Testing the asymmetric cone model for halo CMEs using STEREO/SECCHI coronagraphic observations

Space weather is significantly controlled by halo coronal mass ejections (HCMEs) originating close to the central meridian and directing toward the Earth. Unfortunately, coronagraphic observations (especially for HCMEs) are subject to a projection effect which makes it impossible to determine the true radial velocity and width of CMEs. However, these parameters can be estimated by correcting for the projection effect using the asymmetric cone model (Michalek, 2006). A set of 20 CMEs, observed as halo events in the LASCO field of view and simultaneously as limb events in the STEREO/SECCHI field of view, are used to check the accuracy of the asymmetric cone model. For this purpose, characteristics of the considered CMEs (angular widths and radial speeds) measured in STEREO/SECCHI images are compared with those obtained by the asymmetric cone model. We demonstrate that the widths and speeds determined by both methods are very similar. Correlation coefficients for speeds and angular widths are 0.99 and 0.96, respectively. We have also shown that the projection effect is unpredictable and could sometimes be very significant (up to 100% of the velocity measured in the LASCO field of view). On average, the SOHO/LASCO projected speeds for the HCMEs are 23% smaller than the radial velocities obtained from the STEREO/SECCHI images.     

Coronal Hole Oscillations as inferred from SDO/AIA data

With high temporal resolution (12 s) of about two hours duration, data of a coronal hole structure in 171 Å$\AA$, 193 Å$\AA$ and 211 Å$\AA$ taken from SDO/AIA images is considered for examination of oscillations. After estimating the total DN counts of a whole coronal hole structure in three wavelength bands, the resulting time series are subjected to FFT and wavelet analysis. Significant periods in all the three wavelength bands are detected that are mainly concentrated around 500 s as a fundamental mode and its odd (167, 100, 71, 56, 46, 39, 33, 29, 26, 24 s) harmonics. Computed phases in all the three wavelengths band are estimated to be constant.     

冕洞特征参数与地磁暴强度及发生时间统计

地磁暴是空间天气预报的重要对象.在太阳活动周下降年和低年,冕洞发出的高速流经过三天左右行星际传输到达地球并引发的地磁暴占主导地位.目前地磁暴的预报通常依赖于1AU处卫星就位监测的太阳风参数,预报提前量只有1h左右.为了增加地磁暴预报提前量,需要从高速流和地磁暴的源头即太阳出发,建立冕洞特征参数与地磁暴的定量关系.分析了2010年5月到2016年12月的152个冕洞-地磁暴事件,利用SDO/AIA太阳极紫外图像提取了两类冕洞特征参数,分析了其与地磁暴期间ap,Dst和AE三种地磁指数的统计关系,给出冕洞特征参数与地磁暴强度以及发生时间的统计特征,为基于冕洞成像观测提前1～3天预报地磁暴提供了依据.      

太阳高能粒子事件上升时间统计研究

选取1997-2006年共66个较大的缓变型太阳高能粒子(SEP)事件, 分析了不同条件下太阳高能粒子通量廓线上升时间与源区日面经向分布之间的相关关系, 研究了日冕物质抛射(CME)和耀斑在SEP上升阶段的作用特点.统计结果表明,大SEP事件的源区主要分布在太阳西半球, 特别是磁足点东西两侧45°范围内; 在高速太阳风条件下, 低能通道的通量上升时间与日面相对经度有较好的相关性,即离磁足点越远, 上升时间越长,而高能通道相关性则不明显; 全晕状CME产生的SEP事件对应的上升时间与源区位置没有明显的相关性, 而部分晕状CME伴随的SEP事件则与二次拟合曲线符合很好.分析表明,在缓变型SEP事件的通量上升阶段, 耀斑加速过程起着重要作用,这在部分晕状CME伴随的SEP事件中尤为显著.     

X级以上耀斑与地磁效应关系研究

统计研究了2010年1月至2012年12月期间所有与耀斑爆发相伴生的日冕物质抛射(CME) 引发的地磁暴事件. 结果表明, 对于CME源区其主要分布在日面 45°E-45°W, 占总数的78.95%, 且西半球比东半球多, 即源区位于西半球的CME易产生地磁效应; X级耀斑与地磁效应的关联性更高, 60.0%的 X级耀斑在其爆发后的2～3天内观测到地磁暴, 而其他级别的耀斑与地磁效应的关联性低得多, 均不足10%; 通过对此期间日面爆发的所有X级耀斑研究分析后发现, 对于源区位于日面东经45°E-45°W 的X级耀斑, 若在其爆发过程中没有大尺度日面扰动, 则无伴生CME且后续产生地磁效应的可能性很低. 由此提出一种通过分析日面观测数据进行地磁暴预报的方法.     

