The chromosphere-corona transition zone above an active region

Intensities and profiles of ion emission lines between 1170 A and 1700 A from an active region on the Sun are measured from spectra obtained with the Naval Research Laboratory's High Resolution Telescope and Spectrograph - HRTS. The measurements provide simultaneous determination of line intensities, wavelength shifts and Doppler widths at 50 separate positions in the active region, with spatial resolution of 1 arc second and spectral resolution 0.07 A. Fine structure variation of intensities and gas flow velocities in the temperature range 20,000–200,000 K are determined. The density sensitive line pair I(1486 N IV)/I(1548 C IV) has been used to measure electron pressures. Derived emission measures imply filling factors of 0.05–0.1 to balance the divergence of conductive flux width radiative losses above 60,000 K.     

On kinematics of gas clouds in the broad-line region of active galactic nuclei and quasars

The kinematics of gas clouds in broad-line region of active galactic nuclei and quasars is considered. The motion of the clouds is governed by three forces — gravitational influence from the central supermassive body, radiational pressure from the continuum radiation, and resistance of the intercloud medium. Clouds moves radial but only outward motion gives a velocity field, which is in accordance with the observational data. The profiles of the permited lines are obtained in some simplify assumptions for the emissive capacity of the gas in clouds, and are in good agreement with the observational data. In the framework of the model under consideration there is a possibility to estimate some physical parameters of the nuclei such as mass of the central body and density of the intercloud medium.     

Observations of an active region filament

An active region filament was well observed on September 4, 2002 with THEMIS at the Teide observatory and SOHO/MDI. The full Stokes parameters of the filament were obtained in Hα and FeI 6302 Å lines. Using the data, we have studied the fine structure of the filament and obtained the parameters at the barb endpoints, including intensity, velocity and longitudinal magnetic field. Our results indicate: (a) the Doppler velocities are quiet different at barb endpoints; (b) the longitudinal magnetic fields at the barb endpoints are very weak; (c) there is a strong magnetic field structure under the filament spine.     

The use of Gaussian equations of motions of a satellite for local gravity anomaly recovery

The orbital elements of a low Earth orbiting satellite and their velocities can be used for local determination of gravity anomaly. The important issue is to find direct relations among the anomalies and these parameters. Here, a primary theoretical study is presented for this purpose. The Gaussian equations of motion of a satellite are used to develop integral formulas for recovering the gravity anomalies. The behaviour of kernels of the integrals are investigated for a two-month simulated orbit similar to that of the Gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer (GOCE) mission over Fennoscandia. Numerical investigations show that the integral formulas have neither isotropic nor well-behaved kernels. In such a case, gravity anomaly recovery is not successful due to large spatial truncation error of the integral formulas. Reformulation of the problem by combining the orbital elements and their velocities leads to an integral with a well-behaved kernel which is suitable for our purpose. Also based on these combinations some general relations among the orbital elements and their velocities are obtained which can be used for validation of orbital parameters and their velocities.     

Large scale MHD properties of interplanetary magnetic clouds

Magnetic Clouds (MCs) are the interplanetary manifestation of Coronal Mass Ejections. These huge astrophysical objects travel from the Sun toward the external heliosphere and can reach the Earth environment. Depending on their magnetic field orientation, they can trigger intense geomagnetic storms. The details of the magnetic configuration of clouds and the typical values of their magnetohydrodynamic magnitudes are not yet well known. One of the most important magnetohydrodynamic quantities in MCs is the magnetic helicity. The helicity quantifies several aspects of a given magnetic structure, such as the twist, kink, number of knots between magnetic field lines, linking between magnetic flux tubes, etc. The helicity is approximately conserved in the solar atmosphere and the heliosphere, and it is very useful to link solar phenomena with their interplanetary counterpart. Since a magnetic cloud carries an important amount of helicity when it is ejected from the solar corona, estimations of the helicity content in clouds can help us to understand its evolution and its coronal origin. In situ observations of magnetic clouds at one astronomical unit are in agreement with a local helical magnetic structure. However, since spacecrafts only register data along a unique direction, several aspects of the global configuration of clouds cannot be observed. In this paper, we review the general properties of magnetic clouds and different models for their magnetic structure at one astronomical unit. We describe the corresponding techniques to analyze in situ measurements. We also quantify their magnetic helicity and compare it with the release of helicity in their solar source for some of the analyzed cases.     

