Plasma dynamics above solar flare soft x-ray loop tops

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

Doschek, G. A.; Warren, H. P.; McKenzie, D. E.

2014-06-10

We measure non-thermal motions in flare loop tops and above the loop tops using profiles of highly ionized spectral lines of Fe XXIV and Fe XXIII formed at multimillion-degree temperatures. Non-thermal motions that may be due to turbulence or multiple flow regions along the line of sight are extracted from the line profiles. The non-thermal motions are measured for four flares seen at or close to the solar limb. The profile data are obtained using the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer on the Hinode spacecraft. The multimillion-degree non-thermal motions are between 20 and 60 km s{sup –1} and appear to increase withmore » height above the loop tops. Motions determined from coronal lines (i.e., lines formed at about 1.5 MK) tend to be smaller. The multimillion-degree temperatures in the loop tops and above range from about 11 MK to 15 MK and also tend to increase with height above the bright X-ray-emitting loop tops. The non-thermal motions measured along the line of sight, as well as their apparent increase with height, are supported by Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly measurements of turbulent velocities in the plane of the sky.« less

High-energy gamma-ray emission from pion decay in a solar flare magnetic loop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mandzhavidze, Natalie; Ramaty, Reuven

1992-01-01

The production of high-energy gamma rays resulting from pion decay in a solar flare magnetic loop is investigated. Magnetic mirroring, MHD pitch-angle scattering, and all of the relevant loss processes and photon production mechanisms are taken into account. The transport of both the primary ions and the secondary positrons resulting from the decay of the positive pions, as well as the transport of the produced gamma-ray emission are considered. The distributions of the gamma rays as a function of atmospheric depth, time, emission angle, and photon energy are calculated and the dependence of these distributions on the model parameters are studied. The obtained angular distributions are not sufficiently anisotropic to account for the observed limb brightening of the greater than 10 MeV flare emission, indicating that the bulk of this emission is bremsstrahlung from primary electrons.

An eruptive prominence and associated cm-mm emission outside the solar limb

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zodi, A. M.; Correia, E.; Costa, J. E. R.; Kaufmann, P.; Martin, S. F.

1988-01-01

Radio maps at 22 and 44 GHz are presented which show the emission before and after the eruption of a quiescent prominence located at the west limb. The observed radiation followng the eruption is not consistent with thermal bremsstrahlung mechanism. It can be interpreted as due to gyrosynchrotron emission of nonthermal electrons. The observations appear to be similar to the microwave radiation observed in post-flare loops. This radiation is due to nonthermal electrons trapped in the closed magnetic structures formed after the prominence eruption.

The Foggy EUV Corona and Coronal Heating by MHD Waves from Explosive Reconnection Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ron L.; Cirtain, Jonathan W.; Falconer, David A.

2008-01-01

In 0.5 arcsec/pixel TRACE coronal EUV images, the corona rooted in active regions that are at the limb and are not flaring is seen to consist of (1) a complex array of discrete loops and plumes embedded in (2) a diffuse ambient component that shows no fine structure and gradually fades with height. For each of two not-flaring active regions, found that the diffuse component is (1) approximately isothermal and hydrostatic and (2) emits well over half of the total EUV luminosity of the active-region corona. Here, from a TRACE Fe XII coronal image of another not-flaring active region, the large sunspot active region AR 10652 when it was at the west limb on 30 July 2004, we separate the diffuse component from the discrete loop component by spatial filtering, and find that the diffuse component has about 60% of the total luminosity. If under much higher spatial resolution than that of TRACE (e. g., the 0.1 arcsec/pixel resolution of the Hi-C sounding-rocket experiment proposed by J. W. Cirtain et al), most of the diffuse component remains diffuse rather being resolved into very narrow loops and plumes, this will raise the possibility that the EUV corona in active regions consists of two basically different but comparably luminous components: one being the set of discrete bright loops and plumes and the other being a truly diffuse component filling the space between the discrete loops and plumes. This dichotomy would imply that there are two different but comparably powerful coronal heating mechanisms operating in active regions, one for the distinct loops and plumes and another for the diffuse component. We present a scenario in which (1) each discrete bright loop or plume is a flux tube that was recently reconnected in a burst of reconnection, and (2) the diffuse component is heated by MHD waves that are generated by these reconnection events and by other fine-scale explosive reconnection events, most of which occur in and below the base of the corona where they are seen as UV explosive events, EUV blinkers, and type II spicules. These MHD waves propagate across field lines and dissipate, heating the plasma in the field between the bright loops and plumes.

Plasma upflows and microwave emission in hot supra-arcade structure associated with AN M1.6 limb flare

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

Kim, S.; Shibasaki, K.; Bain, H.-M.

2014-04-20

We have investigated a supra-arcade structure associated with an M1.6 flare, which occurred on the south-east limb on 2010 November 4. It is observed in EUV with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, microwaves at 17 and 34 GHz with the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH), and soft X-rays of 8-20 keV with RHESSI. Interestingly, we found exceptional properties of the supra-arcade thermal plasma from the AIA 131 Å and the NoRH: (1) plasma upflows along large coronal loops and (2) enhancing microwave emission. RHESSI detected two soft X-ray sources, a broad one in the middle ofmore » the supra-arcade structure and a bright one just above the flare-arcade. We estimated the number density and thermal energy for these two source regions during the decay phase of the flare. In the supra-arcade source, we found that there were increases of the thermal energy and the density at the early and last stages, respectively. On the contrary, the density and thermal energy of the source on the top of the flare-arcade decreases throughout. The observed upflows imply that there is continuous energy supply into the supra-arcade structure from below during the decay phase of the flare. It is hard to explain by the standard flare model in which the energy release site is located high in the corona. Thus, we suggest that a potential candidate of the energy source for the hot supra-arcade structure is the flare-arcade, which has exhibited a predominant emission throughout.« less

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP OF FLARE SIGNATURES AND THE FORCE-FREE CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELD

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

Thalmann, J. K.; Veronig, A.; Su, Y., E-mail: julia.thalmann@uni-graz.at

We investigate the plasma and magnetic environment of active region NOAA 11261 on 2011 August 2 around a GOES M1.4 flare/CME (SOL2011-08-02T06:19). We compare coronal emission at the (extreme) ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths, using SDO AIA and RHESSI images, in order to identify the relative timing and locations of reconnection-related sources. We trace flare ribbon signatures at ultraviolet wavelengths in order to pin down the intersection of previously reconnected flaring loops in the lower solar atmosphere. These locations are used to calculate field lines from three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear force-free magnetic field models, established on the basis of SDO HMI photosphericmore » vector magnetic field maps. Using this procedure, we analyze the quasi-static time evolution of the coronal model magnetic field previously involved in magnetic reconnection. This allows us, for the first time, to estimate the elevation speed of the current sheet’s lower tip during an on-disk observed flare as a few kilometers per second. A comparison to post-flare loops observed later above the limb in STEREO EUVI images supports this velocity estimate. Furthermore, we provide evidence for an implosion of parts of the flaring coronal model magnetic field, and identify the corresponding coronal sub-volumes associated with the loss of magnetic energy. Finally, we spatially relate the build up of magnetic energy in the 3D models to highly sheared fields, established due to the dynamic relative motions of polarity patches within the active region.« less

Microwave imaging of a solar limb flare - Comparison of spectra and spatial geometry with hard X-rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmahl, E. J.; Kundu, M. R.; Dennis, B. R.

1985-01-01

A solar limb flare was mapped using the Very Large Array (VLA) together with hard X-ray (HXR) spectral and spatial observations of the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. Microwave flux records from 2.8 to 19.6 GHz were instrumental in determining the burst spectrum, which has a maximum at 10 GHz. The flux spectrum and area of the burst sources were used to determine the number of electrons producing gyrosynchrotron emission, magnetic field strength, and the energy distribution of gyrosynchrotron-emitting electrons. Applying the thick target model to the HXR spectrum, the number of high energy electrons responsible for the X-ray bursts was found to be 10 to the 36th, and the electron energy distribution was approximately E exp -5, significantly different from the parameters derived from the microwave observations. The HXR imaging observations exhibit some similiarities in size and structure o the first two burst sources mapped with the VLA. However, during the initial burst, the HXR source was single and lower in the corona than the double 6 cm source. The observations are explained in terms of a single loop with an isotropic high-energy electron distribution which produced the microwaves, and a larger beamed component which produced the HXR at the feet of the loop.

Xrt And Shinx Joint Flare Study: Ar 11024

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engell, Alexander; Sylwester, J.; Siarkowski, M.

2010-05-01

From 12:00 UT on July 3 through July 7, 2009 SphinX (Solar Photometer IN X-rays) observes 130 flares with active region (AR) 11024 being the only AR on disk. XRT (X-Ray Telescope) is able to observe 64 of these flare events. The combination of both instruments results in a flare study revealing (1) a relationship between flux emergence and flare rate, (2) that the presence of active region loops typically results in different flare morphologies (single and multiple loop flares) then when there is a lack of an active region loop environment where more cusp and point-like flares are observed, (3) cusp and point-like flares often originate from the same location, and (4) a distribution of flare temperatures corresponding to the different flare morphologies. The differences between the observed flare morphologies may occur as the result of the heated plasma through the flaring process being confined by the proximity of loop structures as for the single and multiple loop flares, while for cusp and point-like flares they occur in an early-phase environment that lack loop presence. The continuing flux emergence of AR 11024 likely provides different magnetic interactions and may be the source responsible for all of the flares.

Observations of Reconnection Flows in a Flare on the Solar Disk

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

Wang, Juntao; Simões, P. J. A.; Jeffrey, N. L. S.

Magnetic reconnection is a well-accepted part of the theory of solar eruptive events, though the evidence is still circumstantial. Intrinsic to the reconnection picture of a solar eruptive event, particularly in the standard model for two-ribbon flares (CSHKP model), are an advective flow of magnetized plasma into the reconnection region, expansion of field above the reconnection region as a flux rope erupts, retraction of heated post-reconnection loops, and downflows of cooling plasma along those loops. We report on a unique set of Solar Dynamics Observatory /Atmospheric Imaging Assembly imaging and Hinode /EUV Imaging Spectrometer spectroscopic observations of the disk flaremore » SOL2016-03-23T03:54 in which all four flows are present simultaneously. This includes spectroscopic evidence for a plasma upflow in association with large-scale expanding closed inflow field. The reconnection inflows are symmetric, and consistent with fast reconnection, and the post-reconnection loops show a clear cooling and deceleration as they retract. Observations of coronal reconnection flows are still rare, and most events are observed at the solar limb, obscured by complex foregrounds, making their relationship to the flare ribbons, cusp field, and arcades formed in the lower atmosphere difficult to interpret. The disk location and favorable perspective of this event have removed these ambiguities giving a clear picture of the reconnection dynamics.« less

Dynamical Thermal Structure of Super-arcade Downflows in Solar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xin; Liu, Rui; Deng, Na; Wang, Haimin

2015-04-01

Super­-arcade downflows (SADs) have been frequently observed during the gradual phase of flares near the limb. In coronal emission lines sensitive to flaring plasmas, they appear as tadpole-like dark voids against the bright fan-shape “haze” above the well-defined flare arcade and flow toward the arcade. We carefully studied several selected SADs from two flare events using data observed by Solar Dynamic Observatory / Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and calculated their differential emission measures (DEMs) as well as the DEM-weighted temperature. Our analysis shows that SADs are associated with a substantially decreased DEMs, by 1~3 order of magnitude, compared with the surrounding plasma. None of the SADs indicate DEM solutions above 20 MK, which implies that SADs are indeed density depletion rather than very hot plasma. This depression in DEMs rapidly recovers as SADs pass through, generally in a few minutes. In addition, we found that SADs in one event appear spatio-temporally associated with the formation of postflare loops. These results are examined against models and numerical simulations.

FINE STRUCTURES AND OVERLYING LOOPS OF CONFINED SOLAR FLARES

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

Yang, Shuhong; Zhang, Jun; Xiang, Yongyuan, E-mail: shuhongyang@nao.cas.cn

2014-10-01

Using the Hα observations from the New Vacuum Solar Telescope at the Fuxian Solar Observatory, we focus on the fine structures of three confined flares and the issue why all the three flares are confined instead of eruptive. All the three confined flares take place successively at the same location and have similar morphologies, so can be termed homologous confined flares. In the simultaneous images obtained by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, many large-scale coronal loops above the confined flares are clearly observed in multi-wavelengths. At the pre-flare stage, two dipoles emerge near the negative sunspot, and the dipolar patches aremore » connected by small loops appearing as arch-shaped Hα fibrils. There exists a reconnection between the small loops, and thus the Hα fibrils change their configuration. The reconnection also occurs between a set of emerging Hα fibrils and a set of pre-existing large loops, which are rooted in the negative sunspot, a nearby positive patch, and some remote positive faculae, forming a typical three-legged structure. During the flare processes, the overlying loops, some of which are tracked by activated dark materials, do not break out. These direct observations may illustrate the physical mechanism of confined flares, i.e., magnetic reconnection between the emerging loops and the pre-existing loops triggers flares and the overlying loops prevent the flares from being eruptive.« less

Are Complex Magnetic Field Structures Responsible for the Confined X-class Flares in Super Active Region 12192?

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

Zhang, Jun; Li, Ting; Chen, Huadong, E-mail: zjun@nao.cas.cn, E-mail: hdchen@nao.cas.cn

From 2014 October 19 to 27, six X-class flares occurred in super active region (AR) 12192. They were all confined flares and were not followed by coronal mass ejections. To examine the structures of the four flares close to the solar disk center from October 22 to 26, we firstly employ composite triple-time images in each flare process to display the stratified structure of these flare loops. The loop structures of each flare in both the lower (171 Å) and higher (131 Å) temperature channels are complex, e.g., the flare loops rooting at flare ribbons are sheared or twisted (enwound)more » together, and the complex structures were not destroyed during the flares. For the first flare, although the flare loop system appears as a spindle shape, we can estimate its structures from observations, with lengths ranging from 130 to 300 Mm, heights from 65 to 150 Mm, widths at the middle part of the spindle from 40 to 100 Mm, and shear angles from 16° to 90°. Moreover, the flare ribbons display irregular movements, such as the left ribbon fragments of the flare on October 22 sweeping a small region repeatedly, and both ribbons of the flare on October 26 moved along the same direction instead of separating from each other. These irregular movements also imply that the corresponding flare loops are complex, e.g., several sets of flare loops are twisted together. Although previous studies have suggested that the background magnetic fields prevent confined flares from erupting,based on these observations, we suggest that complex flare loop structures may be responsible for these confined flares.« less

Oscillations in the wake of a flare blast wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tothova, D.; Innes, D. E.; Stenborg, G.

2011-04-01

Context. Oscillations of coronal loops in the Sun have been reported in both imaging and spectral observations at the onset of flares. Images reveal transverse oscillations, whereas spectra detect line-of-sight velocity or Doppler-shift oscillations. The Doppler-shift oscillations are commonly interpreted as longitudinal modes. Aims: Our aim is to investigate the relationship between loop dynamics and flows seen in TRACE 195 Å images and Doppler shifts observed by SUMER in Si iii 1113.2 Å and FeXIX 1118.1 Å at the time of a C.8-class limb flare and an associated CME. Methods: We carefully co-aligned the sequence of TRACE 195 Å images to structures seen in the SUMER Si iii, CaX, and FeXIX emission lines. Additionally, Hα observations of a lifting prominence associated with the flare and the coronal mass ejection (CME) are available in three bands around 6563.3 Å. They give constraints on the timing and geometry. Results: Large-scale Doppler-shift oscillations in FeXIX and transverse oscillations in intensity images were observed over a large region of the corona after the passage of a wide bright extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) disturbance, which suggests ionization, heating, and acceleration of hot plasma in the wake of a blast wave. The online movie associated to Fig. 2 is available at http://www.aanda.org and at http://www.mps.mpg.de/data/outgoing/tothova/movie.gif

Study of the post-flare loops on 29 July 1973. I - Dynamics of the X-ray loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nolte, J. T.; Gerassimenko, M.; Krieger, A. S.; Petrasso, R. D.; Svestka, Z.

1979-01-01

We derive an empirical model of the X-ray emitting post-flare loops observed during the decay phase of the 29 July 1973 flare. We find that the loops are elliptical, with the brightest emitting region at the tops. We determine the height, velocity of growth, and ratio of height to width of the loops at times from 3 to 12 hr after the flare onset.

Multi-thermal observations of the 2010 October 16 flare:heating of a ribbon via loops, or a blast wave?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christe, Steven; Inglis, A.; Aschwanden, M.; Dennis, B.

2011-05-01

On 2010 October 16th SDO/AIA observed its first flare using automatic exposure control. Coincidentally, this flare also exhibited a large number of interesting features. Firstly, a large ribbon significantly to the solar west of the flare kernel was ignited and was visible in all AIA wavelengths, posing the question as to how this energy was deposited and how it relates to the main flare site. A faint blast wave also emanates from the flare kernel, visible in AIA and observed traveling to the solar west at an estimated speed of 1000 km/s. This blast wave is associated with a weak white-light CME observed with STEREO B and a Type II radio burst observed from Green Bank Observatory (GBSRBS). One possibility is that this blast wave is responsible for the heating of the ribbon. However, closer scrutiny reveals that the flare site and the ribbon are in fact connected magnetically via coronal loops which are heated during the main energy release. These loops are distinct from the expected hot, post-flare loops present within the main flare kernel. RHESSI spectra indicate that these loops are heated to approximately 10 MK in the immediate flare aftermath. Using the multi-temperature capabilities of AIA in combination with RHESSI, and by employing the cross-correlation mapping technique, we are able to measure the loop temperatures as a function of time over several post-flare hours and hence measure the loop cooling rate. We find that the time delay between the appearance of loops in the hottest channel, 131 A, and the cool 171 A channel, is 70 minutes. Yet the causality of this event remains unclear. Is the ribbon heated via these interconnected loops or via a blast wave?

Evidence for solar flare directivity from the Gamma-Ray Spectrometer aboard the SMM satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vestrand, W. T.; Forrest, D. J.; Chupp, E. L.; Rieger, E.; Share, G. H.

1986-01-01

A number of observations from the SMM Gamma-Ray Spectrometer are presented that altogether strongly indicate that the high-energy emission from flares is anisotropic. They are: (1) the fraction of events detected at energies above 300 keV near the limb is significantly higher than is expected for isotropically emitting flares; (2) there is a statistically significant center-to-limb variation in the 300-1000-keV spectra of flares; and (3) nearly all of the events detected at above 10 MeV are located near the limb.

Numerical simulations of flares on M dwarf stars. I - Hydrodynamics and coronal X-ray emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Chung-Chieh; Pallavicini, Roberto

1991-01-01

Flare-loop models are utilized to simulate the time evolution and physical characteristics of stellar X-ray flares by varying the values of flare-energy input and loop parameters. The hydrodynamic evolution is studied in terms of changes in the parameters of the mass, energy, and momentum equations within an area bounded by the chromosphere and the corona. The zone supports a magnetically confined loop for which processes are described including the expansion of heated coronal gas, chromospheric evaporation, and plasma compression at loop footpoints. The intensities, time profiles, and average coronal temperatures of X-ray flares are derived from the simulations and compared to observational evidence. Because the amount of evaporated material does not vary linearly with flare-energy input, large loops are required to produce the energy measured from stellar flares.

The formation flare loops by magnetic reconnection and chromospheric ablation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forbes, T. G.; Malherbe, J. M.; Priest, E. R.

1989-01-01

Noncoplanar compressible reconnection theory is combined here with simple scaling arguments for ablation and radiative cooling to predict average properties of hot and cool flare loops as a function of the coronal vector magnetic field. For a coronal field strength of 100 G, the temperature of the hot flare loops decreases from 1.2 x 10 to the 7th K to 4.0 x 10 to the 6th K as the component of the coronal magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of the loops increases from 0 percent to 86 percent of the total field. When the perpendicular component exceeds 86 percent of the total field or when the altitude of the reconnection site exceeds 10 to the 6th km, flare loops no longer occur. Shock-enhanced radiative cooling triggers the formation of cool H-alpha flare loops with predicted densities of roughly 10 to the 13th/cu cm, and a small gap of roughly 1000 km is predicted to exist between the footpoints of the cool flare loops and the inner edges of the flare ribbons.

Analysis of ultraviolet and X-ray observations of three homologous solar flares from SMM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Chung-Chieh; Pallavicini, Roberto

1987-01-01

Three homologous flares observed in the UV lines of Fe XXI and O V and in X-rays from the SMM were studied. It was found that: (1) the homology of the flares was most noticeable in Fe XXI and soft X-ray emissions; (2) the three flares shared many of the same loop footprints which were located in O V bright kernals associated with hard X-ray bursts; and (3) in spite of the strong spatial homology, the temporal evolution in UV and X-ray emissions varied from flare to flare. A comparison between the UV observations and photospheric magnetograms revealed that the basic flare configuration was a complex loop system consisting of many loops or bundles of loops.

Study of the post-flare loops on 29 July 1973. II - Physical parameters in the X-ray loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petrasso, R. D.; Nolte, J. T.; Gerassimenko, M.; Krieger, A. S.; Krogstad, R.; Seguin, F. H.; Svestka, Z.

1979-01-01

We use the filter ratio method of analysis to determine spatially resolved values of plasma parameters in the X-ray emitting post-flare loop system which developed on 29 and 30 July 1973. We find that the loops were hotter and had higher plasma pressure at their tops than near their footpoints. The loop tops were at nearly the same temperature at different places 3 hr after the flare maximum and were also at nearly this same temperature 3 and 8 hr later. Variations in brightness transverse to the loops were due to variations in emission measure. We show by consideration of radiative losses alone that energy must have been added to the hottest part of the flare, at the tops of the loops, late in the decay phase of the flare.

Limb flares measurement from Langkawi National Observatory on 5th January 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamarudin, F.; Tahar, M. R.; Saibaka, N. R.

2017-05-01

Sun is the source of energy and has a lot of activity that will be influence the Earth. One of the solar activities is the limb flare or prominence. It release energy and expel outward the Sun surface. Langkawi National Observatory (LNO) had started photographic solar activity in Hα since 2008. LNO used the dedicated solar telescope to monitor and observed the solar activity daily. In 5th January 2016, LNO captured one limb flare at the south-west position of the Sun. The maximum height of the limb flare is 267,347 km and it increase gradually build up the velocity. Luckily, this eruption does not facing and directed towards Earth so there was no significant impact.

Elongation of Flare Ribbons

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

Qiu, Jiong; Longcope, Dana W.; Cassak, Paul A.

2017-03-20

We present an analysis of the apparent elongation motion of flare ribbons along the polarity inversion line (PIL), as well as the shear of flare loops in several two-ribbon flares. Flare ribbons and loops spread along the PIL at a speed ranging from a few to a hundred km s{sup −1}. The shear measured from conjugate footpoints is consistent with the measurement from flare loops, and both show the decrease of shear toward a potential field as a flare evolves and ribbons and loops spread along the PIL. Flares exhibiting fast bidirectional elongation appear to have a strong shear, whichmore » may indicate a large magnetic guide field relative to the reconnection field in the coronal current sheet. We discuss how the analysis of ribbon motion could help infer properties in the corona where reconnection takes place.« less

ABOVE-THE-LOOP-TOP OSCILLATION AND QUASI-PERIODIC CORONAL WAVE GENERATION IN SOLAR FLARES

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

Takasao, Shinsuke; Shibata, Kazunari, E-mail: takasao@kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Observations revealed that various kinds of oscillations are excited in solar flare regions. Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in flare emissions are commonly observed in a wide range of wavelengths. Recent observations have found that fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves are quasi-periodically emitted from some flaring sites (quasi-periodic propagating fast-mode magnetoacoustic waves; QPFs). Both QPPs and QPFs imply a cyclic disturbance originating from the flaring sites. However, the physical mechanisms remain puzzling. By performing a set of two-dimensional MHD simulations of a solar flare, we discovered the local oscillation above the loops filled with evaporated plasma (above-the-loop-top region) and the generation of QPFsmore » from such oscillating regions. Unlike all previous models for QPFs, our model includes essential physics for solar flares such as magnetic reconnection, heat conduction, and chromospheric evaporation. We revealed that QPFs can be spontaneously excited by the above-the-loop-top oscillation. We found that this oscillation is controlled by the backflow of the reconnection outflow. The new model revealed that flare loops and the above-the-loop-top region are full of shocks and waves, which is different from the previous expectations based on a standard flare model and previous simulations. In this paper, we show the QPF generation process based on our new picture of flare loops and will briefly discuss a possible relationship between QPFs and QPPs. Our findings will change the current view of solar flares to a new view in which they are a very dynamic phenomenon full of shocks and waves.« less

Slipping magnetic reconnection during an X-class solar flare observed by SDO/AIA

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

Dudík, J.; Del Zanna, G.; Mason, H. E.

2014-04-01

We present SDO/AIA observations of an eruptive X-class flare of 2012 July 12, and compare its evolution with the predictions of a three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulation. We focus on the dynamics of flare loops that are seen to undergo slipping reconnection during the flare. In the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) 131 Å observations, lower parts of 10 MK flare loops exhibit an apparent motion with velocities of several tens of km s{sup –1} along the developing flare ribbons. In the early stages of the flare, flare ribbons consist of compact, localized bright transition-region emission from the footpoints of the flaremore » loops. A differential emission measure analysis shows that the flare loops have temperatures up to the formation of Fe XXIV. A series of very long, S-shaped loops erupt, leading to a coronal mass ejection observed by STEREO. The observed dynamics are compared with the evolution of magnetic structures in the 'standard solar flare model in 3D.' This model matches the observations well, reproducing the apparently slipping flare loops, S-shaped erupting loops, and the evolution of flare ribbons. All of these processes are explained via 3D reconnection mechanisms resulting from the expansion of a torus-unstable flux rope. The AIA observations and the numerical model are complemented by radio observations showing a noise storm in the metric range. Dm-drifting pulsation structures occurring during the eruption indicate plasmoid ejection and enhancement of the reconnection rate. The bursty nature of radio emission shows that the slipping reconnection is still intermittent, although it is observed to persist for more than an hour.« less

Expanding and Contracting Coronal Loops as Evidence of Vortex Flows Induced by Solar Eruptions

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

Dudík, J.; Zuccarello, F. P.; Aulanier, G.

Eruptive solar flares were predicted to generate large-scale vortex flows at both sides of the erupting magnetic flux rope. This process is analogous to a well-known hydrodynamic process creating vortex rings. The vortices lead to advection of closed coronal loops located at the peripheries of the flaring active region. Outward flows are expected in the upper part and returning flows in the lower part of the vortex. Here, we examine two eruptive solar flares, the X1.1-class flare SOL2012-03-05T03:20 and the C3.5-class SOL2013-06-19T07:29. In both flares, we find that the coronal loops observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly in its 171more » Å, 193 Å, or 211 Å passbands show coexistence of expanding and contracting motions, in accordance with the model prediction. In the X-class flare, multiple expanding and contracting loops coexist for more than 35 minutes, while in the C-class flare, an expanding loop in 193 Å appears to be close by and cotemporal with an apparently imploding loop arcade seen in 171 Å. Later, the 193 Å loop also switches to contraction. These observations are naturally explained by vortex flows present in a model of eruptive solar flares.« less

Evidence for Magnetic Reconnection in Three Homologous Solar Flares Observed by RHESSI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sui, Lin-Hui; Holman, Gordon D.; Dennis, Brian R.

2004-01-01

We present RHESSI observF5oss of three homologous flares, which occurred between April 14 and 16, 2002. We find that the RHESSI images of all three flares at energies between 6 and 25 keV had some common features: (1) A. separate coronal source up to approx. 30 deg. above the flare loop appeared in the early impulsive phase and stayed stationary for several minutes. (2) Before the flare loop moved upward; previously reported by others, the flare loop-top centroid moved downward for 2-4 minutes during the early impulsive phase of the Ears: falling by 13 - 30% of its initial height with a speed between 8 and 23 km/s. We conclude that these features are associated with the formation and development of a current sheet between the loop-top and the coronal source. In the April 14-15 flare, we find that the hard X-ray flux (greater than 25 keV) is correlated with the rate at which the flare loop moves upward, indicating that the faster the loop grows, the faster the reconnection rate, and therefore, the greater the flux of accelerated electrons. Subject headings: Sun: L'iaies-Sun: X-1-ay-s -

An interacting loop model of solar flare bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emslie, A. G.

1981-01-01

As a result of the strong heating produced at chromospheric levels during a solar flare burst, the local gas pressure can transiently attain very large values in certain regions. The effectiveness of the surrounding magnetic field at confining this high pressure plasma is therefore reduced and the flaring loop becomes free to expand laterally. In so doing it may drive magnetic field lines into neighboring, nonflaring, loops in the same active region, causing magnetic reconnection to take place and triggering another flare burst. The features of this interacting loop model are found to be in good agreement with the energetics and time structure of flare associated solar hard X-ray bursts.

The structure of high-temperature solar flare plasma in non-thermal flare models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emslie, A. G.

1985-01-01

Analytic differential emission measure distributions have been derived for coronal plasma in flare loops heated both by collisions of high-energy suprathermal electrons with background plasma, and by ohmic heating by the beam-normalizing return current. For low densities, reverse current heating predominates, while for higher densities collisional heating predominates. There is thus a minimum peak temperature in an electron-heated loop. In contrast to previous approximate analyses, it is found that a stable reverse current can dominate the heating rate in a flare loop, especially in the low corona. Two 'scaling laws' are found which relate the peak temperature in the loop to the suprathermal electron flux. These laws are testable observationally and constitute a new diagnostic procedure for examining modes of energy transport in flaring loops.

Further Exploration of Post-Flare Giant Arches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, Matthew; Seaton, Daniel B.; Dennis, Brian R.; feng, Li

2017-08-01

Recent observations from the SWAP EUV imager on-board PROBA2 and SXI X-ray observations from the GOES satellite have shown that post-flare giant arches and regular post-flare loops are one and the same thing. However, it is still not clear how certain loop systems are able to sustain prolonged growth to heights of approximately 400000 km (>0.5 solar-radii). In this presentation we further explore the energy deposition rate above post-flare loop systems through high-energy RHESSI observations. We also explore the difference between the loop systems through a multi-wavelength epoch analysis.

Two-phase Heating in Flaring Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Chunming; Qiu, Jiong; Longcope, Dana W.

2018-03-01

We analyze and model a C5.7 two-ribbon solar flare observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, Hinode, and GOES on 2011 December 26. The flare is made of many loops formed and heated successively over one and half hours, and their footpoints are brightened in the UV 1600 Å before enhanced soft X-ray and EUV missions are observed in flare loops. Assuming that anchored at each brightened UV pixel is a half flaring loop, we identify more than 6700 half flaring loops, and infer the heating rate of each loop from the UV light curve at the footpoint. In each half loop, the heating rate consists of two phases: intense impulsive heating followed by a low-rate heating that is persistent for more than 20 minutes. Using these heating rates, we simulate the evolution of their coronal temperatures and densities with the model of the “enthalpy-based thermal evolution of loops.” In the model, suppression of thermal conduction is also considered. This model successfully reproduces total soft X-ray and EUV light curves observed in 15 passbands by four instruments GOES, AIA, XRT, and EVE. In this flare, a total energy of 4.9 × 1030 erg is required to heat the corona, around 40% of this energy is in the slow-heating phase. About two-fifths of the total energy used to heat the corona is radiated by the coronal plasmas, and the other three fifth transported to the lower atmosphere by thermal conduction.

EVIDENCE FOR COLLAPSING FIELDS IN THE CORONA AND PHOTOSPHERE DURING THE 2011 FEBRUARY 15 X2.2 FLARE: SDO/AIA AND HMI OBSERVATIONS

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

Gosain, S., E-mail: sgosain@nso.edu; Udaipur Solar Observatory, P.O. Box 198, Dewali, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001

2012-04-10

We use high-resolution Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly observations to study the evolution of the coronal loops in a flaring solar active region, NOAA 11158. We identify three distinct phases of the coronal loop dynamics during this event: (1) slow-rise phase: slow rising motion of the loop-tops prior to the flare in response to the slow rise of the underlying flux rope; (2) collapse phase: sudden contraction of the loop-tops, with the lower loops collapsing earlier than the higher loops; and (3) oscillation phase: the loops exhibit global kink oscillations after the collapse phase at different periods, with themore » period decreasing with the decreasing height of the loops. The period of these loop oscillations is used to estimate the field strength in the coronal loops. Furthermore, we also use SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) observations to study the photospheric changes close to the polarity inversion line (PIL). The longitudinal magnetograms show a stepwise permanent decrease in the magnetic flux after the flare over a coherent patch along the PIL. Furthermore, we examine the HMI Stokes I, Q, U, V profiles over this patch and find that the Stokes-V signal systematically decreases while the Stokes-Q and U signals increase after the flare. These observations suggest that close to the PIL the field configuration became more horizontal after the flare. We also use HMI vector magnetic field observations to quantify the changes in the field inclination angle and find an inward collapse of the field lines toward the PIL by {approx}10 Degree-Sign . These observations are consistent with the 'coronal implosion' scenario and its predictions about flare-related photospheric field changes.« less

Numerical simulations of loops heated to solar flare temperatures. III - Asymmetrical heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, C.-C.; Doschek, G. A.; Karpen, J. T.

1984-01-01

A numerical model is defined for asymmetric full solar flare loop heating and comparisons are made with observational data. The Dynamic Flux Tube Model is used to describe the heating process in terms of one-dimensional, two fluid conservation equations of mass, energy and momentum. An adaptive grid allows for the downward movement of the transition region caused by an advancing conduction front. A loop 20,000 km long is considered, along with a flare heating system and the hydrodynamic evolution of the loop. The model was applied to generating line profiles and spatial X-ray and UV line distributions, which were compared with SMM, P78-1 and Hintori data for Fe, Ca and Mg spectra. Little agreement was obtained, and it is suggested that flares be treated as multi-loop phenomena. Finally, it is concluded that chromospheric evaporation is not an effective mechanism for generating the soft X-ray bursts associated with flares.

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Coronal magnetic loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitsev, Valerii V.; Stepanov, Alexander V.

2008-11-01

The goal of this review is to outline some new ideas in the physics of coronal magnetic loops, the fundamental structural elements of the atmospheres of the Sun and flaring stars, which are involved in phenomena such as stellar coronal heating, flare energy release, charged particle acceleration, and the modulation of optical, radio, and X-ray emissions. The Alfvén-Carlqvist view of a coronal loop as an equivalent electric circuit allows a good physical understanding of loop processes. Describing coronal loops as MHD-resonators explains various ways in which flaring emissions from the Sun and stars are modulated, whereas modeling them by magnetic mirror traps allows one to describe the dynamics and emission of high-energy particles. Based on these approaches, loop plasma and fast particle parameters are obtained and models for flare energy release and stellar corona heating are developed.

Can Flare Loops Contribute to the White-light Emission of Stellar Superflares?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinzel, P.; Shibata, K.

2018-06-01

Since the discovery of stellar superflares by the Kepler satellite, these extremely energetic events have been studied in analogy to solar flares. Their white-light (WL) continuum emission has been interpreted as being produced by heated ribbons. In this paper, we compute the WL emission from overlying flare loops depending on their density and temperature and show that, under conditions expected during superflares, the continuum brightening due to extended loop arcades can significantly contribute to stellar flux detected by Kepler. This requires electron densities in the loops of 1012‑1013 cm‑3 or higher. We show that such densities, exceeding those typically present in solar-flare loops, can be reached on M-dwarf and solar-type superflare stars with large starspots and much stronger magnetic fields. Quite importantly, the WL radiation of loops is not very sensitive to their temperature and thus both cool as well as hot loops may contribute. We show that the WL intensity emergent from optically thin loops is lower than the blackbody radiation from flare ribbons, but the contribution of loops to total stellar flux can be quite important due to their significant emitting areas. This new scenario for interpreting superflare emission suggests that the observed WL flux is due to a mixture of the ribbon and loop radiation and can be even loop-dominated during the gradual phase of superflares.

Mini-filament Eruptions Triggering Confined Solar Flares Observed by ONSET and SDO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Shuhong; Zhang, Jun

2018-06-01

Using the observations from the Optical and Near-infrared Solar Eruption Tracer (ONSET) and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), we study an M5.7 flare in AR 11476 on 2012 May 10 and a micro-flare in the quiet Sun on 2017 March 23. Before the onset of each flare, there is a reverse S-shaped filament above the polarity inversion line, then the filaments become unstable and begin to rise. The rising filaments gain the upper hand over the tension force of the dome-like overlying loops and thus successfully erupt outward. The footpoints of the reconnecting overlying loops successively brighten and are observed as two flare ribbons, while the newly formed low-lying loops appear as post-flare loops. These eruptions are similar to the classical model of successful filament eruptions associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). However, the erupting filaments in this study move along large-scale lines and eventually reach the remote solar surface; i.e., no filament material is ejected into the interplanetary space. Thus, both the flares are confined. These results reveal that some successful filament eruptions can trigger confined flares. Our observations also imply that this kind of filament eruption may be ubiquitous on the Sun, from active regions (ARs) with large flares to the quiet Sun with micro-flares.

Two-stage Energy Release Process of a Confined Flare with Double HXR Peaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ning, Hao; Chen, Yao; Wu, Zhao; Su, Yang; Tian, Hui; Li, Gang; Du, Guohui; Song, Hongqiang

2018-02-01

A complete understanding of the onset and subsequent evolution of confined flares has not been achieved. Earlier studies mainly analyzed disk events so as to reveal their magnetic topology and the cause of confinement. In this study, taking advantage of a tandem of instruments working at different wavelengths of X-rays, EUVs, and microwaves, we present dynamic details about a confined flare observed on the northwestern limb of the solar disk on 2016 July 24. The entire dynamic evolutionary process starting from its onset is consistent with a loop–loop interaction scenario. The X-ray profiles manifest an intriguing double-peak feature. From the spectral fitting, it has been found that the first peak is nonthermally dominated, while the second peak is mostly multithermal with a hot (∼10 MK) and a super-hot (∼30 MK) component. This double-peak feature is unique in that the two peaks are clearly separated by 4 minutes, and the second peak reaches up to 25–50 keV in addition, at energy bands above 3 keV, the X-ray fluxes decline significantly between the two peaks. This, together with other available imaging and spectral data, manifest a two-stage energy release process. A comprehensive analysis is carried out to investigate the nature of this two-stage process. We conclude that the second stage with the hot and super-hot sources mainly involves direct heating through a loop–loop reconnection at a relatively high altitude in the corona. The uniqueness of the event characteristics and the complete dataset make the study a nice addition to present literature on solar flares.

Magnetic Field Configuration of Active Region NOAA 6555 at the Time of a Long Duration Flare on 23 March 1991: An Exception to Standard Flare Reconnection Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choudhary, Debi Prasad; Gary, Allen G.

1998-01-01

The high-resolution H(sub alpha) images observed during the decay phase of a long duration flare on 23 March 1991 are used to study the three-dimensional magnetic field configuration of the active region NOAA 6555. Whereas, all the large flares in NOAA 6555 occurred at the location of high magnetic shear and flux emergence, this long duration flare was observed in the region of low magnetic shear at the photosphere. The H(sub alpha) loop activity started soon after the maximum phase of the flare. There were few long loop at the initial phase of the activity. Some of these were sheared in the chromosphere at an angle of about 45 deg with the east-west axis. Gradually, increasing number of shorter loops, oriented along the east-west axis, started appearing. The chromospheric Dopplergrams show blue-shifts at the end points of the loops. By using different magnetic field models, we have extrapolated the photospheric magnetograms to the chromospheric heights. The magnetic field lines computed by using the potential field model correspond to most of the observed H(sub alpha) loops. The height of the H(sub alpha) loops were derived by comparing them with the computed field lines. From the temporal evolution of the H(sub alpha) loop activity, we derive the negative rate of appearance of H(sub alpha) features as a function of height. It is found that the field lines oriented along one of the neutral lines was sheared and low lying. The higher field lines were mostly potential. The paper also outlines a possible scenario for describing the post-flare stage of the observed long duration flare.

Frequencies of Flare Occurrence: Interaction between Convection and Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullan, D. J.; Paudel, R. R.

2018-02-01

Observations of solar and stellar flares have revealed the presence of power-law dependences between the flare energy and the time interval between flares. Various models have been proposed to explain these dependences and the numerical value of the power-law indices. Here, we propose a model in which convective flows in granules force the footpoints of coronal magnetic loops, which are frozen-in to photospheric gas, to undergo a random walk. In certain conditions, this can lead to a twist in the loop, which drives the loop unstable if the twist exceeds a critical value. The possibility that a solar flare is caused by such a twist-induced instability in a loop has been in the literature for decades. Here, we quantify the process in an approximate way with a view to replicating the power-law index. We find that, for relatively small flares, the random walk twisting model leads to a rather steep power-law slope that agrees very well with the index derived from a sample of 56,000+ solar X-ray flares reported by the GOES satellites. For relatively large flares, we find that the slope of the power law is shallower. The empirical power-law slopes reported for flare stars also have a range that overlaps with the slopes obtained here. We suggest that in the coolest stars, a significant change in slope should occur when the frozen-flux assumption breaks down due to low electrical conductivity.

Diagnostics of electron-heated solar flare models. III - Effects of tapered loop geometry and preheating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emslie, A. G.; Li, Peng; Mariska, John T.

1992-01-01

A series of hydrodynamic numerical simulations of nonthermal electron-heated solar flare atmospheres and their corresponding soft X-ray Ca XIX emission-line profiles, under the conditions of tapered flare loop geometry and/or a preheated atmosphere, is presented. The degree of tapering is parameterized by the magnetic mirror ratio, while the preheated atmosphere is parameterized by the initial upper chromospheric pressure. In a tapered flare loop, it is found that the upward motion of evaporated material is faster compared with the case where the flare loop is uniform. This is due to the diverging nozzle seen by the upflowing material. In the case where the flare atmosphere is preheated and the flare geometry is uniform, the response of the atmosphere to the electron collisional heating is slow. The upward velocity of the hydrodynamic gas is reduced due not only to the large coronal column depth, but also to the increased inertia of the overlying material. It is concluded that the only possible electron-heated scenario in which the predicted Ca XIX line profiles agree with the BCS observations is when the impulsive flare starts in a preheated dense corona.

Over-and-Out Coronal Mass Ejections: Blowouts of Magnetic Arches by Ejective Flares in One Foot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ronald L.; Sterling, Alphonse C.

2006-01-01

Streamer puffs from compact ejective flares in the foot of an outer loop of the magnetic arcade under a streamer were recently identified as a new variety of coronal mass ejection (CME) (Bemporad, Sterling, Moore, & Poletto 2006, ApJ Letters, in press). In the reported examples, the compact flares produced only weak to moderate soft X-ray bursts having peak intensities no stronger than GOES class C3. Here, we present two examples of this type of CME in which the compact flare in the flank of the steamer base is much stronger (one M-class, the other X-class in GOES X-rays) and the resulting streamer puff is wider and brighter than in the discovery examples. Coronal dimming observed in SOHOBIT Fe XII images in the launching of each of these two CMEs M e r supports the view that these CMEs are produced by a high loop of the steamer arcade being blown out by magnetoplasma ejecta exploding up the leg of the loop from the flare. In addition, we present evidence that this same type of CME occurs on larger scales than in the above examples. We examine a sequence of flare eruptions seated on the north side of AR 8210 as it rotated across the southern hemisphere in late April and early May 1998. Each flare occurs in synchrony with the launching of a large CME centered on the equator. Coronal dimming in EIT Fe XII images shows the trans-equatorial footprints of these CMEs extending north from the flare site. The set of flare-with-CME events includes the trans-equatorial loop eruptions reported by Khan & Hudson (1998, GRL, 27, 1083). Our observations indicate that these CMEs were not driven by the self-eruption of the transequatorial loops, but that these loops were part of a trans-equatorial magnetic arch that was blown open by ejecta from the flares on the north side of AR 8210. Thus, a relatively compact ejective flare can be the driver of a CME that is much larger in lateral extent than the flare and is laterally far offset from the flare. It has previously been thought that such spatial disparities between the flare and the CME prohibited the flare explosion from being the driver of the CME (e.g., Kahler 1992, ARA&A, 30, 113).

Thermal Structure of Supra-Arcade Plasma in Two Solar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reeves, Katharine K.; Savage, Sabrina; McKenzie, David E.; Weber, Mark A.

2012-01-01

In this work, we use Hinode/XRT and SDO/AIA data to determine the thermal structure of supra-arcade plasma in two solar flares. The first flare is a Ml.2 flare that occurred on November 5, 2010 on the east limb. This flare was one of a series of flares from AR 11121, published in Reeves & Golub (2011). The second flare is an XI.7 flare that occurred on January 27, 2012 on the west limb. This flare exhibits visible supra-arcade downflows (SADs), where the November 2010 flare does not. For these two flares we combine XRT and AlA data to calculate DEMs of each pixel in the supra-arcade plasma, giving insight into the temperature and density structures in the fan of plasma above the post-flare arcade. We find in each case that the supra-arcade plasma is around 10 MK, and there is a marked decrease in the emission measure in the SADs. We also compare the DEMs calculated with the combined AIA/XRT dataset to those calculated using AIA alone.

Observations of simultaneous coronal loop shrinkage and expansion during the decay phase of a solar flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, J. I.; Fletcher, L.; Nitta, N. V.

2006-07-01

We report what we believe are the first direct and unambiguous observations of simultaneous coronal magnetic flux loop shrinkage and expansion during the decay phase of a solar flare. The retracting and expanding loops were observed nearly face-on (i.e., with the loop major axis approximately orthogonal to the line of sight) in emission in imaging data from the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT). The retracting loop is observed to shrink with a speed of 118 ± 66 km s-1. The faint outward moving loop-like feature occurred ~200´´ above the shrinking loop during the time of the shrinking loop. We estimate the speed of the outward moving loop was ~129 ± 74 km s-1. We interpret the shrinking loop and simultaneous outward moving loop as direct evidence for reconnected magnetic field lines during a flare.

HOW GAS-DYNAMIC FLARE MODELS POWERED BY PETSCHEK RECONNECTION DIFFER FROM THOSE WITH AD HOC ENERGY SOURCES

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

Longcope, D. W.; Klimchuk, J. A.

Aspects of solar flare dynamics, such as chromospheric evaporation and flare light curves, have long been studied using one-dimensional models of plasma dynamics inside a static flare loop, subjected to some energy input. While extremely successful at explaining the observed characteristics of flares, all such models so far have specified energy input ad hoc, rather than deriving it self-consistently. There is broad consensus that flares are powered by magnetic energy released through reconnection. Recent work has generalized Petschek’s basic reconnection scenario, topological change followed by field line retraction and shock heating, to permit its inclusion in a one-dimensional flare loop model. Heremore » we compare the gas dynamics driven by retraction and shocking to those from more conventional static loop models energized by ad hoc source terms. We find significant differences during the first minute, when retraction leads to larger kinetic energies and produces higher densities at the loop top, while ad hoc heating tends to rarify the loop top. The loop-top density concentration is related to the slow magnetosonic shock, characteristic of Petschek’s model, but persists beyond the retraction phase occurring in the outflow jet. This offers an explanation for observed loop-top sources of X-ray and EUV emission, with advantages over that provided by ad hoc heating scenarios. The cooling phases of the two models are, however, notably similar to one another, suggesting that observations at that stage will yield little information on the nature of energy input.« less

Electron Densities in Solar Flare Loops, Chromospheric Evaporation Upflows, and Acceleration Sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aschwanden, Markus J.; Benz, Arnold O.

1996-01-01

We compare electron densities measured at three different locations in solar flares: (1) in Soft X-Ray (SXR) loops, determined from SXR emission measures and loop diameters from Yohkoh Soft X-Ray Telescope maps (n(sub e, sup SXR) = (0.2-2.5) x 10(exp 11)/ cu cm); (2) in chromospheric evaporation upflows, inferred from plasma frequency cutoffs of decimetric radio bursts detected with the 0.1-3 GHz spectrometer Phoenix of ETH Zuerich (n(sub e, sup upflow) = (0.3-11) x 10(exp 10)/cu cm; and (3) in acceleration sites, inferred from the plasma frequency at the separatrix between upward-accelerated (type III bursts) and downward-accelerated (reverse-drift bursts) electron beams [n(sub e, sup acc) = (0.6-10) x 10(exp 9)/cu cm]. The comparison of these density measurements, obtained from 44 flare episodes (during 14 different flares), demonstrates the compatibility of flare plasma density diagnostics with SXR and radio methods. The density in the upflowing plasma is found to be somewhat lower than in the filled loops, having ratios in a range n(sub e, sup upflow)/n(sub e, sup SXR) = 0.02-1.3, and a factor of 3.6 higher behind the upflow front. The acceleration sites are found to have a much lower density than the SXR-bright flare loops, i.e., n(sub e, sup acc)/n(sub e, sup SXR) = 0.005- 0.13, and thus must be physically displaced from the SXR-bright flare loops. The scaling law between electron time-of-flight distances l' and loop half-lengths s, l'/s = 1.4 +/- 0.3, recently established by Aschwanden et al. suggests that the centroid of the acceleration region is located above the SXR-bright flare loop, as envisioned in cusp geometries (e.g., in magnetic reconnection models).

Structure and Dynamics of Cool Flare Loops Observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikuła, K.; Heinzel, P.; Liu, W.; Berlicki, A.

2017-08-01

Flare loops were well observed with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) during the gradual phase of two solar flares on 2014 March 29 and 2015 June 22. Cool flare loops are visible in various spectral lines formed at chromospheric and transition-region temperatures and exhibit large downflows which correspond to the standard scenario. The principal aim of this work is to analyze the structure and dynamics of cool flare loops observed in Mg II lines. Synthetic profiles of the Mg II h line are computed using the classical cloud model and assuming a uniform background intensity. In this paper, we study novel IRIS NUV observations of such loops in Mg II h and k lines and also show the behavior of hotter lines detected in the FUV channel. We obtained the spatial evolution of the velocities: near the loop top, the flow velocities are small and they are increasing toward the loop legs. Moreover, from slit-jaw image (SJI) movies, we observe some plasma upflows into the loops, which are also detectable in Mg II spectra. The brightness of the loops systematically decreases with increasing flow velocity, and we ascribe this to the effect of Doppler dimming, which works for Mg II lines. Emission profiles of Mg II were found to be extremely broad, and we explain this through the large unresolved non-thermal motions.

Structure and Dynamics of Cool Flare Loops Observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph

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

Mikuła, K.; Berlicki, A.; Heinzel, P.

Flare loops were well observed with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) during the gradual phase of two solar flares on 2014 March 29 and 2015 June 22. Cool flare loops are visible in various spectral lines formed at chromospheric and transition-region temperatures and exhibit large downflows which correspond to the standard scenario. The principal aim of this work is to analyze the structure and dynamics of cool flare loops observed in Mg ii lines. Synthetic profiles of the Mg ii h line are computed using the classical cloud model and assuming a uniform background intensity. In thismore » paper, we study novel IRIS NUV observations of such loops in Mg ii h and k lines and also show the behavior of hotter lines detected in the FUV channel. We obtained the spatial evolution of the velocities: near the loop top, the flow velocities are small and they are increasing toward the loop legs. Moreover, from slit-jaw image (SJI) movies, we observe some plasma upflows into the loops, which are also detectable in Mg ii spectra. The brightness of the loops systematically decreases with increasing flow velocity, and we ascribe this to the effect of Doppler dimming, which works for Mg ii lines. Emission profiles of Mg ii were found to be extremely broad, and we explain this through the large unresolved non-thermal motions.« less

An X-ray flare from 47 Cas

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

Pandey, Jeewan C.; Karmakar, Subhajeet, E-mail: jeewan@aries.res.in

2015-02-01

Using XMM-Newton observations, we investigate properties of a flare from the very active but poorly known stellar system 47 Cas. The luminosity at the peak of the flare is found to be 3.54 × 10{sup 30} erg s{sup −1}, which is ∼2 times higher than that at a quiescent state. The quiescent state corona of 47 Cas can be represented by two temperature plasma: 3.7 and 11.0 MK. The time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy of the flare show the variable nature of the temperature, the emission measure, and the abundance. The maximum temperature during the flare is derived as 72.8 MK. Wemore » infer the length of a flaring loop to be 3.3 × 10{sup 10} cm using a hydrodynamic loop model. Using the RGS spectra, the density during the flare is estimated as 4.0 × 10{sup 10} cm{sup −3}. The loop scaling laws are also applied when deriving physical parameters of the flaring plasma.« less

SWAP Observations of Post Flare Giant Arches and Evidence of Run-Away Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, M. J.; Seaton, D. B.; Savage, S. L.

2016-12-01

It was recently established that post-flare giant arches and regular post-flare loops are generated in the same way, with post-flare giant arches undergoing sustained magnetic reconnection allowing them to grow to heights of approximately 400000 km (>0.5 solar-radii). In this presentation we discuss how reconnection can be sustained to such great heights, and the role the background corona plays in maintaining this growth. We use observations from 14 October 2014, when the SWAP EUV solar telescope on-board the PROBA2 spacecraft observed an eruption that led to the formation of perhaps the largest post-flare loop system seen in the solar corona in solar cycle 24. We combine these observations with those of RHESSI and LASCO, as well as using a forward model to assess the reconnection and loop deposition rate in the post-eruptive loop system.

SLIPPING MAGNETIC RECONNECTION, CHROMOSPHERIC EVAPORATION, IMPLOSION, AND PRECURSORS IN THE 2014 SEPTEMBER 10 X1.6-CLASS SOLAR FLARE

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

Dudík, Jaroslav; Karlický, Marian; Dzifčáková, Elena

2016-05-20

We investigate the occurrence of slipping magnetic reconnection, chromospheric evaporation, and coronal loop dynamics in the 2014 September 10 X-class flare. Slipping reconnection is found to be present throughout the flare from its early phase. Flare loops are seen to slip in opposite directions toward both ends of the ribbons. Velocities of 20–40 km s{sup −1} are found within time windows where the slipping is well resolved. The warm coronal loops exhibit expanding and contracting motions that are interpreted as displacements due to the growing flux rope that subsequently erupts. This flux rope existed and erupted before the onset ofmore » apparent coronal implosion. This indicates that the energy release proceeds by slipping reconnection and not via coronal implosion. The slipping reconnection leads to changes in the geometry of the observed structures at the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph slit position, from flare loop top to the footpoints in the ribbons. This results in variations of the observed velocities of chromospheric evaporation in the early flare phase. Finally, it is found that the precursor signatures, including localized EUV brightenings as well as nonthermal X-ray emission, are signatures of the flare itself, progressing from the early phase toward the impulsive phase, with the tether-cutting being provided by the slipping reconnection. The dynamics of both the flare and outlying coronal loops is found to be consistent with the predictions of the standard solar flare model in three dimensions.« less

The Role of Quasi-Transverse Propagation in Observed Polarization of Flare Loop Microwave Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shain, A. V.; Melnikov, V. F.; Morgachev, A. S.

2017-12-01

The ordinary mode of gyrosynchrotron radiation was identified to be predominant in some segments of flare loops in solar flares of July 19, 2012, and October 22, 2014. These events were studied by investigation of the quasi-transverse propagation effect on the observed polarization. The analysis involved reconstruction of the magnetic field topology at the linear force-free approximation based on the data of the SDO HMI space telescope and the subsequent simulation of radio emission of flare loops with the GX Simulator software package. The quasi-transverse propagation effect was established to be characteristic for both events, but its influence on the radio emission polarization at a frequency of 17 GHz was observed only in the October 22, 2014 flare.

2D MHD AND 1D HD MODELS OF A SOLAR FLARE—A COMPREHENSIVE COMPARISON OF THE RESULTS

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

Falewicz, R.; Rudawy, P.; Murawski, K.

Without any doubt, solar flaring loops possess a multithread internal structure that is poorly resolved, and there are no means to observe heating episodes and thermodynamic evolution of the individual threads. These limitations cause fundamental problems in numerical modeling of flaring loops, such as selection of a structure and a number of threads, and an implementation of a proper model of the energy deposition process. A set of one-dimensional (1D) hydrodynamic and two-dimensional (2D) magnetohydrodynamic models of a flaring loop are developed to compare energy redistribution and plasma dynamics in the course of a prototypical solar flare. Basic parameters ofmore » the modeled loop are set according to the progenitor M1.8 flare recorded in AR 10126 on 2002 September 20 between 09:21 UT and 09:50 UT. The nonideal 1D models include thermal conduction and radiative losses of the optically thin plasma as energy-loss mechanisms, while the nonideal 2D models take into account viscosity and thermal conduction as energy-loss mechanisms only. The 2D models have a continuous distribution of the parameters of the plasma across the loop and are powered by varying in time and space along and across the loop heating flux. We show that such 2D models are an extreme borderline case of a multithread internal structure of the flaring loop, with a filling factor equal to 1. Nevertheless, these simple models ensure the general correctness of the obtained results and can be adopted as a correct approximation of the real flaring structures.« less

Searching for Spectroscopic Signs of Termination Shocks in Solar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galan, G.; Polito, V.; Reeves, K.

2017-12-01

The standard flare model predicts the presence of a termination shock located above the flare loop tops, however terminations shocks have not yet been well observed. We analyze flare observations by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), which provides cotemporal UV imaging and spectral data. Specifically, we study plasma emissions in the Fe XXI line, formed at the very hot plasma temperatures in flares (> 10 MK). Imaging observations that point to shocks include fast hot reconnection downflows above the loop tops and localized dense, bright plasma at the loop tops; spectral signatures that suggest shocks in the locality of the loop tops include redshifts and nonthermal broadening of the Fe XXI line. We identify possibly significant redshifts in some on-disk flare events observed by IRIS. Redshifts are observed in the vicinity of the bright loop top source that is thought to coincide with the site of the shock. In these events, the Fe XXI emissions at the time of the redshifted structures are dominated by at the at-rest components. The much more less intense redshifted components are broader, with velocities of 200 km/s. The spatial location of these shifts might indicate plasma motions and speeds indicative of termination shocks. This work is supported by the NSF-REU solar physics program at SAO, grant number AGS-1560313, and by NASA Grant NNX15AJ93G. Keywords: Solar flares, Solar magnetic reconnection, Termination shocks

Electron cyclotron wave acceleration outside a flaring loop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sprangle, P.; Vlahos, L.

1983-01-01

A model for the secondary acceleration of electrons outside a flaring loop is proposed. The results suggest that the narrow bandwidth radiation emitted by the unstable electron distribution inside a flaring loop can become the driver for secondary electron acceleration outside the loop. It is shown that a system of electrons gyrating about and streaming along an adiabatically spatially varying, static magnetic field can be efficiently accelerated to high energies by an electromagnetic wave propagating along and polarized transverse to the static magnetic field. The predictions from our model appear to be in general agreement with existing observations.

Thermodynamics of supra-arcade downflows in solar flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xin; Liu, Rui; Deng, Na; Wang, Haimin

2017-10-01

Context. Supra-arcade downflows (SADs) have been frequently observed during the gradual phase of solar flares near the limb. In coronal emission lines sensitive to flaring plasmas, they appear as tadpole-like dark voids against the diffuse fan-shaped "haze" above, flowing toward the well-defined flare arcade. Aims: We aim to investigate the evolution of SADs' thermal properties, and to shed light on the formation mechanism and physical processes of SADs. Methods: We carefully studied several selected SADs from two flare events and calculated their differential emission measures (DEMs) as well as DEM-weighted temperatures using data obtained by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory. Results: Our analysis shows that SADs are associated with a substantial decrease in DEM above 4 MK, which is 1-3 orders of magnitude smaller than the surrounding haze as well as the region before or after the passage of SADs, but comparable to the quiet corona. There is no evidence for the presence of the SAD-associated hot plasma (>20 MK) in the AIA data, and this decrease in DEM does not cause any significant change in the DEM distribution as well as the DEM-weighted temperature, which supports this idea that SADs are density depletion. This depression in DEM rapidly recovers in the wake of the SADs studied, generally within a few minutes, suggesting that they are discrete features. In addition, we found that SADs in one event are spatio-temporally associated with the successive formation of post-flare loops along the flare arcade. Movies associated to Figs. A.1 and A.2 are available at http://www.aanda.org

Comparative study of x ray and microwave emissions during solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winglee, Robert M.

1993-01-01

The work supported by the grant consisted of two projects. The first project involved making detailed case studies of two flares using SMM data in conjunction with ground based observations. The first flare occurred at 1454 UT on June 20, 1989 and involved the eruption of a prominence near the limb. In the study we used data from many wavelength regimes including the radio, H-alpha, hard X-rays, and soft X-rays. We used a full gyrosynchrotron code to model the apparent presence of a 1.4 GHz source early in the flare that was in the form of a large coronal loop. The model results lead us to conclude that the initial acceleration occurs in small, dense loops which also produced the flare's hard X-ray emission. We also found evidence that a source at 1.4 GHz later in the event was due to second harmonic plasma emission. This source was adjacent to a leg of the prominence and comes from a dense column of material in the magnetic structure supporting the prominence. Finally, we investigated a source of microwaves and soft X-rays, occurring approximately 10 min after the hard X-ray peak, and calculate a lower limit for the density of the source. The second flare that was studied occurred at 2156 UT on June 20, 1989 and was observed with the VLA and the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) Frequency Agile Array. We have developed a gyrosynchrotron model of the sources at flare peak using a new gyrosynchrotron approximation which is valid at very low harmonics of the gyrofrequency. We found that the accelerated particle densities of the sources decreased much more with radius from the source center than had been supposed in previous work, while the magnetic field varied less. We also used the available data to analyze a highly polarized source which appeared late in the flare. The second project involved compiling a statistical base for the relative timing of the hard X-ray peak, the turbulent and blue-shift velocities inferred from soft X-ray line emissions observed by SMM and the microwave peak as determined from ground-based observations. This timing was then used to aid the testing of newly developed global models for flares that incorporate the global magnetic topology as well as the electron dynamics that are responsible for the hard X-rays and microwaves.

THE ROLE OF KELVIN–HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY FOR PRODUCING LOOP-TOP HARD X-RAY SOURCES IN SOLAR FLARES

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

Fang, Xia; Yuan, Ding; Xia, Chun

We propose a model for the formation of loop-top hard X-ray (HXR) sources in solar flares through the inverse Compton mechanism, scattering the surrounding soft X-ray (SXR) photons to higher energy HXR photons. We simulate the consequences of a flare-driven energy deposit in the upper chromosphere in the impulsive phase of single loop flares. The consequent chromosphere evaporation flows from both footpoints reach speeds up to hundreds of kilometers per second, and we demonstrate how this triggers Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI) in the loop top, under mildly asymmetric conditions, or more toward the loop flank for strongly asymmetric cases. The KHImore » vortices further fragment the magnetic topology into multiple magnetic islands and current sheets, and the hot plasma within leads to a bright loop-top SXR source region. We argue that the magnetohydrodynamic turbulence that appears at the loop apex could be an efficient accelerator of non-thermal particles, which the island structures can trap at the loop-top. These accelerated non-thermal particles can upscatter the surrounding thermal SXR photons emitted by the extremely hot evaporated plasma to HXR photons.« less

FAST CONTRACTION OF CORONAL LOOPS AT THE FLARE PEAK

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

Liu Rui; Wang Haimin

On 2005 September 8, a coronal loop overlying the active region NOAA 10808 was observed in TRACE 171 A to contract at {approx}100 km s{sup -1} at the peak of an X5.4-2B flare at 21:05 UT. Prior to the fast contraction, the loop underwent a much slower contraction at {approx}6 km s{sup -1} for about 8 minutes, initiating during the flare preheating phase. The sudden switch to fast contraction is presumably corresponding to the onset of the impulsive phase. The contraction resulted in the oscillation of a group of loops located below, with the period of about 10 minutes. Meanwhile,more » the contracting loop exhibited a similar oscillatory pattern superimposed on the dominant downward motion. We suggest that the fast contraction reflects a suddenly reduced magnetic pressure underneath due either to (1) the eruption of magnetic structures located at lower altitudes or to (2) the rapid conversion of magnetic free energy in the flare core region. Electrons accelerated in the shrinking trap formed by the contracting loop can theoretically contribute to a late-phase hard X-ray burst, which is associated with Type IV radio emission. To complement the X5.4 flare which was probably confined, a similar event observed in SOHO/EIT 195 A on 2004 July 20 in an eruptive, M8.6 flare is briefly described, in which the contraction was followed by the expansion of the same loop leading up to a halo coronal mass ejection. These observations further substantiate the conjecture of coronal implosion and suggest coronal implosion as a new exciter mechanism for coronal loop oscillations.« less

Explosive Chromospheric Evaporation Driven by Nonthermal Electrons around One Footpoint of a Solar Flare Loop

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

Li, D.; Ning, Z. J.; Huang, Y.

We explore the temporal relationship between microwave/hard X-ray (HXR) emission and Doppler velocity during the impulsive phase of a solar flare on 2014 October 27 (SOL2014-10-27) that displays a pulse on the light curves in the microwave (34 GHz) and HXR (25–50 keV) bands before the flare maximum. Imaging observation shows that this pulse mainly comes from one footpoint of a solar flare loop. The slit of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) stays at this footpoint during this solar flare. The Doppler velocities of Fe xxi 1354.09 Å and Si iv 1402.77 Å are extracted from themore » Gaussian fitting method. We find that the hot line of Fe xxi 1354.09 Å (log T ∼ 7.05) in the corona exhibits blueshift, while the cool line of Si iv 1402.77 Å (log T ∼ 4.8) in the transition region exhibits redshift, indicating explosive chromospheric evaporation. Evaporative upflows along the flare loop are also observed in the AIA 131 Å image. To our knowledge, this is the first report of chromospheric evaporation evidence from both spectral and imaging observations in the same flare. Both microwave and HXR pulses are well correlated with the Doppler velocities, suggesting that the chromospheric evaporation is driven by nonthermal electrons around this footpoint of a solar flare loop.« less

Simultaneous Extreme-Ultraviolet Explorer and Optical Observations of Ad Leonis: Evidence for Large Coronal Loops and the Neupert Effect in Stellar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawley, Suzanne L.; Fisher, George H.; Simon, Theodore; Cully, Scott L.; Deustua, Susana E.; Jablonski, Marek; Johns-Krull, Christopher; Pettersen, Bjorn R.; Smith, Verne; Spiesman, William J.;

A COLD FLARE WITH DELAYED HEATING

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

Fleishman, Gregory D.; Pal'shin, Valentin D.; Lysenko, Alexandra L.

2016-05-10

Recently, a number of peculiar flares have been reported that demonstrate significant nonthermal particle signatures with low, if any, thermal emission, which implies a close association of the observed emission with the primary energy release/electron acceleration region. This paper presents a flare that appears “cold” at the impulsive phase, while displaying delayed heating later on. Using hard X-ray data from Konus- Wind , microwave observations by SSRT, RSTN, NoRH, and NoRP, context observations, and three-dimensional modeling, we study the energy release, particle acceleration, and transport, and the relationships between the nonthermal and thermal signatures. The flaring process is found tomore » involve the interaction between a small loop and a big loop with the accelerated particles divided roughly equally between them. Precipitation of the electrons from the small loop produced only a weak thermal response because the loop volume was small, while the electrons trapped in the big loop lost most of their energy in the coronal part of the loop, which resulted in coronal plasma heating but no or only weak chromospheric evaporation, and thus unusually weak soft X-ray emission. The energy losses of the fast electrons in the big tenuous loop were slow, which resulted in the observed delay of the plasma heating. We determined that the impulsively accelerated electron population had a beamed angular distribution in the direction of the electric force along the magnetic field of the small loop. The accelerated particle transport in the big loop was primarily mediated by turbulent waves, which is similar to other reported cold flares.« less

Revealing the Evolution of Non-thermal Electrons in Solar Flares Using 3D Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleishman, Gregory D.; Nita, Gelu M.; Kuroda, Natsuha; Jia, Sabina; Tong, Kevin; Wen, Richard R.; Zhizhuo, Zhou

2018-05-01

Understanding non-thermal particle generation, transport, and escape in solar flares requires detailed quantification of the particle evolution in the realistic 3D domain where the flare takes place. Rather surprisingly, apart from the standard flare scenario and integral characteristics of non-thermal electrons, not much is known about the actual evolution of non-thermal electrons in the 3D spatial domain. This paper attempts to begin to remedy this situation by creating sets of evolving 3D models, the synthesized emission from which matches the evolving observed emission. Here, we investigate two contrasting flares: a dense, “coronal-thick-target” flare SOL2002-04-12T17:42, that contained a single flare loop observed in both microwaves and X-rays, and a more complex flare, SOL2015-06-22T17:50, that contained at least four distinct flaring loops needed to consistently reproduce the microwave and X-ray emission. Our analysis reveals differing evolution patterns for the non-thermal electrons in the dense and tenuous loops; however, both patterns suggest that resonant wave–particle interactions with turbulence play a central role. These results offer new constraints for theory and models of the particle acceleration and transport in solar flares.

FLARE-GENERATED SHOCK WAVE PROPAGATION THROUGH SOLAR CORONAL ARCADE LOOPS AND AN ASSOCIATED TYPE II RADIO BURST

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

Kumar, Pankaj; Cho, Kyung-Suk; Innes, D. E., E-mail: pankaj@kasi.re.kr

2016-09-01

This paper presents multiwavelength observations of a flare-generated type II radio burst. The kinematics of the shock derived from the type II burst closely match a fast extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wave seen propagating through coronal arcade loops. The EUV wave was closely associated with an impulsive M1.0 flare without a related coronal mass ejection, and was triggered at one of the footpoints of the arcade loops in active region NOAA 12035. It was initially observed in the 335 Å images from the Atmospheric Image Assembly with a speed of ∼800 km s{sup −1} and it accelerated to ∼1490 km s{supmore » −1} after passing through the arcade loops. A fan–spine magnetic topology was revealed at the flare site. A small, confined filament eruption (∼340 km s{sup −1}) was also observed moving in the opposite direction to the EUV wave. We suggest that breakout reconnection in the fan–spine topology triggered the flare and associated EUV wave that propagated as a fast shock through the arcade loops.« less

The flares of August 1972

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zirin, H.; Tanaka, K.

1972-01-01

Analysis is made of observations of the August, 1972 flares at Big Bear and Tel Aviv, involving monochromatic movies, magnetograms, and spectra. In each flare the observations fit a model of particle acceleration in the chromosphere with emission produced by impart and by heating by the energetic electrons and protons. The region showed twisted flux and high gradients from birth, and flares appear due to strong magnetic shears and gradients across the neutral line produced by sunspot motions. Post flare loops show a strong change from sheared, force-free fields parallel to potential-field-like loops, perpendicular to the neutral line above the surface.

Observations of H-alpha and microwave brightening caused by a distant solar flare

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kundu, M. R.; Bobrowsky, M.; Rust, D. M.

1983-01-01

Synthesized maps with integration times of 10 and 30 sec, based on the observation of three subflares at 6 cm and H-alpha 6563 A, indicate that most of the 6 cm burst emission originated in 10-15 arcsec features coincident with, or adjacent to, H-alpha flare kernels. During the onset of one of the subflares, 6 cm emission was discovered in a loop stretching over 100,000 km from the primary flare site in association with H-alpha flare-like brightness at the remote footpoint of the loop. Assuming a primary flare site origin for the energy of the distant brightening, about 4 x 10 to the 24th ergs/sec propagated along the connecting magnetic loop at a velocity of more than 6000 km/sec. It is suggested that the energy may have been carried by electrons originating in the high energy tail of the electron thermal velocity distribution, escaping from the primary flare site.

Coronal loop hydrodynamics. The solar flare observed on November 12, 1980 revisited: The UV line emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betta, R. M.; Peres, G.; Reale, F.; Serio, S.

2001-12-01

We revisit a well-studied solar flare whose X-ray emission originating from a simple loop structure was observed by most of the instruments on board SMM on November 12, 1980. The X-ray emission of this flare, as observed with the XRP, was successfully modeled previously. Here we include a detailed modeling of the transition region and we compare the hydrodynamic results with the UVSP observations in two EUV lines, measured in areas smaller than the XRP rasters, covering only some portions of the flaring loop (the top and the foot-points). The single loop hydrodynamic model, which fits well the evolution of coronal lines (those observed with the XRP and the Fe XXI 1354.1 Å line observed with the UVSP) fails to model the flux level and evolution of the O V 1371.3 Åline.

Observations of a Two-Stage Solar Eruptive Event (SEE): Evidence for Secondary Heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Su, Yang; Dennis, Brian R.; Holman, Gordon D.; Wang, Tongjiang; Chamberlin, Phillip C.; Savage, Sabrina; Veronig, Astrid

2012-01-01

We present RHESSI, SDO/AIA, SOHO/LASCO, STEREO, and GOES observations of a partially occulted solar eruptive event (SEE) that occurred at the South-West limb on 8 March, 2011. The GOES X-ray light curve shows two peaks separated by almost two hours that we interpret as two stages of a single event associated with the delayed eruption of a CME. A hot flux rope formed during the first stage and continued expanding and rising throughout the event. The speed of the flux rope decreased from approx.120 to 14 km/s during the decay phase of the first stage and increased again during the second stage to become the CME with a speed of approx.516 km/s. RHESSI and GOES data analyses show that the plasma temperature reached over 20 MK in the first stage, then decreased to approx.10 MK and increased to 15 MK in the second stage. This event provides clear evidence for a secondary heating phase. The enhanced EUV and X-ray emission came from the high corona ( approx.60 arcsec above the limb) in the second stage, approx.40 arcsec higher than the site of the initial flare emission. STEREO-A on-disk observations indicate that the post-flare loops during this stage were of larger scale sizes and spatially distinct from those in the first stage.

