The influence of nonstationarity of the solar activity and general solar field on modulation of cosmic rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zusmanovich, A. G.; Kryakunova, O. N.; Churunova, L. F.; Shvartsman, Y. E.

1985-01-01

A numerical model of the propagation of galactic cosmic rays in interplanetary space was constructed for the case when the modulation depth determined by the level of solar activity changed in time. Also the contribution of particle drift in the regular field was calculated, and the agreement with experimental data concerning the ratio of protons and electrons in two solar activity minima is shown.

Relationships between solar activity and climate change. [sunspot cycle effects on lower atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, W. O.

1974-01-01

Recurrent droughts are related to the double sunspot cycle. It is suggested that high solar activity generally increases meridional circulations and blocking patterns at high and intermediate latitudes, especially in winter. This effect is related to the sudden formation of cirrus clouds during strong geomagnetic activity that originates in the solar corpuscular emission.

Ancient cellular structures and modern humans: change of survival strategies before prolonged low solar activity period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragulskaya, Mariya; Rudenchik, Evgeniy; Gromozova, Elena; Voychuk, Sergei; Kachur, Tatiana

The study of biotropic effects of modern space weather carries the information about the rhythms and features of adaptation of early biological systems to the outer space influence. The influence of cosmic rays, ultraviolet waves and geomagnetic field on early life has its signs in modern biosphere processes. These phenomena could be experimentally studied on present-day biological objects. Particularly inorganic polyphosphates, so-called "fossil molecules", attracts special attention as the most ancient molecules which arose in inanimate nature and have been accompanying biological objects at all stages of evolution. Polyphosphates-containing graves of yeast's cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain Y-517, , from the Ukrainian Collection of Microorganisms was studied by daily measurements during 2000-2013 years. The IZMIRAN daily data base of physiological parameters dynamics during 2000-2013 years were analyzed simultaneously (25 people). The analysis showed significant simultaneous changes of the statistical parameters of the studied biological systems in 2004 -2006. The similarity of simultaneous changes of adaptation strategies of human organism and the cell structures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during the 23-24 cycles of solar activity are discussed. This phenomenon could be due to a replacement of bio-effective parameters of space weather during the change from 23rd to 24th solar activity cycle and nonstandard geophysical peculiarities of the 24th solar activity cycle. It could be suggested that the observed similarity arose as the optimization of evolution selection of the living systems in expectation of probable prolonged period of low solar activity (4-6 cycles of solar activity).

Solar rotational cycle in lightning activity in Japan during the 18-19th centuries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyahara, Hiroko; Kataoka, Ryuho; Mikami, Takehiko; Zaiki, Masumi; Hirano, Junpei; Yoshimura, Minoru; Aono, Yasuyuki; Iwahashi, Kiyomi

2018-04-01

Thunderstorm and cloud activities sometimes show a 27-day period, and this has long been studied to uncover a possible important link to solar rotation. Because the 27-day variations in the solar forcing parameters such as solar ultraviolet and galactic cosmic rays become more prominent when the solar activity is high, it is expected that the signal of the 27-day period in meteorological phenomena may wax and wane according to the changes in the solar activity level. In this study, we examine in detail the intensity variations in the signal of the 27-day solar rotational period in thunder and lightning activity from the 18th to the 19th centuries based on 150-year-long records found in old diaries kept in Japan and discuss their relation with the solar activity levels. Such long records enable us to examine the signals of solar rotation at both high and low solar activity levels. We found that the signal of the solar rotational period in the thunder and lightning activity increases as the solar activity increases. In this study, we also discuss the possibility of the impact of the long-term climatological conditions on the signals of the 27-day period in thunder/lightning activities.

Propagation of Stationary Planetary Waves in the Upper Atmosphere under Different Solar Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koval, A. V.; Gavrilov, N. M.; Pogoreltsev, A. I.; Shevchuk, N. O.

2018-03-01

Numerical modeling of changes in the zonal circulation and amplitudes of stationary planetary waves are performed with an accounting for the impact of solar activity variations on the thermosphere. A thermospheric version of the Middle/Upper Atmosphere Model (MUAM) is used to calculate the circulation in the middle and upper atmosphere at altitudes up to 300 km from the Earth's surface. Different values of the solar radio emission flux in the thermosphere are specified at a wavelength of 10.7 cm to take into account the solar activity variations. The ionospheric conductivities and their variations in latitude, longitude, and time are taken into account. The calculations are done for the January-February period and the conditions of low, medium, and high solar activity. It was shown that, during high-activity periods, the zonal wind velocities increases at altitudes exceeding 150 km and decreases in the lower layers. The amplitudes of planetary waves at high solar activity with respect to the altitude above 120 km or below 100 km, respectively, are smaller or larger than those at low activity. These differences correspond to the calculated changes in the refractive index of the atmosphere for stationary planetary waves and the Eliassen-Palm flux. Changes in the conditions for the propagation and reflection of stationary planetary waves in the thermosphere may influence the variations in their amplitudes and the atmospheric circulation, including the lower altitudes of the middle atmosphere.

Spectral solar UV irradiance data for cycle 21

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeLand, Matthew T.; Cebula, Richard P.

2001-10-01

The Nimbus 7 Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) instrument, which began taking data in November 1978, was the first instrument to make solar UV irradiance measurements covering both the minimum and maximum activity levels of a solar cycle. The currently archived irradiance data set was processed with an instrument characterization which fails to completely account for sensor degradation in the later part of the data record, thus limiting the accuracy of estimated long-term solar activity variations and the scientific value of the data. In this paper, we describe an improved Nimbus 7 SBUV spectral irradiance data set, which utilizes a more accurate model for instrument sensitivity and treats other time-dependent problems in the archived data. Estimated long-term irradiance changes during solar cycle 21 are 8.3(+/-2.6%) at 205 nm, and 4.9(+/-1.8)% at 240 nm. The revised Nimbus 7 SBUV irradiance data are in good agreement with predictions of solar cycle variations from the Mg II index proxy model. These solar irradiance changes are also consistent with overlapping irradiance data from the declining phase of solar cycle 21 measured by the Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME). The Nimbus 7 SBUV irradiance data represent the earliest component of a 20+ year continuous record of solar spectral UV activity.

Global conditions in the solar corona from 2010 to 2017

PubMed Central

Morgan, Huw; Taroyan, Youra

2017-01-01

Through reduction of a huge data set spanning 2010–2017, we compare mean global changes in temperature, emission measure (EM), and underlying photospheric magnetic field of the solar corona over most of the last activity cycle. The quiet coronal mean temperature rises from 1.4 to 1.8 MK, whereas EM increases by almost a factor of 50% from solar minimum to maximum. An increased high-temperature component near 3 MK at solar maximum drives the increase in quiet coronal mean temperature, whereas the bulk of the plasma remains near 1.6 MK throughout the cycle. The mean, spatially smoothed magnitude of the quiet Sun magnetic field rises from 1.6 G in 2011 to peak at 2.0 G in 2015. Active region conditions are highly variable, but their mean remains approximately constant over the cycle, although there is a consistent decrease in active region high-temperature emission (near 3 MK) between the peak of solar maximum and present. Active region mean temperature, EM, and magnetic field magnitude are highly correlated. Correlation between sunspot/active region area and quiet coronal conditions shows the important influence of decaying sunspots in driving global changes, although we find no appreciable delay between changes in active region area and quiet Sun magnetic field strength. The hot coronal contribution to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) irradiance is dominated by the quiet corona throughout most of the cycle, whereas the high variability is driven by active regions. Solar EUV irradiance cannot be predicted accurately by sunspot index alone, highlighting the need for continued measurements. PMID:28740861

Influence of solar activity on the state of the wheat market in medieval England

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pustil'Nik, Lev A.; Din, Gregory Yom

2004-09-01

The database of professor Rogers (1887), which includes wheat prices in England in the Middle Ages, was used to search for a possible influence of solar activity on the wheat market. Our approach was based on the following: (1) Existence of the correlation between cosmic ray flux entering the terrestrial atmosphere and cloudiness of the atmosphere. (2) Cosmic ray intensity in the solar system changes with solar activity, (3) Wheat production depends on weather conditions as a nonlinear function with threshold transitions. (4) A wheat market with a limited supply (as it was in medieval England) has a highly nonlinear sensitivity to variations in wheat production with boundary states, where small changes in wheat supply could lead to bursts of prices or to prices falling. We present a conceptual model of possible modes for sensitivity of wheat prices to weather conditions, caused by solar cycle variations, and compare expected price fluctuations with price variations recorded in medieval England. We compared statistical properties of the intervals between wheat price bursts during the years 1249-1703 with statistical properties of the intervals between the minima of solar cycles during the years 1700-2000. We show that statistical properties of these two samples are similar, both for characteristics of the distributions and for histograms of the distributions. We analyze a direct link between wheat prices and solar activity in the 17th century, for which wheat prices and solar activity data (derived from 10Be isotope) are available. We show that for all 10 time moments of the solar activity minima the observed prices were higher than prices for the corresponding time moments of maximal solar activity (100% sign correlation, on a significance level < 0.2%). We consider these results a direct evidence of the causal connection between wheat prices bursts and solar activity.

Solar-induced oscillations in the stratosphere - A myth or reality?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandra, S.

1985-01-01

Chandra (1984) has provided an assessment of the solar cycle ozone relationship based on seven years of Nimbus 4 BUV (backscattered ultraviolet) data. It was found that the globally averaged ozone in the upper stratosphere, when corrected for the changes in instrument sensitivity, decreased from 1970 to 1976 by 3-4 percent. This decrease is in accordance with the current estimates of solar UV variability over a solar cycle. The present investigation has the objective to determine if measured changes in ozone and temperature in the upper stratosphere on a time scale of a solar rotation are of solar origin, i.e., directly induced by changes in solar irradiance. The conducted study is based on the first two years (1970-1972) of ozone and temperature data obtained from the Nimbus 4 BUV and the Selective Chopper Radiometer (SCR) experiments. Attention is given to the response of the stratosphere to changes in solar activity associated with the 27-day solar rotation.

Solar proton fluxes since 1956. [sunspot activity correlation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reedy, R. C.

1977-01-01

The fluxes of protons emitted during solar flares since 1956 were evaluated. The depth-versus-activity profiles of Co-56 in several lunar rocks are consistent with the solar proton fluxes detected by experiments on several satellites. Only about 20% of the solar-proton-induced activities of Na-22 and Fe-55 in lunar rocks from early Apollo missions were produced by protons emitted from the sun during solar cycle 20 (1965-1975). The depth-versus-activity data for these radionuclides in several lunar rocks were used to determine the fluxes of protons during solar cycle 19 (1954-1964). The average proton fluxes for cycle 19 are about five times those for both the last million years and for cycle 20 and are about five times the previous estimate for cycle 19 based on neutron-monitor and radio ionospheric measurements. These solar-proton flux variations correlate with changes in sunspot activity.

Is solar correction for long-term trend studies stable?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laštovička, Jan

2017-04-01

When calculating long-term trends in the ionosphere, the effect of the 11-year solar cycle (i.e. of solar activity) must be removed from data, because it is much stronger than the long-term trend. When a data series is analyzed for trend, usual approach is first to calculate from all data their dependence on solar activity and create an observational model of dependence on solar activity. Then the model data are subtracted from observations and trend is computed from residuals. This means that it is assumed that the solar activity dependence is stable over the whole data series period of time. But what happens if it is not the case? As an ionospheric parameter we consider foE from two European stations with the best long data series of parameters of the ionospheric E layer, Slough/Chilton and Juliusruh over 1975-2014 (40 years). Noon-time medians (10-14 LT) are analyzed. The trend pattern after removing solar influence with one correction for the whole period is complex. For yearly average values for both stations first foE is slightly decreasing in 1975-1990, then the trend levels off or a very little increase occurs in 1990-2005, and finally in 2006-2014 a remarkable decrease is observed. This does not seem to be physically plausible. However, when the solar correction is calculated separately for the three above periods, we obtain a smooth slightly negative trend which changes after the mid-1990 into no trend in coincidence with change of ozone trend. While solar corrections for the first two periods are similar (even though not equal), the solar activity dependence of foE in the third period (lower solar activity) is clearly different. Also foF2 trend revealed some effect of unstable solar correction. Thus the stability of solar correction should be carefully tested when calculating ionospheric trends. This could perhaps explain some of differences between the past published trend results.

Relationships between solar activity and climate change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, W. O.

1975-01-01

The relationship between recurrent droughts in the High Plains of the United States and the double sunspot cycle is discussed in detail. It is suggested that high solar activity is generally related to an increase in meridional circulation and blocking patterns at high and intermediate latitudes, especially in winter, and the effect is related to the sudden formation of cirrus clouds during strong geomagnetic activity that originates in the solar corpuscular emission.

Trends of solar-geomagnetic activity, cosmic rays, atmosphere, and climate changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voronin, N.; Avakyan, S.

2009-04-01

The results are presented of the analysis of trends in the solar-geomagnetic activity and intensity of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) for the several eleven-year solar cycles. The indication has been revealed of the change of signs in the long-term changes in geomagnetic activity (aa-index) and the GCR in recent years. These changes correspond to the changes of sings in long-term trends in some of atmospheric parameters (transparency, albedo, cloudness, the content of water vapour, methane, ozone, the erythemal radiation flux). These global changes in atmosphere is most important problem of the up-to-date science. The global warming observed during the several past decades presents a real danger for the mankind. Till present the predominant point of view has been that the main cause of the increase of mean surface air temperature is the increase of concentrations of the anthropogenic gases first of all carbon dioxide CO2 and methane CH_4. Indeed, from the beginning of nineteen century the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has been growing and now it exceeds the initial level by the factor of 1.4 and the speed of this increase being growing too. This was the reason of international efforts to accept the Kyoto Protocol which limited the ejections of greenhouse gases. However there are premises which show that the influence of solar variability on the climate should be taken into account in the first place. The obtained results are analyzed from the point of view of well known effects of GCR influence on weather and climate with taken into account also a novel trigger mechanism in solar-terrestrial relations what allows revaluation of the role of solar flares and geomagnetic storms. The mechanism explains how agents of solar and geomagnetic activities affect atmospheric processes. This first agent under consideration is variation of fluxes of solar EUV and X-ray radiation. The second agent is fluxes of electrons and protons which precipitate from radiation belts as a result of geomagnetic disturbances. All these fluxes are completely absorbed in the ionosphere and hence do not reach lower atmosphere. Our novel radiooptical trigger mechanism of influence of solar and geomagnetic activity on the formation of weather and climate changes consists of three stages. The first stage is an increase in generation of the microwave radiation which penetrates from the ionosphere to the earth surface. The microwave radiation arises from the transitions between Rydberg states which are exited by the energetic ionospheric electrons. The second stage is a change in the proportion of water vapour to water clusters caused by increased microwave radiation. The third stage is a change of the atmosphere transparency in the absorption bands of water vapour and clusters. The atmosphere transparency determines the fluxes of solar irradiance coming down as well as flux of the thermal radiation coming out from the underlying surface. These fluxes form the basis of the thermal balance and affect the weather and climate characteristics of the lower troposphere. The novel mechanism explains how factors of solar and geomagnetic activities affect atmospheric processes and why the changes observed in long-term trends might result in slowing down of global warming in the nearest future. According to the recent analysis of meteorological data (NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2008) the rate of global warming in 2008 appears to be slowing in comparison with the last eight years.

Observations of hysteresis in solar cycle variations among seven solar activity indicators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bachmann, Kurt T.; White, Oran R.

1994-01-01

We show that smoothed time series of 7 indices of solar activity exhibit significant solar cycle dependent differences in their relative variations during the past 20 years. In some cases these observed hysteresis patterns start to repeat over more than one solar cycle, giving evidence that this is a normal feature of solar variability. Among the indices we study, we find that the hysteresis effects are approximately simple phase shifts, and we quantify these phase shifts in terms of lag times behind the leading index, the International Sunspot Number. Our measured lag times range from less than one month to greater than four months and can be much larger than lag times estimated from short-term variations of these same activity indices during the emergence and decay of major active regions. We argue that hysteresis represents a real delay in the onset and decline of solar activity and is an important clue in the search for physical processes responsible for changing solar emission at various wavelengths.

Solar Radius at Subterahertz Frequencies and Its Relation to Solar Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menezes, Fabian; Valio, Adriana

2017-12-01

The Sun emits radiation at several wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. In the optical band, the solar radius is 695 700 km, and this defines the photosphere, which is the visible surface of the Sun. However, as the altitude increases, the electromagnetic radiation is produced at other frequencies, causing the solar radius to change as a function of wavelength. These measurements enable a better understanding of the solar atmosphere, and the radius dependence on the solar cycle is a good indicator of the changes that occur in the atmospheric structure. We measure the solar radius at the subterahertz frequencies of 0.212 and 0.405 THz, which is the altitude at which these emissions are primarily generated, and also analyze the radius variation over the 11-year solar activity cycle. For this, we used radio maps of the solar disk for the period between 1999 and 2017, reconstructed from daily scans made by the Solar Submillimeter-wave Telescope (SST), installed at El Leoncito Astronomical Complex (CASLEO) in the Argentinean Andes. Our measurements yield radii of 966.5'' ±2.8'' for 0.2 THz and 966.5'' ±2.7'' for 0.4 THz. This implies a height of 5.0 ±2.0 ×106 m above the photosphere. Furthermore, we also observed a strong anticorrelation between the radius variation and the solar activity at both frequencies.

Active Cavity Irradiance Monitor Satellite ACRIMSAT Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-12-21

The Active Cavity Irradiance Monitor Satellite, or ACRIMSAT, mission is a climate change investigation that measures changes in how much of the sun's energy reaches Earth's atmosphere. This energy, called solar irradience, creates winds, heats the land and drives ocean currents, and therefore contains significant data that climatologists can use to improve predictions of climate change and global warming. The satellite's Active Cavity Irradiance Monitor III instrument, now in its third generation, has been used since the 1980s to study solar irradiance and its impacts on global warming. Scientists, using data from the instrument, now theorize that there is a significant correlation between solar radiation and global warming. ACRIMSAT completed its five-year primary mission in 2005 when it began operating under its extended mission. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18157

Solar-cycle Variations of Meridional Flows in the Solar Convection Zone Using Helioseismic Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chia-Hsien; Chou, Dean-Yi

2018-06-01

The solar meridional flow is an axisymmetric flow in solar meridional planes, extending through the convection zone. Here we study its solar-cycle variations in the convection zone using SOHO/MDI helioseismic data from 1996 to 2010, including two solar minima and one maximum. The travel-time difference between northward and southward acoustic waves is related to the meridional flow along the wave path. Applying the ray approximation and the SOLA inversion method to the travel-time difference measured in a previous study, we obtain the meridional flow distributions in 0.67 ≤ r ≤ 0.96R ⊙ at the minimum and maximum. At the minimum, the flow has a three-layer structure: poleward in the upper convection zone, equatorward in the middle convection zone, and poleward again in the lower convection zone. The flow speed is close to zero within the error bar near the base of the convection zone. The flow distribution changes significantly from the minimum to the maximum. The change above 0.9R ⊙ shows two phenomena: first, the poleward flow speed is reduced at the maximum; second, an additional convergent flow centered at the active latitudes is generated at the maximum. These two phenomena are consistent with the surface meridional flow reported in previous studies. The change in flow extends all the way down to the base of the convection zone, and the pattern of the change below 0.9R ⊙ is more complicated. However, it is clear that the active latitudes play a role in the flow change: the changes in flow speed below and above the active latitudes have opposite signs. This suggests that magnetic fields could be responsible for the flow change.

The ancient Egyptian civilization: maximum and minimum in coincidence with solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaltout, M.

It is proved from the last 22 years observations of the total solar irradiance (TSI) from space by artificial satellites, that TSI shows negative correlation with the solar activity (sunspots, flares, and 10.7cm Radio emissions) from day to day, but shows positive correlations with the same activity from year to year (on the base of the annual average for each of them). Also, the solar constant, which estimated fromth ground stations for beam solar radiations observations during the 20 century indicate coincidence with the phases of the 11- year cycles. It is known from sunspot observations (250 years) , and from C14 analysis, that there are another long-term cycles for the solar activity larger than 11-year cycle. The variability of the total solar irradiance affecting on the climate, and the Nile flooding, where there is a periodicities in the Nile flooding similar to that of solar activity, from the analysis of about 1300 years of the Nile level observations atth Cairo. The secular variations of the Nile levels, regularly measured from the 7 toth 15 century A.D., clearly correlate with the solar variations, which suggests evidence for solar influence on the climatic changes in the East African tropics The civilization of the ancient Egyptian was highly correlated with the Nile flooding , where the river Nile was and still yet, the source of the life in the Valley and Delta inside high dry desert area. The study depends on long -time historical data for Carbon 14 (more than five thousands years), and chronical scanning for all the elements of the ancient Egyptian civilization starting from the firs t dynasty to the twenty six dynasty. The result shows coincidence between the ancient Egyptian civilization and solar activity. For example, the period of pyramids building, which is one of the Brilliant periods, is corresponding to maximum solar activity, where the periods of occupation of Egypt by Foreign Peoples corresponding to minimum solar activity. The decline of the Kingdoms in ancient Egypt and occurrence of the intermediate periods are generally explained by very low Nile floods and prolonged droughts followed by severe famines and the destruction of the political structure. The study declear the role of solar activity on the climatic change, and the humankind history.

Solar activity and oscillation frequency splittings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodard, M. F.; Libbrecht, K. G.

1993-01-01

Solar p-mode frequency splittings, parameterized by the coefficients through order N = 12 of a Legendre polynomial expansion of the mode frequencies as a function of m/L, were obtained from an analysis of helioseismology data taken at Big Bear Solar Observatory during the 4 years 1986 and 1988-1990 (approximately solar minimum to maximum). Inversion of the even-index splitting coefficients confirms that there is a significant contribution to the frequency splittings originating near the solar poles. The strength of the polar contribution is anti correlated with the overall level or solar activity in the active latitudes, suggesting a relation to polar faculae. From an analysis of the odd-index splitting coefficients we infer an uppor limit to changes in the solar equatorial near-surface rotatinal velocity of less than 1.9 m/s (3 sigma limit) between solar minimum and maximum.

(abstract) A Geomagnetic Contribution to Climate Change in this Century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feynman, J.; Ruzmaikin, A.; Lawrence, J.

1996-01-01

There is a myth that all solar effects can be parameterized by the sun spot number. This is not true. For example, the level of geomagnetic activity during this century was not proportional to the sunspot number. Instead there is a large systematic increase in geomagnetic activity, not reflected in the sunspot number. This increase occurred gradually over at least 60 years. The 11 year solar cycle variation was superimposed on this systematic increase. Here we show that this systematic increase in activity is well correlated to the simultaneous increase in terrestrial temperature that occurred during the first half of this century. We discuss these findings in terms of mechanisms by which geomagnetics can be coupled to climate. These mechanisms include possible changes in weather patterns and cloud cover due to increased cosmic ray fluxes, or to increased fluxes of high energy electrons. We suggest that this systematic increase in geomagnetic activity contributed (along with anthropogenic effects and possible changes in solar irradiance) to the changes in climate recorded during this period.

A model for solar constant secular changes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schatten, Kenneth H.

1988-01-01

In this paper, contrast models for solar active region and global photospheric features are used to reproduce the observed Active Cavity Radiometer and Earth Radiation Budget secular trends in reasonably good fashion. A prediction for the next decade of solar constant variations is made using the model. Secular trends in the solar constant obtained from the present model support the view that the Maunder Minimum may be related to the Little Ice Age of the 17th century.

Variability of the solar shape (before space dedicated missions)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozelot, J. P.; Damiani, C.; Lefebvre, S.

2009-12-01

Shrinking or expansion of the solar shape and irradiance variations are ultimately related to solar activity. We give here a review on existing ground-based or space solar radius measurements, extending the concept to shape changes. We show how helioseismology results allow us to look at the variations below the surface, where changes are not uniform, putting in evidence a new shallow layer, the leptocline, which is the seat of solar asphericities, radius variations with the 11-yr cycle and the cradle of complex physical processes: partial ionization of the light elements, opacities changes, superadiabaticity, strong gradient of rotation and pressure. Based on such physical grounds, we show why it is important to get accurate measurements from scheduled dedicated space missions: PICARD, SDO, DynaMICCS, ASTROMETRIA, SPHERIS. Such measurements will provide us a unique opportunity to study in detail the relationship between global solar properties and changes in the Sun's interior.

Holocene climatic fluctuations and periodic changes in the Asian southwest monsoon region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenxiang; Niu, Jie; Ming, Qingzhong; Shi, Zhengtao; Lei, Guoliang; Huang, Linpei; Long, Xian'e.; Chang, Fengqin

2018-05-01

Climatic changes in the Asian southwest monsoon (ASWM) during the Holocene have become a topic of recent studies. It is important to understand the patterns and causes of Holocene climatic changes and their relationship with global changes. Based on the climate proxies and wavelet analysis of Lugu Lake in the ASWM region, the climatic fluctuations and periodic changes in the ASWM region during the Holocene have been reconstructed with a high-precision chronology. The results indicate the intensification of ASWM began to increase with Northern Hemisphere low-latitude solar insolation (LSI) and solar activity during the early Holocene, and gradually decreased during the late Holocene, exhibiting an apparent synchrony with numerous records of ASWM region. Meanwhile, an apparent 1000-a quasi-periodic signal is present in the environment proxies, and it demonstrates that the environmental change in the ASWM region has been driven mainly by LSI and solar activity.

Fluctuations in Tree Ring Cellulose d18O during the Little Ice Age Correlate with Solar Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, Y. T.; Yokoyama, Y.; Miyahara, H.; Nakatsuka, T.

2008-12-01

The Maunder Minimum (AD1645-1715), when sunspots became exceedingly rare, is known to coincide with the coldest period during the Little Ice Age. This is a useful period to investigate possible linkage between solar activity and climate because variation in solar activity was different from that of today. The solar cycle length was longer (14 and 28 years) than that of today (11 and 22 years) hence any climate archives that have similar periodic changes could be separated from other internal climate forcing. We have reported that Greenland temperature variations coincided with decadal-scale variability in solar activity during the Maunder Minimum (Miyahara et al. 2008). Here we report interannual and intra-annual relative humidity (RH) variations in central Japan during that period, using tree ring cellulose d18O in a 382-year-old Japanese cedar tree (Cryptomeria japonica). The isotopic composition of tree rings can be a powerful tool to study the relationship between solar activity and climate, because we can directly compare solar activity (D14C) and climate (d18O) with little dating error. The climate proxy obtained using tree ring cellulose d18O is correlated both negatively and positively with RH and d18O in precipitation, respectively. Since d18O in precipitation is negatively correlated with the amount of precipitation in the monsoon area, tree ring cellulose d18O can be a reliable proxy for past RH and/or amount of precipitation in the area of the interest. Tree ring cellulose d18O of the cedar tree during AD1938-1998 in fact correlates significantly with the mean RH in June in central Japan. Tree ring d18O inferred RH variability during the Maunder Minimum shows distinct high RH spikes with an approximate 14-year quasiperiodicity. All nine solar minima during AD1640-1756 deduced from tree ring D14C coincided with high RH spikes, and seven of which coincided within 1-year. Interannual RH variations also coincided with Greenland temperature during this period. These results suggest that weakening of solar activity at solar minima caused distinct hemispheric scale climate change during the Maunder Minimum. We discuss the mechanism in which the solar activity variation caused the climate change, based on intra-annual RH variability and further data analysis of interannual RH variability. H. Miyahara et al., Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 272, 1-2, 290-295 (2008).

Revisiting the Solar Oblateness: Is Relevant Astrophysics Possible?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozelot, J. P.; Fazel, Z.

2013-10-01

The measurement of solar oblateness has a rich history extending well back into the past. Until recently, its estimate has been actively disputed, as has its temporal dependence. Recent accurate observations of the solar shape gave cause for doubt, and so far only balloon flights or satellite experiments, such as those onboard SDO, seem to achieve the required sensitivity to measure the expected small deviations from sphericity. A shrinking or an expanding shape is ultimately linked to solar activity (likely not homologously with its change), as gravitational or magnetic fields, which are existing mechanisms for storing energy during a solar cycle, lead to distinct perturbations in the equilibrium solar-structure and changes in the diameter. It follows that a sensitive determination of the solar radius fluctuations might give information about the origin of the solar cycle. In periods of higher activity, the outer photospheric shape seems to become aspheric under the influence of higher-order multipole moments of the Sun, resulting both from the centrifugal force and the core rotation. An accurate determination of the shape of the Sun is thus one of the ways that we have now for peering into its interior, learning empirically about flows and motions there that would otherwise only be guessed at from theoretical considerations, developing more precise inferences, and ultimately building possible alternative gravitational theories.

Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Payload Safety Introduction Briefing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loftin, Chuck; Lampert, Dianna; Herrburger, Eric; Smith, Clay; Hill, Stuart; VonMehlem, Judi

2008-01-01

Mission of the Geospace Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) is: Gain s cientific understanding (to the point of predictability) of how populations of relativistic electrons and ions in space form or change in response to changes in solar activity and the solar wind.

The Responses of Ozone Density to Solar Activity in the Mesopause Region and the Mutual Relationship Based on SABER Measurements During 2002-2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Chaoli; Wu, Bo; Wei, Yuanyuan; Qing, Chun; Dai, Congming; Li, Jianyu; Wei, Heli

2018-04-01

This paper is aimed to investigate the mutual relationship between ozone-density at cold-point mesopause (O3-CPM) and solar activity globally using Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) measurements and the 10.7 cm-solar-radio-flux (F10.7) data set. For this purpose, the global latitude regions are divided into 16 latitude bins. The global changes of O3-CPM are presented in mesopause region during 2002-2016. SABER has documented dramatic variability in O3-CPM on time scale of the 11-year solar cycle. The observed changes in the global O3-CPM correlate well with the changes in solar activity during 2002-2016 with correlation coefficient of 0.92, and the global solar response of O3-CPM is (20.18 ± 2.24)%/100 solar flux units in mesopause. Then, the latitudinal distribution of O3-CPM and its solar cycle dependence are presented for 16 latitude bins. The latitudinal correlation analysis shows that the O3-CPM is significantly correlated to the solar cycle at or above the 95% confidence level for each latitude bin from 84°S to 70°N, and the correlation coefficients are remarkably higher in the southern hemisphere than for corresponding latitudes in the northern hemisphere. The latitudinal distribution of O3-CPM takes on a W shape on a global scale, and the distribution of solar response of O3-CPM is seen in a strong south-north asymmetry between the two hemispheres. The solar response of O3-CPM in latitudinal distribution decreases gradually from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere, and the standard deviation of solar response increases gradually from the equator to the pole in each hemisphere.

A search for solar related changes in tropospheric weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mohanakumar, K.

1989-01-01

The possibility that solar variations associated with the 11-year solar cycle may be the cause of the changes in tropospheric weather and climate has been the subject to scientific investigation for several decades. Meteorologists are greatly concerned with the changes in tropospheric phenomena. An attempt was made to find solar activity related changes in tropospheric weather, by the modulation of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of zonal wind at 50 mb. Rainfall and surface temperature data for a period of about three solar cycles, 1953 to 1988, from various stations in the Indian subcontinent were utilized. By extension, a possible teleconnection was looked for between the temperature changes in middle atmospheric levels and surface temperature when the data are stratified according to east or west phase of the QBO. The temperature data were averaged for January and February to represent the winter temperature and for July and August to represent the summer temperature.

Periodic analysis of solar activity and its link with the Arctic oscillation phenomenon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qu, Weizheng; Li, Chun; Du, Ling

2014-12-01

Based on spectrum analysis, we provide the arithmetic expressions of the quasi 11 yr cycle, 110 yr century cycle of relative sunspot numbers, and quasi 22 yr cycle of solar magnetic field polarity. Based on a comparative analysis of the monthly average geopotential height, geopotential height anomaly, and temperature anomaly of the northern hemisphere at locations with an air pressure of 500 HPa during the positive and negative phases of AO (Arctic Oscillation), one can see that the abnormal warming period in the Arctic region corresponds to the negative phase of AO, while the anomalous cold period corresponds to itsmore » positive phase. This shows that the abnormal change in the Arctic region is an important factor in determining the anomalies of AO. In accordance with the analysis performed using the successive filtering method, one can see that the AO phenomenon occurring in January shows a clear quasi 88 yr century cycle and quasi 22 yr decadal cycle, which are closely related to solar activities. The results of our comparative analysis show that there is a close inverse relationship between the solar activities (especially the solar magnetic field index changes) and the changes in the 22 yr cycle of the AO occurring in January, and that the two trends are basically opposite of each other. That is to say, in most cases after the solar magnetic index MI rises from the lowest value, the solar magnetic field turns from north to south, and the high-energy particle flow entering the Earth's magnetosphere increases to heat the polar atmosphere, thus causing the AO to drop from the highest value; after the solar magnetic index MI drops from the highest value, the solar magnetic field turns from south to north, and the solar high-energy particle flow passes through the top of the Earth's magnetosphere rather than entering it to heat the polar atmosphere. Thus the polar temperature drops, causing the AO to rise from the lowest value. In summary, the variance contribution rate of the changes in the quasi 110 yr century cycle and quasi 22 yr decadal cycle for the AO reaches 62.9%, indicating that solar activity is an important driving factor of the AO.« less

A regime shift in the Sun-Climate connection with the end of the Medieval Climate Anomaly.

PubMed

Smirnov, D A; Breitenbach, S F M; Feulner, G; Lechleitner, F A; Prufer, K M; Baldini, J U L; Marwan, N; Kurths, J

2017-09-11

Understanding the influence of changes in solar activity on Earth's climate and distinguishing it from other forcings, such as volcanic activity, remains a major challenge for palaeoclimatology. This problem is best approached by investigating how these variables influenced past climate conditions as recorded in high precision paleoclimate archives. In particular, determining if the climate system response to these forcings changes through time is critical. Here we use the Wiener-Granger causality approach along with well-established cross-correlation analysis to investigate the causal relationship between solar activity, volcanic forcing, and climate as reflected in well-established Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) rainfall proxy records from Yok Balum Cave, southern Belize. Our analysis reveals a consistent influence of volcanic activity on regional Central American climate over the last two millennia. However, the coupling between solar variability and local climate varied with time, with a regime shift around 1000-1300 CE after which the solar-climate coupling weakened considerably.

Solar Activity Forecasting for use in Orbit Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schatten, Kenneth

2001-01-01

Orbital prediction for satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) or low planetary orbit depends strongly on exospheric densities. Solar activity forecasting is important in orbital prediction, as the solar UV and EUV inflate the upper atmospheric layers of the Earth and planets, forming the exosphere in which satellites orbit. Geomagnetic effects also relate to solar activity. Because of the complex and ephemeral nature of solar activity, with different cycles varying in strength by more than 100%, many different forecasting techniques have been utilized. The methods range from purely numerical techniques (essentially curve fitting) to numerous oddball schemes, as well as a small subset, called 'Precursor techniques.' The situation can be puzzling, owing to the numerous methodologies involved, somewhat akin to the numerous ether theories near the turn of the last century. Nevertheless, the Precursor techniques alone have a physical basis, namely dynamo theory, which provides a physical explanation for why this subset seems to work. I discuss this solar cycle's predictions, as well as the Sun's observed activity. I also discuss the SODA (Solar Dynamo Amplitude) index, which provides the user with the ability to track the Sun's hidden, interior dynamo magnetic fields. As a result, one may then update solar activity predictions continuously, by monitoring the solar magnetic fields as they change throughout the solar cycle. This paper ends by providing a glimpse into what the next solar cycle (#24) portends.

Variations in solar Lyman alpha irradiance on short time scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pap, J. M.

1992-10-01

Variations in solar UV irradiance at Lyman alpha are studied on short time scales (from days to months) after removing the long-term changes over the solar cycle. The SME/Lyman alpha irradiance is estimated from various solar indices using linear regression analysis. In order to study the nonlinear effects, Lyman alpha irradiance is modeled with a 5th-degree polynomial as well. It is shown that the full-disk equivalent width of the He line at 1083 nm, which is used as a proxy for the plages and active network, can best reproduce the changes observed in Lyman alpha. Approximately 72 percent of the solar-activity-related changes in Lyman alpha irradiance arise from plages and the network. The network contribution is estimated by the correlation analysis to be about 19 percent. It is shown that significant variability remains in Lyman alpha irradiance, with periods around 300, 27, and 13.5d, which is not explained by the solar activity indices. It is shown that the nonlinear effects cannot account for a significant part of the unexplained variation in Lyman alpha irradiance. Therefore, additional events (e.g., large-scale motions and/or a systematic difference in the area and intensity of the plages and network observed in the lines of Ca-K, He 1083, and Lyman alpha) may explain the discrepancies found between the observed and estimated irradiance values.

Variations in solar Lyman alpha irradiance on short time scales

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pap, J. M.

1992-01-01

Variations in solar UV irradiance at Lyman alpha are studied on short time scales (from days to months) after removing the long-term changes over the solar cycle. The SME/Lyman alpha irradiance is estimated from various solar indices using linear regression analysis. In order to study the nonlinear effects, Lyman alpha irradiance is modeled with a 5th-degree polynomial as well. It is shown that the full-disk equivalent width of the He line at 1083 nm, which is used as a proxy for the plages and active network, can best reproduce the changes observed in Lyman alpha. Approximately 72 percent of the solar-activity-related changes in Lyman alpha irradiance arise from plages and the network. The network contribution is estimated by the correlation analysis to be about 19 percent. It is shown that significant variability remains in Lyman alpha irradiance, with periods around 300, 27, and 13.5d, which is not explained by the solar activity indices. It is shown that the nonlinear effects cannot account for a significant part of the unexplained variation in Lyman alpha irradiance. Therefore, additional events (e.g., large-scale motions and/or a systematic difference in the area and intensity of the plages and network observed in the lines of Ca-K, He 1083, and Lyman alpha) may explain the discrepancies found between the observed and estimated irradiance values.

Study of the relationship between solar activity and terrestrial weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturrock, P. A.; Brueckner, G. E.; Dickinson, R. E.; Fukuta, N.; Lanzerotti, L. J.; Lindzen, R. S.; Park, C. G.; Wilcox, J. M.

1976-01-01

Evidence for some connection between weather and solar related phenomena is presented. Historical data of world wide temperature variations with relationship to change in solar luminosity are examined. Several test methods for estimating the statistical significance of such phenomena are discussed in detail.

Solar Effects on Global Climate Due to Cosmic Rays and Solar Energetic Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turco, R. P.; Raeder, J.; DAuria, R.

2005-01-01

Although the work reported here does not directly connect solar variability with global climate change, this research establishes a plausible quantitative causative link between observed solar activity and apparently correlated variations in terrestrial climate parameters. Specifically, we have demonstrated that ion-mediated nucleation of atmospheric particles is a likely, and likely widespread, phenomenon that relates solar variability to changes in the microphysical properties of clouds. To investigate this relationship, we have constructed and applied a new model describing the formation and evolution of ionic clusters under a range of atmospheric conditions throughout the lower atmosphere. The activation of large ionic clusters into cloud nuclei is predicted to be favorable in the upper troposphere and mesosphere, and possibly in the lower stratosphere. The model developed under this grant needs to be extended to include additional cluster families, and should be incorporated into microphysical models to further test the cause-and-effect linkages that may ultimately explain key aspects of the connections between solar variability and climate.

Are whooping cranes destined for extinction? Climate change imperils recruitment and population growth.

PubMed

Butler, Matthew J; Metzger, Kristine L; Harris, Grant M

2017-04-01

Identifying climatic drivers of an animal population's vital rates and locating where they operate steers conservation efforts to optimize species recovery. The population growth of endangered whooping cranes ( Grus americana ) hinges on juvenile recruitment. Therefore, we identify climatic drivers (solar activity [sunspots] and weather) of whooping crane recruitment throughout the species' life cycle (breeding, migration, wintering). Our method uses a repeated cross-validated absolute shrinkage and selection operator approach to identify drivers of recruitment. We model effects of climate change on those drivers to predict whooping crane population growth given alternative scenarios of climate change and solar activity. Years with fewer sunspots indicated greater recruitment. Increased precipitation during autumn migration signified less recruitment. On the breeding grounds, fewer days below freezing during winter and more precipitation during breeding suggested less recruitment. We predicted whooping crane recruitment and population growth may fall below long-term averages during all solar cycles when atmospheric CO 2 concentration increases, as expected, to 500 ppm by 2050. Species recovery during a typical solar cycle with 500 ppm may require eight times longer than conditions without climate change and the chance of population decline increases to 31%. Although this whooping crane population is growing and may appear secure, long-term threats imposed by climate change and increased solar activity may jeopardize its persistence. Weather on the breeding grounds likely affects recruitment through hydrological processes and predation risk, whereas precipitation during autumn migration may influence juvenile mortality. Mitigating threats or abating climate change should occur within ≈30 years or this wild population of whooping cranes may begin declining.

Periodicity in changes of Jupiter's hemispheres activity factor is continues to recover in 2018

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidmachenko, A. P.

2018-05-01

From the mid-1990s to 2013 that there was a maximum mismatch between the time of Jupiter's passage at orbit at perihelion and aphelion, and the moments of minima and maxima of Solar activity. In 1963-1995 the correlation between the changes in factor AJ, Solar activity and the moments of passage of perihelion and aphelion of the orbit - was high, and the nature of the changes was synchronized. After 1995, inconsistency in the supply of Solar energy to northern and southern hemispheres of Jupiter and its movement in orbit - has become significant. But after 2014, the periodicity in the change of photometric characteristics of the northern and southern hemispheres of Jupiter, again becomes coordinated. And the data for 2017 and 2018 confirm the improvement of the matching of the course of the Aj(T) dependence, SA index and the regime irradiation by the Sun of Jupiter at it moves along the orbit.

Changes in solar quiet magnetic variations since the Maunder Minimum: A comparison of historical observations and model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cnossen, Ingrid; Matzka, Jürgen

2016-10-01

Magnetic measurements going back to the eighteenth century offer a unique opportunity to study multicentennial changes in the upper atmosphere. We analyzed measurements from Rome and Mannheim from May 1782 to May 1783 and measurements from Greenwich, St. Helena, Cape of Good Hope, and Singapore from May 1841 to May 1842. A comparison of the daily magnetic variations in these historical data with modern-day observations from 2010 at nearby stations (where available) showed notable differences in the amplitude and/or phase of the X and Y components. Model simulations indicated that these can be explained at least to some extent by changes in the Earth's main magnetic field. Changes in the main field strength and the northwestward movement of the magnetic equator, in particular in the region of the South Atlantic Anomaly, have caused changes in the positioning, shape, and strength of the equivalent current vortices in the ionosphere that result in the magnetic perturbations on the ground. Differences in solar activity between the historical and modern epochs, which were all near solar minima, were too small to have a notable effect on the ground magnetic perturbations. However, in regions where main magnetic field changes have been relatively small for the last 400 years, e.g., in Singapore, the effects of a long-term increase in solar activity from Maunder Minimum conditions to normal solar minimum conditions (an increase in F10.7 of 35 solar flux units) were comparable to the effects of geomagnetic main field changes.

Solar Cycle #24 and the Solar Dynamo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schatten, Kenneth; Pesnell, W. Dean

2007-01-01

We focus on two solar aspects related to flight dynamics. These are the solar dynamo and long-term solar activity predictions. The nature of the solar dynamo is central to solar activity predictions, and these predictions are important for orbital planning of satellites in low earth orbit (LEO). The reason is that the solar ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral irradiances inflate the upper atmospheric layers of the Earth, forming the thermosphere and exosphere through which these satellites orbit. Concerning the dynamo, we discuss some recent novel approaches towards its understanding. For solar predictions we concentrate on a solar precursor method, in which the Sun's polar field plays a major role in forecasting the next cycle s activity based upon the Babcock-Leighton dynamo. With a current low value for the Sun s polar field, this method predicts that solar cycle #24 will be one of the lowest in recent times, with smoothed F10.7 radio flux values peaking near 130 plus or minus 30 (2 sigma), in the 2013 timeframe. One may have to consider solar activity as far back as the early 20th century to find a cycle of comparable magnitude. Concomitant effects of low solar activity upon satellites in LEO will need to be considered, such as enhancements in orbital debris. Support for our prediction of a low solar cycle #24 is borne out by the lack of new cycle sunspots at least through the first half of 2007. Usually at the present epoch in the solar cycle (approx. 7+ years after the last solar maximum), for a normal size following cycle, new cycle sunspots would be seen. The lack of their appearance at this time is only consistent with a low cycle #24. Polar field observations of a weak magnitude are consistent with unusual structures seen in the Sun s corona. Polar coronal holes are the hallmarks of the Sun's open field structures. At present, it appears that the polar coronal holes are relatively weak, and there have been many equatorial coronal holes. This appears consistent with a weakening polar field, but coronal hole data must be scrutinized carefully as observing techniques have changed. We also discuss new solar dynamo ideas, and the SODA (SOlar Dynamo Amplitude) index, which provides the user with the ability to track the Sun's hidden, dynamo magnetic fields throughout the various stages of the Sun's cycle. Our solar dynamo ideas are a modernization and rejuvenation of the Babcock-Leighton original idea of a shallow solar dynamo, using modern observations that appear to support their shallow dynamo viewpoint. We are in awe of being able to see an object the size of the Sun undergoing as dramatic a change as our model provides in a few short years. The Sun, however, has undergone changes as rapid as this before! The weather on the Sun is at least as fickle as the weather on the Earth.

Solar Cycle #24 and the Solar Dynamo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pesnell, W. Dean; Schatten, Kenneth

2007-01-01

We focus on two solar aspects related to flight dynamics. These are the solar dynamo and long-term solar activity predictions. The nature of the solar dynamo is central to solar activity predictions, and these predictions are important for orbital planning of satellites in low earth orbit (LEO). The reason is that the solar ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral irradiances inflate the upper atmospheric layers of the Earth, forming the thermosphere and exosphere through which these satellites orbit. Concerning the dynamo, we discuss some recent novel approaches towards its understanding. For solar predictions we concentrate on a solar precursor method, in which the Sun s polar field plays a major role in forecasting the next cycle s activity based upon the Babcock- Leighton dynamo. With a current low value for the Sun s polar field, this method predicts that solar cycle #24 will be one of the lowest in recent times, with smoothed F10.7 radio flux values peaking near 130+ 30 (2 4, in the 2013 timeframe. One may have to consider solar activity as far back as the early 20th century to find a cycle of comparable magnitude. Concomitant effects of low solar activity upon satellites in LEO will need to be considered, such as enhancements in orbital debris. Support for our prediction of a low solar cycle #24 is borne out by the lack of new cycle sunspots at least through the first half of 2007. Usually at the present epoch in the solar cycle (-7+ years after the last solar maximum), for a normal size following cycle, new cycle sunspots would be seen. The lack of their appearance at this time is only consistent with a low cycle #24. Polar field observations of a weak magnitude are consistent with unusual structures seen in the Sun s corona. Polar coronal holes are the hallmarks of the Sun s open field structures. At present, it appears that the polar coronal holes are relatively weak, and there have been many equatorial coronal holes. This appears consistent with a weakening polar field, but coronal hole data must be scrutinized carefully as observing techniques have changed. We also discuss new solar dynamo ideas, and the SODA (Solar Dynamo Amplitude) index, which provides the user with the ability to track the Sun s hidden, dynamo magnetic fields throughout the various stages of the Sun s cycle. Our solar dynamo ideas are a modernization and rejuvenation of the Babcock-Leighton original idea of a shallow solar dynamo, using modem observations that appear to support their shallow dynamo viewpoint. We are in awe of being able to see an object the size of the Sun undergoing as dramatic a change as our model provides in a few short years. The Sun, however, has undergone changes as rapid as this before! The weather on the Sun is at least as fickle as the weather on the Earth.

Relation between the electromagnetic processes in the near-Earth space and dynamics of the biological resources in Russian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makarova, L. N.; Shirochkov, A. V.; Tumanov, I. L.

The start of the satellite era in the Space explorations led to new and more profound knowledge of the solar physics and the sources of its activity. From these points of view, it is worthy to examine again the relations between biological processes and the solar activity. We explore the relation between dynamics of the solar activity (including the solar wind) and changes in population of some species of Arctic fauna (lemmings, polar foxes, caribous, wolves, elks, etc.). The data include statistical rows of various lengths (30 80 years). The best correlation between two data sets is found when the solar wind dynamic pressure as well as variations of the total solar irradiance (i.e., level of the solar UV radiation) is taken as the space parameters. Probably the electromagnetic fields of space origin are an important factor determining dynamics of population of the Arctic fauna species.

Overview of the Temperature Response in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere to Solar Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beig, Gufran; Scheer, Juergen; Mlynczak, Martin G.; Keckhut, Philippe

2008-01-01

The natural variability in the terrestrial mesosphere needs to be known to correctly quantify global change. The response of the thermal structure to solar activity variations is an important factor. Some of the earlier studies highly overestimated the mesospheric solar response. Modeling of the mesospheric temperature response to solar activity has evolved in recent years, and measurement techniques as well as the amount of data have improved. Recent investigations revealed much smaller solar signatures and in some case no significant solar signal at all. However, not much effort has been made to synthesize the results available so far. This article presents an overview of the energy budget of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) and an up-to-date status of solar response in temperature structure based on recently available observational data. An objective evaluation of the data sets is attempted and important factors of uncertainty are discussed.

Solar Records: The Wolf Sunspot Index and Umbral/Penumbral Ratio

DOE Data Explorer

Hoyt, Douglas V. [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)

1985-01-01

These data from observations of sunspot activity cover the period 1875 through 1981; reconstructions are possible back to 1832. Available sunspot models and the theory of mixing length indicate that the observed changes in the umbral/penumbral (U/P) ratio may be equivalent to changes in the solar constant. The U/P ratio is calculated from measurements of solar activity and has been shown to be in good agreement with the Northern Hemisphere temperature record. The data consist of year, number of sunspot groups, Wolf sunspot number, umbra area, whole area, penumbral area, and umbral/penumbral ratio. The data are in one file (3.3 kB).

NmF2 Morphology during four-classes of solar and magnetic activity conditions at an African station around the EIA trough and comparison with IRI-2016 Map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adebesin, B.; Rabiu, B.; Obrou, O. K.

2017-12-01

Better understanding of the electrodynamics between parameters used in describing the ionospheric layer and their solar and geomagnetic influences goes a long way in furthering the expansion of space weather knowledge. Telecommunication and scientific radar launch activities can however be interrupted either on a larger/smaller scales by geomagnetic activities which is susceptible to changes in solar activity and effects. Consequently, the ionospheric NmF2 electrodynamics was investigated for a station near the magnetic dip in the African sector (Korhogo, Geomagnetic: -1.26°N, 67.38°E). Data covering years 1996 and 2000 were investigated for four categories of magnetic and solar activities viz (i) F10.7 < 85 sfu, ap ≤ 7 nT (low solar quiet, LSQ); (ii) F10.7 < 85 sfu, ap > 7 nT (low solar disturbed, LSD); (iii) F10.7 > 150 sfu, ap ≤ 7 nT (high solar quiet, HSQ); and (iv) F10.7 > 150 sfu, ap > 7 nT (high solar disturbed, HSD). NmF2 revealed a pre-noon peak higher than the post-noon peak during high solar activity irrespective of magnetic activity condition and overturned during low solar activity. Higher NmF2 peak amplitude however characterise disturbed magnetic activity than quiet magnetic condition for any solar activity. The maximum pre-/post-noon peaks appeared in equinox season. June solstice noon-time bite out lagged other seasons by 1-2 h. Daytime variability increases with increasing magnetic activity. Equinox/June solstice recorded the highest pre-sunrise/post-sunset peak variability magnitudes with the lowest emerging in June solstice/equinox for all solar and magnetic conditions. The nighttime annual variability amplitude is higher during disturbed than quiet condition regardless of solar activity period; while the range is similar for daytime observations. The noon-time trough characteristics is not significant in the IRI NmF2 pattern during high solar activity but evident during low solar conditions. IRI-2016 map performed best during disturbed activity conditions especially for F10.7 < 85 sfu, ap > 7 nT condition.

Are Solar Activity Variations Amplified by the QBO: A Modeling Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mengel, J. G.; Mayr, H. G.; Drob, D. P.; Porter, H. S.; Bhartia, P. K. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Solar cycle activity effects (SCAE) in the lower and middle atmosphere, reported in several studies, are difficult to explain on the basis of the small changes in solar radiation that accompany the 11-year cycle. It is therefore natural to speculate that dynamical processes may come into play to produce a leverage. Such a leverage may be provided by the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) in the zonal circulation of the stratosphere, which has been linked to solar activity variations. Driven primarily by wave mean flow interaction, the QBO period and its amplitude are variable but are also strongly influenced by the seasonal cycle in the solar radiation. This influence extends to low altitudes and is referred to as 'downward control'. Small changes in the solar radiative forcing may produce small changes in the period and phase of the QBO, but these in turn may produce measurable differences in the wind field. Thus, the QBO may be an amplifier of solar activity variations and a natural conduit of these variations to lower altitudes. To test this hypothesis, we conducted experiments with a 2D version of our Numerical Spectral Model that incorporates Hines' Doppler Spread Parameterization for small-scale gravity waves (GW). Solar cycle radiance variations (SCRV) are accounted for by changing the radiative heating rate on a logarithmic scale from 0.1% at the surface to 1% at 50 km to 10% at 100 km. With and without SCRV, but with the same GW flux, we then conduct numerical experiments to evaluate the magnitude of the SCAE in the zonal circulation. The numerical results indicate that, under certain conditions, the SCAE is significant and can extend to lower altitudes where the SCRV is small. For a modeled QBO period of 30 months, we find that the seasonal cycle in the solar forcing acts as a strong pacemaker to lock up the phase and period of the QBO. The SCAE then shows up primarily as a distinct but relatively weak amplitude modulation. But with a different QBO period between 30 and 34 (or less than 30, presumably) months, the seasonal phase lock is weak. Solar flux variations in the seasonal cycle then cause variations in the QBO period and phase. These amplify the SCAE to produce relatively large variations in the wind field. The SCAE in this case extends to mid-latitudes.

Solar excitation of CdS/Cu2S photovoltaic cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boer, K. W.

1976-01-01

Solar radiation of five typical clear weather days and under a variety of conditions is used to determine the spectral distribution of the photonflux at different planes of a CdS/Cu2S solar cell. The fractions of reflected and absorbed flux are determined at each of the relevant interfaces and active volume elements of the solar cell. The density of absorbed photons is given in respect to spectral and spatial distribution. The variance of the obtained distribution, with changes in insolation and absorption spectra of the active solar cell layers, is indicated. A catalog of typical examples is given in the appendix.

Geomagnetic activity: Dependence on solar wind parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Svalgaard, L.

1977-01-01

Current ideas about the interaction between the solar wind and the earth's magnetosphere are reviewed. The solar wind dynamic pressure as well as the influx of interplanetary magnetic field lines are both important for the generation of geomagnetic activity. The influence of the geometry of the situation as well as the variability of the interplanetary magnetic field are both found to be important factors. Semi-annual and universal time variations are discussed as well as the 22-year cycle in geomagnetic activity. All three are found to be explainable by the varying geometry of the interaction. Long term changes in geomagnetic activity are examined.

Effects of long-period solar activity fluctuation on temperature and pressure of the terrestrial atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubashev, B. M.

1978-01-01

The present state of research on the influence of solar sunspot activity on tropospheric temperature and pressure is reviewed. The existence of an 11-year temperature cycle of 5 different types is affirmed. A cyclic change in atmospheric pressure, deducing characteristic changes between 11-year cycles is discussed. The existence of 80-year and 5-to-6-year cycles of temperature is established, and physical causes for birth are suggested.

Detecting drift bias and exposure errors in solar and photosynthetically active radiation data

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

All-black thermopile pyranometers are commonly used to measure solar radiation. Ensuring that the sensors are stable and free of drift is critical to accurately measure small variations in global solar irradiance (K'), which is a potential driver of changes in surface temperature. We demonstrate tha...

Transient climate simulation from the Maunder Minimum to present day using prescribed changes in GHG, total/spectral solar irradiance and ozone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spangehl, Thomas; Cubasch, Ulrich; Schimanke, Semjon

A fully coupled AO-GCM including representation of the middle atmosphere is used for tran-sient simulation of climate from 1630 to 2000 AD. For better representation of changes in the UV/visible part of the solar spectrum an improved short-wave radiation scheme is implemented. The model is driven by changes in GHG concentrations, solar activity and volcanic eruptions. Solar variability is introduced via changes in total/spectral solar irradiance (TSI/SSI) and pre-scribed changes in stratospheric ozone. The secular trend in TSI is in the range of 0.1 percent increase from Maunder Minimum to present-day. Volcanic eruptions are represented via abrupt reduction in TSI. With the applied forcings the model does not simulate a clear reduction of the annual Northern Hemisphere (NH) mean near surface temperature during Maunder Minimum. By contrast the Dalton Minimum is characterized by distinct cooling and there is a significant raise of NH mean near surface temperature until the end of the 20th century. Focusing on the North Atlantic/European region the winter mean near surface temperature change pat-tern from Late Maunder Minimum (1675-1715) to present-day (1960-1990) reveals maximum warming over north-eastern Europe and cooling over the western North Atlantic with maxi-mum cooling west of Greenland. These changes can partly be explained by a shift of the NAO towards a more positive phase. The simulated changes in tropospheric circulation are discussed with special emphasize on the role of the solar forcing. Besides the stratospheric solar forcing which may affect NAO variability via downward propagation of the solar signal from the strato-sphere to the troposphere the magnitude of the secular trend in TSI might play a role. For the period from Maunder Minimum to present-day the simulation shows less near surface temper-ature increase especially over arctic regions when compared to simulations performed with the same model including the standard radiation scheme but applying larger TSI variations. The associated changes in lower tropospheric baroclinicity are more favourable for synoptic scale wave activity over the North Atlantic and might thereby contribute to strengthening of the NAO.

Activity associated with coronal mass ejections at solar minimum - SMM observations from 1984-1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

St. Cyr, O. C.; Webb, D. F.

1991-01-01

Seventy-three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed by the coronagraph aboard SMM between 1984 and 1986 were examined in order to determine the distribution of various forms of solar activity that were spatially and temporally associated with mass ejections during solar minimum phase. For each coronal mass ejection a speed was measured, and the departure time of the transient from the lower corona estimated. Other forms of solar activity that appeared within 45 deg longitude and 30 deg latitude of the mass ejection and within +/-90 min of its extrapolated departure time were explored. The statistical results of the analysis of these 73 CMEs are presented, and it is found that slightly less than half of them were infrequently associated with other forms of solar activity. It is suggested that the distribution of the various forms of activity related to CMEs does not change at different phases of the solar cycle. For those CMEs with associations, it is found that eruptive prominences and soft X-rays were the most likely forms of activity to accompany the appearance of mass ejections.

A STUDY OF SOLAR PHOTOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE GRADIENT VARIATION USING LIMB DARKENING MEASUREMENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Criscuoli, Serena; Foukal, Peter

2017-01-20

The variation in area of quiet magnetic network measured over the sunspot cycle should modulate the spatially averaged photospheric temperature gradient, since temperature declines with optical depth more gradually in magnetic flux tube atmospheres. Yet, limb darkening measurements show no dependence upon activity level, even at an rms precision of 0.04%. We study the sensitivity of limb darkening to changes in area filling factor using a 3D MHD model of the magnetized photosphere. The limb darkening change expected from the measured 11-year area variation lies below the level of measured limb darkening variations, for a reasonable range of magnetic fluxmore » in quiet network and internetwork regions. So the remarkably constant limb darkening observed over the solar activity cycle is not inconsistent with the measured 11-year change in area of quiet magnetic network. Our findings offer an independent constraint on photospheric temperature gradient changes reported from measurements of the solar spectral irradiance from the Spectral Irradiance Monitor, and recently, from wavelength-differential spectrophotometry using the Solar Optical Telescope aboard the HINODE spacecraft.« less

Changes in photochemically significant solar UV spectral irradiance as estimated by the composite Mg II index and scale factors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deland, Matthew T.; Cebula, Richard P.

1994-01-01

Quantitative assessment of the impact of solar ultraviolet irradiance variations on stratospheric ozone abundances currently requires the use of proxy indicators. The Mg II core-to-wing index has been developed as an indicator of solar UV activity between 175-400 nm that is independent of most instrument artifacts, and measures solar variability on both rotational and solar cycle time scales. Linear regression fits have been used to merge the individual Mg II index data sets from the Nimbus-7, NOAA-9, and NOAA-11 instruments onto a single reference scale. The change in 27-dayrunning average of the composite Mg II index from solar maximum to solar minimum is approximately 8 percent for solar cycle 21, and approximately 9 percent for solar cycle 22 through January 1992. Scaling factors based on the short-term variations in the Mg II index and solar irradiance data sets have been developed to estimate solar variability at mid-UV and near-UV wavelengths. Near 205 nm, where solar irradiance variations are important for stratospheric photo-chemistry and dynamics, the estimated change in irradiance during solar cycle 22 is approximately 10 percent using the composite Mg II index and scale factors.

Global Distribution and Variations of NO Infrared Radiative Flux and Its Responses to Solar Activity and Geomagnetic Activity in the Thermosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Chaoli; Wei, Yuanyuan; Liu, Dong; Luo, Tao; Dai, Congming; Wei, Heli

2017-12-01

The global distribution and variations of NO infrared radiative flux (NO-IRF) are presented during 2002-2016 in the thermosphere covering 100-280 km altitude based on Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) data set. For investigating the spatial variations of the mutual relationship between NO-IRF and solar activity, the altitude ranges from 100 km to 280 km are divided into 90 altitude bins, and the latitude regions of 83°S-83°N are divided into 16 latitude bins. By processing about 1.8E9 NO-IRF observation values from about 5E6 vertical nighttime profiles recorded in SABER data set, we obtained more than 4.1E8 samples of NO-IRF. The annual-mean values of NO-IRF are then calculated by all available NO-IRF samples within each latitude and altitude bin. Local latitudinal maxima in NO-IRF are found between 120 and 145 km altitude, and the maximum NO-IRF located at polar regions are 3 times more than that of the minimum at equatorial region. The influences of solar and geomagnetic activity on the spatial variations of NO-IRF are investigated. Both the NO-IRF and its response to solar and geomagnetic activity show nearly symmetric distribution between the two hemispheres. It is demonstrated that the observed changes in NO-IRF at altitudes between 100 and 225 km correlate well with the changes in solar activity. The NO-IRF at solar maximum is about 4 times than that at solar minimum, and the current maximum of NO-IRF in 2014 is less than 70% of the prior maximum in 2001. For the first time, the response ranges of the NO-IRF to solar and geomagnetic activity at different altitudes and latitudes are reported.

Solar Cycle Effects on Equatorial Electrojet Strength and Low Latitude Ionospheric Variability (P10)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veenadhari, B.; Alex, S.

2006-11-01

veena_iig@yahoo.co.in The most obvious indicators of the activity of a solar cycle are sunspots, flares, plages, and soon. These are intimately linked to the solar magnetic fields, heliospheric processes which exhibit complex but systematic variations. The changes in geomagnetic activity, as observed in the ground magnetic records follow systematic correspondence with the solar activity conditions. Thus the transient variations in the magnetic field get modified by differing solar conditions. Also the solar cycle influences the Earth causing changes in geomagnetic activity, the magnetosphere and the ionosphere. Daily variations in the ground magnetic field are produced by different current systems in the earth’s space environment flowing in the ionosphere and magnetosphere which has a strong dependence on latitude and longitude of the location. The north-south (Horizontal) configuration of the earth’s magnetic field over the equator is responsible for the narrow band of current system over the equatorial latitudes and is called the Equatorial electrojet (EEJ) and is a primary driver for Equatorial Ionization anomaly (EIA). Equatorial electric fields and plasma drifts play the fundamental roles on the morphology of the low latitude ionosphere and strongly vary during geomagnetically quiet and disturbed periods. Quantitative study is done to illustrate the development process of EEJ and its influence on ionospheric parameters. An attempt is also made to examine and discuss the response of the equatorial electrojet parameters to the fast varying conditions of solar wind and interplanetary parameters.

International Solar Cycle Studies (ISCS), "Solar Energy Flux Study: from the interior to the outer layer" — Working Group 1 report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pap, Judit; Fröhlich, Claus

The purpose of this report is to describe the research activities and plans of Working Group 1: "Solar Energy Flux Study: From the Interior to the Outer Layer" of the International Solar Cycle Study (ISCS), which is an international research organization operating under the auspices of the Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP). As part of the report, we also summarize the status of the measurements and results on the solar energy flux variations. The main objective of ISCS's Working Group 1 is to coordinate and support comprehensive international research of the variations in the solar energy flux during the rising portion and maximum of solar cycle 23. The research activities of ISCS's Working Group 1 will concentrate on the following tasks: (1) to measure and study the variations in the solar radiative and mass output and solar activity indices during the solar activity cycle, (2) to understand why the solar radiative and mass output and the solar activity indices vary during the solar cycle, and (3) to study the role of solar variability in solar-terrestrial changes and its contribution to global change. ISCS WG1 "Solar Energy Flux Study: From the Interior to the Outer Layer" has been divided into three panels: •| Panel 1: Variations in Total and Spectral Irradiance from Infrared to Far UV. Panel leaders: Martin Anklin of the Physikalisch-Meteorologishes Observatorium Davos, Switzerland (total irradiance), Gerard Thuillier of the Service d'Aeronomie-CNRS, Verrieres, France (visible and infrared), and Linton Floyd of the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA (ultraviolet). •| Panel 2: Variations in EUV, X-ray and Particle Fluxes. Panel leaders: Gerhard Schmidtke of Fraunhofer IPM, Freiburg, Germany and W. Kent Tobiska of FDC/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA (EUV/XUV), and David Winningham of the Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA (particles). •| Panel 3: Solar Indices, Cosmogenic Isotopes, Solar-Stellar Relations. Panel leaders: Gary Chapman of the San Fernando Observatory, CSUN, Northridge, CA, USA (solar indices), Juerg Beer of Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland (cosmogenic isotopes), and Sallie Baliunas of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, USA (solar-stellar relations). The first two panels concentrate on solar energy flux measurements, whereas the third panel concentrates on solar indices and alternative ways to model and predict irradiance variations at various wavelengths and their terrestrial/climate effects. Working Group 1 of ISCS has supported and adopted the "Thermospheric-Ionospheric Geospheric Research (TIGER)" program as part of ISCS/WG1/Panel 2. The main objectives of TIGER are to measure, model, and interpret solar EUV/UV and particle fluxes and to study and model their effect on the Earth's thermosphere and ionosphere (see details by Schmidtke et al., 2001, this volume). This approach links ISCS/WG1 activities directly with studies of our space environment.

THE ORIGIN OF ENHANCED ACTIVITY IN THE SUNS OF M67

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reiners, A.; Giampapa, M. S., E-mail: Ansgar.Reiners@phys.uni-goettingen.d, E-mail: giampapa@noao.ed

2009-12-10

We report the results of the analysis of high-resolution photospheric line spectra obtained with the UVES instrument on the VLT for a sample of 15 solar-type stars selected from a recent survey of the distribution of H and K chromospheric line strengths in the solar-age open cluster M67. We find upper limits to the projected rotation velocities that are consistent with solar-like rotation (i.e., v sin iapprox< 2-3 km s{sup -1}) for objects with Ca II chromospheric activity within the range of the contemporary solar cycle. Two solar-type stars in our sample exhibit chromospheric emission well in excess of evenmore » solar maximum values. In one case, Sanders 1452, we measure a minimum rotational velocity of v sin i = 4 +- 0.5 km s{sup -1}, or over twice the solar equatorial rotational velocity. The other star with enhanced activity, Sanders 747, is a spectroscopic binary. We conclude that high activity in solar-type stars in M67 that exceeds solar levels is likely due to more rapid rotation rather than an excursion in solar-like activity cycles to unusually high levels. We estimate an upper limit of 0.2% for the range of brightness changes occurring as a result of chromospheric activity in solar-type stars and, by inference, in the Sun itself. We discuss possible implications for our understanding of angular momentum evolution in solar-type stars, and we tentatively attribute the rapid rotation in Sanders 1452 to a reduced braking efficiency.« less

Bacterial Active Community Cycling in Response to Solar Radiation and Their Influence on Nutrient Changes in a High-Altitude Wetland.

PubMed

Molina, Verónica; Hernández, Klaudia; Dorador, Cristina; Eissler, Yoanna; Hengst, Martha; Pérez, Vilma; Harrod, Chris

2016-01-01

Microbial communities inhabiting high-altitude spring ecosystems are subjected to extreme changes in solar irradiance and temperature throughout the diel cycle. Here, using 16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing (cDNA) we determined the composition of actively transcribing bacteria from spring waters experimentally exposed through the day (morning, noon, and afternoon) to variable levels of solar radiation and light quality, and evaluated their influence on nutrient recycling. Solar irradiance, temperature, and changes in nutrient dynamics were associated with changes in the active bacterial community structure, predominantly by Cyanobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and 35 other Phyla, including the recently described Candidate Phyla Radiation (e.g., Parcubacteria, Gracilibacteria, OP3, TM6, SR1). Diversity increased at noon, when the highest irradiances were measured (3.3-3.9 H', 1125 W m -2 ) compared to morning and afternoon (0.6-2.8 H'). This shift was associated with a decrease in the contribution to pyrolibraries by Cyanobacteria and an increase of Proteobacteria and other initially low frequently and rare bacteria phyla (< 0.5%) in the pyrolibraries. A potential increase in the activity of Cyanobacteria and other phototrophic groups, e.g., Rhodobacterales, was observed and associated with UVR, suggesting the presence of photo-activated repair mechanisms to resist high levels of solar radiation. In addition, the percentage contribution of cyanobacterial sequences in the afternoon was similar to those recorded in the morning. The shifts in the contribution by Cyanobacteria also influenced the rate of change in nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate, highlighted by a high level of nitrate accumulation during hours of high radiation and temperature associated with nitrifying bacteria activity. We did not detect ammonia or nitrite oxidizing bacteria in situ , but both functional groups ( Nitrosomona and Nitrospira ) appeared mainly in pyrolibraries generated from dark incubations. In total, our results reveal that both the structure and the diversity of the active bacteria community was extremely dynamic through the day, and showed marked shifts in composition that influenced nutrient recycling, highlighting how abiotic variation affects potential ecosystem functioning.

Bacterial Active Community Cycling in Response to Solar Radiation and Their Influence on Nutrient Changes in a High-Altitude Wetland

PubMed Central

Molina, Verónica; Hernández, Klaudia; Dorador, Cristina; Eissler, Yoanna; Hengst, Martha; Pérez, Vilma; Harrod, Chris

2016-01-01

Microbial communities inhabiting high-altitude spring ecosystems are subjected to extreme changes in solar irradiance and temperature throughout the diel cycle. Here, using 16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing (cDNA) we determined the composition of actively transcribing bacteria from spring waters experimentally exposed through the day (morning, noon, and afternoon) to variable levels of solar radiation and light quality, and evaluated their influence on nutrient recycling. Solar irradiance, temperature, and changes in nutrient dynamics were associated with changes in the active bacterial community structure, predominantly by Cyanobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and 35 other Phyla, including the recently described Candidate Phyla Radiation (e.g., Parcubacteria, Gracilibacteria, OP3, TM6, SR1). Diversity increased at noon, when the highest irradiances were measured (3.3–3.9 H′, 1125 W m-2) compared to morning and afternoon (0.6–2.8 H′). This shift was associated with a decrease in the contribution to pyrolibraries by Cyanobacteria and an increase of Proteobacteria and other initially low frequently and rare bacteria phyla (< 0.5%) in the pyrolibraries. A potential increase in the activity of Cyanobacteria and other phototrophic groups, e.g., Rhodobacterales, was observed and associated with UVR, suggesting the presence of photo-activated repair mechanisms to resist high levels of solar radiation. In addition, the percentage contribution of cyanobacterial sequences in the afternoon was similar to those recorded in the morning. The shifts in the contribution by Cyanobacteria also influenced the rate of change in nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate, highlighted by a high level of nitrate accumulation during hours of high radiation and temperature associated with nitrifying bacteria activity. We did not detect ammonia or nitrite oxidizing bacteria in situ, but both functional groups (Nitrosomona and Nitrospira) appeared mainly in pyrolibraries generated from dark incubations. In total, our results reveal that both the structure and the diversity of the active bacteria community was extremely dynamic through the day, and showed marked shifts in composition that influenced nutrient recycling, highlighting how abiotic variation affects potential ecosystem functioning. PMID:27909430

Detecting and disentangling nonlinear structure from solar flux time series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashrafi, S.; Roszman, L.

1992-01-01

Interest in solar activity has grown in the past two decades for many reasons. Most importantly for flight dynamics, solar activity changes the atmospheric density, which has important implications for spacecraft trajectory and lifetime prediction. Building upon the previously developed Rayleigh-Benard nonlinear dynamic solar model, which exhibits many dynamic behaviors observed in the Sun, this work introduces new chaotic solar forecasting techniques. Our attempt to use recently developed nonlinear chaotic techniques to model and forecast solar activity has uncovered highly entangled dynamics. Numerical techniques for decoupling additive and multiplicative white noise from deterministic dynamics and examines falloff of the power spectra at high frequencies as a possible means of distinguishing deterministic chaos from noise than spectrally white or colored are presented. The power spectral techniques presented are less cumbersome than current methods for identifying deterministic chaos, which require more computationally intensive calculations, such as those involving Lyapunov exponents and attractor dimension.

Helioseismology: A probe of the solar interior, atmosphere, and activity cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhodes, E. J., Jr.

1995-01-01

Helioseismology began in earnest in the mid 1970's. In the two decades which have elapsed since that time this branch of solar physics has become a mature field of research. Helioseismology has demonstrated that the solar convection zone is about twice as deep as was generally thought to be the case before 1977. Helioseismology has also provided measurements of the solar internal angular velocity over much of the sun's interior. Helioseismology has also ruled out models which would solve the solar neutrino problem by a lowering of the temperature of the core. Recently, some of the seismic properties of the sun have been demonstrated to vary with changing levels of solar activity. Also, helioseismology has recently provided evidence for helical flow patterns in the shallow, sub-photosphere layers. The techniques of helioseismology are also expanding to include seismic probes of solar active regions. Some work is also being conducted into the possible contributions of the solar acoustic models to the heating of the solar atmosphere. In this talk I will highlight a few of the above results and concentrate on current areas of research in the field.

Scale Height variations with solar cycle in the ionosphere of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Cano, Beatriz; Lester, Mark; Witasse, Olivier; Milan, Stephen E.; Hall, Benjamin E. S.; Cartacci, Marco; Radicella, Sandro M.; Blelly, Pierre-Louis

2015-04-01

The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) on board the Mars Express spacecraft has been probing the topside of the ionosphere of Mars since June 2005, covering currently almost one solar cycle. A good knowledge of the behaviour of the ionospheric variability for a whole solar period is essential since the ionosphere is strongly dependent on solar activity. Using part of this dataset, covering the years 2005 - 2012, differences in the shape of the topside electron density profiles have been observed. These variations seem to be linked to changes in the ionospheric temperature due to the solar cycle variation. In particular, Mars' ionospheric response to the extreme solar minimum between end-2007 and end-2009 followed a similar pattern to the response observed in the Earth's ionosphere, despite the large differences related to internal origin of the magnetic field between both planets. Plasma parameters such as the scale height as a function of altitude, the main peak characteristics (altitude, density), the total electron content (TEC), the temperatures, and the ionospheric thermal pressures show variations related to the solar cycle. The main changes in the topside ionosphere are detected during the period of very low solar minimum, when ionospheric cooling occurs. The effect on the scale height is analysed in detail. In contrast, a clear increase of the scale height is observed during the high solar activity period due to enhanced ionospheric heating. The scale height variation during the solar cycle has been empirically modelled. The results have been compared with other datasets such as radio-occultation and retarding potential analyser data from old missions, especially in low solar activity periods (e.g. Mariner 4, Viking 1 and 2 landers), as well as with numerical modelling.