A surge obsrved in Hα and CIV

Simultaneous Hα (MSDP at Meudon) and C IV (UVSP aboard SMM) measurements of Active Region 2701 were made on October 2, 1980. Isodensity and velocity maps were derived for both lines and superposed. A good correlation was found between Hα and C IV velocities. A surge was observed for 10 minutes. The base was located in a bright point in CIV and Hα, and escaping matter followed the same channel (“absorbing” in Hα, “emitting” in C IV). The velocity along the surge was about 80 kms.-1 in Hα and 100 km s-1 in C IV. A loop appeared in C IV. We discuss the existing models and conclude that the vertical pressure gradient was capable of driving the surge.     

Determination of station positions and velocities from laser ranging observations to Ajisai,Starlette and Stella satellites

The positions and velocities of the four Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) stations: Yarragadee (7090), Greenbelt (7105), Graz (7839) and Herstmonceux (7840) from 5-year (2001–2005) SLR data of low orbiting satellites (LEO): Ajisai, Starlette and Stella were determined. The orbits of these satellites were computed from the data provided by 20 SLR stations. All orbital computations were performed by means of NASA Goddard’s GEODYN-II program. The geocentric coordinates were transformed to the topocentric North–South, East–West and Vertical components in reference to ITRF2005. The influence of the number of normal points per orbital arc and the empirical acceleration coefficients on the quality of station coordinates was studied. To get standard deviation of the coordinates determination lower than 1 cm, the number of the normal points per site had to be greater than 50. The computed positions and velocities were compared to those derived from LAGEOS-1/LAGEOS-2 data. Three parameters were used for this comparison: station coordinates stability, differences from ITRF2005 positions and velocities. The stability of coordinates of LEO satellites is significantly worse (17.8 mm) than those of LAGEOS (7.6 mm), the better results are for Ajisai (15.4 mm) than for Starlette/Stella (20.4 mm). The difference in positions between the computed values and ITRF2005 were little bit worse for Starlette/Stella (6.6 mm) than for LAGEOS (4.6 mm), the results for Ajisai were five times worse (29.7 mm) probably due to center of mass correction of this satellite. The station velocities with some exceptions were on the same level (≈1 mm/year) for all satellites. The results presented in this work show that results from Starlette/Stella are better than those from Ajisai for station coordinates determination. We can applied the data from LEO satellites, especially Starlette and Stella for determination of the SLR station coordinates but with two times lower accuracy than when using LAGEOS data.     

Remote monitoring of aerosols from space

Using the four-channel teleradiometer “Micron” aboard the Orbital Stations “Salyut-4” and “Salyut-6” the brightness profiles were determined in the near-infrared spectral region up to the height of 60 km (in case of noctilucent clouds up to 80–85 km). Proceeding from the data above we obtained information on the global and vertical distributions of atmospheric aerosol, water vapour concentration and the optical properties of the noctilucent clouds.     

New estimates of ionization potentials of four DIB molecular carriers.

We present a study of the behaviour and ionization properties of four Diffuse Interstellar Bands (DIBs) at lambda lambda 5780, 5797, 6379 and 6613 angstroms. In the lambda lambda 5797, 6379 and 6613 angstrom DIBs, substructures have recently been detected, indicating large gaseous molecular carriers. Studying DIBs in regions with different physical properties in terms of UV flux and density enables us to monitor the behaviour of the carriers and hence to constrain their nature. As a follow-up of Sonnentrucker et al. (1997), we add new lines of sight and generalize the results for lines of sight with 2 or 3 clouds. This refines the Ionization Potential estimates which are between 10 and 13 eV, hence reminiscent of PAH or fullerene cations for those DIBs.     

