EUV coronal pattern of complexes of solar activity

Studying of the coronal plasma associated with long-lived complexes of the solar activity is important for understanding a relationship between the magnetic activity and the solar corona changing during the solar cycle.

In the present paper, two long-lived complexes of the solar activity at the beginning of the current solar cycle 23 are investigated by using the Extreme-Ultraviolet data (EUV) from SOHO/EIT. For this purpose the EIT limb synoptic maps during the CR1916–CR1919 (11 November 1996–1 March 1997) are obtained.

The coronal temperature structures derived from the three lines 171A (Fe IX,X), 195A (Fe XII)and 284A (Fe XV) are investigated by applying an algorithm developed by Zhang et al. [Zhang, J., White, S.M., Kundu, M.R. ApJ 527, 977, 1999]. Standard EIT software are used for the temperature estimation from the ratio of two lines of Fe IX,X and Fe XII.

The method of the rotational tomography with a correction for an inclination of the Earth’s orbit (B-angle) to the helioequator is applied to obtain the three-dimensional (3-D) coronal structure of the complex of the solar activity. The results reveal difference in temperature structures related to multi-poles magnetic structures of the complex of solar activity and to the typical, the bipolar activity complex.     

Effects of geomagnetic activity variations on the physiological and psychological state of functionally healthy humans: Some results of Azerbaijani studies

There are collaborative and cross-disciplinary space weather studies in the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences conducted with purposes of revealing possible effects of solar, geomagnetic and cosmic ray variability on certain technological, biological and ecological systems. This paper describes some results of the experimental studies of influence of the periodical and aperiodical changes of geomagnetic activity upon human brain, human health and psycho-emotional state. It also covers the conclusions of studies on influence of violent solar events and severe geomagnetic storms of the solar cycle 23 on the mentioned systems in middle-latitude location. It is experimentally established that weak and moderate geomagnetic storms do not cause significant changes in the brain’s bioelectrical activity and exert only stimulating influence while severe disturbances of geomagnetic conditions cause negative influence, seriously disintegrate brain’s functionality, activate braking processes and amplify the negative emotional background of an individual. It is concluded that geomagnetic disturbances affect mainly emotional and vegetative spheres of human beings while characteristics reflecting personality properties do not undergo significant changes.     

Antioxidant capacity reduced in scallions grown under elevated CO2 independent of assayed light intensity

Long-duration manned space missions mandate the development of a sustainable life support system and effective countermeasures against damaging space radiation. To mitigate the risk of inevitable exposure to space radiation, cultivation of fresh fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants is an attractive alternative to pharmacological agents. However it has yet to be established whether antioxidant properties of crops can be preserved or enhanced in a space environment where environmental conditions differ from that which plants have acclimated to on earth. Scallion (Allium fistulosum) rich in antioxidant vitamins C and A, and flavonoids was used as a model plant to study the impact of a range of CO₂ concentrations and light intensities that are likely encountered in a space habitat on food quality traits. Scallions were hydroponically grown in controlled environmental chambers under a combination of 3 CO₂ concentrations of 400, 1200 and 4000 μmol mol⁻¹ and 3 light intensity levels of 150, 300, 450 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹. Total antioxidant activity (TAA) of scallion extracts was determined using a radical cation scavenging assay. Both elevated CO₂ and increasing light intensity enhanced biomass accumulation, but effects on TAA (based on dry weight) differed. TAA was reduced for plants grown under elevated CO₂, but remained unchanged with increases in light intensity. Elevated CO₂ stimulated greater biomass production than antioxidants, while an increase in photosynthetic photo flux promoted the synthesis of antioxidant compounds at a rate similar to that of biomass. Consequently light is a more effective stimulus than CO₂ for antioxidant production.     

Active Region Dynamics

New methods of local helioseismology and uninterrupted time series of solar oscillation data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) have led to a major advance in our understanding of the structure and dynamics of active regions in the subsurface layers. The initial results show that large active regions are formed by repeated magnetic flux emergence from the deep interior, and that their roots are at least 50 Mm deep. The active regions change the temperature structure and flow dynamics of the upper convection zone, forming large circulation cells of converging flows. The helioseismic observations also indicate that the processes of magnetic energy release, flares and coronal mass ejections, might be associated with strong (1–2 km/s) shearing flows, 4–6 Mm below the surface.     

Effects of geomagnetic activity and atmospheric power variations on quantitative measures of brain activity: Replication of the Azerbaijani studies

This study replicates and extends the observations by Babayev and Allahveriyeva that changes in right hemispheric electroencephalographic activity are correlated with increases in geomagnetic activity. During the geomagnetically quiet interface between solar cycle 23 and 24 quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) measurements were completed for normal young adults in three separate experiments involving about 120 samples over 1.5 years. The most consistent, moderate strength correlations occurred for the changes in power within the gamma and theta ranges over the right frontal lobe. Real-time measures of atmospheric power obtained from polar orbiting satellites showed similar effects. The preferential involvement of the right frontal lobe and the regions subject to its inhibition with environmental energetic changes are consistent with the behavioural correlations historically associated with these conditions. They include increased incidence of emotional lability, erroneous reconstruction of experiences, social confrontations, and unusual perceptions.     

Thin structure of temporal profiles of solar flares January 15, 17 and 20, 2005 by data of AVS-F apparatus onboard CORONAS-F satellite

The count rate temporal profiles and energy spectra of the solar flares January 15, 17, 20 2005 in hard X-ray and gamma energy bands by data of AVS-F apparatus onboard CORONAS-F satellite are discussed. The energy spectra of these solar flares contain positron line and neutron capture line. Solar flares of January 17 and 20 spectra also contain some nuclear lines. Thin structure with characteristic timescales of 33–92 s is presented on flares temporal profiles in energy bands corresponding to the observed spectral features, which are confirmed by periodogram analysis (confidence level is 99%).     

Assessing the relationship between solar activity and some large scale climatic phenomena

The nature of the climatic response to solar variability is assessed over a long-time scale. The wavelet analysis applied to paleoclimatic proxy data of large scale atmospheric phenomena (North Atlantic Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation and Southern Oscillation Index) has revealed coherence between the climatic oscillations and the solar phenomena (the cosmogenic isotope ¹⁰Be and the Total Solar Irradiance) preferentially with periods of Schwabe, Hale and Yoshimura–Gleissberg cycles that may reflect a modulation of solar activity.     

Statistical analysis of the Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs) detected on Mt. Aragats

Starting from 2008 experimental facilities of the Aragats Space Environmental Center (ASEC) routinely measure time series of secondary cosmic ray fluxes. At these years of the minimum of solar activity we analyze the new high-energy phenomena in the terrestrial atmosphere. Namely, Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs) and Extensive Cloud Showers (ECSs). Several new particle detectors were designed and fabricated having lower energy threshold to detect particle fluxes from the thunderclouds; some of them have possibility to distinguish charged and neutral fluxes. During 2008–2012 years ASEC detectors located at Aragats, Nor Amberd and Yerevan were detected ∼300 TGE enhancements. Amplitude of majority of them is less than 5%; however, 13 TGEs have amplitude exceeding 20%. The maximal value of observed enhancement was 271% (September 19, 2009). The paper summarizes five-years study of the TGEs on Aragats. The statistical analysis revealing the month and day-of-time distributions of TGE events, as well as the amplitude and event duration diagrams are presented.     

谈如何利用统筹法计算工程量

本文主要针对目前工程量计算过程中存在的问题，介绍了统筹法计算工程量的具体方法，并根据实际需要，给出了主要分项工程量计算顺序及计算公式。     

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.