Sun earth connection coronal and heliospheric investigation (SECCHI)

The Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) on the NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) mission is a suite of remote sensing instruments consisting of an extreme ultraviolet imager, two white light coronagraphs, and a heliospheric imager. Two spacecraft with identical instrumentation will obtain simultaneous observations from viewpoints of increasing separation in the ecliptic plane. In support of the STEREO mission objectives, SECCHI will observe coronal mass ejections from their birth at the Sun, through the outer corona, to their impact at Earth. The SECCHI program includes a coordinated effort to develope magneto-hydrodynamic models and visualization tools to interpret the images that will be obtained from the two spacecraft viewpoints. The resulting three-dimensional analysis of CMEs will help to resolve some of the fundamental outstanding questions in solar physics.     

Continuous tracking of cmes using MICA, andLASCO C2 and C3 coronagraphs

In this work we have tracked coronal mass ejections observed with the ground based Mirror Coronagraph for Argentina (MICA) and the Large Angle and Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) C2 and C3 on board of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The MICA telescope is located at El Leoncito (31.8 S, 69.3 W), San Juan (Argentina), since 1997 as part of a bilateral scientific project between Germany and Argentina. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Together these instruments are able to observe the solar corona ranging from 1.05 to 32 solar radii. MICA images the Fe XIV emission line corona and LASCO coronagraphs observe the Thomson scattered white light corona. We have selected events for which there are observations from the three coronagraphs. Using the composite data we were able to obtain height-time diagrams for the corresponding dynamical coronal features traveling outwards in order to determine some of their kinematical properties, i.e., plane of sky velocity and acceleration.     

Synoptic observations of coronal transients and their interplanetary consequences

A small coronagraph has been placed in orbit to monitor the sun's outer corona from 2.5 to 10.0 solar radii, and five years of nearly continuous synoptic observations have now been completed. Rapid and sensitive image processing techniques have been developed to screen the data for transient phenomena, particularly coronal mass ejections (CMEs). About 50,000 coronal images have been examined, out of a five-year total of 68,000, and a standardized listing of more than 1,200 coronal transients for the period 1979–1982 has been prepared. These data have been analysed in the light of other available information, particularly on conditions in the interplanetary plasma. The dynamical characteristics of the active corona, as they are beginning to emerge from the data, are presented. We find that coronal mass ejections exercise significant influence on the interplanetary solar wind. They are the source of disturbances that are frequent and energetic, that tend to be somewhat focussed, that often reach shock intensity, and that propagate to large heliocentric distances, sometimes causing major geomagnetic storms.     

Metrology on-board PROBA-3: The shadow position sensors subsystem

PROBA-3 is an ESA mission aimed at the demonstration of formation flying performance of two satellites that will form a giant coronagraph in space. The first spacecraft will host a telescope imaging the solar corona in visible light, while the second, the external occulter, will produce an artificial eclipse. This instrument is named ASPIICS (Association of Spacecraft for Polarimetric and Imaging Investigation of the Corona of the Sun). To accomplish the payload's scientific tasks, PROBA-3 will ensure sub-millimeter reciprocal positioning of its two satellites using closed-loop on-board metrology. Several metrology systems will be used and the Shadow Position Sensor (SPS) subsystem senses the penumbra around the instrument aperture and returns the 3-D displacement of the coronagraph satellite, with respect to its nominal position, by running a dedicated algorithm. In this paper, we describe how the SPS works and the choices made to accomplish the mission objectives.     

MHD oscillations in solar and stellar coronae: Current results and perspectives

Wave and oscillatory activity is observed with modern imaging and spectral instruments in the visible light, EUV, X-ray and radio bands in all parts of the solar corona. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave theory gives satisfactory interpretation of these phenomena in terms of MHD modes of coronal structures. The paper reviews the current trends in the observational study of coronal oscillations, recent development of theoretical modelling of MHD wave interaction with plasma structures, and implementation of the theoretical results for the mode identification. Also the use of MHD waves for remote diagnostics of coronal plasmas is discussed. In particular, the applicability of this method to the estimation of the coronal magnetic field is demonstrated.     

Chase observations from spacelab 2 — the chase team

The Coronal Helium Abundance Spacelab Experiment (CHASE) was designed and built in the UK by groups at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory. The main objective of the experiment was to improve the measurement of the abundance of helium in the Sun, which currently is uncertain by a factor of approximately three. Since most of this helium must be of primordial origin, being formed within a few minutes of the big bang, such a measurement would also have significant cosmological implications.The instrument consisted of a grazing incidence telescope feeding a 1200 lines mm⁻¹ diffraction grating. Parts of the dispersed spectrum were then observed around the Rowland circle with channel electron multipliers and a channel multiplier array plate. During the flight, good observations were made of the Lyman-α lines of hydrogen at 1216 A and of ionised helium at 304 A, both in the corona, where the lines are formed by resonance scattering, and on the solar disc where excitation of the lines is much more complex.The spectrometer was also able to observe many other transition region and coronal lines in ions of O, S and Fe. Images in these lines clearly show how the magnetic fields in active regions constrain the material in arch-shaped loops with the hot material towards the top.     