An estimation of the cooling process by infrared radiation in the atmosphere

Two procedure are presented for quantitative estimation of cloud cover (N), type of clouds (C), as well as base of clouds (C_b) and top of clouds (C^t) by using radiosonde data as well as satellite cloud pictures and radiation data. The data obtained in this way can be used as input data in the model for the estimation of the vertical profile of longwave radiative cooling.     

Model-independent large-scale magnetohydrodynamic quantities in magnetic clouds

Magnetic clouds are the interplanetary manifestation of coronal mass ejections, which are transient expulsions of major quantities of magnetized plasma, from the Sun toward the heliosphere. The magnetic flux and helicity are two key physical magnitudes to track solar structures from the photosphere-corona to the interplanetary medium. To determine the content of flux and helicity in magnetic clouds, we have to know their 3D structure. However, since spacecrafts register data along a unique direction, several aspects of their global configuration cannot be observed. We present a method to estimate the magnetic flux and the magnetic helicity per unit length in magnetic clouds, directly from in situ magnetic observations, assuming only a cylindrical symmetry for the magnetic field configuration in the observed cross-section of the cloud. We select a set of 20 magnetic clouds observed by the spacecraft Wind and estimate their magnetic flux and their helicity per unit length. We compare the results obtained from our direct method with those obtained under the assumption of a helical linear force-free field. This direct method improves previous estimations of helicity in clouds.     

Organic molecules in the gas phase of dense interstellar clouds.

Since a previous COSPAR review on this subject, the number of molecular species identified by astronomers in dense interstellar clouds or in the envelopes expelled by evolved stars has grown from about eighty to approximately one hundred. Recent detections in stellar envelopes include the radical CP, the second phosphorus-containing astronomical molecule; SiN, the first astronomical molecule with a Si-N bond; and the HCCN radical. In the dense interstellar clouds recent detections or verifications of previous possible identifications include the H3O+ ion, which is a critical intermediary in the production of H2O and O2; the CCO radical, which is isoelectronic with HCCN; the SO+ ion, which appears to be diagnostic of shock chemistry; two new isomers of cyanoacetylene, HCCNC and CCCNH; and the two cumulenes H2C3 and H2C4. Some recent work is also described on the mapping of interstellar clouds in multiple molecular transitions in order to separate variations in chemical abundance from gradients in physical parameters.     

Estimation of the bias of the Minimum Variance technique in the determination of magnetic clouds global quantities and orientation

Magnetic clouds (MCs) are highly magnetized plasma structures that have a low proton temperature and a magnetic field vector that rotates when seen by a heliospheric observer. More than 25 years of observations of magnetic and plasma properties of MCs at 1 AU have provided significant knowledge of their magnetic structure. However, because in situ observations only give information along the trajectory of the spacecraft, their real 3D magnetic configuration remains still partially unknown. We generate a set of synthetic clouds, exploring the space of parameters that represents the possible orientations and minimum distances of the satellite trajectory to the cloud axis, p. The synthetic clouds have a local cylindrical symmetry and a linear force-free magnetic configuration. From the analysis of synthetic clouds, we quantify the errors introduced in the determination of the orientation/size (and, consequently, of the global magnetohydrodynamic quantities) by the Minimum Variance method when p is not zero.     

Coronal fast wave trains of the decimetric type IV radio event observed during the decay phase of the June 6, 2000 flare

The 22 min long decimetric type IV radio event observed during the decay phase of the June 6, 2000 flare simultaneously by the Brazilian Solar Spectroscope (BSS) and the Ond?ejov radiospectrograph in frequency range 1200–4500 MHz has been analyzed. We have found that the characteristic periods of about 60 s belong to the long-period spectral component of the fast wave trains with a tadpole pattern in their wavelet power spectra. We have detected these trains in the whole frequency range 1200–4500 MHz. The behavior of individual wave trains at lower frequencies is different from that at higher frequencies. These individual wave trains have some common as well as different properties. In this paper, we focus on two examples of wave trains in a loop segment and the main statistical parameters in their wavelet power and global spectra are studied and discussed.     

