Influence of Fast Global Variations of Solar Magnetic Fields on Space Weather in Cycle 23

It is established that the large-scale and global magnetic fields in the Sun's atmosphere do not change smoothly, and long-lasting periods of gradual variations are superseded by fast structural changes of the global magnetic field. Periods of fast global changes on the Sun are accompanied by anomalous manifestations in the interplanetary space and in the geomagnetic field. There is a regular recurrence of these periods in each cycle of solar activity, and the periods are characterized by enhanced flaring activity that reflects fast changes in magnetic structures. Is demonstrated, that the fast changes have essential influencing on a condition of space weather, as most strong geophysical disturbances are connected to sporadic phenomena on the Sun. An explanation has been offered for the origin of anomalous geomagnetic disturbances that are unidentifiable in traditionally used solar activity indices. Is shown, main physical mechanism that leads to fast variations of the magnetic fields in the Sun's atmosphere is the reconnection process.     

27-day variation in solar-terrestrial parameters: Global characteristics and an origin based approach of the signals

The Earth and the near interplanetary medium are affected by the Sun in different ways. Those processes generated in the Sun that induce perturbations into the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere system are called geoeffective processes and show a wide range of temporal variations, like the 11-year solar cycle (long term variations), the variation of ～27?days (recurrent variations), solar storms enduring for some days, particle acceleration events lasting for some hours, etc.In this article, the periodicity of ～27?days associated with the solar synodic rotation period is investigated. The work is mainly focused on studying the resulting 27-day periodic signal in the magnetic activity, by the analysis of the horizontal component of the magnetic field registered on a set of 103 magnetic observatories distributed around the world. For this a new method to isolate the periodicity of interest has been developed consisting of two main steps: the first one consists of removing the linear trend corresponding to every calendar year from the data series, and the second one of removing from the resulting series a smoothed version of it obtained by applying a 30-day moving average. The result at the end of this process is a data series in which all the signal with periods larger than 30?days are canceled.The most important characteristics observed in the resulting signals are two main amplitude modulations: the first and most prominent related to the 11-year solar cycle and the second one with a semiannual pattern. In addition, the amplitude of the signal shows a dependence on the geomagnetic latitude of the observatory with a significant discontinuity at approx. ±60°.The processing scheme was also applied to other parameters that are widely used to characterize the energy transfer from the Sun to the Earth: F10.7 and Mg II indices and the ionospheric vertical total electron content (vTEC) were considered for radiative interactions; and the solar wind velocity for the non-radiative interactions between the solar wind and the magnetosphere. The 27-day signal obtained in the magnetic activity was compared with the signals found in the other parameters resulting in a series of cross-correlations curves with maximum correlation between 3 and 5?days of delays for the radiative and between 0 and 1?days of delay for the non-radiative parameters. This result supports the idea that the physical process responsible for the 27-day signal in the magnetic activity is related to the solar wind and not to the solar electromagnetic radiation.     

Surface temperatures at the nearside of the Moon as a record of the radiation budget of Earth’s climate system

Understanding the balance between incoming radiation from the Sun and outgoing radiation from Earth is of critical importance in the study of climate change on Earth. As the only natural satellite of Earth, the Moon is a unique platform for the study of the disk-wide radiation budget of Earth. There are no complications from atmosphere, hydrosphere, or biosphere on the Moon. The nearside of the Moon allows for a focus on the solar radiation during its daytime, and on terrestrial radiation during its nighttime. Additionally, lunar regolith temperature is an amplifier of the terrestrial radiation signal because lunar temperature is proportional to the fourth square root of radiation as such is much more sensitive to the weak terrestrial radiation in nighttime than the strong solar radiation in daytime. Indeed, the long-term lunar surface temperature time series obtained inadvertently by the Heat Flow Experiment at the Apollo 15 landing site three decades ago may be the first important observation from deep space of both incoming and outgoing radiation of the terrestrial climate system. A revisit of the lunar surface temperature time series reveals distinct characteristics in lunar surface daytime and nighttime temperature variations, governed respectively by solar and terrestrial radiation.     

