Oscillations of the Hα emission in solar prominences

The time dependence of Doppler shift and line-center intensity is simultaneously observed for the H emission of three solar prominences, each one during about two hours. Doppler oscillations with periods near one hour and amplitudes between 1 and 2 km s^–1 are conspicuously visible in the recordings of all three prominences. Fourier analysis yields periods of 50, 60, and 64 min, as well as slight indications of short periods near 3 and 5 min. No oscillations are found in the line-center brightness.     

Periodic orbits around an oblate spheroid

The general properties of certain differential systems are used to prove the existence of periodic orbits for a particle around an oblate spheroid.In a fixed frame, there are periodic orbits only fori=0 andi near /2. Furthermore, the generating orbits are circles.In a rotating frame, there are three families of orbits: first a family of periodic orbits in the vicinity of the critical inclination; secondly a family of periodic orbits in the equatorial plane with 0<e<1; thirdly a family of periodic orbits for any value of the inclination ife=0.     

Influence du champ magnétique terrestre sur le mouvement d'un satellite autour de son centre de gravité

Résumé On étudie l'effet du champ magnétique terrestre sur le mouvement d'un satellite autour de son centre de gravité. Le satellite possède une symétrie dynamique et un moment magnétique propre dirigé suivant l'un des axes principaux d'inertie; le champ magnétique terrestre est assimilé au champ d'un dipôle dont les pôles coïncident avec les pôles terrestres. On néglige les perturbations de la trajectoire du satellite qui est supposée circulaire. La position du satellite par rapport à son centre de gravité est repérée dans un système d'axes lié au plan de l'orbite et le mouvement est décrit à l'aide des angles d'Euler , , . La symétrie sphérique et le choix du moment magnétique sur l'un des axes d'inertie permettent d'éliminer l'angle .La solution pour et peut se développer en séries de puissance d'un petit paramètre . Les séries convergent pour ||<1.Lorsque le moment magnétique est faible on la rotation du satellite rapide, est faible. Les développements sont calculés effectivement jusqu'à ².La comparaison des résultats avec l'intégration numérique du système d'équations différentielles est satisfaisante.

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The effect of the Earth's magnetic field on the motion of a satellite around its centre of mass is investigated. The satellite is assumed to be dynamically symmetric and to be magnetized in the same direction as that of a principal axis. The Earth's magnetic field is assumed to be a dipole field whose poles coincide with the rotation poles of the Earth. The satellite's orbit is circular and perturbations are neglected. The position of the satellite with respect to its centre of mass is given with respect to a coordinate system fixed in the orbital plane and the motion is described by Euler's angles , , . The spherical symmetry and the coincidence of the magnetic moment with a principal axis allow one to eliminate the angle .The solution for and , can be expanded in power series for small parameter .The series converge for <1. is small for a small magnetic moment or a high angular velocity of the rotating satellite. The terms of the expansion of the series are calculated up to ².The comparison of the results with those obtained by numerical integration of the differential equation is satisfactory.

     

Spectroscopy of solar prominences from space and ground

Two quiescent solar prominences were observed in July 2000 from SUMER aboard SOHO and from the two German solar telescopes at Tenerife. Two‐dimensional images taken at the VTT simultaneously in the spectral lines Hβ at 4862 Å and Ca II at 8542 Å show no significant spatial variation of their pressure‐sensitive emission ratio. Slit spectra of the Ca II 8542 Å and He I 10830 Å lines obtained at the Gregory‐Coudé telescope yield 8000 K < T_kin < 9000 K and 3 km/s < V_n–th < 8 km/s. Among the various spectral ranges observed with SUMER, we first investigate the Lyman emission lines, which were fitted by Gaussians yielding reliable spectral radiances and line widths for the series members 5 < k < 18. A determination of the level population gives for the lower series members a Boltzmann temperature of 60 000 K, the higher members being over‐populated. This temperature indicates an origin of the Lyman lines from hot surroundings of the cool prominence body seen in the ground‐based data; this also holds for the ‘hotter’ SUMER lines.     

