3. Solar System Formation and Early Evolution: the First 100 Million Years

The solar system, as we know it today, is about 4.5 billion years old. It is widely believed that it was essentially completed 100 million years after the formation of the Sun, which itself took less than 1 million years, although the exact chronology remains highly uncertain. For instance: which, of the giant planets or the terrestrial planets, formed first, and how? How did they acquire their mass? What was the early evolution of the “primitive solar nebula” (solar nebula for short)? What is its relation with the circumstellar disks that are ubiquitous around young low-mass stars today? Is it possible to define a “time zero” (t ₀), the epoch of the formation of the solar system? Is the solar system exceptional or common? This astronomical chapter focuses on the early stages, which determine in large part the subsequent evolution of the proto-solar system. This evolution is logarithmic, being very fast initially, then gradually slowing down. The chapter is thus divided in three parts: (1) The first million years: the stellar era. The dominant phase is the formation of the Sun in a stellar cluster, via accretion of material from a circumstellar disk, itself fed by a progressively vanishing circumstellar envelope. (2) The first 10 million years: the disk era. The dominant phase is the evolution and progressive disappearance of circumstellar disks around evolved young stars; planets will start to form at this stage. Important constraints on the solar nebula and on planet formation are drawn from the most primitive objects in the solar system, i.e., meteorites. (3) The first 100 million years: the “telluric” era. This phase is dominated by terrestrial (rocky) planet formation and differentiation, and the appearance of oceans and atmospheres.     

Sub-Alfvénic flows in the quiet and recurrent solar winds

Observed instances are given in this paper to show that sub-Alfvénic flow can be formed in the quiet and recurrent low-speed solar wind streams. This kind of flow appears in regions with abnormal enhancement of Alfvénic speed and is associated with a specific type of magnetic configuration.     

解决太阳横向磁场方向测定中180°不确定性的一个方法

本文提出了一种解决太阳横向磁场方向测定中１８０°不确定性的方法。该方法首先将Ｇａｒｙ等提出的方法定量化，客观地确定每一点的横场方向；然后由独立的Ｈ＿α观测或磁场演化历史，分析和确定磁力线的拓扑联接性，对客观确定的横场方向做经验修正。对活动区的应用表明，该方法是一个可供选择的解决横场方向不确定性的有效方法。     

An interpretation of the variations of the magnetic core-mantle coupling torques and the core drift rate

The influence of recently computed axial magnetic core-mantle coupling torques on the Earth's rotation was investigated. These torques derived from poloidal geomagnetic field within the mantle and at the core-mantle boundary are retarding torques. An accelerating torque due to the action of unknown parts of the core field was estimated by inverse solution of the equation of the mantle rotation for the periodic variations of the quantities of the magnetic field and the length of day. The variations of the drift rate of the Earth's core were compared with those of the mantle rotation velocity for a force-free Earth. The time constants of the coupling process were estimated and discussed in connection with the magnetic coupling of the mantle with an upper core layer. Der Einfluß kürzlich berechneter axialer Kern-Mantel-Kopplungsmomente auf die Erdrotation wurde untersucht. Diese Lorentz-Drehmomente, abgeleitet vom poloidalen geomagnetischen Feld im Mantel und an der Kern-Mantel-Grenze, sind retardierende Momente. Ein beschleunigendes Drehmoment, das der Wirkung unbekannter Feldanteile zugeordnet wird, wurde durch inverse Lösung der Mantelrotationsgleichung für die periodischen Variationen der Magnetfeldgrößen und der Tageslänge abgeschätzt. Die Variationen der Kerndriftgeschwindigkeit wurden mit denen der Mantelrotationsgeschwindigkeit für eine kräftefreie Erde verglichen. Die Zeitkonstanten des Kopplungsprozesses wurden ermittelt und im Zusammenhang mit der magnetischen Kopplung des Mantels mit einer oberen Kernschicht diskutiert.     

Determination of dust properties and magnetic fields from polarimetric and photometric observations of stars (Review)

Verschiedene Modelle zur Darstellung der interstellaren Extinktion und Polarisation werden betrachtet. Dabei wird den Ausrichtungsmechanismen, wie dem Davies-Greenstein-Mechanismus und der Ausrichtung durch suprathermische Rotation, und ihren Näherungen besondere Aufmerksamkeit zu teil. Es wird geschlußfolgert, daß die Größe der Staubteilchen sowie die Starke und Richtung des interstellaren Magnetfeldes aus den Extinktions- und Polarisationsdaten abgeschätzt werden können. Die Anwendung der theoretischen Ergebnisse auf Sterne in der galaktischen Ebene wird erörtert.     

