太阳风动压脉冲结构与地磁急始关系研究

针对1994-2011年的363例地磁急始事件,基于太阳风动压脉冲（DPP）结构自动识别算法确定是否有相应的太阳风动压脉冲结构事件与其相关联,进而针对太阳风动压脉冲结构地磁急始关联事件进行统计分析研究.研究结果显示:91%的地磁急始事件与DPP事件相关联,53%的地磁急始事件与行星际激波相关联,这表明太阳风动压脉冲结构是引起地磁急始更普遍的原因;引起地磁急始的太阳风动压脉冲结构事件约70%发生在行星际日冕物质抛射、共转相互作用区以及行星际日冕物质抛射和/或共转相互作用区相互作用形成的复杂抛射物等大尺度太阳风扰动结构中,且其平均动压变化幅度为3.9nPa,强太阳风动压脉冲结构事件占全体事件的42%;地磁急始事件变化幅度与太阳风动压脉冲变化幅度以及上下游动压平方根差之间存在明显的相关关系,相关系数分别为0.79和0.82,并且行星际磁场南向时相关性更强;太阳风动压脉冲结构事件持续时间、传播速度、动压变化幅度对地磁急始事件的持续时间有一定影响,但这些参数与地磁急始事件的相关关系较弱.研究结果可为基于太阳风动压脉冲结构特征参数开展地磁急始预报提供研究基础.      

1998年10月18——-19日磁暴主相的行星际源分析

采用高时间分辨率的地磁指数SYM-H, 同时考虑日地连线引力平衡点(L1点)太阳风地磁效应的滞后性, 精确分析了1998年10月18---19日大磁暴主相的行星际源. 分析结果表明, 磁暴主相的行星际源仅为行星际激波和行星际日冕物质抛射之间的太阳风(Sheath), 磁云对磁暴主相没有贡献. 这个磁暴事例的研究表明, 行星际磁场南向分量与太阳风动压的乘积是影响磁暴主相发展的关键参数.      

地球磁场对太阳风扰动响应的研究

分别对行星际激波、太阳风动压增大事件和减小事件的地球磁场响应进行了比较. 分析结果表明, 同步轨道磁场对太阳风扰动在向阳面产生较强的正响应, 在背阳面 响应较弱且有时会出现负响应, 地磁指数SYM-H对太阳风扰动的响应为正响应. 同时还得出, 向阳侧同步轨道磁场响应幅度d Bz与地磁指数响应幅度d SYM-H、上下游动压均方差均具有较好的相关性. 地磁指数响应幅度与同步轨道磁场响应幅度相关关系在激波和动压增大事件中具有一致性, 动压减小事件出 现明显差异, 这说明激波和动压增大事件在影响地球磁场方面具有某种共性.      

电离层等效电流体系对行星际激波的响应研究

行星际激波是导致地球磁层-电离层系统发生扰动的重要原因之一,其可以通过对磁层-电离层系统电流体系的改变来影响地磁变化.本文采用全球三维磁流体力学数值模拟方法,分析了行星际激波作用下电离层等效电流体系的即时响应.模拟结果表明,在激波作用下伴随着异常场向电流对的产生,电离层在午前午后出现一对反向的等效电流涡.这对涡旋一边向极侧和夜侧运动,一边经历强度增强和减弱直至消失的过程.激波过后等效电流体系图像逐渐演化为激波下游行星际条件控制的典型图像.这个响应过程与行星际激波强度有关,激波强度越强,则反向的等效电流涡旋强度越大,寿命也就越短.      

行星际磁场与磁尾磁通量绳形成的关系

收集了Cluster卫星在2001-2005年间观测到的磁尾磁通量绳事件,并对磁通量绳(magnetic flux rope)形成及其内部磁场结构与行星际磁场(IMF)的关系作了统计研究.考虑磁通量绳被观测到时行星际磁场的条件,在所有73个磁通量绳事件中,行星际磁场By分量占有主导地位的事件有80%,且78%的事件具有与行星际磁场By分量相同方向的核心场.行星际磁场通过在磁层顶与地球磁场相互作用改变南北等离子体片内磁场相对方向,形成有利于磁通量绳形成的磁场位形,并且行星际磁场By分量的方向对磁通量绳内部核心场的方向具有决定性影响.从统计结果来看,磁通量绳的形成并不会依赖于行星际磁场Bz分量的方向.     

