无力场的触发重联和太阳耀斑

采用多步隐格式,对在瞬间形成的电流片的触发下的高剪切无力场的磁重联过程进行了数值模拟。磁重联首先在交界面处的非中性电流片区出现,然后向无力场区蔓延。在磁重联过程中,在无力场区形成一高温环状结构,物质向光球层流动。在高温环内侧的新喷发场区,物质向上流动。磁重联主要集中在初始电流片外侧的高剪切无力场区,高温环顶部的温度最高,位置基本固定。在磁重联的过程中,剪切磁场分量的空间梯度减小,无力场因子下降。     

电流片的稳定性问题

本文从理想磁流体力学出发,分析了固结在光球层上的半圆弧形电流片的线性稳定性。主要结论是:当沿电流方向的磁场小于某临界值时,电流片将不稳定,且最先引起不稳定的扰动模沿电流方向的波数近似为电流片圆弧直径的倒数。      

中性电流片的形成和环形日冕瞬变

在双极背景场下,光球层反向磁通量的喷发将会在新老磁场之间形成中性电流片.本文从理想磁流体方程组出发,考虑磁场和日冕等离子体的相互作用,对上述电流片的形成过程进行了数值研究.结果表明,对亚音速喷发,将由里向外形成四个区域:(1)由喷发物质直接形成的低温,高密度日珥,位于最里层;(2)紧挨抛射日珥的低温稀疏区;(3)喷发物质和日冕物质向中性电流片集中形成的高温.高密度物质环;(４)在环的周围,由快磁声波形成的,密度略比日冕背景为高的前鞘区.上述结构与典型的环形日冕瞬变的观测特征相符.由此表明双极背景场下反向磁通量的喷发可能是触发这类瞬变的重要机制.      

2011年8月4日螺旋状日冕物质抛射爆发事件

利用多卫星多波段的综合观测数据,通过追踪光球表面等离子体速度分析计算了耀斑爆发前后磁螺度的变化,发现耀斑爆发前活动区中光球表面存在强的水平剪切运动,活动区磁螺度的注入主要由这种剪切运动所产生;使用CESE-MHD-NLFFF重建了耀斑爆发前后活动区的磁场位形,推测出耀斑过程中存在磁绳结构的抛射.基于这些分析,给出了这一螺旋状抛射结构的形成机制:爆发前暗条西侧足点的持续剪切运动驱动磁通量绳增加扭转,高度扭缠的通量绳与东侧足点附近的开放磁力线重联并与东侧足点断开,进而向外抛出并伴随解螺旋运动.另外,利用1AU处WIND卫星的观测数据在对应的行星际日冕物质抛射中找到典型磁云的观测特征.这表明除了传统上双足点均在太阳表面的磁云模型,这种单足点固定于太阳表面的磁通量绳爆发图景同样可能在行星系际空间形成磁云结构.研究结果对进一步认识磁云结构具有重要意义.      

各向异性等离子体多重电流片的演化

应用二维三维量磁流体动力学方程组模拟，数值研究了压力各向异性等离子体周期多重电流片的演化，发现在β＜＜1时，微弱的各向异性仅仅使电流片中磁场重联的速度加快，而当β≈1（即热压与磁压相当时，微弱的垂直各向异性不仅大大加速了磁场重联的速度，还使重联位置发生显著变化。初始反对称的磁场重联位形逐步转化为对称的磁场位形，进而再演化为与初始反相的反对称磁场位形，场向各向异性和强的垂直各向异性都导致不稳定性增长率成倍增加。但在场各向异下磁场位形基本不变，只在电流片中心出现不规则扰动，同样参数下向向异性等离子体多重电流片中磁场重联形成的磁岛比各向同性多层电流要小。     

磁层顶对磁层磁场的影响

太阳风与地磁场相互作用形成的磁层顶对磁层内磁场有重要影响。本文假定地磁场为偶极子,太阳风为理想导体,在太阳风与磁层的边界上满足磁场法向分量为零的边界条件。采用最小二乘法求得磁层顶电流在磁层内产生的磁场的球谐系数。从计算结果可以看出磁层顶对磁层磁场的影响。结果表明,向阳面的磁场、中性点、极光区的位置与形状与实际观测比较接近;磁尾磁场与实际观测相差较远,原因是没有加上磁尾片电流。文中还给出了太阳风与地磁轴交不同角度时的磁层磁场的计算结果。      