Propagation of energetic particles in the solar wind

The characteristics of solar energetic particle events as observed in interplanetary space depend on many physical processes acting at the source and during the transport from the source to the observer. These processes, such as acceleration at the Sun and the propagation near the Sun and in interplanetary space depend, in general, on both the particle velocity and rigidity. Thus, the evaluation of both the nuclear charge and/or atomic mass and the ionic charge of heavy ions turns out to be essential for the interpretation of the physical parameters observed, such as the energy spectra and the compositional variations during individual solar energetic particle events. In this paper recent results on the direct determination of the charge states of He, C, O, and Fe will be summarized. Using these results the compositional variations during individual solar particle events will be discussed. It will be shown that ratio changes by a factor of ～ 10 during the onset phase of solar particle events, as frequently observed, could be explained not only by rigidity dependent interplanetary propagation, but also by rigidity dependent diffusive propagation in the corona. However, there is now increasing experimental evidence that also other processes, such as compositional variations at the source and discontinuities of the interplanetary magnetic field, separating two different particle populations, may be important. Thus the picture emerges that these variations do not have a unique explanation but rather that each event has to be investigated individually.     

Is the Earth’s orbital motion linked to the spin rotation of the Sun?

Time variations of the magnetic field of the Sun, seen as a star (the data 1968–2018, with more than 27 thousand daily measurements of the solar mean magnetic field), allowed to specify the rotation period of the gravitating solar mass: 27.027(6)?days, synodic. This indicates a presumably unknown physical connection between motions of the Sun and the Earth: in the course of a year our star accomplishes nearly 27 half-revolutions, while the planet itself performs an identical number of its spinnings during one complete axial revolution of the Sun. True origin of this strange Sun–Earth resonance is unknown, but it is supposed the phenomenon might be caused by slight coherent perturbations of gravity within the solar system.     

Investigation of the differential rotation of the large-scale magnetic elements for the solar activity cycles 20 and 21

The differential rotation of the patterns of the large-scale solar magnetic field during solar activity cycles 20 and 21 is investigated. Compact magnetic elements with the polarity of the general solar magnetic field have larger speed of rotation than the elements with the opposite polarity. The surface of the Sun was divided by 10°-zones. In all of them the average rotation rate of the magnetic elements with negative polarity is little higher than that of the magnetic elements with positive polarity, except for 50°-zone of the south hemisphere and at the 10° latitude of the north hemisphere.

The rates of differential rotation for large-scale magnetic elements with negative and positive polarities have similar behavior for both cycles of the solar activity.

The rotation rate varies at polarity reversal of the circumpolar magnetic fields. For the cycle No 20 in 1969–1970 the threefold reversal took place in the northern hemisphere and variations of rotation rate can be noticed for magnetic elements both with positive and negative polarity for each 10°-zone in the same hemisphere.     

Dynamical characterization of the last prolonged solar minima

The planetary hypothesis of the solar cycle is an old idea in which the gravitational influence of the planets has a non-negligible effect on the causes of the solar magnetic cycle. The advance of this hypothesis is based on phenomenological correlations between dynamical parameters of the Sun’s movement around the barycentre of the Solar System and sunspots time series; and more especially, identifying relationships linking solar barycentric dynamics with prolonged minima (especially Grand Minima events). However, at present there is no clear physical mechanism relating these phenomena. The possible celestial influence on solar cycle modulation is of great importance not only in solar physics but also in Earth sciences, because prolonged solar minima have associated important climatic and telluric variations, in particular, during the Maunder and Dalton Minimum. In this work we looked for a possible causal link in relation with solar barycentric dynamics and prolonged minima events. We searched for particular changes in the Sun’s acceleration and concentrated on long-term variations of the solar cycle. We show how the orbital angular momentum of the Sun evolves and how the inclination of the solar barycentric orbit varies during the epochs of orbital retrogressions. In particular, at these moments, the radial component of the Sun’s acceleration (i.e., in the barycentre-Sun direction) had an exceptional magnitude. These radial impulses occurred at the very beginning of the Maunder Minimum, during the Dalton Minimum and also at the maximum of cycle 22 before the present extended minimum. We also found a strong correlation between the planetary torque and the observed sunspots international number around that maximum. We apply our results in a novel theory of Sun–planets interaction that it is sensitive to Sun barycentric dynamics and found a very important effect on the Sun’s capability of storing hypothetical reservoirs of potential energy that could be released by internal flows and might be related to the solar cycle. This process begins about 40 years before the solar angular momentum inversions, i.e., before Maunder Minimum, Dalton Minimum, and before the present extended minimum. Our conclusions suggest a dynamical characterization of peculiar prolonged solar minima. We discuss the possible implications of these results for the solar cycle including the present extended minimum.     

