Results from the ESA SREM monitors and comparison with existing radiation belt models

The Standard Radiation Environment Monitor (SREM) is a simple particle detector developed for wide application on ESA satellites. It measures high-energy protons and electrons of the space environment with a 20° angular resolution and limited spectral information. Of the ten SREMs that have been manufactured, four have so far flown. The first model on STRV-1c functioned well until an early spacecraft failure. The other three are on-board, the ESA spacecraft INTEGRAL, ROSETTA and PROBA-1. Another model is flying on GIOVE-B, launched in April 2008 with three L-2 science missions to follow: both Herschel and Planck in 2008, and GAIA in 2011). The diverse orbits of these spacecraft and the common calibration of the monitors provides a unique dataset covering a wide range of B-L* space, providing a direct comparison of the radiation levels in the belts at different locations, and the effects of geomagnetic shielding. Data from the PROBA/SREM and INTEGRAL/IREM are compared with existing radiation belt models.     

Solar activity prediction studies and services in NAOC

Solar activity prediction services started in 1960’s in National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC). As one of the members of the International Space Environment Service (ISES), Regional Warning Center of China (RWC-China) was set up in 1990’s. Solar Activity Prediction Center (SAPC), as one of the four sub-centers of RWC-China, is located in NAOC. Solar activity prediction studies and services in NAOC cover short-term, medium-term, and long-term forecast of solar activities. Nowadays, certain prediction models, such as solar X-ray flare model, solar proton event model, solar 10 cm radio flux model, have been established for the practical prediction services. Recently, more and more physical analyses are introduced in the studies of solar activity prediction, such as the magnetic properties of solar active regions and magnetic structure of solar atmosphere. Besides traditional statistics algorithms, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence techniques, such as Support Vector Machine (SVM) method, are employed in the establishment of forecast models. A Web-based integrated platform for solar activity data sharing and forecast distribution is under construction.     

X-Ray Emission from Flare Collapsing Trap

An acceleration process in the collapsing magnetic trap, formed in the flare with cusp magnetic field topology, is described. Computations show that high-energy electrons are accumulated in the central part of the collapsing magnetic trap due to an increase of their pitch angles. The effect explains in a natural way the formation of X-ray loop-top sources. Then, using the model with the collapsing trap and considering only the adiabatic heating process, a possible explanation for the motion of the X-ray loop-top source observed at the beginning of some cusp-type flares is presented.     

Energy conversion of the flare due to direct electric fields from the sheared reconnection

In this paper we present a new mechanism of the main energy conversion of the solar flare. Since a flare inducing prominence (flux tube) rises V_z ? 300 km s⁻¹, the plasmas below it cannot continuously eject with Alfvén speeds of V_A = 3000 km s⁻¹ but probably with V_z ≈ ±100 km s⁻¹. Plasma up and downflows with V_A will within a short duration be blocked between the chromosphere where reconnected flux tubes are piling up, and the slowly rising flux rope. Hence the Petschek slow shock mechanism is difficult to be realized as a major energy converting mechanism.     

The Seed Population for Energetic Particles Accelerated by CME-Driven Shocks

Understanding properties of solar energetic particle (SEP) events associated with coronal mass ejections has been identified as a key problem in solar-terrestrial physics. Although recent CME shock acceleration models are highly promising, detailed agreement between theoretical predictions and observations has remained elusive. Recent observations from ACE have shown substantial enrichments in the abundances of ³He and He⁺ ions which are extremely rare in the thermal solar wind plasma. Consequently, these ions act as tracers of their source material, i.e., ³He ions are flare suprathermals and He⁺ ions are interstellar pickup ions. The average heavy ion composition also exhibits unsystematic differences when compared with the solar wind values, but correlates significantly with the ambient suprathermal material abundances. Taken together these results provide compelling evidence that CME-driven shocks draw their source material from the ubiquitous but largely unexplored suprathermal tail rather than from the more abundant solar wind peak. However, the suprathermal energy regime has many more contributors and exhibits much larger variability than the solar wind, and as such needs to be investigated more thoroughly. Answers to fundamental new questions regarding the preferred injection of the suprathermal ions, the spatial and temporal dependence of the various sources, and the causes of their variability and their effects on the SEP properties are needed to improve agreement between the simulations and observations.     

Properties of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections

Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) originating from closed field regions on the Sun are the most energetic phenomenon in the heliosphere. They cause intense geomagnetic storms and drive fast mode shocks that accelerate charged particles. ICMEs are the interplanetary manifestations of CMEs typically remote-sensed by coronagraphs. This paper summarizes the observational properties of ICMEs with reference to the ordinary solar wind and the progenitor CMEs.     

太阳能飞行器能源昼夜闭环仿真分析

以能量为核心，建立太阳能飞行器的获能模型；通过对太阳能飞行器飞行剖面特点的分析，设计飞行过程中各个阶段的飞行方案，并建立相应的耗能模型；考虑目前储能电池技术水平，根据产能和耗能模型，建立储能模型，完成了能源闭环模型的设计；参照Zephyr 7太阳能无人机的结构参数对论文建立的模型进行了仿真分析，获取了飞行过程中能量变化规律，同时对飞行姿态进行优化。结果表明：通过对太阳能飞行器昼夜飞行高度的不同设置以及飞行姿态角的优化，太阳能飞行器可以实现跨昼夜持久飞行。     

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。     

Study of ionospheric D region changes during solar flares using MF radar measurements

During solar flares, the X-ray radiation suddenly increases, resulting in an increase in the electron density of the atmospheric D region and a strong absorption of short-wave radio waves. Based on Langfang medium frequency (MF) radar, this paper analyzed the variation characteristics of D region in the lower ionosphere from 62 km to 82 km. The analysis focused on multiple C-level and M-level solar flare events before and after the large-scale flare event at 11:53 (UT) on September 6, 2017. The results show that it is difficult to detect the electron density over 70 km in Langfang during solar flares, but the electron density value can be obtained as low as 62 km, and the stronger the flare intensity, the lower the detectable electron density height. Besides, the equal electron density height, the received power of X and O waves will also be significantly reduced during the flares, and the reduction of equal electron density height has a weak linear relationship with flare intensity.