementation of this or any other extrapolation method using the electric current density as a lower boundary condition must be done cautiously, with the current magnetography.     

Automated detection of EUV Polar Coronal Holes during Solar Cycle 23

A new method for automated detection of polar coronal holes is presented. This method, called perimeter tracing, uses a series of 171, 195, and 304 Å full disk images from the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) on SOHO over solar cycle 23 to measure the perimeter of polar coronal holes as they appear on the limbs. Perimeter tracing minimizes line-of-sight obscurations caused by the emitting plasma of the various wavelengths by taking measurements at the solar limb. Perimeter tracing also allows for the polar rotation period to emerge organically from the data as 33 days. We have called this the Harvey rotation rate and count Harvey rotations starting 4 January 1900. From the measured perimeter, we are then able to fit a curve to the data and derive an area within the line of best fit. We observe the area of the northern polar hole area in 1996, at the beginning of solar cycle 23, to be about 4.2% of the total solar surface area and about 3.6% in 2007. The area of the southern polar hole is observed to be about 4.0% in 1996 and about 3.4% in 2007. Thus, both the north and south polar hole areas are no more than 15% smaller now than they were at the beginning of cycle 23. This compares to the polar magnetic field measured to be about 40% less now than it was a cycle ago.     

特大地磁暴的一种行星际源:多重磁云

2001年3月31日观测到的大的多重磁云(Multi MC)事件造成了第23周太阳峰年(2000～2001)最大的地磁暴(Dst=-387nT). 通过分析ACE飞船的观测数据, 描述了这个多重磁云在1AU处的磁场和等离子体特征. 并且根据SOHO和GOES卫星的观测资料, 认证了它的太阳源. 在这次事件中, 由于多重磁云内部异常增强的南向磁场, 使之地磁效应变得更强, 它大大的延长了地磁暴的持续时间. 观测结果与理论分析表明, 多重磁云中子磁云的相互挤压使磁云内的磁场强度及其南向分量增强数倍, 从而加强了地磁效应. 因此, 研究认为多重磁云中子磁云之间的相互压缩是造成特大地磁暴的一种机制. 此外, 研究发现形成多重磁云的日冕物质抛射(CMEs)并不一定要来自同一太阳活动区.     

Quasi-Biennial Oscillations in the North – South Asymmetry of Solar Activity

The north – south (N – S) asymmetry of solar activity is investigated by using the data on coronal green-line brightness and total number and total area of sunspots over the period of 1939  –  2001. Typical time variations of the N – S asymmetry are found to be consonant in these indices. Quasi-biennial oscillations (QBO) of solar activity are well recognizable in the N – S asymmetry of the examined indices. Moreover, the QBO are much better manifested in the N – S asymmetry of the individual indices than in the original (N plus S) indices. The time variations of relative QBO power are synchronous for the N – S asymmetry of various solar activity indices whereas such a synchronization is weaker for the indices themselves. It is revealed that the relative QBO power found in the N – S asymmetry of the studied indices has a negative correlation with the value of the N – S asymmetry itself. The findings indicate that the N – S asymmetry should be regarded as a fundamental phenomenon of solar activity similarly manifested in different activity indices. These findings should be taken into account when any dynamo theory of solar activity is constructed.     

Solar Origin of the Radio Attributes of a Complex Type III Burst Observed on 11 April 2001

We report here on the solar origin of distinctive radiation characteristics observed for a decametric type III solar radio burst that was associated with a major solar flare and CME on 11 April 2001. The associated decimeter (Ond?ejov) and meter (Potsdam) wavelength emissions, as well as the GOES soft X-ray lightcurve, suggest that there were two successive events of energy release and electron acceleration associated with this solar eruption. The Nançay radioheliograph images and additional evidence of plasmoid propagation suggest that the second event of electron acceleration resulted from coronal reconfigurations, likely caused by the erupting CME. These observational analyses provide new insights into the physical origin of the distinguishing characteristics of complex type III-like radio emissions that are typically observed at decameter wavelengths during major solar eruptive events.     

A Quick Method for Estimating the Propagation Direction of Coronal Mass Ejections Using STEREO-COR1 Images

We describe here a method to obtain the position of a coronal moving feature in a three-dimensional coordinate system based on height – time measurements applied to STEREO data. By using the height – time diagrams from the two SECCHI-COR1 coronagraphs onboard STEREO, one can easily determine the direction of propagation of a coronal mass ejection (i.e., if the moving plasma is oriented toward or away from the Earth). This method may prove to be a useful tool for space weather forecasting by easily identifying the direction of propagation as well as the real speed of the coronal mass ejections.     

Space weather effects of coronal mass ejection

This paper describes the space weather effects of a major CME which was accompanied by extremely violent events on the Sun. The signatures of the event in the interplanetary medium (IPM) sensed by Ooty Radio Telescope, the solar observations by LASCO coronagraph onboard SOHO, GOES X-ray measurements, satellite measurements of the interplanetary parameters, GPS based ionospheric measurements, the geomagnetic storm parameter Dst and ground based ionosonde data are used in the study to understand the space weather effects in the different regions of the solar-terrestrial environment. The effects of this event are compared and possible explanations attempted.     

冕洞的演化规律

本文利用自有冕洞系统观测以来（１９７０－１９９５）的冕洞资料，分析了冕洞的时空分布演化规律，冕洞磁场的演化特征，以及它们与太阳黑子周期的演化关系。得到了一些有意义的新结论。特别是赤道冕洞和极区冕洞与太阳活动周的演化关系具有截然相反的演化规律和不同特征。前者与太阳活动周的演化规律基本一致；后者截然相反