Evolution of Dst index,cosmic rays and global temperature during solar cycles 20–23

We have studied conditions in interplanetary space, which can have an influence on galactic cosmic ray (CR) and climate change. In this connection the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field parameters and cosmic ray variations have been compared with geomagnetic activity represented by the equatorial Dst index from the beginning 1965 to the end of 2012. Dst index is commonly used as the solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere interaction characteristic. The important drivers in interplanetary medium which have effect on cosmic rays as CMEs (coronal mass ejections) and CIRs (corotating interaction regions) undergo very strong changes during their propagation to the Earth. Because of this CMEs, coronal holes and the solar spot numbers (SSN) do not adequately reflect peculiarities concerned with the solar wind arrival to 1 AU. Therefore, the geomagnetic indices have some inestimable advantage as continuous series other the irregular solar wind measurements. We have compared the yearly average variations of Dst index and the solar wind parameters with cosmic ray data from Moscow, Climax, and Haleakala neutron monitors during the solar cycles 20–23. The descending phases of these solar cycles (CSs) had the long-lasting solar wind high speed streams occurred frequently and were the primary contributors to the recurrent Dst variations. They also had effects on cosmic rays variations. We show that long-term Dst variations in these solar cycles were correlated with the cosmic ray count rate and can be used for study of CR variations. Global temperature variations in connection with evolution of Dst index and CR variations is discussed.     

Multiobjective genetic optimization of Earth–Moon trajectories in the restricted four-body problem

In this paper, optimal trajectories of a spacecraft traveling from Earth to Moon using impulsive maneuvers (ΔV maneuvers) are investigated. The total flight time and the summation of impulsive maneuvers ΔV are the objective functions to be minimized. The main celestial bodies influencing the motion of the spacecraft in this journey are Sun, Earth and Moon. Therefore, a three-dimensional restricted four-body problem (R4BP) model is utilized to represent the motion of the spacecraft in the gravitational field of these celestial bodies. The total ΔV of the maneuvers is minimized by eliminating the ΔV required for capturing the spacecraft by Moon. In this regard, only a mid-course impulsive maneuver is utilized for Moon ballistic capture. To achieve such trajectories, the optimization problem is parameterized with respect to the orbital elements of the ballistic capture orbits around Moon, the arrival date and a mid-course maneuver time. The equations of motion are solved backward in time with three impulsive maneuvers up to a specified low Earth parking orbit. The results show high potential and capability of this type of parameterization in finding several Pareto-optimal trajectories. Using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm with crowding distance sorting (NSGA-II) for the resulting multiobjective optimization problem, several trajectories are discovered. The resulting trajectories of the presented scheme permit alternative trade-off studies by designers incorporating higher level information and mission priorities.     

