2004年12月13日IMF北向期间极区亚暴电离层电动力学特征

利用KRM地磁反演方法, 结合北半球中高纬度地磁台站数据, 研究了2004年12月13日行星际磁场北向期间发生的亚暴事件, 极区电离层电动力学参量(电流矢量、等效电流函数以及电势)的分布特征. 结果表明, 在该亚暴膨胀相起始后, 午夜之前西向电集流急剧增强, 且等效电流体系表现为夜侧双涡, 同时伴随夜侧增强的南向电场. 由于极弱的直接驱动过程, 卸载过程引起的电离层效应得到清楚显示. 卸载过程在膨胀相期间起绝对主导性作用. 同时, 夜侧电导率的增强是电集流区域电流急剧增强的主要原因.     

大尺度场向电流的控制因素

将ＩＳＥＥ－１和ＩＳＥＥ－２飞般测量的地球内磁层场向电流作为行星际磁场与极区地磁活动水平（由ＡＬ表征）的函数。发现大约７５％的场向电流发生在行星际磁场南向时,其余２５％发生在行星际磁场由南向转到北向的半小时内。而且,发生在ＡＬ〈－１５０ｎＴ的场向电流也大约是７５％。场向电流的强度和密度随行星际磁场南向分量及ＡＬ的负值增加而增大。由此而得出结论,内磁层场向电流的产生主要是由行星际磁场控制的,是太阳风     

Manned exploration and exploitation of solar system: Passive and active shielding for protecting astronauts from ionizing radiation—A short overview

In deep space manned missions for the exploration and exploitation of celestial bodies of Solar System astronauts are not shielded by the terrestrial magnetic field and must be protected against the action of Solar Cosmic Rays (SCRs) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs). SCRs are sporadically emitted, and in very rare but possible events, their fluence can be so high to be lethal to a unprotected crew. Their relatively low energy allows us to conceive fully passive shields, also if active systems can somewhat reduce the needed mass penalty. GCRs continuously flow without intensity peaks, and are dangerous to the health and operability of the crew in long duration (>1year) missions. Their very high energy excludes the possible use of passive systems, so that recourse must be made to electromagnetic fields for preventing ionizing particles to reach the habitat where astronauts spend most of their living and working time. A short overview is presented of the many ideas developed in last decades of last century; ideas are mainly based on very intense electrostatic shields, flowing plasma bubbles, or enormous superconducting coil systems for producing high magnetic fields. In the first decade of this century the problem began to be afforded in more realistic scenarios, taking into account the present and foreseeable possibilities of launchers (payload mass, diameter and length of the shroud of the rocket, etc.) and of assembling and/or inflating structures in space. Driving parameters are the volume of the habitat to be protected and the level of mitigation of the radiation dose to be guaranteed to the crew. Superconducting magnet systems based on multi-solenoid complexes or on one huge magnetic torus surrounding the habitat are being evaluated for defining the needed parameters: masses, mechanical structures for supporting the huge magnetic forces, needed equipments and safety systems. Technological tests are in preparation or planned for improving density of the current, lightness and stability, to increase working temperature of superconducting cables, and for finding light supporting structures and suitable safety architectures, delineating a possible development program for affording this difficult problem.     

AB beam propulsion for interplanetary flights

The author offers a revolutionary method—non-rocket transfer of energy and thrust into Space with a distance of millions of kilometers. The author has developed the theory and made the computations. The method is more efficient than transmission of energy by high-frequency waves. The method may be used for space launch and for accelerating the spaceship and probes for very high speeds, up to a relativistic speed by the current technology. The research also contains prospective projects which illustrate the possibilities of the suggested method.     

Mid 19th century minimum of galactic cosmic ray flux inferred from Ti in Allegan meteorite

Measurements of ⁴⁴Ti activity in meteorites show that the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity has been declining in the interplanetary space during the past three centuries and has a component of cyclic variation, with periodicity of about 87 years [Taricco, C., Bhandari, N., Cane, D., et al. Galactic cosmic ray flux decline and periodicities in the interplanetary space during the last 3 centuries revealed by ⁴⁴Ti in meteorites. J. Geophys. Res. 111, A08102, 2006.]. In order to verify these results, we have measured ⁴⁴Ti activity in Allegan meteorite which fell in 1899 and in some other meteorites with better precision. The measurements confirm low cosmic ray flux and consequently high solar activity near the middle of 19th century.     

Fluctuations of cosmic rays and IMF in the vicinity of interplanetary shocks

Fluctuations of cosmic rays and interplanetary magnetic field upstream of interplanetary shocks are studied using data of ground-based polar neutron monitors as well as measurements of energetic particles and solar wind plasma parameters aboard the ACE spacecraft. It is shown that coherent cosmic ray fluctuations in the energy range from 10 keV to 1 GeV are often observed at the Earth’s orbit before the arrival of interplanetary shocks. This corresponds to an increase of solar wind turbulence level by more than the order of magnitude upstream of the shock. We suggest a scenario where the cosmic ray fluctuation spectrum is modulated by fast magnetosonic waves generated by flux of low-energy cosmic rays which are reflected and/or accelerated by an interplanetary shock.     

Comparison of heliospheric conditions near the earth during four recent solar maxima

Statistical properties of the daily averaged values of the solar activity (sunspot numbers, total solar irradiance and 10.7 cm radio emission indices), the solar wind plasma and the interplanetary magnetic field parameters near the Earth’s orbit are investigated for a period from 1964 to 2002 covering the maxima of four solar cycles from 20th to 23rd. Running half-year averages show significant solar cycle variations in the solar activity indices but only marginal and insignificant changes in comparison with background fluctuations for heliospheric bulk plasma and magnetic field parameters. The current 23rd cycle maximum is weaker than 21st and 22nd maxima, but slightly stronger than 20th cycle in most of solar and heliospheric manifestations.     

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.     

Interplanetary Physics in Mainland China

During the past two years (2016-2018), great achievements have been made in the Chinese research of interplanetary physics, with nearly 100 papers published in the academic journals. The achievements are including but not limited to the following topics:solar corona; solar wind and turbulence; filament/prominence and jets; solar flare; radio bursts; particle acceleration at coronal shocks; magnetic flux ropes; instability; instrument; Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and their interplanetary counterparts; Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical modeling; solar energetic particles and cosmic rays. The progress further improves our understanding of the eruptions of solar activities, their evolutions and propagations in the heliosphere, and final geoeffects on our Earth. These results were achieved by the Chinese solar and space scientists independently or via international collaborations. This paper will give a brief review of these achievements.     

基于Green函数法的太阳高能粒子行星际扩散过程模拟

统计分析了自1976－2017年期间记录到的217次SEP（Solar Energetic Particle）事件的日冕足点经度位置,其分布特征符合日冕横向分布的东西效应,同时基于两相传输模型及其Green函数解,对发生在不同日冕足点的四次SEP事件进行了模拟研究。模拟与观测结果表现一致,表明该模型能够较好地模拟发生在不同日冕足点的SEP事件。针对模型中多个传输参数开展的敏感性试验发现,SEP事件日冕足点经度位置能够影响观测结果的探测时间和峰值,而太阳风速对发生在不同日冕足点的事件具有不同影响机制;此外,日冕区扩散系数与SEP事件在日冕区的扩散过程相关,主要影响事件的强度峰值;行星际径向扩散系数的改变对于模拟结果的影响主要体现在峰值到达时间上,且由于SEP事件主要是在大尺度的行星际磁场中传播,行星际径向扩散系数对于模拟结果的影响最为显著,而表征粒子源释放时间尺度的逃逸时间对于模拟结果影响相对较小。