An application of the weighted horizontal magnetic gradient to solar compact and eruptive events

We propose to apply the weighted horizontal magnetic gradient (${\mathit{WG}}_M$), introduced in Korsós et al., 2015, for analysing the pre-flare and pre-CME behaviour and evolution of Active Regions (ARs) using the SDO/HMI-Debrecen Data catalogue. To demonstrate the power of investigative capabilities of the ${\mathit{WG}}_M$ method, in terms of flare and CME eruptions, we studied two typical ARs, namely, AR 12158 and AR 12192. The choice of ARs represent canonical cases. AR 12158 produced an X1.6 flare with fast “halo” CME ($v_{\mathit{linear}}$ = 1267 $\text{km}{\text{s}}^{-1}$) while in AR 12192 there occurred a range of powerful X-class eruptions, i.e. X1.1, X1.6, X3.1, X1.0, X2.0 and X2.0-class energetic flares, interestingly, none with an accompanying CME. The value itself and temporal variation of ${\mathit{WG}}_M$ is found to possess potentially important diagnostic information about the intensity of the expected flare class. Furthermore, we have also estimated the flare onset time from the relationship of duration of converging and diverging motions of the area-weighted barycenters of two subgroups of opposite magnetic polarities. This test turns out not only to provide information about the intensity of the expected flare-class and the flare onset time but may also indicate whether a flare will occur with/without fast CME. We have also found that, in the case when the negative polarity barycenter has moved around and the positive one “remained” at the same coordinates preceding eruption, the flare occurred with fast “halo” CME. Otherwise, when both the negative and the positive polarity barycenters have moved around, the AR produced flares without CME. If these properties found for the movement of the barycenters are generic pre-cursors of CME eruption (or lack of it), identifying them may serve as an excellent pre-condition for refining the forecast of the lift-off of CMEs.     

Detailed analysis of dynamic evolution of three Active Regions at the photospheric level before flare and CME occurrence

We present a combined analysis of the applications of the weighted horizontal magnetic gradient (denoted as ${\mathit{WG}}_M$ in Korsós et al. (2015)) method and the magnetic helicity tool (Berger and Field, 1984) employed for three active regions (ARs), namely NOAA AR 11261, AR 11283 and AR 11429. We analysed the time series of photospheric data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory taken between August 2011 and March 2012. During this period the three ARs produced a series of flares (eight M- and six X-class) and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). AR 11261 had four M-class flares and one of them was accompanied by a fast CME. AR 11283 had similar activities with two M- and two X-class flares, but only with a slow CME. Finally, AR 11429 was the most powerful of the three ARs as it hosted five compact and large solar flare and CME eruptions. For applying the ${\mathit{WG}}_M$ method we employed the Debrecen sunspot data catalogue, and, for estimating the magnetic helicity at photospheric level we used the Space-weather HMI Active Region Patches (SHARP’s) vector magnetograms from SDO/HMI (Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager). We followed the evolution of the components of the ${\mathit{WG}}_M$ and the magnetic helicity before the flare and CME occurrences. We found a unique and mutually shared behaviour, called the U-shaped pattern, of the weighted distance component of ${\mathit{WG}}_M$ and of the shearing component of the helicity flux before the flare and CME eruptions. This common pattern is associated with the decreasing-receding phases yet reported only known to be a necessary feature prior to solar flare eruption(s) but found now at the same time in the evolution of the shearing helicity flux. This result leads to the conclusions that (i) the shearing motion of photospheric magnetic field may be a key driver for solar eruption in addition to the flux emerging process, and that (ii) the found decreasing-approaching pattern in the evolution of shearing helicity flux may be another precursor indicator for improving the forecasting of solar eruptions.     

MHD code using multi graphical processing units: SMAUG+

This paper introduces the Sheffield Magnetohydrodynamics Algorithm Using GPUs (SMAUG+), an advanced numerical code for solving magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) problems, using multi-GPU systems. Multi-GPU systems facilitate the development of accelerated codes and enable us to investigate larger model sizes and/or more detailed computational domain resolutions. This is a significant advancement over the parent single-GPU MHD code, SMAUG (Griffiths et al., 2015). Here, we demonstrate the validity of the SMAUG?+?code, describe the parallelisation techniques and investigate performance benchmarks. The initial configuration of the Orszag-Tang vortex simulations are distributed among 4, 16, 64 and 100?GPUs. Furthermore, different simulation box resolutions are applied: $1000\times 1000\text{,}2044\times 2044\text{,}4000\times 4000$ and $8000\times 8000$. We also tested the code with the Brio-Wu shock tube simulations with model size of 800 employing up to 10?GPUs. Based on the test results, we observed speed ups and slow downs, depending on the granularity and the communication overhead of certain parallel tasks. The main aim of the code development is to provide massively parallel code without the memory limitation of a single GPU. By using our code, the applied model size could be significantly increased. We demonstrate that we are able to successfully compute numerically valid and large 2D MHD problems.     