Coronal index as a solar activity index applied to space weather

All possible changes of the solar activity can be expressed by the coronal index of solar activity that represents the averaged daily power of the green corona emitted from the Sun’s visible hemisphere. The representative character of this index allows us to study long-term, intermediate and short-term variations of the Sun as a star. This index can be expressed well as a function of other solar indices. As green line reflects the distribution of the photospheric magnetic fields in the solar corona, the dependence of this index on the solar magnetic field is confirmed by means of statistical analysis of these two parameters. Daily values of the coronal index, as well as of the magnetic field data obtained from the Wilcox Solar Observatory, has been analysed by Fast Fourier analysis and Wavelet Transform analysis for the time period 1966–1998 covering more than three solar cycles. Periodicities of 11.4, 3.2, 2.3, 1.7, 1, 0.29, 0.07 and 0.04 years have been found in both parameters that means once again that the coronal index is probably related to the underlying photospheric magnetic fields and can be used as a global index of solar activity useful for Space Weather studies.     

Solar wind interaction with lunar crustal magnetic anomalies

Using Lunar Prospector data, we review the magnetic field and electron signatures of solar wind interaction with lunar crustal magnetic sources. Magnetic field amplifications, too large to represent direct measurements of crustal fields, appear in the solar wind over strong crustal sources, with the chance of observing these amplifications depending on upstream solar wind parameters. We often observe increases in low-energy (?100 eV) electron energy fluxes simultaneously with large magnetic field amplifications, consistent with an increase in plasma density across a shock surface. We also often observe low frequency wave activity in the magnetic field data (both broadband turbulence and monochromatic waves), often associated with electron energization, sometimes up to keV energies. Electron energization appears to be correlated more closely with wave activity than with magnetic amplifications. Detailed studies of the interaction region will be necessary in order to understand the physics of the Moon–solar wind interaction. At present, the Moon represents the only natural laboratory available to us to study solar wind interaction with small-scale crustal magnetic fields, though simulation results and theoretical work can also help us understand the physical processes at work.     

太阳系天体引力对空间引力波探测日心编队构型的影响分析

针对太极空间引力波探测任务,建立了太阳系天体引力摄动对日心编队构型影响的数学模型,利用仿真手段分析了太阳系中行星和月球、矮行星和小行星引力摄动对空间引力波探测日心编队构型的影响,提出了一种综合考虑小行星到卫星轨道距离和星等的二重筛选方法,能够快速估计小行星相对加速度的上界.分析了日心编队构型卫星初始相位角变化对太阳系天体引力摄动的影响.仿真结果表明,在行星和月球中,地球、金星和木星引力对空间引力波探测编队构型影响较大,行星和月球的引力叠加影响达到-2.78×10-11km·-2.矮行星的引力叠加影响不大于1.25×10-17km·-2,小行星引力的叠加影响不大于1.1180×10-15km·-2.另外,编队卫星受到的太阳系天体引力摄动对编队构型卫星初始相位角的变化不敏感.      

Detection of the ionospheric disturbances on GPS-TEC using Differential Rate Of TEC (DROT) algorithm

The solar, geomagnetic, gravitational and seismic activities can cause spatial and temporal (hourly, diurnal, seasonal and annual) variabilities of the ionosphere. Main observable ionospheric parameters such as Total Electron Content (TEC) can be used to quantify these. TEC is the total number of electrons on a ray path crossing the atmosphere. The network of world-wide Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers provide a cost-effective solution in estimating TEC over a significant proportion of global land mass. This study is focused on the analysis of the variations of ionosphere over a midlatitude region using GPS-TEC estimates for three Sun Spot Numbers (SSN) periods. The investigation is based on a fast and automatic variability detection algorithm, Differential Rate Of TEC (DROT). The algorithm is tested using literature data on disturbances generated by a geomagnetic activity, a Solar Flare, a Medium Scale Travelling Ionospheric Disturbance (MSTID), a Large Scale TID (LSTID) and an earthquake. Very good agreement with the results in the literature is found. DROT is applied to IONOLAB-TEC estimates from nine Turkish National Permanent GPS Network (TNPGN Active) stations over Turkey to detect the any wave-like oscillations, sudden disturbances and other irregularities during December, March, June, September months for 2010, 2011, 2012 years. It is observed that DROT algorithm is capable of detecting both small and large scale variability due to climatic, gravitational, geomagnetic and solar activities in all layers of ionosphere. The highest DROT values are observed in 2010 during winter months. In higher solar activity years of 2011 and 2012, DROT is able to indicate both seasonal variability and severe changes in ionosphere due to increased number of geomagnetic storms and local seismic activities.     