Evidence of Significant Energy Input in the Late Phase of A Solar Flare from NuSTAR X-Ray Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuhar, Matej; Krucker, Sam; Hannah, Iain G.; Glesener, Lindsay; Saint-Hilaire, Pascal; Grefenstette, Brian W.; Hudson, Hugh S.; White, Stephen M.; Smith, David M.; Marsh, Andrew J.;

The Duration of Energy Deposition on Unresolved Flaring Loops in the Solar Corona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reep, Jeffrey W.; Polito, Vanessa; Warren, Harry P.; Crump, Nicholas A.

2018-04-01

Solar flares form and release energy across a large number of magnetic loops. The global parameters of flares, such as the total energy released, duration, physical size, etc., are routinely measured, and the hydrodynamics of a coronal loop subjected to intense heating have been extensively studied. It is not clear, however, how many loops comprise a flare, nor how the total energy is partitioned between them. In this work, we employ a hydrodynamic model to better understand the energy partition by synthesizing Si IV and Fe XXI line emission and comparing to observations of these lines with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). We find that the observed temporal evolution of the Doppler shifts holds important information on the heating duration. To demonstrate this, we first examine a single loop model, and find that the properties of chromospheric evaporation seen in Fe XXI can be reproduced by loops heated for long durations, while persistent redshifts seen in Si IV cannot be reproduced by any single loop model. We then examine a multithreaded model, assuming both a fixed heating duration on all loops and a distribution of heating durations. For a fixed heating duration, we find that durations of 100–200 s do a fair job of reproducing both the red- and blueshifts, while a distribution of durations, with a median of about 50–100 s, does a better job. Finally, we compare our simulations directly to observations of an M-class flare seen by IRIS, and find good agreement between the modeled and observed values given these constraints.

Probing the Production of Extreme-ultraviolet Late-phase Solar Flares Using the Model Enthalpy-based Thermal Evolution of Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Yu; Ding, Mingde

2018-04-01

Recent observations in extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths reveal an EUV late phase in some solar flares that is characterized by a second peak in warm coronal emissions (∼3 MK) several tens of minutes to a few hours after the soft X-ray (SXR) peak. Using the model enthalpy-based thermal evolution of loops (EBTEL), we numerically probe the production of EUV late-phase solar flares. Starting from two main mechanisms of producing the EUV late phase, i.e., long-lasting cooling and secondary heating, we carry out two groups of numerical experiments to study the effects of these two processes on the emission characteristics in late-phase loops. In either of the two processes an EUV late-phase solar flare that conforms to the observational criteria can be numerically synthesized. However, the underlying hydrodynamic and thermodynamic evolutions in late-phase loops are different between the two synthetic flare cases. The late-phase peak due to a long-lasting cooling process always occurs during the radiative cooling phase, while that powered by a secondary heating is more likely to take place in the conductive cooling phase. We then propose a new method for diagnosing the two mechanisms based on the shape of EUV late-phase light curves. Moreover, from the partition of energy input, we discuss why most solar flares are not EUV late flares. Finally, by addressing some other factors that may potentially affect the loop emissions, we also discuss why the EUV late phase is mainly observed in warm coronal emissions.

GLOBAL SAUSAGE OSCILLATION OF SOLAR FLARE LOOPS DETECTED BY THE INTERFACE REGION IMAGING SPECTROGRAPH

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

Tian, Hui; He, Jiansen; Young, Peter R.

An observation from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph reveals coherent oscillations in the loops of an M1.6 flare on 2015 March 12. Both the intensity and Doppler shift of Fe xxi 1354.08 Å show clear oscillations with a period of ∼25 s. Remarkably similar oscillations were also detected in the soft X-ray flux recorded by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites ( GOES ). With an estimated phase speed of ∼2420 km s{sup −1} and a derived electron density of at least 5.4 × 10{sup 10} cm{sup −3}, the observed short-period oscillation is most likely the global fast sausage mode ofmore » a hot flare loop. We find a phase shift of ∼ π /2 (1/4 period) between the Doppler shift oscillation and the intensity/ GOES oscillations, which is consistent with a recent forward modeling study of the sausage mode. The observed oscillation requires a density contrast between the flare loop and coronal background of a factor ≥42. The estimated phase speed of the global mode provides a lower limit of the Alfvén speed outside the flare loop. We also find an increase of the oscillation period, which might be caused by the separation of the loop footpoints with time.« less

Quasi-periodic Oscillations in Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections Associated with Magnetic Reconnection

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

Takahashi, Takuya; Shibata, Kazunari; Qiu, Jiong, E-mail: takahasi@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp

We propose a mechanism for quasi-periodic oscillations of both coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and flare loops as related to magnetic reconnection in eruptive solar flares. We perform two-dimensional numerical MHD simulations of magnetic flux rope eruption, with three different values of the global Lundquist number. In the low Lundquist number run, no oscillatory behavior is found. In the moderate Lundquist number run, on the other hand, quasi-periodic oscillations are excited both at the bottom of the flux rope and at the flare loop top. In the high Lundquist number run, quasi-periodic oscillations are also excited; in the meanwhile, the dynamicsmore » become turbulent owing to the formation of multiple plasmoids in the reconnection current sheet. In high and moderate Lundquist number runs, thin reconnection jets collide with the flux rope bottom or flare loop top and dig them deeply. Steep oblique shocks are formed as termination shocks where reconnection jets are bent (rather than decelerated) in the horizontal direction, resulting in supersonic backflows. The structure becomes unstable, and quasi-periodic oscillations of supersonic backflows appear at locally confined high-beta regions at both the flux rope bottom and flare loop top. We compare the observational characteristics of quasi-periodic oscillations in erupting flux ropes, post-CME current sheets, flare ribbons, and light curves with corresponding dynamical structures found in our simulation.« less

Quasi-periodic Oscillations in Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections Associated with Magnetic Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Takuya; Qiu, Jiong; Shibata, Kazunari

2017-10-01

We propose a mechanism for quasi-periodic oscillations of both coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and flare loops as related to magnetic reconnection in eruptive solar flares. We perform two-dimensional numerical MHD simulations of magnetic flux rope eruption, with three different values of the global Lundquist number. In the low Lundquist number run, no oscillatory behavior is found. In the moderate Lundquist number run, on the other hand, quasi-periodic oscillations are excited both at the bottom of the flux rope and at the flare loop top. In the high Lundquist number run, quasi-periodic oscillations are also excited; in the meanwhile, the dynamics become turbulent owing to the formation of multiple plasmoids in the reconnection current sheet. In high and moderate Lundquist number runs, thin reconnection jets collide with the flux rope bottom or flare loop top and dig them deeply. Steep oblique shocks are formed as termination shocks where reconnection jets are bent (rather than decelerated) in the horizontal direction, resulting in supersonic backflows. The structure becomes unstable, and quasi-periodic oscillations of supersonic backflows appear at locally confined high-beta regions at both the flux rope bottom and flare loop top. We compare the observational characteristics of quasi-periodic oscillations in erupting flux ropes, post-CME current sheets, flare ribbons, and light curves with corresponding dynamical structures found in our simulation.

Spatial structure and temporal development of a solar X-ray flare observed from Skylab on June 15, 1973

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pallavicini, R.; Vaiana, G. S.; Kahler, S. W.; Krieger, A. S.

1975-01-01

Morphological and quantitative analyses are presented of a 1B solar flare that was observed with high spatial and temporal resolution by the S-054 grazing-incidence X-ray telescope aboard Skylab. It is found that the flare had the configuration of a compact region with a characteristic size of the order of 30 arcsec at the intensity peak, the interior of the region appeared to be highly structured and to consist of temporally changing complex loop systems, brightening over an extended part of the active region preceded the flare onset, and the impulsive phase was marked by rapid brightening in the loop structures. The X-ray photographs also indicate that the X-ray emission was centered over the neutral line of the longitudinal magnetic field, loop systems formed at successively increasing heights during the decay phase, and different regions of the flare had distinctly different light curves. The flux profiles for the different regions are shown to suggest continued heating during the decay phase. It is concluded that flare models should be based on a multiplicity of volumes ordered in loops of successively larger scale lengths and heights rather than on a single point of energy release and deposition.

Radio imaging of solar flares using the very large array - New insights into flare process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kundu, M. R.; Schmahl, E. J.; Vlahos, L.; Velusamy, T.

1982-01-01

An interpretation of VLA observations of microwave bursts is presented in an attempt to distinguish between certain models of flares. The VLA observations provide information about the pre-flare magnetic field topology and the existence of mildly relativistic electrons accelerated during flares. Examples are shown of changes in magnetic field topology in the hour before flares. In one case, new bipolar loops appear to emerge, which is an essential component of the model developed by Heyvaerts et al. (1977). In another case, a quadrupole structure, suggestive of two juxtaposed bipolar loops, appears to trigger the flare. Because of the observed diversity of magnetic field topologies in microwave bursts, it is believed that the magnetic energy must be dissipated in more than one way. The VLA observations are clearly providing means for sorting out the diverse flare models.

The Origin of the EUV Late Phase: A Case Study of the C8.8 Flare on 2010 May 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hock, R. A.; Woods, T. N.; Klimchuk, J. A.; Eparvier, F. G.; Jones, A. R.

2012-01-01

Since the launch of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on 2010 February 11, the Extreme ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) has observed numerous flares. One interesting feature observed by EVE is that a subset of flares exhibit an additional enhancement of the 2-3 million K emission several hours after the flares soft X-ray emission. From the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) images, we observe that this secondary emission, dubbed the EUV late phase, occurs in the same active region as the flare but not in the same coronal loops. Here, we examine the C8.8 flare that occurred on 2010 May 5 as a case study of EUV late phase flares. In addition to presenting detailed observations from both AIA and EVE, we develop a physical model of this flare and test it using the Enthalpy Based Thermal Evolution of Loops (EBTEL) model.

The (Phased?) Activity of Stars Hosting Hot Jupiters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pillitteri, Ignazio; Wolk, Scott J.; Lopez-Santiago, J.; Sciortino, Salvatore

2015-01-01

The activity of stars harboring hot Jupiters could be influenced by their close-in planets. Cases of enhanced chromospheric activity are reported in literature, suggesting magnetic interaction at well determined planetary phases. In X-rays and FUV, we have studied star-planet interaction (SPI) occurring in the system of HD 189733. In X-rays, HD 189733 shows features of high activity that can be ascribed to the influence of the magnetic field of its planetary companion. Through a wavelet analysis of a flare, we inferred a long magnetic loop of 2 R_* to 4 R_*, and a local magnetic field of strength in 40-100 G. The size of the flaring loop suggests a role of the hot Jupiter in triggering this kind of X-ray variability. In FUV, HST-COS spectra of HD 189733 shows temporal variations in intensity and Doppler shifts of Si III and Si IV lines that can be ascribed to plasma flowing from the planetary atmosphere and accreting onto the star under the action of the combined magnetic field of star and planet. The material from the planetary atmosphere can flow onto the parent star as predicted by MHD models. The foot point of the accretion on the stellar surface results in phased variability observed in X-rays and FUV, when the point, comoving with the planet, emerges at the limb of the star.

DIRECT OBSERVATIONS OF TETHER-CUTTING RECONNECTION DURING A MAJOR SOLAR EVENT FROM 2014 FEBRUARY 24 TO 25

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

Chen, Huadong; Zhang, Jun; Yang, Shuhong

2014-12-20

Using multi-wavelength data from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we investigated two successive solar flares, a C5.1 confined flare and an X4.9 ejective flare with a halo coronal mass ejection, in NOAA active region 11990 from 2014 February 24 to 25. Before the confined flare onset, EUV brightening beneath the filament was detected. As the flare began, a twisted helical flux rope (FR) wrapping around the filament moved upward and then stopped, and in the meantime an obvious X-ray source below it was observed. Prior to the ejective X4.9 flare, some pre-existing loop structures inmore » the active region interacted with each other, which produced a brightening region beneath the filament. Meanwhile, a small flaring loop appeared below the interaction region and some new helical lines connecting the far ends of the loop structures were gradually formed and continually added into the former twisted FR. Then, due to the resulting imbalance between the magnetic pressure and tension, the new FR, together with the filament, erupted outward. Our observations coincide well with a tether-cutting model, suggesting that the two flares probably have the same triggering mechanism, i.e., tether-cutting reconnection. To our knowledge, this is the first direct observation of tether-cutting reconnection occurring between pre-existing loops in an active region. In the ejective flare case, the erupting filament exhibited an Ω-like kinked structure and underwent an exponential rise after a slow-rise phase, indicating that the kink instability might be also responsible for the eruption initiation.« less

The sun's spots and flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, David M.

1987-01-01

The Solar Maximum Mission (SMM), designed to study the solar activity, was launched on February 14, 1980, just before the 1980 peak of sunspot and flare activity. The seven instruments aboard the SMM, information received by each of the instruments, and the performance of these instruments are described, together with the repair mission carried out to replace the attitude control module and the defective electronics in the satellite's observatory. The highlights of the scientific results obtained by the SMM mission and the new discoveries made are discussed, with special attention given to the flare loops, flare loop interactions, and the mass ejection events recorded.

Modelling a solar flare from X-ray, UV, and radio observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiuderi Drago, F.; Monsignori Fossi, B. C.

1991-03-01

A slowly evolving, flaring loop was observed by the UVSP, XRP, and HXIS instruments onboard SMM on June 10, 1980. Simultaneous radio observations from Toyokawa (Japan) are also available. The SMM instruments have an angular resolution ranging from 3 to 30 arcsec by which the loop structure may be determined. It appears that these observations cannot be accounted for by a single loop model even assuming a variable temperature and pressure. The additional presence of a hot and tenuous isothermal plasma is necessary to explain the harder emission (HXIS). X-ray and UV data are used to fit the differential emission measure as a function of temperature and a model of the flare is deduced, which is then checked against radio data. An estimate of the heating function along the loop and of the total energy content of the loop is also given.

Effects of transport coefficients on excitation of flare-induced standing slow-mode waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tongjiang; Ofman, Leon; Davila, Joseph

2017-08-01

The flare-excited longitudinal intensity oscillations in hot flaring loops have been recently detected by SDO/AIA, and interpreted as the slow-mode standing waves. By means of the seismology technique we have, for the first time, determined the transport coefficients in the hot (>9 MK) flare plasma, and found that thermal conductivity is suppressed by at least 3 times and viscosity coefficient is enhanced by a factor of 15 as the upper limit (Wang et al. 2015, ApJL, 811, L13). In this presentation, we first discuss possible causes for conduction suppression and viscosity enhancements. Then we use the nonlinear MHD simulations to validate the seismology method that is based on linear analytical analysis, and demonstrate the inversion scheme for determining transport coefficients using numerical parametric study. Finally, we show how the seismologically-determined transport coefficients are crucial for understanding the excitation of the observed standing slow-mode waves in coronal loops and the heating of the loop plasma by a footpoint flare.

Observing the Sun with NuSTAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-07-01

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is a space telescope primarily designed to detect high-energy X-rays from faint, distant astrophysical sources. Recently, however, its occasionally been pointing much closer to home, with the goal of solving a few longstanding mysteries about the Sun.Intensity maps from an observation of a quiet-Sun region near the north solar pole and an active region just below the solar limb. The quiet-Sun data will be searched for small flares that could be heating the solar corona, and the high-altitude emission above the limb may provide clues about particle acceleration. [Adapted from Grefenstette et al. 2016]An Unexpected TargetThough we have a small fleet of space telescopes designed to observe the Sun, theres an important gap: until recently, there was no focusing telescope making solar observations in the hard X-ray band (above ~3 keV). Conveniently, there is a tool capable of doing this: NuSTAR.Though NuSTARs primary mission is to observe faint astrophysical X-ray sources, a team of scientists has recently conducted a series of observations in which NuSTAR was temporarily repurposed and turned to focus on the Sun instead.These observations pose an interesting challenge precisely because of NuSTARs extreme sensitivity: pointing at such a nearby, bright source can quickly swamp the detectors. But though the instrument cant be used to observe the bright flares and outbursts from the Sun, its the perfect tool for examining the parts of the Sun weve been unable to explore in hard X-rays before now such as faint flares, or the quiet, inactive solar surface.In a recently published study led by Brian Grefenstette (California Institute of Technology), the team describes the purpose and initial results of NuSTARs first observations of the Sun.Solar MysteriesWhat is NuSTAR hoping to accomplish with its solar observations? There are two main questions that hard X-ray observations may help to answer.How are particles accelerated in solar flares?The process of electron acceleration during solar flares is not well understood. When a flare-producing active region is occulted by the solar limb, NuSTAR will able to directly observe the flare loop above the solar surface which is where that acceleration is thought to happen.How is the solar corona heated?The solar corona is a toasty 13 million Kelvin significantly warmer than the ~6000 K solar photosphere. So how is the corona heated? One proposed explanation is that the Suns surface constantly emits tiny nanoflares in active regions, or even in the quiet Sun that are so faint that we havent detected them. But with its high sensitivity, NuSTAR may be able to!The first NuSTAR full-disk mosaic of the Sun. The checkerboard pattern is an artifact of the detectors being hit by particles from active regions outside of the field of view a problem which will be reduced as the Sun enters the upcoming quieter part of the solar cycle. [Adapted from Grefenstette et al. 2016]First ObservationsIn NuSTARs first four observations of the Sun, the team unexpectedly observed a major flare (which unsurprisingly swamped the detectors), watched the emission above an active region that was hidden by the solar limb, stared at a section of quiet Sun near the north solar pole, and composed a full-disk mosaic of the solar surface from 16 12 x 12 tiles.All of these initial observations are currently being carefully analyzed and will be presented in detail in future publications. In the meantime, NuSTAR has demonstrated its effectiveness in detecting faint emission in solar hard X-rays, proving that it will be a powerful tool for heliophysics as well as for astrophysics. We look forward to seeing the future results from this campaign!CitationBrian W. Grefenstette et al 2016 ApJ 826 20. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/826/1/20

OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS OF BALLISTIC DOWNFLOWS IN AN M-CLASS FLARE WITH THE INTERFACE REGION IMAGING SPECTROGRAPH

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

Brannon, Sean R.

Despite significant advances in instrumentation, there remain no studies that analyze observations of on-disk flare loop plasma flows covering the entire evolution from chromospheric evaporation, through plasma cooling, to draining downflows. We present results from an imaging and spectroscopic observation from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) of the SOL2015–03–12T11:50:00 M-class flare, at high spatial resolution and time cadence. Our analysis of this event reveals initial plasma evaporation at flare temperatures indicated by 100–200 km s{sup −1} blueshifts in the Fe xxi line. We subsequently observe plasma cooling into chromospheric lines (Si iv and O iv) with ∼11more » minute delay, followed by loop draining at ∼40 km s{sup −1} as indicated by a “C”-shaped redshift structure and significant (∼60 km s{sup −1}) non-thermal broadening. We use density-sensitive lines to calculate a plasma density for the flare loops, and estimate a theoretical cooling time approximately equal to the observed delay. Finally, we use a simple elliptical free-fall draining model to construct synthetic spectra, and perform what we believe to be the first direct comparison of such synthetic spectra to observations of draining downflows in flare loops.« less

High Contrast X-ray Flares In The Anchors Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCleary, Jacqueline; Wolk, S.

2010-01-01

The X-ray light curves of pre-main sequence stars can show variability in the form of flares altering a baseline characteristic activity level; the largest X-ray flares are characterized by a rapid rise to 10 or more times the characteristic count rate, followed by a slower quasi-exponential decay. Analysis of these high-contrast X-ray flares enables the study of the innermost magnetic fields of pre-main sequence stars. We have scanned the ANCHORS database of Chandra observations of star-forming regions to extend the study of flare events on pre-main sequence stars both in sky coverage and in volume. We developed a sample of 30 high-contrast flares out of the 14,000 stars available in ANCHORS at the time of our study. By not biasing our sample by cluster, age, or spectral type, we increased the number of X-ray flare events studied and subsequently the strength of any statements about their properties. Applying the generally accepted methods of time-resolved spectral analysis developed by Reale et al. (1997), we measured the temperatures, confining magnetic field strengths, and loop lengths of these large flares. The results of the flare analysis were compared to the 2MASS and Spitzer data available for the stars in our sample. We found that the longest flare loop lengths (of order several stellar radii) are only seen on stars whose IR data indicates the presence of disks, which suggests that the longest flares may stretch all the way to the disk. Such long flares tend to be more tenuous (rarified) than the other large flares studied. A wide range of loop lengths were observed, indicating that two types of flares may occur on disked young stellar objects: either compact and analogous to flares on evolved stars, or long and the result of star-disk magnetic connections.

Study of Two Successive Three-ribbon Solar Flares on 2012 July 6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Haimin; Liu, Chang; Deng, Na; Zeng, Zhicheng; Xu, Yan; Jing, Ju; Cao, Wenda

2014-01-01

This Letter reports two rarely observed three-ribbon flares (M1.9 and C9.2) on 2012 July 6 in NOAA AR 11515, which we found using Hα observations of 0.''1 resolution from the New Solar Telescope and Ca II H images from Hinode. The flaring site is characterized by an intriguing "fish-bone-like" morphology evidenced by both Hα images and a nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) extrapolation, where two semi-parallel rows of low-lying, sheared loops connect an elongated, parasitic negative field with the sandwiching positive fields. The NLFFF model also shows that the two rows of loops are asymmetric in height and have opposite twists, and are enveloped by large-scale field lines including open fields. The two flares occurred in succession within half an hour and are located at the two ends of the flaring region. The three ribbons of each flare run parallel to the magnetic polarity inversion line, with the outer two lying in the positive field and the central one in the negative field. Both flares show surge-like flows in Hα apparently toward the remote region, while the C9.2 flare is also accompanied by EUV jets possibly along the open field lines. Interestingly, the 12-25 keV hard X-ray sources of the C9.2 flare first line up with the central ribbon then shift to concentrate on the top of the higher branch of loops. These results are discussed in favor of reconnection along the coronal null line, producing the three flare ribbons and the associated ejections.

Study of Two Successive Three-ribbon Solar Flares Using BBSO/NST Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Haimin; Liu, Chang; Deng, Na; Zeng, Zhicheng; Xu, Yan; Jing, Ju; Cao, Wenda

2014-06-01

We studied two rarely observed three-ribbon flares (M1.9 and C9.2) on 2012 July 6 in NOAA AR 11515, which we found using Hα observations of 0.1 arcsec resolution from the New Solar Telescope and Ca II H images from Hinode. The flaring site is characterized by an intriguing "fish-bone-like" morphology evidenced by both Halpha images and a nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) extrapolation, where two semi-parallel rows of low-lying, sheared loops connect an elongated, parasitic negative field with the sandwiching positive fields. The NLFFF model also shows that the two rows of loops are asymmetric in height and have opposite twists, and are enveloped by large-scale field lines including open fields. The two flares occurred in succession within half an hour and are located at the two ends of the flaring region. The three ribbons of each flare run parallel to the magnetic polarity inversion line, with the outer two lying in the positive field and the central one in the negative field. Both flares show surge-like flows in Halpha apparently toward the remote region, while the C9.2 flare is also accompanied by EUV jets possibly along the open field lines. Interestingly, the 12-25 keV hard X-ray sources of the C9.2 flare first line up with the central ribbon then shift to concentrate on the top of the higher branch of loops. These results are discussed in favor of reconnection along the coronal null line, producing the three flare ribbons and the associated ejections.

Quasi-periodic Pulsations in the Most Powerful Solar Flare of Cycle 24

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolotkov, Dmitrii Y.; Pugh, Chloe E.; Broomhall, Anne-Marie; Nakariakov, Valery M.

2018-05-01

Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) are common in solar flares and are now regularly observed in stellar flares. We present the detection of two different types of QPP signals in the thermal emission light curves of the X9.3-class solar flare SOL2017-09-06T12:02, which is the most powerful flare of Cycle 24. The period of the shorter-period QPP drifts from about 12 to 25 s during the flare. The observed properties of this QPP are consistent with a sausage oscillation of a plasma loop in the flaring active region. The period of the longer-period QPP is about 4 to 5 minutes. Its properties are compatible with standing slow magnetoacoustic oscillations, which are often detected in coronal loops. For both QPP signals, other mechanisms such as repetitive reconnection cannot be ruled out, however. The studied solar flare has an energy in the realm of observed stellar flares, and the fact that there is evidence of a short-period QPP signal typical of solar flares along with a long-period QPP signal more typical of stellar flares suggests that the different ranges of QPP periods typically observed in solar and stellar flares is likely due to observational constraints, and that similar physical processes may be occurring in solar and stellar flares.

Radio wave heating of the corona and electron precipitation during flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melrose, D. B.; Dulk, G. A.

1982-01-01

Electron-cyclotron masers, excited while energy release is occurring in a flaring magnetic loop, are likely to generate extremely intense radiation at decimeter wavelengths. The energy in the radiation can be comparable with that in the electrons associated with hard X-ray bursts, i.e., a significant fraction of the total energy in the flare. Essentially all of the radio energy is likely to be reabsorbed by gyroresonance absorption, either near the emitting region or at some distance away in neighboring loops. Enhanced diffusion of fast electrons caused by the maser can lead to precipitation at the maximum possible rate, and hence account for hard X-ray emission from the footpoints of the magnetic loops.

ANALYSIS AND MODELING OF TWO FLARE LOOPS OBSERVED BY AIA AND EIS

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

Li, Y.; Ding, M. D.; Qiu, J.

2012-10-10

We analyze and model an M1.0 flare observed by SDO/AIA and Hinode/EIS to investigate how flare loops are heated and evolve subsequently. The flare is composed of two distinctive loop systems observed in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images. The UV 1600 A emission at the feet of these loops exhibits a rapid rise, followed by enhanced emission in different EUV channels observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). Such behavior is indicative of impulsive energy deposit and the subsequent response in overlying coronal loops that evolve through different temperatures. Using the method we recently developed,more » we infer empirical heating functions from the rapid rise of the UV light curves for the two loop systems, respectively, treating them as two big loops with cross-sectional area of 5'' by 5'', and compute the plasma evolution in the loops using the EBTEL model. We compute the synthetic EUV light curves, which, with the limitation of the model, reasonably agree with observed light curves obtained in multiple AIA channels and EIS lines: they show the same evolution trend and their magnitudes are comparable by within a factor of two. Furthermore, we also compare the computed mean enthalpy flow velocity with the Doppler shift measurements by EIS during the decay phase of the two loops. Our results suggest that the two different loops with different heating functions as inferred from their footpoint UV emission, combined with their different lengths as measured from imaging observations, give rise to different coronal plasma evolution patterns captured both in the model and in observations.« less

Spatial Structure of Multimode Oscillations in a Solar Flare on 14 May 2013 in EUV and Radio Bands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolotkov, Dmitry; Nakariakov, Valery; Nisticò, Giuseppe; Shibasaki, Kiyoto; Kupriyanova, Elena

Quasi-periodic pulsations and coronal loop oscillations in an X-class solar flare on 14 May 2013 are considered. Rapidly decaying kink oscillations of coronal loops with periods of several minutes in the flaring active region detected in the EUV band with SDO/AIA after the impulsive phase of the flare. Oscillations of neighbouring loops are excited simultaneously, but get rapidly out of phase. In the impulsive phase, observations in the radio band with the Nobeyama Radioheliograph and Radiopolarimeter show quasi-periodic pulsations that are most pronounced in the 17 GHz band. In the correlation plots and the integrated flux the pulsations have a symmetric triangular shape. The period of pulsations is about 1 min. Analysis of the spatial locations of the radio sources reveal that the triangularity is likely to be caused by superposition of several harmonic modes.

Post Flare Giant Arches and Run-Away Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, Matthew; Seaton, Daniel B.; Savage, Sabrina; Bryans, Paul

2016-05-01

The nature of post-flare giant arches and their relation to regular post flare loops has long been debated, especially in the context of how post-flare giant arches can sustain their growth for such long periods. In this presentation we discuss how magnetic reconnection can be sustained to such great heights, and the role the background corona plays in maintaining this growth. We use observations from 14 October 2014, when the SWAP EUV solar telescope on-board the PROBA2 spacecraft observed an eruption that led to the formation of perhaps the largest post-eruptive loop system seen in the solar corona in solar cycle 24. These loops grew to a height of approximately 400000 km (>0.5 solar-radii). We provide evidence of on-going reconnection, through observations spanning from the chromosphere to the middle corona, and discuss how only certain conditions can maintain prolonged growth.

Reconnection on the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-05-01

Because the Sun is so close, it makes an excellent laboratory to study processes we cant examinein distant stars. One openquestion is that of how solar magnetic fields rearrange themselves, producing the tremendous releases of energy we observe as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).What is Magnetic Reconnection?Magnetic reconnection occurs when a magnetic field rearranges itself to move to a lower-energy state. As field lines of opposite polarity reconnect, magnetic energy is suddenly converted into thermal and kinetic energy.This processis believed to be behind the sudden releases of energy from the solar surface in the form of solar flares and CMEs. But there are many different models for how magnetic reconnection could occur in the magnetic field at the Suns surface, and we arent sure which one of these reconnection types is responsible for the events we see.Recently, however, several studies have been published presenting some of the first observational support of specific reconnection models. Taken together, these observations suggest that there are likely several different types of reconnection happening on the solar surface. Heres a closer look at two of these recent publications:A pre-eruption SDO image of a flaring region (b) looks remarkably similar to a 3D cartoon for typical breakout configuration (a). Click for a closer look! [Adapted from Chen et al. 2016]Study 1:Magnetic BreakoutLed by Yao Chen (Shandong University in China), a team of scientists has presented observations made by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) of a flare and CME event that appears to have been caused by magnetic breakout.In the magnetic breakout model, a series of loops in the Suns lower corona are confined by a surrounding larger loop structure called an arcade higher in the corona. As the lower loops push upward, reconnection occurs in the upper corona, removing the overlying, confining arcade. Without that extra confinement, the lower coronal loops expand upward, erupting from the solar surface.Snapshots from the SDO side view (left and center) and STEREO overhead view (right). The three rows show the time evolution of the double-loop structure after the initial flare. In the STEREO view, you can see the central footpoints of the loops slip to the left. [Gou et al. 2016]In the SDO observations presented by Chen and collaborators, the pre-flare/CME structures look remarkably like the structures predicted in the breakout model. Sequential heating of loops can be seen as the breakout reconnection starts, followed by anenormous flare and CME as the lower loops erupt outward.Study 2: Slipping ReconnectionA team of scientists from the University of Science and Technology of China, led by Tingyu Gou and Rui Liu, have presented the first stereoscopic observation of slipping reconnection in the Sun, made by the two-spacecraft Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO).In slipping reconnection, magnetic field lines continuously exchange connectivities with their neighbors, causing them to slip through plasma. Observations by STEREO of a flaring double-loop system revealed that the central footpoints the endpoints where the loops are anchored to the solar surface slipped sideways after a flare.The authors model of the double-loop structure at two different times, during which the central footpoint slips from point C to D. Projections onto the XY and YZ planes show STEREOs and SDOs views, respectively. [Gou et al. 2016]The authors reconstructed a 3D model of the loop system using the overhead observations from STEREO and a simultaneous side view from SDO. They speculate that the slipping reconnection was likely triggered by the initial solar flare.Double BonusCheck out the videos belowto watch these processes happen!This first video is from Chen et al. 2016, and shows the SDO view of coronal loops in three wavelengths. If you watch carefully, you can see the sequential brightening of loops signs of the breakout reconnection before the flare and CME.http://aasnova.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/breakout.mp4This second video is from Gou et al. 2016, and shows the SDO side view (left and center panels) and STEREO top view (right panel) of a flare and the slipping reconnection that occurred after. Keep your eye on the STEREO view between 0:02 and 0:04 to watch the central footpoint slide left.http://aasnova.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/slipping.mp4CitationYao Chen et al 2016 ApJ 820 L37. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/820/2/L37Tingyu Gou et al 2016 ApJ 821 L28. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/821/2/L28

FLARE ENERGY BUILD-UP IN A DECAYING ACTIVE REGION NEAR A CORONAL HOLE

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

Su Yingna; Van Ballegooijen, Adriaan; Golub, Leon

2009-10-10

A B1.7 two-ribbon flare occurred in a highly non-potential decaying active region near a coronal hole at 10:00 UT on 2008 May 17. This flare is 'large' in the sense that it involves the entire region, and it is associated with both a filament eruption and a coronal mass ejection. We present multi-wavelength observations from EUV (TRACE, STEREO/EUVI), X-rays (Hinode/XRT), and Halpha (THEMIS, BBSO) prior to, during and after the flare. Prior to the flare, the region contained two filaments. The long J-shaped sheared loops corresponding to the southern filament were evolved from two short loop systems, which happened aroundmore » 22:00 UT after a filament eruption on May 16. Formation of highly sheared loops in the southeastern part of the region was observed by STEREO 8 hr before the flare. We also perform nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) modeling for the region at two times prior to the flare, using the flux rope insertion method. The models include the non-force-free effect of magnetic buoyancy in the photosphere. The best-fit NLFFF models show good fit to observations both in the corona (X-ray and EUV loops) and chromosphere (Halpha filament). We find that the horizontal fields in the photosphere are relatively insensitive to the present of flux ropes in the corona. The axial flux of the flux rope in the NLFFF model on May 17 is twice that on May 16, and the model on May 17 is only marginally stable. We also find that the quasi-circular flare ribbons are associated with the separatrix between open and closed fields. This observation and NLFFF modeling suggest that this flare may be triggered by the reconnection at the null point on the separatrix surface.« less

LARGE-SCALE CONTRACTION AND SUBSEQUENT DISRUPTION OF CORONAL LOOPS DURING VARIOUS PHASES OF THE M6.2 FLARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONFINED FLUX ROPE ERUPTION

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

Kushwaha, Upendra; Joshi, Bhuwan; Moon, Yong-Jae

We investigate evolutionary phases of an M6.2 flare and the associated confined eruption of a prominence. The pre-flare phase exhibits spectacular large-scale contraction of overlying extreme ultraviolet (EUV) coronal loops during which the loop system was subjected to an altitude decrease of ∼20 Mm (40% of the initial height) for an extended span of ∼30 minutes. This contraction phase is accompanied by sequential EUV brightenings associated with hard X-ray (HXR; up to 25 keV) and microwave (MW) sources from low-lying loops in the core region which together with X-ray spectra indicate strong localized heating in the source region before themore » filament activation. With the onset of the flare’s impulsive phase, we detect HXR and MW sources that exhibit intricate temporal and spatial evolution in relation to the fast rise of the prominence. Following the flare maximum, the filament eruption slowed down and subsequently became confined within the large overlying active region loops. During the confinement process of the erupting prominence, we detect MW emission from the extended coronal region with multiple emission centroids, which likely represent emission from hot blobs of plasma formed after the collapse of the expanding flux rope and entailing prominence material. RHESSI spectroscopy reveals high plasma temperature (∼30 MK) and substantial non-thermal characteristics (δ ∼ 5) during the impulsive phase of the flare. The time evolution of thermal energy exhibits a good correspondence with the variations in cumulative non-thermal energy, which suggests that the energy of accelerated particles is efficiently converted to hot flare plasma, implying an effective validation of the Neupert effect.« less

Plasma heating in solar flares and their soft and hard X-ray emissions

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

Falewicz, R., E-mail: falewicz@astro.uni.wroc.pl

In this paper, the energy budgets of two single-loop-like flares observed in X-ray are analyzed under the assumption that nonthermal electrons (NTEs) are the only source of plasma heating during all phases of both events. The flares were observed by RHESSI and GOES on 2002 February 20 and June 2, respectively. Using a one-dimensional (1D) hydrodynamic code for both flares, the energy deposited in the chromosphere was derived applying RHESSI observational data. The use of the Fokker-Planck formalism permits the calculation of distributions of the NTEs in flaring loops and thus spatial distributions of the X-ray nonthermal emissions and integralmore » fluxes for the selected energy ranges that were compared with the observed ones. Additionally, a comparative analysis of the spatial distributions of the signals in the RHESSI images was conducted for the footpoints and for all the flare loops in selected energy ranges with these quantities' fluxes obtained from the models. The best compatibility of the model and observations was obtained for the 2002 June 2 event in the 0.5-4 Å GOES range and total fluxes in the 6-12 keV, 12-25 keV, 20-25 keV, and 50-100 keV energy bands. Results of photometry of the individual flaring structures in a high energy range show that the best compliance occurred for the 2002 June 2 flare, where the synthesized emissions were at least 30% higher than the observed emissions. For the 2002 February 20 flare, synthesized emission is about four times lower than the observed one. However, in the low energy range the best conformity was obtained for the 2002 February 20 flare, where emission from the model is about 11% lower than the observed one. The larger inconsistency occurs for the 2002 June 2 solar flare, where synthesized emission is about 12 times greater or even more than the observed emission. Some part of these differences may be caused by inevitable flaws of the applied methodology, like by an assumption that the model of the flare is symmetric and there are no differences in the emissions originating from the feet of the flares loop and by relative simplicity of the applied numerical 1D code and procedures. No doubt a significant refinement of the applied numerical models and more sophisticated implementation of the various physical mechanisms involved are required to achieve a better agreement. Despite these problems, a collation of modeled results with observations shows that soft and hard X-ray emissions observed for analyzed single-loop-like events may be fully explained by electron-beam-driven evaporation only.« less

Plasma Heating in Solar Flares and their Soft and Hard X-Ray Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falewicz, R.

2014-07-01

In this paper, the energy budgets of two single-loop-like flares observed in X-ray are analyzed under the assumption that nonthermal electrons (NTEs) are the only source of plasma heating during all phases of both events. The flares were observed by RHESSI and GOES on 2002 February 20 and June 2, respectively. Using a one-dimensional (1D) hydrodynamic code for both flares, the energy deposited in the chromosphere was derived applying RHESSI observational data. The use of the Fokker-Planck formalism permits the calculation of distributions of the NTEs in flaring loops and thus spatial distributions of the X-ray nonthermal emissions and integral fluxes for the selected energy ranges that were compared with the observed ones. Additionally, a comparative analysis of the spatial distributions of the signals in the RHESSI images was conducted for the footpoints and for all the flare loops in selected energy ranges with these quantities' fluxes obtained from the models. The best compatibility of the model and observations was obtained for the 2002 June 2 event in the 0.5-4 Å GOES range and total fluxes in the 6-12 keV, 12-25 keV, 20-25 keV, and 50-100 keV energy bands. Results of photometry of the individual flaring structures in a high energy range show that the best compliance occurred for the 2002 June 2 flare, where the synthesized emissions were at least 30% higher than the observed emissions. For the 2002 February 20 flare, synthesized emission is about four times lower than the observed one. However, in the low energy range the best conformity was obtained for the 2002 February 20 flare, where emission from the model is about 11% lower than the observed one. The larger inconsistency occurs for the 2002 June 2 solar flare, where synthesized emission is about 12 times greater or even more than the observed emission. Some part of these differences may be caused by inevitable flaws of the applied methodology, like by an assumption that the model of the flare is symmetric and there are no differences in the emissions originating from the feet of the flares loop and by relative simplicity of the applied numerical 1D code and procedures. No doubt a significant refinement of the applied numerical models and more sophisticated implementation of the various physical mechanisms involved are required to achieve a better agreement. Despite these problems, a collation of modeled results with observations shows that soft and hard X-ray emissions observed for analyzed single-loop-like events may be fully explained by electron-beam-driven evaporation only.

Evidence of thermal conduction depression in hot coronal loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tongjiang; Ofman, Leon; Sun, Xudong; Provornikova, Elena; Davila, Joseph

2015-08-01

Slow magnetoacoustic waves were first detected in hot (>6 MK) flare loops by the SOHO/SUMER spectrometer as Doppler shift oscillations in Fe XIX and Fe XXI lines. These oscillations are identified as standing slow-mode waves because the estimated phase speeds are close to the sound speed in the loop and some cases show a quarter period phase shift between velocity and intensity oscillations. The observed very rapid excitation and damping of standing slow mode waves have been studied by many authors using theories and numerical simulations, however, the exact mechanisms remain not well understood. Recently, flare-induced longitudinal intensity oscillations in hot post-flare loops have been detected by SDO/AIA. These oscillations have the similar physical properties as SUMER loop oscillations, and have been interpreted as the slow-mode waves. The multi-wavelength AIA observations with high spatio-temporal resolution and wide temperature coverage allow us to explore the wave excitation and damping mechanisms with an unprecedented detail to develope new coronal seismology. In this paper, we present accurate measurements of the effective adiabatic index (γeff) in the hot plasma from the electron temperature and density wave signals of a flare-induced longitudinal wave event using SDO/AIA data. Our results strikingly and clearly reveal that thermal conduction is highly depressed in hot (˜10 MK) post-flare loops and suggest that the compressive viscosity is the dominant wave damping mechanism which allows determination of the viscosity coefficient from the observables by coronal seismology. This new finding challenges our current understanding of thermal energy transport in solar and stellar flares, and may provide an alternative explanation of long-duration events and enhance our understand of coronal heating mechanism. We will discuss our results based on non-ideal MHD theory and simulations. We will also discuss the flare trigger mechanism based on magnetic topology derived from SDO/HMI vector magnetic fields using nonlinear force-free field extrapolations and discuss the wave excitation mechanism based on 3D MHD modeling of the active region.

Energy storage and deposition in a solar flare

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vorpahl, J. A.

1976-01-01

X-ray pictures of a solar flare taken with the S-056 X-ray telescope aboard Skylab are interpreted in terms of flare energy deposition and storage. The close similarity between calculated magnetic-field lines and the overall structure of the X-ray core is shown to suggest that the flare occurred in an entire arcade of loops. It is found that different X-ray features brightened sequentially as the flare evolved, indicating that some triggering disturbance moved from one side to the other in the flare core. A propagation velocity of 180 to 280 km/s is computed, and it is proposed that the geometry of the loop arcade strongly influenced the propagation of the triggering disturbance as well as the storage and site of the subsequent energy deposition. Some possible physical causes for the sequential X-ray brightening are examined, and a magnetosonic wave is suggested as the triggering disturbance. 'Correct' conditions for energy release are considered

Data-driven Simulations of Magnetic Connectivity in Behind-the-Limb Gamma-ray Flares and Associated Coronal Mass Ejections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, M.; Petrosian, V.; Liu, W.; Nitta, N.; Omodei, N.; Rubio da Costa, F.; Effenberger, F.; Li, G.; Pesce-Rollins, M.

2017-12-01

Recent Fermi detection of high-energy gamma-ray emission from the behind-the-limb (BTL) solar flares pose a puzzle on the particle acceleration and transport mechanisms in such events. Due to the large separation between the flare site and the location of gamma-ray emission, it is believed that the associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) play an important role in accelerating and subsequently transporting particles back to the Sun to produce obseved gamma-rays. We explore this scenario by simulating the CME associated with a well-observed flare on 2014 September 1 about 40 degrees behind the east solar limb and by comparing the simulation and observational results. We utilize a data-driven global magnetohydrodynamics model (AWSoM: Alfven-wave Solar Model) to track the dynamical evolution of the global magnetic field during the event and investigate the magnetic connectivity between the CME/CME-driven shock and the Fermi emission region. Moreover, we derive the time-varying shock parameters (e.g., compression ratio, Alfven Mach number, and ThetaBN) over the area that is magnetically connected to the visible solar disk where Fermi gamma-ray emission originates. Our simulation shows that the visible solar disk develops connections both to the flare site and to the CME-driven shock during the eruption, which indicate that the CME's interaction with the global solar corona is critical for understanding such Fermi BTL events and gamma-ray flares in general. We discuss the causes and implications of Fermi BTL events, in the framework of a potential shift of paradigm on particle acceleration in solar flares/CMEs.

PLASMOID EJECTIONS AND LOOP CONTRACTIONS IN AN ERUPTIVE M7.7 SOLAR FLARE: EVIDENCE OF PARTICLE ACCELERATION AND HEATING IN MAGNETIC RECONNECTION OUTFLOWS

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

Liu Wei; Chen Qingrong; Petrosian, Vahe

2013-04-20

Where particle acceleration and plasma heating take place in relation to magnetic reconnection is a fundamental question for solar flares. We report analysis of an M7.7 flare on 2012 July 19 observed by SDO/AIA and RHESSI. Bi-directional outflows in forms of plasmoid ejections and contracting cusp-shaped loops originate between an erupting flux rope and underlying flare loops at speeds of typically 200-300 km s{sup -1} up to 1050 km s{sup -1}. These outflows are associated with spatially separated double coronal X-ray sources with centroid separation decreasing with energy. The highest temperature is located near the nonthermal X-ray loop-top source wellmore » below the original heights of contracting cusps near the inferred reconnection site. These observations suggest that the primary loci of particle acceleration and plasma heating are in the reconnection outflow regions, rather than the reconnection site itself. In addition, there is an initial ascent of the X-ray and EUV loop-top source prior to its recently recognized descent, which we ascribe to the interplay among multiple processes including the upward development of reconnection and the downward contractions of reconnected loops. The impulsive phase onset is delayed by 10 minutes from the start of the descent, but coincides with the rapid speed increases of the upward plasmoids, the individual loop shrinkages, and the overall loop-top descent, suggestive of an intimate relation of the energy release rate and reconnection outflow speed.« less

LONG DURATION FLARE EMISSION: IMPULSIVE HEATING OR GRADUAL HEATING?

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

Qiu, Jiong; Longcope, Dana W.

Flare emissions in X-ray and EUV wavelengths have previously been modeled as the plasma response to impulsive heating from magnetic reconnection. Some flares exhibit gradually evolving X-ray and EUV light curves, which are believed to result from superposition of an extended sequence of impulsive heating events occurring in different adjacent loops or even unresolved threads within each loop. In this paper, we apply this approach to a long duration two-ribbon flare SOL2011-09-13T22 observed by the Atmosphere Imaging Assembly (AIA). We find that to reconcile with observed signatures of flare emission in multiple EUV wavelengths, each thread should be heated inmore » two phases, an intense impulsive heating followed by a gradual, low-rate heating tail that is attenuated over 20–30 minutes. Each AIA resolved single loop may be composed of several such threads. The two-phase heating scenario is supported by modeling with both a zero-dimensional and a 1D hydrodynamic code. We discuss viable physical mechanisms for the two-phase heating in a post-reconnection thread.« less

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.

Evidence of Significant Energy Input in the Late Phase of a Solar Flare from NuSTAR X-Ray Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhar, Matej; Krucker, Säm; Hannah, Iain G.; Glesener, Lindsay; Saint-Hilaire, Pascal; Grefenstette, Brian W.; Hudson, Hugh S.; White, Stephen M.; Smith, David M.; Marsh, Andrew J.; Wright, Paul J.; Boggs, Steven E.; Christensen, Finn E.; Craig, William W.; Hailey, Charles J.; Harrison, Fiona A.; Stern, Daniel; Zhang, William W.

2017-01-01

We present observations of the occulted active region AR 12222 during the third Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ARray (NuSTAR) solar campaign on 2014 December 11, with concurrent Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/AIA and FOXSI-2 sounding rocket observations. The active region produced a medium-size solar flare 1 day before the observations, at ˜18 UT on 2014 December 10, with the post-flare loops still visible at the time of NuSTAR observations. The time evolution of the source emission in the SDO/AIA 335 Å channel reveals the characteristics of an extreme-ultraviolet late-phase event, caused by the continuous formation of new post-flare loops that arch higher and higher in the solar corona. The spectral fitting of NuSTAR observations yields an isothermal source, with temperature 3.8-4.6 MK, emission measure (0.3-1.8) × 1046 cm-3, and density estimated at (2.5-6.0) × 108 cm-3. The observed AIA fluxes are consistent with the derived NuSTAR temperature range, favoring temperature values in the range of 4.0-4.3 MK. By examining the post-flare loops’ cooling times and energy content, we estimate that at least 12 sets of post-flare loops were formed and subsequently cooled between the onset of the flare and NuSTAR observations, with their total thermal energy content an order of magnitude larger than the energy content at flare peak time. This indicates that the standard approach of using only the flare peak time to derive the total thermal energy content of a flare can lead to a large underestimation of its value.

EVIDENCE OF SIGNIFICANT ENERGY INPUT IN THE LATE PHASE OF A SOLAR FLARE FROM NuSTAR X-RAY OBSERVATIONS

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

Kuhar, Matej; Krucker, Säm; Hannah, Iain G.

We present observations of the occulted active region AR 12222 during the third Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ARray ( NuSTAR ) solar campaign on 2014 December 11, with concurrent Solar Dynamics Observatory ( SDO )/AIA and FOXSI-2 sounding rocket observations. The active region produced a medium-size solar flare 1 day before the observations, at ∼18 UT on 2014 December 10, with the post-flare loops still visible at the time of NuSTAR observations. The time evolution of the source emission in the SDO/ AIA 335 Å channel reveals the characteristics of an extreme-ultraviolet late-phase event, caused by the continuous formation of newmore » post-flare loops that arch higher and higher in the solar corona. The spectral fitting of NuSTAR observations yields an isothermal source, with temperature 3.8–4.6 MK, emission measure (0.3–1.8) × 10{sup 46} cm{sup −3}, and density estimated at (2.5–6.0) × 10{sup 8} cm{sup −3}. The observed AIA fluxes are consistent with the derived NuSTAR temperature range, favoring temperature values in the range of 4.0–4.3 MK. By examining the post-flare loops’ cooling times and energy content, we estimate that at least 12 sets of post-flare loops were formed and subsequently cooled between the onset of the flare and NuSTAR observations, with their total thermal energy content an order of magnitude larger than the energy content at flare peak time. This indicates that the standard approach of using only the flare peak time to derive the total thermal energy content of a flare can lead to a large underestimation of its value.« less

Solar flare model atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawley, Suzanne L.; Fisher, George H.

1993-01-01

Solar flare model atmospheres computed under the assumption of energetic equilibrium in the chromosphere are presented. The models use a static, one-dimensional plane parallel geometry and are designed within a physically self-consistent coronal loop. Assumed flare heating mechanisms include collisions from a flux of non-thermal electrons and x-ray heating of the chromosphere by the corona. The heating by energetic electrons accounts explicitly for variations of the ionized fraction with depth in the atmosphere. X-ray heating of the chromosphere by the corona incorporates a flare loop geometry by approximating distant portions of the loop with a series of point sources, while treating the loop leg closest to the chromospheric footpoint in the plane-parallel approximation. Coronal flare heating leads to increased heat conduction, chromospheric evaporation and subsequent changes in coronal pressure; these effects are included self-consistently in the models. Cooling in the chromosphere is computed in detail for the important optically thick HI, CaII and MgII transitions using the non-LTE prescription in the program MULTI. Hydrogen ionization rates from x-ray photo-ionization and collisional ionization by non-thermal electrons are included explicitly in the rate equations. The models are computed in the 'impulsive' and 'equilibrium' limits, and in a set of intermediate 'evolving' states. The impulsive atmospheres have the density distribution frozen in pre-flare configuration, while the equilibrium models assume the entire atmosphere is in hydrostatic and energetic equilibrium. The evolving atmospheres represent intermediate stages where hydrostatic equilibrium has been established in the chromosphere and corona, but the corona is not yet in energetic equilibrium with the flare heating source. Thus, for example, chromospheric evaporation is still in the process of occurring.

SEMICIRCULAR-LIKE SECONDARY FLARE RIBBONS ASSOCIATED WITH A FAILED ERUPTION

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

Zheng, R.; Korsós, M. B.; Erdélyi, R., E-mail: r.zheng@sheffield.ac.uk, E-mail: robertus@sheffield.ac.uk

Flare ribbons (FRs) are one of the most apparent signatures of solar flares and have been treated as an indicator of magnetic reconnection. Drawing upon the observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we present semicircular-like secondary FRs (SFRs) of a C2.3 flare on 2013 June 19. Before the flare eruption, two bipoles in this core region subsequently emerged. Due to the interaction between the two bipoles, a tether-cutting eruption took place in the core region. The SFRs, surrounding the core region nearly simultaneously with the flare onset, were much weaker than the two normal FRs. Two ends of the SFRsmore » experienced a separation and extension movement, but the middle part of the SFRs hardly expanded outward. We find SFRs are closely associated with the footpoint brightenings of some small loops around the core region. The eruption was confined by transequatorial loops (TLs), which resulted in the plasma material falling in the north end of the TLs and remote brightenings showing up in the south end of the TLs. The disappearance of the faint (filament) material during the emergence of the SFRs could indicate another eruption. We conclude that two or more magnetic reconnections are involved in this event and propose that SFRs consisting of a small part of true FRs resulted from the second magnetic reconnection and bright footpoints of loop clusters likely heated by the main flare.« less

Partial Reflection and Trapping of a Fast-mode Wave in Solar Coronal Arcade Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Pankaj; Innes, D. E.

2015-04-01

We report on the first direct observation of a fast-mode wave propagating along and perpendicular to cool (171 Å) arcade loops observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). The wave was associated with an impulsive/compact flare near the edge of a sunspot. The EUV wavefront expanded radially outward from the flare center and decelerated in the corona from 1060 to 760 km s-1 within ˜3-4 minutes. Part of the EUV wave propagated along a large-scale arcade of cool loops and was partially reflected back to the flare site. The phase speed of the wave was about 1450 km s-1, which is interpreted as a fast-mode wave. A second overlying loop arcade, orientated perpendicular to the cool arcade, is heated and becomes visible in the AIA hot channels. These hot loops sway in time with the EUV wave, as it propagated to and fro along the lower loop arcade. We suggest that an impulsive energy release at one of the footpoints of the arcade loops causes the onset of an EUV shock wave that propagates along and perpendicular to the magnetic field.

On the Importance of the Flare's Late Phase for the Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Irradiance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woods, Thomas N.; Eparvier, Frank; Jones, Andrew R.; Hock, Rachel; Chamberlin, Phillip C.; Klimchuk, James A.; Didkovsky, Leonid; Judge, Darrell; Mariska, John; Bailey, Scott;

Unprecedented Fine Structure of a Solar Flare Revealed by the 1.6 m New Solar Telescope

PubMed Central

Jing, Ju; Xu, Yan; Cao, Wenda; Liu, Chang; Gary, Dale; Wang, Haimin

2016-01-01

Solar flares signify the sudden release of magnetic energy and are sources of so called space weather. The fine structures (below 500 km) of flares are rarely observed and are accessible to only a few instruments world-wide. Here we present observation of a solar flare using exceptionally high resolution images from the 1.6 m New Solar Telescope (NST) equipped with high order adaptive optics at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). The observation reveals the process of the flare in unprecedented detail, including the flare ribbon propagating across the sunspots, coronal rain (made of condensing plasma) streaming down along the post-flare loops, and the chromosphere’s response to the impact of coronal rain, showing fine-scale brightenings at the footpoints of the falling plasma. Taking advantage of the resolving power of the NST, we measure the cross-sectional widths of flare ribbons, post-flare loops and footpoint brighenings, which generally lie in the range of 80–200 km, well below the resolution of most current instruments used for flare studies. Confining the scale of such fine structure provides an essential piece of information in modeling the energy transport mechanism of flares, which is an important issue in solar and plasma physics. PMID:27071459

Modeling properties of chromospheric evaporation driven by thermal conduction fronts from reconnection shocks

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

Brannon, Sean; Longcope, Dana

2014-09-01

Magnetic reconnection in the corona results in contracting flare loops, releasing energy into plasma heating and shocks. The hydrodynamic shocks produced in this manner drive thermal conduction fronts (TCFs) which transport energy into the chromosphere and drive upflows (evaporation) and downflows (condensation) in the cooler, denser footpoint plasma. Observations have revealed that certain properties of the transition point between evaporation and condensation (the 'flow reversal point' or FRP), such as temperature and velocity-temperature derivative at the FRP, vary between different flares. These properties may provide a diagnostic tool to determine parameters of the coronal energy release mechanism and the loopmore » atmosphere. In this study, we develop a one-dimensional hydrodynamical flare loop model with a simplified three-region atmosphere (chromosphere/transition region/corona), with TCFs initiated by shocks introduced in the corona. We investigate the effect of two different flare loop parameters (post-shock temperature and transition region temperature ratio) on the FRP properties. We find that both of the evaporation characteristics have scaling-law relationships to the varied flare parameters, and we report the scaling exponents for our model. This provides a means of using spectroscopic observations of the chromosphere as quantitative diagnostics of flare energy release in the corona.« less

Statistical aspects of solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.

1987-01-01

A survey of the statistical properties of 850 H alpha solar flares during 1975 is presented. Comparison of the results found here with those reported elsewhere for different epochs is accomplished. Distributions of rise time, decay time, and duration are given, as are the mean, mode, median, and 90th percentile values. Proportions by selected groupings are also determined. For flares in general, mean values for rise time, decay time, and duration are 5.2 + or - 0.4 min, and 18.1 + or 1.1 min, respectively. Subflares, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the flares, had mean values lower than those found for flares of H alpha importance greater than 1, and the differences are statistically significant. Likewise, flares of bright and normal relative brightness have mean values of decay time and duration that are significantly longer than those computed for faint flares, and mass-motion related flares are significantly longer than non-mass-motion related flares. Seventy-three percent of the mass-motion related flares are categorized as being a two-ribbon flare and/or being accompanied by a high-speed dark filament. Slow rise time flares (rise time greater than 5 min) have a mean value for duration that is significantly longer than that computed for fast rise time flares, and long-lived duration flares (duration greater than 18 min) have a mean value for rise time that is significantly longer than that computed for short-lived duration flares, suggesting a positive linear relationship between rise time and duration for flares. Monthly occurrence rates for flares in general and by group are found to be linearly related in a positive sense to monthly sunspot number. Statistical testing reveals the association between sunspot number and numbers of flares to be significant at the 95 percent level of confidence, and the t statistic for slope is significant at greater than 99 percent level of confidence. Dependent upon the specific fit, between 58 percent and 94 percent of the variation can be accounted for with the linear fits. A statistically significant Northern Hemisphere flare excess (P less than 1 percent) was found, as was a Western Hemisphere excess (P approx 3 percent). Subflares were more prolific within 45 deg of central meridian (P less than 1 percent), while flares of H alpha importance or = 1 were more prolific near the limbs greater than 45 deg from central meridian; P approx 2 percent). Two-ribbon flares were more frequent within 45 deg of central meridian (P less than 1 percent). Slow rise time flares occurred more frequently in the western hemisphere (P approx 2 percent), as did short-lived duration flares (P approx 9 percent), but fast rise time flares were not preferentially distributed (in terms of east-west or limb-disk). Long-lived duration flares occurred more often within 45 deg 0 central meridian (P approx 7 percent). Mean durations for subflares and flares of H alpha importance or + 1, found within 45 deg of central meridian, are 14 percent and 70 percent, respectively, longer than those found for flares closer to the limb. As compared to flares occurring near cycle maximum, the flares of 1975 (near solar minimum) have mean values of rise time, decay time, and duration that are significantly shorter. A flare near solar maximum, on average, is about 1.6 times longer than one occurring near solar minimum.

Mass ejections. [during solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, D. M.; Hildner, E.; Hansen, R. T.; Dryer, M.; Mcclymont, A. N.; Mckenna-Lawlor, S. M. P.; Mclean, D. J.; Schmahl, E. J.; Steinolfson, R. S.; Tandberg-Hanssen, E.

1980-01-01

Observations and model simulations of solar mass ejection phenomena are examined in an investigation of flare processes. Consideration is given to Skylab and other observations of flare-associated sprays, eruptive prominences, surges and coronal transients, and to MHD, gas dynamic and magnetic loop models developed to account for them. Magnetic forces are found to confine spray material, which originates in preexisting active-region filaments, within steadily expanding loops, while surges follow unmoving, preexisting magnetic field lines. Simulations of effects of a sudden pressure pulse at the bottom of the corona are found to exhibit many characteristics of coronal transients associated with flares, and impulsive heating low in the chromosphere is found to be able to account for surges. The importance of the magnetic field as the ultimate source of energy which drives eruptive phenomena as well as flares is pointed out.

QUASI-PERIODIC PULSATIONS IN THE GAMMA-RAY EMISSION OF A SOLAR FLARE

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

Nakariakov, V. M.; Foullon, C.; Inglis, A. R.

2010-01-01

Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) of gamma-ray emission with a period of about 40 s are found in a single loop X-class solar flare on 2005 January 1 at photon energies up to 2-6 MeV with the SOlar Neutrons and Gamma-rays (SONG) experiment aboard the CORONAS-F mission. The oscillations are also found to be present in the microwave emission detected with the Nobeyama Radioheliograph, and in the hard X-ray and low energy gamma-ray channels of RHESSI. Periodogram and correlation analysis shows that the 40 s QPPs of microwave, hard X-ray, and gamma-ray emission are almost synchronous in all observation bands. Analysis ofmore » the spatial structure of hard X-ray and low energy (80-225 keV) gamma-ray QPP with RHESSI reveals synchronous while asymmetric QPP at both footpoints of the flaring loop. The difference between the averaged hard X-ray fluxes coming from the two footpoint sources is found to oscillate with a period of about 13 s for five cycles in the highest emission stage of the flare. The proposed mechanism generating the 40 s QPP is a triggering of magnetic reconnection by a kink oscillation in a nearby loop. The 13 s periodicity could be produced by the second harmonics of the sausage mode of the flaring loop.« less

The association of transequatorial loops in the solar corona with coronal mass ejection onset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glover, A.; Harra, L. K.; Matthews, S. A.; Foley, C. A.

2003-03-01

It has been shown that transequatorial loops can disappear in association with the onset of a coronal mass ejection (CME) (Khan & Hudson \\cite{khan}). We extend this result by considering a larger sample of transequatorial loop systems (TLS) to investigate their associated flaring and CME activity. We find 10 of a total 18 TLS considered here to be associated with flaring and CME onset originating from a connected active region. A total 33 cases of flaring and associated CME onset are observed from these 10 systems during their lifetime. We observe the influence of this activity on the TLS in each case. In contrast to the Khan & Hudson result, we find evidence that transequatorial loop eruption leading to soft X-ray brightening equivalent in temperature to a B-class flare is equally as common as dimming in the corona. Consequently we conclude that the scenario observed by Khan & Hudson is not universal and that other types of CME-TLS association occur. It was found that for transequatorial loops that were associated with CMEs the asymmetry in longitude was larger than for those that were not associated to a CME by 10o. In addition, the extent in latitude (as a measure of the loop length) was nearly twice as large for those TLS associated with CMEs than those that were not. The asymmetry in latitude was actually on average larger for those TLS not associated with CMEs, than for those that were. This suggests that differential rotation is not a major contributor to the production of CMEs from transequatorial loops. Instead it is more likely for a CME to be produced if the loop is long, and if there is a large asymmetry in longitude. The implications of these results for CME onset prediction are discussed.

Non-thermal Motions in and above Flare Loop Tops Measured by the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer on Hinode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doschek, G. A.; Warren, H. P.

2013-12-01

The plasma volume above the soft X-ray emitting loop tops is of particular interest for studying the formation of flare loops. We present observations of non-thermal motions (turbulence) determined from spectral line profiles Fe XXIII and Fe XXIV ions. We compare the non-thermal motions at temperatures near 10 MK with the motions along the same lines-of-sight determined from lines of coronal ions such as Fe XII, Fe XIV, and Fe XV formed at 1-2 MK. We discuss the results in terms of predictions of the effects of magnetic reconnection and non-thermal motion results obtained in flares from earlier X-ray Yohkoh observations of line profiles of Fe XXV and Ca XIX. Fe XXV is formed at significantly higher temperatures than any strong flare EUV spectral line observed by EIS or by imaging telescopes such as AIA or TRACE. This work is supported by a NASA Hinode grant.

Unambiguous Evidence of Coronal Implosions during Solar Eruptions and Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Juntao; Simões, P. J. A.; Fletcher, L.

2018-05-01

In the implosion conjecture, coronal loops contract as the result of magnetic energy release in solar eruptions and flares. However, after almost two decades, observations of this phenomenon are still rare and most previous reports are plagued by projection effects so that loop contraction could be either true implosion or just a change in loop inclination. In this paper, to demonstrate the reality of loop contractions in the global coronal dynamics, we present four events with the continuously contracting loops in an almost edge-on geometry from the perspective of SDO/AIA, which are free from the ambiguity caused by the projection effects, also supplemented by contemporary observations from STEREO for examination. In the wider context of observations, simulations and theories, we argue that the implosion conjecture is valid in interpreting these events. Furthermore, distinct properties of the events allow us to identify two physical categories of implosion. One type demonstrates a rapid contraction at the beginning of the flare impulsive phase, as magnetic free energy is removed rapidly by a filament eruption. The other type, which has no visible eruption, shows a continuous loop shrinkage during the entire flare impulsive phase, which we suggest shows the ongoing conversion of magnetic free energy in a coronal volume. Corresponding scenarios are described that can provide reasonable explanations for the observations. We also point out that implosions may be suppressed in cases when a heavily mass-loaded filament is involved, possibly serving as an alternative account for their observational rarity.

QUASI-PERIODIC SLIPPING MAGNETIC RECONNECTION DURING AN X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE OBSERVED BY THE SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY AND INTERFACE REGION IMAGING SPECTROGRAPH

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

Li, Ting; Zhang, Jun, E-mail: liting@nao.cas.cn, E-mail: zjun@nao.cas.cn

2015-05-01

We first report the quasi-periodic slipping motion of flare loops during an eruptive X-class flare on 2014 September 10. The slipping motion was investigated at a specific location along one of the two ribbons and can be observed throughout the impulsive phase of the flare. The apparent slipping velocity was 20–110 km s{sup −1}, and the associated period was 3–6 minutes. The footpoints of flare loops appeared as small-scale bright knots observed in 1400 Å, corresponding to fine structures of the flare ribbon. These bright knots were observed to move along the southern part of the longer ribbon and alsomore » exhibited a quasi-periodic pattern. The Si iv 1402.77 Å line was redshifted by 30–50 km s{sup −1} at the locations of moving knots with a ∼40–60 km s{sup −1} line width, larger than other sites of the flare ribbon. We suggest that the quasi-periodic slipping reconnection is involved in this process and the redshift at the bright knots is probably indicative of reconnection downflow. The emission line of Si iv at the northern part of the longer ribbon also exhibited obvious redshifts of about 10–70 km s{sup −1} in the impulsive phase of the flare, with the redshifts at the outer edges of the ribbon larger than those in the middle. The redshift velocities at post-flare loops reached about 80–100 km s{sup −1} in the transition region.« less

VALIDATION OF THE CORONAL THICK TARGET SOURCE MODEL

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

Fleishman, Gregory D.; Xu, Yan; Nita, Gelu N.

2016-01-10

We present detailed 3D modeling of a dense, coronal thick-target X-ray flare using the GX Simulator tool, photospheric magnetic measurements, and microwave imaging and spectroscopy data. The developed model offers a remarkable agreement between the synthesized and observed spectra and images in both X-ray and microwave domains, which validates the entire model. The flaring loop parameters are chosen to reproduce the emission measure, temperature, and the nonthermal electron distribution at low energies derived from the X-ray spectral fit, while the remaining parameters, unconstrained by the X-ray data, are selected such as to match the microwave images and total power spectra.more » The modeling suggests that the accelerated electrons are trapped in the coronal part of the flaring loop, but away from where the magnetic field is minimal, and, thus, demonstrates that the data are clearly inconsistent with electron magnetic trapping in the weak diffusion regime mediated by the Coulomb collisions. Thus, the modeling supports the interpretation of the coronal thick-target sources as sites of electron acceleration in flares and supplies us with a realistic 3D model with physical parameters of the acceleration region and flaring loop.« less

Vortex and Sink Flows in Eruptive Flares as a Model for Coronal Implosions

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

Zuccarello, F. P.; Aulanier, G.; Démoulin, P.

Eruptive flares are sudden releases of magnetic energy that involve many phenomena, several of which can be explained by the standard 2D flare model and its realizations in 3D. We analyze a 3D magnetohydrodynamics simulation, in the framework of this model, that naturally explains the contraction of coronal loops in the proximity of the flare sites, as well as the inflow toward the region above the cusp-shaped loops. We find that two vorticity arcs located along the flanks of the erupting magnetic flux rope are generated as soon as the eruption begins. The magnetic arcades above the flux rope legsmore » are then subjected to expansion, rotation, or contraction depending on which part of the vortex flow advects them. In addition to the vortices, an inward-directed magnetic pressure gradient exists in the current sheet below the magnetic flux rope. It results in the formation of a sink that is maintained by reconnection. We conclude that coronal loop apparent implosions observed during eruptive flares are the result of hydromagnetic effects related to the generation of vortex and sink flows when a flux rope moves in a magnetized environment.« less

COMPLEX FLARE DYNAMICS INITIATED BY A FILAMENT–FILAMENT INTERACTION

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

Zhu, Chunming; McAteer, R. T. James; Liu, Rui

2015-11-01

We report on an eruption involving a relatively rare filament–filament interaction on 2013 June 21, observed by SDO and STEREO-B. The two filaments were separated in height with a “double-decker” configuration. The eruption of the lower filament began simultaneously with a descent of the upper filament, resulting in a convergence and direct interaction of the two filaments. The interaction was accompanied by the heating of surrounding plasma and an apparent crossing of a loop-like structure through the upper filament. The subsequent coalescence of the filaments drove a bright front ahead of the erupting structures. The whole process was associated withmore » a C3.0 flare followed immediately by an M2.9 flare. Shrinking loops and descending dark voids were observed during the M2.9 flare at different locations above a C-shaped flare arcade as part of the energy release, giving us unique insight into the flare dynamics.« less

SLIPPING MAGNETIC RECONNECTIONS WITH MULTIPLE FLARE RIBBONS DURING AN X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE

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

Zheng, Ruisheng; Chen, Yao; Wang, Bing, E-mail: ruishengzheng@sdu.edu.cn

2016-06-01

With the observations of the Solar Dynamics Observatory , we present the slipping magnetic reconnections with multiple flare ribbons (FRs) during an X1.2 eruptive flare on 2014 January 7. A center negative polarity was surrounded by several positive ones, and three FRs appeared. The three FRs showed apparent slipping motions, and hook structures formed at their ends. Due to the moving footpoints of the erupting structures, one tight semi-circular hook disappeared after the slippage along its inner and outer edges, and coronal dimmings formed within the hook. The east hook also faded as a result of the magnetic reconnection betweenmore » the arcades of a remote filament and a hot loop that was impulsively heated by the under flare loops. Our results are accordant with the slipping magnetic reconnection regime in three-dimensional standard model for eruptive flares. We suggest that the complex structures of the flare are likely a consequence of the more complex flux distribution in the photosphere, and the eruption involves at least two magnetic reconnections.« less

Temperature and Electron Density Diagnostics of a Candle-Flame Shaped Flare. Asymmetric Reconnection Evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guidoni, Silvina E.; McKenzie, David E.; Longcope, Dana W.; Plowman, Joseph E.; Yoshimura, Keiji

2013-03-01

Candle-flame shaped flares are archetypical structures that represent indirect evidence of magnetic reconnection. For long-lived events, most of their observed features can be explained with the classic magnetic reconnection model of solar flares, the CSHKP model. A flare resembling 1992 Tsuneta's famous candle-flame flare occurred on January 28 2011; we present its temperature and electron density diagnostics. This flare was observed with Hinode/XRT, SDO/AIA, and STEREO (A)/EUVI, resulting in high resolution, broad temperature coverage, and stereoscopic views of this iconic structure. Our XRT filter-ratio temperature and density maps corroborate the general reconnection scenario. The high temperature images reveal a brightening that grows in size to form a tower-like structure at the top of the post-flare arcade, a feature that has been observed in other long duration events. This tower is a localized density increase, as shown by our XRT electron density maps. Despite the extensive work on the standard reconnection scenario, there is no complete agreement among models regarding the nature of this tower-like structure. The XRT maps also reveal that reconnected loops that are successively connected at their tops to this tower develop a density increase in one of their legs that can reach over 2 times the density value of the other leg, giving the appearance of ``half-loops''. Their density is nevertheless still lower than at the tower. These jumps in density last longer than several acoustic transit times along the loops. We use STEREO images to show that the half-loop brightening is not a line-of- sight projection effect of the type suggested by Forbes and Acton (1996). This would indicate that asymmetric reconnection took place between loops originally belonging to systems with different magnetic field strengths, densities, and temperatures. We hypothesize that the heat generated by reconnection's slow shocks is then transferred to each leg of the loop at different rates. Therefore, the increase in electron density due to chromospheric evaporation is different in each leg. Thermal pressure balance between the legs is prevented by shocked plasma at the top of the loops. We also present preliminary results comparing a new fast DEM method that uses SDO/AIA data with the XRT filter ratio method. Both methods complement each other, they agree at the overlap between their instruments' temperature response functions (3-12 MK) while the SDO/AIA method works well at lower temperatures and the XRT one at higher temperatures.

Decaying and decayless transverse oscillations of a coronal loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisticò, G.; Nakariakov, V. M.; Verwichte, E.

2013-04-01

Aims: We investigate kink oscillations of loops observed in an active region with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft before and after a flare. Methods: The oscillations were depicted and analysed with time-distance maps, extracted from the cuts taken parallel or perpendicular to the loop axis. Moving loops were followed in time with steadily moving slits. The period of oscillations and its time variation were determined by best-fitting harmonic functions. Results: We show that before and well after the occurrence of the flare, the loops experience low-amplitude decayless oscillations. The flare and the coronal mass ejection associated to it trigger large-amplitude oscillations that decay exponentially in time. The periods of the kink oscillations in both regimes (about 240 s) are similar. An empirical model of the phenomenon in terms of a damped linear oscillator excited by a continuous low-amplitude harmonic driver and by an impulsive high-amplitude driver is found to be consistent with the observations. Two movies are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Remarkable Low Temperature Emission of the 4 November 2003 Limb Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leibacher, J. W.; Harvey, J. W.; Kopp, G.; Hudson, H.; GONG Team

2004-05-01

Strong (> 1.5 times normal intensity) continuum and photospheric line emission of the 4 November 2003 X28 flare was recorded simultaneously by three widely separated GONG instruments. Emission was seen from on the disk to > 20" above the limb for nearly one hour, likely making this event the longest duration white light flare observed to date. GONG observations are one-minute duration integrations of intensity averaged across a Lyot filter bandpass of about 90 pm FWHM centered on the Ni I line at 676.8 nm with 2.5" instrument pixel size. Spatial resolution is limited by diffraction and seeing to greater than 5". Additional measurements include the Doppler shift and strength of the spectrum line. These latter measurements indicate that continuum and line emission contributed about equally to the observed intensity signal. Light curves and images of the flare show a notable two-kernel disk event starting at about 19:33 UTC followed by a much stronger event that peaked at about 19:44. Rare, white-light prominences were visible above the limb after 19:34. Comparison of total solar irradiance measurements from the TIM instrument on board the SORCE spacecraft with full-disk integrated GONG intensities shows the global five-minute oscillation and the white light flare. The latter is much weaker in the GONG data, suggesting that most of the TIM flare signal arises from other, most likely shorter, wavelengths. This work utilizes data obtained by the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) Program, managed by the National Solar Observatory, which is operated by AURA, Inc. under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. SORCE is supported by NASA NAS5-97045

The Natural History of Flare-Ups in Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP): A Comprehensive Global Assessment.