Characteristics of the interplanetary shocks formed by a sudden increase in the velocity of the solar wind from a coronal hole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bravo, S.

1995-01-01

Coronal holes are the sources of the solar wind and, according to recent YOKOH observations, may undergo rapid changes which are associated with manifestations of explosive solar activity. Rapid changes in a hole's structure will produce rapid changes in the characteristics of the wind emerging from it and, in the particular c se of a sudden increase in wind velocity, this may lead to the formation of an interplanetary shock. We discuss the characteristics of shocks formed in such a way and compare them with interplanetary observations.

The Young Solar Analogs Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambert, Ryan; Gray, Richard, , Dr.

2014-03-01

The ultimate goal of the Young Solar Analogs Project is to give insight into the conditions in the early solar system when life was first forming on the earth and to assess the challenges the young, active sun presented to that early life. To achieve this, we have been monitoring since 2007 the stellar activity of 31 young solar-type stars with ages between 0.3 and 1.5 Gyrs. Many of these stars exhibit star spot cycles like the sun, but in a few cases we are seeing evidence for a previously unknown type of star spot cycle. Some vary chaotically. We have detected the presence of differential rotation in several stars. We have also detected a number of powerful flares both photometrically and spectroscopically. Optical irradiance changes in these stars can be as high as 10% in a single year; such solar variability would have led to catastropic climate change on the early earth. We would like to thank NSF for their generous donations to this project.

Newly found evidence of Sun-climate relationships

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Hongsuk H.; Huang, Norden E.

1993-01-01

Solar radiation cycles drive climatic changes intercyclically. These interdecadal changes were detected as variations in solar total irradiances over the time period of recorded global surface-air-temperature (SAT) and have been restored utilizing Earth Radiation Budget Channel 10C measurements (1978-1990), Greenwich Observatory faculae data (1874-1975), and Taipei Observatory Active Region data (1964-1991). Analysis of the two separate events was carried out by treating each as a discrete time series determined by the length of each solar cycle. The results show that the global SAT responded closely to the input of solar cyclical activities, S, with a quantitative relation of T = 1.62 * S with a correlation coefficient of 0.61. This correlation peaks at 0.71 with a built-in time lag of 32 months in temperature response. Solar forcing in interannual time scale was also detected and the derived relationship of T = 0.17 * S with a correlation coefficient of 0.66 was observed. Our analysis shows derived climate sensitivities approximately fit the theoretical feedback slope, 4T(sup 3).

OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING OF NORTH-SOUTH ASYMMETRIES USING A FLUX TRANSPORT DYNAMO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shetye, Juie; Tripathi, Durgesh; Dikpati, Mausumi

2015-02-01

The peculiar behavior of solar cycle 23 and its prolonged minima has been one of the most studied problems over the past few years. In the present paper, we study the asymmetries in active region magnetic flux in the northern and southern hemispheres during the complete solar cycle 23 and the rising phase of solar cycle 24. During the declining phase of solar cycle 23, we find that the magnetic flux in the southern hemisphere is about 10 times stronger than that in the northern hemisphere; however, during the rising phase of cycle 24, this trend is reversed. The magnetic fluxmore » becomes about a factor of four stronger in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere. Additionally, we find that there was a significant delay (about five months) in change of the polarity in the southern hemisphere in comparison with the northern hemisphere. These results provide us with hints of how the toroidal fluxes have contributed to the solar dynamo during the prolonged minima in solar cycle 23 and in the rising phase of solar cycle 24. Using a solar flux-transport dynamo model, we demonstrate that persistently stronger sunspot cycles in one hemisphere could be caused by the effect of greater inflows into active region belts in that hemisphere. Observations indicate that greater inflows are associated with stronger activity. Some other change or difference in meridional circulation between hemispheres could cause the weaker hemisphere to become the stronger one.« less

Determination of the Solar Ultraviolet Transmission in Tree Shade.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parisi, Alfio V.; Kimlin, Michael G.

1999-01-01

Presents an activity in which the amount of solar ultraviolet radiation in tree shade is measured at different times of the day and compared with changes in illumination levels and temperature. (Author/WRM)

Evolution of the solar radius during the solar cycle 24 rise time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meftah, Mustapha

2015-08-01

One of the real motivations to observe the solar radius is the suspicion that it might be variable. Possible temporal variations of the solar radius are important as an indicator of internal energy storage and as a mechanism for changes in the total solar irradiance. Measurements of the solar radius are of great interest within the scope of the debate on the role of the Sun in climate change. Solar energy input dominates the surface processes (climate, ocean circulation, wind, etc.) of the Earth. Thus, it appears important to know on what time scales the solar radius and other fundamental solar parameters, like the total solar irradiance, vary in order to better understand and assess the origin and mechanisms of the terrestrial climate changes. The current solar cycle is probably going to be the weakest in 100 years, which is an unprecedented opportunity for studying the variability of the solar radius during this period. This paper presents more than four years of solar radius measurements obtained with a satellite and a ground-based observatory during the solar cycle 24 rise time. Our measurements show the benefit of simultaneous measurements obtained from ground and space observatories. Space observations are a priori most favourable, however, space entails also technical challenges, a harsh environment, and a finite mission lifetime. The evolution of the solar radius during the rising phase of the solar cycle 24 show small variations that are out of phase with solar activity.

Investigation of the Effects of Solar and Geomagnetic Changes on the Total Electron Content: Mid-Latitude Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulukavak, Mustafa; Yalcinkaya, Mualla

2016-04-01

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is used as an important tool for ionosphere monitoring and obtaining the Total Electron Content (TEC). GPS satellites, positioned in the Earth's orbit, are used as sensors to investigate the space weather conditions. In this study, solar and geomagnetic activity variations were investigated between the dates 1 March-30 June 2015 for the mid-latitude region. GPS-TEC variations were calculated for each selected International GNSS Service (IGS) station in Europe. GNSS data was obtained from Crustal Dynamics Data and Information System (CDDIS) archive. Solar and geomagnetic activity indices (Kp, F10.7 ve Dst) were obtained from the Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Canadian Space Weather Forecast Centre (CSWFC) and Data Analysis Center for geomagnetism and Space Magnetism Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University (WDC) archives. GPS-TEC variations were determined for the quiet periods of the solar and geomagnetic activities. GPS-TEC changes were then compared with respect to the quiet periods of the solar and geomagnetic activities. Global Ionosphere Maps (GIM) IONEX files, obtained from the IGS analysis center, was used to check the robustness of the GPS-TEC variations. The investigations revealed that it is possible to use the GPS-TEC data for monitoring the ionospheric disturbances.

Effects of geomagnetic activity variations on the physiological and psychological state of functionally healthy humans: Some results of Azerbaijani studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babayev, Elchin S.; Allahverdiyeva, Aysel A.

There are collaborative and cross-disciplinary space weather studies in the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences conducted with purposes of revealing possible effects of solar, geomagnetic and cosmic ray variability on certain technological, biological and ecological systems. This paper describes some results of the experimental studies of influence of the periodical and aperiodical changes of geomagnetic activity upon human brain, human health and psycho-emotional state. It also covers the conclusions of studies on influence of violent solar events and severe geomagnetic storms of the solar cycle 23 on the mentioned systems in middle-latitude location. It is experimentally established that weak and moderate geomagnetic storms do not cause significant changes in the brain's bioelectrical activity and exert only stimulating influence while severe disturbances of geomagnetic conditions cause negative influence, seriously disintegrate brain's functionality, activate braking processes and amplify the negative emotional background of an individual. It is concluded that geomagnetic disturbances affect mainly emotional and vegetative spheres of human beings while characteristics reflecting personality properties do not undergo significant changes.

Estimate of the effect of the 11-year solar activity cycle on the ozone content in the stratosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruzdev, A. N.

2014-09-01

Using spectral, cross-spectral, and regression methods, we analyzed the effect of the 11-year cycle of solar activity on the ozone content in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere via satellite measurement data obtained with the help of SBUV/SBUV2 instruments in 1978-2003. We revealed a high coherence between the ozone content and solar activity level on the solar cycle scale. In much of this area, the ozone content varies approximately in phase with the solar cycle; however, in areas of significant gradients of ozone mixing ratio in the middle stratosphere, the phase shift between ozone and solar oscillations can be considerable, up to π/2. This can be caused by dynamical processes. The altitude maxima of ozone sensitivity to the 11-year solar cycle were found in the upper vicinity of the stratopause (50-55 km), in the middle stratosphere (35-40 km), and the lower stratosphere (below 25 km). Maximal changes in ozone content in the solar cycle (up to 10% and more) were found in winter and spring in polar regions.

Spring-fall asymmetry of substorm strength, geomagnetic activity and solar wind: Implications for semiannual variation and solar hemispheric asymmetry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marsula, K.; Tanskanen, E.; Love, J.J.

2011-01-01

We study the seasonal variation of substorms, geomagnetic activity and their solar wind drivers in 1993–2008. The number of substorms and substorm mean duration depict an annual variation with maxima in Winter and Summer, respectively, reflecting the annual change of the local ionosphere. In contradiction, substorm mean amplitude, substorm total efficiency and global geomagnetic activity show a dominant annual variation, with equinoctial maxima alternating between Spring in solar cycle 22 and Fall in cycle 23. The largest annual variations were found in 1994 and 2003, in the declining phase of the two cycles when high-speed streams dominate the solar wind. A similar, large annual variation is found in the solar wind driver of substorms and geomagnetic activity, which implies that the annual variation of substorm strength, substorm efficiency and geomagnetic activity is not due to ionospheric conditions but to a hemispherically asymmetric distribution of solar wind which varies from one cycle to another. Our results imply that the overall semiannual variation in global geomagnetic activity has been seriously overestimated, and is largely an artifact of the dominant annual variation with maxima alternating between Spring and Fall. The results also suggest an intimate connection between the asymmetry of solar magnetic fields and some of the largest geomagnetic disturbances, offering interesting new pathways for forecasting disturbances with a longer lead time to the future.

Interaction of the plasma tail of comet Bradfield 1979L on 1980 February 6 with a possibly flare-generated solar-wind disturbance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niedner, M. B., Jr.; Brandt, J. C.; Zwickl, R. D.; Bame, S. J.

1983-01-01

Solar-wind plasma data from the ISEE-3 and Helios 2 spacecraft were examined in order to explain a uniquely rapid 10 deg turning of the plasma tail of comet Bradfield 1979l on 1980 February 6. An earlier study conducted before the availability of in situ solar-wind data (Brandt et al., 1980) suggested that the tail position angle change occurred in response to a solar-wind velocity shear across the polar component changed by approximately 50 km/s. The present contribution confirms this result and further suggests that the comet-tail activity was caused by non-corotating, disturbed plasma flows probably associated with an Importance 1B solar flare.

Software Displays Data on Active Regions of the Sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golightly, Mike; Weyland, Mark; Raben, Vern

2011-01-01

The Solar Active Region Display System is a computer program that generates, in near real time, a graphical display of parameters indicative of the spatial and temporal variations of activity on the Sun. These parameters include histories and distributions of solar flares, active region growth, coronal mass ejections, size, and magnetic configuration. By presenting solar-activity data in graphical form, this program accelerates, facilitates, and partly automates what had previously been a time-consuming mental process of interpretation of solar-activity data presented in tabular and textual formats. Intended for original use in predicting space weather in order to minimize the exposure of astronauts to ionizing radiation, the program might also be useful on Earth for predicting solar-wind-induced ionospheric effects, electric currents, and potentials that could affect radio-communication systems, navigation systems, pipelines, and long electric-power lines. Raw data for the display are obtained automatically from the Space Environment Center (SEC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Other data must be obtained from the NOAA SEC by verbal communication and entered manually. The Solar Active Region Display System automatically accounts for the latitude dependence of the rate of rotation of the Sun, by use of a mathematical model that is corrected with NOAA SEC active-region position data once every 24 hours. The display includes the date, time, and an image of the Sun in H light overlaid with latitude and longitude coordinate lines, dots that mark locations of active regions identified by NOAA, identifying numbers assigned by NOAA to such regions, and solar-region visual summary (SRVS) indicators associated with some of the active regions. Each SRVS indicator is a small pie chart containing five equal sectors, each of which is color-coded to provide a semiquantitative indication of the degree of hazard posed by one aspect of the activity at the indicated location. The five aspects in question are the history of solar flares, the history of coronal mass ejections, the growth or decay of activity, the overall size, and the magnetic configuration. Mouse-clicking on an active-region-marking dot, SRVS indicator, or NOAA region number causes the program to generate a solar-region summary table (SRT) for the active region in question. The SRT contains additional quantitative and qualitative data, beyond those contained in the SRVS: These data include the solar coordinates of the region, the area of the region and its change in area during the past 24 hours, the change in the number of sunspots in the region during the past 24 hours, the magnetic configuration, and the types, dates, and times of the most recent flare and coronal mass ejection.

Tangential Field Changes in the Great Flare of 1990 May 24.

PubMed

Cameron; Sammis

1999-11-01

We examine the great (solar) flare of 1990 May 24 that occurred in active region NOAA 6063. The Big Bear Solar Observatory videomagnetograph Stokes V and I images show a change in the longitudinal field before and after the flare. Since the flare occurred near the limb, the change reflects a rearrangement of the tangential components of the magnetic field. These observations lack the 180 degrees ambiguity that characterizes vector magnetograms.

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

DOE PAGES

Bellerive, Alain; Klein, J. R.; McDonald, A. B.; ...

2016-04-27

This review paper provides a summary of the published results of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment that was carried out by an international scientific collaboration with data collected during the period from 1999 to 2006. By using heavy water as a detection medium, the SNO experiment demonstrated clearly that solar electron neutrinos from 8B decay in the solar core change into other active neutrino flavors in transit to Earth. The reaction on deuterium that has equal sensitivity to all active neutrino flavors also provides a very accurate measure of the initial solar flux for comparison with solar models. Thismore » review summarizes the results from three phases of solar neutrino detection as well as other physics results obtained from analyses of the SNO data.« less

Terminator 2020: Get Ready for the "Event" of The Next Decade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIntosh, S. W.; Leamon, R. J.; Fan, Y.; Rempel, M.; Dikpati, M.

2017-12-01

The abrupt end of solar activity cycles 22 and 23 at the Sun's equator are observed with instruments from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). These events are remarkable in that they rapidly trigger the onset of magnetic activity belonging to the next solar cycle at mid-latitudes. The triggered onset of new cycle flux emergence leads to blossoming of the new cycle shortly thereafter. Using small-scale tracers of magnetic solar activity we examine the timing of the cycle ``termination points'' in relation to the excitation of new activity and find that the time taken for the solar plasma to communicate this transition is less than one solar rotation, and possibly as little as a eight days. This very short transition time implies that the mean magnetic field present in the Sun's convection zone is approximately 80 kG. This value may be considerably larger than conventional explorations estimate and therefore, have a significant dynamical impact on the physical appearance of solar activity, and considerably impacting our ability to perform first-principles numerical simulations of the same. Should solar cycle 24 [and 25] continue in their progression we anticipate that a termination event of this type should occur in the 2020 timeframe. PSP will have a front row seat to observe this systemic flip in solar magnetism and the induced changes in our star's radiative and partiuculate output. Such observations may prove to be critical in assessing the Sun's ability to force short term evolution in the Earth's atmosphere.

Periodic Analysis Between Solar Variability and the Earth's Temperature From Centuries to Ten Thousand Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, X.; Feng, X. S.

2014-12-01

The global warming is one of the hottest topics for both scientists and the public at present. Strong evidences have shown that the global warming is related to the man-made increasing greenhouse gas levels. Besides the artificial factors, natural forces also contribute to the Earth's climate change. Among them, solar activity is an important ingredient of the natural driving forces of the Earth's climate. In this study, two data sets are adopted to investigate the periodicities of both solar activity and the variation of the Earth temperature as well as their correlations based on the wavelet analysis and cross correlation method. The first one is a directly measured data set covering centuries, while the second one is the reconstructed data during the past 11,000 years. The obtained results demonstrate that solar activity and the Earth's temperature have significant resonance cycles, and the Earth's temperature has periodic variations similar to those of solar activity. For centuries, these common periodicities include the 22-year cycle and the 50-year cycle. While for 11,000 years, they are the 200-year, 500-year, 1000-year, and 2000-year cycles. Correlation analysis reveals that the correlations between solar variability and the Earth's temperature are statistically significant. The correlation coefficient (C.C.) between the 11-year running averaged Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) and the ocean temperature is 0.88 during the past 133 years of global warming. While for 11,000 years, the C.C. between the 500-year running averages of sunspot number (SSN) and the Earth temperature (r=0.51, p=1%) is stronger than that between the temperature and the atmospheric CO2 concentration (r=0.35, p=10%). All these support that solar activity should have non-ignorable effects on the Earth's climate change, especially before the modern industrial time.

Predicting space climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balcerak, Ernie

2011-10-01

Galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles can be hazardous to humans in space, damage spacecraft and satellites, pose threats to aircraft electronics, and expose aircrew and passengers to radiation. A new study shows that these threats are likely to increase in coming years as the Sun approaches the end of the period of high solar activity known as “grand solar maximum,” which has persisted through the past several decades. High solar activity can help protect the Earth by repelling incoming galactic cosmic rays. Understanding the past record can help scientists predict future conditions. Barnard et al. analyzed a 9300-year record of galactic cosmic ray and solar activity based on cosmogenic isotopes in ice cores as well as on neutron monitor data. They used this to predict future variations in galactic cosmic ray flux, near-Earth interplanetary magnetic field, sunspot number, and probability of large solar energetic particle events. The researchers found that the risk of space weather radiation events will likely increase noticeably over the next century compared with recent decades and that lower solar activity will lead to increased galactic cosmic ray levels. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL048489, 2011)

Solar Forced Dansgaard/Oeschger Events?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muscheler, R.; Beer, J.

2006-01-01

Climate records for the last ice age (which ended 11,500 years ago) show enormous climate fluctuations in the North Atlantic region - the so-called Dansgaard/Oeschger events. During these events air temperatures in Greenland changed on the order of 10 degrees Celsius within a few decades. These changes were attributed to shifts in ocean circulation which influences the warm water supply from lower latitudes to the North Atlantic region. Interestingly, the rapid warmings tend to recur approximately every 1500 years or multiples thereof. This has led researchers to speculate about an external cause for these changes with the variable Sun being one possible candidate. Support for this hypothesis came from climate reconstructions, which suggested that the Sun influenced the climate in the North Atlantic region on these time scales during the last approximately 12,000 years of relatively stable Holocene climate. However, Be-10 measurements in ice cores do not indicate that the Sun caused or triggered the Dansgaard/Oeschger events. Depending on the solar magnetic shielding more or less Be-10 is produced in the Earth's atmosphere. Therefore, 10Be can be used as a proxy for solar activity changes. Since Be-10 can be measured in ice cores, it is possible to compare the variable solar forcing directly with the climate record from the same ice core. This removes any uncertainties in the relative dating, and the solar-climate link can be reliably studied. Notwithstanding that some Dansgaard/Oeschger warmings could be related to increased solar activity, there is no indication that this is the case for all of the Dansgaard/Oeschger events. Therefore, during the last ice age the Be-10 and ice core climate data do not indicate a persistent solar influence on North Atlantic climate.

Potential impacts of a future Grand Solar Minimum on decadal regional climate change and interannual hemispherical climate variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiegl, Tobias; Langematz, Ulrike

2016-04-01

The political, technical and socio-economic developments of the next decades will determine the magnitude of 21st century climate change, since they are inextricably linked to future anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. To assess the range of uncertainty that is related to these developments, it is common to assume different emission scenarios for 21st climate projections. While the uncertainties associated with the anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing have been studied intensely, the contribution of natural climate drivers (particularly solar variability) to recent and future climate change are subject of intense debate. The past 1,000 years featured at least 5 excursions (lasting 60-100 years) of exceptionally low solar activity, induced by a weak magnetic field of the Sun, so called Grand Solar Minima. While the global temperature response to such a decrease in solar activity is assumed to be rather small, nonlinear mechanisms in the climate system might amplify the regional temperature signal. This hypothesis is supported by the last Grand Solar Minimum (the Maunder Minimum, 1645-1715) which coincides with the Little Ice Age, an epoch which is characterized by severe cold and hardship over Europe, North America and Asia. The long-lasting minimum of Solar Cycle 23 as well as the overall weak maximum of Cycle 24 reveal the possibility for a return to Grand Solar Minimum conditions within the next decades. The quantification of the implications of such a projected decrease in solar forcing is of ultimate importance, given the on-going public discussion of the role of carbon dioxide emissions for global warming, and the possible role a cooling due to decreasing solar activity could be ascribed to. Since there is still no clear consensus about the actual strength of the Maunder Minimum, we used 3 acknowledged solar reconstruction datasets that show significant differences in both, total solar irradiance (TSI) and spectral irradiance (SSI) to simulate a future Grand Solar Minimum under RCP6.0 conditions. The results obtained were compared to a RCP6.0 simulation that was carried out using the CCMI recommendations for a 21st century solar forcing. We used the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) chemistry-climate model that incorporates interactive ozone chemistry, a high-resolution shortwave radiation scheme, a high model top (0.01 hPa) and is coupled to a 3D ocean general circulation model. We focused on the regional responses to a future Grand Solar Minimum and interannual variability patterns (i.e. the Northern and Southern Annular Mode (NAM/SAM)).

Mid-Holocene paleoclimatic changes and solar activity in San'in District, mid-latitude North Pacific Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okazaki, Y.; Seto, K.; Sakai, T.; Ooki, A.; yamada, K.; Dettman, D. L.

2011-12-01

Evidence shows that solar activity influences climate on a global scale. In the mid-latitude region, climate change is expected to change precipitation patterns. Concurrently, variation in solar activity may influence phytoplankton productivity. It seems that these changes should be recorded in sediment and organic matter deposits in coastal lagoons. In this study, we discuss the relationship between climate change and solar activity in the mid-Holocene in the northern hemisphere mid-latitude region based on grain size analysis, total organic carbon (TOC) content and organic carbon accumulation rates (Corg A.R.) in coastal lagoon sediment core samples. The INB core was drilled to produce a high resolution record of Holocene paleoenvironmental change in the San'in District, western Japan. The core is 19.17m in total length and is divided into Unit I~VII by lithofacies. Holocene sediment, primarily organic silt, forms Unit III and above in this core. Unit III was deposited from 8.4 to 5.4 ka, when sea level rose during the Jomon transgression; its depositional environment is a coastal lagoon. Progradation of the river mouth during the sea level rise lead to an increase in the C/N ratio of organic matter. Unit IV contains the volcanic Shigaku pyroclastic flow (the sixth stage of volcanic activity of the Sanbe volcano), and Unit V reflects deposition in a freshwater lake or swamp. Above this aggredational sediments were deposited by small rivers. This study focused on the coastal lagoon sediments of Unit III (8.4 to 5.4 ka); we carried out CNS elemental analysis and grain size analysis with a resolution of approximately five years. TOC content is variable and increases from 0.5 to 5%. Variation in TOC content is relatively well correlated with atmospheric radiocarbon 14C (Delta 14C) and therefore with solar activity, although the relationship is unclear in the upper portion of Unit III. The trend in Corg A.R. is different than TOC contents, about 40g/m/yr at ~8ka and about 20g/m/yr at 6-7 ka. This trend is also observed in a sediment core of Nakaumi Lagoon in San'in District, where it is due to a dilution effect caused by increased precipitation and high productivity because of a higher nutrient load during a warm interval (Sampei et al.,1997). It seems that the correspondence between TOC content and Delta 14C in this core is caused by similar factors. That is, a positive peak of Delta 14C indicating low solar activity and a cold period shows high TOC content because of concentration of TOC. On the other hand, a negative peak in Delta 14C indicates a warm period, and has a low TOC content because of clastic dilution. In the upper portion this relationship becomes complex because of changes in the terrestrial plant input due to river mouth progradation. Using these relationships, we may be able to estimate precipitation change based on the change in TOC content, and discuss its implications for global climate change.

The solar cycle dependence of the location and shape of the Venus bow shock

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, T.L.; Luhmann, J.G.; Russell, C.T.

1990-09-01

From initial Pioneer Venus observations during the maximum of solar cycle 21 it was evident that the position of the Venus bow shock varies with solar activity. The bow shock radius in the terminator plane changed from 2.4 R{sub v} to 2.1 R{sub v} as solar activity went from maximum to minimum and, as activity has increased in cycle 22, it has increased again. The recent studies of the subsolar region show that the altitude of the nose of the bow shock varies from 1,600 km at solar minimum to 2,200 km at intermediate solar activity in concert with themore » terminator altitude so that the shape remains constant and only the size varies during the solar cycle. Using a gas dynamic model and the observed bow shock location, the authors infer the variation in the size of the effective obstacle during the solar cycle. At solar maximum, the effective obstacle is larger than the ionopause as if a magnetic barrier exists in the inner magnetosheath. This magnetic barrier acts as the effective obstacle deflecting the magnetosheath plasma about 500 km above the surface of Venus. However, at solar minimum the effective obstacle is well below the subsolar ionopause, and some absorption of the solar wind plasma by the Venus neutral atmosphere is suggested by these observations. The dependence of the solar cycle variation of the shock position on the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field reinforces the idea that planetary ion pickup is important in the interaction of the solar wind with Venus.« less

The Direct Effect of Toroidal Magnetic Fields on Stellar Oscillations: An Analytical Expression for the General Matrix Element

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kiefer, René; Schad, Ariane; Roth, Markus

2017-09-10

Where is the solar dynamo located and what is its modus operandi? These are still open questions in solar physics. Helio- and asteroseismology can help answer them by enabling us to study solar and stellar internal structures through global oscillations. The properties of solar and stellar acoustic modes are changing with the level of magnetic activity. However, until now, the inference on subsurface magnetic fields with seismic measures has been very limited. The aim of this paper is to develop a formalism to calculate the effect of large-scale toroidal magnetic fields on solar and stellar global oscillation eigenfunctions and eigenfrequencies.more » If the Lorentz force is added to the equilibrium equation of motion, stellar eigenmodes can couple. In quasi-degenerate perturbation theory, this coupling, also known as the direct effect, can be quantified by the general matrix element. We present the analytical expression of the matrix element for a superposition of subsurface zonal toroidal magnetic field configurations. The matrix element is important for forward calculations of perturbed solar and stellar eigenfunctions and frequency perturbations. The results presented here will help to ascertain solar and stellar large-scale subsurface magnetic fields, and their geometric configuration, strength, and change over the course of activity cycles.« less

The Direct Effect of Toroidal Magnetic Fields on Stellar Oscillations: An Analytical Expression for the General Matrix Element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiefer, René; Schad, Ariane; Roth, Markus

2017-09-01

Where is the solar dynamo located and what is its modus operandi? These are still open questions in solar physics. Helio- and asteroseismology can help answer them by enabling us to study solar and stellar internal structures through global oscillations. The properties of solar and stellar acoustic modes are changing with the level of magnetic activity. However, until now, the inference on subsurface magnetic fields with seismic measures has been very limited. The aim of this paper is to develop a formalism to calculate the effect of large-scale toroidal magnetic fields on solar and stellar global oscillation eigenfunctions and eigenfrequencies. If the Lorentz force is added to the equilibrium equation of motion, stellar eigenmodes can couple. In quasi-degenerate perturbation theory, this coupling, also known as the direct effect, can be quantified by the general matrix element. We present the analytical expression of the matrix element for a superposition of subsurface zonal toroidal magnetic field configurations. The matrix element is important for forward calculations of perturbed solar and stellar eigenfunctions and frequency perturbations. The results presented here will help to ascertain solar and stellar large-scale subsurface magnetic fields, and their geometric configuration, strength, and change over the course of activity cycles.

Structure and sources of solar wind in the growing phase of 24th solar cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slemzin, Vladimir; Goryaev, Farid; Shugay, Julia; Rodkin, Denis; Veselovsky, Igor

2015-04-01

We present analysis of the solar wind (SW) structure and its association with coronal sources during the minimum and rising phase of 24th solar cycle (2009-2011). The coronal sources prominent in this period - coronal holes, small areas of open magnetic fields near active regions and transient sources associated with small-scale solar activity have been investigated using EUV solar images and soft X-ray fluxes obtained by the CORONAS-Photon/TESIS/Sphinx, PROBA2/SWAP, Hinode/EIS and AIA/SDO instruments as well as the magnetograms obtained by HMI/SDO. It was found that at solar minimum (2009) velocity and magnetic field strength of high speed wind (HSW) and transient SW from small-scale flares did not differ significantly from those of the background slow speed wind (SSW). The major difference between parameters of different SW components was seen in the ion composition represented by the C6/C5, O7/O6, Fe/O ratios and the mean charge of Fe ions. With growing solar activity, the speed of HSW increased due to transformation of its sources - small-size low-latitude coronal holes into equatorial extensions of large polar holes. At that period, the ion composition of transient SW changed from low-temperature to high-temperature values, which was caused by variation of the source conditions and change of the recombination/ionization rates during passage of the plasma flow through the low corona. However, we conclude that criteria of separation of the SW components based on the ion ratios established earlier by Zhao&Fisk (2009) for higher solar activity are not applicable to the extremely weak beginning of 24th cycle. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under the grant agreement eHeroes (project n° 284461, www.eheroes.eu).

Controlling Morphology and Molecular Packing of Alkane Substituted Phthalocyanine Blend Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells†

PubMed Central

Jurow, Matthew J.; Hageman, Brian A.; Nam, Chang-Yong; Pabon, Cesar; Black, Charles T.

2013-01-01

Systematic changes in the exocyclic substiution of core phthalocyanine platform tune the absorption properties to yield commercially viable dyes that function as the primary light absorbers in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells. Blends of these complementary phthalocyanines absorb a broader portion of the solar spectrum compared to a single dye, thereby increasing solar cell performance. We correlate grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering structural data with solar cell performance to elucidate the role of nanomorphology of active layers composed of blends of phthalocyanines and a fullerene derivative. A highly reproducible device architecture is used to assure accuracy and is relevant to films for solar windows in urban settings. We demonstrate that the number and structure of the exocyclic motifs dictate phase formation, hierarchical organization, and nanostructure, thus can be employed to tailor active layer morphology to enhance exciton dissociation and charge collection efficiencies in the photovoltaic devices. These studies reveal that disordered films make better solar cells, short alkanes increase the optical density of the active layer, and branched alkanes inhibit unproductive homogeneous molecular alignment. PMID:23589766

The Heliosphere Through the Solar Activity Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balogh, A.; Lanzerotti, L. J.; Suess, S. T.

2006-01-01

Understanding how the Sun changes though its 11-year sunspot cycle and how these changes affect the vast space around the Sun the heliosphere has been one of the principal objectives of space research since the advent of the space age. This book presents the evolution of the heliosphere through an entire solar activity cycle. The last solar cycle (cycle 23) has been the best observed from both the Earth and from a fleet of spacecraft. Of these, the joint ESA-NASA Ulysses probe has provided continuous observations of the state of the heliosphere since 1990 from a unique vantage point, that of a nearly polar orbit around the Sun. Ulysses results affect our understanding of the heliosphere from the interior of the Sun to the interstellar medium - beyond the outer boundary of the heliosphere. Written by scientists closely associated with the Ulysses mission, the book describes and explains the many different aspects of changes in the heliosphere in response to solar activity. In particular, the authors describe the rise in solar ESA and NASA have now unamiously agreed a third extension to operate the highly successful Ulysses spacecraft until March 2008 and, in 2007 and 2008, the European-built space probe will fly over the poles of the Sun for a third time. This will enable Ulysses to add an important chapter to its survey of the high-latitude heliosphere and this additional material would be included in a 2nd edition of this book.

Long-term persistence of solar activity. [Abstract only

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruzmaikin, Alexander; Feynman, Joan; Robinson, Paul

1994-01-01

The solar irradiance has been found to change by 0.1% over the recent solar cycle. A change of irradiance of about 0.5% is required to effect the Earth's climate. How frequently can a variation of this size be expected? We examine the question of the persistence of non-periodic variations in solar activity. The Huerst exponent, which characterizes the persistence of a time series (Mandelbrot and Wallis, 1969), is evaluated for the series of C-14 data for the time interval from about 6000 BC to 1950 AD (Stuiver and Pearson, 1986). We find a constant Huerst exponent, suggesting that solar activity in the frequency range of from 100 to 3000 years includes an important continuum component in addition to the well-known periodic variations. The value we calculate, H approximately equal to 0.8, is significantly larger than the value of 0.5 that would correspond to variations produced by a white-noise process. This value is in good agreement with the results for the monthly sunspot data reported elsewhere, indicating that the physics that produces the continuum is a correlated random process (Ruzmaikin et al., 1992), and that is is the same type of process over a wide range of time interval lengths. We conclude that the time period over which an irradiance change of 0.5% can be expected to occur is significantly shorter than that which would be expected for variations produced by a white-noise process.

PHOTOMETRIC TRENDS IN THE VISIBLE SOLAR CONTINUUM AND THEIR SENSITIVITY TO THE CENTER-TO-LIMB PROFILE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peck, C. L.; Rast, M. P.

2015-08-01

Solar irradiance variations over solar rotational timescales are largely determined by the passage of magnetic structures across the visible solar disk. Variations on solar cycle timescales are thought to be similarly due to changes in surface magnetism with activity. Understanding the contribution of magnetic structures to total solar irradiance and solar spectral irradiance requires assessing their contributions as a function of disk position. Since only relative photometry is possible from the ground, the contrasts of image pixels are measured with respect to a center-to-limb intensity profile. Using nine years of full-disk red and blue continuum images from the Precision Solarmore » Photometric Telescope at the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory, we examine the sensitivity of continuum contrast measurements to the center-to-limb profile definition. Profiles which differ only by the amount of magnetic activity allowed in the pixels used to determine them yield oppositely signed solar cycle length continuum contrast trends, either agreeing with previous results and showing negative correlation with solar cycle or disagreeing and showing positive correlation with solar cycle. Changes in the center-to-limb profile shape over the solar cycle are responsible for the contradictory contrast results, and we demonstrate that the lowest contrast structures, internetwork and network, are most sensitive to these. Thus the strengths of the full-disk, internetwork, and network photometric trends depend critically on the magnetic flux density used in the quiet-Sun definition. We conclude that the contributions of low contrast magnetic structures to variations in the solar continuum output, particularly to long-term variations, are difficult, if not impossible, to determine without the use of radiometric imaging.« less

[Variations of solar activity and radiation situation on board MIR station during the period 1986-1994].

PubMed

Bondarenko, V A; Mitrikas, V G; Tsetlin , V V

1995-01-01

This paper is dedicated to the analysis of the radiation situation onboard Mir station over a period of 1986-1994, there examined the main cosmophysics parameters and indices of the solar activity as well as the variations of the parameters of the earth's magnetic field and their association with the changes in the power of absorbed dose onboard the station. There noted the high levels of radiation exposure to the cosmonauts under terrestrial conditions when carrying out the roentgeno-radiologic examinations and procedures comparable or exceeding the absorbed doses during the flights. For revealing the regular associations of the radiation situation onboard the station with the parameters of solar activity there has been analyzed the time changes of average monthly values of dose power since the beginning of station functioning in 1986 until returning the fifteenth expedition to Earth. From the analyses of the results it might be assumed that the best statistical associations of average monthly power of the absorbed dose are found with the streams of protons of GCR. Wolff numbers and background stream of the radio emission of the Sun which reflects the existence of the radiation situation upon the phase of solar activity cycle. From this paper it transpires that calculating the dose loads during the period of the extreme phases of solar activity, it is possible to make between them the interpolations of time dependence by analogy with the dynamics in time of the background streams of GCR or Wolff numbers.

Heliogyro Solar Sail Research at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkie, W. Keats; Warren, Jerry E.; Guerrant, Daniel V.; Lawrence, Dale A.; Gibbs, S. Chad; Dowell, Earl H.; Heaton, Andrew F.; Heaton, Andrew F.; Juang, Jer-Nan; Horta, Lucas G.;

Long-term global temperature variations under total solar irradiance, cosmic rays, and volcanic activity.

PubMed

Biktash, Lilia

2017-07-01

The effects of total solar irradiance (TSI) and volcanic activity on long-term global temperature variations during solar cycles 19-23 were studied. It was shown that a large proportion of climate variations can be explained by the mechanism of action of TSI and cosmic rays (CRs) on the state of the lower atmosphere and other meteorological parameters. The role of volcanic signals in the 11-year variations of the Earth's climate can be expressed as several years of global temperature drop. Conversely, it was shown that the effects of solar, geophysical, and human activity on climate change interact. It was concluded that more detailed investigations of these very complicated relationships are required, in order to be able to understand issues that affect ecosystems on a global scale.

Comment on “Can slow variations in solar luminosity provide missing link between the Sun and climate?”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglass, David H.

Peter Foukal (Eos, 3 June 2003) has written an interesting and informative article on solar luminosity and climate. He mentions recent evidence correlating solar activity to climate changes during the last millennium and the last Ice Age and discusses possible mechanisms. He also presents the case for the importance of determining the correlation between solar variation and climate.Foukal's discussion is mainly about “slow variations,” which appears to mean centennial-to-millennial time scales. However, in the “Future Direction” section, he discusses the desirability of the determination of the “climate sensitivity to the small irradiance changes so far observed [1979 to present].”

Spring-fall asymmetry of substorm strength, geomagnetic activity and solar wind: Implications for semiannual variation and solar hemispheric asymmetry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mursula, K.; Tanskanen, E.; Love, J.J.

2011-01-01

We study the seasonal variation of substorms, geomagnetic activity and their solar wind drivers in 1993-2008. The number of substorms and substorm mean duration depict an annual variation with maxima in Winter and Summer, respectively, reflecting the annual change of the local ionosphere. In contradiction, substorm mean amplitude, substorm total efficiency and global geomagnetic activity show a dominant annual variation, with equinoctial maxima alternating between Spring in solar cycle 22 and Fall in cycle 23. The largest annual variations were found in 1994 and 2003, in the declining phase of the two cycles when high-speed streams dominate the solar wind. A similar, large annual variation is found in the solar wind driver of substorms and geomagnetic activity, which implies that the annual variation of substorm strength, substorm efficiency and geomagnetic activity is not due to ionospheric conditions but to a hemispherically asymmetric distribution of solar wind which varies from one cycle to another. Our results imply that the overall semiannual variation in global geomagnetic activity has been seriously overestimated, and is largely an artifact of the dominant annual variation with maxima alternating between Spring and Fall. The results also suggest an intimate connection between the asymmetry of solar magnetic fields and some of the largest geomagnetic disturbances, offering interesting new pathways for forecasting disturbances with a longer lead time to the future. Copyright ?? 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Application of solar max ACRIM data to analyze solar-driven climatic variability on Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffert, M. I.

1986-01-01

Langley, in the late nineteenth century, attempted to measure solar irradiance over an extended period of time in order to detect changes. The problem with this and other early attempts was that ground based measurements are not sufficiently accurate to measure solar irradiance fluctuations, which are on the order of 0.1%. It was not until the Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM) experiment on the NASA Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) was launched in 1980 that continuous data with precision 0.1% was available.

Observed variability in the Fraunhofer line spectrum of solar flux, 1975 - 1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Livingston, W.; Holweger, H.; White, O. R.

1981-01-01

Over the five years double-pass spectrometer observations of the Sun-as-a-star revealed significant changes in line intensities. The photospheric component weakened linearly with time 0 to 2.3%. From a lack of correlation between these line weakenings and solar activity indicators like sunspots and plage, a global variation of surface properties is inferred. Model-atmosphere analysis suggests a slight reduction in the lower-photospheric temperature gradient corresponding to a 15% increase in the mixing length within the granulation layer. Chromospheric lines such as Ca II H and K, Ca II 8543 and the CN band head weaken synchronously with solar activity. Thus, the behavior of photospheric and chromospheric lines is markedly different, with the possibility of secular change for the former.

A general circulation model study of the solar and QBO modulation of the stratospheric circulation during the northern hemisphere winter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kodera, Kunihiko; Chiba, Masaru; Shibata, Kiyotaka

1991-07-01

A general circulation model has been used to study the modulation of north-polar temperatures during winter by both solar activity and the equatorial quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO). The variation of solar activity was simulated by changing the heating rate due to the absorption of ultraviolet (UV) radiation by ozone, while the QBO zonal wind fields were reproduced by incorporating zonal-momentum sources in the equatorial stratosphere. A total of 10 experiments were conducted by changing the heating rate from 70 to 110% for each of the simulated QBO easterly and westerly cases. The results of the numerical experiments show modulation effects similarmore » to those found by Labitzke (1987) in the 30-mb temperatures at the North Pole.« less

Bonder for Solar-Cell Strings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garwood, G.; Frasch, W.

1982-01-01

String bonder for solar-cell arrays eliminates tedious manual assembly procedure that could damage cell face. Vacuum arm picks up face-down cell from cell-inverting work station and transfers it to string conveyor without changing cell orientation. Arm is activated by signal from microprocessor.

New challenges in solar energy resource and forecasting in Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazantzidis, A.; Nikitidou, E.; Salamalikis, V.; Tzoumanikas, P.; Zagouras, A.

2018-05-01

Aerosols and clouds are the most important constituents in the atmosphere that affect the incoming solar radiation, either directly through absorbing and scattering processes or indirectly by changing the optical properties and lifetime of clouds. Under clear skies, aerosols become the dominant factor that affect the intensity of solar irradiance reaching the ground. Under cloudy skies, the high temporal and spatial variability of cloudiness is the key factor for the estimation of solar irradiance. In this study, recent research activities related to the climatology and the prediction of solar energy in Greece are presented with emphasis on new challenges in the climatology of global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and direct normal irradiance (DNI), the changes of DNI due to the decreasing aerosol optical depth and the short-term (15-240 min) forecasts of solar irradiance with the collaborative use of neural networks and satellite images.

The Sunspot Record: 1826-1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hathaway, David H.

2014-01-01

The International Sunspot Number is used as a measure of the level of solar activity in many important studies. This includes studies of the effects of solar activity on climate change and on the generation of radioisotopes used to infer levels of solar activity going back thousands of years. Any systematic errors in the historical record of the sunspot number can profoundly alter the conclusions of these studies. There is substantial evidence that the currently accepted International Sunspot Numbers have been subjected to changes in the way the numbers are calculated and to changes in the weights given to observations of various observers. In this talk I will focus on the time period from 1826 to 1980 which covers principal observers Schwabe, Wolf, Wolfer, Brunner, and Waldmeier. Previous investigations have indicated problems associated with Schwabe's observations (1826 to 1867), the first decades of the Greenwich observations (1874 to about 1910), and the introduction of a different counting method by Waldmeier (1946-1980). I will examine the evidence for these problems and the possible solutions that might be used to provide improved estimates of the sunspot numbers and their errors over this time interval.

CHANGES OF THE SOLAR MERIDIONAL VELOCITY PROFILE DURING CYCLE 23 EXPLAINED BY FLOWS TOWARD THE ACTIVITY BELTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cameron, R. H.; Schuessler, M., E-mail: cameron@mps.mpg.d

The solar meridional flow is an important ingredient in Babcock-Leighton type models of the solar dynamo. Global variations of this flow have been suggested to explain the variations in the amplitudes and lengths of the activity cycles. Recently, cycle-related variations in the amplitude of the P{sup 1}{sub 2} term in the Legendre decomposition of the observed meridional flow have been reported. The result is often interpreted in terms of an overall variation in the flow amplitude during the activity cycle. Using a semi-empirical model based upon the observed distribution of magnetic flux on the solar surface, we show that themore » reported variations of the P{sup 1}{sub 2} term can be explained by the observed localized inflows into the active region belts. No variation of the overall meridional flow amplitude is required.« less

PERSPECTIVE: Low solar activity is blamed for winter chill over Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benestad, Rasmus E.

2010-06-01

Throughout recent centuries, there have been a large number of studies of the relationship between solar activity and various aspects of climate, and yet this question is still not entirely settled. In a recent study, Lockwood et al (2010) argue that the occurrence of persistent wintertime blocking events (periods with persistent high sea level pressure over a certain region) over the eastern Atlantic, and hence chilly winters over northern Europe, are linked to low solar activity. Is this then a breakthrough in our understanding of our climate? The Wolf sunspot number, which dates back to Galileo's invention of the telescope in the 17th century, represents one of our longest geophysical data records. Galileo was also involved in building the first barometers and thermometers around that period. Hence, the 17th century represents the start of instrumental measurements of weather and climate, and there are indeed historical records of speculations or studies on the link between changes in the sun and conditions on Earth dating from that time (Helland-Hansen and Nansen 1920). One notorious problem with many previous studies was that relationships established over the calibration interval subsequently broke down. There was a period in the mid-20th century when little work was done on solar activity and climate, but solar activity was considered a real forcing factor before 1920. With the advent of frontal theory, orbital forcing theory, and stronger awareness of the implications of enhanced greenhouse gas concentrations, the support for solar forcing seemed to have diminished in the climatology community by the mid-20th century (Monin 1972). But non-stationary relationships, the chaotic character of climate, weak effects, and lack of a physical understanding behind such a link, can also explain the low support for solar forcing at that time. For a long time, it was not established whether more sunspots meant a brighter or dimmer sun (the answer is brighter), and then the direct effect from changes in the solar brightness (0.1%) was estimated to be too low to explain the temperature changes on Earth. The solar influence on changes in the global mean temperature has so far been found to be weak (Lean 2010, Benestad and Schmidt 2009). The important difference between recent and early studies is, however, that the latter lacked a theoretical framework based on physical mechanisms. Now we understand that stratospheric conditions vary, and are affected by chemical reactions as well as the absorption of UV light. Furthermore, we know that such variations affect temperature profiles, wave propagations, and winds (Schindell et al 2001). Lean (2010) and Haigh (2003) provide nice reviews of recent progress on solar-terrestrial relationships, although questions regarding the quality of the oldest solar data records are still unanswered (Benestad 2005). All these studies still rely on empirical data analysis. Much of the focus of the recent work has been on climate variation on global scales. The recent paper by Lockwood et al (2010) represents current progress, albeit that they emphasize that the relationship they identify has a regional rather than global character. Indeed, they stress that a change in the global mean temperature should not be confused with regional and seasonal means. The physical picture they provide is plausible, yet empirical relationships between solar activity and any of the indices describing the north Atlantic oscillation, the Arctic oscillation or the polar vortex are regarded as weak. My impression is nevertheless that the explanation provided by the Lockwood et al (2010) study reflects real aspects of our climate, especially if the effect is asymmetric. They argue that solar-induced changes in the stratosphere in turn affect the occurrence of persistent wintertime blocking. But one comprehensive, definite, consistent, and convincing documentation of the entire chain causality is still not in place, due to the lack of long-term high-quality observations from remote sensing platforms. It is nevertheless well known that the temperature in northern Europe is strongly affected by atmospheric circulation. Crooks and Gray (2005) have identified a solar response in a number of atmospheric variables, and Labitske (1987), Labitske and Loon (1988) and Salby and Callagan (2000) provide convincing analyses suggesting that the zonal winds in the stratosphere are influenced by solar activity. Furthermore, Baldwin and Dunkerton (2001) provide a tentative link between the stratosphere and the troposphere. The results of Lockwood et al (2010) fit in with earlier work (Barriopedro et al 2008) and provide further evidence to support the current thinking on solar-terrestrial links. Thus, it is an example of incremental scientific progress rather than a breakthrough or a paradigm shift. References Baldwin M P and Dunkerton T J 2001 Stratospheric harbingers of anomalous weather regimes Science 294 581-4 Barriopedro D, Garcia-Herrera R and Huth R 2008 Solar modulation of Northern Hemisphere winter blocking J. Geophys. Res. 113 D14118 Benestad R E 2005 A review of the solar cycle length estimates Geophys. Res. Lett. 32 L15714 Benestad R E and Schmidt G A 2009 Solar trends and global warming J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 114 D14101 Crook S A and Gray L J 2005 Characterization of the 11-year solar signal using a multiple regression analysis of the ERA-40 dataset J. Climate 18 996-1014 Haigh J D 2003 The effects of solar variability on the Earth's climate Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 361 95-111 Helland-Hansen B and Nansen F 1920 Temperature variations in the North Atlantic ocean and in the atmosphere Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 70 (4) 408 pp Labitzke K 1987 Sunspots, the QBO, and the stratospheric temperature in the North polar region Geophys. Res. Lett. 14 535-7 Labitzke K and van Loon H 1988 Association between the 11-year solar cycle, the QBO, and the atmosphere, I. The troposphere and stratosphere on the northern hemisphere winter J. Atmos. Terr. Phys. 50 197-206 Lean J L 2010 Cycles and trends in solar irradiance and climate WIREs Climate Change 1 111-22 Lockwood M, Harrison R G, Woollings T and Solanki S K 2010 Are cold winters in Europe associated with low solar activity? Environ. Res. Lett. 5 024001 Monin A S 1972 Weather Forecasting as a Problem in Physics (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press) (Engl. translation from Russian) Salby M and Callagan P 2000 Connection between the solar cycle and the QBO: the missing link J. Climate 13 328-38 Shindell D T, Schmidt G A, Mann M E, Rind D and Waple A 2001 Solar forcing of regional climate change during the Maunder minimum Science 294 2149-52

Seismic sensitivity to sub-surface solar activity from 18 yr of GOLF/SoHO observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salabert, D.; García, R. A.; Turck-Chièze, S.

2015-06-01

Solar activity has significantly changed over the last two Schwabe cycles. After a long and deep minimum at the end of Cycle 23, the weaker activity of Cycle 24 contrasts with the previous cycles. In this work, the response of the solar acoustic oscillations to solar activity is used in order to provide insights into the structural and magnetic changes in the sub-surface layers of the Sun during this on-going unusual period of low activity. We analyze 18 yr of continuous observations of the solar acoustic oscillations collected by the Sun-as-a-star GOLF instrument on board the SoHO spacecraft. From the fitted mode frequencies, the temporal variability of the frequency shifts of the radial, dipolar, and quadrupolar modes are studied for different frequency ranges that are sensitive to different layers in the solar sub-surface interior. The low-frequency modes show nearly unchanged frequency shifts between Cycles 23 and 24, with a time evolving signature of the quasi-biennial oscillation, which is particularly visible for the quadrupole component revealing the presence of a complex magnetic structure. The modes at higher frequencies show frequency shifts that are 30% smaller during Cycle 24, which is in agreement with the decrease observed in the surface activity between Cycles 23 and 24. The analysis of 18 yr of GOLF oscillations indicates that the structural and magnetic changes responsible for the frequency shifts remained comparable between Cycle 23 and Cycle 24 in the deeper sub-surface layers below 1400 km as revealed by the low-frequency modes. The frequency shifts of the higher-frequency modes, sensitive to shallower regions, show that Cycle 24 is magnetically weaker in the upper layers of Sun. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgThe following 68 GOLF frequency tables are available and Table A.1 is also available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/578/A137

Statistical Methods for Quantifying the Variability of Solar Wind Transients of All Sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tindale, E.; Chapman, S. C.

2016-12-01

The solar wind is inherently variable across a wide range of timescales, from small-scale turbulent fluctuations to the 11-year periodicity induced by the solar cycle. Each solar cycle is unique, and this change in overall cycle activity is coupled from the Sun to Earth via the solar wind, leading to long-term trends in space weather. Our work [Tindale & Chapman, 2016] applies novel statistical methods to solar wind transients of all sizes, to quantify the variability of the solar wind associated with the solar cycle. We use the same methods to link solar wind observations with those on the Sun and Earth. We use Wind data to construct quantile-quantile (QQ) plots comparing the statistical distributions of multiple commonly used solar wind-magnetosphere coupling parameters between the minima and maxima of solar cycles 23 and 24. We find that in each case the distribution is multicomponent, ranging from small fluctuations to extreme values, with the same functional form at all phases of the solar cycle. The change in PDF is captured by a simple change of variables, which is independent of the PDF model. Using this method we can quantify the quietness of the cycle 24 maximum, identify which variable drives the changing distribution of composite parameters such as ɛ, and we show that the distribution of ɛ is less sensitive to changes in its extreme values than that of its constituents. After demonstrating the QQ method on solar wind data, we extend the analysis to include solar and magnetospheric data spanning the same time period. We focus on GOES X-ray flux and WDC AE index data. Finally, having studied the statistics of transients across the full distribution, we apply the same method to time series of extreme bursts in each variable. Using these statistical tools, we aim to track the solar cycle-driven variability from the Sun through the solar wind and into the Earth's magnetosphere. Tindale, E. and S.C. Chapman (2016), Geophys. Res. Lett., 43(11), doi: 10.1002/2016GL068920.

Diurnal changes in epidermal UV transmittance of plants in naturally high UV environments.

PubMed

Barnes, Paul W; Flint, Stephan D; Slusser, James R; Gao, Wei; Ryel, Ronald J

2008-06-01

Studies were conducted on three herbaceous plant species growing in naturally high solar UV environments in the subalpine of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA, to determine if diurnal changes in epidermal UV transmittance (T(UV)) occur in these species, and to test whether manipulation of the solar radiation regime could alter these diurnal patterns. Additional field studies were conducted at Logan, Utah, USA, to determine if solar UV was causing diurnal T(UV) changes and to evaluate the relationship between diurnal changes in T(UV) and UV-absorbing pigments. Under clear skies, T(UV), as measured with a UV-A-pulse amplitude modulation fluorometer for leaves of Verbascum thapsus and Oenothera stricta growing in native soils and Vicia faba growing in pots, was highest at predawn and sunset and lowest at midday. These patterns in T(UV) closely tracked diurnal changes in solar radiation and were the result of correlated changes in fluorescence induced by UV-A and blue radiation but not photochemical efficiency (F(v)/F(m)) or initial fluorescence yield (F(o)). The magnitude of the midday reduction in T(UV) was greater for young leaves than for older leaves of Verbascum. Imposition of artificial shade eliminated the diurnal changes in T(UV) in Verbascum, but reduction in solar UV had no effect on diurnal T(UV) changes in Vicia. In Vicia, the diurnal changes in T(UV) occurred without detectable changes in the concentration of whole-leaf UV-absorbing compounds. Results suggest that plants actively control diurnal changes in UV shielding, and these changes occur in response to signals other than solar UV; however, the underlying mechanisms responsible for rapid changes in T(UV) remain unclear.

A new use of high resolution magnetograms. [solar activity and magnetic flux

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baum, P. J.; Bratenahl, A.

1978-01-01

Ground-based solar magnetograms are frequently in error by as much as twenty percent and contribute to the poor correlation between magnetic changes and solar flares. High resolution measurement of the magnetic field component, which is normal to the photosphere and measured at photospheric height, can be used to construct a magnetic flux partition function F. Therefore, dF/dt is an EMF which drives atmospheric currents in reconnecting solar active regions. With a high quality magnetograph, the solar probe can be used to obtain good estimates of F and dF/dt and thereby the energy stored as induced solar atmospheric currents during quiescent interflare periods. Should a flare occur during a favorable observing period, the present method of analysis should show characteristic signatures in F, DF/dt, and especially, in the stored flux computed from dF/dt.

Variation of the Solar Microwave Spectrum in the Last Half Century

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shimojo, Masumi; Saito, Masao; Iwai, Kazumasa

The total solar fluxes at 1, 2, 3.75, and 9.4 GHz were observed continuously from 1957 to 1994 at Toyokawa, Japan, and from 1994 until now at Nobeyama, Japan, with the current Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters. We examined the multi-frequency and long-term data sets, and found that not only the microwave solar flux but also its monthly standard deviation indicate the long-term variation of solar activity. Furthermore, we found that the microwave spectra at the solar minima of Cycles 20–24 agree with each other. These results show that the average atmospheric structure above the upper chromosphere in the quiet-Sun has notmore » varied for half a century, and suggest that the energy input for atmospheric heating from the sub-photosphere to the corona have not changed in the quiet-Sun despite significantly differing strengths of magnetic activity in the last five solar cycles.« less

Automated recognition and characterization of solar active regions based on the SOHO/MDI images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pap, J. M.; Turmon, M.; Mukhtar, S.; Bogart, R.; Ulrich, R.; Froehlich, C.; Wehrli, C.

1997-01-01

The first results of a new method to identify and characterize the various surface structures on the sun, which may contribute to the changes in solar total and spectral irradiance, are shown. The full disk magnetograms (1024 x 1024 pixels) of the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) experiment onboard SOHO are analyzed. Use of a Bayesian inference scheme allows objective, uniform, automated processing of a long sequence of images. The main goal is to identify the solar magnetic features causing irradiance changes. The results presented are based on a pilot time interval of August 1996.

THE EFFECT OF A DYNAMIC INNER HELIOSHEATH THICKNESS ON COSMIC-RAY MODULATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Manuel, R.; Ferreira, S. E. S.; Potgieter, M. S., E-mail: rexmanuel@live.com

2015-02-01

The time-dependent modulation of galactic cosmic rays in the heliosphere is studied over different polarity cycles by computing 2.5 GV proton intensities using a two-dimensional, time-dependent modulation model. By incorporating recent theoretical advances in the relevant transport parameters in the model, we showed in previous work that this approach gave realistic computed intensities over a solar cycle. New in this work is that a time dependence of the solar wind termination shock (TS) position is implemented in our model to study the effect of a dynamic inner heliosheath thickness (the region between the TS and heliopause) on the solar modulationmore » of galactic cosmic rays. The study reveals that changes in the inner heliosheath thickness, arising from a time-dependent shock position, does affect cosmic-ray intensities everywhere in the heliosphere over a solar cycle, with the smallest effect in the innermost heliosphere. A time-dependent TS position causes a phase difference between the solar activity periods and the corresponding intensity periods. The maximum intensities in response to a solar minimum activity period are found to be dependent on the time-dependent TS profile. It is found that changing the width of the inner heliosheath with time over a solar cycle can shift the time of when the maximum or minimum cosmic-ray intensities occur at various distances throughout the heliosphere, but more significantly in the outer heliosphere. The time-dependent extent of the inner heliosheath, as affected by solar activity conditions, is thus an additional time-dependent factor to be considered in the long-term modulation of cosmic rays.« less

Characterization of the Martian magnetic topology response to extreme solar transient events with MGS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, S.; Curry, S.; Mitchell, D. L.; Luhmann, J. G.; Lillis, R. J.; Dong, C.

2017-12-01

Characterizing how the solar cycle affects the physics of the Mars-solar wind interaction can improve our understanding of Mars' atmospheric evolution and the plasma environment at Mars. In particular, solar transient events such as Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs) and Stream Interaction Regions (SIRs) significantly change the solar-wind interaction, including the magnetic topology and ion acceleration. However, both the Mars Express and Mars Atmosphere Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) missions have encountered relatively few extreme solar transient events due to the recent low solar activity (2004-2017). In contrast, Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) was operating during a relatively active solar maximum (1999-2003). Based on new results from MAVEN, this study reanalyzes MGS data to better understand how the Martian plasma environment responds to extreme solar events. In particular, we aim to investigate how the magnetic topology during these extreme events differs from the topology during quiet times. We conduct orbit comparisons of the magnetic topology inferred from MGS electron pitch angle distributions during quiet periods and extreme events to determine how the open and closed field patterns respond to extreme events.

The latitude dependencies of the solar wind. [of interplanetary magnetic field polarity and configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, R. L.; Winge, C. R., Jr.

1974-01-01

The motion of spacecraft following the earth's orbit occurs within the solar latitude range of 7 deg 15 min N on approximately September 7 to 7 deg 15 min S on approximately March 6. The latitude dependencies so far detected within this range have shown that the photospheric dipole-like field of the sun makes very important contributions to the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) observed near the ecliptic. Changes in geomagnetic activity from even to odd numbered 11-year solar cycles are related to changes in the sun's dipolar field. The north-south IMF component and meridional, nonradial flow are important to a complete understanding of steady-state solar wind dynamics. Coronal conditions must be latitude-dependent in a way that accounts for the observed latitude dependence of the velocity and density of the solar wind.

Solar Cycle Variations and Equatorial Oscillations: Modeling Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayr, H. G.; Mengel, J. G.; Drob, D. P.; Chan, K. L.; Porter, H. S.; Bhartia, P. K. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Solar cycle activity effects (SCAE) in the lower and middle atmosphere, reported in several studies, are difficult to explain on the basis of the small changes in solar radiation that accompany the 11-year cycle, It is therefore natural to speculate that dynamical processes may come into play to produce a leverage. Such a leverage may be provided by the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) in the zonal circulation of the stratosphere, which has been linked to solar activity variations. Driven primarily by wave mean flow interaction, the QBO period and its amplitude are variable but are also strongly influenced by the seasonal cycle in the solar radiation. This influence extends to low altitudes referred to as "downward control". Relatively small changes in solar radiative forcing can produce small changes in the period and phase of the QBO, but this in turn can produce measurable differences in the wind field. Thus, the QBO may be an amplifier of solar activity variations and a natural conduit of these variations to lower altitudes. To test this hypothesis, we conducted experiments with a 2D (two-dimensional) version of our Numerical Spectral Model that incorporates Hines' Doppler Spread Parameterization for small-scale gravity waves (GW). Solar cycle radiance variations (SCRV) are accounted for by changing the radiative heating rate on a logarithmic scale from 0.1 % at the surface to 1 % at 50 km to 10% at 100 km. With and without SCRV, but with the same GW flux, we then conduct numerical experiments to evaluate the magnitude of the SCAE in the zonal circulation. The numerical results indicate that, under certain conditions, the SCAE is significant and can extend to lower altitudes where the SCRV is inconsequential. At 20-km the differences in the modeled wind velocities are as large as 5 m/s. For a modeled QBO period of 30 months, we find that the seasonal cycle in the solar forcing (through the Semi-annual Oscillation (SAO)) acts as a strong pacemaker to lockup the phase and period of the QBO. The SCAE then shows up primarily as a distinct but relatively weak amplitude modulation. But with the QBO period between 30 and 34 (or less than 30, presumably) months, the seasonal phase lock is weak. Solar flux radiance variations in the seasonal cycle then cause variations in the QBO period and phase that amplify the SCAE to produce relatively large variations in the wind field. These variations also extend to mid latitudes.

Study of ionospheric irregularities from Kolhapur (16.4°N, 74.2°E)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, A. K.; Chavan, G. A.; Gaikwad, H. P.; Gurav, O. B.; Nade, D. P.; Nikte, S. S.; Ghodpage, R. N.; Patil, P. T.

2018-04-01

The paper reports night time observations of ionospheric irregularities made through amplitude scintillation of 251 MHz signal at Kolhapur (16.4°N, 74.2°E), an equatorial Appleton anomaly region using spaced antenna system. Monthly and night time percentage of occurrence of scintillations, during increasing solar cycle from January 2011 to August 2015, is discussed. The parameters such as-maximum cross-correlation function (CI), Fade Rate are also studied. The percentage occurrence is observed to be higher in post sunset period and during equinoctial months than in winter and summer months. Scintillation occurrence is observed to be suppressed during increasing solar activity. CI shows seasonal changes. Percentage of occurrence of CI ≥ 0.5 decreases with increase in solar activity and fade rate also shows solar activity dependence.

Sunspot activity and cosmic ray modulation at 1 a.u. for 1900-2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahluwalia, H. S.

2014-10-01

The descent of sunspot cycle 23 to an unprecedented minimum of long duration in 2006-2009 led to a prolonged galactic cosmic ray (GCR) recovery to the highest level observed in the instrumental era for a variety of energetic charged particle species on Earth, over a wide range of rigidities. The remarkable GCR increase measured by several ground-based, balloon-borne, and detectors on a satellite is described and discussed. It is accompanied by a decrease in solar wind velocity and interplanetary magnetic field at 1 a.u., reaching the lowest values since measurements of the solar wind began in October 1963; the solar polar field strength (μT) measured at the Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO) is also significantly reduced compared to prior cycles since the start of the program in 1976, the polar field in the northern hemisphere reversed in June 2012 and again in February 2014, that in the southern hemisphere reversed in July 2013. If updates of WSO data confirm the second reversal in northern solar hemisphere, it would pose a serious challenge to the Dynamo Theory. The long-term change in solar behavior may have begun in 1992, perhaps earlier. The physical underpinnings of these solar changes need to be understood and their effect on GCR modulation processes clarified. The study discusses the recent phenomena in the context of GCR modulation since 1900. These happenings affected our empirical predictions for the key parameters for the next two sunspot cycles (they may be progressively less active than sunspot cycle 24) but it enhanced support for our prediction that solar activity is descending into a Dalton-like grand minimum in the middle of the twentyfirst century, reducing the frequency of the coronal mass ejections; they determine the space weather affecting the quality of life on Earth, radiation dose for hardware and human activities in space as well as the frequency of large Forbush decreases at 1 a.u.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Pankaj, E-mail: pankaj@mail.nplindia.ernet.in; Centre for Organic Electronics, Physics, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW-2308; Bilen, Chhinder

The degradation and thermal regeneration of poly(3-hexylethiophene) (P3HT):[6,6]-phenyl-C{sub 61}-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and P3HT:indene-C{sub 60} bisadduct (ICBA) polymer solar cells, with Ca/Al and Ca/Ag cathodes and indium tin oxide/poly(ethylene-dioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate anode have been investigated. Degradation occurs via a combination of three primary pathways: (1) cathodic oxidation, (2) active layer phase segregation, and (3) anodic diffusion. Fully degraded devices were subjected to thermal annealing under inert atmosphere. Degraded solar cells possessing Ca/Ag electrodes were observed to regenerate their performance, whereas solar cells having Ca/Al electrodes exhibited no significant regeneration of device characteristics after thermal annealing. Moreover, the solar cells withmore » a P3HT:ICBA active layer exhibited enhanced regeneration compared to P3HT:PCBM active layer devices as a result of reduced changes to the active layer morphology. Devices combining a Ca/Ag cathode and P3HT:ICBA active layer demonstrated ∼50% performance restoration over several degradation/regeneration cycles.« less

SSBUV and NOAA-11 SBUV/2 Solar Variability Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeLand, Matthew T.; Cebula, Richard P.; Hilsenrath, Ernest

1998-01-01

The Shuttle SBUV (SSBUV) and NOAA-11 SBUV/2 instruments measured solar spectral UV irradiance during the maximum and declining phase of solar cycle 22. The SSB UV data accurately represent the absolute solar UV irradiance between 200-405 nm, and also show the long-term variations during eight flights between October 1989 and January 1996. These data have been used to correct long-term sensitivity changes in the NOAA-11 SBUV/2 data, which provide a near-daily record of solar UV variations over the 170-400 nm region between December 1988 and October 1994. The NOAA-11 data demonstrate the evolution of short-term solar UV activity during solar cycle 22.

Seasonal Variation of High-latitude Geomagnetic Activity Revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanskanen, E.; Hynönen, R.; Mursula, K.

2017-12-01

The coupling of the solar wind and auroral region has been examined by using westward electrojet indices since 1966 - 2014. We have studied the seasonal variation of high-latitude geomagnetic activity in individual years for solar cycles 20 - 24. The classical two-equinox activity pattern in geomagnetic activity was seen in multi-year averages but it was found in less than one third of the years examined. We found that the seasonal variation of high-latitude geomagnetic activity closely follows the solar wind speed. While the mechanisms leading to the two-equinox maxima pattern are in operation, the long-term change of solar wind speed tends to mask the effect of these mechanisms for individual years. We identified the most active and the second most active season based on westward electrojet indices AL (1966 - 2014) and IL (1995 - 2014). The annual maximum is found at either equinox in 2/3 and at either solstice in 1/3 of the years examined. Large cycle-to-cycle variation is found in the seasonal pattern: equinox maxima are more common during cycles 21 and 22 than in cycles 23 or 24. An exceptionally long winter dominance in high-latitude activity and solar wind speed is seen in the declining phase of cycle 23, after the appearance of the long-lasting low-latitude coronal hole.

Seasonal variations of the atmospheric temperature response in mesosphere and lower thermosphere on solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenov, A. I.; Shefov, N. N.

2003-04-01

On the basis of the measurement data of temperature by rocket and ground-based spectrophotometric (nightglow emissions of hydroxyl,sodium and atomic oxygen of 557.7 nm) methods obtained during 21 and 22 cycles of solar activity, the distributions with height of mean monthly temperature of an atmosphere for region of altitudes Z from 60 to 100 km have been constructed. The periods of maxima and minima of solar activity (1980 and 1991, F10.7=198 and 208; 1976 and 1986, F10.7=73 and 75) were considered. On the basis of these distributions with height of the seasonal variations of dependence of temperature from solar activity S = deltaT(Z)/deltaF, K/100 sfu have been analyzed. It was revealed, that character of seasonal variations essentially changes with growth of height. Mean annual solar response S at heights lower than 70 km is negative, and at higher heights is positive. This solar response S in mesopause region reaches 3 (sigma=1). Such character of influence of solar activity on temperature of the upper atmosphere is caused by features of mean annual and seasonal variations of its distributions with height. The distributions with height of amplitudes and phases of three harmonics of seasonal variations S are presented. This work was supported by the Grant N 2274 of ISTC.

Solar Variability Magnitudes and Timescales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopp, Greg

2015-08-01

The Sun’s net radiative output varies on timescales of minutes to many millennia. The former are directly observed as part of the on-going 37-year long total solar irradiance climate data record, while the latter are inferred from solar proxy and stellar evolution models. Since the Sun provides nearly all the energy driving the Earth’s climate system, changes in the sunlight reaching our planet can have - and have had - significant impacts on life and civilizations.Total solar irradiance has been measured from space since 1978 by a series of overlapping instruments. These have shown changes in the spatially- and spectrally-integrated radiant energy at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere from timescales as short as minutes to as long as a solar cycle. The Sun’s ~0.01% variations over a few minutes are caused by the superposition of convection and oscillations, and even occasionally by a large flare. Over days to weeks, changing surface activity affects solar brightness at the ~0.1% level. The 11-year solar cycle has comparable irradiance variations with peaks near solar maxima.Secular variations are harder to discern, being limited by instrument stability and the relatively short duration of the space-borne record. Proxy models of the Sun based on cosmogenic isotope records and inferred from Earth climate signatures indicate solar brightness changes over decades to millennia, although the magnitude of these variations depends on many assumptions. Stellar evolution affects yet longer timescales and is responsible for the greatest solar variabilities.In this talk I will summarize the Sun’s variability magnitudes over different temporal ranges, showing examples relevant for climate studies as well as detections of exo-solar planets transiting Sun-like stars.

Temporal Variations of Different Solar Activity Indices Through the Solar Cycles 21-23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Göker, Ü. D.; Singh, J.; Nutku, F.; Priyal, M.

2017-12-01

Here, we compare the sunspot counts and the number of sunspot groups (SGs) with variations of total solar irradiance (TSI), magnetic activity, Ca II K-flux, faculae and plage areas. We applied a time series method for extracting the data over the descending phases of solar activity cycles (SACs) 21, 22 and 23, and the ascending phases 22 and 23. Our results suggest that there is a strong correlation between solar activity indices and the changes in small (A, B, C and H-modified Zurich Classification) and large (D, E and F) SGs. This somewhat unexpected finding suggests that plage regions substantially decreased in spite of the higher number of large SGs in SAC 23 while the Ca II K-flux did not decrease by a large amount nor was it comparable with SAC 22 and relates with C and DEF type SGs. In addition to this, the increase of facular areas which are influenced by large SGs, caused a small percentage decrease in TSI while the decrement of plage areas triggered a higher decrease in the magnetic field flux. Our results thus reveal the potential of such a detailed comparison of the SG analysis with solar activity indices for better understanding and predicting future trends in the SACs.

Optimisation of solar synoptic observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klvaña, Miroslav; Sobotka, Michal; Švanda, Michal

2012-09-01

The development of instrumental and computer technologies is connected with steadily increasing needs for archiving of large data volumes. The current trend to meet this requirement includes the data compression and growth of storage capacities. This approach, however, has technical and practical limits. A further reduction of the archived data volume can be achieved by means of an optimisation of the archiving that consists in data selection without losing the useful information. We describe a method of optimised archiving of solar images, based on the selection of images that contain a new information. The new information content is evaluated by means of the analysis of changes detected in the images. We present characteristics of different kinds of image changes and divide them into fictitious changes with a disturbing effect and real changes that provide a new information. In block diagrams describing the selection and archiving, we demonstrate the influence of clouds, the recording of images during an active event on the Sun, including a period before the event onset, and the archiving of long-term history of solar activity. The described optimisation technique is not suitable for helioseismology, because it does not conserve the uniform time step in the archived sequence and removes the information about solar oscillations. In case of long-term synoptic observations, the optimised archiving can save a large amount of storage capacities. The actual capacity saving will depend on the setting of the change-detection sensitivity and on the capability to exclude the fictitious changes.

10Be in ice at high resolution: Solar activity and climate signals observed and GCM-modeled in Law Dome ice cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedro, Joel; Heikkilä, Ulla; van Ommen, T. D.; Smith, A. M.

2010-05-01

Changes in solar activity modulate the galactic cosmic ray flux, and in turn, the production rate of 10Be in the earth's atmosphere. The best archives of past changes in 10Be production rate are the polar ice cores. Key challenges in interpreting these archives as proxies for past solar activity lie in separating the useful solar activity (or production) signal from the interfering meteorological (or climate) signal, and furthermore, in determining the atmospheric source regions of 10Be deposited to the ice core site. In this study we use a new monthly resolution composite 10Be record, which spans the past decade, and a general circulation model (ECHAM5-HAM), to constrain both the production and climate signals in 10Be concentrations at the Law Dome ice core site, East Antarctica. This study differs from most previous work on 10Be in Antarctica due to the very high sample resolution achieved. This high resolution, through a time period where accurate instrumental measurements of solar activity and climate are available, allows us to examine the response of 10Be concentrations in ice to short-term (monthly to annual) variations in solar activity, and to short-term variations in climate, including seasonality. We find a significant correlation (r2 = 0.56, P < 0.005, n = 92) between observed 10Be concentrations and solar activity (represented by the neutron counting rate). The most pervasive climate influence is a seasonal cycle, which shows maximum concentrations in mid-to-late-summer and minimum concentrations in winter. Model results show reasonable agreement with observations; both a solar activity signal and seasonal cycle in 10Be are captured. However, the modeled snow accumulation rate is too high by approximately 60%. According to the model, the main atmospheric source region of 10Be deposited to Law Dome is the 30-90°S stratosphere (~50%), followed by the 30-90°S troposphere (~30%). An enhancement in the fraction of 10Be arriving to Law Dome from the stratosphere is found by the model during the mid-to-late summer, we suggest this pattern is implicated in the seasonality of observed 10Be concentrations in ice. Our results have implications for interpretation of longer term records of 10Be from ice cores. Firstly, the strong production signal supports the use of 10Be as a solar proxy. Secondly, the short term climate processes operating here, may provide clues to how longer term shifts in climate impact on ice core 10Be.

Deriving the solar activity cycle modulation on cosmic ray intensity observed by Nagoya muon detector from October 1970 until December 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Mendonça, Rafael R. S.; Braga, Carlos. R.; Echer, Ezequiel; Dal Lago, Alisson; Rockenbach, Marlos; Schuch, Nelson J.; Munakata, Kazuoki

2017-10-01

It is well known that the cosmic ray intensity observed at the Earth's surface presents an 11 and 22-yr variations associated with the solar activity cycle. However, the observation and analysis of this modulation through ground muon detectors datahave been difficult due to the temperature effect. Furthermore, instrumental changes or temporary problems may difficult the analysis of these variations. In this work, we analyze the cosmic ray intensity observed since October 1970 until December 2012 by the Nagoya muon detector. We show the results obtained after analyzing all discontinuities and gaps present in this data and removing changes not related to natural phenomena. We also show the results found using the mass weighted method for eliminate the influence of atmospheric temperature changes on muon intensity observed at ground. As a preliminary result of our analyses, we show the solar cycle modulation in the muon intensity observed for more than 40 years.