Regional tropospheric responses to long-term solar activity variations

The influence of ∼200-year solar activity variations (de Vries cyclicity) on climatic parameters has been analyzed. Analysis of palaeoclimatic data from different regions of the Earth for the last millennium has shown that ∼200-year variations in solar activity give rise to a pronounced climatic response. Owing to a nonlinear character of the processes in the atmosphere–ocean system and the inertia of this system, the climatic response to the global influence of solar activity variations has been found to have a regional character. The regions where the climatic response to long-term solar activity variations is stable and the regions where the climatic response is unstable, both in time and space, have been revealed. It has also been found that a considerable lag of the climatic response and reversal of its sign with respect to the solar signal can occur. Comparison of the obtained results with the simulation predictions of the atmosphere–ocean system response to long-term solar irradiance variations (T > 40 years) has shown that there is a good agreement between experimental and simulation results.     

Resonant motion, ballistic escape, and their applications in astrodynamics

A special set of solutions governing the motion of a particle, subject to the gravitational attractions of the Earth, the Moon, and, eventually, the Sun, is discussed in this paper. These solutions, called resonant orbits, correspond to a special motion where the particle is in resonance with the Moon. For a restricted set of initial conditions the particle performs a resonance transition in the vicinity of the Moon. In this paper, the nature of the resonance transition is investigated under the perspective of the dynamical system theory and the energy approach. In particular, using a new definition of weak stability boundary, we show that the resonance transition mechanism is strictly related to the concept of weak capture. This is shown through a carefully computed set of Poincaré surfaces, at different energy levels, on which both the weak stability boundary and the resonant orbits are represented. It is numerically demonstrated that resonance transitioning orbits pass through the weak stability boundaries. In the second part of the paper the solar perturbation is taken into account, and the motion of the resonant orbits is studied within a four-body dynamics. We show that, for a wide class of initial conditions, the particle escapes from the Earth–Moon system and targets an heliocentric orbit. This is a free ejection called a ballistic escape. Astrodynamical applications are discussed.     

Statistical analysis of geomagnetic field variations during solar eclipses

We investigate the geomagnetic field variations recorded by INTERMAGNET geomagnetic observatories, which are observed while the Moon’s umbra or penumbra passed over them during a solar eclipse event. Though it is generally considered that the geomagnetic field can be modulated during solar eclipses, the effect of the solar eclipse on the observed geomagnetic field has proved subtle to be detected. Instead of exploring the geomagnetic field as a case study, we analyze 207 geomagnetic manifestations acquired by 100 geomagnetic observatories during 39 solar eclipses occurring from 1991 to 2016. As a result of examining a pattern of the geomagnetic field variation on average, we confirm that the effect can be seen over an interval of 180?min centered at the time of maximum eclipse on a site of a geomagnetic observatory. That is, demonstrate an increase in the Y component of the geomagnetic field and decreases in the X component and the total strength of the geomagnetic field. We also find that the effect can be overwhelmed, depending more sensitively on the level of daily geomagnetic events than on the level of solar activity and/or the phase of solar cycle. We have demonstrated it by dividing the whole data set into subsets based on parameters of the geomagnetic field, solar activity, and solar eclipses. It is suggested, therefore, that an evidence of the solar eclipse effect can be revealed even at the solar maximum, as long as the day of the solar eclipse is magnetically quiet.     

