Propagation and interaction of interplanetary transient disturbances. Numerical simulations

We study the heliocentric evolution of ICME-like disturbances and their associated transient forward shocks (TFSs) propagating in the interplanetary (IP) medium comparing the solutions of a hydrodynamic (HD) and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models using the ZEUS-3D code [Stone, J.M., Norman, M.L., 1992. Zeus-2d: a radiation magnetohydrodynamics code for astrophysical flows in two space dimensions. i – the hydrodynamic algorithms and tests. Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 80, 753–790]. The simulations show that when a fast ICME and its associated IP shock propagate in the inner heliosphere they have an initial phase of about quasi-constant propagation speed (small deceleration) followed, after a critical distance (deflection point), by an exponential deceleration. By combining white light coronograph and interplanetary scintillation (IPS) measurements of ICMEs propagating within 1 AU [Manoharan, P.K., 2005. Evolution of coronal mass ejections in the inner heliosphere: a study using white-light and scintillation images. Solar Physics 235 (1–2), 345–368], such a critical distance and deceleration has already been inferred observationally. In addition, we also address the interaction between two ICME-like disturbances: a fast ICME 2 overtaking a previously launched slower ICME 1. After interaction, the leading ICME 1 accelerates and the tracking ICME 2 decelerates and both ICMEs tend to arrive at 1 AU having similar speeds. The 2-D HD and MHD models show similar qualitative results for the evolution and interaction of these disturbances in the IP medium.     

Seasonal dependence of TEC and SLAB thickness

Several years of hourly daily GPS measurements of the vertical total electron content (TEC) and of the equivalent slab thickness made at different European locations are analysed by using the linear regression technique to demonstrate the response of these two ionospheric parameters to seasonal variations. It is found that both TEC and slab thickness are highly correlated with season. Analytical relationships are determined expressing the seasonal dependence of the vertical TEC and of the equivalent slab thickness as a function of the seasonal parameter cos χ at noon in each location.     

Cosmic ray studies at Moussala – Past,present and future

We review the main activities carried out at Moussala peak (2925 m above sea level, 42°11′N, 23°35′E) station in Bulgaria, connected with cosmic ray investigations during the last five decades. Several important results obtained at the station are reported. The detector design and corresponding methodological studies of the presently operational devices are shown as well, precisely the Cherenkov light telescope, lead free neutron monitor and muon telescope. The scientific potential of the existing complex is discussed.     

Recent Advances in Research of the Chinese Meridian Project

The Chinese Meridian Project is a ground-based space environment monitoring facility in China. The first phase of the project has been put into formal operation since 2012 after 4-year's construction. It consists of 15 observatories located roughly along 120°E longitude and 30°N latitude, with each observatory equipped with multiple instruments to monitor space environment. Based on the huge observational data accumulated, significant scientific achievements have been made with more than 300 peer-reviewed journal papers published. In this report, scientific results from the past two years have been reviewed with topics covering fields of geomagnetic, atmosphere, ionosphere, and their responses to solar activities. The excellent achievements from the Phase I of Chinese Meridian Project lay a good foundation for Phase II, which has already been approved with the official kick-off of construction in November 2019. It will conceive an unprecedented contribution to global space weather community from China.     

无人机在恶劣气象条件下的自主决策技术

无人机(UAV)在实际战场环境中受恶劣气象条件等许多不确定因素的影响,因此必须不断提高其自主决策能力。主要研究无人机自主探测恶劣气象并进行自主决策的问题,首先介绍了影响无人机飞行的典型恶劣气象条件,然后提出了利用机载传感器获取气象信息并建立恶劣气象数学模型的方案,并提出了采用专家系统理论解决无人机遭遇恶劣气象时的自主决策问题。最后,对无人机在风切变、雷暴和紊流3种常见恶劣气象下的自主决策过程进行仿真。经分析,决策结果合理,仿真结果验证了该方法的可行性和有效性。     

Space Weather Service for Chinese Space Science Satellites

Strategic Priority Research Program on Space Science has gained remarkable achievements. Space Environment Prediction Center (SEPC) affiliated with the National Space Science Center (NSSC) has been providing space weather services and helps secure space missions. Presently, SEPC is capable to offer a variety of space weather services covering many phases of space science missions including planning, design, launch, and orbital operation. The service packages consist of space weather forecasts, warnings, and effect analysis that can be utilized to avoid potential space weather hazard or reduce the damage caused by space storms, space radiation exposure for example. Extensive solar storms that occurred over Chinese Ghost Festival (CGF) in September 2017 led to a large enhancement of the solar energetic particle flux at 1 AU, which affected the near Earth radiation environment and brought great threat to orbiting satellites. Based on the space weather service by SEPC, satellite ground support groups collaborating with the space Tracking, Telemetering and Command system (TT&C) team were able to take immediate measures to react to the CGF solar storm event.     