SMESE: A French-China Joint Solar Mission

SMESE (SMall Explorer For the study of Solar Eruptions) is a Franco-Chinese Microsatellite mission. The scientific objectives of SMESE are the study of coronal mass ejections and flares. Its payload consists of three instrument packages: LYOT, DESIR and HEBS. LYOT is com-posed of a Ly-α (121.6 nm) coronagraph, a Ly-α disk imager and a far UV disk imager. DESIR is an infrared telescope working at 35μm and 150μm. HEBS is a high energy burst spectrometer working in X-rays and γ-rays covering the 10keV to 600 MeV range. SMESE will be launched around 2011, providing a unique opportunity of detecting and understanding eruptions at the maximum activity phase of the solar cycle in a wide range of energies.     

Solar X-ray and EUV corona and their relation to the magnetic activity

We have studied the solar magnetic cycle in corona using X-ray data from YOHKOH and Extreme Ultraviolet data from SOHO/EIT. Soft X-ray data last the period from after the maximum cycle 22 to the maximum cycle 23 (1991–2001). The SOHO/EIT Extreme Ultraviolet data are used for the period from 1996 to 2003. These data provide us a unique opportunity to look at the solar corona on the solar disc and to compare with the magnetic activity, directly.Our studies reveal a close relationship between the coronal emissions and the photospheric magnetic field in the axisymmetrical case. The evolution of coronal structures in X-ray and EUV can be considered as a proxy of the coronal magnetic field and demonstrates a development of the solar magnetic cycle in corona. It is shown that the most important feature of the coronal cycle is the forming of giant loops structure visible in X-ray and, partially, in EUV (284A) on the solar disk.     

Russian payload for “interhelioprobe” (“interhelios”) mission

The solar and heliospheric instruments proposed to study the solar atmosphere at close distances and the inner heliosphere onboard the Interhelioprobe mission are described. Remote observations of the solar surface combined with in-situ measurements at optimum orbital parameters (quasi-corotation with the Sun, multiple positions with respect to the Sun-Earth line, and inclination to the ecliptic plane) provide new information on the fine structure and dynamics of the solar surface, solar flares and ejections, solar corona, and solar wind.     

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.     

Yohkoh observations of the solar corona

The Yohkoh soft X-ray telescope obtains several images every 90 minutes. Data from the declining phase of the solar cycle have been used to compare the X-ray signal with other indicators of activity and to study coronal heating. X-ray emission from a north polar coronal hole is found broadly consistent with results of previous EUV observations. In diffuse emission regions, temperature rises to around 2.2 MK and levels off in the height range 1.5 – 1.9 R_O. Such emission underlies streamers and may be the source of the low-speed solar wind. X-ray signatures for Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) events which involve the detection of reduced X-ray intensities in the corona, have been developed with Yohkoh data. CME observations are described     

Dynamical behaviour of the corona in association with radio emissions

From a combined analysis of radioheliographic observations and white light images of the Corona, it is shown that metric continua onsets or enhancements are associated with a great variety of dynamical changes of the Corona. It is found that if the most spectacular radio bursts (type IV) are associated with mass ejection transients, the more common noise storm onsets or enhancements are systematically associated with coronal changes which are not necessarly mass ejections.Simultaneous observations of Radio type III bursts and Hα mass ejecta are related. We are looking to the signature at low levels in the corona of the electron beam acceleration triggering type III bursts. The results deal with the relationship between the type III occurrence and optical features : the presence of velocities in Hα, the shape of Hα line which reveals trubulent motions and the probable existence of a shock wave.     

二维磁流体动力学平衡日冕(Ⅱ)

基于解析和数值相结合的方法,进一步讨论了非均匀引力场中日冕的二维磁流体动力学平衡。对临界点进行了比较仔细的处理。得到了包含闭场区、中性片和开场区的大尺度日冕磁场位形,闭场区和中性片构成冕流结构。在高纬和低纬地区几个太阳半径之外,等离子体径向流动速度超过了局地声速和局地Alfvén速度。在1AU处,太阳风速度可达到400kms_-1以上      

Coronal spectroscopy: Probing sources of slow solar wind in active regions,and the early phases of solar flares

Coronal spectroscopy has pushed forward the understanding of physical processes in all phenomena on the Sun. In this review we concentrate specifically on plasma parameters measured in sources of the slow solar wind in active regions and the early phases of solar flares. These topics are a key part of the science goals of the Solar Orbiter mission (Müller et al., 2020) which has been designed to probe what drives the solar wind and solar transients that fill the heliosphere.Active regions, outside of flaring, have general characteristics that include closed loops showing red-shifted (down-flowing plasma), and the edges of the active regions showing blue-shifted (upflowing plasma). Constraining and understanding the evolution, behaviour and cause of the flows has been developed in the past years and are summarised. Of particular importance is the upflowing plasma which, in some cases, can contribute to the slow solar wind, and this review concentrates on recent results on this topic.The early phases of solar flares and their energy sources are not yet fully understood. For decades, there has been a huge interest in pin-pointing the trigger of a solar flare. Coronal spectroscopy has revealed small-scale dynamics that occurs tens of minutes before the flare begins. The understanding of the trigger is key to improving flare predictions in the future, as well as understanding the physical processes.Finally we look to the future of coronal spectroscopy, with new instruments and methodologies being developed that build on the current knowledge, and will improve significantly our physical understanding of processes at all scales on the Sun.     