PubMed

Pignolo, Robert J; Bedford-Gay, Christopher; Liljesthröm, Moira; Durbin-Johnson, Blythe P; Shore, Eileen M; Rocke, David M; Kaplan, Frederick S

2016-03-01

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) leads to disabling heterotopic ossification (HO) from episodic flare-ups. However, the natural history of FOP flare-ups is poorly understood. A 78-question survey on FOP flare-ups, translated into 15 languages, was sent to 685 classically-affected patients in 45 countries (six continents). Five hundred patients or knowledgeable informants responded (73%; 44% males, 56% females; ages: 1 to 71 years; median: 23 years). The most common presenting symptoms of flare-ups were swelling (93%), pain (86%), or decreased mobility (79%). Seventy-one percent experienced a flare-up within the preceding 12 months (52% spontaneous; 48% trauma-related). Twenty-five percent of those who had received an intramuscular injection reported an immediate flare-up at the injection site, 84% of whom developed HO. Axial flare-ups most frequently involved the back (41.6%), neck (26.4%), or jaw (19.4%). Flare-ups occurred more frequently in the upper limbs before 8 years of age, but more frequently in the lower limbs thereafter. Appendicular flare-ups occurred more frequently at proximal than at distal sites without preferential sidedness. Seventy percent of patients reported functional loss from a flare-up. Thirty-two percent reported complete resolution of at least one flare-up and 12% without any functional loss (mostly in the head or back). The most disabling flare-ups occurred at the shoulders or hips. Surprisingly, 47% reported progression of FOP without obvious flare-ups. Worldwide, 198 treatments were reported; anti-inflammatory agents were most common. Seventy-five percent used short-term glucocorticoids as a treatment for flare-ups at appendicular sites. Fifty-five percent reported that glucocorticoids improved symptoms occasionally whereas 31% reported that they always did. Only 12% reported complete resolution of a flare-up with glucocorticoids. Forty-three percent reported rebound symptoms within 1 to 7 days after completing a course of glucocorticoids. This study is the first comprehensive global assessment of FOP flare-ups and establishes a critical foundation for the design and evaluation of future clinical trials. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Hard X-ray and high-frequency decimetric radio observations of the 4 April 2002 solar flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kane, S. R.; Sawant, H. S.; Cecatto, J. R.; Andrade, M. C.; Fernandes, F. C. R.; Karlicky, M.; Meszarosova, H.

Hard X-ray and high frequency decimetric type III radio bursts have been observed in association with the soft X-raysolar flare (GOES class M 6.1) on 4 April 2002 (˜1532 UT). The flare apparently occurred ˜ 6 degrees behind the east limb of the Sun in the active region NOAA 9898. Hard X-ray spectra and images were obtained by the X-ray imager on RHESSI during the impulsive phase of the flare. The Brazilian Solar Spectroscope and Ondrejov Radio Telescopes recorded type III bursts in 800-1400 MHz range in association with the flare. The images of the 3-6, 6-12, 12-25, and 25-50 keV X-ray sources, obtained simultaneously by RHESSI during the early impulsive phase of the flare, show that all the four X-ray sources were essentially at the same location well above the limb of the Sun. During the early impulsive phase, the X-ray spectrum over 8-30 keV range was consistent with a power law with a negative exponent of ˜ 6. The radio spectra show drifting radio structures with emission in a relatively narrow (Δf ≤ 200 MHz) frequency range indicating injection of energetic electrons into a plasmoid which is slowly drifting upwards in the corona.

Flare parameters inferred from a 3D loop model data base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuambe, Valente A.; Costa, J. E. R.; Simões, P. J. A.

2018-06-01

We developed a data base of pre-calculated flare images and spectra exploring a set of parameters which describe the physical characteristics of coronal loops and accelerated electron distribution. Due to the large number of parameters involved in describing the geometry and the flaring atmosphere in the model used, we built a large data base of models (˜250 000) to facilitate the flare analysis. The geometry and characteristics of non-thermal electrons are defined on a discrete grid with spatial resolution greater than 4 arcsec. The data base was constructed based on general properties of known solar flares and convolved with instrumental resolution to replicate the observations from the Nobeyama radio polarimeter spectra and Nobeyama radioheliograph (NoRH) brightness maps. Observed spectra and brightness distribution maps are easily compared with the modelled spectra and images in the data base, indicating a possible range of solutions. The parameter search efficiency in this finite data base is discussed. 8 out of 10 parameters analysed for 1000 simulated flare searches were recovered with a relative error of less than 20 per cent on average. In addition, from the analysis of the observed correlation between NoRH flare sizes and intensities at 17 GHz, some statistical properties were derived. From these statistics, the energy spectral index was found to be δ ˜ 3, with non-thermal electron densities showing a peak distribution ⪅107 cm-3, and Bphotosphere ⪆ 2000 G. Some bias for larger loops with heights as great as ˜2.6 × 109 cm, and looptop events were noted. An excellent match of the spectrum and the brightness distribution at 17 and 34 GHz of the 2002 May 31 flare is presented as well.

Heating and dynamics of two flare loop systems observed by AIA and EIS

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

Li, Y.; Ding, M. D.; Qiu, J., E-mail: yingli@nju.edu.cn

2014-02-01

We investigate heating and evolution of flare loops in a C4.7 two-ribbon flare on 2011 February 13. From Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) imaging observations, we can identify two sets of loops. Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) spectroscopic observations reveal blueshifts at the feet of both sets of loops. The evolution and dynamics of the two sets are quite different. The first set of loops exhibits blueshifts for about 25 minutes followed by redshifts, while the second set shows stronger blueshifts, which are maintained for about one hour. The UV 1600 observation by AIA also shows that the feet ofmore » the second set of loops brighten twice. These suggest that continuous heating may be present in the second set of loops. We use spatially resolved UV light curves to infer heating rates in the few tens of individual loops comprising the two loop systems. With these heating rates, we then compute plasma evolution in these loops with the 'enthalpy-based thermal evolution of loops' model. The results show that, for the first set of loops, the synthetic EUV light curves from the model compare favorably with the observed light curves in six AIA channels and eight EIS spectral lines, and the computed mean enthalpy flow velocities also agree with the Doppler shift measurements by EIS. For the second set of loops modeled with twice-heating, there are some discrepancies between modeled and observed EUV light curves in low-temperature bands, and the model does not fully produce the prolonged blueshift signatures as observed. We discuss possible causes for the discrepancies.« less

Flux rope, hyperbolic flux tube, and late extreme ultraviolet phases in a non-eruptive circular-ribbon flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masson, Sophie; Pariat, Étienne; Valori, Gherardo; Deng, Na; Liu, Chang; Wang, Haimin; Reid, Hamish

2017-08-01

Context. The dynamics of ultraviolet (UV) emissions during solar flares provides constraints on the physical mechanisms involved in the trigger and the evolution of flares. In particular it provides some information on the location of the reconnection sites and the associated magnetic fluxes. In this respect, confined flares are far less understood than eruptive flares generating coronal mass ejections. Aims: We present a detailed study of a confined circular flare dynamics associated with three UV late phases in order to understand more precisely which topological elements are present and how they constrain the dynamics of the flare. Methods: We perform a non-linear force-free field extrapolation of the confined flare observed with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instruments on board Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). From the 3D magnetic field we compute the squashing factor and we analyse its distribution. Conjointly, we analyse the AIA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light curves and images in order to identify the post-flare loops, and their temporal and thermal evolution. By combining the two analyses we are able to propose a detailed scenario that explains the dynamics of the flare. Results: Our topological analysis shows that in addition to a null-point topology with the fan separatrix, the spine lines and its surrounding quasi-separatix layer (QSL) halo (typical for a circular flare), a flux rope and its hyperbolic flux tube (HFT) are enclosed below the null. By comparing the magnetic field topology and the EUV post-flare loops we obtain an almost perfect match between the footpoints of the separatrices and the EUV 1600 Å ribbons and between the HFT field line footpoints and bright spots observed inside the circular ribbons. We show, for the first time in a confined flare, that magnetic reconnection occurred initially at the HFT below the flux rope. Reconnection at the null point between the flux rope and the overlying field is only initiated in a second phase. In addition, we showed that the EUV late phase observed after the main flare episode is caused by the cooling loops of different length which have all reconnected at the null point during the impulsive phase. Conclusions: Our analysis shows in one example that flux ropes are present in null-point topology not only for eruptive and jet events, but also for confined flares. This allows us to conjecture on the analogies between conditions that govern the generation of jets, confined flares or eruptive flares. A movie is available at http://www.aanda.org

Do solar decimetric spikes originate in coronal X-ray sources?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, M.; Benz, A. O.

2009-06-01

Context: In the standard solar flare scenario, a large number of particles are accelerated in the corona. Nonthermal electrons emit both X-rays and radio waves. Thus, correlated signatures of the acceleration process are predicted at both wavelengths, coinciding either close to the footpoints of a magnetic loop or near the coronal X-ray source. Aims: We attempt to study the spatial connection between coronal X-ray emission and decimetric radio spikes to determine the site and geometry of the acceleration process. Methods: The positions of radio-spike sources and coronal X-ray sources are determined and analyzed in a well-observed limb event. Radio spikes are identified in observations from the Phoenix-2 spectrometer. Data from the Nançay radioheliograph are used to determine the position of the radio spikes. RHESSI images in soft and hard X-ray wavelengths are used to determine the X-ray flare geometry. Those observations are complemented by images from GOES/SXI. Results: We find that the radio emission originates at altitudes much higher than the coronal X-ray source, having an offset from the coronal X-ray source amounting to 90´´ and to 113´´ and 131´´ from the two footpoints, averaged over time and frequency. Conclusions: Decimetric spikes do not originate from coronal X-ray flare sources contrary to previous expectations. However, the observations suggest a causal link between the coronal X-ray source, related to the major energy release site, and simultaneous activity in the higher corona.

Temporal relationship between high-energy proton acceleration and magnetic field changes during solar flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurt, Victoria; Yushkov, Boris

Understanding of the association of the magnetic field evolution in the corona and the temporal evolution of electromagnetic emissions produced by the accelerated particles during a solar flare can provide information about the nature of the energy-release process and its location. Recent high-spatial-resolution observations in HXR, UV and radio emissions allow one to study in detail a structure of two-ribbon flare site. According to these observations, the flare process can be divided into two different intervals with different temporal evolution of morphological structure: loop contraction during impulsive phase and subsequent loop expansion. On the other hand, the appearance of high-energy protons (with energy >300 MeV - an energy threshold of the pion production) in the solar atmosphere can be revealed from an emerging pion-decay component of high-energy gamma-ray emission. The present work is based on comparison of measurements of high-energy gamma-rays performed with the SONG detector onboard the CORONAS-F mission and reported observations of magnetic field evolution, such as HXR foot points (FP) separation and flare shear temporal behavior, or motion of UV/radio loops. We reliably identified the pion-decay component of gamma-ray emission in the course of five events attended with suitable spatial observations, namely, 2001 August 25, 2002 August 24, 2003 October 28, 2003 October 29, and 2005 January 20, and determined its onset time. We found that in these events the pion-decay emission occurred when the distance between conjugated foot-points of flare loops ceased to decrease and began to increase, i.e. changed from shrinkage to expansion. This result leads to the conclusion that the most efficient proton acceleration up to >300 MeV coincided in time with the radical reconfiguration of the magnetic field in the flare site. Earlier we found that the pion-decay emission onset in the 2003 October 28 flare was close to the time of maximum change rate of the magnetic flux calculated by Miklenic et al. (2009).

Skylab observations of X-ray loops connecting separate active regions. [solar activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chase, R. C.; Krieger, A. S.; Svestka, Z.; Vaiana, G. S.

1976-01-01

One hundred loops interconnecting 94 separate active solar regions detectable in soft X-rays were identified during the Skylab mission. While close active regions are commonly interconnected with loops, the number of such interconnections decreases steeply for longer distances; the longest interconnecting loop observed in the Skylab data connected regions separated by 37 deg. Several arguments are presented which support the point of view that this is the actual limit of the size of magnetic interconnections between active regions. No sympathetic flares could be found in the interconnected regions. These results cast doubt on the hypothesis that accelerated particles can be guided in interconnecting loops from one active region to another over distances of 100 deg or more and eventually produce sympathetic flares in them.

Heating and Cooling of Coronal Loops with Turbulent Suppression of Parallel Heat Conduction.

PubMed

Bian, Nicolas; Emslie, A Gordon; Horne, Duncan; Kontar, Eduard P

2018-01-10

Using the "enthalpy-based thermal evolution of loops" (EBTEL) model, we investigate the hydrodynamics of the plasma in a flaring coronal loop in which heat conduction is limited by turbulent scattering of the electrons that transport the thermal heat flux. The EBTEL equations are solved analytically in each of the two (conduction-dominated and radiation-dominated) cooling phases. Comparison of the results with typical observed cooling times in solar flares shows that the turbulent mean free path λ T lies in a range corresponding to a regime in which classical (collision-dominated) conduction plays at most a limited role. We also consider the magnitude and duration of the heat input that is necessary to account for the enhanced values of temperature and density at the beginning of the cooling phase and for the observed cooling times. We find through numerical modeling that in order to produce a peak temperature ≃1.5 × 10 7 K and a 200 s cooling time consistent with observations, the flare-heating profile must extend over a significant period of time; in particular, its lingering role must be taken into consideration in any description of the cooling phase. Comparison with observationally inferred values of post-flare loop temperatures, densities, and cooling times thus leads to useful constraints on both the magnitude and duration of the magnetic energy release in the loop, as well as on the value of the turbulent mean free path λ T .

Flare particle acceleration in the interaction of twisted coronal flux ropes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Threlfall, J.; Hood, A. W.; Browning, P. K.

2018-03-01

Aim. The aim of this work is to investigate and characterise non-thermal particle behaviour in a three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) model of unstable multi-threaded flaring coronal loops. Methods: We have used a numerical scheme which solves the relativistic guiding centre approximation to study the motion of electrons and protons. The scheme uses snapshots from high resolution numerical MHD simulations of coronal loops containing two threads, where a single thread becomes unstable and (in one case) destabilises and merges with an additional thread. Results: The particle responses to the reconnection and fragmentation in MHD simulations of two loop threads are examined in detail. We illustrate the role played by uniform background resistivity and distinguish this from the role of anomalous resistivity using orbits in an MHD simulation where only one thread becomes unstable without destabilising further loop threads. We examine the (scalable) orbit energy gains and final positions recovered at different stages of a second MHD simulation wherein a secondary loop thread is destabilised by (and merges with) the first thread. We compare these results with other theoretical particle acceleration models in the context of observed energetic particle populations during solar flares.

Flares and Their Underlying Magnetic Complexity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engell, Alexander J.; Siarkowski, Marek; Gryciuk, Magda; Sylwester, Janusz; Sylwester, Barbara; Golub, Leon; Korreck, Kelly; Cirtain, Jonathan

2011-01-01

SphinX (Solar PHotometer IN X-rays), a full-disk-integrated spectrometer, observed 137 flare-like/transient events with active region (AR) 11024 being the only AR on disk. The Hinode X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and Solar Optical Telescope observe 67 of these events and identified their location from 12:00 UT on July 3 through 24:00 UT 2009 July 7. We find that the predominant mechanisms for flares observed by XRT are (1) flux cancellation and (2) the shearing of underlying magnetic elements. Point- and cusp-like flare morphologies seen by XRT all occur in a magnetic environment where one polarity is impeded by the opposite polarity and vice versa, forcing the flux cancellation process. The shearing is either caused by flux emergence at the center of the AR and separation of polarities along a neutral line or by individual magnetic elements having a rotational motion. Both mechanisms are observed to contribute to single- and multiple-loop flares. We observe that most loop flares occur along a large portion of a polarity inversion line. Point- and cusp-like flares become more infrequent as the AR becomes organized with separation of the positive and negative polarities. SphinX, which allows us to identify when these flares occur, provides us with a statistically significant temperature and emission scaling law for A and B class flares: EM = 6.1 × 1033 T 1.9±0.1.

Detection of the Acceleration Site in a Solar Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleishman, Gregory D.; Kontar, E. P.; Nita, G. M.; Gary, D. E.

2011-05-01

We report the observation of an unusual cold, tenuous solar flare (ApJL, v. 731, p. L19, 2011), which reveals itself via numerous and prominent non-thermal manifestations, while lacking any noticeable thermal emission signature. RHESSI hard X-rays and 0.1-18 GHz radio data from OVSA and Phoenix-2 show copious electron acceleration (1035 electrons per second above 10 keV) typical for GOES M-class flares with electrons energies up to 100 keV, but GOES temperatures not exceeding 6.1 MK. The HXR footpoints and coronal radio sources belong, supposedly, to a single magnetic loop, which departs strongly from the corresponding potential loop (obtained from a photospheric extrapolation) in agreement with the apparent need of a non-potential magnetic field structure to produce a flare. The imaging, temporal, and spectral characteristics of the flare have led us to a firm conclusion that the bulk of the microwave continuum emission from this flare was produced directly in the acceleration region. We found that the electron acceleration efficiency is very high in the flare, so almost all available thermal electrons are eventually accelerated. However, given a relatively small flaring volume and rather low thermal density at the flaring loop, the total energy release turned out to be insufficient for a significant heating of the coronal plasma or for a prominent chromospheric response giving rise to chromospheric evaporation. Some sort of stochastic acceleration process is needed to account for an approximately energy-independent lifetime of about 3 s for the electrons in the acceleration region. This work was supported in part by NSF grants AGS-0961867, AST-0908344, and NASA grants NNX10AF27G and NNX11AB49G to New Jersey Institute of Technology. This work was supported by a UK STFC rolling grant, STFC/PPARC Advanced Fellowship, and the Leverhulme Trust, UK. Financial support by the European Commission through the SOLAIRE and HESPE Networks is gratefully acknowledged.

Understanding the connection between the energy released during solar flares and their emission in the lower atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Costa, F. Rubio

2017-10-01

While progress has been made on understanding how energy is released and deposited along the solar atmosphere during explosive events such as solar flares, the chromospheric and coronal heating through the sudden release of magnetic energy remain an open problem in solar physics. Recent hydrodynamic models allow to investigate the energy deposition along a flare loop and to study the response of the chromosphere. These results have been improved with the consideration of transport and acceleration of particles along the loop. RHESSI and Fermi/GBM X-ray and gamma-ray observations help to constrain the spectral properties of the injected electrons. The excellent spatial, spectral and temporal resolution of IRIS will also help us to constrain properties of explosive events, such as the continuum emission during flares or their emission in the chromosphere.

The emission in the region E>0.1MeV during disk and limb faint solar flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irene, Arkhangelskaja; Andrew, Arkhangelskiy; Yury, Kotov; Alexandr, Glyanenko; Maria, Kolchina; Alexey, Kirichenko

2013-06-01

Hard X-ray and gamma-ray emission in energy band E>50 keV was first observed by AVS-F apparatus onboard CORONAS-F satellite (detector SONG-D) during some solar flares with classes B and C by GOES classification. Such component registered in flares with duration less than 30 min. However γ-emission up to several tens of MeV was observed during some classes B and C events, which temporal profiles were not corresponded to Neupert effect. For example, during class B2.3 limb solar flare January 7, 2005 maximum observed energy was Emax˜36 MeV and during class B4.6 disk solar event January 12, 2005 maximum observed energy was Emax˜7 MeV. Properties of temporal profiles and energy spectra of faint solar flares, during which emission in the energy band of E>0.1 MeV were registered are discussed in the presented work. There is not any strong correlation between presence or absence of hard X-ray and γ-ray emission and the intensity of soft X-ray emission during solar flares. The one of illustration of this fact is the absence of any observed statistically significant count rate exceed above background level during some class M flares in the energy band E>0.1 MeV. The typical example of such flares is event November 8, 2001 (class M4.2, lasts from 14:59 UT up to 16:00 UT, maximum of soft X-ray emission was at 15:35 UT on GOES data).

Effects of Coulomb collisions on cyclotron maser and plasma wave growth in magnetic loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, Russell J.; Petrosian, Vahe

1990-01-01

The evolution of nonthermal electrons accelerated in magnetic loops is determined by solving the kinetic equation, including magnetic field convergence and Coulomb collisions in order to determine the effects of these interactions on the induced cyclotron maser and plasma wave growth. It is found that the growth rates are larger and the possibility of cyclotron maser action is stronger for smaller loop column density, for larger magnetic field convergence, for a more isotropic injected electron pitch angle distribution, and for more impulsive acceleration. For modest values of the column density in the coronal portion of a flaring loop, the growth rates of instabilities are significantly reduced, and the reduction is much larger for the cyclotron modes than for the plasma wave modes. The rapid decrease in the growth rates with increasing loop column density suggests that, in flare loops when such phenomena occur, the densities are lower than commonly accepted.

A RECONNECTION-DRIVEN MODEL OF THE HARD X-RAY LOOP-TOP SOURCE FROM FLARE 2004 FEBRUARY 26

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

Longcope, Dana; Qiu, Jiong; Brewer, Jasmine

A compact X-class flare on 2004 February 26 showed a concentrated source of hard X-rays at the tops of the flare’s loops. This was analyzed in previous work and interpreted as plasma heated and compressed by slow magnetosonic shocks (SMSs) generated during post-reconnection retraction of the flux. That work used analytic expressions from a thin flux tube (TFT) model, which neglected many potentially important factors such as thermal conduction and chromospheric evaporation. Here we use a numerical solution of the TFT equations to produce a more comprehensive and accurate model of the same flare, including those effects previously omitted. Thesemore » simulations corroborate the prior hypothesis that slow-mode shocks persist well after the retraction has ended, thus producing a compact, loop-top source instead of an elongated jet, as steady reconnection models predict. Thermal conduction leads to densities higher than analytic estimates had predicted, and evaporation enhances the density still higher, but at lower temperatures. X-ray light curves and spectra are synthesized by convolving the results from a single TFT simulation with the rate at which flux is reconnected, as measured through motion of flare ribbons, for example. These agree well with light curves observed by RHESSI and GOES and spectra from RHESSI . An image created from a superposition of TFT model runs resembles one produced from RHESSI observations. This suggests that the HXR loop-top source, at least the one observed in this flare, could be the result of SMSs produced in fast reconnection models like Petschek’s.« less

Ultrarelativistic electrons and solar flare gamma-radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Semukhin, P. E.; Kovaltsov, G. A.

1985-01-01

Ten solar flares with gamma radiation in excess of 10 MeV were observed. Almost all took place within a heliolatitude greater than 60 deg, close to the solar limb, an indication of the essential anisotropy of high-energy gamma radiation. This high-energy solar flare gamma radiation can be explained by the specific features of the bremsstrahlung of ultrarelativistic electrons trapped within the magnetic arc of the solar atmosphere, even if the acceleration of the electrons is anisotropic.

Dynamics of flare sprays. [in sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tandberg-Hanssen, E.; Martin, S. F.; Hansen, R. T.

1980-01-01

During solar cycle No. 20 new insight into the flare-spray phenomenon has been attained due to several innovations in solar optical-observing techniques (higher spatial resolution cinema-photography, tunable passband filters, multislit spectroscopy and extended angular field coronagraphs). From combined analysis of 13 well-observed sprays which occurred between 1969-1974 it is concluded that (1) the spray material originates from a preexisting active region filament which undergoes increased absorption some tens of minutes prior to the abrupt chromospheric brightening at the 'flare-start', and (2) the spray material is confined within a steadily expanding, loop-shaped (presumable magnetically controlled) envelope with part of the materials draining back down along one or both legs of the loop.

High Resolution Flare Observations with the 1.6 m Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.

2017-12-01

This talk presents some exciting new results of 1.6m Goode Solar Telescope (GST, formally named as NST) at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). I will report: (1) Flare ribbons and post-flare loops are observed in the scale of around 100 to 200 km. (2) the sudden flare-induced rotation of a sunspot. It is clearly observed that the rotation is non-uniform over the sunspot: as the flare ribbon sweeps across, its different portions accelerate at different times corresponding to peaks of flare hard X-ray emission. The rotation may be driven by the surface Lorentz-force change due to the back reaction of coronal magnetic restructuring and is accompanied by a downward Poynting flux. (3) We found the clear evidence that electron streaming down during a flare can induce extra transient transverse magnetic field that cause apparent rotation only at the propagating ribbon front. Sometimes they are associated with so called negative flares in HeI 10830 and D3 lines. (4) We found evidence that episodes of precursor brightenings are initiated at a small-scale magnetic channel (a form of opposite polarity fluxes) with multiple polarity inversions and enhanced magnetic fluxes and currents, lying near the footpoints of sheared magnetic loops. The low-atmospheric origin of these precursor emissions is corroborated by microwave spectra.

QUASI-PERIODIC ACCELERATION OF ELECTRONS IN THE FLARE ON 2012 JULY 19

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

Huang, Jing; Kontar, Eduard P.; Nakariakov, Valery M.

Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) of nonthermal emission in an M7.7 class flare on 2012 July 19 are investigated with spatially resolved observations at microwave and HXR bands and with spectral observations at decimetric, metric waves. Microwave emission at 17 GHz of two footpoints, HXR emission at 20–50 keV of the north footpoint and loop top, and type III bursts at 0.7–3 GHz show prominent in-phase oscillations at 270 s. The microwave emission of the loop leg has less pulsation but stronger emission. Through the estimation of plasma density around the loop top from EUV observations, we find that the local plasmamore » frequency would be 1.5 GHz or even higher. Thus, type III bursts at 700 MHz originate above the loop top. Quasi-periodic acceleration or injection of energetic electrons is proposed to dominate these in-phase QPPs of nonthermal emission from footpoints, loop top, and above. In the overlying region, drifting pulsations (DPS) at 200–600 MHz oscillate at a distinct period (200 s). Its global structure drifts toward lower frequency, which is closely related to upward plasmoids observed simultaneously from EUV emission. Hence, nonthermal emission from overlying plasmoids and underlying flaring loops show different oscillating periods. Two individual systems of quasi-periodic acceleration of electrons are proposed to coincide in the bi-direction outflows from the reconnection region.« less

OBSERVATIONS OF AN X-SHAPED RIBBON FLARE IN THE SUN AND ITS THREE-DIMENSIONAL MAGNETIC RECONNECTION

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

Li, Y.; Ding, M. D.; Yang, K.

2016-05-20

We report evolution of an atypical X-shaped flare ribbon that provides novel observational evidence of three-dimensional (3D) magnetic reconnection at a separator. The flare occurred on 2014 November 9. High-resolution slit-jaw 1330 Å images from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph reveal four chromospheric flare ribbons that converge and form an X-shape. Flare brightening in the upper chromosphere spreads along the ribbons toward the center of the “X” (the X-point), and then spreads outward in a direction more perpendicular to the ribbons. These four ribbons are located in a quadrupolar magnetic field. Reconstruction of magnetic topology in the active region suggestsmore » the presence of a separator connecting to the X-point outlined by the ribbons. The inward motion of flare ribbons in the early stage therefore indicates 3D magnetic reconnection between two sets of non-coplanar loops that approach laterally, and reconnection proceeds downward along a section of vertical current sheet. Coronal loops are also observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory confirming the reconnection morphology illustrated by ribbon evolution.« less

X-ray observations of two short but intense solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nitta, Nariaki; Dennis, Brian R.; Kiplinger, Alan L.

1990-01-01

This paper presents continuum X-ray spectra of impulsive emission in two short but intense solar flares which have relatively weak soft X-ray emissions, combining data obtained with soft X-ray and hard X-ray spectrometers on board two satellites, the SMM and Hinotori. In both flares, photon spectra of the impulsive component are found to flatten toward low energies, suggesting that a low-energy cutoff of the electron spectrum could be greater than about 50 keV and that the total energy contained in the electrons is significantly less than that usually quoted for a cutoff energy of about 20 keV. Different shapes of the X-ray spectrum at energies below 50 keV in other flares can be attributed to the variety in the relative strength of gradual and impulsive emissions. In one of the two flares, observations with the imager on Hinotori suggest that hard X-ray emission is likely to be associated with loop footpoints. It is argued that contamination by the gradual soft X-ray emission and/or the asymmetry of loops could explain the detection of single sources in the majority of flares that have been imaged in hard X-rays.

On Heating the Sun's Corona by Magnetic Explosions: Feasibility in Active Regions and prospects for Quiet Regions and Coronal Holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ronald L.; Falconer, D. A.; Porter, Jason G.; Suess, Steven T.

1999-01-01

We build a case for the persistent strong coronal heating in active regions and the pervasive quasi-steady heating of the corona in quiet regions and coronal holes being driven in basically the same way as the intense transient heating in solar flares: by explosions of sheared magnetic fields in the cores of initially closed bipoles. We begin by summarizing the observational case for exploding sheared core fields being the drivers of a wide variety of flare events, with and without coronal mass ejections. We conclude that the arrangement of an event's flare heating, whether there is a coronal mass ejection, and the time and place of the ejection relative to the flare heating are all largely determined by four elements of the form and action of the magnetic field: (1) the arrangement of the impacted, interacting bipoles participating in the event, (2) which of these bipoles are active (have sheared core fields that explode) and which are passive (are heated by injection from impacted active bipoles), (3) which core field explodes first, and (4) which core-field explosions are confined within the closed field of their bipoles and which ejectively open their bipoles. We then apply this magnetic-configuration framework for flare heating to the strong coronal heating observed by the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope in an active region with strongly sheared core fields observed by the MSFC vector magnetograph. All of the strong coronal heating is in continually microflaring sheared core fields or in extended loops rooted against the active core fields. Thus, the strong heating occurs in field configurations consistent with the heating being driven by frequent core-field explosions that are smaller but similar to those in confined flares and flaring arches. From analysis of the thermal and magnetic energetics of two selected core-field microflares and a bright extended loop, we find that (1) it is energetically feasible for the sheared core fields to drive all of the coronal heating in the active region via a staccato of magnetic microexplosions, (2) the microflares at the feet of the extended loop behave as the flares at the feet of flaring arches in that more coronal heating is driven within the active bipole than in the extended loop, (3) the filling factor of the X-ray plasma in the core field microflares and in the extended loop is approximately 0.1, and (4) to release enough magnetic energy for a typical microflare (10^27 - 10^28 erg), a microflaring strand of sheared core field need expand and/or untwist by only a few percent at most. Finally, we point out that (1) the field configurations for strong coronal heating in our example active region (i.e., neutral-line core fields, many embedded in the feet of extended loops) are present in abundance in the magnetic network in quiet regions and coronal holes, and (2) it is known that many network bipoles do microflare and that many produce detectable coronal heating. We therefore propose that exploding sheared core fields are the drivers of most of the heating and dynamics of the solar atmosphere, ranging from the largest and most powerful coronal mass ejections and flares, to the vigorous microflaring and coronal heating in active regions, to the multitude of fine-scale explosive events in the magnetic network. The low-lysing exploding core fields in the network drive microflares, spicules, global coronal heating, and ,consequently, the solar wind.

NEW ASPECTS OF A LID-REMOVAL MECHANISM IN THE ONSET OF AN ERUPTION SEQUENCE THAT PRODUCED A LARGE SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE (SEP) EVENT

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

Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L.; Falconer, David A.

We examine a sequence of two ejective eruptions from a single active region on 2012 January 23, using magnetograms and EUV images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory's (SDO) Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and Atmospheric and Imaging Assembly (AIA), and EUV images from STEREO/EUVI. This sequence produced two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and a strong solar energetic particle event (SEP); here we focus on the magnetic onset of this important space weather episode. Cheng et al. showed that the first eruption's ({sup E}ruption 1{sup )} flux rope was apparent only in ''hotter'' AIA channels, and that it removed overlying field thatmore » allowed the second eruption ({sup E}ruption 2{sup )} to begin via ideal MHD instability; here we say that Eruption 2 began via a ''lid removal'' mechanism. We show that during Eruption 1's onset, its flux rope underwent a ''tether weakening'' (TW) reconnection with field that arched from the eruption-source active region to an adjacent active region. Standard flare loops from Eruption 1 developed over Eruption 2's flux rope and enclosed filament, but these overarching new loops were unable to confine that flux rope/filament. Eruption 1's flare loops, from both TW reconnection and standard-flare-model internal reconnection, were much cooler than Eruption 2's flare loops (GOES thermal temperatures of ∼7.5 MK and 9 MK, compared to ∼14 MK). The corresponding three sequential GOES flares were, respectively, due to TW reconnection plus earlier phase Eruption 1 tether-cutting reconnection, Eruption 1 later-phase tether-cutting reconnection, and Eruption 2 tether-cutting reconnection.« less

The coalescence instability in solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tajima, T.; Brunel, F.; Sakai, J.-I.; Vlahos, L.; Kundu, M. R.

1985-01-01

The nonlinear coalescence instability of current carrying solar loops can explain many of the characteristics of the solar flares such as their impulsive nature, heating and high energy particle acceleration, amplitude oscillations of electromagnetic and emission as well as the characteristics of two-dimensional microwave images obtained during a flare. The plasma compressibility leads to the explosive phase of loop coalescence and its overshoot results in amplitude oscillations in temperatures by adiabatic compression and decompression. It is noted that the presence of strong electric fields and super-Alfvenic flows during the course of the instability play an important role in the production of nonthermal particles. A qualitative explanation on the physical processes taking place during the nonlinear stages of the instability is given.

Solar coronal magnetic field topology inferred from high resolution optical and x-ray movies

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

Tarbell, T.; Frank, Z.; Hurlburt, N.

1993-01-01

The authors are using high resolution digital movies of solar active regions in optical and X-ray wavelengths to study solar flares and other transients. The optical movies were collected at the Swedish Solar Observatory on La Palma using the Lockheed tunable filtergraph system, in May-July, 1992. They include longitudinal and transverse magnetograms, H-alpha Doppler and intensity images at many wavelengths, Ca K, Na D, and white light images. Simultaneous X-ray images from Yohkoh are available much of the time. Several ways to establish the connectivity of some coronal magnetic field lines are being explored. Some of the clues available are:more » magnetic footpoint polarities and transverse field direction; H-alpha fibrils and loops seen in several wavelengths; proper motion and Dopper shifts of blobs moving along field lines; footprint brightening in micro-flares; spreading of flare ribbons during gradual phases of flares; X-ray morphology and correlations with H-alpha; and draining of flare loops. Examples of each of these will be shown on video.« less

Identification and analysis of structures in the corona from X-ray photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaiana, G. S.; Krieger, A. S.; Timothy, A. F.

1973-01-01

This paper summarizes the results of a program of rocket observations of the solar corona with grazing incidence X-ray telescopes. A series of five flights of a Kanigen-surfaced telescope with a few arc seconds resolution, together with the first flight of a newer telescope have resulted in the identification of six classes of coronal structures observable in the X-ray photographs. These are: active regions, active region interconnections, large loop structures associated with unipolar magnetic regions, coronal holes, coronal bright points, and the structures surrounding filament cavities. Two solar flares have been observed. The methods involved in deriving coronal temperature and density information from X-ray photographs are described and the analysis of a bright active region (McMath plage 11035) observed at the west limb on November 24, 1970 is presented as an example of these techniques.

Ultraviolet Events Observed in Active Regions. 2; An Interpretation of Flaring Arches and Associated Small Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fontenla, J.; Rovira, M.; Tandberg-Hanssen, E.

1997-01-01

We analyze Hz, UV, and X-ray emissions in and around the spectacular arch system seen in the corona on 1980 March 27 during the Solar Maximum Mission. The flaring of the arch plasma is studied, and its dependence on triggering mechanisms related to the observed small limb flare in the arch footpoint is analyzed. To drive these events, we propose a mechanism in which small electric current circuits and the localized magnetic free energy are continuously generated at a magnetic null by a pressure gradient, which then compress or expand the plasma. This free energy dissipates by Joule effect and upward transport.

Observational Study of Particle Acceleration in the 2006 December 13 Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minoshima, T.; Morimoto, T.; Kawate, T.; Imada, S.; Koshiishi, H.; Masuda, S.; Kubo, M.; Inoue, S.; Isobe, H.; Krucker, S.; Yokoyama, T.

2008-12-01

We study the particle acceleration in a flare on 2006 December 13, by using the Hinode, RHESSI, Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters (NoRP) and Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH) observations. For technical reasons, both RHESSI and NoRH have a problem in imaging in this flare. Since we have succeeded in solving the problem, it is now possible to discuss the particle acceleration mechanism from an image analysis. This flare shows very long-lasting (1 hour) non-thermal emissions, consisting of many spikes. We focus on the second major spike at 02:29 UT, because the RHESSI image is available only in this period. The RHESSI 35-100 keV HXR image shows double sources located at the footpoints of the western soft X-ray (SXR) loop seen by the Hinode/XRT. The non-linear force-free (NLFF) modeling based on a magnetogram data by Inoue et al. shows the NLFF to potential magnetic transition of the loop, which would induce the electric field and then accelerate particles. Overlaying the HXR image on the photospheric three-dimensional magnetic field map taken by the Hinode Spectro-Polarimeter, we find that the HXR sources are located at the region where the horizontal magnetic fields invert. The NoRH 34 GHz microwave images show the loop structure connecting the HXR sources. The microwave peaks do not located at the top of the loop but between the loop top and the footpoints. The NoRP microwave spectrum shows the soft-hard-soft pattern in the period, same as the HXR spectrum (Ning 2008). From these observational results we suggest that the electrons were accelerated parallel to the magnetic field line near the magnetic separatrix.

Acceleration and Storage of Energetic Electrons in Magnetic Loops in the Course of Electric Current Oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitsev, V. V.; Stepanov, A. V.

2017-10-01

A mechanism of electron acceleration and storage of energetic particles in solar and stellar coronal magnetic loops, based on oscillations of the electric current, is considered. The magnetic loop is presented as an electric circuit with the electric current generated by convective motions in the photosphere. Eigenoscillations of the electric current in a loop induce an electric field directed along the loop axis. It is shown that the sudden reductions that occur in the course of type IV continuum and pulsating type III observed in various frequency bands (25 - 180 MHz, 110 - 600 MHz, 0.7 - 3.0 GHz) in solar flares provide evidence for acceleration and storage of the energetic electrons in coronal magnetic loops. We estimate the energization rate and the energy of accelerated electrons and present examples of the storage of energetic electrons in loops in the course of flares on the Sun or on ultracool stars. We also discuss the efficiency of the suggested mechanism as compared with the electron acceleration during the five-minute photospheric oscillations and with the acceleration driven by the magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability.

Time Variations of Observed H α Line Profiles and Precipitation Depths of Nonthermal Electrons in a Solar Flare

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

Falewicz, Robert; Radziszewski, Krzysztof; Rudawy, Paweł

2017-10-01

We compare time variations of the H α and X-ray emissions observed during the pre-impulsive and impulsive phases of the C1.1-class solar flare on 2013 June 21 with those of plasma parameters and synthesized X-ray emission from a 1D hydrodynamic numerical model of the flare. The numerical model was calculated assuming that the external energy is delivered to the flaring loop by nonthermal electrons (NTEs). The H α spectra and images were obtained using the Multi-channel Subtractive Double Pass spectrograph with a time resolution of 50 ms. The X-ray fluxes and spectra were recorded by RHESSI . Pre-flare geometric andmore » thermodynamic parameters of the model and the delivered energy were estimated using RHESSI data. The time variations of the X-ray light curves in various energy bands and those of the H α intensities and line profiles were well correlated. The timescales of the observed variations agree with the calculated variations of the plasma parameters in the flaring loop footpoints, reflecting the time variations of the vertical extent of the energy deposition layer. Our result shows that the fast time variations of the H α emission of the flaring kernels can be explained by momentary changes of the deposited energy flux and the variations of the penetration depths of the NTEs.« less

Using Sdo's AIA to Investigate Energy Transport from a Flare's Energy Release Site to the Chromosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brosius, Jeffrey W.; Holman, Gordon D.

2012-01-01

Coordinated observations of a GOES B4.8 microflare with SDOs Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and the RamatyHigh Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) on 2010 July 31 show that emission in all seven of AIAs EUV channels brightened simultaneously nearly 6 min before RHESSI or GOES detected emission from plasma at temperatures around 10 MK. Aims. To help interpret these and AIA flare observations in general, we characterized the expected temporal responses of AIAs 94, 131, 171, 193, 211, and 335 channels to solar flare brightenings by combining (1) AIAs nominal temperature response functions available through SSWIDL with (2) EUV spectral line data observed in a flare loop Coordinated observations of a GOES B4.8 microflare with SDOs Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and the RamatyHigh Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) on 2010 July 31 show that emission in all seven of AIAs EUV channels brightenedsimultaneously nearly 6 min before RHESSI or GOES detected emission from plasma at temperatures around 10 MK.Aims. To help interpret these and AIA flare observations in general, we characterized the expected temporal responses of AIAs 94,131, 171, 193, 211, and 335 channels to solar flare brightenings by combining (1) AIAs nominal temperature response functionsavailable through SSWIDL with (2) EUV spectral line data observed in a flare loop

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.

Enthalpy-Based Thermal Evolution of Loops: II. Improvements to the Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cargill, P. J.; Bradshaw, S. J.; Klimchuk, J. A.

2011-01-01

This paper further develops the zero-dimensional (0D) hydrodynamic coronal loop model "Enthalpy-based Thermal Evolution of Loops" (EBTEL) originally proposed by Klimchuk et al (2008), which studies the plasma response to evolving coronal heating. It has typically been applied to impulsive heating events. The basis of EBTEL is the modelling of mass exchange between the corona and transition region and chromosphere in response to heating variations, with the key parameter being the ratio of transition region to coronal radiation. We develop new models for this parameter that now include gravitational stratification and a physically motivated approach to radiative cooling. A number of examples are presented, including nanoflares in short and long loops, and a small flare. It is found that while the evolution of the loop temperature is rather insensitive to the details of the model, accurate tracking of the density requires the inclusion of our new features. In particular, we are able to now obtain highly over-dense loops in the late cooling phase and decreases to the coronal density arising due to stratification. The 0D results are compared to a 1D hydro code (Hydrad). The agreement is acceptable, with the exception of the flare case where some versions of Hydrad can give significantly lower densities. This is attributed to the method used to model the chromosphere in a flare. EBTEL is suitable for general use as a tool for (a) quick-look results of loop evolution in response to a given heating function and (b) situations where the modelling of hundreds or thousands of elemental loops is needed. A single run takes a few seconds on a contemporary laptop.

CHROMOSPHERIC EVAPORATION IN AN X1.0 FLARE ON 2014 MARCH 29 OBSERVED WITH IRIS AND EIS

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

Li, Y.; Ding, M. D.; Qiu, J.

Chromospheric evaporation refers to dynamic mass motions in flare loops as a result of rapid energy deposition in the chromosphere. These motions have been observed as blueshifts in X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) spectral lines corresponding to upward motions at a few tens to a few hundreds of km s{sup −1}. Past spectroscopic observations have also revealed a dominant stationary component, in addition to the blueshifted component, in emission lines formed at high temperatures (∼10 MK). This is contradictory to evaporation models predicting predominant blueshifts in hot lines. The recently launched Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) provides high-resolution imaging and spectroscopicmore » observations that focus on the chromosphere and transition region in the UV passband. Using the new IRIS observations, combined with coordinated observations from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer, we study the chromospheric evaporation process from the upper chromosphere to the corona during an X1.0 flare on 2014 March 29. We find evident evaporation signatures, characterized by Doppler shifts and line broadening, at two flare ribbons that are separating from each other, suggesting that chromospheric evaporation takes place in successively formed flaring loops throughout the flare. More importantly, we detect dominant blueshifts in the high-temperature Fe xxi line (∼10 MK), in agreement with theoretical predictions. We also find that, in this flare, gentle evaporation occurs at some locations in the rise phase of the flare, while explosive evaporation is detected at some other locations near the peak of the flare. There is a conversion from gentle to explosive evaporation as the flare evolves.« less

Plasma parameters and structures of the X4 flare of 19 May 1984 as observed by SMM-XRP.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmelz, J. T.; Saba, J. L. R.; Strong, K. T.

The eruption of a large flare on the east limb of the Sun was observed by the X-ray Polychromator (XRP) on board the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) on 19 May 1984. The XRP Flat Crystal Spectrometer (FCS) made polychromatic soft X-ray images during the preflare, flare and postflare phases. The XRP Bent Crystal Spectrometer (BCS) provided information on the temperature and dynamics of the hot (Te > 8×106K) coronal plasma from spectra integrated spatially over the whole region.

SLIPPING MAGNETIC RECONNECTION TRIGGERING A SOLAR ERUPTION OF A TRIANGLE-SHAPED FLAG FLUX ROPE

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

Li, Ting; Zhang, Jun, E-mail: liting@nao.cas.cn, E-mail: zjun@nao.cas.cn

2014-08-10

We report the first simultaneous activities of the slipping motion of flare loops and a slipping eruption of a flux rope in 131 Å and 94 Å channels on 2014 February 2. The east hook-like flare ribbon propagated with a slipping motion at a speed of about 50 km s{sup –1}, which lasted about 40 minutes and extended by more than 100 Mm, but the west flare ribbon moved in the opposite direction with a speed of 30 km s{sup –1}. At the later phase of flare activity, there was a well developed ''bi-fan'' system of flare loops. The east footpoints ofmore » the flux rope showed an apparent slipping motion along the hook of the ribbon. Simultaneously, the fine structures of the flux rope rose up rapidly at a speed of 130 km s{sup –1}, much faster than that of the whole flux rope. We infer that the east footpoints of the flux rope are successively heated by a slipping magnetic reconnection during the flare, which results in the apparent slippage of the flux rope. The slipping motion delineates a ''triangle-shaped flag surface'' of the flux rope, implying that the topology of a flux rope is more complex than anticipated.« less

Multiwavelength analysis of a well observed flare from SMM. [Solar Maximum Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macneice, P.; Pallavicini, R.; Mason, H. E.; Simnett, G. M.; Antonucci, E.; Shine, R. A.; Dennis, B. R.

1985-01-01

Observations of an M 1.4 flare which began at 17:00 UT on November 12, 1980, are presented and analyzed. Ground based H-alpha and magnetogram data have been combined with EUV, soft and hard X-ray observations made with instruments on-board the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. The preflare phase was marked by a gradual brightening of the flare site in O v and the disappearance of an H-alpha filament. Filament ejecta were seen in O v moving southward at a speed of about 60 km/s, before the impulsive phase. The flare loop footpoints brightened in H-alpha and the Ca XIX resonance line broadened dramatically 2 min before the impulsive phase. Nonthermal hard X-ray emission was detected from the loop footpoints during the impulsive phase, while during the same period blue-shifts corresponding to upflows of 200-250 km/s were seen in Ca XIX. Evidence was found for energy deposition in both the chromosphere and corona at a number of stages during the flare. Two widely studied mechanisms for the production of the high temperature soft X-ray flare plasma in the corona are considered, i.e. chromospheric evaporation, and a model in which the heating and transfer of material occurs between flux tubes during reconnection.

Bulk Acceleration of Electrons in Solar Flares?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holman, Gordon D.

2014-06-01

In two recent papers it has been argued that RHESSI observations of two coronal “above-the-loop-top” hard X-ray sources, together with EUV observations, show that ALL the electrons in the source volumes must have been accelerated. I will briefly review these papers and show that the interpretation most consistent with the combined flare observations is multi-thermal, with hot, thermal plasma in the “above-the-loop-top” sources and only a fraction, albeit a substantial fraction, of the electrons accelerated. Thus, there is no credible scientific evidence for bulk acceleration of electrons in flares. Differential emission measure (DEM) models deduced from SDO/AIA and RHESSI data, including the inversion of the AIA data to determine DEM, will be discussed as part of this analysis.

Coronal Structure of a Flaring Region and Associated Coronal Mass Ejection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kundu, Mukul R.; Manoharan, P. K.

2003-01-01

We report the multiwavelength investigations of an eruptive flare event that occurred on 2001 April 2 at about 11 UT. The manifestations associated with this flare event have been studied from the near-Sun region to about 0.5 AU. The H-alpha images from the Meudon Spectroheliograph reveal a fast spectacular eruption of plasmoids from the flare site to the west and a Moreton wave disturbance propagating toward the south, A bright, fast, wide coronal mass ejection (CME) associated with this eruptive event was imaged by SOHO/LASCO and the remote-sensing interplanetary scintillation technique. The timings and positions of the Type II radio bursts, H-alpha eruption, and CME onset as well as the magnetic field configuration suggest a release of energy at the null point. The results seem to support the "breakout" scenario proposed by Antiochos and coworkers, and they are also suggestive that the energy release is followed by magnetic reconnection between the low-lying loops near the separatrix and the loop system above them.

Determining the solar-flare photospheric scale height from SMM gamma-ray measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lingenfelter, Richard E.

1991-01-01

A connected series of Monte Carlo programs was developed to make systematic calculations of the energy, temporal and angular dependences of the gamma-ray line and neutron emission resulting from such accelerated ion interactions. Comparing the results of these calculations with the Solar Maximum Mission/Gamma Ray Spectrometer (SMM/GRS) measurements of gamma-ray line and neutron fluxes, the total number and energy spectrum of the flare-accelerated ions trapped on magnetic loops at the Sun were determined and the angular distribution, pitch angle scattering, and mirroring of the ions on loop fields were constrained. Comparing the calculations with measurements of the time dependence of the neutron capture line emission, a determination of the He-3/H ratio in the photosphere was also made. The diagnostic capabilities of the SMM/GRS measurements were extended by developing a new technique to directly determine the effective photospheric scale height in solar flares from the neutron capture gamma-ray line measurements, and critically test current atmospheric models in the flare region.

Comparison of closed loop model with flight test results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

George, F. L.

1981-01-01

An analytic technique capable of predicting the landing characteristics of proposed aircraft configurations in the early stages of design was developed. In this analysis, a linear pilot-aircraft closed loop model was evaluated using experimental data generated with the NT-33 variable stability in-flight simulator. The pilot dynamics are modeled as inner and outer servo loop closures around aircraft pitch attitude, and altitude rate-of-change respectively. The landing flare maneuver is of particular interest as recent experience with military and other highly augmented vehicles shows this task to be relatively demanding, and potentially a critical design point. A unique feature of the pilot model is the incorporation of an internal model of the pilot's desired flight path for the flare maneuver.

Solar Scientist Confirm Existence of Flux Ropes on the Sun

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Caption: This is an image of magnetic loops on the sun, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). It has been processed to highlight the edges of each loop to make the structure more clear. A series of loops such as this is known as a flux rope, and these lie at the heart of eruptions on the sun known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs.) This is the first time scientists were able to discern the timing of a flux rope's formation. (Blended 131 Angstrom and 171 Angstrom images of July 19, 2012 flare and CME.) Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO ---- On July 18, 2012, a fairly small explosion of light burst off the lower right limb of the sun. Such flares often come with an associated eruption of solar material, known as a coronal mass ejection or CME – but this one did not. Something interesting did happen, however. Magnetic field lines in this area of the sun's atmosphere, the corona, began to twist and kink, generating the hottest solar material – a charged gas called plasma – to trace out the newly-formed slinky shape. The plasma glowed brightly in extreme ultraviolet images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and scientists were able to watch for the first time the very formation of something they had long theorized was at the heart of many eruptive events on the sun: a flux rope. Eight hours later, on July 19, the same region flared again. This time the flux rope's connection to the sun was severed, and the magnetic fields escaped into space, dragging billions of tons of solar material along for the ride -- a classic CME. "Seeing this structure was amazing," says Angelos Vourlidas, a solar scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. "It looks exactly like the cartoon sketches theorists have been drawing of flux ropes since the 1970s. It was a series of figure eights lined up to look like a giant slinky on the sun." To read more about this new discovery go to: 1.usa.gov/14UHsTt NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Analysis of flares in the chromosphere and corona of main- and pre-main-sequence M-type stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crespo-Chacón, I.

2015-11-01

This Ph.D. Thesis revolves around flares on main- and pre-main-sequence M-type stars. We use observations in different wavelength ranges with the aim of analysing the effects of flares at different layers of stellar atmospheres. In particular, optical and X-ray observations are used so that we can study how flares affect, respectively, the chromosphere and the corona of stars. In the optical range we carry out a high temporal resolution spectroscopic monitoring of UV Ceti-type stars aimed at detecting non-white-light flares (the most typical kind of solar flares) in stars other than the Sun. With these data we confirm that non-white-light flares are a frequent phenomenon in UV Ceti-type stars, as observed in the Sun. We study and interpret the behaviour of different chromospheric lines during the flares detected on AD Leo. By using a simplified slab model of flares (Jevremović et al. 1998), we are able to determine the physical parameters of the chromospheric flaring plasma (electron density and electron temperature), the temperature of the underlying source, and the surface area covered by the flaring plasma. We also search for possible relationships between the physical parameters of the flaring plasma and other properties such as the flare duration, area, maximum flux and released energy. This work considerably extends the existing sample of stellar flares analysed with good quality spectroscopy in the optical range. In X-rays we take advantage of the great sensitivity, wide energy range, high energy resolution, and continuous time coverage of the EPIC detectors - on-board the XMMNewton satellite - in order to perform time-resolved spectral analysis of coronal flares. In particular, in the UV Ceti-type star CC Eri we study two flares that are weaker than those typically reported in the literature (allowing us to speculate about the role of flares as heating agents of stellar atmospheres); while in the pre-main-sequence M-type star TWA 11B (with no signatures of having an accretion disk) we carry out a detailed analysis of an extremely long rise phase and of a shorter, weaker flare (allowing us to compare the results with those reported for young stars but surrounded by disks). Assuming multitemperature models to describe the coronal flaring plasma, we have calculated the metal abundance, the electron temperatures and the respective emission measures by fitting the spectra with the Astrophysical Plasma Emission Code included in the XSPEC software, which calculates spectral models for hot, optically thin plasmas. Moreover, we are able to estimate the size of the flaring loops by using theoretical models. These sizes give us an idea about the extent of the corona. For those flares in which heating does not entirely drive the flare evolution we use the models reported by Reale (2007) and Reale et al. (1997) for the rise and decay phases, respectively, including the effect of sustained heating during the decay. Instead, the stellar version of the Kopp & Poletto (1984)'s solar two-ribbon flare model (Poletto et al. 1988) is used when the residual heating completely drives the flare over the plasma cooling. Later, we apply the so-called RTV scaling laws (Rosner et al. 1978) and other fundamental laws of physics to determine additional characteristics of the plasma contained in the flaring loops (electron density and pressure), as well as the volume of the flaring region, the heating rate per unit volume, and the strength of the magnetic field required to confine this plasma. Making some assumptions we are also able to estimate the number of loops involved in the observed flares and the kind of magnetic structures present in the atmosphere of these types of stars. Finally, we discuss and interpret the results in the context of solar and stellar flares reported so far.

Spectroscopic Observations of Magnetic Reconnection and Chromospheric Evaporation in an X-shaped Solar Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Kelly, M.; Ding, M. D.; Qiu, J.; Zhu, X. S.; Gan, W. Q.

2017-10-01

We present observations of distinct UV spectral properties at different locations during an atypical X-shaped flare (SOL2014-11-09T15:32) observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). In this flare, four chromospheric ribbons appear and converge at an X-point where a separator is anchored. Above the X-point, two sets of non-coplanar coronal loops approach laterally and reconnect at the separator. The IRIS slit was located close to the X-point, cutting across some of the flare ribbons and loops. Near the location of the separator, the Si IV 1402.77 Å line exhibits significantly broadened line wings extending to 200 km s-1 with an unshifted line core. These spectral features suggest the presence of bidirectional flows possibly related to the separator reconnection. While at the flare ribbons, the hot Fe xxi 1354.08 Å line shows blueshifts and the cool Si IV 1402.77 Å, C II 1335.71 Å, and Mg II 2803.52 Å lines show evident redshifts up to a velocity of 80 km s-1, which are consistent with the scenario of chromospheric evaporation/condensation.

Spectroscopic Observations of Magnetic Reconnection and Chromospheric Evaporation in an X-shaped Solar Flare

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

Li, Y.; Gan, W. Q.; Kelly, M.

We present observations of distinct UV spectral properties at different locations during an atypical X-shaped flare (SOL2014-11-09T15:32) observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ). In this flare, four chromospheric ribbons appear and converge at an X-point where a separator is anchored. Above the X-point, two sets of non-coplanar coronal loops approach laterally and reconnect at the separator. The IRIS slit was located close to the X-point, cutting across some of the flare ribbons and loops. Near the location of the separator, the Si iv 1402.77 Å line exhibits significantly broadened line wings extending to 200 km s{supmore » −1} with an unshifted line core. These spectral features suggest the presence of bidirectional flows possibly related to the separator reconnection. While at the flare ribbons, the hot Fe xxi 1354.08 Å line shows blueshifts and the cool Si iv 1402.77 Å, C ii 1335.71 Å, and Mg ii 2803.52 Å lines show evident redshifts up to a velocity of 80 km s{sup −1}, which are consistent with the scenario of chromospheric evaporation/condensation.« less

Simulations of Flare Reconnection in Breakout Coronal Mass Ejections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVore, C. Richard; Karpen, J. T.; Antiochos, S. K.

2009-05-01

We report 3D MHD simulations of the flare reconnection in the corona below breakout coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The initial setup is a single bipolar active region imbedded in the global-scale background dipolar field of the Sun, forming a quadrupolar magnetic configuration with a coronal null point. Rotational motions applied to the active-region polarities at the base of the atmosphere introduce shear across the polarity inversion line (PIL). Eventually, the magnetic stress and energy reach the critical threshold for runaway breakout reconnection, at which point the sheared core field erupts outward at high speed. The vertical current sheet formed by the stretching of the departing sheared field suffers reconnection that reforms the initial low-lying arcade across the PIL, i.e., creates the flare loops. Our simulation model, the Adaptively Refined MHD Solver, exploits local grid refinement to resolve the detailed structure and evolution of the highly dynamic current sheet. We are analyzing the numerical experiments to identify and interpret observable signatures of the flare reconnection associated with CMEs, e.g., the flare loops and ribbons, coronal jets and shock waves, and possible origins of solar energetic particles. This research was supported by NASA and ONR.

Characteristics, location and origin of flare activity in a complex active region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Machado, M. E.; Gary, G. A.; Hagyard, M. J.; Hernandez, A. M.; Rovira, M. G.

1986-01-01

The observational characteristics of series of multiple-loop flares from a complex active region are summarized. The location of the highest observed photospheric magnetic shear is found to be the commonly observed site of flare onset, but not, in many cases, the magnetic region where the largest time-integrated energy release is observed. The observations thus reveal a consistent pattern of energy-release processes related to the magnetic-field topology.

THE NONPOTENTIALITY OF CORONAE OF SOLAR ACTIVE REGIONS, THE DYNAMICS OF THE SURFACE MAGNETIC FIELD, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE FLARES

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

Schrijver, Carolus J., E-mail: schrijver@lmsal.com

Flares and eruptions from solar active regions (ARs) are associated with atmospheric electrical currents accompanying distortions of the coronal field away from a lowest-energy potential state. In order to better understand the origin of these currents and their role in M- and X-class flares, I review all AR observations made with Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager and SDO/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly from 2010 May through 2014 October within ≈40° from the disk center. I select the roughly 4% of all regions that display a distinctly nonpotential coronal configuration in loops with a length comparable to the scale of themore » AR, and all that emit GOES X-class flares. The data for 41 regions confirm, with a single exception, that strong-field, high-gradient polarity inversion lines (SHILs) created during emergence of magnetic flux into, and related displacement within, pre-existing ARs are associated with X-class flares. Obvious nonpotentiality in the AR-scale loops occurs in six of ten selected regions with X-class flares, all with relatively long SHILs along their primary polarity inversion line, or with a long internal filament there. Nonpotentiality can exist in ARs well past the flux-emergence phase, often with reduced or absent flaring. I conclude that the dynamics of the flux involved in the compact SHILs is of pre-eminent importance for the large-flare potential of ARs within the next day, but that their associated currents may not reveal themselves in AR-scale nonpotentiality. In contrast, AR-scale nonpotentiality, which can persist for many days, may inform us about the eruption potential other than those from SHILs which is almost never associated with X-class flaring.« less

Electron acceleration in solar flares and the transition from nonthermal to thermal hard X-ray phases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, D. F.

1985-01-01

Observations are reviewed which indicate that hard X-rays during the impulsive phase of a flare typically start with a primarily nonthermal phase which undergoes a transition to a primarily thermal phase as the flare progresses. Recent theoretical work on the modified two-stream instability as an efficient electron accelerator and modeling of thermal hard X-ray sources is considered. A scenario which is termed the dissipative thermal model is proposed to explain the observations. Fast tearing modes occurring in a loop give rise to cross-field ion motion. This in turn excites the modified two-stream instability which converts about 50 percent of the ion energy into accelerated electrons along the loop as long as the plasma beta is less than 0.3. These electrons impact the chromosphere and boil off a part of it which rises up the loop. This density increase coupled with the temperature increase due to tearing causes the beta to increase beyond 0.3 and efficient electron acceleration ceases. This leads to the primarily thermal phase.

Fast transient X-rays from flare stars and RS CVn binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, A. R.; Vahia, M. N.

1987-12-01

The authors have studied the fast transient X-ray (FTX) observations of the Ariel V satellite. They find that the FTX have characteristics very similar to the stellar flares detected in flare stars and RS CVn binaries by other satellites. It is found that, of the possible candidate objects, only the flare stars and RS CVn binaries can be associated with the Ariel V observations. 11 new flare stars and RS CVn binaries are associated with the FTX. This brings the total number of identifications with the flare stars and RS CVn binaries to 17. The authors further study the flare properties and correlate the peak X-ray luminosity of these Ariel V sources with the bolometric luminosity of the candidate stars. They discuss a solar flare model and show that the observed correlation can be explained under the assumption of constant temperature loops of binary sizes.

Observations of the 12.3 micron Mg I emission line during a major solar flare

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deming, Drake; Jennings, Donald E.; Osherovich, Vladimir; Wiedemann, Gunter; Hewagama, Tilak

1990-01-01

The extremely Zeeman-sensitive 12.32 micron Mg I solar emission line was observed during a 3B/X5.7 solar flare on October 24, 1989. When compared to postflare values, Mg I emission-line intensity in the penumbral flare ribbon was 20 percent greater at the peak of the flare in soft X-rays, and the 12 micron continuum intensity was 7 percent greater. The flare also excited the emission line in the umbra where it is normally absent. The umbral flare emission exhibits a Zeeman splitting 200 G less than the adjacent penumbra, suggesting that it is excited at higher altitude. The absolute penumbral magnetic field strength did not change by more than 100 G between the flare peak and postflare period. However, a change in the inclination of the field lines, probably related to the formation and development of the flare loop system, was seen.

A multiwavelength study of a double impulsive flare

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strong, K. T.; Benz, A. O.; Dennis, B. R.; Poland, A. I.; Leibacher, J. W.; Mewe, R.; Schrijver, J.; Simnett, G.; Smith, J. B., Jr.; Sylwester, J.

1984-01-01

Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and ground-based observations are given for two flares which occurred 3 min apart in the same section of the active region. The physical characteristics of the two flares are derived and compared, and the main difference between them is noted to be in the preflare state of the coronal plasma at the flare site. These data suggest that the plasma filling the flaring loops absorbed most of the energy released during the impulsive phase of the second flare, so that only a fraction of the energy could reach the chromosphere to produce mass motions and turbulence. Since a study of the brightest flares observed by SMM shows that at least 43 percent of them are multiple, the situation presently studied may be quite common, and the difference in initial plasma conditions could explain at least some of the large variations in observed flare parameters.

Multiwavelength observations of a flux rope formation by series of magnetic reconnection in the chromosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Pankaj; Yurchyshyn, Vasyl; Cho, Kyung-Suk; Wang, Haimin

2017-07-01

Using high-resolution observations from the 1.6 m New Solar Telescope (NST) operating at the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO), we report direct evidence of merging and reconnection of cool Hα loops in the chromosphere during two homologous flares (B and C class) caused by a shear motion at the footpoints of two loops. The reconnection between these loops caused the formation of an unstable flux rope that showed counterclockwise rotation. The flux rope could not reach the height of torus instability and failed to form a coronal mass ejection. The HMI magnetograms revealed rotation of the negative and positive (N1/P2) polarity sunspots in the opposite directions, which increased the right- and left-handed twist in the magnetic structures rooted at N1/P2. Rapid photospheric flux cancellation (duration 20-30 min, rate ≈3.44 × 1020 Mx h-1) was observed during and even after the first B6.0 flare and continued until the end of the second C2.3 flare. The RHESSI X-ray sources were located at the site of the loop coalescence. To the best of our knowledge, such a clear interaction of chromospheric loops along with rapid flux cancellation has not been reported before. These high-resolution observations suggest the formation of a small flux rope by a series of magnetic reconnections within chromospheric loops that are associated with very rapid flux cancellation. Movies attached to Figs. 2, 7, 8, and 10 are available at http://www.aanda.org

Analysing spectroscopically the propagation of a CME from its source on the disk to its impact as it propagates outwards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harra, Louise K.; Doschek, G. A.; Matthews, Sarah A.; De Pontieu, Bart; Long, David

We analyse a complex coronal mass ejection observed by Hinode, SDO and IRIS. SDO AIA shows that the eruption occurs between several active regions with flaring occurring in all of them. Hinode EIS observed one of the flaring active regions that shows a fast outwards propagation which is related to the CME lifting off. The eruption is then observed as it propagates away from the Sun, pushing the existing post-flare loops downwards as it goes. Spectroscopic observations are made during this time with IRIS measuring the impact that this CME front has as it pushes the loops downwards. Strong enhancements in the cool Mg II emission at these locations that show complex dynamics. We discuss these new observations in context of CME models.

Propagating wave in active region-loops, located over the solar disk observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, B.; Hou, Y. J.; Zhang, J.

2018-03-01

Aims: We aim to ascertain the physical parameters of a propagating wave over the solar disk detected by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). Methods: Using imaging data from the IRIS and the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO), we tracked bright spots to determine the parameters of a propagating transverse wave in active region (AR) loops triggered by activation of a filament. Deriving the Doppler velocity of Si IV line from spectral observations of IRIS, we have determined the rotating directions of active region loops which are relevant to the wave. Results: On 2015 December 19, a filament was located on the polarity inversion line of the NOAA AR 12470. The filament was activated and then caused a C1.1 two-ribbon flare. Between the flare ribbons, two rotation motions of a set of bright loops were observed to appear in turn with opposite directions. Following the end of the second rotation, a propagating wave and an associated transverse oscillation were detected in these bright loops. In 1400 Å channel, there was bright material flowing along the loops in a wave-like manner, with a period of 128 s and a mean amplitude of 880 km. For the transverse oscillation, we tracked a given loop and determine the transverse positions of the tracking loop in a limited longitudinal range. In both of 1400 Å and 171 Å channels, approximately four periods are distinguished during the transverse oscillation. The mean period of the oscillation is estimated as 143 s and the displacement amplitude as between 1370 km and 690 km. We interpret these oscillations as a propagating kink wave and obtain its speed of 1400 km s-1. Conclusions: Our observations reveal that a flare associated with filament activation could trigger a kink propagating wave in active region loops over the solar disk. Movies associated to Figs. 1-4 are available at http://https://www.aanda.org

Simulating Coronal Loop Implosion and Compressible Wave Modes in a Flare Hit Active Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Aveek; Vaidya, Bhargav; Hazra, Soumitra; Bhattacharyya, Jishnu

2017-12-01

There is considerable observational evidence of implosion of magnetic loop systems inside solar coronal active regions following high-energy events like solar flares. In this work, we propose that such collapse can be modeled in three dimensions quite accurately within the framework of ideal magnetohydrodynamics. We furthermore argue that the dynamics of loop implosion is only sensitive to the transmitted disturbance of one or more of the system variables, e.g., velocity generated at the event site. This indicates that to understand loop implosion, it is sensible to leave the event site out of the simulated active region. Toward our goal, a velocity pulse is introduced to model the transmitted disturbance generated at the event site. Magnetic field lines inside our simulated active region are traced in real time, and it is demonstrated that the subsequent dynamics of the simulated loops closely resemble observed imploding loops. Our work highlights the role of plasma β in regards to the rigidity of the loop systems and how that might affect the imploding loops’ dynamics. Compressible magnetohydrodynamic modes such as kink and sausage are also shown to be generated during such processes, in accordance with observations.

Solar Scientist Confirm Existence of Flux Ropes on the Sun

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-14

Caption: This is an image of magnetic loops on the sun, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). It has been processed to highlight the edges of each loop to make the structure more clear. A series of loops such as this is known as a flux rope, and these lie at the heart of eruptions on the sun known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs.) This is the first time scientists were able to discern the timing of a flux rope's formation. (SDO AIA 131 and 171 difference blended image of flux ropes during CME.) Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO ---- On July 18, 2012, a fairly small explosion of light burst off the lower right limb of the sun. Such flares often come with an associated eruption of solar material, known as a coronal mass ejection or CME – but this one did not. Something interesting did happen, however. Magnetic field lines in this area of the sun's atmosphere, the corona, began to twist and kink, generating the hottest solar material – a charged gas called plasma – to trace out the newly-formed slinky shape. The plasma glowed brightly in extreme ultraviolet images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and scientists were able to watch for the first time the very formation of something they had long theorized was at the heart of many eruptive events on the sun: a flux rope. Eight hours later, on July 19, the same region flared again. This time the flux rope's connection to the sun was severed, and the magnetic fields escaped into space, dragging billions of tons of solar material along for the ride -- a classic CME. "Seeing this structure was amazing," says Angelos Vourlidas, a solar scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. "It looks exactly like the cartoon sketches theorists have been drawing of flux ropes since the 1970s. It was a series of figure eights lined up to look like a giant slinky on the sun." To read more about this new discovery go to: 1.usa.gov/14UHsTt

Solar Scientist Confirm Existence of Flux Ropes on the Sun

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Caption: This is an image of magnetic loops on the sun, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). It has been processed to highlight the edges of each loop to make the structure more clear. A series of loops such as this is known as a flux rope, and these lie at the heart of eruptions on the sun known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs.) This is the first time scientists were able to discern the timing of a flux rope's formation. (SDO AIA 131 and 171 difference blended image of flux ropes during CME.) Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO ---- On July 18, 2012, a fairly small explosion of light burst off the lower right limb of the sun. Such flares often come with an associated eruption of solar material, known as a coronal mass ejection or CME – but this one did not. Something interesting did happen, however. Magnetic field lines in this area of the sun's atmosphere, the corona, began to twist and kink, generating the hottest solar material – a charged gas called plasma – to trace out the newly-formed slinky shape. The plasma glowed brightly in extreme ultraviolet images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and scientists were able to watch for the first time the very formation of something they had long theorized was at the heart of many eruptive events on the sun: a flux rope. Eight hours later, on July 19, the same region flared again. This time the flux rope's connection to the sun was severed, and the magnetic fields escaped into space, dragging billions of tons of solar material along for the ride -- a classic CME. "Seeing this structure was amazing," says Angelos Vourlidas, a solar scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. "It looks exactly like the cartoon sketches theorists have been drawing of flux ropes since the 1970s. It was a series of figure eights lined up to look like a giant slinky on the sun." To read more about this new discovery go to: 1.usa.gov/14UHsTt

Radiation signatures from a locally energized flaring loop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emslie, A. G.; Vlahos, L.

1980-01-01

The radiation signatures from a locally energized solar flare loop based on the physical properties of the energy release mechanisms were consistent with hard X-ray, microwave, and EUV observations for plausible source parameters. It was found that a suprathermal tail of high energy electrons is produced by the primary energy release, and that the number of energetic charged particles ejected into the interplanetary medium in the model is consistent with observations. The radiation signature model predicts that the intrinsic polarization of the hard X-ray burst should increase over the photon energy range of 20 to 100 keV.

Coronal O VI emission observed with UVCS/SOHO during solar flares: Comparison with soft X-ray observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancuso, S.; Giordano, S.; Raymond, J. C.

2016-06-01

In this work, we derive the O VI 1032 Å luminosity profiles of 58 flares, during their impulsive phase, based on off-limb measurements by the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) aboard the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The O VI luminosities from the transition region plasma (here defined as the region with temperatures 5.0 ≤ log T (K) ≤ 6.0) were inferred from the analysis of the resonantly scattered radiation of the O VI coronal ions. The temperature of maximum ionization for O VI is log Tmax (K) = 5.47. By comparison with simultaneous soft X-ray measurements, we investigate the likely source (chromospheric evaporation, footpoint emission, or heated prominence ejecta) for the transition region emission observed during the impulsive phase. In our study, we find evidence of the main characteristics predicted by the evaporation scenario. Specifically, most O VI flares precede the X-ray peaks typically by several minutes with a mean of 3.2 ± 0.1 min, and clear correlations are found between the soft X-ray and transition region luminosities following power laws with indices ~ 0.7 ± 0.3. Overall, the results are consistent with transition region emission originating from chromospheric evaporation; the thermal X-ray emission peaks after the emission from the evaporation flow as the loops fill with hot plasma. Finally, we were able to infer flow speeds in the range ~20-100 km s-1 for one-third of the events, 14 of which showed speeds between 60 and 80 km s-1. These values are compatible with those found through direct spectroscopic observations at transition region temperatures by the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on board Hinode.

