The remote sensing observation in experiments of rock failure and the beginning of remote sensing rock mechanics

The remote sensing observational study for infrared radiation of rocks was proceeded during the loading on rocks until failure. The major instruments used in experiments were transient spectrum apparatus, intelligent spectrum apparatus, infrared radiation thermometer, infrared spectrum radiometer, and infrared thermal imaging system. The experiments for 26 kinds of rocks were made. The studies show that infrared radiation temperature of rocks increases along with increasing of stress. The amplitude of infrared radiation spectrum of rocks also increases along with increasing of stress. The observational results of infrared thermal imaging of rocks are consistent with infrared radiation temperature. Before formation of major faults for some rocks, the belt-shape thermal imaging of temperature anomaly displaies in position of future major faults. This study has led the new technology of remote sensing into rock mechanics and tend to establish a new field in rock mechanics — remote sensing rock mechanics (or remote sensing rock physics). The application of remote sensing rock mechanics in prediction of earthquake and rock burst, and in measurement of stress field in rock mass is expected. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,14, Supp., 645–652, 1992. Jin-Shen HAO, Ji-Han LI, Xiao-Hong LIU, Yi-Qiao ZHI, Jin-Kai ZHANG, Yong-Hong Lü, Yi LIU, Yun-Shen YU, He ZHANG, Quan-Quan JI, Xiao-Fan ZHU and Ning CHEN took part in this work. This subject is supported by the Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation (91006). Work of Institute of Geophysics, SSB (93A0009).     

Why are halo coronal mass ejections faster?

Halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have been to be significantly faster than normal CMEs, which is a long-standing puzzle. In order to solve the puzzle, we first investigate the observed properties of 31 limb CMEs that clearly display loopshaped frontal loops. The observational results show a strong tendency that slower CMEs are weaker in white-light intensity. Then, we perform a Monte Carlo simulation of 20000 artificial limb CMEs that have an average velocity of ～523km s -1. The Thomson scattering of thes...     

Flare-induced signals in polarization measurements during the X2.6 flare on 2005 January 15

Flare-induced signals in polarization measurements which were manifested as apparent polarity reversal in magnetograms have been reported since 1981. We are motivated to further quantify the phenomenon by asking two questions: can we distinguish the flare-induced signals from real magnetic changes during flares, and what we can learn about flare energy release from the flare-induced signals? We select the X2.6 flare that occurred on 2005 January 15, for further study. The flare took place in NOAA active re-gion (AR) 10720 at approximately the central meridian, which makes the interpretation of the vector magnetograms less ambiguous. We have identified that flare-induced signals during this flare appeared in six zones. The zones are located within an average distance of 5 Mm from their weight center to the main magnetic neutral line, have an average size of (0.6±0.4)×1017 cm2, duration of 13±4 min, and flux density change of 181±125 G in the area of reversed polarity. The following new facts have been revealed by this study: (1) the flare-induced signal is also seen in the transverse magnetograms but with smaller magnitude, e.g., about 50 G; (2) the flare-induced signal mainly manifests itself as apparent polarity reversal, but the signal starts and ends as a weakening of flux density; (3) The flare-induced signals appear in phase with the peaks of hard X-ray emission as observed by the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic lmager (RHESSI), and mostly trace the position of RHESSI hard X-ray footpoint sources. (4) in four zones, it takes place cotemporally with real magnetic changes which persist after the flare. Only for the other two zones does the flux density recover to the pre-flare level immediately after the flare.The physical implications of the flare-induced signal are discussed in view of its relevance to the non-thermal electron precipitation and primary energy release in the flare.     

Measurements of spectral lines observed with Hinode/EIS as implications for coronal heating

We have measured the line widths and nonthermal velocities in 12 solar regions using high resolution EUV data taken by Hinode/EIS. We find that there exists a positive correlation between the intensity and nonthermal velocity for the Fe XII emission line as well as some other lines. The correlation coefficients decrease from the disk center to the limb. However, the nonthermal velocities of a particular spectral line do not vary much in different regions, so they are considered isotropic. In particular, we find that for a coronal loop structure, the largest widths and nonthermal velocities occur at the footpoints, where outflows appear. Based on these observational results, we discuss several physical processes responsible for coronal heating.     