Segmentation of extreme ultraviolet solar images via multichannel fuzzy clustering

The study of the variability of the solar corona and the monitoring of its traditional regions (Coronal Holes, Quiet Sun and Active Regions) are of great importance in astrophysics as well as in view of the Space Weather and Space Climate applications. Here we propose a multichannel unsupervised spatially constrained fuzzy clustering algorithm that automatically segments EUV solar images into Coronal Holes, Quiet Sun and Active Regions. Fuzzy logic allows to manage the various noises present in the images and the imprecision in the definition of the above regions. The process is fast and automatic. It is applied to SoHO–EIT images taken from February 1997 till May 2005, i.e. along almost a full solar cycle. Results in terms of areas and intensity estimations are consistent with previous knowledge. The method reveal the rotational and other mid-term periodicities in the extracted time series across solar cycle 23. Further, such an approach paves the way to bridging observations between spatially resolved data from imaging telescopes and time series from radiometers. Time series resulting form the segmentation of EUV coronal images can indeed provide an essential component in the process of reconstructing the solar spectrum.     

Imaging interplanetary CMEs at radio frequency from solar polar orbit

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) represent a great concentration of mass and energy input into the lower corona. They have come to be recognized as the major driver of physical conditions change in the Sun–Earth system. Consequently, observations of CMEs are important for understanding and ultimately predicting space weather conditions. This paper discusses a proposed mission, the Solar Polar Orbit Radio Telescope (SPORT) mission, which will observe the propagation of interplanetary CMEs to distances of near 0.35 AU from the Sun. The orbit of SPORT is an elliptical solar polar orbit. The inclination angle between the orbit and ecliptic plane should be about 90°. The main payload on board SPORT will be an imaging radiometer working at the meter wavelength band (radio telescope), which can follow the propagation of interplanetary CMEs. The images that are obtained by the radio telescope embody the brightness temperature of the objectives. Due to the very large size required for the antenna aperture of the radio telescope, we adopt interferometric imaging technology to reduce it. Interferometric imaging technology is based on indirect spatial frequency domain measurements plus Fourier transformation. The SPORT spacecraft will also be equipped with a set of optical and in situ measurement instruments such as a EUV solar telescope, a solar wind ion instrument, an energetic particle detector, a magnetometer, a wave detector and a solar radio burst spectrometer.     

Solar ring mission: Building a panorama of the Sun and inner-heliosphere

Solar Ring (SOR) is a proposed space science mission to monitor and study the Sun and inner heliosphere from a full 360° perspective in the ecliptic plane. It will deploy-three 120°-separated spacecraft on the 1-AU orbit. The first spacecraft, S1, locates 30° upstream of the Earth, the second, S2, 90° downstream, and the third, S3, completes the configuration. This design with necessary science instruments, e.g., the Doppler-velocity and vector magnetic field imager, wide-angle coronagraph, and in-situ instruments, will allow us to establish many unprecedented capabilities: (1) provide simultaneous Doppler-velocity observations of the whole solar surface to understand the deep interior, (2) provide vector magnetograms of the whole photosphere — the inner boundary of the solar atmosphere and heliosphere, (3) provide the information of the whole lifetime evolution of solar featured structures, and (4) provide the whole view of solar transients and space weather in the inner heliosphere. With these capabilities, Solar Ring mission aims to address outstanding questions about the origin of solar cycle, the origin of solar eruptions and the origin of extreme space weather events. The successful accomplishment of the mission will construct a panorama of the Sun and inner-heliosphere, and therefore advance our understanding of the star and the space environment that holds our life.     

Interplanetary Physics in Mainland China

During the past two years (2016-2018), great achievements have been made in the Chinese research of interplanetary physics, with nearly 100 papers published in the academic journals. The achievements are including but not limited to the following topics:solar corona; solar wind and turbulence; filament/prominence and jets; solar flare; radio bursts; particle acceleration at coronal shocks; magnetic flux ropes; instability; instrument; Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and their interplanetary counterparts; Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical modeling; solar energetic particles and cosmic rays. The progress further improves our understanding of the eruptions of solar activities, their evolutions and propagations in the heliosphere, and final geoeffects on our Earth. These results were achieved by the Chinese solar and space scientists independently or via international collaborations. This paper will give a brief review of these achievements.