Experimental study of flare-generated collisionless interplanetary shock wave propagation

This paper presents a review of the general properties of flare-generated collisionless interplanetary shock wave propagation, determined from multiple spacecraft plasma and magnetic field observations and by means of interplanetary scintillation of radio sources.An invited paper presented at STIP Workshop on Shock Waves in the Solar Corona and Interplanetary Space, 15–19 June, 1980, Smolenice, Czechoslovakia.     

Study of the Marangoni convection around a surface tension minimum under microgravity conditions

At equilibrium, aqueous fatty alcohol solutions presents a surface tension minimum versus temperature. The influence of such an extremum on the Marangoni convection is studied. Two experiments have been performed under microgravity conditions (Texus 8 (1983) and Texus 9 (1984) flights). The velocity fields are determined by following the paths of tracer particles and furthermore, in the Texus 9 experiment, differential interferograms have been recorded.     

SPOT image quality and post-launch assessment

In this paper we present the image quality specifications for the SPOT System and the methods used for their assessment. These methods fall into two categories: pre-launch ground testing and post-launch assessment (during the satellite's first two months in orbit). The geometric specifications concern image location accuracy, length distortion, anisomorphism, multi-date and multispectral registration, local coherence and, in the case of stereo pairs, accuracy of elevation measurement. The radiometric specifications concern: signal-to-noise ratio, detector equalization and array response linearity; band-to-band, absolute and multi-date registration; distortion due to high radiances (blooming) and modulation transfer function (MTF).     

Plasma measurements in the Venus near wake

A study of the plasma measurements conducted with the Mariner 5, Venera 9 and 10, and the Pioneer Venus spacecraft in the Venus ionosheath and near wake is presented. The data available indicate that in the inner ionosheath, downstream from the terminator, the density and the velocity of the plasma are significantly smaller than those measured further outside. The slower particle fluxes detected near the ionopause also exhibit higher plasma temperatures and show a tendency to move towards the nightside hemisphere. The observation of high plasma temperatures in the inner ionosheath indicates that the interaction of the solar wind with the Venus ionospheric/exospheric material is dominated by dissipative phenomena, and that its entry into the wake is due to local thermal expansion processes.     

Apogee manoeuvre with a restartable liquid bipropellant motor

Unified Propulsion Systems present perceptible advantages for geostationary spacecrafts design: mass savings, as the ergols tanks are the same for the apogee motor and for the Attitude and Orbit Control System, higher performance, as specific impulse of bi-ergols motors is higher than the one of solid propellant motors and higher operational flexibility as the fuel amount can be adapted to the real flight conditions and as biliquid motors are restartable. On the other hand, the use of these propulsion systems for geostationary spacecrafts sets quite new mission analysis problems: the “predictability” of each delivered Delta-V is rather coarse (the corresponding uncertainty is about 4% for the existing motors). Also, only midlevel thrusters (about 400N) are available and so the finite burn losses associated with long burns arcs have to be minimized. This paper surveys the problems resulting from these new operational constraints and deals successively with the following items: optimal splitting up of the apogee manoeuvre, taking into account the possible dispersions on each Delta-V and the on-station longitude acquisition; minimization of the finite burn losses; adaptation of the apogee manoeuvre to the initial orbit parameters corresponding to the first North-South station-keeping cycle. The operation procedures derived from this survey will be used for the future launch of the ARABSAT spacecraft and for the following spacecrafts of the SPACEBUS family.     

Radiation from accreting magnetized neutron stars

We review some recent developments in our understanding of accreting magnetized neutron stars. A brief summary of the observations is given, on which current phenomenological models are based. The main part of this paper is a discussion of recent work by several groups on the radiative transfer problem in a strong magnetic field and its application to models of the structure and properties of self-consistent neutron star polar cap emission regions. The assumptions and uncertainties involved are discussed, recent progress is evaluated, and current and future problems are indicated.Smithsonian Visiting Scientist, partially supported through NASA Grant NAGW-246, on leave from Max-Planck-Institut für Physik und Astrophysik MPA, Garching.     

Long lasting energetic particle injection from a weak flare

A relatively weak solar cosmic ray event registered at the Earth orbit following the flare of December 17, 1976 is discussed. The main feature of the event is the existence of a prolonged unusually high proton and electron anisotropy; even at the end of the decay phase of the flare the motion of the particles were mainly directed away from the Sun. The durations of proton and electron anisotropies were different. If prolonged particle injection is neglected the value of the anisotropy considerable exceeds all diffusive estimates. Time-intensity and anisotropy profiles of electrons and protons are fitted by a diffusive model including prolonged particle injection at the Sun. The best agreement with the data is obtained if the duration of injection equals about 20 and 7 hours for protons and electrons, respectively.