A Brief Review of Interplanetary Investigations in China from 2014 to 2016

Great progress has been made in the research of solar corona and interplanetary physics by the Chinese scientists during the past two years (2014-2016). Nearly 100 papers were published in this area. In this report, we will give a brief review to these progresses. The investigations include:solar corona, solar wind and turbulence, superhalo electron and energetic particle in the inner heliosphere, solar flares and radio bursts, Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and their interplanetary counterparts, Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical modeling, CME/shock arrival time prediction, magnetic reconnection, solar variability and its impact on climate. These achievements help us to better understand the evolution of solar activities, solar eruptions, their propagations in the heliosphere, and potential geoeffectiveness. They were achieved by the Chinese solar and space scientists independently or via international collaborations.     

两冕流间物质抛射事件的数值模拟

二维磁流体力学方程数值敢两冕流间的日冕物质抛射事件。为了能重现两冕流间ＣＭＥ的基本特征,本文在加入一定强度的扰动热压的同时,叠加了一个由圆线电流产生的闭合磁场。模拟结果表明,此类扰动能形成明显的高密度等离子体环形结构,且外环后随一暗脸。它们在径向和横向 都存在不同程度的膨胀。     

日冕扰动传播的数值模拟(Ⅲ)太阳风的影响

本文数值研究了二维磁流体动力学平衡基态下开场区日面冷物质径向喷射所引起的日冕动力学响应。结果表明:(1)在高密度环前方有一弱扰动区近似以Alfvén速度向外传播;(2)高密度环前缘移动速度随着径向距离而增加, 其增加值近似为局地太阳风速度;(3)高密度环中等离子体的最大径向速度约在4个太阳半径处趋于局地逃逸速度;(4)对于强开放场, 环形结构在θ方向上没有明显的扩张。这些结果可以更好地解释伴随有日珥的日冕物质抛射事件。      

Observations of the solar wind from coronal holes

The solar wind emanating from coronal holes (CH) constitutes a quasi-stationary flow whose properties change only slowly with the evolution of the hole itself. Some of the properties of the wind from coronal holes depend on whether the source is a large polar coronal hole or a small near-equatorial hole. The speed of polar CH flows is usually between 700 and 800 km/s, whereas the speed from the small equatorial CH flows is generally lower and can be <400 km/s. At 1 AU, the average particle and energy fluxes from polar CH are 2.5×10⁸ cm^–2 sec^–1 and 2.0 erg cm^–2 s^–1. This particle flux is significantly less than the 4×10⁸ cm^–2 sec^–1 observed in the slow, interstream wind, but the energy fluxes are approximately the same. Both the particle and energy fluxes from small equatorial holes are somewhat smaller than the fluxes from the large polar coronal holes.Many of the properties of the wind from coronal holes can be explained, at least qualitatively, as being the result of the effect of the large flux of outward-propagating Alfvén waves observed in CH flows. The different ion species have roughly equal thermal speeds which are also close to the Alfvén speed. The velocity of heavy ions exceeds the proton velocity by the Alfvén speed, as if the heavy ions were surfing on the waves carried by the proton fluid.The elemental composition of the CH wind is less fractionated, having a smaller enhancement of elements with low first-ionization potentials than the interstream wind, the wind from coronal mass ejections, or solar energetic particles. There is also evidence of fine-structure in the ratio of the gas and magnetic pressures which maps back to a scale size of roughly 1° at the Sun, similar to some of the fine structures in coronal holes such as plumes, macrospicules, and the supergranulation.     

Magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a streamer beside a realistic coronal hole

Existing models of coronal streamers establish their credibility and act as the initial state for transients. The models have produced satisfactory streamer simulations, but unsatisfactory coronal hole simulations. This is a consequence of the character of the models and the boundary conditions. The models all have higher densities in the magnetically open regions than occur in coronal holes (Noci,et al., 1993).