An empirical model of the quiet daily geomagnetic field variation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yamazaki, Y.; Yumoto, K.; Cardinal, M.G.; Fraser, B.J.; Hattori, P.; Kakinami, Y.; Liu, J.Y.; Lynn, K.J.W.; Marshall, R.; McNamara, D.; Nagatsuma, T.; Nikiforov, V.M.; Otadoy, R.E.; Ruhimat, M.; Shevtsov, B.M.; Shiokawa, K.; Abe, S.; Uozumi, T.; Yoshikawa, A.

2011-01-01

An empirical model of the quiet daily geomagnetic field variation has been constructed based on geomagnetic data obtained from 21 stations along the 210 Magnetic Meridian of the Circum-pan Pacific Magnetometer Network (CPMN) from 1996 to 2007. Using the least squares fitting method for geomagnetically quiet days (Kp ??? 2+), the quiet daily geomagnetic field variation at each station was described as a function of solar activity SA, day of year DOY, lunar age LA, and local time LT. After interpolation in latitude, the model can describe solar-activity dependence and seasonal dependence of solar quiet daily variations (S) and lunar quiet daily variations (L). We performed a spherical harmonic analysis (SHA) on these S and L variations to examine average characteristics of the equivalent external current systems. We found three particularly noteworthy results. First, the total current intensity of the S current system is largely controlled by solar activity while its focus position is not significantly affected by solar activity. Second, we found that seasonal variations of the S current intensity exhibit north-south asymmetry; the current intensity of the northern vortex shows a prominent annual variation while the southern vortex shows a clear semi-annual variation as well as annual variation. Thirdly, we found that the total intensity of the L current system changes depending on solar activity and season; seasonal variations of the L current intensity show an enhancement during the December solstice, independent of the level of solar activity. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Solar Cycle Dependence of the Diurnal Anisotropy of 0.6 TeV Cosmic-ray Intensity Observed with the Matsushiro Underground Muon Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munakata, K.; Mizoguchi, Y.; Kato, C.; Yasue, S.; Mori, S.; Takita, M.; Kóta, J.

2010-04-01

We analyze the temporal variation of the diurnal anisotropy of sub-TeV cosmic-ray intensity observed with the Matsushiro (Japan) underground muon detector over two full solar activity cycles in 1985-2008. We find an anisotropy component in the solar diurnal anisotropy superimposed on the Compton-Getting anisotropy due to Earth's orbital motion around the Sun. The phase of this additional anisotropy is almost constant at ~15:00 local solar time corresponding to the direction perpendicular to the average interplanetary magnetic field at Earth's orbit, while the amplitude varies between a maximum (0.043% ± 0.002%) and minimum (~0.008% ± 0.002%) in a clear correlation with the solar activity. We find a significant time lag between the temporal variations of the amplitude and the sunspot number (SSN) and obtain the best correlation coefficient of +0.74 with the SSN delayed for 26 months. We suggest that this anisotropy might be interpreted in terms of the energy change due to the solar-wind-induced electric field expected for galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) crossing the wavy neutral sheet. The average amplitude of the sidereal diurnal variation over the entire period is 0.034% ± 0.003%, which is roughly one-third of the amplitude reported from air shower and deep-underground muon experiments monitoring multi-TeV GCR intensity suggesting a significant attenuation of the anisotropy due to the solar modulation. We find, on the other hand, only a weak positive correlation between the sidereal diurnal anisotropy and the solar activity cycle in which the amplitude in the "active" solar activity epoch is about twice the amplitude in the "quiet" solar activity epoch. This implies that only one-fourth of the total attenuation varies in correlation with the solar activity cycle and/or the solar magnetic cycle. We finally examine the temporal variation of the "single-band valley depth" (SBVD) quoted by the Milagro experiment and, in contrast with recent Milagro's report, we find no steady increase in the Matsushiro observations in a seven-year period between 2000 and 2007. We suggest, therefore, that the steady increase of the SBVD reported by the Milagro experiment is not caused by the decreasing solar modulation in the declining phase of the 23rd solar activity cycle.

Solar variability, coupling between atmospheric layers and climate change.

PubMed

Arnold, Neil

2002-12-15

One of the enduring puzzles of atmospheric physics is the extent to which changes in the Sun can influence the behaviour of the climate system. While solar-flux changes tend to be relatively modest, a number of observations of atmospheric parameters indicates a disproportionately large response. Global-scale models of the coupled middle and upper atmosphere have provided new insights into some of the mechanisms that may be responsible for the amplification of the solar signal. In particular, modification of the transport of heat and chemicals such as ozone by waves during periods of solar activity has been shown to make an important contribution to the climate of the stratosphere and mesosphere. In this paper, a review of some of the recent advances in understanding the coupling between atmospheric layers and how this work relates to Sun-weather relations and climate change in the troposphere will be presented, along with a discussion of some of the challenges that remain.

Synchronization of Human Autonomic Nervous System Rhythms with Geomagnetic Activity in Human Subjects

PubMed Central

McCraty, Rollin; Atkinson, Mike; Stolc, Viktor; Alabdulgader, Abdullah A.; Vainoras, Alfonsas

2017-01-01

A coupling between geomagnetic activity and the human nervous system’s function was identified by virtue of continuous monitoring of heart rate variability (HRV) and the time-varying geomagnetic field over a 31-day period in a group of 10 individuals who went about their normal day-to-day lives. A time series correlation analysis identified a response of the group’s autonomic nervous systems to various dynamic changes in the solar, cosmic ray, and ambient magnetic field. Correlation coefficients and p values were calculated between the HRV variables and environmental measures during three distinct time periods of environmental activity. There were significant correlations between the group’s HRV and solar wind speed, Kp, Ap, solar radio flux, cosmic ray counts, Schumann resonance power, and the total variations in the magnetic field. In addition, the time series data were time synchronized and normalized, after which all circadian rhythms were removed. It was found that the participants’ HRV rhythms synchronized across the 31-day period at a period of approximately 2.5 days, even though all participants were in separate locations. Overall, this suggests that daily autonomic nervous system activity not only responds to changes in solar and geomagnetic activity, but is synchronized with the time-varying magnetic fields associated with geomagnetic field-line resonances and Schumann resonances. PMID:28703754

Solar Activity, Ultraviolet Radiation and Consequences in Birds in Mexico City, 2001- 2002

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdes, M.; Velasco, V.

2008-12-01

Anomalous behavior in commercial and pet birds in Mexico City was reported during 2002 by veterinarians at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. This was attributed to variations in the surrounding luminosity. The solar components, direct, diffuse, global, ultraviolet band A and B, as well as some meteorological parameters, temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation, were then analyzed at the Solar Radiation Laboratory. Although the total annual radiance of the previously mentioned radiation components did not show important changes, ultraviolet Band-B solar radiation did vary significantly. During 2001 the total annual irradiance , 61.05 Hjcm² to 58.32 Hjcm², was 1.6 standard deviations lower than one year later, in 2002 and increased above the mean total annual irradiance, to 65.75 Hjcm², 2.04 standard deviations, giving a total of 3.73 standard deviations for 2001-2002. Since these differences did not show up clearly in the other solar radiation components, daily extra-atmosphere irradiance was analyzed and used to calculate the total annual extra-atmosphere irradiance, which showed a descent for 2001. Our conclusions imply that Ultraviolet Band-B solar radiation is representative of solar activity and has an important impact on commercial activity related with birds.

Quasi-periodic changes in the 3D solar anisotropy of Galactic cosmic rays for 1965-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modzelewska, R.; Alania, M. V.

2018-01-01

Aims: We study features of the 3D solar anisotropy of Galactic cosmic rays (GCR) for 1965-2014 (almost five solar cycles, cycles 20-24). We analyze the 27-day variations of the 2D GCR anisotropy in the ecliptic plane and the north-south anisotropy normal to the ecliptic plane. We study the dependence of the 27-day variation of the 3D GCR anisotropy on the solar cycle and solar magnetic cycle. We demonstrate that the 27-day variations of the GCR intensity and anisotropy can be used as an important tool to study solar wind, solar activity, and heliosphere. Methods: We used the components Ar, Aϕ and At of the 3D GCR anisotropy that were found based on hourly data of neutron monitors (NMs) and muon telescopes (MTs) using the harmonic analyses and spectrographic methods. We corrected the 2D diurnal ( 24-h) variation of the GCR intensity for the influence of the Earth magnetic field. We derived the north-south component of the GCR anisotropy based on the GG index, which is calculated as the difference in GCR intensities of the Nagoya multidirectional MTs. Results: We show that the behavior of the 27-day variation of the 3D anisotropy verifies a stable long-lived active heliolongitude on the Sun. This illustrates the usefulness of the 27-day variation of the GCR anisotropy as a unique proxy to study solar wind, solar activity, and heliosphere. We distinguish a tendency of the 22-yr changes in amplitude of the 27-day variation of the 2D anisotropy that is connected with the solar magnetic cycle. We demonstrate that the amplitudes of the 27-day variation of the north-south component of the anisotropy vary with the 11-yr solar cycle, but a dependence of the solar magnetic polarity can hardly be recognized. We show that the 27-day recurrences of the GG index and the At component are highly positively correlated, and both are highly correlated with the By component of the heliospheric magnetic field.

Non-Stationary Effects and Cross Correlations in Solar Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nefedyev, Yuri; Panischev, Oleg; Demin, Sergey

2016-07-01

In this paper within the framework of the Flicker-Noise Spectroscopy (FNS) we consider the dynamic properties of the solar activity by analyzing the Zurich sunspot numbers. As is well-known astrophysics objects are the non-stationary open systems, whose evolution are the quite individual and have the alternation effects. The main difference of FNS compared to other related methods is the separation of the original signal reflecting the dynamics of solar activity into three frequency bands: system-specific "resonances" and their interferential contributions at lower frequencies, chaotic "random walk" ("irregularity-jump") components at larger frequencies, and chaotic "irregularity-spike" (inertial) components in the highest frequency range. Specific parameters corresponding to each of the bands are introduced and calculated. These irregularities as well as specific resonance frequencies are considered as the information carriers on every hierarchical level of the evolution of a complex natural system with intermittent behavior, consecutive alternation of rapid chaotic changes in the values of dynamic variables on small time intervals with small variations of the values on longer time intervals ("laminar" phases). The jump and spike irregularities are described by power spectra and difference moments (transient structural functions) of the second order. FNS allows revealing the most crucial points of the solar activity dynamics by means of "spikiness" factor. It is shown that this variable behaves as the predictor of crucial changes of the sunspot number dynamics, particularly when the number comes up to maximum value. The change of averaging interval allows revealing the non-stationary effects depending by 11-year cycle and by inside processes in a cycle. To consider the cross correlations between the different variables of solar activity we use the Zurich sunspot numbers and the sequence of corona's radiation energy. The FNS-approach allows extracting the information about cross correlation dynamics between the signals from separate points of the studied system. The 3D cross correlators and their plain projections allow revealing the periodic laws of solar evolution. Work was supported by grants RFBR 15-02-01638-a and 16-02-00496-a.

A Solar-luminosity Model and Climate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perry, Charles A.

1990-01-01

Although the mechanisms of climatic change are not completely understood, the potential causes include changes in the Sun's luminosity. Solar activity in the form of sunspots, flares, proton events, and radiation fluctuations has displayed periodic tendencies. Two types of proxy climatic data that can be related to periodic solar activity are varved geologic formations and freshwater diatom deposits. A model for solar luminosity was developed by using the geometric progression of harmonic cycles that is evident in solar and geophysical data. The model assumes that variation in global energy input is a result of many periods of individual solar-luminosity variations. The 0.1-percent variation of the solar constant measured during the last sunspot cycle provided the basis for determining the amplitude of each luminosity cycle. Model output is a summation of the amplitudes of each cycle of a geometric progression of harmonic sine waves that are referenced to the 11-year average solar cycle. When the last eight cycles in Emiliani's oxygen-18 variations from deep-sea cores were standardized to the average length of glaciations during the Pleistocene (88,000 years), correlation coefficients with the model output ranged from 0.48 to 0.76. In order to calibrate the model to real time, model output was graphically compared to indirect records of glacial advances and retreats during the last 24,000 years and with sea-level rises during the Holocene. Carbon-14 production during the last millenium and elevations of the Great Salt Lake for the last 140 years demonstrate significant correlations with modeled luminosity. Major solar flares during the last 90 years match well with the time-calibrated model.

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center - Solar Resource Related Links

Science.gov Websites

the world. Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) Measures solar and atmospheric radiation at change. EnergyPlus Weather Data Offers weather data, arranged by World Meteorological Organization region and country, for more than 1,300 locations throughout the world. NASA Langley Distributed Active

Management of light absorption in extraordinary optical transmission based ultra-thin-film tandem solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mashooq, Kishwar; Talukder, Muhammad Anisuzzaman, E-mail: anis@eee.buet.ac.bd

2016-05-21

Although ultra-thin-film solar cells can be attractive in reducing the cost, they suffer from low absorption as the thickness of the active layer is usually much smaller than the wavelength of incident light. Different nano-photonic techniques, including plasmonic structures, are being explored to increase the light absorption in ultra-thin-film solar cells. More than one layer of active materials with different energy bandgaps can be used in tandem to increase the light absorption as well. However, due to different amount of light absorption in different active layers, photo-generated currents in different active layers will not be the same. The current mismatchmore » between the tandem layers makes them ineffective in increasing the efficiency. In this work, we investigate the light absorption properties of tandem solar cells with two ultra-thin active layers working as two subcells and a metal layer with periodically perforated holes in-between the two subcells. While the metal layer helps to overcome the current mismatch, the periodic holes increase the absorption of incident light by helping extraordinary optical transmission of the incident light from the top to the bottom subcell, and by coupling the incident light to plasmonic and photonic modes within ultra-thin active layers. We extensively study the effects of the geometry of holes in the intermediate metal layer on the light absorption properties of tandem solar cells with ultra-thin active layers. We also study how different metals in the intermediate layer affect the light absorption; how the geometry of holes in the intermediate layer affects the absorption when the active layer materials are changed; and how the intermediate metal layer affects the collection of photo-generated electron-hole pairs at the terminals. We find that in a solar cell with 6,6-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester top subcell and copper indium gallium selenide bottom subcell, if the periodic holes in the metal layer are square or polygon, total absorption remains approximately the same. However, the total absorption suffers significantly if the holes are triangle. The transmission spectra of incident light into the bottom subcell, and hence the absorption, change significantly for square and circle holes if the active materials change to cadmium selenide (CdSe) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) in the top and bottom subcells, respectively. Although the intermediate metal layer may induce electron-hole pair recombination due to surface defects, the short-circuit current density of an ultra-thin plasmonic solar cell with an intermediate metal layer with two-dimensional hole array is >9% of that of a structure without the intermediate metal layer.« less

Seasonal Variation of High-Latitude Geomagnetic Activity in Individual Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanskanen, E. I.; Hynönen, R.; Mursula, K.

2017-10-01

We study the seasonal variation of high-latitude geomagnetic activity in individual years in 1966-2014 (solar cycles 20-24) by identifying the most active and the second most active season based on westward electrojet indices AL (1966-2014) and IL (1995-2014). The annual maximum is found at either equinox in two thirds and at either solstice in one third of the years examined. The traditional two-equinox maximum pattern is found in roughly one fourth of the years. We found that the seasonal variation of high-latitude geomagnetic activity closely follows the solar wind speed. While the mechanisms leading to the two-equinox maxima pattern are in operation, the long-term change of solar wind speed tends to mask the effect of these mechanisms for individual years. Large cycle-to-cycle variation is found in the seasonal pattern: equinox maxima are more common during cycles 21 and 22 than in cycles 23 or 24. Exceptionally long winter dominance in high-latitude activity and solar wind speed is seen in the declining phase of cycle 23, after the appearance of the long-lasting low-latitude coronal hole.

Inhibitory Effect of Solar Radiation on Amino Acid Uptake in Chesapeake Bay Bacteria

PubMed Central

Bailey, Carmela A.; Neihof, Rex A.; Tabor, Paul S.

1983-01-01

The effect of solar radiation on a natural bacterial population from the Chesapeake Bay was evaluated from measured changes in numbers of organisms engaged in amino acid uptake. From July through May, freshly collected water samples were exposed in quartz containers to 3.5 h of total sunlight both with and without UV-absorbing filters. Water samples were subsequently incubated with tritiated amino acids, and the uptake-active bacteria were assayed by microauto-radiography-epifluorescence microscopy. The survival index, defined as the fraction of the uptake-active population that remained active after the exposure to sunlight, ranged from 0.93 to 0.20. Decreased survival was correlated with increased solar intensity. The inhibition of amino acid uptake was attributed not only to the UV-B component of the solar spectrum (280 to 320 nm), but also to longer UV and visible wavelengths. PMID:16346351

Inhibitory effect of solar radiation on amino Acid uptake in chesapeake bay bacteria.

PubMed

Bailey, C A; Neihof, R A; Tabor, P S

1983-07-01

The effect of solar radiation on a natural bacterial population from the Chesapeake Bay was evaluated from measured changes in numbers of organisms engaged in amino acid uptake. From July through May, freshly collected water samples were exposed in quartz containers to 3.5 h of total sunlight both with and without UV-absorbing filters. Water samples were subsequently incubated with tritiated amino acids, and the uptake-active bacteria were assayed by microauto-radiography-epifluorescence microscopy. The survival index, defined as the fraction of the uptake-active population that remained active after the exposure to sunlight, ranged from 0.93 to 0.20. Decreased survival was correlated with increased solar intensity. The inhibition of amino acid uptake was attributed not only to the UV-B component of the solar spectrum (280 to 320 nm), but also to longer UV and visible wavelengths.

The Little Ice Age and Solar Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velasco Herrera, Victor Manuel; Leal Silva, C. M. Carmen; Velasco Herrera, Graciela

We analyze the ice winter severity index on the Baltic region since 1501-1995. We found that the variability of this index is modulated among other factors by the secular solar activity. The little ice ages that have appeared in the North Hemisphere occurred during periods of low solar activity. Seemingly our star is experiencing a new quiet stage compared with Maunder or Dalton minimum, this is important because it is estimated that even small changes in weather can represent a great impact in ice index. These results are relevant since ice is a very important element in the climate system of the Baltic region and it can affect directly or indirectly many of the oceanographic, climatic, eco-logical, economical and cultural patterns.

Long term changes in electrical conductivity in stratosphere over Hyderabad (India), balloon borne results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Surya

2012-07-01

The stratospheric conductivity plays important role in coupling processes between lower atmosphere and ionosphere. It is an important parameter of global electric circuit. The conductivity in troposphere and in stratosphere is mainly due to ionization produced by cosmic rays. The conductivity in stratosphere is measured mainly by balloon borne technique. In country-regionIndia, we had a national program IMAP (1982-1994) to measure conductivity and electric field in stratosphere from CityHyderabad (country-regionplaceIndia). Five institutes took part in this program. Namely NPL (CityNew Delhi), PRL (Ahmedabad), CESS (CityTrivandrum), IIG (Mumbai) and TIFR Balloon facility (CityplaceHyderabad). The vertical profiles on Ion Conductivity (both positive and negative) were measured from CityplaceHyderabad using different techniques. The measurements were done during different solar activity period. Measurements were done at float altitude also. It was observed that conductivity values in stratosphere is larger in high solar activity period compared to low solar activity period by 30%. This was a new finding and will be discussed in terms of composition change due to change in U.V. (200-300 nm) radiation intensity with solar activity. Over mid and polar latitude American scientists have conducted such measurements by balloon borne techniques (covering a period of about twenty-five years (1975-2000). Temporal variations of similar nature were also observed at mid-latitudes, while no correlation was seen at polar latitudes. The conductivity results of CityplaceHyderabad were compared with measurements carried out at different latitudes and different longitudes by other workers and will be discussed in this presentation.

Solar cycles and depositional processes in annual 10Be from two varved lake sediment records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czymzik, Markus; Muscheler, Raimund; Brauer, Achim; Adolphi, Florian; Ott, Florian; Kienel, Ulrike; Dräger, Nadine; Słowiński, Michał; Aldahan, Ala; Possnert, Göran

2015-10-01

Beryllium 10 concentrations (10Becon) were measured at annual resolution from varved sediment cores of Lakes Tiefer See (TSK) and Czechowskie (JC) for the period 1983-2009 (∼solar cycles 22 and 23). Calibrating the 10Becon time-series against complementing proxy records from the same archive as well as local precipitation and neutron monitor data, reflecting solar forced changes in atmospheric radionuclide production, allowed (i) identifying the main depositional processes and (ii) evaluating the potential for solar activity reconstruction. 10Becon in TSK and JC sediments are significantly correlated to varying neutron monitor counts (TSK: r = 0.5, p = 0.05, n = 16; JC: r = 0.46, p = 0.03, n = 22). However, the further correlations with changes in organic carbon contents in TSK as well as varying organic carbon and detrital matter contents in JC point to catchment specific biases in the 10Becon time-series. In an attempt to correct for these biases multiple regression analysis was applied to extract an atmospheric 10Be production signal (10Beatmosphere). To increase the signal to noise ratio a 10Be composite record (10Becomposite) was calculated from the TSK and JC 10Beatmosphere time-series. 10Becomposite is significantly correlated to variations in the neutron monitor record (r = 0.49, p = 0.01, n = 25) and matches the expected amplitude changes in 10Be production between solar cycle minima and maxima. This calibration study on 10Be from two sites indicates the large potential but also, partly site-specific, limitations of 10Be in varved lake sediments for solar activity reconstruction.

The Effects of Solar Variability on Earth's Climate: A Workshop Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2012-01-01

Solar irradiance, the flux of the Sun s output directed toward Earth, is Earth s main energy source.1 The Sun itself varies on several timescales over billions of years its luminosity increases as it evolves on the main sequence toward becoming a red giant; about every 11 years its sunspot activity cycles; and within just minutes flares can erupt and release massive amounts of energy. Most of the fluctuations from tens to thousands of years are associated with changes in the solar magnetic field. The focus of the National Research Council's September 2011 workshop on solar variability and Earth's climate, and of this summary report, is mainly magnetically driven variability and its possible connection with Earth's climate variations in the past 10,000 years. Even small variations in the amount or distribution of energy received at Earth can have a major influence on Earth's climate when they persist for decades. However, no satellite measurements have indicated that solar output and variability have contributed in a significant way to the increase in global mean temperature in the last 50 years. Locally, however, correlations between solar activity and variations in average weather may stand out beyond the global trend; such has been argued to be the case for the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, even in the present day. A key area of inquiry deals with establishing a unified record of the solar output and solar-modified particles that extends from the present to the prescientific past. The workshop focused attention on the need for a better understanding of the links between indices of solar activity such as cosmogenic isotopes and solar irradiance. A number of presentations focused on the timescale of the solar cycle and of the satellite record, and on the problem of extending this record back in time. Highlights included a report of progress on pyroheliometer calibration, leading to greater confidence in the time history and future stability of total solar irradiance (TSI), and surprising results on changes in spectral irradiance over the last solar cycle, which elicited spirited discussion. New perspectives on connections between features of the quiet and active areas of the photosphere and variations in TSI were also presented, emphasizing the importance of developing better understanding in order to extrapolate back in time using activity indices. Workshop participants reviews highlighted difficulties as well as causes for optimism in current understanding of the cosmogenic isotope record and the use of observed variability in Sun-like stars in reconstructing variations in TSI occurring on lower frequencies than the sunspot cycle. The workshop succeeded in bringing together informed, focused presentations on major drivers of the Sun-climate connection. The importance of the solar cycle as a unique quasi-periodic probe of climate responses on a timescale between the seasonal and Milankovitch cycles was recognized in several presentations. The signal need only be detectable, not dominant, for it to play this role of a useful probe. Some workshop participants also found encouraging progress in the top-down perspective, according to which solar variability affects surface climate by first perturbing the stratosphere, which then forces the troposphere and surface. This work is now informing and being informed by research on tropospheric responses to the Antarctic ozone hole and volcanic aerosols. In contrast to the top-down perspective is the bottom-up view that the interaction of solar energy with the ocean and surface leads to changes in dynamics and temperature. During the discussion of how dynamical air-sea coupling in the tropical Pacific and solar variability interact from a bottom-up perspective, several participants remarked on the wealth of open research questions in the dynamics of the climatic response to TSI and spectral variability. The discussion of the paleoclimate record emphasized that the link between solar varbility and Earth s climate is multifaceted and that some components are understood better than others. According to two presenters on paleoclimate, there is a need to study the idiosyncrasies of each key proxy record. Yet they also emphasized that there may be an emerging pattern of paleoclimate change coincident with periods of solar activity and inactivity, but only on long timescales of multiple decades to millennia. Several speakers discussed the effects of particle events and cosmic-ray variability. These are all areas of exciting fundamental research; however, they have not yet led to conclusive evidence for significant related climate effects. The key problem of attribution of climate variability on the timescales of the Little Ice Age and the Maunder Minimum were directly addressed in several presentations. Several workshop participants remarked that the combination of solar, paleoclimatic, and climate modeling research has the potential to dramatically improve the credibility of these attribution studies.

Solar-terrestrial coupling through atmospheric electricity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roble, R. G.; Hays, P. B.

1979-01-01

There are a number of measurements of electrical variations that suggest a solar-terrestrial influence on the global atmospheric electrical circuit. The measurements show variations associated with solar flares, solar magnetic sector boundary crossings, geomagnetic activity, aurorae, differences between ground current and potential gradients at high and low latitudes, and solar cycle variations. The evidence for each variation is examined. Both the experimental evidence and the calculations made with a global model of atmospheric electricity indicate that there is solar-terrestrial coupling through atmospheric electricity which operates by altering the global electric current and field distribution. A global redistribution of currents and fields can be caused by large-scale changes in electrical conductivity, by alteration of the columnar resistance between thunderstorm cloud tops and the ionosphere, or by both. If the columnar resistance is altered above thunderstorms, more current will flow in the global circuit, changing the ionospheric potential and basic circuit variables such as current density and electric fields. The observed variations of currents and fields during solar-induced disturbances are generally less than 50% of mean values near the earth's surface.

Regional climate impacts of a possible future grand solar minimum.

PubMed

Ineson, Sarah; Maycock, Amanda C; Gray, Lesley J; Scaife, Adam A; Dunstone, Nick J; Harder, Jerald W; Knight, Jeff R; Lockwood, Mike; Manners, James C; Wood, Richard A

2015-06-23

Any reduction in global mean near-surface temperature due to a future decline in solar activity is likely to be a small fraction of projected anthropogenic warming. However, variability in ultraviolet solar irradiance is linked to modulation of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations, suggesting the potential for larger regional surface climate effects. Here, we explore possible impacts through two experiments designed to bracket uncertainty in ultraviolet irradiance in a scenario in which future solar activity decreases to Maunder Minimum-like conditions by 2050. Both experiments show regional structure in the wintertime response, resembling the North Atlantic Oscillation, with enhanced relative cooling over northern Eurasia and the eastern United States. For a high-end decline in solar ultraviolet irradiance, the impact on winter northern European surface temperatures over the late twenty-first century could be a significant fraction of the difference in climate change between plausible AR5 scenarios of greenhouse gas concentrations.

ACRIM total solar irradiance monitoring during solar cycles 21 - 23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willson, R.; Mordvinov, A.

A series of Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitoring experiments have provided state of the art Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) results during the 20 of past 22 years during solar activity cycles 21 - 23. A composite TSI record of more than 23 years has been constructed using results from the Nimbus7/ERB, SMM/ACRIM1, UARS/ACRIM2, SOHO/VIRGO and ACRIMSAT/ACRIM3 experiments. An upward trend in TSI between the successive solar cycle minima of 1986 and 1996 has been found in this r cord with a slope of 0.04 % per decade. If a trend ofe comparable magnitude were sustained on multi-decadal or century timescales, TSI variation could be an important component of climate change. Overlap and redundancy of TSI flight experiments have been e sential in the compilation of as precision TSI database. The strategy required to extend it depends crucially on the accuracy, precision and redundancy of future experiments.

Characteristics of nighttime E-region over Arecibo: Dependence on solar flux and geomagnetic variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raizada, Shikha; Brum, Christiano G. M.; Mathews, John D.; Gonzalez, Cristina; Franco, Efmi

2018-04-01

Electron concentration (Ne) inferred from Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR) measurements has been used to determine the influence of solar flux and geomagnetic activity in the ionospheric E-region over Arecibo Observatory (AO). The approach is based on the determination of column integrated Ne, referred to as E-region total electron content (ErTEC) between 80 and 150 km altitude regions. The results discussed in this work are for the AO nighttime period. The study reveals higher ErTEC values during the low solar flux periods for all the seasons except for summer period. It is found that the E-region column abundance is higher in equinox periods than in the winter for low solar activity conditions. The column integrated Ne during the post-sunset/pre-sunrise periods always exceeds the midnight minima, independent of season or solar activity. This behavior has been attributed to the variations in the coupling processes from the F-region. The response of ErTEC to the geomagnetic variability is also examined for different solar flux conditions and seasons. During high solar flux periods, changes in Kp cause an ErTEC increase in summer and equinox, while producing a negative storm-like effect during the winter. Variations in ErTEC due to geomagnetic activity during low solar flux periods produce maximum variability in the E-region during equinox periods, while resulting in an increase/decrease in ErTEC before local midnight during the winter/summer periods, respectively.

Helioclimatology of the Americas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurtaev, B. S.; Yakubov, M.; Shermatov, E.

2013-05-01

During the last 4 billion years, the Earth's climate has changed many times. There have been periods of warming and there have been ice ages. These large-scale climatic changes are shaped by factors like the tilt of the Earth's axis and tectonic plate movement. These major changes were driven by cyclical changes in the Earth's orbit, which altered the distribution of solar energy between the seasons and across the Earth. Milankovitch cycles explain well changes in climate over periods hundreds of thousands of years and are related to ice age cycles, but these cycles cannot explain the current rapid warming. The Sun is the most driving force for causing climate change. Much of the Sun energy evaporates water and causes atmospheric convection. Solar radiation, general circulation of atmosphere, geographical location of continents, oceans and the largest forms of a relief are the primary factors influencing on climate of lands. The purpose of this study is to identify contribution of the Sun on climate variability in the two continents, North and South America during instrumental records of air temperature. There were compared air temperatures of different weather stations in dependence from solar activity during the period 1878-1996. The high correlation between averaged temperature and solar activity was found for many weather stations of Americas. Air temperature in dependence from solar activity over the period 1878-1996 can be described by following equations: In Buenos Aires: T° = 0,04W+ 15,05, r-0,9; Caracas, Venezuela: T° = 0,03W + 18,88, r-0,73; Cordoba, Argentina: T° = 0,03W + 16,16, r-0,93; New York, Central Park: T° = 0,04W + 9,86, r-0,82; Toronto, T = 0,03W+ 6,66, r-0,81; Santiago Pudahuel, T= 0,019W + 13, 01, r - 0, 91; Rio de Janeiro:T°= 0,02W + 21,95, r= 0,88; Mexico over 1923-1986, T°= 0,021W+ 14,05, r-0,78; Miami over 1902-1996, T = 0,012W + 12,87 r-0,75; In our study, we used stations with reasonably long, consistently measured time records after GISS homogeneity adjustment from National Aeronautics and Space Administration web site.

[Fluctuations in biophysical measurements as a result of variations in solar activity].

PubMed

Peterson, T F

1995-01-01

A theory is proposed to explain variations in the net electrical charge of biological substances at the Earth's surface. These are shown to occur in association with changes in the solar wind and geomagnetic field. It is suggested that a liquid dielectric's net volume charge will imitate pH effects, influence chemical reaction rates, and alter ion transfer mechanisms in biophysical systems. An experiment is described which measures dielectric volume charge, or non-neutrality, to allow correlation of this property with daily, 28-day, and 11-year fluctuation patterns in geophysical and satellite data associated with solar activity and the interplanetary magnetic field.

Solar Variability from 240 to 1750 nm in Terms of Faculae Brightening and Sunspot Darkening from SCIAMACHY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagaran, J.; Weber, M.; Burrows, J.

2009-08-01

The change of spectral decomposition of the total radiative output on various timescales of solar magnetic activity is of large interest to terrestrial and solar-stellar atmosphere studies. Starting in 2002, SCIAMACHY was the first satellite instrument to observe daily solar spectral irradiance (SSI) continuously from 230 nm (UV) to 1750 nm (near-infrared; near-IR). In order to address the question of how much UV, visible (vis), and IR spectral regions change on 27 day and 11 year timescales, we parameterize short-term SSI variations in terms of faculae brightening (Mg II index) and sunspot darkening (photometric sunspot index) proxies. Although spectral variations above 300 nm are below 1% and, therefore, well below the accuracy of absolute radiometric calibration, relative accuracy for short-term changes is shown to be in the per mill range. This enables us to derive short-term spectral irradiance variations from the UV to the near-IR. During Halloween solar storm in 2003 with a record high sunspot area, we observe a reduction of 0.3% in the near-IR to 0.5% in the vis and near-UV. This is consistent with a 0.4% reduction in total solar irradiance (TSI). Over an entire 11 year solar cycle, SSI variability covering simultaneously the UV, vis, and IR spectral regions have not been directly observed so far. Using variations of solar proxies over solar cycle 23, solar cycle spectral variations have been estimated using scaling factors that best matched short-term variations of SCIAMACHY. In the 300-400 nm region, which strongly contributes to TSI solar cycle change, a contribution of 34% is derived from SCIAMACHY observations, which is lower than the reported values from SUSIM satellite data and the empirical SATIRE model. The total UV contribution (below 400 nm) to TSI solar cycle variations is estimated to be 55%.

SOLAR VARIABILITY FROM 240 TO 1750 nm IN TERMS OF FACULAE BRIGHTENING AND SUNSPOT DARKENING FROM SCIAMACHY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pagaran, J.; Weber, M.; Burrows, J.

2009-08-01

The change of spectral decomposition of the total radiative output on various timescales of solar magnetic activity is of large interest to terrestrial and solar-stellar atmosphere studies. Starting in 2002, SCIAMACHY was the first satellite instrument to observe daily solar spectral irradiance (SSI) continuously from 230 nm (UV) to 1750 nm (near-infrared; near-IR). In order to address the question of how much UV, visible (vis), and IR spectral regions change on 27 day and 11 year timescales, we parameterize short-term SSI variations in terms of faculae brightening (Mg II index) and sunspot darkening (photometric sunspot index) proxies. Although spectral variationsmore » above 300 nm are below 1% and, therefore, well below the accuracy of absolute radiometric calibration, relative accuracy for short-term changes is shown to be in the per mill range. This enables us to derive short-term spectral irradiance variations from the UV to the near-IR. During Halloween solar storm in 2003 with a record high sunspot area, we observe a reduction of 0.3% in the near-IR to 0.5% in the vis and near-UV. This is consistent with a 0.4% reduction in total solar irradiance (TSI). Over an entire 11 year solar cycle, SSI variability covering simultaneously the UV, vis, and IR spectral regions have not been directly observed so far. Using variations of solar proxies over solar cycle 23, solar cycle spectral variations have been estimated using scaling factors that best matched short-term variations of SCIAMACHY. In the 300-400 nm region, which strongly contributes to TSI solar cycle change, a contribution of 34% is derived from SCIAMACHY observations, which is lower than the reported values from SUSIM satellite data and the empirical SATIRE model. The total UV contribution (below 400 nm) to TSI solar cycle variations is estimated to be 55%.« less

Downward Link of Solar Activity Variations Through Wave Driven Equatorial Oscillations (QBO and SAO)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mengel, J. G.; Mayr, H. G.; Chan, K. L.; Porter, H. S.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Signatures of the 11-year solar activity/irradiance cycle are observed in the Quasi Biennial Oscillation (QBO) of the lower stratosphere. At these altitudes, the QBO is understood to be the result of "downward control" exerted by the wave mean flow interactions that drive the phenomenon. It is reasonable then to speculate that the QBO is a natural conduit to lower altitudes of solar activity variations in radiance (SAV). To test this hypothesis, we conducted experiments with a 2D version of our Numerical Spectral Model that incorporates Hines' Doppler Spread Parameterization for small-scale gravity waves (GW). To account for the SAV, we change the solar heating rate on a logarithmic scale from 0.1% at the surface to 1% at 50 kin to 10% at 100 km. With the same GW flux, we then conduct numerical experiments to evaluate the magnitude of the solar activity irradiance effect (SAE) on the zonal circulation at low latitudes. The numerical results obtained show that, under certain conditions, the SAE is significant in the zonal circulation and does extend to lower altitudes where the SAV is small. The differences in the wind velocities can be as large as 5 m/s at 20 kin. We carried out two numerical experiments with integrations over more than 20 years: 1) With the QBO period "tuned" to be 30 months, of academic interest but instructive, the seasonal cycle in the solar forcing [through the Semi-annual Oscillation (SAO)] acts as a strong pacemaker to produce a firm lock on the period and phase of the QBO. The SAE then shows up primarily as a distinct but relatively weak amplitude modulation. 2) With the QBO period between 30 and 34 (or less than 30, presumably) months, the seasonal phase lock is weak compared with (1). The SAV in the seasonal cycle then causes variations in the QBO period and phase, and this amplifies the SAE to produce relatively large variations in the wind field. We conclude that, under realistic conditions as in (2), the solar seasonal forcing, with activity variations in radiance, causes the phase and period of the QBO to change to produce a relatively large solar activity effect in the zonal circulation at low latitudes and low altitudes.

Changes in the relationship NAO-Northern hemisphere temperature due to solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gimeno, Luis; de la Torre, Laura; Nieto, Raquel; García, Ricardo; Hernández, Emiliano; Ribera, Pedro

2003-01-01

The influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on wintertime Northern Hemisphere Temperature (NHT) is investigated. The results suggest that this relationship has different sign according to the phase of the solar cycle. For solar maximum phases NAO and NHT are positively correlated - a result assumed up to the moment - but for solar minimum phases correlations are not significant or even negative. This result is in agreement with the different extension of the NAO for solar cycle phases [Kodera, Geophys. Res. Lett. 29 (2002) 14557-14560] - almost hemispheric for maximum phases and confined to the eastern Atlantic for minimum phases.

Societal Impacts of Solar Electromagnetic Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lean, J. L.

2000-05-01

Changes in solar electromagnetic radiation, which occur continuously and at all wavelengths of the spectrum, can have significant societal impacts on a wide range of time scales. Detection of climate change and ozone depletion requires reliable specification of solar-induced processes that mask or exacerbate anthropogenic effects. Living with, and mitigating, climate change and ozone depletion has significant economic, habitat and political impacts of international extent. As an example, taxes to restrict carbon emission may cause undue economic stress if the role of greenhouse gases in global warming is incorrectly diagnosed. Ignoring solar-induced ozone changes in the next century may lead to incorrect assessment of the success of the Montreal Protocol in protecting the ozone layer by limiting the use of ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons. Societal infrastructure depends in many ways on space-based technological assets. Communications and navigation for commerce, industry, science and defense rely on satellite signals transmitted through, and reflected by, electrons in the ionosphere. Electron densities change in response to solar flares, and by orders of magnitude in response to EUV and X-ray flux variations during the Sun's 11-year activity cycle. Spacecraft and space debris experience enhanced drag on their orbits when changing EUV radiation causes upper atmosphere densities to increase. Especially affected are spacecraft and debris in lower altitude orbits, such as Iridium-type communication satellites, and the International Space Station (ISS). Proper specification of solar-induced fluctuations in the neutral upper atmosphere can, for example, aid in tracking the ISS and surrounding space debris, reducing the chance of ISS damage from collisions, and maximizing its operations. Aspects of solar electromagnetic radiation variability will be briefly illustrated on a range of time scales, with specific identification of the societal impacts of different spectral regions.

ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUNSPOT STRUCTURE AND MAGNETIC FIELD CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH SOLAR FLARES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Song, Y. L.; Zhang, M., E-mail: ylsong@bao.ac.cn

Many previous studies have shown that magnetic fields and sunspot structures present rapid and irreversible changes associated with solar flares. In this paper, we first use five X-class flares observed by Solar Dynamics Observatory /Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager to show that not only do magnetic fields and sunspot structures show rapid, irreversible changes, but also that these changes are closely related both spatially and temporally. The magnitudes of the correlation coefficients between the temporal variations of the horizontal magnetic field and sunspot intensity are all larger than 0.90, with a maximum value of 0.99 and an average value of 0.96.more » Then, using four active regions during quiescent periods, three observed and one simulated, we show that in sunspot penumbra regions there also exists a close correlation between sunspot intensity and horizontal magnetic field strength in addition to the well-known correlation between sunspot intensity and the normal magnetic field strength. By connecting these two observational phenomena, we show that the sunspot structure change and magnetic field change are two facets of the same phenomena of solar flares; one change might be induced by the change of the other due to a linear correlation between sunspot intensity and magnetic field strength out of a local force balance.« less

Diurnal, seasonal, and interannual differences in the links of probabilities of derivation of different types Es with solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrukhin, Venedict F.; Poddubnaya, I. V.; Ponomarev, Evgenij A.; Sutyrin, Nicolaj A.

2004-12-01

The analysis of the ionospheric data on Irkutsk obtained from 1960 to 1996 was made. Was shown, that the link of probabilities of observation of the sporadic derivations in E-region of ionosphere with solar activity (SA) essentially depends on time of day, season and correlation between solar and geophysical parameters. For different types of sporadic derivations this link has different character and with a different image varies with current of time. It is necessary to mark, that the link of night sporadic derivations (Es such as "f") with solar activity in the summer very high and practically does not vary in time (r=-0.897-/+0.04). The temporary course of coefficients of correlation between solar activity and probability of observation of sporadic stratums (r) of a different type varies depending on the season. Further, for stratums of a type "cl" and "l" the change r happens within increase of SA. At the same time, there is an abnormal behavior of height so f sporadic stratums such as "cl". There is an impression that in a considered time frame there is competition of two factors. One of them - solar activity, which in the norm supports the negative correlation link with frequency of observation and second - a factor of an unknown nature, which has caused evocative anomaly of altitude, becomes dominant above natural negative link.

Lower thermosphere (80-100 km) dynamics response to solar and geomagnetic activity: Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kazimirovsky, E. S.

1989-01-01

The variations of solar and geomagnetic activity may affect the thermosphere circulation via plasma heating and electric fields, especially at high latitudes. The possibility exists that the energy involved in auroral and magnetic storms can produce significant changes of mesosphere and lower thermosphere wind systems. A study of global radar measurements of winds at 80 to 100 km region revealed the short term effects (correlation between wind field and geomagnetic storms) and long term variations over a solar cycle. It seems likely that the correlation results from a modification of planetary waves and tides propagated from below, thus altering the dynamical regime of the thermosphere. Sometimes the long term behavior points rather to a climatic variation with the internal atmospheric cause than to a direct solar control.

Sources of Geomagnetic Activity during Nearly Three Solar Cycles (1972-2000)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, I. G.; Cane, H. V.; Cliver, E. W.; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We examine the contributions of the principal solar wind components (corotating highspeed streams, slow solar wind, and transient structures, i.e., interplanetary coronal mass ejections (CMEs), shocks, and postshock flows) to averages of the aa geomagnetic index and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength in 1972-2000 during nearly three solar cycles. A prime motivation is to understand the influence of solar cycle variations in solar wind structure on long-term (e.g., approximately annual) averages of these parameters. We show that high-speed streams account for approximately two-thirds of long-term aa averages at solar minimum, while at solar maximum, structures associated with transients make the largest contribution (approx. 50%), though contributions from streams and slow solar wind continue to be present. Similarly, high-speed streams are the principal contributor (approx. 55%) to solar minimum averages of the IMF, while transient-related structures are the leading contributor (approx. 40%) at solar maximum. These differences between solar maximum and minimum reflect the changing structure of the near-ecliptic solar wind during the solar cycle. For minimum periods, the Earth is embedded in high-speed streams approx. 55% of the time versus approx. 35% for slow solar wind and approx. 10% for CME-associated structures, while at solar maximum, typical percentages are as follows: high-speed streams approx. 35%, slow solar wind approx. 30%, and CME-associated approx. 35%. These compositions show little cycle-to-cycle variation, at least for the interval considered in this paper. Despite the change in the occurrences of different types of solar wind over the solar cycle (and less significant changes from cycle to cycle), overall, variations in the averages of the aa index and IMF closely follow those in corotating streams. Considering solar cycle averages, we show that high-speed streams account for approx. 44%, approx. 48%, and approx. 40% of the solar wind composition, aa, and the IMF strength, respectively, with corresponding figures of approx. 22%, approx. 32%, and approx. 25% for CME-related structures, and approx. 33%, approx. 19%, and approx. 33% for slow solar wind.

Paleoclimate of the Earth and solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dergachev, V. A.

2017-09-01

The paper focuses on climate variations caused by the orbital effect and solar activity over the last one million years and oscillations (warming or cooling) of the climate since the last ice age retreat. Attention is paid to a significant discrepancy in the trend of global temperature change during the modern interglacial epoch (Holocene) obtained by various methods. A long-term cooling trend was observed in the summer temperature of the Northern Hemisphere during the last 2000 years.

Changes in solar wind-magnetosphere coupling with solar cycle, season, and time relative to stream interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McPherron, Robert L.; Baker, Daniel N.; Pulkkinen, T. I.; Hsu, T.-S.; Kissinger, J.; Chu, X.

2013-07-01

Geomagnetic activity depends on a variety of factors including solar zenith angle, solar UV, strength of the interplanetary magnetic field, speed and density of the solar wind, orientation of the Earth’s dipole, distance of the Earth from Sun, occurrence of CMEs and CIRs, and possibly other parameters. We have investigated some of these using state-dependant linear prediction filters. For a given state a prediction filter transforms a coupling function such as rectified solar wind electric field (VBs) to an output like the auroral electrojet index (AL). The area of this filter calculated from the sum of the filter coefficients measures the strength of the coupling. When the input and output are steady for a time longer than the duration of the filter the ratio of output to input is equal to this area. We find coupling strength defined in this way for Es=VBs to AL (and AU) is weakest at solar maximum and strongest at solar minimum. AL coupling displays a semiannual variation being weakest at the solstices and strongest at the equinoxes. AU coupling has only an annual variation being strongest at summer solstice. AL and AU coupling also vary with time relative to a stream interface. Es coupling is weaker after the interface, but ULF coupling is stronger. Total prediction efficiency remains about constant at the interface. The change in coupling strength with the solar cycle can be explained as an effect of more frequent saturation of the polar cap potential causing a smaller ratio of AL to Es. Stronger AL coupling at the equinoxes possibly indicates some process that makes magnetic reconnection less efficient when the dipole axis is tilted along the Earth-Sun line. Strong AU coupling at summer solstice is likely due to high conductivity in northern summer. Coupling changes at a stream interface are correlated with the presence of strong wave activity in ground and satellite measurements and may be an artifact of the method by which solar wind data are propagated.

Solar EUV Irradiance Measurements by the Auto-Calibrating EUV Spectrometers (SolACES) Aboard the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidtke, G.; Nikutowski, B.; Jacobi, C.; Brunner, R.; Erhardt, C.; Knecht, S.; Scherle, J.; Schlagenhauf, J.

2014-05-01

SolACES is part of the ESA SOLAR ISS mission that started aboard the shuttle mission STS-122 on 7 February 2008. The instrument has recorded solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) irradiance from 16 to 150 nm during the extended solar activity minimum and the beginning solar cycle 24 with rising solar activity and increasingly changing spectral composition. The SOLAR mission has been extended from a period of 18 months to > 8 years until the end of 2016. SolACES is operating three grazing incidence planar grating spectrometers and two three-current ionization chambers. The latter ones are considered as primary radiometric detector standards. Re-filling the ionization chambers with three different gases repeatedly and using overlapping band-pass filters, the absolute EUV fluxes are derived in these spectral intervals. This way the serious problem of continuing efficiency changes in space-borne instrumentation is overcome during the mission. Evaluating the three currents of the ionization chambers, the overlapping spectral ranges of the spectrometers and of the filters plus inter-comparing the results from the EUV photon absorption in the gases with different absorption cross sections, there are manifold instrumental possibilities to cross-check the results providing a high degree of reliability to the spectral irradiance derived. During the mission a very strong up-and-down variability of the spectrometric efficiency by orders of magnitude is observed. One of the effects involved is channeltron degradation. However, there are still open questions on other effects contributing to these changes. A survey of the measurements carried out and first results of the solar spectral irradiance (SSI) data are presented. Inter-comparison with EUV data from other space missions shows good agreement such that the international effort has started to elaborate a complete set of EUV-SSI data taking into account all data available from 2008 to 2013.

Decadal variability in the Northern Hemisphere winter circulation: Role of internal and external drivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maliniemi, V.; Asikainen, T.; Mursula, K.

2017-12-01

Northern Hemisphere winter circulation is known to be affected by both internal and external (solar-related) forcings. Earlier studies have shown ENSO and volcanic activity to produce negative and positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) type responses, respectively. In addition, recent studies have shown a positive NAO response related to both geomagnetic activity (proxy for solar wind driven particle precipitation) and sunspot activity (proxy for solar irradiance). These solar-related signals have been suggested to be due to the changes in the polar vortex. Here the relative role of these four internal and external drivers on wintertime circulation in the Northern Hemisphere is studied. The phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) is used to study the driver responses for different stratospheric conditions. Moreover, the effects are separated for early (Dec/Jan) and late (Feb/Mar) winter. The global pattern of ENSO is very similar (negative NAO) otherwise, but in early winter and westerly QBO the pattern is changed in the Atlantic sector to a weakly positive NAO. The positive NAO pattern due to volcanic activity is more pronounced for westerly QBO in both early and late winter. The positive NAO pattern produced by geomagnetic activity is obtained during easterly QBO phase in both early and late winter. Sunspot related NAO response in late winter is also strongly modulated by the QBO phase. These results imply that the stratospheric conditions expressed by QBO significantly modulate the way the internal and external drivers affect the Northern Hemisphere winter climate.

Observed TEC Anomalies by GNSS Sites Preceding the Aegean Sea Earthquake of 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulukavak, Mustafa; Yal&ccedul; ınkaya, Mualla

2016-11-01

In recent years, Total Electron Content (TEC) data, obtained from Global Navigation Satellites Systems (GNSS) receivers, has been widely used to detect seismo-ionospheric anomalies. In this study, Global Positioning System - Total Electron Content (GPS-TEC) data were used to investigate ionospheric abnormal behaviors prior to the 2014 Aegean Sea earthquake (40.305°N 25.453°E, 24 May 2014, 09:25:03 UT, Mw:6.9). The data obtained from three Continuously Operating Reference Stations in Turkey (CORS-TR) and two International GNSS Service (IGS) sites near the epicenter of the earthquake is used to detect ionospheric anomalies before the earthquake. Solar activity index (F10.7) and geomagnetic activity index (Dst), which are both related to space weather conditions, were used to analyze these pre-earthquake ionospheric anomalies. An examination of these indices indicated high solar activity between May 8 and 15, 2014. The first significant increase (positive anomalies) in Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) was detected on May 14, 2014 or 10 days before the earthquake. This positive anomaly can be attributed to the high solar activity. The indices do not imply high solar or geomagnetic activity after May 15, 2014. Abnormal ionospheric TEC changes (negative anomaly) were observed at all stations one day before the earthquake. These changes were lower than the lower bound by approximately 10-20 TEC unit (TECU), and may be considered as the ionospheric precursor of the 2014 Aegean Sea earthquake

The air quality and regional climate effects of widespread solar power generation under a changing regulatory environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millstein, D.; Zhai, P.; Menon, S.

2011-12-01

Over the past decade significant reductions of NOx and SOx emissions from coal burning power plants in the U.S. have been achieved due to regulatory action and substitution of new generation towards natural gas and wind power. Low natural gas prices, ever decreasing solar generation costs, and proposed regulatory changes, such as to the Cross State Air Pollution Rule, promise further long-run coal power plant emission reductions. Reduced power plant emissions have the potential to affect ozone and particulate air quality and influence regional climate through aerosol cloud interactions and visibility effects. Here we investigate, on a national scale, the effects on future (~2030) air quality and regional climate of power plant emission regulations in contrast to and combination with policies designed to aggressively promote solar electricity generation. A sophisticated, economic and engineering based, hourly power generation dispatch model is developed to explore the integration of significant solar generation resources (>10% on an energy basis) at various regions across the county, providing detailed estimates of substitution of solar generation for fossil fuel generation resources. Future air pollutant emissions from all sectors of the economy are scaled based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Emission Inventory to account for activity changes based on population and economic projections derived from county level U.S. Census data and the Energy Information Administration's Annual Energy Outlook. Further adjustments are made for technological and regulatory changes applicable within various sectors, for example, emission intensity adjustments to on-road diesel trucking due to exhaust treatment and improved engine design. The future year 2030 is selected for the emissions scenarios to allow for the development of significant solar generation resources. A regional climate and air quality model (Weather Research and Forecasting, WRF model) is used to investigate the effects of the various solar generation scenarios given emissions projections that account for changing regulatory environment, economic and population growth, and technological change. The results will help to quantify the potential air quality benefits of promotion of solar electricity generation in regions containing high penetration of coal-fired power generation. Note current national solar incentives that are based only on solar generation capacity. Further investigation of changes to regional climate due to emission reductions of aerosols and relevant precursors will provide insight into the environmental effects that may occur if solar power generation becomes widespread.

Solar Spectral Irradiance Reconstruction over 9 Millennia from a Composite 14C and 10Be Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C. J.; Usoskin, I. G.; Krivova, N.; Kovaltsov, G.; Solanki, S. K.

2017-12-01

The Sun is the main external energy source to the Earth and thus the knowledge of solar variability on different time scales is important for understanding the solar influence on the terrestrial atmosphere and climate. The overall energy input and its spectral distribution are described by the total (TSI) and spectral (SSI) solar irradiance, respectively. Direct measurements of the solar irradiance provide information on solar variability on the decadal and shorter time scales, while the sunspot number record covers four centuries. On yet longer time scales only indirect proxies can be used, such as the concentrations of the cosmogenic isotopes 10Be and 14C in terrestrial archives. These isotopes are produced in the terrestrial atmosphere by impinging cosmic rays, whose flux is modulated by solar activity. Therefore the isotope data retrieved from various natural archives around the globe show a very high degree of similarity reflecting changes in the solar activity. Nevertheless, significant short-term deviations can be observed due to the different geochemical production processes and local climatic conditions. We will present the newest TSI/SSI reconstruction over the last 9000 years based on a new consistent composite multi-isotope proxy series. The solar irradiance reconstruction reveals the global and robust pattern of solar variability in the past.

Variations in ion and neutral composition at Venus - Evidence of solar control of the formation of the predawn bulges in H/+/ and He1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, H. A., Jr.; Mayr, H.; Brinton, H.; Niemann, H.; Hartle, R.; Daniell, R. E., Jr.

1982-01-01

A comparison of ion and neutral composition measurements at Venus for periods of greatly different solar activity provides qualitative evidence of solar control of the day-to-night transport of light ion and neutral species. Concentrations of H(+) and He in the predawn bulge near solar maximum in November, 1979, exhibit a depletion signature correlated with a pronounced modulation in the solar F10.7 and EUV fluxes. This perturbation, not observed in the predawn region during an earlier period of relative quiet solar conditions, is interpreted as resulting from pronounced changes in solar heating and photoionization on the dayside, which in turn modulate the transport of ions and neutrals into the bulge region.

Implications of solar p-mode frequency shifts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldreich, Peter; Murray, Norman; Willette, Gregory; Kumar, Pawan

1991-01-01

An expression is derived that relates solar p-mode frequency shifts to changes in the entropy and magnetic field of the sun. The frequency variations result from changes in path length and propagation speed. Path length changes dominate for entropy perturbations, and propagation speed changes dominate for most types of magnetic field peturbations. The p-mode frequencies increased along with solar activity between 1986 and 1989; these frequency shifts exhibited a rapid rise with increasing frequency followed by a precipitous drop. The positive component of the shifts can be accounted for by variations of the mean square magnetic field strength in the vicinity of the photosphere. The magnetic stress perturbation decays above the top of the convection zone on a length scale comparable to the pressure scale height and grows gradually with depth below. The presence of a resonance in the chromospheric cavity means that the transition layer maintains enough coherence to partially reflect acoustic waves even near cycle maximum.

UNUSUAL TRENDS IN SOLAR P-MODE FREQUENCIES DURING THE CURRENT EXTENDED MINIMUM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tripathy, S. C.; Jain, K.; Hill, F.

2010-03-10

We investigate the behavior of the intermediate-degree mode frequencies of the Sun during the current extended minimum phase to explore the time-varying conditions in the solar interior. Using contemporaneous helioseismic data from the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) and the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI), we find that the changes in resonant mode frequencies during the activity minimum period are significantly greater than the changes in solar activity as measured by different proxies. We detect a seismic minimum in MDI p-mode frequency shifts during 2008 July-August but no such signature is seen in mean shifts computed from GONG frequencies. We alsomore » analyze the frequencies of individual oscillation modes from GONG data as a function of latitude and observe a signature of the onset of the solar cycle 24 in early 2009. Thus, the intermediate-degree modes do not confirm the onset of the cycle 24 during late 2007 as reported from the analysis of the low-degree Global Oscillations at Low Frequency frequencies. Further, both the GONG and MDI frequencies show a surprising anti-correlation between frequencies and activity proxies during the current minimum, in contrast to the behavior during the minimum between cycles 22 and 23.« less

A Change in the Solar He II EUV Global Network Structure as an Indicator of the Geo-Effectiveness of Solar Minima

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Didkovsky, L.; Gurman, J. B.

2013-01-01

Solar activity during 2007 - 2009 was very low, causing anomalously low thermospheric density. A comparison of solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) irradiance in the He II spectral band (26 to 34 nm) from the Solar Extreme ultraviolet Monitor (SEM), one of instruments on the Charge Element and Isotope Analysis System (CELIAS) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) for the two latest solar minima showed a decrease of the absolute irradiance of about 15 +/- 6 % during the solar minimum between Cycles 23 and 24 compared with the Cycle 22/23 minimum when a yearly running-mean filter was used. We found that some local, shorter-term minima including those with the same absolute EUV flux in the SEM spectral band show a higher concentration of spatial power in the global network structure from the 30.4 nm SOHO/Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) images for the local minimum of 1996 compared with the minima of 2008 - 2011.We interpret this higher concentration of spatial power in the transition region's global network structure as a larger number of larger-area features on the solar disk. These changes in the global network structure during solar minima may characterize, in part, the geo-effectiveness of the solar He II EUV irradiance in addition to the estimations based on its absolute levels.

Secular trends in storm-level geomagnetic activity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, J.J.

2011-01-01

Analysis is made of K-index data from groups of ground-based geomagnetic observatories in Germany, Britain, and Australia, 1868.0-2009.0, solar cycles 11-23. Methods include nonparametric measures of trends and statistical significance used by the hydrological and climatological research communities. Among the three observatory groups, German K data systematically record the highest disturbance levels, followed by the British and, then, the Australian data. Signals consistently seen in K data from all three observatory groups can be reasonably interpreted as physically meaninginful: (1) geomagnetic activity has generally increased over the past 141 years. However, the detailed secular evolution of geomagnetic activity is not well characterized by either a linear trend nor, even, a monotonic trend. Therefore, simple, phenomenological extrapolations of past trends in solar and geomagnetic activity levels are unlikely to be useful for making quantitative predictions of future trends lasting longer than a solar cycle or so. (2) The well-known tendency for magnetic storms to occur during the declining phase of a sunspot-solar cycles is clearly seen for cycles 14-23; it is not, however, clearly seen for cycles 11-13. Therefore, in addition to an increase in geomagnetic activity, the nature of solar-terrestrial interaction has also apparently changed over the past 141 years. ?? Author(s) 2011.

Solar Activity and Solar Eruptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sterling, Alphonse C.

2006-01-01

Our Sun is a dynamic, ever-changing star. In general, its atmosphere displays major variation on an 11-year cycle. Throughout the cycle, the atmosphere occasionally exhibits large, sudden outbursts of energy. These "solar eruptions" manifest themselves in the form of solar flares, filament eruptions, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and energetic particle releases. They are of high interest to scientists both because they represent fundamental processes that occur in various astrophysical context, and because, if directed toward Earth, they can disrupt Earth-based systems and satellites. Research over the last few decades has shown that the source of the eruptions is localized regions of energy-storing magnetic field on the Sun that become destabilized, leading to a release of the stored energy. Solar scientists have (probably) unraveled the basic outline of what happens in these eruptions, but many details are still not understood. In recent years we have been studying what triggers these magnetic eruptions, using ground-based and satellite-based solar observations in combination with predictions from various theoretical models. We will present an overview of solar activity and solar eruptions, give results from some of our own research, and discuss questions that remain to be explored.

Influence of solar variability on the infrared radiative cooling of the thermosphere from 2002 to 2014.

PubMed

Mlynczak, Martin G; Hunt, Linda A; Mertens, Christopher J; Thomas Marshall, B; Russell, James M; Woods, Thomas; Earl Thompson, R; Gordley, Larry L

2014-04-16

Infrared radiative cooling of the thermosphere by carbon dioxide (CO 2 , 15 µm) and by nitric oxide (NO, 5.3 µm) has been observed for 12 years by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics satellite. For the first time we present a record of the two most important thermospheric infrared cooling agents over a complete solar cycle. SABER has documented dramatic variability in the radiative cooling on time scales ranging from days to the 11 year solar cycle. Deep minima in global mean vertical profiles of radiative cooling are observed in 2008-2009. Current solar maximum conditions, evidenced in the rates of radiative cooling, are substantially weaker than prior maximum conditions in 2002-2003. The observed changes in thermospheric cooling correlate well with changes in solar ultraviolet irradiance and geomagnetic activity during the prior maximum conditions. NO and CO 2 combine to emit 7 × 10 18 more Joules annually at solar maximum than at solar minimum. First record of thermospheric IR cooling rates over a complete solar cycleIR cooling in current solar maximum conditions much weaker than prior maximumVariability in thermospheric IR cooling observed on scale of days to 11 years.

A review of the 11-year solar cycle, the QBO, and the atmosphere relationship

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chanin, M. L.

1989-01-01

The papers published by Labitzke (1987) and by Labitzke and Van Loon (1988) indicated that the separation of Winter stratospheric data according to the phase of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (Q.B.O.) led to a largely improved relationship with the 11 year solar cycle. Since then, this possible relationship has been studied and extended from the surface to the lower thermosphere and its extension to other seasons is in progress. An opportunity is provided to review the state of the problem and to attempt to give a general view of the experimentally observed responses of the atmosphere to solar activity, when considering the phases of the Q.B.O. After a brief recall of the relationship discovered in the winter stratosphere, its extension downwards, upwards and to the other seasons are successively reviewed. The existing models are not adequate right now to represent the solar influence as they only take into account the change in UV flux, but before being able to use the large scale dynamics in a coupled radiative photochemical model, one needs to understand the mechanism able to explain the forcing from the lower atmosphere or the surface which could be induced by a change in solar activity.

Alteration of chromophoric dissolved organic matter by solar UV radiation causes rapid changes in bacterial community composition.

PubMed

Piccini, Claudia; Conde, Daniel; Pernthaler, Jakob; Sommaruga, Ruben

2009-09-01

We evaluated the effect of photochemical alterations of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) on bacterial abundance, activity and community composition in a coastal lagoon of the Atlantic Ocean with high dissolved organic carbon concentration. On two occasions during the austral summer, bacteria-free water of the lagoon was exposed to different regions of the solar spectrum (full solar radiation, UV-A+PAR, PAR) or kept in the dark. Subsequently, dilution cultures were established with bacterioplankton from the lagoon that were incubated in the pre-exposed water for 5 h in the dark. Cell abundance, activity, and community composition of bacterioplankton were assessed before and after incubation in the different treatments. Changes in absorption, fluorescence, and DOC concentration were used as proxies for CDOM photoalteration. We found a significant CDOM photobleaching signal, DOC loss, as well as a stimulation of bacterial activity in the treatments pre-exposed to UV radiation, suggesting increased bioavailability of DOM. Bacterial community analysis by fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that this stimulation was mainly accompanied by the specific enrichment of Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria. Thus, our results suggest that CDOM photoalteration not only stimulates bacterioplankton growth, but also induces rapid changes in bacterioplankton composition, which can be of relevance for ecosystem functioning, particularly considering present and future changes in the input of terrestrial CDOM to aquatic systems.

Alteration of chromophoric dissolved organic matter by solar UV radiation causes rapid changes in bacterial community composition†

PubMed Central

Piccini, Claudia; Conde, Daniel; Pernthaler, Jakob; Sommaruga, Ruben

2010-01-01

We evaluated the effect of photochemical alterations of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) on bacterial abundance, activity and community composition in a coastal lagoon of the Atlantic Ocean with high dissolved organic carbon concentration. On two occasions during the austral summer, bacteria-free water of the lagoon was exposed to different regions of the solar spectrum (full solar radiation, UV-A + PAR, PAR) or kept in the dark. Subsequently, dilution cultures were established with bacterioplankton from the lagoon that were incubated in the pre-exposed water for 5 h in the dark. Cell abundance, activity, and community composition of bacterioplankton were assessed before and after incubation in the different treatments. Changes in absorption, fluorescence, and DOC concentration were used as proxies for CDOM photoalteration. We found a significant CDOM photobleaching signal, DOC loss, as well as a stimulation of bacterial activity in the treatments pre-exposed to UV radiation, suggesting increased bioavailability of DOM. Bacterial community analysis by fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that this stimulation was mainly accompanied by the specific enrichment of Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria. Thus, our results suggest that CDOM photoalteration not only stimulates bacterioplankton growth, but also induces rapid changes in bacterioplankton composition, which can be of relevance for ecosystem functioning, particularly considering present and future changes in the input of terrestrial CDOM to aquatic systems. PMID:19707620

Using mixed solvent and changing spin-coating parameters to increase the efficiency and lifetime of organic solar cells.

PubMed

Tsai, Yu Sheng; Chu, Wei-Ping; Tang, Rong-Ming; Juang, Fuh-Shyang; Chang, Ming-Hua; Liu, Mark O; Hsieh, Tsung-Eong

2008-10-01

The derivative of C60, i.e., PCBM, and P3HT (3-hexylthiophene) were dissolved in chloroform:dichlorobenzene mixed solvent, then spin-coated as the active layer for organic solar cells (OSC). The experimental parameters were studied carefully to obtain the optimum power conversion efficiency (PCE), including the solvent mixing ratio, spin-coating speed, annealing conditions for the active layer, etc. The OSC devices were packaged with glass and a newly developed UV-glue to improve the lifetime and PCE. Dichlorobenzene solvent has great effect upon the PCE. Changing the spin-coating speed and increasing the number of steps increased the PCE apparently to 1.4%.

Responses of Solar Irradiance and the Ionosphere to an Intense Activity Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yiding; Liu, Libo; Le, Huijun; Wan, Weixing

2018-03-01

Solar rotation (SR) variation dominates solar extremely ultraviolet (EUV) changes on the timescale of days. The F10.7 index is usually used as an indicator for solar EUV. The SR variation of F10.7 significantly enhanced during the 2008th-2009th Carrington rotations (CRs) owing to an intense active region; F10.7 increased about 180 units during that SR period. That was the most prominent SR variation of F10.7 during solar cycle 23. In this paper, global electron content (GEC) is used to investigate ionospheric response to that strong variation of solar irradiance indicated by F10.7. The variation of GEC with F10.7 was anomalous (GEC-F10.7 slope significantly decreased) during the 2008th-2009th CRs; however, GEC versus EUV variation during that period was consistent with that during adjacent time intervals when using Solar Heliospheric Observatory/Solar EUV Monitor 26-34 nm EUV measurements. The reason is that F10.7 response to that intense active region was much stronger than EUV response; thus, the EUV-F10.7 slope decreased. We confirmed decreased EUV-F10.7 slope during the 2008th-2009th CRs for different wavelengths within 27-120 nm using Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics/Solar EUV Experiment high spectral resolution EUV measurements. And on the basis of Solar Heliospheric Observatory/Solar EUV Monitor EUV measurements during solar cycle 23, we further presented that EUV-F10.7 slope statistically tends to decrease when the SR variation of F10.7 significantly enhances. Moreover, we found that ionospheric time lag effect to EUV is exaggerated when using F10.7, owing to the time lag effect of EUV to F10.7.

Climatology of successive equatorial plasma bubbles observed by GPS ROTI over Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buhari, S. M.; Abdullah, M.; Yokoyama, T.; Otsuka, Y.; Nishioka, M.; Hasbi, A. M.; Bahari, S. A.; Tsugawa, T.

2017-02-01

The occurrence rate of the equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) with season, solar activity, and geomagnetic conditions are investigated using long-term data sets of Malaysia Real-Time Kinematics Network (MyRTKnet) from 2008 to 2013. The rate of TEC (total electron content) change index (ROTI) in 5 min was derived from MyRTKnet data to detect the EPB with scale sizes around tens of kilometers. Then, the daily east-west cross sections of 2-D ROTI maps were used to examine the EPB features over 100°E-119°E longitudes. The EPBs tend to occur successively in one night along the observational coverage of MyRTKnet during equinoxes in high solar activity years. The perturbations in a form of wavelike structures along the observed longitudes might be responsible for the development of successive EPBs due to high growth rate of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) process. On the contrary, the occurrence of successive EPBs is infrequent and the occurrence day of EPB remains active during equinoctial months in low solar activity years. The small growth rate of the RTI process during low solar activity years might require a strong seed perturbation to generate the EPB structure. The occurrence probability of the EPB was found to be similar during quiet and disturbed geomagnetic conditions. The results imply that the strong perturbations play an important role in the development of the EPB in low solar activity years. Nonetheless, the high growth rate of the RTI could cause the successive occurrence of the EPB in high solar activity years.

Measuring Solar Radiation Incident on Earth: Solar Constant-3 (SOLCON-3)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crommelynck, Dominique; Joukoff, Alexandre; Dewitte, Steven

2002-01-01

Life on Earth is possible because the climate conditions on Earth are relatively mild. One element of the climate on Earth, the temperature, is determined by the heat exchanges between the Earth and its surroundings, outer space. The heat exchanges take place in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The Earth gains energy because it absorbs solar radiation, and it loses energy because it emits thermal infrared radiation to cold space. The heat exchanges are in balance: the heat gained by the Earth through solar radiation equals the heat lost through thermal radiation. When the balance is perturbed, a temperature change and hence a climate change of the Earth will occur. One possible perturbation of the balance is the CO2 greenhouse effect: when the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increases, this will reduce the loss of thermal infrared radiation to cold space. Earth will gain more heat and hence the temperature will rise. Another perturbation of the balance can occur through variation of the amount of energy emitted by the sun. When the sun emits more energy, this will directly cause a rise of temperature on Earth. For a long time scientists believed that the energy emitted by the sun was constant. The 'solar constant' is defined as the amount of solar energy received per unit surface at a distance of one astronomical unit (the average distance of Earth's orbit) from the sun. Accurate measurements of the variations of the solar constant have been made since 1978. From these we know that the solar constant varies approximately with the 11-year solar cycle observed in other solar phenomena, such as the occurrence of sunspots, dark spots that are sometimes visible on the solar surface. When a sunspot occurs on the sun, since the spot is dark, the radiation (light) emitted by the sun drops instantaneously. Oddly, periods of high solar activity, when a lot of sunspot numbers increase, correspond to periods when the average solar constant is high. This indicates that the background on which the sunspots occur becomes brighter during high solar activity.

Forcing of stratospheric chemistry and dynamics during the Dalton Minimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anet, J. G.; Muthers, S.; Rozanov, E.; Raible, C. C.; Peter, T.; Stenke, A.; Shapiro, A. I.; Beer, J.; Steinhilber, F.; Brönnimann, S.; Arfeuille, F.; Brugnara, Y.; Schmutz, W.

2013-11-01

The response of atmospheric chemistry and dynamics to volcanic eruptions and to a decrease in solar activity during the Dalton Minimum is investigated with the fully coupled atmosphere-ocean chemistry general circulation model SOCOL-MPIOM (modeling tools for studies of SOlar Climate Ozone Links-Max Planck Institute Ocean Model) covering the time period 1780 to 1840 AD. We carried out several sensitivity ensemble experiments to separate the effects of (i) reduced solar ultra-violet (UV) irradiance, (ii) reduced solar visible and near infrared irradiance, (iii) enhanced galactic cosmic ray intensity as well as less intensive solar energetic proton events and auroral electron precipitation, and (iv) volcanic aerosols. The introduced changes of UV irradiance and volcanic aerosols significantly influence stratospheric dynamics in the early 19th century, whereas changes in the visible part of the spectrum and energetic particles have smaller effects. A reduction of UV irradiance by 15%, which represents the presently discussed highest estimate of UV irradiance change caused by solar activity changes, causes global ozone decrease below the stratopause reaching as much as 8% in the midlatitudes at 5 hPa and a significant stratospheric cooling of up to 2 °C in the mid-stratosphere and to 6 °C in the lower mesosphere. Changes in energetic particle precipitation lead only to minor changes in the yearly averaged temperature fields in the stratosphere. Volcanic aerosols heat the tropical lower stratosphere, allowing more water vapour to enter the tropical stratosphere, which, via HOx reactions, decreases upper stratospheric and mesospheric ozone by roughly 4%. Conversely, heterogeneous chemistry on aerosols reduces stratospheric NOx, leading to a 12% ozone increase in the tropics, whereas a decrease in ozone of up to 5% is found over Antarctica in boreal winter. The linear superposition of the different contributions is not equivalent to the response obtained in a simulation when all forcing factors are applied during the Dalton Minimum (DM) - this effect is especially well visible for NOx/NOy. Thus, this study also shows the non-linear behaviour of the coupled chemistry-climate system. Finally, we conclude that especially UV and volcanic eruptions dominate the changes in the ozone, temperature and dynamics while the NOx field is dominated by the energetic particle precipitation. Visible radiation changes have only very minor effects on both stratospheric dynamics and chemistry.

Forcing of Climate Variations by Mev-gev Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tinsley, Brian A.

1990-01-01

Changes in ionization production in the lower stratosphere by a few percent during Forbush decreases have been shown to correlate well with changes in winter tropospheric dynamics by a similar relatively small amount. Changes in ionization production by tens of percent on the decadal time scale have been shown to be correlated with changes in winter storm frequencies by tens of percent in the western North Atlantic. Changes in total solar irradiance or solar UV do not have time variations to match the tropospheric variations on the day to day time scales discussed here. Forcing related to magnetic activity is not supported. Thus solar wind/MeV-GeV particle changes appear to be the only viable forcing function for these day to day variations. If solar wind/particle forcing of a few percent amplitude can produce short term weather responses, then observed changes by tens of percent on the decadal and centennial time scale could produce climate changes on these longer time scales. The changes in circulation involved would produce regional climate changes, as observed. At present the relations between stratospheric ionization, electric fields and chemistry and aerosol and cloud microphysics are as poorly known as the relations between the latter and storm feedback processes. However, the capability for investigating these relationships now exists and has recently been most successfully used for elucidating the stratospheric chemistry and cloud microphysics associated with the Antarctic ozone hole. The economic benefits of being able to predict winter severity on an interannual basis, and the extent to which climate change related to solar variability will add to or substract from the greenhouse effect, should be more than adequate to justify support for research in this area.

Change in the radiative output of the Sun in 1992 and its effect in the thermosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, O. R.; Rottman, G. J.; Woods, T. N.; Knapp, B. G.; Keil, S. L.; Livingston, W. C.; Tapping, K. F.; Donnelly, R. F.; Puga, L. C.

