Images of post-flare coronal structures in X-rays

This is an extended abstract of several papers mentioned in the references describing extensive coronal structures related to radio continua and imaged in > 3.5 keV X-rays.Proceedings of the Workshop on Radio Continua during Solar Flares, held at Duino (Trieste), Italy, 27–31 May, 1985.     

Three-Dimensional (3-D) Reconstructions of EISCAT IPS Velocity Data in the Declining Phase of Solar Cycle 23

The European Incoherent SCATter (EISCAT) radar has been used for remote-sensing observations of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) for a quarter of a century. During the April/May 2007 observing campaign, a large number of observations of IPS using EISCAT took place to give a reasonable spatial and temporal coverage of solar wind velocity structure throughout this time during the declining phase of Solar Cycle 23. Many co-rotating and transient features were observed during this period. Using the University of California, San Diego three-dimensional (3-D) time-dependent computer assisted tomography (C.A.T.) solar-wind reconstruction analysis, we show the velocity structure of the inner heliosphere in three dimensions throughout the time interval of 20 April through 20 May 2007. We also compare to white-light remote-sensing observations of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) seen by the STEREO Ahead spacecraft inner Heliospheric Imager on 16 May 2007, as well as to in-situ solar-wind measurements taken with near-Earth spacebourne instrumentation throughout this interval. The reconstructions show clear co-rotating regions during this period, and the time-series extraction at spacecraft locations compares well with measurements made by the STEREO, Wind, and ACE spacecraft. This is the first time such clear structures have been revealed using this 3-D technique with EISCAT IPS data as input.     

From the Sun to the Earth: The 13 May 2005 Coronal Mass Ejection

We report the results of a multi-instrument, multi-technique, coordinated study of the solar eruptive event of 13 May 2005. We discuss the resultant Earth-directed (halo) coronal mass ejection (CME), and the effects on the terrestrial space environment and upper Earth atmosphere. The interplanetary CME (ICME) impacted the Earth’s magnetosphere and caused the most-intense geomagnetic storm of 2005 with a Disturbed Storm Time (Dst) index reaching ?263 nT at its peak. The terrestrial environment responded to the storm on a global scale. We have combined observations and measurements from coronal and interplanetary remote-sensing instruments, interplanetary and near-Earth in-situ measurements, remote-sensing observations and in-situ measurements of the terrestrial magnetosphere and ionosphere, along with coronal and heliospheric modelling. These analyses are used to trace the origin, development, propagation, terrestrial impact, and subsequent consequences of this event to obtain the most comprehensive view of a geo-effective solar eruption to date. This particular event is also part of a NASA-sponsored Living With a Star (LWS) study and an on-going US NSF-sponsored Solar, Heliospheric, and INterplanetary Environment (SHINE) community investigation.     

Faraday Rotation Response to Coronal Mass Ejection Structure

We present the results from modeling the coronal mass ejection (CME) properties that have an effect on the Faraday rotation (FR) signatures that may be measured with an imaging radio antenna array such as the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). These include the magnetic flux rope orientation, handedness, magnetic-field magnitude, velocity, radius, expansion rate, electron density, and the presence of a shock/sheath region. We find that simultaneous multiple radio source observations (FR imaging) can be used to uniquely determine the orientation of the magnetic field in a CME, increase the advance warning time on the geoeffectiveness of a CME by an order of magnitude from the warning time possible from in-situ observations at L ₁, and investigate the extent and structure of the shock/sheath region at the leading edge of fast CMEs. The magnetic field of the heliosphere is largely “invisible” with only a fraction of the interplanetary magnetic-field lines convecting past the Earth; remote sensing the heliospheric magnetic field through FR imaging from the MWA will advance solar physics investigations into CME evolution and dynamics.     

Comparative Analyses of the CSSS Calculation in the UCSD Tomographic Solar Observations

We describe a new method to derive the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) out to 1 AU from photospheric magnetic field measurements. The method uses photospheric magnetograms to calculate a source surface magnetic field at 15R_⊙. Specifically, we use Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO) magnetograms as input for the Stanford Current-Sheet Source-Surface (CSSS) model. Beyond the source surface the magnetic field is convected along velocity flow lines derived by a tomographic technique developed at UCSD and applied to interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations. We compare the results with in situ data smoothed by an 18-h running mean. Radial and tangential magnetic field amplitudes fit well for the 20 Carrington rotations studied, which are largely from the active phase of the solar cycle. We show exemplary results for Carrington rotation 1965, which includes the Bastille Day event.     