Influence of magnetic field structure on the conduction cooling of flare loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antiochos, S. K.; Sturrock, P. A.

1976-01-01

A simple model facilitates calculation of the influence of magnetic-field configuration on the conduction cooling rate of a hot post-flare coronal plasma. The magnetic field is taken to be that produced by a line dipole or point dipole at an arbitrary depth below the chromosphere. For the high temperatures (at least 10 million K) produced by flares, the plasma may remain static and isobaric. The influence of the field is such as to increase the heat flux (per unit area) into the chromosphere, but to decrease the total conduction cooling of the flare plasma. This leads to a significant enhancement of the total energy radiated by the flare plasma.

Major Solar Flare

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-18

The Sun erupted with an X8 solar flare, one of the largest of the current solar cycle (Sept. 10, 2017). Its source was the same sunspot region that produced an X9 flare last week. This is shown in two wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light at the same time and each reveals different features. Both are colorized to identify in which wavelength they were observed. The coils of loops after the flare are the magnetic field lines reorganizing themselves after the eruption. The video clip covers about six hours. Movies are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21958

Mid-level Solar Flare

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

SDO View of M7.3 Class Solar Flare on Oct. 2, 2014 NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an M7.3 class solar flare on Oct. 2, 2014. The solar flare is the bright flash of light on the right limb of the sun. A burst of solar material erupting out into space can be seen just below it. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Observation and modelling of the Fe XXI line profile observed by IRIS during the impulsive phase of flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polito, V.; Testa, P.; De Pontieu, B.; Allred, J. C.

2017-12-01

The observation of the high temperature (above 10 MK) Fe XXI 1354.1 A line with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) has provided significant insights into the chromospheric evaporation process in flares. In particular, the line is often observed to be completely blueshifted, in contrast to previous observations at lower spatial and spectral resolution, and in agreement with predictions from theoretical models. Interestingly, the line is also observed to be mostly symmetric and with a large excess above the thermal width. One popular interpretation for the excess broadening is given by assuming a superposition of flows from different loop strands. In this work, we perform a statistical analysis of Fe XXI line profiles observed by IRIS during the impulsive phase of flares and compare our results with hydrodynamic simulations of multi-thread flare loops performed with the 1D RADYN code. Our results indicate that the multi-thread models cannot easily reproduce the symmetry of the line and that some other physical process might need to be invoked in order to explain the observed profiles.

Double closed-loop cascade control for lower limb exoskeleton with elastic actuation.

PubMed

Zhu, Yanhe; Zheng, Tianjiao; Jin, Hongzhe; Yang, Jixing; Zhao, Jie

2015-01-01

Unlike traditional rigid actuators, the significant features of Series Elastic Actuator (SEA) are stable torque control, lower output impedance, impact resistance and energy storage. Recently, SEA has been applied in many exoskeletons. In such applications, a key issue is how to realize the human-exoskeleton movement coordination. In this paper, double closed-loop cascade control for lower limb exoskeleton with SEA is proposed. This control method consists of inner SEA torque loop and outer contact force loop. Utilizing the SEA torque control with a motor velocity loop, actuation performances of SEA are analyzed. An integrated exoskeleton control system is designed, in which joint angles are calculated by internal encoders and resolvers and contact forces are gathered by external pressure sensors. The double closed-loop cascade control model is established based on the feedback signals of internal and external sensor. Movement experiments are accomplished in our prototype of lower limb exoskeleton. Preliminary results indicate the exoskeleton movements with pilot can be realized stably by utilizing this double closed-loop cascade control method. Feasibility of the SEA in our exoskeleton robot and effectiveness of the control method are verified.

Flare-induced changes of the photospheric magnetic field in a δ-spot deduced from ground-based observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gömöry, P.; Balthasar, H.; Kuckein, C.; Koza, J.; Veronig, A. M.; González Manrique, S. J.; Kučera, A.; Schwartz, P.; Hanslmeier, A.

2017-06-01

Aims: Changes of the magnetic field and the line-of-sight velocities in the photosphere are being reported for an M-class flare that originated at a δ-spot belonging to active region NOAA 11865. Methods: High-resolution ground-based near-infrared spectropolarimetric observations were acquired simultaneously in two photospheric spectral lines, Fe I 10783 Å and Si I 10786 Å, with the Tenerife Infrared Polarimeter at the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) in Tenerife on 2013 October 15. The observations covered several stages of the M-class flare. Inversions of the full-Stokes vector of both lines were carried out and the results were put into context using (extreme)-ultraviolet filtergrams from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Results: The active region showed high flaring activity during the whole observing period. After the M-class flare, the longitudinal magnetic field did not show significant changes along the polarity inversion line (PIL). However, an enhancement of the transverse magnetic field of approximately 550 G was found that bridges the PIL and connects umbrae of opposite polarities in the δ-spot. At the same time, a newly formed system of loops appeared co-spatially in the corona as seen in 171 Å filtergrams of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board SDO. However, we cannot exclude that the magnetic connection between the umbrae already existed in the upper atmosphere before the M-class flare and became visible only later when it was filled with hot plasma. The photospheric Doppler velocities show a persistent upflow pattern along the PIL without significant changes due to the flare. Conclusions: The increase of the transverse component of the magnetic field after the flare together with the newly formed loop system in the corona support recent predictions of flare models and flare observations. The movie associated to Figs. 4 and 5 is available at http://www.aanda.org

New Aspects of a Lid-Removal Mechanism in the Onset of a SEP-Producing Eruption Sequence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L.; Falconer, David A.; Knox, Javon M.

2014-01-01

We examine a sequence of two ejective eruptions from a single active region on 2012 January 23, using magnetograms and EUV images from SDO/HMI and SDO/AIA, and EUV images from STEREO. Cheng et al. (2013) showed that the first eruption's ("Eruption 1'') flux rope was apparent only in "hotter'' AIA channels, and that it removed overlying field that allowed the second eruption (``Eruption 2'') to begin via ideal MHD instability; here we say Eruption 2 began via a ``lid removal'' mechanism. We show that during Eruption-1's onset, its flux rope underwent ``tether weakening'' (TW) reconnection with the field of an adjacent active region. Standard flare loops from Eruption 1 developed over Eruption-2's flux rope and enclosed filament, but these overarching new loops were unable to confine that flux rope/filament. Eruption-1's flare loops, from both TW reconnection and standard-flare-model internal reconnection, were much cooler than Eruption-2's flare loops (GOES thermal temperatures of approx. 9 MK compared to approx. 14 MK). This eruption sequence produced a strong solar energetic particle (SEP) event (10 MeV protons, >10(exp 3) pfu for 43 hrs), apparently starting when Eruption-2's CME blasted through Eruption-1's CME at 5-10 R_s. This occurred because the two CMEs originated in close proximity and in close time sequence: Eruption-1's fast rise started soon after the TW reconnection; the lid removal by Eruption-1's ejection triggered the slow onset of Eruption 2; and Eruption-2's CME, which started approx. 1 hr later, was three times faster than Eruption-1's CME.

FORMATION AND ERUPTION OF A FLUX ROPE FROM THE SIGMOID ACTIVE REGION NOAA 11719 AND ASSOCIATED M6.5 FLARE: A MULTI-WAVELENGTH STUDY

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

Joshi, Bhuwan; Kushwaha, Upendra; Dhara, Sajal Kumar

We investigate the formation, activation, and eruption of a flux rope (FR) from the sigmoid active region NOAA 11719 by analyzing E(UV), X-ray, and radio measurements. During the pre-eruption period of ∼7 hr, the AIA 94 Å images reveal the emergence of a coronal sigmoid through the interaction between two J-shaped bundles of loops, which proceeds with multiple episodes of coronal loop brightenings and significant variations in the magnetic flux through the photosphere. These observations imply that repetitive magnetic reconnections likely play a key role in the formation of the sigmoidal FR in the corona and also contribute toward sustaining themore » temperature of the FR higher than that of the ambient coronal structures. Notably, the formation of the sigmoid is associated with the fast morphological evolution of an S-shaped filament channel in the chromosphere. The sigmoid activates toward eruption with the ascent of a large FR in the corona, which is preceded by the decrease in photospheric magnetic flux through the core flaring region, suggesting tether-cutting reconnection as a possible triggering mechanism. The FR eruption results in a two-ribbon M6.5 flare with a prolonged rise phase of ∼21 minutes. The flare exhibits significant deviation from the standard flare model in the early rise phase, during which a pair of J-shaped flare ribbons form and apparently exhibit converging motions parallel to the polarity inversion line, which is further confirmed by the motions of hard X-ray footpoint sources. In the later stages, the flare follows the standard flare model and the source region undergoes a complete sigmoid-to-arcade transformation.« less

Stellar flare oscillations: evidence for oscillatory reconnection and evolution of MHD modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doyle, J. G.; Shetye, J.; Antonova, A. E.; Kolotkov, D. Y.; Srivastava, A. K.; Stangalini, M.; Gupta, G. R.; Avramova, A.; Mathioudakis, M.

2018-04-01

Here, we report on the detection of a range of quasi-periodic pulsations (20-120 s; QPPs) observed during flaring activity of several magnetically active dMe stars, namely AF Psc, CR Dra, GJ 3685A, Gl 65, SDSS J084425.9+513830, and SDSS J144738.47+035312.1 in the GALEX NUV filter. Based on a solar analogy, this work suggests that many of these flares may be triggered by external drivers creating a periodic reconnection in the flare current sheet or an impulsive energy release giving rise to an avalanche of periodic bursts that occur at time intervals that correspond to the detected periods, thus generating QPPs in their rising and peak phases. Some of these flares also show fast QPPs in their decay phase, indicating the presence of fast sausage mode oscillations either driven externally by periodic reconnection or intrinsically in the post-flare loop system during the flare energy release.

Characteristics of gamma-ray line flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bai, T.; Dennis, B.

1983-01-01

Observations of solar gamma rays by the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) demonstrate that energetic protons and ions are rapidly accelerated during the impulsive phase. To understand the acceleration mechanisms for these particles, the characteristics of the gamma ray line flares observed by SMM were studied. Some very intense hard X-ray flares without detectable gamma ray lines were also investigated. Gamma ray line flares are distinguished from other flares by: (1) intense hard X-ray and microwave emissions; (2) delay of high energy hard X-rays; (3) emission of type 2 and/or type 4 radio bursts; and (4) flat hard X-ray spectra (average power law index: 3.1). The majority of the gamma ray line flares shared all these characteristics, and the remainder shared at least three of them. Positive correlations were found between durations of spike bursts and spatial sizes of flare loops as well as between delay times and durations of spike bursts.

Real-Time flare detection using guided filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jiaben; Deng, Yuanyong; Yuan, Fei; Guo, Juan

2017-04-01

A procedure is introduced for the automatic detection of solar flare using full-disk solar images from Huairou Solar Observing Station (HSOS), National Astronomical Observatories of China. In image preprocessing, median filter is applied to remove the noises. And then we adopt guided filter, which is first introduced into the astronomical image detection, to enhance the edges of flares and restrain the solar limb darkening. Flares are then detected by modified Otsu algorithm and further threshold processing technique. Compared with other automatic detection procedure, the new procedure has some advantages such as real time and reliability as well as no need of image division and local threshold. Also, it reduces the amount of computation largely, which is benefited from the efficient guided filter algorithm. The procedure has been tested on one month sequences (December 2013) of HSOS full-disk solar images and the result of flares detection shows that the number of flares detected by our procedure is well consistent with the manual one.

Characteristics of Solar Flare Hard X-ray Emissions: Observations and Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei

2006-12-01

The main theme of this thesis is the investigation of the physics of acceleration and transport of particles in solar flares, and their thermal and nonthermal radiative signatures. The observational studies, using hard X-rays (HXRs) observed by the RHESSI mission, concentrate on four flares, which support the classical magnetic reconnection model of solar flares in various ways. In the X3.9 flare occurring on 11/03/2003, there is a monotonic upward motion of the loop top (LT) source accompanied by a systematic increase in the separation of the footpoint (FP) sources at a comparable speed. This is consistent with the reconnection model with an inverted-Y geometry. The 04/30/2002 event exhibits rarely observed two coronal sources. The two sources (with almost identical spectra) show energy-dependent structures, with higher-energy emission being close together. This suggests that reconnection takes place within the region between the sources. In the 10/29/2003 X10 flare, the logarithmic total HXR flux of the FPs correlates with the mean magnetic field. The two FPs show asymmetric HXR fluxes, which is qualitatively consistent with the magnetic mirroring effect. The M1.7 flare on 11/13/2003 reveals evidence of evaporation directly imaged by RHESSI for the first time, in which emission from the legs of the loop appears at intermediate energies. The emission centroid moves toward the LT as time proceeds, indicating an increase of density in the loop. The theoretical modeling of this work combines the stochastic acceleration model with the NRL hydrodynamic model to study the interplay of the particle acceleration, transport, and radiation effects and the atmospheric response to the energy deposition by nonthermal electrons. We find that low-energy electrons in the quasi-thermal portion of the spectrum affects the hydrodynamics by producing more heating in the corona than the previous models that used a power-law spectrum with a low-energy cutoff. The Neupert effect is found to be present and effects of suppression of conduction are tested in the presence of hydrodynamic flows.

An active role for magnetic fields in solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, D. M.

1976-01-01

Observations of photospheric magnetic fields are reviewed to determine whether changes in such fields can be related to flare activity, assuming that magnetic fields play an active role in providing flare energy. An intimate relation between emerging fields and bright flare knots is noted, and it is shown that the activation and eruption of an H-alpha filament is indicative of a major disruption of a magnetic field just prior to a flare. Observations of twisting motions in a filament just before a flare are discussed, erupting untwisting filaments are taken as unambiguous evidence for restructuring of the magnetic fields associated with flares, and it is argued that magnetic-field changes in the midst of most flares are obvious. It is concluded that successive brightenings in a family of loops may be evidence for the spread of a magnetic-field reconnection point from one field concentration to another and that flares may well take place in regions of field-line reconnection. This latter conclusion is illustrated using an empirical flare model that involves field-line reconnection, filament activation, and emerging magnetic flux.

Influence of magnetic field structure on the conduction cooling of flare loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antiochos, S. K.; Sturrock, P. A.

1976-01-01

A simple model facilitates calculation of the influence of magnetic field configuration on the conduction cooling rate of a hot post-flare coronal plasma. The magnetic field is taken to be that produced by a line dipole or point dipole at an arbitrary depth below the chromosphere. For the high temperatures (T greater than or equal to 10 to the 7th power K) produced by flares, the plasma may remain static and isobaric. The influence of the field is such as to increase the heat flux (per unit area) into the chromosphere, but to decrease the total conduction cooling of the flare plasma. This leads to a significant enhancement of the total energy radiated by the flare plasma.

Thermal waves or beam heating in the 1980, November 5 flare

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Dean F.

1986-01-01

Observations of the temporal evolution of loop BC in soft X rays in the November 5, 1980 flare are reviewed. Calculations are performed to model this evolution. The most consistent interpretation involving a minimum account of energy is the following. Thermal heating near B gives rise to a conduction front which moves out along the loop uninhibited for about 27 s. Beam heating near C gives rise to a second conduction front which moves in the opposite direction and prevents any energy reaching C by thermal conduction from B. Thus both thermal waves and beam heating are required to explain the observed evolution.

Quasi-periodic Reversals of Radio Polarization at 17 GHz Observed in the 2002 April 21 Solar Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Guangli; Lin, Jun

2006-03-01

We investigate high spatial resolution radio polarization data obtained by the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH) and high time resolution data observed with the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters (NoRP) during the well-studied flare/CME event of 2002 April 21. A 17 GHz radio source at the loop top was seen by NoRH to move upward together with the expanding flare loops at a speed of around 10 km s-1. In the 5 minutes before the source began its upward motion, the Stokes V of the radio signals at 17 GHz showed quasi-periodic reversals between left-circular polarization (LCP) and right-circular polarization (RCP). Following this interval, the polarizations gradually turned to LCP. During this period, the polarization of the corresponding footpoint source maintained the RCP sense. The reversal of Stokes V between RCP and LCP was also detected at lower frequencies (1-2 GHz) by NoRP, without spatial resolution. The observed reversals between RCP and LCP of the radio signals from the top of the flare loop system can be taken as evidence that magnetic energy is released or energetic particles are produced at the magnetic reconnection site in a quasi-periodic fashion.

Reconnection, Particle Acceleration, and Hard X-ray Emission in Eruptive Solar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martens, Petrus C.

1998-11-01

The frequent occurrence of Hard X-ray emission from the top of flaring loops was one of the discoveries by the Hard X-ray telescope on board the Japanese Yohkoh satellite. I will show how the combined effect of magnetic field convergence and pitch- angle scattering of non-thermal electrons injected at the top of the loop results in the generation of looptop sources with properties akin to those observed by Yohkoh. In addition it is shown that the injection of proton beams in the loop legs, expected from theory, reproduces the observed high temperature ``ridges" in the loop legs by mirroring and energy loss through collisions. I will interpret these numerical results as supporting the now widely accepted model of an erupting magnetic flux tube generating a reconnecting current sheet in its wake, where most of the energy release takes place. The strong similarity with the reconnection observed in the MRX experiment in Princeton will be analyzed in detail.

First Imaging Observation of Standing Slow Wave in Coronal Fan Loops

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

Pant, V.; Tiwari, A.; Banerjee, D.

2017-09-20

We observe intensity oscillations along coronal fan loops associated with the active region AR 11428. The intensity oscillations were triggered by blast waves that were generated due to X-class flares in the distant active region AR 11429. To characterize the nature of oscillations, we created time–distance maps along the fan loops and noted that the intensity oscillations at two ends of the loops were out of phase. As we move along the fan loop, the amplitude of the oscillations first decreased and then increased. The out-of-phase nature together with the amplitude variation along the loop implies that these oscillations aremore » very likely to be standing waves. The period of the oscillations is estimated to be ∼27 minutes, damping time to be ∼45 minutes, and phase velocity projected in the plane of sky to be ∼65–83 km s{sup −1}. The projected phase speeds were in the range of the acoustic speed of coronal plasma at about 0.6 MK, which further indicates that these are slow waves. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the existence of the standing slow waves in non-flaring fan loops.« less

Study of the behaviour of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) during solar flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aggarwal, Malini; Astafyeva, Elvira

2014-05-01

A solar flare occurring in the sun's chromosphere is observed in various wavebands (radio to x-rays). The response of the solar flare which causes sudden changes in the earth's ionosphere is not yet well understood though investigations suggested that its impact depends on the size and location of occurrence of solar flare on sun. Considering this, we have carried an investigation to study the response of two strong and gradual solar flares: 2 Apr 2001 (X20, limb) and 7 Feb 2010 (M6.4, disk) on the earth's equatorial-low latitude regions using multi-technique observations of satellite and ground-based instruments. We found a weakening of strength of equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) in total electron content during both the flares as observed by TOPEX, JASON-1 and JASON-2 altimeter measurements. The H component of the geomagnetic field also shows a sudden change at equatorial and low latitude stations in the sunlit hemisphere during the flare. The observations of ionosonde at low-latitudes indicate a strong absorption of higher-frequency radio signals. The detail response of these flare on EIA of the earth's ionosphere will be presented and discussed.

The Formation and Early Evolution of a CME and the Associated Shock on 2014 January 8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Linfeng; Cheng, Xin; Shi, Tong; Su, Wei; Ding, Mingde

2017-08-01

We study the formation and early evolution of a limb coronal mass ejection (CME) and its associated shock wave that occurred on 2014 January 8. The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images provided by AIA on board \\textit{Solar Dynamics Observatory} disclose that the CME first appears as a bubble-like structure. Subsequently, its expansion forms the CME and causes a quasi-circular EUV wave. Both the CME and the wave front are clearly visible at all of the AIA EUV passbands. Through a detailed kinematical analysis, it is found that the expansion of the CME undergoes two phases: a first phase with a strong but transient lateral over-expansion followed by a second phase with a self-similar expansion. The temporal evolution of the expansion velocity coincides very well with the variation of the 25--50 keV hard X-ray (HXR) flux of the associated flare, which indicates that magnetic reconnection most likely plays an important role in driving the expansion. Moreover, we find that, when the velocity of the CME reaches $\\sim$600 km s$^{-1}$, the EUV wave starts to evolve into a shock wave, which is evidenced by the appearance of a type II radio burst. Interestingly, we also notice an unusual solar radio signal at $\\sim$4 GHz that is similar to the pattern of a type II radio burst but drifts to higher frequencies at a rate of $\\sim$0.3 MHz per second during about 7 minutes. Its derived density is $\\sim$5$\\times$10$^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$ and increases slowly with time. Joint imaging observations of HXR and EUV help to locate the loop-top region and calculate its thermal proprieties, including slowly increasing densities ($\\sim$5$\\times$10$^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$) and temperatures ($\\sim$14 MK). The similar results obtained from two different ways above imply the possibility of this scenario: plasma blobs that are ejected along the current sheet via magnetic reconnection collide with underlying flare loops that are undergoing chromospheric evaporation. Finally, we also study the thermal properties of the CME and the EUV wave. We find that the plasma in the CME leading front and the wave front has a temperature of $\\sim$2 MK, while that in the CME core region and the flare region has a much higher temperature of $\\ge$8 MK.

Statistical Study of Rapid Penumbral Decay Associated with Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, W.; Liu, C.; Wang, H.

2005-05-01

We present results of statistical study of rapid penumbral decay associated with flares. In total, we investigated 402 events from 05/09/98 to 07/17/04, including 40 X-class, 173 M-class and 189 C-class flares. We show strong evidence that penumbral segments decayed rapidly and permanently right after many flares. The rapid changes, which can be identified in the time profiles of white-light(WL) mean intensity are permanent, not transient, thus are not due to flare emissions. Our study shows that penumbral decay is more likely to be detected when associated with large solar flares. The larger the flare magnitude, the stronger the penumbral decay is. For X-class flares, almost 50% events show distinct decay. But for M- and C-class flares, this percentage drops to 16% and 10%, respectively. For all the events that clear decay can be observed, we find that the locations of penumbral decay are associated with flare emissions and are connected by prominent TRACE post-flare loops. To explain these observations, we propose a reconnection picture in that the penumbral fields change from a highly inclined to a more vertical configuration, leading to penumbral decay.

Harnessing AIA Diffraction Patterns to Determine Flare Footpoint Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bain, H. M.; Schwartz, R. A.; Torre, G.; Krucker, S.; Raftery, C. L.

2014-12-01

In the "Standard Flare Model" energy from accelerated electrons is deposited at the footpoints of newly reconnected flare loops, heating the surrounding plasma. Understanding the relation between the multi-thermal nature of the footpoints and the energy flux from accelerated electrons is therefore fundamental to flare physics. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images of bright flare kernels, obtained from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory, are often saturated despite the implementation of automatic exposure control. These kernels produce diffraction patterns often seen in AIA images during the most energetic flares. We implement an automated image reconstruction procedure, which utilizes diffraction pattern artifacts, to de-saturate AIA images and reconstruct the flare brightness in saturated pixels. Applying this technique to recover the footpoint brightness in each of the AIA EUV passbands, we investigate the footpoint temperature distribution. Using observations from the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), we will characterize the footpoint accelerated electron distribution of the flare. By combining these techniques, we investigate the relation between the nonthermal electron energy flux and the temperature response of the flare footpoints.

Dynamical behaviour in coronal loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haisch, Bernhard M.

1986-01-01

Rapid variability has been found in two active region coronal loops observed by the X-ray Polychromator (XRP) and the Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS) onboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM). There appear to be surprisingly few observations of the short-time scale behavior of hot loops, and the evidence presented herein lends support to the hypothesis that coronal heating may be impulsive and driven by flaring.

Dynamical behaviour in coronal loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haisch, Bernhard M.

Rapid variability has been found in two active region coronal loops observed by the X-ray Polychromator (XRP) and the Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS) onboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM). There appear to be surprisingly few observations of the short-time scale behavior of hot loops, and the evidence presented herein lends support to the hypothesis that coronal heating may be impulsive and driven by flaring.

The triggering and subsequent development of a solar flare

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vorpahl, J. A.

1975-01-01

High temporal and spatial resolution solar X-ray pictures of a flare at 1827 UT on 5 September 1973 were taken with the S-056 telescope on the Apollo telescope mount. Photographs taken at 9 sec intervals allow detailed information to be obtained about the site of the energy release, as well as about the evolution of the flare itself. Observations suggest that the flare occurred in an entire arcade of loops rather than in any single loop. Sequential brightening of different X-ray features indicates that some excitation moved perpendicular to the magnetic field of the arcade at velocities of 180 to 280 km/sec. The most intense X-ray features were located in places where the magnetic field composing the arcade had a small radius of curvature with horizontal field gradients higher than the surroundings region and where the axis of the arcade changed direction. It was felt that the arcade geometry strongly influenced the propagation of the triggering disturbance, as well as the storage and site of the subsequent deposition of energy. A magnetosonic wave is suggested as the propagating mechanism triggering instabilities that may have existed in the preflare structure.

Theoretical Model Images and Spectra for Comparison with HESSI and Microwave Observations of Solar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor); Holman, G. D.; Sui, L.; McTiernan, J. M.; Petrosian, V.

2003-01-01

We have computed bremsstrahlung and gyrosynchrotron images and spectra from a model flare loop. Electrons with a power-law energy distribution are continuously injected at the top of a semi-circular magnetic loop. The Fokker-Planck equation is integrated to obtain the steady-state electron distribution throughout the loop. Coulomb scattering and energy losses and magnetic mirroring are included in the model. The resulting electron distributions are used to compute the radiative emissions. Sample images and spectra are presented. We are developing these models for the interpretation of the High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) x-ray/gamma ray data and coordinated microwave observations. The Fokker-Planck and radiation codes are available on the Web at http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/hessi/modelware.htm This work is supported in part by the NASA Sun-Earth Connection Program.

The flares of August 1972. [solar flare characteristics and spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zirin, H.; Tanaka, K.

1973-01-01

Observations of the August, 1972 flares at Big Bear and Tel Aviv, involving monochromatic movies, magnetograms, and spectra, are analyzed. The region (McMath 11976) showed inverted polarity from its inception on July 11; the great activity was due to extremely high shear and gradients in the magnetic field, as well as a constant invasion of one polarity into the opposite; observations in lambda 3835 show remarkable fast flashes in the impulsive flare of 18:38 UT on Aug. 2 with lifetimes of 5 sec, which may be due to dumping of particles in the lower chromosphere. Flare loops show evolutionary increases of their tilts to the neutral line in the flares of Aug. 4 and 7. Spectroscopic observations show red asymmetry and red shift of the H alpha emission in the flash phase of the Aug. 7 flare, as well as substantial velocity shear in the photosphere during the flare, somewhat like earthquake movement along a fault. Finally the total H alpha emission of the Aug. 7 flare could be measured accurately as about 2.5 x 10 to the 30th power erg, considerably less than coarser previous estimates for great flares.

Thermal instability in post-flare plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antiochos, S. K.

1976-01-01

The cooling of post-flare plasmas is discussed and the formation of loop prominences is explained as due to a thermal instability. A one-dimensional model was developed for active loop prominences. Only the motion and heat fluxes parallel to the existing magnetic fields are considered. The relevant size scales and time scales are such that single-fluid MHD equations are valid. The effects of gravity, the geometry of the field and conduction losses to the chromosphere are included. A computer code was constructed to solve the model equations. Basically, the system is treated as an initial value problem (with certain boundary conditions at the chromosphere-corona transition region), and a two-step time differencing scheme is used.

Mid-level Solar Flare

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-10-02

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of a solar flare on Oct. 2, 2014. The solar flare is the bright flash of light on the right limb of the sun. A burst of solar material erupting out into space can be seen just below it. Read more: 1.usa.gov/1mW8rel Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

NASA's SDO Sees Solar Flares

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-10

A solar flare bursts off the left limb of the sun in this image captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on June 10, 2014, at 7:41 a.m. EDT. This is classified as an X2.2 flare, shown in a blend of two wavelengths of light: 171 and 131 angstroms, colorized in gold and red, respectively. Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard/Wiessinger NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Impulsive phase soft X-ray blueshifts at a loop footpoint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarro, Dominic M.; Slater, Gregory L.; Freeland, Samuel L.

1988-10-01

Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) observations of a solar flare that occurred on May 24, 1987 are described. The event was noteworthy in that it was observed during the impulsive phase with the SMM X-ray Poly-chromator (XRP) pointed at a location associated with the chromospheric footpoints of a system of coronal loops. Density-sensitive line ratios at the flare site imply an initially large electron density of 5 x 10 to the 12th/cu cm, which decreased an order of magnitude during the flare. Spectral scans of the soft X-ray Mg XI line at the site reveal asymmetric blueshifted (200 km/s) profiles concurrent with impulsive hard X-ray emission. The blueshift amplitude was correlated with the intensity of hard X-rays (with a phase delay of about 30 s) and showed fluctuations on a time scale comparable with the variation of hard X-ray emission. These observations are interpreted as evidence for chromospheric evaporation produced by heating and expansion of footpoint plasma.

Impulsive phase soft X-ray blueshifts at a loop footpoint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zarro, Dominic M.; Slater, Gregory L.; Freeland, Samuel L.

1988-01-01

Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) observations of a solar flare that occurred on May 24, 1987 are described. The event was noteworthy in that it was observed during the impulsive phase with the SMM X-ray Poly-chromator (XRP) pointed at a location associated with the chromospheric footpoints of a system of coronal loops. Density-sensitive line ratios at the flare site imply an initially large electron density of 5 x 10 to the 12th/cu cm, which decreased an order of magnitude during the flare. Spectral scans of the soft X-ray Mg XI line at the site reveal asymmetric blueshifted (200 km/s) profiles concurrent with impulsive hard X-ray emission. The blueshift amplitude was correlated with the intensity of hard X-rays (with a phase delay of about 30 s) and showed fluctuations on a time scale comparable with the variation of hard X-ray emission. These observations are interpreted as evidence for chromospheric evaporation produced by heating and expansion of footpoint plasma.

Impulsive phase soft X-ray blueshifts at a loop footpoint

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

Zarro, D.M.; Slater, G.L.; Freeland, S.L.

Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) observations of a solar flare that occurred on May 24, 1987 are described. The event was noteworthy in that it was observed during the impulsive phase with the SMM X-ray Poly-chromator (XRP) pointed at a location associated with the chromospheric footpoints of a system of coronal loops. Density-sensitive line ratios at the flare site imply an initially large electron density of 5 x 10 to the 12th/cu cm, which decreased an order of magnitude during the flare. Spectral scans of the soft X-ray Mg XI line at the site reveal asymmetric blueshifted (200 km/s) profiles concurrentmore » with impulsive hard X-ray emission. The blueshift amplitude was correlated with the intensity of hard X-rays (with a phase delay of about 30 s) and showed fluctuations on a time scale comparable with the variation of hard X-ray emission. These observations are interpreted as evidence for chromospheric evaporation produced by heating and expansion of footpoint plasma. 13 references.« less

The CME Flare Arcade and the Width of the CME in the Outer Corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ron; Falconer, David; Sterling, Alphonse

2008-01-01

Moore, Sterling, & Suess (2007, ApJ, 668, 1221) present evidence that (1) a CME is typically a magnetic bubble, a low-beta gplasmoid with legs h having roughly the 3D shape of a light bulb, and (2) in the outer corona the CME plasmoid is in lateral pressure equilibrium with the ambient magnetic field. They present three CMEs observed by SOHO/LASCO, each from a very different source located near the limb. One of these CMEs came from a compact ejective eruption from a small part of a sunspot active region, another came from a large quiet-region filament eruption, and the third CME, an extremely large and fast one, was produced in tandem with an X20 flare arcade that was centered on a huge delta sunspot. Each of these CMEs had more or less the classic lightbulb silhouette and attained a constant heliocentric angular width in the outer corona. This indicates that the CME plasmoid attained lateral magnetic pressure balance with the ambient radial magnetic field in the outer corona. This lateral pressure balance, together with the standard scenario for CME production by the eruption of a sheared-core magnetic arcade, yields the following simple estimate of the strength B(sub Flare) of the magnetic field in the flare arcade produced together with the CME: B(sub Flare) 1.4(theta CME/theta Flare)sup 2 G, where theta (sub CME) is the heliocentric angular width of the CME plasmoid in the outer corona and theta (sub Flare) is the heliocentric angular width of the full-grown flare arcade. Conversely, theta (sub CME) approximately equal to (R(sub Sun)sup -1(phi(sub Flare)/1.4)sup 1/2 radians, where Flare is the magnetic flux covered by the full-grown flare arcade. In addition to presenting the three CMEs of Moore, Sterling, & Suess (2007) and their agreement with this relation between CME and Flare, we present a further empirical test of this relation. For CMEs that erupt from active regions, the co-produced flare arcade seldom if ever covers the entire active region: if AR is the total magnetic flux of the active region, Flare . AR, and we predict that CME. (R(sub Sun))sup -1(theta AR/1.4)sup 1/2 radians. For a random sample of 31 CMEs that erupted from active regions within 30 of the limb, for each CME we have measured CME from LASCO/C3 and have measured AR from a SOHO/MDI magnetogram of the source active region when it was within 30 of disk center. We find that each CME obeys the above predicted inequality, none having width greater than half of the upper bound given by theta(sub AR). Thus, an active region's magnetic flux content, together with its location on the solar disk, largely determines whether the active region can possibly produce a CME that is wide enough to intercept the Earth.

Rapid Cadence Dual Slit EUV Spectroscopic Observation of Episodic Chromospheric Evaporation in a Solar Flare Loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brosius, J. W.

2012-12-01

We observed a C1 flare in rapid cadence stare mode simultaneously with Hinode's EIS (11.2 s) and SOHO's CDS (10 s) on 2012 March 7. The pointings of the two slits were offset about 25 arcsec, so that EIS observed the leg and CDS the apex of the flaring loop. EIS observed the Fe XXIII line at 263.8 A, formed at temperatures around 14 MK, to emerge abruptly above the background noise at 18:49:36 UT. The line's intensity peaked at 18:53:09 UT. After its emergence the Fe XXIII line's entire profile became increasingly blueshifted over the next 3 exposures, reached a maximum upward velocity of -208 km/s, and then became decreasingly blueshifted toward zero velocity while the line's intensity continued to increase over the next 12 exposures. The bulk of the Fe XXIII emission remained stationary after that. A secondary blueshifted component of the Fe XXIII line profile appeared at 18:52:24 UT, endured for 5 exposures, and reached a maximum upward velocity of -206 km/s. We interpret this sudden, brief re-appearance of rapid upward velocity in Fe XXIII emission as evidence for ongoing reconnection following the flare's initial, impulsive phase. The structure of the loop and its strand footpoints seen in the AIA 131 and 94 A images reveal changes possibly due to the cutting and rearrangement of individual strands during reconnection. Emission lines of Fe XVII, formed at temperatures around 4 MK, and Fe XVI, formed around 2.7 MK, brightened significantly starting about 3.3 and 7.1 minutes after the first appearance of Fe XXIII emission, likely due to cooling of plasma previously heated to temperatures appropriate for Fe XXIII emission. Neither Fe XVII nor Fe XVI showed significant relative Doppler velocities. None of the transition region lines observed by EIS participated in the event. CDS spectra were contaminated by a particle storm at SOHO during the flare, but we were able to salvage roughly 1/3 of the exposures by visually inspecting individual line profiles and discarding those that appeared affected. The intensity of the Fe XIX line at 592.2 A, formed at 8 MK, reached its maximum value at the location of the CDS slit near the flare loop apex about 4.6 minutes after the Fe XXIII line reached its peak intensity. This work was supported by NASA grant NNX10AC08G.

Spectral-Temporal Evolution of Low-Frequency Pulsations in the Microwave Radiation of Solar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitsev, V. V.; Kislyakov, A. G.; Urpo, S.; Stepanov, A. V.; Shkelev, E. I.

2003-10-01

Low-frequency pulsations of 22 and 37 GHz microwave radiation detected during solar flares are analyzed. Several microwave bursts observed at the Metsähovi Radio Observatory are studied with time resolutions of 100 and 50 ms. A fast Fourier transformation with a sliding window and the Wigner-Ville method are used to obtain frequency-time diagrams for the low-frequency pulsations, which are interpreted as natural oscillations of coronal magnetic loops; the dynamical spectra of the pulsations are synthesized for the first time. Three types of low-frequency fluctuations modulating the flare microwave radiation can be distinguished in the observations. First, there are fast and slow magneto-acoustic oscillations with periods of 0.5 0.8 s and 200 280 s, respectively. The fast magneto-acoustic oscillations appear as trains of narrow-band signals with durations of 100 200 s, a positive frequency drift dν/dt=0.25 MHz/min, and frequency splitting δν=0.01 0.05 Hz. Second, there are natural oscillations of the coronal magnetic loops as equivalent electrical circuits. These oscillations have periods of 0.5 10 s and positive or negative frequency drift rates dν/dt=8×10-3 Hz/min or dν/dt=-1.3×10-2 Hz/min, depending on the phase of the radio outburst. Third, there are modulations of the microwave radiation by short periodic pulses with a period of 20 s. The dynamical spectra of the low-frequency pulsations supply important information about the parameters of the magnetic loops: the ratio of the loop radius to its length r/L≈0.1, the plasma parameter β≈10-3, the ratio of the plasma densities outside and inside the loop ρe/ρi≈10-2, and the electrical current flowing along the loop I≈1012 A.

Brightening and Darkening of the Extended Solar Corona during the Superflares of September 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goryaev, Farid F.; Slemzin, Vladimir A.; Rodkin, Denis G.; D’Huys, Elke; Podladchikova, O.; West, Matthew J.

2018-04-01

On 2017 September 6 and 10, the strongest X9.3 and X8.2 flares of the decade occurred in the active region NOAA Active Region 12673. During these flares, the Sun Watcher with Active Pixels and Image Processing (SWAP) telescope on board the Project for Onboard Autonomy 2 (PROBA2) satellite registered the unusual alternate brightening and darkening of the western corona at the heliocentric distances ≈1.2–1.7 R ⊙. The X9.3 flare on 2017 September 6 was accompanied by coronal brightening up to 30%–45% at distances ≈1.35–1.7 R ⊙. Numerical simulations showed that this brightening might be produced by resonant scattering of the flare radiation by the Fe IX–Fe XI ions in the coronal plasma at the temperature T ∼ 0.8–1 MK, and the densities seriously reduced in comparison with the typical values for the quiet background corona probably moving outward with velocities of 30–40 km s‑1. At the maximum of the flare and one hour later, two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) originated, which dimmed the coronal emission in the SWAP 174 Å passband above the western limb by 20%–30%. The X8.2 flare on September 10 was accompanied by a CME, which rose up and progressively dimmed the western part of the corona up to 60%. An hour later the darkening, produced by a global rearrangement of the magnetic field structure and an evacuation of a significant part of the coronal plasma, extended over the complete western limb. A differential emission measure (DEM) analysis showed a decrease in the electron density of the background plasma with T ∼ 1–2 MK at distances 1.24–1.33 R ⊙ by 2–3.5 times after the CME. At the same time, an additional DEM peak at T ≈ 0.8 MK appeared, which may be associated with an additional emission in the SWAP passband produced by the flare radiation resonantly scattered by the coronal plasma.

Height Dependence of Plasma Properties of a Dark Lane and a Cool Loop in a Solar Limb Active Region Observed by Hinode/EIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, K.; Imada, S.; Moon, Y.; Lee, J.

2013-12-01

We investigate spectral properties of a cool loop and a dark lane over a limb active region on 2007 March 14 by the Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer. The cool loop is clearly seen in the spectral lines formed at the transition region temperature. The dark lane is characterized by an elongated faint structure in coronal spectral lines and rooted on a bright point. We determine their electron densities, Doppler velocities, and non-thermal velocities with height over the limb. We derived electron densities using the density sensitive line pairs of Mg VII, Si X, Fe XII, Fe XIII and Fe XIV spectra. Under the hydrostatic equilibrium and isothermal assumption, we determine their temperatures from the density scale height. Comparing the scale height temperatures to the peak formation temperatures of the spectral lines, we note that the scale height temperature of the cool loop is consistent with a peak formation temperature of the Fe XII and the scale height temperatures of the dark lane from each spectral lines are much lower than their peak formation temperatures. The non-thermal velocity in the cool loop slightly decreases along the loop while that in the dark lane sharply falls off with height. The variation of non-thermal velocity with height in the cool loop and the dark lane is contrast to that in off-limb polar coronal holes which are considered as source of the solar wind. Such a decrease in the non-thermal velocity may be explained by wave damping near the solar surface or turbulence due to magnetic reconnection near the bright point.

Partial analysis of the flare-prominence of 30 April 1974

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, S. T.; Dryer, M.; Mcintosh, P. S.; Reichmann, E.

1975-01-01

A portion of an east limb flare-prominence observed in H-alpha light is analyzed. Following rapid achievement of a maximum mass-ejection velocity of about 375 km/s, the ascending prominence reached a height of at least 200,000 km. A one-dimensional time-dependent hydrodynamic theory is used to compute the total mass and energy ejected during this part of the event. Theoretical aspects of the coronal response are discussed. It is concluded that a moderate temperature and density pulse (factors of ten and two, respectively) for a duration of only 3 min is sufficient for an acceptable simulation of the H-alpha observations and the likely coronal response to the ascending prominence and flare-related ejections.

Principle of Minimum Energy in Magnetic Reconnection in a Self-organized Critical Model for Solar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farhang, Nastaran; Safari, Hossein; Wheatland, Michael S.

2018-05-01

Solar flares are an abrupt release of magnetic energy in the Sun’s atmosphere due to reconnection of the coronal magnetic field. This occurs in response to turbulent flows at the photosphere that twist the coronal field. Similar to earthquakes, solar flares represent the behavior of a complex system, and expectedly their energy distribution follows a power law. We present a statistical model based on the principle of minimum energy in a coronal loop undergoing magnetic reconnection, which is described as an avalanche process. We show that the distribution of peaks for the flaring events in this self-organized critical system is scale-free. The obtained power-law index of 1.84 ± 0.02 for the peaks is in good agreement with satellite observations of soft X-ray flares. The principle of minimum energy can be applied for general avalanche models to describe many other phenomena.

The 1991 October 24 flare: A challenge for standard models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaujardiere, J.-F. De LA; Canfield, R. C.; Hudson, H. S.; Wulser, J.-P.; Acton, L.; Kosugi, T.; Masuda, S.

1995-01-01

The M9.8 solar flare of 1991 October 24 22:30 UT presents several interesting characteristics: (1) energy release starts high in the corona; (2) the primary chromospheric ribbons are initially well separated and do not move apart at an observable rate; (3) no evidence is found for an erupting filament or other driver. To explain this flare, we consider several canonical flare models, including a filament eruption, a confined filament eruption, current interruption, and interacting loops. We conclude that none of these scenarios unequivocally explains this flare. Two possibilities which cannot be ruled out are (1) the eruption of a filament unobservable in H-alpha which starts high in the corona and produces no ribbon motions smaller than our detection threshold and no perceptible expansion of the coronal X-ray source, and (2) energy release due to spontaneous, propagating reconnection which allows the system to essentially brighten in place.

Simultaneous VLA observations of a flare at 6 and 20 centimeter wavelengths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Velusamy, T.; Kundu, M. R.; Schmahl, E. J.; Mccabe, M.

1987-01-01

Using the Very Large Array at 6 and 20 cm wavelengths, a May 15, 1980 solar flare was mapped. The 1B flare, as observed in H alpha at Mees Solar Observatory, Maui, Hawaii, appeared as two sequential flares occurring at different neutral lines. The peaks of the time profile at 20 cm were delayed with respect to the 6 cm counterparts, but they were related to each other and to the H alpha activity. At 20 cm, precursor activity occurred, and an oppositely polarized source an arcminute away from the main burst may have triggered the flare. The main 20 cm emission appeared to be displaced limbward from the 6 cm burst. If both the 6 and 20 cm emission originated in the same system of loops, it is inferred that the apparent lateral displacement was caused by a height difference of 33,000 km in the sources of emission.

Particle propagation, wave growth and energy dissipation in a flaring flux tube

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, S. M.; Melrose, D. B.; Dulk, G. A.

1986-01-01

Wave amplification by downgoing particles in a common flare model is investigated. The flare is assumed to occur at the top of a coronal magnetic flux loop, and results in the heating of plasma in the flaring region. The hot electrons propagate down the legs of the flux tube towards increasing magnetic field. It is simple to demonstrate that the velocity distributions which result in this model are unstable to both beam instabilities and cyclotron maser action. An explanation is presented for the propagation effects on the distribution, and the properties of the resulting amplified waves are explored, concentrating on cyclotron maser action, which has properties (emission in the z mode below the local gyrofrequency) quite different from maser action by other distributions considered in the context of solar flares. The z mode waves will be damped in the coronal plasma surrounding the flaring flux tube and lead to heating there. This process may be important in the overall energy budget of the flare. The downgoing maser is compared with the loss cone maser, which is more likely to produce observable bursts.

Radio Spectral Imaging of Reflective MHD Waves during the Impulsive Phase of a Solar Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, S.; Chen, B.; Reeves, K.

2017-12-01

We report a new type of coherent radio bursts observed by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in 1-2 GHz during the impulsive phase of a two-ribbon flare on 2014 November 1, which we interpret as MHD waves reflected near the footpoint of flaring loops. In the dynamic spectrum, this burst starts with a positive frequency drift toward higher frequencies until it slows down near its highest-frequency boundary. Then it turns over and drifts toward lower frequencies. The frequency drift rate in its descending and ascending branch is between 50-150 MHz/s, which is much slower than type III radio bursts associated with fast electron beams but close to the well-known intermediate drift bursts, or fiber bursts, which are usually attributed to propagating whistler or Alfvenic waves. Thanks to VLA's unique capability of imaging with spectrometer-like temporal and spectral resolution (50 ms and 2 MHz), we are able to obtain an image of the radio source at every time and frequency in the dynamic spectrum where the burst is present and trace its spatial evolution. From the imaging results, we find that the radio source firstly moves downward toward one of the flaring ribbons before it "bounces off" at the lowest height (corresponding to the turnover frequency in the dynamic spectrum) and moves upward again. The measured speed in projection is at the order of 1-2 Mm/s, which is characteristic of Alfvenic or fast-mode MHD waves in the low corona. We conclude that the radio burst is emitted by trapped nonthermal electrons in the flaring loop carried along by a large-scale MHD wave. The waves are probably launched during the eruption of a magnetic flux rope in the flare impulsive phase.

Largest Solar Flare on Record

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The largest solar flare ever recorded occurred at 4:51 p.m. EDT, on Monday, April 2, 2001. as Observed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite. Solar flares, among the solar systems mightiest eruptions, are tremendous explosions in the atmosphere of the Sun capable of releasing as much energy as a billion megatons of TNT. Caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy, in just a few seconds, solar flares can accelerate solar particles to very high velocities, almost to the speed of light, and heat solar material to tens of millions of degrees. The recent explosion from the active region near the sun's northwest limb hurled a coronal mass ejection into space at a whopping speed of roughly 7.2 million kilometers per hour. Luckily, the flare was not aimed directly towards Earth. Second to the most severe R5 classification of radio blackout, this flare produced an R4 blackout as rated by the NOAA SEC. This classification measures the disruption in radio communications. Launched December 2, 1995 atop an ATLAS-IIAS expendable launch vehicle, the SOHO is a cooperative effort involving NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). (Image courtesy NASA Goddard SOHO Project office)

Force-Free Magnetic Fields Calculated from Automated Tracing of Coronal Loops with AIA/SDO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aschwanden, M. J.

2013-12-01

One of the most realistic magnetic field models of the solar corona is a nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) solution. There exist about a dozen numeric codes that compute NLFFF solutions based on extrapolations of photospheric vector magnetograph data. However, since the photosphere and lower chromosphere is not force-free, a suitable correction has to be applied to the lower boundary condition. Despite of such "pre-processing" corrections, the resulting theoretical magnetic field lines deviate substantially from observed coronal loop geometries. - Here we developed an alternative method that fits an analytical NLFFF approximation to the observed geometry of coronal loops. The 2D coordinates of the geometry of coronal loop structures observed with AIA/SDO are traced with the "Oriented Coronal CUrved Loop Tracing" (OCCULT-2) code, an automated pattern recognition algorithm that has demonstrated the fidelity in loop tracing matching visual perception. A potential magnetic field solution is then derived from a line-of-sight magnetogram observed with HMI/SDO, and an analytical NLFFF approximation is then forward-fitted to the twisted geometry of coronal loops. We demonstrate the performance of this magnetic field modeling method for a number of solar active regions, before and after major flares observed with SDO. The difference of the NLFFF and the potential field energies allows us then to compute the free magnetic energy, which is an upper limit of the energy that is released during a solar flare.

The NST observation of a small loop eruption in He I D3 line on 2016 May 30

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yeon-Han; Xu, Yan; Bong, Su-Chan; Lim, Eunkyung; Yang, Heesu; Park, Young-Deuk; Yurchyshyn, Vasyl B.; Ahn, Kwangsu; Goode, Philip R.

2017-08-01

Since the He I D3 line has a unique response to a flare impact on the low solar atmosphere, it can be a powerful diagnostic tool for energy transport processes. In order to obtain comprehensive data sets for studying solar flare activities in D3 spectral line, we performed observations for several days using the 1.6m New Solar Telescope of Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) in 2015 and 2016, equipped with the He I D3 filter, the photospheric broadband filter, and Near IR imaging spectrograph (NIRIS). On 2016 May 30, we observed a small loop eruption in He I D3 images associated with a B class brightening, which is occurred around 17:10 UT in a small active region, and dynamic variations of photospheric features in G-band images. Accordingly, the cause of the loop eruption can be magnetic reconnection driven by photospheric plasma motions. In this presentation, we will give the observation results and the interpretation.

The Solar X-Ray Limb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, Marina; Hudson, Hugh S.; Hurford, Gordon J.; Krucker, Säm; Schwartz, Richard A.

2017-07-01

We describe a new technique to measure the height of the X-ray limb with observations from occulted X-ray flare sources as observed by the RHESSI (the Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Spectroscopic Imager) satellite. This method has model dependencies different from those present in traditional observations at optical wavelengths, which depend upon detailed modeling involving radiative transfer in a medium with complicated geometry and flows. It thus provides an independent and more rigorous measurement of the “true” solar radius, which means that of the mass distribution. RHESSI’s measurement makes use of the flare X-ray source’s spatial Fourier components (the visibilities), which are sensitive to the presence of the sharp edge at the lower boundary of the occulted source. We have found a suitable flare event for analysis, SOL2011-10-20T03:25 (M1.7), and report a first result from this novel technique here. Using a four-minute integration over the 3-25 keV photon energy range, we find {R}{{X} - {ray}}=960.11+/- 0.15+/- 0.29 arcsec, at 1 au, where the uncertainties include statistical uncertainties from the method and a systematic error. The standard VAL-C model predicts a value of 959.94 arcsec, which is about 1σ below our value.

Agency over Phantom Limb Enhanced by Short-Term Mirror Therapy

PubMed Central

Imaizumi, Shu; Asai, Tomohisa; Koyama, Shinichi

2017-01-01

Most amputees experience phantom limb, whereby they feel that the amputated limb is still present. In some cases, these experiences include pain that can be alleviated by “mirror therapy.” Mirror therapy consists of superimposing a mirrored image of the moving intact limb onto the phantom limb. This therapy provides a closed loop between the motor command to the amputated limb and its predicted visual feedback. This loop is also involved in the sense of agency, a feeling of controlling one’s own body. However, it is unclear how mirror therapy is related to the sense of agency over a phantom limb. Using mirror therapy, we investigated phantom limb pain and the senses of agency and ownership (i.e., a feeling of having one’s own body) of the phantom limb. Nine upper-limb amputees, five of whom reported recent phantom limb pain, underwent a single 15-min trial of mirror therapy. Before and after the trial, the participants completed a questionnaire regarding agency, ownership, and pain related to their phantom limb. They reported that the sense of agency over the phantom limb increased following the mirror therapy trial, while the ownership slightly increased but not as much as did the agency. The reported pain did not change; that is, it was comparably mild before and after the trial. These results suggest that short-term mirror therapy can, at least transiently, selectively enhance the sense of agency over a phantom limb, but may not alleviate phantom limb pain. PMID:29046630

Agency over Phantom Limb Enhanced by Short-Term Mirror Therapy.

PubMed

Imaizumi, Shu; Asai, Tomohisa; Koyama, Shinichi

2017-01-01

Most amputees experience phantom limb, whereby they feel that the amputated limb is still present. In some cases, these experiences include pain that can be alleviated by "mirror therapy." Mirror therapy consists of superimposing a mirrored image of the moving intact limb onto the phantom limb. This therapy provides a closed loop between the motor command to the amputated limb and its predicted visual feedback. This loop is also involved in the sense of agency, a feeling of controlling one's own body. However, it is unclear how mirror therapy is related to the sense of agency over a phantom limb. Using mirror therapy, we investigated phantom limb pain and the senses of agency and ownership (i.e., a feeling of having one's own body) of the phantom limb. Nine upper-limb amputees, five of whom reported recent phantom limb pain, underwent a single 15-min trial of mirror therapy. Before and after the trial, the participants completed a questionnaire regarding agency, ownership, and pain related to their phantom limb. They reported that the sense of agency over the phantom limb increased following the mirror therapy trial, while the ownership slightly increased but not as much as did the agency. The reported pain did not change; that is, it was comparably mild before and after the trial. These results suggest that short-term mirror therapy can, at least transiently, selectively enhance the sense of agency over a phantom limb, but may not alleviate phantom limb pain.

Closed coronal structures. V - Gasdynamic models of flaring loops and comparison with SMM observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peres, G.; Serio, S.; Vaiana, G.; Acton, L.; Leibacher, J.; Rosner, R.; Pallavicini, R.

1983-01-01

A time-dependent one-dimensional code incorporating energy, momentum and mass conservation equations, and taking the entire solar atmospheric structure into account, is used to investigate the hydrodynamic response of confined magnetic structures to strong heating perturbations. Model calculation results are compared with flare observations which include the light curves of spectral lines formed over a wide range of coronal flare temperatures, as well as determinations of Doppler shifts for the high temperature plasma. It is shown that the numerical simulation predictions are in good overall agreement with the observed flare coronal plasma evolution, correctly reproducing the temporal profile of X-ray spectral lines and their relative intensities. The predicted upflow velocities support the interpretation of the blueshifts as due to evaporation of chromospheric material.

Solar Flare Termination shock and the Synthetic Fe XXI 1354.08 Å line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, L.; Li, G.; Reeves, K.; Raymond, J. C.

2017-12-01

Solar flares are one of the most energetic phenomena occurred in the solar system. In the standard solar flare model, a fast mode shock, which is often referred to as the flare termination shock (TS), can exist above the loop-top source of hard X-ray emissions. The existence of the termination shock has been recently related to spectral hardening of flare hard X-ray spectrum at energies > 300 keV. Observations of the Fe XXI 1354.08 Å line during solar flares by the IRIS spacecraft have found significant redshift with >100 km/s, which is consistent with a reconnection downflow. The ability to identify such a redshift by IRIS is made possible by IRIS's high time resolution, high spatial resolution, high sensitivity and cadence spectral observations. The ability to identify such a redshift by IRIS suggests that one may be able to use IRIS observations to identify flare termination shocks. Using a MHD simulation to model magnetic reconnection of a solar flare and assuming the existence of a TS in the downflow of the reconnection plasma, we model the synthetic emission of the Fe XXI 1354.08 Å line in this work. We show that the existence of the TS in the solar flare may manifest itself from the Fe XXI 1354.08 Å line.

Observed form and action of the magnetic energy release in flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Machado, Marcos E.; Moore, Ronald L.

1986-01-01

The observable spatio-temporal characteristics of the energy release in flares and their association with the magnetic environment and tracers of field dynamics are reviewed. The observations indicate that impulsive phase manifestations, like particle acceleration, may be related to the formation of neutral sheets at the interface between interacting bipoles, but that the site for the bulk of the energy release is within closed loops rather than at the interaction site.

DERIVATION OF STOCHASTIC ACCELERATION MODEL CHARACTERISTICS FOR SOLAR FLARES FROM RHESSI HARD X-RAY OBSERVATIONS

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

Petrosian, Vahe; Chen Qingrong

2010-04-01

The model of stochastic acceleration of particles by turbulence has been successful in explaining many observed features of solar flares. Here, we demonstrate a new method to obtain the accelerated electron spectrum and important acceleration model parameters from the high-resolution hard X-ray (HXR) observations provided by RHESSI. In our model, electrons accelerated at or very near the loop top (LT) produce thin target bremsstrahlung emission there and then escape downward producing thick target emission at the loop footpoints (FPs). Based on the electron flux spectral images obtained by the regularized spectral inversion of the RHESSI count visibilities, we derive severalmore » important parameters for the acceleration model. We apply this procedure to the 2003 November 3 solar flare, which shows an LT source up to 100-150 keV in HXR with a relatively flat spectrum in addition to two FP sources. The results imply the presence of strong scattering and a high density of turbulence energy with a steep spectrum in the acceleration region.« less

NASA Captures Images of a Late Summer Flare [detail

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

On Aug. 24, 2014, the sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 8:16 a.m. EDT. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured images of the flare, which erupted on the left side of the sun. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This close-up of a moderate flare on Aug. 24, 2014, shows light in the 131 and 171 Angstrom wavelengths. The former wavelength, usually colorized in teal, highlights the extremely hot material of a flare. The latter, usually colorized in gold, highlights magnet loops in the sun's atmosphere. To see how this event may affect Earth, please visit NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center at spaceweather.gov, the U.S. government's official source for space weather forecasts, alerts, watches and warnings. This flare is classified as an M5 flare. M-class flares are ten times less powerful than the most intense flares, called X-class flares. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Steady State Model for Solar Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugiyama, L.; Asgari-Targhi, M.

2017-12-01

Solar coronal loops on the surface of the sun provide background magnetic and plasma structures for the release of a significant amount of the sun's energy, through energetic solar flares and coronal mass ejections and more gradual processes. Understanding their steady states is the first step in understanding loop dynamics. A consistent MHD steady state model, for a curved magnetic flux rope that contains plasma, has been developed[1] for simple coronal loops with both ends anchored in the photosphere. Plasma pressure or current makes the loop unstable to expansion in major radius and must be balanced by external forces, such as the solar gravity. The MHD momentum equation has a well defined small parameter ordering in the loop inverse aspect ratio ɛ=a/Ro (minor/major radius). Different types of common coronal loops fall in different parameter regimes, determined by the relative values of the plasma beta β=po/(Bo2/2μo), the MHD gravity parameter Ĝ≡ga/vA2 (the gravitational acceleration g normalized to the minor radius a and shear Alfvén velocity vA), and ɛ. The largest possible gravity, Ĝ ɛ1β, corresponds to the largest loops because it reduces the plasma density at the top of the loop exponentially compared to its lower ends, reducing the downward gravitational force -ρĜ there. The thin loops that are ubiquitous in solar active regions have ``high'' beta, β ɛ1, for ɛ≃0.02, and fit the predicted model scalings. The thicker loops that can give rise to flares and CMEs have ``low'' beta, β ɛ2. Cool loops, such as solar filaments outside active regions, that have a central pressure lower than that of the surrounding corona would have the strongest stability against radial expansion. The model raises a number of questions about the connection of loops to the photosphere and the force-free nature of the magnetic field there. [1] L. Sugiyama, M. Asgari-Targhi, Phys. Plasmas 24, 022904 (2017).

Multi-instrument observations of a failed flare eruption associated with MHD waves in a loop bundle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisticò, G.; Polito, V.; Nakariakov, V. M.; Del Zanna, G.

2017-04-01

Context. We present observations of a B7.9-class flare that occurred on the 24th January, 2015, using the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) and the X-Ray Telescope of Hinode. The flare triggers the eruption of a dense cool plasma blob as seen in AIA 171 Å, which is unable to completely break out and remains confined within a local bundle of active region loops. During this process, transverse oscillations of the threads are observed. The cool plasma is then observed to descend back to the chromosphere along each loop strand. At the same time, a larger diffuse co-spatial loop observed in the hot wavebands of SDO/AIA and Hinode/XRT is formed, exhibiting periodic intensity variations along its length. Aims: The formation and evolution of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves depend upon the values of the local plasma parameters (e.g. density, temperature and magnetic field), which can hence be inferred by coronal seismology. In this study we aim to assess how the observed MHD modes are affected by the variation of density and temperature. Methods: We combined analysis of EUV/X-ray imaging and spectroscopy using SDO/AIA, Hinode/EIS and XRT. Results: The transverse oscillations of the cool loop threads are interpreted in terms of vertically polarised kink oscillations. The fitting procedure applied to the loop displacement time series gives a period of 3.5 to 4 min, and an amplitude of 5 Mm. The oscillations are strongly damped showing very low quality factor (1.5-2), which is defined as the ratio of the damping time and the oscillation period. The weak variation of the period of the kink wave, which is estimated from the fitting analysis, is in agreement with the density variations due to the presence of the plasma blob inferred from the intensity light curve at 171 Å. The coexisting intensity oscillations along the hot loop are interpreted as a slow MHD wave with a period of 10 min and phase speed of approximately 436 km s-1. Comparison between the fast and slow modes allows for the determination of the Alfvén speed, and consequently magnetic field values. The plasma-β inferred from the analysis is estimated to be approximately 0.1-0.3. Conclusions: We show that the evolution of the detected waves is determined by the temporal variations of the local plasma parameters, caused by the flare heating and the consequent cooling. We apply coronal seismology to both waves obtaining estimates of the background plasma parameters. Movies are available at http://www.aanda.org

Spectroscopic Study of a Dark Lane and a Cool Loop in a Solar Limb Active Region by Hinode/EIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, K.; Imada, S.; Moon, Y.; Lee, J.

2012-12-01

We investigate a cool loop and a dark lane over a limb active region on 2007 March 14 by the Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). The cool loop is clearly seen in the EIS spectral lines formed at the transition region temperature (log T = 5.8). The dark lane is characterized by an elongated faint structure in coronal spectral lines (log T = 5.8 - 6.1) and rooted on a bright point. We examine their electron densities, Doppler velocities, and non-thermal velocities as a function of distance from the limb using the spectral lines formed at different temperatures (log T = 5.4 - 6.4). The electron densities of the cool loop and the dark lane are derived from the density sensitive line pairs of Mg VII, Fe XII, and Fe XIV spectra. Under the hydrostatic equilibrium and isothermal assumption, we determine their temperatures from the density scale height. Comparing the scale height temperatures to the peak formation temperatures of the spectral lines, we note that the scale height temperature of the cool loop is consistent with a peak formation temperature of the Mg VII (log T = 5.8) and the scale height temperature of the dark lane is close to a peak formation temperature of the Fe XII and Fe XIII (log T = 6.1 - 6.2). It is interesting to note that the structures of the cool loop and the dark lane are most visible in these temperature lines. While the non-thermal velocity in the cool loop slightly decreases (less than 7 km {s-1}) along the loop, that in the dark lane sharply falls off with height. The variation of non-thermal velocity with height in the cool loop and the dark lane is contrast to that in off-limb polar coronal holes which are considered as source of the fast solar wind. Such a decrease in the non-thermal velocity may be explained by wave damping near the solar surface or turbulence due to magnetic reconnection near the bright point.

Collective plasma effects associated with the continuous injection model of solar flare particle streams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vlahos, L.; Papadopoulos, K.

1979-01-01

A modified continuous injection model for impulsive solar flares that includes self-consistent plasma nonlinearities based on the concept of marginal stability is presented. A quasi-stationary state is established, composed of a hot truncated electron Maxwellian distribution confined by acoustic turbulence on the top of the loop and energetic electron beams precipitating in the chromosphere. It is shown that the radiation properties of the model are in accordance with observations.

Small Flare and a Coronal Mass Ejection

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-31

The sun shot out a small coronal mass ejection that was also associated with a small flare (Jan. 22, 2018). The video, which covers about 5 hours, shows the burst of plasma as the magnetic loops break apart. Immediately the magnetic fields brighten intensely and begin to reorganize themselves in coils above the active region. The images were taken in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. Videos are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22184

Coronal Seismology of Flare-Excited Standing Slow-Mode Waves Observed by SDO/AIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tongjiang; Ofman, Leon; Davila, Joseph M.

2016-05-01

Flare-excited longitudinal intensity oscillations in hot flaring loops have been recently detected by SDO/AIA in 94 and 131 Å bandpasses. Based on the interpretation in terms of a slow-mode wave, quantitative evidence of thermal conduction suppression in hot (>9 MK) loops has been obtained for the first time from measurements of the polytropic index and phase shift between the temperature and density perturbations (Wang et al. 2015, ApJL, 811, L13). This result has significant implications in two aspects. One is that the thermal conduction suppression suggests the need of greatly enhanced compressive viscosity to interpret the observed strong wave damping. The other is that the conduction suppression provides a reasonable mechanism for explaining the long-duration events where the thermal plasma is sustained well beyond the duration of impulsive hard X-ray bursts in many flares, for a time much longer than expected by the classical Spitzer conductive cooling. In this study, we model the observed standing slow-mode wave in Wang et al. (2015) using a 1D nonlinear MHD code. With the seismology-derived transport coefficients for thermal conduction and compressive viscosity, we successfully simulate the oscillation period and damping time of the observed waves. Based on the parametric study of the effect of thermal conduction suppression and viscosity enhancement on the observables, we discuss the inversion scheme for determining the energy transport coefficients by coronal seismology.

Spectroscopic Study of a Dark Lane and a Cool Loop in a Solar Limb Active Region by Hinode/EIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kyoung-Sun; Imada, S.; Moon, Y.-J.; Lee, Jin-Yi

2014-01-01

We investigated a cool loop and a dark lane over a limb active region on 2007 March 14 using the Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer. The cool loop is clearly seen in the spectral lines formed at the transition region temperature. The dark lane is characterized by an elongated faint structure in the coronal spectral lines and is rooted on a bright point. We examined their electron densities, Doppler velocities, and nonthermal velocities as a function of distance from the limb. We derived electron densities using the density sensitive line pairs of Mg VII, Si X, Fe XII, Fe XIII, and Fe XIV spectra. We also compared the observed density scale heights with the calculated scale heights from each peak formation temperatures of the spectral lines under the hydrostatic equilibrium. We noted that the observed density scale heights of the cool loop are consistent with the calculated heights, with the exception of one observed cooler temperature; we also found that the observed scale heights of the dark lane are much lower than their calculated scale heights. The nonthermal velocity in the cool loop slightly decreases along the loop, while nonthermal velocity in the dark lane sharply falls off with height. Such a decrease in the nonthermal velocity may be explained by wave damping near the solar surface or by turbulence due to magnetic reconnection near the bright point.

Study of non-thermal photon production under different scenarios in solar flares. 1: Scenarios and formulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perez-Peraza, J.; Alvarez, M.; Gallegos, A.

1985-01-01

In order to study the overall phenomenology involved in solar flares, it is necessary to understand their individual manifestation before building a corresponding description of the global phenomenon. Here the concern is with the production of X and gamma rays in solar flares. Flares are initiated very often within the closed magnetic field configurations of active centers. According (2) when beta = kinetic energy density/magnetic energy density approximately 0.2, the magnetic trap configuration is destructed within the time scale of the impulsive phase of flares ( 100 s). A first particle acceleration stage occurs during this phase as indicated by impulsive microwave and hard X-rays bursts. In some flare events, when the field strength beta is very high, the broken field lines may close again, such that later, in the course of the flash and main phases more hot plasma of very high conductivity is created, and so, the field and frozen plasma expand outward, as the kinetic pressure inside the closed loops increases. The magnetically trapped particles excite strong Alfven wave turbulence of small transverse scale.

X-Ray Source Heights in a Solar Flare: Thick-Target Versus Thermal Conduction Front Heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reep, J. W.; Bradshaw, S. J.; Holman, G. D.

2016-01-01

Observations of solar flares with RHESSI have shown X-ray sources traveling along flaring loops, from the corona down to the chromosphere and back up. The 2002 November 28 C1.1 flare, first observed with RHESSI by Sui et al. and quantitatively analyzed by O'Flannagain et al., very clearly shows this behavior. By employing numerical experiments, we use these observations of X-ray source height motions as a constraint to distinguish between heating due to a non-thermal electron beam and in situ energy deposition in the corona. We find that both heating scenarios can reproduce the observed light curves, but our results favor non-thermal heating. In situ heating is inconsistent with the observed X-ray source morphology and always gives a height dispersion with photon energy opposite to what is observed.

The Mysterious Origins of Solar Flares: New observations are beginning to reveal what triggers these hughes explosions of the sun's atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holman, Gordon D.

2006-01-01

Solar flares can release the energy equivalent of billions of atomic bombs in the span of just a few minutes. These explosions give off a burst of x-rays and charged particles, some of which may later hit Earth, endangering satellites and causing power outages. The sun's tumultuous magnetic fields provide the fuel of flares. The sudden release of energy in a flare results from a process called reconnection, whereby oppositely directed magnetic field lines come together and partially annihilate each other. Although theoretical studies of magnetic reconnection on the sun have been carried out for decades, only recently have space probes uncovered observational evidence for this phenomenon. The telltale signs include pointed magnetic loops located below the spot where magnetic reconnection is taking place.

Solar Flare Termination Shock and Synthetic Emission Line Profiles of the Fe xxi 1354.08 Å Line

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

Guo, Lijia; Li, Gang; Reeves, Kathy

Solar flares are among the most energetic phenomena that occur in the solar system. In the standard solar flare model, a fast mode shock, often referred to as the flare termination shock (TS), can exist above the loop-top source of hard X-ray emissions. The existence of the TS has been recently related to spectral hardening of a flare’s hard X-ray spectra at energies >300 keV. Observations of the Fe xxi 1354.08 Å line during solar flares by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) spacecraft have found significant redshifts with >100 km s{sup −1}, which is consistent with amore » reconnection downflow. The ability to detect such a redshift with IRIS suggests that one may be able to use IRIS observations to identify flare TSs. Using a magnetohydrodynamic simulation to model magnetic reconnection of a solar flare and assuming the existence of a TS in the downflow of the reconnection plasma, we model the synthetic emission of the Fe xxi 1354.08 line in this work. We show that the existence of the TS in the solar flare may manifest itself in the Fe xxi 1354.08 Å line.« less

NASA's SDO Shows Images of Significant Solar Flare

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-02-25

Caption: These SDO images from 7:25 p.m. EST on Feb. 24, 2014, show the first moments of an X-class flare in different wavelengths of light -- seen as the bright spot that appears on the left limb of the sun. Hot solar material can be seen hovering above the active region in the sun's atmosphere, the corona. Credit: NASA/SDO More info: The sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 7:49 p.m. EST on Feb. 24, 2014. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which keeps a constant watch on the sun, captured images of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation, appearing as giant flashes of light in the SDO images. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This flare is classified as an X4.9-class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Variability of Thermosphere and Ionosphere Responses to Solar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qian, Liying; Burns, Alan G.; Chamberlin, Philip C.; Solomon, Stanley C.

2011-01-01

We investigated how the rise rate and decay rate of solar flares affect the thermosphere and ionosphere responses to them. Model simulations and data analysis were conducted for two flares of similar magnitude (X6.2 and X5.4) that had the same location on the solar limb, but the X6.2 flare had longer rise and decay times. Simulated total electron content (TEC) enhancements from the X6.2 and X5.4 flares were 6 total electron content units (TECU) and approximately 2 TECU, and the simulated neutral density enhancements were approximately 15% -20% and approximately 5%, respectively, in reasonable agreement with observations. Additional model simulations showed that for idealized flares with the same magnitude and location, the thermosphere and ionosphere responses changed significantly as a function of rise and decay rates. The Neupert Effect, which predicts that a faster flare rise rate leads to a larger EUV enhancement during the impulsive phase, caused a larger maximum ion production enhancement. In addition, model simulations showed that increased E x B plasma transport due to conductivity increases during the flares caused a significant equatorial anomaly feature in the electron density enhancement in the F region but a relatively weaker equatorial anomaly feature in TEC enhancement, owing to dominant contributions by photochemical production and loss processes. The latitude dependence of the thermosphere response correlated well with the solar zenith angle effect, whereas the latitude dependence of the ionosphere response was more complex, owing to plasma transport and the winter anomaly.

The Effects of Pregabalin and the Glial Attenuator Minocycline on the Response to Intradermal Capsaicin in Patients with Unilateral Sciatica

PubMed Central

Sumracki, Nicole M.; Hutchinson, Mark R.; Gentgall, Melanie; Briggs, Nancy; Williams, Desmond B.; Rolan, Paul

2012-01-01

Background Patients with unilateral sciatica have heightened responses to intradermal capsaicin compared to pain-free volunteers. No studies have investigated whether this pain model can screen for novel anti-neuropathic agents in patients with pre-existing neuropathic pain syndromes. Aim This study compared the effects of pregabalin (300 mg) and the tetracycline antibiotic and glial attenuator minocycline (400 mg) on capsaicin-induced spontaneous pain, flare, allodynia and hyperalgesia in patients with unilateral sciatica on both their affected and unaffected leg. Methods/Results Eighteen patients with unilateral sciatica completed this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-way cross-over study. Participants received a 10 µg dose of capsaicin into the middle section of their calf on both their affected and unaffected leg, separated by an interval of 75 min. Capsaicin-induced spontaneous pain, flare, allodynia and hyperalgesia were recorded pre-injection and at 5, 20, 40, 60 and 90 min post-injection. Minocycline tended to reduce pre-capsaicin injection values of hyperalgesia in the affected leg by 28% (95% CI 0% to 56%). The area under the effect time curves for capsaicin-induced spontaneous pain, flare, allodynia and hyperalgesia were not affected by either treatment compared to placebo. Significant limb differences were observed for flare (AUC) (−38% in affected leg, 95% CI for difference −19% to −52%). Both hand dominance and sex were significant covariates of response to capsaicin. Conclusions It cannot be concluded that minocycline is unsuitable for further evaluation as an anti-neuropathic pain drug as pregabalin, our positive control, failed to reduce capsaicin-induced neuropathic pain. However, the anti-hyperalgesic effect of minocycline observed pre-capsaicin injection is promising pilot information to support ongoing research into glial-mediated treatments for neuropathic pain. The differences in flare response between limbs may represent a useful biomarker to further investigate neuropathic pain. Inclusion of a positive control is imperative for the assessment of novel therapies for neuropathic pain. PMID:22685578

The impulsive hard X-rays from solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leach, J.