1994-01-01

Ground and space measurements of the solar spectral irradiance at radio, visible, UV, and X ray wavelengths show a large decline in the first 6 months of 1992. This sustained drop in the solar output is important in understanding the connection between the emergent magnetic flux on the Sun and the radiative output as well as in understanding the effects of such change in the upper atmosphere of the earth. We present preliminary estimates of the observed changes as the means to spur inquiry into this solar event in the declining phase of solar cycle 22. Typical decreases are 15% in Lyman alpha and 40% in 10.7-cm radio flux. Mass spectrometer and incoherent scatter model calculations at 600 km in the thermosphere indicate a 30% decrease in the temperature and a 3X decrease in the density of the thermosphere near the altitude where both the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are flying. Decrease of the orbital period of the UARS shows the expected effect of decreasing density at flight altitude. Work in progress indicates that the output change results from the decline in solar magnetic flux to a lower level of activity in the southern hemisphere of the Sun.

Possible influence of solar extreme events and related geomagnetic disturbances on human cardio-vascular state: Results of collaborative Bulgarian-Azerbaijani studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimitrova, S.; Mustafa, F. R.; Stoilova, I.; Babayev, E. S.; Kazimov, E. A.

2009-02-01

This collaborative study is based on the analysis and comparison of results of coordinated experimental investigations conducted in Bulgaria and Azerbaijan for revealing a possible influence of solar activity changes and related geomagnetic activity variations on the human cardio-vascular state. Arterial blood pressure and heart rate of 86 healthy volunteers were measured on working days during a period of comparatively high solar and geomagnetic activity (2799 measurements in autumn 2001 and spring 2002) in Sofia. Daily experimental investigations of parameters of cardio-vascular health state were performed in Azerbaijan with a permanent group of examined persons. Heart rate and electrocardiograms were digitally registered (in total 1532 records) for seven functionally healthy persons on working days and Saturdays, in the Laboratory of Heliobiology at the Medical Center INAM in Baku, from 15.07.2006 to 13.11.2007. Obtained digital recordings were subjected to medical, statistical and spectral analyses. Special attention was paid to effects of solar extreme events, particularly those of November 2001 and December 2006. The statistical method of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc analysis were applied to check the significance of the influence of geomagnetic activity on the cardio-vascular parameters under consideration. Results revealed statistically significant increments for the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure values of the group with geomagnetic activity increase. Arterial blood pressure values started increasing two days prior to geomagnetic storms and kept their high values up to two days after the storms. Heart rate reaction was ambiguous and not significant for healthy persons examined (for both groups) under conditions with geomagnetic activity changes. It is concluded that heart rate for healthy persons at middle latitudes can be considered as a more stable physiological parameter which is not so sensitive to environmental changes while the dynamics of arterial blood pressure reveals a compensatory reaction of the human organism for adaptation.

Energy, Transportation, Air Quality, Climate Change, Health Nexus: Sustainable Energy is Good for Our Health.

PubMed

Erickson, Larry E; Jennings, Merrisa

2017-01-01

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has the potential to improve air quality and human health by encouraging the electrification of transportation and a transition from coal to sustainable energy. There will be human health benefits from reducing combustion emissions in all parts of the world. Solar powered charging infrastructure for electric vehicles adds renewable energy to generate electricity, shaded parking, and a needed charging infrastructure for electric vehicles that will reduce range anxiety. The costs of wind power, solar panels, and batteries are falling because of technological progress, magnitude of commercial activity, production experience, and competition associated with new trillion dollar markets. These energy and transportation transitions can have a very positive impact on health. The energy, transportation, air quality, climate change, health nexus may benefit from additional progress in developing solar powered charging infrastructure.

A survey of TiOλ567 nm absorption in solar-type stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azizi, Fatemeh; Mirtorabi, Mohammad Taghi

2018-04-01

Molecular absorption bands are estimators of stellar activity and spot cycles on magnetically active stars. We have previously introduced a new colour index that compares absorption strength of the titanium oxide (TiO) at 567 nm with nearby continuum. In this paper, we implement this index to measure long-term activity variations and the statistical properties of the index in a sample of 302 solar-type stars from the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet search Spectrograph planet search programme. The results indicate a pattern of change in star's activity, covers a range of periods from 2 yr up to 17 yr.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory, Studying the Sun and Its Influence on Other Bodies in the Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamberlin, P. C.

2011-01-01

The solar photon output, which was once thought to be constant, varies over all time scales from seconds during solar flares to years due to the solar cycle. These solar variations cause significant deviations in the Earth and space environments on similar time scales, such as affecting the atmospheric densities and composition of particular atoms, molecules, and ions in the atmospheres of the Earth and other planets. Presented and discussed will be examples of unprecedented observations from NASA's new solar observatory, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Using three specialized instruments, SDO measures the origins of solar activity from inside the Sun, though its atmosphere, then accurately measuring the Sun's radiative output in X-ray and EUV wavelengths (0.1-121 nm). Along with the visually appealing observations will be discussions of what these measurements can tell us about how the plasma motions in all layers of the Sun modifies and strengthens the weak solar dipole magnetic field to drive large energy releases in solar eruptions. Also presented will be examples of how the release of the Sun's energy, in the form of photons and high energy particles, physically influence other bodies in the solar system such as Earth, Mars, and the Moon, and how these changes drive changes in the technology that we are becoming dependent upon. The presentation will continuously emphasize how SDO, the first satellite in NASA's Living with a Star program, improving our understanding of the variable Sun and its Heliospheric influence.

Reconstructions of solar irradiance on centennial time scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krivova, Natalie; Solanki, Sami K.; Dasi Espuig, Maria; Kok Leng, Yeo

Solar irradiance is the main external source of energy to Earth's climate system. The record of direct measurements covering less than 40 years is too short to study solar influence on Earth's climate, which calls for reconstructions of solar irradiance into the past with the help of appropriate models. An obvious requirement to a competitive model is its ability to reproduce observed irradiance changes, and a successful example of such a model is presented by the SATIRE family of models. As most state-of-the-art models, SATIRE assumes that irradiance changes on time scales longer than approximately a day are caused by the evolving distribution of dark and bright magnetic features on the solar surface. The surface coverage by such features as a function of time is derived from solar observations. The choice of these depends on the time scale in question. Most accurate is the version of the model that employs full-disc spatially-resolved solar magnetograms and reproduces over 90% of the measured irradiance variation, including the overall decreasing trend in the total solar irradiance over the last four cycles. Since such magnetograms are only available for about four decades, reconstructions on time scales of centuries have to rely on disc-integrated proxies of solar magnetic activity, such as sunspot areas and numbers. Employing a surface flux transport model and sunspot observations as input, we have being able to produce synthetic magnetograms since 1700. This improves the temporal resolution of the irradiance reconstructions on centennial time scales. The most critical aspect of such reconstructions remains the uncertainty in the magnitude of the secular change.

Cosmic Ray Modulation and Radiation Dose of Aircrews During Possible Grand Minimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyake, S.; Kataoka, R.; Sato, T.; Imada, S.; Miyahara, H.; Shiota, D.; Matsumoto, T.; Ueno, H.

2017-12-01

The Sun is exhibiting low solar activity levels since the descending phase of the last solar cycle, and it is likely to be continued as well as in the case of the past grand solar minima. The cosmic-ray modulation, which is the variation of the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) spectrum caused by the heliospheric environmental change, is basically anti-correlated with the solar activity. In the recent weak solar cycle, we thus expect that the flux of GCRs is getting higher than that in the previous solar cycles, leading to the increase in the radiation exposure in the space and atmosphere. In order to quantitatively evaluate the possible solar modulation of GCRs and resultant radiation exposure at flight altitude, we have developed the time-dependent and three-dimensional model of the cosmic-ray modulation. Our model can give the flux of GCRs anywhere in the heliosphere by assuming the variation of the solar wind speed, the strength of the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF), and its tilt angle. We solve the gradient-curvature drift motion of GCRs in the HMF, and therefore reproduce the 22-year variation of the cosmic-ray modulation. We also calculate the neutron monitor counting rate and the radiation dose of aircrews at flight altitude, by the air-shower simulation performed by PHITS (Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System). In our previous study [1], we calculated the radiation dose at a flight altitude during the coming solar cycle by assuming the variation of the solar wind speed and the strength of the HMF expressed by sinusoidal curve, and obtained that an annual radiation dose of aircrews in 5 years around the next solar minimum will be up to 19% higher than that at the last cycle. In this study, we predict the new model of the heliospheric environmental change on the basis of a prediction model for the sunspot number. The quantitative predictions of the cosmic-ray modulation and the radiation dose at a flight altitude during possible Grand Minimum considering the new model for the heliospheric environmental change will be presented at the meeting. [1] S. Miyake, R. Kataoka, and T. Sato, Space Weather, 15, 589-605, 2017.

SMM x ray polychromator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saba, J. L. R.

1993-01-01

The objective of the X-ray Polychromator (XRP) experiment was to study the physical properties of solar flare plasma and its relation to the parent active region to understand better the flare mechanism and related solar activity. Observations were made to determine the temperature, density, and dynamic structure of the pre-flare and flare plasma as a function of wavelength, space and time, the extent to which the flare plasma departs from thermal equilibrium, and the variation of this departure with time. The experiment also determines the temperature and density structure of active regions and flare-induced changes in the regions.

SMM X ray polychromator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saba, J. L. R.

1993-07-01

The objective of the X-ray Polychromator (XRP) experiment was to study the physical properties of solar flare plasma and its relation to the parent active region to understand better the flare mechanism and related solar activity. Observations were made to determine the temperature, density, and dynamic structure of the pre-flare and flare plasma as a function of wavelength, space and time, the extent to which the flare plasma departs from thermal equilibrium, and the variation of this departure with time. The experiment also determines the temperature and density structure of active regions and flare-induced changes in the regions.

Patrol of the short wavelength activity and flares of Sun as star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afanasiev, I.; Avakyan, S.; Leonov, N.; Serova, A.; Voronin, N.

Monitoring of the spectral range which most affects solar-terrestrial relationship - soft X-ray and extreme UV-radiations allows to solve ? problem of solar activity influence on all aspects of the Sun - Earth ties and to select the most important precursors of solar flares and the solar events related with a flare (such as proton events, high-velocity plasma streams in the solar wind, shock waves, coronal mass ejection and, the most important, the beginning of principal magnetic storms). Solar activity is constantly monitored at present (in the USA) only in two sections of the spectrum of ionizing radiation: <0.8 nm and >115 (119) nm. However, so far there has been no monitoring of the flux in the most geoeffective region of the spectrum (0.8-115 nm) from the entire disk of the sun; this region completely monitors the main part of the ionosphere of the earth and the ionosphere of the other planets of the solar system, including the formation and status of the main ionospheric maxima. This occurs solely because of technical and methodological difficulties in performing the measurements and calibration in this spectral range on spacecraft, because it is necessity to use only windowless optics. At the present the solar the optical - electronic equipment (OEE) is testing and there are plans to launch OEE of Space Solar Patrol (SSP) consisting of solar radiometers and spectrometers at the Russian Module of the International Space Station. So the solving the problem of the permanent monitoring-patrol of ionizing radiation from the full disk of the Sun appears in the main tasks of fundamental scientific studies in space. The results of this monitoring can be contribution in development of simultaneous studies in several sciences, such as: - solar astrophysics (state of all solar atmospheric regions), - meteorology, physics of atmosphere (the influence of solar activity on global changes, climate and weather including the effects of atmo s pheric electricity), - aeronomy, astronautics (the influence of solar activity on density of upper atmo s phere and space craft slowing clown by it and characteristics of spacecraft outer atmo s phere), - radiophysics (determination and forecast ionospheric state of planets and radiowave transfer conditions), - heliobiology (the role of solar activity in biology and medical events), - seismology, possible sociology. There are the Resolutions with support of SSP Mission of the importance of this project from Commissions C, D and E of COSPAR, 1996, Commission G of URSI, 1996 and General Assembly of IAGA, 1999.

SOLAR CYCLE PROPAGATION, MEMORY, AND PREDICTION: INSIGHTS FROM A CENTURY OF MAGNETIC PROXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Munoz-Jaramillo, Andres; DeLuca, Edward E.; Dasi-Espuig, Maria

The solar cycle and its associated magnetic activity are the main drivers behind changes in the interplanetary environment and Earth's upper atmosphere (commonly referred to as space weather). These changes have a direct impact on the lifetime of space-based assets and can create hazards to astronauts in space. In recent years there has been an effort to develop accurate solar cycle predictions (with aims at predicting the long-term evolution of space weather), leading to nearly a hundred widely spread predictions for the amplitude of solar cycle 24. A major contributor to the disagreement is the lack of direct long-term databasesmore » covering different components of the solar magnetic field (toroidal versus poloidal). Here, we use sunspot area and polar faculae measurements spanning a full century (as our toroidal and poloidal field proxies) to study solar cycle propagation, memory, and prediction. Our results substantiate predictions based on the polar magnetic fields, whereas we find sunspot area to be uncorrelated with cycle amplitude unless multiplied by area-weighted average tilt. This suggests that the joint assimilation of tilt and sunspot area is a better choice (with aims to cycle prediction) than sunspot area alone, and adds to the evidence in favor of active region emergence and decay as the main mechanism of poloidal field generation (i.e., the Babcock-Leighton mechanism). Finally, by looking at the correlation between our poloidal and toroidal proxies across multiple cycles, we find solar cycle memory to be limited to only one cycle.« less

Influence of the Solar Cycle on Turbulence Properties and Cosmic-Ray Diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, L.-L.; Adhikari, L.; Zank, G. P.; Hu, Q.; Feng, X. S.

2018-04-01

The solar cycle dependence of various turbulence quantities and cosmic-ray (CR) diffusion coefficients is investigated by using OMNI 1 minute resolution data over 22 years. We employ Elsässer variables z ± to calculate the magnetic field turbulence energy and correlation lengths for both the inwardly and outwardly directed interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). We present the temporal evolution of both large-scale solar wind (SW) plasma variables and small-scale magnetic fluctuations. Based on these observed quantities, we study the influence of solar activity on CR parallel and perpendicular diffusion using quasi-linear theory and nonlinear guiding center theory, respectively. We also evaluate the radial evolution of the CR diffusion coefficients by using the boundary conditions for different solar activity levels. We find that in the ecliptic plane at 1 au (1), the large-scale SW temperature T, velocity V sw, Alfvén speed V A , and IMF magnitude B 0 are positively related to solar activity; (2) the fluctuating magnetic energy density < {{z}+/- }2> , residual energy E D , and corresponding correlation functions all have an obvious solar cycle dependence. The residual energy E D is always negative, which indicates that the energy in magnetic fluctuations is larger than the energy in kinetic fluctuations, especially at solar maximum; (3) the correlation length λ for magnetic fluctuations does not show significant solar cycle variation; (4) the temporally varying shear source of turbulence, which is most important in the inner heliosphere, depends on the solar cycle; (5) small-scale fluctuations may not depend on the direction of the background magnetic field; and (6) high levels of SW fluctuations will increase CR perpendicular diffusion and decrease CR parallel diffusion, but this trend can be masked if the background IMF changes in concert with turbulence in response to solar activity. These results provide quantitative inputs for both turbulence transport models and CR diffusion models, and also provide valuable insight into the long-term modulation of CRs in the heliosphere.

Interactive effects of solar radiation and dissolved organic matter on bacterial activity and community structure

PubMed Central

Pérez, María Teresa; Sommaruga, Ruben

2007-01-01

We studied the interactive effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and solar radiation on the activity and community structure of bacteria from an alpine lake. Activity was assessed both at the community level as leucine incorporation rates and at the single-cell level by microautoradiography. Fluorescent in situ hybridization and signal amplification by catalysed reporter deposition (CARD-FISH) was used to track changes in the bacterial community composition. Bacteria-free filtrates of different DOM sources (lake, algae or soil) were incubated either in the dark or exposed to solar radiation. Afterwards, the natural bacterial assemblage was inoculated and the cultures incubated in the dark for 24–48 h. Bacterial activity was enhanced in the first 24 h in the soil and algal DOM amendments kept in the dark. After 48 h, the enhancement effect was greatly reduced. The initial bacterial community was dominated by Betaproteobacteria followed by Actinobacteria. The relative abundance (expressed as a percentage of DAPI-stained cells) of Betaproteobacteria increased first in dark incubated DOM amendments, but after 48 h no significant differences were detected among treatments. In contrast, the relative abundance of Actinobacteria increased in pre-irradiated DOM treatments. Although Betaproteobacteria dominated at the end of the experiment, the relative abundance of their R-BT subgroup differed among treatments. Changes in bacterial community activity were significantly correlated with those of the relative abundance and activity of Betaproteobacteria, whereas the contribution of Actinobacteria to the bulk activity was very modest. Our results indicate a negative effect of DOM photoalteration on the bulk bacterial activity. The magnitude of this effect was time-dependent and related to rapid changes in the bacterial assemblage composition. PMID:17686018

Interactive effects of solar radiation and dissolved organic matter on bacterial activity and community structure.

PubMed

Pérez, María Teresa; Sommaruga, Ruben

2007-09-01

We studied the interactive effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and solar radiation on the activity and community structure of bacteria from an alpine lake. Activity was assessed both at the community level as leucine incorporation rates and at the single-cell level by microautoradiography. Fluorescent in situ hybridization and signal amplification by catalysed reporter deposition (CARD-FISH) was used to track changes in the bacterial community composition. Bacteria-free filtrates of different DOM sources (lake, algae or soil) were incubated either in the dark or exposed to solar radiation. Afterwards, the natural bacterial assemblage was inoculated and the cultures incubated in the dark for 24-48 h. Bacterial activity was enhanced in the first 24 h in the soil and algal DOM amendments kept in the dark. After 48 h, the enhancement effect was greatly reduced. The initial bacterial community was dominated by Betaproteobacteria followed by Actinobacteria. The relative abundance (expressed as a percentage of DAPI-stained cells) of Betaproteobacteria increased first in dark incubated DOM amendments, but after 48 h no significant differences were detected among treatments. In contrast, the relative abundance of Actinobacteria increased in pre-irradiated DOM treatments. Although Betaproteobacteria dominated at the end of the experiment, the relative abundance of their R-BT subgroup differed among treatments. Changes in bacterial community activity were significantly correlated with those of the relative abundance and activity of Betaproteobacteria, whereas the contribution of Actinobacteria to the bulk activity was very modest. Our results indicate a negative effect of DOM photoalteration on the bulk bacterial activity. The magnitude of this effect was time-dependent and related to rapid changes in the bacterial assemblage composition.

Cosmic Influence on the Sun-Earth Environment

PubMed Central

Mukherjee, Saumitra

2008-01-01

SOHO satellite data reveals geophysical changes before sudden changes in the Earth's Sun-Earth environment. The influence of extragalactic changes on the Sun as well as the Sun-Earth environment seems to be both periodic and episodic. The periodic changes in terms of solar maxima and minima occur every 11 years, whereas the episodic changes can happen at any time. Episodic changes can be monitored by cosmic ray detectors as a sudden increase or decrease of activity. During these solar and cosmic anomaly periods the environment of the Earth is affected. The Star-Sun-Earth connection has the potential to influence the thermosphere, atmosphere, ionosphere and lithosphere. Initial correlation of the cosmic and Sun-Earth connection has shown the possibility of predicting earthquakes, sudden changes in atmospheric temperatures and erratic rainfall/snowfall patterns. PMID:27873955

Evidence for solar cycles in a late Holocene speleothem record from Dongge Cave, China

PubMed Central

Duan, Fucai; Wang, Yongjin; Shen, Chuan-Chou; Wang, Yi; Cheng, Hai; Wu, Chung-Che; Hu, Hsun-Ming; Kong, Xinggong; Liu, Dianbing; Zhao, Kan

2014-01-01

The association between solar activity and Asian monsoon (AM) remains unclear. Here we evaluate the possible connection between them based on a precisely-dated, high-resolution speleothem oxygen isotope record from Dongge Cave, southwest China during the past 4.2 thousand years (ka). Without being adjusted chronologically to the solar signal, our record shows a distinct peak-to-peak correlation with cosmogenic nuclide 14C, total solar irradiance (TSI), and sunspot number (SN) at multi-decadal to centennial timescales. Further cross-wavelet analyses between our calcite δ18O and atmospheric 14C show statistically strong coherence at three typical periodicities of ~80, 200 and 340 years, suggesting important roles of solar activities in modulating AM changes at those timescales. Our result has further indicated a better correlation between our calcite δ18O record and atmospheric 14C than between our record and TSI. This better correlation may imply that the Sun–monsoon connection is dominated most likely by cosmic rays and oceanic circulation (both associated to atmospheric 14C), instead of the direct solar heating (TSI). PMID:24894978

Chronomics of tree rings for chronoastrobiology and beyond.

PubMed

Nintcheu-Fata, Sylvain; Katinas, George; Halberg, Franz; Cornélissen, Germaine; Tolstykh, Victor; Michael, Henry N; Otsuka, Kuniaki; Schwartzkopff, Othild; Bakken, Earl

2003-10-01

Gliding spectral windows illustrate the changes as a function of time in the relative prominence of signals in a given frequency range, viewed in 3D or as surface charts. As an example, the method is applied to a 2,189-year series of averages of ring measurements on 11 sequoia trees published by Douglass. Analyses of the original data and after filtering reveal, among others, components with periods of about 10.5 and 21 years similar to the Schwabe and Hale solar activity cycles. An alignment of gliding spectra with a global spectrum serves to define, by minima, the ranges of variability around the anticipated Schwabe and Hale cycles. This procedure may have more general applicability when dealing with ranges of only transiently synchronized, wobbly, and perhaps sometimes free-running periodicities. Solar activity is known to affect climate and changes in climate are reflected to some extent in tree growth. The spectral structure in tree rings could serve not only to check any relations of climate with sunspots, auroras and more modern measures of solar activity, but also to check any purely mathematical extrapolations from the much shorter available actual data on solar activity. With such extrapolated series and the data analyzed herein, the task remains to align physical and physiological variables to further study the influence of natural environmental factors near and far on biota, including international battles, which cover an even longer span of 2,556 years.

Possible links between extreme levels of space weather changes and human health state in middle latitudes: direct and indirect indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safaraly-Oghlu Babayev, Elchin

The Sun is the main driver of space weather. The possibility that solar activity variations and related changes in the Earth's magnetosphere can affect human life and health has been debated for many decades. This problem is being studied extensively in the late 20th and early 21st centuries and it is still being contradictory in some cases. The relations between space weather changes and the human health have global implications, but they are especially significant for habitants living at high geomagnetic latitudes where the geomagnetic disturbances have larger amplitudes. Nevertheless, the relevant researches are also important for humans living at any geomagnetic latitudes with different levels of geomagnetic activity; recent researches show that weak geomagnetic disturbances can also have adverse effects. Unfortunately, limited comparison of results of investigations on possible effects to humans from geomagnetic activity exists between studies conducted in high, middle and low latitudes. Knowledge about the relationship between solar and geomagnetic activity and the human health would allow to get better prepared beforehand for any future geomagnetic event and its impacts anywhere. For these purposes there are conducted collaborative (jointly with scientists from Israel, Bulgaria, Russia and Belgium) and cross-disciplinary space weather studies in the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences for revealing possible effects of solar, geomagnetic and cosmic ray variability on certain technological, biological and ecological systems in different phases of solar cycle 23. This paper describes some recently obtained results of the complex (theoretical, experimental and statistical) studies of influence of the periodical and aperiodical changes of solar, geomagnetic and cosmic ray activities upon human cardio-health state as well as human physiological and psycho-emotional state. It also covers the conclusions of studies on influence of violent solar events and severe geomagnetic storms of the solar cycle 23 on the mentioned systems in middle-latitude location. In these studies, direct and indirect indicators of space weather influence are used: 1) Indirect indicators are essentially epidemiological data showing the temporal and spatial distribution of defined events or health disturbances involving considerable numbers of test subjects over several years. The indirect indicators used in this paper are: temporal distribution of emergency calls and hospital admissions (sudden cardiac deaths, acute myocardial infarction mortality and morbidity, so on), dynamics of traffic accidents, epidemics, etc.; 2) Direct indicators. They are physiological parameters, which can be objectively verified and which are acquired either in vivo, directly on the subject (heart rate and its variability, blood pressure, human brain's functional state, human psycho-emotional state, so on), or in vitro by laboratory diagnostics or tissue investigations. The potential co-factors, e.g. terrestrial (tropospheric) weather, seasons, demographic factor, working environment, etc., were also considered in the interpretation of the indicators. Spectral analyses have revealed certain chronobiological periodicities in the considered data. There are also provided results of daily medical-physiological experiments (acupunctural studies of conductivity of the biologically active points of human body in days with different geomagnetic activity levels) conducted in the Laboratory of Heliobiology, Baku, Azerbaijan, as a part of collaborative studies with Russian institutions such as IZMIRAN and Space Research Institute. They show on the latitudinal and longitudinal dependence of space weather influence. Our complex studies enabled to conclude that not only extremely high, but also very low levels of geomagnetic activity may have signifi- cant influence on human health state, especially, in the cardio-vascular health state and human brain's bioelectrical activity.

QUASI-BIENNIAL OSCILLATIONS IN THE SOLAR TACHOCLINE CAUSED BY MAGNETIC ROSSBY WAVE INSTABILITIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zaqarashvili, Teimuraz V.; Carbonell, Marc; Oliver, Ramon

2010-11-20

Quasi-biennial oscillations (QBOs) are frequently observed in solar activity indices. However, no clear physical mechanism for the observed variations has been suggested so far. Here, we study the stability of magnetic Rossby waves in the solar tachocline using the shallow water magnetohydrodynamic approximation. Our analysis shows that the combination of typical differential rotation and a toroidal magnetic field with a strength of {>=}10{sup 5} G triggers the instability of the m = 1 magnetic Rossby wave harmonic with a period of {approx}2 years. This harmonic is antisymmetric with respect to the equator and its period (and growth rate) depends onmore » the differential rotation parameters and magnetic field strength. The oscillations may cause a periodic magnetic flux emergence at the solar surface and consequently may lead to the observed QBO in solar activity features. The period of QBOs may change throughout a cycle, and from cycle to cycle, due to variations of the mean magnetic field and differential rotation in the tachocline.« less

Observing the release of twist by magnetic reconnection in a solar filament eruption

PubMed Central

Xue, Zhike; Yan, Xiaoli; Cheng, Xin; Yang, Liheng; Su, Yingna; Kliem, Bernhard; Zhang, Jun; Liu, Zhong; Bi, Yi; Xiang, Yongyuan; Yang, Kai; Zhao, Li

2016-01-01

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process of topology change and energy release, taking place in plasmas on the Sun, in space, in astrophysical objects and in the laboratory. However, observational evidence has been relatively rare and typically only partial. Here we present evidence of fast reconnection in a solar filament eruption using high-resolution H-alpha images from the New Vacuum Solar Telescope, supplemented by extreme ultraviolet observations. The reconnection is seen to occur between a set of ambient chromospheric fibrils and the filament itself. This allows for the relaxation of magnetic tension in the filament by an untwisting motion, demonstrating a flux rope structure. The topology change and untwisting are also found through nonlinear force-free field modelling of the active region in combination with magnetohydrodynamic simulation. These results demonstrate a new role for reconnection in solar eruptions: the release of magnetic twist. PMID:27306479

Anomalous Expansion of Coronal Mass Ejections During Solar Cycle 24 and Its Space Weather Implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gopalswamy, Nat; Akiyama, Sachiko; Yashiro, Seiji; Xie, Hong; Makela, Pertti; Michalek, Grzegorz

2014-01-01

The familiar correlation between the speed and angular width of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is also found in solar cycle 24, but the regression line has a larger slope: for a given CME speed, cycle 24 CMEs are significantly wider than those in cycle 23. The slope change indicates a significant change in the physical state of the heliosphere, due to the weak solar activity. The total pressure in the heliosphere (magnetic + plasma) is reduced by approximately 40%, which leads to the anomalous expansion of CMEs explaining the increased slope. The excess CME expansion contributes to the diminished effectiveness of CMEs in producing magnetic storms during cycle 24, both because the magnetic content of the CMEs is diluted and also because of the weaker ambient fields. The reduced magnetic field in the heliosphere may contribute to the lack of solar energetic particles accelerated to very high energies during this cycle.

Sunspot cycle-dependent changes in the distribution of GSE latitudinal angles of IMF observed near 1 AU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felix Pereira, B.; Girish, T. E.

2004-05-01

The solar cycle variations in the characteristics of the GSE latitudinal angles of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field ($\\theta$GSE) observed near 1 AU have been studied for the period 1967-2000. It is observed that the statistical parameters mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis vary with sunspot cycle. The $\\theta$GSE distribution resembles the Gaussian curve during sunspot maximum and is clearly non-Gaussian during sunspot minimum. The width of the $\\theta$GSE distribution is found to increase with sunspot activity, which is likely to depend on the occurrence of solar transients. Solar cycle variations in skewness are ordered by the solar polar magnetic field changes. This can be explained in terms of the dependence of the dominant polarity of the north-south component of IMF in the GSE system near 1 AU on the IMF sector polarity and the structure of the heliospheric current sheet.

Relative phase asynchrony and long-range correlation of long-term solar magnetic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Linhua

2017-07-01

Statistical signal processing is one of the most important tasks in a large amount of areas of scientific studies, such as astrophysics, geophysics, and space physics. Phase recurrence analysis and long-range persistence are the two dynamical structures of the underlying processes for the given natural phenomenon. Linear and nonlinear time series analysis approaches (cross-correlation analysis, cross-recurrence plot, wavelet coherent transform, and Hurst analysis) are combined to investigate the relative phase interconnection and long-range correlation between solar activity and geomagnetic activity for the time interval from 1932 January to 2017 January. The following prominent results are found: (1) geomagnetic activity lags behind sunspot numbers with a phase shift of 21 months, and they have a high level of asynchronous behavior; (2) their relative phase interconnections are in phase for the periodic scales during 8-16 years, but have a mixing behavior for the periodic belts below 8 years; (3) both sunspot numbers and geomagnetic activity can not be regarded as a stochastic phenomenon because their dynamical behaviors display a long-term correlation and a fractal nature. We believe that the presented conclusions could provide further information on understanding the dynamical coupling of solar dynamo process with geomagnetic activity variation, and the crucial role of solar and geomagnetic activity in the long-term climate change.

A Time-Frequency Analysis of the Effects of Solar Activities on Tropospheric Thermodynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiang, Richard K.; Kyle, H. Lee; Wharton, Stephen W. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Whether the Sun has significantly influenced the climate during the last century has been under extensive debates for almost two decades. Since the solar irradiance varies very little in a solar cycle, it is puzzling that some geophysical parameters show proportionally large variations which appear to be responding to the solar cycles. For example, variation in low altitude clouds is shown correlated with solar cycle, and the onset of Forbush decrease is shown correlated with the reduction of the vorticity area index. A possible sun-climate connection is that galactic cosmic rays modulated by solar activities influence cloud formation. In this paper, we apply wavelet transform to satellite and surface data to examine this hypothesis. Data analyzed include the time series for solar irradiance, sunspots, UV index, temperature, cloud coverage, and neutron counter measurements. The interactions among the elements in the Earth System under the external and internal forcings give out very complex signals.The periodicity of the forcings or signals could range widely. Since wavelet transforms can analyze multi-scale phenomena that are both localized in frequency and time, it is a very useful technique for detecting, understanding and monitoring climate changes.

Evolution of the Sunspot Number and Solar Wind B Time Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cliver, Edward W.; Herbst, Konstantin

2018-03-01

The past two decades have witnessed significant changes in our knowledge of long-term solar and solar wind activity. The sunspot number time series (1700-present) developed by Rudolf Wolf during the second half of the 19th century was revised and extended by the group sunspot number series (1610-1995) of Hoyt and Schatten during the 1990s. The group sunspot number is significantly lower than the Wolf series before ˜1885. An effort from 2011-2015 to understand and remove differences between these two series via a series of workshops had the unintended consequence of prompting several alternative constructions of the sunspot number. Thus it has been necessary to expand and extend the sunspot number reconciliation process. On the solar wind side, after a decade of controversy, an ISSI International Team used geomagnetic and sunspot data to obtain a high-confidence time series of the solar wind magnetic field strength (B) from 1750-present that can be compared with two independent long-term (> ˜600 year) series of annual B-values based on cosmogenic nuclides. In this paper, we trace the twists and turns leading to our current understanding of long-term solar and solar wind activity.

A study of solar magnetic fields below the surface, at the surface, and in the solar atmosphere - understanding the cause of major solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chintzoglou, Georgios

2016-04-01

Magnetic fields govern all aspects of solar activity from the 11-year solar cycle to the most energetic events in the solar system, such as solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). As seen on the surface of the sun, this activity emanates from localized concentrations of magnetic fields emerging sporadically from the solar interior. These locations are called solar Active Regions (ARs). However, the fundamental processes regarding the origin, emergence and evolution of solar magnetic fields as well as the generation of solar activity are largely unknown or remain controversial. In this dissertation, multiple important issues regarding solar magnetism and activities are addressed, based on advanced observations obtained by AIA and HMI instruments aboard the SDO spacecraft. First, this work investigates the formation of coronal magnetic flux ropes (MFRs), structures associated with major solar activity such as CMEs. In the past, several theories have been proposed to explain the cause of this major activity, which can be categorized in two contrasting groups (a) the MFR is formed in the eruption, and (b) the MFR pre-exists the eruption. This remains a topic of heated debate in modern solar physics. This dissertation provides a complete treatment of the role of MFRs from their genesis all the way to their eruption and even destruction. The study has uncovered the pre-existence of two weakly twisted MFRs, which formed during confined flaring 12 hours before their associated CMEs. Thus, it provides unambiguous evidence for MFRs truly existing before the CME eruptions, resolving the pre-existing MFR controversy. Second, this dissertation addresses the 3-D magnetic structure of complex emerging ARs. In ARs the photospheric fields might show all aspects of complexity, from simple bipolar regions to extremely complex multi-polar surface magnetic distributions. In this thesis, we introduce a novel technique to infer the subphotospheric configuration of emerging magnetic flux tubes while forming ARs on the surface. Using advanced 3D visualization tools and applying this technique on a complex flare and CME productive AR, we found that the magnetic flux tubes involved in forming the complex AR may originate from a single progenitor flux tube in the SCZ. The complexity can be explained as a result of vertical and horizontal bifurcations that occurred on the progenitor flux tube. Third, this dissertation proposes a new scenario on the origin of major solar activity. When more than one flux tubes are in close proximity to each other while they break through the photospheric surface, collision and shearing may occur as they emerge. Once this collisional shearing occurs between nonconjugated sunspots (opposite polarities not belonging to the same bipole), major solar activity is triggered. The collision and the shearing occur due to the natural separation of polarities in emerging bipoles. This is forcing changes in the connectivity close to the photosphere (up to a few local pressure scale heights above the surface) by means of photospheric reconnection and subsequent submergence of small bipoles at the collision interface (polarity inversion line; PIL). In this continuous collision, more poloidal flux is added to the system effectively creating an expanding MFR into the corona, explaining the observation of filament formation above the PIL together with flare activity and CMEs. Our results reject two popular scenarios on the possible cause of solar eruptions (1) eruption occurs due to shearing motion between conjugate polarities, and, (2) bodily emergence of an MFR.

The radial distribution of cosmic rays in the heliosphere at solar maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, F. B.; Fujii, Z.; Heikkila, B.; Lal, N.

2003-08-01

To obtain a more detailed profile of the radial distribution of galactic (GCRs) and anomalous (ACRs) cosmic rays, a unique time in the 11-year solar activity cycle has been selected - that of solar maximum. At this time of minimum cosmic ray intensity a simple, straight-forward normalization technique has been found that allows the cosmic ray data from IMP 8, Pioneer 10 (P-10) and Voyagers 1 and 2 (V1, V2) to be combined for the solar maxima of cycles 21, 22 and 23. This combined distribution reveals a functional form of the radial gradient that varies as G 0/r with G 0 being constant and relatively small in the inner heliosphere. After a transition region between ˜10 and 20 AU, G 0 increases to a much larger value that remains constant between ˜25 and 82 AU. This implies that at solar maximum the changes that produce the 11-year modulation cycle are mainly occurring in the outer heliosphere between ˜15 AU and the termination shock. These observations are not inconsistent with the concept that Global Merged Interaction. regions (GMIRs) are the principal agent of modulation between solar minimum and solar maximum. There does not appear to be a significant change in the amount of heliosheath modulation occurring between the 1997 solar minimum and the cycle 23 solar maximum.

Clinical cosmobiology: The Lithuanian study 1990 1992

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoupel, Eliyahu; Petrauskiene, Jadviga; Kalediene, Ramune; Abramson, Evgeny; Sulkes, Jacqueline

1995-12-01

The numbers of deaths from ischaemic heart disease (IHD), stroke (CVA), all accidents except vehicular, vehicular accidents and suicide (overall total, totals for men and women) per month for 36 months (1990 1992) in Lithuania were analysed in relation to: (1) month of the year (1 12); (2) geomagnetic activity; and (3) solar activity. A total of 122227 deaths (64490 men and 57737 women) was studied, and the results compared with those obtained in an earlier study in Israel, differing geographically and climatically from Lithuania. It was shown that the time of year, solar activity, and geomagnetic activity were related to the monthly death distribution, especially regarding death from IHD and suicide. Age and gender differences were apparent in the relationship between death distribution and physical environmental factors. At age >70 years, many of these relationships change. The monthly distribution of deaths from IHD and suicide are adversely correlated with solar activity and with each other. Differences are presumed in serotoninergic effects as caused by environmental influences.

High resolution solar observations in the context of space weather prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Guo

Space weather has a great impact on the Earth and human life. It is important to study and monitor active regions on the solar surface and ultimately to predict space weather based on the Sun's activity. In this study, a system that uses the full power of speckle masking imaging by parallel processing to obtain high-spatial resolution images of the solar surface in near real-time has been developed and built. The application of this system greatly improves the ability to monitor the evolution of solar active regions and to predict the adverse effects of space weather. The data obtained by this system have also been used to study fine structures on the solar surface and their effects on the upper solar atmosphere. A solar active region has been studied using high resolution data obtained by speckle masking imaging. Evolution of a pore in an active region presented. Formation of a rudimentary penumbra is studied. The effects of the change of the magnetic fields on the upper level atmosphere is discussed. Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) have a great impact on space weather. To study the relationship between CMEs and filament disappearance, a list of 431 filament and prominence disappearance events has been compiled. Comparison of this list with CME data obtained by satellite has shown that most filament disappearances seem to have no corresponding CME events. Even for the limb events, only thirty percent of filament disappearances are associated with CMEs. A CME event that was observed on March 20, 2000 has been studied in detail. This event did not show the three-parts structure of typical CMEs. The kinematical and morphological properties of this event were examined.

Assessment of MODIS and VIIRS Solar Diffuser On-Orbit Degradation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Fulbright, Jon; Angal, Amit; Wang, Zhipeng; Geng, Xu; Butler, Jim

2015-01-01

Both MODIS and VIIRS instruments use a solar diffuser (SD) for their reflective solar bands (RSB) on-orbit calibration. On-orbit changes in SD bi-directional reflectance factor (BRF) are tracked by a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) using its alternate measurements of the sunlight reflected off the SD panel and direct sunlight through a fixed attenuation screen. The SDSM calibration data are collected by a number of filtered detectors, covering wavelengths from 0.41 to 0.94 micrometers. In this paper we describe briefly the Terra and Aqua MODIS and S-NPP VIIRS SDSM on-orbit operation and calibration activities and strategies, provide an overall assessment of their SDSM on-orbit performance, including wavelength-dependent changes in the SDSM detector responses and changes in their SD BRF, and discuss remaining challenging issues and their potential impact on RSB calibration quality. Due to different launch dates, operating configurations, and calibration frequencies, the Terra and Aqua MODIS and S-NPP VIIRS SD have experienced different amount of SD degradation. However, in general the shorter the wavelength, the larger is the SD on-orbit degradation. On the other hand, the larger changes in SDSM detector responses are observed at longer wavelengths in the near infrared (NIR).

Assessment of MODIS and VIIRS solar diffuser on-orbit degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Fulbright, Jon; Angal, Amit; Wang, Zhipeng; Geng, Xu; Butler, Jim

2015-09-01

Both MODIS and VIIRS instruments use a solar diffuser (SD) for their reflective solar bands (RSB) on-orbit calibration. On-orbit changes in SD bi-directional reflectance factor (BRF) are tracked by a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) using its alternate measurements of the sunlight reflected off the SD panel and direct sunlight through a fixed attenuation screen. The SDSM calibration data are collected by a number of filtered detectors, covering wavelengths from 0.41 to 0.94μm. In this paper we describe briefly the Terra and Aqua MODIS and S-NPP VIIRS SDSM on-orbit operation and calibration activities and strategies, provide an overall assessment of their SDSM on-orbit performance, including wavelength-dependent changes in the SDSM detector responses and changes in their SD BRF, and discuss remaining challenging issues and their potential impact on RSB calibration quality. Due to different launch dates, operating configurations, and calibration frequencies, the Terra and Aqua MODIS and S-NPP VIIRS SD have experienced different amount of SD degradation. However, in general the shorter the wavelength, the larger is the SD on-orbit degradation. On the other hand, the larger changes in SDSM detector responses are observed at longer wavelengths in the near infrared (NIR).

Validation of Spacecraft Active Cavity Radiometer Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) Long Term Measurement Trends Using Proxy TSI Least Squares Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Robert Benjamin, III; Wilson, Robert S.

2003-01-01

Long-term, incoming total solar irradiance (TSI) measurement trends were validated using proxy TSI values, derived from indices of solar magnetic activity. Spacecraft active cavity radiometers (ACR) are being used to measure longterm TSI variability, which may trigger global climate changes. The TSI, typically referred to as the solar constant, was normalized to the mean earth-sun distance. Studies of spacecraft TSI data sets confirmed the existence of a 0.1 %, long-term TSI variability component within a 10-year period. The 0.1% TSI variability component is clearly present in the spacecraft data sets from the 1984-2004 time frame. Typically, three overlapping spacecraft data sets were used to validate long-term TSI variability trends. However, during the years of 1978-1984, 1989-1991, and 1993-1996, three overlapping spacecraft data sets were not available in order to validate TSI trends. The TSI was found to vary with indices of solar magnetic activity associated with recent 10-year sunspot cycles. Proxy TSI values were derived from least squares analyses of the measured TSI variability with the solar indices of 10.7-cm solar fluxes, and with limb-darked sunspot fluxes. The resulting proxy TSI values were compared to the spacecraft ACR measurements of TSI variability to detect ACR instrument degradation, which may be interpreted as TSI variability. Analyses of ACR measurements and TSI proxies are presented primarily for the 1984-2004, Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) ACR solar monitor data set. Differences in proxy and spacecraft measurement data sets suggest the existence of another TSI variability component with an amplitude greater than or equal to 0.5 Wm-2 (0.04%), and with a cycle of 20 years or more.

Solar Wind Plasma Flows and Space Weather Aspects Recent Solar Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaushik, Sonia; Kaushik, Subhash Chandra

2016-07-01

Solar transients are responsible for initiating short - term and long - term variations in earth's magnetosphere. These variations are termed as geomagnetic disturbances, and driven by the interaction of solar wind features with the geo-magnetosphere. The strength of this modulation process depends upon the magnitude and orientation of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field and solar wind parameters. These interplanetary transients are large scale structures containing plasma and magnetic field expelled from the transient active regions of solar atmosphere. As they come to interplanetary medium the interplanetary magnetic field drape around them. This field line draping was thought as possible cause of the characteristic eastward deflection and giving rise to geomagnetic activities as well as a prime factor in producing the modulation effects in the near Earth environment. The Solar cycle 23 has exhibited the unique extended minima and peculiar effects in the geomagnetosphere. Selecting such transients, occurred during this interval, an attempt has been made to determine quantitative relationships of these transients with solar/ interplanetary and Geophysical Parameters. In this work we used hourly values of IMF data obtained from the NSSD Center. The analysis mainly based on looking into the effects of these transients on earth's magnetic field. The high-resolution data IMF Bz and solar wind data obtained from WDC-A, through its omniweb, available during the selected period. Dst and Ap obtained from WDC-Kyoto are taken as indicator of geomagnetic activities. It is found that Dst index, solar wind velocity, proton temperature and the Bz component of magnetic field have higher values and increase just before the occurrence of these events. Larger and varying magnetic field mainly responsible for producing the short-term changes in geomagnetic intensity are observed during these events associated with coronal holes.

Solar modulation of atmospheric electrification through variation of the conductivity over thunderstorms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markson, R.

1975-01-01

It is suggested that variations of the current in the global atmospheric electrical circuit can be produced through regulation of the resistance between the tops of thunderclouds and the ionosphere. Long- and short-term changes in the conductivity of this region occur due to changes in the ionization rate resulting from solar activity. Previous suggestions that the phenomena might be due to conductivity variations in the fair weather part of the world or an influx of space charge to the upper atmosphere are discussed and considered unlikely. It might be possible to test the proposed mechanism by measuring the temporal variation of the ionospheric potential during distributed solar periods. Another approach would be to measure simultaneously the variation in ionization rate and electric current over thunderstorms. Several ways in which changes in atmospheric electrification might influence other meteorological phenomena are mentioned.

Energy, Transportation, Air Quality, Climate Change, Health Nexus: Sustainable Energy is Good for Our Health

PubMed Central

Erickson, Larry E.; Jennings, Merrisa

2017-01-01

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has the potential to improve air quality and human health by encouraging the electrification of transportation and a transition from coal to sustainable energy. There will be human health benefits from reducing combustion emissions in all parts of the world. Solar powered charging infrastructure for electric vehicles adds renewable energy to generate electricity, shaded parking, and a needed charging infrastructure for electric vehicles that will reduce range anxiety. The costs of wind power, solar panels, and batteries are falling because of technological progress, magnitude of commercial activity, production experience, and competition associated with new trillion dollar markets. These energy and transportation transitions can have a very positive impact on health. The energy, transportation, air quality, climate change, health nexus may benefit from additional progress in developing solar powered charging infrastructure. PMID:29922702

Modeling photosynthetically active radiation in water of Tampa Bay, Florida, with emphasis on the geometry of incident irradiance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, R.L.; McPherson, B.F.

1995-01-01

A model is developed that uses a simplified geometric description of incident direct solar beam and diffuse skylight. The model incorporates effects of solar elevation angle and cloudiness on the amount of in-air photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) that passes through the air-water interface and on K0 in waters of relatively low turbidity. The value of K0 was estimated to vary as much as 41% on a clear summer day due to changes in solar elevation angle. The model was used to make estimates of the depth to which sea-grasses might receive adequate light for survival for a range of values of K0. -from Authors

Quasi-Periodic Pulsations in the Earth's Ionosphere Synchronized with Solar Flare Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, L.; Gallagher, P.; McCauley, J.; Dennis, B. R.; Ireland, J.; Inglis, A. R.

2017-12-01

Solar flare activity is a powerful factor affecting the geophysical processes in the Earth's ionosphere. In particular, X-ray photons with wavelength < 10 A can penetrate down to the D-region ( 60-90 km in altitude) resulting in a dramatic increase of ionization in this lowest lying region of the Earth's ionosphere. This manifests as a substantial enhancement of electron density height profile at these altitudes to extents large enough to change the propagation conditions for Very Low Frequency (VLF 3-30 kHz) radio waves that travel in the waveguide formed by the Earth and the lower ionosphere. Recently, it has become clear that flares exhibit quasi-periodic pulsations with periods of seconds to minutes at EUV, X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths. To date, it has not been known if the Earth's ionosphere is sensitive to these dynamic solar pulsations. Here, we report ionospheric pulsations with periods of 20 minutes that are synchronized with a set of pulsating flare loops using VLF observations of the ionospheric D-layer together with X-ray and EUV observations of a solar flare from the NOAA/GOES and NASA/SDO satellites. Modeling of the ionosphere show that the D-region electron density varies by up to an order of magnitude over the timescale of the pulsations. Our results show that the Earth's ionosphere is more sensitive to small-scale changes in solar activity than previously thought.

Energy storage using phase-change materials for active solar heating and cooling: An evaluation of future research and development direction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borkowski, R. J.; Stovall, T. K.; Kedl, R. J.; Tomlinson, J. J.

1982-04-01

The current state of the art and commercial potential of active solar heating and cooling systems for buildings, and the use of thermal energy storage with these systems are assessed. The need for advanced latent heat storage subsystems in these applications and priorities for their development are determined. Latent storage subsystems are advantageous in applications where their compactness may be exploited. It is suggested that subsystems could facilitate storage in retrofit applications in which storage would be physically impossible otherwise.

Aeronomic Impacts of a Revision to the Solar Irradiance Forcing for CMIP6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsh, D. R.; Chiodo, G.

2016-12-01

In preparation for the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), a revised solar forcing dataset has been the assembled as part of the Solar Influences activity of the Stratospheretroposphere Processes And their Role in Climate (SPARC) project. The new dataset differs significantly from the previous dataset used by CMIP5 models in the distribution of the mean solar spectral irradiance, particularly in the ultraviolet (UV). For example, in the 300 to 350 nm band the irradiance in the new model is reduced by approximately 0.7 Wm2. To put this in perspective, that change amounts to approximately 4 to 6 times the magnitude of the solar cycle variation in that band. Using the NCAR Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM), we assess the impact on stratospheric composition and dynamics of this revision to the solar irradiance by comparing WACCM experiments that are forced by either the CMIP5 or CMIP6 solar forcing dataset. We find that ozone in the middle stratosphere decreases by approximately 3% in the experiments forced with the CMIP6 dataset. At the stratopause ozone increases by over 1.6% in response to a 2% decrease in odd-hydrogen species (HOx = {H, OH and HO2} ) above 35 km. HOx reductions are caused by a decrease in the Hartley band irradiance that creates O(1D) from ozone photolysis; the reaction with O(1D) being the primary way in which H2O is converted to HOx. The reduction in UV irradiance in the CMIP6 forcing dataset also leads to a cooling of the stratosphere and lower mesosphere of up to 1.6K. Considering that smaller irradiance changes that occur over the solar cycle have been implicated in changes in surface climate, our study suggest that the mean state of climate models used in CMIP6 may be significantly different than those used in CMIP5, as a result of changes in the mean solar irradiance forcing.

Shuttle radiation dose measurements in the International Space Station orbits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Badhwar, Gautam D.

2002-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) is now a reality with the start of a permanent human presence on board. Radiation presents a serious risk to the health and safety of the astronauts, and there is a clear requirement for estimating their exposures prior to and after flights. Predictions of the dose rate at times other than solar minimum or solar maximum have not been possible, because there has been no method to calculate the trapped-particle spectrum at intermediate times. Over the last few years, a tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) has been flown at a fixed mid-deck location on board the Space Shuttle in 51.65 degrees inclination flights. These flights have provided data that cover the expected changes in the dose rates due to changes in altitude and changes in solar activity from the solar minimum to the solar maximum of the current 23rd solar cycle. Based on these data, a simple function of the solar deceleration potential has been derived that can be used to predict the galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) dose rates to within +/-10%. For altitudes to be covered by the ISS, the dose rate due to the trapped particles is found to be a power-law function, rho(-2/3), of the atmospheric density, rho. This relationship can be used to predict trapped dose rates inside these spacecraft to +/-10% throughout the solar cycle. Thus, given the shielding distribution for a location inside the Space Shuttle or inside an ISS module, this approach can be used to predict the combined GCR + trapped dose rate to better than +/-15% for quiet solar conditions.

Solar Simulated Ultraviolet Radiation Induces Global Histone Hypoacetylation in Human Keratinocytes.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoru; Kluz, Thomas; Gesumaria, Lisa; Matsui, Mary S; Costa, Max; Sun, Hong

2016-01-01

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from sunlight is the primary effector of skin DNA damage. Chromatin remodeling and histone post-translational modification (PTM) are critical factors in repairing DNA damage and maintaining genomic integrity, however, the dynamic changes of histone marks in response to solar UVR are not well characterized. Here we report global changes in histone PTMs induced by solar simulated UVR (ssUVR). A decrease in lysine acetylation of histones H3 and H4, particularly at positions of H3 lysine 9, lysine 56, H4 lysine 5, and lysine 16, was found in human keratinocytes exposed to ssUVR. These acetylation changes were highly associated with ssUVR in a dose-dependent and time-specific manner. Interestingly, H4K16ac, a mark that is crucial for higher order chromatin structure, exhibited a persistent reduction by ssUVR that was transmitted through multiple cell divisions. In addition, the enzymatic activities of histone acetyltransferases were significantly reduced in irradiated cells, which may account for decreased global acetylation. Moreover, depletion of histone deacetylase SIRT1 in keratinocytes rescued ssUVR-induced H4K16 hypoacetylation. These results indicate that ssUVR affects both HDAC and HAT activities, leading to reduced histone acetylation.

Upper transition height at European mid-latitudes for the years of 2010 and 2016: surprising changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotov, Dmytro; Truhlík, Vladimír; Richards, Philip; Podolská, Kateřina; Bogomaz, Oleksandr; Chernogor, Leonid; Siusiuk, Maryna; Shulha, Maryna; Domnin, Igor

2017-04-01

Our previous studies with the Kharkiv incoherent scatter radar (49.6 N, 36.3 E) data in 2006-2010 revealed that the upper (O+ to H++He+) transition height at mid-latitudes is much more sensitive to the changes in solar and geomagnetic activity than was previously thought [1]. In 2016, solar activity was decreasing and both daily and average F10.7 indices were approaching those in 2010. Solar activity was 12% higher in June and 6% higher in September 2016. Geomagnetic activity was low for the measurements in both 2010 and 2016. Given the difference in solar activity, the 2016 nighttime upper transition heights would be expected to be 55 km higher in June and 30 km higher in September. On the contrary, the observed nighttime minimum of the upper transition heights were 18 km higher in June 2016 and 28 km lower in September 2016. This is a surprising result given that the measured ion temperatures indicate that the exospheric temperature in 2010 and 2016 were similar. The unexpectedly low values of the upper transition height in 2016 may be caused by reduced thermospheric hydrogen escape during the 2012-2014 solar maximum, which was notably weaker than previous maxima. We also show results of the upper transition height obtained from processing of the COSMIC electron density vertical profiles. A comparison with the latest version of the IRI ion composition model (TBT) is also presented. [1] Kotov, D. V., V. Truhlík, P. G. Richards, S. Stankov, O. V. Bogomaz, L. F. Chernogor, and I. F. Domnin (2015), Night-time light ion transition height behaviour over the Kharkiv (50°N, 36°E) IS radar during the equinoxes of 2006-2010, J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys., 132, 1-12, doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2015.06.004.

Synchronized Northern Hemisphere climate change and solar magnetic cycles during the Maunder Minimum.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Yasuhiko T; Yokoyama, Yusuke; Miyahara, Hiroko; Sho, Kenjiro; Nakatsuka, Takeshi

2010-11-30

The Maunder Minimum (A.D. 1645-1715) is a useful period to investigate possible sun-climate linkages as sunspots became exceedingly rare and the characteristics of solar cycles were different from those of today. Here, we report annual variations in the oxygen isotopic composition (δ(18)O) of tree-ring cellulose in central Japan during the Maunder Minimum. We were able to explore possible sun-climate connections through high-temporal resolution solar activity (radiocarbon contents; Δ(14)C) and climate (δ(18)O) isotope records derived from annual tree rings. The tree-ring δ(18)O record in Japan shows distinct negative δ(18)O spikes (wetter rainy seasons) coinciding with rapid cooling in Greenland and with decreases in Northern Hemisphere mean temperature at around minima of decadal solar cycles. We have determined that the climate signals in all three records strongly correlate with changes in the polarity of solar dipole magnetic field, suggesting a causal link to galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). These findings are further supported by a comparison between the interannual patterns of tree-ring δ(18)O record and the GCR flux reconstructed by an ice-core (10)Be record. Therefore, the variation of GCR flux associated with the multidecadal cycles of solar magnetic field seem to be causally related to the significant and widespread climate changes at least during the Maunder Minimum.

Synchronized Northern Hemisphere climate change and solar magnetic cycles during the Maunder Minimum

PubMed Central

Yamaguchi, Yasuhiko T.; Yokoyama, Yusuke; Miyahara, Hiroko; Sho, Kenjiro; Nakatsuka, Takeshi

2010-01-01

The Maunder Minimum (A.D. 1645–1715) is a useful period to investigate possible sun–climate linkages as sunspots became exceedingly rare and the characteristics of solar cycles were different from those of today. Here, we report annual variations in the oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O) of tree-ring cellulose in central Japan during the Maunder Minimum. We were able to explore possible sun–climate connections through high-temporal resolution solar activity (radiocarbon contents; Δ14C) and climate (δ18O) isotope records derived from annual tree rings. The tree-ring δ18O record in Japan shows distinct negative δ18O spikes (wetter rainy seasons) coinciding with rapid cooling in Greenland and with decreases in Northern Hemisphere mean temperature at around minima of decadal solar cycles. We have determined that the climate signals in all three records strongly correlate with changes in the polarity of solar dipole magnetic field, suggesting a causal link to galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). These findings are further supported by a comparison between the interannual patterns of tree-ring δ18O record and the GCR flux reconstructed by an ice-core 10Be record. Therefore, the variation of GCR flux associated with the multidecadal cycles of solar magnetic field seem to be causally related to the significant and widespread climate changes at least during the Maunder Minimum. PMID:21076031

Whole Atmosphere Simulation of Anthropogenic Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solomon, Stanley C.; Liu, Han-Li; Marsh, Daniel R.; McInerney, Joseph M.; Qian, Liying; Vitt, Francis M.

2018-02-01

We simulated anthropogenic global change through the entire atmosphere, including the thermosphere and ionosphere, using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model-eXtended. The basic result was that even as the lower atmosphere gradually warms, the upper atmosphere rapidly cools. The simulations employed constant low solar activity conditions, to remove the effects of variable solar and geomagnetic activity. Global mean annual mean temperature increased at a rate of +0.2 K/decade at the surface and +0.4 K/decade in the upper troposphere but decreased by about -1 K/decade in the stratosphere-mesosphere and -2.8 K/decade in the thermosphere. Near the mesopause, temperature decreases were small compared to the interannual variation, so trends in that region are uncertain. Results were similar to previous modeling confined to specific atmospheric levels and compared favorably with available measurements. These simulations demonstrate the ability of a single comprehensive numerical model to characterize global change throughout the atmosphere.

Improving Soft X-Ray Spectral Irradiance Models for Use Throughout the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eparvier, F. G.; Thiemann, E.; Woods, T. N.

2017-12-01

Understanding the effects of solar variability on planetary atmospheres has been hindered by the lack of accurate models and measurements of the soft x-ray (SXR) spectral irradiance (0-6 nm). Most measurements of the SXR have been broadband and are difficult to interpret due to changing spectral distribution under the pass band of the instruments. Models that use reference spectra for quiet sun, active region, and flaring contributions to irradiance have been made, but with limited success. The recent Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSat made spectral measurements in the 0.04 - 3 nm range from June 2016 to May 2017, observing the Sun at many different levels of activity. In addition, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) has observed the Sun since May 2010, in both broad bands (including a band at 0-7 nm) and spectrally resolved (6-105 nm at 0.1 nm resolution). We will present an improved model of the SXR based on new reference spectra from MinXSS and SDO-EVE. The non-flaring portion of the model is driven by broadband SXR measurements for determining activity level and relative contributions of quiet and active sun. Flares are modeled using flare temperatures from the GOES X-Ray Sensors. The improved SXR model can be driven by any sensors that provide a measure of activity level and flare temperature from any vantage point in the solar system. As an example, a version of the model is using the broadband solar irradiance measurements from the MAVEN EUV Monitor at Mars will be presented.

Long-term Increases in Flower Production by Growth Forms in Response to Anthropogenic Change in a Tropical Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pau, S.; Wright, S. J.

2016-12-01

There is mounting evidence that anthropogenic global change is altering the ecology of tropical forests. A limited number of studies have focused on long-term trends in tropical reproductive activity, yet differences in reproductive activity should have consequences for demography and ultimately forest carbon, water, and energy balance. Here we analyze a 28-year record of tropical flower production in response to anthropogenic climate change. We show that a multi-decadal increase in flower production is most strongly driven by rising atmospheric CO2, which had approximately 8x the effect of the Multivariate ENSO Index and approximately 13x the effect of rainfall or solar radiation. Interannual peaks in flower production were associated with greater solar radiation and low rainfall during El Niño years. Observed changes in solar radiation explained flower production better than rainfall (models including solar radiation accounted for 94% of cumulative AICc weight compared to 87% for rainfall). All growth forms (lianas, canopy trees, midstory trees, and shrubs) produced more flowers with increasing CO2 except for understory treelets. The increase in flower production was matched by a lengthening of flowering duration for canopy trees and midstory trees; duration was also longer for understory treelets. Given that anthropogenic CO2 emissions will continue to climb over the next century, the long-term increase in flower production may persist unless offset by increasing cloudiness in the tropics, or until rising CO2 and/or warming temperatures associated with the greenhouse effect pass critical thresholds for plant reproduction.

A Long-Term Dissipation of the EUV He ii (30.4 nm) Segmentation in Full-Disk Solar Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Didkovsky, Leonid

2018-06-01

Some quiet-Sun days observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on-board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) during the time interval in 2010 - 2017 were used to continue our previous analyses reported by Didkovsky and Gurman ( Solar Phys. 289, 153, 2014a) and Didkovsky, Wieman, and Korogodina ( Solar Phys. 292, 32, 2017). The analysis consists of determining and comparing spatial spectral ratios (spectral densities over some time interval) from spatial (segmentation-cell length) power spectra. The ratios were compared using modeled compatible spatial frequencies for spectra from the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) on-board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and from AIA images. With the new AIA data added to the EIT data we analyzed previously, the whole time interval from 1996 to 2017 reported here is approximately the length of two "standard" solar cycles (SC). The spectral ratios of segmentation-cell dimension structures show a significant and steady increase with no detected indication of SC-related returns to the values that characterize the SC minima. This increase in spatial power at high spatial frequencies is interpreted as a dissipation of medium-size EUV network structures to smaller-size structures in the transition region. Each of the latest ratio changes for 2010 through 2017 spectra calculated for a number of consecutive short-term intervals has been converted into monthly mean ratio (MMR) changes. The MMR values demonstrate variable sign and magnitudes, thus confirming the solar nature of the changes. These changes do not follow a "typical" trend of instrumental degradation or a long-term activity profile from the He ii (30.4 nm) irradiance measured by the Extreme ultraviolet Spectrophotometer (ESP) either. The ESP is a channel of the Extreme ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) on-board SDO.

Possible biophysical mechanism of the effect of the solar activity on the human central nervous system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikhailova, G. A.; Mikhailov, Y. M.

Numerous studies, beginning with Tchizhevsky's works, demonstrated the undeniable effect of the solar activity on the human body. A possible geophysical mechanism of the effect of the solar activity on the human body was proposed by Vladimirsky. In this mechanism solar disturbances (powerful chromospheres flares) cause "magnetosphere and plasmasphere disturbances on the Earth (sudden magnetic storms), which are accompanied by a change in the spectrum of the electromagnetic field on the Earth's surface in the extremely low frequency band. In its turn, this brings about shifts in the phisiological indices of the human body". In this model, the human body is regarded as a self-oscillating system affected by external geophysical factors. We also adhere to the main principles of this model but refine the part of this model that describes the change in the spectrum of the electromagnetic field on the Earth's surface in the extremely low frequency band. Unlike Vladimirsky model, we regard the human is not as a self-oscillating system but as one of two coupled oscillating system with discrete resonance frequencies in the human-habitat ensemble. Solar processes and their induced changes in one of the two coupled oscillating systems, specifically, the habitat play the role of an external force. Such an approach is based on the fact that the brain rhythms have the following definite frequencies: the alpha rhythm, 8-13 Hz; the beta rhythm, 14-30 Hz; the gamma rhythm, above 30 Hz; the delta rhythm, 1.5-3 Hz; and the theta rhythm, 4-7 Hz. On the other hand, the natural electromagnetic field on the Earth's surface in the extremely low frequency band also has a quite distinct resonance distribution. There are so-called Schuman resonances of the cavity formed by the Earth's surface and the lower boundary of the ionosphere (the D and E layers) at f1=10.6; f2=18.3; f3=25.9; f4=33.5; f5=41.1 Hz. These resonance frequencies are variable and most sensitive to variations of the parameters of the lower ionosphere. Solar flares cause magnetic and ionosphere storms, which lead up to additional ionisation in the D and E layers and lowering of the upper boundary of cavity. That decreases the resonance frequencies of the cavity. Thus, the state of the human habitat proves to be dependent on the solar activity through variations of the parameters of the lower ionosphere, which govern variations of the Schuman resonances. These variations we suppose to measure on "Kompass-2" and "Vulcan" satellites.

Essential features of long-term changes of areas and diameters of sunspot groups in solar activity cycles 12-24

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efimenko, V. M.; Lozitsky, V. G.

2018-06-01

We analyze the Greenwich catalog data on areas of sunspot groups of last thirteen solar cycles. Various parameters of sunspots are considered, namely: average monthly smoothed areas, maximum area for each year and equivalent diameters of groups of sunspots. The first parameter shows an exceptional power of the 19th cycle of solar activity, which appears here more contrastively than in the numbers of spots (that is, in Wolf's numbers). It was found that in the maximum areas of sunspot groups for a year there is a unique phenomenon: a short and high jump in the 18th cycle (in 1946-1947) that has no analogues in other cycles. We also studied the integral distributions for equivalent diameters and found the following: (a) the average value of the index of power-law approximation is 5.4 for the last 13 cycles and (b) there is reliable evidence of Hale's double cycle (about 44 years). Since this indicator reflects the dispersion of sunspot group diameters, the results obtained show that the convective zone of the Sun generates embryos of active regions in different statistical regimes which change with a cycle of about 44 years.

Unconventional Solar Sailing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceriotti, Matteo

The idea of exploiting solar radiation pressure for space travel, or solar sailing, is more than a 100 years old, and yet most of the research thus far has considered only a limited number of sail configurations. However solar sails do not have to be inertially-pointing squares, spin-stabilised discs or heliogyros: there is a range of different configurations and concepts that present some advantageous features. This chapter will show and discuss three non-conventional solar sail configurations and their applications. In the first, the sail is complemented by an electric thruster, resulting in a hybrid-propulsion spacecraft which is capable to hover above the Earth's Poles in a stationary position (pole-sitter). The second concept makes use of a variable-geometry pyramidal sail, naturally pointing towards the sun, to increase or decrease the orbit altitude without the need of propellant or attitude manoeuvres. Finally, the third concept shows that the orbit altitude can also be changed, without active manoeuvres or geometry change, if the sail naturally oscillates synchronously with the orbital motion. The main motivation behind these novel configurations is to overcome some of the engineering limitations of solar sailing; the resulting concepts pose some intriguing orbital and attitude dynamics problems, which will be discussed.

TRL Assessment of Solar Sail Technology Development Following the 20-Meter System Ground Demonstrator Hardware Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Roy M.; Montgomery, Edward E.; Montgomery, Sandy; Adams, Charles L.

2007-01-01

The NASA In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) Projects Office has been sponsoring 2 separate, independent system design and development hardware demonstration activities during 2002-2005. ATK Space Systems of Goleta, CA was the prime contractor for one development team and L'Garde, Inc. of Tustin, CA was the prime contractor for the other development team. The goal of these activities was to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) of solar sail propulsion from 3 towards 6 by the year 2006. Component and subsystem fabrication and testing were completed successfully, including the ground deployment of 10-meter and 20-meter ground demonstration hardware systems under vacuum conditions. The deployment and structural testing of the 20-meter solar sail systems was conducted in the 30 meter diameter Space Power Facility thermal-vacuum chamber at NASA Glenn Plum Brook in April though August, 2005. This paper will present the results of the TRL assessment following the solar sail technology development activities associated with the design, development, analysis and testing of the 20-meter system ground demonstrators. Descriptions of the system designs for both the ATK and L'Garde systems will be presented. Changes, additions and evolution of the system designs will be highlighted. A description of the modeling and analyses activities performed by both teams, as well as testing conducted to raise the TRL of solar sail technology will be presented. A summary of the results of model correlation activities will be presented. Finally, technology gaps identified during the assessment and gap closure plans will be presented, along with "lessons learned", subsequent planning activities and validation flight opportunities for solar sail propulsion technology.

Revisiting a possible relationship between solar activity and Earth rotation variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abarca del Rio, R.; Gambis, D.

2011-10-01

A variety of studies have searched to establish a possible relationship between the solar activity and earth variations (Danjon, 1958-1962; Challinor, 1971; Currie, 1980, Gambis, 1990). We are revisiting previous studies (Bourget et al, 1992, Abarca del Rio et al, 2003, Marris et al, 2004) concerning the possible relationship between solar activity variability and length of day (LOD) variations at decadal time scales. Assuming that changes in AAM for the entire atmosphere are accompanied by equal, but opposite, changes in the angular momentum of the earth it is possible to infer changes in LOD from global AAM time series, through the relation : delta (LOD) (ms) = 1.68 10^29 delta(AAM) (kgm2/s) (Rosen and Salstein, 1983), where δ(LOD) is given in milliseconds. Given the close relationship at seasonal to interannual time's scales between LOD and the Atmospheric Angular Momentum (AAM) (see Abarca del Rio et al., 2003) it is possible to infer from century long atmospheric simulations what may have been the variability in the associated LOD variability throughout the last century. In the absence of a homogeneous century long LOD time series, we take advantage of the recent atmospheric reanalyzes extending since 1871 (Compo, Whitaker and Sardeshmukh, 2006). The atmospheric data (winds) of these reanalyzes allow computing AAM up to the top of the atmosphere; though here only troposphere data (up to 100 hPa) was taken into account.

SBUV/2 Long-Term Measurements of Solar Spectral Variability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeLand, Matthew T.; Cebula, Richard P.

1997-01-01

The NOAA-11 SBUV/2 spectral solar data have been corrected for long-term instrument changes to produce a 5.5 year data record during solar cycle 22 (December 1988 - October 1994). Residual drifts in the data at long wavelengths are +/- 1% or less. At 200-205 nm, where solar variations drive stratospheric photochemistry, these data indicate long-term solar changes of 5-7% from the maximum of Cycle 22 in April 1991 through the end of the NOAA-11 data record. Comparisons of NOAA-11 data with UARS SUSIM and SOLSTICE for the period October 1991 - October 1994, when all 3 instruments were operating simultaneously, show that the observed long-term variations in 200-205 nm irradiance agree to within 2%. This result is consistent with predictions from the Mg-2 proxy index. The SBUV/2 instruments represent a valuable resource for long-term solar UV activity studies because of their overlapping data records. In addition to the NOAA-11 data presented here, the NOAA-9 SBUV/2 instrument began taking data in March 1985 and is still operating, providing a complete record of Cycle 22 behavior from a single instrument. Three additional SBUV/2 instruments are scheduled to be launched between 1997 and 2003, which should permit full coverage of solar cycle 23.

Solar Energetic Particle Composition over Two Solar Cycles as Observed by the Ulysses/HISCALE and ACE/EPAM Pulse Height Analyzers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, J. D.; Madanian, H.; Manweiler, J. W.; Lanzerotti, L. J.

2017-12-01

We present the compositional variation in the Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) population in the inner heliosphere over two solar cycles using data from the Ulysses Heliospheric Instrument for Spectra, Composition, and Anisotropy at Low Energies (HISCALE) and Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Electron Proton Alpha Monitor (EPAM). The Ulysses mission was active from late 1990 to mid-2009 in a heliopolar orbit inclined by 80° with a perihelion of 1.3 AU and an aphelion of 5.4 AU. The ACE mission has been active since its launch in late 1997 and is in a halo orbit about L1. These two missions provide a total of 27 years of continuous observation in the inner heliosphere with twelve years of simultaneous observation. HISCALE and EPAM data provide species-resolved differential flux and density of SEP between 0.5-5 MeV/nuc. Several ion species (He, C, O, Ne, Si, Fe) are identified using the Pulse Height Analyzer (PHA) system of the Composition Aperture for both instruments. The He density shows a noticeable increase at high solar activity followed by a moderate drop at the quiet time of the solar minimum between cycles 23 and 24. The density of heavier ions (i.e. O and Fe) change minimally with respect to the F10.7 index variations however, certain energy-specific count rates decrease during solar minimum. With Ulysses and ACE observing in different regions of the inner heliosphere, there are significant latitudinal differences in how the O/He ratios vary with the solar cycle. At solar minimum, there is reasonable agreement between the observations from both instruments. At solar max 23, the differences in composition over the course of the solar cycle, and as observed at different heliospheric locations can provide insight to the origins of and acceleration processes differentially affecting solar energetic ions.

Effects of solar activity on noise in CALIOP profiles above the South Atlantic Anomaly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noel, V.; Chepfer, H.; Hoareau, C.; Reverdy, M.; Cesana, G.

2014-06-01

We show that nighttime dark noise measurements from the spaceborne lidar CALIOP contain valuable information about the evolution of upwelling high-energy radiation levels. Above the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), CALIOP dark noise levels fluctuate by ±6% between 2006 and 2013, and follow the known anticorrelation of local particle flux with the 11-year cycle of solar activity (with a 1-year lag). By analyzing the geographic distribution of noisy profiles, we are able to reproduce known findings about the SAA region. Over the considered period, it shifts westward by 0.3° year-1, and changes in size by 6° meridionally and 2° zonally, becoming larger with weaker solar activity. All results are in strong agreement with previous works. We predict SAA noise levels will increase anew after 2014, and will affect future spaceborne lidar missions most near 2020.

El Niño evolution during the Holocene revealed by a biomarker rain gauge in the Galápagos Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Z.; Leduc, G.; Sachs, J. P.

2014-12-01

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) represents the largest perturbation to the climate system on an inter-annual time scale, but its evolution since the end of the last ice age remains debated due to the lack of unambiguous ENSO records lasting longer than a few centuries. Changes in the concentration and hydrogen isotope ratio of lipids produced by the green alga Botryococcus braunii, which blooms during El Niño rains in the Galápagos Islands, indicate that the early Holocene (9200-5600 yr BP) was characterized by alternating extremes in the intensity and/or frequency of El Niño events that lasted a century or more. Our data from the core of the ENSO region thus calls into question earlier studies that reported a lack of El Niño activity in the early Holocene. In agreement with other proxy evidence from the tropical Pacific, the mid-Holocene (5600-3500 yr BP) was a time of consistently weak El Niño activity, as were the Early Middle Ages (~1000-1500 yr BP). El Niño activity was moderate to high during the remainder of the last 3500 years. Periods of strong or frequent El Niño tended to occur during peaks in solar activity and during extended droughts in the United States Great Plains linked to La Niña. These changing modes of ENSO activity at millennial and multi-centennial timescales may have been caused by variations in the seasonal receipts of solar radiation associated with the precession of the equinoxes and/or changes in solar activity, respectively.

A knowledge discovery approach to explore some Sun/Earth's climate relationships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pou, A.; Valdes, J.