地球弓激波的三维模拟

利用磁流体动力学(MHD)全球模拟结果,根据弓激波的跃变特性确定出弓激波位置,建立了一个新的综合考虑了快磁声马赫数、太阳风动压、行星际磁场强度以及磁层顶曲率半径的弓激波三维位型模型.将新模型与以往模型的模拟结果进行比较发现,新的弓激波全球模型结果可靠,解决了部分现有模型不能描述弓激波三维位型的问题.研究结果表明,在行星际磁场北向时,随着快磁声马赫数的增大,弓激波日下点距离减小,但是在行星际磁场南向时,快磁声马赫数的变化对弓激波日下点距离影响不大;弓激波位型在赤道面与子午面上存在明显的不对称性,而且随着行星际磁场的转向,这种非对称性也会发生相应改变;行星际磁场南向,B_z值较小时,子午面内弓激波位型已经不是简单的抛物线,出现了明显的类似于极尖区磁层顶的凹陷变化区.      

太阳风扰动对极光电急流和环电流指数的影响

利用WIND卫星的太阳风观测数据和地磁活动指数, 研究了太阳风扰动对环电流SYM-H指数, 西向极光电急流AL指数和东向极光电急流AU指数的影响. 结果表明, 太阳风动压增长和减少能够同步或延迟引起地磁活动指数的强烈扰动, 其包括环电流指数的上升, 西向极光电急流指数的下降和东向极光电急流指数的上升. 太阳风动压的突然剧烈增加还能够触发超级亚暴和大磁暴. 太阳风动压脉冲引起的地磁效应具有复杂的表现形式, 这说明太阳风动压脉冲的地磁效应不仅与太阳风动压脉冲大小和持续时间有关, 还与磁层本身所处的状态有关. 时间尺度较长, 消耗能量较大的磁暴只有大的持续时间较长的太阳风动压脉冲才能激发.      

从属函数在地磁扰动预报研究中的初步应用

根据1966-1982年期间有关太阳耀斑、行星际激波和地磁扰动的观测资料而建立的从属函数,对1984-1985年间的行星际闪烁观测中能证认出的耀斑-激波所引起的地磁扰动作了预报试验。结果表明:(1)磁扰开始时间预报的相对误差,δT/T≤10%的事件数为20个,占总事件数的50%,δT/T≤20%的事件占总事件数的70%以上;(2)磁扰幅度(ΣKp)大小的预报,其相对误差δΣKp/ΣKp≤30%的事件数为32个,占总事件数的80%,而δΣKp/ΣKp≥60%仅占15%.本文方法显示了一定潜力,有待从聚类分析方面进一步深入。      

中低纬度Pc3-4地磁脉动特性研究——子午工程数据分析初步结果

利用新建成的子午工程地磁台站数据,对比分析了地磁平静期间(2011年3月20-27日)和磁暴期间(2011年9月25日至10月1日)Pc3-4地磁脉动的时空分布特征及其对行星际条件的响应.数据分析结果表明,中低纬度(1.3<L<2.3,L为磁壳参数)的Pc3-4地磁脉动在这两个时期内的分布存在明显的晨昏不对称性,在昼侧前出现明显的Pc3-4地磁脉动并与行星际上游波动密切相关,其振幅增强可能与太阳风动压脉冲相关,高速太阳风更易导致Pc3-4地磁脉动;而对于近赤道低纬(L<1.3)区域,无论是在地磁平静期还是磁暴期均未能观测到Pc3-4地磁脉动,Pc3-4地磁脉动存在明显的纬度效应.      

火星磁层顶形成和变化的理论研究

考虑太阳风动压与行星电离层中的带电粒子热压及磁压之和平衡,建立了有大气（电离层）的行星磁层顶形成的理论模型,结合卫星对火星的观测数据,对子午面内向日侧火星磁层顶位形进行了数值计算和分析,研究了火星磁层顶位形及其与太阳风动压之间的变化关系．结果认为,火星磁层顶位形与地球磁层顶相似．太阳风动压越大,火星磁层顶越靠近火星;太阳风动压越弱,火星磁层顶越远离火星．根据火星内秉磁矩从古到今逐渐减小的观点,探索了大尺度磁场（内禀磁矩）对火星磁层顶的贡献作用,结果认为大尺度磁场越强,火星磁层顶越远离行星．这对于进一步研究火星磁层的长期演化以及其他行星磁层的位形变化都具有重要的意义．     