1984-01-01

A technique for determining the physical arrangement of a solar flare during the impulsive phase was developed based upon a nonthermal model interpretation of the emitted hard X-rays. Accurate values are obtained for the flare parameters, including those which describe the magnetic field structure and the beaming of the energetic electrons, parameters which have hitherto been mostly inaccessible. The X-ray intensity height structure can be described readily with a single expression based upon a semi-empirical fit to the results from many models. Results show that the degree of linear polarization of the X-rays from a flaring loop does not exceed 25 percent and can easily and naturally be as low as the polarization expected from a thermal model. This is a highly significant result in that it supersedes those based upon less thorough calculations of the electron beam dynamics and requires that a reevaluation of hopes of using polarization measurements to discriminate between categories of flare models.

VERY LONG-PERIOD PULSATIONS BEFORE THE ONSET OF SOLAR FLARES

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

Tan, Baolin; Huang, Jing; Tan, Chengming

Solar flares are the most powerful explosions occurring in the solar system, which may lead to disastrous space weather events and impact various aspects of our Earth. It remains a big challenge in modern astrophysics to understand the origin of solar flares and predict their onset. Based on the analysis of soft X-ray emission observed by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite , this work reports a new discovery of very long-periodic pulsations occurring in the preflare phase before the onset of solar flares (preflare-VLPs). These pulsations typically have periods of 8–30 min and last for about 1–2 hr. They aremore » possibly generated from LRC oscillations of plasma loops where electric current dominates the physical process during magnetic energy accumulation in the source region. Preflare-VLPs provide essential information for understanding the triggering mechanism and origin of solar flares, and may be a convenient precursory indicator to help us respond to solar explosions and the corresponding disastrous space weather events.« less

Transient rotation of photospheric vector magnetic fields associated with a solar flare.

PubMed

Xu, Yan; Cao, Wenda; Ahn, Kwangsu; Jing, Ju; Liu, Chang; Chae, Jongchul; Huang, Nengyi; Deng, Na; Gary, Dale E; Wang, Haimin

2018-01-03

As one of the most violent eruptions on the Sun, flares are believed to be powered by magnetic reconnection. The fundamental physics involving the release, transfer, and deposition of energy have been studied extensively. Taking advantage of the unprecedented resolution provided by the 1.6 m Goode Solar Telescope, here, we show a sudden rotation of vector magnetic fields, about 12-20° counterclockwise, associated with a flare. Unlike the permanent changes reported previously, the azimuth-angle change is transient and cospatial/temporal with Hα emission. The measured azimuth angle becomes closer to that in potential fields suggesting untwist of flare loops. The magnetograms were obtained in the near infrared at 1.56 μm, which is minimally affected by flare emission and no intensity profile change was detected. We believe that these transient changes are real and discuss the possible explanations in which the high-energy electron beams or Alfve'n waves play a crucial role.

On the Origin of Pulsations of Sub-THz Emission from Solar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitsev, V. V.; Stepanov, A. V.; Kaufmann, P.

2014-08-01

We propose a model to explain fast pulsations in sub-THz emission from solar flares. The model is based on the approach of a flaring loop as an equivalent electric circuit and explains the pulse-repetition rate, the high-quality factor, Q≥103, low modulation depth, pulse synchronism at different frequencies, and the dependence of the pulse-repetition rate on the emission flux, observed by Kaufmann et al. ( Astrophys. J. 697, 420, 2009). We solved the nonlinear equation for electric current oscillations using a Van der Pol method and found the steady-state value for the amplitude of the current oscillations. Using the pulse rate variation during the flare on 4 November 2003, we found a decrease of the electric current from 1.7×1012 A in the flare maximum to 4×1010 A just after the burst. Our model is consistent with the plasma mechanism of sub-THz emission suggested recently by Zaitsev, Stepanov, and Melnikov ( Astron. Lett. 39, 650, 2013).

The magnetic connectivity of coronal shocks from behind-the-limb flares to the visible solar surface during γ-ray events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plotnikov, I.; Rouillard, A. P.; Share, G. H.

2017-12-01

Context. The observation of >100 MeV γ-rays in the minutes to hours following solar flares suggests that high-energy particles interacting in the solar atmosphere can be stored and/or accelerated for long time periods. The occasions when γ-rays are detected even when the solar eruptions occurred beyond the solar limb as viewed from Earth provide favorable viewing conditions for studying the role of coronal shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the acceleration of these particles. Aims: In this paper, we investigate the spatial and temporal evolution of the coronal shocks inferred from stereoscopic observations of behind-the-limb flares to determine if they could be the source of the particles producing the γ-rays. Methods: We analyzed the CMEs and early formation of coronal shocks associated with γ-ray events measured by the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) from three eruptions behind the solar limb as viewed from Earth on 2013 Oct. 11, 2014 Jan. 06 and Sep. 01. We used a 3D triangulation technique, based on remote-sensing observations to model the expansion of the CME shocks from above the solar surface to the upper corona. Coupling the expansion model to various models of the coronal magnetic field allowed us to derive the time-dependent distribution of shock Mach numbers and the magnetic connection of particles produced by the shock to the solar surface visible from Earth. Results: The reconstructed shock fronts for the three events became magnetically connected to the visible solar surface after the start of the flare and just before the onset of the >100 MeV γ-ray emission. The shock surface at these connections also exhibited supercritical Mach numbers required for significant particle energization. The strongest γ-ray emissions occurred when the flanks of the shocks were connected in a quasi-perpendicular geometry to the field lines reaching the visible surface. Multipoint, in situ, measurements of solar energetic particles (SEPs) were consistent with the production of these SEPs by the same shock processes responsible for the γ-rays. The fluxes of protons in space and at the Sun were highest for the 2014 Sep. 01, which had the fastest moving shock. Conclusions: This study provides further evidence that high-energy protons producing time-extended high-energy γ-ray emission likely have the same CME-shock origin as solar energetic particles measured in interplanetary space.

The Solar Maximum observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, D. M.

1984-01-01

The successful retrieval and repair of the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite by Shuttle astronauts in April 1984 permitted continuance of solar flare observations that began in 1980. The SMM carries a soft X ray polychromator, gamma ray, UV and hard X ray imaging spectrometers, a coronagraph/polarimeter and particle counters. The data gathered thus far indicated that electrical potentials of 25 MeV develop in flares within 2 sec of onset. X ray data show that flares are composed of compressed magnetic loops that have come too close together. Other data have been taken on mass ejection, impacts of electron beams and conduction fronts with the chromosphere and changes in the solar radiant flux due to sunspots.

Particle Acceleration and Plasma Heating in the Chromosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitsev, V. V.; Stepanov, A. V.

2015-12-01

We propose a new mechanism of electron acceleration and plasma heating in the solar chromosphere, based on the magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The instability develops at the chromospheric footpoints of a flare loop and deforms the local magnetic field. As a result, the electric current in the loop varies, and a resulting inductive electric field appears. A pulse of the induced electric field, together with the pulse of the electric current, propagates along the loop with the Alfvén velocity and begins to accelerate electrons up to an energy of about 1 MeV. Accelerated particles are thermalized in the dense layers of the chromosphere with the plasma density n ≈10^{14} - 10^{15} cm^{-3}, heating them to a temperature of about several million degrees. Joule dissipation of the electric current pulse heats the chromosphere at heights that correspond to densities n ≤10^{11} - 10^{13} cm^{-3}. Observations with the New Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory indicate that chromospheric footpoints of coronal loops might be heated to coronal temperatures and that hot plasma might be injected upwards, which brightens ultra-fine loops from the photosphere to the base of the corona. Thereby, recent observations of the Sun and the model we propose stimulate a déjà vu - they are reminiscent of the concept of the chromospheric flare.

Effect of a Flared Renal Stent on the Performance of Fenestrated Stent-Grafts at Rest and Exercise Conditions.

PubMed

Kandail, Harkamaljot; Hamady, Mohamad; Xu, Xiao Yun

2016-10-01

To quantify the hemodynamic impact of a flared renal stent on the performance of fenestrated stent-grafts (FSGs) by analyzing flow patterns and wall shear stress-derived parameters in flared and nonflared FSGs in different physiologic scenarios. Hypothetical models of FSGs were created with and without flaring of the proximal portion of the renal stent. Flared FSGs with different dilation angles and protrusion lengths were examined, as well as a nonplanar flared FSG to account for lumbar curvature. Laminar and pulsatile blood flow was simulated by numerically solving Navier-Stokes equations. A physiologically realistic flow rate waveform was prescribed at the inlet, while downstream vasculature was modeled using a lumped parameter 3-element windkessel model. No slip boundary conditions were imposed at the FSG walls, which were assumed to be rigid. While resting simulations were performed on all the FSGs, exercise simulations were also performed on a flared FSG to quantify the effect of flaring in different physiologic scenarios. For cycle-averaged inflow of 2.94 L/min (rest) and 4.63 L/min (exercise), 27% of blood flow was channeled into each renal branch at rest and 21% under exercise for all the flared FSGs examined. Although the renal flow waveform was not affected by flaring, flow within the flared FSGs was disturbed. This flow disturbance led to high endothelial cell activation potential (ECAP) values at the renal ostia for all the flared geometries. Reducing the dilation angle or protrusion length and exercise lowered the ECAP values for flared FSGs. Flaring of renal stents has a negligible effect on the time dependence of renal flow rate waveforms and can maintain sufficient renal perfusion at rest and exercise. Local flow patterns are, however, strongly dependent on renal flaring, which creates a local flow disturbance and may increase the thrombogenicity at the renal ostia. Smaller dilation angles, shorter protrusion lengths, and moderate lower limb exercise are likely to reduce the risk of thrombosis in flared geometries. © The Author(s) 2016.

Witnessing a Large-scale Slipping Magnetic Reconnection along a Dimming Channel during a Solar Flare

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

Jing, Ju; Lee, Jeongwoo; Xu, Yan

We report the intriguing large-scale dynamic phenomena associated with the M6.5 flare (SOL2015-06-22T18:23) in NOAA active region 12371, observed by RHESSI , Fermi , and the Atmospheric Image Assembly (AIA) and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory ( SDO ). The most interesting feature of this event is a third ribbon (R3) arising in the decay phase, propagating along a dimming channel (seen in EUV passbands) toward a neighboring sunspot. The propagation of R3 occurs in the presence of hard X-ray footpoint emission and is broadly visible at temperatures from 0.6 MK to over 10 MK through themore » differential emission measure analysis. The coronal loops then undergo an apparent slipping motion following the same path of R3, after a ∼80 minute delay. To understand the underlying physics, we investigate the magnetic configuration and the thermal structure of the flaring region. Our results are in favor of a slipping-type reconnection followed by the thermodynamic evolution of coronal loops. In comparison with those previously reported slipping reconnection events, this one proceeds across a particularly long distance (∼60 Mm) over a long period of time (∼50 minutes) and shows two clearly distinguished phases: the propagation of the footpoint brightening driven by nonthermal particle injection and the apparent slippage of loops governed by plasma heating and subsequent cooling.« less

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-04-02

The largest solar flare ever recorded occurred at 4:51 p.m. EDT, on Monday, April 2, 2001. as Observed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite. Solar flares, among the solar systems mightiest eruptions, are tremendous explosions in the atmosphere of the Sun capable of releasing as much energy as a billion megatons of TNT. Caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy, in just a few seconds, solar flares can accelerate solar particles to very high velocities, almost to the speed of light, and heat solar material to tens of millions of degrees. The recent explosion from the active region near the sun's northwest limb hurled a coronal mass ejection into space at a whopping speed of roughly 7.2 million kilometers per hour. Luckily, the flare was not aimed directly towards Earth. Second to the most severe R5 classification of radio blackout, this flare produced an R4 blackout as rated by the NOAA SEC. This classification measures the disruption in radio communications. Launched December 2, 1995 atop an ATLAS-IIAS expendable launch vehicle, the SOHO is a cooperative effort involving NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). (Image courtesy NASA Goddard SOHO Project office)

Rotational modulation and flares on RS CVn and BY DRA systems. VIII - Simultaneous EXOSAT and H-alpha observations of a flare on the dMe star GL 644 AB (Wolf 630) on 24/25 August 1985

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doyle, J. G.; Butler, C. J.; Callanan, P. J.; Tagliaferri, G.; de La Reza, R.; White, N. E.; Torres, C. A.; Quast, G.

1988-02-01

A large flare was detected simultaneously in X-rays and H-alpha on the visual binary Gl 644 AB at about 00:15 UT on August 25, 1985. The flare was detected with both the low (0.05-2 keV) and medium energy (2-7 keV) experiments onboard Exosat, with the flare rise time being similar in both the low and medium energy ranges, although in the low energy the peak occurred about 30 s later. This was followed a few minutes later by a second burst. The flare decay time lasted about 10 minutes longer in the low energy band than in the medium energy. The integrated flare energy detected was 11.9 x 10 to the 32nd and 4.15 x 10 to the 32nd erg respectively in the low and medium energy X-rays and 7 x 10 to the 31st erg in H-alpha. This gives an H-alpha flux of approximately 4 percent of the total X-ray flux detected from the flare or 6 percent of the low X-ray flare energy, similar to that observed in a compact solar flare. Based on the observed cooling time, the flare was estimated to have 2-3 loops of height about 10 to the 9th cm and electron density of about 10 to the 12th/cu cm.

Electron acceleration in connection with radio noise storm onsets or enhancements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilmer, N.; Trottet, G.

2008-11-01

Radio noise storms are generated by suprathermal (≃ 10 keV) electrons accelerated continuously over time scales of hours or days in active region magnetic fields. They are related to emerging magnetic loops interacting with overlying loops and leading to magnetic coronal reconfiguration (e.g. Bentley et al. 2000). Noise storm onsets or enhancements have been sometimes observed in association with a flare-like sudden energy release in the active region producing a localized microwave (Raulin et al. 1991) or soft X-ray brightening (Raulin & Klein 1994). A few cases have also been reported in which 10-30 keV emission from a superhot plasma or from non-thermal electrons have been observed at the onset of noise storms (Crosby et al. 1996) confirming that a flare-like energy release in the lower corona could be a necessary condition for noise storms to start. No spatially resolved hard X-ray observations were however available in the case of the latter analysis, allowing to check that the flare-like emission and the noise storm were originating from the same active region. We present here an event for which both radio and hard X-ray (HXR) spatially resolved observations are available.

Internal and External reconnection in a Series of Homologous Solar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Using data from the Extreme Ultraviolet Telescope (EIT) on SOHO and the Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) on Yohkoh, we examine a series of morphologically homologous solar flares occurring in NOAA AR 8210 over May 1-2, 1998. An emerging flux region (EFR) impacted against a sunspot to the west and next to a coronal hole to the east is the source of the repeated flaring. An SXT sigmoid parallels the EFR's neutral line at the site of the initial flaring in soft X-rays. In EIT, each flaring episode begins with the formation of a crinkle pattern external to the EFR. These EIT crinkles move out from, and then in toward, the EFR with velocities approximately 20 km/s. A shrinking and expansion of the width of the coronal hole coincides with the crinkle activity, and generation and evolution of a postflare loop system begins near the. time of crinkle formation. Using a schematic based on magnetograms of the region, we suggest that these observations are consistent with the standard reconnection-based model for solar eruptions, but modified by the presence of the additional magnetic fields of the sunspot and coronal hole. In the schematic, internal reconnection begins inside of the EFR-associated fields, unleashing a flare, postflare loops, and a CME. External reconnection, first occurring between the escaping CME and the coronal hole field, and second occurring between fields formed as a result of the first external reconnection, results in the EIT crinkles and changes in the coronal hole boundary. By the end of the second external reconnection, the initial setup is reinstated; thus the sequence can repeat, resulting in morphologically homologous eruptions. Our inferred magnetic topology is similar to that suggested in the "breakout model" of eruptions [Antiochos, 1998], although we cannot determine if our eruptions are released primarily by the breakout mechanism (external reconnection) or, alternatively, are released primarily by the internal reconnection.

Internal and External Reconnection Series Homologous Solar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L.

2001-01-01

Using data from the extreme ultraviolet imaging telescope (EIT) on SOHO and the soft X-ray telescope (SXT) on Yohkoh, we examine a series of morphologically homologous solar flares occurring in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) active region 8210 over May 1-2, 1998. An emerging flux region (EFR) impacted against a sunspot to the west and next to a coronal hole to the east is the source of the repeated flaring. An SXT sigmoid parallels the EFR's neutral line at the site of the initial flaring in soft X rays. In EIT each flaring episode begins with the formation of a crinkle pattern external to the EFR. These EIT crinkles move out from, and then in toward, the EFR with velocities approx. 20 km/ s. A shrinking and expansion of the width of the coronal hole coincides with the crinkle activity, and generation and evolution of a postflare loop system begins near the time of crinkle formation. Using a schematic based on magnetograms of the region, we suggest that these observations are consistent with the standard reconnection-based model for solar eruptions but are modified by the presence of the additional magnetic fields of the sunspot and coronal hole. In the schematic, internal reconnection begins inside of the EFR-associated fields, unleashing a flare, postflare loops, and a coronal mass ejection (CME). External reconnection, first occurring between the escaping CME and the coronal hole field and second occurring between fields formed as a result of the first external reconnection, results in the EIT crinkles and changes in the coronal hole boundary. By the end of the second external reconnection, the initial setup is reinstated; thus the sequence can repeat, resulting in morphologically homologous eruptions. Our inferred magnetic topology is similar to that suggested in the "breakout model" of eruptions although we cannot determine if our eruptions are released primarily by the breakout mechanism (external reconnection) or, alternatively, primarily by the internal reconnection.

SIMULTANEOUS IRIS AND HINODE/EIS OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING OF THE 2014 OCTOBER 27 X2.0 CLASS FLARE

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

Polito, V.; Reep, J. W.; Del Zanna, G.

We present a study of the X2-class flare which occurred on 2014 October 27 and was observed with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on board the Hinode satellite. Thanks to the high cadence and spatial resolution of the IRIS and EIS instruments, we are able to compare simultaneous observations of the Fe xxi 1354.08 Å and Fe xxiii 263.77 Å high-temperature emission (≳10 MK) in the flare ribbon during the chromospheric evaporation phase. We find that IRIS observes completely blueshifted Fe xxi line profiles, up to 200 km s{sup −1} during the rise phase of the flare, indicatingmore » that the site of the plasma upflows is resolved by IRIS. In contrast, the Fe xxiii line is often asymmetric, which we interpret as being due to the lower spatial resolution of EIS. Temperature estimates from SDO/AIA and Hinode/XRT show that hot emission (log(T[K]) > 7.2) is first concentrated at the footpoints before filling the loops. Density-sensitive lines from IRIS and EIS give estimates of electron number density of ≳10{sup 12} cm{sup −3} in the transition region lines and 10{sup 10} cm{sup −3} in the coronal lines during the impulsive phase. In order to compare the observational results against theoretical predictions, we have run a simulation of a flare loop undergoing heating using the HYDRAD 1D hydro code. We find that the simulated plasma parameters are close to the observed values that are obtained with IRIS, Hinode, and AIA. These results support an electron beam heating model rather than a purely thermal conduction model as the driving mechanism for this flare.« less

IMPULSIVE PHASE CORONAL HARD X-RAY SOURCES IN AN X3.9 CLASS SOLAR FLARE

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

Chen Qingrong; Petrosian, Vahe, E-mail: qrchen@gmail.com, E-mail: vahep@stanford.edu

2012-03-20

We present the analysis of a pair of unusually energetic coronal hard X-ray (HXR) sources detected by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager during the impulsive phase of an X3.9 class solar flare on 2003 November 3, which simultaneously shows two intense footpoint (FP) sources. A distinct loop top (LT) coronal source is detected up to {approx}150 keV and a second (upper) coronal source up to {approx}80 keV. These photon energies, which were not fully investigated in earlier analysis of this flare, are much higher than commonly observed in coronal sources and pose grave modeling challenges. The LTmore » source in general appears higher in altitude with increasing energy and exhibits a more limited motion compared to the expansion of the thermal loop. The high-energy LT source shows an impulsive time profile and its nonthermal power-law spectrum exhibits soft-hard-soft evolution during the impulsive phase, similar to the FP sources. The upper coronal source exhibits an opposite spatial gradient and a similar spectral slope compared to the LT source. These properties are consistent with the model of stochastic acceleration of electrons by plasma waves or turbulence. However, the LT and FP spectral index difference (varying from {approx}0 to 1) is much smaller than commonly measured and than that expected from a simple stochastic acceleration model. Additional confinement or trapping mechanisms of high-energy electrons in the corona are required. Comprehensive modeling including both kinetic effects and the macroscopic flare structure may shed light on this behavior. These results highlight the importance of imaging spectroscopic observations of the LT and FP sources up to high energies in understanding electron acceleration in solar flares. Finally, we show that the electrons producing the upper coronal HXR source may very likely be responsible for the type III radio bursts at the decimetric/metric wavelength observed during the impulsive phase of this flare.« less

Quasi-periodic Counter-propagating Fast Magnetosonic Wave Trains from Neighboring Flares: SDO/AIA Observations and 3D MHD Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ofman, Leon; Liu, Wei

2018-06-01

Since their discovery by the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) in the extreme ultraviolet, rapid (phase speeds of ∼1000 km s‑1), quasi-periodic, fast-mode propagating (QFP) wave trains have been observed accompanying many solar flares. They typically propagate in funnel-like structures associated with the expanding magnetic field topology of the active regions (ARs). The waves provide information on the associated flare pulsations and the magnetic structure through coronal seismology (CS). The reported waves usually originate from a single localized source associated with the flare. Here we report the first detection of counter-propagating QFPs associated with two neighboring flares on 2013 May 22, apparently connected by large-scale, trans-equatorial coronal loops. We present the first results of a 3D MHD model of counter-propagating QFPs in an idealized bipolar AR. We investigate the excitation, propagation, nonlinearity, and interaction of the counter-propagating waves for a range of key model parameters, such as the properties of the sources and the background magnetic structure. In addition to QFPs, we also find evidence of trapped fast- (kink) and slow-mode waves associated with the event. We apply CS to determine the magnetic field strength in an oscillating loop during the event. Our model results are in qualitative agreement with the AIA-observed counter-propagating waves and used to identify the various MHD wave modes associated with the observed event, providing insights into their linear and nonlinear interactions. Our observations provide the first direct evidence of counter-propagating fast magnetosonic waves that can potentially lead to turbulent cascade and carry significant energy flux for coronal heating in low-corona magnetic structures.

Understanding the Impact of Return-Current Losses on the X-Ray Emission from Solar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holman, Gordon D.

2012-01-01

I obtain and examine the implications of one-dimensional analytic solutions for return-current losses on an initially power-law distribution of energetic electrons with a sharp low-energy cutoff in flare plasma with classical (collisional) resistivity. These solutions show, for example, that return-current losses are not sensitive to plasma density, but are sensitive to plasma temperature and the low energy cutoff of the injected nonthermal electron distribution. A characteristic distance from the electron injection site, x(sub rc), is derived. At distances less than x(sub rc) the electron flux density is not reduced by return-current losses, but plasma heating can be substantial in this region, in the upper, coronal part of the flare loop. Before the electrons reach the collisional thick-target region of the flare loop, an injected power-law electron distribution with a low-energy cutoff maintains that structure, but with a flat energy distribution below the cutoff energy, which is now determined by the total potential drop experienced by the electrons. Modifications due to the presence of collisional losses are discussed. I compare these results with earlier analytical results and with more recent numerical simulations. Emslie's 1980 conjecture that there is a maximum integrated X-ray source brightness on the order of 10(exp -15) photons per square centimeter per second per square centimeter is examined. I find that this is not actually a maximum brightness and its value is parameter dependent, but it is nevertheless a valuable benchmark for identifying return-current losses in hard X-ray spectra. I discuss an observational approach to identifying return-current losses in flare data, including identification of a return-current "bump" in X-ray light curves at low photon energies.

The quantitative properties of three soft X-ray flare kernels observed with the AS&E X-ray telescope on Skylab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahler, S. W.; Petrasso, R. D.; Kane, S. R.

1976-01-01

The physical parameters for the kernels of three solar X-ray flare events have been deduced using photographic data from the S-054 X-ray telescope on Skylab as the primary data source and 1-8 and 8-20 A fluxes from Solrad 9 as the secondary data source. The kernels had diameters of about 5-7 seconds of arc and in two cases electron densities at least as high as 0.3 trillion per cu cm. The lifetimes of the kernels were 5-10 min. The presence of thermal conduction during the decay phases is used to argue: (1) that kernels are entire, not small portions of, coronal loop structures, and (2) that flare heating must continue during the decay phase. We suggest a simple geometric model to explain the role of kernels in flares in which kernels are identified with emerging flux regions.

A totally diverting loop colostomy.

PubMed Central

Merrett, N. D.; Gartell, P. C.

1993-01-01

A technique is described where the distal limb of a loop colostomy is tied with nylon or polydioxanone. This ensures total faecal diversion and dispenses with the supporting rod, enabling early application of stoma appliances. The technique does not interfere with the traditional transverse closure of a loop colostomy. PMID:8379632

Observations from Hinode and SDO of a Twisting and Writhing Start to a Solar-filament-eruption Cascade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L.; Hara, Hirohisa

2013-01-01

Active region eruption of 1 June 2011. Ejective eruption. GOES class C4.1 flare. SDO/AIA, various filters (94, 131, 171, 193, 211, 304, 335 Ang.) High time cadence (24 s) and high spatial resolution (0 .6 pixels). SDO/HMI line-of-sight magnetograms. Hinode observed the onset, and the later decay phase. There are two filament eruptions (filament 1 and filament 2). Filament 1 has slow rise with steps, as in several previous cases. GOES "episodes" play role of "microflares" in other events; that is, filament jumps <=> intensity peaks. Episode 1 brightening: Accompanied by filament 1 s initial motions. (Rest of talk.) Filament 1 becomes unstable, and.. Episode 2 brightening: Flare ribbons following filament 1 s fast liftoff. This destabilizes neighboring filament 2, and... Episode 3 brightening: Flare ribbons of whole system following filament 2 s eruption.Something leads to reconnection; not totally clear what. Reconnection -> twisted flux rope in approx.20 min; episode 1 microflare (flare ribbons; TC) and filament jump. Twist -> writhe, via kink instability; filament-trajectory plateau, approx. 20 min. Writhe -> jump and eruption of filament 1, via instability; episode 2 microflare (flare ribbons; TC). (E.g., Williams et al.) First eruption -> second filament eruption (episode 3 flare ribbons; TC). (E.g., Sterling, Moore; Liu et al.; Torok et al.; Schrijver & Title.). Estimate amount of free energy in newly-twisted field (cf. Moore 1988): where we have taken L and r = 50, 3 arcsec. Energy of the total system is likely 1030 ergs or more. So "no" is answer to question. Additional energy comes from remainder of sheared large loop, shear (free energy) of second filament, etc. (Normally assumed situation.) Some history of twist-induced instability in filament eruptions: e.g., Sakurai, Torok & Kliem, Fan & Gibson, Gilbert et al., van Driel-Gesztelyi et al. Criterion : Kink instability for line-tied tube (Hood & Priest): 2.5pi; for Titov & Demoulin loop (Torok et al): approx.3.5pi We observe here: approx.1.5 turns (3.0pi) over 50. => consistent with kink instability acting. (Cf. Srivastava et al. (2010): Small flare seen in TRACE and Hinode: approx.6.0pi)

Relationship between Hard X-Ray Footpoint Sources and Photospheric Electric Currents in Solar Flares: a Statistical Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimovets, I. V.; Sharykin, I. N.; Wang, R.; Liu, Y. D.; Kosovichev, A. G.

2017-12-01

It is believed that solar flares are a result of release of free magnetic energy contained in electric currents (ECs) flowing in active regions (ARs). However, there are still debates whether the primary energy release and acceleration of electrons take place in coronal current sheets or in chromospheric footpoints of current-carrying magnetic flux tubes (loops). We present results of an observational statistical study of spatial relationship between hard X-ray (HXR; EHXR≥50keV) footpoint sources detected by RHESSI and vertical photospheric ECs calculated using vector magnetograms obtained from the SDO/HMI data. We found that for a sample of 47 flares (from C3.0 to X3.1 class) observed on the solar disk by both instruments in 2010-2016, at least one HXR source was in a region of strong (within 20% of the maximum EC density in the corresponding ARs) vertical ECs having the form of a ribbon (79%) or an island (21%). The total vertical ECs in such HXR sources are in the range of 1010-1013 A. The EC density is in the range of 0.01-1.0 A/m2. We found no correlation between intensity of the HXR sources and the EC density. By comparing pre-flare and post-flare EC maps we did not find evidences of significant dissipation of vertical ECs in the regions corresponding to the HXR sources. In some cases, we found amplification of ECs during flares. We discuss effects of sensitivity and angular resolution of RHESSI and SDO/HMI. In general, the results indicate that there is a link between the flare HXR footpoint sources and enhanced vertical ECs in the photosphere. However, the results do not support a concept of electron acceleration by the electric field excited in footpoints of current-carrying loops due to some (e.g. Rayleigh-Taylor) instabilities (Zaitsev et al., 2016), since strong correlation between the HXR intensity and the EC density is expected in such concept.

FLARE FOOTPOINT REGIONS AND A SURGE OBSERVED BY HINODE/EIS, RHESSI, AND SDO/AIA

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

Doschek, G. A.; Warren, H. P.; Dennis, B. R.

2015-11-01

The Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on the Hinode spacecraft observed flare footpoint regions coincident with a surge for an M3.7 flare observed on 2011 September 25 at N12 E33 in active region 11302. The flare was observed in spectral lines of O vi, Fe x, Fe xii, Fe xiv, Fe xv, Fe xvi, Fe xvii, Fe xxiii, and Fe xxiv. The EIS observations were made coincident with hard X-ray bursts observed by RHESSI. Overlays of the RHESSI images on the EIS raster images at different wavelengths show a spatial coincidence of features in the RHESSI images with the EIS upflowmore » and downflow regions, as well as loop-top or near-loop-top regions. A complex array of phenomena were observed, including multiple evaporation regions and the surge, which was also observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly telescopes. The slit of the EIS spectrometer covered several flare footpoint regions from which evaporative upflows in Fe xxiii and Fe xxiv lines were observed with Doppler speeds greater than 500 km s{sup −1}. For ions such as Fe xv both evaporative outflows (∼200 km s{sup −1}) and downflows (∼30–50 km s{sup −1}) were observed. Nonthermal motions from 120 to 300 km s{sup −1} were measured in flare lines. In the surge, Doppler speeds are found from about 0 to over 250 km s{sup −1} in lines from ions such as Fe xiv. The nonthermal motions could be due to multiple sources slightly Doppler-shifted from each other or turbulence in the evaporating plasma. We estimate the energetics of the hard X-ray burst and obtain a total flare energy in accelerated electrons of ≥7 × 10{sup 28} erg. This is a lower limit because only an upper limit can be determined for the low-energy cutoff to the electron spectrum. We find that detailed modeling of this event would require a multithreaded model owing to its complexity.« less

Spectroscopic study of a dark lane and a cool loop in a solar limb active region by Hinode/EIS

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

Lee, Kyoung-Sun; Imada, S.; Moon, Y.-J.

2014-01-10

We investigated a cool loop and a dark lane over a limb active region on 2007 March 14 using the Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer. The cool loop is clearly seen in the spectral lines formed at the transition region temperature. The dark lane is characterized by an elongated faint structure in the coronal spectral lines and is rooted on a bright point. We examined their electron densities, Doppler velocities, and nonthermal velocities as a function of distance from the limb. We derived electron densities using the density sensitive line pairs of Mg VII, Si X, Fe XII, Fe XIII, and Femore » XIV spectra. We also compared the observed density scale heights with the calculated scale heights from each peak formation temperatures of the spectral lines under the hydrostatic equilibrium. We noted that the observed density scale heights of the cool loop are consistent with the calculated heights, with the exception of one observed cooler temperature; we also found that the observed scale heights of the dark lane are much lower than their calculated scale heights. The nonthermal velocity in the cool loop slightly decreases along the loop, while nonthermal velocity in the dark lane sharply falls off with height. Such a decrease in the nonthermal velocity may be explained by wave damping near the solar surface or by turbulence due to magnetic reconnection near the bright point.« less

Solar Scientist Confirm Existence of Flux Ropes on the Sun

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Caption: This is an image of magnetic loops on the sun, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on July 18, 2012. It has been processed to highlight the edges of each loop to make the structure more clear. A series of loops such as this is known as a flux rope, and these lie at the heart of eruptions on the sun known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs.) This is the first time scientists were able to discern the timing of a flux rope's formation. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO ---- On July 18, 2012, a fairly small explosion of light burst off the lower right limb of the sun. Such flares often come with an associated eruption of solar material, known as a coronal mass ejection or CME – but this one did not. Something interesting did happen, however. Magnetic field lines in this area of the sun's atmosphere, the corona, began to twist and kink, generating the hottest solar material – a charged gas called plasma – to trace out the newly-formed slinky shape. The plasma glowed brightly in extreme ultraviolet images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and scientists were able to watch for the first time the very formation of something they had long theorized was at the heart of many eruptive events on the sun: a flux rope. Eight hours later, on July 19, the same region flared again. This time the flux rope's connection to the sun was severed, and the magnetic fields escaped into space, dragging billions of tons of solar material along for the ride -- a classic CME. "Seeing this structure was amazing," says Angelos Vourlidas, a solar scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. "It looks exactly like the cartoon sketches theorists have been drawing of flux ropes since the 1970s. It was a series of figure eights lined up to look like a giant slinky on the sun." To read more about this new discovery go to: 1.usa.gov/14UHsTt NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

HOW DID A MAJOR CONFINED FLARE OCCUR IN SUPER SOLAR ACTIVE REGION 12192?

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

Jiang, Chaowei; Feng, Xueshang; Wu, S. T.

We study the physical mechanism of a major X-class solar flare that occurred in the super NOAA active region (AR) 12192 using data-driven numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modeling complemented with observations. With the evolving magnetic fields observed at the solar surface as bottom boundary input, we drive an MHD system to evolve self-consistently in correspondence with the realistic coronal evolution. During a two-day time interval, the modeled coronal field has been slowly stressed by the photospheric field evolution, which gradually created a large-scale coronal current sheet, i.e., a narrow layer with intense current, in the core of the AR. The currentmore » layer was successively enhanced until it became so thin that a tether-cutting reconnection between the sheared magnetic arcades was set in, which led to a flare. The modeled reconnecting field lines and their footpoints match well the observed hot flaring loops and the flare ribbons, respectively, suggesting that the model has successfully “reproduced” the macroscopic magnetic process of the flare. In particular, with simulation, we explained why this event is a confined eruption—the consequence of the reconnection is a shared arcade instead of a newly formed flux rope. We also found a much weaker magnetic implosion effect compared to many other X-class flares.« less

Infrared countermeasure flare performance measurements using a gas gun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnamoorthy, Lakshmanan; Stringer, Michael; Taylor, Mark R. G.; Kollias, S.

2004-12-01

A unique and cost effective measurement facility called the Reusable Aerodynamic Flare Ejection Capability (RAFEC) has been developed at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), Australia. The RAFEC system involves the use of a reusable, carrier projectile that is launched from a 10 inch, nitrogen driven gas gun. The IRCM flare is loaded in the carrier projectile and the gas gun launches the carrier projectile with a known velocity of between approximately 350 to 650 knots. At a pre-determined time after firing and in the field of view of the measuring instrumentation, the flare is ejected from the carrier projectile for performance measurements to be undertaken. The temporal, spatial and spectral quantities were accomplished with the instruments fielded around the gas gun line of fire and the trajectory is derived from the spatial measurements. The data will be used for hardware in the loop simulations and modelling. Further improvements such as; (1) multiple (maximum of three) flare ejection, (2) 1"x1"x8" format flares made to the carrier projectile, and (3) design and manufacture of the puston, a new item of firing hardware to obtain lower muzzle velocities have enhanced the RAFEC capability. Thus the RAFEC system provides a more realistic IRCM performance measurement capability as it incorporates the deceleration effects experienced by the flare on deployment.

Quantitative Examination of a Large Sample of Supra-Arcade Downflows in Eruptive Solar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savage, Sabrina L.; McKenzie, David E.

2011-01-01

Sunward-flowing voids above post-coronal mass ejection flare arcades were first discovered using the soft X-ray telescope aboard Yohkoh and have since been observed with TRACE (extreme ultraviolet (EUV)), SOHO/LASCO (white light), SOHO/SUMER (EUV spectra), and Hinode/XRT (soft X-rays). Supra-arcade downflow (SAD) observations suggest that they are the cross-sections of thin flux tubes retracting from a reconnection site high in the corona. Supra-arcade downflowing loops (SADLs) have also been observed under similar circumstances and are theorized to be SADs viewed from a perpendicular angle. Although previous studies have focused on dark flows because they are easier to detect and complementary spectral data analysis reveals their magnetic nature, the signal intensity of the flows actually ranges from dark to bright. This implies that newly reconnected coronal loops can contain a range of hot plasma density. Previous studies have presented detailed SAD observations for a small number of flares. In this paper, we present a substantial SADs and SADLs flare catalog. We have applied semiautomatic detection software to several of these events to detect and track individual downflows thereby providing statistically significant samples of parameters such as velocity, acceleration, area, magnetic flux, shrinkage energy, and reconnection rate. We discuss these measurements (particularly the unexpected result of the speeds being an order of magnitude slower than the assumed Alfven speed), how they were obtained, and potential impact on reconnection models.

A FAST PROPAGATING EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET WAVE ASSOCIATED WITH A MINI-FILAMENT ERUPTION

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

Zheng Ruisheng; Jiang Yunchun; Yang Jiayan

The fast extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves (>1000 km s{sup -1}) in the solar corona were very rare in the past. Taking advantage of the high temporal and spatial resolution of the Solar Dynamics Observatory observations, we present a fast EUV wave associated with a mini-filament eruption, a C1.0 flare, and a coronal mass ejection (CME) on 2011 September 30. The event took place at the periphery between two active regions (ARs). The mini-filament rapidly erupted as a blowout jet associated with a flare and a CME. The CME front was likely developed from the large-scale overlying loops. The wave onset wasmore » nearly simultaneous with the start of the jet and the flare. The wave departed far from the flare center and showed a close location relative to the rapid jet. The wave had an initial speed of about 1100 km s{sup -1} and a slight deceleration in the last phase, and the velocity decreased to about 500 km s{sup -1}. The wave propagated in a narrow angle extent, likely to avoid the ARs on both sides. All the results provide evidence that the fast EUV wave was a fast-mode MHD wave. The wave resisted being driven by the CME, because it opened up the large-scale loops and its front likely formed later than the wave. The wave was most likely triggered by the jet, due to their close timing and location relations.« less

Coronal loops and active region structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webb, D. F.; Zirin, H.

1981-01-01

Synoptic H-alpha Ca K, magnetograph and Skylab soft X-ray and EUV data were compared for the purpose of identifying the basic coronal magnetic structure of loops in a 'typical' active region and studying its evolution. A complex of activity in July 1973, especially McMath 12417, was emphasized. The principal results are: (1) most of the brightest loops connected the bright f plage to either the sunspot penumbra or to p satellite spots; no non-flaring X-ray loops end in umbrae; (2) short, bright loops had one or both ends in regions of emergent flux, strong field or high field gradients; (3) stable, strongly sheared loop arcades formed over filaments; (4) EFRs were always associated with compact X-ray arcades; and (5) loops connecting to other active regions had their bases in outlying plage of weak field strength in McM 417 where H-alpha fibrils marked the direction of the loops

Reconstruction of a Large-scale Pre-flare Coronal Current Sheet Associated with a Homologous X-shaped Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Chaowei; Yan, Xiaoli; Feng, Xueshang; Duan, Aiying; Hu, Qiang; Zuo, Pingbing; Wang, Yi

2017-11-01

As a fundamental magnetic structure in the solar corona, electric current sheets (CSs) can form either prior to or during a solar flare, and they are essential for magnetic energy dissipation in the solar corona because they enable magnetic reconnection. However, the static reconstruction of a CS is rare, possibly due to limitations that are inherent in the available coronal field extrapolation codes. Here we present the reconstruction of a large-scale pre-flare CS in solar active region 11967 using an MHD-relaxation model constrained by the SDO/HMI vector magnetogram. The CS is associated with a set of peculiar homologous flares that exhibit unique X-shaped ribbons and loops occurring in a quadrupolar magnetic configuration.This is evidenced by an ’X’ shape, formed from the field lines traced from the CS to the photosphere. This nearly reproduces the shape of the observed flare ribbons, suggesting that the flare is a product of the dissipation of the CS via reconnection. The CS forms in a hyperbolic flux tube, which is an intersection of two quasi-separatrix layers. The recurrence of the X-shaped flares might be attributed to the repetitive formation and dissipation of the CS, as driven by the photospheric footpoint motions. These results demonstrate the power of a data-constrained MHD model in reproducing a CS in the corona as well as providing insight into the magnetic mechanism of solar flares.

Ion Acceleration in Solar Flares Determined by Solar Neutron Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, K.; Solar Neutron Observation Group

2013-05-01

Large amounts of particles can be accelerated to relativistic energy in association with solar flares and/or accompanying phenomena (e.g., CME-driven shocks), and they sometimes reach very near the Earth and penetrate the Earth's atmosphere. These particles are observed by ground-based detectors (e.g., neutron monitors) as Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs). Some of the GLEs originate from high energy solar neutrons which are produced in association with solar flares. These neutrons are also observed by ground-based neutron monitors and solar neutron telescopes. Recently, some of the solar neutron detectors have also been operating in space. By observing these solar neutrons, we can obtain information about ion acceleration in solar flares. Such neutrons were observed in association with some X-class flares in solar cycle 23, and sometimes they were observed by two different types of detectors. For example, on 2005 September 7, large solar neutron signals were observed by the neutron monitor at Mt. Chacaltaya in Bolivia and Mexico City, and by the solar neutron telescopes at Chacaltaya and Mt. Sierra Negra in Mexico in association with an X17.0 flare. The neutron signal continued for more than 20 minutes with high statistical significance. Intense gamma-ray emission was also registered by INTEGRAL, and by RHESSI during the decay phase. We analyzed these data using the solar-flare magnetic-loop transport and interaction model of Hua et al. (2002), and found that the model could successfully fit the data with intermediate values of loop magnetic convergence and pitch angle scattering parameters. These results indicate that solar neutrons were produced at the same time as the gamma-ray line emission and that ions were continuously accelerated at the emission site. In this paper, we introduce some of the solar neutron observations in solar cycle 23, and discuss the tendencies of the physical parameters of solar neutron GLEs, and the energy spectrum and population of the accelerated particles produced in these solar flares, etc. We also report recent solar neutron observations by the Space Environment Data Acquisition equipment-Attached Payload (SEDA-AP) which has been installed on the international space station, and introduce the plan for the new solar neutron detector of the SciBar for the Cosmic Ray Telescope (SciCRT) at Mt. Sierra Negra in Mexico.

Flare model sensitivity of the Balmer spectrum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falchi, A.; Falciani, R.; Smaldone, L. A.; Tozzi, G. P.

1989-01-01

Careful studies of various chromospheric spectral signatures are very important in order to explore their possible sensitivity to the modifications of the thermodynamic quantities produced by the flare occurrence. Pioneer work of Canfield and co-workers have shown how the H alpha behavior is able to indicate different changes in the atmospheric parameters structure associated to the flare event. It was decided to study the behavior of the highest Balmer lines and of the Balmer continuum in different solar flare model atmospheres. These spectral features, originating in the deep photosphere in a quiet area, may have a sensitivity different from H alpha to the modification of a flare atmosphere. The details of the method used to compute the Stark profile of the higher Balmer line (n is greater than or equal to 6) and their merging were extensively given elsewhere (Donati-Falchi et al., 1985; Falchi et al., 1989). The models used were developed by Ricchiazzi in his thesis (1982) evaluating the chromospheric response to both the nonthermal electron flux, for energy greater than 20 kev, (F sub 20) and to the thermal conduction, (F sub c). The effect of the coronal pressure values (P sub O) at the apex of the flare loop is also included.

Modelling Quasi-Periodic Pulsations in Solar and Stellar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaughlin, J. A.; Nakariakov, V. M.; Dominique, M.; Jelínek, P.; Takasao, S.

2018-02-01

Solar flare emission is detected in all EM bands and variations in flux density of solar energetic particles. Often the EM radiation generated in solar and stellar flares shows a pronounced oscillatory pattern, with characteristic periods ranging from a fraction of a second to several minutes. These oscillations are referred to as quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs), to emphasise that they often contain apparent amplitude and period modulation. We review the current understanding of quasi-periodic pulsations in solar and stellar flares. In particular, we focus on the possible physical mechanisms, with an emphasis on the underlying physics that generates the resultant range of periodicities. These physical mechanisms include MHD oscillations, self-oscillatory mechanisms, oscillatory reconnection/reconnection reversal, wave-driven reconnection, two loop coalescence, MHD flow over-stability, the equivalent LCR-contour mechanism, and thermal-dynamical cycles. We also provide a histogram of all QPP events published in the literature at this time. The occurrence of QPPs puts additional constraints on the interpretation and understanding of the fundamental processes operating in flares, e.g. magnetic energy liberation and particle acceleration. Therefore, a full understanding of QPPs is essential in order to work towards an integrated model of solar and stellar flares.

Solar Radio Burst Associated with the Falling Bright EUV Blob

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlický, Marian; Zemanová, Alena; Dudík, Jaroslav; Radziszewski, Krzysztof

2018-02-01

At the beginning of the 2015 November 4 flare, in the 1300–2000 MHz frequency range, we observed a very rare slow positively drifting burst. We searched for associated phenomena in simultaneous EUV observations made by IRIS, SDO/AIA, and Hinode/XRT, as well as in H α observations. We found that this radio burst was accompanied with the bright blob, visible at transition region, coronal, and flare temperatures, falling down to the chromosphere along the dark loop with a velocity of about 280 km s‑1. The dark loop was visible in H α but disappeared afterward. Furthermore, we found that the falling blob interacted with the chromosphere as expressed by a sudden change of the H α spectra at the location of this interaction. Considering different possibilities, we propose that the observed slow positively drifting burst is generated by the thermal conduction front formed in front of the falling hot EUV blob.

The flare kernel in the impulsive phase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejager, C.

1986-01-01

The impulsive phase of a flare is characterized by impulsive bursts of X-ray and microwave radiation, related to impulsive footpoint heating up to 50 or 60 MK, by upward gas velocities (150 to 400 km/sec) and by a gradual increase of the flare's thermal energy content. These phenomena, as well as non-thermal effects, are all related to the impulsive energy injection into the flare. The available observations are also quantitatively consistent with a model in which energy is injected into the flare by beams of energetic electrons, causing ablation of chromospheric gas, followed by convective rise of gas. Thus, a hole is burned into the chromosphere; at the end of impulsive phase of an average flare the lower part of that hole is situated about 1800 km above the photosphere. H alpha and other optical and UV line emission is radiated by a thin layer (approx. 20 km) at the bottom of the flare kernel. The upward rising and outward streaming gas cools down by conduction in about 45 s. The non-thermal effects in the initial phase are due to curtailing of the energy distribution function by escape of energetic electrons. The single flux tube model of a flare does not fit with these observations; instead we propose the spaghetti-bundle model. Microwave and gamma-ray observations suggest the occurrence of dense flare knots of approx. 800 km diameter, and of high temperature. Future observations should concentrate on locating the microwave/gamma-ray sources, and on determining the kernel's fine structure and the related multi-loop structure of the flaring area.

[Acute pancreatitis and afferent loop syndrome. Case report].

PubMed

Barajas-Fregoso, Elpidio Manuel; Romero-Hernández, Teodoro; Macías-Amezcua, Michel Dassaejv

2013-01-01

The afferent syndrome loop is a mechanic obstruction of the afferent limb before a Billroth II or Roux-Y reconstruction, secondary in most of case to distal or subtotal gastrectomy. Clinical case: Male 76 years old, with antecedent of cholecystectomy, gastric adenocarcinoma six years ago, with subtotal gastrectomy and Roux-Y reconstruction. Beginning a several abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, abdominal distension, without peritoneal irritation sings. Amylase 1246 U/L, lipase 3381 U/L. Computed Tomography with thickness wall and dilatation of afferent loop, pancreas with diffuse enlargement diagnostic of acute pancreatitis secondary an afferent loop syndrome. The afferent loop syndrome is presented in 0.3%-1% in all cases with Billroth II reconstruction, with a mortality of up to 57%, the obstruction lead accumulation of bile, pancreatic and intestinal secretions, increasing the pressure and resulting in afferent limb, bile conduct and Wirsung conduct dilatation, triggering an inflammatory response that culminates in pancreatic inflammation. The severity of the presentation is related to the degree and duration of the blockage.

Intensity of emission lines of the quiescent solar corona: comparison between calculated and observed values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krissinel, Boris

2018-03-01

The paper reports the results of calculations of the center-to-limb intensity of optically thin line emission in EUV and FUV wavelength ranges. The calculations employ a multicomponent model for the quiescent solar corona. The model includes a collection of loops of various sizes, spicules, and free (inter-loop) matter. Theoretical intensity values are found from probabilities of encountering parts of loops in the line of sight with respect to the probability of absence of other coronal components. The model uses 12 loops with sizes from 3200 to 210000 km with different values of rarefaction index and pressure at the loop base and apex. The temperature at loop apices is 1 400 000 K. The calculations utilize the CHIANTI database. The comparison between theoretical and observed emission intensity values for coronal and transition region lines obtained by the SUMER, CDS, and EIS telescopes shows quite satisfactory agreement between them, particularly for the solar disk center. For the data acquired above the limb, the enhanced discrepancies after the analysis refer to errors in EIS measurements.

Flux rope breaking and formation of a rotating blowout jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Navin Chandra; Nishizuka, Naoto; Filippov, Boris; Magara, Tetsuya; Tlatov, Andrey G.

2018-05-01

We analysed a small flux rope eruption converted into a helical blowout jet in a fan-spine configuration using multiwavelength observations taken by Solar Dynamics Observatory, which occurred near the limb on 2016 January 9. In our study, first, we estimated the fan-spine magnetic configuration with the potential-field calculation and found a sinistral small filament inside it. The filament along with the flux rope erupted upwards and interacted with the surrounding fan-spine magnetic configuration, where the flux rope breaks in the middle section. We observed compact brightening, flare ribbons, and post-flare loops underneath the erupting filament. The northern section of the flux rope reconnected with the surrounding positive polarity, while the southern section straightened. Next, we observed the untwisting motion of the southern leg, which was transformed into a rotating helical blowout jet. The sign of the helicity of the mini-filament matches the one of the rotating jets. This is consistent with recent jet models presented by Adams et al. and Sterling et al. We focused on the fine thread structure of the rotating jet and traced three blobs with the speed of 60-120 km s- 1, while the radial speed of the jet is ˜400 km s- 1. The untwisting motion of the jet accelerated plasma upwards along the collimated outer spine field lines, and it finally evolved into a narrow coronal mass ejection at the height of ˜9Rsun. On the basis of detailed analysis, we discussed clear evidence of the scenario of the breaking of the flux rope and the formation of the helical blowout jet in the fan-spine magnetic configuration.

Coronal "wave": Magnetic Footprint Of A Cme?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attrill, Gemma; Harra, L. K.; van Driel-Gesztelyi, L.; Demoulin, P.; Wuelser, J.

2007-05-01

We propose a new mechanism for the generation of "EUV coronal waves". This work is based on new analysis of data from SOHO/EIT, SOHO/MDI & STEREO/EUVI. Although first observed in 1997, the interpretation of coronal waves as flare-induced or CME-driven remains a debated topic. We investigate the properties of two "classical" SOHO/EIT coronal waves in detail. The source regions of the associated CMEs possess opposite helicities & the coronal waves display rotations in opposite senses. We observe deep dimmings near the flare site & also widespread diffuse dimming, accompanying the expansion of the EIT wave. We report a new property of these EIT waves, namely, that they display dual brightenings: persistent ones at the outermost edge of the core dimming regions & simultaneously diffuse brightenings constituting the leading edge of the coronal wave, surrounding the expanding diffuse dimmings. We show that such behaviour is consistent with a diffuse EIT wave being the magnetic footprint of a CME. We propose a new mechanism where driven magnetic reconnections between the skirt of the expanding CME & quiet-Sun magnetic loops generate the observed bright diffuse front. The dual brightenings & widespread diffuse dimming are identified as innate characteristics of this process. In addition we present some of the first analysis of a STEREO/EUVI limb coronal wave. We show how the evolution of the diffuse bright front & dimmings can be understood in terms of the model described above. We show that an apparently stationary part of the bright front can be understood in terms of magnetic interchange reconnections between the expanding CME & the "open" magnetic field of a low-latitude coronal hole. We use both the SOHO/EIT & STEREO/EUVI events to demonstrate that through successive reconnections, this new model provides a natural mechanism via which CMEs can become large-scale in the lower corona.

SMALL-SCALE STRUCTURING OF ELLERMAN BOMBS AT THE SOLAR LIMB

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

Nelson, C. J.; Doyle, J. G.; Scullion, E. M.

2015-01-01

Ellerman bombs (EBs) have been widely studied in recent years due to their dynamic, explosive nature and apparent links to the underlying photospheric magnetic field implying that they may be formed by magnetic reconnection in the photosphere. Despite a plethora of researches discussing the morphologies of EBs, there has been a limited investigation of how these events appear at the limb, specifically, whether they manifest as vertical extensions away from the disk. In this article, we make use of high-resolution, high-cadence observations of an Active Region at the solar limb, collected by the CRisp Imaging SpectroPolarimeter (CRISP) instrument, to identifymore » EBs and infer their physical properties. The upper atmosphere is also probed using the Solar Dynamic Observatory's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA). We analyze 22 EB events evident within these data, finding that 20 appear to follow a parabolic path away from the solar surface at an average speed of 9 km s{sup –1}, extending away from their source by 580 km, before retreating back at a similar speed. These results show strong evidence of vertical motions associated with EBs, possibly explaining the dynamical ''flaring'' (changing in area and intensity) observed in on-disk events. Two in-depth case studies are also presented that highlight the unique dynamical nature of EBs within the lower solar atmosphere. The viewing angle of these observations allows for a direct linkage between these EBs and other small-scale events in the Hα line wings, including a potential flux emergence scenario. The findings presented here suggest that EBs could have a wider-reaching influence on the solar atmosphere than previously thought, as we reveal a direct linkage between EBs and an emerging small-scale loop, and other near-by small-scale explosive events. However, as previous research found, these extensions do not appear to impact upon the Hα line core, and are not observed by the SDO/AIA EUV filters.« less

Case study of a magnetic transient in NOAA 11429 observed by SDO/HMI during the M7.9 flare on 2012 march 13

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

Harker, Brian J.; Pevtsov, Alexei A., E-mail: bharker@nso.edu, E-mail: apevtsov@nso.edu

NOAA 11429 was the source of an M7.9 X-ray flare at the western solar limb (N18° W63°) on 2012 March 13 at 17:12 UT. Observations of the line-of-sight magnetic flux and the Stokes I and V profiles from which it is derived were carried out by the Solar Dynamics Observatory Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (SDO/HMI) with a 45 s cadence over the full disk, at a spatial sampling of 0.''5. During flare onset, a transient patch of negative flux can be observed in SDO/HMI magnetograms to rapidly appear within the positive polarity penumbra of NOAA 11429. We present here amore » detailed study of this magnetic transient and offer interpretations as to whether this highly debated phenomenon represents a 'real' change in the structure of the magnetic field at the site of the flare, or is instead a product of instrumental/algorithmic artifacts related to particular SDO/HMI data reduction techniques.« less

Rapid Evolution of the Solar Atmosphere During the Impulsive Phase of a Microflare Observed with Hinode's EIS: Hints of Chromospheric Magnetic Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brosius, J. W.

2013-12-01

We obtained rapid cadence (11.2 s) EUV stare spectra of a solar microflare with the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) aboard Hinode. The intensities of lines formed at temperatures too cool to be found in the corona brightened by factors around 16 early during this event, indicating that energy must be deposited in the chromosphere. The flare started earlier in its transition region emission than it did in its hottest emission, which rules out thermal conduction from a directly heated coronal source as the means of energy transport to the chromosphere. All of the lines showed an increase in nonthermal turbulent velocity by factors of about 3 during the flare. None of the lines exhibited systematic, significant upflows starting at flare onset. We derive the density evolution of the flare plasma at temperature around 2 MK from the intensity ratio of Fe XIV lines at 264.789 and 274.204 A. From both lines we removed the bright pre-flare quiescent emission, and from 274.204 we removed the blended emission of Si VII 274.180 based on the Si VII 274.180/275.361 intensity ratio, which varies only slightly with density. In this way the flare electron density is derived with emission from only the flare plasma. The density increased by an order of magnitude from its pre-flare quiescent average of 3.43+/-0.19 x 10^9 /cm^3 to its maximum impulsive phase value of 3.04+/-0.57 x 10^10 /cm^3 in 2 minutes. The fact that this rapid increase in density is not accompanied by systematic, large upward velocities indicates that the density increase is not due to the filling of loops with evaporated chromospheric material, but rather due to material being directly heated in the chromosphere, likely by magnetic reconnection. The density increase may be due to a progression of reconnection sites to greater depths in the chromosphere, where it has access to larger densities, or it may be due to compression of 2 MK plasma by the 10 MK plasma as it attempts to expand against the high density chromospheric plasma. The further absence of flows during the cooling phase indicates that flare plasma was not falling down (draining from heated, filled loops), but cooling locally in the chromosphere. This work was supported by NASA grant NNX10AC08G.

RE-INTERPRETATION OF SUPRA-ARCADE DOWNFLOWS IN SOLAR FLARES

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

Savage, Sabrina L.; McKenzie, David E.; Reeves, Katharine K.

Following the eruption of a filament from a flaring active region, sunward-flowing voids are often seen above developing post-eruption arcades. First discovered using the soft X-ray telescope aboard Yohkoh, these supra-arcade downflows (SADs) are now an expected observation of extreme ultra-violet and soft X-ray coronal imagers and spectrographs (e.g, TRACE, SOHO/SUMER, Hinode/XRT, SDO/AIA). Observations made prior to the operation of AIA suggested that these plasma voids (which are seen in contrast to bright, high-temperature plasma associated with current sheets) are the cross-sections of evacuated flux tubes retracting from reconnection sites high in the corona. The high temperature imaging afforded bymore » AIA's 131, 94, and 193 Angstrom-Sign channels coupled with the fast temporal cadence allows for unprecedented scrutiny of the voids. For a flare occurring on 2011 October 22, we provide evidence suggesting that SADs, instead of being the cross-sections of relatively large, evacuated flux tubes, are actually wakes (i.e., trailing regions of low density) created by the retraction of much thinner tubes. This re-interpretation is a significant shift in the fundamental understanding of SADs, as the features once thought to be identifiable as the shrinking loops themselves now appear to be 'side effects' of the passage of the loops through the supra-arcade plasma. In light of the fact that previous measurements have attributed to the shrinking loops characteristics that may instead belong to their wakes, we discuss the implications of this new interpretation on previous parameter estimations and on reconnection theory.« less

Effect of Transport Coefficients on Excitation of Flare-induced Standing Slow-mode Waves in Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tongjiang; Ofman, Leon; Sun, Xudong; Solanki, Sami K.; Davila, Joseph M.

2018-06-01

Standing slow-mode waves have been recently observed in flaring loops by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. By means of the coronal seismology technique, transport coefficients in hot (∼10 MK) plasma were determined by Wang et al., revealing that thermal conductivity is nearly suppressed and compressive viscosity is enhanced by more than an order of magnitude. In this study, we use 1D nonlinear MHD simulations to validate the predicted results from the linear theory and investigate the standing slow-mode wave excitation mechanism. We first explore the wave trigger based on the magnetic field extrapolation and flare emission features. Using a flow pulse driven at one footpoint, we simulate the wave excitation in two types of loop models: Model 1 with the classical transport coefficients and Model 2 with the seismology-determined transport coefficients. We find that Model 2 can form the standing wave pattern (within about one period) from initial propagating disturbances much faster than Model 1, in better agreement with the observations. Simulations of the harmonic waves and the Fourier decomposition analysis show that the scaling law between damping time (τ) and wave period (P) follows τ ∝ P 2 in Model 2, while τ ∝ P in Model 1. This indicates that the largely enhanced viscosity efficiently increases the dissipation of higher harmonic components, favoring the quick formation of the fundamental standing mode. Our study suggests that observational constraints on the transport coefficients are important in understanding both the wave excitation and damping mechanisms.

The Yohkoh mission for high-energy solar physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acton, L.; Tsuneta, S.; Ogawara, Y.; Bentley, R.; Bruner, M.; Canfield, R.; Culhane, L.; Doschek, G.; Hiei, E.; Hirayama, T.

1992-01-01

Data on solar flare mechanisms and the sun's corona will be generated by Japan's Yohkoh satellite's X-ray imaging sensors and X-ray and gamma-ray spectrometers. It is noted that the X-ray corona above active regions expands, in some cases almost continually, in contradiction of the widely accepted model of magnetohydrostatic equilibrium in such regions. Flaring X-ray bright points have been discovered to often involve ejecta into an adjacent, much larger and fainter magnetic loop, which brightens along its length at speeds up to 1000 km/sec.

The YOHKOH mission for high-energy solar physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acton, L.; Tsuneta, S.; Ogawara, Y.; Bentley, R.; Bruner, M.; Canfield, R.; Culhane, L.; Doschek, G.; Hiei, E.; Hirayama, T.

1992-10-01

Data on solar flare mechanisms and the sun's corona will be generated by Japan's Yohkoh satellite's X-ray imaging sensors and X-ray and gamma-ray spectrometers. It is noted that the X-ray corona above active regions expands, in some cases almost continually, in contradiction of the widely accepted model of magnetohydrostatic equilibrium in such regions. Flaring X-ray bright points have been discovered to often involve ejecta into an adjacent, much larger and fainter magnetic loop, which brightens along its length at speeds up to 1000 km/sec.

Physics of solar activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturrock, Peter A.

1993-01-01

The aim of the research activity was to increase our understanding of solar activity through data analysis, theoretical analysis, and computer modeling. Because the research subjects were diverse and many researchers were supported by this grant, a select few key areas of research are described in detail. Areas of research include: (1) energy storage and force-free magnetic field; (2) energy release and particle acceleration; (3) radiation by nonthermal electrons; (4) coronal loops; (5) flare classification; (6) longitude distributions of flares; (7) periodicities detected in the solar activity; (8) coronal heating and related problems; and (9) plasma processes.

Multiwavelength Diagnostics of the Precursor and Main Phases of an M1.8 Flare on 2011 April 22

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Awasthi, A. K.; Jain, R.; Gadhiya, P. D.; Aschwanden, M. J.; Uddin, W.; Srivastava, A. K.; Chandra, R.; Gopalswamy, N.; Nitta, N. V.; Yashiro, S.;

NOAA Satellites Provide a Keen View of the Martin Luther King Solar Storm of January 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkinson, D. C.; Allen, J. H.

2005-05-01

Solar active region 0720 rotated onto the east limb on January 10th and put on a pyrotechnic display uncharacteristic for this phase of the solar cycle before disappearing beyond the west limb on January 23rd. On January 15th this region released the first of five X-class solar flares. The last of those flares, January 20th, was associated with an extraordinary ion storm whose effect reached Earth's surface. This paper highlights the record of this event made by NOAA's GOES satellites via their Space Environment Monitor (SEM) subsystems that measures X-ray, energetic particles, and the magnetic field vector at the satellite. Displays of those data are supplemented by neutron monitor data to illustrate their relationship to the January 20th Ground Level Event. GOES-12 is also equipped with the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) that produces an image of the Sun in X-ray wavelengths once per minute. Movies created from those data perfectly illustrate the cause-and-effect relationship between intense solar activity and satellite disruptions. The flares on January 17th and 20th are closely followed by noise in the SXI telescope resulting from energetic ions penetrating SXI. Ions with sufficient velocity and atomic number can penetrate satellite components and deposit charge along their path. Sufficient charge deposition can introduce erroneous information into solid-state devices. A survey of satellites that experienced problems of this type during this event will also be presented.

River rating complexity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holmes, Robert R.

2016-01-01

Accuracy of streamflow data depends on the veracity of the rating model used to derive a continuous time series of discharge from the surrogate variables that can readily be collected autonomously at a streamgage. Ratings are typically represented as a simple monotonic increasing function (simple rating), meaning the discharge is a function of stage alone, however this is never truly the case unless the flow is completely uniform at all stages and in transitions from one stage to the next. For example, at some streamflow-monitoring sites the discharge on the rising limb of the hydrograph is discernably larger than the discharge at the same stage on the falling limb of the hydrograph. This is the so-called “loop rating curve” (loop rating). In many cases, these loops are quite small and variation between rising- and falling-limb discharge measurements made at the same stage are well within the accuracy of the measurements. However, certain hydraulic conditions can produce a loop that is large enough to preclude use of a monotonic rating. A detailed data campaign for the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri during a multi-peaked flood over a 56-day period in 2015 demonstrates the rating complexity at this location. The shifting-control method used to deal with complexity at this site matched all measurements within 8%.

The ratio of microwaves to X-rays in solar flares: The case for the thick target model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Edward T.; Petrosian, Vahe

1988-01-01

The expected ratio of synchrotron microwave radiation to bremsstrahlung X-rays for thick target, thin target, and multithermal solar flare models is calculated. The calculations take into account the variation of the microwave to X-ray ratio with X-ray spectral index. The theoretical results are compared with observed ratios of a sample of 51 solar flares with well known spectral index. From this it is concluded that the nonthermal thick target model with a loop length of and order of 10 to the 9th power cm and a magnetic field of 500 + or - 200 G provides the best fit to the data. The thin target and multithermal models require unreasonably large density or pressure and/or low magnetic field to match the data.

Diagnostics of solar flare plasma on the basis of microwave emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granat, A. D.; Stepanov, A. V.; Tsvetkov, L. I.

The diagnostic possibilities of the new four-wavelength (1.95-, 2.25-, 2.8-, and 3.5-cm) polarimeter of the 22-m radio telescope of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory is illustrated by two events, on November 2 and 12, 1988. The characteristics of the oscillation structure on November 2, 1988 are used to estimate the plasma density (about 7 x 10 exp -11/cu cm) and temperature (about 3 x 10 exp 7 K) of eruptive flare plasma as well as the mean magnetic field through the flare loop (about 400 Gs). The sequence of bursts of November 12, 1988 could have been caused by protuberance oscillations, which makes it possible to estimate the temperature of the active region (about 2.4 x 10 exp 6 K).

Thermal characteristics of multi-wavelength emission during a B8.3 flare occurred on July 04, 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awasthi, Arun Kumar; Sylwester, Barbara; Sylwester, Janusz; Jain, Rajmal

2015-08-01

We explore the temporal evolution of flare plasma parameters including temperature (T) - differential emission measure (DEM) relationship by analyzing high spectral and temporal cadence X-ray emission in 1.2-20 keV energy band, recorded by SphinX (Polish) and Solar X-ray Spectrometer (SOXS; Indian) instruments, during a B8.3 flare which occurred on July 04, 2009. SphinX records X-ray emission in 1.2-15 keV energy band with the temporal and spectral cadence as good as 6µs and 0.4 keV, respectively. On the other hand, SOXS provides X-ray observations in 4-25 keV energy band with the temporal and spectral resolution of 3s and 0.7 keV, respectively. In addition, we integrate co-temporal EUV line emission in 171, 194 and 284 angstrom obtained from STEREO mission in order to explore low-temperature response to the flare emission. In order to fit observed evolution of multi-wavelength emission during the flare, we incorporate multi-Gaussian and well-established Withbroe - Sylwester maximum likelihood DEM inversion algorithms. Thermal energetics are also estimated using geometrically corrected flaring loop structure obtained through EUV images of the active region from STEREO twin satellites. In addition, we also study the trigger and energy release scenario of this low-intensity class flare in terms of magnetic field as well as multi-wavelength emission.

EVOLUTION OF MAGNETIC FIELD AND ENERGY IN A MAJOR ERUPTIVE ACTIVE REGION BASED ON SDO/HMI OBSERVATION

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

Sun Xudong; Hoeksema, J. Todd; Liu, Yang

We report the evolution of the magnetic field and its energy in NOAA active region 11158 over five days based on a vector magnetogram series from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). Fast flux emergence and strong shearing motion led to a quadrupolar sunspot complex that produced several major eruptions, including the first X-class flare of Solar Cycle 24. Extrapolated nonlinear force-free coronal fields show substantial electric current and free energy increase during early flux emergence near a low-lying sigmoidal filament with a sheared kilogauss field in the filament channel. The computed magneticmore » free energy reaches a maximum of {approx}2.6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 32} erg, about 50% of which is stored below 6 Mm. It decreases by {approx}0.3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 32} erg within 1 hr of the X-class flare, which is likely an underestimation of the actual energy loss. During the flare, the photospheric field changed rapidly: the horizontal field was enhanced by 28% in the core region, becoming more inclined and more parallel to the polarity inversion line. Such change is consistent with the conjectured coronal field 'implosion' and is supported by the coronal loop retraction observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). The extrapolated field becomes more 'compact' after the flare, with shorter loops in the core region, probably because of reconnection. The coronal field becomes slightly more sheared in the lowest layer, relaxes faster with height, and is overall less energetic.« less

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.

Rapid soft X-ray fluctuations in solar flares observed with the X-ray polychromator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zarro, D. M.; Saba, J. L. R.; Strong, K. T.

1986-01-01

Three flares observed by the Soft X-Ray Polychromator on the Solar Maximum Mission were studied. Flare light curves from the Flat Crystal Spectrometer and Bent Crystal Spectrometer were examined for rapid signal variations. Each flare was characterized by an initial fast (less than 1 min) burst, observed by the Hard X-Ray Burst Spectrometer (HXRBS), followed by softer gradual X-ray emission lasting several minutes. From an autocorrelation function analysis, evidence was found for quasi-periodic fluctuations with rise and decay times of 10 s in the Ca XIX and Fe XXV light curves. These variations were of small amplitude (less than 20%), often coincided with hard X-ray emissions, and were prominent during the onset of the gradual phase after the initial hard X-ray burst. It is speculated that these fluctuations were caused by repeated energy injections in a coronal loop that had already been heated and filled with dense plasma associated with the initial hard X-ray burst.

YOHKOH Observations at the Y2K Solar Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aschwanden, M. J.

1999-05-01

Yohkoh will provide simultaneous co-aligned soft X-ray and hard X-ray observations of solar flares at the coming solar maximum. The Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) covers the approximate temperature range of 2-20 MK with a pixel size of 2.46\\arcsec, and thus complements ideally the EUV imagers sensitive in the 1-2 MK plasma, such as SoHO/EIT and TRACE. The Yohkoh Hard X-ray Telescope (HXT) offers hard X-ray imaging at 20-100 keV at a time resolution of down to 0.5 sec for major events. In this paper we review the major SXT and HXT results from Yohkoh solar flare observations, and anticipate some of the key questions that can be addressed through joint observations with other ground and space-based observatories. This encompasses the dynamics of flare triggers (e.g. emerging flux, photospheric shear, interaction of flare loops in quadrupolar geometries, large-scale magnetic reconfigurations, eruption of twisted sigmoid structures, coronal mass ejections), the physics of particle dynamics during flares (acceleration processes, particle propagation, trapping, and precipitation), and flare plasma heating processes (chromospheric evaporation, coronal energy loss by nonthermal particles). In particular we will emphasize on how Yohkoh data analysis is progressing from a qualitative to a more quantitative science, employing 3-dimensional modeling and numerical simulations.

Hard X-Ray Emission from Partially Occulted Solar Flares: RHESSI Observations in Two Solar Cycles

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

Effenberger, Frederic; Costa, Fatima Rubio da; Petrosian, Vahé

2017-02-01

Flares close to the solar limb, where the footpoints are occulted, can reveal the spectrum and structure of the coronal looptop source in X-rays. We aim at studying the properties of the corresponding energetic electrons near their acceleration site, without footpoint contamination. To this end, a statistical study of partially occulted flares observed with Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager is presented here, covering a large part of solar cycles 23 and 24. We perform detailed spectra, imaging, and light curve analyses for 116 flares and include contextual observations from SDO and STEREO when available, providing further insights into flaremore » emission that were previously not accessible. We find that most spectra are fitted well with a thermal component plus a broken power-law, non-thermal component. A thin-target kappa distribution model gives satisfactory fits after the addition of a thermal component. X-ray imaging reveals small spatial separation between the thermal and non-thermal components, except for a few flares with a richer coronal source structure. A comprehensive light curve analysis shows a very good correlation between the derivative of the soft X-ray flux (from GOES ) and the hard X-rays for a substantial number of flares, indicative of the Neupert effect. The results confirm that non-thermal particles are accelerated in the corona and estimated timescales support the validity of a thin-target scenario with similar magnitudes of thermal and non-thermal energy fluxes.« less

Hot spine loops and the nature of a late-phase solar flare

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

Sun, Xudong; Todd Hoeksema, J.; Liu, Yang

2013-12-01

The fan-spine magnetic topology is believed to be responsible for many curious features in solar explosive events. A spine field line links distinct flux domains, but direct observation of such a feature has been rare. Here we report a unique event observed by the Solar Dynamic Observatory where a set of hot coronal loops (over 10 MK) connected to a quasi-circular chromospheric ribbon at one end and a remote brightening at the other. Magnetic field extrapolation suggests that these loops are partly tracers of the evolving spine field line. Continuous slipping- and null-point-type reconnections were likely at work, energizing themore » loop plasma and transferring magnetic flux within and across the fan quasi-separatrix layer. We argue that the initial reconnection is of the 'breakout' type, which then transitioned to a more violent flare reconnection with an eruption from the fan dome. Significant magnetic field changes are expected and indeed ensued. This event also features an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) late phase, i.e., a delayed secondary emission peak in warm EUV lines (about 2-7 MK). We show that this peak comes from the cooling of large post-reconnection loops beside and above the compact fan, a direct product of eruption in such topological settings. The long cooling time of the large arcades contributes to the long delay; additional heating may also be required. Our result demonstrates the critical nature of cross-scale magnetic coupling—topological change in a sub-system may lead to explosions on a much larger scale.« less

The effects of magnetic structure on the conduction cooling of flare loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Hoven, G.