2009-09-01

Recent developments in data driven modeling and analysis including computational intelligence techniques may throw new light on the exploration of possible solar activity/Earth's climate relationships. Here we present three different examples of methodologies under development and some preliminary results. a) Multivariate Time Series Model Mining (MVTSMM) analysis [1] and Genetic Programming were applied to Greenland's CRETE Site-E ice core Delta O18/16 values (1721-1983, one year interval sampling) and with sunspots activity (International Sunspots Number) during the same time span [2]. According to the results (1771 to 1933 period) indicated by the lag importance spectrum obtained with MVTSMM analysis, the sun's activity itself shows high internal variability and is inhomogeneous. The Dalton minimum, a low activity period usually considered to occur between 1790 and 1830, is shown to be a complex structure beginning about 1778 and ending in 1840. Apparently, the system entered a new state in 1912. In the joint analysis, the analytical tool uses extensively the solar activity data to explain the Delta O18/16 data, showing areas of stable patterns, lag drifts and abrupt pattern disruptions, indicating changes of state in the solar processes of several kinds at different times. b) A similar MVTSMM analysis was conducted on Central England Temperature (CET) and solar activity data using Group Sunspots Number (GSN) with a useful interpretive span of time from 1771 to 1916. The joint analysis involved large amounts of solar activity variables, except for the 1843-1862 and 1877-1889 periods where the discovered models used much less information from GSN data. As with the Crete-E/ISN analysis the lag importance spectrum of CET/GSN shows a number of clear discontinuities. A quarter of them are present in both (1778-1779, 1806, 1860-1862, 1912-1913). These experiments were designed for testing methodologies and not for specific hypothesis testing. However, it seems that Delta O18/16 data would more readily respond to solar influences. This raises the suspicion that perhaps they do not only reflect temperatures but also solar activity, as well as other possible factors not directly related to atmospheric temperatures. These methodologies may be useful as exploratory tools, directing the attention to specific areas where further research should be required. This could be the case of the Delta O18/16 data, frequently considered to be a reliable and accurate proxy of temperatures. c) Another experiment was made using daily maximum temperatures from 10 Spanish meteorological stations for the period 1901-2005 [3]. Using a hybrid procedure (Differential Evolution and Fletcher-Reeves Classical Optimization) it was found that a subset was capable of preserving the 10-dimensional similarity when nonlinearly mapped into 1D. A daily index, F1 was applied to the whole dataset and grouped by years and transformed into a Kolmogorov-Smirnov dissimilarity matrix, space optimized and clustered giving the following landmarks: 1911-12, 1919-1920, 1960, 1973 and 1989. A visual comparison with the aa geomagnetic index may suggest a certain coupling with changes in the magnetic field behavior. The complexity of the patterns suggest that the possible relationships between Earth's climate and solar activity may occur in much more complex ways than just irradiance variations and simple linear correlations. REFERENCES: [1] Valdés, J.J., Bonham-Carter, G. " Time Dependent Neural Network Models For Detecting Changes of State in Complex Processes: Applications in Earth Sciences and Astronomy”. Neural Networks, vol 19, (2), pp 196-207, 2006. [2] Valdés, J., Pou, A. "Greenland Temperatures and Solar Activity: A Computational Intelligence Approach," Proceedings of the 2007 IEEE International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2007). Orlando, Florida, USA. August 12-17, 2007. [3] Valdés, J., Pou, A., Orchard, B. "Characterization of Climatic Variations in Spain at the Regional Scale: A Computational Intelligence Approach," Proceedings of the IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (WCCI-2008). Hong Kong, China. June 1, 2008.

Sir William Herschel's notebooks - Abstracts of solar observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoyt, Douglas V.; Schatten, Kenneth H.

1992-01-01

An introduction to the background of Sir William Herschel's notebooks and the historical context within which his observations were made are provided. The observations have relevance in reconstructing solar behavior, as discussed in a separate analysis paper by Hoyt and Schatten (1992), and in understanding active features on the sun such as faculae. The text of Herschel's notebooks with modern terms used throughout forms the body of this paper. The complete text has not previously been published and is not easily accessible to scholars. Herschel used different words for solar features than are used today, and thus, for clarity, his terminology is changed on two occasions. A glossary explains the terminology changed. In the text of the notebooks, several contemporaries are mentioned; a brief description of Herschel's colleagues is provided.

Solutions-based climate change education for K-Gray: Renewable energy and energy efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrone, C.

2017-12-01

Through the National Science Foundation-funded MADE CLEAR (www.madeclear.org) climate change education project's Informal Climate Change Education (ICCE) Community, funds were received to collaboratively train teachers, informal educators, students, and university docents in climate change basics and solutions, specifically renewable energy and energy efficiency. In all, 10 docents, 50 classroom teachers, over 600 K-16 students, and several hundred science-interested citizens participated in programs and workshops lasting between one and seven hours. Using commercially available kits and other DIY projects, program participants used science content and engineering to develop models of wind turbines, wind mills, solar cells, solar cookers, solar stills, and wind-powered cars. Using thermal imaging cameras, Kill-a-Watt meters, "Carbon Food Print" kit, "Energy Matters" kit, and other tools, program participants learned about energy efficiency as not only a global climate change mitigation strategy, but also a way to save money. ICCE Community members and external partners, such as local electric cooperative personnel, university researchers, and state-sponsored energy efficiency program personnel, provided content presentations, discussions, and hands-on activities to program participants.

Past, present and future of passive homes in solar village 3, Athens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalogridis, Achilles

Solar village 3 in Pefki, Athens, was part of an ambitious program for the promotion of solar technology, applied to a large scale social housing scheme, designed in mid 80's and firstly inhabited in the early 1990's. Among the aims of the project was the demonstration of the latest of technology in active solar systems and passive techniques, incorporated in a new settlement's layout and houses' building envelop, in order to create an energy saving, comfortable environment. More than fifteen years later, the housing complex remains the largest residential development of bioclimatic "solar" architecture in Athens, with the active and passive solar systems providing space and water heating for about 1750 inhabitants. The study focuses in the passive solar systems that have been applied to a number of the buildings of the settlement. The systems provide space heating with no need of any active mechanism, however with demand of the participation of the end users for their proper operation. The essay reviews various previous studies, monitoring reports and criticisms that have appeared throughout the past years, and identifies how the houses perform today, through a recent survey, sample monitoring and thermal comfort simulation. The report records things that have changed, features which worked well or others that did not and comments on the residents' behaviour. Interesting findings come into question, regarding the passive solar systems, their integration into the building's design, their current condition and their contribution to energy savings and thermal comfort conditions. Finally, current plans concerning the future of the settlement are highlighted, and considerations about the houses sustainability are suggested.

The investigation of solar activity signals by analyzing of tree ring chronological scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nickiforov, M. G.

2017-07-01

The present study examines the ability of detecting short-cycles and global minima of solar activity by analyzing dendrochronologies. Starting with the study of Douglass, which was devoted to the question of climatic cycles and the growth of trees, it is believed that the analysis of dendrochronologies allows to detect the cycle of Wolf-Schwabe. According to his results, the cycle was absent during Maunder's minimum and appeared after its completion. Having checked Douglass's conclusions by using 10 dendrochronologies of yellow pines from Arizona, which cover the time period from 1600 to 1900, we have come to the opposite results. The verification shows that: a) none of the considered dendroscale allows to detect an 11-year cycle; 2) the behaviour of a short peroid-signal does not undergo significant changes before, during or after Maunder's minimum. A similar attempt to detect global minima of solar activity by using five dendrochronologies from different areas has not led to positive results. On the one hand, the signal of global extremum is not always recorded in dendrochronology, on the other hand, the deep depression of annual rings allows to suppose the existence of a global minimum of solar activity, which is actually absent.

Magnetic substorms and northward IMF turning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troshichev, Oleg; Podorozhkina, Nataly

To determine the relation of the northward IMF turnings to substorm sudden onsets, we separated all events with sharp northward IMF turnings observed in years of solar maximum (1999-2002) and solar minimum (2007-2008). The events (N=261) have been classified in 5 groups in accordance with average magnetic activity in auroral zone (low, moderate or high levels of AL index) at unchanged or slightly changed PC index and with dynamics of PC (steady distinct growth or distinct decline) at arbitrary values of AL index. Statistical analysis of relationships between the IMF turning and changes of PC and AL indices has been fulfilled separately for each of 5 classes. Results of the analysis showed that, irrespective of geophysical conditions and solar activity epoch, the magnetic activity in the polar caps and in the auroral zone demonstrate no response to the sudden northward IMF turning, if the moment of northward turning is taken as a key date. Sharp increases of magnetic disturbance in the auroral zone are observed only under conditions of the growing PC index and statistically they are related to moment of the PC index exceeding the threshold level (~1.5 mV/m), not to northward turnings timed, as a rule, after the moment of sudden onset. Magnetic disturbances observed in these cases in the auroral zone (magnetic substorms) are guided by behavior of the PC index, like to ordinary magnetic substorms or substorms developed under conditions of the prolonged northward IMF impact on the magnetosphere. The evident inconsistency between the sharp IMF changes measured outside of the magnetosphere and behavior of the ground-based PC index, the latter determining the substorm development, provides an additional argument in favor of the PC index as a ground-based proxy of the solar wind energy that entered into magnetosphere.

The ancient sun: Fossil record in the earth, moon and meteorites; Proceedings of the Conference, Boulder, CO, October 16-19, 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pepin, R. O. (Editor); Eddy, J. A.; Merrill, R. B.

1980-01-01

Papers are presented concerning theories of solar variability and their consequences for luminosity, particle emission and magnetic field changes within the past 4.5 billion years, and on the records of such solar behavior in lunar, meteoritic and terrestrial materials. Specific topics include the neutrino luminosity of the sun, the relation of sunspots to the terrestrial climate of the past 100 years, solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays, the historical record of solar activity, C-14 variations in terrestrial and marine reservoirs, and solar particle fluxes as indicated by track, thermoluminescence and solar wind measurements in lunar rocks. Attention is also given to the spin-down of the solar interior through circulation currents and fluid instabilities, grain surface exposure models in planetary regoliths, rare gases in the solar wind, nitrogen isotopic variations in the lunar regolith, the influence of solar UV radiation on climate, and the pre-main sequence evolution of the sun and evidence of the primordial solar wind in the electromagnetic induction heating of the asteroids and moon.

Volcanic eruptions and solar activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stothers, Richard B.

1989-01-01

The historical record of large volcanic eruptions from 1500 to 1980 is subjected to detailed time series analysis. In two weak but probably statistically significant periodicities of about 11 and 80 yr, the frequency of volcanic eruptions increases (decreases) slightly around the times of solar minimum (maximum). Time series analysis of the volcanogenic acidities in a deep ice core from Greenland reveals several very long periods ranging from about 80 to about 350 yr which are similar to the very slow solar cycles previously detected in auroral and C-14 records. Solar flares may cause changes in atmospheric circulation patterns that abruptly alter the earth's spin. The resulting jolt probably triggers small earthquakes which affect volcanism.

A comparison of solar irradiances measured by SBUV, SME, and rockets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlesinger, Barry M.; Heath, Donald F.

1988-01-01

In this paper, Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) measurements of solar irradiance and predictions from the Mg 280-nm index are compared with each other and with coincident Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) and rocket measurements. The SBUV irradiances show a systematic decrease with time not seen in the rocket measurements; a correction for this decrease is introduced. The scatter and overall structure in the SME spectra is 3-5 percent, of the order of or larger than most of the changes predicted by the Mg index. The corrected SBUV ratio and the Mg index prediction for it agree to within 1 percent. Such agreement supports a common origin for variations between solar maximum and minimum and those for individual rotations: the degree to which active regions cover the visible hemisphere of the sun.

Recombination activity of grain boundaries in high-performance multicrystalline Si during solar cell processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamczyk, Krzysztof; Søndenâ, Rune; Stokkan, Gaute; Looney, Erin; Jensen, Mallory; Lai, Barry; Rinio, Markus; Di Sabatino, Marisa

2018-02-01

In this work, we applied internal quantum efficiency mapping to study the recombination activity of grain boundaries in High Performance Multicrystalline Silicon under different processing conditions. Wafers were divided into groups and underwent different thermal processing, consisting of phosphorus diffusion gettering and surface passivation with hydrogen rich layers. After these thermal treatments, wafers were processed into heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer solar cells. Light Beam Induced Current and Electron Backscatter Diffraction were applied to analyse the influence of thermal treatment during standard solar cell processing on different types of grain boundaries. The results show that after cell processing, most random-angle grain boundaries in the material are well passivated, but small-angle grain boundaries are not well passivated. Special cases of coincidence site lattice grain boundaries with high recombination activity are also found. Based on micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements, a change in the contamination level is suggested as the reason behind their increased activity.

The Complexity of Solar and Geomagnetic Indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pesnell, W. Dean

2017-08-01

How far in advance can the sunspot number be predicted with any degree of confidence? Solar cycle predictions are needed to plan long-term space missions. Fleets of satellites circle the Earth collecting science data, protecting astronauts, and relaying information. All of these satellites are sensitive at some level to solar cycle effects. Statistical and timeseries analyses of the sunspot number are often used to predict solar activity. These methods have not been completely successful as the solar dynamo changes over time and one cycle's sunspots are not a faithful predictor of the next cycle's activity. In some ways, using these techniques is similar to asking whether the stock market can be predicted. It has been shown that the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) can be more accurately predicted during periods when it obeys certain statistical properties than at other times. The Hurst exponent is one such way to partition the data. Another measure of the complexity of a timeseries is the fractal dimension. We can use these measures of complexity to compare the sunspot number with other solar and geomagnetic indices. Our concentration is on how trends are removed by the various techniques, either internally or externally. Comparisons of the statistical properties of the various solar indices may guide us in understanding how the dynamo manifests in the various indices and the Sun.

The dynamic relation between activities in the Northern and Southern solar hemispheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volobuev, D. M.; Makarenko, N. G.

2016-12-01

The north-south (N/S) asymmetry of solar activity is the most pronounced phenomenon during 11-year cycle minimums. The goal of this work is to try to interpret the asymmetry as a result of the generalized synchronization of two dynamic systems. It is assumed that these systems are localized in two solar hemispheres. The evolution of these systems is considered in the topological embeddings of a sunspot area time series obtained with the use of the Takens algorithm. We determine the coupling measure and estimate it on the time series of daily sunspot areas. The measurement made it possible to interpret the asymmetry as an exchangeable dynamic equation, in which the roles of the driver-slave components change in time for two hemispheres.

An influence of solar activity on latitudinal distribution of atmospheric ozone and temperature in 2-D radiative-photochemical model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyominov, I. G.

1989-01-01

On the basis of the 2-D radiative-photochemical model of the ozone layer at heights 0 to 60 km in the Northern Hemisphere there are revealed and analyzed in detail the characteristic features of the season-altitude-latitude variations of ozone and temperature due to changes of the solar flux during the 11 year cycle, electron and proton precipitations.

Application of solar max ACRIM data to analyze solar-driven climatic variability on Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffert, M. I.

1986-01-01

Terrestrial climatic effects associated with solar variability have been proposed for at least a century, but could not be assessed quantitatively owing to observational uncertainities in solar flux variations. Measurements from 1980 to 1984 by the Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM), capable of resolving fluctuations above the sensible atmosphere less than 0.1% of the solar constant, permit direct albeit preliminary assessments of solar forcing effects on global temperatures during this period. The global temperature response to ACRIM-measured fluctuations was computed from 1980 to 1985 using the NYU transient climate model including thermal inertia effects of the world ocean; and compared the results with observations of recent temperature trends. Monthly mean ACRIM-driven global surface temperature fluctuations computed with the climate model are an order of magnitude smaller, of order 0.01 C. In constrast, global mean surface temperature observations indicate an approx. 0.1 C increase during this period. Solar variability is therefore likely to have been a minor factor in global climate change during this period compared with variations in atmospheric albedo, greenhouse gases and internal self-inducedoscillations. It was not possible to extend the applicability of the measured flux variations to longer periods since a possible correlation of luminosity with solar annual activity is not supported by statistical analysis. The continuous monitoring of solar flux by satellite-based instruments over timescales of 20 years or more comparable to timescales for thermal relaxation of the oceans and of the solar cycle itself is needed to resolve the question of long-term solar variation effects on climate.

A study of the possible relation of the cardiac arrhythmias occurrence to the polarity reversal of the solar magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavromichalaki, H.; Preka-Papadema, P.; Theodoropoulou, A.; Paouris, E.; Apostolou, Th.

2017-01-01

The biological human system is probably affected by the solar and geomagnetic disturbances as well as the cosmic ray variations. In this work, the relation between the solar activity and cosmic ray variations and the cardiac arrhythmias over the time period 1997-2009 covering the solar cycle 23, is studied. The used medical data set refers to 4741 patients with cardiac arrhythmias and 2548 of whom were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, obtained from the 2nd Cardiological Clinic of the General Hospital of Nicaea, Piraeus, in Greece. The smoothing method on a 365-day basis and the Pearson r-coefficient were used in order to compare these records with the number of sunspots, flares, solar proton events, coronal mass ejections and cosmic ray intensity. Applying a moving correlation function to ±1500 days, it is suggested that a change of the correlation sign between the medical data and each one of the above parameters occurs during a time interval of about 2-3 years. This interval corresponds to the time span of the polarity reversal of the solar magnetic field of this solar cycle, which always takes place around the solar cycle maximum. After then a correlation analysis was carried out corresponding to the rise (1997-2001) and the decay (2002-2009) phases of the solar cycle 23. It is noticeable that the polarity reversal of the solar magnetic field coincides with the period where the sign of the correlation between the incidence of arrhythmias and the occurrence number of the solar eruptive events and the cosmic ray intensity, changes sign. The results are comparable with those obtained from the previous solar cycle 22 based on medical data from another country.

Distinct EUV minimum of the solar irradiance (16-40 nm) observed by SolACES spectrometers onboard the International Space Station (ISS) in August/September 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikutowski, B.; Brunner, R.; Erhardt, Ch.; Knecht, St.; Schmidtke, G.

2011-09-01

In the field of terrestrial climatology the continuous monitoring of the solar irradiance with highest possible accuracy is an important goal. SolACES as a part of the ESA mission SOLAR on the ISS is measuring the short-wavelength solar EUV irradiance from 16-150 nm. This data will be made available to the scientific community to investigate the impact of the solar irradiance variability on the Earth's climate as well as the thermospheric/ionospheric interactions that are pursued in the TIGER program. Since the successful launch with the shuttle mission STS-122 on February 7th, 2008, SolACES initially recorded the low EUV irradiance during the extended solar activity minimum. Thereafter it has been observing the EUV irradiance during the increasing solar activity with enhanced intensity and changing spectral composition. SolACES consists of three grazing incidence planar grating spectrometers. In addition there are two three-signal ionisation chambers, each with exchangeable band-pass filters to determine the absolute EUV fluxes repeatedly during the mission. One important problem of space-borne instrumentation recording the solar EUV irradiance is the degradation of the spectrometer sensitivity. The two double ionisation chambers of SolACES, which could be re-filled with three different gases for each recording, allow the recalibration of the efficiencies of the three SolACES spectrometers from time to time.

Solar Physics at Evergreen: Solar Dynamo and Chromospheric MHD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zita, E. J.; Maxwell, J.; Song, N.; Dikpati, M.

2006-12-01

We describe our five year old solar physics research program at The Evergreen State College. Famed for its cloudy skies, the Pacific Northwest is an ideal location for theoretical and remote solar physics research activities. Why does the Sun's magnetic field flip polarity every 11 years or so? How does this contribute to the magnetic storms Earth experiences when the Sun's field reverses? Why is the temperature in the Sun's upper atmosphere millions of degrees higher than the Sun's surface temperature? How do magnetic waves transport energy in the Sun’s chromosphere and the Earth’s atmosphere? How does solar variability affect climate change? Faculty and undergraduates investigate questions such as these in collaboration with the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. We will describe successful student research projects, logistics of remote computing, and our current physics investigations into (1) the solar dynamo and (2) chromospheric magnetohydrodynamics.

Pulsations in the Earth's Lower Ionosphere Synchronized With Solar Flare Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, Laura A.; Gallagher, Peter T.; McCauley, Joseph; Dennis, Brian R.; Ireland, Jack; Inglis, Andrew

2017-10-01

Solar flare emission at X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) energies can cause substantial enhancements in the electron density in the Earth's lower ionosphere. It has now become clear that flares exhibit quasi-periodic pulsations with timescales of minutes at X-ray energies, but to date, it has not been known if the ionosphere is sensitive to this variability. Here using a combination of very low frequency (24 kHz) measurement together with space-based X-ray and EUV observations, we report pulsations of the ionospheric D region, which are synchronized with a set of pulsating flare loops. Modeling of the ionosphere show that the D region electron density varies by up to an order of magnitude over the timescale of the pulsations (˜ 20 min). Our results reveal that the Earth's ionosphere is more sensitive to small-scale changes in solar soft X-ray flux than previously thought and implies that planetary ionospheres are closely coupled to small-scale changes in solar/stellar activity.

Variability of space climate and its extremes with successive solar cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, Sandra; Hush, Phillip; Tindale, Elisabeth; Dunlop, Malcolm; Watkins, Nicholas

2016-04-01

Auroral geomagnetic indices coupled with in situ solar wind monitors provide a comprehensive data set, spanning several solar cycles. Space climate can be considered as the distribution of space weather. We can then characterize these observations in terms of changing space climate by quantifying how the statistical properties of ensembles of these observed variables vary between different phases of the solar cycle. We first consider the AE index burst distribution. Bursts are constructed by thresholding the AE time series; the size of a burst is the sum of the excess in the time series for each time interval over which the threshold is exceeded. The distribution of burst sizes is two component with a crossover in behaviour at thresholds ≈ 1000 nT. Above this threshold, we find[1] a range over which the mean burst size is almost constant with threshold for both solar maxima and minima. The burst size distribution of the largest events has a functional form which is exponential. The relative likelihood of these large events varies from one solar maximum and minimum to the next. If the relative overall activity of a solar maximum/minimum can be estimated, these results then constrain the likelihood of extreme events of a given size for that solar maximum/minimum. We next develop and apply a methodology to quantify how the full distribution of geomagnetic indices and upstream solar wind observables are changing between and across different solar cycles. This methodology[2] estimates how different quantiles of the distribution, or equivalently, how the return times of events of a given size, are changing. [1] Hush, P., S. C. Chapman, M. W. Dunlop, and N. W. Watkins (2015), Robust statistical properties of the size of large burst events in AE, Geophys. Res. Lett.,42 doi:10.1002/2015GL066277 [2] Chapman, S. C., D. A. Stainforth, N. W. Watkins, (2013) On estimating long term local climate trends , Phil. Trans. Royal Soc., A,371 20120287 DOI:10.1098/rsta.2012.0287

Helio-geomagnetic influence in cardiological cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katsavrias, Ch.; Preka-Papadema, P.; Moussas, X.; Apostolou, Th.; Theodoropoulou, A.; Papadima, Th.

2013-01-01

The effects of the energetic phenomena of the Sun, flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on the Earth's ionosphere-magnetosphere, through the solar wind, are the sources of the geomagnetic disturbances and storms collectively known as Space Weather. The research on the influence of Space Weather on biological and physiological systems is open. In this work we study the Space Weather impact on Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) distinguishing between ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (STE-ACS) and non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS) cases. We compare detailed patient records from the 2nd Cardiologic Department of the General Hospital of Nicaea (Piraeus, Greece) with characteristics of geomagnetic storms (DST), solar wind speed and statistics of flares and CMEs which cover the entire solar cycle 23 (1997-2007). Our results indicate a relationship of ACS to helio-geomagnetic activity as the maximum of the ACS cases follows closely the maximum of the solar cycle. Furthermore, within very active periods, the ratio NSTE-ACS to STE-ACS, which is almost constant during periods of low to medium activity, changes favouring the NSTE-ACS. Most of the ACS cases exhibit a high degree of association with the recovery phase of the geomagnetic storms; a smaller, yet significant, part was found associated with periods of fast solar wind without a storm.

Into the Curriculum. Reading/Language Arts: I Need a Hero/Heroine [and] Reading/Language Arts: Is It Real? Or Did I Make It Up? Comparing and Contrasting Nonfictional and Fantasy Creatures [and] Science/Language Arts: "Jumanji" in the Solar System [and] Science: A Change of Seasons [and] Social Studies: Women Who Changed America: 1800s [and] Social Studies: Discovering the "Titanic."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Jill; And Others

1997-01-01

Presents six curriculum guides for reading, language arts, science, and social studies. Each activity identifies library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, librarian and teacher instructional roles, activity and procedures for completion, activity samples, guidelines for evaluating finished activities, and…

Geomagnetic and sunspot activity associations and ionospheric effects of lightning phenomena at Trivandrum near dip equator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girish, T. E.; Eapen, P. E.

2008-12-01

From a study of thunder/lightning observations in Trivandrum (near dip equator) for selected years between 1853 and 2005, we could find an inverse relation of the same with sunspot activity and associations with enhancements in diurnal range of local geomagnetic declination. The results seem to suggest lightning-associated modulation of E-region dynamo currents in the equatorial ionosphere and the thunderstorm activity near dip equator probably acts as a moderator to regulate electric potential gradient changes in the global electric circuit due to solar activity changes.

Influence of geomagnetic activity and atmospheric pressure on human arterial pressure during the solar cycle 24

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azcárate, T.; Mendoza, B.; Levi, J. R.

2016-11-01

We performed a study of the systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) arterial blood pressure behavior under natural variables such as the atmospheric pressure (AtmP) and the horizontal geomagnetic field component (H). We worked with a sample of 304 healthy normotense volunteers, 152 men and 152 women, with ages between 18 and 84 years in Mexico City during the period 2008-2014, corresponding to the minimum, ascending and maximum phases of the solar cycle 24. The data was divided by gender, age and day/night cycle. We studied the time series using three methods: Correlations, bivariate and superposed epochs (within a window of three days around the day of occurrence of a geomagnetic storm) analysis, between the SBP and DBP and the natural variables (AtmP and H). The correlation analysis indicated correlation between the SBP and DBP and AtmP and H, being the largest during the night. Furthermore, the correlation and bivariate analysis showed that the largest correlations are between the SBP and DBP and the AtmP. The superposed epoch analysis found that the largest number of significant SBP and DBP changes occurred for women. Finally, the blood pressure changes are larger during the solar minimum and ascending solar cycle phases than during the solar maximum; the storms of the minimum were more intense than those of the maximum and this could be the reason of behavior of the blood pressure changes along the solar cycle.

Solar total irradiance in cycle 23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krivova, N. A.; Solanki, S. K.; Schmutz, W.

2011-05-01

Context. The most recent minimum of solar activity was deeper and longer than the previous two minima as indicated by different proxies of solar activity. This is also true for the total solar irradiance (TSI) according to the PMOD composite. Aims: The apparently unusual behaviour of the TSI has been interpreted as evidence against solar surface magnetism as the main driver of the secular change in the TSI. We test claims that the evolution of the solar surface magnetic field does not reproduce the observed TSI in cycle 23. Methods: We use sensitive, 60-min averaged MDI magnetograms and quasi-simultaneous continuum images as an input to our SATIRE-S model and calculate the TSI variation over cycle 23, sampled roughly every two weeks. The computed TSI is then compared with the PMOD composite of TSI measurements and with the data from two individual instruments, SORCE/TIM and UARS/ACRIM II, that monitored the TSI during the declining phase of cycle 23 and over the previous minimum in 1996, respectively. Results: Excellent agreement is found between the trends shown by the model and almost all sets of measurements. The only exception is the early, i.e. 1996 to 1998, PMOD data. Whereas the agreement between the model and the PMOD composite over the period 1999-2009 is almost perfect, the modelled TSI shows a steeper increase between 1996 and 1999 than implied by the PMOD composite. On the other hand, the steeper trend in the model agrees remarkably well with the ACRIM II data. A closer look at the VIRGO data, which are the basis of the PMOD composite after 1996, reveals that only one of the two VIRGO instruments, the PMO6V, shows the shallower trend present in the composite, whereas the DIARAD measurements indicate a steeper trend. Conclusions: Based on these results, we conclude that (1) the sensitivity changes of the PMO6V radiometers within VIRGO during the first two years have very likely not been correctly evaluated; and that (2) the TSI variations over cycle 23 and the change in the TSI levels between the minima in 1996 and 2008 are consistent with the solar surface magnetism mechanism.

Attribution of ionospheric vertical plasma drift perturbations to large-scale waves and the dependence on solar activity (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, H.; Richmond, A. D.

2013-12-01

In this study we quantify the contribution of individual large-scale waves to ionospheric electrodynamics, and examine the dependence of the ionospheric perturbations on solar activity. We focus on migrating diurnal tide (DW1) plus mean winds, migrating semidiurnal tide (SW2), quasi-stationary planetary wave 1 (QSPW1), and nonmigrating semidiurnal westward wave 1 (SW1) under northern winter conditions, when QSPW1 and SW1 are climatologically strong. From TIME-GCM simulations under solar minimum conditions, we calculate equatorial vertical ExB drifts due to mean winds and DW1, SW2, SW1 and QSPW1. In particular, wind components of both SW2 and SW1 become large at mid to high latitudes in the E-region, and kernel functions obtained from numerical experiments reveal that they can significantly affect the equatorial ion drift, likely through modulating the E-region wind dynamo. The most evident changes of total ionospheric vertical drift when solar activity is increased are seen around dawn and dusk, reflecting the more dominant role of large F-region Pedersen conductivity and of the F-region dynamo under high solar activity. Therefore, the lower atmosphere driving of the ionospheric variability is more evident under solar minimum conditions, not only because variability is more identifiable in a quieter background, but also because the E-region wind dynamo is more significant. These numerical experiments also demonstrate that the amplitudes, phases and latitudinal and vertical structures of large-scale waves are important in quantifying the ionospheric responses.

An Influence of Changes of Heliogeophysical Conditions on Biological Systems: Some Results of Studies Conducted in the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babayev, E. S.; Allahverdiyeva, A. A.; Mustafa, F. R.; Shustarev, P. N.

2007-08-01

Part of major results of complex (experimental and statistical) studies carried out in the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences on possible influence of changes of heliogeophysical conditions on the emotional - affective sphere and personal characteristics of functionally healthy persons as well as on the sudden cardiac death (SCD) mortality in middle latitudes is described in this paper. It is revealed that geomagnetic disturbances affect mainly the emotional and vegetative spheres of human beings while characteristics, reflecting personality properties, do not undergo significant changes. Results show that number of SCD displays certain periodicities well-known in solar-terrestrial relations. SCD mortality is affected by changes in solar-geomagnetic (inversely) and cosmic ray (directly) activities alongside medical, social and other influence factors.

Comparing Automatic CME Detections in Multiple LASCO and SECCHI Catalogs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hess, Phillip; Colaninno, Robin C., E-mail: phillip.hess.ctr@nrl.navy.mil, E-mail: robin.colaninno@nrl.navy.mil

With the creation of numerous automatic detection algorithms, a number of different catalogs of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) spanning the entirety of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory ( SOHO ) Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) mission have been created. Some of these catalogs have been further expanded for use on data from the Solar Terrestrial Earth Observatory ( STEREO ) Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) as well. We compare the results from different automatic detection catalogs (Solar Eruption Event Detection System (SEEDS), Computer Aided CME Tracking (CACTus), and Coronal Image Processing (CORIMP)) to ensure the consistency ofmore » detections in each. Over the entire span of the LASCO catalogs, the automatic catalogs are well correlated with one another, to a level greater than 0.88. Focusing on just periods of higher activity, these correlations remain above 0.7. We establish the difficulty in comparing detections over the course of LASCO observations due to the change in the instrument image cadence in 2010. Without adjusting catalogs for the cadence, CME detection rates show a large spike in cycle 24, despite a notable drop in other indices of solar activity. The output from SEEDS, using a consistent image cadence, shows that the CME rate has not significantly changed relative to sunspot number in cycle 24. These data, and mass calculations from CORIMP, lead us to conclude that any apparent increase in CME rate is a result of the change in cadence. We study detection characteristics of CMEs, discussing potential physical changes in events between cycles 23 and 24. We establish that, for detected CMEs, physical parameters can also be sensitive to the cadence.« less

A General Design Rule to Manipulate Photocarrier Transport Path in Solar Cells and Its Realization by the Plasmonic-Electrical Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sha, Wei E. I.; Zhu, Hugh L.; Chen, Luzhou; Chew, Weng Cho; Choy, Wallace C. H.

2015-02-01

It is well known that transport paths of photocarriers (electrons and holes) before collected by electrodes strongly affect bulk recombination and thus electrical properties of solar cells, including open-circuit voltage and fill factor. For boosting device performance, a general design rule, tailored to arbitrary electron to hole mobility ratio, is proposed to decide the transport paths of photocarriers. Due to a unique ability to localize and concentrate light, plasmonics is explored to manipulate photocarrier transport through spatially redistributing light absorption at the active layer of devices. Without changing the active materials, we conceive a plasmonic-electrical concept, which tunes electrical properties of solar cells via the plasmon-modified optical field distribution, to realize the design rule. Incorporating spectrally and spatially configurable metallic nanostructures, thin-film solar cells are theoretically modelled and experimentally fabricated to validate the design rule and verify the plasmonic-tunable electrical properties. The general design rule, together with the plasmonic-electrical effect, contributes to the evolution of emerging photovoltaics.

The QBO and weak external forcing by solar activity: A three dimensional model study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dameris, M.; Ebel, A.

1989-01-01

A better understanding is attempted of the physical mechanisms leading to significant correlations between oscillations in the lower and middle stratosphere and solar variability associated with the sun's rotation. A global 3-d mechanistic model of the middle atmosphere is employed to investigate the effects of minor artificially induced perturbations. The aim is to explore the physical mechanisms of the dynamical response especially of the stratosphere to weak external forcing as it may result from UV flux changes due to solar rotation. First results of numerical experiments dealing about the external forcing of the middle atmosphere by solar activity were presented elsewhere. Different numerical studies regarding the excitation and propagation of weak perturbations have been continued since then. The model calculations presented are made to investigate the influence of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) on the dynamical response of the middle atmosphere to weak perturbations by employing different initial wind fields which represent the west and east phase of the QBO.

Analyses of cosmic ray induced-neutron based on spectrometers operated simultaneously at mid-latitude and Antarctica high-altitude stations during quiet solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubert, G.

2016-10-01

In this paper are described a new neutron spectrometer which operate in the Concordia station (Antarctica, Dome C) since December 2015. This instrument complements a network including neutron spectrometers operating in the Pic-du-Midi and the Pico dos Dias. Thus, this work present an analysis of cosmic ray induced-neutron based on spectrometers operated simultaneously in the Pic-du-Midi and the Concordia stations during a quiet solar activity. The both high station platforms allow for investigating the long period dynamics to analyze the spectral variation and effects of local and seasonal changes, but also the short term dynamics during solar flare events. A first part is devoted to analyze the count rates, the spectrum and the neutron fluxes, implying cross-comparisons between data obtained in the both stations. In a second part, measurements analyses were reinforced by modeling based on simulations of atmospheric cascades according to primary spectra which only depend on the solar modulation potential.

Driving the Heliospheric Jellyfish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leamon, R. J.; Mcintosh, S. W.

2016-12-01

Recent observational work has demonstrated that the enigmatic sunspotcycle and global magnetic environment of the Sun which source theeruptive events and modulate the solar wind, respectively, can beexplained in terms of the intra- and extra-hemispheric interaction ofmagnetic activity bands that belong to the 22-year magnetic polaritycycle. Those activity bands appear to be anchored deep in the Sun'sconvective interior and governed by the rotation of our star's radiativezone. We have also observed that those magnetic bands exhibit strongquasi-annual variability in the rotating convecting system which resultsin a significant local modulation of solar surface magnetism, forcingthe production of large eruptive events in each hemisphere that mouldsthe global-scale solar magnetic field and the solar-wind-inflatedheliosphere. Together with significant changes in the Sun's ultraviolet(UV), extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and X-Ray irradiance, these eruptivefluctuations ensnare all the Heliosphere (all of Heliophysics) like thetentacles of a jellyfish, and can be inferred in variations of suchwide-ranging phenomena as the South Atlantic Anomaly, the thermosphere,the radiation belts, and the can address ``Has Voyager left theHeliosphere?''

Solar and atmospheric forcing on mountain lakes.

PubMed

Luoto, Tomi P; Nevalainen, Liisa

2016-10-01

We investigated the influence of long-term external forcing on aquatic communities in Alpine lakes. Fossil microcrustacean (Cladocera) and macrobenthos (Chironomidae) community variability in four Austrian high-altitude lakes, determined as ultra-sensitive to climate change, were compared against records of air temperature, North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and solar forcing over the past ~400years. Summer temperature variability affected both aquatic invertebrate groups in all study sites. The influence of NAO and solar forcing on aquatic invertebrates was also significant in the lakes except in the less transparent lake known to have remained uniformly cold during the past centuries due to summertime snowmelt input. The results suggest that external forcing plays an important role in these pristine ecosystems through their impacts on limnology of the lakes. Not only does the air temperature variability influence the communities but also larger-scale external factors related to atmospheric circulation patterns and solar activity cause long-term changes in high-altitude aquatic ecosystems, through their connections to hydroclimatic conditions and light environment. These findings are important in the assessment of climate change impacts on aquatic ecosystems and in greater understanding of the consequences of external forcing on lake ontogeny. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solar Simulated Ultraviolet Radiation Induces Global Histone Hypoacetylation in Human Keratinocytes

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaoru; Kluz, Thomas; Gesumaria, Lisa; Matsui, Mary S.; Costa, Max; Sun, Hong

2016-01-01

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from sunlight is the primary effector of skin DNA damage. Chromatin remodeling and histone post-translational modification (PTM) are critical factors in repairing DNA damage and maintaining genomic integrity, however, the dynamic changes of histone marks in response to solar UVR are not well characterized. Here we report global changes in histone PTMs induced by solar simulated UVR (ssUVR). A decrease in lysine acetylation of histones H3 and H4, particularly at positions of H3 lysine 9, lysine 56, H4 lysine 5, and lysine 16, was found in human keratinocytes exposed to ssUVR. These acetylation changes were highly associated with ssUVR in a dose-dependent and time-specific manner. Interestingly, H4K16ac, a mark that is crucial for higher order chromatin structure, exhibited a persistent reduction by ssUVR that was transmitted through multiple cell divisions. In addition, the enzymatic activities of histone acetyltransferases were significantly reduced in irradiated cells, which may account for decreased global acetylation. Moreover, depletion of histone deacetylase SIRT1 in keratinocytes rescued ssUVR-induced H4K16 hypoacetylation. These results indicate that ssUVR affects both HDAC and HAT activities, leading to reduced histone acetylation. PMID:26918332

Long-term reconstructions of total solar irradiance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krivova, Natalie; Solanki, Sami K.; Dasi Espuig, Maria

2012-07-01

Solar irradiance is the main external driver of the Earth's climate, although its relative contribution compared to other internal and anthropogenic factors is not yet well determined. Variations of total solar irradiance have being measured for over three decades and are relatively well understood. Reconstructions of the irradiance into the past remain, however, rather uncertain. In particular, the magnitude of the secular change is highly debated. The reason is the lack of direct and well-sampled proxies of solar magnetic activity on time scales longer than a few decades. Reconstructions on time scales of centuries rely on sunspot observations available since 1610. Reconstructions on millennial time scales use concentrations of the cosmogenic isotopes in terrestrial archives. We will review long-term reconstructions of the solar irradiance using the SATIRE set of models, compare them with other recent models and discuss the remaining uncertainties.

Correlated Measurements of the Disturbances of Geomagnetic Field and Changes of Secondary Particle Fluxes at Aragats-Space Environmental Center (ASEC)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

Fluxes at Aragats-Space Environmental Center (ASEC) Ashot A. Chilingarian Alikhanyan Physics Institute Cosmic Ray Division 2 Alikhanian...GMS occurred during 23rd Solar activity cycle demonstrate that Cosmic Ray increase during GMS occurs coherently (or ~ 1 hour in advance) with abrupt...data on Solar bursts and secondary cosmic ray data. The magnetometer operates stable, noise level is low. 15. SUBJECT TERMS

The Earth's Interaction With the Sun Over the Millennia From Analyses of Historical Sunspot, Auroral and Climate Records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yau, K.

2001-12-01

A prolonged decrease in the Sun's irradiance during the Maunder Minimum has been proposed as a cause of the Little Ice Age ({ca} 1600-1800). Eddy [{Science} {192}, 1976, 1189] made this suggestion after noting that very few sunspots were observed from 1645 to 1715, indicative of a weakened Sun. Pre-telescopic Oriental sunspot records go back over 2200 years. Periods when no sunspots were seen have been documented by, {eg}, Clark [{Astron} {7}, 2/1979, 50]. Abundances of C 14 in tree rings and Be10 in ice cores are also good indicators of past solar activity. These isotopes are produced by cosmic rays high in the atmosphere. When the Sun is less active more of them are made and deposited at ground level. There is thus a strong {negative} correlation between their abundances and sunspot counts. Minima of solar activity in tree rings and a south polar ice core have been collated by, {eg}, Bard [{Earth Planet Sci Lett} {150} 1997, 453]; and show striking correspondence with periods when no sunspots were seen, centered at {ca} 900, 1050, 1500, 1700. Pang and Yau [{Eos} {79}, #45, 1998, F149] investigated the Medieval Minimum at 700, using in addition the frequency of auroral sighting7s, a good indicator of solar activity too [Yau, PhD thesis, 1988]; and found that the progression of minima in solar activity goes back to 700. Auroral frequency, C 14 and Be 10 concentrations are also affected by variations in the geomagnetic field. Deposition changes can also influence C 14 and Be 10 abundances. Sunspot counts are thus the only true indicator of solar activity. The Sun's bolometric variations (-0.3% for the Maunder Minimum) can contribute to climatic changes (\\0.5° C for the Little Ice Age)[{eg}, Lean, {GRL} {22}, 1995, 3195]. For times with no thermometer data, temperature can be estimated from, {eg}, Oxygen 18 isotopic abundance in ice cores, which in turn depends on the temperature of the ocean water it evaporated from. We have linked the Medieval Minimum to the cold spell, dated to {ca} 700 by Dansgaard [{Nature} {255}, 1974, 24]. Using records of advances and retreats of glaciers, previous researchers have linked it to a cold spell in the previous two centuries instead, thus requiring an offset in timescales. Our literature search has yielded more records of sunspot sightings, and established the fifth century as a minimum of solar activity, ending in a maximum at {ca} 500. These features and the minimum at 700 match contemporary deviations of atmospheric C 14 from a secular trend, due primarily to long-term changes in the strength of the Earth's magnetic moment [Stuiver, {Radiocarbon} {35}, 215]. Pang has shown that the climate of Eurasia was cold in the 5th century, due partly to volcanic cooling [{Eos} {80}, #46, 1999, F220]. Reduced solar luminosity may have contributed to that too. The cold apparently forced massive southward migrations of Teutonic and Asian barbarians into the Roman Empire, ending it in 476. Europe was plunged into the Dark Age, from which it did not recover until the climate warmed up again toward the end of the millennium. Finally, climate changes can also be produced by greenhouse warming, reorganization of ocean current systems "Dansgaard-Oeschger events," the Earth's orbital variations "Milankovitch effects," {etc}. Continued analysis of historical records, in conjunction with other proxy data, can help shed light on the nature of the Earth's interactions with the Sun, and the causes of past climate changes.

Solar activity, the QBO, and tropospheric responses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tinsley, Brian A.; Brown, Geoffrey M.; Scherrer, Philip H.

1989-01-01

The suggestion that galactic cosmic rays (GCR) as modulated by the solar wind are the carriers of the component of solar variability that affects weather and climate has been discussed in the literature for 30 years, and there is now a considerable body of evidence that supports it. Variations of GCR occur with the 11 year solar cycle, matching the time scale of recent results for atmospheric variations, as modulated by the quasibiennial oscillation of equatorial stratospheric winds (the QBO). Variations in GCR occur on the time scale of centuries with a well defined peak in the coldest decade of the little ice age. New evidence is presented on the meteorological responses to GCR variations on the time scale of a few days. These responses include changes in the vertical temperature profile in the troposphere and lower stratosphere in the two days following solar flare related high speed plasma streams and associated GCR decreases, and in decreases in Vorticity Area Index (VAI) following Forbush decreases of GCR. The occurrence of correlations of GCR and meteorological responses on all three time scales strengthens the hypothesis of GCR as carriers of solar variability to the lower atmosphere. Both short and long term tropospheric responses are understandable as changes in the intensity of cyclonic storms initiated by mechanisms involving cloud microphysical and cloud electrification processes, due to changes in local ion production from changes in GCR fluxes and other high energy particles in the MeV to low GeV range. The nature of these mechanisms remains undetermined. Possible stratospheric wind (particularly QBO) effects on the transport of HNO3 and other constituents incorporated in cluster ions and possible condensation and freezing nuclei are considered as relevant to the long term variations.

Solar Spots - Activities to Introduce Solar Energy into the K-8 Curricula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longe, Karen M.; McClelland, Michael J.

Following an introduction to solar technology which reviews solar heating and cooling, passive solar systems (direct gain systems, thermal storage walls, sun spaces, roof ponds, and convection loops), active solar systems, solar electricity (photovoltaic and solar thermal conversion systems), wind energy, and biomass, activities to introduce solar…

Attitude and Translation Control of a Solar Sail Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Gurkirpal

2008-01-01

A report discusses the ability to control the attitude and translation degrees-of-freedom of a solar sail vehicle by changing its center of gravity. A movement of the spacecraft s center of mass causes solar-pressure force to apply a torque to the vehicle. At the compact core of the solar-sail vehicle lies the spacecraft bus which is a large fraction of the total vehicle mass. In this concept, the bus is attached to the spacecraft by two single degree-of-freedom linear tracks. This allows relative movement of the bus in the sail plane. At the null position, the resulting solar pressure applies no torque to the vehicle. But any deviation of the bus from the null creates an offset between the spacecraft center of mass and center of solar radiation pressure, resulting in a solar-pressure torque on the vehicle which changes the vehicle attitude. Two of the three vehicle degrees of freedom can be actively controlled in this manner. The third, the roll about the sunline, requires a low-authority vane/propulsive subsystem. Translation control of the vehicle is achieved by directing the solar-pressure-induced force in the proper inertial direction. This requires attitude control. Attitude and translation degrees-of-freedom are therefore coupled. A guidance law is proposed, which allows the vehicle to stationkeep at an appropriate point on the inertially-rotating Sun-Earth line. Power requirements for moving the bus are minimal. Extensive software simulations have been performed to demonstrate the feasibility of this concept.

Solar variability: Implications for global change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lean, Judith; Rind, David

1994-01-01

Solar variability is examined in search of implications for global change. The topics covered include the following: solar variation modification of global surface temperature; the significance of solar variability with respect to future climate change; and methods of reducing the uncertainty of the potential amplitude of solar variability on longer time scales.

TiO2-Photoanode-Assisted Direct-Solar-Energy Harvesting and Storage in a Solar-Powered Redox Cell Using Halides as Active Materials.

PubMed

Zhang, Shun; Chen, Chen; Zhou, Yangen; Qian, Yumin; Ye, Jing; Xiong, Shiyun; Zhao, Yu; Zhang, Xiaohong

2018-06-27

The rapid deployment of renewable energy is resulting in significant energy security, climate change mitigation, and economic benefits. We demonstrate here the direct solar-energy harvesting and storage in a rechargeable solar-powered redox cell, which can be charged solely by solar irradiation. The cell follows a conventional redox-flow cell design with one integrated TiO 2 photoanode in the cathode side. Direct charging of the cell by solar irradiation results in the conversion of solar energy in to chemical energy. Whereas discharging the cell leads to the release of chemical energy in the form of electricity. The cell integrates energy conversion and storage processes in a single device, making the solar energy directly and efficiently dispatchable. When using redox couples of Br 2 /Br - and I 3 - /I - in the cathode side and anode side, respectively, the cell can be directly charged upon solar irradiation, yielding a discharge potential of 0.5 V with good round-trip efficiencies. This design is expected to be a potential alternative toward the development of affordable, inexhaustible, and clean solar-energy technologies.

Solar Flare Aimed at Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

At the height of the solar cycle, the Sun is finally displaying some fireworks. This image from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) shows a large solar flare from June 6, 2000 at 1424 Universal Time (10:24 AM Eastern Daylight Savings Time). Associated with the flare was a coronal mass ejection that sent a wave of fast moving charged particles straight towards Earth. (The image was acquired by the Extreme ultaviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), one of 12 instruments aboard SOHO) Solar activity affects the Earth in several ways. The particles generated by flares can disrupt satellite communications and interfere with power transmission on the Earth's surface. Earth's climate is tied to the total energy emitted by the sun, cooling when the sun radiates less energy and warming when solar output increases. Solar radiation also produces ozone in the stratosphere, so total ozone levels tend to increase during the solar maximum. For more information about these solar flares and the SOHO mission, see NASA Science News or the SOHO home page. For more about the links between the sun and climate change, see Sunspots and the Solar Max. Image courtesy SOHO Extreme ultaviolet Imaging Telescope, ESA/NASA

Salient Features of the New Sunspot Number Time Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahluwalia, H. S.; Ygbuhay, R. C.

2016-12-01

Recently Clette et al. (Space Sci. Rev. 186, 35, 2014) completed the first revision of the international sunspot number SSN(V2) since its creation by Wolf in 1849 SSN(V1) starting in 1700 and ending in May 2015. The yearly values of SSN(V2) are larger than those of SSN(V1) but the secular trend in their timelines both exhibit a gradual descent after Cycle 21 minimum resulting in greatly reduced activity for Cycle 24. It has two peaks; one in 2012 due to activity in the north hemisphere (NH) and the other in 2014 due to excess activity in the south hemisphere (SH). The N-S excess of hemispheric SSNs is examined for 1950 - 2014, in relation to the time variations of the solar polar field for 1976 - 2015, covering five complete solar cycles (19 - 23) and parts of the bordering two (18, 24). We find that SH tends to become progressively more active in the declining phase of the cycles reaching an extreme value that gave rise to a second higher peak in October 2014 in the smoothed SSNs accompanied by a strong solar polar field in SH. There may be a Gleissberg cyclicity in the asymmetric solar dynamo operation. The continuing descent of the secular trend in SSNs implies that we may be near a Dalton-level grand minimum. The low activity spell may last well past 2060, accompanied by a stable but reduced level of the space weather/climate. Fourier spectrum of the time domain of SSNs shows no evidence of the 208 year/cycle (ypc) (DeVries/Suess cycle) seen in the cosmogenic radionuclide ({}^{10}Be) concentration in the polar ice cores and {}^{14}C record in trees indicating that 208 ypc peak may be of non-solar origin. It may arise from the climate process(es) that change(s) the way radionuclides are deposited on polar ice. It should be noted that we only have {˜} 400 years of SSN data, so it is possible that DeVries/Suess cycle is really driven by the Sun but for now we do not have any evidence of that; there is no known physical process linking 208 ypc to solar dynamo operation.

The solar corona through the sunspot cycle: preparing for the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, Jay M.; Seaton, Daniel; Rusin, Vojtech

2017-01-01

We discuss the evolution of the solar corona as seen at eclipses through the solar-activity cycle. In particular, we discuss the variations of the overall shape of the corona through the relative proportions of coronal streamers at equatorial and other latitudes vs. polar plumes. We analyze the two coronal mass ejections that we observed from Gabon at the 2013 total solar eclipse and how they apparently arose from polar crown filaments, one at each pole. We describe the change in the Ludendorff flattening index from solar maximum in one hemisphere as of the 2013 eclipse through the 2015 totality's corona we observed from Svalbard and, with diminishing sunspot and other magnetic activity in each hemisphere, through the 2016 corona we observed from Ternate, Indonesia.We discuss our observational plans for the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse from our main site in Salem, Oregon, and subsidiary sites in Madras, OR; Carbondale, IL; and elsewhere, our main site chosen largely by its favorable rating in cloudiness statistics. We discuss the overlapping role of simultaneous spacecraft observations, including those expected not only from NASA's SDO, ESA's SWAP on PROBA2, and NRL/NASA/ESA's LASCO on SOHO but also from the new SUVI (Solar Ultraviolet Imager) aboard NOAA's GOES-R satellite, scheduled as of this writing to have been launched by the time of this January 2017 meeting.Our research on the 2013 and 2015 total solar eclipses was supported by grants from the Committee for Research and Exploration of the National Geographic Society (NG-CRE). Our research on the 2017 total solar eclipse is supported by both NG-CRE and the Solar Terrestrial Program of the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Division of the National Science Foundation.

Consciousness can reduce the voltage of the output signal of solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Dayong

2011-03-01

When the sun's light radiate on the solar cell, it can produce the output signal as the pho- tocurrent. We use the Data Acquisition Modules to record the voltage of the output signals. The v1 is voltage of the photocurrent of solar cell1; The v2 is the one of solar cell2. And these two solar cells stay side by side. When we record the voltages from the morning to the noon, the voltages will go up, and the v1 is bigger than the v2 during this time. But in other experi- menter, not only sun's light ratiade on two solar cells, but also consciousness act on two solar cells. Not only I can use consciousness to reduce the growth voltage of the output signals, but also can change the v1 to be littler than the v2. The experiment was conducted on Sep. 2010. When light of lamp radiate on two solar cells, I can reduce v1, at the same time, can augment v2. These experiments had been finished in Los Angeles, Oct. 26th. And the experiment show that the consciousness active function differ from the passive function of conditioned reflex (of Pavlov). There is the physical system of the mass, energy, space and time-MEST; There is the spirited system of the mind, consciousness, emotion and desire-MECD; the information system is the code system. We can use the consciousness change the electron-structure of solar cell by the interaction of the information.

A SOLAR CYCLE LOST IN 1793-1800: EARLY SUNSPOT OBSERVATIONS RESOLVE THE OLD MYSTERY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Usoskin, Ilya G.; Mursula, Kalevi; Arlt, Rainer

2009-08-01

Because of the lack of reliable sunspot observations, the quality of the sunspot number series is poor in the late 18th century, leading to the abnormally long solar cycle (1784-1799) before the Dalton minimum. Using the newly recovered solar drawings by the 18-19th century observers Staudacher and Hamilton, we construct the solar butterfly diagram, i.e., the latitudinal distribution of sunspots in the 1790s. The sudden, systematic occurrence of sunspots at high solar latitudes in 1793-1796 unambiguously shows that a new cycle started in 1793, which was lost in the traditional Wolf sunspot series. This finally confirms the existence of themore » lost cycle that has been proposed earlier, thus resolving an old mystery. This Letter brings the attention of the scientific community to the need of revising the sunspot series in the 18th century. The presence of a new short, asymmetric cycle implies changes and constraints to sunspot cycle statistics, solar activity predictions, and solar dynamo theories, as well as for solar-terrestrial relations.« less

Influence of Solar Irradiance on Polar Ionospheric Convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrell, A. G.; Yeoman, T. K.; Stephen, M.; Lester, M.

2016-12-01

Plasma convection over the poles shows the result of direct interactions between the terrestrial atmosphere, magnetosphere, and the sun. The paths that the ionospheric plasma takes in the polar cap form a variety of patterns, which have been shown to depend strongly on the direction of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) and the reconnection rate. While the IMF and level of geomagnetic activity clearly alter the plasma convection patterns, the influence of changing solar irradiance is also important. The solar irradiance and magnetospheric particle precipitation regulate the rate of plasma production, and thus the ionospheric conductivity. Previous work has demonstrated how season alters the convection patterns observed over the poles, demonstrating the importance that solar photoionisation has on plasma convection. This study investigates the role of solar photoionisation on convection more directly, using measurements of ionospheric convection made by the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) and solar irradiance observations made by the Solar EUV Experiment (SEE) to explore the influence of the solar cycle on ionospheric convection, and the implications this may have on magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling.

The Clinical and Histological Effect of a Low-Fluence Q-Switched 1,064-nm Neodymium: Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet Laser for the Treatment of Melasma and Solar Lentigenes in Asians: Prospective, Randomized, and Split-Face Comparative Study.

PubMed

Kaminaka, Chikako; Furukawa, Fukumi; Yamamoto, Yuki

2017-09-01

The low-fluence Q-switched 1,064-nm neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser (QSNYL) is popular for melasma treatment among Asians. This study was to evaluate the clinical and histological effects of the low-fluence QSNYL for treatment of melasma and solar lentigenes. In this randomized split-face clinical study, 22 patients with melasma or solar lentigo received low-fluence QSNYL weekly for 10 sessions on one cheek. The treatment efficacy was determined by Mexameter skin colorimetry, physician and patient assessment, and by evaluating histological changes. The treated sides had statistically significant reductions in the melanin and erythema indices (EI); 50.0% of melasma and 62.5% of solar lentigo patients had >50% clearance after the final treatment. The increased EI, vascularity, and mast cell activity in patients with melasma and large-sized solar lentigo showed no improvement. The recurrence rates were 16.7% and 12.7% for melasma and solar lentigo, respectively. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation developed in 1 patient, but no serious side effects were noted. Low-fluence QSNYL is effective in treating melasma and small type solar lentigo in Asians. The authors' study also demonstrated that lesion thickness, vascularity, and mast cell activity can be used to predict the efficacy of the treatment of these lesions.

Reactivation and reuse of TiO2-SnS2 composite catalyst for solar-driven water treatment.

PubMed

Kovacic, Marin; Kopcic, Nina; Kusic, Hrvoje; Stangar, Urska Lavrencic; Dionysiou, Dionysios D; Bozic, Ana Loncaric

2018-01-01

One of the most important features of photocatalytic materials intended to be used for water treatment is their long-term stability. The study is focused on the application of thermal and chemical treatments for the reactivation of TiO 2 -SnS 2 composite photocatalyst, prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and immobilized on the glass support using titania/silica binder. Such a catalytic system was applied in solar-driven treatment, solar/TiO 2 -SnS 2 /H 2 O 2 , for the purification of water contaminated with diclofenac (DCF). The effectiveness of studied reactivation methods for retaining TiO 2 -SnS 2 activity in consecutive cycles was evaluated on basis of DCF removal and conversion, and TOC removal and mineralization of organic content. Besides these water quality parameters, biodegradability changes in DCF aqueous solution treated by solar/TiO 2 -SnS 2 /H 2 O 2 process using simply reused (air-dried) and thermally and chemically reactivated composite photocatalyst through six consecutive cycles were monitored. It was established that both thermal and chemical reactivation retain TiO 2 -SnS 2 activity in the second cycle of its reuse. However, both treatments caused the alteration in the TiO 2 -SnS 2 morphology due to the partial transformation of visible-active SnS 2 into non-active SnO 2 . Such alteration, repeated through consecutive reactivation and reuse, was reflected through gradual activity loss of TiO 2 -SnS 2 composite in applied solar-driven water treatment.

Characteristics of ionospheric electron density profiles in the auroral and polar cap regions from long-term incoherent scatter radar observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jee, G.; Kim, E.; Kwak, Y. S.; Kim, Y.; Kil, H.

2017-12-01

We investigate the climatological characteristics of the ionospheric electron density profiles in the auroral and polar cap regions in comparison with the mid-latitude ionosphere using incoherent scatter radars (ISR) observations from Svalbard (78.15N, 16.05E), Tromso (69.59N, 19.23E), and Millstone Hill (42.6N, 288.5E) during a period of 1995 - 2015. Diurnal variations of electron density profiles from 100 to 500 km are compared among the three radar observations during equinox, summer and winter solstice for different solar and geomagnetic activities. Also investigated are the physical characteristics of E-region and F-region peak parameters of electron density profiles in the auroral and polar cap regions, which are significantly different from the mid-latitude ionosphere. In the polar ionosphere, the diurnal variations of density profiles are extremely small in summer hemisphere. Semiannual anomaly hardly appears for all latitudes, but winter anomaly occurs at mid-latitude and auroral ionospheres for high solar activity. Nighttime density becomes larger than daytime density in the winter polar cap ionosphere for high solar activity. The E-region peak is very distinctive in the nighttime auroral region and the peak height is nearly constant at about 110 km for all conditions. Compared with the F-region peak density, the E-region peak density does not change much with solar activity. Furthermore, the E-region peak density can be even larger than F-region density for low solar activity in the auroral region, particularly during disturbed condition.

1999-2003 Shortwave Characterizations of Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS)/Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) Broadband Active Cavity Radiometer Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Robert B., III; Smith, George L.; Wong, Takmeng

2008-01-01

From October 1984 through May 2005, the NASA Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS/ )/Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE)ERBE nonscanning active cavity radiometers (ACR) were used to monitor long-term changes in the earth radiation budget components of the incoming total solar irradiance (TSI), earth-reflected TSI, and earth-emitted outgoing longwave radiation (OLR). From September1984 through September 1999, using on-board calibration systems, the ERBS/ERBE ACR sensor response changes, in gains and offsets, were determined from on-orbit calibration sources and from direct observations of the incoming TSI through calibration solar ports at measurement precision levels approaching 0.5 W/sq m , at satellite altitudes. On October 6, 1999, the onboard radiometer calibration system elevation drive failed. Thereafter, special spacecraft maneuvers were performed to observe cold space and the sun in order to define the post-September 1999 geometry of the radiometer measurements, and to determine the October 1999-September 2003 ERBS sensor response changes. Analyses of these special solar and cold space observations indicate that the radiometers were pointing approximately 16 degrees away from the spacecraft nadir and on the anti-solar side of the spacecraft. The special observations indicated that the radiometers responses were stable at precision levels approaching 0.5 W/sq m . In this paper, the measurement geometry determinations and the determinations of the radiometers gain and offset are presented, which will permit the accurate processing of the October 1999 through September 2003 ERBE data products at satellite and top-of-the-atmosphere altitudes.

SOLAR COSMIC RAYS AND SOFT RADIATION OBSERVED AT 5,000,000 KILOMETERS FROM EARTH

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arnoldy, R.L.; Hoffman, R.A.; Winckler, J.R.

1960-09-01

During the period Mar. 27 to Apr. 6, 1960, the integrating ionization chamber and Geiger counter in Pioneer V detected solar cosmic rays and some soft- radiation effects associated with a high level of solar activity. The space probe was 5 x 10/sup 6/ km from the earth, approximately in the plane of the ecliptic, and located somewhat behind the sunearth radius toward the sun. The solar activity was associated with McMath plage region 5615 and was characterized by numerous flares of all sizes, large loops and surge prominences, and strong emission over a wide range of frequencies. On Mar.more » 31 at 0800 UT, a severe geomagnetic storm began on earth accompanied by major earth-current disturbances, a complete blackout of the North Atlantic communications channel, and auroral displays. At the same time, a large Forbush decrease occurred in the galactic cosmic radiation. An intense series of balloon flights was conducted to record the counting-rate increases at high altitudes due to solar cosmic rays and auroral x rays. Explorer VII showed substantial changes in the radiation belts and detected the solar cosmic rays. The observations of Pioneer V are summarized and compared to the findings of Explorer VII for the same period. (B.O.G.)« less

Synchronizing Greenland ice-core records and the Meerfelder maar sediment record via the global cosmogenic radionuclide signature and insights on climate around 11,230 years BP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mekhaldi, F.; Czymzik, M.; Brauer, A.; Martin-Puertas, C.; Aldahan, A.; Possnert, G.; Muscheler, R.

2017-12-01

The causal investigation of multiple paleoclimate records relies on the accuracy of their respective chronostratigraphy. To achieve relative synchronization, cosmogenic radionuclides are an excellent tool because their common signature is global and can be retrieved and measured in different paleoclimate archives. For instance, 10Be can be measured in both ice cores and lake sediments (Berggren et al., 2013; Czymzik et al., 2016) which allows for both archives to be anchored onto radiocarbon timescales by synchronizing 10Be with 14C. We investigate the period 11,500-11,000 years BP when a short cold climate spell is known, from ice-core proxy records, to have occurred in Greenland shortly after the onset of the Holocene - the Preboreal Oscillation (PBO). This period also coincides with one of the largest and longest-lived increase in 14C production rate during the Holocene, which most likely corresponds to a grand solar minimum (around 11,230-11,000 years BP). In consequence, this period ideally illustrates the potential of using a known and clear signal in the production rate of cosmogenic radionuclides as a synchronizing tool, such as caused by large variations in solar activity. Here we measure 10Be in Meerfelder Maar (a well-dated and widely used sediment record from Germany) around 11,230 years BP which allows us to align the 10Be signal in both the Meerfelder Maar (MFM) sediment record and the GRIP ice core to IntCal13. Doing so, we report that i) the structure of the grand solar minimum is well-preserved in the 10Be signal of MFM sediments, ii) the PBO in Greenland occurs during high levels of solar activity and is not clearly observed in MFM, and iii) the PBO in Greenland ends precisely at the onset of the grand solar minimum at 11,230 years BP which also corresponds to a depositional change in MFM sediments (Martin-Puertas et al., 2017). These results thus suggest that changes in solar activity could have been a forcing at play eventually resulting in the PBO in Greenland, and subsequently in the depositional change recorded in MFM sediments.

Cloud cover anomalies at middle latitudes: Links to troposphere dynamics and solar variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veretenenko, S.; Ogurtsov, M.

2016-11-01

In this work we study links between low cloud anomalies (LCA) at middle latitudes of the Northern and Southern hemispheres and galactic cosmic ray (GCR) variations used as a proxy of solar variability on the decadal time scale. It was shown that these links are not direct, but realized through GCR/solar activity phenomena influence on the development of extratropical baric systems (cyclones and troughs) which form cloud field. The violation of a positive correlation between LCA and GCR intensity which was observed in the 1980s-1990s occurred simultaneously in the Northern and Southern hemispheres in the early 2000s and coincided with the sign reversal of GCR effects on troposphere circulation. It was suggested that a possible reason for the correlation reversal between cyclonic activity at middle latitudes and GCR fluxes is the change of the stratospheric polar vortex intensity which influences significantly the troposphere-stratosphere coupling. The evidences for a noticeable weakening of the polar vortices in the Arctic and Antarctic stratosphere in the early 2000s are provided. The results obtained suggest an important role of the polar vortex evolution as a reason for a temporal variability of solar activity effects on the lower atmosphere.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buzra, Urim, E-mail: rimibuzra@yahoo.com; Berberi, Pellumb; Mitrushi, Driada

Change of irradiative properties of the atmosphere during clear days is an indicator, among others, of existence of atmospheric aerosols and can be used as an indicator for assessment both air pollution and local modifications of solar energy potentials. The main objective of this study is estimation of influence of anthropogenic aerosols on solar energy falling in a horizontal surface during a cloudless day. We have analyzed and quantified the effect of aerosols on reducing the amount of solar energy that falls on the horizontal ground surface in cloudless sky conditions, estimating temporal evolution, both in daily and hour scale,more » considering also, side effects caused by relative humidity of the air wind speed and geometric factor. As an indicator of concentration of aerosols in atmosphere, we agreed to use the attenuation of solar radiation after the last rainy day. All data were corrected by factors such as, variations of relative humidity, wind speed and daily change of incident angle of solar radiation. We studied the change of solar insolation in three sites with different traffic intensity, one in city of Shkodra and two in city of Tirana. Fifteen days after last rainy day, approximate time needed to achieve saturation, the insolation drops only 3.1% in the city of Shkodra, while in two sites in city of Tirana are 8.5 % and 18.4%. These data show that reduction of solar insolation is closely related with anthropogenic activity, mainly traffic around the site of the meteorological station. The day to day difference tends to decrease with increasing of number of days passed from the last rainy day, which is an evidence of a trend toward a dynamic equilibrium between decantation process of aerosols during the night and their generation during the day.« less

Cyclic thermal signature in a global MHD simulation of solar convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cossette, J.; Charbonneau, P.; Smolarkiewicz, P. K.

2013-12-01

Space-based observations have clearly established that total solar irradiance (TSI) varies on time scales from minutes to days and months as well as on the longer time scale of the 11-year solar cycle. The most conspicuous of these variations is arguably the slight increase of TSI (0.1%) at solar maxima relative to solar minima. Models that include contributions from surface solar magnetism alone (i.e. sunspots, faculae and magnetic network) have been very successful at reproducing the observed TSI fluctuations on time scales shorter than a year, but leave some doubts as to the origin of the longer decadal fluctuations. In particular, one school of thought argues that surface magnetism alone can explain the entire TSI variance; see (Lean & al. 1998, ApJ, 492, 390), whereas; the other emphasizes on taking into account the effect of a global modulation of solar thermal structure by magnetic activity; see (Li & al. 2003, ApJ, 591, 1267). Observationally, the potential for the occurrence of magnetically-modulated global structural changes is supported by a positive correlation between p-mode oscillation frequencies and the TSI cycle as well as by recent evidence for a long-term trend in the TSI record that is not seen in indicators of surface magnetism; see (Bhatnagar & al. 1999, ApJ, 521, 885; Fröhlich 2013, Space Sci Rev,176, 237). Additionally, 1D structural solar models have demonstrated that the inclusion of a magnetically-modulated turbulent mechanism could explain the observed p-mode oscillation frequency changes with great accuracy. However, these models relied upon an ad-hoc parametrization of the alleged process and therefore obtaining a complete physical picture of the modulating mechanism requires solving the equations governing the self-consistent evolution of the solar plasma. Here we present a global magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulation of solar convection extending over more than a millennium that produces large-scale solar-like axisymmetric magnetic fields undergoing polarity reversals on a decadal time scale. Most importantly, we find that the convective heat flux in this simulation varies in phase with the strength of the cyclic magnetic field, which is consistent with the enhanced value of TSI observed at solar maxima. The impact of the observed modulation on the amplitude of TSI fluctuations remains yet to be understood, since the domain of our simulation stops at 0.96 R, which is slightly below the photosphere. Nevertheless, the fact that we observe a positive correlation between convective energy transport and magnetic activity suggests that global structural changes may indeed affect the amplitude of long-term TSI variations. Knowing whether or not such a global thermal modulation operates independently from the mechanism responsible for the emergence of sunspots at the solar surface is therefore important for assessing possible connections between periods of quiet surface magnetism and the Earth's climate, such as the postulated relationship between the Maunder Minimum and the Little Ice Age.

A theoretical study of the global F region for June solstice, solar maximum, and low magnetic activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sojka, J. J.; Schunk, R. W.

1985-01-01

A time-dependent, three-dimensional, multi-ion model of the ionospheric F region at 120-800 km altitude is presented. Account is taken of field-aligned diffusion, cross-field electrodynamic drifts in equatorial and high latitude regions, interhemispheric flow, thermospheric winds, polar wind escape, energy-dependent chemical reactions and neutral composition changes. Attention is also given to the effects of ion production by solar EUV radiation and auroral precipitation, thermal conduction, diffusion-thermal heat flow, local heating and cooling processes, offsets between the geomagnetic and geographic poles, and bending of field lines near the magnetic equator. The model incorporates all phenomena described by previous models and can be applied to tracing magnetic storm and substorm disturbances from high to low latitudes on a global scale. Sample results are provided for ionospheric features during a June solstice, the solar maximum and in a period of low geomagnetic activity. The model will eventually be used to study coupled ionosphere-thermosphere activity.

Evolution of the Active Region NOAA 12443 based on magnetic field extrapolations: preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chicrala, André; Dallaqua, Renato Sergio; Antunes Vieira, Luis Eduardo; Dal Lago, Alisson; Rodríguez Gómez, Jenny Marcela; Palacios, Judith; Coelho Stekel, Tardelli Ronan; Rezende Costa, Joaquim Eduardo; da Silva Rockenbach, Marlos

2017-10-01

The behavior of Active Regions (ARs) is directly related to the occurrence of some remarkable phenomena in the Sun such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections (CME). In this sense, changes in the magnetic field of the region can be used to uncover other relevant features like the evolution of the ARs magnetic structure and the plasma flow related to it. In this work we describe the evolution of the magnetic structure of the active region AR NOAA12443 observed from 2015/10/30 to 2015/11/10, which may be associated with several X-ray flares of classes C and M. The analysis is based on observations of the solar surface and atmosphere provided by HMI and AIA instruments on board of the SDO spacecraft. In order to investigate the magnetic energy buildup and release of the ARs, we shall employ potential and linear force free extrapolations based on the solar surface magnetic field distribution and the photospheric velocity fields.

A second chance for Solar Max

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maran, S. P.; Woodgate, B. E.

1984-01-01

Using NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite as a communications link, astronomers are able to receive scans from the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite immediately and regularly at the Goddard Space Flight Center. This major operational improvement permits the examination of SMM imagery and spectra as they arrive, as well as the formulation of future observational sequences on the basis of the solar activity in progress. Attention is given to aspects of the sun that change in the course of the 11-year sunspot cycle's movement from maximum to minimum. Proof has been obtained by means of SMM for the near-simultaneity of X-ray and UV bursts at flare onset.

Radial-Velocity Signatures of Magnetic Features on the Sun Observed as a Star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palumbo, M. L., III; Haywood, R. D.; Saar, S. H.; Dupree, A. K.; Milbourne, T. W.

2017-12-01

In recent years, the search for Earth-mass planets using radial-velocity measurements has become increasingly limited by signals arising from stellar activity. Individual magnetic features induce localized changes in intensity and velocity, which combine to change the apparent radial velocity of the star. Therefore it is critical to identify an indicator of activity-driven radial-velocity variations on the timescale of stellar rotation periods. We use 617.3 nm photospheric filtergrams, magnetograms, and dopplergrams from SDO/HMI and 170.0 nm chromospheric filtergrams from AIA to identify magnetically-driven solar features and reconstruct the integrated solar radial velocity with six samples per day over the course of 2014. Breaking the solar image up into regions of umbrae, penumbrae, quiet Sun, network, and plages, we find a distinct variation in the center-to-limb intensity-weighted velocity for each region. In agreement with past studies, we find that the suppression of convective blueshift is dominated by plages and network, rather than dark photospheric features. In the future, this work will be highly useful for identifying indicators which correlate with rotationally modulated radial-velocity variations. This will allow us to break the activity barrier that currently precludes the precise characterization of exoplanet properties at the lowest masses. This work was supported by the NSF-REU solar physics program at SAO, grant number AGS-1560313. This work was performed in part under contract with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) funded by NASA through the Sagan Fellowship Program executed by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute.

Effects of solar UV-B radiation on aquatic ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Häder, D.-P.

Solar UV degrades dissolved organic carbon photolytically so that they can readily be taken up by bacterioplankton. On the other hand solar UV radiation inhibits bacterioplankton activity. Bacterioplankton productivity is far greater than previously thought and is comparable to phytoplankton primary productivity. According to the "microbial loop hypothesis," bacterioplankton is seen in the center of a food web, having a similar function to phytoplankton and protists. The penetration of UV and PAR into the water column can be measured. Marine waters show large temporal and regional differences in their concentrations of dissolved and particulate absorbing substances. A network of dosimeters (ELDONET) has been installed in Europe ranging from Abisko in Northern Sweden to Gran Canaria. Cyanobacteria are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen which is then made available to higher plants. The agricultural potential of cyanobacteria has been recognized as a biological fertilizer for wet soils such as in rice paddies. UV-B is known to impair processes such as growth, survival, pigmentation, motility, as well as the enzymes of nitrogen metabolism and CO 2 fixation. The marine phytoplankton represents the single most important ecosystem on our planet and produces about the same biomass as all terrestrial ecosystems taken together. It is the base of the aquatic food chain and any changes in the size and composition of phytoplankton communities will directly affect food production for humans from marine sources. Another important role of marine phytoplankton is to serve as a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Recent investigations have shown a large sensitivity of most phytoplankton organisms toward solar short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UV-B); even at ambient levels of UV-B radiation many organisms seem to be under UV stress. Because of their requirement for solar energy, the phytoplankton dwell in the top layers of the water column. In this near-surface position phytoplankton will be exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation. This radiation has been shown to affect growth, photosynthesis, nitrogen incorporation and enzyme activity. Other targets of solar UV irradiation are proteins and pigments involved in photosynthesis. Whether or not screening pigments can be induced in phytoplankton to effectively shield the organisms from excessive UV irradiation needs to be determined. Macroalgae show a distinct pattern of vertical distribution in their habitat. They have developed mechanisms to regulate their photosynthetic activity to adapt to the changing light regime and protect themselves from excessive radiation. A broad survey was carried out to understand photosynthesis in aquatic ecosystems and the different adaptation strategies to solar radiation of ecologically important species of green, red and brown algae from the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean, Atlantic, polar and tropical oceans. Photoinhibition was quantified by oxygen exchange and by PAM (pulse amplitude modulated) fluorescence measurements based on transient changes of chlorophyll fluorescence.