On the branching in the emission relations of Ca+ in prominences

Spatially well resolved prominence spectra of the three lines Ca⁺ K, H, and Ca⁺ 8542 are analysed. It is confirmed that the branching in the emission relations of Ca⁺ versus H correlates with the magnitude of non-thermal (turbulent) broadening.     

Ionospheric conductance distribution and MHD wave structure: observation and model

The ionosphere influences magnetohydrodynamic waves in the magnetosphere by damping because of Joule heating and by varying the wave structure itself. There are different eigenvalues and eigensolutions of the three dimensional toroidal wave equation if the height integrated Pedersen conductivity exceeds a critical value, namely the wave conductance of the magnetosphere. As a result a jump in frequency can be observed in ULF pulsation records. This effect mainly occurs in regions with gradients in the Pedersen conductances, as in the auroral oval or the dawn and dusk areas. A pulsation event recorded by the geostationary GOES-6 satellite is presented. We explain the observed change in frequency as a change in the wave structure while crossing the terminator. Furthermore, selected results of numerical simulations in a dipole magnetosphere with realistic ionospheric conditions are discussed. These are in good agreement with the observational data.     

Photometric study of chromospheric and coronal spikes observed during the total solar eclipse of 30 June, 1973

A photometric and colorimetric analysis of a color picture of the very inner solar corona, near the South pole region, is performed. Dimensions and average electron densities of both chromospheric and very fine resolved coronal spikes are deduced. For the coronal spike a half width of 1.67 is measured, the estimate of electron density yields n _e = 10¹⁰ cm^–3. Some conclusions are attempted on the light of a simultaneously observed spectrum of the same region which appeared to be a disappearing coronal hole. The observations seem to support the concept of a striated corona.On leave from Institut d'Astrophysique, Paris as NRC Post-Doctoral Research Assistant.     

Magnetically non-split lines in faculae

Profile changes of five magnetically non-split lines going from the photosphere to faculae are investigated. The observations show that the profiles normalized to the continuum differ from those of the undisturbed photosphere only in the core. The outer parts of the profiles remain unchanged. Calculations using two recent facular models do not represent these observed profile changes. It is shown that a temperature increase in outer layers h 250 km does explain the observations. The problem of photospheric magnetograph calibration for facula magnetic field measurements is discussed.     

Evolution d'attitude d'un satellite dans le champ magnetique terrestre

Résumé On donne une représentation possible de l'attitude d'un satellite aimanté dans le champ magnétique terrestre. Le moment magnétique du satellite est de l'ordre de 10 amp m² et la rotation du satellite est voisine de 1 tour/mn. Dans ces conditions, le couple magnétique agissant sur le satellite ne peut plus être considéré comme un couple perturbateur.Dans la mesure où l'on peut admettre que l'axe de rotation du satellite, est fixe dans un repère lié au corps, on est conduit à résoudre un système d'équations différentielles linéaires à coefficients périodiques. Les coefficients contenant le temps ont en facteur une quantité 0<<1/3. On peut développer la solution suivant les puissances de les coefficients de ces développements sont donnés par des formules de récurrence. Les séries convergent en général; au voisinage des points singuliers le rayon de convergence peut être étudié.L'hypothése ci-dessus conduit à une représentation convenable de l'attitude du satellite lorsque la rotationr ₀ n'est pas trop faible. Avec la valeur adoptée pour le moment magnétique, la valeur minimum de la rotationr ₀ est de l'ordre de 0.8 t/mn.

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A possible representation of the motion of a satellite about its centre of mass is investigated. The satellite's magnetic moment is of the order of 10 Amp m² and its spin is about 1 rpm. Under these conditions, the magnetic torque acting on the, satellite can no longer be treated as simple perturbation.In the case where the axis of the satellite's rotation is assumed to be a constant in a system of axes fixed to the satellite, a system, of linear differential equations with periodic coefficients has to be solved. The time dependant coefficients have the small parameter 0<<1/3 as factor. The solution is expanded in power series of the parameter . The coefficients of these, series are given by recurrent formulas. The series generally do converge; in the vicinity of the singular points, the radius of convergence can be studied. The given hypothesis leads to a reasonable representation of the satellite's motion if its rotationr ₀ is not too slow. With the adopted value for the magnetic moment, the minimum value ofr ₀ is of the order of 0.8 rpm.