Alfven modes of solar coronal magnetic arches: Excitation of ballooning instability and modulation of flare emission

The effect of Alfven-type oscillations in a coronal magnetic arch on modulation of the gyrosynchrotron radiation and development of the ballooning instability in the arch is considered. On the basis of the energy method and the method of normal modes, the expressions are obtained for increments of ballooning instability at its swinging by natural oscillations of the arch. The conclusion is drawn that bending oscillations, which do not actually compress the plasma and, therefore, represent the Alfven-type modes, unlike the radial oscillations, are capable, under solar corona conditions, to effectively swing ballooning instability and, as a consequence, play a part of a trigger for solar flares. The ballooning instability of coronal arches is shown to be capable of causing formation of helmet-shaped structures in the lower solar corona. On the basis of calculations of the intensity modulation depth and the degree of circular polarization of non-thermal gyrosynchrotron radiation, under the assumption of excited Alfven oscillations of a coronal arch, the conclusion is drawn, that microwave observations at a frequency of > 10 GHz can be used for studying the conditions of excitation and propagation of Alfven modes in flare loops. The consequences of obtained results are discussed using the flare on April 15, 2002 as an example.     

Solar flare with a surge: Scenario,energy budget,and forecast

Based on the analysis of solar events on August 18, 1995 (SN/C1.9 limb event) and September 23, 1998 (3B/M6.9 disk event) we suggest a new scenario of a solar flare with a surge in which the return motion of a surge is a cause of additional energy release and formation of a second system of solar flare ribbons. Observations in H_α line and data on X-ray emission fluxes in the range 1–8 Å and 0.5–4 Å are supplemented for the second case by the data in line 1550 Å. The scenario specifies two stages of development. During the first one the energy release proceeds in the current layer, which makes provisions both for acceleration of eruption upward from the solar surface and for the flare itself, including flare region heating, and radiation and thermal conductance losses. The second stage of the flare is supplied with energy due to a fall of the surge substance onto the chromosphere. The second pair of flare ribbons observed at this stage is suggested as a chromospheric criterion of realization of this scenario for disk flares. The energy released during the first stage of the flare on September 23, 1998 was equal to ～3 · 10³¹ erg. Its part consumed on flare processes is about ～0.5 · 10³¹ erg. The remaining part representing the eruption energy is consistent in order of magnitude with a calculated value of the flare energy on the second stage, which does not contradict the suggested scenario. Early recognition of such a scenario for flares on the disk can be used for prompt space weather forecast. In particular, a flare with a surge allows one to predict the absence of a bright core in a coronal mass ejection.     

Does geomagnetic storm magnitude depend on solar flare importance?

In order to predict space weather effects, solar flares are often used as precursors of magnetic storms on the Earth. In particular, possible relation between the solar flare importance and magnetic storm intensity is discussed in some papers. However, published results contradict each other. We compare the published results on the flare-storm dependence and discuss possible causes of this disagreement: (1) different intervals of observation, (2) differing statistics, and (3) different methods of identification of events and their comparison. Our analysis has shown that the fact of occurrence and the magnitude of a geomagnetic storm cannot be determined, generally, using only the solar flare importance. However, analyzing additional information on the coronal mass ejection (CME), associated with the geomagnetic storm, one can offer an algorithm for the storm magnitude prediction on the basis of flare importance.     

Parametric resonance in the solar corona

When studying microwave emission of active regions on the Sun, an effect of parametric resonance between 5-min velocity oscillations in the solar photosphere and sound oscillations of coronal magnetic loops modulating the microwave emission has been discovered for the first time. The effect shows itself as simultaneous excitation in coronal magnetic loop of oscillations with periods 5, 10, and 3 min, which correspond to the pumping frequency, subharmonic, and the first upper frequency of parametric resonance. The parametric resonance can serve as an effective channel of transporting the energy of photospheric oscillations into the upper layers of the solar atmosphere. This effect opens up the important prospects in understanding the mechanisms of coronal plasma heating.     

Ascending flows in the solar atmosphere and formation of the solar wind

Some morphological features of solar magnetic fields in the chromosphere and corona are considered based on studying various observational data. These data are compared to the results of observation of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field, as well as to the data on fluxes of solar cosmic rays. New specific features are found in the solar wind structure, and new additional indications of sources of the solar wind are obtained. The properties of the active regions and coronal holes are considered. A model of the ascending stream-like plasma flow is suggested. It flows around the discrete arched magnetic field tubes in the solar atmosphere and stretches them out into interplanetary space.     