A late Holocene record of solar-forced atmospheric blocking variability over Northern Europe inferred from varved lake sediments of Lake Kuninkaisenlampi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saarni, Saija; Muschitiello, Francesco; Weege, Stefanie; Brauer, Achim; Saarinen, Timo

2016-12-01

This study presents a new varved lake sediment sequence from Lake Kuninkaisenlampi, Eastern Finland. The record is constituted by alternations of clastic and biogenic laminae and provides a precise chronology extending back to 3607 ± 94 varve yrs. BP. The seasonality of the boreal climatic zone, with cold winters and mild summers, is reflected in the varve structure as a succession of three laminae from bottom to top, (i) a coarse to fine-grained detrital lamina marked by detrital catchment material transported by spring floods; (ii) a biogenic lamina with diatoms, plant and insect remnants reflecting biological productivity during the season of lake productivity; and (iii) a very fine amorphous organic lamina deposited during the winter stratification. The thickness of the detrital lamina in the lake reflects changes in the rate of spring snow melt in the catchment and is, therefore, considered a proxy for winter conditions. Hence, the record allows reconstructing local climate and environmental conditions on inter-annual to the multi-centennial timescales. We find that minerogenic accumulation reflected in the detrital lamina exhibits a high multi-decadal to centennial-scale spectral coherency with proxies for solar activity, such as Δ14C, and Total Solar Irradiance, suggesting a strong link between solar variability and sediment transport to the lake basin. Increased catchment erosion is observed during periods of low solar activity, which we ascribe to the development of more frequent atmospheric winter blocking circulation induced by solar-forced changes in the stratosphere. We suggest that soil frost in the catchment of Lake Kuninkaisenlampi related to more frequent winter blocking led to increased surface run-off and ultimately to increased catchment erosion during spring. We conclude that, during the past ca 3600 years, solar forcing may have modulated multi-decadal to centennial variations in sedimentation regimes in lakes from Eastern Finland and potentially in other North European lakes.

Dynamics of the Solar Wind Electromagnetic Energy Transmission Into Magnetosphere during Large Geomagnetic Storms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsova, Tamara; Laptukhov, Alexej; Petrov, Valery

Causes of the geomagnetic activity (GA) in the report are divided into temporal changes of the solar wind parameters and the changes of the geomagnetic moment orientation relative directions of the solar wind electric and magnetic fields. Based on our previous study we concluded that a reconnection based on determining role of mutual orientation of the solar wind electric field and geomagnetic moment taking into account effects of the Earth's orbital and daily motions is the most effective compared with existing mechanisms. At present a reconnection as paradigma that has applications in broad fields of physics needs analysis of experimental facts to be developed. In terms of reconnection it is important not only mutual orientation of vectors describing physics of interaction region but and reconnection rate which depends from rate of energy flux to those regions where the reconnection is permitted. Applied to magnetosphere these regions first of all are dayside magnetopause and polar caps. Influence of rate of the energy flux to the lobe magnetopause (based on calculations of the Poyting electromagnetic flux component controlling the reconnection rate along the solar wind velocity Pv) on planetary GA (Dst, Kp indices) is investigated at different phases of geomagnetic storms. We study also the rate of energy flux to the polar caps during storms (based on calculations of the Poyting flux vector component along the geomagnetic moment Pm) and its influence on magnetic activity in the polar ionosphere: at the auroral zone (AU,AL indices). Results allow to evaluate contributions of high and low latitude sources of electromagnetic energy to the storm development and also to clear mechanism of the electromagnetic energy transmission from the solar wind to the magnetosphere. We evaluate too power of the solar wind electromagnetic energy during well-known large storms and compare result with power of the energy sources of other geophysical processes (atmosphere, ocean, earthquakes and etc). The study was supported by a grant of RFBR, n 06-05-64998.

First Report on the 2016 March 9 Total Solar Eclipse Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, Jay M.

2016-06-01

Totality swept across Indonesia and into the Pacific on 2016 March 9, lasting up to 2 min 45 s on Ternate in the Spice Islands (Malukus). I provide a first report on our observations. Our scientific goal is to follow changes in the corona over the solar-activity cycle, now past its 2012 and 2014 double peak, and to measure temporal changes in the corona on the scale of minutes or hours by comparing eclipse observations made at several sites along the path. I also discuss the near-simultaneous coronal observations made with SOHO/LASCO, SDO/AIA, STEREO/SECCHI, PROBA2/SWAP, and Hinode XRT.For the forthcoming 2017 eclipse, we acknowledge grants to JMP and Williams College from the Solar Terrestrial Program of the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Division of the National Science Foundation and from the Committee for Research and Exploration of the National Geographic Society.

Time-dependent efficiency measurements of donor-acceptor, dye-sensitized polymer solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandaccari, Kyle; Chesmore, Grace; Tajalli-Tehrani Valverde, Parisa; Bugaj, Mitchel; McNelis, Brian; Barber, Richard, Jr.

The fullerene/polymer active layer pairing of PCBM/P3HT has become the model system within the field of polymer solar cell research. A large body of work concerned with reporting improved efficiencies for this system exists, but truly quantitative studies of device lifetime and long-term degradation tendencies are much rarer. Here, we report the effects of two donor-acceptor diazo dye sensitizers on efficiency and lifetime upon addition into the PCBM/P3HT active layer at varied concentrations. The electrical and efficiency measurements were supplemented by time-dependent UV-visible spectroscopy studies and morphology investigations via atomic-force microscopy (AFM). This pairing with spectroscopy offers an internal check on the data as the rate of change in absorbance of the active layer correlates almost exactly to the rate of power conversion efficiency decrease. Additionally, AFM imaging reveals different morphology patterns when dye concentrations and functionalities change. Such observations suggest that such small-molecule sensitizers exert yet undetermined effects on the organization of components within the active layer at the molecular level.

The Effects of Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Changes on the Substorm Auroras and Energetic Electron Injections on 24 August 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L. Y.; Wang, Z. Q.

2018-01-01

After the passage of an interplanetary (IP) shock at 06:13 UT on 24 August 2005, the enhancement (>6 nPa) of solar wind dynamic pressure and the southward turning of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) cause the earthward movement of dayside magnetopause and the drift loss of energetic particles near geosynchronous orbit. The persistent electron drift loss makes the geosynchronous satellites cannot observe the substorm electron injection phenomenon during the two substorm expansion phases (06:57-07:39 UT) on that day. Behind the IP shock, the fluctuations ( 0.5-3 nPa) of solar wind dynamic pressure not only alter the dayside auroral brightness but also cause the entire auroral oval to swing in the day-night direction. However, there is no Pi2 pulsation in the nightside auroral oval during the substorm growth phase from 06:13 to 06:57 UT. During the subsequent two substorm expansion phases, the substorm expansion activities cause the nightside aurora oval brightening from substorm onset site to higher latitudes, and meanwhile, the enhancement (decline) of solar wind dynamic pressure makes the nightside auroral oval move toward the magnetic equator (the magnetic pole). These observations demonstrate that solar wind dynamic pressure changes and substorm expansion activities can jointly control the luminosity and location of the nightside auroral oval when the internal and external disturbances occur simultaneously. During the impact of a strong IP shock, the earthward movement of dayside magnetopause probably causes the disappearance of the substorm electron injections near geosynchronous orbit.

Upper Thermosphere Winds and Temperatures in the Geomagnetic Polar Cap: Solar Cycle, Geomagnetic Activity, and Interplanetary Magnetic Field Dependencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Killeen, T. L.; Won, Y.-I.; Niciejewski, R. J.; Burns, A. G.

1995-01-01

Ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometers located at Thule, Greenland (76.5 deg. N, 69.0 deg. W, lambda = 86 deg.) and at Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland (67.0 deg. N, 50.9 deg. W, lambda = 74 deg.) have monitored the upper thermospheric (approx. 240-km altitude) neutral wind and temperature over the northern hemisphere geomagnetic polar cap since 1983 and 1985, respectively. The thermospheric observations are obtained by determining the Doppler characteristics of the (OI) 15,867-K (630.0-nm) emission of atomic oxygen. The instruments operate on a routine, automatic, (mostly) untended basis during the winter observing seasons, with data coverage limited only by cloud cover and (occasional) instrument failures. This unique database of geomagnetic polar cap measurements now extends over the complete range of solar activity. We present an analysis of the measurements made between 1985 (near solar minimum) and 1991 (near solar maximum), as part of a long-term study of geomagnetic polar cap thermospheric climatology. The measurements from a total of 902 nights of observations are compared with the predictions of two semiempirical models: the Vector Spherical Harmonic (VSH) model of Killeen et al. (1987) and the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM) of Hedin et al. (1991). The results are also analyzed using calculations of thermospheric momentum forcing terms from the Thermosphere-ionosphere General Circulation Model TGCM) of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The experimental results show that upper thermospheric winds in the geomagnetic polar cap have a fundamental diurnal character, with typical wind speeds of about 200 m/s at solar minimum, rising to up to about 800 m/s at solar maximum, depending on geomagnetic activity level. These winds generally blow in the antisunward direction, but are interrupted by episodes of modified wind velocity and altered direction often associated with changes in the orientation of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF). The central polar cap (greater than approx. 80 magnetic latitude) antisunward wind speed is found to be a strong function of both solar and geomagnetic activity. The polar cap temperatures show variations in both solar and geomagnetic activity, with temperatures near 800 K for low K(sub p) and F(sub 10.7) and greater than about 2000 K for high K(sub p) and F(sub 10.7). The observed temperatures are significantly greater than those predicted by the mass spectrometer/incoherent scatter model for high activity conditions. Theoretical analysis based on the NCAR TIGCM indicates that the antisunward upper thermospheric winds, driven by upstream ion drag, basically 'coast' across the polar cap. The relatively small changes in wind velocity and direction within the polar cap are induced by a combination of forcing terms of commensurate magnitude, including the nonlinear advection term, the Coriolis term, and the pressure gradient force term. The polar cap thennospheric thermal balance is dominated by horizontal advection, and adiabatic and thermal conduction terms.

The Influence of Solar Proton Events in Solar Cycle 23 on the Neutral Middle Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackman, Charles H.; vonKonig, Miriam; Anderson, John; Roble, Raymond G.; McPeters, Richard D.; Fleming, Eric L.; Russell, James M.

2004-01-01

Solar proton events (SPEs) can cause changes in constituents in the Earth's middle atmosphere. The highly energetic protons cause ionizations, excitations, dissociations, and dissociative ionizations of the background constituents, which lead to the production of HO(x) (H, OH, HO2) and NO(y) (N, NO, NO2, NO3, N2O5, HNO3, HO2NO2, ClONO2, BrONO2). The HO(x) increases lead to short-lived ozone decreases in the mesosphere and upper stratosphere due to the short lifetimes of the HO, constituents. The NO(x) increases lead to long-lived stratospheric ozone changes because of the long lifetime of NO(y) constituents in this region. Solar cycle 23 was quite active with SPEs and very large fluxes of high energy protons occurred in July and November 2000, November 200 1, and April 2002. Smaller, but still substantial, proton fluxes impacted the Earth during other months in the 1997-2003 time period. The impact of the very large SPEs on the neutral middle atmosphere during solar cycle 23 will be discussed, including the HO(x), NO(y), ozone variations and induced atmospheric transport changes. Two multi-dimensional models, the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Two-dimensional (2D) Model and the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model (TIME-GCM), were used in computing the influence of the SPEs. The results of the GSFC 2D Model and the TIME-GCM will be shown along with comparisons to the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) and Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet 2 (SBUV/2) instruments.

High saturation solar light beam induced current scanning of solar cells.

PubMed

Vorster, F J; van Dyk, E E

2007-01-01

The response of the electrical parameters of photovoltaic cells under concentrated solar irradiance has been the subject of many studies performed in recent times. The high saturation conditions typically found in solar cells that are subjected to highly concentrated solar radiation may cause electrically active cell features to behave differently than under monochromatic laser illumination, normally used in light beam induced current (LBIC) investigations. A high concentration solar LBIC (S-LBIC) measurement system has been developed to perform localized cell characterization. The responses of silicon solar cells that were measured qualitatively include externally biased induced cell current at specific cell voltages, I(V), open circuit voltage, V(oc), and the average rate of change of the cell bias with the induced current, DeltaV/DeltaI(V), close to the zero bias region. These images show the relative scale of the parameters of a cell up to the penetration depth of the solar beam and can be obtained with relative ease, qualifying important electrical response features of the solar cell. The S-LBIC maps were also compared with maps that were similarly obtained using a high intensity He-Ne laser beam probe. This article reports on the techniques employed and initial results obtained.

MODIS Measures Fraction of Sunlight Absorbed by Plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

At the height of the solar cycle, the Sun is finally displaying some fireworks. This image from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) shows a large solar flare from June 6, 2000 at 1424 Universal Time (10:24 AM Eastern Daylight Savings Time). Associated with the flare was a coronal mass ejection that sent a wave of fast moving charged particles straight towards Earth. (The image was acquired by the Extreme ultaviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), one of 12 instruments aboard SOHO) Solar activity affects the Earth in several ways. The particles generated by flares can disrupt satellite communications and interfere with power transmission on the Earth's surface. Earth's climate is tied to the total energy emitted by the sun, cooling when the sun radiates less energy and warming when solar output increases. Solar radiation also produces ozone in the stratosphere, so total ozone levels tend to increase during the solar maximum. For more information about these solar flares and the SOHO mission, see NASA Science News or the SOHO home page. For more about the links between the sun and climate change, see Sunspots and the Solar Max. Image courtesy SOHO Extreme ultaviolet Imaging Telescope, ESA/NASA

Solar cycle length hypothesis appears to support the ipcc on global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laut, P.; Gundermann, J.

1998-12-01

Since the discovery of a striking correlation between 1-2-2-2-1 filtered solar cycle lengths and the 11-year running average of northern hemisphere land air temperatures, there have been widespread speculations as to whether these findings would rule out any significant contributions to global warming from the enhanced concentrations of greenhouse gases. The solar hypothesis (as we shall term this assumption) claims that solar activity causes a significant component of the global mean temperature to vary in phase opposite to the filtered solar cycle lengths. In an earlier article we have demonstrated that for data covering the period 1860-1980 the solar hypothesis does not rule out any significant contribution from man-made greenhouse gases and sulphate aerosols. The present analysis goes a step further. We analyse the period 1579-1987 and find that the solar hypothesis-instead of contradicting-appears to support the assumption of a significant warming due to human activities. We have tentatively corrected the historical northern hemisphere land air temperature anomalies by removing the assumed effects of human activities. These are represented by northern hemisphere land air temperature anomalies calculated as the contributions from man-made greenhouse gases and sulphate aerosols by using an upwelling diffusion-energy balance model similar to the model of [Wigley and Raper, 1993] employed in the Second Assessment Report of The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It turns out that the agreement of the filtered solar cycle lengths with the corrected temperature anomalies is substantially better than with the historical anomalies, with the mean square deviation reduced by 36% for a climate sensitivity of 2.5°C, the central value of the IPCC assessment, and by 43% for the best-fit value of 1.7°C. Therefore our findings support a total reversal of the common assumption that a verification of the solar hypothesis would challenge the IPCC assessment of man-made global warming.

Transition from eruptive to confined flares in the same active region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuccarello, F. P.; Chandra, R.; Schmieder, B.; Aulanier, G.; Joshi, R.

2017-05-01

Context. Solar flares are sudden and violent releases of magnetic energy in the solar atmosphere that can be divided into two classes: eruptive flares, where plasma is ejected from the solar atmosphere resulting in a coronal mass ejection (CME), and confined flares, where no CME is associated with the flare. Aims: We present a case study showing the evolution of key topological structures, such as spines and fans, which may determine the eruptive versus non-eruptive behavior of the series of eruptive flares followed by confined flares, which all originate from the same site. Methods: To study the connectivity of the different flux domains and their evolution, we compute a potential magnetic field model of the active region. Quasi-separatrix layers are retrieved from the magnetic field extrapolation. Results: The change in behavior of the flares from one day to the next - from eruptive to confined - can be attributed to the change in orientation of the magnetic field below the fan with respect to the orientation of the overlaying spine rather than an overall change in the stability of the large-scale field. Conclusions: Flares tend to be more confined when the field that supports the filament and the overlying field gradually becomes less anti-parallel as a direct result of changes in the photospheric flux distribution, being themselves driven by continuous shearing motions of the different magnetic flux concentrations. Movies associated to Figs. 2, 3, and 5 are available at http://www.aanda.org

The multifarious temporal variations of low energy, relativistic cosmic ray electrons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcdonald, F. B.; Cline, T. L.; Simnett, G. M.

1972-01-01

A detailed examination is made of the intensity variations of 3 - 12 MeV interplanetary electrons. The data used are from the cosmic ray experiment flown on the IMP solar minimum through to the onset of the present solar maximum (i.e., from December 1963 through August 1969). A morphology for the intensity changes is tentatively proposed which includes solar flare-associated events, solar co-rotating increases, Forbush decreases, and quiet-time increases, as well as the long term eleven-year variation. It is contended that the electron component observed both during quiescent times and during quiet-time increases are galactic in origin. The quiet-time increases represent a completely new phenomenon that appears to be unique to the low energy electron population. During a quiet-time increase the electron intensity is enhanced by a factor of 3 to 5 over a period of days, and, in general, these periods anti-correlate with low-energy solar particle events. Qualitatively, their amplitude diminishes with increasing solar activity.

Solar EUV irradiance for space weather applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viereck, R. A.

2015-12-01

Solar EUV irradiance is an important driver of space weather models. Large changes in EUV and x-ray irradiances create large variability in the ionosphere and thermosphere. Proxies such as the F10.7 cm radio flux, have provided reasonable estimates of the EUV flux but as the space weather models become more accurate and the demands of the customers become more stringent, proxies are no longer adequate. Furthermore, proxies are often provided only on a daily basis and shorter time scales are becoming important. Also, there is a growing need for multi-day forecasts of solar EUV irradiance to drive space weather forecast models. In this presentation we will describe the needs and requirements for solar EUV irradiance information from the space weather modeler's perspective. We will then translate these requirements into solar observational requirements such as spectral resolution and irradiance accuracy. We will also describe the activities at NOAA to provide long-term solar EUV irradiance observations and derived products that are needed for real-time space weather modeling.

Multifarious temporal variations of low-energy relativistic cosmic-ray electrons.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcdonald, F. B.; Cline, T. L.; Simnett, G. M.

1972-01-01

Detailed examination of the intensity variations of 3- to 12-MeV interplanetary electrons. The data are from the Goddard cosmic-ray experiment on the Imp satellites and cover the period from just before the last solar minimum through the onset of the present solar maximum (i.e., from December 1963 through August 1969). A morphology for the intensity changes is tentatively proposed that includes solar-flare-associated events, solar co-rotating increases, Forbush decreases, quiet-time increases, and the long-term 11-year variation. It is contended that the electron components observed both during quiescent times and during quiet-time increases are galactic in origin. The quiet-time increases represent a completely new phenomenon that appears to be unique to the low-energy electron population. During a quiet-time increase the electron intensity is enhanced by a factor of 3 to 5 over a period of days, and, in general, these periods anticorrelate with low-energy solar particle events. Qualitatively, their amplitude diminishes with increasing solar activity.

Evidence for Solar Cycle Influence on the Infrared Energy Budget and Radiative Cooling of the Thermosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mlynczak, Martin G.; Martin-Torres, F. Javier; Marshall, B. Thomas; Thompson, R. Earl; Williams, Joshua; Turpin, TImothy; Kratz, D. P.; Russell, James M.; Woods, Tom; Gordley, Larry L.

2007-01-01

We present direct observational evidence for solar cycle influence on the infrared energy budget and radiative cooling of the thermosphere. By analyzing nearly five years of data from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument, we show that the annual mean infrared power radiated by the nitric oxide (NO) molecule at 5.3 m has decreased by a factor of 2.9. This decrease is correlated (r = 0.96) with the decrease in the annual mean F10.7 solar index. Despite the sharp decrease in radiated power (which is equivalent to a decrease in the vertical integrated radiative cooling rate), the variability of the power as given in the standard deviation of the annual means remains approximately constant. A simple relationship is shown to exist between the infrared power radiated by NO and the F10.7 index, thus providing a fundamental relationship between solar activity and the thermospheric cooling rate for use in thermospheric models. The change in NO radiated power is also consistent with changes in absorbed ultraviolet radiation over the same time period.

Changes of Linearity in MF2 Index with R12 and Solar Activity Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villanueva, L.

2013-05-01

Critical frequency of F2 layer is related to the solar activity, and the sunspot number has been the standard index for ionospheric prediction programs. This layer, being considered the most important in HF radio communications due to its highest electron density, determines the maximum frequency coming back from ground base transmitter signals, and shows irregular variation in time and space. Nowadays the spatial variation, better understood due to the availability of TEC measurements, let Space Weather Centers have observations almost in real time. However, it is still the most difficult layer to predict in time. Short time variations are improved in IRI model, but long term predictions are only related to the well-known CCIR and URSI coefficients and Solar activity R12 predictions, (or ionospheric indexes in regional models). The concept of the "saturation" of the ionosphere is based on data observations around 3 solar cycles before 1970, (NBS, 1968). There is a linear relationship among MUF (0Km) and R12, for smooth Sunspot numbers R12 less than 100, but constant for higher R12, so, no rise of MUF is expected for R12 higher than 100. This recommendation has been used in most of the known Ionospheric prediction programs for HF Radio communication. In this work, observations of smoothed ionospheric index MF2 related to R12 are presented to find common features of the linear relationship, which is found to persist in different ranges of R12 depending on the specific maximum level of each solar cycle. In the analysis of individual solar cycles, the lapse of linearity is less than 100 for a low solar cycle and higher than 100 for a high solar cycle. To improve ionospheric predictions we can establish levels for solar cycle maximum sunspot numbers R12 around low 100, medium 150 and high 200 and specify the ranges of linearity of MUF(0Km) related to R12 which is not only 100 as assumed for all the solar cycles. For lower levels of solar cycle, discussions of present observations are presented.

Status of Cycle 23 Forecasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hathaway, D. H.

2000-01-01

A number of techniques for predicting solar activity on a solar cycle time scale are identified, described, and tested with historical data. Some techniques, e.g,, regression and curve-fitting, work well as solar activity approaches maximum and provide a month- by-month description of future activity, while others, e.g., geomagnetic precursors, work well near solar minimum but provide an estimate only of the amplitude of the cycle. A synthesis of different techniques is shown to provide a more accurate and useful forecast of solar cycle activity levels. A combination of two uncorrelated geomagnetic precursor techniques provides the most accurate prediction for the amplitude of a solar activity cycle at a time well before activity minimum. This precursor method gave a smoothed sunspot number maximum of 154+21 for cycle 23. A mathematical function dependent upon the time of cycle initiation and the cycle amplitude then describes the level of solar activity for the complete cycle. As the time of cycle maximum approaches a better estimate of the cycle activity is obtained by including the fit between recent activity levels and this function. This Combined Solar Cycle Activity Forecast now gives a smoothed sunspot maximum of 140+20 for cycle 23. The success of the geomagnetic precursors in predicting future solar activity suggests that solar magnetic phenomena at latitudes above the sunspot activity belts are linked to solar activity, which occurs many years later in the lower latitudes.

Galactic Cosmic-Ray Energy Spectra and Composition during the 2009-2010 Solar Minimum Period

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lave, K. A.; Wiedenbeck, Mark E.; Binns, W. R.; Christian, E. R.; Cummings, A. C.; Davis, A. J.; deNolfo, G. A.; Israel, M. H..; Leske, R. A.; Mewaldt, R. A.;

The Long-term Middle Atmospheric Influence of Very Large Solar Proton Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackman, Charles H.; Marsh, Daniel R.; Vitt, Francis M.; Garcia, Rolando R.; Randall, Cora E.; Fleming, Eric L.; Frith, Stacey M.

2008-01-01

Long-term variations in ozone have been caused by both natural and humankind related processes. The humankind or anthropogenic influence on ozone originates from the chlorofluorocarbons and halons (chlorine and bromine) and has led to international regulations greatly limiting the release of these substances. Certain natural ozone influences are also important in polar regions and are caused by the impact of solar charged particles on the atmosphere. Such natural variations have been studied in order to better quantify the human influence on polar ozone. Large-scale explosions on the Sun near solar maximum lead to emissions of charged particles (mainly protons and electrons), some of which enter the Earth's magnetosphere and rain down on the polar regions. "Solar proton events" have been used to describe these phenomena since the protons associated with these solar events sometimes create a significant atmospheric disturbance. We have used the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) to study the long-term (> few months) influences of solar proton events from 1963 through 2004 on stratospheric ozone and temperature. There were extremely large solar proton events in 1972, 1989,2000,2001, and 2003. These events caused very distinctive polar changes in layers of the Earth's atmosphere known as the stratosphere (12-50 km; -7-30 miles) and mesosphere (50-90 km; 30-55 miles). The solar protons connected with these events created hydrogen- and nitrogen-containing compounds, which led to the polar ozone destruction. The nitrogen-containing compounds, called odd nitrogen, lasted much longer than the hydrogen-containing compounds and led to long-lived stratospheric impacts. An extremely active period for these events occurred in the five-year period, 2000- 2004, and caused increases in odd nitrogen which lasted for several months after individual events. Associated stratospheric ozone decreases of >lo% were calculated to last for up to five months past the largest events. However, the computed total column ozone and stratospheric temperature changes connected with the solar events were not found to be statistically significant. Thus, solar proton events do not likely contribute significantly to measured total column ozone fluctuations and stratospheric temperature changes.

Beeswax as phase change material to improve solar panel’s performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thaib, R.; Rizal, S.; Riza, M.; Mahlia, T. M. I.; Rizal, T. A.

2018-02-01

One of the main obstacles faced during the operation of photovoltaic (PV) panels was overheating due to excessive solar radiation and high ambient temperatures. In this research, investigates the use of beeswax phase change materials (PCM) to maintain the temperature of the panels close to ambient. Solar panels used in this study has 839 mm length, 537 mm wide, and 50 mm thick, with maximum output power at 50 W. During the study, there were two solar panels was evaluated, one without phase change material while the other one was using beeswax phase change material. Solar panels were mounted at 15° slope. Variables observed was the temperature of solar panel’s surface, output voltage and current that produced by PV panels, wind speed around solar panels, and solar radiation. The observation was started at 07:00 am and ended at 06:00 pm. The research shows that maximum temperature of solar panels surface without phase change material is ranging between 46-49 °C, and electrical efficiency is about 7.2-8.8%. Meanwhile, for solar panels with beeswax phase change material, the maximum temperature solar panels surface is relatively low ranging between 33-34 °C, and its electrical efficiency seems to increase about 9.1-9.3%.

Recent Perplexing Behavior in Solar Activity Indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopresto, James C.

1997-05-01

Calcium K and Hα and SOHO He II UV plage and sunspot ara have been monitored using images on the INTERNET since November of 1992. The purpose of the project is to determine the degree of correlation between changing plage area and solar irradiance changes (also obtained via the INTERNET). Also the project provides a low cost process to involve undergraduates in astronomy research. When using weighted weekly averages for both spot Hα plage pixel counts, we see the expected decline from the last maximum. The activity continues to decline, or at best, has flattened out over the past several months. In contrast, the K-line plage pixel count from both Big Bear and Sacramento Peak show an upswing since mid-1995 or earlier. The k2 measurments from both Kitt Peak and Sacramento Peak are in general agreement with the spot and Hα behavior, indicating wer are in, or barely passed minimum. Images high in the chromosphere, detailing the magnetic network, may be more senstive to smaller field changes. This might be a partial explanation for the earlier upswing in K line and He 304 activity, which are receiving radiation near or at the top of the chromosphere.

Evolving flood patterns in a Mediterranean region (1301-2012) and climatic factors - the case of Catalonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrera-Escoda, A.; Llasat, M. C.

2015-01-01

Data on flood occurrence and flood impacts for the last seven centuries in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula have been analysed in order to characterise long-term trends, anomalous periods and their relationship with different climatic factors such as precipitation, general circulation and solar activity. Catastrophic floods (those that produce complete or partial destruction of infrastructure close to the river, and major damages in the overflowed area, including some zones away from the channels) do not present a statistically significant trend, whereas extraordinary floods (the channel is overflowed and some punctual severe damages can be produced in the infrastructures placed in the rivercourse or near it, but usually damages are slight) have seen a significant rise, especially from 1850 on, and were responsible for the total increase in flooding in the region. This rise can be mainly attributed to small coastal catchments, which have experienced a marked increase in developed land and population, resulting in changes in land use and greater vulnerability. Changes in precipitation alone cannot explain the variation in flood patterns, although a certain increase was shown in late summer-early autumn, when extraordinary floods are most frequently recorded. The relationship between the North Atlantic circulation and floods is not as strong, due to the important role of mesoscale factors in heavy precipitation in the northwest of the Mediterranean region. However, it can explain the variance to some extent, mainly in relation to the catastrophic floods experienced during the autumn. Solar activity has some impact on changes in catastrophic floods, with cycles related to the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and the Gleissberg solar cycle. In addition, anomalous periods of high flood frequency in autumn generally occurred during periods of increased solar activity. The physical influence of the latter in general circulation patterns, the high troposphere and the stratosphere, has been analysed in order to ascertain its role in causing floods.

Solar Electromagnetic Radiation Study for Solar Cycle 22: Solar Ultraviolet Irradiance, 120 to 300 NM: Report of Working Groups 2 and 3 of SOLERS 22

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rottman, G. J.; Cebula, R. P.; Gillotay, D.; Simon, P. A.

1996-01-01

This report summarizes the activities of Working Group 2 and Working Group 3 of the SOLax Electromagnetic Radiation Study for Solar Cycle 22 (SOLERS22) Program. The international (SOLERS22) is Project 1.2 of the Solar-Terrestrial Energy Program (STEP) sponsored by SCOSTEP, a committee of the International Council of Scientific Unions). SOLERS22 is comprised of five Working Groups, each concentrating on a specific wave-length range: WG-1 - visible and infrared, WG-2 - mid-ultraviolet (200 < A < 300 nm), WG-3 - Far-ultraviolet (lambda greater than 100 and lambda less than 200 nanometers), WG-4 - extreme-ultraviolet (lambda greater than 10 and lambda less than 100 nm), and WG-5 - X-ray (lambda greater than 1 and lambda less than 10 nano meters). The overarching goals of SOLERS22 are to: 1) establish daily solar irradiance values in the specified wavelength ranges, 2) consider the evolving solar structures as the cause of temporal variations, and 3) understand the underlying physical processes driving these changes.

Solar thematic maps for space weather operations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rigler, E. Joshua; Hill, Steven M.; Reinard, Alysha A.; Steenburgh, Robert A.

2012-01-01

Thematic maps are arrays of labels, or "themes", associated with discrete locations in space and time. Borrowing heavily from the terrestrial remote sensing discipline, a numerical technique based on Bayes' theorem captures operational expertise in the form of trained theme statistics, then uses this to automatically assign labels to solar image pixels. Ultimately, regular thematic maps of the solar corona will be generated from high-cadence, high-resolution SUVI images, the solar ultraviolet imager slated to fly on NOAA's next-generation GOES-R series of satellites starting ~2016. These thematic maps will not only provide quicker, more consistent synoptic views of the sun for space weather forecasters, but digital thematic pixel masks (e.g., coronal hole, active region, flare, etc.), necessary for a new generation of operational solar data products, will be generated. This paper presents the mathematical underpinnings of our thematic mapper, as well as some practical algorithmic considerations. Then, using images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Advanced Imaging Array (AIA) as test data, it presents results from validation experiments designed to ascertain the robustness of the technique with respect to differing expert opinions and changing solar conditions.

The impact of occurrence of exceptional solar events on mortality from diseases of the nervous system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podolska, Katerina

2015-04-01

The aim of this conference paper is to analyse relationships between strong changes of solar, geomagnetic and ionospheric physical parameters, and mortality by medical cause of death from diagnosis group Diseases of the nervous system by ICD-10 WHO. The aggregated daily number of deaths of 6 largest individual causes of death of group VI. Diseases of the nervous system on the occurrence of exceptional solar and geomagnetic events is investigated. Analysis is performed for the period of the solar cycles No. 23 and 24 (years 1994-2013) in the Czech Republic. The correlation between the intensity of mortality from diseases Multiple sclerosis, Epilepsy, Cerebral palsy, Parkinson disease, Secondary parkinsonism and Alzheimer disease and the solar, geomagnetic and ionospheric physical parameters is examined using stochastic method of graphical models of conditional dependences. We study the daily number of deaths separately for both sexes at the age groups under 39 and 40+. Differences are found for maximum solar activity and during the ascending and descending epoch of the solar cycles.

Fyn is a redox sensor involved in solar ultraviolet light-induced signal transduction in skin carcinogenesis.

PubMed

Kim, J-E; Roh, E; Lee, M H; Yu, D H; Kim, D J; Lim, T-G; Jung, S K; Peng, C; Cho, Y-Y; Dickinson, S; Alberts, D; Bowden, G T; Einspahr, J; Stratton, S P; Curiel-Lewandrowski, C; Bode, A M; Lee, K W; Dong, Z

2016-08-04

Solar ultraviolet (UV) light is a major etiological factor in skin carcinogenesis, with solar UV-stimulated signal transduction inducing pathological changes and skin damage. The primary sensor of solar UV-induced cellular signaling has not been identified. We use an experimental system of solar simulated light (SSL) to mimic solar UV and we demonstrate that Fyn is a primary redox sensor involved in SSL-induced signal transduction. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by SSL exposure directly oxidize Cys488 of Fyn, resulting in increased Fyn kinase activity. Fyn oxidation was increased in mouse skin after SSL exposure and Fyn-knockout mice formed larger and more tumors compared with Fyn wild-type mice when exposed to SSL for an extended period of time. Murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking Fyn and cells in which Fyn expression was knocked down were resistant to SSL-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, cells expressing mutant Fyn (C448A) were resistant to SSL-induced apoptosis. These findings suggest that Fyn acts as a regulatory nexus between solar UV, ROS and signal transduction during skin carcinogenesis.

A New SATIRE-S Spectral Solar Irradiance Reconstruction for Solar Cycles 21-23 and Its Implications for Stratospheric Ozone*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ball, William T.; Krivova, Natalie A.; Unruh, Yvonne C.; Haigh, Joanna D.; Solanki, Sami K.

2014-11-01

We present a revised and extended total and spectral solar irradiance (SSI) reconstruction, which includes a wavelength-dependent uncertainty estimate, spanning the last three solar cycles using the SATIRE-S model. The SSI reconstruction covers wavelengths between 115 and 160,000 nm and all dates between August 1974 and October 2009. This represents the first full-wavelength SATIRE-S reconstruction to cover the last three solar cycles without data gaps and with an uncertainty estimate. SATIRE-S is compared with the NRLSSI model and SORCE/SOLSTICE ultraviolet (UV) observations. SATIRE-S displays similar cycle behaviour to NRLSSI for wavelengths below 242 nm and almost twice the variability between 242 and 310 nm. During the decline of last solar cycle, between 2003 and 2008, SSI from SORCE/SOLSTICE version 12 and 10 typically displays more than three times the variability of SATIRE-S between 200 and 300 nm. All three datasets are used to model changes in stratospheric ozone within a 2D atmospheric model for a decline from high solar activity to solar minimum. The different flux changes result in different modelled ozone trends. Using NRLSSI leads to a decline in mesospheric ozone, while SATIRE-S and SORCE/SOLSTICE result in an increase. Recent publications have highlighted increases in mesospheric ozone when considering version 10 SORCE/SOLSTICE irradiances. The recalibrated SORCE/SOLSTICE version 12 irradiances result in a much smaller mesospheric ozone response than when using version 10 and now similar in magnitude to SATIRE-S. This shows that current knowledge of variations in spectral irradiance is not sufficient to warrant robust conclusions concerning the impact of solar variability on the atmosphere and climate.

Changes of circulatory and nervous diseases mortality patterns during periods of exceptional solar events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podolska, Katerina

2017-04-01

The paper contains a statistical analysis of exceptional solar events and daily numbers of deaths from diseases from ICD-10 group VI. Diseases of the nervous system, group IX. Diseases of the circulatory system, and overall daily numbers of deaths in the Czech Republic. It is demonstrated that neurological diseases exhibit greater instability during the period of rising and falling solar activity. Specifically, we study the daily number of deaths separately for both sexes at the age groups under 39 and 40+ during the Solar Cycles No. 23 and No. 24. We focus mainly on exceptional solar events such as a "Bastille Day event" on July 14, 2000 (class X5), "Halloween solar storm" on October 28, 2003 (class X17), and events on January 7, 1997, April 2, 2000 (class X20), or September 7, 2005 (class X15). Special attention is given to "St. Patrick's Day storm" on March 17, 2015, the strongest geomagnetic storm of the Solar Cycle No. 24 that occurred following a coronal mass ejection (CME). We investigate changes in daily numbers of deaths during 1 month before and 1 month after these exceptional solar events. We take specific storm dynamics of geophysical parameters into consideration, and we also apply the results of risky characteristics of expositions by ionospheric and geomagnetic parameters. It is verified that, for diseases of the nervous system, women are generally more sensitive than men. On the contrary, this differences between men and women are not found for diseases of the circulatory system. Our findings suggest that the impact of hazardous space weather conditions on human health depends on the specific course and strength of individual solar storm.

Model of flare lightcurve profile observed in soft X-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gryciuk, Magdalena; Siarkowski, Marek; Gburek, Szymon; Podgorski, Piotr; Sylwester, Janusz; Kepa, Anna; Mrozek, Tomasz

We propose a new model for description of solar flare lightcurve profile observed in soft X-rays. The method assumes that single-peaked `regular' flares seen in lightcurves can be fitted with the elementary time profile being a convolution of Gaussian and exponential functions. More complex, multi-peaked flares can be decomposed as a sum of elementary profiles. During flare lightcurve fitting process a linear background is determined as well. In our study we allow the background shape over the event to change linearly with time. Presented approach originally was dedicated to the soft X-ray small flares recorded by Polish spectrophotometer SphinX during the phase of very deep solar minimum of activity, between 23 rd and 24 th Solar Cycles. However, the method can and will be used to interpret the lightcurves as obtained by the other soft X-ray broad-band spectrometers at the time of both low and higher solar activity level. In the paper we introduce the model and present examples of fits to SphinX and GOES 1-8 Å channel observations as well.

Effects of Solar Activities on the Transient Luminous Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Y.; Williams, E.; Chou, J.; Lee, L.; Huang, S.; Chang, S.; Chen, A. B.; Kuo, C.; Su, H.; Hsu, R.; Frey, H. U.; Takahashi, Y.; Lee, L.

2013-12-01

The Imager of Sprite and Upper Atmosphere Lightning (ISUAL) onboard the Formosat-2 was launched in May 2004; since then, it has continuously observed transient luminous events (TLEs) within the +/-60 degree of latitude for nearly 10 years. Due to ISUAL's long-term observations, the possible correlation between the TLE and the solar activity can be explored. Among the ISUAL TLEs, elves, which occur at the mesospheric altitude ~90 km and are caused by the heating incurred by the lightning-launched electromagnetic pulse of the lower ionosphere boundary are the most numerous and are the most suitable for this type of study. In previous studies, the elve distribution has proved to be a good surrogate for the lightning with exceptional peak current globally. ISUAL records the occurrence time and the height and location of elves, and the spectral emission intensities at six different band pass including the FUV N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) band, which is a dominant emission in elves. The LBH intensity not only reflects the peak current of parent lightning, but may also represent the solar-activity-driven-lighting's perturbation to the ionosphere. In this study, we first examine whether the 11-year solar cycle affects the elve activity and altitude by analyzing the elve occurrence rates and heights in different latitudinal regions. To avoid the climatological and instrumental biases in the elve observations, the effects arising from the ENSO and moonlight must be carefully eliminated. Besides, we will discuss the elve variation in shorter time scale due to strong and sudden change of solar activity. Since the ion density of the mesosphere at mid-latitude may be significantly altered during/after a strong corona mass ejection (CME).Furthermore, it has been proven that the changes in the solar X-ray flux dominate the variations in the conductivity profile within the upper characteristic ELF layer (the 90-100km portion of the E-region). we will compare the variation of emission intensity of elves with and without intense CME/x-ray flux events to quantify the possible effects of ionospheric perturbations due to solar activity. We have selected elves over the winter storm track in the Pacific Ocean region northeast of Japan due to the strong elve activity there during northern hemisphere winters in order to make sure the sufficient events for statistical analysis. The peak current of the parent lightning for the ISUAL elves can be inferred from the lightning energy recorded by the WWLLN. With the inferred peak current, the LBH band emission intensity in elves can be computed. Finally, the theoretical and the observed LBH band intensity for elves are to be compared; the difference may come from the effect of intense CME/x-ray flux .Details of the data analyses and the preliminary results will be presented fully in the report.

Influence of geomagnetic activity on mesopause temperature over Yakutia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavrilyeva, Galina; Ammosov, Petr

2018-03-01

The long-term temperature changes of the mesopause region at the hydroxyl molecule OH (6-2) nighttime height and its connection with the geomagnetic activity during the 23rd and beginning of the 24th solar cycles are presented. Measurements were conducted with an infrared digital spectrograph at the Maimaga station (63° N, 129.5° E). The hydroxyl rotational temperature (TOH) is assumed to be equal to the neutral atmosphere temperature at the altitude of ˜ 87 km. The average temperatures obtained for the period 1999 to 2015 are considered. The season of observations starts at the beginning of August and lasts until the middle of May. The maximum of the seasonally averaged temperatures is delayed by 2 years relative to the maximum of the solar radio emission flux (wavelength of 10.7 cm), and correlates with a change in geomagnetic activity (Ap index). Temperature grouping in accordance with the geomagnetic activity level showed that in years with high activity (Ap > 8), the mesopause temperature from October to February is about 10 K higher than in years with low activity (Ap < = 8). Cross-correlation analysis showed no temporal shift between geomagnetic activity and temperature. The correlation coefficient is equal to 0.51 at the 95 % level.

Effects of Coronal Magnetic Field Structures on the Transport of Solar Energetic Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Lulu; Zhang, Ming

2018-06-01

This Letter presents a model calculation of solar energetic particle (SEP) transport to test the sensitivity of the distribution of escaped SEPs in interplanetary space and dependence upon the details of the magnetic field structure in the corona. It is applied to a circumsolar event on 2011 November 3, in which SEPs are observed promptly after the solar event eruption by three spacecraft (the twin Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatories (STEREO-A and STEREO-B) and ACE) separated by more than 100° in longitude from each other. The corona magnetic field reconstructed from photosphseric field measurements using the PFSS method changes substantially before and after the solar eruption, especially around the active region. The locations of open field regions, separatrix surfaces including the heliospheric current sheet, and footpoints of magnetic field lines connected to the spacecraft location have shifted substantially. We inject 100 keV energetic electrons on the open field lines at 1.5 R s within the size of observed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and follow their propagation in the corona and the interplanetary space. We find that with a perpendicular diffusion due to field line random walk equal to 10% of the supergranular diffusion rate, the overall distribution of escaped SEPs does not change much even though the region of open field lines from SEPs has changed. The result suggests that detailed small-scale coronal magnetic field structures and the exact magnetic field connection are not crucially important for observing SEPs in the interplanetary space.

Solar variability and climate change: An historical perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feldman, Theodore S.

There is nothing new about the debate over the Sun's influence on terrestrial climate.As early as the late 18th century, widespread concern for the deterioration of the Earth's climate led to speculation about the Sun's role in climate change [Feldman, 1993; Fleming, 1990]. Drawing analogies with variations in the brightness of stars, the British astronomer William Herschel suggested that greater sunspot activity would result in warmer terrestrial climates. Herschel supported his hypothesis by referring to price series for wheat published in Adam Smiths Wealth of Nations [Hufbauer, 1991]. Later, the eminent American physicist Joseph Henry demonstrated by thermopile measurements that, contrary to Herschel's assumption, sunspots were cooler than the unblemished portions of the solar disk.

Global Solar Magnetic Field Organization in the Outer Corona: Influence on the Solar Wind Speed and Mass Flux Over the Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Réville, Victor; Brun, Allan Sacha

2017-11-01

The dynamics of the solar wind depends intrinsically on the structure of the global solar magnetic field, which undergoes fundamental changes over the 11-year solar cycle. For instance, the wind terminal velocity is thought to be anti-correlated with the expansion factor, a measure of how the magnetic field varies with height in the solar corona, usually computed at a fixed height (≈ 2.5 {R}⊙ , the source surface radius that approximates the distance at which all magnetic field lines become open). However, the magnetic field expansion affects the solar wind in a more detailed way, its influence on the solar wind properties remaining significant well beyond the source surface. We demonstrate this using 3D global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the solar corona, constrained by surface magnetograms over half a solar cycle (1989-2001). A self-consistent expansion beyond the solar wind critical point (even up to 10 {R}⊙ ) makes our model comply with observed characteristics of the solar wind, namely, that the radial magnetic field intensity becomes latitude independent at some distance from the Sun, and that the mass flux is mostly independent of the terminal wind speed. We also show that near activity minimum, the expansion in the higher corona has more influence on the wind speed than the expansion below 2.5 {R}⊙ .

Advancing Heliophysics Student Research and Public Outreach in an Urban Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, L. P.; Ng, C.; Marchese, P.; Austin, S. A.; Frost, J.; Cheung, T. K.; Tremberger, G.; Robbins, I.; Paglione, T.; Damas, C.; Steiner, J. C.; Rudolph, E.; Carlson, B. E.; Lewis, E.; Cline, T. D.; Zalava-Gutierrez, R.; Howard, A.; Morris, P. A.; Reiff, P. H.; Scalzo, F.; Chow, Y.; Stewart, A.; Zamor, P.; Brathwaite, K.; Barley, R.; Tulsee, T.

2012-12-01

During 2012, City University of New York (CUNY) and NASA Goddard Space Fight Center (GSFC) Heliophysics Research and Education Consortium centered on faculty and undergraduate research, as well as public outreach. Research areas spanned Heliophysics from solar surface to Earth's magnetosphere/ionosphere, microsatellite development for ionospheric experiments and climate change investigations. The Summer 2012 research teams were located at CUNY campuses and GSFC. Fourteen undergraduate students participated; four are female and eleven are underrepresented minorities. Topics included: Analyzing the Links Between Aurora Borealis, Magnetic Reconnection, and Substorms; Solar Energy Upsurge in 2012-Jun Active Region 1520 with 2010-Jun Active Region 1108 Calibration; Solar Limb Active Region 1515 Analysis and Coronal Heating; Testing Solar Energetic Particle Origin Through COMPTEL Small X-Ray Line Flares; Investigation of Sunspot Regions connection to Coronal Mass Ejections and Solar Flares; A Study of the Stratospheric Aerosols on Jupiter Using Hubble Space Telescope Data; An Integration and Testing Methodology for a Nanosatellite; Software Architecture for Autonomous Control; Combining Passive Polarimetric Remote Sensing and Advanced Measurements of Lidar Intensive Variables in Vertically Resolved Aerosol Retrievals; Tropospheric Ozone Investigations in New York City; The Effects of the Arctic, North Atlantic and El Niño-Southern Oscillation on Climate in the New York Metropolitan Area; Fluctuation Analysis of Magnetic Tornadoes Simulation Model; Ocean Mixing Models Parameterization for Climate Studies; and Analyses of Colloidal Leachate Recovered from Field- and Laboratory-Experiments on Bio-reacted Mining Waste. Public outreach activities included Space Weather workshops, for high school teachers and undergraduate students, conducted by GSFC Space Weather Action Center scientist and a week of CUNY-wide activities for Sun-Earth Day conducted by CUNY faculty and external university partners. The project is supported by NASA awards NNX10AE72G and NNX09AL77G.

Solar-Cycle Variation of Subsurface-Flow Divergence: A Proxy of Magnetic Activity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komm, R.; Howe, R.; Hill, F.

2017-09-01

We study the solar-cycle variation of subsurface flows from the surface to a depth of 16 Mm. We have analyzed Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) Dopplergrams with a ring-diagram analysis covering about 15 years and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Dopplergrams covering more than 6 years. After subtracting the average rotation rate and meridional flow, we have calculated the divergence of the horizontal residual flows from the maximum of Solar Cycle 23 through the declining phase of Cycle 24. The subsurface flows are mainly divergent at quiet regions and convergent at locations of high magnetic activity. The relationship is essentially linear between divergence and magnetic activity at all activity levels at depths shallower than about 10 Mm. At greater depths, the relationship changes sign at locations of high activity; the flows are increasingly divergent at locations with a magnetic activity index (MAI) greater than about 24 G. The flows are more convergent by about a factor of two during the rising phase of Cycle 24 than during the declining phase of Cycle 23 at locations of medium and high activity (about 10 to 40 G MAI) from the surface to at least 10 Mm. The subsurface divergence pattern of Solar Cycle 24 first appears during the declining phase of Cycle 23 and is present during the extended minimum. It appears several years before the magnetic pattern of the new cycle is noticeable in synoptic maps. Using linear regression, we estimate the amount of magnetic activity that would be required to generate the precursor pattern and find that it should be almost twice the amount of activity that is observed.

The solar atmosphere and the structure of active regions. [aircraft accidents, weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturrock, P. A.

1975-01-01

Numerical analyses of solar activities are presented. The effect of these activities on aircraft and weather conditions was studied. Topics considered are: (1) solar flares; (2) solar X-rays; and (3) solar magnetic fields (charts are shown).

Carrington cycle 24: the solar chromospheric emission in a historical and stellar perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schröder, K.-P.; Mittag, M.; Schmitt, J. H. M. M.; Jack, D.; Hempelmann, A.; González-Pérez, J. N.

2017-09-01

We present the solar S-index record of cycle 24, obtained by the Telescopio Internacional de Guanajuato, Robotico Espectroscopico robotic telescope facility and its high-resolution spectrograph HEROS (R ≈ 20 000), which measures the solar chromospheric Ca II H&K line emission by using moonlight. Our calibration process uses the same set of standard stars as introduced by the Mount Wilson team, thus giving us a direct comparison with their huge body of observations taken between 1966 and 1992, as well as with other cool stars. Carrington cycle 24 activity started from the unusually deep and long minimum 2008/2009, with an S-index average of only 0.154, 0.015 deeper than the one of 1986 (〈S〉 = 0.169). In this respect, the chromospheric radiative losses differ remarkably from the variation of the coronal radio flux F10.7 cm and the sunspot numbers. In addition, the cycle 24 S-amplitude remained small, 0.022 (cycles 21 and 22 averaged: 0.024), and so resulted in a very low 2014 maximum of 〈S〉 = 0.176 (cycles 21 and 22 averaged: 0.193). We argue that this find is significant, since the Ca II H&K line emission is a good proxy for the solar far-ultraviolet (far-UV) flux, which plays an important role in the heating of the Earth's stratosphere, and we further argue that the solar far-UV flux changes with solar activity much more strongly than the total solar output.

Spectroscopic planetary detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deming, Drake

1988-01-01

One of the most promising methods for the detection of extra-solar planets is the spectroscopic method, where a small Doppler shift (approximately 10 meters/sec) in the spectrum of the parent star reveals the presence of planetary companions. However, solar-type stars may show spurious Doppler shifts due to surface activity. If these effects are periodic, as is the solar activity cycle, then they may masquerade as planetary companions. The goal of this investigation is to determine whether the solar cycle affects the Doppler stability of integrated sunlight. Observations of integrated sunlight are made in the near infrared (approximately 2 micrometer), using the Kitt Peak McMath Fourier transform spectrometer, with an N2O gas absorption cell for calibration. Researchers currently achieve an accuracy of approximately 5 meters/sec. Solar rotation velocities vary by plus or minus 2000 meters/sec across the solar disk, and imperfect optical integration of these velocities is the principal source of error. We have been monitoring the apparent velocity of integrated sunlight since 1983. They initially saw a decrease of approximately 30 meters/sec in the integrated light velocity from 1983 through 1985, but in 1987 to 1988 the integrated light velocity returned to its 1983 level. It is too early to say whether these changes are solar-cycle related. Although the FTS, unlike a slit spectrograph, has a large field of view, researchers are always looking for ways to improve the optical integration of the solar disk. They recently made an improvement in the method used to optically collimate the FTS, and this has reduced the error level, eliminating some systematic effects seen earlier.

SOLAR WIND HEAVY IONS OVER SOLAR CYCLE 23: ACE/SWICS MEASUREMENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lepri, S. T.; Landi, E.; Zurbuchen, T. H.

2013-05-01

Solar wind plasma and compositional properties reflect the physical properties of the corona and its evolution over time. Studies comparing the previous solar minimum with the most recent, unusual solar minimum indicate that significant environmental changes are occurring globally on the Sun. For example, the magnetic field decreased 30% between the last two solar minima, and the ionic charge states of O have been reported to change toward lower values in the fast wind. In this work, we systematically and comprehensively analyze the compositional changes of the solar wind during cycle 23 from 2000 to 2010 while the Sun movedmore » from solar maximum to solar minimum. We find a systematic change of C, O, Si, and Fe ionic charge states toward lower ionization distributions. We also discuss long-term changes in elemental abundances and show that there is a {approx}50% decrease of heavy ion abundances (He, C, O, Si, and Fe) relative to H as the Sun went from solar maximum to solar minimum. During this time, the relative abundances in the slow wind remain organized by their first ionization potential. We discuss these results and their implications for models of the evolution of the solar atmosphere, and for the identification of the fast and slow wind themselves.« less

Dangerous Near-Earth Asteroids and Meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.; Grigoryan, A. E.

2015-07-01

The problem of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs; Astreoids and Meteorites) is discussed. To have an understanding on the probablity of encounters with such objects, one may use two different approaches: 1) historical, based on the statistics of existing large meteorite craters on the Earth, estimation of the source meteorites size and the age of these craters to derive the frequency of encounters with a given size of meteorites and 2) astronomical, based on the study and cataloging of all medium-size and large bodies in the Earth's neighbourhood and their orbits to estimate the probability, angles and other parameters of encounters. Therefore, we discuss both aspects and give our present knowledge on both phenomena. Though dangerous NEOs are one of the main source for cosmic catastrophes, we also focus on other possible dangers, such as even slight changes of Solar irradiance or Earth's orbit, change of Moon's impact on Earth, Solar flares or other manifestations of Solar activity, transit of comets (with impact on Earth's atmosphere), global climate change, dilution of Earth's atmosphere, damage of ozone layer, explosion of nearby Supernovae, and even an attack by extraterrestrial intelligence.

Solar cycle activity and atmospheric dynamics revealed by Be-7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulan, A.; Aldahan, A.; Possnert, G.; Vintersved, I.

2003-04-01

In this study we present ^7Be and 137Cs concentrations in aerosols collected on surface air filters for the period 1972-2000 from three stations in Sweden covering latitudes 56^o to 70^o. The cosmogenic isotope ^7Be (T1/2 = 53.4 days) is produced by interaction of cosmic rays with the atmosphere. ^7Be is adsorbed onto aerosol particles after its formation, and removed from the atmosphere by both dry and wet deposition (atmospheric residence time of about one year). Maximum production of ^7Be occurs in the polar regions and the maximum deposition is found in the middle latitudes. After its production (mainly in the stratosphere) the ^7Be isotope is subjected to vertical and horizontal transport processes within the atmosphere and accordingly can act as a tracer of air mass origin and its approximate age. Furthermore, the production of cosmogenic isotopes is strongly influenced by the solar wind (solar activity, mainly energetic protons) and hence terrestrial records of ^7Be are directly reflecting the activity of the sun. Our ^7Be results reveal seasonal changes and together with the 137Cs records confirm a long-term transport and a strong coupling with air masses from middle and low latitudes. An apparent correlation between the 11-year solar cycle activity and ^7Be is found and we also observe that precipitation effectively depletes ^7Be from the atmosphere through washout of aerosols.

Solar UV Variations During the Decline of Cycle 23

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeLand, Matthew, T.; Cebula, Richard P.

2011-01-01

Characterization of temporal and spectral variations in solar ultraviolet irradiance over a solar cycle is essential for understanding the forcing of Earth's atmosphere and climate. Satellite measurements of solar UV variability for solar cycles 21, 22, and 23 show consistent solar cycle irradiance changes at key wavelengths (e.g. 205 nm, 250 nm) within instrumental uncertainties. All historical data sets also show the same relative spectral dependence for both short-term (rotational) and long-term (solar cycle) variations. Empirical solar irradiance models also produce long-term solar UV variations that agree well with observational data. Recent UV irradiance data from the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM) and Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) instruments covering the declining phase of Cycle 23 present a different picture oflong-term solar variations from previous results. Time series of SIM and SOLSTICE spectral irradiance data between 2003 and 2007 show solar variations that greatly exceed both previous measurements and predicted irradiance changes over this period, and the spectral dependence of the SIM and SOLSTICE variations during these years do not show features expected from solar physics theory. The use of SORCE irradiance variations in atmospheric models yields substantially different middle atmosphere ozone responses in both magnitude and vertical structure. However, short-term solar variability derived from SIM and SOLSTICE UV irradiance data is consistent with concurrent solar UV measurements from other instruments, as well as previous results, suggesting no change in solar physics. Our analysis of short-term solar variability is much less sensitive to residual instrument response changes than the observations of long-term variations. The SORCE long-term UV results can be explained by under-correction of instrument response changes during the first few years of measurements, rather than requiring an unexpected change in the physical behavior of the Sun.

Effects of solar activity and galactic cosmic ray cycles on the modulation of the annual average temperature at two sites in southern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frigo, Everton; Antonelli, Francesco; da Silva, Djeniffer S. S.; Lima, Pedro C. M.; Pacca, Igor I. G.; Bageston, José V.

2018-04-01

Quasi-periodic variations in solar activity and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) on decadal and bidecadal timescales have been suggested as a climate forcing mechanism for many regions on Earth. One of these regions is southern Brazil, where the lowest values during the last century were observed for the total geomagnetic field intensity at the Earth's surface. These low values are due to the passage of the center of the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA), which crosses the Brazilian territory from east to west following a latitude of ˜ 26°. In areas with low geomagnetic intensity, such as the SAMA, the incidence of GCRs is increased. Consequently, possible climatic effects related to the GCRs tend to be maximized in this region. In this work, we investigate the relationship between the ˜ 11-year and ˜ 22-year cycles that are related to solar activity and GCRs and the annual average temperature recorded between 1936 and 2014 at two weather stations, both located near a latitude of 26° S but at different longitudes. The first of these stations (Torres - TOR) is located in the coastal region, and the other (Iraí - IRA) is located in the interior, around 450 km from the Atlantic Ocean. Sunspot data and the solar modulation potential for cosmic rays were used as proxies for the solar activity and the GCRs, respectively. Our investigation of the influence of decadal and bidecadal cycles in temperature data was carried out using the wavelet transform coherence (WTC) spectrum. The results indicate that periodicities of 11 years may have continuously modulated the climate at TOR via a nonlinear mechanism, while at IRA, the effects of this 11-year modulation period were intermittent. Four temperature maxima, separated by around 20 years, were detected in the same years at both weather stations. These temperature maxima are almost coincident with the maxima of the odd solar cycles. Furthermore, these maxima occur after transitions from even to odd solar cycles, that is, after some years of intense GCR flux. The obtained results offer indirect mathematical evidence that solar activity and GCR variations contributed to climatic changes in southern Brazil during the last century. A comparison of the results obtained for the two weather stations indicates that the SAMA also contributes indirectly to these temperature variations. The contribution of other mechanisms also related to solar activity cannot be excluded.

A Comparative Study of the Eruptive and Non-eruptive Flares Produced by the Largest Active Region of Solar Cycle 24

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Ranadeep; Srivastava, Nandita

2018-02-01

We investigate the morphological and magnetic characteristics of solar active region (AR) NOAA 12192. AR 12192 was the largest region of Solar Cycle 24; it underwent noticeable growth and produced 6 X-class flares, 22 M-class flares, and 53 C-class flares in the course of its disc passage. However, the most peculiar fact of this AR is that it was associated with only one CME in spite of producing several X-class flares. In this work, we carry out a comparative study between the eruptive and non-eruptive flares produced by AR 12192. We find that the magnitude of abrupt and permanent changes in the horizontal magnetic field and Lorentz force are significantly smaller in the case of the confined flares compared to the eruptive one. We present the areal evolution of AR 12192 during its disc passage. We find the flare-related morphological changes to be weaker during the confined flares, whereas the eruptive flare exhibits a rapid and permanent disappearance of penumbral area away from the magnetic neutral line after the flare. Furthermore, from the extrapolated non-linear force-free magnetic field, we examine the overlying coronal magnetic environment over the eruptive and non-eruptive zones of the AR. We find that the critical decay index for the onset of torus instability was achieved at a lower height over the eruptive flaring region, than for the non-eruptive core area. These results suggest that the decay rate of the gradient of overlying magnetic-field strength may play a decisive role to determine the CME productivity of the AR. In addition, the magnitude of changes in the flare-related magnetic characteristics are found to be well correlated with the nature of solar eruptions.

Solar UV-B radiation and ethylene play a key role in modulating effective defenses against Anticarsia gemmatalis larvae in field-grown soybean.

PubMed

Dillon, Francisco M; Tejedor, M Daniela; Ilina, Natalia; Chludil, Hugo D; Mithöfer, Axel; Pagano, Eduardo A; Zavala, Jorge A

2018-02-01

Solar UV-B radiation has been reported to enhance plant defenses against herbivore insects in many species. However, the mechanism and traits involved in the UV-B mediated increment of plant resistance are unknown in crops species, such as soybean. Here, we studied defense-related responses in undamaged and Anticarsia gemmatalis larvae-damaged leaves of two soybean cultivars grown under attenuated or full solar UV-B radiation. We determined changes in jasmonates, ethylene (ET), salicylic acid, trypsin protease inhibitor activity, flavonoids, and mRNA expression of genes related with defenses. ET emission induced by Anticarsia gemmatalis damage was synergistically increased in plants grown under solar UV-B radiation and was positively correlated with malonyl genistin concentration, trypsin proteinase inhibitor activity and expression of IFS2, and the pathogenesis protein PR2, while was negatively correlated with leaf consumption. The precursor of ET, aminocyclopropane-carboxylic acid, applied exogenously to soybean was sufficient to strongly induce leaf isoflavonoids. Our results showed that in field-grown soybean isoflavonoids were regulated by both herbivory and solar UV-B inducible ET, whereas flavonols were regulated by solar UV-B radiation only and not by herbivory or ET. Our study suggests that, although ET can modulate UV-B-mediated priming of inducible plant defenses, some plant defenses, such as isoflavonoids, are regulated by ET alone. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Stratospheric ozone as viewed from the Chappuis band. [long term pollution monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angione, R. J.; Medeiros, E. J.; Roosen, R. G.

1976-01-01

Total stratospheric ozone values above high-altitude stations in southern California from 1912 to 1950 and northern Chile from 1918 to 1948 are determined using data obtained by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, including transmission measurements made in the Chappuis band (0.5 to 0.7 micron). The results show that at both sites, total ozone amounts commonly exhibit variations of as much as 20% to 30% on time scales ranging from months to decades. Consideration of the amount of incident solar energy absorbed by the Chappuis band suggests that ozone acts as a shutter on the incoming solar radiation and provides a trigger mechanism between solar activity and climatic change.

HST UV Images of Saturn's Aurora Coordinated with Cassini Solar Wind Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, John

2003-07-01

A key measurement goal of the Cassini mission to Saturn is to obtain simultaneous solar wind and auroral imaging measurements in a campaign scheduled for Jan. 2004. Cassini will measure the solar wind approaching Saturn continuously from 9 Jan. - 6 Feb., but not closer to Saturn due to competing spacecraft orientation constraints. The only system capable of imaging Saturn's aurora in early 2004 will be HST. In this community DD proposal we request the minimum HST time needed to support the Cassini mission during the solar wind campaign with UV images of Saturn's aurora. Saturn's magnetosphere is intermediate between the "closed" Jovian case with large internal sources of plasma and the Earth's magnetosphere which is open to solar wind interactions. Saturn's aurora has been shown to exhibit large temporal variations in brightness and morphology from Voyager and HST observations. Changes of auroral emitted power exceeding one order of magnitude, dawn brightenings, and latitudinal motions of the main oval have all been observed. Lacking knowledge of solar wind conditions near Saturn, it has not been possible to determine its role in Saturn's auroral processes, nor the mechanisms controlling the auroral precipitation. During Cassini's upcoming approach to Saturn there will be a unique opportunity to answer these questions. We propose to image one complete rotation of Saturn to determine the corotational and longitudinal dependences of the auroral activity. We will then image the active sector of Saturn once every two days for a total coverage of 26 days during the Cassini campaign to measure the upstream solar wind parameters. This is the minimum coverage needed to ensure observations of the aurora under solar wind pressure variations of more than a factor of two, based on the solar wind pressure variations measured by Voyager 2 near Saturn on the declining phase of solar activity. The team of proposers has carried out a similar coordinated observing campaign of Jupiter during the Cassini flyby, resulting in a set of papers and HST images on the cover of Nature on 28 February 2002.

SIGN SINGULARITY AND FLARES IN SOLAR ACTIVE REGION NOAA 11158

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sorriso-Valvo, L.; De Vita, G.; Kazachenko, M. D.

Solar Active Region NOAA 11158 has hosted a number of strong flares, including one X2.2 event. The complexity of current density and current helicity are studied through cancellation analysis of their sign-singular measure, which features power-law scaling. Spectral analysis is also performed, revealing the presence of two separate scaling ranges with different spectral index. The time evolution of parameters is discussed. Sudden changes of the cancellation exponents at the time of large flares and the presence of correlation with Extreme-Ultra-Violet and X-ray flux suggest that eruption of large flares can be linked to the small-scale properties of the current structures.

Seasonal and Solar Activity Variations of f3 Layer and StF-4 F-Layer Quadruple Stratification) Near the Equatorial Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tardelli, A.; Fagundes, P. R.; Pezzopane, M.; Kavutarapu, V.

2016-12-01

The ionospheric F-layer shape and electron density peak variations depend on local time, latitude, longitude, season, solar cycle, geomagnetic activity, and electrodynamic conditions. In particular, the equatorial and low latitude F-layer may change its shape and peak height in a few minutes due to electric fields induced by propagation of medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) or thermospheric - ionospheric coupling. This F-layer electrodynamics feature characterizing the low latitudes is one of the most remarkable ionospheric physics research field. The study of multiple-stratification of the F-layer has the initial records in the mid of the 20th century. Since then, many studies were focused on F3 layer. The diurnal, seasonal and solar activity variations of the F3 layer characteristics have been investigated by several researchers. Recently, investigations on multiple-stratifications of F-layer received an important boost after the quadruple stratification (StF-4) was observed at Palmas (10.3°S, 48.3°W; dip latitude 5.5°S - near equatorial region), Brazil (Tardelli & Fagundes, JGR, 2015). This study present the latest findings related with the seasonal and solar activity characteristics of the F3 layer and StF-4 near the equatorial region during the period from 2002 to 2006. A significant connection between StF-4 and F3 layer has been noticed, since the StF-4 is always preceded and followed by an F3 layer appearance. However, the F3 layer and StF-4 present different seasonal and solar cycle variations. At a near equatorial station Palmas, the F3 layer shows the maximum and minimum occurrence during summer and winter seasons respectively. On the contrary, the StF-4 presents the maximum and minimum occurrence during winter and summer seasons respectively. While the F3 layer occurrence is not affected by solar cycle, the StF-4 appearance is instead more frequent during High Solar Activity (HSA).

On searching applicants for mechanism of solar-lithosphere relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kairatkyzy, Dina; Andreyev, Alexey; Zhumabayeva, Saltanat; Seraliyev, Alibek

2016-04-01

It is actively discussed at present a question on possible influence of solar activity (high-speed solar wind streams bearing the "frozen" magnetic field lines of the Sun) on the stress status of the lithosphere and, consequently, on the Earth's seismic activity (e.g. Zhang, 1998, Acta Seismologica Sinica; Khachikyan et al., EGU2016-2754-1; IUGG2015-3132). There are at least two ideas on possible applicants for physical mechanism of solar-lithosphere relations: (i) - the muons of cosmic rays, which can penetrate the Earth's crust to a depth of at least the first ten kilometers and in tense seismic environment generate nuclear-electromagnetic cascade which energy can be a trigger of earthquake (Tsarev and Chechin, 1988, Preprint № 179, Physical Institute after Lebedev, Moscow); (ii) - the geomagnetic storms (Sobolev et al., 1998, Physics of the Earth #7) when the high-frequency oscillations of the geomagnetic field during the main phase of the storm generate significant induction currents which electric energy entering into the crust can be converted into mechanical energy increasing the stress status of the lithosphere (Sobolev and Demin, Mechano-electric phenomena into the Earth. M . Nauka. 1980). Besides this, among the possible cosmogenic factors changing the stress state of the lithosphere, could be the variation of the angular velocity of rotation of the Earth (e.g. Bostrom, 2000. Tectonic consequence of the Earth's Rotation), if it depends on solar activity variations. More of 50 years ago, Munk and Donald (The Rotation of the Earth, Cambrige University Press, 1960) suggested that the interaction between solar wind and geomagnetic field would probably influence the short period variation of angular velocity of the Earth. In this work, we check up this suggestion on the base of very precise data on the length of day (LOD) from 1986 to the present, which are presented by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS). Using the methods of spectral analysis, we studied the temporal variations in amplitudes of short period variation of the LOD and compared them with the temporal variations of the solar activity data. The obtained results are presented in this report.

Solar filament material oscillations and drainage before eruption

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bi, Yi; Jiang, Yunchun; Yang, Jiayan

Both large-amplitude longitudinal (LAL) oscillations and material drainage in a solar filament are associated with the flow of material along the filament axis, often followed by an eruption. However, the relationship between these two motions and a subsequent eruption event is poorly understood. We analyze a filament eruption using EUV imaging data captured by the Atmospheric Imaging Array on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Hα images from the Global Oscillation Network Group. Hours before the eruption, the filament was activated, with one of its legs undergoing a slow rising motion. The asymmetric activation inclined the filament relative tomore » the solar surface. After the active phase, LAL oscillations were observed in the inclined filament. The oscillation period increased slightly over time, which may suggest that the magnetic fields supporting the filament evolve to be flatter during the slow rising phase. After the oscillations, a significant amount of filament material was drained toward one filament endpoint, followed immediately by the violent eruption of the filament. The material drainage may further support the change in magnetic topology prior to the eruption. Moreover, we suggest that the filament material drainage could play a role in the transition from a slow to a fast rise of the erupting filament.« less

Solar-geophysical data number 479, July 1984. Part 1: (Prompt reports). Data for June 1984, May 1984 and later data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coffey, H. E. (Editor)

1984-01-01

Solar and geophysical data for May and June 1984 are reported. Topics include: detailed index for 1983/1984; data for June 1984 (solar activity indices, solar flares, solar radio emission, mean solar magnetic field, boulder geomagnetic substorm log); data for May 1984 (solar active regions, sudden ionospheric disturbances, solar radio spectral observations, cosmic ray measurements by neutron monitor, geomagnetic indices, radio propagation indices); and late data (geomagnetic indices March and April 1984 sudden commencements/solar flare effects, cosmic ray measurements by neutron monitor, and solar active regions).

Data on the detail information of influence of substrate temperature on the film morphology and photovoltaic performance of non-fullerene organic solar cells.

PubMed

Zhang, Jicheng; Xie, SuFei; Lu, Zhen; Wu, Yang; Xiao, Hongmei; Zhang, Xuejuan; Li, Guangwu; Li, Cuihong; Chen, Xuebo; Ma, Wei; Bo, Zhishan

2017-10-01

This data contains additional data related to the article "Influence of Substrate Temperature on the Film Morphology and Photovoltaic Performance of Non-fullerene Organic Solar Cells" (Jicheng Zhang et al., In press) [1]. Data include measurement and characterization instruments and condition, detail condition to fabricate norfullerene solar cell devices, hole-only and electron-only devices. Detail condition about how to control the film morphology of devices via tuning the temperature of substrates was also displayed. More information and more convincing data about the change of film morphology for active layers fabricated from different temperature, which is attached to the research article of "Influence of Substrate Temperature on the Film Morphology and Photovoltaic Performance of Non-fullerene Organic Solar Cells" was given.

Variations in the temperature and circulation of the atmosphere during the 11-year cycle of solar activity derived from the ERA-Interim reanalysis data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruzdev, A. N.

2017-07-01

Using the data of the ERA-Interim reanalysis, we have obtained estimates of changes in temperature, the geopotential and its large-scale zonal harmonics, wind velocity, and potential vorticity in the troposphere and stratosphere of the Northern and Southern hemispheres during the 11-year solar cycle. The estimates have been obtained using the method of multiple linear regression. Specific features of response of the indicated atmospheric parameters to the solar cycle have been revealed in particular regions of the atmosphere for a whole year and depending on the season. The results of the analysis indicate the existence of a reliable statistical relationship of large-scale dynamic and thermodynamic processes in the troposphere and stratosphere with the 11-year solar cycle.

A Forecast of Reduced Solar Activity and Its Implications for NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schatten, Kenneth; Franz, Heather

2005-01-01

The "Solar Dynamo" method of solar activity forecasting is reviewed. Known generically as a 'precursor" method, insofar as it uses observations which precede solar activity generation, this method now uses the Solar Dynamo Amplitude (SODA) Index to estimate future long-term solar activity. The peak amplitude of the next solar cycle (#24), is estimated at roughly 124 in terms of smoothed F10.7 Radio Flux and 74 in terms of the older, more traditional smoothed international or Zurich Sunspot number (Ri or Rz). These values are significantly smaller than the amplitudes of recent solar cycles. Levels of activity stay large for about four years near the peak in smoothed activity, which is estimated to occur near the 2012 timeflame. Confidence is added to the prediction of low activity by numerous examinations of the Sun s weakened polar field. Direct measurements are obtained by the Mount Wilson Solar Observatory and the Wilcox Solar Observatory. Further support is obtained by examining the Sun s polar faculae (bright features), the shape of coronal soft X-ray "holes," and the shape of the "source surface" - a calculated coronal feature which maps the large scale structure of the Sun s field. These features do not show the characteristics of well-formed polar coronal holes associated with typical solar minima. They show stunted polar field levels, which are thought to result in stunted levels of solar activity during solar cycle #24. The reduced levels of solar activity would have concomitant effects upon the space environment in which satellites orbit. In particular, the largest influences would affect orbit determination of satellites in LEO (Low Earth Orbit), based upon the altered thermospheric and exospheric densities. A decrease in solar activity would result in smaller satellite decay rates, as well as fewer large solar events that can destroy satellite electronic functions. Other effects of reduced solar activity upon the space environment include enhanced galactic cosmic rays and more space debris at low altitudes (from the decay of old satellite parts, etc.). The reasons are well known: namely, solar activity serves to sweep the inner heliosphere of galactic cosmic rays, and lower exospheric densities result in decreased drag on LEO debris, allowing longer lifetimes.

INDEPENDENT SIGNALS FROM THE INFLUENCE OF INTERNAL MAGNETIC LAYERS ON THE FREQUENCIES OF SOLAR p-MODES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Foullon, C.; Nakariakov, V. M.

2010-05-01

The discovery that p-mode frequencies of low degree do not follow changes of solar surface activity during the recent solar minimum offers the possibility of a new diagnostic signature of the responsible pressure perturbation in the wave guiding medium, potentially rich of information regarding the structure of the Sun and the cause of the unusually long solar minimum. Magnetic fields, as well as temperature changes, introduce equilibrium pressure deviations that modify the resonant frequencies of p-mode oscillations. Assuming the perturbation to be caused by a horizontal layer of magnetic field located in a plane-stratified model of the Sun, we compilemore » analytical frequency shifts and process them to allow direct comparison with observations. The effect of magnetism itself on the central p-mode frequencies can be neglected in comparison with the thermal effect of a perturbative layer buried in the solar interior. A parametric study shows that a layer as thin as 2100 km at subsurface depths is able to reproduce reported mean anomalous frequency shifts (not correlated with the surface activity), while a layer of size around 4200 km increasing by a small amount at depths near 0.08 R {sub sun} can explain individual low-degree shifts. It is also possible to obtain the mean shifts via the upward motion through depths near 0.03 R {sub sun} of a rising perturbative layer of thickness around 7000 km. Hence, the anomalous frequency shifts are best explained by thermal effects in the upper regions of the convection zone. The effects of latitudinal distribution are not treated here.« less

77 FR 14837 - Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes: Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-13

... function of solar activity. The agenda is subject to change. The current agenda and any updates will be.... Address for Public Meeting: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Two White Flint North Building, Room T2...