1979-01-01

A model of the sheared magnetic field in a coronal loop is used to evaluate the average cross-field suppression of axial thermal conduction. If the energy source is uniform in radius, this can lead to heat-flux reduction by a factor greater than three. When the source is annular, in a region of radius where the current density and shear are peaked, the effect can be significantly larger. In one extreme case, however, in which magnetic tearing provides the heating in a very narrow layer, the spatial resonance of the source excitation in a long loop leads to approximately axial conduction.

Urine concentrating mechanism: impact of vascular and tubular architecture and a proposed descending limb urea-Na+ cotransporter

PubMed Central

Dantzler, William H.; Pannabecker, Thomas L.

2012-01-01

We extended a region-based mathematical model of the renal medulla of the rat kidney, previously developed by us, to represent new anatomic findings on the vascular architecture in the rat inner medulla (IM). In the outer medulla (OM), tubules and vessels are organized around tightly packed vascular bundles; in the IM, the organization is centered around collecting duct clusters. In particular, the model represents the separation of descending vasa recta from the descending limbs of loops of Henle, and the model represents a papillary segment of the descending thin limb that is water impermeable and highly urea permeable. Model results suggest that, despite the compartmentalization of IM blood flow, IM interstitial fluid composition is substantially more homogeneous compared with OM. We used the model to study medullary blood flow in antidiuresis and the effects of vascular countercurrent exchange. We also hypothesize that the terminal aquaporin-1 null segment of the long descending thin limbs may express a urea-Na+ or urea-Cl− cotransporter. As urea diffuses from the urea-rich papillary interstitium into the descending thin limb luminal fluid, NaCl is secreted via the cotransporter against its concentration gradient. That NaCl is then reabsorbed near the loop bend, raising the interstitial fluid osmolality and promoting water reabsorption from the IM collecting ducts. Indeed, the model predicts that the presence of the urea-Na+ or urea- Cl− cotransporter facilitates the cycling of NaCl within the IM and yields a loop-bend fluid composition consistent with experimental data. PMID:22088433

Urine concentrating mechanism: impact of vascular and tubular architecture and a proposed descending limb urea-Na+ cotransporter.

PubMed

Layton, Anita T; Dantzler, William H; Pannabecker, Thomas L

2012-03-01

We extended a region-based mathematical model of the renal medulla of the rat kidney, previously developed by us, to represent new anatomic findings on the vascular architecture in the rat inner medulla (IM). In the outer medulla (OM), tubules and vessels are organized around tightly packed vascular bundles; in the IM, the organization is centered around collecting duct clusters. In particular, the model represents the separation of descending vasa recta from the descending limbs of loops of Henle, and the model represents a papillary segment of the descending thin limb that is water impermeable and highly urea permeable. Model results suggest that, despite the compartmentalization of IM blood flow, IM interstitial fluid composition is substantially more homogeneous compared with OM. We used the model to study medullary blood flow in antidiuresis and the effects of vascular countercurrent exchange. We also hypothesize that the terminal aquaporin-1 null segment of the long descending thin limbs may express a urea-Na(+) or urea-Cl(-) cotransporter. As urea diffuses from the urea-rich papillary interstitium into the descending thin limb luminal fluid, NaCl is secreted via the cotransporter against its concentration gradient. That NaCl is then reabsorbed near the loop bend, raising the interstitial fluid osmolality and promoting water reabsorption from the IM collecting ducts. Indeed, the model predicts that the presence of the urea-Na(+) or urea- Cl(-) cotransporter facilitates the cycling of NaCl within the IM and yields a loop-bend fluid composition consistent with experimental data.

Observations of the variability of coronal bright points by the Soft X-ray Telescope on Yohkoh

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strong, Keith T.; Harvey, Karen; Hirayama, Tadashi; Nitta, Nariaki; Shimizu, Toshifumi; Tsuneta, Saku

1992-01-01

We present the initial results of a study of X-ray bright points (XBPs) made with data from the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope. High temporal and spatial resolution observations of several XBPs illustrate their intensity variability over a wide variety of time scales from a few minutes to hours, as well as rapid changes in their morphology. Several XBPs produced flares during their lifetime. These XBP flares often involve magnetic loops, which are considerably larger than the XBP itself, and which brighten along their lengths at speeds of up to 1100 km/s.

X-ray line coincidence photopumping in a solar flare

DOE PAGES

Keenan, F. P.; Poppenhaeger, K.; Mathioudakis, M.; ...

2017-11-23

Line coincidence photopumping is a process where the electrons of an atomic or molecular species are radiatively excited through the absorption of line emission from another species at a coincident wavelength. There are many instances of line coincidence photopumping in astrophysical sources at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths, with the most famous example being Bowen fluorescence (pumping of O III 303.80 Å by He II), but none to our knowledge in X-rays. However, here we report on a scheme where a He-like line of Ne IX at 11.000 Å is photopumped by He-like Na X at 11.003 Å, which predicts significantmore » intensity enhancement in the Ne IX 82.76 Å transition under physical conditions found in solar flare plasmas. A comparison of our theoretical models with published X-ray observations of a solar flare obtained during a rocket flight provides evidence for line enhancement, with the measured degree of enhancement being consistent with that expected from theory, a truly surprising result. Observations of this enhancement during flares on stars other than the Sun would provide a powerful new diagnostic tool for determining the sizes of flare loops in these distant, spatially unresolved, astronomical sources.« less

Observation and numerical modeling of chromospheric evaporation during the impulsive phase of a solar flare

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

Imada, Shinsuke, E-mail: shinimada@stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Murakami, Izumi, E-mail: murakami.izumi@nifs.ac.jp; Department of Fusion Science, SOKENDAI

2015-10-15

We have studied the chromospheric evaporation flow during the impulsive phase of the flare by using the Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer observation and 1D hydrodynamic numerical simulation coupled to the time-dependent ionization. The observation clearly shows that the strong redshift can be observed at the base of the flaring loop only during the impulsive phase. We performed two different numerical simulations to reproduce the strong downflows in FeXII and FeXV during the impulsive phase. By changing the thermal conduction coefficient, we carried out the numerical calculation of chromospheric evaporation in the thermal conduction dominant regime (conductivity coefficient κ{sub 0} = classical value) andmore » the enthalpy flux dominant regime (κ{sub 0} = 0.1 × classical value). The chromospheric evaporation calculation in the enthalpy flux dominant regime could reproduce the strong redshift at the base of the flare during the impulsive phase. This result might indicate that the thermal conduction can be strongly suppressed in some cases of flare. We also find that time-dependent ionization effect is important to reproduce the strong downflows in Fe XII and Fe XV.« less

X-ray line coincidence photopumping in a solar flare

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

Keenan, F. P.; Poppenhaeger, K.; Mathioudakis, M.

Line coincidence photopumping is a process where the electrons of an atomic or molecular species are radiatively excited through the absorption of line emission from another species at a coincident wavelength. There are many instances of line coincidence photopumping in astrophysical sources at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths, with the most famous example being Bowen fluorescence (pumping of O III 303.80 Å by He II), but none to our knowledge in X-rays. However, here we report on a scheme where a He-like line of Ne IX at 11.000 Å is photopumped by He-like Na X at 11.003 Å, which predicts significantmore » intensity enhancement in the Ne IX 82.76 Å transition under physical conditions found in solar flare plasmas. A comparison of our theoretical models with published X-ray observations of a solar flare obtained during a rocket flight provides evidence for line enhancement, with the measured degree of enhancement being consistent with that expected from theory, a truly surprising result. Observations of this enhancement during flares on stars other than the Sun would provide a powerful new diagnostic tool for determining the sizes of flare loops in these distant, spatially unresolved, astronomical sources.« less

X-ray line coincidence photopumping in a solar flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keenan, F. P.; Poppenhaeger, K.; Mathioudakis, M.; Rose, S. J.; Flowerdew, J.; Hynes, D.; Christian, D. J.; Nilsen, J.; Johnson, W. R.

2018-03-01

Line coincidence photopumping is a process where the electrons of an atomic or molecular species are radiatively excited through the absorption of line emission from another species at a coincident wavelength. There are many instances of line coincidence photopumping in astrophysical sources at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths, with the most famous example being Bowen fluorescence (pumping of O III 303.80 Å by He II), but none to our knowledge in X-rays. However, here we report on a scheme where a He-like line of Ne IX at 11.000 Å is photopumped by He-like Na X at 11.003 Å, which predicts significant intensity enhancement in the Ne IX 82.76 Å transition under physical conditions found in solar flare plasmas. A comparison of our theoretical models with published X-ray observations of a solar flare obtained during a rocket flight provides evidence for line enhancement, with the measured degree of enhancement being consistent with that expected from theory, a truly surprising result. Observations of this enhancement during flares on stars other than the Sun would provide a powerful new diagnostic tool for determining the sizes of flare loops in these distant, spatially unresolved, astronomical sources.

Interactive flare sites within an active region complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poletto, G.; Gary, G. A.; Machado, M. E.

1993-01-01

We examine here a set of images of an active region complex, acquired on June 24-25, 1980, by the Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer on SMM, with the purpose of establishing whether there was any interplay between the frequent activity observed at different sites in the activity center and, in such a case, how the interaction was established. By analyzing both quiet and active orbits we show that, as a rule, activity originating in one region triggers the other region's activity. However, we find little unambiguous evidence for the presence of large-scale interconnecting loops. A comparison of X-ray images with magnetic field observations suggested that we interpret the active region behavior in terms of the interaction between different loop systems, in a scenario quite analogous to the interacting bipole representation of individual flares. We conclude that active region interplay provides an easily observable case to study the time-dependent topology and the mechanisms for the spreading of activity in transient events over all energy scales.

Time delays in the nonthermal radiation of solar flares according to observations of the CORONAS-F satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsap, Yu. T.; Stepanov, A. V.; Kashapova, L. K.; Myagkova, I. N.; Bogomolov, A. V.; Kopylova, Yu. G.; Goldvarg, T. B.

2016-07-01

In 2001-2003, the X-ray and microwave observations of ten solar flares of M- and X-classes were carried out by the CORONAS-F orbital station, the RSTN Sun service, and Nobeyama radio polarimeters. Based on these observations, a correlation analysis of time profiles of nonthermal radiation was performed. On average, hard X-ray radiation outstrips the microwave radiation in 9 events, i.e., time delays are positive. The appearance of negative delays is associated with effective scattering of accelerated electrons in pitch angles, where the length of the free path of a particle is less than the half-length of a flare loop. The additional indications are obtained in favor of the need to account for the effect of magnetic mirrors on the dynamics of energetic particles in the coronal arches.

Robustness of linear quadratic state feedback designs in the presence of system uncertainty. [application to Augmentor Wing Jet STOL Research Aircraft flare control autopilot design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patel, R. V.; Toda, M.; Sridhar, B.

1977-01-01

The paper deals with the problem of expressing the robustness (stability) property of a linear quadratic state feedback (LQSF) design quantitatively in terms of bounds on the perturbations (modeling errors or parameter variations) in the system matrices so that the closed-loop system remains stable. Nonlinear time-varying and linear time-invariant perturbations are considered. The only computation required in obtaining a measure of the robustness of an LQSF design is to determine the eigenvalues of two symmetric matrices determined when solving the algebraic Riccati equation corresponding to the LQSF design problem. Results are applied to a complex dynamic system consisting of the flare control of a STOL aircraft. The design of the flare control is formulated as an LQSF tracking problem.

The 26 December 2001 Solar Event Responsible for GLE63. I. Observations of a Major Long-Duration Flare with the Siberian Solar Radio Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grechnev, V. V.; Kochanov, A. A.

2016-12-01

Ground level enhancements (GLEs) of cosmic-ray intensity occur, on average, once a year. Because they are rare, studying the solar sources of GLEs is especially important to approach understanding their origin. The SOL2001-12-26 eruptive-flare event responsible for GLE63 seems to be challenging in some aspects. Deficient observations limited our understanding of it. Analysis of additional observations found for this event provided new results that shed light on the flare configuration and evolution. This article addresses the observations of this flare with the Siberian Solar Radio Telescope (SSRT). Taking advantage of its instrumental characteristics, we analyze the detailed SSRT observations of a major long-duration flare at 5.7 GHz without cleaning the images. The analysis confirms that the source of GLE63 was associated with an event in active region 9742 that comprised two flares. The first flare (04:30 - 05:03 UT) reached a GOES importance of about M1.6. Two microwave sources were observed, whose brightness temperatures at 5.7 GHz exceeded 10 MK. The main flare, up to an importance of M7.1, started at 05:04 UT and occurred in strong magnetic fields. The observed microwave sources reached a brightness temperature of about 250 MK. They were not static. After appearing on the weaker-field periphery of the active region, the microwave sources moved toward each other nearly along the magnetic neutral line, approaching the stronger-field core of the active region, and then moved away from the neutral line like expanding ribbons. These motions rule out an association of the non-thermal microwave sources with a single flaring loop.

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

Costa, Fatima Rubio da; Petrosian, Vahé; Kleint, Lucia

Spectroscopic observations of solar flares provide critical diagnostics of the physical conditions in the flaring atmosphere. Some key features in observed spectra have not yet been accounted for in existing flare models. Here we report a data-driven simulation of the well-observed X1.0 flare on 2014 March 29 that can reconcile some well-known spectral discrepancies. We analyzed spectra of the flaring region from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) in Mg ii h and k, the Interferometric BIdimensional Spectropolarimeter at the Dunn Solar Telescope (DST/IBIS) in H α 6563 Å and Ca ii 8542 Å, and the Reuven Ramatymore » High Energy Solar Spectroscope Imager ( RHESSI ) in hard X-rays. We constructed a multithreaded flare loop model and used the electron flux inferred from RHESSI data as the input to the radiative hydrodynamic code RADYN to simulate the atmospheric response. We then synthesized various chromospheric emission lines and compared them with the IRIS and IBIS observations. In general, the synthetic intensities agree with the observed ones, especially near the northern footpoint of the flare. The simulated Mg ii line profile has narrower wings than the observed one. This discrepancy can be reduced by using a higher microturbulent velocity (27 km s{sup −1}) in a narrow chromospheric layer. In addition, we found that an increase of electron density in the upper chromosphere within a narrow height range of ≈800 km below the transition region can turn the simulated Mg ii line core into emission and thus reproduce the single peaked profile, which is a common feature in all IRIS flares.« less

Structure and dynamics of coronal plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golub, Leon

1995-01-01

The Normal Incidence X-ray Telescope (NIXT) obtained a unique set of high resolution full disk solar images which were exposed simultaneously by X-rays in a passband at 63.5 A and by visible light. The perfect alignment of a photospheric visible light image with a coronal X-ray image enables us to present observations of X-ray intensity vs an accurately determined height above the visible limb. The height at which the observed X-ray intensity peak varies from 4000 km in active regions to 9000 km in quiet regions of the sun. The interpretation of the observations stems from the previously established fact that, for the coronal loops, emission in the NIXT bandpass peaks sharply just above the footpoints. Because there is not a sharp peak in the observed X-ray intensity vs off limb height, we conclude that the loop footpoints, when viewed at the limb, are obscured by absorption in chromospheric material along the line of sight. We calculate the X-ray intensity vs height predicted by a number of different idealizations of the solar atmosphere, and we compare these calculations with the observed X-ray intensity vs height. The calculations use existing coronal and chromospheric models. In order for the calculations to reproduce the observed off limb X-ray intensities, we are forced to assume an atmosphere in which the footpoints of coronal loops are interspersed along the line of sight with cooler chromospheric material extending to heights well above the loop footpoints. We argue that the absorption coefficient for NIXT X-rays by chromospheric material is roughly proportional to the neutral hydrogen density, and we estimate an average neutral hydrogen density and scale height implied by the data.

Studies of solar flares: Homology and X-ray line broadening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranns, Neale David Raymond

This thesis starts with an introduction to the solar atmosphere and the physics that governs its behaviour. The formation processes of spectral lines are presented followed by an explanation of employed plasma diagnostic techniques and line broadening mechanisms. The current understanding on some principle concepts of flare physics are reviewed and the topics of flare homology and non-thermal line broadening are introduced. The many solar satellites and instrumentation that were utilised during this thesis are described. Analysis techniques for some instruments are also presented. A series of solar flares that conform to the literature definition for homologous flares are examined. The apparent homology is shown to be caused by emerging flux rather than continual stressing of a single, or group of, magnetic structure's. The implications for flare homology are discussed. The analysis of a solar flare with a rise and peak in the observed non-thermal X-ray line broadening (Vnt) is then performed. The location of the hot plasma within the flare area is determined and consequently the source of Vnt is located to be within and above the flare loops. The flare footpoints are therefore discarded as a possible source location. Viable source locations are discussed with a view to determining the dominant mechanism for the generation of line broadening. The timing relationships between the hard X-ray (HXR) flux and Vnt in many solar flares are then examined. I show that there is a causal relationship between these two parameters and that the HXR rise time is related to the time delay between the maxima of HXR flux and Vnt. The temporal evolution of Vnt is shown to be dependent upon the shape of the HXR burst. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of determining the line broadening mechanism and the limitations of the data. A summary of the results in this thesis is then presented together with suggestions for future research.

Florid urticarial vasculitis heralding a flare up of ulcerative colitis.

PubMed

Boules, Evon; Lyon, Calum

2014-12-22

A 75-year-old man with ulcerative colitis (UC) and diet controlled diabetes mellitus presented with a 3-week history of slightly itchy, red plaques on both lower limbs ascending gradually to cover the trunk and arms. One week later, he developed a flare up of his UC. Routine blood tests showed modest drop in haemoglobin (122 g/L) and C reactive protein (85 mg/L). Serology was remarkable for high antiproteinase 3 (c-ANCA). Serum electrophoresis showed a mildly positive paraprotein band (γ region). Stool culture was negative. Urine analysis showed proteinuria. Skin biopsy showed features of urticarial vasculitis (UV). He underwent a flexible sigmoidoscopy after the flare up showed mildly active UC. The patient was given hydrocortisone for 7 days and then prednisolone. Both rash and UC subsided. Electrophoresis was repeated 4 weeks later showing normal pattern. Prednisolone has been gradually reduced. Although rare, UV can be considered as one of the skin manifestations of UC. 2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

RE-EVALUATION OF THE NEUTRON EMISSION FROM THE SOLAR FLARE OF 2005 SEPTEMBER 7, DETECTED BY THE SOLAR NEUTRON TELESCOPE AT SIERRA NEGRA

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

González, L. X.; Valdés-Galicia, J. F.; Musalem, O.

2015-12-01

The X17.0 solar flare of 2005 September 7 released high-energy neutrons that were detected by the Solar Neutron Telescope (SNT) at Sierra Negra, Mexico. In three separate and independent studies of this solar neutron event, several of its unique characteristics were studied; in particular, a power-law energy spectra was estimated. In this paper, we present an alternative analysis, based on improved numerical simulations of the detector using GEANT4, and a different technique for processing the SNT data. The results indicate that the spectral index that best fits the neutron flux is around 3, in agreement with previous works. Based onmore » the numerically calculated neutron energy deposition on the SNT, we confirm that the detected neutrons might have reached an energy of 1 GeV, which implies that 10 GeV protons were probably produced; these could not be observed at Earth, as their parent flare was an east limb event.« less

DESTABILIZATION OF A SOLAR PROMINENCE/FILAMENT FIELD SYSTEM BY A SERIES OF EIGHT HOMOLOGOUS ERUPTIVE FLARES LEADING TO A CME

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

Panesar, Navdeep K.; Moore, Ronald L.; Sterling, Alphonse C.

2015-09-20

Homologous flares are flares that occur repetitively in the same active region, with similar structure and morphology. A series of at least eight homologous flares occurred in active region NOAA 11237 over 2011 June 16–17. A nearby prominence/filament was rooted in the active region, and situated near the bottom of a coronal cavity. The active region was on the southeast solar limb as seen from the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, and on the disk as viewed from the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory/EUVI-B. The dual perspective allows us to study in detail behavior of the prominence/filament material entrained in themore » magnetic field of the repeatedly erupting system. Each of the eruptions were mainly confined, but expelled hot material into the prominence/filament cavity system (PFCS). The field carrying and containing the ejected hot material interacted with the PFCS and caused it to inflate, resulting in a step-wise rise of the PFCS approximately in step with the homologous eruptions. The eighth eruption triggered the PFCS to move outward slowly, accompanied by a weak coronal dimming. As this slow PFCS eruption was underway, a final “ejective” flare occurred in the core of the active region, resulting in strong dimming in the EUVI-B images and expulsion of a coronal mass ejection (CME). A plausible scenario is that the repeated homologous flares could have gradually destabilized the PFCS, and its subsequent eruption removed field above the acitive region and in turn led to the ejective flare, strong dimming, and CME.« less

A small-scale eruption leading to a blowout macrospicule jet in an on-disk coronal hole

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

Adams, Mitzi; Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L.

2014-03-01

We examine the three-dimensional magnetic structure and dynamics of a solar EUV-macrospicule jet that occurred on 2011 February 27 in an on-disk coronal hole. The observations are from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and the SDO Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). The observations reveal that in this event, closed-field-carrying cool absorbing plasma, as in an erupting mini-filament, erupted and opened, forming a blowout jet. Contrary to some jet models, there was no substantial recently emerged, closed, bipolar-magnetic field in the base of the jet. Instead, over several hours, flux convergence and cancellation at the polarity inversionmore » line inside an evolved arcade in the base apparently destabilized the entire arcade, including its cool-plasma-carrying core field, to undergo a blowout eruption in the manner of many standard-sized, arcade-blowout eruptions that produce a flare and coronal mass ejection. Internal reconnection made bright 'flare' loops over the polarity inversion line inside the blowing-out arcade field, and external reconnection of the blowing-out arcade field with an ambient open field made longer and dimmer EUV loops on the outside of the blowing-out arcade. That the loops made by the external reconnection were much larger than the loops made by the internal reconnection makes this event a new variety of blowout jet, a variety not recognized in previous observations and models of blowout jets.« less

Pre-flare coronal dimmings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Q. M.; Su, Y. N.; Ji, H. S.

2017-02-01

Context. Coronal dimmings are regions of decreased extreme-ultravoilet (EUV) and/or X-ray (originally Skylab, then Yohkoh/SXT) intensities, which are often associated with flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The large-scale impulsive dimmings have been thoroughly observed and investigated. The pre-flare dimmings before the flare impulsive phase, however, have rarely been studied in detail. Aims: We focus on the pre-flare coronal dimmings. We report our multiwavelength observations of the GOES X1.6 solar flare and the accompanying halo CME that was produced by the eruption of a sigmoidal magnetic flux rope (MFR) in NOAA active region (AR) 12158 on 2014 September 10. Methods: The eruption was observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). The photospheric line-of-sight magnetograms were observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board SDO. The soft X-ray (SXR) fluxes were recorded by the GOES spacecraft. The halo CME was observed by the white-light coronagraphs of the Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) on board SOHO. Results: About 96 min before the onset of the flare/CME, narrow pre-flare coronal dimmings appeared at the two ends of the twisted MFR. They extended very slowly, with their intensities decreasing with time, while their apparent widths (8-9 Mm) continued to be nearly constant. During the impulsive and decay phases of flare, typical fan-like twin dimmings appeared and expanded, with a much larger extent and lower intensities than the pre-flare dimmings. The percentage of the 171 Å intensity decrease reaches 40%. The pre-flare dimmings are most striking in 171, 193, and 211 Å with formation temperatures of 0.6-2.5 MK. The northern part of the pre-flare dimmings could also be recognized in 131 and 335 Å. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first detailed study of pre-flare coronal dimmings; they can be explained by density depletion as a result of the gradual expansion of the coronal loop system surrounding the MFR during the slow rise of the MFR. Movie associated to Fig. 5 is available at http://www.aanda.org

Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection in the Solar Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, N. A.; Miralles, M. P.; Ranquist, D. A.; Pope, C. L.; Raymond, J. C.; Lukin, V. S.; McKillop, S.; Shen, C.; Winter, H. D.; Reeves, K. K.; Lin, J.

2013-12-01

Models of solar flares and coronal mass ejections typically predict the development of an elongated current sheet in the wake behind the rising flux rope. In reality, reconnection in these current sheets will be asymmetric along the inflow, outflow, and out-of-plane directions. We perform resistive MHD simulations to investigate the consequences of asymmetry during solar reconnection. We predict several observational signatures of asymmetric reconnection, including flare loops with a skewed candle flame shape, slow drifting of the current sheet into the strong field upstream region, asymmetric footpoint speeds and hard X-ray emission, and rolling motions within the erupting flux rope. There is net plasma flow across the magnetic field null along both the inflow and outflow directions. We compare simulations to SDO/AIA, Hinode/XRT, and STEREO observations of flare loop shapes, current sheet drifting, and rolling motions during prominence eruptions. Simulations of the plasmoid instability with different upstream magnetic fields show that the reconnection rate remains enhanced even during the asymmetric case. The islands preferentially grow into the weak field upstream region. The islands develop net vorticity because the outflow jets impact them obliquely rather than directly. Asymmetric reconnection in the chromosphere occurs when emerging flux interacts with pre-existing overlying flux. We present initial results on asymmetric reconnection in partially ionized chromospheric plasmas. Finally, we discuss how comparisons to observations are necessary to understand the role of three-dimensional effects.

Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection in the Solar Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, N. A.; Miralles, M. P.; Ranquist, D. A.; Pope, C. L.; Raymond, J. C.; Lukin, V. S.; McKillop, S. C.; Shen, C.; Winter, H. D.; Reeves, K. K.; Lin, J.

2013-12-01

Models of solar flares and coronal mass ejections typically predict the development of an elongated current sheet in the wake behind the rising flux rope. In reality, reconnection in these current sheets will be asymmetric along the inflow, outflow, and out-of-plane directions. We perform resistive MHD simulations to investigate the consequences of asymmetry during solar reconnection. We predict several observational signatures of asymmetric reconnection, including flare loops with a skewed candle flame shape, slow drifting of the current sheet into the strong field upstream region, asymmetric footpoint speeds and hard X-ray emission, and rolling motions within the erupting flux rope. There is net plasma flow across the magnetic field null along both the inflow and outflow directions. We compare simulations to SDO/AIA, Hinode/XRT, and STEREO observations of flare loop shapes, current sheet drifting, and rolling motions during prominence eruptions. Simulations of the plasm! oid instability with different upstream magnetic fields show that the reconnection rate remains enhanced even during the asymmetric case. The islands preferentially grow into the weak field upstream region. The islands develop net vorticity because the outflow jets impact them obliquely rather than directly. Asymmetric reconnection in the chromosphere occurs when emerging flux interacts with pre-existing overlying flux. We present initial results on asymmetric reconnection in partially ionized chromospheric plasmas. Finally, we discuss how comparisons to observations are necessary to understand the role of three-dimensional effects.

Magnetic loops, downflows, and convection in the solar corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foukal, P.

1978-01-01

Optical and extreme-ultraviolet observations of solar loop structures show that flows of cool plasma from condensations near the loop apex are a common property of loops associated with radiations whose maximum temperature is greater than approximately 7000 K and less than approximately 3,000,000 K. It is suggested that the mass balance of these structures indicates reconnection by means of plasma motion across field lines under rather general circumstances (not only after flares). It is shown that the cool material has lower gas pressure than the surrounding coronal medium. The density structure of the bright extreme ultraviolet loops suggests that downflows of cool gas result from isobaric condensation of plasma that is either out of thermal equilibrium with the local energy deposition rate into the corona, or is thermally unstable. The evidence is thought to indicate that magnetic fields act to induce a pattern of forced convection.

Testing the Model of Oscillating Magnetic Traps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szaforz, Ż.; Tomczak, M.

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to test the model of oscillating magnetic traps (the OMT model), proposed by Jakimiec and Tomczak ( Solar Phys. 261, 233, 2010). This model describes the process of excitation of quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) observed during solar flares. In the OMT model energetic electrons are accelerated within a triangular, cusp-like structure situated between the reconnection point and the top of a flare loop as seen in soft X-rays. We analyzed QPPs in hard X-ray light curves for 23 flares as observed by Yohkoh. Three independent methods were used. We also used hard X-ray images to localize magnetic traps and soft X-ray images to diagnose thermal plasmas inside the traps. We found that the majority of the observed pulsation periods correlates with the diameters of oscillating magnetic traps, as was predicted by the OMT model. We also found that the electron number density of plasma inside the magnetic traps in the time of pulsation disappearance is strongly connected with the pulsation period. We conclude that the observations are consistent with the predictions of the OMT model for the analyzed set of flares.

Electron acceleration in solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Droge, Wolfgang; Meyer, Peter; Evenson, Paul; Moses, Dan

1989-01-01

For the period Spetember 1978 to December 1982, 55 solar flare particle events for which the instruments on board the ISEE-3 spacecraft detected electrons above 10 MeV. Combining data with those from the ULEWAT spectrometer electron spectra in the range from 0.1 to 100 MeV were obtained. The observed spectral shapes can be divided into two classes. The spectra of the one class can be fit by a single power law in rigidity over the entire observed range. The spectra of the other class deviate from a power law, instead exhibiting a steepening at low rigidities and a flattening at high rigidities. Events with power-law spectra are associated with impulsive (less than 1 hr duration) soft X-ray emission, whereas events with hardening spectra are associated with long-duration (more than 1 hr) soft X-ray emission. The characteristics of long-duration events are consistent with diffusive shock acceleration taking place high in the corona. Electron spectra of short-duration flares are well reproduced by the distribution functions derived from a model assuming simultaneous second-order Fermi acceleration and Coulomb losses operating in closed flare loops.

Explosive plasma flows in a solar flare

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zarro, Dominic M.; Canfield, Richard C.; Metcalf, Thomas R.; Strong, Keith T.

1988-01-01

Solar Maximum Mission soft X-ray data and Sacramento Peak Observatory H-alpha observations are combined in a study of the impulsive phase of a solar flare. A blue asymmetry, indicative of upflows, was observed in the coronal Ca XIX line during the soft X-ray rise phase. A red asymmetry, indicative of downflows, was observed simultaneously in chromospheric H-alpha emitted from bright flare kernels during the period of hard X-ray emission. Combining the velocity data with a measurement of coronal electron density, it is shown that the impulsive phase momentum of upflowing soft X-ray-emitting plasma equalled that of the downflowing H-alpha-emitting plasma to within one order of magnitude. In particular, the momentum of the upflowing plasma was 2 x 10 to the 21st g cm/s while that of the downflowing plasma was 7 x 10 to the 21st g cm/s, with a factor of 2 uncertainty on each value. This equality supports the explosive chromospheric evaporation model of solar flares, in which a sudden pressure increase at the footprint of a coronal loop produces oppositely directed flows in the heated plasma.

ASCA Observations of the Barnard 209 Dark Cloud and an Intense X-Ray Flare on V773 Tauri

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, Stephen L.; Guedel, Manuel; Koyama, Katsuji; Yamauchi, Shigeo

1997-01-01

ASCA (Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics) detected an intense X-ray flare on the weak-lined T Tauri star V773 Tau (=HD 283447) during a 30 ks observation of the Barnard 209 dark cloud in 1995 September. This star is a spectroscopic binary and shows signs of strong magnetic surface activity including a spot-modulated optical light curve. The flare was seen only during its decay phase but is still one of the strongest ever recorded from a T Tauri star with a peak luminosity L(sub x) = 10(exp 32.4) ergs/s (0.5-10 keV), a maximum temperature of at least 42 million K, and energy release of greater than 10(exp 37) ergs. A shorter ASCA observation taken five months later showed V773 Tau in a quiescent state (L(sub x)= 10(exp 31.0) ergs/s) and detected variable emission from the infrared binary IRAS 04113+2758. The differential emission measure (DEM) distribution during the V773 Tau flare shows a bimodal temperature structure that is almost totally dominated by hot plasma at an average temperature of approx. 37 million K. Using information from time-resolved spectra, we examine the flare decay in terms of solar flare models (cooling loops and two-ribbon flares) and also consider possible nonsolar behavior (interbinary flares, star-disk flares, and rotational X-ray modulation). Solar models are unable to reproduce the unusual convex-shaped X-ray light curve, which decays slowly over a timespan of at least 1 day. However, the light curve decay is accurately modeled as a sinusoid with an inferred X-ray period of 2.97 days, which is nearly identical to the optical rotation period(s) of the two K-type components. This provides tantalizing evidence that the flaring region was undergoing rotational occultation, but periodic X-ray variability is not yet proven since our ASCA observation spans only one-third of a rotation cycle.

OSO-8 observations of the impulsive phase of solar flares in the transition-zone and corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lites, B. W.; Bruner, E. C., Jr.; Wolfson, C. J.

1981-01-01

Several solar flares were observed from their onset in C IV 1548.2 A and 1-8 A X-rays using instruments on OSO-8. It is found that impulsive brightening in C IV is often accompanied by redshifts, interpreted as downflows, of the order of 80 km/s. The maximum soft X-ray intensity usually arrives several minutes after the maximum C IV intensity. The most energetic C IV event observed shows a small blueshift just before reaching maximum intensity; estimates of the mass flux associated with this upflow through the transition zone are consistent with the increase of mass in the coronal loops as observed in soft X-rays. Finally, it is suggested that the frequent occurrence of violent dynamical processes at the onset of the flare is associated with the initial energy release mechanism.

Combined Hinode, STEREO, and TRACE Observations of a Solar Filament Eruption: Evidence for Destabilization by Flux-Cancelation Tether Cutting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, R. L.

2007-01-01

We present observations from Hinode, STEREO, and TRACE of a solar filament eruption and flare that occurred on 2007 March 2. Data from the two new satellites, combined with the TRACE observations, give us fresh insights into the eruption onset process. HINODE/XRT shows soft X-ray (SXR) activity beginning approximately 30 minutes prior to ignition of bright flare loops. STEREO andTRACE images show that the filament underwent relatively slow motions coinciding with the pre-eruption SXR brightenings, and it underwent rapid eruptive motions beginning near the time of flare onset. Concurrent HINODE/SOT magnetograms showed substantial flux cancelation under the filament at the site of the pre-eruption SXR activity. From these observations we infer that progressive tether-cutting reconnection driven by photospheric convection caused the slow rise of the filament and led to its eruption. NASA supported this work through a NASA Heliosphysics GI grant.

MHD simulation of the Bastille day event

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

Linker, Jon, E-mail: linkerj@predsci.com; Torok, Tibor; Downs, Cooper

2016-03-25

We describe a time-dependent, thermodynamic, three-dimensional MHD simulation of the July 14, 2000 coronal mass ejection (CME) and flare. The simulation starts with a background corona developed using an MDI-derived magnetic map for the boundary condition. Flux ropes using the modified Titov-Demoulin (TDm) model are used to energize the pre-event active region, which is then destabilized by photospheric flows that cancel flux near the polarity inversion line. More than 10{sup 33} ergs are impulsively released in the simulated eruption, driving a CME at 1500 km/s, close to the observed speed of 1700km/s. The post-flare emission in the simulation is morphologically similarmore » to the observed post-flare loops. The resulting flux rope that propagates to 1 AU is similar in character to the flux rope observed at 1 AU, but the simulated ICME center passes 15° north of Earth.« less

On the Origin of Long-duration Solar Gamma-ray Flares and Their Connection with SEPs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernstein, V.; Winter, L. M.; Cliver, E. W.; Omodei, N.; Pesce-Rollins, M.

2016-12-01

The mechanism producing long-duration solar gamma-ray events (LDGREs) is unresolved. Such events are characterized by high-energy (>100 MeV) pion-decay emission that can be detected for up to 10 hours after the flare impulsive phase. Candidate processes include: (1) prolonged acceleration/trapping of high-energy (> 300 MeV) protons in flare loops and (2) precipitation of energetic protons to the Sun's surface from the CME-driven coronal shock waves. LDGREs, or events with delayed/prolonged pion-dominated emission, have been detected by the SMM GRS, GRO EGRET, and Fermi LAT. To gain insight on their origin, we examine associated GOES X-ray bursts, LASCO CMEs, Wind Waves low-frequency radio bursts, and GOES high-energy proton events, and compare the properties of these various phenomena with the intensities and durations of the observed LDGREs.

Results from the X-ray polychromator on SMM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Culhane, J. L.; Acton, L. W.; Gabriel, A. H.

Observations of the soft X-ray emitting plasma by means of the X-Ray Polychromator (XRP) on the Solar Maximum Mission satellite are described. The scientific advances achieved by use of the XRP are in the areas of: (1) flare morphology, (2) spectroscopy and plasma diagnostics, (3) chromospheric evaporation and the physics of flare loops, (4) studies of the microwave emission mechanisms of active regions, (5) the fluorescent excitation of Fe II K-alpha radiation, (6) measurement of variations of calcium abundance for X-ray plasmas, and (7) soft X-ray observations of spray transients. The findings in each of these areas are discussed.

Results from the X-ray polychromator on SMM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culhane, J. L.; Acton, L. W.; Gabriel, A. H.

1984-01-01

Observations of the soft X-ray emitting plasma by means of the X-Ray Polychromator (XRP) on the Solar Maximum Mission satellite are described. The scientific advances achieved by use of the XRP are in the areas of: (1) flare morphology, (2) spectroscopy and plasma diagnostics, (3) chromospheric evaporation and the physics of flare loops, (4) studies of the microwave emission mechanisms of active regions, (5) the fluorescent excitation of Fe II K-alpha radiation, (6) measurement of variations of calcium abundance for X-ray plasmas, and (7) soft X-ray observations of spray transients. The findings in each of these areas are discussed.

A Survey of Coronal Dimmings and EIT Wave Transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Barbara J.

2003-01-01

We present the results of a comprehensive catalog of EIT wave transients and coronal dimmings. We will compiled a set of more than 170 events, and we present strong evidence for the association of the co-development of coronal dimmings and EIT waves. Both limb and disk events are included in this study. We also include the speeds, locations, and associated flare timing in this study.

Can we explain atypical solar flares?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalmasse, K.; Chandra, R.; Schmieder, B.; Aulanier, G.

2015-02-01

Context. We used multiwavelength high-resolution data from ARIES, THEMIS, and SDO instruments to analyze a non-standard, C3.3 class flare produced within the active region NOAA 11589 on 2012 October 16. Magnetic flux emergence and cancellation were continuously detected within the active region, the latter leading to the formation of two filaments. Aims: Our aim is to identify the origins of the flare taking the complex dynamics of its close surroundings into account. Methods: We analyzed the magnetic topology of the active region using a linear force-free field extrapolation to derive its 3D magnetic configuration and the location of quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs), which are preferred sites for flaring activity. Because the active region's magnetic field was nonlinear force-free, we completed a parametric study using different linear force-free field extrapolations to demonstrate the robustness of the derived QSLs. Results: The topological analysis shows that the active region presented a complex magnetic configuration comprising several QSLs. The considered data set suggests that an emerging flux episode played a key role in triggering the flare. The emerging flux probably activated the complex system of QSLs, leading to multiple coronal magnetic reconnections within the QSLs. This scenario accounts for the observed signatures: the two extended flare ribbons developed at locations matched by the photospheric footprints of the QSLs and were accompanied with flare loops that formed above the two filaments, which played no important role in the flare dynamics. Conclusions: This is a typical example of a complex flare that can a priori show standard flare signatures that are nevertheless impossible to interpret with any standard model of eruptive or confined flare. We find that a topological analysis, however, permitted us to unveil the development of such complex sets of flare signatures. Movies associated to Figs. 1, 3, and 9 are only 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/574/A37

The decay of coronal loops brightened by flares and transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krieger, A. S.

1978-01-01

Observations of X-ray emitting loops derived from Skylab S-054 photographs, and combined with temperature and brightness estimates from Solrad data, are used to determine brightness decay times resulting from various coronal energy loss mechanisms. Conductive losses are found to be more rapid than radiative losses. Attention is given to the role of geometrical inhibition of conduction as a possible mechanism of brightness decay. Soft X-ray observations are consistent with the continuation of the 'evaporation' driven by thermal conduction late into the decay phase of the event.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy following gastrectomy reconstructed with Billroth II or Roux-en-Y method: Case series and literature review.

PubMed

Kawamoto, Yusuke; Ome, Yusuke; Kouda, Yusuke; Saga, Kennichi; Park, Taebum; Kawamoto, Kazuyuki

2017-01-01

The ideal reconstruction method for pancreaticoduodenectomy following a gastrectomy with Billroth II or Roux-en-Y reconstruction is unclear. We reviewed a series of seven pancreaticoduodenectomies performed after gastrectomy with the Billroth II or Roux-en-Y method. While preserving the existing gastrojejunostomy or esophagojejunostomy, pancreaticojejunostomy and hepaticojejunostomy were performed by the Roux-en-Y method using a new Roux limb in all cases. Four patients experienced postoperative complications, although the specific complications varied. A review of the literature revealed 13 cases of pancreaticoduodenectomy following gastrectomy with Billroth II or Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Three patients out of six (50%) in whom the past afferent limb was used for the reconstruction of the pancreaticojejunostomy and hepaticojejunostomy experienced afferent loop syndrome, while 14 previous and current patients in whom a new jejeunal limb was used did not experience this complication. The Roux-en-Y method, using the distal intestine of previous gastrojejunostomy or jejunojejunostomy as a new jejunal limb for pancreaticojejunostomy and hepaticojejunostomy, may be a better reconstruction method to avoid the complication of afferent loop syndrome after previous gastrectomy with Billroth II or Roux-en-Y reconstruction if the afferent limb is less than 40cm. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Correlative analysis of hard and soft x ray observations of solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zarro, Dominic M.

1994-01-01

We have developed a promising new technique for jointly analyzing BATSE hard X-ray observations of solar flares with simultaneous soft X-ray observations. The technique is based upon a model in which electric currents and associated electric fields are responsible for the respective heating and particle acceleration that occur in solar flares. A useful by-product of this technique is the strength and evolution of the coronal electric field. The latter permits one to derive important flare parameters such as the current density, the number of current filaments composing the loop, and ultimately the hard X-ray spectrum produced by the runaway electrons. We are continuing to explore the technique by applying it to additional flares for which we have joint BATSE/Yohkoh observations. A central assumption of our analysis is the constant of proportionality alpha relating the hard X-ray flux above 50 keV and the rate of electron acceleration. For a thick-target model of hard X-ray production, it can be shown that cv is in fact related to the spectral index and low-energy cutoff of precipitating electrons. The next step in our analysis is to place observational constraints on the latter parameters using the joint BATSE/Yohkoh data.

Progressive joint limitations as the first alarming signs in a boy with short - limbed dwarfism: A case report.

PubMed

Al Kaissi, Ali; Klaushofer, Klaus; Grill, Franz

2008-08-19

Contracture is a condition of abnormal shortening or shrinkage of a muscle, and or a tendon often with persistent flexion or distortion at a joint. Careful documentation of the kind of contractures encountered in different paediatric disorders is important in distinguishing a specific subtype. Achondroplasia has been considered as the most common short-limbed dwarfism syndrome, but there are a variety of other syndromes within this category, and other types of limb shortening. We report on a 5-year-old boy of Austrian origin who manifests progressive joint limitations in connection with a dysplastic form of short-limbed dwarfism namely chondrodysplasia punctata-tibial-metacarpal-type. Progressive joint limitations of maximal intensity over the hip, and the ankle joints were the main presenting features. Osteochondrodysplasias involve abnormal bone or cartilage growth leading to skeletal maldevelopment, often short-limbed dwarfism. Diagnosis is by physical examination, radiographic documentation, and, in some cases, genetic testing. In patients with chondrodysplasia punctata, early life radiographic examination is fundamental, since resolution of the punctate calcifications leaving abnormal epiphyses and flared and irregular metaphyses after age one to three years seems to be characteristic.

Progressive joint limitations as the first alarming signs in a boy with short – limbed dwarfism: A case report

PubMed Central

Al Kaissi, Ali; Klaushofer, Klaus; Grill, Franz

2008-01-01

Introduction Contracture is a condition of abnormal shortening or shrinkage of a muscle, and or a tendon often with persistent flexion or distortion at a joint. Careful documentation of the kind of contractures encountered in different paediatric disorders is important in distinguishing a specific subtype. Achondroplasia has been considered as the most common short-limbed dwarfism syndrome, but there are a variety of other syndromes within this category, and other types of limb shortening. Case presentation We report on a 5-year-old boy of Austrian origin who manifests progressive joint limitations in connection with a dysplastic form of short-limbed dwarfism namely chondrodysplasia punctata-tibial-metacarpal-type. Progressive joint limitations of maximal intensity over the hip, and the ankle joints were the main presenting features. Conclusion Osteochondrodysplasias involve abnormal bone or cartilage growth leading to skeletal maldevelopment, often short-limbed dwarfism. Diagnosis is by physical examination, radiographic documentation, and, in some cases, genetic testing. In patients with chondrodysplasia punctata, early life radiographic examination is fundamental, since resolution of the punctate calcifications leaving abnormal epiphyses and flared and irregular metaphyses after age one to three years seems to be characteristic. PMID:18713450

Observational and Model Analysis of a Two-ribbon Flare Possibly Induced by a Neighboring Blowout Jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Bhuwan; Thalmann, Julia K.; Mitra, Prabir K.; Chandra, Ramesh; Veronig, Astrid M.

2017-12-01

In this paper, we present unique observations of a blowout coronal jet that possibly triggered a two-ribbon confined C1.2 flare in bipolar solar active region NOAA 12615 on 2016 December 5. The jet activity initiates at chromospheric/transition region heights with a small brightening that eventually increases in volume, with well-developed standard morphological jet features, viz., base and spire. The spire widens up with a collimated eruption of cool and hot plasma components, observed in the 304 and 94 Å channels of AIA, respectively. The speed of the plasma ejection, which forms the jet’s spire, was higher for the hot component (˜200 km s-1) than the cooler one (˜130 km s-1). The NLFF model of coronal fields at the pre- and post-jet phases successfully reveals openings of previously closed magnetic field lines with a rather inclined/low-lying jet structure. The peak phase of the jet emission is followed by the development of a two-ribbon flare that shows coronal loop emission in HXRs up to ˜25 keV energy. The coronal magnetic fields rooted at the location of EUV flare ribbons, derived from the NLFF model, demonstrate the pre-flare phase to exhibit an “X-type” configuration, while the magnetic fields at the post-flare phase are more or less oriented parallel. Comparisons of multi-wavelength measurements with the magnetic field extrapolations suggest that the jet activity likely triggered the two-ribbon flare by perturbing the field in the interior of the active region.

A SOLAR FLARE DISTURBING A LIGHT WALL ABOVE A SUNSPOT LIGHT BRIDGE

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

Hou, Yijun; Zhang, Jun; Li, Ting

With the high-resolution data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph , we detect a light wall above a sunspot light bridge in the NOAA active region (AR) 12403. In the 1330 Å slit-jaw images, the light wall is brighter than the ambient areas while the wall top and base are much brighter than the wall body, and it keeps oscillating above the light bridge. A C8.0 flare caused by a filament activation occurred in this AR with the peak at 02:52 UT on 2015 August 28, and the flare’s one ribbon overlapped the light bridge, which was the observational basemore » of the light wall. Consequently, the oscillation of the light wall was evidently disturbed. The mean projective oscillation amplitude of the light wall increased from 0.5 to 1.6 Mm before the flare and decreased to 0.6 Mm after the flare. We suggest that the light wall shares a group of magnetic field lines with the flare loops, which undergo a magnetic reconnection process, and they constitute a coupled system. When the magnetic field lines are pushed upward at the pre-flare stage, the light wall turns to the vertical direction, resulting in the increase of the light wall’s projective oscillation amplitude. After the magnetic reconnection takes place, a group of new field lines with smaller scales are formed underneath the reconnection site, and the light wall inclines. Thus, the projective amplitude notably decrease at the post-flare stage.« less

BMP-Mediated Functional Cooperation between Dlx5;Dlx6 and Msx1;Msx2 during Mammalian Limb Development

PubMed Central

Vieux-Rochas, Maxence; Bouhali, Kamal; Mantero, Stefano; Garaffo, Giulia; Provero, Paolo; Astigiano, Simonetta; Barbieri, Ottavia; Caratozzolo, Mariano F.; Tullo, Apollonia; Guerrini, Luisa; Lallemand, Yvan; Robert, Benoît

2013-01-01

The Dlx and Msx homeodomain transcription factors play important roles in the control of limb development. The combined disruption of Msx1 and Msx2, as well as that of Dlx5 and Dlx6, lead to limb patterning defects with anomalies in digit number and shape. Msx1;Msx2 double mutants are characterized by the loss of derivatives of the anterior limb mesoderm which is not observed in either of the simple mutants. Dlx5;Dlx6 double mutants exhibit hindlimb ectrodactyly. While the morphogenetic action of Msx genes seems to involve the BMP molecules, the mode of action of Dlx genes still remains elusive. Here, examining the limb phenotypes of combined Dlx and Msx mutants we reveal a new Dlx-Msx regulatory loop directly involving BMPs. In Msx1;Dlx5;Dlx6 triple mutant mice (TKO), beside the expected ectrodactyly, we also observe the hallmark morphological anomalies of Msx1;Msx2 double mutants suggesting an epistatic role of Dlx5 and Dlx6 over Msx2. In Msx2;Dlx5;Dlx6 TKO mice we only observe an aggravation of the ectrodactyly defect without changes in the number of the individual components of the limb. Using a combination of qPCR, ChIP and bioinformatic analyses, we identify two Dlx/Msx regulatory pathways: 1) in the anterior limb mesoderm a non-cell autonomous Msx-Dlx regulatory loop involves BMP molecules through the AER and 2) in AER cells and, at later stages, in the limb mesoderm the regulation of Msx2 by Dlx5 and Dlx6 occurs also cell autonomously. These data bring new elements to decipher the complex AER-mesoderm dialogue that takes place during limb development and provide clues to understanding the etiology of congenital limb malformations. PMID:23382810

BMP-mediated functional cooperation between Dlx5;Dlx6 and Msx1;Msx2 during mammalian limb development.

PubMed

Vieux-Rochas, Maxence; Bouhali, Kamal; Mantero, Stefano; Garaffo, Giulia; Provero, Paolo; Astigiano, Simonetta; Barbieri, Ottavia; Caratozzolo, Mariano F; Tullo, Apollonia; Guerrini, Luisa; Lallemand, Yvan; Robert, Benoît; Levi, Giovanni; Merlo, Giorgio R

2013-01-01

The Dlx and Msx homeodomain transcription factors play important roles in the control of limb development. The combined disruption of Msx1 and Msx2, as well as that of Dlx5 and Dlx6, lead to limb patterning defects with anomalies in digit number and shape. Msx1;Msx2 double mutants are characterized by the loss of derivatives of the anterior limb mesoderm which is not observed in either of the simple mutants. Dlx5;Dlx6 double mutants exhibit hindlimb ectrodactyly. While the morphogenetic action of Msx genes seems to involve the BMP molecules, the mode of action of Dlx genes still remains elusive. Here, examining the limb phenotypes of combined Dlx and Msx mutants we reveal a new Dlx-Msx regulatory loop directly involving BMPs. In Msx1;Dlx5;Dlx6 triple mutant mice (TKO), beside the expected ectrodactyly, we also observe the hallmark morphological anomalies of Msx1;Msx2 double mutants suggesting an epistatic role of Dlx5 and Dlx6 over Msx2. In Msx2;Dlx5;Dlx6 TKO mice we only observe an aggravation of the ectrodactyly defect without changes in the number of the individual components of the limb. Using a combination of qPCR, ChIP and bioinformatic analyses, we identify two Dlx/Msx regulatory pathways: 1) in the anterior limb mesoderm a non-cell autonomous Msx-Dlx regulatory loop involves BMP molecules through the AER and 2) in AER cells and, at later stages, in the limb mesoderm the regulation of Msx2 by Dlx5 and Dlx6 occurs also cell autonomously. These data bring new elements to decipher the complex AER-mesoderm dialogue that takes place during limb development and provide clues to understanding the etiology of congenital limb malformations.

The Height of a White-Light Flare and its Hard X-Ray Sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliveros, Juan-Carlos Martinez; Hudson, Hugh S.; Hurford, Gordon J.; Kriucker, Saem; Lin, R. P.; Lindsey, Charles; Couvidat, Sebastien; Schou, Jesper; Thompson, W. T.

2012-01-01

We describe observations of a white-light (WL) flare (SOL2011-02-24T07:35:00, M3.5) close to the limb of the Sun, from which we obtain estimates of the heights of the optical continuum sources and those of the associated hard X-ray (HXR) sources. For this purpose, we use HXR images from the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Spectroscopic Imager and optical images at 6173 Ang. from the Solar Dynamics Observatory.We find that the centroids of the impulsive-phase emissions in WL and HXRs (30 -80 keV) match closely in central distance (angular displacement from Sun center), within uncertainties of order 0".2. This directly implies a common source height for these radiations, strengthening the connection between visible flare continuum formation and the accelerated electrons. We also estimate the absolute heights of these emissions as vertical distances from Sun center. Such a direct estimation has not been done previously, to our knowledge. Using a simultaneous 195 Ang. image from the Solar-Terrestrial RElations Observatory spacecraft to identify the heliographic coordinates of the flare footpoints, we determine mean heights above the photosphere (as normally defined; tau = 1 at 5000 Ang.) of 305 +/- 170 km and 195 +/- 70 km, respectively, for the centroids of the HXR and WL footpoint sources of the flare. These heights are unexpectedly low in the atmosphere, and are consistent with the expected locations of tau = 1 for the 6173 Ang and the approx 40 keV photons observed, respectively.

Observations of loops and prominences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strong, Keith T.

1994-01-01

We review recent observations by the Yohkoh-SXT (Soft X-ray Telescope) in collaboration with other spacecraft and ground-based observatories of coronal loops and prominences. These new results point to problems that SoHO will be able to address. With a unique combination of rapid-cadence digital imaging (greater than or equal to 32 s full-disk and greater than or equal to 2 s partial-frame images), high spatial resolution (greater than or equal to 2.5 arcsec pixels), high sensitivity (EM less than or equal to 10(exp 42) cm(exp -3)), a low-scatter mirror, and large dynamic range, SXT can observe a vast range of targets on the Sun. Over the first 21 months of Yohkoh operations SXT has taken over one million images of the corona and so is building up an invaluable long-term database on the large-scale corona and loop geometry. The most striking thing about the SXT images is the range of loop sizes and shapes. The active regions are a bright tangle of magnetic field lines, surrounded by a network of large-scale quiet-Sun loops stretching over distances in excess of 105 km. The cross-section of most loops seems to be constant. Loops displaying significant Gamma's are the exception, not the rule, implying the presence of widespread currents in the corona. All magnetic structures show changes. Time scales range from seconds to months. The question of how these structures are formed, become filled with hot plasma, and are maintained is still open. While we see the propagation of brightenings along the length of active-region loops and in X-ray jets with velocities of several hundred km/s, much higher velocities are seen in the quiet Sun. In XBP flares, for example, velocities of over 1000 km/s are common. Active-region loops seem to be in constant motion, moving slowly outward, carrying plasma with them. During flares, loops often produce localized brightenings at the base and later at the apex of the loop. Quiescent filaments and prominences have been observed regularly. Their coronal manifestation seems to be an extended arcade of loops overlying the filament. Reliable alignment of the ground-based data with the X-ray images make it possible to make a detailed intercomparison of the hot and cold plasma structures over extended periods. Hence we are able to follow the long-term evolution of these structures and see how they become destabilized and erupt.

Solar observations carried out at the INAF - Catania Astrophysical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuccarello, F.; Contarino, L.; Romano, P.

2011-10-01

Solar observations at the INAF - Catania Astrophysical Observatory are carried out by means of an equatorial spar, which includes: a Cook refractor, used to make daily drawings of sunspot groups from visual observations; a 150-mm refractor with an Hα Lyot filter for chromospheric observations; a 150-mm refractor feeding an Hα Halle filter for limb observations of the chromosphere. The photospheric and chromospheric data are daily distributed to several international Solar Data Centers. Recently, a program of Flare Warning has been implemented, with the aim of determining the probability that an active region yields a flare on the basis of its characteristics deduced from optical observations. Some science results obtained by means of solar data acquired at the INAF - Catania Astrophysical Observatory, as well as by space-instruments data, are briefly described.

Temperature evolution of a magnetic flux rope in a failed solar eruption

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

Song, H. Q.; Chen, Y.; Li, B.

2014-03-20

In this paper, we report for the first time the detailed temperature evolution process of the magnetic flux rope in a failed solar eruption. Occurring on 2013 January 05, the flux rope was impulsively accelerated to a speed of ∼400 km s{sup –1} in the first minute, then decelerated and came to a complete stop in two minutes. The failed eruption resulted in a large-size high-lying (∼100 Mm above the surface), high-temperature 'fire ball' sitting in the corona for more than two hours. The time evolution of the thermal structure of the flux rope was revealed through the differential emissionmore » measure analysis technique, which produced temperature maps using observations of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory. The average temperature of the flux rope steadily increased from ∼5 MK to ∼10 MK during the first nine minutes of the evolution, which was much longer than the rise time (about three minutes) of the associated soft X-ray flare. We suggest that the flux rope is heated by the energy release of the continuing magnetic reconnection, different from the heating of the low-lying flare loops, which is mainly produced by the chromospheric plasma evaporation. The loop arcade overlying the flux rope was pushed up by ∼10 Mm during the attempted eruption. The pattern of the velocity variation of the loop arcade strongly suggests that the failure of the eruption was caused by the strapping effect of the overlying loop arcade.« less

Mini-filament Eruption as the Initiation of a Jet along Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Junchao; Jiang, Yunchun; Yang, Jiayan; Yang, Bo; Xu, Zhe; Xiang, Yongyuan

2016-10-01

Minifilament eruptions (MFEs) and coronal jets are different types of solar small-scale explosive events. We report an MFE observed at the New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST). As seen in the NVST Hα images, during the rising phase, the minifilament erupts outward orthogonally to its length, accompanied with a flare-like brightening at the bottom. Afterward, dark materials are found to possibly extend along the axis of the expanded filament body. The MFE is analogous to large filament eruptions. However, a simultaneous observation of the Solar Dynamics Observatory shows that a jet is initiated and flows out along nearby coronal loops during the rising phase of the MFE. Meanwhile, small hot loops, which connect the original eruptive site of the minifilament to the footpoints of the coronal loops, are formed successively. A differential emission measure analysis demonstrates that, on the top of the new small loops, a hot cusp structure exists. We conjecture that the magnetic fields of the MFE interact with magnetic fields of the coronal loops. This interaction is interpreted as magnetic reconnection that produces the jet and the small hot loops.

The evolution of energetic particles and the emitted radiation in solar flares. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Edward Tsang

1989-01-01

The evolution of accelerated particle distributions in a magnetized plasma and the resulting radiation are calculated, and the results are applied to solar flares. To study the radiation on timescales of order the particle lifetimes, the evolution of the particle distribution is determined by the use of the Fokker-Planck equation including Coulomb collisions and magnetic mirroring. Analytic solution to the equations are obtained for limiting cases such as homogeneous injection in a homogeneous plasma, and for small pitch angle. These analytic solutions are then used to place constraints on flare parameters such as density, loop length, and the injection timescale for very short implusive solar flares. For general particle distributions in arbitrary magnetic field and background density, the equation is solved numerically. The relative timing of microwaves and X-rays during individual flares is investigated. A number of possible sources for excessive microwave flux are discussed including a flattening in the electron spectrum above hard X-ray energies, thermal synchrotron emission, and trapping of electron by converging magnetic fields. Over shorter timescales, the Fokker-Planck equation is solved numerically to calculate the temporal evolution of microwaves and X-rays from nonthermal thick target models. It is shown that magnetic trapping will not account for the observed correlation of microwaves of approximately 0.15 seconds behind X-rays in flares with rapid time variation, and thus higher energy electrons must be accelerated later than lower energy electrons.

NuSTAR Hard X-Ray Observation of a Sub-A Class Solar Flare

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

Glesener, Lindsay; Krucker, Säm; Hudson, Hugh

We report a Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array ( NuSTAR ) observation of a solar microflare, SOL2015-09-01T04. Although it was too faint to be observed by the GOES X-ray Sensor, we estimate the event to be an A0.1 class flare in brightness. This microflare, with only ∼5 counts s{sup −1} detector{sup −1} observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager ( RHESSI ), is fainter than any hard X-ray (HXR) flare in the existing literature. The microflare occurred during a solar pointing by the highly sensitive NuSTAR astrophysical observatory, which used its direct focusing optics to produce detailed HXRmore » microflare spectra and images. The microflare exhibits HXR properties commonly observed in larger flares, including a fast rise and more gradual decay, earlier peak time with higher energy, spatial dimensions similar to the RHESSI microflares, and a high-energy excess beyond an isothermal spectral component during the impulsive phase. The microflare is small in emission measure, temperature, and energy, though not in physical size; observations are consistent with an origin via the interaction of at least two magnetic loops. We estimate the increase in thermal energy at the time of the microflare to be 2.4 × 10{sup 27} erg. The observation suggests that flares do indeed scale down to extremely small energies and retain what we customarily think of as “flare-like” properties.« less

November 15, 1991 X Flare -- The Movie: Hα , Soft X-rays, and Hard X-rays and Magnetic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wulser, J.-P.; Acton, L.; Sakao, T.; Canfield, R.; Kosugi, T.; Slater, G.; Strong, K.; Tsuneta, S.

1992-05-01

The X1.5/3B flare on 1991 November 15, 22:33 UT was well observed by the Hα Imaging Spectrograph and the Vector Magnetograph (Stokes Polarimeter) at Mees Solar Observatory, and by the Soft- and Hard X-ray Telescopes (SXT and HXT) aboard YOHKOH. We have combined this multispectral dataset into a series of temporally and spatially co-aligned video movies and analyzed the morphological and temporal relationships of the various flare emissions. The earliest manifestations of this flare include unresolved preflare SXR brightenings very close to the magnetic neutral line and preflare motions of filaments seen in Hα . In the flare core, SXR and Hα emission show moving and rotating coronal structures which we interpret as a successive brightening of adjacent loops during the main phase of the flare. The HXR source shows much more dramatic variability than the SXR source, and they are clearly not cospatial. On the other hand, there is a close spatial relationship between the HXR and Hα blue wing emission sites. The Hα , HXR, and SXR images all point to acceleration and heating in a region that starts close to the neutral line and moves outward during each HXR burst and during the gradual phase. Spectacular mass ejections are seen in both SXR and Hα , with clear unwinding of tightly coiled structures, acceleration of X-ray and Hα material to velocities of order 1000 km/s, and a striking thermal bifurcation between hot and cold plasma.

Quasi-Periodic Pulsations During the Impulsive and Decay Phases of an X-Class Flare

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hays, L. A.; Gallagher, P. T.; Dennis, B. R.; Ireland, J.; Inglis, A. R.; Ryan, D. F.

2016-01-01

Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) are often observed in X-ray emission from solar flares. To date, it is unclear what their physical origins are. Here, we present a multi-instrument investigation of the nature of QPP during the impulsive and decay phases of the X1.0 flare of 2013 October 28. We focus on the character of the fine structure pulsations evident in the soft X-ray (SXR) time derivatives and compare this variability with structure across multiple wavelengths including hard X-ray and microwave emission. We find that during the impulsive phase of the flare, high correlations between pulsations in the thermal and non-thermal emissions are seen. A characteristic timescale of 20 s is observed in all channels and a second timescale of 55 s is observed in the non-thermal emissions. SXR pulsations are seen to persist into the decay phase of this flare, up to 20 minutes after the non-thermal emission has ceased. We find that these decay phase thermal pulsations have very small amplitude and show an increase in characteristic timescale from 40 s up to 70 s. We interpret the bursty nature of the co-existing multi-wavelength QPPs during the impulsive phase in terms of episodic particle acceleration and plasma heating. The persistent thermal decay phase QPPs are most likely connected with compressive magnetohydrodynamic processes in the post-flare loops such as the fast sausage mode or the vertical kink mode.

Beam-induced pressure gradients in the early phase of proton-heated solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tamres, David H.; Canfield, Richard C.; Mcclymont, A. N.

1986-01-01

The pressure gradient induced in a coronal loop by proton beam momentum deposition is calculated and compared with the thermal pressure gradient arising from nonuniform deposition of beam energy; it is assumed that the transfer of momentum and energy from beam to target occurs via the Coulomb interaciton. Results are presented for both a low mean energy and a high mean energy proton beam injected at the loop apex and characterized by a power-law energy spectrum. The present treatment takes account of the breakdown of the cold target approximation for the low-energy proton beam in the corona, where the thermal speed of target electrons exceeds the beam speed. It is found that proton beam momentum deposition plays a potentially significant role in flare dynamics only in the low mean energy case and only in the corona, where it may dominate the acceleration of target material for as long as several tens of seconds. This conclusion suggest that the presence of low-energy nonthermal protons may be inferred from velocity-sensitive coronal observations in the early impulsive phase.

Neuromimetic Event-Based Detection for Closed-Loop Tactile Feedback Control of Upper Limb Prostheses

PubMed Central

Osborn, Luke; Kaliki, Rahul; Soares, Alcimar; Thakor, Nitish

2016-01-01

Upper limb amputees lack the valuable tactile sensing that helps provide context about the surrounding environment. Here we utilize tactile information to provide active touch feedback to a prosthetic hand. First, we developed fingertip tactile sensors for producing biomimetic spiking responses for monitoring contact, release, and slip of an object grasped by a prosthetic hand. We convert the sensor output into pulses, mimicking the rapid and slowly adapting spiking responses of receptor afferents found in the human body. Second, we designed and implemented two neuromimetic event-based algorithms, Compliant Grasping and Slip Prevention, on a prosthesis to create a local closed-loop tactile feedback control system (i.e. tactile information is sent to the prosthesis). Grasping experiments were designed to assess the benefit of this biologically inspired neuromimetic tactile feedback to a prosthesis. Results from able-bodied and amputee subjects show the average number of objects that broke or slipped during grasping decreased by over 50% and the average time to complete a grasping task decreased by at least 10% for most trials when comparing neuromimetic tactile feedback with no feedback on a prosthesis. Our neuromimetic method of closed-loop tactile sensing is a novel approach to improving the function of upper limb prostheses. PMID:27777640

SDO/AIA AND HINODE/EIS OBSERVATIONS OF INTERACTION BETWEEN AN EUV WAVE AND ACTIVE REGION LOOPS

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

Yang, Liheng; Zhang, Jun; Li, Ting

2013-09-20

We present detailed analysis of an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave and its interaction with active region (AR) loops observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and the Hinode EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). This wave was initiated from AR 11261 on 2011 August 4 and propagated at velocities of 430-910 km s{sup –1}. It was observed to traverse another AR and cross over a filament channel on its path. The EUV wave perturbed neighboring AR loops and excited a disturbance that propagated toward the footpoints of these loops. EIS observations of AR loops revealed that at the time of the wavemore » transit, the original redshift increased by about 3 km s{sup –1}, while the original blueshift decreased slightly. After the wave transit, these changes were reversed. When the EUV wave arrived at the boundary of a polar coronal hole, two reflected waves were successively produced and part of them propagated above the solar limb. The first reflected wave above the solar limb encountered a large-scale loop system on its path, and a secondary wave rapidly emerged 144 Mm ahead of it at a higher speed. These findings can be explained in the framework of a fast-mode magnetosonic wave interpretation for EUV waves, in which observed EUV waves are generated by expanding coronal mass ejections.« less

An interpretation of flare-induced and decayless coronal-loop oscillations as interference patterns

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

Hindman, Bradley W.; Jain, Rekha, E-mail: hindman@solarz.colorado.edu

2014-04-01

We present an alternative model of coronal-loop oscillations, which considers that the waves are trapped in a two-dimensional waveguide formed by the entire arcade of field lines. This differs from the standard one-dimensional model which treats the waves as the resonant oscillations of just the visible bundle of field lines. Within the framework of our two-dimensional model, the two types of oscillations that have been observationally identified, flare-induced waves and 'decayless' oscillations, can both be attributed to MHD fast waves. The two components of the signal differ only because of the duration and spatial extent of the source that createsmore » them. The flare-induced waves are generated by strong localized sources of short duration, while the decayless background can be excited by a continuous, stochastic source. Further, the oscillatory signal arising from a localized, short-duration source can be interpreted as a pattern of interference fringes produced by waves that have traveled diverse routes of various pathlengths through the waveguide. The resulting amplitude of the fringes slowly decays in time with an inverse square root dependence. The details of the interference pattern depend on the shape of the arcade and the spatial variation of the Alfvén speed. The rapid decay of this wave component, which has previously been attributed to physical damping mechanisms that remove energy from resonant oscillations, occurs as a natural consequence of the interference process without the need for local dissipation.« less

Diffusive transport of energetic electrons in the solar corona: X-ray and radio diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musset, S.; Kontar, E. P.; Vilmer, N.

2018-02-01

Context. Imaging spectroscopy in X-rays with RHESSI provides the possibility to investigate the spatial evolution of X-ray emitting electron distribution and therefore, to study transport effects on energetic electrons during solar flares. Aims: We study the energy dependence of the scattering mean free path of energetic electrons in the solar corona. Methods: We used imaging spectroscopy with RHESSI to study the evolution of energetic electrons distribution in various parts of the magnetic loop during the 2004 May 21 flare. We compared these observations with the radio observations of the gyrosynchrotron radiation of the same flare and with the predictions of a diffusive transport model. Results: X-ray analysis shows a trapping of energetic electrons in the corona and a spectral hardening of the energetic electron distribution between the top of the loop and the footpoints. Coronal trapping of electrons is stronger for radio-emitting electrons than for X-ray-emitting electrons. These observations can be explained by a diffusive transport model. Conclusions: We show that the combination of X-ray and radio diagnostics is a powerful tool to study electron transport in the solar corona in different energy domains. We show that the diffusive transport model can explain our observations, and in the range 25-500 keV, the scattering mean free path of electrons decreases with electron energy. We can estimate for the first time the scattering mean free path dependence on energy in the corona.

Plasma Evolution within an Erupting Coronal Cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, David M.; Harra, Louise K.; Matthews, Sarah A.; Warren, Harry P.; Lee, Kyoung-Sun; Doschek, George A.; Hara, Hirohisa; Jenkins, Jack M.

2018-03-01

Coronal cavities have previously been observed to be associated with long-lived quiescent filaments and are thought to correspond to the associated magnetic flux rope. Although the standard flare model predicts a coronal cavity corresponding to the erupting flux rope, these have only been observed using broadband imaging data, restricting an analysis to the plane-of-sky. We present a unique set of spectroscopic observations of an active region filament seen erupting at the solar limb in the extreme ultraviolet. The cavity erupted and expanded rapidly, with the change in rise phase contemporaneous with an increase in nonthermal electron energy flux of the associated flare. Hot and cool filamentary material was observed to rise with the erupting flux rope, disappearing suddenly as the cavity appeared. Although strongly blueshifted plasma continued to be observed flowing from the apex of the erupting flux rope, this outflow soon ceased. These results indicate that the sudden injection of energy from the flare beneath forced the rapid eruption and expansion of the flux rope, driving strong plasma flows, which resulted in the eruption of an under-dense filamentary flux rope.

Eruption of a plasma blob, associated M-class flare, and large-scale extreme-ultraviolet wave observed by SDO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, P.; Manoharan, P. K.

2013-05-01

We present a multiwavelength study of the formation and ejection of a plasma blob and associated extreme ultraviolet (EUV) waves in active region (AR) NOAA 11176, observed by SDO/AIA and STEREO on 25 March 2011. The EUV images observed with the AIA instrument clearly show the formation and ejection of a plasma blob from the lower atmosphere of the Sun at ~9 min prior to the onset of the M1.0 flare. This onset of the M-class flare happened at the site of the blob formation, while the blob was rising in a parabolic path with an average speed of ~300 km s. The blob also showed twisting and de-twisting motion in the lower corona, and the blob speed varied from ~10-540 km s. The faster and slower EUV wavefronts were observed in front of the plasma blob during its impulsive acceleration phase. The faster EUV wave propagated with a speed of ~785 to 1020 km s, whereas the slower wavefront speed varied in between ~245 and 465 km s. The timing and speed of the faster wave match the shock speed estimated from the drift rate of the associated type II radio burst. The faster wave experiences a reflection by the nearby AR NOAA 11177. In addition, secondary waves were observed (only in the 171 Å channel), when the primary fast wave and plasma blob impacted the funnel-shaped coronal loops. The Helioseismic Magnetic Imager (HMI) magnetograms revealed the continuous emergence of new magnetic flux along with shear flows at the site of the blob formation. It is inferred that the emergence of twisted magnetic fields in the form of arch-filaments/"anemone-type" loops is the likely cause for the plasma blob formation and associated eruption along with the triggering of M-class flare. Furthermore, the faster EUV wave formed ahead of the blob shows the signature of fast-mode MHD wave, whereas the slower wave seems to be generated by the field line compression by the plasma blob. The secondary wave trains originated from the funnel-shaped loops are probably the fast magnetoacoustic waves. Three movies are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

A Hydrodynamic Model of Alfvénic Wave Heating in a Coronal Loop and Its Chromospheric Footpoints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reep, Jeffrey W.; Russell, Alexander J. B.; Tarr, Lucas A.; Leake, James E.