Large geomagnetic storms of extreme solar event periods in solar cycle 23

During extreme solar events such as big flares or/and energetic coronal mass ejections (CMEs) high energy particles are accelerated by the shocks formed in front of fast interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs). The ICMEs (and their sheaths) also give rise to large geomagnetic storms which have significant effects on the Earth’s environment and human life. Around 14 solar cosmic ray ground level enhancement (GLE) events in solar cycle 23 we examined the cosmic ray variation, solar wind speed, ions density, interplanetary magnetic field, and geomagnetic disturbance storm time index (D_st). We found that all but one of GLEs are always followed by a geomagnetic storm with D_st  −50 nT within 1–5 days later. Most(10/14) geomagnetic storms have D_st index  −100  nT therefore generally belong to strong geomagnetic storms. This suggests that GLE event prediction of geomagnetic storms is 93% for moderate storms and 71% for large storms when geomagnetic storms preceded by GLEs. All D_st depressions are associated with cosmic ray decreases which occur nearly simultaneously with geomagnetic storms. We also investigated the interplanetary plasma features. Most geomagnetic storm correspond significant periods of southward B_z and in close to 80% of the cases that the B_z was first northward then turning southward after storm sudden commencement (SSC). Plasma flow speed, ion number density and interplanetary plasma temperature near 1 AU also have a peak at interplanetary shock arrival. Solar cause and energetic particle signatures of large geomagnetic storms and a possible prediction scheme are discussed.     

Interplanetary shocks and geomagnetic activity during solar maximum (2000) and solar minimum (1995–1996)

Plasma and magnetic field parameter variations through fast forward interplanetary shocks were correlated with the peak geomagnetic activity index Dst in a period from 0 to 3 days after the shock, during solar maximum (2000) and solar minimum (1995–1996). Solar wind speed (V) and total magnetic field (B_t) were the parameters with higher correlations with peak Dst index. The correlation coefficients were higher during solar minimum (r² = 56% for V and 39% for B_t) than during solar maximum (r² = 15% for V and 12% for B_t). A statistical distribution of geomagnetic activity levels following interplanetary shocks was obtained. It was observed that during solar maximum, 36% and 28% of interplanetary shocks were followed by intense (Dst  −100 nT) and moderate (−50  Dst < −100 nT) geomagnetic activity, whereas during solar minimum 13% and 33% of the shocks were followed by intense and moderate geomagnetic activity. It can be concluded that the upstream/downstream variations of V and B_t through the shocks were the parameters better correlated with geomagnetic activity level, and during solar maximum a higher relative number of interplanetary shocks can be followed by intense geomagnetic activity than during solar minimum. One can extrapolate, for forecasting goals, that during a whole solar cycle a shock has a probability of around 50% to be followed by intense/moderate geomagnetic activity.     

Geomagnetic activity associated with magnetic clouds,magnetic cloud-like structures and interplanetary shocks for the period 1995–2003

Using nine years (1995–2003) of solar wind plasma and magnetic field data, solar sunspot number, and geomagnetic activity data, we investigated the geomagnetic activity associated with magnetic clouds (MCs), magnetic cloud-like structures (MCLs), and interplanetary shock waves. Eighty-two MCs and one hundred and twenty-two MCLs were identified by using solar wind and magnetic field data from the WIND mission, and two hundred and sixty-one interplanetary shocks were identified over the period of 1995–2003 in the vicinity of Earth. It is found that MCs are typically more geoeffective than MCLs or interplanetary shocks. The occurrence frequency of MCs is not well correlated with sunspot number. By contrast, both occurrence frequency of MCLs and sudden storm commencements (SSCs) are well correlated with sunspot number.     

Low-latitude geomagnetic response to the interplanetary conditions during very intense magnetic storms

The variations in the horizontal and declination components of the geomagnetic field in response to the interplanetary shocks driven by fast halo coronal mass ejections, fast solar wind streams from the coronal hole regions and the dynamic pressure pulses associated with these events are studied. Close association between the field-aligned current density (j_∥) and the fluctuations in the declination component (ΔD_ABG) at Alibag is found for intense storm conditions. Increase in the dawn-dusk interplanetary electric field (E_y) and ΔD_ABG are generally in phase. However, when the magnetospheric electric field is directed from dusk to dawn direction, a prominent scatter occurs between the two. It is suggested that low-latitude ground magnetic data may serve as a proxy for the interplanetary conditions in the solar wind.     

行星际激波传播至1AU的渡越时间预测

考虑了激波爆发源角宽度、能量、驱动时间、激波速度及其与背景太阳风之间的相互作用,利用流体力学扰动方程建立起一个激波扰动传播模型,用于研究激波从太阳传播到地球轨道附近(1 AU处)所需要的时间(渡越时间)问题.为印证扰动传播模型的适用性,利用1979-1989年间的27个激波事件,以及1997年2月到2000年1月间的68个激波事件,对激波到达地球轨道附近的渡越时间进行了预测,并将结果与STOA和ISPM预报模型结果进行了比较.实验表明,该模型在所有95个事件中,渡越时间相对误差小于10%的事件数占总事件数的25.26%;相对误差小于20%的占总事件数的50.53%;相对误差小于30%的占总事件的65.26%.      