Small-Scale Brightenings in the UV Continuum of an M9.1 Solar Flare

We analyze an M9.1 two-ribbon solar flare which occurred on 2004 July 22 us- ing the TRACE white-light and 1700A~。images,the RHESSI,and the SOHO/MDI data.We find many small-scale fast-varying brightenings that appeared in the white-light and 1700A~。images along the flare ribbons.Some of them underwent rapid motions in weak magnetic field regions.We identify these short-lived brightenings as UV continuum enhancement.Our preliminary result shows that the brightenings are closely related to the HXR emission.They have a lifetime of 30-60 s and a typical size of about 1″-2″.The intensity enhancement is about 150-200 times the mean value of the quiet-Sun.According to previous works,we infer that the 1700A~。enhancement may be dominated by the increased emission of 1680 A con- tinuum coming from the temperature minimum region.The impulsive feature in the 1700 A~。light curves of the small-scale brightenings may be due to the irradiation of the impulsive CIV line intensity caused by the bombardment of non-thermal electron beams.     

Physical Parameters of a Flare Derived from Multi-line 2D Spectroscopy

1 INTRODUCTIONGround-based observations of flares reveal relevant signatures at chromospheric leve1s,whose interpretation plays a crucial role in the identification of the fundamental physical pro-cesses responsible for the fiare phenomenon. A better understanding of the flare phenomenonrequires multi-line observations and 2D spectroscoPy which can reveal the dynamic behaviorof flares at different lOcations and at differeni depths.The most obvious feature of line profiles fOr solar flare…     

Numerical simulations of magnetic reconnection in the lower solar atmosphere

Observations indicate that Ellerman bombs (EBs) and chromospheric microflares both occur in the lower solar atmosphere,and share many common features,such as temperature enhancements,accompanying jet-like mass motions,short life-time,and so on.These strongly suggest that EBs and chromospheric microflares could both probably be induced by magnetic reconnection in the lower solar atmosphere.With gravity,ionization and radiation considered,we perform two-dimensional numerical simulations of magnetic reconnecti...     

Spectral Analysis of the Flare of 1998 November 11 based on the Multi—cloud Model

1 INTRODUCTIONAlthough coronal mass ejection (CME) as a representation of solar eruptive events has be-come a most popular subject in solar physics since the rapid development of space observations,the study of solar flares remains attractive. Modern space and ground-based observations showthat solar flares are loop phenomena, in general, they are composed of several loops forminga loop system. There are two kinds of loops: X-ray loops and post-flare loops; the former arehot loops observ…     

Flare-induced signals in polarization measurements during the X2.6 flare on 2005 January 15

Flare-induced signals in polarization measurements which were manifested as apparent polarity reversal in magnetograms have been reported since 1981. We are motivated to further quantify the phenomenon by asking two questions： can we distinguish the flare-induced signals from real magnetic changes during flares, and what we can learn about flare energy release from the flare-induced signals？ We select the X2.6 flare that occurred on 2005 January 15, for further study. The flare took place in NOAA active region （AR） 10720 at approximately the central meridian, which makes the interpretation of the vector magnetograms less ambiguous. We have identified that flare-induced signals during this flare appeared in six zones. The zones are located within an average distance of 5 Mm from their weight center to the main magnetic neutral line, have an average size of （0.6±0.4） ×10^17 cm^2, duration of 13±4 min, and flux density change of 181±125 G in the area of reversed polarity. The following new facts have been revealed by this study： （1） the flare-induced signal is also seen in the transverse magnetograms but with smaller magnitude, e.g., about 50 G; （2） the flare-induced signal mainly manifests itself as apparent polarity reversal, but the signal starts and ends as a weakening of flux density; （3） The flare-induced signals appear in phase with the peaks of hard X-ray emission as observed by the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager （RHESSI）, and mostly trace the position of RHESSI hard X-ray footpoint sources. （4） in four zones, it takes place cotemporally with real magnetic changes which persist after the flare. Only for the other two zones does the flux density recover to the pre-flare level immediately after the flare. The physical implications of the flare-induced signal are discussed in view of its relevance to the non-thermal electron precipitation and primary energy release in the flare.     

Measurements of spectral lines observed with Hinode/EIS as implications for coronal heating

We have measured the line widths and nonthermal velocities in 12 solar regions using high resolution EUV data taken by Hinode/EIS. We find that there exists a positive correlation between the intensity and nonthermal velocity for the Fe xII emission line as well as some other lines. The correlation coefficients decrease from the disk center to the limb. However, the nonthermal velocities of a particular spectral line do not vary much in different regions, so they are considered isotropic. In particular, we find that for a coronal loop structure, the largest widths and nonthermal velocities occur at the footpoints, where outflows appear. Based on these observational results, we discuss several physical processes responsible for coronal heating.