2018-02-01

Alfvénic waves have been proposed as an important energy transport mechanism in coronal loops, capable of delivering energy to both the corona and chromosphere and giving rise to many observed features of flaring and quiescent regions. In previous work, we established that resistive dissipation of waves (ambipolar diffusion) can drive strong chromospheric heating and evaporation, capable of producing flaring signatures. However, that model was based on a simplified assumption that the waves propagate instantly to the chromosphere, an assumption that the current work removes. Via a ray-tracing method, we have implemented traveling waves in a field-aligned hydrodynamic simulation that dissipate locally as they propagate along the field line. We compare this method to and validate against the magnetohydrodynamics code Lare3D. We then examine the importance of travel times to the dynamics of the loop evolution, finding that (1) the ionization level of the plasma plays a critical role in determining the location and rate at which waves dissipate; (2) long duration waves effectively bore a hole into the chromosphere, allowing subsequent waves to penetrate deeper than previously expected, unlike an electron beam whose energy deposition rises in height as evaporation reduces the mean-free paths of the electrons; and (3) the dissipation of these waves drives a pressure front that propagates to deeper depths, unlike energy deposition by an electron beam.

Nanoflares, Spicules, and Other Small-Scale Dynamic Phenomena on the Sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klimchuk, James

2010-01-01

There is abundant evidence of highly dynamic phenomena occurring on very small scales in the solar atmosphere. For example, the observed pr operties of many coronal loops can only be explained if the loops are bundles of unresolved strands that are heated impulsively by nanoflares. Type II spicules recently discovered by Hinode are an example of small-scale impulsive events occurring in the chromosphere. The exist ence of these and other small-scale phenomena is not surprising given the highly structured nature of the magnetic field that is revealed by photospheric observations. Dynamic phenomena also occur on much lar ger scales, including coronal jets, flares, and CMEs. It is tempting to suggest that these different phenomena are all closely related and represent a continuous distribution of sizes and energies. However, this is a dangerous over simplification in my opinion. While it is tru e that the phenomena all involve "magnetic reconnection" (the changin g of field line connectivity) in some form, how this occurs depends s trongly on the magnetic geometry. A nanoflare resulting from the interaction of tangled magnetic strands within a confined coronal loop is much different from a major flare occurring at the current sheet form ed when a CME rips open an active region. I will review the evidence for ubiquitous small-scale dynamic phenomena on the Sun and discuss wh y different phenomena are not all fundamentally the same.

Feed forward and feedback control for over-ground locomotion in anaesthetized cats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazurek, K. A.; Holinski, B. J.; Everaert, D. G.; Stein, R. B.; Etienne-Cummings, R.; Mushahwar, V. K.

2012-04-01

The biological central pattern generator (CPG) integrates open and closed loop control to produce over-ground walking. The goal of this study was to develop a physiologically based algorithm capable of mimicking the biological system to control multiple joints in the lower extremities for producing over-ground walking. The algorithm used state-based models of the step cycle each of which produced different stimulation patterns. Two configurations were implemented to restore over-ground walking in five adult anaesthetized cats using intramuscular stimulation (IMS) of the main hip, knee and ankle flexor and extensor muscles in the hind limbs. An open loop controller relied only on intrinsic timing while a hybrid-CPG controller added sensory feedback from force plates (representing limb loading), and accelerometers and gyroscopes (representing limb position). Stimulation applied to hind limb muscles caused extension or flexion in the hips, knees and ankles. A total of 113 walking trials were obtained across all experiments. Of these, 74 were successful in which the cats traversed 75% of the 3.5 m over-ground walkway. In these trials, the average peak step length decreased from 24.9 ± 8.4 to 21.8 ± 7.5 (normalized units) and the median number of steps per trial increased from 7 (Q1 = 6, Q3 = 9) to 9 (8, 11) with the hybrid-CPG controller. Moreover, within these trials, the hybrid-CPG controller produced more successful steps (step length ≤ 20 cm ground reaction force ≥ 12.5% body weight) than the open loop controller: 372 of 544 steps (68%) versus 65 of 134 steps (49%), respectively. This supports our previous preliminary findings, and affirms that physiologically based hybrid-CPG approaches produce more successful stepping than open loop controllers. The algorithm provides the foundation for a neural prosthetic controller and a framework to implement more detailed control of locomotion in the future.

Feed forward and feedback control for over-ground locomotion in anaesthetized cats

PubMed Central

Mazurek, K A; Holinski, B J; Everaert, D G; Stein, R B; Etienne-Cummings, R; Mushahwar, V K

2012-01-01

The biological central pattern generator (CPG) integrates open and closed loop control to produce over-ground walking. The goal of this study was to develop a physiologically based algorithm capable of mimicking the biological system to control multiple joints in the lower extremities for producing over-ground walking. The algorithm used state-based models of the step cycle each of which produced different stimulation patterns. Two configurations were implemented to restore over-ground walking in five adult anaesthetized cats using intramuscular stimulation (IMS) of the main hip, knee and ankle flexor and extensor muscles in the hind limbs. An open loop controller relied only on intrinsic timing while a hybrid-CPG controller added sensory feedback from force plates (representing limb loading), and accelerometers and gyroscopes (representing limb position). Stimulation applied to hind limb muscles caused extension or flexion in the hips, knees and ankles. A total of 113 walking trials were obtained across all experiments. Of these, 74 were successful in which the cats traversed 75% of the 3.5 m over-ground walkway. In these trials, the average peak step length decreased from 24.9 ± 8.4 to 21.8 ± 7.5 (normalized units) and the median number of steps per trial increased from 7 (Q1=6, Q3 = 9) to 9 (8, 11) with the hybrid-CPG controller. Moreover, these trials, the hybrid-CPG controller produced more successful steps (step length ≤ 20 cm; ground reaction force ≥ 12.5% body weight) than the open loop controller: 372 of 544 steps (68%) versus 65 of 134 steps (49%), respectively. This supports our previous preliminary findings, and affirms that physiologically based hybrid-CPG approaches produce more successful stepping than open loop controllers. The algorithm provides the foundation for a neural prosthetic controller and a framework to implement more detailed control of locomotion in the future. PMID:22328615

A tiny event producing an interplanetary type III burst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alissandrakis, C. E.; Nindos, A.; Patsourakos, S.; Kontogeorgos, A.; Tsitsipis, P.

2015-10-01

Aims: We investigate the conditions under which small-scale energy release events in the low corona gave rise to strong interplanetary (IP) type III bursts. Methods: We analyzed observations of three tiny events, detected by the Nançay Radio Heliograph (NRH), two of which produced IP type III bursts. We took advantage of the NRH positioning information and of the high cadence of AIA/SDO data to identify the associated extreme-UV (EUV) emissions. We measured positions and time profiles of the metric and EUV sources. Results: We found that the EUV events that produced IP type III bursts were located near a coronal hole boundary, while the one that did not was located in a closed magnetic field region. In all three cases tiny flaring loops were involved, without any associated mass eruption. In the best observed case, the radio emission at the highest frequency (435 MHz) was displaced by ~55'' with respect to the small flaring loop. The metric type III emission shows a complex structure in space and in time, indicative of multiple electron beams, despite the low intensity of the events. From the combined analysis of dynamic spectra and NRH images, we derived the electron beam velocity as well as the height, ambient plasma temperature, and density at the level of formation of the 160 MHz emission. From the analysis of the differential emission measure derived from the AIA images, we found that the first evidence of energy release was at the footpoints, and this was followed by the development of flaring loops and subsequent cooling. Conclusions: Even small energy release events can accelerate enough electrons to give rise to powerful IP type III bursts. The proximity of the electron acceleration site to open magnetic field lines facilitates the escape of the electrons into the interplanetary space. The offset between the site of energy release and the metric type III location warrants further investigation. The movie is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Real-time control of hind limb functional electrical stimulation using feedback from dorsal root ganglia recordings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruns, Tim M.; Wagenaar, Joost B.; Bauman, Matthew J.; Gaunt, Robert A.; Weber, Douglas J.

2013-04-01

Objective. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) approaches often utilize an open-loop controller to drive state transitions. The addition of sensory feedback may allow for closed-loop control that can respond effectively to perturbations and muscle fatigue. Approach. We evaluated the use of natural sensory nerve signals obtained with penetrating microelectrode arrays in lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) as real-time feedback for closed-loop control of FES-generated hind limb stepping in anesthetized cats. Main results. Leg position feedback was obtained in near real-time at 50 ms intervals by decoding the firing rates of more than 120 DRG neurons recorded simultaneously. Over 5 m of effective linear distance was traversed during closed-loop stepping trials in each of two cats. The controller compensated effectively for perturbations in the stepping path when DRG sensory feedback was provided. The presence of stimulation artifacts and the quality of DRG unit sorting did not significantly affect the accuracy of leg position feedback obtained from the linear decoding model as long as at least 20 DRG units were included in the model. Significance. This work demonstrates the feasibility and utility of closed-loop FES control based on natural neural sensors. Further work is needed to improve the controller and electrode technologies and to evaluate long-term viability.

Real-time control of hind limb functional electrical stimulation using feedback from dorsal root ganglia recordings

PubMed Central

Bruns, Tim M; Wagenaar, Joost B; Bauman, Matthew J; Gaunt, Robert A; Weber, Douglas J

2013-01-01

Objective Functional electrical stimulation (FES) approaches often utilize an open-loop controller to drive state transitions. The addition of sensory feedback may allow for closed-loop control that can respond effectively to perturbations and muscle fatigue. Approach We evaluated the use of natural sensory nerve signals obtained with penetrating microelectrode arrays in lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) as real-time feedback for closed-loop control of FES-generated hind limb stepping in anesthetized cats. Main results Leg position feedback was obtained in near real-time at 50 ms intervals by decoding the firing rates of more than 120 DRG neurons recorded simultaneously. Over 5 m of effective linear distance was traversed during closed-loop stepping trials in each of two cats. The controller compensated effectively for perturbations in the stepping path when DRG sensory feedback was provided. The presence of stimulation artifacts and the quality of DRG unit sorting did not significantly affect the accuracy of leg position feedback obtained from the linear decoding model as long as at least 20 DRG units were included in the model. Significance This work demonstrates the feasibility and utility of closed-loop FES control based on natural neural sensors. Further work is needed to improve the controller and electrode technologies and to evaluate long-term viability. PMID:23503062

Stochastic three-wave interaction in flaring solar loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vlahos, L.; Sharma, R. R.; Papadopoulos, K.

1983-01-01

A model is proposed for the dynamic structure of high-frequency microwave bursts. The dynamic component is attributed to beams of precipitating electrons which generate electrostatic waves in the upper hybrid branch. Coherent upconversion of the electrostatic waves to electromagnetic waves produces an intrinsically stochastic emission component which is superposed on the gyrosynchrotron continuum generated by stably trapped electron fluxes. The role of the density and temperature of the ambient plasma in the wave growth and the transition of the three wave upconversion to stochastic, despite the stationarity of the energy source, are discussed in detail. The model appears to reproduce the observational features for reasonable parameters of the solar flare plasma.

Tracing Chromospheric Evaporation in Radio and Soft X-rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aschwanden, Markus J.

1997-01-01

There are three publications in refereed journals and several presentations at scientific conferences resulted from this work, over a period of 6 months during 1995/1996. In the first paper, the discovery of the chromospheric evaporation process at radio wavelengths is described. In the second paper, the radio detection is used to quantify electron densities in the upflowing heated plasma in flare loops, which is then compared with independent other density measurements from soft X-rays, or the plasma frequency of electron beams originating in the acceleration region. In the third paper, the diagnostic results of the chromospheric evaporation process are embedded into a broader picture of a standard flare scenario. Abstracts of these three papers are attached.

Effects of time delay and pitch control sensitivity in the flared landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berthe, C. J.; Chalk, C. R.; Wingarten, N. C.; Grantham, W.

1986-01-01

Between December 1985 and January 1986, a flared landing program was conducted, using the USAF Total In-Flight simulator airplane, to examine time delay effects in a formal manner. Results show that as pitch sensitivity is increased, tolerance to time delay decreases. With the proper selection of pitch sensitivity, Level I performance was maintained with time delays ranging from 150 milliseconds to greater than 300 milliseconds. With higher sensitivity, configurations with Level I performance at 150 milliseconds degraded to level 2 at 200 milliseconds. When metrics of time delay and pitch sensitivity effects are applied to enhance previously developed predictive criteria, the result is an improved prediction technique which accounts for significant closed loop items.

Flares from small to large: X-ray spectroscopy of Proxima Centauri with XMM-Newton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Güdel, M.; Audard, M.; Reale, F.; Skinner, S. L.; Linsky, J. L.

2004-03-01

We report results from a comprehensive study of the nearby M dwarf Proxima Centauri with the XMM-Newton satellite, using simultaneously its X-ray detectors and the Optical Monitor with its U band filter. We find strongly variable coronal X-ray emission, with flares ranging over a factor of 100 in peak flux. The low-level emission is found to be continuously variable on at least three time scales (a slow decay of several hours, modulation on a time scale of 1 hr, and weak flares with time scales of a few minutes). Several weak flares are characteristically preceded by an optical burst, compatible with predictions from standard solar flare models. We propose that the U band bursts are proxies for the elusive stellar non-thermal hard X-ray bursts suggested from solar observations. In the course of the observation, a very large X-ray flare started and was observed essentially in its entirety. Its peak luminosity reached 3.9× 1028 erg s-1 [0.15-10 keV], and the total X-ray energy released in the same band is derived to be 1.5× 1032 ergs. This flare has for the first time allowed to measure significant density variations across several phases of the flare from X-ray spectroscopy of the O VII He-like triplet; we find peak densities reaching up to 4× 1011 cm-3 for plasma of about 1-5 MK. Abundance ratios show little variability in time, with a tendency of elements with a high first ionization potential to be overabundant relative to solar photospheric values. Using Fe XVII lines with different oscillator strengths, we do not find significant effects due to opacity during the flare, indicating that large opacity increases are not the rule even in extreme flares. We model the large flare in terms of an analytic 2-Ribbon flare model and find that the flaring loop system should have large characteristic sizes (≈ 1R*) within the framework of this simplistic model. These results are supported by full hydrodynamic simulations. Comparing the large flare to flares of similar size occurring much more frequently on more active stars, we propose that the X-ray properties of active stars are a consequence of superimposed flares such as the example analyzed in this paper. Since larger flares produce hotter plasma, such a model also explains why, during episodes of low-level emission, more active stars show hotter plasma than less active stars. Based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and the USA (NASA).

Study on Precursor Activity of the X1.6 Flare in the Great AR 12192 with SDO , IRIS , and Hinode

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

Bamba, Yumi; Lee, Kyoung-Sun; Imada, Shinsuke

The physical properties and their contribution to the onset of a solar flare are still uncleare even though chromospheric brightening is considered a precursor phenomenon of a flare. Many studies suggested that photospheric magnetic field changes cause destabilization of large-scale coronal structure. We aim to understand how a small photospheric change contributes to a flare and to reveal how the intermediary chromosphere behaves in the precursor phase. We analyzed the precursor brightening of the X1.6 flare on 2014 October 22 in the AR 12192 using the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) and Hinode /EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) data.more » We investigated a localized jet with the strong precursor brightening, and compared the intensity, Doppler velocity, and line width in C ii, Mg ii k, and Si iv lines by IRIS and He ii, Fe xii, and Fe xv lines by Hinode /EIS. We also analyzed the photospheric magnetic field and chromospheric/coronal structures using the Solar Dynamics Observatory ( SDO )/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. We found a significant blueshift (∼100 km s{sup −1}), which is related to the strong precursor brightening over a characteristic magnetic field structure, and the blueshift was observed at all of the temperatures. This might indicate that the flow is accelerated by Lorentz force. Moreover, the large-scale coronal loop that connects the foot points of the flare ribbons was destabilized just after the precursor brightening with the blueshift. It suggests that magnetic reconnection locally occurred in the lower chromosphere and it triggered magnetic reconnection of the X1.6 flare in the corona.« less

Study on Precursor Activity of the X1.6 Flare in the Great AR 12192 with SDO, IRIS, and Hinode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamba, Yumi; Lee, Kyoung-Sun; Imada, Shinsuke; Kusano, Kanya

2017-05-01

The physical properties and their contribution to the onset of a solar flare are still uncleare even though chromospheric brightening is considered a precursor phenomenon of a flare. Many studies suggested that photospheric magnetic field changes cause destabilization of large-scale coronal structure. We aim to understand how a small photospheric change contributes to a flare and to reveal how the intermediary chromosphere behaves in the precursor phase. We analyzed the precursor brightening of the X1.6 flare on 2014 October 22 in the AR 12192 using the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) data. We investigated a localized jet with the strong precursor brightening, and compared the intensity, Doppler velocity, and line width in C II, Mg II k, and Si IV lines by IRIS and He II, Fe xii, and Fe xv lines by Hinode/EIS. We also analyzed the photospheric magnetic field and chromospheric/coronal structures using the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. We found a significant blueshift (˜100 km s-1), which is related to the strong precursor brightening over a characteristic magnetic field structure, and the blueshift was observed at all of the temperatures. This might indicate that the flow is accelerated by Lorentz force. Moreover, the large-scale coronal loop that connects the foot points of the flare ribbons was destabilized just after the precursor brightening with the blueshift. It suggests that magnetic reconnection locally occurred in the lower chromosphere and it triggered magnetic reconnection of the X1.6 flare in the corona.

THE FLARE-ONA OF EK DRACONIS

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

Ayres, Thomas R., E-mail: Thomas.Ayres@Colorado.edu

2015-07-15

EK Draconis (HD 129333: G1.5 V) is a well-known young (50 Myr) solar analog. In 2012, Hubble Space Telescope returned to EK Dra to follow up a far-ultraviolet (FUV) SNAPshot visit by Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) two years earlier. The brief SNAP pointing had found surprisingly redshifted, impulsively variable subcoronal “hot-line” emission of Si iv 1400 Å (T ∼ 8 × 10{sup 4} K). Serendipitously, the 2012 follow-on program witnessed one of the largest FUV flares ever recorded on a sunlike star, which again displayed strong redshifts (downflows) of 30–40 km s{sup −1}, even after compensating for small systematics inmore » the COS velocity scales, uncovered through a cross-calibration by Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). The (now reduced, but still substantial) ∼10 km s{sup −1} hot-line redshifts outside the flaring interval did not vary with rotational phase, so cannot be caused by “Doppler imaging” (bright surface patches near a receding limb). Density diagnostic O iv] 1400 Å multiplet line ratios of EK Dra suggest n{sub e} ∼ 10{sup 11} cm{sup −3}, an order of magnitude larger than in low-activity solar twin α Centauri A, but typical of densities inferred in large stellar soft X-ray events. The self-similar FUV hot-line profiles between the flare decay and the subsequent more quiet periods, and the unchanging but high densities, reinforce a long-standing idea that the coronae of hyperactive dwarfs are flaring all the time, in a scale-free way; a flare-ona if you will. In this picture, the subsonic hot-line downflows probably are a byproduct of the post-flare cooling process, something like “coronal rain” on the Sun. All in all, the new STIS/COS program documents a complex, energetic, dynamic outer atmosphere of the young sunlike star.« less

Collisionless shock formation and the prompt acceleration of solar flare ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cargill, P. J.; Goodrich, C. C.; Vlahos, L.

1988-01-01

The formation mechanisms of collisionless shocks in solar flare plasmas are investigated. The priamry flare energy release is assumed to arise in the coronal portion of a flare loop as many small regions or 'hot spots' where the plasma beta locally exceeds unity. One dimensional hybrid numerical simulations show that the expansion of these 'hot spots' in a direction either perpendicular or oblique to the ambient magnetic field gives rise to collisionless shocks in a few Omega(i), where Omega(i) is the local ion cyclotron frequency. For solar parameters, this is less than 1 second. The local shocks are then subsequently able to accelerate particles to 10 MeV in less than 1 second by a combined drift-diffusive process. The formation mechanism may also give rise to energetic ions of 100 keV in the shock vicinity. The presence of these energetic ions is due either to ion heating or ion beam instabilities and they may act as a seed population for further acceleration. The prompt acceleration of ions inferred from the Gamma Ray Spectrometer on the Solar Maximum Mission can thus be explained by this mechanism.

Energetic electron propagation in the decay phase of non-thermal flare emission

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

Huang, Jing; Yan, Yihua; Tsap, Yuri T., E-mail: huangj@nao.cas.cn

On the basis of the trap-plus-precipitation model, the peculiarities of non-thermal emission in the decay phase of solar flares have been considered. The calculation formulas for the escape rate of trapped electrons into the loss cone in terms of time profiles of hard X-ray (HXR) and microwave (MW) emission have been obtained. It has been found that the evolution of the spectral indices of non-thermal emission depend on the regimes of the pitch angle diffusion of trapped particles into the loss cone. The properties of non-thermal electrons related to the HXR and MW emission of the solar flare on 2004more » November 3 are studied with Nobeyama Radioheliograph, Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters, RHESSI, and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite observations. The spectral indices of non-thermal electrons related to MW and HXR emission remained constant or decreased, while the MW escape rate as distinguished from that of the HXRs increased. This may be associated with different diffusion regimes of trapped electrons into the loss cone. New arguments in favor of an important role of the superstrong diffusion for high-energy electrons in flare coronal loops have been obtained.« less

Long Duration Gamma-Ray Flares & Solar Energetic Particles — Is there a Connection?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Nolfo, G. A.; Boezio, M.; Bruno, A.; Christian, E. R.; Martucci, M.; Mergè, M.; Munini, R.; Ricci, M.; Ryan, J. M.; Share, G.; Stochaj, S.

2017-12-01

Little is known still about the origin of the high-energy and sustained emission from Long Duration Gamma-Ray Flares (LDGRFs), identified with Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO), the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM), and now Fermi. Though Fermi/LAT has identified dozens of flares with LDGRF emission, the nature of this emission has been a challenge to explain both due to the extreme energies and long durations. The highest energy emission has generally been attributed to pion production from the interaction of high-energy protons with the ambient matter, suggesting that particle acceleration occurs over large volumes extending high in the corona, either from stochastic acceleration within large coronal loops or from back precipitation from CME-driven shocks. It is possible to test these models by making direct comparisons between the accelerated ion population at the flare derived from the observations of Fermi/LAT with PAMELA measurements of solar energetic particles in the energy range corresponding to the pion-related emission observed with Fermi. For nearly a dozen SEP events, we compare the two populations (SEPs in space and the interacting population at the Sun) and discuss the implications in terms of particle acceleration and transport models.

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.

Longitudinal patient-reported mobility assessment in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).

PubMed

Kaplan, Frederick S; Al Mukaddam, Mona; Pignolo, Robert J

2018-04-01

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare, disabling genetic disorder characterized by episodic soft tissue swelling (flare-ups) that leads to progressive heterotopic ossification and restricted joint mobility. Here we present the first longitudinal patient-reported mobility assessment (PRMA) in FOP based on a simple evaluation tool. At initial presentation and follow-up (1-11year span; median: 6 year span), 64 patients (36 females; 28 males) with classic FOP completed a questionnaire designed to rapidly assess mobility at 15 sites (three axial; six upper limb, and six lower limb). In order to validate this instrument, twenty-one of 64 patients (33%) underwent a cumulative analogue joint involvement scale (CAJIS) evaluation by two physicians within six months of their second self-assessment. We found that: 1) mobility changes were episodic and regional, occurring first in the neck and trunk, followed by the upper limbs and finally the lower limbs; 2) interval improvements in mobility did occur, most notably in the lower limbs (18%), and less so in the upper limbs (12%) and trunk (3%), and 3) patient-reported mobility assessments correlate highly (R 2 =0.81) with physician-reported CAJIS evaluations. This is the first longitudinal PRMA in FOP and provides a simple and valid tool that can be used in the design and evaluation of clinical trials in this progressively disabling disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Triggering Scenario of Geo-effective Solar Eruption on 15 March 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamba, Yumi; Inoue, Satoshi; Hayashi, Keiji

2017-08-01

The largest magnetic storm so far, called St Patricks’s Day event, in the solar cycle 24 occurred on 17 March 2015. It was caused by fast coronal mass ejection (CME) on 15 March 2015 from solar active region (AR) NOAA 12297. Surprisingly, the CME is suggested to be related to a C9.1 flare while the large CME is usually corresponding to a large flare. The purpose of this study is to understand the onset mechanism of the huge solar eruption which caused big impact on a magnetic environment of the geospace. The magnetic field structure in the AR was complicated: There were several filaments including the one which erupted and caused the CME. We hence carefully investigated the photospheric magnetic field, brightenings observed in the region from the chromosphere to the corona, and the three-dimensional coronal magnetic field calculated through our nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) model using photospheric vector magnetic field data from the Hinode SOT and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). We focused on the C2.4 flare occurred prior to the C9.1 flare and filament eruption. Through our provisional analysis covering long time span, we noticed the C2.4 flare prior to the C9.1 flare is important to understanding the dynamics of this AR system and the CME event. (1) There was a compact but noticeably highly twisted magnetic field structure. During the C2.4 flare, flux cancellation was seen on the photospheric magnetic field data. (2) The erupting filament is sustained by the coronal magnetic field prior to the flare, and C2.4 flaring site locates in the vicinity of one footpoint of them. (3) The top of the coronal loops sustaining the filament touch to a region where the torus instability would be expected.Therefore, we consider that the magnetic reconnection at the C2.4 flaring site changed the magnetic environment of the filament, destabilized the highly twisted magnetic field structure, and finally allowed the twisted magnetic field to erupt.

Coronal Mass Ejections in September 2017 from Monitoring of Interplanetary Scintillations with the Large Phased Array of the Lebedev Institute of Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chashei, I. V.; Tyul'bashev, S. A.; Shishov, V. I.; Subaev, I. A.

2018-05-01

Results of monitoring of interplanetary scintillations with the Large Phased Array of the Pushchino Radio AstronomyObservatory at 111 MHz during a period of flare activity of the Sun in the first ten days of September 2017 are presented. Enhancements of scintillations associated with interplanetary coronal mass ejections propagating after limb flares have been recorded. The propagation velocities are estimated to be about 2000 km/s for an ejection on September 7 and about 1000 km/s for an ejection on September 6. It is shown that, during the propagation from the Sun, the lateral part of the ejections decelerates faster than its leading part. Night-time enhancements of second-timescale scintillations during periods of high geomagnetic activity have an ionospheric origin.

High-frequency optical oscillation during the flare phase of the red dwarf EV Lac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Contadakis, M.; Avgoloupis, S.; Seiradakis, J.

2006-01-01

The observational support of the presence of high frequency low amplitude oscillations reported by Zhillyaev et al. 2000 and Contadakis et al. 2004, is highly demanding and will be done by the future observations and by carefully reanalysing the data from our files. In this paper we present the results of the analysis of the B-light curve for a flare of magnitude 1.01,which was observed on September,1993. Despite the low time resolution (sampling interval 12s) we were able to detect transient low amplitude oscillations with period ranging between 30s and 125s with a confidence level higher than 70%. This result is in favour of (or does not contradict) the suggested explanation i.e the evolution of a fast mode magneto-acoustic wave generated at the impulsive phase of the flare and travelling through the magnetic loop From: Michael E.Contadakis Address: kodadaki@vergina.eng.auth.gr Database: phy

Current Sheet Properties and Dynamics During Sympathetic Breakout Eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynch, B. J.; Edmondson, J. K.

2013-12-01

We present the continued analysis of the high-resolution 2.5D MHD simulations of sympathetic magnetic breakout eruptions from a pseudostreamer source region. We examine the generation of X- and O-type null points during the current sheet tearing and track the magnetic island formation and evolution during periods of reconnection. The magnetic breakout eruption scenario forms an overlying 'breakout' current sheet that evolves slowly and removes restraining flux from above the sheared field core that will eventually become the center of the erupting flux rope-like structure. The runaway expansion from the expansion-breakout reconnection positive feedback enables the formation of the second, vertical/radial current sheet underneath the rising sheared field core as in the standard CHSKP eruptive flare scenario. We will examine the flux transfer rates through the breakout and flare current sheets and compare the properties of the field and plasma inflows into the current sheets and the reconnection jet outflows into the flare loops and flux rope ejecta.

Microwave, soft and hard X-ray imaging observations of two solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kundu, M. R.; Erskine, F. T.; Schmahl, E. J.; Machado, M. E.; Rovira, M. G.

1984-01-01

A set of microwave and hard X-ray observations of two flares observed simultaneously with the Very Large Array (VLA) and the Solar Maximum Mission Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (SMM-HXIS) are presented. The LVA was used at 6 cm to map the slowly varying and burst components in three neighboring solar active regions (Boulder Nos. 2522, 2530, and 2519) from approximately 14:00 UT until 01:00 UT on June 24-25, 1980. Six microwave bursts less than 30 sfu were observed, and for the strongest of these, two-dimensional 'snapshot' (10 s) maps with spatial resolution of 5 in. were synthesized. HXIS data show clear interconnections between regions 2522 and 2530. The X-ray observations present a global picture of flaring activity, while the VLA data show the complexity of the small magnetic structures associated with the impulsive phase phenomena. It is seen that energy release did not occur in a single isolated magnetic structure, but over a large area of intermingled loop structures.

Hard X-ray imaging spectroscopy of FOXSI microflares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glesener, Lindsay; Krucker, Sam; Christe, Steven; Buitrago-Casas, Juan Camilo; Ishikawa, Shin-nosuke; Foster, Natalie

2015-04-01

The ability to investigate particle acceleration and hot thermal plasma in solar flares relies on hard X-ray imaging spectroscopy using bremsstrahlung emission from high-energy electrons. Direct focusing of hard X-rays (HXRs) offers the ability to perform cleaner imaging spectroscopy of this emission than has previously been possible. Using direct focusing, spectra for different sources within the same field of view can be obtained easily since each detector segment (pixel or strip) measures the energy of each photon interacting within that segment. The Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI) sounding rocket payload has successfully completed two flights, observing microflares each time. Flare images demonstrate an instrument imaging dynamic range far superior to the indirect methods of previous instruments like the RHESSI spacecraft.In this work, we present imaging spectroscopy of microflares observed by FOXSI in its two flights. Imaging spectroscopy performed on raw FOXSI images reveals the temperature structure of flaring loops, while more advanced techniques such as deconvolution of the point spread function produce even more detailed images.

Coronal Rain, Solar Storm

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-03-19

Explanation: In this picture, the Sun's surface is quite dark. A frame from a movie recorded on November 9th by the orbiting TRACE telescope, it shows coronal loops lofted over a solar active region. Glowing brightly in extreme ultraviolet light, the hot plasma entrained above the Sun along arching magnetic fields is cooling and raining back down on the solar surface. Hours earlier, on November 8th, astronomers had watched this particular active region produce a not so spectacular solar flare. Still, the M-class flare spewed forth an intense storm of particles, suddenly showering satellites near the Earth with high energy protons. The flare event was also associated with a large coronal mass ejection, a massive cloud of material which impacted our fair planet's magnetic field about 31 hours later. The result ... a strong geomagnetic storm. Credit: NASA/GSFC/TRACE To learn more go to: nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/trace To learn more about NASA's Sun Earth Day go here: sunearthday.nasa.gov/2010/index.php

Theoretical studies of the solar atmosphere and interstellar pickup ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Solar atmosphere research activities are summarized. Specific topics addressed include: (1) coronal mass ejections and related phenomena; (2) parametric instabilities of Alfven waves; (3) pickup ions in the solar wind; and (4) cosmic rays in the outer heliosphere. Also included is a list of publications covering the following topics: catastrophic evolution of a force-free flux rope; maximum energy release in flux-rope models of eruptive flares; sheet approximations in models of eruptive flares; material ejection, motions of loops and ribbons of two-ribbon flares; dispersion relations for parametric instabilities of parallel-propagating; parametric instabilities of parallel-propagating Alfven waves; beat, modulation, and decay instabilities of a circularly-polarized Alfven wave; effects of time-dependent photoionization on interstellar pickup helium; observation of waves generated by the solar wind pickup of interstellar hydrogen ions; ion thermalization and wave excitation downstream of the quasi-perpendicular bowshock; ion cyclotron instability and the inverse correlation between proton anisotrophy and proton beta; and effects of cosmic rays and interstellar gas on the dynamics of a wind.

Studies of Particle Acceleration, Transport and Radiation in Impulsive Phase of Solar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petrosian, Vahe

2005-01-01

Solar activity and its most prominent aspect, the solar flares, have considerable influence on terrestrial and space weather. Solar flares also provide a suitable laboratory for the investigation of many plasma and high energy processes important in the magnetosphere of the Earth and many other space and astrophysical situations. Hence, progress in understanding of flares will have considerable scientific and societal impact. The primary goal of this grant is the understanding of two of the most important problems of solar flare physics, namely the determination of the energy release mechanism and how this energy accelerates particles. This is done through comparison of the observations with theoretical models, starting from observations and gradually proceeding to theoretically more complex situations as the lower foundations of our understanding are secured. It is generally agreed that the source of the flare energy is the annihilation of magnetic fields by the reconnection process. Exactly how this energy is released or how it is dissipated remains controversial. Moreover, the exact mechanism of the acceleration of the particles is still a matter of debate. Data from many spacecrafts and ground based instruments obtained over the past decades have given us some clues. Theoretical analyses of these data have led to the standard thick target model (STT) where most of the released energy goes into an (assumed) power law spectrum of accelerated particles, and where all the observed radiations are the consequence of the interaction of these particles with the flare plasma. However, some theoretical arguments, and more importantly some new observations, have led us to believe that the above picture is not complete. It appears that plasma turbulence plays a more prominent role than suspected previously, and that it is the most likely agent for accelerating particles. The model we have developed is based on production of a high level of plasma waves and turbulence in the reconnection region above a flare loop. This turbulence accelerates particles stochastically which radiate some of their energy in this region but carry most of their energy to the footpoints of the loop, where they lose all their energy and radiate bulk of the observed radiation as in the traditional thick target model. In the past we have worked on various aspects of this model. We have evaluated the interaction rates of the plasma waves with electrons and ions, developed theoretical frameworks for the acceleration, transport and radiative processes, and produced numerical codes for the investigation of these processes. The goal of this grant has been further development and testing of this new paradigm, with emphases on the relative acceleration of electrons and ions and on a comprehensive investigation of the turbulence generation, cascade, and damping processes. We review several pieces of important evidence that we have uncovered indicating the crucial roles of turbulence, in and we describe accomplishments during the past two years of this grant.

On Flare-CME Characteristics from Sun to Earth Combining Remote-Sensing Image Data with In Situ Measurements Supported by Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Temmer, Manuela; Thalmann, Julia K.; Dissauer, Karin; Veronig, Astrid M.; Tschernitz, Johannes; Hinterreiter, Jürgen; Rodriguez, Luciano

2017-07-01

We analyze the well-observed flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) from 1 October 2011 (SOL2011-10-01T09:18) covering the complete chain of effects - from Sun to Earth - to better understand the dynamic evolution of the CME and its embedded magnetic field. We study in detail the solar surface and atmosphere associated with the flare and CME using the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and ground-based instruments. We also track the CME signature off-limb with combined extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and white-light data from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO). By applying the graduated cylindrical shell (GCS) reconstruction method and total mass to stereoscopic STEREO-SOHO ( Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) coronagraph data, we track the temporal and spatial evolution of the CME in the interplanetary space and derive its geometry and 3D mass. We combine the GCS and Lundquist model results to derive the axial flux and helicity of the magnetic cloud (MC) from in situ measurements from Wind. This is compared to nonlinear force-free (NLFF) model results, as well as to the reconnected magnetic flux derived from the flare ribbons (flare reconnection flux) and the magnetic flux encompassed by the associated dimming (dimming flux). We find that magnetic reconnection processes were already ongoing before the start of the impulsive flare phase, adding magnetic flux to the flux rope before its final eruption. The dimming flux increases by more than 25% after the end of the flare, indicating that magnetic flux is still added to the flux rope after eruption. Hence, the derived flare reconnection flux is most probably a lower limit for estimating the magnetic flux within the flux rope. We find that the magnetic helicity and axial magnetic flux are lower in the interplanetary space by ˜ 50% and 75%, respectively, possibly indicating an erosion process. A CME mass increase of 10% is observed over a range of {˜} 4 - 20 R_{⊙}. The temporal evolution of the CME-associated core-dimming regions supports the scenario that fast outflows might supply additional mass to the rear part of the CME.

The corona of HD 189733 and its X-ray activity

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

Pillitteri, I.; Wolk, S. J.; Günther, H. M.

2014-04-20

Testing whether close-in massive exoplanets (hot Jupiters) can enhance the stellar activity in their host primary is crucial for the models of stellar and planetary evolution. Among systems with hot Jupiters, HD 189733 is one of the best studied because of its proximity, strong activity, and the presence of a transiting planet, which allows transmission spectroscopy and a measure of the planetary radius and its density. Here we report on the X-ray activity of the primary star, HD 189733 A, using a new XMM-Newton observation and a comparison with the previous X-ray observations. The spectrum in the quiescent intervals ismore » described by two temperatures at 0.2 keV and 0.7 keV, while during the flares a third component at 0.9 keV is detected. With the analysis of the summed Reflection Grating Spectrometer spectra, we obtain estimates of the electron density in the range n{sub e} = (1.6-13) × 10{sup 10} cm{sup –3}, and thus the corona of HD 189733 A appears denser than the solar one. For the third time, we observe a large flare that occurred just after the eclipse of the planet. Together with the flares observed in 2009 and 2011, the events are restricted to a small planetary phase range of φ = 0.55-0.65. Although we do not find conclusive evidence of a significant excess of flares after the secondary transits, we suggest that the planet might trigger such flares when it passes close to the locally high magnetic field of the underlying star at particular combinations of stellar rotational phases and orbital planetary phases. For the most recent flares, a wavelet analysis of the light curve suggests a loop of length of four stellar radii at the location of the bright flare, and a local magnetic field of the order of 40-100 G, in agreement with the global field measured in other studies. The loop size suggests an interaction of magnetic nature between planet and star, separated by only ∼8R {sub *}. The X-ray variability of HD 189733 A is larger than the variability of field stars and young Pleiades of similar spectral type and X-ray luminosity. We also detect the stellar companion (HD 189733 B, ∼12'' from the primary star) in this XMM-Newton observation. Its very low X-ray luminosity (L{sub X} = 3.4 × 10{sup 26} erg s{sup –1}) confirms the old age of this star and of the binary system. The high activity of the primary star is best explained by a transfer of angular momentum from the planet to the star.« less

Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation of the X2.2 Solar Flare on 2011 February 15. I. Comparison with the Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, S.; Hayashi, K.; Magara, T.; Choe, G. S.; Park, Y. D.

2014-06-01

We performed a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation using a nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) in solar active region 11158 to clarify the dynamics of an X2.2-class solar flare. We found that the NLFFF never shows the dramatic dynamics seen in observations, i.e., it is in a stable state against the perturbations. On the other hand, the MHD simulation shows that when the strongly twisted lines are formed at close to the neutral line, which are produced via tether-cutting reconnection in the twisted lines of the NLFFF, they consequently erupt away from the solar surface via the complicated reconnection. This result supports the argument that the strongly twisted lines formed in NLFFF via tether-cutting reconnection are responsible for breaking the force balance condition of the magnetic fields in the lower solar corona. In addition to this, the dynamical evolution of these field lines reveals that at the initial stage the spatial pattern of the footpoints caused by the reconnection of the twisted lines appropriately maps the distribution of the observed two-ribbon flares. Interestingly, after the flare, the reconnected field lines convert into a structure like the post-flare loops, which is analogous to the extreme ultraviolet image taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Eventually, we found that the twisted lines exceed a critical height at which the flux tube becomes unstable to the torus instability. These results illustrate the reliability of our simulation and also provide an important relationship between flare and coronal mass ejection dynamics.

Dynamic Spectral Imaging of Decimetric Fiber Bursts in an Eruptive Solar Flare

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

Wang, Zhitao; Chen, Bin; Gary, Dale E., E-mail: zw56@njit.edu

Fiber bursts are a type of fine structure that is often superposed on type IV radio continuum emission during solar flares. Although studied for many decades, its physical exciter, emission mechanism, and association with the flare energy release remain unclear, partly due to the lack of simultaneous imaging observations. We report the first dynamic spectroscopic imaging observations of decimetric fiber bursts, which occurred during the rise phase of a long-duration eruptive flare on 2012 March 3, as obtained by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in 1–2 GHz. Our results show that the fiber sources are located near andmore » above one footpoint of the flare loops. The fiber source and the background continuum source are found to be co-spatial and share the same morphology. It is likely that they are associated with nonthermal electrons trapped in the converging magnetic fields near the footpoint, as supported by a persistent coronal hard X-ray source present during the flare rise phase. We analyze three groups of fiber bursts in detail with dynamic imaging spectroscopy and obtain their mean frequency-dependent centroid trajectories in projection. By using a barometric density model and magnetic field based on a potential field extrapolation, we further reconstruct the 3D source trajectories of fiber bursts, for comparison with expectations from the whistler wave model and two MHD-based models. We conclude that the observed fiber burst properties are consistent with an exciter moving at the propagation velocity expected for whistler waves, or models that posit similar exciter velocities.« less

LINE-OF-SIGHT SHELL STRUCTURE OF THE CYGNUS LOOP

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

Uchida, Hiroyuki; Tsunemi, Hiroshi; Katsuda, Satoru

We conducted a comprehensive study on the shell structure of the Cygnus Loop using 41 observation data obtained by the Suzaku and the XMM-Newton satellites. To investigate the detailed plasma structure of the Cygnus Loop, we divided our fields of view into 1042 box regions. From the spectral analysis, the spectra obtained from the limb of the Loop are well fitted by the single-component non-equilibrium ionization plasma model. On the other hand, the spectra obtained from the inner regions are well fitted by the two-component model. As a result, we confirmed that the low-temperature and high-temperature components originated from themore » surrounding interstellar matter (ISM) and the ejecta of the Loop, respectively. From the best-fit results, we showed a flux distribution of the ISM component. The distribution clearly shows the limb-brightening structure, and we found out some low-flux regions. Among them, the south blowout region has the lowest flux. We also found other large low-flux regions at slightly west and northeast from the center. We estimated the former thin shell region to be approx1.{sup 0}3 in diameter and concluded that there exists a blowout along the line of sight in addition to the south blowout. We also calculated the emission measure distribution of the ISM component and showed that the Cygnus Loop is far from the result obtained by a simple Sedov evolution model. From the results, we support that the Cygnus Loop originated from a cavity explosion. The emission measure distribution also suggests that the cavity-wall density is higher in the northeast than that in the southwest. These results suggest that the thickness of the cavity wall surrounding the Cygnus Loop is not uniform.« less

Real-time forecasting of ICME shock arrivals at L1 during the "April Fool’s Day" epoch: 28 March  21 April 2001

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, W.; Dryer, M.; Fry, C. D.; Deehr, C. S.; Smith, Z.; Akasofu, S.-I.; Kartalev, M. D.; Grigorov, K. G.

2002-07-01

The Sun was extremely active during the "April Fool’s Day" epoch of 2001. We chose this period between a solar flare on 28 March 2001 to a final shock arrival at Earth on 21 April 2001. The activity consisted of two presumed helmet-streamer blowouts, seven M-class flares, and nine X-class flares, the last of which was behind the west limb. We have been experimenting since February 1997 with real-time, end-to-end forecasting of interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) shock arrival times. Since August 1998, these forecasts have been distributed in real-time by e-mail to a list of interested scientists and operational USAF and NOAA forecasters. They are made using three different solar wind models. We describe here the solar events observed during the April Fool’s 2001 epoch, along with the predicted and actual shock arrival times, and the ex post facto correction to the real-time coronal shock speed observations. It appears that the initial estimates of coronal shock speeds from Type II radio burst observations and coronal mass ejections were too high by as much as 30%. We conclude that a 3-dimensional coronal density model should be developed for application to observations of solar flares and their Type II radio burst observations.

3D Structures & dynamic of the solar corona: inputs from stereovision technics and joined Ground Based and Space Observations for the development of Space Weather

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Portier-Fozzani, F.; Noens, J.-C.

In this presentation, I will present different techniques for 3D coronal structures reconstructions. Multiscale vision model (MVM, collaboration with A. Bijaoui) based on wavelet decomposition were used to prepare data. With SOHO/EIT, geometrical constraints were added to be able to measure by stereovision loop size parameters. Thus from these parameters, while including information of several observation wavelenghts, it has been possible by using the CHIANTI code to derive temperature and density along and across the loops, and thus to determine loops physical properties. During the emergence of a new active region, a more sophisticated method, was made to measure the twist degree variations. Loops appear twisted and detwist as expand. The magnetic helicity conservation gives thus important criteria to derive the limit of the stability for a non forced phenomena. Sigmoids, twisted ARLs, sheared filament are related with flares and CMEs. In that case 3D measurement can say upon which level of twist the structure will become unstable. With basic geometrical measures, it has been seen that a new active region reconnected a sigmoide leading to a flare. Also, for CMEs, the measure of the filament ejection angle from stereo EUV images, and the following of temporal evolution from coronagraphic measurement such as done by HACO at the Pic Du Midi Observatory, gives possibility to determine if the CME is coming toward the Earth, and when eventually would be the impact with the magnetosphere. The input of new missions such as STEREO/SECCHI would allow us to better understood the coronal dynamic. Such joined observations GBO-space, used simultaneously together with 3D methods, will allow to develop efficiently forecasting for Space Weather.

Simulating nanostorm heating in coronal loops using hydrodynamics and non-thermal particle evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Migliore, Christina; Winter, Henry; Murphy, Nicholas

2018-01-01

The solar corona is filled with loop-like structures that appear bright against the background when observed in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV). These loops have several remarkable properties that are not yet well understood. Warm loops (∼ 1 MK) appear to be ∼ 2 ‑ 9 times as dense at their apex as the predictions of hydrostatic atmosphere models. These loops also appear to be of constant cross-section despite the fact that the field strength in a potential magnetic field should decrease in the corona, causing the loops to expand. It is not clear why many active region loops appear to be of constant cross-section. Theories range from an internal twist of the magnetic field to observational effects. In this work we simulate active region loops heated by nanoflare storms using a dipolar magnetic field. We calculate the hydrodynamic properties for each loop using advanced hydrodynamics codes to simulate the corona and chromospheric response and basic dipole models to represent the magnetic fields of the loops. We show that even modest variations of the magnetic field strength along the loop can lead to drastic changes in the density profiles of active region loops, and they can also explain the overpressure at the apex of these loops. Synthetic AIA images of each loop are made to show the observable consequences of varying magnetic field strengths along the loop’s axis of symmetry. We also show how this work can lead to improved modeling of larger solar and stellar flares.

Role of thin descending limb urea transport in renal urea handling and the urine concentrating mechanism

PubMed Central

Lei, Tianluo; Zhou, Lei; Layton, Anita T.; Zhou, Hong; Zhao, Xuejian; Bankir, Lise

2011-01-01

Urea transporters UT-A2 and UT-B are expressed in epithelia of thin descending limb of Henle's loop and in descending vasa recta, respectively. To study their role and possible interaction in the context of the urine concentration mechanism, a UT-A2 and UT-B double knockout (UT-A2/B knockout) mouse model was generated by targeted deletion of the UT-A2 promoter in embryonic stem cells with UT-B gene knockout. The UT-A2/B knockout mice lacked detectable UT-A2 and UT-B transcripts and proteins and showed normal survival and growth. Daily urine output was significantly higher in UT-A2/B knockout mice than that in wild-type mice and lower than that in UT-B knockout mice. Urine osmolality in UT-A2/B knockout mice was intermediate between that in UT-B knockout and wild-type mice. The changes in urine osmolality and flow rate, plasma and urine urea concentration, as well as non-urea solute concentration after an acute urea load or chronic changes in protein intake suggested that UT-A2 plays a role in the progressive accumulation of urea in the inner medulla. These results suggest that in wild-type mice UT-A2 facilitates urea absorption by urea efflux from the thin descending limb of short loops of Henle. Moreover, UT-A2 deletion in UT-B knockout mice partially remedies the urine concentrating defect caused by UT-B deletion, by reducing urea loss from the descending limbs to the peripheral circulation; instead, urea is returned to the inner medulla through the loops of Henle and the collecting ducts. PMID:21849488

Role of thin descending limb urea transport in renal urea handling and the urine concentrating mechanism.

PubMed

Lei, Tianluo; Zhou, Lei; Layton, Anita T; Zhou, Hong; Zhao, Xuejian; Bankir, Lise; Yang, Baoxue

2011-12-01

Urea transporters UT-A2 and UT-B are expressed in epithelia of thin descending limb of Henle's loop and in descending vasa recta, respectively. To study their role and possible interaction in the context of the urine concentration mechanism, a UT-A2 and UT-B double knockout (UT-A2/B knockout) mouse model was generated by targeted deletion of the UT-A2 promoter in embryonic stem cells with UT-B gene knockout. The UT-A2/B knockout mice lacked detectable UT-A2 and UT-B transcripts and proteins and showed normal survival and growth. Daily urine output was significantly higher in UT-A2/B knockout mice than that in wild-type mice and lower than that in UT-B knockout mice. Urine osmolality in UT-A2/B knockout mice was intermediate between that in UT-B knockout and wild-type mice. The changes in urine osmolality and flow rate, plasma and urine urea concentration, as well as non-urea solute concentration after an acute urea load or chronic changes in protein intake suggested that UT-A2 plays a role in the progressive accumulation of urea in the inner medulla. These results suggest that in wild-type mice UT-A2 facilitates urea absorption by urea efflux from the thin descending limb of short loops of Henle. Moreover, UT-A2 deletion in UT-B knockout mice partially remedies the urine concentrating defect caused by UT-B deletion, by reducing urea loss from the descending limbs to the peripheral circulation; instead, urea is returned to the inner medulla through the loops of Henle and the collecting ducts.

DLX5, FGF8 and the Pin1 isomerase control ΔNp63α protein stability during limb development: a regulatory loop at the basis of the SHFM and EEC congenital malformations

PubMed Central

Restelli, Michela; Lopardo, Teresa; Lo Iacono, Nadia; Garaffo, Giulia; Conte, Daniele; Rustighi, Alessandra; Napoli, Marco; Del Sal, Giannino; Perez-Morga, David; Costanzo, Antonio; Merlo, Giorgio Roberto; Guerrini, Luisa

2014-01-01

Ectrodactyly, or Split-Hand/Foot Malformation (SHFM), is a congenital condition characterized by the loss of central rays of hands and feet. The p63 and the DLX5;DLX6 transcription factors, expressed in the embryonic limb buds and ectoderm, are disease genes for these conditions. Mutations of p63 also cause the ectodermal dysplasia–ectrodactyly–cleft lip/palate (EEC) syndrome, comprising SHFM. Ectrodactyly is linked to defects of the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) of the developing limb buds. FGF8 is the key signaling molecule in this process, able to direct proximo-distal growth and patterning of the skeletal primordial of the limbs. In the limb buds of both p63 and Dlx5;Dlx6 murine models of SHFM, the AER is poorly stratified and FGF8 expression is severely reduced. We show here that the FGF8 locus is a downstream target of DLX5 and that FGF8 counteracts Pin1–ΔNp63α interaction. In vivo, lack of Pin1 leads to accumulation of the p63 protein in the embryonic limbs and ectoderm. We show also that ΔNp63α protein stability is negatively regulated by the interaction with the prolyl-isomerase Pin1, via proteasome-mediated degradation; p63 mutant proteins associated with SHFM or EEC syndromes are resistant to Pin1 action. Thus, DLX5, p63, Pin1 and FGF8 participate to the same time- and location-restricted regulatory loop essential for AER stratification, hence for normal patterning and skeletal morphogenesis of the limb buds. These results shed new light on the molecular mechanisms at the basis of the SHFM and EEC limb malformations. PMID:24569166

Oscillations Excited by Plasmoids Formed During Magnetic Reconnection in a Vertical Gravitationally Stratified Current Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jelínek, P.; Karlický, M.; Van Doorsselaere, T.; Bárta, M.

2017-10-01

Using the FLASH code, which solves the full set of the 2D non-ideal (resistive) time-dependent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations, we study processes during the magnetic reconnection in a vertical gravitationally stratified current sheet. We show that during these processes, which correspond to processes in solar flares, plasmoids are formed due to the tearing mode instability of the current sheet. These plasmoids move upward or downward along the vertical current sheet and some of them merge into larger plasmoids. We study the density and temperature structure of these plasmoids and their time evolution in detail. We found that during the merging of two plasmoids, the resulting larger plasmoid starts to oscillate with a period largely determined by L/{c}{{A}}, where L is the size of the plasmoid and c A is the Alfvén speed in the lateral parts of the plasmoid. In our model, L/{c}{{A}} evaluates to ˜ 25 {{s}}. Furthermore, the plasmoid moving downward merges with the underlying flare arcade, which causes oscillations of the arcade. In our model, the period of this arcade oscillation is ˜ 35 {{s}}, which also corresponds to L/{c}{{A}}, but here L means the length of the loop and c A is the average Alfvén speed in the loop. We also show that the merging process of the plasmoid with the flare arcade is a complex process as presented by complex density and temperature structures of the oscillating arcade. Moreover, all these processes are associated with magnetoacoustic waves produced by the motion and merging of plasmoids.

Architecture of kangaroo rat inner medulla: segmentation of descending thin limb of Henle's loop.

PubMed

Urity, Vinoo B; Issaian, Tadeh; Braun, Eldon J; Dantzler, William H; Pannabecker, Thomas L

2012-03-15

We hypothesize that the inner medulla of the kangaroo rat Dipodomys merriami, a desert rodent that concentrates its urine to more than 6,000 mosmol/kgH(2)O water, provides unique examples of architectural features necessary for production of highly concentrated urine. To investigate this architecture, inner medullary nephron segments in the initial 3,000 μm below the outer medulla were assessed with digital reconstructions from physical tissue sections. Descending thin limbs of Henle (DTLs), ascending thin limbs of Henle (ATLs), and collecting ducts (CDs) were identified by immunofluorescence using antibodies that label segment-specific proteins associated with transepithelial water flux (aquaporin 1 and 2, AQP1 and AQP2) and chloride flux (the chloride channel ClC-K1); all tubules and vessels were labeled with wheat germ agglutinin. In the outer 3,000 μm of the inner medulla, AQP1-positive DTLs lie at the periphery of groups of CDs. ATLs lie inside and outside the groups of CDs. Immunohistochemistry and reconstructions of loops that form their bends in the outer 3,000 μm of the inner medulla show that, relative to loop length, the AQP1-positive segment of the kangaroo rat is significantly longer than that of the Munich-Wistar rat. The length of ClC-K1 expression in the prebend region at the terminal end of the descending side of the loop in kangaroo rat is about 50% shorter than that of the Munich-Wistar rat. Tubular fluid of the kangaroo rat DTL may approach osmotic equilibrium with interstitial fluid by water reabsorption along a relatively longer tubule length, compared with Munich-Wistar rat. A relatively shorter-length prebend segment may promote a steeper reabsorptive driving force at the loop bend. These structural features predict functionality that is potentially significant in the production of a high urine osmolality in the kangaroo rat.

THE CORONAL LOOP INVENTORY PROJECT: EXPANDED ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

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

Schmelz, J. T.; Christian, G. M.; Chastain, R. A., E-mail: jschmelz@usra.edu

We have expanded upon earlier work that investigates the relative importance of coronal loops with isothermal versus multithermal cross-field temperature distributions. These results are important for determining if loops have substructure in the form of unresolved magnetic strands. We have increased the number of loops targeted for temperature analysis from 19 to 207 with the addition of 188 new loops from multiple regions. We selected all loop segments visible in the 171 Å images of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) that had a clean background. Eighty-six of the new loops were rejected because they could not be reliably separated frommore » the background in other AIA filters. Sixty-one loops required multithermal models to reproduce the observations. Twenty-eight loops were effectively isothermal, that is, the plasma emission to which AIA is sensitive could not be distinguished from isothermal emission, within uncertainties. Ten loops were isothermal. Also, part of our inventory was one small flaring loop, one very cool loop whose temperature distribution could not be constrained by the AIA data, and one loop with inconclusive results. Our survey can confirm an unexpected result from the pilot study: we found no isothermal loop segments where we could properly use the 171-to-193 ratio method, which would be similar to the analysis done for many loops observed with TRACE and EIT. We recommend caution to observers who assume the loop plasma is isothermal, and hope that these results will influence the direction of coronal heating models and the effort modelers spend on various heating scenarios.« less

Coronal Loops: Observations and Modeling of Confined Plasma.

PubMed

Reale, Fabio

Coronal loops are the building blocks of the X-ray bright solar corona. They owe their brightness to the dense confined plasma, and this review focuses on loops mostly as structures confining plasma. After a brief historical overview, the review is divided into two separate but not independent parts: the first illustrates the observational framework, the second reviews the theoretical knowledge. Quiescent loops and their confined plasma are considered and, therefore, topics such as loop oscillations and flaring loops (except for non-solar ones, which provide information on stellar loops) are not specifically addressed here. The observational section discusses the classification, populations, and the morphology of coronal loops, its relationship with the magnetic field, and the loop stranded structure. The section continues with the thermal properties and diagnostics of the loop plasma, according to the classification into hot, warm, and cool loops. Then, temporal analyses of loops and the observations of plasma dynamics, hot and cool flows, and waves are illustrated. In the modeling section, some basics of loop physics are provided, supplying fundamental scaling laws and timescales, a useful tool for consultation. The concept of loop modeling is introduced and models are divided into those treating loops as monolithic and static, and those resolving loops into thin and dynamic strands. More specific discussions address modeling the loop fine structure and the plasma flowing along the loops. Special attention is devoted to the question of loop heating, with separate discussion of wave (AC) and impulsive (DC) heating. Large-scale models including atmosphere boxes and the magnetic field are also discussed. Finally, a brief discussion about stellar coronal loops is followed by highlights and open questions.

Hydrogen Balmer Line Broadening in Solar and Stellar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kowalski, Adam F.; Allred, Joel C.; Uitenbroek, Han; Tremblay, Pier-Emmanuel; Brown, Stephen; Carlsson, Mats; Osten, Rachel A.; Wisniewski, John P.; Hawley, Suzanne L.

2017-01-01

The broadening of the hydrogen lines during flares is thought to result from increased charge (electron, proton) density in the flare chromosphere. However, disagreements between theory and modeling prescriptions have precluded an accurate diagnostic of the degree of ionization and compression resulting from flare heating in the chromosphere. To resolve this issue, we have incorporated the unified theory of electric pressure broadening of the hydrogen lines into the non-LTE radiative-transfer code RH. This broadening prescription produces a much more realistic spectrum of the quiescent, A0 star Vega compared to the analytic approximations used as a damping parameter in the Voigt profiles. We test recent radiative-hydrodynamic (RHD) simulations of the atmospheric response to high nonthermal electron beam fluxes with the new broadening prescription and find that the Balmer lines are overbroadened at the densest times in the simulations. Adding many simultaneously heated and cooling model loops as a 'multithread' model improves the agreement with the observations. We revisit the three component phenomenological flare model of the YZ CMi Megaflare using recent and new RHD models. The evolution of the broadening, line flux ratios, and continuum flux ratios are well-reproduced by a multithread model with high-flux nonthermal electron beam heating, an extended decay phase model, and a 'hot spot' atmosphere heated by an ultra relativistic electron beam with reasonable filling factors: approximately 0.1%, 1%, and 0.1% of the visible stellar hemisphere, respectively. The new modeling motivates future work to understand the origin of the extended gradual phase emission.

Modeling Flare Hard X-ray Emission from Electrons in Contracting Magnetic Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guidoni, Silvina E.; Allred, Joel C.; Alaoui, Meriem; Holman, Gordon D.; DeVore, C. Richard; Karpen, Judith T.

2016-05-01

The mechanism that accelerates particles to the energies required to produce the observed impulsive hard X-ray emission in solar flares is not well understood. It is generally accepted that this emission is produced by a non-thermal beam of electrons that collides with the ambient ions as the beam propagates from the top of a flare loop to its footpoints. Most current models that investigate this transport assume an injected beam with an initial energy spectrum inferred from observed hard X-ray spectra, usually a power law with a low-energy cutoff. In our previous work (Guidoni et al. 2016), we proposed an analytical method to estimate particle energy gain in contracting, large-scale, 2.5-dimensional magnetic islands, based on a kinetic model by Drake et al. (2010). We applied this method to sunward-moving islands formed high in the corona during fast reconnection in a simulated eruptive flare. The overarching purpose of the present work is to test this proposed acceleration model by estimating the hard X-ray flux resulting from its predicted accelerated-particle distribution functions. To do so, we have coupled our model to a unified computational framework that simulates the propagation of an injected beam as it deposits energy and momentum along its way (Allred et al. 2015). This framework includes the effects of radiative transfer and return currents, necessary to estimate flare emission that can be compared directly to observations. We will present preliminary results of the coupling between these models.

A Case of Delayed Flare-up Allergic Dermatitis Caused by Jellyfish Sting.

PubMed

Manabe, Yasuaki; Mabuchi, Tomotaka; Kawai, Mayu; Ota, Tami; Ikoma, Norihiro; Ozawa, Akira; Horita, Takushi

2014-09-20

A 7-year-old boy, taking lessons at a yacht school at Enoshima in Kanagawa prefecture in Japan, recognized a linear eruption on his left lower leg during practice in August 2012. As it gradually enlarged, he visited a local medical clinic. The eruption initially improved with topical treatment but exacerbated in October of the same year. Although topical treatment was started again, there was minimal improvement, so the patient visited our hospital in December. At his first visit, he had a hard linear nodule on his left lower leg, and papules with excoriation were scattered over the lower limbs. Considering eczema, topical steroid treatment and occlusive dressing technique were started but the nodule remained. Based on the clinical course, clinical features, and laboratory findings, the lesion was considered to be delayed flare-up allergic dermatitis caused by a jellyfish sting [1].

High-Energy Solar Energetic Particles & Long Duration Gamma-Ray Flares — Is there a Connection?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Nolfo, G. A.; Boezio, M.; Bruno, A.; Christian, E. R.; Martucci, M.; Mergè, M.; Mocchiutti, E.; Munini, R.; Ricci, M.; Ryan, J. M.; Share, G. H.; Stochaj, S.

2016-12-01

Little is known about the origin of the high-energy and sustained emission from Long Duration Gamma-Ray Flares (LDGRFs), identified with Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO), the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM), and now Fermi. Though Fermi/LAT has identified dozens of flares with LDGRF emission, the nature of this emission has been a challenge to explain both due to the extreme energies and long durations. The highest energy emission has generally been attributed to pion production from the interaction of high-energy protons with the ambient matter, suggesting that particle acceleration occurs over large volumes extending high in the corona, either from stochastic acceleration within large coronal loops or from back precipitation from CME-driven shocks. It is possible to test these models by making direct comparisons between the accelerated ion population at the flare derived from the observations of Fermi/LAT with PAMELA measurements of solar energetic particles in the energy range corresponding to the pion-related emission observed with Fermi. For nine SEP events, we compare the two populations (SEPs in space and the interacting population at the Sun) and discuss the implications in terms of the contending theories for LDGF emission. On behalf of the PAMELA Collaboration

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHROMOSPHERIC EVAPORATION AND MAGNETIC FIELD TOPOLOGY IN AN M-CLASS SOLAR FLARE

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

Sadykov, Viacheslav M; Kosovichev, Alexander G; Sharykin, Ivan N

2016-09-01

Chromospheric evaporation is observed as Doppler blueshift during solar flares. It plays a key role in the dynamics and energetics of solar flares; however, its mechanism is still unknown. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of spatially resolved multi-wavelength observations of chromospheric evaporation during an M 1.0-class solar flare (SOL2014-06-12T21:12) using data from NASA’s Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph and HMI/ SDO (the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory), and high-resolution observations from VIS/NST (the Visible Imaging Spectrometer at the New Solar Telescope). The results show that the averaged over the flare region Fe xximore » blueshift of the hot (10{sup 7} K) evaporating plasma is delayed relative to the C ii redshift of the relatively cold (10{sup 4} K) chromospheric plasma by about one minute. The spatial distribution of the delays is not uniform across the region and can be as long as two minutes in several zones. Using vector magnetograms from HMI, we reconstruct the magnetic field topology and the quasi-separatrix layer, and find that the blueshift delay regions as well as the H α flare ribbons are connected to the region of the magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL) and an expanding flux rope via a system of low-lying loop arcades with a height of ≲4.5 Mm. As a result, the chromospheric evaporation may be driven by the energy release in the vicinity of PIL, and has the observed properties due to a local magnetic field topology.« less

Unusual Emissions at Various Energies and Coronal Mass Ejection Prior to the November 4, 2003 Large Solar Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaufmann, Pierre; Holman, G. D.; Su, Y.; Gimenez de Castro, C.; Correia, E.; de Souza, R. V.; Marun, A.; Pereyra, P.

2010-05-01

The November 4, 2003 GOES X28 flare was the largest ever recorded in its class. It produced the first evidence of the two spectrally separated radio/far-infrared emission components, one at microwaves and another in the THz range of frequencies (Kaufmann et al. 2004). We analyzed the 20 minutes before the impulsive onset of this event and found unusual activity at X-rays (RHESSI), at sub-THz frequencies (SST), at H-alpha (BBSO) and at microwaves (Itapetinga 7 GHz polarimeter, RSTN and OVSA). SOHO LASCO images have shown a large CME launched well before the large burst onset. The unusual activity began at about 19 27 UT with a slow rise at 6-10 keV and the start of a precursor at 7 GHz. Pulsations at sub-THz became pronounced, exhibiting correlations with RHESSI 25-50 keV pulsations and similar pulsations at 7 GHz. Impulsive bursts were detected with peaks at 19 34 UT at 100-300 keV and 7 GHz. LASCO movie show a large CME which linear extrapolation to the solar surface correspond to the first H-alpha BBSO brightening, suggesting an approximate launch time at about 1934 UT, close to the hard X-ray and microwave impulsive bursts and nearly 8 minutes before the onset of the large flare. These events had different locations within the AR that included the major flare location at the solar west limb, as indicated by SST pulses positions and images obtained by RHESSI and BBSO. The pulsations phenomena and superimposed impulsive events might represent the complex energy buildup mechanisms leading to the CME launch, quite distinct in time and space from the major flare that exploded afterwards.

A Simple Model for the Evolution of Multi-Stranded Coronal Loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuentes, M. C. Lopez; Klimchuk, J. A.

2010-01-01

We develop and analyze a simple cellular automaton (CA) model that reproduces the main properties of the evolution of soft X-ray coronal loops. We are motivated by the observation that these loops evolve in three distinguishable phases that suggest the development, maintainance, and decay of a self-organized system. The model is based on the idea that loops are made of elemental strands that are heated by the relaxation of magnetic stress in the form of nanoflares. In this vision, usually called "the Parker conjecture" (Parker 1988), the origin of stress is the displacement of the strand footpoints due to photospheric convective motions. Modeling the response and evolution of the plasma we obtain synthetic light curves that have the same characteristic properties (intensity, fluctuations, and timescales) as the observed cases. We study the dependence of these properties on the model parameters and find scaling laws that can be used as observational predictions of the model. We discuss the implications of our results for the interpretation of recent loop observations in different wavelengths. Subject headings: Sun: corona - Sun: flares - Sun: magnetic topology - Sun: X-rays, gamma rays

Using SDO's AIA to investigate energy transport from a flare's energy release site to the chromosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brosius, J. W.; Holman, G. D.

2012-04-01

Context. Coordinated observations of a GOES B4.8 microflare with SDO's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) on 2010 July 31 show that emission in all seven of AIA's EUV channels brightened simultaneously nearly 6 min before RHESSI or GOES detected emission from plasma at temperatures around 10 MK. Aims: To help interpret these and AIA flare observations in general, we characterized the expected temporal responses of AIA's 94, 131, 171, 193, 211, and 335 Å channels to solar flare brightenings by combining (1) AIA's nominal temperature response functions available through SSWIDL with (2) EUV spectral line data observed in a flare loop footpoint on 2001 April 24 with the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) on timescales comparable to AIA's image cadence. Methods: The nine emission lines observed by CDS cover a wide range of formation temperature from about 0.05 to 8 MK. Line brightenings observed early during the CDS flare occurred at temperatures less than about 0.7 MK, with the largest values around 0.1 MK. These brightenings were consistent with the flare's energy transport being dominated by nonthermal particle beams. Because all of AIA's EUV channels are sensitive to emission from plasma in the 0.1 to 0.7 MK temperature range, we show that all of AIA's EUV channels will brighten simultaneously during flares like this, in which energy transport is dominated by nonthermal particle beams. Results: The 2010 July 31 flare observed by AIA and RHESSI displays this behavior, so we conclude that such beams likely dominated the flare's energy transport early during the event. When thermal conduction from a reconnection-heated, hot (~10 MK) plasma dominates the energy transport, the AIA channels that are sensitive to emission from such temperatures (particularly the 94 and 131 Å channels) will brighten earlier than the channels that are not sensitive to such temperatures (171 and 211 Å). Conclusions: Thus, based on the differences expected between AIA's response to flares whose energy transport is dominated by nonthermal particle beams from those whose energy transport is dominated by thermal conduction, AIA can be used to determine the dominant energy transport mechanism for any given event. Movie is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Gastric bypass: why Roux-en-Y? A review of experimental data.

PubMed

Collins, Brendan J; Miyashita, Tomoharu; Schweitzer, Michael; Magnuson, Thomas; Harmon, John W

2007-10-01

To highlight the clinical and experimental rationales that support why the Roux-en-Y limb is an important surgical principle for bariatric gastric bypass. We reviewed PubMed citations for open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP), laparoscopic RYGBP, loop gastric bypass, chronic alkaline reflux gastritis, and duodenoesophageal reflux. We reviewed clinical and experimental articles. Clinical articles included prospective, retrospective, and case series of patients undergoing RYGBP, laparoscopic RYGBP, or loop gastric bypass. Experimental articles that were reviewed included in vivo and in vitro models of chronic duodenoesophageal reflux and its effect on carcinogenesis. No formal data extraction was performed. We reviewed published operative times, lengths of stay, and anastomotic leak rates for laparoscopic RYGBP and loop gastric bypass. For in vivo and in vitro experimental models of duodenoesophageal reflux, we reviewed the kinetics and potential molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Recent data suggest that laparoscopic loop gastric bypass, performed without the creation of a Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy, is a faster surgical technique that confers similarly robust weight loss compared with RYGBP or laparoscopic RYGBP. In the absence of a Roux limb, the long-term effects of chronic alkaline reflux are unknown. Animal models and in vitro analyses of chronic alkaline reflux suggest a carcinogenic effect.

MINI-FILAMENT ERUPTION AS THE INITIATION OF A JET ALONG CORONAL LOOPS

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

Hong, Junchao; Jiang, Yunchun; Yang, Jiayan

Minifilament eruptions (MFEs) and coronal jets are different types of solar small-scale explosive events. We report an MFE observed at the New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST). As seen in the NVST H α images, during the rising phase, the minifilament erupts outward orthogonally to its length, accompanied with a flare-like brightening at the bottom. Afterward, dark materials are found to possibly extend along the axis of the expanded filament body. The MFE is analogous to large filament eruptions. However, a simultaneous observation of the Solar Dynamics Observatory shows that a jet is initiated and flows out along nearby coronal loopsmore » during the rising phase of the MFE. Meanwhile, small hot loops, which connect the original eruptive site of the minifilament to the footpoints of the coronal loops, are formed successively. A differential emission measure analysis demonstrates that, on the top of the new small loops, a hot cusp structure exists. We conjecture that the magnetic fields of the MFE interact with magnetic fields of the coronal loops. This interaction is interpreted as magnetic reconnection that produces the jet and the small hot loops.« less

Particle acceleration and gamma rays in solar flares: Recent observations and new modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miroshnichenko, L. I.; Gan, W. Q.

2012-09-01

Experiments on SMM, GAMMA, Yohkoh, GRANAT, Compton GRO, INTEGRAL, RHESSI and CORONAS-F satellites over the past three decades have provided copious data for fundamental research relating to particle acceleration, transport and energetics of flares and to the ambient abundance of the solar corona, chromosphere and photosphere. We summarize main results of solar gamma-astronomy (including some results of several joint Russian-Chinese projects) and try to appraise critically a real contribution of those results into modern understanding of solar flares, particle acceleration at the Sun and some properties of the solar atmosphere. Recent findings based on the RHESSI, INTEGRAL and CORONAS-F measurements (source locations, spectrum peculiarities, 3He abundance etc.) are especially discussed. Some unusual features of extreme solar events (e.g., 28 October 2003 and 20 January 2005) have been found in gamma-ray production and generation of relativistic particles (solar cosmic rays, or SCR). A number of different plausible assumptions are considered concerning the details of underlying physical processes during large flares: (1) existence of a steeper distribution of surrounding medium density as compared to a standard astrophysical model (HSRA) for the solar atmosphere; (2) enhanced content of the 3He isotope; (3) formation of magnetic trap with specific properties; (4) prevailing non-uniform (e.g., fan-like) velocity (angular) distributions of secondary neutrons, etc. It is emphasized that real progress in this field may be achieved only by combination of gamma-ray data in different energy ranges with multi-wave and energetic particle observations during the same event. We especially note several promising lines for the further studies: (1) resonant acceleration of the 3He ions in the corona; (2) timing of the flare evolution by gamma-ray fluxes in energy range above 90 MeV; (3) separation of gamma-ray fluxes from different sources at/near the Sun (e.g., different acceleration sources/episodes during the same flare, contribution of energetic particles accelerated by the CME-driven shocks etc.); (4) asymmetric magnetic geometry and new magnetic topology models of the near-limb flares; (5) modeling of self-consistent time scenario of the event.

