Solar magnetic feature detection and tracking for space weather monitoring

We present an automated system for detecting, tracking, and cataloging emerging active regions throughout their evolution and decay using SOHO Michelson Doppler Interferometer (MDI) magnetograms. The SolarMonitor Active Region Tracking (SMART) algorithm relies on consecutive image differencing to remove both quiet-Sun and transient magnetic features, and region-growing techniques to group flux concentrations into classifiable features. We determine magnetic properties such as region size, total flux, flux imbalance, flux emergence rate, Schrijver’s R-value, R^∗ (a modified version of R), and Falconer’s measurement of non-potentiality. A persistence algorithm is used to associate developed active regions with emerging flux regions in previous measurements, and to track regions beyond the limb through multiple solar rotations. We find that the total number and area of magnetic regions on disk vary with the sunspot cycle. While sunspot numbers are a proxy to the solar magnetic field, SMART offers a direct diagnostic of the surface magnetic field and its variation over timescale of hours to years. SMART will form the basis of the active region extraction and tracking algorithm for the Heliophysics Integrated Observatory (HELIO).     

The Nonlinear Model of the Response of Airglow to Gravity Waves

In this paper, we develope a time-dependent, nonlinear, photochemical-dynamical 2-D model which is composed of 3 models: dynamical gravity wave model, middle atmospheric photochemical model, and airglow layer photochemical model. We use the model to study the effect of the gravity wave propagation on the airglow layer. The comparison between the effects of the different wavelength gravity wave on the airglow emission distributions is made. When the vertical wavelength of the gravity wave is close to or is shorter than the thickness of the airglow layer, the gravity wave can make complex structure of the airglow layer, such as the double and multi-peak structures of the airglow layers. However, the gravity wave that has long vertical wavelength can make large scale perturbation of the airglow emission distribution.     

A theoretical model for the magnetic helicity of solar active regions

Active regions on the solar surface are known to possess magnetic helicity, which is predominantly negative in the northern hemisphere and positive in the southern hemisphere. Choudhuri et al. [Choudhuri, A.R. On the connection between mean field dynamo theory and flux tubes. Solar Phys. 215, 31–55, 2003] proposed that the magnetic helicity arises due to the wrapping up of the poloidal field of the convection zone around rising flux tubes which form active regions. Choudhuri [Choudhuri, A.R., Chatterjee, P., Nandy, D. Helicity of solar active regions from a dynamo model. ApJ 615, L57–L60, 2004] used this idea to calculate magnetic helicity from their solar dynamo model. Apart from getting broad agreements with observational data, they also predict that the hemispheric helicity rule may be violated at the beginning of a solar cycle. Chatterjee et al. [Chatterjee, P., Choudhuri, A.R., Petrovay, K. Development of twist in an emerging magnetic flux tube by poloidal field accretion. A&A 449, 781–789, 2006] study the penetration of the wrapped poloidal field into the rising flux tube due to turbulent diffusion using a simple 1-d model. They find that the extent of penetration of the wrapped field will depend on how weak the magnetic field inside the rising flux tube becomes before its emergence. They conclude that more detailed observational data will throw light on the physical conditions of flux tubes just before their emergence to the photosphere.     

SATI image processing and mesopause temperature determination

The Spectral Airglow Temperature Imager (SATI) instrument registers airglow coming from an annular mesopause segment. The temperatures of various points of this segment are retrieved by sectors of the registered images containing spectral information. A stage of SATI spectrogram processing connected with deriving spectral information from images and the determination of the rotational temperature of oxygen molecules emitting at the altitude of the mesopause is considered.     

An optimization approach for observation association with systemic uncertainty applied to electro-optical systems

The observation to observation measurement association problem for dynamical systems can be addressed by determining if the uncertain admissible regions produced from each observation have one or more points of intersection in state space. An observation association method is developed which uses an optimization based approach to identify local Mahalanobis distance minima in state space between two uncertain admissible regions. A binary hypothesis test with a selected false alarm rate is used to assess the probability that an intersection exists at the point(s) of minimum distance. The systemic uncertainties, such as measurement uncertainties, timing errors, and other parameter errors, define a distribution about a state estimate located at the local Mahalanobis distance minima. If local minima do not exist, then the observations are not associated. The proposed method utilizes an optimization approach defined on a reduced dimension state space to reduce the computational load of the algorithm. The efficacy and efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated on observation data collected from the Georgia Tech Space Object Research Telescope.     

RadioAstron probes the ultra-fine spatial structure in the H2O maser emission in the star forming region W49N

H₂O maser emission associated with the massive star formation region W49N were observed with the Space-VLBI mission RadioAstron. The procedure for processing of the maser spectral line data obtained in the RadioAstron observations is described. Ultra-fine spatial structures in the maser emission were detected on space-ground baselines of up to 9.6 Earth diameters. The correlated flux densities of these features range from 0.1% to 0.6% of the total flux density. These low values of correlated flux density are probably due to turbulence either in the maser itself or in the interstellar medium.     

Variability of mesopause temperature from the hydroxyl airglow observations over mid-latitudinal sites,Zvenigorod and Tory,Russia

We obtained data on temperature in the mesopause vicinity from ground-based observations of the hydroxyl airglow at mid-latitudinal sites, Zvenigorod (56°N, 37°E), located near Moscow, over 2000–2012, and Tory (52°N, 103°E), Eastern Siberia, over 2008–2012. Seasonal behavior of the temperature and its monthly and nightly mean variances are presented. A comparison of the results obtained at two different regions of Russia shows higher values of the mesopause temperature variability in Eastern Siberia. We perform an analysis of the multi-year changes in the temperature variability characteristics based on the Zvenigorod observational data.     

A study of acoustic halos in active region NOAA 11330 using multi-height SDO observations

We analyze data from the Helioseismic Magnetic Imager (HMI) and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instruments on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) to characterize the spatio-temporal acoustic power distribution in active regions as a function of the height in the solar atmosphere. For this, we use Doppler velocity and continuum intensity observed using the magnetically sensitive line at 6173?Å as well as intensity at 1600?Å and 1700?Å. We focus on the power enhancements seen around AR 11330 as a function of wave frequency, magnetic field strength, field inclination and observation height. We find that acoustic halos occur above the acoustic cutoff frequency and extends up to 10?mHz in HMI Doppler and AIA 1700?Å observations. Halos are also found to be strong functions of magnetic field and their inclination angle. We further calculate and examine the spatially averaged relative phases and cross-coherence spectra and find different wave characteristics at different heights.     

TIMED卫星探测的全球大气温度分布及其与经验模式的比较

利用TIMED卫星遥感探测的全球温度分布与NRLMSISE-00大气经验模式进行了对比研究.研究表明,在中间层下部以下的高度范围内,经验模式与卫星探测的大气温度分布有很好的一致性.但是比较发现,在中层顶区域,经验模式的计算结果与实测结果有较大的差异.卫星探测表明,在春分季节的低纬地区中层顶区存在稳定的逆温层,但是经验模式不能给出低纬地区春分季节中间层逆温层的分布特征.卫星观测表明在全球范围内中层顶有两个非常不同的高度,一个处于100km附近,另一个处于85km附近,但是经验模式不能给出这一中层顶高度的分布特征.同时在低热层,经验模式计算的温度分布与卫星遥感的探测结果有很大的差异.