Vertical structure of the magnetic field in active regions of the sun at coronal heights

High-altitude measurements and magnetic field distribution in active regions are always an important problem to verify existing models at heights from units to hundreds of Mm. Optical methods of analysis of the magnetic structure work well only at the photosphere level. At the same time, the progress of radio astronomy methods of analyzing the solar radio emission [1] and of the theory of solar plasma radiation [2] facilitates introduction of new methods for measuring the magnetic field strength at various altitudes in the solar atmosphere. In this paper we use multi-wave observations of polarization of the radio emission of active regions in the microwave range together with precise magnetosphere data in order to develop a method of projection for measuring the height distribution of the magnetic field.     

Space weather forecast: Principles of the construction and boundaries of the implementation (experience of three cycles)

All significant short-term disturbances of the near-Earth space are caused exclusively by solar flare events and regions in the solar corona with the magnetic field open into the interplanetary space (coronal holes). Flare processes occur as a consequence of the interactions of new emerging magnetic fluxes within (flares) and outside (filament ejections) the active regions with already existing magnetic fields. The observation of emerging new magnetic fluxes and the estimate of their magnitude and the emerging rate allow one to forecast solar flares and filament ejections and estimate their degree of geoeffectiveness. The main agents that visualize the propagation of disturbance from solar flares and filaments in the solar corona and the interplanetary space are coronal mass ejections, the characteristics of which ideally allow one to estimate the possible disturbance of the geomagnetic field, the possible growth of high-energy charged particle fluxes in the near-Earth space. For successful forecast of geoeffective active phenomena on the Sun and their consequences in the near-Earth space, it is necessary to know the situation on the Sun for the last 3 days taking into account the development and characteristics of the current cycle and the epoch of solar activity.     

Study of the magnetospheres of active regions on the sun by radio astronomy techniques

In the 1990s, based on detailed studies of the structure of active regions (AR), the concept of the magnetosphere of the active region was proposed. This includes almost all known structures presented in the active region, ranging from the radio granulation up to noise storms, the radiation of which manifests on the radio waves. The magnetosphere concept, which, from a common point of view, considers the manifestations of the radio emission of the active region as a single active complex, allows one to shed light on the relation between stable and active processes and their interrelations. It is especially important to identify the basic ways of transforming nonthermal energy into thermal energy. A dominant role in all processes is attributed to the magnetic field, the measurement of which on the coronal levels can be performed by radio-astronomical techniques. The extension of the wavelength range and the introduction of new tools and advanced modeling capabilities makes it possible to analyze the physical properties of plasma structures in the AR magnetosphere and to evaluate the coronal magnetic fields at the levels of the chromosphere–corona transition zone and the lower corona. The features and characteristics of the transition region from the S component to the B component have been estimated.     

Theory of type III radio bursts in the interplanetary space: I. Derivation of permittivity tensor for the system consisting of electron beam and solar wind plasma

The tensor of permittivity for the system “electron beam - plasma of the interplanetary space” is derived in the approximation of geometrical optics. The problem is one-dimensional; all parameters such as density of the beam and of the solar wind plasma, and the induction of the interplanetary magnetic field are assumed to be dependent only on the distance to the Sun. The beam is generated by an active region during a solar flare, and it is a source of radio bursts of type III in the interplanetary space. The tensor of permittivity was obtained to close field equations by a material equation. On the basis of these equations it becomes possible to study theoretically the amplitude-frequency characteristics of the radio bursts as disturbances of the above-described beam-plasma system.     

Identification of coronal sources of the solar wind from solar images in the EUV spectral range

