Impact of heliogeophysical disturbances on ionospheric HF channels

The article presents the results of the observation of a strong magnetic storm and two X-ray flares during the summer solstice in 2015, and their impact on the HF signals characteristics in ionospheric oblique sounding. It was found that the negative phase of the magnetic storm led to a strong degradation of the ionospheric channel, ultimately causing a long blackout on paths adjacent to subauroral latitudes. On mid-latitude paths, the decrease in 1FMOF reached ～50% relative to the average values for the quiet ionosphere. It is shown that the propagation conditions via the sporadic Es layer during the magnetic storm on a subauroral path are substantially better than those for F-mode propagation via the upper ionosphere. The delay of the sharp decrease in 1FMOF during the main phase of the magnetic storm allowed us to determine the propagation velocity of the negative phase disturbances (～100 m/s) from subauroral to mid-latitude ionosphere along two paths: Lovozero – Yoshkar-Ola and Cyprus – Nizhny Novgorod. It is shown that both the LOF and the signal/noise ratio averaged over the frequency band corresponding to the propagation mode via the sporadic Es layer correlate well with the auroral AE index. Using an over-the-horizon chirp radar with a bistatic configuration on the Cyprus – Rostov-on-Don path, we located small-scale scattering irregularities responsible for abnormal signals in the region of the equatorial boundary of the auroral oval.     

质子和电子对光学反射镜辐射效应的研究

研究了能量为E=160keV质子和电子单独及综合辐照作用对两种空间反射镜光学表面的影响。观察到在辐照剂量达到Φ=10×105/cm2后反射镜表面形咸了明显的结构缺陷,并导致某些谱段反射率的降低和成像质量的下降。辐照诱发缺陷的类型及分布特征除与粒子种类和反射镜结构有关外,还依赖于试样的接地方式。质子幅照主要引起反射镜表面膜层的起泡现象;电子辐照则使SiO2保护膜着色;综合辐照的影响复杂,尤其是在接近于空间使用条件的第二种接地方式下,起泡现象和静电效应成为镜面损伤的主要机制。     

Protein expression profile changes in human fibroblasts induced by low dose energetic protons

Extrapolation of known radiation risks to the risks from low dose and low dose-rate exposures of human population, especially prolonged exposures of astronauts in the space radiation environment, relies in part on the mechanistic understanding of radiation induced biological consequences at the molecular level. While some genomic data at the mRNA level are available for cells or animals exposed to radiation, the data at the protein level are still lacking. Here, we studied protein expression profile changes using Panorama antibody microarray chips that contain antibodies to 224 proteins (or their phosphorylated forms) involved in cell signaling that included mostly apoptosis, cytoskeleton, cell cycle and signal transduction. Normal human fibroblasts were cultured until fully confluent and then exposed to 2 cGy of 150 MeV protons at high-dose rate. The proteins were isolated at 2 or 6 h after exposure and labeled with Cy3 for the irradiated cells and with Cy5 for the control samples before loading onto the protein microarray chips. The intensities of the protein spots were analyzed using ScanAlyze software and normalized by the summed fluorescence intensities and the housekeeping proteins. The results showed that low dose protons altered the expression of more than 10% of the proteins listed in the microarray analysis in various protein functional groups. Cell cycle (24%) related proteins were induced by protons and most of them were regulators of G1/S-transition phase. Comparison of the overall protein expression profiles, cell cycle related proteins, cytoskeleton and signal transduction protein groups showed significantly more changes induced by protons compared with other protein functional groups.     

Physics of ion acceleration in the solar flare on 2005 September 7 determines γ-ray and neutron production

Relativistic neutrons were observed by the neutron monitors at Mt. Chacaltaya and Mexico City and by the solar neutron telescopes at Chacaltaya and Mt. Sierra Negra in association with an X17.0 flare on 2005 September 7. The neutron signal continued for more than 20 min with high statistical significance. Intense emissions of γ-rays were also registered by INTEGRAL, and during the decay phase by RHESSI. We analyzed these data using the solar-flare magnetic-loop transport and interaction model of Hua et al. [Hua, X.-M., Kozlovsky, B., Lingenfelter, R.E. et al. Angular and energy-dependent neutron emission from solar flare magnetic loops, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 140, 563–579, 2002], and found that the model could successfully fit the data with intermediate values of loop magnetic convergence and pitch-angle scattering parameters. These results indicate that solar neutrons were produced at the same time as the γ-ray line emission and that ions were continuously accelerated at the emission site.     

A tentative statistical analysis of flare events observed by NoRH and NoRP

In this paper, we report the statistical analysis of flare events observed by NoRH during 1992–2005 and NoRP during 1994–2005. We give the power law indices for the frequency distribution of peak brightness temperature which is 1.87 ± 0.05 for 17 GHz observation and is 1.64 ± 0.04 for 34 GHz observation. We also present the frequency variation of power law indices for peak flux and total energy of flare for NoRP observation, which is mono-increasing from 1 to 17 GHz.     

MHD simulation of magnetic field configuration above the active region NOAA 10365

The current sheet (CS) creation before a flare in the vicinity of a singular line above the active region NOAA 10365 is shown in numerical experiments. Such a way the possibility of energy accumulation for a solar flare is demonstrated. These data and results of observation confirm the electrodynamical solar flare model that explains solar flares and CME appearance during CS disruption. The model explains also all phenomena observed in flares. For correct reproduction of the real boundary conditions the magnetic flux between spots should be taken into account. The full system of 3D MHD equations are solved using the PERESVET code. For setting the boundary conditions the method of photospheric magnetic maps is used. Such a method permits to take into account all evolution of photospherical magnetic field during several days before the flare.     

利用ACE卫星数据对太阳质子事件预警方法的研究

通过分析GOES和ACE卫星大于10MeV能量段的5min平均质子通量数据,发现两者有很好的相关性,最佳相关系数显示,GOES通量数据较ACE卫星数据有数十分钟至几小时的时间延迟.这为利用ACE数据进行质子事件预警提供了依据.本文提出一种利用ACE卫星大于10MeV能量段的通量数据对质子事件进行预警的方法.该方法在2001年8月7日至2012年2月20日这11年多时间的试验中,表现出较高的报准率(76.3%)和较低的虚报率(14.7%),预警提前时间在数十分钟至几小时不等.该方法的结果与美国国家海洋和大气管理局(NOAA)空间天气预测中心(SWPC)使用的预警模型对比,具有更高的报准率,较低的虚报率,在预警时间提前量方面两者相当.