The Solar Mass Ejection Imager (Smei)

We describe an instrument (SMEI) which has been specifically designed to detect and forecast the arrival of solar mass ejections and other heliospheric structures which are moving towards the Earth. Such events may cause geomagnetic storms, with resulting radiation hazards and disruption to military and commercial communications; damage to Earth-orbiting spacecraft; and also terrestrial effects such as surges in transcontinental power transmission lines. The detectors are sensitive over the optical wave-band, which is measured using CCD cameras. SMEI was launched on 6 January 2003 on the Coriolis spacecraft into a Sun-synchronous polar orbit as part of the US DoD Space Test Programme. The instrument contains three cameras, each with a field of view of 60°×3°, which are mounted onto the spacecraft such that they scan most of the sky every 102-min orbit. The sensitivity is such that changes in sky brightness equivalent to a tenth magnitude star in one square degree of sky may be detected. Each camera takes an image every 4 s. The normal telemetry rate is 128 kbits s^–1. In order to extract the emission from a typical large coronal mass ejection, stellar images and the signal from the zodiacal dust cloud must be subtracted. This requires accurate relative photometry to 0.1%. One consequence is that images of stars and the zodiacal cloud will be measured to this photometric accuracy once per orbit. This will enable studies of transient zodiacal cloud phenomena, flare stars, supernovae, comets, and other varying point-like objects.     

The stationary post-flare arch of May 21/22, 1980

On May 21/22, 1980 the Hard X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer aboard the SMM imaged an extensive coronal structure after the occurrence of a two-ribbon flare on May 21, 20:50 UT. The structure was observed from 22:20 UT on May 21 until its disappearence at 09:00 UT on May 22.At 22:20 UT the brightest pixel in the arch was located at a projected altitude of 95 000 km above the zero line of the longitudinal magnetic field. At 23:02 UT the maximum of brightness shifted to a neighbouring pixel with approximately the same projected altitude. This sudden shift indicates that the X-ray structure consisted of (at least) two separate arches at approximately the same altitude, one of which succeeded the other as the brightest arch in the structure at 23:02 UT.From 23:02 UT onwards the maximum of brightness did not change its position in the HXIS coarse field of view. With a spatial resolution of 32 this places an upper limit of 1.1 km s^-1 on the rise velocity of the arch. Thus, contrary to a similar arch observed on November 6/7, where rise velocities of the order of 10 km s^-1 were measured in the same phase of development, the May 22 arch was a stationary structure at an altitude of 145000 km.The following values were estimated for the physically relevant quantities of the May 21/22 arch at the time of its maximum brightness (23:00 UT): temperature T 6.3 × 10⁶ K, electron density n _e 1.1 × 10⁹ cm^-3, total emitting volume V 5 × 10²⁹ cm³, energy density 2.9 erg cm^–3, total energy contents E 1.4 × 10³⁰ erg, total mass M 9 × 10¹⁴ g.The top of the arch was observed at 145 000 km altitude within 1.5 hr after the flare occurrence. Since it seems unlikely that the structure already existed prior to the flare at 20:50 UT, the arch must have risen to its stationary position with an average velocity exceeding 17 km s^–1 (possibly much faster). We speculate that the arch was formed very fast at the flare onset, when (part of) the active region loop system was elevated within minutes to the observed altitude.     

The Solar Mass-Ejection Imager (SMEI) Mission

We have launched into near-Earth orbit a solar mass-ejection imager (SMEI) that is capable of measuring sunlight Thomson-scattered from heliospheric electrons from elongations to as close as 18 to greater than 90 from the Sun. SMEI is designed to observe time-varying heliospheric brightness of objects such as coronal mass ejections, co-rotating structures and shock waves. The instrument evolved from the heliospheric imaging capability demonstrated by the zodiacal light photometers of the Helios spacecraft. A near-Earth imager can provide up to three days warning of the arrival of a mass ejection from the Sun. In combination with other imaging instruments in deep space, or alone by making some simple assumptions about the outward flow of the solar wind, SMEI can provide a three-dimensional reconstruction of the surrounding heliospheric density structures.     

A Heliospheric Imager for Deep Space: Lessons Learned from Helios, SMEI, and STEREO

The zodiacal-light photometers on the twin Helios spacecraft, the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) on the Coriolis spacecraft, and the Heliospheric Imagers (HIs) on the Solar-TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) twin spacecraft all point the way to optimizing future remote-sensing Thomson-scattering observations from deep space. Such data could be provided by wide-angle viewing instruments on Solar Orbiter, Solar Probe, or other deep-space probes. Here, we present instrument specifications required for a successful heliospheric imager, and the measurements and data-processing steps that make the best use of this remote-sensing system. When this type of instrument is properly designed and calibrated, its data are capable of determining zodiacal-dust properties, and of three-dimensional reconstructions of heliospheric electron density over large volumes of the inner heliosphere. Such systems can measure fundamental properties of the inner heliospheric plasma, provide context for the in-situ monitors on board spacecraft, and enable physics-based analyses of this important segment of the Sun-spacecraft connection.