2.5维自适应磁场重联MHD模式

磁雷诺数(R_m)是影响磁场重联的重要因素. 真实的物理环境中R_m往往很高, 例如, 在行星际空间和太阳日冕中R_m通常大于104量级. 高R_m条件下的磁重联表现出很多异常特性, 然而高R_m条件下的磁场重联数值模拟需要很高的时空分辨率, 否则很难分辨出重联过程中形成的薄电流片. 本文基于自适应软件包PARAMESH将并行自适应网格技术引入磁场重联数值模拟, 建立了一个2.5维自适应磁场重联MHD模式, 研究高磁雷诺数条件下重联的动态演化过程, 进而将不同磁雷诺数的参数进行对比研究. 结果表明, 该模式可以自动捕捉到磁场重联产生的奇性电流片, 高磁雷诺数条件下产生的慢激波结构可提供一种快速磁能释放机制.      

磁尾瓣区的场向电流

本文利用ISEE-2卫星的磁场和粒子资料(电子:75keVδ<1300keV,质子:170keVp<400keV),发现在磁尾远离等离子片的尾瓣区,常常同时探测到粒子脉冲和横向磁场扰动,表明有场向电流片存在。电流片的积分强度在3.3—21mA/m之间,与Frank等在磁尾等离子片边界上测量到的场向片电流积分强度可相比较。电流片总是成双成对,电流片的强度与AE指数或亚暴的关系密切。和磁层其他区域不同,在磁尾瓣区,经常探测到△B_x和△B_y同时存在,且△B_x和△B_y可相比拟的情形,它们可以用运动的线电流或不均匀密度的电流片来解释。      

利用TIE-GCM模式计算电离层电流及夜间电离层磁场

电离层电流产生的磁场是地磁场卫星测绘时需要剔除的干扰源.利用电离层热层模式TIE-GCM计算电离层中的中性风、重力驱动和压强梯度等形成的电离层电流的全球分布,分析电流在特定位置产生的磁场及磁场三分量随纬度的变化规律.结果表明,E层尤其是磁赤道和极区的电流密度较大,可达103nA·m-2量级,F层电流密度量级约为10nA·m-2.在磁静日（Kp≤ 1）夜间22:00LT-04:00LT,电离层电流在中低纬度（南北纬50°之间）产生的磁场量级为几个nT,且磁场的南北向分量和径向分量基本大于东西向分量.通过与CHAMP卫星磁测数据分析比较,发现TIE-GCM模式计算电离层干扰磁场在中低纬度可以取得较好的结果,但在高纬度地区的效果不理想,还需进一步改进模式以提高计算精度.      

有剪切速度的Sweet-Parker薄电流片在非线性阶段的不稳定性研究

以Harris Sheet作为初始条件, 使用数值模拟的方法, 研究了二级磁岛不稳定重联的一些性质. 在模拟中随着初始扰动的加入, Harris Sheet将演化到非线性阶段, 形成更薄的有剪切速度的电流片, 并伴有一级磁岛产生. 当Lundquist数大于或等于105时, 非均匀剪切速度的Sweet-Parker电流片开始不稳定, 并有二级磁岛出现. 不稳定Sweet-Parker电流片对应的临界长宽比为65. Lundquist数越大, 演化形成的Sweet-Parker电流片越薄, 更多的二级磁岛将出现, 且沿电流片两边向外喷出, 随时间变大, 相互合并. 二级磁岛的出现使重联率增大, 并与Lundquist数之间不再满足S-1/2的关系, 而似乎对它的依赖关系不明显.      

Observational study of magnetic chirality of solar active regions

We present the evolution of magnetic field and relationship with the magnetic (current) helicity in solar active regions from a series of photospheric vector magnetograms obtained at Huairou Solar Observing Station near Beijing, and also longitudinal magnetograms by MDI of SOHO, white light and 171 Å images by TRACE and soft X-ray images by Yohkoh.The conclusions in the analysis of the formation process of complex and delta magnetic configuration in some super active regions are the following: (1) The magnetic shear and gradient provide the non-potentiality of the magnetic field of active regions reflecting the existence of electric current. (2) Some of large-scale delta active regions could be due to the emergence of highly sheared non-potential magnetic flux bundles from the subatmosphere with amount of magnetic helicity, in addition to the emergence of twisted magnetic ropes. (3) We also present some results on the study of the magnetic (current) helicity in solar active regions.     