Activities for Teaching Solar Energy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Jack Lee; Cantrell, Joseph S.

1980-01-01

Plans and activities are suggested for teaching elementary children about solar energy. Directions are included for constructing a flat plate collector and a solar oven. Activities for a solar field day are given. (SA)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Foukal, Peter, E-mail: pvfoukal@comcast.net

Area changes of photospheric faculae associated with magnetic active regions are responsible for the bright contribution to variation in total solar irradiance (TSI). Yet, the 102-year white light (WL) facular record measured by the Royal Greenwich Observatory between 1874 and 1976 has been largely overlooked in past TSI reconstructions. We show that it may offer a better measure of the brightening than presently used chromospheric proxies or the sunspot number. These are, to varying degrees, based on magnetic structures that are dark at the photosphere even near the limb. The increased contribution of the dark component to these proxies atmore » high activity leads to an overestimate of solar brightening around peaks of the large spot cycles 18 and 19. The WL facular areas measure only the bright contribution. Our reconstruction based on these facular areas indicates that TSI decreased by about 0.1% during these two cycles to a 20th century minimum, rather than brightening to some of the highest TSI levels in four centuries, as reported in previous reconstructions. This TSI decrease may have contributed more to climate cooling between the 1940s and 1960s than present modeling indicates. Our finding adds to previous evidence that such suppression of solar brightening by an increased area of dark flux tubes might explain why the Sun is anomalously quiet photometrically compared to other late-type stars. Our findings do not change the evidence against solar driving of climate warming since the 1970s.« less

FUPSOL: Modelling the Future and Past Solar Influence on Earth Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anet, J. G.; Rozanov, E.; Peter, T.

2012-04-01

Global warming is becoming one of the main threats to mankind. There is growing evidence that anthropogenic greenhouse gases have become the dominant factor since about 1970. At the same time natural factors of climate change such as solar and volcanic forcings cannot be neglected on longer time scales. Despite growing scientific efforts over the last decades in both, observations and simulations, the uncertainty of the solar contribution to the past climate change remained unacceptably high (IPCC, 2007), the reasons being on one hand missing observations of solar irradiance prior to the satellite era, and on the other hand a majority of models so far not including all processes relevant for solar-climate interactions. This project aims at elucidating the processes governing the effects of solar activity variations on Earth's climate. We use the state-of-the-art coupled atmosphere-ocean-chemistry-climate model (AOCCM) SOCOL (Schraner et al, 2008) developed in Switzerland by coupling the community Earth System Model (ESM) COSMOS distributed by MPI for Meteorology (Hamburg, Germany) with a comprehensive atmospheric chemistry module. The model solves an extensive set of equations describing the dynamics of the atmosphere and ocean, radiative transfer, transport of species, their chemical transformations, cloud formation and the hydrological cycle. The intention is to show how past solar variations affected climate and how the decrease in solar forcing expected for the next decades will affect climate on global and regional scales. We will simulate the global climate system behavior during Dalton minimum (1790 and 1830) and first half of 21st century with a series of multiyear ensemble experiments and perform these experiments using all known anthropogenic and natural climate forcing taken in different combinations to understand the effects of solar irradiance in different spectral regions and particle precipitation variability. Further on, we will quantify the solar influence on global climate in the future by evaluating the simulations and using information from past analogs such as the Dalton minimum. In the end, the project aims at reducing the uncertainty of the solar contribution to past and future climate change, which so far remained high despite many years of analyses of observational records and theoretical investigations with climate models of different complexity.

ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS OF GEOENGINEERING: A Review for Developing a Science Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russell, Lynn M; Jackson, Robert B; Norby, Richard J

2012-01-01

Geoengineering methods are intended to reduce the magnitude of climate change, which is already having demonstrable effects on ecosystem structure and functioning. Two different types of activities have been proposed: solar radiation management (SRM), or sunlight reflection methods, which involves reflecting a small percentage of solar light back into space to offset the warming due to greenhouse gases, and carbon dioxide removal (CDR), which includes a range of engineered and biological processes to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This report evaluates some of the possible impacts of CDR and SRM on the physical climate and their subsequent influencemore » on ecosystems, which include the risks and uncertainties associated with new kinds of purposeful perturbations to the Earth. Therefore, the question considered in this review is whether CDR and SRM methods would exacerbate or alleviate the deleterious impacts on ecosystems associated with climate changes that might occur in the foreseeable future.Geoengineering methods are intended to reduce the magnitude of climate change, which is already having demonstrable effects on ecosystem structure and functioning. Two different types of activities have been proposed: solar radiation management (SRM), or sunlight reflection methods, which involves reflecting a small percentage of solar light back into space to offset the warming due to greenhouse gases, and carbon dioxide removal (CDR), which includes a range of engineered and biological processes to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This report evaluates some of the possible impacts of CDR and SRM on the physical climate and their subsequent influence on ecosystems, which include the risks and uncertainties associated with new kinds of purposeful perturbations to the Earth. Therefore, the question considered in this review is whether CDR and SRM methods would exacerbate or alleviate the deleterious impacts on ecosystems associated with climate changes that might occur in the foreseeable future.« less

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-09-01

This montage shows changing faces of the Sun, recorded daily during the 59 days spent in orbit by Skylab's second crew. The Sun spun more than two full turns around its axis. Solar rotation is apparent in these daily portraits, as are real changes on the Sun. Bright features are centers of activity on the Sun. This image contains daily records from September 6, 1973 through September 24, 1973.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-08-01

This montage shows changing faces of the Sun, recorded daily during the 59 days spent in orbit by Skylab's second crew. The Sun spun more than two full turns around its axis. Solar rotation is apparent in these daily portraits, as are real changes on the Sun. Bright features are centers of activity on the Sun. This image contains daily records from August 17, 1973 through September 5, 1973.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-07-01

This montage shows changing faces of the Sun, recorded daily during the 59 days spent in orbit by Skylab's second crew. The Sun spun more than two full turns around its axis. Solar rotation is apparent in these daily portraits, as are real changes on the Sun. Bright features are centers of activity on the Sun. This image contains daily records from July 28, 1973 through August 16, 1973.

Ionospheric Peak Electron Density and Performance Evaluation of IRI-CCIR Near Magnetic Equator in Africa During Two Extreme Solar Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adebesin, B. O.; Rabiu, A. B.; Obrou, O. K.; Adeniyi, J. O.

2018-03-01

The F2 layer peak electron density (NmF2) was investigated over Korhogo (Geomagnetic: 1.26°S, 67.38°E), a station near the magnetic equator in the African sector. Data for 1996 and 2000 were, respectively, categorized into low solar quiet and disturbed and high solar quiet and disturbed. NmF2 prenoon peak was higher than the postnoon peak during high solar activity irrespective of magnetic activity condition, while the postnoon peak was higher for low solar activity. Higher NmF2 peak amplitude characterizes disturbed magnetic activity than quiet magnetic condition for any solar activity. The maximum peaks appeared in equinox. June solstice noontime bite out lagged other seasons by 1-2 h. For any condition of solar and magnetic activities, the daytime NmF2 percentage variability (%VR) measured by the relative standard deviation maximizes/minimizes in June solstice/equinox. Daytime variability increases with increasing magnetic activity. The highest peak in the morning time NmF2 variability occurs in equinox, while the highest evening/nighttime variability appeared in June solstice for all solar/magnetic conditions. The nighttime annual variability amplitude is higher during disturbed than quiet condition regardless of solar activity period. At daytime, variability is similar for all conditions of solar activities. NmF2 at Korhogo is well represented on the International Reference Ionosphere-International Radio Consultative Committee (IRI-CCIR) option. The model/observation relationship performed best between local midnight and postmidnight period (00-08 LT). The noontime trough characteristics is not prominent in the IRI pattern during high solar activity but evident during low solar conditions when compared with Korhogo observations. The Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients revealed better model performance during disturbed activities.

Simultaneous Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and Very Large Array (VLA) observations of solar active regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willson, Robert F.

1991-01-01

Very Large Array observations at 20 cm wavelength can detect the hot coronal plasma previously observed at soft x ray wavelengths. Thermal cyclotron line emission was detected at the apex of coronal loops where the magnetic field strength is relatively constant. Detailed comparison of simultaneous Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) Satellite and VLA data indicate that physical parameters such as electron temperature, electron density, and magnetic field strength can be obtained, but that some coronal loops remain invisible in either spectral domain. The unprecedent spatial resolution of the VLA at 20 cm wavelength showed that the precursor, impulsive, and post-flare components of solar bursts originate in nearby, but separate loops or systems of loops.. In some cases preburst heating and magnetic changes are observed from loops tens of minutes prior to the impulsive phase. Comparisons with soft x ray images and spectra and with hard x ray data specify the magnetic field strength and emission mechanism of flaring coronal loops. At the longer 91 cm wavelength, the VLA detected extensive emission interpreted as a hot 10(exp 5) K interface between cool, dense H alpha filaments and the surrounding hotter, rarefield corona. Observations at 91 cm also provide evidence for time-correlated bursts in active regions on opposite sides of the solar equator; they are attributed to flare triggering by relativistic particles that move along large-scale, otherwise-invisible, magnetic conduits that link active regions in opposite hemispheres of the Sun.

[The causality of lunar changes on cardiovascular mortality].

PubMed

Sitar, J

1990-11-09

The author confirmed, based on different ways of processing of 1437 sudden cardiovascular deaths, that the frequency of these deaths changes in the course of the synodic moon with two maxima during the lunar quarters. Processing by the method of transfer of epochs made it possible to shift steadily the mortality curves according to the phase of solar activity. This made the author assume that the cause of the phenomenon of two-phasic change of mortality during lunation cannot be only gravitation (sudden tides) and that in addition the interfering influence of solar corpuscular radiation is involved. It is known that this radiation causes geomagnetic disorders. Consistent with the above view it was proved that in the course of lunation the greatest number of geomagnetic disorders occur at a time close to the lunar quarters. Then, as the author proved--aurora polaris is more frequent. The increased cardiovascular mortality is thus associated with an increased geomagnetic activity. The relationship is certainly not direct. The author indicates further trends of research to disclose the immediate causes which exert an unfavourable effect on our cardiovascular system.

Source of Global Scale Variations in the Midday Vertical Content of Ionospheric Metal Ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joiner, J.; Grebowsky, J. M.; Pesnell, W. D.; Aikin, A. C.; Goldberg, Richard A.

1999-01-01

An analysis of long baseline NIMBUS 7 SBUV (Solar Backscatter UV Spectrometer) observations of the latitudinal variation of the noontime vertical Mg' content above approx. 70 km have revealed seasonal, solar activity and magnetic activity dependencies in the Mg+ content. The distributions were categorized in terms of magnetic coordinates partially because transport processes lifting metallic ions from the main meteor ionization layer below 100 km up into the F- region and down again are controlled by electrodynamical processes. Alternatively, the Nimbus Mg+ distributions may simply be a result of ion/neutral chemistry changes resulting from atmospheric changes and not dynamics. In such a case magnetic control would not dominate the distributions. Using in situ satellite measurements of metal ions from the Atmosphere Explorer satellites in the region above the main meteor layer and published sounding rocket measurements of the main metallic ion layers, the effects of the dynamics on the vertical content are delineated. The consequences of atmospheric changes on the vertical content are explored by separating the Nimbus measurements in a geodetic frame of reference.

Investigation of Solar about 5-Month Cycle in Human Circulating Melatonin: Signature of Weather in Extraterrestrial Space?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornélissen, G.; Tarquini, R.; Perfetto, F.; Otsuka, K.; Gigolashvili, M.; Halberg, F.

2009-12-01

Melatonin, produced mainly in the pineal and the gut, is often thought of as the "dark hormone" as its concentration in the circulation is high during darkness and low during light in diurnally- and nocturnally-active mammals in health. About-daily and about-yearly periodicities can thus be anticipated to characterize melatonin, matching the two major photic environmental cycles. Non-photic solar influences have also been observed, melatonin being depressed in association with magnetic storms. While less stable than the daily and yearly changes, non-photic solar dynamics also undergo various periodicities. Among them is an about 0.42-year (about 5-month or 154-day) cycle, reported by several physicists in relation to Zürich relative sunspot numbers and to solar flares. This putative signature of solar activity was found in the incidence pattern of sudden cardiac death in Minnesota, USA, among other geographic locations. A cycle with a period of about 0.42 year is here reported in data on circulating melatonin of 172 patients studied between Oct 1992 and Dec 1995 in Florence, Italy. Melatonin may mediate some of the Sun's effects upon the biosphere in certain frequency-windows such as a cis-half-year of about 5 months.

Centennial blooming of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria in Qinghai Lake linked to solar and monsoon activities during the last 18,000 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Junfeng; Balsam, William; Shen, Ji; Wang, Man; Wang, Hongtao; Chen, Jun

2009-06-01

The productivity of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (APB) can be inferred in the sediments of Qinghai Lake from the changing abundance of bacteriophaeophytin a (Bph- a). Using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), we identified Bph- a in Qinghai Lake sediments from the late glacial period through the Holocene with a resolution of one sample every 30-50 years. The Bph- a profile of Qinghai Lake demonstrates that in the last 18,000 years APB were only present between 4.2 and 14 ka BP, a period of high rainfall and high summer solar insolation. All the APB blooming events correspond to times of enhanced freshwater influx as revealed by percent redness, an indicator of the input of iron oxide minerals. Our data suggest that solar insolation sets the stage for APB blooms, which are then promoted by increased summer monsoon rainfall and nutrients resulting in the development of a chemocline in the lake. The blooming of APB in Qinghai Lake appears as discrete centennial-scale APB events likely linked to solar activities. Our results suggest the presence of solar-induced, century-long, intense summer monsoon episodes in the middle and early Holocene and the late glacial period.

Solar Flare Occurrence Rate and Probability in Terms of the Sunspot Classification Supplemented with Sunspot Area and Its Changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, K.; Moon, Y.; Lee, J.; Na, H.; Lee, K.

2013-12-01

We investigate the solar flare occurrence rate and daily flare probability in terms of the sunspot classification supplemented with sunspot area and its changes. For this we use the NOAA active region data and GOES solar flare data for 15 years (from January 1996 to December 2010). We consider the most flare-productive 11 sunspot classes in the McIntosh sunspot group classification. Sunspot area and its changes can be a proxy of magnetic flux and its emergence/cancellation, respectively. We classify each sunspot group into two sub-groups by its area: 'Large' and 'Small'. In addition, for each group, we classify it into three sub-groups according to sunspot area changes: 'Decrease', 'Steady', and 'Increase'. As a result, in the case of compact groups, their flare occurrence rates and daily flare probabilities noticeably increase with sunspot group area. We also find that the flare occurrence rates and daily flare probabilities for the 'Increase' sub-groups are noticeably higher than those for the other sub-groups. In case of the (M + X)-class flares in the ';Dkc' group, the flare occurrence rate of the 'Increase' sub-group is three times higher than that of the 'Steady' sub-group. The mean flare occurrence rates and flare probabilities for all sunspot groups increase with the following order: 'Decrease', 'Steady', and 'Increase'. Our results statistically demonstrate that magnetic flux and its emergence enhance the occurrence of major solar flares.

Automatic prediction of solar flares and super geomagnetic storms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Hui

Space weather is the response of our space environment to the constantly changing Sun. As the new technology advances, mankind has become more and more dependent on space system, satellite-based services. A geomagnetic storm, a disturbance in Earth's magnetosphere, may produce many harmful effects on Earth. Solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are believed to be the major causes of geomagnetic storms. Thus, establishing a real time forecasting method for them is very important in space weather study. The topics covered in this dissertation are: the relationship between magnetic gradient and magnetic shear of solar active regions; the relationship between solar flare index and magnetic features of solar active regions; based on these relationships a statistical ordinal logistic regression model is developed to predict the probability of solar flare occurrences in the next 24 hours; and finally the relationship between magnetic structures of CME source regions and geomagnetic storms, in particular, the super storms when the D st index decreases below -200 nT is studied and proved to be able to predict those super storms. The results are briefly summarized as follows: (1) There is a significant correlation between magnetic gradient and magnetic shear of active region. Furthermore, compared with magnetic shear, magnetic gradient might be a better proxy to locate where a large flare occurs. It appears to be more accurate in identification of sources of X-class flares than M-class flares; (2) Flare index, defined by weighting the SXR flares, is proved to have positive correlation with three magnetic features of active region; (3) A statistical ordinal logistic regression model is proposed for solar flare prediction. The results are much better than those data published in the NASA/SDAC service, and comparable to the data provided by the NOAA/SEC complicated expert system. To our knowledge, this is the first time that logistic regression model has been applied in solar physics to predict flare occurrences; (4) The magnetic orientation angle [straight theta], determined from a potential field model, is proved to be able to predict the probability of super geomagnetic storms (D= st <=-200nT). The results show that those active regions associated with | [straight theta]| < 90° are more likely to cause a super geomagnetic storm.

Ion Mediated Nucleation: how is it Influenced by Changes in the Solar Activity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Auria, R.; Turco, R. P.

2003-12-01

Recently it has been pointed out that tropospheric cloudiness can be correlated with the galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) intensity [Svensmark and Friis-Christensen, 1997]. A possible explanation for such a correlation relies on the fact that GCRs are the main ionization source in the upper troposphere, hence, throughout ionic mediated nucleation, they could possibly influence the global cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) formation [e.g., Yu, 2001; Dickinson, 1975]. Because the GCRs are modulated by the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth's magnetosphere and their intensity generally decreases with increasing solar activity, subtle changes in the solar activity could indirectly affect the Earth's climate. We have been studying the very first steps of ionic nucleation considering the molecular species of atmospheric interest (e.g.,water, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, ammonia etc.). In our approach the formation and evolution of ionic clusters is followed by resolving the time dependent kinetic aggregation process and considering the ions sources (ultimately the atmospheric ionization of neutral species) and sinks. We show how in typical atmospheric conditions stable populations of molecular ions forms. The novelty of our work consists in the determination of the kinetic parameters that govern the molecular ions growth (i.e., the forward and reverse clustering reaction constants for each cluster type and size) at a microscopic level. In fact a thermochemistry data base is built for the species of interest by integrating laboratory measurements, quantum mechanical calculations and, when appropriate, results from the macroscopic liquid droplet model [Thomson, 1928]. Such database is than used to retrieve the reverse clustering reaction coefficients for the molecular ion type and size and for the environmental conditions (pressure and temperature) of interest. The forward reaction is instead determined by calculating the ionic-neutral collisional rate or is assumed from laboratory determinations. Here we discuss the methodology and some of the results from sensitivity tests in which the ionization rate is changed so to reflect natural variation of the GCRs as modulated by the Sun. References: Dickinson, R. E., Solar variability and the lower atmosphere, Bull. Am. Meterol. Soc., 56, 1240-1248, 1975. Svensmark, H., and E. Friis-Christensen, Variation of cosmic ray flux and global cloud coverage A missing link in solar-climate relationships, J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys., 59, 1225-1232, 1997. Thomson, J. J and G. P. Thomson, Conduction of electricity through gases, Cambridge University Press, 1928. Yu, F., Altitude variations of cosmic ray induced production of aerosols: Implications for global cloudiness and climate, J. Geophys. Res., 107, 10.1029/2001JA000248, 2001.

A Changing Arctic Sea Ice Cover and the Partitioning of Solar Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perovich, D. K.; Light, B.; Polashenski, C.; Nghiem, S. V.

2010-12-01

Certain recent changes in the Arctic sea ice cover are well established. There has been a reduction in sea ice extent, an overall thinning of the ice cover, reduced prevalence of perennial ice with accompanying increases in seasonal ice, and a lengthening of the summer melt season. Here we explore the effects of these changes on the partitioning of solar energy between reflection to the atmosphere, absorption within the ice, and transmission to the ocean. The physical changes in the ice cover result in less light reflected and more light absorbed in the ice and transmitted to the ocean. These changes directly affect the heat and mass balance of the ice as well as the amount of light available for photosynthesis within and beneath the ice cover. The central driver is that seasonal ice covers tend to have lower albedo than perennial ice throughout the melt season, permitting more light to penetrate into the ice and ocean. The enhanced light penetration increases the amount of internal melting of the ice and the heat content of the upper ocean. The physical changes in the ice cover mentioned above have affected both the amount and the timing of the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) transmitted into the ice and ocean, increasing transmitted PAR, particularly in the spring. A comparison of the partitioning of solar irradiance and PAR for both historical and recent ice conditions will be presented.

Effects of solar UV-B radiation on aquatic ecosystems.

PubMed

Hader, D P

2000-01-01

Solar UV degrades dissolved organic carbon photolytically so that they can readily be taken up by bacterioplankton. On the other hand solar UV radiation inhibits bacterioplankton activity. Bacterioplankton productivity is far greater than previously thought and is comparable to phytoplankton primary productivity. According to the "microbial loop hypothesis," bacterioplankton is seen in the center of a food web, having a similar function to phytoplankton and protists. The penetration of UV and PAR into the water column can be measured. Marine waters show large temporal and regional differences in their concentrations of dissolved and particulate absorbing substances. A network of dosimeters (ELDONET) has been installed in Europe ranging from Abisko in Northern Sweden to Gran Canaria. Cyanobacteria are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen which is then made available to higher plants. The agricultural potential of cyanobacteria has been recognized as a biological fertilizer for wet soils such as in rice paddies. UV-B is known to impair processes such as growth, survival, pigmentation, motility, as well as the enzymes of nitrogen metabolism and CO2 fixation. The marine phytoplankton represents the single most important ecosystem on our planet and produces about the same biomass as all terrestrial ecosystems taken together. It is the base of the aquatic food chain and any changes in the size and composition of phytoplankton communities will directly affect food production for humans from marine sources. Another important role of marine phytoplankton is to serve as a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Recent investigations have shown a large sensitivity of most phytoplankton organisms toward solar short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UV-B); even at ambient levels of UV-B radiation many organisms seem to be under UV stress. Because of their requirement for solar energy, the phytoplankton dwell in the top layers of the water column. In this near-surface position phytoplankton will be exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation. This radiation has been shown to affect growth, photosynthesis, nitrogen incorporation and enzyme activity. Other targets of solar UV irradiation are proteins and pigments involved in photosynthesis. Whether or not screening pigments can be induced in phytoplankton to effectively shield the organisms from excessive UV irradiation needs to be determined. Macroalgae show a distinct pattern of vertical distribution in their habitat. They have developed mechanisms to regulate their photosynthetic activity to adapt to the changing light regime and protect themselves from excessive radiation. A broad survey was carried out to understand photosynthesis in aquatic ecosystems and the different adaptation strategies to solar radiation of ecologically important species of green, red and brown algae from the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean, Atlantic, polar and tropical oceans. Photoinhibition was quantified by oxygen exchange and by PAM (pulse amplitude modulated) fluorescence measurements based on transient changes of chlorophyll fluorescence. c2001 COSPAR Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cosmic ray variations of solar origin in relation to human physiological state during the December 2006 solar extreme events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papailiou, M.; Mavromichalaki, H.; Vassilaki, A.; Kelesidis, K. M.; Mertzanos, G. A.; Petropoulos, B.

2009-02-01

There is an increasing amount of evidence linking biological effects to solar and geomagnetic disturbances. A series of studies is published referring to the changes in human physiological responses at different levels of geomagnetic activity. In this study, the possible relation between the daily variations of cosmic ray intensity, measured by the Neutron Monitor at the Cosmic Ray Station of the University of Athens (http://cosray.phys.uoa.gr) and the average daily and hourly heart rate variations of persons, with no symptoms or hospital admission, monitored by Holter electrocardiogram, is considered. This work refers to a group of persons admitted to the cardiological clinic of the KAT Hospital in Athens during the time period from 4th to 24th December 2006 that is characterized by extreme solar and geomagnetic activity. A series of Forbush decreases started on 6th December and lasted until the end of the month and a great solar proton event causing a Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) of the cosmic ray intensity on 13th December occurred. A sudden decrease of the cosmic ray intensity on 15th December, when a geomagnetic storm was registered, was also recorded in Athens Neutron Monitor station (cut-off rigidity 8.53 GV) with amplitude of 4%. It is noticed that during geomagnetically quiet days the heart rate and the cosmic ray intensity variations are positively correlated. When intense cosmic ray variations, like Forbush decreases and relativistic proton events produced by strong solar phenomena occur, cosmic ray intensity and heart rate get minimum values and their variations, also, coincide. During these events the correlation coefficient of these two parameters changes and follows the behavior of the cosmic ray intensity variations. This is only a small part of an extended investigation, which has begun using data from the year 2002 and is still in progress.

Space Solar Patrol data and changes in weather and climate, including global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avakyan, S. V.; Baranova, L. A.; Leonov, N. B.; Savinov, E. P.; Voronin, N. A.

2010-08-01

In this paper, the results obtained during the execution of several ISTC projects are presented. The general aim of these projects has been the study of global changes in the environment, connected with solar activity. A brief description of the optical apparatus of the Space Solar Patrol (SSP) developed and built in the framework of the ISTC projects 385, 385.2, 1523 and 2500 is given. The SSP is intended for permanent monitoring of spectra and absolute fluxes of soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet (x-ray/EUV) radiation from the full disk of the Sun which ionizes the upper atmosphere of the Earth. Permanent solar monitoring in the main part of the ionizing radiation spectra 0.8-115 (119) nm does not exist. The apparatus of the SSP was developed in the years 1996-2005 with multiyear experience of developing such apparatus in S I Vavilov State Optical Institute. The basis of this apparatus is the use of unique detectors of ionizing radiation—open secondary electron multipliers, which are 'solar blind' to near UV, visible and IR radiation from the Sun, and new methodology of these solar spectroradiometric absolute measurements. The prospects are discussed of using the SSP data for the investigation and forecast of the influence of solar variability on the weather and climate including global warming and also on the biosphere including human beings (proposal 3878). This article was originally submitted for inclusion with the papers from the 9th International Symposium on Measurement Science and Intelligent Instruments (ISMTII-2009), published in the May 2010 issue.

Long-term increases in tropical flowering activity across growth forms in response to rising CO2 and climate change.

PubMed

Pau, Stephanie; Okamoto, Daniel K; Calderón, Osvaldo; Wright, S Joseph

2018-05-01

Mounting evidence suggests that anthropogenic global change is altering plant species composition in tropical forests. Fewer studies, however, have focused on long-term trends in reproductive activity, in part because of the lack of data from tropical sites. Here, we analyze a 28-year record of tropical flower phenology in response to anthropogenic climate and atmospheric change. We show that a multidecadal increase in flower activity is most strongly associated with rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations using yearly aggregated data. Compared to significant climatic factors, CO 2 had on average an approximately three-, four-, or fivefold stronger effect than rainfall, solar radiation, and the Multivariate ENSO Index, respectively. Peaks in flower activity were associated with greater solar radiation and lower rainfall during El Niño years. The effect of atmospheric CO 2 on flowering has diminished over the most recent decade for lianas and canopy trees, whereas flowering of midstory trees and shrub species continued to increase with rising CO 2 . Increases in flowering were accompanied by a lengthening of flowering duration for canopy and midstory trees. Understory treelets did not show increases in flowering but did show increases in duration. Given that atmospheric CO 2 will likely continue to climb over the next century, a long-term increase in flowering activity may persist in some growth forms until checked by nutrient limitation or by climate change through rising temperatures, increasing drought frequency and/or increasing cloudiness and reduced insolation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Astronaut Kathryn Thornton during second HST extravehicular activity

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-06

STS061-95-028 (6 Dec 1993) --- Astronaut Kathryn C. Thornton, on the end of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm, hovers over equipment associated with servicing chores on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the second extravehicular activity (EVA) on the eleven-day mission. Astronauts Thornton and Thomas D. Akers changed out the solar array panels during this EVA.

Coronal and chromospheric physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jefferies, J. T.; Landman, D. A.; Orrall, F. Q.

1983-01-01

Achievements and completed results are discussed for investigations covering solar activity during the solar maximum mission and the solar maximum year; other studies of solar activity and variability; infrared and submillimeter photometry; solar-related atomic physics; coronal and transition region studies; prominence research; chromospheric research in quiet and active regions; solar dynamics; eclipse studies; and polarimetry and magnetic field measurements. Contributions were also made in defining the photometric filterograph instrument for the solar optical telescope, designing the combined filter spectrograph, and in expressing the scientific aims and implementation of the solar corona diagnostic mission.

Cross correlation and time-lag between cosmic ray intensity and solar activity during solar cycles 21, 22 and 23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sierra-Porta, D.

2018-07-01

In the present paper a systematic study is carried out to validate the similarity or co-variability between daily terrestrial cosmic-ray intensity and three parameters of the solar corona evolution, i.e., the number of sunspots and flare index observed in the solar corona and the Ap index for regular magnetic field variations caused by regular solar radiation changes. The study is made for a period including three solar cycles starting with cycle 21 (year 1976) and ending on cycle 23 (year 2008). A cross-correlation analysis was used to establish patterns and dependence of the variables. This study focused on the time lag calculation for these variables and found a maximum of negative correlation over CC1≈ 0.85, CC2≈ 0.75 and CC3≈ 0.63 with an estimation of 181, 156 and 2 days of deviation between maximum/minimum of peaks for the intensity of cosmic rays related with sunspot number, flare index and Ap index regression, respectively.

Observation of the solar eclipse of 20 March 2015 at the Pruhonice station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mošna, Zbyšek; Boška, Josef; Knížová, Petra Koucká; Šindelářová, Tereza; Kouba, Daniel; Chum, Jaroslav; Rejfek, Luboš; Potužníková, Kateřina; Arikan, Feza; Toker, Cenk

2018-06-01

Response of the atmosphere to the Solar Eclipse on 20 March 2015 is described for mid-latitude region of Czech Republic. For the first time we show join analysis using Digisonde vertical sounding, manually processed Digisonde drift measurement, and Continuous Doppler Sounding for the solar eclipse study. The critical frequencies foE, foF1 and foF2 show changes with different time offset connected to the solar eclipse. Digisonde drift measurement shows significant vertical plasma drifts in F2 region deviating from daily mean course with amplitudes reaching 15-20 m/s corresponding to the time of solar eclipse. Continuous Doppler Sounding shows propagation of waves in the NE direction with velocities between 70 and 100 m/s with a peak 30 min after first contact. We observed increased and persistent wave activity at heights between 150 and 250 km at time about 20-40 min after beginning of SE with central period 65 min.

Impurities in silicon solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hopkins, R. H.

1985-01-01

Metallic impurities, both singly and in combinations, affect the performance of silicon solar cells. Czochralski silicon web crystals were grown with controlled additions of secondary impurities. The primary electrical dopants were boron and phosphorus. The silicon test ingots were grown under controlled and carefully monitored conditions from high-purity charge and dopant material to minimize unintentional contamination. Following growth, each crystal was characterized by chemical, microstructural, electrical, and solar cell tests to provide a detailed and internally consistent description of the relationships between silicon impurity concentration and solar cell performance. Deep-level spectroscopy measurements were used to measure impurity concentrations at levels below the detectability of other techniques and to study thermally-induced changes in impurity activity. For the majority of contaminants, impurity-induced performance loss is due to a reduction of the base diffusion length. From these observations, a semi-empirical model which predicts cell performance as a function of metal impurity concentration was formulated. The model was then used successfully to predict the behavior of solar cells bearing as many as 11 different impurities.

Hinode: A Decade of Success in Capturing Solar Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savage, S.; Elrod, S.; Deluca, E.; Doschek, G.; Tarbell, T.

2017-01-01

As the present solar cycle passes into its minimum phase, the Hinode mission marks its tenth year of investigating solar activity. Hinode's decade of successful observations have provided us with immeasurable insight into the solar processes that invoke space weather and thereby affect the interplanetary environment in which we reside. The mission's complementary suite of instruments allows us to probe transient, high energy events alongside long-term, cycle-dependent phenomena from magnetic fields at the Sun's surface out to highly thermalized coronal plasma enveloping active regions (ARs). These rich data sets have already changed the face of solar physics and will continue to provoke exciting research as new observational paradigms are pursued. Hinode was launched as part of the Science Mission Directorate's (SMD) Solar Terrestrial Probes Program in 2006. It is a sophisticated spacecraft equipped with a Solar Optical Telescope (SOT), an Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS), and an X-Ray Telescope (XRT) (see x 4). With high resolution and sensitivity, Hinode serves as a microscope for the Sun, providing us with unique capabilities for observing magnetic fields near the smallest scales achievable, while also rendering full-Sun coronal context in the highest thermal regimes. The 2014 NASA SMD strategic goals objective to "Understand the Sun and its interactions with the Earth and the solar system, including space weather" forms the basis of three underlying Heliophysics Science Goals. While Hinode relates to all three, the observatory primarily addresses: Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and through the solar system. Within the NASA National Research Council (NRC) Decadal Survey Priorities, Hinode targets: (a) Determine the origins of the Sun's activity and predict the variations of the space environment and (d) Discover and characterize fundamental processes that occur both within the heliosphere and throughout the universe. In response to the 2012 NRC Decadal Survey Science Challenges and 2014 Heliophysics Roadmap Research Focus Areas, the Hinode mission has set forth four Prioritized Science Goals (PSGs): (a) Study the sources and evolution of highly energetic dynamic events; (b) Characterize cross-scale magnetic field topology and stability; (c) Trace mass and energy flow from the photosphere to the corona; and (d) Continue long term synoptic support to quantify cycle variability.

Solar activity simulation and forecast with a flux-transport dynamo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macario-Rojas, Alejandro; Smith, Katharine L.; Roberts, Peter C. E.

2018-06-01

We present the assessment of a diffusion-dominated mean field axisymmetric dynamo model in reproducing historical solar activity and forecast for solar cycle 25. Previous studies point to the Sun's polar magnetic field as an important proxy for solar activity prediction. Extended research using this proxy has been impeded by reduced observational data record only available from 1976. However, there is a recognised need for a solar dynamo model with ample verification over various activity scenarios to improve theoretical standards. The present study aims to explore the use of helioseismology data and reconstructed solar polar magnetic field, to foster the development of robust solar activity forecasts. The research is based on observationally inferred differential rotation morphology, as well as observed and reconstructed polar field using artificial neural network methods via the hemispheric sunspot areas record. Results show consistent reproduction of historical solar activity trends with enhanced results by introducing a precursor rise time coefficient. A weak solar cycle 25, with slow rise time and maximum activity -14.4% (±19.5%) with respect to the current cycle 24 is predicted.

Ionospheric effects of the extreme solar activity of February 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boska, J.; Pancheva, D.

1989-01-01

During February 1986, near the minimum of the 11 year Solar sunspot cycle, after a long period of totally quiet solar activity (R sub z = 0 on most days in January) a period of a suddenly enhanced solar activity occurred in the minimum between solar cycles 21 and 22. Two proton flares were observed during this period. A few other flares, various phenomena accompanying proton flares, an extremely severe geomagnetic storm and strong disturbances in the Earth's ionosphere were observed in this period of enhanced solar activity. Two active regions appeared on the solar disc. The flares in both active regions were associated with enhancement of solar high energy proton flux which started on 4 February of 0900 UT. Associated with the flares, the magnetic storm with sudden commencement had its onset on 6 February 1312 UT and attained its maximum on 8 February (Kp = 9). The sudden enhancement in solar activity in February 1986 was accompanied by strong disturbances in the Earth's ionosphere, SIDs and ionospheric storm. These events and their effects on the ionosphere are discussed.

The new climate data record of total and spectral solar irradiance: Current progress and future steps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coddington, Odele; Lean, Judith; Rottman, Gary; Pilewskie, Peter; Snow, Martin; Lindholm, Doug

2016-04-01

We present a climate data record of Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) and Solar Spectral Irradiance (SSI), with associated time and wavelength dependent uncertainties, from 1610 to the present. The data record was developed jointly by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) as part of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Climate Data Record (CDR) Program, where the data record, source code, and supporting documentation are archived. TSI and SSI are constructed from models that determine the changes from quiet Sun conditions arising from bright faculae and dark sunspots on the solar disk using linear regression of proxies of solar magnetic activity with observations from the SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM), Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM), and SOlar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE). We show that TSI can be separately modeled to within TIM's measurement accuracy from solar rotational to solar cycle time scales and we assume that SSI measurements are reliable on solar rotational time scales. We discuss the model formulation, uncertainty estimates, and operational implementation and present comparisons of the modeled TSI and SSI with the measurement record and with other solar irradiance models. We also discuss ongoing work to assess the sensitivity of the modeled irradiances to model assumptions, namely, the scaling of solar variability from rotational-to-cycle time scales and the representation of the sunspot darkening index.

NOAA Data Rescue of Key Solar Databases and Digitization of Historical Solar Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coffey, H. E.

2006-08-01

Over a number of years, the staff at NOAA National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) has worked to rescue key solar databases by converting them to digital format and making them available via the World Wide Web. NOAA has had several data rescue programs where staff compete for funds to rescue important and critical historical data that are languishing in archives and at risk of being lost due to deteriorating condition, loss of any metadata or descriptive text that describe the databases, lack of interest or funding in maintaining databases, etc. The Solar-Terrestrial Physics Division at NGDC was able to obtain funds to key in some critical historical tabular databases. Recently the NOAA Climate Database Modernization Program (CDMP) funded a project to digitize historical solar images, producing a large online database of historical daily full disk solar images. The images include the wavelengths Calcium K, Hydrogen Alpha, and white light photos, as well as sunspot drawings and the comprehensive drawings of a multitude of solar phenomena on one daily map (Fraunhofer maps and Wendelstein drawings). Included in the digitization are high resolution solar H-alpha images taken at the Boulder Solar Observatory 1967-1984. The scanned daily images document many phases of solar activity, from decadal variation to rotational variation to daily changes. Smaller versions are available online. Larger versions are available by request. See http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/SOLAR/ftpsolarimages.html. The tabular listings and solar imagery will be discussed.

A mechanism for inducing climatic variations through ozone destruction: Screening of galactic cosmic rays by solar and terrestrial magnetic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamberlain, J. W.

1976-01-01

A perturbation analysis, allowing for temperature and opacity feedbacks, is developed to calculate depletions in the O3 abundance and reductions of stratospheric solar heating that result from increases in NOx concentration. A pair of perturbation coefficients give the reduction in O3 and temperature through the stratosphere for a specified NOx increase. This type of analysis illustrates the tendency for various levels to self-heal when a perturbation occurs. Physical arguments indicate that the expected sign of the climatic effect is correct, with colder surface temperatures produced by reduced magnetic shielding. In addition, four qualitative reasons are suggested for thinking that significant ozone reductions by cosmic ray influxes will lead to an increased terrestrial albedo from stratospheric condensation. In this view, long-term (approximately 10,000 years) climatic changes have resulted from secular geomagnetic variations while shorter (approximately 100 years) excursions are related to changes in solar activity.

Activities in support of the wax-impregnated wallboard concept

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kedl, R.J.; Stovall, T.K.

1989-01-01

The concept of octadecane wax impregnated wallboard for the passive solar application is a major thrust of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Thermal Energy Storage (TES) program. Thus, ORNL has initiated a number of internal efforts in support of this concept. The results of these efforts are: The immersion process for filling wallboard with wax has been successfully sealed up from small samples to full-size sheets; analysis shows that the immersion process has the potential for achieving higher storage capacity than adding wax filled pellets to wallboard during its manufacture; analysis indicates that 75/degree/F is close to an optimummore » phase change temperature for the non-passive solar application; and the thermal conductivity of wallboard without wax has been measured and will be measured for wax impregnated wallboard. In addition, efforts are underway to confirm an analytical model that handles phase change wallboard for the passive solar application. 4 refs., 10 figs.« less

Effects of Solar UV Radiation and Climate Change on Biogeochemical Cycling: Interactions and Feedbacks

EPA Science Inventory

Solar UV radiation, climate and other drivers of global change are undergoing significant changes and models forecast that these changes will continue for the remainder of this century. Here we assess the effects of solar UV radiation on biogeochemical cycles and the interactions...

Towards a comprehensive climate impacts assessment of solar geoengineering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Irvine, Peter J.; Kravitz, Ben; Lawrence, Mark G.

Despite a growing literature on the climate response to solar geoengineering—proposals to cool the planet by increasing the planetary albedo—there has been little published on the impacts of solar geoengineering on natural and human systems such as agriculture, health, water resources, and ecosystems. An understanding of the impacts of different scenarios of solar geoengineering deployment will be crucial for informing decisions on whether and how to deploy it. Here we review the current state of knowledge about impacts of a solar-geoengineered climate and identify the major research gaps. We suggest that a thorough assessment of the climate impacts of amore » range of scenarios of solar geoengineering deployment is needed and can be built upon existing frameworks. However, solar geoengineering poses a novel challenge for climate impacts research as the manner of deployment could be tailored to pursue different objectives making possible a wide range of climate outcomes. We present a number of ideas for approaches to extend the survey of climate impacts beyond standard scenarios of solar geoengineering deployment to address this challenge. Reducing the impacts of climate change is the fundamental motivator for emissions reductions and for considering whether and how to deploy solar geoengineering. This means that the active engagement of the climate impacts research community will be important for improving the overall understanding of the opportunities, challenges, and risks presented by solar geoengineering.« less

Exploration of Solar Wind Acceleration Region Using Interplanetary Scintillation of Water Vapor Maser Source and Quasars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Yamauchi, Yohei; Kondo, Tetsuro

2001-01-01

Single-station observations of interplanetary scintillation UPS) at three microwave frequencies 2, 8, and 22GHz, were carried out between 1989 and 1998 using a large (34-micro farad) radio telescope at the Kashima Space Research Center of the Communications Research Laboratory. The aim of these observations was to explore the near-sun solar wind, which is the key region for the study of the solar wind acceleration mechanism. Strong quasars, 3C279 and 3C273B, were used for the Kashima IPS observations at 2 and 8GHz, and a water-vapor maser source, IRC20431, was used for the IPS observations at 22GHz. Solar wind speeds derived from Kashima IPS data suggest that the solar wind acceleration takes place at radial distances between 10 and 30 solar radii (Rs) from the sun. The properties of the turbulence spectrum (e.g. anisotropy, spectral index, inner scale) inferred from the Kashima data were found to change systematically in the solar wind acceleration region. While the solar wind in the maximum phase appears to be dominated by the slow wind, fast and rarefied winds associated with the coronal holes were found to develop significantly at high latitudes as the solar activity declined. Nevertheless, the Kashima data suggests that the location of the acceleration region is stable throughout the solar cycle.

Towards a comprehensive climate impacts assessment of solar geoengineering

DOE PAGES

Irvine, Peter J.; Kravitz, Ben; Lawrence, Mark G.; ...

2016-11-23

Despite a growing literature on the climate response to solar geoengineering—proposals to cool the planet by increasing the planetary albedo—there has been little published on the impacts of solar geoengineering on natural and human systems such as agriculture, health, water resources, and ecosystems. An understanding of the impacts of different scenarios of solar geoengineering deployment will be crucial for informing decisions on whether and how to deploy it. Here we review the current state of knowledge about impacts of a solar-geoengineered climate and identify the major research gaps. We suggest that a thorough assessment of the climate impacts of amore » range of scenarios of solar geoengineering deployment is needed and can be built upon existing frameworks. However, solar geoengineering poses a novel challenge for climate impacts research as the manner of deployment could be tailored to pursue different objectives making possible a wide range of climate outcomes. We present a number of ideas for approaches to extend the survey of climate impacts beyond standard scenarios of solar geoengineering deployment to address this challenge. Reducing the impacts of climate change is the fundamental motivator for emissions reductions and for considering whether and how to deploy solar geoengineering. This means that the active engagement of the climate impacts research community will be important for improving the overall understanding of the opportunities, challenges, and risks presented by solar geoengineering.« less

Exploration of Solar Wind Acceleration Region Using Interplanetary Scintillation of Water Vapor Maser Source and Quasars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Yamauchi, Yohei; Kondo, Tetsuro

2001-01-01

Single-station observations of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) at three microwave frequencies; 2 GHz, 8 GHz and 22 GHz have been carried out between 1989 and 1998 using a large (34 m farad) radio telescope at the Kashima Space Research Center of the Communications Research Laboratory. The aim of these observations is to explore the near-sun solar wind, which is the key region for the study of the solar wind acceleration mechanism. Strong quasars; 3C279 and 3C273B were used for Kashima IPS observations at 2 GHz and 8 GHz, and a water vapor maser source, IRC20431 was used for the IPS observations at 22 GHz. Solar wind velocities derived from Kashima IPS data suggest that the solar wind acceleration takes place at radial distances between 10 and 30 solar radii (R(sub s)) from the sun. Properties of the turbulence spectrum (e.g. anisotropy, spectral index, inner scale) inferred from Kashima data are found to change systematically in the solar wind acceleration region. While the solar wind in the maximum phase appears to be dominated by the slow wind, fast and rarefied winds associated with coronal holes are found to develop significantly at high latitudes as the solar activity declines. Nevertheless, Kashima data suggests that the location of the acceleration region is stable throughout the solar cycle.

Towards a comprehensive climate impacts assessment of solar geoengineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irvine, Peter J.; Kravitz, Ben; Lawrence, Mark G.; Gerten, Dieter; Caminade, Cyril; Gosling, Simon N.; Hendy, Erica J.; Kassie, Belay T.; Kissling, W. Daniel; Muri, Helene; Oschlies, Andreas; Smith, Steven J.

2017-01-01

Despite a growing literature on the climate response to solar geoengineering—proposals to cool the planet by increasing the planetary albedo—there has been little published on the impacts of solar geoengineering on natural and human systems such as agriculture, health, water resources, and ecosystems. An understanding of the impacts of different scenarios of solar geoengineering deployment will be crucial for informing decisions on whether and how to deploy it. Here we review the current state of knowledge about impacts of a solar-geoengineered climate and identify the major research gaps. We suggest that a thorough assessment of the climate impacts of a range of scenarios of solar geoengineering deployment is needed and can be built upon existing frameworks. However, solar geoengineering poses a novel challenge for climate impacts research as the manner of deployment could be tailored to pursue different objectives making possible a wide range of climate outcomes. We present a number of ideas for approaches to extend the survey of climate impacts beyond standard scenarios of solar geoengineering deployment to address this challenge. Reducing the impacts of climate change is the fundamental motivator for emissions reductions and for considering whether and how to deploy solar geoengineering. This means that the active engagement of the climate impacts research community will be important for improving the overall understanding of the opportunities, challenges, and risks presented by solar geoengineering.

Solar particle event predictions for manned Mars missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heckman, Gary

1986-01-01

Manned space missions to Mars require consideration of the effects of high radiation doses produced by solar particle events (SPE). Without some provision for protection, the radiation doses from such events can exceed standards for maximum exposure and may be life threatening. Several alternative ways of providing protection require a capability for predicting SPE in time to take some protective actions. The SPE may occur at any time during the eleven year solar cycle so that two year missions cannot be scheduled to insure avoiding them although they are less likely to occur at solar minimum. The present forecasts are sufficiently accurate to use for setting alert modes but are not accurate enough to make yes/no decisions that have major mission operational impacts. Forecasts made for one to two year periods can only be done as probabilistic forecasts where there is a chance of SPE occurring. These are current capabilities but are not likely to change significantly by the year 2000 with the exception of some improvement in the one to ten day forecasts. The effects of SPE are concentrated in solar longitudes near where their parent solar flares occur, which will require a manned Mars mission to carry its own small solar telescope to monitor the development of potentially dangerous solar activity. The preferred telescope complement includes a solar X-ray imager, a hydrogen-alpha scanner, and a solar magnetograph.

Evolution of the solar radiative forcing on climate during the Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, Luis Eduardo; Solanki, Sami K.; Krivova, Natalie

The main external heating source of the Earth's coupled atmosphere-ocean system is the solar radiative energy input. The variability of this energy source produces corresponding changes on the coupled system. However, there is still significant uncertainty on the level of changes. One way to distinguish the influence of the Sun on the climate from other sources is to search for its influence in the pre-industrial period, when the influence of human activities on the atmosphere composition and Earth's surface properties can be neglected. Such studies require long time series of solar and geophysical parameters, ideally covering the whole Holocene. Here, we compute the total and spectral irradiance for the Holocene employing the reconstructions of the open flux and sunspot number obtained from the cosmogenic isotope 14C. The model employed in this study is identical to the spectral and total irradiance reconstruction (SATIRE) models employed to study these parameters on time scales from days to centuries, but adapted to work with decadal averaged data. The model is tested by comparing to the total and spectral solar irradiance reconstructions from the sunspot number for the last 4 centuries. We also discuss limits and uncertainties of the model.

Variations of terrestrial geomagnetic activity correlated to M6+ global seismic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cataldi, Gabriele; Cataldi, Daniele; Straser, Valentino

2013-04-01

From the surface of the Sun, as a result of a solar flare, are expelled a coronal mass (CME or Coronal Mass Ejection) that can be observed from the Earth through a coronagraph in white light. This ejected material can be compared to an electrically charged cloud (plasma) mainly composed of electrons, protons and other small quantities of heavier elements such as helium, oxygen and iron that run radially from the Sun along the lines of the solar magnetic field and pushing into interplanetary space. Sometimes the CME able to reach the Earth causing major disruptions of its magnetosphere: mashed in the region illuminated by the Sun and expanding in the region not illuminated. This interaction creates extensive disruption of the Earth's geomagnetic field that can be detected by a radio receiver tuned to the ELF band (Extreme Low Frequency 0-30 Hz). The Radio Emissions Project (scientific research project founded in February 2009 by Gabriele Cataldi and Daniele Cataldi), analyzing the change in the Earth's geomagnetic field through an induction magnetometer tuned between 0.001 and 5 Hz (bandwidth in which possible to observe the geomagnetic pulsations) was able to detect the existence of a close relationship between this geomagnetic perturbations and the global seismic activity M6+. During the arrival of the CME on Earth, in the Earth's geomagnetic field are generated sudden and intensive emissions that have a bandwidth including between 0 and 15 Hz, an average duration of 2-8 hours, that preceding of 0-12 hours M6+ earthquakes. Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012, all M6+ earthquakes recorded on a global scale were preceded by this type of signals which, due to their characteristics, have been called "Seismic Geomagnetic Precursors" (S.G.P.). The main feature of Seismic Geomagnetic Precursors is represented by the close relationship that they have with the solar activity. In fact, because the S.G.P. are geomagnetic emissions, their temporal modulation depends on solar activity: protons and electrons increase in the solar wind; increase of the electromagnetic emissions on Earth's magnetic poles; reducing of the magnetopause standoff distance; intense and sudden changes in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The beginning of the geomagnetic disturbance that precedes the earthquake is activated by an protons and electrons density increase in the solar wind that can be monitored through telemetric data sent by satellite ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer) that currently operating in a Lissajous orbit near the Lagrange point "L1" (between the Sun and Earth, at a distance of approximately 1.5 million km from Earth).

The Sun's Seismic Radius as Measured from the Fundamental Modes of Oscillations and Its Implications for the TSI Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Kiran; Tripathy, S. C.; Hill, F.

2018-05-01

In this Letter we explore the relationship between the solar seismic radius and total solar irradiance (TSI) during the last two solar cycles using the uninterrupted data from space-borne instruments on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SoHO) and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The seismic radius is calculated from the fundamental (f) modes of solar oscillations utilizing the observations from SoHO/Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) and SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), and the TSI measurements are obtained from SoHO/VIRGO. Our study suggests that the major contribution to the TSI variation arises from the changes in magnetic field, while the radius variation plays a secondary role. We find that the solar irradiance increases with decreasing seismic radius; however, the anti-correlation between them is moderately weak. The estimated maximum change in seismic radius during a solar cycle is about 5 km, and is consistent in both solar cycles 23 and 24. Previous studies ;suggest a radius change at the surface of the order of 0.06 arcsec to explain the 0.1% variation in the TSI values during the solar cycle; however, our inferred seismic radius change is significantly smaller, hence the TSI variations cannot be fully explained by the temporal changes in seismic radius.

Using high frequency consumption data to identify demand response potential for solar energy integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, L.; Borgeson, S.; Fredman, D.; Hans, L.; Spurlock, A.; Todd, A.

2015-12-01

California's renewable portfolio standard (2012) requires the state to get 33% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Increased share of variable renewable sources such as solar and wind in the California electricity system may require more grid flexibility to insure reliable power services. Such grid flexibility can be potentially provided by changes in end use electricity consumptions in response to grid conditions (demand-response). In the solar case, residential consumption in the late afternoon can be used as reserve capacity to balance the drop in solar generation. This study presents our initial attempt to identify, from a behavior perspective, residential demand response potentials in relation to solar ramp events using a data-driven approach. Based on hourly residential energy consumption data, we derive representative daily load shapes focusing on discretionary consumption with an innovative clustering analysis technique. We aggregate the representative load shapes into behavior groups in terms of the timing and rhythm of energy use in the context of solar ramp events. Households of different behavior groups that are active during hours with high solar ramp rates are identified for capturing demand response potential. Insights into the nature and predictability of response to demand-response programs are provided.

On the possible relations between solar activities and global seismicity in the solar cycle 20 to 23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herdiwijaya, Dhani; Arif, Johan; Nurzaman, Muhamad Zamzam; Astuti, Isna Kusuma Dewi

2015-09-01

Solar activities consist of high energetic particle streams, electromagnetic radiation, magnetic and orbital gravitational forces. The well-know solar activity main indicator is the existence of sunspot which has mean variation in 11 years, named by solar cycle, allow for the above fluctuations. Solar activities are also related to the space weather affecting all planetary atmospheric variability, moreover to the Earth's climate variability. Large extreme space and geophysical events (high magnitude earthquakes, explosive volcanic eruptions, magnetic storms, etc.) are hazards for humankind, infrastructure, economies, technology and the activities of civilization. With a growing world population, and with modern reliance on delicate technological systems, human society is becoming increasingly vulnerable to natural hazardous events. The big question arises to the relation between solar forcing energy to the Earth's global seismic activities. Estimates are needed for the long term occurrence-rate probabilities of these extreme natural hazardous events. We studied connectivity from yearly seismic activities that refer to and sunspot number within the solar cycle 20 to 23 of year 1960 to 2013 (53 years). We found clear evidences that in general high magnitude earthquake events and their depth were related to the low solar activity.

Radiation Environments for Future Human Exploration Throughout the Solar System.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwadron, N.; Gorby, M.; Linker, J.; Riley, P.; Torok, T.; Downs, C.; Spence, H. E.; Desai, M. I.; Mikic, Z.; Joyce, C. J.; Kozarev, K. A.; Townsend, L. W.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2016-12-01

Acute space radiation hazards pose one of the most serious risks to future human and robotic exploration. The ability to predict when and where large events will occur is necessary in order to mitigate their hazards. The largest events are usually associated with complex sunspot groups (also known as active regions) that harbor strong, stressed magnetic fields. Highly energetic protons accelerated very low in the corona by the passage of coronal mass ejection (CME)-driven compressions or shocks and from flares travel near the speed of light, arriving at Earth minutes after the eruptive event. Whether these particles actually reach Earth, the Moon, Mars (or any other point) depends on their transport in the interplanetary magnetic field and their magnetic connection to the shock. Recent contemporaneous observations during the largest events in almost a decade show the unique longitudinal distributions of this ionizing radiation broadly distributed from sources near the Sun and yet highly isolated during the passage of CME shocks. Over the last decade, we have observed space weather events as the solar wind exhibits extremely low densities and magnetic field strengths, representing states that have never been observed during the space age. The highly abnormal solar activity during cycles 23 and 24 has caused the longest solar minimum in over 80 years and continues into the unusually small solar maximum of cycle 24. As a result of the remarkably weak solar activity, we have also observed the highest fluxes of galactic cosmic rays in the space age and relatively small particle radiation events. We have used observations from LRO/CRaTER to examine the implications of these highly unusual solar conditions for human space exploration throughout the inner solar system. While these conditions are not a show-stopper for long-duration missions (e.g., to the Moon, an asteroid, or Mars), galactic cosmic ray radiation remains a significant and worsening factor that limits mission durations. If the heliospheric magnetic field continues to weaken over time, as is likely, then allowable mission durations will decrease correspondingly. Thus, we examine the rapidly changing radiation environment and its implications for human exploration destinations throughout the inner solar system.

Impact of climate change on future concentrated solar power (CSP) production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wild, Martin; Folini, Doris; Henschel, Florian

2017-02-01

Traditionally, for the planning and assessment of solar power plants, the amount of solar radiation incident on the Earth's surface is assumed to be invariable over the years. However, with changing climate and air pollution levels, solar resources may no longer be stable over time and undergo substantial decadal changes. Observational records covering several decades indeed confirm long-term changes in this quantity. In a previous study (Wild et al. 2015, Solar Energy)1 we examined how the latest generation of climate models (CMIP5) projects potential changes in surface solar radiation over the coming decades, and how this may affect, in combination with the expected greenhouse warming, future power output from photovoltaic (PV) systems. In the present complementary study, we use the CMIP5 model projections to estimate possible future changes in power output from Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems due to changing climate and air pollution levels up to the mid-21th century. The results indicate a potential for future increases in CSP production in many parts of the globe, with few exceptions such as the North of India and the irrelevant polar areas. Compared to the changes in PV production, the estimated future production changes by CSP are larger by a factor of 4.

Endothelial Dysfunction and Blood Viscosity Inpatients with Unstable Angina in Different Periods of a Solar Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parshina, S. S.; Tokaeva, L. K.; Dolgova, E. M.; Afanas'yeva, T. N.; Strelnikova, O. A.

The origin of hemorheologic and endothelial defects in patients with unstable angina (comparing with healthy persons) is determined by a solar activity period: the blood viscosity increases in a period of high solar activity in the vessels of small, medium and macro diameters, a local decompensate dysfunction of small vessels endothelium had been fixed (microcirculation area). In the period of a low solar activity there is an increase of a blood viscosity in vessels of all diameters, generalized subcompensated endothelial dysfunction is developed (on the background of the III phase blood clotting activating). In the period of a high solar activity a higher blood viscosity had been fixed, comparing with the period of a low solar activity.

Report of the solar physics panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Withbroe, George L.; Fisher, Richard R.; Antiochos, Spiro; Brueckner, Guenter; Hoeksema, J. Todd; Hudson, Hugh; Moore, Ronald; Radick, Richard R.; Rottman, Gary; Scherrer, Philip

1991-01-01

Recent accomplishments in solar physics can be grouped by the three regions of the Sun: the solar interior, the surface, and the exterior. The future scientific problems and areas of interest involve: generation of magnetic activity cycle, energy storage and release, solar activity, solar wind and solar interaction. Finally, the report discusses a number of future space mission concepts including: High Energy Solar Physics Mission, Global Solar Mission, Space Exploration Initiative, Solar Probe Mission, Solar Variability Explorer, Janus, as well as solar physics on Space Station Freedom.

Flux Cancelation: The Key to Solar Eruptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Panesar, Navdeep K.; Sterling, Alphonse; Moore, Ronald; Chakrapani, Prithi; Innes, Davina; Schmit, Don; Tiwari, Sanjiv

2017-01-01

Solar coronal jets are magnetically channeled eruptions that occur in all types of solar environments (e.g. active regions, quiet-Sun regions and coronal holes). Recent studies show that coronal jets are driven by the eruption of small-scare filaments (minifilaments). Once the eruption is underway magnetic reconnection evidently makes the jet spire and the bright emission in the jet base. However, the triggering mechanism of these eruptions and the formation mechanism of the pre-jet minifilaments are still open questions. In this talk, mainly using SDO/AIA (Solar Dynamics Observatory / Atmospheric Imaging Assembly) and SDO/HIM (Solar Dynamics Observatory / Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager) data, first I will address the question: what triggers the jet-driving minifilament eruptions in different solar environments (coronal holes, quiet regions, active regions)? Then I will talk about the magnetic field evolution that produces the pre-jet minifilaments. By examining pre-jet evolutionary changes in line-of-sight HMI magnetograms while examining concurrent EUV (Extreme Ultra-Violet) images of coronal and transition-region emission, we find clear evidence that flux cancelation is the main process that builds pre-jet minifilaments, and is also the main process that triggers the eruptions. I will also present results from our ongoing work indicating that jet-driving minifilament eruptions are analogous to larger-scare filament eruptions that make flares and CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections). We find that persistent flux cancellation at the neutral line of large-scale filaments often triggers their eruptions. From our observations we infer that flux cancelation is the fundamental process from the buildup and triggering of solar eruptions of all sizes.

Actividad solar del ciclo 23. Predicción del máximo y fase decreciente utilizando redes neuronales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parodi, M. A.; Ceccatto, H. A.; Piacentini, R. D.; García, P. J.

Different methods have been proposed in order to predict the maximum amplitude of solar cycles, either as a consequence of the intrinsic importance of this event and because of its relation with solar storms and possible effects upon satellites, communication systems, etc. In this work, a neural network solar activity prediction is presented, measured through the sunspot number (SSN). The 16-units neural network, with a 12:3:1 architecture, was trained in a ``feed-forward" propagation way and learning by the so called ``back propagation rule". The annual mean SSN data in the 1700-1975 and 1987-1998 periods were used as the training set. The solar cycle 21 (1976-1986) was taken as the cross-validation data set. After performing the network training we obtained a prediction of the maximum annual mean for the current solar cycle 23, SSNmax= 135 ±17 at the year 2000, which is 13% smaller than the International Consensus Commitee's mean maximum prediction obtained through ``precursor techniques". On the other hand, our prediction is only about 4% smaller than the Consensus's neural network mean prediction. A ``multiple step" prediction technique was also performed and SSN annual mean predicted values for the near-maximum (from the present year 1999 to beyond the maximum) and the declining activity of solar cycle 23 are presented in this work. The sensibility of predictions is also tested. To do so, we changed the interval width and comparated our results with those of a previous neural network prediction and those of others authors using differents methods.

Solar-geophysical data number 499, March 1986. Part 1: (Prompt reports). Data for February 1986, January 1986 and late data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coffey, H. E. (Editor)

1986-01-01

Solar-Geophysical Data Number 499, March 1986, Part 1 (Prompt Reports); Data for February 1986, January 1986 and Late Data, contains the following: Detailed index for 1985 to 1986; Data for February 1986--(IUWDS alert periods (Advance and worldwide), Solar activity indices, Solar flares, Solar radio emission, Vostok inferred interplanetary magnetic field polarity, Stanford mean solar magnetic field); data for January 1986--(Solar active regions, Sudden ionospheric disturbances, Solar radio spectral observations, Cosmic ray measurements by neutron monitor, Geomagnetic indices, Radio propagation indices); Late data-(Solar active regions, Solar radio spectral observations Culgoora, Cosmic ray measurements by neutron monitor, Calcium plage data).

On-orbit characterizations of Earth Radiation Budget Experiment broadband shortwave active cavity radiometer sensor responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Robert B., III; Wilson, Robert S.; Smith, G. Louis; Bush, Kathryn A.; Thomas, Susan; Pandey, Dhirendra K.; Paden, Jack

2004-12-01

The NASA Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) missions were designed to monitor long-term changes in the earth radiation budget components which may cause climate changes. During the October 1984 through September 2004 period, the NASA Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS)/ERBE nonscanning active cavity radiometers (ACR) were used to monitor long-term changes in the earth radiation budget components of the incoming total solar irradiance (TSI), earth-reflected TSI, and earth-emitted outgoing longwave radiation (OLR). The earth-reflected total solar irradiances were measured using broadband shortwave fused, waterless quartz (Suprasil) filters and ACR"s that were covered with a black paint absorbing surface. Using on-board calibration systems, 1984 through 1999, long-term ERBS/ERBE ACR sensor response changes were determined from direct observations of the incoming TSI in the 0.2-5 micrometer shortwave broadband spectral region. During the October 1984 through September 1999 period, the ERBS shortwave sensor responses were found to decrease as much as 8.8% when the quartz filter transmittances decreased due to direct exposure to TSI. On October 6, 1999, the on-board ERBS calibration systems failed. To estimate the 1999-2004, ERBS sensor response changes, the 1984-1997 NOAA-9, and 1986-1995 NOAA-10 Spacecraft ERBE ACR responses were used to characterize response changes as a function of exposure time. The NOAA-9 and NOAA-10 ACR responses decreased as much as 10% due to higher integrated TSI exposure times. In this paper, for each of the ERBS, NOAA-9, and NOAA-10 Spacecraft platforms, the solar calibrations of the ERBE sensor responses are described as well as the derived ERBE sensor response changes as a function of TSI exposure time. For the 1984-2003 ERBS data sets, it is estimated that the calibrated ERBE earth-reflected TSI measurements have precisions approaching 0.2 Watts-per-squared-meter at satellite altitudes.

Annual DOE active solar heating and cooling contractors' review meeting. Premeeting proceedings and project summaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None,

1981-09-01

Ninety-three project summaries are presented which discuss the following aspects of active solar heating and cooling: Rankine solar cooling systems; absorption solar cooling systems; desiccant solar cooling systems; solar heat pump systems; solar hot water systems; special projects (such as the National Solar Data Network, hybrid solar thermal/photovoltaic applications, and heat transfer and water migration in soils); administrative/management support; and solar collector, storage, controls, analysis, and materials technology. (LEW)

CYCLIC THERMAL SIGNATURE IN A GLOBAL MHD SIMULATION OF SOLAR CONVECTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cossette, Jean-Francois; Charbonneau, Paul; Smolarkiewicz, Piotr K.

Global magnetohydrodynamical simulations of the solar convection zone have recently achieved cyclic large-scale axisymmetric magnetic fields undergoing polarity reversals on a decadal time scale. In this Letter, we show that these simulations also display a thermal convective luminosity that varies in-phase with the magnetic cycle, and trace this modulation to deep-seated magnetically mediated changes in convective flow patterns. Within the context of the ongoing debate on the physical origin of the observed 11 yr variations in total solar irradiance, such a signature supports the thesis according to which all, or part, of the variations on decadal time scales and longermore » could be attributed to a global modulation of the Sun's internal thermal structure by magnetic activity.« less

Observations of intermediate degree solar oscillations - 1989 April-June

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bachmann, Kurt T.; Schou, Jesper; Brown, Timothy M.

1993-01-01

Frequencies, splittings, and line widths from 85 d of full disk Doppler observations of solar p-modes taken between April 4 and June 30, 1989 are presented. Comparison of the present mode parameters with published Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) results yields good agreement in general and is thus a confirmation of their work using an independent instrument and set of analysis routines. Average differences in p-mode frequencies measured by the two experiments in spring-summer 1989 are explained as a result of differences in the exact periods of data collection during a time of rapidly changing solar activity. It is shown that the present a(1) splitting coefficients for p-modes with nu/L less than 45 micro-Hz suffer from a significant systematic error. Evidence is presented to the effect that a detector distortion or alignment problem, not a problem with the power spectra analysis, is the most likely explanation of this a(1) anomaly.

Passive dosimetry aboard the Mir Orbital Station: internal measurements.

PubMed

Benton, E R; Benton, E V; Frank, A L

2002-10-01

Passive radiation dosimeters were exposed aboard the Mir Orbital Station over a substantial portion of the solar cycle in order to measure the change in dose and dose equivalent rates as a function of time. During solar minimum, simultaneous measurements of the radiation environment throughout the habitable volume of the Mir were made using passive dosimeters in order to investigate the effect of localized shielding on dose and dose equivalent. The passive dosimeters consisted of a combination of thermoluminescent detectors to measure absorbed dose and CR-39 PNTDs to measure the linear energy transfer (LET) spectrum from charged particles of LET infinity H2O > or = 5 keV/micrometers. Results from the two detector types were then combined to yield mean total dose rate, mean dose equivalent rate, and average quality factor. Contrary to expectations, both dose and dose equivalent rates measured during May-October 1991 near solar maximum were higher than similar measurements carried out in 1996-1997 during solar minimum. The elevated dose and dose equivalent rates measured in 1991 were probably due to a combination of intense solar activity, including a large solar particle event on 9 June 1991, and the temporary trapped radiation belt created in the slot region by the solar particle event and ensuing magnetic storm of 24 March 1991. During solar minimum, mean dose and dose equivalent rates were found to vary by factors of 1.55 and 1.37, respectively, between different locations through the interior of Mir. More heavily shielded locations tended to yield lower total dose and dose equivalent rates, but higher average quality factor than did more lightly shielding locations. However, other factors such as changes in the immediate shielding environment surrounding a given detector location, changes in the orientation of the Mir relative to its velocity vector, and changes in the altitude of the station also contributed to the variation. Proton and neutron-induced target fragment secondaries, not primary galactic cosmic rays, were found to dominate the LET spectrum above 100 keV/micrometers. This indicates that in low earth orbit, trapped protons in the South Atlantic Anomaly are responsible for the major fraction of the total dose equivalent. c2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A discussion of plausible solar irradiance variations, 1700-1992

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoyt, Douglas V.; Schatten, Kenneth H.

1993-01-01

From satellite observations the solar total irradiance is known to vary. Sunspot blocking, facular emission, and network emission are three identified causes for the variations. In this paper we examine several different solar indices measured over the past century that are potential proxy measures for the Sun's irradiance. These indices are (1) the equatorial solar rotation rate, (2) the sunspot structure, the decay rate of individual sunspots, and the number of sunspots without umbrae, and (3) the length and decay rate of the sunspot cycle. Each index can be used to develop a model for the Sun's total irradiance as seen at the Earth. Three solar indices allow the irradiance to be modeled back to the mid-1700s. The indices are (1) the length of the solar cycle, (2) the normalized decay rate of the solar cycle, and (3) the mean level of solar activity. All the indices are well correlated, and one possible explanation for their nearly simultaneous variations is changes in the Sun's convective energy transport. Although changes in the Sun's convective energy transport are outside the realm of normal stellar structure theory (e.g., mixing length theory), one can imagine variations arising from even the simplest view of sunspots as vertical tubes of magnetic flux, which would serve as rigid pillas affecting the energy flow patterns by ensuring larger-scale eddies. A composite solar irradiance model, based upon these proxies, is compared to the northern hemisphere temperature depatures for 1700-1992. Approximately 71% of the decadal variance in the last century can be modeled with these solar indices, although this analysis does not include anthropogenic or other variations which would affect the results. Over the entire three centuries, approx. 50% of the variance is modeled. Both this analysis and previous similar analyses have correlations of model solar irradiances and measured Earth surface temperatures that are significant at better than the 95% confidence level. To understand our present climate variations, we must place the anthropogenic variations in the context of natural variability from solar, volcanic, oceanic, and other sources.

The solar activity measurements experiments (SAMEX) for improved scientific understanding of solar activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The Solar Activity Measurements Experiments (SAMEX) mission is described. It is designed to provide a look at the interactions of magnetic fields and plasmas that create flares and other explosive events on the sun in an effort to understand solar activity and the nature of the solar magnetic field. The need for this mission, the instruments to be used, and the expected benefits of SAMEX are discussed.

Have We Entered a 21st Century Prolonged Minimum of Solar Activity? Updated Implications of a 1987 Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirley, James H.

2009-05-01

Fairbridge and Shirley (1987) predicted that a new prolonged minimum of solar activity would be underway by the year 2013 (Solar Physics 110, 191). While it is much too early to tell if this prediction will be fully realized, recent observations document a striking reduction in the Sun's general level of activity. While other forecasts of reduced future activity levels on decadal time scales have appeared, the Fairbridge-Shirley (FS) prediction is unique in pinpointing the current epoch. We are unaware of any forecast method that shows a better correspondence with the actual behavior of the Sun to this point. The FS prediction was based on the present-day recurrence of two physical indicators that were correlated in time with the occurrence of the Wolf, Sporer, and Maunder Minima. The amplitude of the inertial revolution of the axis of symmetry of the Sun's orbital motion about the solar system barycenter, and the direction in space of that axis, each bear a relationship to the occurrence of the prolonged minima of the historic record. The FS prediction appeared before the importance of solar meridional flows was generally appreciated, and before the existence and role of the tachocline was suspected. We will update and restate some of the physical implications of the FS results, along with those of some more recent investigations, particularly with reference to orbit-spin coupling hypotheses (Shirley, 2006: M.N.R.A.S. 368, 280). New investigations combining and integrating modern dynamo models with physical solutions describing key aspects of the variability of the solar motion may lead to significant advances in our ability to forecast future changes in the Sun. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the resources of the author. No part of this work was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory under a contract from NASA.

Statistical properties of solar Hα flare activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Linhua; Zhang, Xiaojuan; An, Jianmei; Cai, Yunfang

2017-12-01

Magnetic field structures on the solar atmosphere are not symmetric distribution in the northern and southern hemispheres, which is an important aspect of quasi-cyclical evolution of magnetic activity indicators that are related to solar dynamo theories. Three standard analysis techniques are applied to analyze the hemispheric coupling (north-south asymmetry and phase asynchrony) of monthly averaged values of solar Hα flare activity over the past 49 years (from 1966 January to 2014 December). The prominent results are as follows: (1) from a global point of view, solar Hα flare activity on both hemispheres are strongly correlated with each other, but the northern hemisphere precedes the southern one with a phase shift of 7 months; (2) the long-range persistence indeed exists in solar Hα flare activity, but the dynamical complexities in the two hemispheres are not identical; (3) the prominent periodicities of Hα flare activity are 17 years full-disk activity cycle and 11 years Schwabe solar cycle, but the short- and mid-term periodicities cannot determined by monthly time series; (4) by comparing the non-parametric rescaling behavior on a point-by-point basis, the hemispheric asynchrony of solar Hα flare activity are estimated to be ranging from several months to tens of months with an average value of 8.7 months. The analysis results could promote our knowledge on the long-range persistence, the quasi-periodic variation, and the hemispheric asynchrony of solar Hα flare activity on both hemispheres, and possibly provide valuable information for the hemispheric interrelation of solar magnetic activity.

Refraction-Assisted Solar Thermoelectric Generator based on Phase-Change Lens

PubMed Central

Kim, Myoung-Soo; Kim, Min-Ki; Jo, Sung-Eun; Joo, Chulmin; Kim, Yong-Jun

2016-01-01

Solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs), which are used for various applications, (particularly small size electronic devices), have optical concentration systems for high energy conversion efficiency. In this study, a refraction-assisted STEG (R-STEG) is designed based on phase-change materials. As the phase-change material (PCM) changes phase from solid to liquid, its refractive index and transmittance also change, resulting in changes in the refraction of the sunlight transmitted through it, and concentration of solar energy in the phase-change lens. This innovative design facilitates double focusing the solar energy through the optical lens and a phase-change lens. This mechanism resulted in the peak energy conversion efficiencies of the R-STEG being 60% and 86% higher than those of the typical STEG at solar intensities of 1 kW m−2 and 1.5 kW m−2, respectively. In addition, the energy stored in PCM can help to generate steady electrical energy when the solar energy was removed. This work presents significant progress regarding the optical characteristic of PCM and optical concentration systems of STEGs. PMID:27283350

Refraction-Assisted Solar Thermoelectric Generator based on Phase-Change Lens.

PubMed

Kim, Myoung-Soo; Kim, Min-Ki; Jo, Sung-Eun; Joo, Chulmin; Kim, Yong-Jun

2016-06-10

Solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs), which are used for various applications, (particularly small size electronic devices), have optical concentration systems for high energy conversion efficiency. In this study, a refraction-assisted STEG (R-STEG) is designed based on phase-change materials. As the phase-change material (PCM) changes phase from solid to liquid, its refractive index and transmittance also change, resulting in changes in the refraction of the sunlight transmitted through it, and concentration of solar energy in the phase-change lens. This innovative design facilitates double focusing the solar energy through the optical lens and a phase-change lens. This mechanism resulted in the peak energy conversion efficiencies of the R-STEG being 60% and 86% higher than those of the typical STEG at solar intensities of 1 kW m(-2) and 1.5 kW m(-2), respectively. In addition, the energy stored in PCM can help to generate steady electrical energy when the solar energy was removed. This work presents significant progress regarding the optical characteristic of PCM and optical concentration systems of STEGs.