Methods of localizing coronal sources of the solar wind (SW), such as coronal holes, quasi-stationary fluxes from active regions, and transient sources associated with small-scale active phenomena are considered based on vacuum-ultraviolet (EUV) images of the corona at low solar activity during the initial period of the 24th solar cycle (2010). It is shown that a SW velocity profile can be calculated from the relative areas of coronal holes (CH) at the central part of the disk based on the images in the ranges of 193 and 171 Å. The images in the 193 Å describe the geometry of large HCs that represent sources of fast SW well. The images in 171 Å are a better visualization of small CHs, based on which the profile of a slow SW component was calculated to a high accuracy (up to 65 km/s). According to Hinode/EIS data of October 15, 2010, using the Doppler spectroscopy method at the streamer base over the active region 11112, the source of the outgoing plasma flux with the mean velocity of 17 km/s was localized in the magnetic field region with an intensity of less than 200 Gauss. According to the estimate, the density of the plasma flux from this source is an order of magnitude greater than the value required for explaining the distinction between the calculated and measured profiles of a slow SW velocity. For finding the transient SW component based on small-scale flare activity, SW parameters were analyzed for the periods of flares accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and for the periods without flares, according to the data obtained in 2010 from the ACE and GOES satellites and by coronagraphs on the STEREO-A and -B spacecraft. The ion ratios C⁺⁶/C⁺⁵ and O⁺⁷/O⁺⁶ and the mean charge of Fe ions for periods with flares were shown to be shifted toward large values, suggesting the presence of a hot SW component associated with flare activity. A noticeable correlation between the maximum charge of Fe ions and the peak power of a flare, previously observed for flares of a higher class, was confirmed. The mean value of the SW flux density during the periods of flares was 30% higher than that in the periods without flares, which is possibly associated also with the growth of fluxes from other sources with an increasing solar activity level. Based on the example of a series of flares of October 13–14, 2010, it was supposed that transient SW fluxes from the weak flares at low solar activity can manifest themselves in the form of interplanetary ICME-transients.     

Energy dependence of the characteristic decay time of proton fluxes in solar cosmic ray events

Energetic solar proton events within the energy interval 1–48 MeV at the stage of their decay are considered over the period of 1974–2001. The dependence of the characteristic decay time on the proton energy in the assumed power-law representation τ(E) =E ^?n is analyzed for the events with an exponential decay form. The dependence of n on the heliolongitude of the flare (the particles source on the Sun) is studied.     

Peculiarities of the development of active regions on the Sun prior to strong X-class flares: Joint analysis of data from the RATAN-600 radio telescope and SDO space observatory

Complex analysis is performed for five active regions on the Sun where strong X-class solar flares occurred in 2011–2012. Radio emissions from the regions were investigated based on daily multi-wave observation of the Sun with the RATAN-600 radio telescope in the 1.6–8.0 cm wavelength range. It is shown that, as in eruptive events that were investigated earlier using the RATAN-600 radio telescope, 1–2 days (in some cases 14–17 h) prior to a strong flare one observes a developing source over the neutral line of photospheric magnetic field, which is projected on the region of the maximum approach of fields of opposite signs. In most cases this source became a dominant component in the microwave emissions of the active region prior to a flare. Simultaneously, analyzing magnetographic measurements of the same active regions, based on the data of the SDO space observatory, it has been shown that development of X-class flares proceeds at sufficiently high levels (F ～10²² Mx) of magnetic flux in groups of sunspots and at sharp growth of flux gradient (G ～ 20 × 10²⁰ Mx/deg), which reflects the geometric approach of sunspots with opposite polarities of the magnetic field. These results can be used to develop methods for forecasting strong flares on the Sun.     

Coronal mass ejections in July 2005 and an unusual heliospheric event

Using the events in July 2005 as an example, the causes and peculiarities of Forbush effects produced by solar sources remote from the central zone are discussed. The event in question differs from other effects observed at the periphery of interplanetary disturbances by strong variations in cosmic rays on the background of weak disturbances in the solar wind and magnetic field of the Earth. The cloud of magnetized plasma ejected from the Sun was large and fast, but it passed to the west from the Sun-Earth line. According to performed estimates, the mass of the ejected substance was close to the upper boundary of mass for coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Anomalous parameters and high modulation capability of the formed solar wind disturbance are explained, in particular, by the fact that it combined several CMEs and that the last fast disturbance was prepared by a series of impulsive events in the active region of the Sun. Usually, such a great mass is ejected directly after the main energy release in strong solar flares. In the given case, a powerful MHD disturbance occurred approximately half an hour after a maximum of hard X-ray burst under the conditions when gas pressure in the flare loops became close to magnetic pressure, which was just a premise of the largescale ejection.     

