Dissipative Solitary Kinetic Alfvén Waves and Electron Acceleration in the Solar Corona

Nonthermal electrons play a major role during solar flares since not only they contain a large amount of the released energy but also they provide important information of the flaring physics through their nonthermal radiation in radio and hard X-ray bands. In a recent work Wu (Phys. Plasmas 10 (2003) 1364) proposed that dissipative solitary kinetic Alfvén wave (DSKAW) with a local shock-like structure could provide an efficient acceleration mechanism for energetic electrons in a low-β plasma. In the present paper dynamical characteristics of the DSKAW acceleration mechanism in solar coronal plasmas are studied and its application to the acceleration of flaring electrons is discussed.     

Working group 3: Coronal streamers

The working group on coronal streamers convened on the first day of the 2nd SOHO Workshop, which took place in Marciana Marina, Isola d'Elba, 27 September –1 October 1993. Recent progress in streamer observational techniques and theoretical modeling was reported. The contribution of streamers to the mass and energy supply for the solar wind was discussed. Moreover, the importance of thin electric current sheets for determining both the gross dynamical properties of streamers and the fine-scale filamentary structure within streamers, was strongly emphasized. Potential advances to our understanding of these areas of coronal physics that could be made by the contingent of instruments aboard SOHO were pointed out.     

Thermal and nonthermal flare emission observed with the Nobeyama Radio Heliograph

The early phases of three flares, observed by the Nobeyama Radio Heliograph, are studied. Nonthermal and thermal radio sources are identified by comparison with soft X-ray images taken by the Soft X-ray Telescope onboard the Yohkoh satellite. Two of the flares are mainly of nonthermal origin and their location coincides with one of the footpoints of soft X-ray loops. Another flare has both thermal and nonthermal components which start to brighten simultaneously. This suggests that particle acceleration and plasma compression develop simultaneously.     

Local clouds: Distribution, density and kinematics through ground-based and HST spectroscopy

The distribution, kinematics and physical properties of the interstellar matter surrounding the Sun can be inferred from ground-based and UV spectroscopic observations. On a 200 pc scale the local interstellar matter appears inhomogeneous and asymmetric. Although it generally flows towards the lower density region, it is composed of numerous small components a few parsecs in size with slightly different velocities. On a smaller scale the extent and the nature of the Local Cloud which flows over the Sun are discussed based on HST-GHRS observations of nearby stars.     

Interplanetary scintillation observations of the high-latitude solar wind

Until the ULYSSES spacecraft reached the polar regions of the solar wind, the only high-latitude measurements available were from indirect techniques. The most productive observations in regions of the solar wind between 5R and 200R have been the family of radio scattering techniques loosely referred to as Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) (Coles, 1978). Useful observations can be obtained using a variety of radio sources, for example spacecraft beacons, planetary radar echoes and compact cosmic sources (quasars, active galactic nuclei, pulsars, galactic masers, etc.). However for measurement of the high-latitude solar wind cosmic sources provide the widest coverage and this review will be confined to such observations. IPS observations played a very important role in establishing that polar coronal holes (first observed in soft x-ray emission) were sources of fast solar wind streams which occasionally extend down to the equatorial region and are observed by spacecraft. Here I will review the IPS technique and show the variation of both the velocity and the turbulence level with latitude over the last solar cycle. I will also outline recent work and discuss comparisons that we hope to make between IPS and ULYSSES observations.     

Latitude and solar-cycle dependence of radial IMF intensity

I describe a simple procedure for extrapolating the observed solar magnetic field into the heliosphere, which averages the asymptotic fields computed using the standard source surface and current sheet models. The resultant field is characterized by strong latitudinal gradients (maintained by volume currents outside the source surface) and by abrupt reversals in direction at the current sheets. The model yields good agreement with the observed long-term variation of the radial IMF component in the ecliptic, and is used to predict the variation of |B _r | along the latitudinal trajectory of Ulysses during 1990–1994. As found in earlier studies, the magnitude ofB _r at any latitude is determined largely by the strength and relative orientation of the Sun's dipole moment.     

新型航天器太阳电池阵基板的质量控制

影响新型航天器太阳电池阵基板的质量因素较多,且很复杂。文章着重介绍了基板的质量控制内容,还对一些突出的质量问题作了简述。     

日地共转扰动似稳结构及其反相和漂移规律的最新证据

日地共转扰动似稳结构及其反相现象在第２１及２２周再次显现，从而证实了上述发现是一种在长达世记的时间尺度内存在的普遍规律。包括１９９１－１９９２年内的百年地磁扰动资料还说明偶数太阳周的共转似稳结构扰动峰有逆太阳自转而线性性漂移的趋向。对即将来临的极小年前可能出现的共转扰动作了试验性的预测。     

Quasi-biennial oscillations in the cross-correlation of properties of macrospicules

Jets, whatever small (e.g. spicules) or large (e.g. macrospicules) their size, may play a key role in momentum and energy transport from photosphere to chromosphere and at least to the low corona. Here, we investigate the properties of abundant, large-scale dynamic jets observable in the solar atmosphere: the macrospicules (MS). These jets are observationally more distinct phenomena than their little, and perhaps more ubiquitous, cousins, the spicules. Investigation of long-term variation of the properties of macrospicules may help to a better understanding of their underlying physics of generation and role in coronal heating. Taking advantage of the high temporal and spatial resolution of the Solar Dynamics Observatory, a new dataset, with several hundreds of macrospicules, was constructed encompassing a period of observations over six years. Here, we analyse the measured properties and relations between these properties of macrospicules as function of time during the observed time interval. We found that cross-correlations of several of these macrospicule properties display a strong oscillatory pattern. Next, wavelet analysis is used to provide more detailed information about the temporal behaviour of the various properties of MS. For coronal hole macrospicules, a significant peak is found at around 2-year period. This peak also exists partially or is shifted to longer period, in the case of quiet Sun macrospicules. These observed findings may be rooted in the underlying mechanism generating the solar magnetic field, i.e. the global solar dynamo.     

Statistical properties of the most powerful solar and heliospheric disturbances

We present and discuss here the first version of a data base of extreme solar and heliospheric events. The data base contains now 87 extreme events mostly since 1940. An event is classified as extreme if one of the three critical parameters passed a lower limit. The critical parameters were the X-ray flux (parameter R), solar proton flux (parameter S) and geomagnetic disturbance level (parameter G). We find that the five strongest extreme events based on four variables (X-rays SEP, Dst, Ap) are completely separate except for the October 2003 event which is one the five most extreme events according to SEP, Dst and Ap. This underlines the special character of the October 2003 event, making it unique within 35 years. We also find that the events based on R and G are rather separate, indicating that the location of even extreme flares on the solar disk is important for geomagnetic effects. We also find that S = 3 events are not extreme in the same sense as R > 3 and G > 3 events, while S = 5 events are missing so far. This suggests that it might be useful to rescale the classification of SEP fluxes.