The Plasma Environment Associated With Equatorial Ionospheric Irregularities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Jonathon M.; Heelis, R. A.

2018-02-01

We examine the density structure of equatorial depletions referred to here as equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs). Data recorded by the Ion Velocity Meter as part of the Coupled Ion Neutral Dynamics Investigation (CINDI) aboard the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite are used to study EPBs from 1600 to 0600 h local time at altitudes from 350 to 850 km. The data are taken during the 7 years from 2008 to 2014, more than one half of a magnetic solar cycle, that include solar minimum and a moderate solar maximum. Using a rolling ball algorithm, EPBs are identified by profiles in the plasma density, each having a depth measured as the percent change between the background and minimum density (ΔN/N). During solar moderate activity bubbles observed in the topside postsunset sector are more likely to have large depths compared to those observed in the topside postmidnight sector. Large bubble depths can be observed near 350 km in the bottomside F region in the postsunset period. Conversely at solar minimum the distribution of depths is similar in the postsunset and postmidnight sectors in all longitude sectors. Deep bubbles are rarely observed in the topside postsunset sector and never in the bottomside above 400 km in altitude. We suggest that these features result from the vertical drift of the plasma for these two solar activity levels. These drift conditions affect both the background density in which bubbles are embedded and the growth rate of perturbations in the bottomside where bubbles originate.

IRI STORM validation over Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haralambous, Haris; Vryonides, Photos; Demetrescu, Crişan; Dobrică, Venera; Maris, Georgeta; Ionescu, Diana

2014-05-01

The International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model includes an empirical Storm-Time Ionospheric Correction Model (STORM) extension to account for storm-time changes of the F layer peak electron density (NmF2) during increased geomagnetic activity. This model extension is driven by past history values of the geomagnetic index ap (The magnetic index applied is the integral of ap over the previous 33 hours with a weighting function deduced from physically based modeling) and it adjusts the quiet-time F layer peak electron density (NmF2) to account for storm-time changes in the ionosphere. In this investigation manually scaled hourly values of NmF2 measured during the main and recovery phases of selected storms for the maximum solar activity period of the current solar cycle are compared with the predicted IRI-2012 NmF2 over European ionospheric stations using the STORM model option. Based on the comparison a subsequent performance evaluation of the STORM option during this period is quantified.

Comparison of the Changes in the Visible and Infrared Irradiance Observed by the SunPhotometers on EURECA to the UARS Total Solar and UV Irradiances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pap, Judit

1995-01-01

Solar irradiance in the near-UV (335 nm), visible (500 nm) and infrared (778 nm) spectral bands has been measured by the SunPhotometers developed at the World Radiation Center, Davos, Switzerland on board the European Retrievable Carrier between August 1992 and May 1993. Study of the variations in the visible and infrared irradiance is important for both solar and atmospheric physics. The purpose of this paper is to examine the temporal variations observed in the visible and infrared spectral bands after eliminating the trend in the data mainly related to instrument degradation. The effect of active regions in these spectral irradiances is clearly resolved. Variations in the visible and infrared irradiances are compared to total solar irradiance observed by the SOVA2 radiometer on the EURECA platform and by the ACRIMII radiometer on UARS as well as to UV observations of the UARS and NOAA9 satellites. The space-borne spectral irradiance observations are compared to the photometric sunspot deficit and CaII K irradiance measured at the San Fernando Observatory, California State University at Northridge in order to study the effect of active regions in detail.

The role of visible light active TiO2 specimens on the solar photocatalytic disinfection of E. coli.

PubMed

Birben, Nazmiye Cemre; Tomruk, Ayse; Bekbolet, Miray

2017-05-01

Solar photocatalytic disinfection efficiency of novel visible light activated (VLA) photocatalysts was evaluated with the aim of assessing inactivation of Escherichia coli as the pathogen indicator organism present in drinking water. Influence of humic acid (HA) on the photocatalytic disinfection efficiency of the specified VLA TiO 2 specimens i.e., N-doped, Se-doped, and Se-N co-doped TiO 2 was also investigated. Photocatalytic disinfection efficiency was assessed by the enumeration of bacteria following selected irradiation periods. Degradation and compositional changes in organic matter (OM) was also tracked by means of UV-vis and advanced fluorescence spectroscopic (EEM features) parameters. Photocatalytic mineralization of the organic matter was followed by dissolved organic carbon contents. Presence of HA as a model organic compound of natural organic matter (NOM) displayed a retardation effect on solar photocatalytic abatement of E. coli. However, no distinctly different effect was observed under solar photolytic conditions due to the presence of HA. Regrowth of E. coli could not be assessed under the specified experimental conditions. A comparison was introduced with respect to the use of undoped TiO 2 P-25 as the photocatalyst.

Stratospheric O3 changes during 2001-2010: the small role of solar flux variations in a CTM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhomse, S. S.; Chipperfield, M. P.; Feng, W.; Ball, W. T.; Unruh, Y. C.; Haigh, J. D.; Krivova, N. A.; Solanki, S. K.; Smith, A. K.

2013-05-01

Solar spectral fluxes (or irradiance) measured by the SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) show different variability at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths compared to other irradiance measurements and models (e.g. NRL-SSI, SATIRE-S). Some modelling studies have suggested that stratospheric/lower mesospheric O3 changes during solar cycle 23 (1996-2008) can only be reproduced if SORCE solar fluxes are used. We have used a 3-D chemical transport model (CTM), forced by meteorology from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), to simulate middle atmospheric O3 using three different solar flux datasets (SORCE, NRL-SSI and SATIRE-S). Simulated O3 changes are compared with Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) satellite data. Modelled O3 anomalies from all solar flux datasets show good agreement with the observations, despite the different flux variations. The off-line CTM reproduces these changes through dynamical information contained in the analyses. A notable feature during this period is a robust positive solar signal in the tropical middle stratosphere due to changes in stratospheric dynamics. Ozone changes in the lower mesosphere cannot be used to discriminate between solar flux datasets due to large uncertainties and the short time span of the observations. Overall this study suggests that, in a CTM, the UV variations detected by SORCE are not necessary to reproduce observed stratospheric O3 changes during 2001-2010.

Stratospheric O3 changes during 2001-2010: the small role of solar flux variations in a chemical transport model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhomse, S. S.; Chipperfield, M. P.; Feng, W.; Ball, W. T.; Unruh, Y. C.; Haigh, J. D.; Krivova, N. A.; Solanki, S. K.; Smith, A. K.

2013-10-01

Solar spectral fluxes (or irradiance) measured by the SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) show different variability at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths compared to other irradiance measurements and models (e.g. NRL-SSI, SATIRE-S). Some modelling studies have suggested that stratospheric/lower mesospheric O3 changes during solar cycle 23 (1996-2008) can only be reproduced if SORCE solar fluxes are used. We have used a 3-D chemical transport model (CTM), forced by meteorology from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), to simulate middle atmospheric O3 using three different solar flux data sets (SORCE, NRL-SSI and SATIRE-S). Simulated O3 changes are compared with Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) satellite data. Modelled O3 anomalies from all solar flux data sets show good agreement with the observations, despite the different flux variations. The off-line CTM reproduces these changes through dynamical information contained in the analyses. A notable feature during this period is a robust positive solar signal in the tropical middle stratosphere, which is due to realistic dynamical changes in our simulations. Ozone changes in the lower mesosphere cannot be used to discriminate between solar flux data sets due to large uncertainties and the short time span of the observations. Overall this study suggests that, in a CTM, the UV variations detected by SORCE are not necessary to reproduce observed stratospheric O3 changes during 2001-2010.

Long-Range Solar Activity Predictions: A Reprieve from Cycle #24's Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richon, K.; Schatten, K.

2003-01-01

We discuss the field of long-range solar activity predictions and provide an outlook into future solar activity. Orbital predictions for satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) depend strongly on exospheric densities. Solar activity forecasting is important in this regard, as the solar ultra-violet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiations inflate the upper atmospheric layers of the Earth, forming the exosphere in which satellites orbit. Rather than concentrate on statistical, or numerical methods, we utilize a class of techniques (precursor methods) which is founded in physical theory. The geomagnetic precursor method was originally developed by the Russian geophysicist, Ohl, using geomagnetic observations to predict future solar activity. It was later extended to solar observations, and placed within the context of physical theory, namely the workings of the Sun s Babcock dynamo. We later expanded the prediction methods with a SOlar Dynamo Amplitude (SODA) index. The SODA index is a measure of the buried solar magnetic flux, using toroidal and poloidal field components. It allows one to predict future solar activity during any phase of the solar cycle, whereas previously, one was restricted to making predictions only at solar minimum. We are encouraged that solar cycle #23's behavior fell closely along our predicted curve, peaking near 192, comparable to the Schatten, Myers and Sofia (1996) forecast of 182+/-30. Cycle #23 extends from 1996 through approximately 2006 or 2007, with cycle #24 starting thereafter. We discuss the current forecast of solar cycle #24, (2006-2016), with a predicted smoothed F10.7 radio flux of 142+/-28 (1-sigma errors). This, we believe, represents a reprieve, in terms of reduced fuel costs, etc., for new satellites to be launched or old satellites (requiring reboosting) which have been placed in LEO. By monitoring the Sun s most deeply rooted magnetic fields; long-range solar activity can be predicted. Although a degree of uncertainty in the long-range predictions remains, requiring future monitoring, we do not expect the next cycle's + 2-sigma value will rise significantly above solar cycle #23's activity level.

The solar cycle; Proceedings of the National Solar Observatory/Sacramento Peak 12th Summer Workshop, Sunspot, NM, Oct. 15-18, 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, Karen L. (Editor)

1992-01-01

Attention is given to a flux-transport model, the effect of fractal distribution on the evolution of solar surface magnetic fields, active nests on the sun, magnetic flux transport in solar active regions, recent advances in stellar cycle research, magnetic intermittency on the sun, a search for existence of large-scale motions on the sun, and new solar cycle data from the NASA/NSO spectromagnetograph. Attention is also given to the solar cycle variation of coronal temperature during cycle 22, the distribution of the north-south asymmetry for the various activity cycles, solar luminosity variation, a two-parameter model of total solar irradiance variation over the solar cycle, the origin of the solar cycle, nonlinear feedbacks in the solar dynamo, and long-term dynamics of the solar cycle.

The solar eclipse: a natural meteorological experiment

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

A solar eclipse provides a well-characterized reduction in solar radiation, of calculable amount and duration. This captivating natural astronomical phenomenon is ideally suited to science outreach activities, but the predictability of the change in solar radiation also provides unusual conditions for assessing the atmospheric response to a known stimulus. Modern automatic observing networks used for weather forecasting and atmospheric research have dense spatial coverage, so the quantitative meteorological responses to an eclipse can now be evaluated with excellent space and time resolution. Numerical models representing the atmosphere at high spatial resolution can also be used to predict eclipse-related changes and interpret the observations. Combining the models with measurements yields the elements of a controlled atmospheric experiment on a regional scale (10–1000 km), which is almost impossible to achieve by other means. This modern approach to ‘eclipse meteorology’ as identified here can ultimately improve weather prediction models and be used to plan for transient reductions in renewable electricity generation. During the 20 March 2015 eclipse, UK electrical energy demand increased by about 3 GWh (11 TJ) or about 4%, alongside reductions in the wind and photovoltaic electrical energy generation of 1.5 GWh (5.5 TJ). This article is part of the themed issue ‘Atmospheric effects of solar eclipses stimulated by the 2015 UK eclipse’. PMID:27550768

Stratospheric O3 changes during 2001-2010: The small role of solar flux variations in a CTM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhomse, Sandip; Chipperfield, Martyn; Feng, Wuhu; Ball, William; Unruh, Yvonne; Haigh, Joanna; Krivova, Natalie; Solanki, Sami

2013-04-01

Solar spectral fluxes (or irradiance) measured by the SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) shows different variability at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths compared to other irradiance measurements and models (e.g. NRL, SATIRE-S). Some modelling studies have suggested that stratospheric O3 changes during solar cycle 23 (1996-2008) can only be reproduced if SORCE solar fluxes are used. We have used a 3-D chemical transport model (CTM), forced by meteorology from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), to simulate stratospheric O3 using 3 different solar flux datasets (SORCE, NRL-SSI and SATIRE-S). Simulated O3 changes are compared with Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) satellite data. Modelled O3 anomalies using all solar flux datasets show good agreement with the observations, despite the different flux variations. A notable feature during this period is a robust positive solar signal in the tropical middle stratosphere. The CTM reproduces these changes through dynamical information contained in the analyses. Changes in the upper stratosphere cannot be used to discriminate between solar flux datasets due to large uncertainties in the O3 observations. Overall this study suggests that the UV variations detected by SORCE are not necessary to reproduce observed stratospheric O3 changes during 2001-2010.

A Synthesis of Solar Cycle Prediction Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hathaway, David H.; Wilson, Robert M.; Reichmann, Edwin J.

1999-01-01

A number of techniques currently in use for predicting solar activity on a solar cycle timescale are tested with historical data. Some techniques, e.g., regression and curve fitting, work well as solar activity approaches maximum and provide a month-by-month description of future activity, while others, e.g., geomagnetic precursors, work well near solar minimum but only provide an estimate of the amplitude of the cycle. A synthesis of different techniques is shown to provide a more accurate and useful forecast of solar cycle activity levels. A combination of two uncorrelated geomagnetic precursor techniques provides a more accurate prediction for the amplitude of a solar activity cycle at a time well before activity minimum. This combined precursor method gives a smoothed sunspot number maximum of 154 plus or minus 21 at the 95% level of confidence for the next cycle maximum. A mathematical function dependent on the time of cycle initiation and the cycle amplitude is used to describe the level of solar activity month by month for the next cycle. As the time of cycle maximum approaches a better estimate of the cycle activity is obtained by including the fit between previous activity levels and this function. This Combined Solar Cycle Activity Forecast gives, as of January 1999, a smoothed sunspot maximum of 146 plus or minus 20 at the 95% level of confidence for the next cycle maximum.

Radiation exposure of German aircraft crews under the impact of solar cycle 23 and airline business factors.

PubMed

Frasch, Gerhard; Kammerer, Lothar; Karofsky, Ralf; Schlosser, Andrea; Stegemann, Ralf

2014-12-01

The exposure of German aircraft crews to cosmic radiation varies both with solar activity and operational factors of airline business. Data come from the German central dose registry and cover monthly exposures of up to 37,000 German aircraft crewmembers that were under official monitoring. During the years 2004 to 2009 of solar cycle 23 (i.e., in the decreasing phase of solar activity), the annual doses of German aircraft crews increased by an average of 20%. Decreasing solar activity allows more galactic radiation to reach the atmosphere, increasing high-altitude doses. The rise results mainly from the less effective protection from the solar wind but also from airline business factors. Both cockpit and cabin personnel differ in age-dependent professional and social status. This status determines substantially the annual effective dose: younger cabin personnel and the elder pilots generally receive higher annual doses than their counterparts. They also receive larger increases in their annual dose when the solar activity decreases. The doses under this combined influence of solar activity and airline business factors result in a maximum of exposure for German aircrews for this solar cycle. With the increasing solar activity of the current solar cycle 24, the doses are expected to decrease again.

Solar irradiance variability: a six-year comparison between SORCE observations and the SATIRE model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ball, W. T.; Unruh, Y. C.; Krivova, N. A.; Solanki, S.; Harder, J. W.

2011-06-01

Aims: We investigate how well modeled solar irradiances agree with measurements from the SORCE satellite, both for total solar irradiance and broken down into spectral regions on timescales of several years. Methods: We use the SATIRE model and compare modeled total solar irradiance (TSI) with TSI measurements over the period 25 February 2003 to 1 November 2009. Spectral solar irradiance over 200-1630 nm is compared with the SIM instrument on SORCE over the period 21 April 2004 to 1 November 2009. We discuss the overall change in flux and the rotational and long-term trends during this period of decline from moderate activity to the recent solar minimum in ~10 nm bands and for three spectral regions of significant interest: the UV integrated over 200-300 nm, the visible over 400-691 nm and the IR between 972-1630 nm. Results: The model captures 97% of the observed TSI variation. This is on the order at which TSI detectors agree with each other during the period considered. In the spectral comparison, rotational variability is well reproduced, especially between 400 and 1200 nm. The magnitude of change in the long-term trends is many times larger in SIM at almost all wavelengths while trends in SIM oppose SATIRE in the visible between 500 and 700 nm and again between 1000 and 1200 nm. We discuss the remaining issues with both SIM data and the identified limits of the model, particularly with the way facular contributions are dealt with, the limit of flux identification in MDI magnetograms during solar minimum and the model atmospheres in the IR employed by SATIRE. However, it is unlikely that improvements in these areas will significantly enhance the agreement in the long-term trends. This disagreement implies that some mechanism other than surface magnetism is causing SSI variations, in particular between 2004 and 2006, if the SIM data are correct. Since SATIRE was able to reproduce UV irradiance between 1991 and 2002 from UARS, either the solar mechanism for SSI variation fundamentally changed around the peak of cycle 23, or there is an inconsistency between UARS and SORCE UV measurements. We favour the second explanation.

Degradation of Methyl Orange and Congo Red dyes by using TiO2 nanoparticles activated by the solar and the solar-like radiation.

PubMed

Ljubas, Davor; Smoljanić, Goran; Juretić, Hrvoje

2015-09-15

In this study we used TiO2 nanoparticles as semiconductor photocatalysts for the degradation of Methyl Orange (MO) and Congo Red (CR) dyes in an aqueous solution. Since TiO2 particles become photocatalytically active by UV radiation, two sources of UV-A radiation were used - natural solar radiation which contains 3-5% UV-A and artificial, solar-like radiation, created by using a lamp. The optimal doses of TiO2 of 500 mg/L for the CR and 1500 mg/L for the MO degradation were determined in experiments with the lamp and were also used in degradation experiments with natural solar light. The efficiency of each process was determined by measuring the absorbance at two visible wavelengths, 466 nm for MO and 498 nm for CR, and the total organic carbon (TOC), i.e. decolorization and mineralization, respectively. In both cases, considerable potential for the degradation of CR and MO was observed - total decolorization of the solution was achieved within 30-60 min, while the TOC removal was in the range 60-90%. CR and MO solutions irradiated without TiO2 nanoparticles showed no observable changes in either decolorization or mineralization. Three different commercially available TiO2 nanoparticles were used: pure-phase anatase, pure-phase rutile, and mixed-phase preparation named Degussa P25. In terms of degradation kinetics, P25 TiO2 exhibited a photocatalytic activity superior to that of pure-phase anatase or rutile. The electric energy consumption per gram of removed TOC was determined. For nearly the same degradation effect, the consumption in the natural solar radiation experiment was more than 60 times lower than in the artificial solar-like radiation experiment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solar-terrestrial predictions proceedings. Volume 4: Prediction of terrestrial effects of solar activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donnelly, R. E. (Editor)

1980-01-01

Papers about prediction of ionospheric and radio propagation conditions based primarily on empirical or statistical relations is discussed. Predictions of sporadic E, spread F, and scintillations generally involve statistical or empirical predictions. The correlation between solar-activity and terrestrial seismic activity and the possible relation between solar activity and biological effects is discussed.

Solar-geophysical data number 494, October 1985. Part 1: (Prompt reports). Data for September 1985, August 1985 and late data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coffey, H. E. (Editor)

1985-01-01

Data for August and September 1985 on IUWDS alert periods (advance and worldwide), solar activity indices, solar flares, solar radio emission, Stanford mean solar magnetic fields, solar active regions, sudden ionospheric disturbances, solar radio spectral observations, cosmic ray measurements, geomagnetic indices, radio porpagation indices, inferred interplanetary magnetic field polarity, preliminary solar proton event list, and calcium plage are presented.

Projections of long-term changes in solar radiation based on CMIP5 climate models and their influence on energy yields of photovoltaic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wild, Martin; Folini, Doris; Henschel, Florian; Müller, Björn

2015-04-01

Traditionally, for the planning and assessment of solar energy systems, the amount of solar radiation (sunlight) incident on the Earth's surface is assumed to be constant over the years. However, with changing climate and air pollution levels, solar resources may no longer be stable over time and undergo substantial decadal changes. Observational records covering the past decades confirm long-term changes in this quantity. Here we examine, how the latest generation of climate models used for the 5th IPCC report projects potential changes in surface solar radiation over the coming decades, and how this may affect, in combination with the expected greenhouse warming, solar power output from photovoltaic (PV) systems. For this purpose, projections up to the mid 21th century from 39 state of the art climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) are analysed globally and for selected key regions with major solar power production capacity. The large model ensemble allows to assess the degree of consistency of their projections. Models are largely consistent in the sign of the projected changes in solar radiation under cloud-free conditions as well as in surface temperatures over most of the globe, while still reasonably consistent over a considerable part of the globe in the sign of changes in cloudiness and associated changes in solar radiation. A first order estimate of the impact of solar radiation and temperature changes on energy yields of PV systems under the RPC8.5 scenario indicates statistically significant decreases in PV outputs in large parts of the world, but notable exceptions with positive trends in parts of Europe and the South-East of China. Projected changes between 2006 and 2049 under the RCP8.5 scenario overall are on the order of 1 % per decade for horizontal planes, but may be larger for tilted or tracked planes as well as on shorter (decadal) timescales. Related References: Wild, M., Folini, D., Henschel, F., and Müller, B. 2015: Projections of long-term changes in solar radiation based on CMIP5 climate models and their influence on energy yields of photovoltaic systems, submitted. Muller, B., Wild, M., Driesse, A., and Behrens, K., 2014: Rethinking solar resource assessments in the context of global dimming and brightening, Solar Energy, 99, 272-282. Wild, M. 2012: Enlightening Global Dimming and Brightening. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 93, 27-37, doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00074.1

Solar Irradiance Variability and Its Impacts on the Earth Climate System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harder, J. W.; Woods, T. N.

The Sun plays a vital role in the evolution of the climates of terrestrial planets. Observations of the solar spectrum are now routinely made that span the wavelength range from the X-ray portion of the spectrum (5 nm) into the infrared to about 2400 nm. Over this very broad wavelength range, accounting for about 97% of the total solar irradiance, the intensity varies by more than 6 orders of magnitude, requiring a suite of very different and innovative instruments to determine both the spectral irradiance and its variability. The origins of solar variability are strongly linked to surface magnetic field changes, and analysis of solar images and magnetograms show that the intensity of emitted radiation from solar surface features in active regions has a very strong wavelength and magnetic field strength dependence. These magnetic fields produce observable solar surface features such as sunspots, faculae, and network structures that contribute in different ways to the radiated output. Semi-empirical models of solar spectral irradiance are able to capture much of the Sun's output, but this topic remains an active area of research. Studies of solar structures in both high spectral and spatial resolution are refining this understanding. Advances in Earth observation systems and high-quality three-dimensional chemical climate models provide a sound methodology to study the mechanisms of the interaction between Earth's atmosphere and the incoming solar radiation. Energetic photons have a profound effect on the chemistry and dynamics of the thermosphere and ionosphere, and these processes are now well represented in upper atmospheric models. In the middle and lower atmosphere the effects of solar variability enter the climate system through two nonexclusive pathways referred to as the top-down and bottom-up mechanisms. The top-down mechanism proceeds through the alteration of the photochemical rates that establish the middle atmospheric temperature structure and circulation patterns. In the bottom-up mechanism, the increased solar cycle forcing at Earth's surface increases the latent heat flux and evaporation processes, thereby altering the tropical wind patterns.

Solar activity as driver for the Dark Age Grand Solar Minimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuhäuser, Ralph; Neuhäuser, Dagmar

2017-04-01

We will discuss the role of solar activity for the temperature variability from AD 550 to 840, roughly the last three centuries of the Dark Ages. This time range includes the so-called Dark Age Grand Solar Minimum, whose deep part is dated to about AD 650 to 700, which is seen in increased radiocarbon, but decreased aurora observations (and a lack of naked-eye sunspot sightings). We present historical reports on aurorae from all human cultures with written reports including East Asia, Near East (Arabia), and Europe. To classify such reports correctly, clear criteria are needed, which are also discussed. We compare our catalog of historical aurorae (and sunspots) as well as C-14 data, i.e. solar activity proxies, with temperature reconstructions (PAGES). After increased solar activity until around AD 600, we see a dearth of aurorae and increased radiocarbon production in particular in the second half of the 7th century, i.e. a typical Grand Solar Minimum. Then, after about AD 690 (the maximum in radiocarbon, the end of the Dark Age Grand Minimum), we see increased auroral activity, decreasing radiocarbon, and increasing temperature until about AD 775. At around AD 775, we see the well-known strong C-14 variability (solar activity drop), then immediately another dearth of aurorae plus high C-14, indicating another solar activity minimum. This is consistent with a temperature depression from about AD 775 on into the beginning of the 9th century. Very high solar activity is then seen in the first four decades with four aurora clusters and three simultaneous sunspot clusters, and low C-14, again also increasing temperature. The period of increasing solar activity marks the end of the so-called Dark Ages: While auroral activity increases since about AD 793, temperature starts to increase quite exactly at AD 800. We can reconstruct the Schwabe cycles with aurorae and C-14 data. In summary, we can see a clear correspondence of the variability of solar activity proxies and surface temperature reconstructions. This indicates that solar activity is an important climate driver.

Impact of climate change on occupational exposure to solar radiation.

PubMed

Grandi, Carlo; Borra, Massimo; Militello, Andrea; Polichetti, Alessandro

2016-01-01

Occupational exposure to solar radiation may induce both acute and long-term effects on skin and eyes. Personal exposure is very difficult to assess accurately, as it depends on environmental, organisational and individual factors. The ongoing climate change interacting with stratospheric ozone dynamics may affect occupational exposure to solar radiation. In addition, tropospheric levels of environmental pollutants interacting with solar radiation may be altered by climate dynamics, so introducing another variable affecting the overall exposure to solar radiation. Given the uncertainties regarding the direction of changes in exposure to solar radiation due to climate change, compliance of outdoor workers with protective measures and a proper health surveillance are crucial. At the same time, education and training, along with the promotion of healthier lifestyles, are of paramount importance.

Stratospheric Response to Intraseasonal Changes in Incoming Solar Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garfinkel, Chaim; silverman, vered; harnik, nili; Erlich, caryn

2016-04-01

Superposed epoch analysis of meteorological reanalysis data is used to demonstrate a significant connection between intraseasonal solar variability and temperatures in the stratosphere. Decreasing solar flux leads to a cooling of the tropical upper stratosphere above 7hPa, while increasing solar flux leads to a warming of the tropical upper stratosphere above 7hPa, after a lag of approximately six to ten days. Late winter (February-March) Arctic stratospheric temperatures also change in response to changing incoming solar flux in a manner consistent with that seen on the 11 year timescale: ten to thirty days after the start of decreasing solar flux, the polar cap warms during the easterly phase of the Quasi-Biennal Oscillation. In contrast, cooling is present after decreasing solar flux during the westerly phase of the Quasi-Biennal Oscillation (though it is less robust than the warming during the easterly phase). The estimated composite mean changes in Northern Hemisphere upper stratospheric (~ 5hPa) polar temperatures exceed 8K, and are potentially a source of intraseasonal predictability for the surface. These changes in polar temperature are consistent with the changes in wave driving entering the stratosphere. Garfinkel, C.I., V. Silverman, N. Harnik, C. Erlich, Y. Riz (2015), Stratospheric Response to Intraseasonal Changes in Incoming Solar Radiation, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 120, 7648-7660. doi: 10.1002/2015JD023244.

Cosmic Rays in the Heliosphere: Requirements for Future Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mewaldt, R. A.

2013-06-01

Since the publication of Cosmic Rays in the Heliosphere in 1998 there has been great progress in understanding how and why cosmic rays vary in space and time. This paper discusses measurements that are needed to continue advances in relating cosmic ray variations to changes in solar and interplanetary activity and variations in the local interstellar environment. Cosmic ray acceleration and transport is an important discipline in space physics and astrophysics, but it also plays a critical role in defining the radiation environment for humans and hardware in space, and is critical to efforts to unravel the history of solar activity. Cosmic rays are measured directly by balloon-borne and space instruments, and indirectly by ground-based neutron, muon and neutrino detectors, and by measurements of cosmogenic isotopes in ice cores, tree-rings, sediments, and meteorites. The topics covered here include: what we can learn from the deep 2008-2009 solar minimum, when cosmic rays reached the highest intensities of the space era; the implications of 10Be and 14C isotope archives for past and future solar activity; the effects of variations in the size of the heliosphere; opportunities provided by the Voyagers for discovering the origin of anomalous cosmic rays and measuring cosmic-ray spectra in interstellar space; and future space missions that can continue the exciting exploration of the heliosphere that has occurred over the past 50 years.

Solar Variability in the Context of Other Climate Forcing Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, James E.

1999-01-01

I compare and contrast climate forcings due to solar variability with climate forcings due to other mechanisms of climate change, interpretation of the role of the sun in climate change depends upon climate sensitivity and upon the net forcing by other climate change mechanisms. Among the potential indirect climate forcings due to solar variability, only that due to solar cycle induced ozone changes has been well quantified. There is evidence that the sun has been a significant player in past climate change on decadal to century time scales, and that it has the potential to contribute to climate change in the 21st century.

Variation of D-region nitric-oxide density with solar activity and season at the dip equator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chakrabarty, D. K.; Pakhomov, S. V.; Beig, G.

1989-01-01

To study the solar control on electron density (N sub e) in the equatorial D region, a program was initiated with Soviet collaboration in 1979. A total of 31 rockets were launched during the high solar activity period, and 47 rockets during the low solar activity period, from Thumba to measure the N sub e profiles. Analysis of the data shows that the average values of N sub e for the high solar activity period are higher by a factor of about 2 to 3 compared to the low solar activity values. It was found that a single nitric oxide density, (NO), profile cannot reproduce all the observed N sub e profiles. An attempt was made to reproduce theoretically the observed N sub e profiles by introducing variation in (NO) for the different solar activity periods and seasons.

Predicting Solar Cycle 24 Using a Geomagnetic Precursor Pair

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pesnell, W. Dean

2014-01-01

We describe using Ap and F(10.7) as a geomagnetic-precursor pair to predict the amplitude of Solar Cycle 24. The precursor is created by using F(10.7) to remove the direct solar-activity component of Ap. Four peaks are seen in the precursor function during the decline of Solar Cycle 23. A recurrence index that is generated by a local correlation of Ap is then used to determine which peak is the correct precursor. The earliest peak is the most prominent but coincides with high levels of non-recurrent solar activity associated with the intense solar activity of October and November 2003. The second and third peaks coincide with some recurrent activity on the Sun and show that a weak cycle precursor closely following a period of strong solar activity may be difficult to resolve. A fourth peak, which appears in early 2008 and has recurrent activity similar to precursors of earlier solar cycles, appears to be the "true" precursor peak for Solar Cycle 24 and predicts the smallest amplitude for Solar Cycle 24. To determine the timing of peak activity it is noted that the average time between the precursor peak and the following maximum is approximately equal to 6.4 years. Hence, Solar Cycle 24 would peak during 2014. Several effects contribute to the smaller prediction when compared with other geomagnetic-precursor predictions. During Solar Cycle 23 the correlation between sunspot number and F(10.7) shows that F(10.7) is higher than the equivalent sunspot number over most of the cycle, implying that the sunspot number underestimates the solar-activity component described by F(10.7). During 2003 the correlation between aa and Ap shows that aa is 10 % higher than the value predicted from Ap, leading to an overestimate of the aa precursor for that year. However, the most important difference is the lack of recurrent activity in the first three peaks and the presence of significant recurrent activity in the fourth. While the prediction is for an amplitude of Solar Cycle 24 of 65 +/- 20 in smoothed sunspot number, a below-average amplitude for Solar Cycle 24, with maximum at 2014.5+/-0.5, we conclude that Solar Cycle 24 will be no stronger than average and could be much weaker than average.

Activities of NICT space weather project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murata, Ken T.; Nagatsuma, Tsutomu; Watari, Shinichi; Shinagawa, Hiroyuki; Ishii, Mamoru

NICT (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology) has been in charge of space weather forecast service in Japan for more than 20 years. The main target region of the space weather is the geo-space in the vicinity of the Earth where human activities are dominant. In the geo-space, serious damages of satellites, international space stations and astronauts take place caused by energetic particles or electromagnetic disturbances: the origin of the causes is dynamically changing of solar activities. Positioning systems via GPS satellites are also im-portant recently. Since the most significant effect of positioning error comes from disturbances of the ionosphere, it is crucial to estimate time-dependent modulation of the electron density profiles in the ionosphere. NICT is one of the 13 members of the ISES (International Space Environment Service), which is an international assembly of space weather forecast centers under the UNESCO. With help of geo-space environment data exchanging among the member nations, NICT operates daily space weather forecast service every day to provide informa-tion on forecasts of solar flare, geomagnetic disturbances, solar proton event, and radio-wave propagation conditions in the ionosphere. The space weather forecast at NICT is conducted based on the three methodologies: observations, simulations and informatics (OSI model). For real-time or quasi real-time reporting of space weather, we conduct our original observations: Hiraiso solar observatory to monitor the solar activity (solar flare, coronal mass ejection, and so on), domestic ionosonde network, magnetometer HF radar observations in far-east Siberia, and south-east Asia low-latitude ionosonde network (SEALION). Real-time observation data to monitor solar and solar-wind activities are obtained through antennae at NICT from ACE and STEREO satellites. We have a middle-class super-computer (NEC SX-8R) to maintain real-time computer simulations for solar and solar-wind, magnetosphere and ionosphere. The three simulations are directly or indirectly connected each other based on real-time observa-tion data to reproduce a virtual geo-space region on the super-computer. Informatics is a new methodology to make precise forecast of space weather. Based on new information and communication technologies (ICT), it provides more information in both quality and quantity. At NICT, we have been developing a cloud-computing system named "space weather cloud" based on a high-speed network system (JGN2+). Huge-scale distributed storage (1PB), clus-ter computers, visualization systems and other resources are expected to derive new findings and services of space weather forecasting. The final goal of NICT space weather service is to predict near-future space weather conditions and disturbances which will be causes of satellite malfunctions, tele-communication problems, and error of GPS navigations. In the present talk, we introduce our recent activities on the space weather services and discuss how we are going to develop the services from the view points of space science and practical uses.

Chemical and optical changes in freshwater dissolved organic matter exposed to solar radiation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Osburn, C.L.; Morris, D.P.; Thorn, K.A.; Moeller, R.E.

2001-01-01

We studied the chemical and optical changes in the dissolved organic matter (DOM) from two freshwater lakes and a Sphagnum bog after exposure to solar radiation. Stable carbon isotopes and solid-state 13C-NMR spectra of DOM were used together with optical and chemical data to interpret results from experimental exposures of DOM to sunlight and from seasonal observations of two lakes in northeastern Pennsylvania. Solar photochemical oxidation of humic-rich bog DOM to smaller LMW compounds and to DIC was inferred from losses of UV absorbance, optical indices of molecular weight and changes in DOM chemistry. Experimentally, we observed a 1.2??? enrichment in ??13C and a 47% loss in aromatic C functionality in bog DOM samples exposed to solar UVR. Similar results were observed in the surface waters of both lakes. In late summer hypolimnetic water in humic Lake Lacawac, we observed 3 to 4.5??? enrichments in ??13C and a 30% increase in aromatic C relative to early spring values during spring mixing. These changes coincided with increases in molecular weight and UV absorbance. Anaerobic conditions of the hypolimnion in Lake Lacawac suggest that microbial metabolism may be turning over allochthonous C introduced during spring mixing, as well as autochthonous C. This metabolic activity produces HMW DOM during the summer, which is photochemically labile and isotopically distinct from allochthonous DOM or autochthonous DOM. These results suggest both photooxidation of allochthonous DOM in the epilimnion and autotrophic production of DOM by bacteria in the hypolimnion cause seasonal trends in the UV absorbance of lakes.

Ten Years of Solar Change as Monitored by SBUV and SBUV/2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlesinger, B. M.; Cebula, R. P.; Heath, D. F.; Deland, M. T.; Hudson, R. D.

1990-01-01

Observations of the Sun by the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) instrument aboard Nimbus 7 and the SBUV/2 instrument aboard NOAA-9 reveal variations in the solar irradiance from 1978, to 1988. The maximum to minimum solar change estimated from the Heath and Schlesinger Mg index and wavelength scaling factors is about 4 percent from 210 to 260 nm and 8 percent for 180 to 210 nm; direct measurements of the solar change give values of 1 to 3 percent and 5 to 7 percent, respectively, for the same wavelength range. Solar irradiances were high from the start of observations, late in 1978, until 1983, declined until early 1985, remained approximately constant until mid-1987, and then began to rise. Peak-to-peak 27-day rotational modulation amplitudes were as large as 6 percent at solar maximum and 1 to 2 percent at solar minimum. During occasional intervals of the 1979 to 1983 maximum and again during 1988, the dominant rotational modulation period was 13.5 days. Measurements near 200 to 205 nm show the same rotational modulation behavior but cannot be used to track long-term changes in the Sun because of uncertainties in the characterization of long-term instrument sensitivity changes.

foF2 vs solar indices for the Rome station: Looking for the best general relation which is able to describe the anomalous minimum between cycles 23 and 24

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perna, L.; Pezzopane, M.

2016-10-01

Analyses of the dependence of the F2layer critical frequency, foF2, on five widely used solar activity indices (F10.7, Lym-α, MgII, R and EUV0.1-50)are carried out considering noon values manually validated at the ionospheric station of Rome (41.8°N, 12.5°E, Italy) between January 1976 and December 2013, a period of time covering the last three solar cycles and including the prolonged and anomalous minimum of solar cycle 23/24 (years 2008-2009). After applying a 1-year running mean to both foF2 and solar activity indices time series, a second order polynomial fitting proves to perform better than a linear one, and this is specifically due to the very low solar activity of the last solar minimum and to the remaining saturation effect characterizing the high solar activity. A comparison between observed and synthetic foF2 values, the latter calculated by using the analytical relations found for every index, and some considerations made on the R parameter introduced by Solomon et al. (2013), suggest that MgII is the best index to describe the dependence of foF2 on the solar activity. Three main reasons justify this result: (1) the good sensibility of MgII to the variations of foF2 for low solar activity; (2) the reduced saturation effect characterizing MgII at high solar activity; (3) the poor influence of the hysteresis effect characterizing MgII at medium solar activity. On the other hand, the F10.7 index, widely used as input parameter for numerous ionospheric models, does not represent properly the last minimum; specifically, it is not able to describe the variations of foF2 under a solar activity level of F10.7=82·10-22 [J Hz-1 s-1 m-2].

Space climate implications from substorm frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newell, P. T.; Gjerloev, J. W.; Mitchell, E. J.

2013-10-01

solar wind impacting the Earth varies over a wide range of time scales, driving a corresponding range of geomagnetic activity. Past work has strongly indicated that the rate of merging on the frontside magnetosphere is the most important predictor for magnetospheric activity, especially over a few hours. However, the magnetosphere exhibits variations on other time scales, including UT, seasonal, and solar cycle variations. Much of this geomagnetic variation cannot be reasonably attributed to changes in the solar wind driving—that is, it is not created by the original Russell-McPherron effect or any generalization thereof. In this paper we examine the solar cycle, seasonal, and diurnal effects based upon the frequency of substorm onsets, using a data set of 53,000 substorm onsets. These were identified through the SuperMAG collaboration and span three decades with continuous coverage. Solar cycle variations include a profound minimum in 2009 (448 substorms) and peak in 2003 (3727). The magnitude of this variation (a factor of 8.3) is not explained through variations in estimators of the frontside merging rate (such as dΦMP/dt), even when the more detailed probability distribution functions are examined. Instead, v, or better, n1/2v2 seems to be implicated in the dramatic difference between active and quiet years, even beyond the role of velocity in modulating merging. Moreover, we find that although most substorms are preceded by flux loading (78.5% are above the mean and 83.8% above median solar wind driving), a high solar wind v is almost as important (68.3% above mean, 74.8% above median). This and other evidence suggest that either v or n1/2v2 (but probably not p) plays a strong secondary role in substorm onset. As for the seasonal and diurnal effects, the elliptical nature of the Earth's orbit, which is closest to the Sun in January, leads to a larger solar wind driving (measured by Bs, vBs, or dΦMP/dt) in November, as is confirmed by 22 years of solar wind observations. However, substorms peak in October and March and have a UT dependence best explained by whether a conducting path established by solar illumination exists in at least one hemisphere in the region where substorm onsets typically occur.

75 FR 62853 - Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Imperial Valley Solar Project and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-13

..., LVRAB109AA01] Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Imperial Valley Solar Project and...) application CACA-47740 for the proposed SES Solar Two Project. After merging with Tessera Solar, the applicant changed its name to Imperial Valley Solar, LLC, and changed the name of the project to the Imperial Valley...

The Impact of Radiation Changes on the Terrestrial Carbon Sink over the Post Pinatubo Period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitch, S.; Mercado, L. M.; Bellouin, N.; Boucher, O.; Huntingford, C.; Cox, P. M.

2008-12-01

The amount of solar radiation reaching the earth surface is one of the major drivers of plant photosynthesis and therefore changes in radiation are likely to indirectly have an effect on the terrestrial carbon cycle. For example, changes in surface radiation that lead to increasing diffuse surface irradiance are reported to enhance plant photosynthesis (Gu et al., 2003, Niyogi et al., 2004, Oliveira et al., 2007, Roderick et al., 2001). Solar radiation reaching the land surface has changed over the industrial era due to aerosols emitted from volcanoes and various anthropogenic sources (Kvalevag and Myhre, 2007). Such changes in total surface radiation are accompanied by changes in direct and diffuse surface solar radiation. Recent major volcanic events include the eruptions of el Chichón in 1986 and Mount Pinatubo in 1991. In this study we estimate the impact of changes in surface radiation on photosynthetic carbon uptake during the Post Pinatubo period. We use an offline version of the Hadley Centre land surface scheme (Mercado et al., 2007) modified to account for variations in direct and diffuse radiation on sunlit and shaded canopy photosynthesis. We use meteorological forcing from the Climate Research Unit Data set. Additionally short wave and photosynthetic active radiation are reconstructed from the Hadley centre climate model, which accounts for the scattering and absorption of light by tropospheric and stratospheric aerosols. We describe the development of the land carbon cycle through the Pinatubo event and diagnose the impact of changes in diffuse radiation on the atmospheric [CO2] growth-rate

Solar Energy: A Middle School Unit. Environmental Education Occasional Paper No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Jack L.; Cantrell, Joseph S.

This collection of teaching activities was developed to provide teachers with guidance in presenting solar energy education to students of middle school age. The unit provides activities presenting learning opportunities involving: (1) passive solar collectors, (2) active solar collectors, (3) concentrating collectors, and (4) photovoltaic cell…

Evaluation of the Klobuchar model in TaiWan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jinghua; Wan, Qingtao; Ma, Guanyi; Zhang, Jie; Wang, Xiaolan; Fan, Jiangtao

2017-09-01

Ionospheric delay is the mainly error source in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Ionospheric model is one of the ways to correct the ionospheric delay. The single-frequency GNSS users modify the ionospheric delay by receiving the correction parameters broadcasted by satellites. Klobuchar model is widely used in Global Positioning System (GPS) and COMPASS because it is simple and convenient for real-time calculation. This model is established on the observations mainly from Europe and USA. It does not describe the equatorial anomaly region. South of China is located near the north crest of the equatorial anomaly, where the ionosphere has complex spatial and temporal variation. The assessment on the validation of Klobuchar model in this area is important to improve this model. Eleven years (2003-2014) data from one GPS receiver located at Taoyuan Taiwan (121°E, 25°N) are used to assess the validation of Klobuchar model in Taiwan. Total electron content (TEC) from the dual-frequency GPS observations is calculated and used as the reference, and TEC based on the Klobuchar model is compared with the reference. The residual is defined as the difference between the TEC from Klobuchar model and the reference. It is a parameter to reflect the absolute correction of the model. RMS correction percentage presents the validation of the model relative to the observations. The residuals' long-term variation, the RMS correction percentage, and their changes with the latitudes are analyzed respectively to access the model. In some months the RMS correction did not reach the goal of 50% purposed by Klobuchar, especially in the winter of the low solar activity years and at nighttime. RMS correction did not depend on the 11-years solar activity, neither the latitudes. Different from RMS correction, the residuals changed with the solar activity, similar to the variation of TEC. The residuals were large in the daytime, during the equinox seasons and in the high solar activity years; they are small at night, during the solstice seasons, and in the low activity years. During 1300-1500 BJT in the high solar activity years, the mean bias was negative, implying the model underestimated TEC on average. The maximum mean bias was 33TECU in April 2014, and the maximum underestimation reached 97TECU in October 2011. During 0000-0200 BJT, the residuals had small mean bias, small variation range and small standard deviation. It suggested that the model could describe the TEC of the ionosphere better than that in the daytime. Besides the variation with the solar activity, the residuals also vary with the latitudes. The means bias reached the maximum at 20-22°N, corresponding to the north crest of the equatorial anomaly. At this latitude, the maximum mean bias was 47TECU lower than the observation in the high activity years, and 12TECU lower in the low activity years. The minimum variation range appeared at 30-32°N in high and low activity years. But the minimum mean bias was at different latitudes in the high and low activity years. In the high activity years, it appeared at 30-32°N, and in the low years it was at 24-26°N. For an ideal model, the residuals should have small mean bias and small variation range. Further study is needed to learn the distribution of the residuals and to improve the model.

500-year climate cycles stacking of recent centennial warming documented in an East Asian pollen record

PubMed Central

Xu, Deke; Lu, Houyuan; Chu, Guoqiang; Wu, Naiqin; Shen, Caiming; Wang, Can; Mao, Limi

2014-01-01

Here we presented a high-resolution 5350-year pollen record from a maar annually laminated lake in East Asia (EA). Pollen record reflected the dynamics of vertical vegetation zones and temperature change. Spectral analysis on pollen percentages/concentrations of Pinus and Quercus, and a temperature proxy, revealed ~500-year quasi-periodic cold-warm fluctuations during the past 5350 years. This ~500-year cyclic climate change occurred in EA during the mid-late Holocene and even the last 150 years dominated by anthropogenic forcing. It was almost in phase with a ~500-year periodic change in solar activity and Greenland temperature change, suggesting that ~500-year small variations in solar output played a prominent role in the mid-late Holocene climate dynamics in EA, linked to high latitude climate system. Its last warm phase might terminate in the next several decades to enter another ~250-year cool phase, and thus this future centennial cyclic temperature minimum could partially slow down man-made global warming. PMID:24402348

Evidence of active region imprints on the solar wind structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hick, P.; Jackson, B. V.

1995-01-01

A common descriptive framework for discussing the solar wind structure in the inner heliosphere uses the global magnetic field as a reference: low density, high velocity solar wind emanates from open magnetic fields, with high density, low speed solar wind flowing outward near the current sheet. In this picture, active regions, underlying closed magnetic field structures in the streamer belt, leave little or no imprint on the solar wind. We present evidence from interplanetary scintillation measurements of the 'disturbance factor' g that active regions play a role in modulating the solar wind and possibly contribute to the solar wind mass output. Hence we find that the traditional view of the solar wind, though useful in understanding many features of solar wind structure, is oversimplified and possibly neglects important aspects of solar wind dynamics

Variability of fractal dimension of solar radio flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatt, Hitaishi; Sharma, Som Kumar; Trivedi, Rupal; Vats, Hari Om

2018-04-01

In the present communication, the variation of the fractal dimension of solar radio flux is reported. Solar radio flux observations on a day to day basis at 410, 1415, 2695, 4995, and 8800 MHz are used in this study. The data were recorded at Learmonth Solar Observatory, Australia from 1988 to 2009 covering an epoch of two solar activity cycles (22 yr). The fractal dimension is calculated for the listed frequencies for this period. The fractal dimension, being a measure of randomness, represents variability of solar radio flux at shorter time-scales. The contour plot of fractal dimension on a grid of years versus radio frequency suggests high correlation with solar activity. Fractal dimension increases with increasing frequency suggests randomness increases towards the inner corona. This study also shows that the low frequency is more affected by solar activity (at low frequency fractal dimension difference between solar maximum and solar minimum is 0.42) whereas, the higher frequency is less affected by solar activity (here fractal dimension difference between solar maximum and solar minimum is 0.07). A good positive correlation is found between fractal dimension averaged over all frequencies and yearly averaged sunspot number (Pearson's coefficient is 0.87).

Manifestations of Influence of Solar Activity and Cosmic Ray Intensity on the Wheat Price in the Medieval England (1259-1703 Years)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pustil'Nik, Lev A.; Dorman, L. I.; Yom Din, G.

2003-07-01

The database of Professor Rogers, with wheat prices in England in the Middle Ages (1249-1703) was used to search for possible manifestations of solar activity and cosmic ray variations. The main object of the statistical analysis is investigation of bursts of prices. We present a conceptual model of possible modes for sensitivity of wheat prices to weather conditions, caused by solar cycle variations in cosmic rays, and compare the expected price fluctuations with wheat price variations recorded in the Medieval England. We compared statistical properties of the intervals between price bursts with statistical properties of the intervals between extremes (minimums) of solar cycles during the years 1700-2000. Statistical properties of these two samples are similar both in averaged/median values of intervals and in standard deviation of this values. We show that histogram of intervals distribution for price bursts and solar minimums are coincidence with high confidence level. We analyzed direct links between wheat prices and solar activity in the th 17 Century, for which wheat prices and solar activity data as well as cosmic ray intensity (from 10 Be isotop e) are available. We show that for all seven solar activity minimums the observed prices were higher than prices for the nine intervals of maximal solar activity proceed preceding to the minimums. This result, combined with the conclusion on similarity of statistical properties of the price bursts and solar activity extremes we consider as direct evidence of a causal connection between wheat prices bursts and solar activity.

Time variation analysis of the daily Forbush decrease indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patra, Sankar Narayan; Ghosh, Koushik; Panja, Subhash Chandra

2011-08-01

In the present paper we have analyzed the daily Forbush decrease indices from January 1, 1967 to December 31, 2003. First filtering the time series by Simple Exponential Smoothing, we have applied Scargle Method of Periodogram on the processed time series in order to search for its time variation. Study exhibits periodicities around 174, 245, 261, 321, 452, 510, 571, 584, 662, 703, 735, 741, 767, 774, 820, 970, 1062, 1082, 1489, 1715, 2317, 2577, 2768, 3241 and 10630 days with confidence levels higher than 90%. Some of these periods are significantly similar to the observed periodicities of other solar activities, like solar filament activity, solar electron flare occurrence, solar-flare rate, solar proton events, solar neutrino flux, solar irradiance, cosmic ray intensity and flare, spectrum of the sunspot, solar wind, southern coronal hole area and solar cycle, which may suggest that the Forbush decrease behaves similarly to these solar activities and these activities may have a common origin.

H-alpha synoptic charts of solar activity during the first year of solar cycle 20, October 1964 - August 1965. [Skylab program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcintosh, P. S.

1975-01-01

Solar activity during the period October 28, 1964 through August 27, 1965 is presented in the form of charts for each solar rotation constructed from observations made with the chromospheric H-alpha spectra line. These H-alpha synoptic charts are identical in format and method of construction to those published for the period of Skylab observations. The sunspot minimum marking the start of Solar Cycle 20 occurred in October, 1964; therefore, charts represent solar activity during the first year of this solar cycle.

Data quantile-quantile plots: quantifying the time evolution of space climatology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tindale, Elizabeth; Chapman, Sandra

2017-04-01

The solar wind is inherently variable across a wide range of spatio-temporal scales; embedded in the flow are the signatures of distinct non-linear physical processes from evolving turbulence to the dynamical solar corona. In-situ satellite observations of solar wind magnetic field and velocity are at minute and below time resolution and now extend over several solar cycles. Each solar cycle is unique, and the space climatology challenge is to quantify how solar wind variability changes within, and across, each distinct solar cycle, and how this in turn drives space weather at earth. We will demonstrate a novel statistical method, that of data-data quantile-quantile (DQQ) plots, which quantifies how the underlying statistical distribution of a given observable is changing in time. Importantly this method does not require any assumptions concerning the underlying functional form of the distribution and can identify multi-component behaviour that is changing in time. This can be used to determine when a sub-range of a given observable is undergoing a change in statistical distribution, or where the moments of the distribution only are changing and the functional form of the underlying distribution is not changing in time. The method is quite general; for this application we use data from the WIND satellite to compare the solar wind across the minima and maxima of solar cycles 23 and 24 [1], and how these changes are manifest in parameters that quantify coupling to the earth's magnetosphere. [1] Tindale, E., and S.C. Chapman (2016), Geophys. Res. Lett., 43(11), doi: 10.1002/2016GL068920.

Ionospheric Scintillation Activity Over Ilorin, Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oladipo, O. A.; Adeniyi, J. O.; Doherty, P. H.; Radicella, S. M.; Adimula, I. A.; Olawepo, A. O.

2018-02-01

Scintillation of radio waves in the L-band frequency is a regular occurrence at the equatorial and auroral regions at night most especially during high solar activity periods. Scintillation is caused by plasma density irregularities, and this could cause loss of lock of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals leading to impairment of the applications that rely on this system. A study on the occurrence of scintillation activity over Ilorin (latitude = 8.48°N, longitude = 4.67°W, and geomagnetic latitude = 1.89°S), Nigeria was done using S4 index data from NovAtel GPStation-2 receiver (2009-2012) and NovAtel GPStation-6 receiver (August 2013 to December 2016) which are both located at this station. The solar maximum period of the solar cycle 24 is located well within the period of this investigation; hence, this study provides opportunity to see the occurrence pattern of scintillation during different seasons as well as the pattern from low solar activity to solar maximum. The results obtained showed that scintillation occurs between 21:00 LT and 04:00 LT at the peak of the occurrence in 2014. The time window of occurrence decreases with decrease in solar activity. Similarly, scintillation activity was observed to be more regular during high solar activity and it has two peaks of occurrence in March and October. A solar activity trend was observed in scintillation occurrence; scintillation activity increases with increase in the level of solar activity.

Adiabatic and nonadiabatic responses of the radiation belt relativistic electrons to the external changes in solar wind dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.

2013-12-01

By removing the influences of 'magnetopause shadowing' (r0>6.6RE) and geomagnetic activities, we investigated statistically the responses of magnetic field and relativistic (>0.5MeV) electrons at geosynchronous orbit to 201 interplanetary perturbations during 6 years from 2003 (solar maximum) to 2008 (solar minimum). The statistical results indicate that during geomagnetically quiet times (HSYM ≥-30nT, and AE<200nT), ~47.3% changes in the geosynchronous magnetic field and relativistic electron fluxes are caused by the combined actions of the enhancement of solar wind dynamic pressure (Pd) and the southward turning of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) (ΔPd>0.4 nPa, and IMF Bz<0 nT), and only ~18.4% changes are due to single dynamic pressure increase (ΔPd >0.4 nPa, but IMF Bz>0 nT), and ~34.3% changes are due to single southward turning of IMF (IMF Bz<0 nT, but |ΔPd|<0.4 nPa). Although the responses of magnetic field and relativistic electrons to the southward turning of IMF are weaker than their responses to the dynamic pressure increase, the southward turning of IMF can cause the dawn-dusk asymmetric perturbations that the magnetic field and the relativistic electrons tend to increase on the dawnside (LT~00:00-12:00) but decrease on the duskside (LT~13:00-23:00). Furthermore, the variation of relativistic electron fluxes is adiabatically controlled by the magnitude and elevation angle changes of magnetic field during the single IMF southward turnings. However, the variation of relativistic electron fluxes is independent of the change in magnetic field in some compression regions during the enhancement of solar wind dynamic pressure (including the single pressure increases and the combined external perturbations), indicating that nonadiabatic dynamic processes of relativistic electrons occur there. Acknowledgments. This work is supported by NSFC (grants 41074119 and 40604018). Liuyuan Li is grateful to the staffs working for the data from GOES 8-12 satellites and OMNI database in CDAWeb.

The 7.5 kW solar array simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robson, R. R.

1975-01-01

A high power solar array simulator capable of providing the input power to simultaneously operate two 30 cm diameter ion thruster power processors was designed, fabricated, and tested. The maximum power point is set to between 150 and 7500 watts representing an open circuit voltage from 50 to 300 volts and a short circuit current from 4 to 36 amps. Illuminated solar cells are used as the control element to provide a true solar cell characteristic and permit the option of simulating changes in this characteristic due to variations in solar intensity and/or temperature of the solar array. This is accomplished by changing the illumination and/or temperature of the control cells. The response of the output to a step change in load closely approximates that of an actual solar array.

The association of flares to cancelling magnetic features on the sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Livi, Silvia H. B.; Martin, Sara; Wang, Haimin; Ai, Guoxiang

1989-01-01

Previous work relating flares to evolutionary changes of photospheric solar magnetic fields are reviewed and reinterpreted in the light of recent observations of canceling magnetic fields. The results show that cancelation happens with fields spanning a wide range of magnetic field strengths. Flares of all magnitudes begin adjacent to cancelation sites, whether the associated active region as a whole is developing or decaying. Both small and big flares are initiated near canceling sites, from the microflares associated with ephemeral regions to the kernels of the great flares. Canceling magnetic flux is observed or deduced to be the common denominator among all observed associations of flares to changing magnetic fields. It is proposed that canceling magnetic fields are a necessary evolutionary condition for the initiation of solar flares.

Magnetic and Velocity Field Changes Related to the Solar Flares of 28 and 29 October 2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurya, R. A.; Ambastha, A.

Magnetic and velocity field measurements of solar active regions suffer from ambiguities caused by the change in spectral line profiles that occur during the impulsive phase of a major flare. This leads to difficulties in correct interpretation of any flare-related changes. Using magnetic and Doppler movies taken with GONG and MDI, we have detected transient, "moving" features around the peak phases of the X17.2/4B flare observed on 28 October 2003 and the X10/2B flare observed on 29 October 2003 in super-active region NOAA 10486. These features were located near the compact acoustic sources reported earlier by Donea and Lindsey (2005) and the seismic sources reported by Zharkova and Zharkov (2007).We find a moving feature, spatially and temporally associated with the flare ribbons, that separates away at speeds ranging from 30 to 50 km s-1 as observed in photospheric white light and in temperature-minimum (1600 Å), chromospheric (Hα), and transition-region (284Å ) intensities.We suggest that such moving features arise from the line-profile changes attributed to downward electron jets associated with the flare, and do not reflect real changes in the photospheric magnetic and velocity fields. However, abrupt and persistent changes in the pre- and post-flare phases were also found, which do not seem to be affected by line-profile changes. The detailed results have been appeared in Maurya and Ambastha (2009).

Observational Search for Cometary Aging Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meech, Karen J.

1997-01-01

The scientific objectives of this study were (i) to search for physical differences in the behavior of the dynamically new comets (those which are entering the solar system for the first time from the Oort cloud) and the periodic comets, and (ii) to interpret these differences, if any, in terms of the physical and chemical nature of the comets and the evolutionary histories of the two comet groups. Because outer solar system comets may be direct remnants of the planetary formation processes, it is clear that the understanding of both the physical characteristics of these bodies at the edge of the planet forming zone and of their activity at large heliocentric distances, r, will ultimately provide constraints on the planetary formation process both in our Solar System and in extra-solar planetary systems. A combination of new solar system models which suggest that the protoplanetary disk was relatively massive and as a consequence comets could form at large distances from the sun (e.g. from the Uranus-Neptune region to the vicinity of the Kuiper belt), observations of activity in comets at large r, and laboratory experiments on low temperature volatile condensation, are dramatically changing our understanding of the chemical'and physical conditions in the early solar nebula. In order to understand the physical processes driving the apparent large r activity, and to address the question of possible physical and chemical differences between periodic, non-periodic and Oort comets, the PI has been undertaking a long-term study of the behavior of a significant sample of these comets (approximately 50) over a wide range of r to watch the development, disappearance and changing morphology of the dust coma. The ultimate goal is to search for systematic physical differences between the comet classes by modelling the coma growth in terms of volatile-driven activity. The systematic observations for this have been ongoing since 1986, and have been obtained over the course of approximately 300 nights using the telescopes on Mauna Kea, Kitt Peak, Cerro Tololo, the European Southern Observatory, and several other large aperture facilities. A greater than 2 TB database of broad band comet images has been obtained which follows the systematic development and fading of the cometary coma for the comets in the database. The results to date, indicate that there is a substantial difference in the brightness and the amount of dust as a function of r between the two comet classes. In addition to this major finding, the program has been responsible for several exciting discoveries, including: the P/Halley outburst at r = 14.3 AU, the discovery of Chiron's coma and modelling and observations of the gravitationally bound component, observational evidence that activity continues out beyond r = 17 AU for many dynamically new comets

Multi-Wavelength Imaging of Solar Plasma - High-Beta Disruption Model of Solar Flares -

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibasaki, Kiyoto

Solar atmosphere is filled with plasma and magnetic field. Activities in the atmosphere are due to plasma instabilities in the magnetic field. To understand the physical mechanisms of activities / instabilities, it is necessary to know the physical conditions of magnetized plasma, such as temperature, density, magnetic field, and their spatial structures and temporal developments. Multi-wavelength imaging is essential for this purpose. Imaging observations of the Sun at microwave, X-ray, EUV and optical ranges are routinely going on. Due to free exchange of original data among solar physics and related field communities, we can easily combine images covering wide range of spectrum. Even under such circumstances, we still do not understand the cause of activities in the solar atmosphere well. The current standard model of solar activities is based on magnetic reconnection: release of stored magnetic energy by reconnection is the cause of solar activities on the Sun such as solar flares. However, recent X-ray, EUV and microwave observations with high spatial and temporal resolution show that dense plasma is involved in activities from the beginning. Based on these observations, I propose a high-beta model of solar activities, which is very similar to high-beta disruptions in magnetically confined fusion experiments.

Total solar irradiance reconstruction since 1700 using a flux transport model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasi Espuig, Maria; Krivova, Natalie; Solanki, Sami K.; Jiang, Jie

Reconstructions of solar irradiance into the past are crucial for studies of solar influence on climate. Models based on the assumption that irradiance changes are caused by the evolution of the photospheric magnetic fields have been most successful in reproducing the measured irradiance variations. Daily magnetograms, such as those from MDI and HMI, provide the most detailed information on the changing distribution of the photospheric magnetic fields. Since such magnetograms are only available from 1974, we used a surface flux transport model to describe the evolution of the magnetic fields on the solar surface due to the effects of differential rotation, meridional circulation, and turbulent diffusivity, before 1974. In this model, the sources of magnetic flux are the active regions, which are introduced based on sunspot group areas, positions, and tilt angles. The RGO record is, however, only available since 1874. Here we present a model of solar irradiance since 1700, which is based on a semi-synthetic sunspot record. The semi-synthetic record was obtained using statistical relationships between sunspot group properties (areas, positions, tilt angles) derived from the RGO record on one hand, and the cycle strength and phase derived from the sunspot group number (Rg) on the other. These relationships were employed to produce daily records of sunspot group positions, areas, and tilt angles before 1874. The semi-synthetic records were fed into the surface flux transport model to simulate daily magnetograms since 1700. By combining the simulated magnetograms with a SATIRE-type model, we then reconstructed total solar irradiance since 1700.

Solar-geophysical data number 493, September 1985. Part 1: (Prompt reports). Data for August 1985, July 1985 and late data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coffey, H. E. (Editor)

1985-01-01

Topics covered include: detailed index for 1985; data for August 1985--(IUWDS alert periods (Advanced and Worldwide), solar activity indices, solar flares, solar radio emission, Stanford mean solar magnetic field); (solar active regions, sudden ionospheric disturbances, solar radio spectral observations, cosmic ray measurements by neutron monitor, geomagnetic indices, radio propagation indices); and late data--calcium plage data.

The Impact of the Revised Sunspot Record on Solar Irradiance Reconstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopp, G.; Krivova, N.; Wu, C. J.; Lean, J.

2016-11-01

Reliable historical records of the total solar irradiance (TSI) are needed to assess the extent to which long-term variations in the Sun's radiant energy that is incident upon Earth may exacerbate (or mitigate) the more dominant warming in recent centuries that is due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases. We investigate the effects that the new Sunspot Index and Long-term Solar Observations (SILSO) sunspot-number time series may have on model reconstructions of the TSI. In contemporary TSI records, variations on timescales longer than about a day are dominated by the opposing effects of sunspot darkening and facular brightening. These two surface magnetic features, retrieved either from direct observations or from solar-activity proxies, are combined in TSI models to reproduce the current TSI observational record. Indices that manifest solar-surface magnetic activity, in particular the sunspot-number record, then enable reconstructing historical TSI. Revisions of the sunspot-number record therefore affect the magnitude and temporal structure of TSI variability on centennial timescales according to the model reconstruction methods that are employed. We estimate the effects of the new SILSO record on two widely used TSI reconstructions, namely the NRLTSI2 and the SATIRE models. We find that the SILSO record has little effect on either model after 1885, but leads to solar-cycle fluctuations with greater amplitude in the TSI reconstructions prior. This suggests that many eighteenth- and nineteenth-century cycles could be similar in amplitude to those of the current Modern Maximum. TSI records based on the revised sunspot data do not suggest a significant change in Maunder Minimum TSI values, and from comparing this era to the present, we find only very small potential differences in the estimated solar contributions to the climate with this new sunspot record.

STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF THE 2012 NOVEMBER 13/14 ECLIPSE WHITE-LIGHT CORONA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pasachoff, J. M.; Rušin, V.; Saniga, M.

2015-02-20

Continuing our series of observations of coronal motion and dynamics over the solar-activity cycle, we observed from sites in Queensland, Australia, during the 2012 November 13 (UT)/14 (local time) total solar eclipse. The corona took the low-ellipticity shape typical of solar maximum (flattening index ε = 0.01), a change from the composite coronal images we observed and analyzed in this journal and elsewhere for the 2006 and 2008-2010 eclipses. After crossing the northeast Australian coast, the path of totality was over the ocean, so further totality was seen only by shipborne observers. Our results include velocities of a coronal massmore » ejection (CME; during the 36 minutes of passage from the Queensland coast to a ship north of New Zealand, we measured 413 km s{sup –1}) and we analyze its dynamics. We discuss the shapes and positions of several types of coronal features seen on our higher-resolution composite Queensland coronal images, including many helmet streamers, very faint bright and dark loops at the bases of helmet streamers, voids, and radially oriented thin streamers. We compare our eclipse observations with models of the magnetic field, confirming the validity of the predictions, and relate the eclipse phenomenology seen with the near-simultaneous images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO/AIA), NASA's Extreme Ultraviolet Imager on Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, ESA/Royal Observatory of Belgium's Sun Watcher with Active Pixels and Image Processing (SWAP) on PROBA2, and Naval Research Laboratory's Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment on ESA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. For example, the southeastern CME is related to the solar flare whose origin we trace with a SWAP series of images.« less

A Practical Application of Microcomputers to Control an Active Solar System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, David S.; Warren, William

1984-01-01

Describes the design and implementation of a microcomputer-based model active solar heating system. Includes discussions of: (1) the active solar components (solar collector, heat exchanger, pump, and fan necessary to provide forced air heating); (2) software components; and (3) hardware components (in the form of sensors and actuators). (JN)

Teaching About the Sun-Earth Connection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poland, Arthur I.; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This talk will be about the Sun: how it changes with time, its magnetic cycle, flares, and the solar wind. The solar wind and what space is like between the Sun and Earth will be presented. Also, the Earth, its magnetic field, how the solar wind interacts with the Earth, Aurora, and how these affect human systems will be discussed. These interactions dictate how we build our systems in space (communications satellites, GPS, etc), and some of our ground systems (power grids). Some simple classroom activities will be presented that can be done using new data from space that is available daily on the internet, and how you can use the internet to get space questions answered within about 1 day. Finally, some career opportunities for jobs related to space for the future will be discussed.

Causes of the mid-latitudinal daytime NmF2 semi-annual anomaly at solar minimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlov, A. V.

2018-04-01

Ionospheric ionosonde and radar observations and theoretical calculations of the F2-layer peak altitude, hmF2, and number density, NmF2, over Millstone Hill during winter, spring, summer, and autumn geomagnetically quiet time periods at low solar activity are used to study the causes of the observed daytime NmF2 semi-annual anomaly. It follows from the model simulations that this anomalous phenomenon arises in the ionosphere mainly as a result of seasonal variations of the following atmospheric parameters: (1) the plasma drift along geomagnetic field lines due to corresponding changes in neutral wind components, (2) temperature and number densities of the neutral atmosphere, and (3) an optical thickness of the atmosphere caused by the dependence of the solar zenith angle on the day of the year for the same solar local time. Seasonal variations of the production rate unexcited O+ ions due to chemical reactions involving electronically excited O+ ions contribute to the formation of the NmF2 semi-annual anomaly during the predominant part of the existence time of this anomalous phenomenon. However, these seasonal variations are not significant, and this mechanism should be considered only as an additional source of the NmF2 semi-annual anomaly during its time of existence. The reactions of unexcited O+ ions with vibrationally excited N2 and O2 cause only weak changes of NmF2 and these changes are close in magnitude at a given solar local time during the winter, spring, summer, and autumn daytime conditions under consideration. Ignoring these reactions cannot produce a significant impact on the formation of the NmF2 semi-annual anomaly.

Variability of the Martian thermospheric temperatures during the last 7 Martian Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Galindo, Francisco; Lopez-Valverde, Miguel Angel; Millour, Ehouarn; Forget, François

2014-05-01

The temperatures and densities in the Martian upper atmosphere have a significant influence over the different processes producing atmospheric escape. A good knowledge of the thermosphere and its variability is thus necessary in order to better understand and quantify the atmospheric loss to space and the evolution of the planet. Different global models have been used to study the seasonal and interannual variability of the Martian thermosphere, usually considering three solar scenarios (solar minimum, solar medium and solar maximum conditions) to take into account the solar cycle variability. However, the variability of the solar activity within the simulated period of time is not usually considered in these models. We have improved the description of the UV solar flux included on the General Circulation Model for Mars developed at the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD-MGCM) in order to include its observed day-to-day variability. We have used the model to simulate the thermospheric variability during Martian Years 24 to 30, using realistic UV solar fluxes and dust opacities. The model predicts and interannual variability of the temperatures in the upper thermosphere that ranges from about 50 K during the aphelion to up to 150 K during perihelion. The seasonal variability of temperatures due to the eccentricity of the Martian orbit is modified by the variability of the solar flux within a given Martian year. The solar rotation cycle produces temperature oscillations of up to 30 K. We have also studied the response of the modeled thermosphere to the global dust storms in Martian Year 25 and Martian Year 28. The atmospheric dynamics are significantly modified by the global dust storms, which induces significant changes in the thermospheric temperatures. The response of the model to the presence of both global dust storms is in good agreement with previous modeling results (Medvedev et al., Journal of Geophysical Research, 2013). As expected, the simulated ionosphere is also sensitive to the variability of the solar activity. Acknowledgemnt: Francisco González-Galindo is funded by a CSIC JAE-Doc contract financed by the European Social Fund

SHEDDING LIGHT ON CORALS HEALTH: INTERACTIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND SOLAR RADIATION WITH BLEACHING

EPA Science Inventory

Coral bleaching and declines in coral reef health in recent years have been attributed in part to processes driven by UV and/or visible light. For coral assemblages, exposure to UV light is often an unavoidable consequence of having access to visible (photosynthetically active) ...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wuebbles, D.J.; Kinnison, D.E.; Lean, J.L.

Over the past decade, knowledge of the magnitude and temporal structure of the variations in the sun's ultraviolet irradiance has increased steadily. A number of theoretical modeling studies have shown that changes in the solar ultraviolet flux during the 11-year solar cycle can have a significant effect on stratospheric ozone concentrations. With the exception of Brasseur et al., who examined a very broad range of solar flux variations, all of these studies assumed much larger changes in the ultraviolet flux than measurements now indicate. These studies either calculated the steady-state effect at solar maximum and solar minimum or assumed sinusoidalmore » variations in the solar flux changes with time. It is now possible to narrow the uncertainty range of the expected effects on upper stratospheric ozone and temperature resulting from the 11-year solar cycle. A more accurate representation of the solar flux changes with time is used in this analysis, as compared to previous published studies. This study also evaluates the relative roles of solar flux variations and increasing concentrations of long-lived trace gases in determining the observed trends in upper stratospheric ozone and temperature. The LLNL two-dimensional chemical-radiative-transport model of the global atmosphere is used to evaluate the combined effects on the stratosphere from changes in solar ultraviolet irradiances and trace gas concentrations over the last several decades. Derived trends in upper stratospheric ozone concentrations and temperature are then compared with available analyses of ground-based and satellite measurements over this time period.« less

Correlation of Doppler noise during solar conjunctions with fluctuations in solar activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berman, A. L.; Rockwell, S. T.

1975-01-01

Deviations betweeb observed Doppler noise and the noise model during solar conjunction were analyzed. It is tentatively concluded that these deviations are due to short-term fluctuations in solar activity as seen along the signal path, and not to solar/antenna structure effects or system noise temperature.

A Systematic Search for Solar Wind Charge Exchange Emission from the Earth's Exosphere with Suzaku

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishi, D.; Ishikawa, K.; Ezoe, Y.; Ohashi, T.; Miyoshi, Y.; Terada, N.

2017-10-01

We report on a systematic search of all the Suzaku archival data covering from 2005 August to 2015 May for geocoronal Solar Wind Charge eXchange (SWCX). In the vicinity of Earth, solar wind ions strip an electron from Earth's exospheric neutrals, emitting X-ray photons (e.g., Snowden et al. 1997). The X-ray flux of this geocoronal SWCX can change depending on solar wind condition and line of sight direction. Although it is an immediate background for all the X-ray astronomy observations, the X-ray flux prediction and the dependence on the observational conditions are not clear. Using the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer onboard Suzaku which has one of the highest sensitivities to the geocoronal SWCX, we searched the data for time variation of soft X-ray background. We then checked the solar wind proton flux taken with the WIND satellite and compared it with X-ray light curve. We also analyzed X-ray spectra and fitted them with a charge exchange emission line model constructed by Bodewits et al. (2007). Among 3055 data sets, 90 data showed SWCX features. The event rate seems to correlate with solar activity, while the distribution of SWCX events plotted in the solar magnetic coordinate system was relatively uniform.

Solar wind modulation of UK lightning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Chris; Harrison, Giles; Lockwood, Mike; Owens, Mathew; Barnard, Luke

2013-04-01

The response of lightning rates in the UK to arrival of high speed solar wind streams at Earth is investigated using a superposed epoch analysis. The fast solar wind streams' arrivals are determined from modulation of the solar wind Vy component, measured by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft. Lightning rate changes around these event times are then determined from the very low frequency Arrival Time Difference (ATD) system of the UK Met Office. Arrival of high speed streams at Earth is found to be preceded by a decrease in total solar irradiance and an increase in sunspot number and Mg II emissions. These are consistent with the high speed stream's source being co-located with an active region appearing on the Eastern solar limb and rotating at the 27 day rate of the Sun. Arrival of the high speed stream at Earth also coincides with a rapid decrease in cosmic ray flux and an increase in lightning rates over the UK, persisting for around 40 days. The lightning rate increase is corroborated by an increase in the total number of thunder days observed by UK Met stations, again for around 40 days after the arrival of a high speed solar wind stream. This increase in lightning may be beneficial to medium range forecasting of hazardous weather.

Time variation of galactic cosmic rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evenson, Paul

1988-01-01

Time variations in the flux of galactic cosmic rays are the result of changing conditions in the solar wind. Maximum cosmic ray fluxes, which occur when solar activity is at a minimum, are well defined. Reductions from this maximum level are typically systematic and predictable but on occasion are rapid and unexpected. Models relating the flux level at lower energy to that at neutron monitor energy are typically accurate to 20 percent of the total excursion at that energy. Other models, relating flux to observables such as sunspot number, flare frequency, and current sheet tilt are phenomenological but nevertheless can be quite accurate.