Numerical MHD modeling of the solar driver for the destabilization of a coronal helmet streamer

We investigate the forms of the solar driver which cause the destabilization of helmet streamers. Two forms of solar drivers are considered; (i) emergence of a flux-rope from sub-photospheric levels and (ii) application of a photospheric shear motion to a streamer-flux rope system. Numerical results showed that both cases exhibit the characteristics of commonly observed coronal mass ejections (CMEs), but the propagation speed of the CME is higher than the background solar wind speed when the solar driver is the emerging magnetic flux and is the same as the solar wind speed when the photospheric shear is used as the solar driver. The energy constraint allowing the magnetic field transition from a closed to an open configuration is also addressed.     

Correlation between solar flare productivity and photospheric vector magnetic fields

Studying the statistical correlation between the solar flare productivity and photospheric magnetic fields is very important and necessary. It is helpful to set up a practical flare forecast model based on magnetic properties and improve the physical understanding of solar flare eruptions. In the previous study ([Cui, Y.M., Li, R., Zhang, L.Y., He, Y.L., Wang, H.N. Correlation between solar flare productivity and photospheric magnetic field properties 1. Maximum horizontal gradient, length of neutral line, number of singular points. Sol. Phys. 237, 45–59, 2006]; from now on we refer to this paper as ‘Paper I’), three measures of the maximum horizontal gradient, the length of the neutral line, and the number of singular points are computed from 23990 SOHO/MDI longitudinal magnetograms. The statistical relationship between the solar flare productivity and these three measures is well fitted with sigmoid functions. In the current work, the three measures of the length of strong-shear neutral line, total unsigned current, and total unsigned current helicity are computed from 1353 vector magnetograms observed at Huairou Solar Observing Station. The relationship between the solar flare productivity and the current three measures can also be well fitted with sigmoid functions. These results are expected to be beneficial to future operational flare forecasting models.     

太阳光球磁场特征物理量在质子事件短期预报中的应用

利用SOHO/MDI全日面纵向磁图, 计算了三个描述太阳活动区磁场复杂性和非势性的特征物理量, 即纵向磁场最大水平梯度Bz, 强梯度中性线长度L, 孤立奇点数目η. 为检验太阳光球磁场特征在质子事件短期预报中是否有效, 采用BP神经网络方法, 建立了基于这三个磁场特征物理量简单的太阳质子事件短期(24h)预报模型. 模 型在对2002年和2003年连续两年的样本检测中, 有很高的准确率(2002年和2003年 分别为90 %, 87.54 %)和较高的 质子事件报准率(2002年和2003年分别为60 %, 75 %),从而为光球磁场特征物理量作为质子事件预报的有效因子提供了依据.      

A MHD-turbulence model for solar corona

The disposition of energy in the solar corona has always been a problem of great interest. It remains an open question how the low temperature photosphere supports the occurence of solar extreme phenomena. In this work, a turbulent heating mechanism for the solar corona through the framework of reduced magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD) is proposed. Two-dimensional incompressible long time simulations of the average energy disposition have been carried out with the aim to reveal the characteristics of the long time statistical behavior of a two-dimensional cross-section of a coronal loop and the importance of the photospheric time scales in the understanding of the underlying mechanisms. It was found that for a slow, shear type photospheric driving the magnetic field in the loop self-organizes at large scales via an inverse MHD cascade. The system undergoes three distinct evolutionary phases. The initial forcing conditions are quickly “forgotten” giving way to an inverse cascade accompanied with and ending up to electric current dissipation. Scaling laws are being proposed in order to quantify the nonlinearity of the system response which seems to become more impulsive for decreasing resistivity. It is also shown that few, if any, qualitative changes in the above results occur by increasing spatial resolution.     