Geo-effectiveness of solar wind extremes

Examples of extreme events of solar wind and their effect on geomagnetic conditions are discussed here. It is found that there are two regimes of high speed solar wind streams with a threshold of ∼ 850 km s^-1. Geomagnetic activity enhancement rate (GAER) is defined as an average increase in Ap value per unit average increase in the peak solar wind velocity (Vp) during the stream. GAER was found to be different in the two regimes of high speed streams with +ve and-ve IMF. GAER is 0.73 and 0.53 for solar wind streams with +ve and -ve IMF respectively for the extremely high speed streams (< 850 km s^-1). This indicates that streams above the threshold speed with +ve IMF are 1.4 times more effective in enhancing geomagnetic activity than those with -ve IMF. However, the high speed streams below the threshold with -ve IMF are 1.1 times more effective in enhancing geomagnetic activity than those with +ve IMF. The violent solar activity period (October–November 2003) of cycle 23 presents a very special case during which many severe and strong effects were seen in the environment of the Earth and other planets; however, the z-component of IMF (Bz) is mostly positive during this period. The most severe geomagnetic storm of this cycle occurred when Bz was positive.     

The bottom magnetic field and magnetosphere evolution of neutron star in low-mass X-ray binary

The accretion-induced neutron star (NS) magnetic field evolution is studied through considering the accretion flow to drag the field lines aside and dilute the polar-field strength, and as a result the equatorial field strength increases, which is buried inside the crust on account of the accretion-induced global compression of star crust. The main conclusions of model are as follows: (i) the polar field decays with increase in the accreted mass; (ii) the bottom magnetic field strength of about 10⁸ G can occur when the NS magnetosphere radius approaches the star radius, and it depends on the accretion rate as     ; and (iii) the NS magnetosphere radius decreases with accretion until it reaches the star radius, and its evolution is little influenced by the initial field and the accretion rate after accreting  ∼0.01 M_⊙  , which implies that the magnetosphere radii of NSs in low-mass X-ray binaries would be homogeneous if they accreted the comparable masses. As an extension, the physical effects of the possible strong magnetic zone in the X-ray NSs and recycled pulsars are discussed. Moreover, the strong magnetic fields in the binary pulsars PSR 1831−00 and PSR 1718−19 after accreting about  0.5 M_⊙  in the binary-accretion phase,  8.7 × 10¹⁰  and  1.28 × 10¹² G  , respectively, can be explained through considering the incomplete frozen flow in the polar zone. As an expectation of the model, the existence of the low magnetic field  (∼3 × 10⁷ G)  NSs or millisecond pulsars is suggested.     

Baryon loading and the Weibel instability in gamma-ray bursts

The dynamics of two counter-streaming electron–positron–ion unmagnetized plasma shells with zero net charge is analysed in the context of magnetic field generation in gamma-ray burst internal shocks due to the Weibel instability. The effects of large thermal motion of plasma particles, arbitrary mixture of plasma species and space charge effects are taken into account. We show that, although thermal effects slow down the instability, baryon loading leads to a non-negligible growth rate even for large temperatures and different shell velocities, thus guaranteeing the robustness and the occurrence of the Weibel instability for a wide range of scenarios.     

Long term variations in solar flare activity

A statistical analysis of the contemporary (1954-1975) solar flare particle events has been made for the parametersF (integrated, proton fluence in cm^-2 in an event with kinetic energy above 10 MeV) andR ₀ (the characteristic rigidity). These data are compared with the long-term averaged values determined from stable- and radio-nuclide measurements of lunar samples. The analysis shows that the ancient solar flare proton spectrum was harder (higher R₀ values) compared to that observed in contemporary flares. A similar analysis can not be made for the mean long-term averaged flux (ˉJ, cm^-2 S^-1), since the contemporary averages suffer from an uncertainty due to the statistics of a single event. However, the average flux estimates for time durations 〈T〉 exceeding 10³ yr, are free from such uncertainties. The long-term averaged ˉJ values obtained over different time scales (10⁴ - 10⁶ yr) suggest a possible periodic variation in solar flare activity, with enhanced flux level during the last 10⁵ yr. The available data rule out the occurrence of giant flares, with proton fluence exceeding 10¹⁵ cm^-2 during the last million years.