Fluctuations of cosmic rays and IMF in the vicinity of interplanetary shocks

Fluctuations of cosmic rays and interplanetary magnetic field upstream of interplanetary shocks are studied using data of ground-based polar neutron monitors as well as measurements of energetic particles and solar wind plasma parameters aboard the ACE spacecraft. It is shown that coherent cosmic ray fluctuations in the energy range from 10 keV to 1 GeV are often observed at the Earth’s orbit before the arrival of interplanetary shocks. This corresponds to an increase of solar wind turbulence level by more than the order of magnitude upstream of the shock. We suggest a scenario where the cosmic ray fluctuation spectrum is modulated by fast magnetosonic waves generated by flux of low-energy cosmic rays which are reflected and/or accelerated by an interplanetary shock.     

The local time dependence of the anisotropic solar cosmic ray flux.

The distribution of the solar cosmic radiation flux over the earth is not uniform, but the result of complex phenomena involving the interplanetary magnetic field, the geomagnetic field and latitude and longitude of locations on the earth. The latitude effect relates to the geomagnetic shield; the longitude effect relates to local time. For anisotropic solar cosmic ray events the maximum particle flux is always along the interplanetary magnetic field direction, sometimes called the Archimedean spiral path from the sun to the earth. During anisotropic solar cosmic ray event, the locations on the earth viewing "sunward" into the interplanetary magnetic field direction will observe the largest flux (when adjustments are made for the magnetic latitude effect). To relate this phenomena to aircraft routes, for anisotropic solar cosmic ray events that occur during "normal quiescent" conditions, the maximum solar cosmic ray flux (and corresponding solar particle radiation dose) will be observed in the dawn quadrant, ideally at about 06 hours local time.     

Propagation of interplanetary shocks into the Earth’s magnetosphere

This paper is devoted to the study of propagation of disturbances caused by interplanetary shocks (IPS) through the Earth’s magnetosphere. Using simultaneous observations of various fast forward shocks by different satellites in the solar wind, magnetosheath and magnetosphere from 1995 till 2002, we traced the interplanetary shocks into the Earth’s magnetosphere, we calculated the velocity of their propagation into the Earth’s magnetosphere and analyzed fronts of the disturbances. From the onset of disturbances at different satellites in the magnetosphere we obtained speed values ranging from 500 to 1300 km/s in the direction along the IP shock normal, that is in a general agreement with results of previous numerical MHD simulations. The paper discusses in detail a sequence of two events on November 9th, 2002. For the two cases we estimated the propagation speed of the IP shock caused disturbance between the dayside and nightside magnetosphere to be 590 km/s and 714–741 km/s, respectively. We partially attributed this increase to higher Alfven speed in the outer magnetosphere due to the compression of the magnetosphere as a consequence of the first event, and partially to the faster and stronger driving interplanetary shock. High-time resolution GOES magnetic field data revealed a complex structure of the compressional wave fronts at the dayside geosynchronous orbit during these events, with initial very steep parts (10 s). We discuss a few possible mechanisms of such steep front formation in the paper.     

Interplanetary shocks and sudden impulses during solar maximum (2000) and solar minimum (1995–1996)

In this work a study is performed on the correlation between fast forward interplanetary shock parameters at 1 Astronomical Unit and sudden impulse (SI) amplitudes in the H-component of the geomagnetic field, for periods of solar activity maximum (year 2000) and minimum (year 1995–1996). Solar wind temperature, density and speed, and total magnetic field, were taken to calculate the static pressures (thermal and magnetic) both in the upstream and downstream sides of the shocks. The variations of the solar wind parameters and pressures were then correlated with SI amplitudes. The solar wind speed variations presented good correlations with sudden impulses, with correlation coefficients larger than 0.70 both in solar maximum and solar minimum, whereas the solar wind density presented very low correlation. The parameter better correlated with SI was the square root dynamic pressure variation, showing a larger correlation during solar maximum (r = 0.82) than during solar minimum (r = 0.77). The correlations of SI with square root thermal and magnetic pressure were smaller than with the dynamic pressure, but they also present a good correlation, with r > 0.70 during both solar maximum and minimum. Multiple linear correlation analysis of SI in terms of the three pressure terms have shown that 78% and 85% of the variance in SI during solar maximum and minimum, respectively, are explained by the three pressure variations. Average sudden impulse amplitude was 25 nT during solar maximum and 21 nT during solar minimum, while average square root dynamic pressure variation is 1.20 and 0.86 nPa^1/2 during solar maximum and minimum, respectively. Thus on average, fast forward interplanetary shocks are 33% stronger during solar maximum than during solar minimum, and the magnetospheric SI response has amplitude 20% higher during solar maximum than during solar minimum. A comparison with theoretical predictions (Tsyganenko’s model corrected by Earth’s induced currents) of the coefficient of sudden impulse change with solar wind dynamic pressure variation showed excellent agreement, with values around 17 nT/nPa^1/2.