太阳高能粒子在行星际中的扩散过程

当太阳活动频繁,特别是有耀斑爆发或者日冕物质抛射驱动的激波时,经常能够观察到高能粒子(能量从几十keV到几十MeV)通量突然增加,这种由太阳活动产生的高能粒子事件被称为太阳高能粒子事件。文章研究了耀斑和日冕物质抛射产生的两类高能粒子事件,重点讨论了高能粒子横越磁力线的扩散对粒子在行星际空间传播过程中所起到的作用,给出了对于不同扩散系数条件的数值模拟结果。     

Motion and transport of solar cosmic rays in heliospheric traps: The event on January 28–31, 2001

The results of studying the enhancement of solar cosmic ray fluxes on January 28?C31, 2001 in a wide energy range are presented using the ACE spacecraft data. A comparative analysis of temporal variations of the fluxes of charged particles and of the interplanetary medium parameters (interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind) has been performed on the basis of the ??reflection?? model of motion, accumulation, and modulation of cosmic rays. It is shown that a magnetic trap for solar cosmic rays was created by a plasma stream and flare ejection from an active region in the western part of the solar disk. Particles of low energies (<10 MeV) were captured inside the trap; the dispersion of distribution of particles with different energies inside the trap being determined by its complicated magnetic structure. The power-low dependence of the time of maximum for the flux of particles on their energy is found, and softer energy spectrum inside the trap is explained.     

Statistical Relationships between Solar,Interplanetary, and Geomagnetic Disturbances, 1976–2000: 3

In this paper we continue the analysis of the influence of solar and interplanetary events on magnetic storms of the Earth that was started in [9, 10]. Different experimental results on solar-terrestrial physics are analyzed in the study and the effects are determined that arise due to differences in the methods used to analyze the data. The classifications of magnetic storms by the K _p and D _st indices, the solar flare classifications by optical and X-ray observations, and the classifications of different geoeffective interplanetary events are compared and discussed. It is demonstrated that quantitative estimations of the relationships between two types of events often depend on the direction in which the events are compared. In particular, it was demonstrated that the geoeffectiveness of halo CMEs (that is, the percentage of Earth-directed coronal mass ejections that result in geomagnetic storms) is 40–50%. Higher values given in some papers were obtained by another method, in which they were defined as the probability of finding candidates for a source of geomagnetic storms among CMEs, and, strictly speaking, these values are not true estimates of the geoeffectiveness. The latter results are also in contrast with the results of the two-stage tracing of the events: first a storm—an interplanetary disturbance, and then an interplanetary disturbance—a CME.     

不同内边界条件下SEP事件实例的集合数值模拟及其在SEP事件预报中的应用

太阳高能粒子（SEP）事件的定量数值预报是空间态势感知的重要方面之一。SEP事件主要来自于日冕物质抛射（CME）所驱动的激波扩散加速（DSA）。文章在三个有关模型的基础上,结合1 AU处卫星的太阳风观测参数和日冕仪的CME观测参数,建立了一套可用于预报SEP事件的数值方法。利用该方法对一次SEP实例进行数值模拟,并将模拟结果与GOES卫星观测结果进行比较。结果表明:数值模拟得到的＞10 MeV的高能粒子的通量和观测较为吻合,＞100 MeV的高能粒子的通量高于观测值。针对此事件进一步开展了不同CME抛射速度和不同内边界背景太阳风温度条件下的集合模拟试验,结果表明:CME抛射速度对SEP事件中高能粒子通量和能谱影响较大,而内边界背景太阳风温度的改变对于高能粒子通量和能谱的影响几乎可以忽略不计。     

Statistical properties of the fluxes of energetic ions and solar wind in the region of intersection of shock wave fronts in the distant heliosphere

The character of statistical distributions of the intensity of energetic charged particles, solar wind flux, and the interplanetary magnetic field strength is analyzed using the data obtained by the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft in the distant heliosphere. A comparison of the distributions in the region of crossings of shock wave fronts in 1991 and in 2004 is carried out, and their similarities and differences are discussed.     

Features of coronal mass ejections of minimum size

The coronal mass ejections (CME) with small angular dimensions (d ≤ 10°) have the simplest form, much simpler than large CME. This fact simplifies the problem of analyzing the CME structure and studying their origin. On the basis of the analysis of the LASCO C2 (SOHO) data, we show in this paper that the motion of a CME having small dimensions proceeds within a magnetic tube (a ray with increased brightness) of the streamer belt and leads to an “explosion-like” increase in the angular dimensions (rapid expansion) of the tube. A hypothesis is put forward that a small CME represents a “plasmoid” (a plasma bunch bounded in space, with its own magnetic field) thrown into the base of the magnetic tube and moving along it away from the Sun.