Lower ionosphere response to external forcing: A brief review

There are two ways of external forcing of the lower ionosphere, the region below an altitude of about 100 km: (1) From above, which is directly or indirectly of solar origin. (2) From below, which is directly or indirectly of atmospheric origin. The external forcing of solar origin consists of two general factors – solar ionizing radiation variability and space weather. The solar ionization variability consist mainly from the 11-year solar cycle, the 27-day solar rotation and solar flares, strong flares being very important phenomenon in the daytime lower ionosphere due to the enormous increase of the solar X-ray flux resulting in temporal terminating of MF and partly LF and HF radio wave propagation due to heavy absorption of radio waves. Monitoring of the sudden ionospheric disturbances (SIDs – effects of solar flares in the lower ionosphere) served in the past as an important tool of monitoring the solar activity and its impacts on the ionosphere. Space weather effects on the lower ionosphere consist of many different but often inter-related phenomena, which govern the lower ionosphere variability at high latitudes, particularly at night. The most important space weather phenomenon for the lower ionosphere is strong geomagnetic storms, which affect substantially both the high- and mid-latitude lower ionosphere. As for forcing from below, it is caused mainly by waves in the neutral atmosphere, i.e. planetary, tidal, gravity and infrasonic waves. The most important and most studied waves are planetary and gravity waves. Another channel of the troposphere coupling to the lower ionosphere is through lightning-related processes leading to sprites, blue jets etc. and their ionospheric counterparts. These phenomena occur on very short time scales. The external forcing of the lower ionosphere has observationally been studied using predominantly ground-based methods exploiting in various ways the radio wave propagation, and by sporadic rocket soundings. All the above phenomena are briefly mentioned and some of them are treated in more detail.     

2 AU以内的“渐进型”太阳高能粒子事件模拟

太阳高能粒子（Solar Energetic Particle,SEP）事件是影响地球空间以及深空辐射环境的主要因素之一。“渐进型”太阳高能粒子事件中的高能粒子主要来自于日冕物质抛射（Coronal Mass Ejection,CME）所驱动的激波扩散加速（Diffusive Shock Acceleration,DSA）过程。CME驱动的激波在行星际的传播过程中,其结构不断演化,进而影响到高能粒子的加速过程。本文利用二维太阳高能粒子加速和传播模型,对发生于2014年4月18日的太阳高能粒子事件实例进行了数值模拟。模型考察了黄道面上2 AU的距离以内包含地球所在位置的4个不同点,分别计算了每个点上高能粒子的通量。数值模拟的结果表明：黄道面内不同位置的观察点,与激波波前的磁力线连接不同,从而导致观察点处高能粒子的通量有着显著的差异。该模型的计算结果可以为深空探测计划开展辐射环境研究提供必要的输入。     

Research Progress of Interplanetary Physics in Mainland China

Significant progress has been made by Chinese scientists in research of interplanetary physics during the recent two years (2018-2020). These achievements are reflected at least in the following aspects:Activities in solar corona and lower solar atmosphere; solar wind and turbulence; filament/prominence, jets, flares, and radio bursts; active regions and solar eruptions; coronal mass ejections and their interplanetary counterparts; other interplanetary structures; space weather prediction methods; magnetic reconnection; Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical modeling; solar energetic particles, cosmic rays, and Forbush decreases; machine learning methods in space weather and other aspects. More than one hundred and forty papers in the academic journals have been published in these research directions. These fruitful achievements are obtained by Chinese scholars in solar physics and space physics either independently or through international collaborations. They greatly improve people's understanding of solar activities, solar eruptions, the corresponding space weather effects, and the Sun-Earth relations. Here we will give a very brief review on the research progress. However, it must be pointed out that this paper may not completely cover all achievements in this field due to our limited knowledge.     

MRF模型去雾算法在机场场面监视中的应用

面对日益严峻的雾霾天气对民航业的影响,在雾霾天气下的机场场面监视方面,文章提出了一种基于MRF模型的去雾霾算法,并利用CNC去雾霾效果评价体系与Retinex、He等传统去雾霾算法的去雾效果进行了对比,可以看出,MRF模型去雾霾算法对场面监视的雾霾图像具有较好的效果性和鲁棒性。