Very High Resolution Solar X-ray Imaging Using Diffractive Optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennis, B. R.; Skinner, G. K.; Li, M. J.; Shih, A. Y.

2012-01-01

This paper describes the development of X-ray diffractive optics for imaging solar flares with better than 0.1 arcsec angular resolution. X-ray images with this resolution of the greater than or equal to 10 MK plasma in solar active regions and solar flares would allow the cross-sectional area of magnetic loops to be resolved and the coronal flare energy release region itself to be probed. The objective of this work is to obtain X-ray images in the iron-line complex at 6.7 keV observed during solar flares with an angular resolution as fine as 0.1 arcsec - over an order of magnitude finer than is now possible. This line emission is from highly ionized iron atoms, primarily Fe xxv, in the hottest flare plasma at temperatures in excess of approximately equal to 10 MK. It provides information on the flare morphology, the iron abundance, and the distribution of the hot plasma. Studying how this plasma is heated to such high temperatures in such short times during solar flares is of critical importance in understanding these powerful transient events, one of the major objectives of solar physics.We describe the design, fabrication, and testing of phase zone plate X-ray lenses with focal lengths of approximately equal to 100 m at these energies that would be capable of achieving these objectives. We show how such lenses could be included on a two-spacecraft formation-flying mission with the lenses on the spacecraft closest to the Sun and an X-ray imaging array on the second spacecraft in the focal plane approximately equal to 100 m away. High resolution X-ray images could be obtained when the two spacecraft are aligned with the region of interest on the Sun. Requirements and constraints for the control of the two spacecraft are discussed together with the overall feasibility of such a formation-flying mission.

FORMATION AND ERUPTION OF A SMALL FLUX ROPE IN THE CHROMOSPHERE OBSERVED BY NST, IRIS, AND SDO

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

Kumar, Pankaj; Yurchyshyn, Vasyl; Cho, Kyung-Suk

Using high-resolution images from the 1.6 m New Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory, we report the direct evidence of chromospheric reconnection at the polarity inversion line between two small opposite polarity sunspots. Small jetlike structures (with velocities of ∼20–55 km s{sup −1}) were observed at the reconnection site before the onset of the first M1.0 flare. The slow rise of untwisting jets was followed by the onset of cool plasma inflow (∼10 km s{sup −1}) at the reconnection site, causing the onset of a two-ribbon flare. The reconnection between two sheared J-shaped cool Hα loops causes the formationmore » of a small twisted (S-shaped) flux rope in the chromosphere. In addition, Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager magnetograms show the flux cancellation (both positive and negative) during the first M1.0 flare. The emergence of negative flux and the cancellation of positive flux (with shear flows) continue until the successful eruption of the flux rope. The newly formed chromospheric flux rope becomes unstable and rises slowly with a speed of ∼108 km s{sup −1} during a second C8.5 flare that occurred after ∼3 hr of the first M1.0 flare. The flux rope was destroyed by repeated magnetic reconnection induced by its interaction with the ambient field (fan–spine topology) and looks like an untwisting surge (∼170 km s{sup −1}) in the coronal images recorded by the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. These observations suggest the formation of a chromospheric flux rope (by magnetic reconnection associated with flux cancellation) during the first M1.0 flare and its subsequent eruption/disruption during the second C8.5 flare.« less

Spectral Evolution of Intensive Microwave Bursts at Centimeter-Millimeter Wavelengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnikov, V. F.; Magun, A.

The dynamics of the frequency spectrum of intensive broad band microwave bursts with one spectral maximum and simple time profiles are investigated. The aim of the study is to correlate the temporal evolution of the microwave burst spectrum above and below the spectral peak frequency f_p, as well as to compare these features with theoretical expectations. The analysis was carried out by using the data from the patrol instruments of IAP, Bern University and NIRFI, Nizhnii Novgorod (10 fixed frequencies in the range 1-50 GHz). It has been found for the majority of these bursts that: a) during the rise phase of the burst flux there is an anticorrelation of the absolute values of the spectral indices above and below peak frequency whereas a good correlation during the decay phase was found; b) time delays between flux profiles at neighbouring frequencies change sign under the transition from low to high frequencies. As a rule the lower frequency emission is delayed at frequencies below f_p whereas at high frequencies (f>f_p) the higher frequency emission is delayed (see also Melnikov and Magun, 1998). Qualitatively these results fit well the calculated spectral evolution of the gyrosynchrotron if one takes into account the flattening of the electron energy spectrum in a flare loop (Melnikov and Magun, 1996) due to Coulomb collisions (Vilmer et al., 1982), and uses values for the background plasma density derived from hard X-ray data (Aschwanden et al., 1997). For some of the bursts, however, quantitative discrepancies with the predictions of the homogeneous model have been found. For these bursts the absolute value of the spectral index at low frequencies is remarkably smaller, and the time delay remarkably higher than expected. We have investigated several possibilities to obtain an agremeent between theory and observations. Special attention is paid to model calculations taking into account the dynamics of energetic electrons in flare loops with an inhomogeneous magnetic field and plasma density. In this context the capabilities of the models for the diagnostics of the physical conditions in flare loops using observations with high spatial

Nonthermal electrons in the thick-target reverse-current model for hard X-ray bremsstrahlung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litvinenko, Iu. E.; Somov, B. V.

1991-02-01

The behavior of the accelerated electrons escaping from a high-temperature source of primary energy in a solar flare is investigated. The direct current of fast electrons is supposed to be balanced by the reverse current of thermal electrons in the ambient colder plasma inside flare loops. The self-consistent kinetic problem is formulated, and the reverse-current electric field and the fast electron distribution function are found from its solution. The X-ray bremsstrahlung polarization is then calculated from the distribution function. The difference of results from those in the case of thermal runaway electrons (Diakonov and Somov, 1988) is discussed. The solutions with and without an account taken of the effect of a reverse-current electric field are also compared.

Chromospheric evaporation flows and density changes deduced from Hinode/EIS during an M1.6 flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gömöry, P.; Veronig, A. M.; Su, Y.; Temmer, M.; Thalmann, J. K.

2016-04-01

Aims: We study the response of the solar atmosphere during a GOES M1.6 flare using spectroscopic and imaging observations. In particular, we examine the evolution of the mass flows and electron density together with the energy input derived from hard X-ray (HXR) in the context of chromospheric evaporation. Methods: We analyzed high-cadence sit-and-stare observations acquired with the Hinode/EIS spectrometer in the Fe xiii 202.044 Å (log T = 6.2) and Fe xvi 262.980 Å (log T = 6.4) spectral lines to derive temporal variations of the line intensity, Doppler shifts, and electron density during the flare. We combined these data with HXR measurements acquired with RHESSI to derive the energy input to the lower atmosphere by flare-accelerated electrons. Results: During the flare impulsive phase, we observe no significant flows in the cooler Fe xiii line but strong upflows, up to 80-150 km s-1, in the hotter Fe xvi line. The largest Doppler shifts observed in the Fe xvi line were co-temporal with the sharp intensity peak. The electron density obtained from a Fe xiii line pair ratio exhibited fast increase (within two minutes) from the pre-flare level of 5.01 × 109 cm-3 to 3.16 × 1010 cm-3 during the flare peak. The nonthermal energy flux density deposited from the coronal acceleration site to the lower atmospheric layers during the flare peak was found to be 1.34 × 1010 erg s-1 cm-2 for a low-energy cut-off that was estimated to be 16 keV. During the decline flare phase, we found a secondary intensity and density peak of lower amplitude that was preceded by upflows of ~15 km s-1 that were detected in both lines. The flare was also accompanied by a filament eruption that was partly captured by the EIS observations. We derived Doppler velocities of 250-300 km s-1 for the upflowing filament material. Conclusions: The spectroscopic results for the flare peak are consistent with the scenario of explosive chromospheric evaporation, although a comparatively low value of the nonthermal energy flux density was determined for this phase of the flare. This outcome is discussed in the context of recent hydrodynamic simulations. It provides observational evidence that the response of the atmospheric plasma strongly depends on the properties of the electron beams responsible for the heating, in particular the steepness of the energy distribution. The secondary peak of line intensity and electron density detected during the decline phase is interpreted as a signature of flare loops being filled by expanding hot material that is due to chromospheric evaporation. A movie is available at http://www.aanda.org

Dispersively formed quasi-periodic fast magnetosonic wavefronts due to the eruption of a nearby mini-filament

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yuandeng; Song, Tengfei; Liu, Yu

2018-06-01

Observational analysis is performed to study the excitation mechanism and propagation properties of a quasi-periodic fast-propagating (QFP) magnetosonic wave. The QFP wave was associated with the eruption of a nearby mini-filament and a small B4 Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) flare, which may indicate that the generation of a QFP wave does not require much flare energy. The propagation of the QFP wave was along a bundle of funnel-shaped open loops with a speed of about 1100 ± 78 km s-1 and an acceleration of -2.2 ± 1.1 km s-2. Periodicity analysis indicates that the periods of the QFP wave are 43 ± 6 and 79 ± 18 s. For the first time, we find that the periods of the QFP wave and the accompanying flare are inconsistent, which is different from the findings reported in previous studies. We propose that the present QFP wave was possibly caused by the mechanism of dispersive evolution of the initially broad-band disturbance resulting from the nearby mini-filament eruption.

Fast-sausage oscillations in coronal loops with smooth boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopin, I.; Nagorny, I.

2014-12-01

Aims: The effect of the transition layer (shell) in nonuniform coronal loops with a continuous radial density profile on the properties of fast-sausage modes are studied analytically and numerically. Methods: We modeled the coronal waveguide as a structured tube consisting of a cord and a transition region (shell) embedded within a magnetic uniform environment. The derived general dispersion relation was investigated analytically and numerically in the context of frequency, cut-off wave number, and the damping rate of fast-sausage oscillations for various values of loop parameters. Results: The frequency of the global fast-sausage mode in the loops with a diffuse (or smooth) boundary is determined mainly by the external Alfvén speed and longitudinal wave number. The damping rate of such a mode can be relatively low. The model of coronal loop with diffuse boundary can support a comparatively low-frequency, global fast-sausage mode of detectable quality without involving extremely low values of the density contrast. The effect of thin transition layer (corresponds to the loops with steep boundary) is negligible and produces small reductions of oscillation frequency and relative damping rate in comparison with the case of step-function density profile. Seismological application of obtained results gives the estimated Alfvén speed outside the flaring loop about 3.25 Mm/s.

Quasi-periodic Radio Bursts Associated with Fast-mode Waves near a Magnetic Null Point

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

Kumar, Pankaj; Nakariakov, Valery M.; Cho, Kyung-Suk, E-mail: pankaj.kumar@nasa.gov

This paper presents an observation of quasi-periodic rapidly propagating waves observed in the Atmospheric Image Assembly (AIA) 171/193 Å channels during the impulsive phase of an M1.9 flare that occurred on 2012 May 7. The instant period was found to decrease from 240 to 120 s, and the speed of the wavefronts was in the range of ∼664–1416 km s{sup −1}. Almost simultaneously, quasi-periodic bursts with similar instant periods, ∼70 and ∼140 s, occur in the microwave emission and in decimetric type IV and type III radio bursts, and in the soft X-ray emission. The magnetic field configuration of themore » flare site was consistent with a breakout topology, i.e., a quadrupolar field along with a magnetic null point. The quasi-periodic rapidly propagating wavefronts of the EUV emission are interpreted as a fast magnetoacoustic wave train. The observations suggest that the fast-mode waves are generated during the quasi-periodic magnetic reconnection in the cusp region above the flare arcade loops. For the first time, we provide evidence of a tadpole wavelet signature at about 70–140 s in decimetric (245/610 MHz) radio bursts, along with the direct observation of a coronal fast-mode wave train in EUV. In addition, at AIA 131/193 Å we observed quasi-periodic EUV disturbances with periods of 95 and 240 s propagating downward at apparent speeds of 172–273 km s{sup −1}. The nature of these downward propagating disturbances is not revealed, but they could be connected to magnetoacoustic waves or periodically shrinking loops.« less

EFFECT OF A RADIATION COOLING AND HEATING FUNCTION ON STANDING LONGITUDINAL OSCILLATIONS IN CORONAL LOOPS

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

Kumar, S.; Nakariakov, V. M.; Moon, Y.-J., E-mail: sanjaykumar@khu.ac.kr

2016-06-10

Standing long-period (with periods longer than several minutes) oscillations in large, hot (with a temperature higher than 3 MK) coronal loops have been observed as the quasi-periodic modulation of the EUV and microwave intensity emission and the Doppler shift of coronal emission lines, and they have been interpreted as standing slow magnetoacoustic (longitudinal) oscillations. Quasi-periodic pulsations of shorter periods, detected in thermal and non-thermal emissions in solar flares could be produced by a similar mechanism. We present theoretical modeling of the standing slow magnetoacoustic mode, showing that this mode of oscillation is highly sensitive to peculiarities of the radiative coolingmore » and heating function. We generalized the theoretical model of standing slow magnetoacoustic oscillations in a hot plasma, including the effects of the radiative losses and accounting for plasma heating. The heating mechanism is not specified and taken empirically to compensate the cooling by radiation and thermal conduction. It is shown that the evolution of the oscillations is described by a generalized Burgers equation. The numerical solution of an initial value problem for the evolutionary equation demonstrates that different dependences of the radiative cooling and plasma heating on the temperature lead to different regimes of the oscillations, including growing, quasi-stationary, and rapidly decaying. Our findings provide a theoretical foundation for probing the coronal heating function and may explain the observations of decayless long-period, quasi-periodic pulsations in flares. The hydrodynamic approach employed in this study should be considered with caution in the modeling of non-thermal emission associated with flares, because it misses potentially important non-hydrodynamic effects.« less

Real-time control of walking using recordings from dorsal root ganglia.

PubMed

Holinski, B J; Everaert, D G; Mushahwar, V K; Stein, R B

2013-10-01

The goal of this study was to decode sensory information from the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in real time, and to use this information to adapt the control of unilateral stepping with a state-based control algorithm consisting of both feed-forward and feedback components. In five anesthetized cats, hind limb stepping on a walkway or treadmill was produced by patterned electrical stimulation of the spinal cord through implanted microwire arrays, while neuronal activity was recorded from the DRG. Different parameters, including distance and tilt of the vector between hip and limb endpoint, integrated gyroscope and ground reaction force were modelled from recorded neural firing rates. These models were then used for closed-loop feedback. Overall, firing-rate-based predictions of kinematic sensors (limb endpoint, integrated gyroscope) were the most accurate with variance accounted for >60% on average. Force prediction had the lowest prediction accuracy (48 ± 13%) but produced the greatest percentage of successful rule activations (96.3%) for stepping under closed-loop feedback control. The prediction of all sensor modalities degraded over time, with the exception of tilt. Sensory feedback from moving limbs would be a desirable component of any neuroprosthetic device designed to restore walking in people after a spinal cord injury. This study provides a proof-of-principle that real-time feedback from the DRG is possible and could form part of a fully implantable neuroprosthetic device with further development.

Biggest Solar Flare on Record

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

View an animation from the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT). At 4:51 p.m. EDT, on Monday, April 2, 2001, the sun unleashed the biggest solar flare ever recorded, as observed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite. The flare was definitely more powerful than the famous solar flare on March 6, 1989, which was related to the disruption of power grids in Canada. This recent explosion from the active region near the sun's northwest limb hurled a coronal mass ejection into space at a whopping speed of roughly 7.2 million kilometers per hour. Luckily, the flare was not aimed directly towards Earth. Solar flares, among the solar system's mightiest eruptions, are tremendous explosions in the atmosphere of the Sun capable of releasing as much energy as a billion megatons of TNT. Caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy, in just a few seconds flares can accelerate solar particles to very high velocities, almost to the speed of light, and heat solar material to tens of millions of degrees. Solar ejections are often associated with flares and sometimes occur shortly after the flare explosion. Coronal mass ejections are clouds of electrified, magnetic gas weighing billions of tons ejected from the Sun and hurled into space with speeds ranging from 12 to 1,250 miles per second. Depending on the orientation of the magnetic fields carried by the ejection cloud, Earth-directed coronal mass ejections cause magnetic storms by interacting with the Earth's magnetic field, distorting its shape, and accelerating electrically charged particles (electrons and atomic nuclei) trapped within. Severe solar weather is often heralded by dramatic auroral displays, northern and southern lights, and magnetic storms that occasionally affect satellites, radio communications and power systems. The flare and solar ejection has also generated a storm of high-velocity particles, and the number of particles with ten million electron-volts of energy in the space near Earth is now 10,000 times greater than normal. The increase of particles at this energy level still poses no appreciable hazard to air travelers, astronauts or satellites, and the NOAA SEC rates this radiation storm as a moderate S2 to S3, on a scale that goes to S5. Monday's solar flare produced an R4 radio blackout on the sunlit side of the Earth. An R4 blackout, rated by the NOAA SEC, is second to the most severe R5 classification. The classification measures the disruption in radio communications. X-ray and ultraviolet light from the flare changed the structure of the Earth's electrically charged upper atmosphere (ionosphere). This affected radio communication frequencies that either pass through the ionosphere to satellites or are reflected by it to traverse the globe. The SOHO mission is being conducted collaboratively between the European Space Agency and NASA. Images courtesy SOHO Project, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Hydrogen Balmer Line Broadening in Solar and Stellar Flares

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

Kowalski, Adam F.; Allred, Joel C.; Uitenbroek, Han

2017-03-10

The broadening of the hydrogen lines during flares is thought to result from increased charge (electron, proton) density in the flare chromosphere. However, disagreements between theory and modeling prescriptions have precluded an accurate diagnostic of the degree of ionization and compression resulting from flare heating in the chromosphere. To resolve this issue, we have incorporated the unified theory of electric pressure broadening of the hydrogen lines into the non-LTE radiative-transfer code RH. This broadening prescription produces a much more realistic spectrum of the quiescent, A0 star Vega compared to the analytic approximations used as a damping parameter in the Voigtmore » profiles. We test recent radiative-hydrodynamic (RHD) simulations of the atmospheric response to high nonthermal electron beam fluxes with the new broadening prescription and find that the Balmer lines are overbroadened at the densest times in the simulations. Adding many simultaneously heated and cooling model loops as a “multithread” model improves the agreement with the observations. We revisit the three-component phenomenological flare model of the YZ CMi Megaflare using recent and new RHD models. The evolution of the broadening, line flux ratios, and continuum flux ratios are well-reproduced by a multithread model with high-flux nonthermal electron beam heating, an extended decay phase model, and a “hot spot” atmosphere heated by an ultrarelativistic electron beam with reasonable filling factors: ∼0.1%, 1%, and 0.1% of the visible stellar hemisphere, respectively. The new modeling motivates future work to understand the origin of the extended gradual phase emission.« less

ARCADE IMPLOSION CAUSED BY A FILAMENT ERUPTION IN A FLARE

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

Wang, Juntao; Simões, P. J. A.; Fletcher, L.

Coronal implosions—the convergence motion of plasmas and entrained magnetic field in the corona due to a reduction in magnetic pressure—can help to locate and track sites of magnetic energy release or redistribution during solar flares and eruptions. We report here on the analysis of a well-observed implosion in the form of an arcade contraction associated with a filament eruption, during the C3.5 flare SOL2013-06-19T07:29. A sequence of events including the magnetic flux-rope instability and distortion, followed by a filament eruption and arcade implosion, lead us to conclude that the implosion arises from the transfer of magnetic energy from beneath the arcademore » as part of the global magnetic instability, rather than due to local magnetic energy dissipation in the flare. The observed net contraction of the imploding loops, which is found also in nonlinear force-free field extrapolations, reflects a permanent reduction of magnetic energy underneath the arcade. This event shows that, in addition to resulting in the expansion or eruption of an overlying field, flux-rope instability can also simultaneously implode an unopened field due to magnetic energy transfer. It demonstrates the “partial opening of the field” scenario, which is one of the ways in 3D to produce a magnetic eruption without violating the Aly–Sturrock hypothesis. In the framework of this observation, we also propose a unification of three main concepts for active region magnetic evolution, namely the metastable eruption model, the implosion conjecture, and the standard “CSHKP” flare model.« less

On the Nature of the High-Speed Plasma Flows in the 2005 September 13 Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, C.; Choudhary, D. P.; Deng, N.; Wang, H.

2008-05-01

A long-duration, successive flaring event accompanied by fast CMEs occurred on 2005 September 13 in the NOAA AR 10808 and was classified as 2B/X1.5 with peak time at 19:27 UT. In this study, we report direct and unambiguous observations of high-speed hot plasma flows associated with the second major peak in soft X-ray that reached X1.4 on the GOES scale at 20:05 UT. The flows are seen as streams of enhanced density in extreme-UV traveling above and toward arcades of the secondary compact-loop flare at the main δ spot with an apparent speed as high as ~350~km~s-1, and the times when they are initiated correspond to those of bursts of nonthermal emissions in hard X-rays (HXRs) and microwaves. In Hα, the flows appear to become emission later on when approaching the lower atmosphere nearby the flaring magnetic polarity inversion line and subsequently trigger a subflare with propagating kernels. It is particularly notable that the flows are spatially and temporally related to HXR sources detected by RHESSI and a large erupting flux rope. We scrutinize several scenarios to investigate the nature of the observed high-speed flows. We conclude that the observations could be interpreted in terms of materials braking away from a preceding filament eruption and falling gravitationally back into the flaring region. A separate scenario is that the observed flow motion could be a manifestation of sunward reconnection outflow supporting the standard reconnection model.

Hydrogen Balmer Line Broadening in Solar and Stellar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowalski, Adam F.; Allred, Joel C.; Uitenbroek, Han; Tremblay, Pier-Emmanuel; Brown, Stephen; Carlsson, Mats; Osten, Rachel A.; Wisniewski, John P.; Hawley, Suzanne L.

2017-03-01

The broadening of the hydrogen lines during flares is thought to result from increased charge (electron, proton) density in the flare chromosphere. However, disagreements between theory and modeling prescriptions have precluded an accurate diagnostic of the degree of ionization and compression resulting from flare heating in the chromosphere. To resolve this issue, we have incorporated the unified theory of electric pressure broadening of the hydrogen lines into the non-LTE radiative-transfer code RH. This broadening prescription produces a much more realistic spectrum of the quiescent, A0 star Vega compared to the analytic approximations used as a damping parameter in the Voigt profiles. We test recent radiative-hydrodynamic (RHD) simulations of the atmospheric response to high nonthermal electron beam fluxes with the new broadening prescription and find that the Balmer lines are overbroadened at the densest times in the simulations. Adding many simultaneously heated and cooling model loops as a “multithread” model improves the agreement with the observations. We revisit the three-component phenomenological flare model of the YZ CMi Megaflare using recent and new RHD models. The evolution of the broadening, line flux ratios, and continuum flux ratios are well-reproduced by a multithread model with high-flux nonthermal electron beam heating, an extended decay phase model, and a “hot spot” atmosphere heated by an ultrarelativistic electron beam with reasonable filling factors: ˜0.1%, 1%, and 0.1% of the visible stellar hemisphere, respectively. The new modeling motivates future work to understand the origin of the extended gradual phase emission.

Multifrequency observations of AB Doradus. X-ray flaring and rotational modulation of a young star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilhu, O.; Tsuru, T.; Collier Cameron, A.; Budding, E.; Banks, T.; Slee, B.; Ehrenfreund, P.; Foing, B. H.

1993-11-01

X-ray observations of AB Doradus, performed by the Large Area Counter (LAC) instrument of the GINGA satellite on January 1990, are reported. The observations covered 5 rotations of the star (2.6 days) during which 4 flares were detected. When added to the previously observed EINSTEIN and EXOSAT flares, a total of 7 X-ray flares in AB Dor have been observed so far. The flares seem to cluster around rotational phases 0.1-0.25 and 0.6-0.75 although the statistics are poor. The mean flare energies were around (1-3) x 1034 erg with peak luminosities (4-6) x 1030 ergs/s. The flaring loops were compact (ne = 1012/cu cm) and extended (1-2) x 1010 cm above the surface. Flare masses (1018 g) and frequencies (two per day) are similar to prominence-like cloud formations discovered previously in the star. The flare spectra can be best-fitted either by thermal Bremstrahlung with kT = 3-6 keV or with a power-law, with photon index gamma = 2.2-2.6. During the strongest flare peaks AB Dor is a 10 mCrab source with a Crab-like spectrum. The 3 sigma upper limit for the 6.7 keV iron line during the flares is somewhat smaller than predicted by thin plasma models. We discuss the possibility of lowering the equivalent width by an extra non-thermal continuum due to mildly relativistic electrons. Simultaneous 8.4 GHz observations during flare No. 1 gave only a marginal detection, constraining the magnetic field strength to less than 50 Gauss if the total X-ray continuum is non-thermal in origin. The sensitivity was not good enough to detect any clear modulation in the X-ray light curve, folded over the 0.514 d rotation period. Simultaneous 8.4 GHz observations were performed with the 64 m antenna of the Australia Telescope National Facility at Parkes and reveal a clear variability with two maxima at phases 0.0 (spot A) and 0.5 (spot B). Nearly simultaneous optical photometry can be modeled by a cool extended photospheric spot at the phase 0.0 (spot A). Simultaneous H-alpha photometry revealed a transient H-alpha absorption feature above the spot A, trapped in co-rotation with the stellar magnetic field. All these multifrequency data can be understood by a geometrical two spot model. The geometry seems to have been permanent during the past 10 years, although the relative contributions of the two poles vary and the spots are not necessarily fixed into 180 degrees apart all the time.

Solar Radio Bursts and Space Weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gopalswamy, Natchimuthuk,

2012-01-01

Radio bursts from the Sun are produced by electron accelerated to relativistic energies by physical processes on the Sun such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The radio bursts are thus good indicators of solar eruptions. Three types of nonthermal radio bursts are generally associated with CMEs. Type III bursts due to accelerated electrons propagating along open magnetic field lines. The electrons are thought to be accelerated at the reconnection region beneath the erupting CME, although there is another view that the electrons may be accelerated at the CME-driven shock. Type II bursts are due to electrons accelerated at the shock front. Type II bursts are also excellent indicators of solar energetic particle (SEP) events because the same shock is supposed accelerate electrons and ions. There is a hierarchical relationship between the wavelength range of type /I bursts and the CME kinetic energy. Finally, Type IV bursts are due to electrons trapped in moving or stationary structures. The low frequency stationary type IV bursts are observed occasionally in association with very fast CMEs. These bursts originate from flare loops behind the erupting CME and hence indicate tall loops. This paper presents a summary of radio bursts and their relation to CMEs and how they can be useful for space weather predictions.

Hard X-ray emission from the solar corona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krucker, S.; Battaglia, M.; Cargill, P. J.; Fletcher, L.; Hudson, H. S.; MacKinnon, A. L.; Masuda, S.; Sui, L.; Tomczak, M.; Veronig, A. L.; Vlahos, L.; White, S. M.

2008-10-01

This review surveys hard X-ray emissions of non-thermal electrons in the solar corona. These electrons originate in flares and flare-related processes. Hard X-ray emission is the most direct diagnostic of electron presence in the corona, and such observations provide quantitative determinations of the total energy in the non-thermal electrons. The most intense flare emissions are generally observed from the chromosphere at footpoints of magnetic loops. Over the years, however, many observations of hard X-ray and even γ-ray emission directly from the corona have also been reported. These coronal sources are of particular interest as they occur closest to where the electron acceleration is thought to occur. Prior to the actual direct imaging observations, disk occultation was usually required to study coronal sources, resulting in limited physical information. Now RHESSI has given us a systematic view of coronal sources that combines high spatial and spectral resolution with broad energy coverage and high sensitivity. Despite the low density and hence low bremsstrahlung efficiency of the corona, we now detect coronal hard X-ray emissions from sources in all phases of solar flares. Because the physical conditions in such sources may differ substantially from those of the usual “footpoint” emission regions, we take the opportunity to revisit the physics of hard X-radiation and relevant theories of particle acceleration.

Risk Factors for Gout and Prevention: A Systematic Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Singh, Jasvinder A.; Reddy, Supriya G.; Kundukulam, Joseph

2014-01-01

Purpose Our objective was to perform a systematic review of risk factors and prevention of gout. We searched Medline for fully published reports in English using keywords including but not limited to “gout”, “epidemiology”, “primary prevention”, “secondary prevention”, “risk factors’. Data from relevant articles meeting inclusion criteria was extracted using standardized forms. Main Findings Of the 751 titles and abstracts, 53 studies met the criteria and were included in the review. Several risk factors were studied. Alcohol consumption increased the risk of incident gout, especially beer and hard liquor. Several dietary factors increased the risk of incident gout, including meat intake, seafood intake, sugar sweetened soft drinks, and consumption of foods high in fructose. Diary intake, folate intake and coffee consumption were each associated with a lower risk of incident gout and in some cases a lower rate of gout flares. Thiazide and loop diuretics were associated with higher risk of incident gout and higher rate of gout flares. Hypertension, renal insufficiency, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, hyperuricemia, diabetes, obesity and early menopause were each associated with a higher risk of incident gout and/or gout flares. Summary Several dietary risk factors for incident gout and gout flares are modifiable. Prevention and optimal management of comorbidities is likely to decreased risk of gout. Research in preventive strategies for the treatment of gout is needed. PMID:21285714

A cognitive neuroprosthetic that uses cortical stimulation for somatosensory feedback

PubMed Central

Klaes, Christian; Shi, Ying; Kellis, Spencer; Minxha, Juri; Revechkis, Boris; Andersen, Richard A.

2015-01-01

Present day cortical brain machine interfaces (BMI) have made impressive advances using decoded brain signals to control extracorporeal devices. Although BMIs are used in a closed-loop fashion, sensory feedback typically is visual only. However medical case studies have shown that the loss of somesthesis in a limb greatly reduces the agility of the limb even when visual feedback is available (for review see Robles-De-La-Torre, 2006). To overcome this limitation, this study tested a closed-loop BMI that utilizes intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) to provide ‘tactile’ sensation to a non-human primate (NHP). Using stimulation electrodes in Brodmann area 1 of somatosensory cortex (BA1) and recording electrodes in the anterior intraparietal area (AIP), the parietal reach region (PRR) and dorsal area 5 (area 5d), it was found that this form of feedback can be used in BMI tasks. PMID:25242377

The soft X-ray coronal mass ejection above solar limb of 1998 April 23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiao-juan

Using the observational materials of SXT/HXT aboard satellite Yohkoh and the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH) on 1998-04-23, a comprehensive study of the soft X-ray coronal mass ejection (CME) above solar SE limb shows that there were two magnetic dipolar sources (MDSs), one magnetic capacity belt (MCB) between the MDSs, one neutral current sheet (NCS) and some rare activation sources (ASs). When the MCB was changed by the ASs to become a magnetic energy belt (MEB), both mass and energy were concentrated to form the NCS. When the MDSs were connected by the MEB, the NCS was formed and the CME occurred. Mass was ejected not only from the NCS, but also from the whole MEB. The expanding loop of the CME had the two MDSs as footpoints. The top of the loop was always inclined towards the footpoint of the weaker source, and its locus marks the NCS.

Transepithelial water and urea permeabilities of isolated perfused Munich-Wistar rat inner medullary thin limbs of Henle's loop.

PubMed

Nawata, C Michele; Evans, Kristen K; Dantzler, William H; Pannabecker, Thomas L

2014-01-01

To better understand the role that water and urea fluxes play in the urine concentrating mechanism, we determined transepithelial osmotic water permeability (Pf) and urea permeability (Purea) in isolated perfused Munich-Wistar rat long-loop descending thin limbs (DTLs) and ascending thin limbs (ATLs). Thin limbs were isolated either from 0.5 to 2.5 mm below the outer medulla (upper inner medulla) or from the terminal 2.5 mm of the inner medulla. Segment types were characterized on the basis of structural features and gene expression levels of the water channel aquaporin 1, which was high in the upper DTL (DTLupper), absent in the lower DTL (DTLlower), and absent in ATLs, and the Cl-(1) channel ClCK1, which was absent in DTLs and high in ATLs. DTLupper Pf was high (3,204.5 ± 450.3 μm/s), whereas DTLlower showed very little or no osmotic Pf (207.8 ± 241.3 μm/s). Munich-Wistar rat ATLs have previously been shown to exhibit no Pf. DTLupper Purea was 40.0 ± 7.3 × 10(-5) cm/s and much higher in DTLlower (203.8 ± 30.3 × 10(-5) cm/s), upper ATL (203.8 ± 35.7 × 10(-5) cm/s), and lower ATL (265.1 ± 49.8 × 10(-5) cm/s). Phloretin (0.25 mM) did not reduce DTLupper Purea, suggesting that Purea is not due to urea transporter UT-A2, which is expressed in short-loop DTLs and short portions of some inner medullary DTLs close to the outer medulla. In summary, Purea is similar in all segments having no osmotic Pf but is significantly lower in DTLupper, a segment having high osmotic Pf. These data are inconsistent with the passive mechanism as originally proposed.

Unresolved fine-scale structure in solar coronal loop-tops

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

Scullion, E.; Van der Voort, L. Rouppe; Wedemeyer, S.

2014-12-10

New and advanced space-based observing facilities continue to lower the resolution limit and detect solar coronal loops in greater detail. We continue to discover even finer substructures within coronal loop cross-sections, in order to understand the nature of the solar corona. Here, we push this lower limit further to search for the finest coronal loop substructures, through taking advantage of the resolving power of the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope/CRisp Imaging Spectro-Polarimeter (CRISP), together with co-observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Image Assembly (AIA). High-resolution imaging of the chromospheric Hα 656.28 nm spectral line core and wings can, under certainmore » circumstances, allow one to deduce the topology of the local magnetic environment of the solar atmosphere where its observed. Here, we study post-flare coronal loops, which become filled with evaporated chromosphere that rapidly condenses into chromospheric clumps of plasma (detectable in Hα) known as a coronal rain, to investigate their fine-scale structure. We identify, through analysis of three data sets, large-scale catastrophic cooling in coronal loop-tops and the existence of multi-thermal, multi-stranded substructures. Many cool strands even extend fully intact from loop-top to footpoint. We discover that coronal loop fine-scale strands can appear bunched with as many as eight parallel strands within an AIA coronal loop cross-section. The strand number density versus cross-sectional width distribution, as detected by CRISP within AIA-defined coronal loops, most likely peaks at well below 100 km, and currently, 69% of the substructure strands are statistically unresolved in AIA coronal loops.« less

Contribution of supraspinal systems to generation of automatic postural responses

PubMed Central

Deliagina, Tatiana G.; Beloozerova, Irina N.; Orlovsky, Grigori N.; Zelenin, Pavel V.

2014-01-01

Different species maintain a particular body orientation in space due to activity of the closed-loop postural control system. In this review we discuss the role of neurons of descending pathways in operation of this system as revealed in animal models of differing complexity: lower vertebrate (lamprey) and higher vertebrates (rabbit and cat). In the lamprey and quadruped mammals, the role of spinal and supraspinal mechanisms in the control of posture is different. In the lamprey, the system contains one closed-loop mechanism consisting of supraspino-spinal networks. Reticulospinal (RS) neurons play a key role in generation of postural corrections. Due to vestibular input, any deviation from the stabilized body orientation leads to activation of a specific population of RS neurons. Each of the neurons activates a specific motor synergy. Collectively, these neurons evoke the motor output necessary for the postural correction. In contrast to lampreys, postural corrections in quadrupeds are primarily based not on the vestibular input but on the somatosensory input from limb mechanoreceptors. The system contains two closed-loop mechanisms – spinal and spino-supraspinal networks, which supplement each other. Spinal networks receive somatosensory input from the limb signaling postural perturbations, and generate spinal postural limb reflexes. These reflexes are relatively weak, but in intact animals they are enhanced due to both tonic supraspinal drive and phasic supraspinal commands. Recent studies of these supraspinal influences are considered in this review. A hypothesis suggesting common principles of operation of the postural systems stabilizing body orientation in a particular plane in the lamprey and quadrupeds, that is interaction of antagonistic postural reflexes, is discussed. PMID:25324741

Explosive Chromospheric Evaporation and Warm Rain in a GOES C3 Flare Observed by IRIS, Hinode/EIS, and RHESSI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brosius, J. W.; Inglis, A. R.

2017-12-01

IRIS and Hinode/EIS observed a C3.1 flare in AR 12002 in stare mode on 2014 March 15.GOES observed the flare to start at 00:21:35 UT and peak at 00:26:30 UT. The IRIS slitwas pointed near the center of the flare while the EIS slit was pointed 35 arcsec westof the IRIS slit. About 4 minutes before the GOES flare start, the C II and Si IV lineintensities observed by IRIS became (and remained) significantly greater than theirpre-flare average values; this indicates that the flare had begun and that thechromosphere and transition region were involved. IRIS first detected significant,blueshifted Fe XXI emission at 00:22:42 UT, by which time the C II and Si IV lineintensities had increased by factors around 100 and their profiles were significantlyredshifted. This combination of simultaneous, cospatial blueshifted Fe XXI emissionwith redshifted C II and Si IV emission indicates explosive chromospheric evaporation.SDO's HMI observed a localized area of enhanced magnetic field strength toward thesouthernmost portion of the EIS slit's position that appears to be connected to theflare site by faint loops evident in AIA 131 A emission. EIS spectra at this locationreveal intensity enhancements by factors up to about 1.7 in the Fe XIV and Fe XVI lineemission, and the emergence of faint Fe XXIII emission that is too weak to measurevelocities. Emission lines from the two coronal ions show redshifts of about 9 km/saround 00:24:00 UT. The density sensitive line intensity ratio of Fe XIV 264.7/274.2observed by EIS reveals an increase of electron density from (1.03+/-0.20)X10^9 /cm^3before the flare to (3.58+/-0.68)X10^9 /cm^3 during the flare. This combination ofredshifted coronal line emission and increased coronal electron density is consistentwith explosively evaporated flare material observed by IRIS falling as warm rain andaccumulating in the remote area observed by EIS. A thermal/nonthermal fit to the hardX-ray spectrum observed by RHESSI yields a nonthermal energy injection rate of4.9X10^26 ergs/s; combining this with an estimated injection area of (2.1+/-1.7)X10^17cm^2 based on IRIS slit-jaw images, we estimate a HXR beam energy flux of(6.7+/-5.5)X10^9 ergs/cm^2/s, a wide range whose larger values are consistent withexplosive chromospheric evaporation.

Semiclosed transfemoral iliac endarterectomy with an oscillating ring stripper.

PubMed

Stevick, C A; Bloom, R J

1989-10-01

The technique of endarterectomy for the removal of occlusive atherosclerotic lesions of the aorta and iliac arteries has been utilized successfully in the revascularization of ischemic limbs since its introduction in 1951. The oscillating loop endarterectomy device (Amsco-Hall arterial oscillator) has proven to be useful for endarterectomy of segmental occlusive disease as a substitute for bypass with prosthetic graft. For our elderly debilitated patients, we have adopted a new technique of semiclosed transfemoral iliac endarterectomy for management of occlusive external iliac disease with a patent common iliac artery. We report seven patients treated during May 1987 through May 1988 for external iliac artery occlusion by transfemoral oscillating loop endarterectomy. At 12 months for follow-up review, the cumulative limb salvage rate was 80% with no perioperative mortality. One patient required above-knee amputation eight months following endarterectomy to control forefoot sepsis. Two patients required subsequent leg bypass procedures to achieve full healing of foot level amputation. One patient required dilatation of residual stenosis at the iliac bifurcation by percutaneous balloon angioplasty. Semiclosed transfemoral endarterectomy with the Amsco-Hall oscillating loop device remains an attractive option to the vascular surgeon for recanalization of the iliac artery without the need for an extensive retroperitoneal dissection.

Blowout Surge due to Interaction between a Solar Filament and Coronal Loops

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

Li, Haidong; Jiang, Yunchun; Yang, Jiayan

2017-06-20

We present an observation of the interaction between a filament and the outer spine-like loops that produces a blowout surge within one footpoint of large-scale coronal loops on 2015 February 6. Based the observation of the AIA 304 and 94 Å, the activated filament is initially embedded below a dome of a fan-spine configuration. Due to the ascending motion, the erupting filament reconnects with the outer spine-like field. We note that the material in the filament blows out along the outer spine-like field to form the surge with a wider spire, and a two-ribbon flare appears at the site ofmore » the filament eruption. In this process, small bright blobs appear at the interaction region and stream up along the outer spine-like field and down along the eastern fan-like field. As a result, a leg of the filament becomes radial and the material in it erupts, while another leg forms the new closed loops. Our results confirm that the successive reconnection occurring between the erupting filament and the coronal loops may lead to a strong thermal/magnetic pressure imbalance, resulting in a blowout surge.« less

Supra Arcade Downflows with XRT Informed by Dipolarization Fronts with THEMIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobelski, Adam; Savage, Sabrina Leah; Malaspina, David

2016-01-01

Magnetic reconnection can rapidly reconfigure the magnetic field of the corona, accelerating plasma through the site of reconnection. Ambiguities due to the nature of remote sensing have complicated the interpretation of observations of the inflowing and outflowing plasma in reconnecting regions. In particular, the interpretation of sunward moving density depletions above flare arcades (known as Supra Arcade Downflows - SADs) is still debated. Hinode/XRT has provided a wealth of observations for SADs and helped inform our current understanding of these structures. SADs have been interpreted as wakes behind newly reconnected and outflowing loops (Supra Arcade Downflowing Loops - SADLs). Models have shown the plausibility of this interpretation, though this interpretation has not yet been fully accepted. We present here observations of newly reconnected outflowing loops observed via in situ instruments in the magnetosphere. These observations, provided by five THEMIS spacecraft, show that around retracting loops (dipolarization fronts in this context) similar dynamic temperature and density structures are found as seen in SADs. We compare data from multiple SADs and dipolarization fronts to show that the observational signatures implied in the corona can be directly observed in similar plasma regimes in the magnetosphere, strongly favoring the interpretation of SADs as wakes behind retracting loops.

Alar base reduction: the boomerang-shaped excision.

PubMed

Foda, Hossam M T

2011-04-01

A boomerang-shaped alar base excision is described to narrow the nasal base and correct the excessive alar flare. The boomerang excision combined the external alar wedge resection with an internal vestibular floor excision. The internal excision was inclined 30 to 45 degrees laterally to form the inner limb of the boomerang. The study included 46 patients presenting with wide nasal base and excessive alar flaring. All cases were followed for a mean period of 18 months (range, 8 to 36 months). The laterally oriented vestibular floor excision allowed for maximum preservation of the natural curvature of the alar rim where it meets the nostril floor and upon its closure resulted in a considerable medialization of alar lobule, which significantly reduced the amount of alar flare and the amount of external alar excision needed. This external alar excision measured, on average, 3.8 mm (range, 2 to 8 mm), which is significantly less than that needed when a standard vertical internal excision was used ( P < 0.0001). Such conservative external excisions eliminated the risk of obliterating the natural alar-facial crease, which did not occur in any of our cases. No cases of postoperative bleeding, infection, or vestibular stenosis were encountered. Keloid or hypertrophic scar formation was not encountered; however, dermabrasion of the scars was needed in three (6.5%) cases to eliminate apparent suture track marks. The boomerang alar base excision proved to be a safe and effective technique for narrowing the nasal base and elimination of the excessive flaring and resulted in a natural, well-proportioned nasal base with no obvious scarring. © Thieme Medical Publishers.

Real-time control of walking using recordings from dorsal root ganglia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holinski, B. J.; Everaert, D. G.; Mushahwar, V. K.; Stein, R. B.

2013-10-01

Objective. The goal of this study was to decode sensory information from the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in real time, and to use this information to adapt the control of unilateral stepping with a state-based control algorithm consisting of both feed-forward and feedback components. Approach. In five anesthetized cats, hind limb stepping on a walkway or treadmill was produced by patterned electrical stimulation of the spinal cord through implanted microwire arrays, while neuronal activity was recorded from the DRG. Different parameters, including distance and tilt of the vector between hip and limb endpoint, integrated gyroscope and ground reaction force were modelled from recorded neural firing rates. These models were then used for closed-loop feedback. Main results. Overall, firing-rate-based predictions of kinematic sensors (limb endpoint, integrated gyroscope) were the most accurate with variance accounted for >60% on average. Force prediction had the lowest prediction accuracy (48 ± 13%) but produced the greatest percentage of successful rule activations (96.3%) for stepping under closed-loop feedback control. The prediction of all sensor modalities degraded over time, with the exception of tilt. Significance. Sensory feedback from moving limbs would be a desirable component of any neuroprosthetic device designed to restore walking in people after a spinal cord injury. This study provides a proof-of-principle that real-time feedback from the DRG is possible and could form part of a fully implantable neuroprosthetic device with further development.

Real-time control of walking using recordings from dorsal root ganglia

PubMed Central

Holinski, B J; Everaert, D G; Mushahwar, V K; Stein, R B

2013-01-01

Objective The goal of this study was to decode sensory information from the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in real time, and to use this information to adapt the control of unilateral stepping with a state-based control algorithm consisting of both feed-forward and feedback components. Approach In five anesthetized cats, hind limb stepping on a walkway or treadmill was produced by patterned electrical stimulation of the spinal cord through implanted microwire arrays, while neuronal activity was recorded from the dorsal root ganglia. Different parameters, including distance and tilt of the vector between hip and limb endpoint, integrated gyroscope and ground reaction force were modeled from recorded neural firing rates. These models were then used for closed-loop feedback. Main Results Overall, firing-rate based predictions of kinematic sensors (limb endpoint, integrated gyroscope) were the most accurate with variance accounted for >60% on average. Force prediction had the lowest prediction accuracy (48±13%) but produced the greatest percentage of successful rule activations (96.3%) for stepping under closed-loop feedback control. The prediction of all sensor modalities degraded over time, with the exception of tilt. Significance Sensory feedback from moving limbs would be a desirable component of any neuroprosthetic device designed to restore walking in people after a spinal cord injury. This study provides a proof-of-principle that real-time feedback from the DRG is possible and could form part of a fully implantable neuroprosthetic device with further development. PMID:23928579

Simultaneous Observation of Solar Neutrons at the ISS and High Mountain Observatories as Evidence for two Different Acceleration Mechanisms Associated to a Flare on July 8,2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdes-Galicia, J. F.; González, L. X.; Watanabe, K.; Muraki, Y.; Matsubara, Y.; Lopez, D.; Koga, K.; Kakimoto, F.; Sako, T.; Salinas, J., Sr.; Ticona, R.; Shibata, S.; Masuda, S.; Tunesada, S.

2016-12-01

An M 6.5-class flare was observed at N12E56 of the solar surface at 16:06 UT on July 8, 2014. In association with the flare, two neutron detectors located at high mountains: Mt. Sierra Negra in Mexico (4600m asl) and Mt. Chacaltaya in Bolivia (5200m asl) recorded two neutron pulses, separated approximately 30 minutes. Enhancements were also observed in the neutral channel detector onboard the International Space Station. We analyzed these data combined with solar images from the Atompspheric ImagingAssembly (AIA) onboard the SolarDynamicalObservatory (SDO). From our analysis we conclude that the production mechanism of neutrons cannot be explained by a single model: one of the enhancements may be explained by an electric field generated by the collision of magnetic loops, and the other by a shock acceleration mechanism at the front side of the observed CME. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that evidence is found for two different mechanisms present in a solar eruption leading to energetic solar neutron production.

Hard X-Ray Footprint Source Sized

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennis, Brian R.; Kontar, E. P.

2010-01-01

RHESSI has detected compact hard (25 - 100 keV) X-ray sources that are <4 arcseconds (FWHM) in extent for certain flares (Dennis and Pernak (2009). These sources are believed to be at magnetic loop footpoints that are known from observations at other wavelengths to be very small. Flare ribbons seen in the W with TRACE, for example, are approx. 1 arcsecond in width, and white light flares show structure at the approx. 1 arcsecond level. However, Kontar and Jeffrey (2010) have shown that the measured extent should be >6 arcseconds, even if the X-ray emitting thick-target source is point-like. This is because of the strong albedo contribution in the measured energy range for a source located at the expected altitude of 1 Mm near the top of the chromosphere. This discrepancy between observations and model predictions may indicate that the source altitude is significantly lower than assumed or that the RHESSI image reconstruction procedures are not sensitive to the more diffuse albedo patch in the presence of a strong compact source. Results will be presented exploring the latter possibility using the Pixon image reconstruction procedure and other methods based on visibilities.

Main-Sequence CMEs as Magnetic Explosions: Compatibility with Observed Kinematics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ron; Falconer, David; Sterling, Alphonse

2004-01-01

We examine the kinematics of 26 CMEs of the morphological main sequence of CMEs, those having the classic three-part bubble structure of (1) a bright front eveloping (2) a dark cavity within which rides (3) a bright blob/filamentary feature. Each CME is observed in Yohkoh/SXT images to originate from near the limb (> or equal to 0.7 R(sub Sun) from disk center). The basic data (from the SOHO LASCO CME Catalog) for the kinematics of each CME are the sequence of LASCO images of the CME, the time of each image, the measured radial distance of the front edge of the CME in each image, and the measured angular extent of the CME. About half of our CMEs (12) occur with a flare, and the rest (14) occur without a flare. While the average linear-fit speed of the flare CMEs (1000 km/s) is twice that of the non-flare CMEs (510 km/s), the flare CMEs and the non-flare CMEs are similar in that some have nearly flat velocity-height (radial extent) profiles (little acceleration), some have noticeably falling velocity profiles (noticeable deceleration), and the rest have velocity profiles that rise considerably through the outer corona (blatant acceleration). This suggests that in addition to sharing similar morphology, main-sequence CMEs all have basically the same driving mechanism. The observed radial progression of each of our 26 CMEs is fit by a simple model magnetic plasmoid that is in pressure balance with the radial magnetic field in the outer corona and that propels itself outward by magnetic expansion, doing no net work on its surroundings. On average over the 26 CMEs, this model fits the observations as well as the assumption of constant acceleration. This is compatible with main-sequence CMEs being magnetically driven, basically magnetic explosions, with the velocity profile in the outer corona being largely dictated by the initial Alfien speed in the CME (when the front is at approx. 3 (sub Sun), analogous to the mass of a main-sequence star dictating the luminosity.

The modified Altemeier procedure for a loop colostomy prolapse.

PubMed

Watanabe, Makoto; Murakami, Masahiko; Ozawa, Yoshiaki; Uchida, Marie; Yamazaki, Kimiyasu; Fujimori, Akira; Otsuka, Koji; Aoki, Takeshi

2015-11-01

Loop colostomy prolapse is associated with an impaired quality of life. Surgical treatment may sometimes be required for cases that cannot be closed by colon colostomy because of high-risk morbidities or advanced disease. We applied the Altimeter operation for patients with transverse loop colostomy. The Altemeier operation is therefore indicated for rectal prolapse. This technique involves a simple operation, which includes a circumferential incision through the full thickness of the outer and inner cylinder of the prolapsed limb, without incising the abdominal wall, and anastomosis with sutures using absorbable thread. We performed the Altemeier operation for three cases of loop stomal prolapse. Those patients demonstrated no postoperative complications (including obstruction, prolapse recurrence, or hernia). Our findings suggest that this procedure is useful as an optional surgical treatment for cases of transverse loop colostomy prolapse as a permanent measure in patients with high-risk morbidities or advanced disease.

A Large-scale Plume in an X-class Solar Flare

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

Fleishman, Gregory D.; Nita, Gelu M.; Gary, Dale E.

Ever-increasing multi-frequency imaging of solar observations suggests that solar flares often involve more than one magnetic fluxtube. Some of the fluxtubes are closed, while others can contain open fields. The relative proportion of nonthermal electrons among those distinct loops is highly important for understanding energy release, particle acceleration, and transport. The access of nonthermal electrons to the open field is also important because the open field facilitates the solar energetic particle (SEP) escape from the flaring site, and thus controls the SEP fluxes in the solar system, both directly and as seed particles for further acceleration. The large-scale fluxtubes aremore » often filled with a tenuous plasma, which is difficult to detect in either EUV or X-ray wavelengths; however, they can dominate at low radio frequencies, where a modest component of nonthermal electrons can render the source optically thick and, thus, bright enough to be observed. Here we report the detection of a large-scale “plume” at the impulsive phase of an X-class solar flare, SOL2001-08-25T16:23, using multi-frequency radio data from Owens Valley Solar Array. To quantify the flare’s spatial structure, we employ 3D modeling utilizing force-free-field extrapolations from the line of sight SOHO /MDI magnetograms with our modeling tool GX-Simulator. We found that a significant fraction of the nonthermal electrons that accelerated at the flare site low in the corona escapes to the plume, which contains both closed and open fields. We propose that the proportion between the closed and open fields at the plume is what determines the SEP population escaping into interplanetary space.« less

Three-Dimensional Forward-Fit Modeling of The Hard X-ray and The Microwave Emissions of The 2015-06-22 M6.5 Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuroda, N.; Gary, D. E.; Wang, H.; Fleishman, G. D.; Nita, G. M.; Jing, J.

2017-12-01

The well-established notion of a "common population" of the accelerated electrons simultaneously producing the hard X-ray (HXR) and the microwave (MW) emission during the flare impulsive phase has been challenged by some studies reporting the discrepancies between the HXR-inferred and the MW-inferred electron energy spectra. The traditional methods of their spectral inversion have some problems that can be mainly attributed to the unrealistic and the oversimplified treatment of the flare emission. To properly address this problem, we use a Non-linear Force Free Field (NLFFF) model extrapolated from an observed photospheric magnetogram as input to the threedimensional, multi-wavelength modeling platform GX Simulator, and create a unified electron population model that can simultaneously reproduce the observed HXR and MW observations. We model the end of the impulsive phase of the 2015-06-22 M6.5 flare, and constrain the modeled electron spatial and energy parameters using observations made by the highest-resolving instruments currently available in two wavelengths, the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) for HXR and the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA) for MW. Our results suggest that the HXR-emitting electron population model fits the standard flare model with a broken power-law spectrum that simultaneously produces the HXR footpoint emission and the MW high frequency emission. The model also includes an "HXR invisible" population of nonthermal electrons that are trapped in a large volume of magnetic field above the HXR-emitting loops, which is observable by its gyrosynchrotron (GS) radiation emitting mainly in MW low frequency range.

Three-dimensional Forward-fit Modeling of the Hard X-Ray and Microwave Emissions of the 2015 June 22 M6.5 Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuroda, Natsuha; Gary, Dale E.; Wang, Haimin; Fleishman, Gregory D.; Nita, Gelu M.; Jing, Ju

2018-01-01

The well-established notion of a “common population” of the accelerated electrons simultaneously producing the hard X-ray (HXR) and microwave (MW) emission during the flare impulsive phase has been challenged by some studies reporting the discrepancies between the HXR-inferred and MW-inferred electron energy spectra. The traditional methods of spectral inversion have some problems that can be mainly attributed to the unrealistic and oversimplified treatment of the flare emission. To properly address this problem, we use a nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) model extrapolated from an observed photospheric magnetogram as input to the three-dimensional, multiwavelength modeling platform GX Simulator and create a unified electron population model that can simultaneously reproduce the observed HXR and MW observations. We model the end of the impulsive phase of the 2015 June 22 M6.5 flare and constrain the modeled electron spatial and energy parameters using observations made by the highest-resolving instruments currently available in two wavelengths, the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager for HXR and the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array for MW. Our results suggest that the HXR-emitting electron population model fits the standard flare model with a broken power-law spectrum ({E}{break}∼ 200 keV) that simultaneously produces the HXR footpoint emission and the MW high-frequency emission. The model also includes an “HXR-invisible” population of nonthermal electrons that are trapped in a large volume of magnetic field above the HXR-emitting loops, which is observable by its gyrosynchrotron radiation emitting mainly in the MW low-frequency range.

Detection and Interpretation of Long-lived X-Ray Quasi-periodic Pulsations in the X-class Solar Flare on 2013 May 14

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennis, Brian R.; Tolbert, Anne K.; Inglis, Andrew; Ireland, Jack; Wang, Tongjiang; Holman, Gordon D.; Hayes, Laura A.; Gallagher, Peter T.

2017-02-01

Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPP) seen in the time derivative of the GOES soft X-ray light curves are analyzed for the X3.2 event on 2013 May 14. The pulsations are apparent for a total of at least two hours from the impulsive phase to well into the decay phase, with a total of 163 distinct pulses evident to the naked eye. A wavelet analysis shows that the characteristic timescale of these pulsations increases systematically from ˜25 s at 01:10 UT, the time of the GOES peak, to ˜100 s at 02:00 UT. A second “ridge” in the wavelet power spectrum, most likely associated with flaring emission from a different active region, shows an increase from ˜40 s at 01:40 UT to ˜100 s at 03:10 UT. We assume that the QPP that produced the first ridge result from vertical kink-mode oscillations of the newly formed loops following magnetic reconnection in the coronal current sheet. This allows us to estimate the magnetic field strength as a function of altitude given the density, loop length, and QPP timescale as functions of time determined from the GOES light curves and Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) images. The calculated magnetic field strength of the newly formed loops ranges from ˜500 G at an altitude of 24 Mm to a low value of ˜10 G at 60 Mm, in general agreement with the expected values at these altitudes. Fast sausage-mode oscillations are also discussed and cannot be ruled out as an alternate mechanism for producing the QPP.

Detection and Interpretation of Long-lived X-Ray Quasi-periodic Pulsations in the X-class Solar Flare on 2013 May 14

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

Dennis, Brian R.; Tolbert, Anne K.; Inglis, Andrew

Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPP) seen in the time derivative of the GOES soft X-ray light curves are analyzed for the X3.2 event on 2013 May 14. The pulsations are apparent for a total of at least two hours from the impulsive phase to well into the decay phase, with a total of 163 distinct pulses evident to the naked eye. A wavelet analysis shows that the characteristic timescale of these pulsations increases systematically from ∼25 s at 01:10 UT, the time of the GOES peak, to ∼100 s at 02:00 UT. A second “ridge” in the wavelet power spectrum, most likelymore » associated with flaring emission from a different active region, shows an increase from ∼40 s at 01:40 UT to ∼100 s at 03:10 UT. We assume that the QPP that produced the first ridge result from vertical kink-mode oscillations of the newly formed loops following magnetic reconnection in the coronal current sheet. This allows us to estimate the magnetic field strength as a function of altitude given the density, loop length, and QPP timescale as functions of time determined from the GOES light curves and Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager ( RHESSI ) images. The calculated magnetic field strength of the newly formed loops ranges from ∼500 G at an altitude of 24 Mm to a low value of ∼10 G at 60 Mm, in general agreement with the expected values at these altitudes. Fast sausage-mode oscillations are also discussed and cannot be ruled out as an alternate mechanism for producing the QPP.« less

Colocalization of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein with insulin-like growth factor I.

PubMed

Kobayashi, S; Clemmons, D R; Venkatachalam, M A

1991-07-01

We report the localization of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and a 25-kDa form of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGF-BP-1) in adult rat kidney. The antigens were localized using a rabbit anti-human IGF-I antibody, and a rabbit anti-human IGF-BP-1 antibody raised against human 25-kDa IGF-BP-1 purified from amniotic fluid. Immunohistochemistry by the avidin-biotin peroxidase conjugate technique showed that both peptides are located in the same nephron segments, in the same cell types. The most intense staining was in papillary collecting ducts. There was moderate staining also in cortical collecting ducts and medullary thick ascending limbs of Henle's loop. In collecting ducts the antigens were shown to be present in principal cells but not in intercalated cells. In distal convoluted tubules, cortical thick ascending limbs, and in structures presumptively identified as thin limbs of Henle's loops there was only modest staining. The macula densa, however, lacked immunoreactivity. Colocalization of IGF-I and IGF-BP-1 in the same cells supports the notion, derived from studies on cultured cells, that the actions of IGF-I may be modified by IGF-BPs that are present in the same location.

An analysis of airline landing flare data based on flight and training simulator measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heffley, R. K.; Schulman, T. M.; Clement, T. M.

1982-01-01

Landings by experienced airline pilots transitioning to the DC-10, performed in flight and on a simulator, were analyzed and compared using a pilot-in-the-loop model of the landing maneuver. By solving for the effective feedback gains and pilot compensation which described landing technique, it was possible to discern fundamental differences in pilot behavior between the actual aircraft and the simulator. These differences were then used to infer simulator fidelity in terms of specific deficiencies and to quantify the effectiveness of training on the simulator as compared to training in flight. While training on the simulator, pilots exhibited larger effective lag in commanding the flare. The inability to compensate adequately for this lag was associated with hard or inconsistent landings. To some degree this deficiency was carried into flight, thus resulting in a slightly different and inferior landing technique than exhibited by pilots trained exclusively on the actual aircraft.

Observations of the Formation, Development, and Structure of a Current Sheet in an Eruptive Solar Flare

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

Seaton, Daniel B.; Darnel, Jonathan M.; Bartz, Allison E., E-mail: daniel.seaton@noaa.gov

2017-02-01

We present Atmospheric Imaging Assembly observations of a structure we interpret as a current sheet associated with an X4.9 flare and coronal mass ejection that occurred on 2014 February 25 in NOAA Active Region 11990. We characterize the properties of the current sheet, finding that the sheet remains on the order of a few thousand kilometers thick for much of the duration of the event and that its temperature generally ranged between 8 and 10 MK. We also note the presence of other phenomena believed to be associated with magnetic reconnection in current sheets, including supra-arcade downflows and shrinking loops.more » We estimate that the rate of reconnection during the event was M{sub A} ≈ 0.004–0.007, a value consistent with model predictions. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this event for reconnection-based eruption models.« less

Inference of Heating Properties from "Hot" Non-flaring Plasmas in Active Region Cores. I. Single Nanoflares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, W. T.; Cargill, P. J.; Bradshaw, S. J.

2016-09-01

The properties that are expected of “hot” non-flaring plasmas due to nanoflare heating in active regions are investigated using hydrodynamic modeling tools, including a two-fluid development of the Enthalpy Based Thermal Evolution of Loops code. Here we study a single nanoflare and show that while simple models predict an emission measure distribution extending well above 10 MK, which is consistent with cooling by thermal conduction, many other effects are likely to limit the existence and detectability of such plasmas. These include: differential heating between electrons and ions, ionization non-equilibrium, and for short nanoflares, the time taken for the coronal density to increase. The most useful temperature range to look for this plasma, often called the “smoking gun” of nanoflare heating, lies between 106.6 and 107 K. Signatures of the actual heating may be detectable in some instances.

Apparent Relations Between Solar Activity and Solar Tides Caused by the Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, Ching-Cheh

2007-01-01

A solar storm is a storm of ions and electrons from the Sun. Large solar storms are usually preceded by solar flares, phenomena that can be characterized quantitatively from Earth. Twenty-five of the thirty-eight largest known solar flares were observed to start when one or more tide-producing planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Jupiter) were either nearly above the event positions (less than 10 deg. longitude) or at the opposing side of the Sun. The probability for this to happen at random is 0.039 percent. This supports the hypothesis that the force or momentum balance (between the solar atmospheric pressure, the gravity field, and magnetic field) on plasma in the looping magnetic field lines in solar corona could be disturbed by tides, resulting in magnetic field reconnection, solar flares, and solar storms. Separately, from the daily position data of Venus, Earth, and Jupiter, an 11-year planet alignment cycle is observed to approximately match the sunspot cycle. This observation supports the hypothesis that the resonance and beat between the solar tide cycle and nontidal solar activity cycle influences the sunspot cycle and its varying magnitudes. The above relations between the unpredictable solar flares and the predictable solar tidal effects could be used and further developed to forecast the dangerous space weather and therefore reduce its destructive power against the humans in space and satellites controlling mobile phones and global positioning satellite (GPS) systems.

Non-Local Diffusion of Energetic Electrons during Solar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bian, N. H.; Emslie, G.; Kontar, E.

2017-12-01

The transport of the energy contained in suprathermal electrons in solar flares plays a key role in our understanding of many aspects of flare physics, from the spatial distributions of hard X-ray emission and energy deposition in the ambient atmosphere to global energetics. Historically the transport of these particles has been largely treated through a deterministic approach, in which first-order secular energy loss to electrons in the ambient target is treated as the dominant effect, with second-order diffusive terms (in both energy and angle) generally being either treated as a small correction or even neglected. Here, we critically analyze this approach, and we show that spatial diffusion through pitch-angle scattering necessarily plays a very significant role in the transport of electrons. We further show that a satisfactory treatment of the diffusion process requires consideration of non-local effects, so that the electron flux depends not just on the local gradient of the electron distribution function but on the value of this gradient within an extended region encompassing a significant fraction of a mean free path. Our analysis applies generally to pitch-angle scattering by a variety of mechanisms, from Coulomb collisions to turbulent scattering. We further show that the spatial transport of electrons along the magnetic field of a flaring loop can be modeled as a Continuous Time Random Walk with velocity-dependent probability distribution functions of jump sizes and occurrences, both of which can be expressed in terms of the scattering mean free path.

Signatures of the impact of flare-ejected plasma on the photosphere of a sunspot light bridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felipe, T.; Collados, M.; Khomenko, E.; Rajaguru, S. P.; Franz, M.; Kuckein, C.; Asensio Ramos, A.

2017-12-01

Aims: We investigate the properties of a sunspot light bridge, focusing on the changes produced by the impact of a plasma blob ejected from a C-class flare. Methods: We observed a sunspot in active region NOAA 12544 using spectropolarimetric raster maps of the four Fe I lines around 15 655 Å with the GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph, narrow-band intensity images sampling the Fe I 6173 Å line with the GREGOR Fabry-Pérot Interferometer, and intensity broad-band images in G-band and Ca II H-band with the High-resolution Fast Imager. All these instruments are located at the GREGOR telescope at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain. The data cover the time before, during, and after the flare event. The analysis is complemented with Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The physical parameters of the atmosphere at differents heights were inferred using spectral-line inversion techniques. Results: We identify photospheric and chromospheric brightenings, heating events, and changes in the Stokes profiles associated with the flare eruption and the subsequent arrival of the plasma blob to the light bridge, after traveling along an active region loop. Conclusions: The measurements suggest that these phenomena are the result of reconnection events driven by the interaction of the plasma blob with the magnetic field topology of the light bridge. Movies attached to Figs. 1 and 3 are available at http://www.aanda.org

Gradient spectral analysis of solar radio flare superevents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosa, R. R.; Veronese, T. B.; Sych, R. A.; Bolzan, M. A.; Sandri, S. A.; Drummond, I. A.; Becceneri, J. C.; Sawant, H. S.

2011-12-01

Some of complex solar active regions exhibit rare and sudden transitions that occur over time intervals that are short compared to the characteristic time scales of their evolution. Usually, extreme radio emission is driven by a latent nonlinear process involving magnetic reconnection among coronal loops and such extreme events (e.g., X-class flares and coronal mass ejections) express the presence of plasma and magnetic activity usually hidden inside the solar convective layer. Recently, the scaling exponent obtained from Detrended Fluctuation Analysis has been used to characterize the formation of solar flare superevents - SFS (integrated flux of radiation greater than 1.5 J/m2) when it is observed in the decimetric range of 1-3 GHz (Veronese et al., 2011). Here, we show a complementary computational analisys of four X-class solar flares observed in 17GHz from Nobeyama Radioheliograph. Our analysis is based on the combination of DFA and Gradient Spectral Analysis (GSA) which can be used to characterize the evolution of SFSs under the condition that the emission threshold is large enough (fmax > 300 S.F.U.) and the solar flux unit variability is greater than 50% of the average taken from the minimum flux to the extreme value. Preliminary studies of the gradient spectra of Nobeyama data in 17 GHz can be found in Sawant et al. (JASTP 73(11), 2011). Future applications of GSA on the images which will be observed from the Brazilian Decimetric Array (BDA) are discusssed.

Electron Spectral Breaking Caused by Magnetic Reconnection in Impulsive Flare Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Lun C.

2018-05-01

Using data from the Wind/3D Plasma and Energetic Particle (3DP) instrument, we have analyzed the energy spectral difference of low-energy electrons between the “impulsive” and “gradual” solar energetic particle (SEP) events during solar cycle 23. Since simulations reveal that in the exhaust of magnetic reconnection sites, electrons could form a beam structure in which the parallel speed is limited by the electron Alfvén speed (V Ae), their spectral steepening should be observable at the electron energy E e, corresponding to V Ae. In addition, the analysis of transversely oscillating coronal loops shows that in the loop-top region, where the reconnection site is located, V Ae corresponds to E e < 15 keV. We hence search for the spectral steepening of electrons in this E e range. In our search we have taken the effect of local particle acceleration at reconnecting current sheets into consideration. The effect may occur in the solar wind and impact the observed time-intensity profiles of SEPs. Our analysis shows that in the impulsive flare event, the electron spectral steepening occurs at E e = 7 ± 2 keV, whereas no steepening is seen in the gradual event. Therefore, the comparison between the impulsive and gradual SEP event lists provided by this work could be important for future investigations of particle acceleration in the corona and the solar wind.

A distance estimate to the Cygnus Loop based on the distances to two stars located within the remnant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fesen, Robert A.; Neustadt, Jack M. M.; Black, Christine S.; Milisavljevic, Dan

2018-04-01

Underlying nearly every quantitative discussion of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant is uncertainty about its distance. Here, we present optical images and spectra of nebulosities around two stars whose mass-loss material appears to have interacted with the remnant's expanding shock front and thus can be used to estimate the Cygnus Loop's distance. Narrow passband images reveal a small emission-line nebula surrounding an M4 red giant near the remnant's eastern nebula NGC 6992. Optical spectra of the nebula show it to be shock-heated with significantly higher electron densities than seen in the remnant's filaments. This along with a bow-shaped morphology suggests it is likely red giant mass-loss material shocked and accelerated by passage of the Cygnus Loop's blast wave. We also identify a B7 V star located along the remnant's northwestern limb, which also appears to have interacted with the remnant's shock wave. It lies within a small arc of nebulosity in an unusually complex region of curved and distorted filaments along the remnant's northern shock front suggestive of a localized disturbance of the shock front due to the B star's stellar winds. Based on the assumption that these two stars lie inside the remnant, combined with an estimated distance to a molecular cloud situated along the remnant's western limb, we propose a distance to the Cygnus Loop of 1.0 ± 0.2 kpc. Although larger than several recent estimates of 500-800 pc, a distance ≃1 kpc helps resolve difficulties with the remnant's postshock cosmic ray and gas pressure ratio and estimated supernova explosion energy.

Transverse Oscillations of Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruderman, Michael S.; Erdélyi, Robert

2009-12-01

On 14 July 1998 TRACE observed transverse oscillations of a coronal loop generated by an external disturbance most probably caused by a solar flare. These oscillations were interpreted as standing fast kink waves in a magnetic flux tube. Firstly, in this review we embark on the discussion of the theory of waves and oscillations in a homogeneous straight magnetic cylinder with the particular emphasis on fast kink waves. Next, we consider the effects of stratification, loop expansion, loop curvature, non-circular cross-section, loop shape and magnetic twist. An important property of observed transverse coronal loop oscillations is their fast damping. We briefly review the different mechanisms suggested for explaining the rapid damping phenomenon. After that we concentrate on damping due to resonant absorption. We describe the latest analytical results obtained with the use of thin transition layer approximation, and then compare these results with numerical findings obtained for arbitrary density variation inside the flux tube. Very often collective oscillations of an array of coronal magnetic loops are observed. It is natural to start studying this phenomenon from the system of two coronal loops. We describe very recent analytical and numerical results of studying collective oscillations of two parallel homogeneous coronal loops. The implication of the theoretical results for coronal seismology is briefly discussed. We describe the estimates of magnetic field magnitude obtained from the observed fundamental frequency of oscillations, and the estimates of the coronal scale height obtained using the simultaneous observations of the fundamental frequency and the frequency of the first overtone of kink oscillations. In the last part of the review we summarise the most outstanding and acute problems in the theory of the coronal loop transverse oscillations.

Observational Signatures of Magnetic Reconnection in the Extended Corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savage, Sabrina; West, Matthew J.; Seaton, Daniel B.; Kobelski, Adam

2016-01-01

Observational signatures of reconnection have been studied extensively in the lower corona for decades, successfully providing insight into energy release mechanisms in the region above post-flare arcade loops and below 1.5 solar radii. During large eruptive events, however, energy release continues to occur well beyond the presence of reconnection signatures at these low heights. Supra-Arcade Downflows (SADs) and Supra-Arcade Downflowing Loops (SADLs) are particularly useful measures of continual reconnection in the corona as they may indicate the presence and path of retracting post-reconnection loops. SADs and SADLs have been faintly observed up to 18 hours beyond the passage of coronas mass ejections through the SOHO/LASCO field of view, but a recent event from 2014 October 14 associated with giant arches provides very clear observations of these downflows for days after the initial eruption. We report on this unique event and compare these findings with observational signatures of magnetic reconnection in the extended corona for more typical eruptions.

Observational Signatures of Magnetic Reconnection in the Extended Corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savage, Sabrina; West, Matthew J.; Seaton, Danial B.; Kobelski, Adam

2016-01-01

Observational signatures of reconnection have been studied extensively in the lower corona for decades, successfully providing insight into energy release mechanisms in the region above post-flare arcade loops and below 1.5 solar radii. During large eruptive events, however, energy release continues to occur well beyond the presence of reconnection signatures at these low heights. Supra-Arcade Downflows (SADs) and Supra-Arcade Downflowing Loops (SADLs) are particularly useful measures of continual reconnection in the corona as they may indicate the presence and path of retracting post-reconnection loops. SADs and SADLs have been faintly observed up to 18 hours beyond the passage of corona mass ejections through the SOHO/LASCO field of view, but a recent event from 2014 October 14 associated with giant arches provides very clear observations of these downflows for days after the initial eruption. We report on this unique event and compare these findings with observational signatures of magnetic reconnection in the extended corona for more typical eruptions.