Inferring plasma flow velocities from photospheric vector magnetic field observations for the investigation of flare onsets

The amount of emergence and submergence of magnetized plasma and the horizontal motion of the footpoints of flux tubes might be crucial for the dynamics of the solar atmosphere. Although the rate of flux emergence and submergence can be observationally determined near the polarity inversion line (Chae et al., 2004), the same is not true for regions away from the PIL. Also, the horizontal motions cannot be directly measured in the solar photosphere. In this sense, the evolution of the photospheric magnetic field provides valuable information which can be used to estimate photospheric plasma flows since magnetic field and plasma are closely associated (frozen-in-condition). We used three methods to estimate the photospheric plasma motion from magnetic field observations. The methods were applied to photospheric vector magnetic field data of active region NOAA 9077, observed by the Huairou Solar Observing Station (HSOS) of the National Astronomical Observatories of China before and after the ‘Bastille Day’ flare on July 13th and 14th, 2000.     

Dynamical magnetic reconnection in Parker''s coronal heating model

The excitation (flares, ejections, heating, …) of the corona can be understood in terms of the dynamics of the confectively driven magnetized plasma. In particular, anomalous ohmic heating may be a consequence of the formation and rapid dissipation of small-scale magnetic fields in the corona. We have performed numerical simulations of the loop heating model proposed by Parker (1972, 1994), and have studied its dynamics and global power balance in order to assess its viability as a coronal heating candidate, with promising results. Our results suggest the following view of the small-scale dynamics of coronal loops. First of all, photospheric granular motions quasi-statically twist the magnetic field of the corona in a random-walk fashion. In topologically closed structures, the perpendicular magnetic energy increases, causing magnetic shear to build up at the quasi-separatrices of the resulting close-packed magnetic flux tubes. At some point, the boundary driving causes this stressed configuration to cross the threshold of an ideal time-scale MHD instability (possibly magnetic coalescence or resistive tearing) or a point of nonequilibrium and the field lines pinch toward a small-scale sheared configuration. It then becomes energetically favorable for dynamic reconnection to occur, producing narrow current sheets and an Ohmic heating rate sufficient to balance the input Poynting flux.     

Modeling large solar flares

The basic ideas to model the large solar flares are reviewed and illustrated. Some fundamental properties of potential and non-potential fields in the solar atmosphere are recalled. In particular, we consider a classification of the non-potential fields or, more exactly, related electric currents, including reconnecting current layers. The so-called ‘rainbow reconnection’ model is presented with its properties and predictions. This model allows us to understand main features of large flares in terms of reconnection. We assume that in the two-ribbon flares, like the Bastille-day flare, the magnetic separatrices are involved in a large-scale shear photospheric flow in the presence of reconnecting current layers generated by a converging flow.     

Turbulence,complexity, and solar flares

The issue of predicting solar flares is one of the most fundamental in physics, addressing issues of plasma physics, high-energy physics, and modelling of complex systems. It also poses societal consequences, with our ever-increasing need for accurate space weather forecasts. Solar flares arise naturally as a competition between an input (flux emergence and rearrangement) in the photosphere and an output (electrical current build up and resistive dissipation) in the corona. Although initially localised, this redistribution affects neighbouring regions and an avalanche occurs resulting in large scale eruptions of plasma, particles, and magnetic field. As flares are powered from the stressed field rooted in the photosphere, a study of the photospheric magnetic complexity can be used to both predict activity and understand the physics of the magnetic field. The magnetic energy spectrum and multifractal spectrum are highlighted as two possible approaches to this.     

What are the physical mechanisms of eruptions and CMEs?

CMEs are due to physical phenomena that drive both, eruptions and flares in active regions. Eruptions/CMEs must be driven from initially force-free current-carrying magnetic field. Twisted flux ropes, sigmoids, current lanes and pattern in photospheric current maps show a clear evidence of currents parallel to the magnetic field. Eruptions occur starting from equilibria which have reached some instability threshold. Revisiting several data sets of CME observations we identified different mechanisms leading to this unstable state from a force free field. Boundary motions related to magnetic flux emergence and shearing favor the increase of coronal currents leading to the large flares of November 2003. On the other hand, we demonstrated by numerical simulations that magnetic flux emergence is not a sufficient condition for eruptions. Filament eruptions are interpreted either by a torus instability for an event occurring during the minimum of solar activity either by the diffusion of the magnetic flux reducing the tension of the restraining arcade. We concluded that CME models (tether cutting, break out, loss of equilibrium models) are based on these basic mechanisms for the onset of CMEs.