Rainfall estimation over a Mediterranean region using a method based on various spectral parameters of SEVIRI-MSG

The ultimate objective of this paper is the estimation of rainfall over an area in Algeria using data from the SEVIRI radiometer (Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager). To achieve this aim, we use a new Convective/Stratiform Rain Area Delineation Technique (CS-RADT). The satellite rainfall retrieval technique is based on various spectral parameters of SEVIRI that express microphysical and optical cloud properties. It uses a multispectral thresholding technique to distinguish between stratiform and convective clouds. This technique (CS-RADT) is applied to the complex situation of the Mediterranean climate of this region. The tests have been conducted during the rainy seasons of 2006/2007 and 2010/2011 where stratiform and convective precipitation is recorded. The developed scheme (CS-RADT) is calibrated by instantaneous meteorological radar data to determine thresholds, and then rain rates are assigned to each cloud type by using radar and rain gauge data. These calibration data are collocated with SEVIRI data in time and space.     

Relation between solar wind velocity and properties of its source region

Different kinds of coronal holes are sources of different kind of solar winds. A successful solar wind acceleration model should be able to explain all those solar winds. For the modeling it is important to find a universal relation between the solar wind physical parameters, such as velocity, and coronal physical parameters such as magnetic field energy. To clarify the physical parameters which control the solar wind velocity, we have studied the relation between solar wind velocity and properties of its source region such as photospheric/coronal magnetic field and the size of each coronal hole during the solar minimum. The solar wind velocity structures were derived by using interplanetary scintillation tomography obtained at Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Japan. Potential magnetic fields were calculated to identify the source region of the solar wind. HeI 1083 nm absorption line maps obtained at Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory were used to identify coronal holes. As a result, we found a relation during solar minimum between the solar wind velocity and the coronal magnetic condition which is applicable to different kind of solar winds from different kind of coronal holes.     

The relationship between the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms and the magnetic clouds

Starting with our elliptical cross-section model for the study of the magnetic topology of magnetic clouds (MCs) in the interplanetary medium, we develop an analytical approach to the behavior of the D_st index at the recovery phase of a geomagnetic storm.Assuming an axially symmetric ring current, we estimate its physical parameters during that recovery phase of the storm-time. We compare the theoretical and measured D_st indexes in two intense geomagnetic storms (D_st <–100 nT), both associated with MCs.     

Orbital barium CRRES injection — Effective source of ionospheric wavelike disturbances

Spectral analysis of artificial wavelike disturbances (WD) in ionospheric parameters is presented. The sources of WD are barium clouds injections in CRRES perigee experiments. Plasma concentration pulsations are found in the ionospheric F2 layer maximum over Havana (Cuba) at distances 1500–2500 km from the barium injection. It was found that for the spectral component with 10 min period, the delay (relative to injection moment) corresponded to WD propagation velocity in 323–390 m/s band and depended on the specific injection conditions. It was shown that in every experiment the WD effective propagation velocity in the terminator region correlated with the sunlit part of the trajectory from the injection point to Havana. When comparing this WD type with WD's of other origins (from earthquakes, high-altitude explosions and solar terminator), it was shown that purposeful injection in the ionosphere of even a small barium quantity with orbital velocity in terminator region might be the effective means for generation or amplification of natural WD.     

Dynamical evolution of debris clouds in geosynchronous orbit

Optical observations have discovered a substantial amount of decimeter sized objects in orbits close to the geosynchronous altitude. Most of these are probably the result of a still undetermined number of explosions occurred to spacecraft and upper stages. So far, however, only two or three fragmentations have been confirmed near GEO and the identification of further explosions at a so high altitude is made difficult by the long time passed since the occurrence of the events and by the effects of the orbital perturbations on the resulting debris clouds. In order to assist the optical observers in identifying debris clouds due to explosions in proximity of the geosynchronous region, a set of fragmentations has been simulated, taking into account a reasonable range of ejection velocities as a function of the fragment size. The resulting debris clouds have been propagated, including all the relevant orbital perturbations, for several decades and the results obtained are presented as snapshots, at given post-explosion times, in the orbital elements space.