Scientific requirements for future spatially resolved white-light and broad-band high-cadence observations of the Sun

Several important issues are open in the field of solar variability and they wait their solution which up to now was attempted using critical ground-based instrumentations. However, accurate photometric data are attainable only from space. New observational material should be collected with high enough spatial and spectral resolution, covering the whole visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum as well infrared and ultraviolet to reconstruct the total solar irradiance: (1) the absolute contributions of different small-scale structural entities of the solar atmosphere from the white light flares and from micro-flares are still poorly known; (2) we do not know the absolute contributions of different structural elements of the solar atmosphere to the long-term and to the cyclic variations of the solar irradiance, including features of the polar regions of the Sun; (3) the variations of the chromospheric magnetic network are still poorly evaluated; (4) only scarce information is available about the spectral variations of different small-scale features in the high photosphere. Variability of the Sun in white light can be studied with higher spectral, spatial and time resolution using space-born telescopes, which are more appropriate for this purpose than ground based observatories because of better seeing conditions, no interference of the terrestrial atmosphere and a more precise calibration procedure. Scientific requirements for such observations and the possible experimental tools proposed for their solution. Suggested solar studies have broader astrophysical importance.     

Dependence of sporadic-E layer and lower thermosphere dynamics on solar activity

The influence of solar activity level on frequency and stochastic sporadic-E layer parameters is considered for station Moscow (56 N, 37 E) during three solar cycles (1958–1988). Es layers with various intensity levels and times of appearance were considered separately. Some regularities of sporadic-E layer reaction to variations of solar activity are revealed. An explanation of the revealed regularities is offered in terms of dynamic processes of the neutral atmosphere.     

Solar cycles: A tutorial

The Sun is the nearest stellar and astrophysical laboratory, available for detailed studies in several fields of physics and astronomy. It is a sphere of hot gas with a complex and highly variable magnetic field which plays a very important role. The Sun shows an unprecedented wealth of phenomena that can be studied extensively and to the greatest detail, in a way we will never be in a position to study in other stars. Humans have studied the Sun for millennia and after the discovery of the telescope they realized that the Sun varies with time, i.e., solar activity is highly variable, in tune scales of millennia to seconds. The study of these variabilities helps us to understand how the Sun works and how it affects the interplanetary medium, Earth and the other planets. Solar power varies substantially and greatly affects the Earth and humans. Solar activity has several important periodicities, and quasi-periodicities. Knowledge of these periodicities helps us to forecast, to an extent, solar events that affect our planet. The most prominent periodicity of solar activity is the one of 11 years. The actual period is in fact 22 years because the magnetic field polarity of the Sun has to be taken into account. The Sun can be considered as a non-linear RLC electric circuit with a period of 22 years. The RLC equivalent circuit of the Sun is a van der Pol oscillator and such a model can explain many solar phenomena, including the variability of solar energy with time. Other quasi-periodicities such as the ones of 154 days, the 1.3, 1.7 to 2 years, etc., some of which might be harmonics of the 22 year cycle are also present in solar activity, and their study is very interesting and important since they affect the Earth and human activities. The period of 27 days related to solar rotation plays also a very important role in geophysical phenomena. It is noticeable that almost all periodicities are highly variable with time as wavelet analysis reveals. It is very important for humans to be in a position to forecast solar activity during the next hour, day, year, decade and century, because solar phenomena affect life on Earth and such predictions will help politicians and policy makers to better serve their countries and our planet.     

太阳风电子在月表电磁场中的运动

月表磁异常区的分布是月球探测工程的重要内容. 但是由于月表电磁环境错综复 杂, 通常认为月球表面在特殊的空间天气条件下会带有数千伏电压. 以往的空间研究已经证实, 表面的带电与放电容易造成卫星仪器的异常或失联. 月表电场对电子 反射法有重要影响, 研究分析不同电磁条件下太阳风电子的运动轨迹,对月表环境 (电磁环境, 太阳风条件, 等离子体参数等)的研究可以更加深入细致. 通过模拟向月表运动的太阳风电子的运动轨迹, 分析了月表电磁环境的改变对太阳风电子反射 的影响, 并着重研究了月表电场对电子反射法遥感探测月表磁异常的影响, 为探测 月表电磁环境提供了重要的信息.