Applications and usage of the real-time Neutron Monitor Database

A high-time resolution Neutron Monitor Database (NMDB) has started to be realized in the frame of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission. This database will include cosmic ray data from at least 18 neutron monitors distributed around the world and operated in real-time. The implementation of the NMDB will provide the opportunity for several research applications most of which will be realized in real-time mode. An important one will be the establishment of an Alert signal when dangerous solar cosmic ray particles are heading to the Earth, resulting into ground level enhancements effects registered by neutron monitors. Furthermore, on the basis of these events analysis, the mapping of all ground level enhancement features in near real-time mode will provide an overall picture of these phenomena and will be used as an input for the calculation of the ionization of the atmosphere. The latter will be useful together with other contributions to radiation dose calculations within the atmosphere at several altitudes and will reveal the absorbed doses during flights. Moreover, special algorithms for anisotropy and pitch angle distribution of solar cosmic rays, which have been developed over the years, will also be set online offering the advantage to give information about the conditions of the interplanetary space. All of the applications will serve the needs of the modern world which relies at space environment and will use the extensive network of neutron monitors as a multi-directional spectrographic detector. On top of which, the decreases of the cosmic ray intensity – known as Forbush decreases – will also be analyzed and a number of important parameters such as galactic cosmic ray anisotropy will be made available to the users of NMDB. A part of the NMDB project is also dedicated to the creation of a public outreach website with the scope to inform about cosmic rays and their possible effects on humans, technological systems and space-terrestrial environment. Therefore, NMDB will also stand as an informative gate on space research through neutron monitor’s data usage.     

合理构建第二课堂 全面提高学员综合素质

第二课堂活动的开展对学员创新精神、实践能力的培养和综合素质的提高起着不可或缺的重要作用，本文从论述第二课堂活动在高等学校人才培养过程中的定位人手，紧密结合武警学院人才培养目标要求，对第二课堂活动的内容、运行机制等进行了阐述。     

可移动模型校准航空γ能谱仪剥离系数的 修正方法研究

为解决可移动模型与现有大型航空模型校准结果之间的量值统一的关键问题,首先在现有校准方法的基础上,建立了可移动模型校准航空/车载γ能谱仪的方法;再通过专门研制的可移动模型开展试验,经可移动模型校准直升机载、固定翼载、车载等多种大型γ能谱仪试验,证明可移动模型校准结果满足国家计量标准的基本要求,校准航空/车载γ能谱仪的方法可行。进一步总结剥离系数随模型摆放距离变化规律的基础上,提出采用可移动模型校准航空γ能谱仪时,应对校准结果进行剥离系数修正,得到的结果在现有航空混合模型上的示值误差更小,修正后的剥离系数更加接近于现有航空模型的校准结果,并给出了可移动模型校准结果的修正方法和修正因子。     

Behavior of F2-layer parameters and solar activity indices in the 24th cycle

The analysis of the behavior of the critical frequency foF2 during the 24th solar activity cycle (Danilov and Konstantinova, 2020a, c) is prolonged for two more months and the nighttime hours. In addition to the Rz and Ly-α indices used in the aforementioned papers for correction of the F10.7 index during the 24th cycle, the commonly used Mg II index is added. The results confirm the previous conclusions on the existence of the “vague” period with chaotic behavior of foF2 and the recovery of the negative trend in foF2 after 2008–2010. A comparison of the F10.7 index with three other SA indices (Ly-α, Rz, and Mg II) for the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th SA cycles is performed. It is shown that the relationship between F10.7 and other indices is close in the 22nd and 23rd cycles but differs from that in the 24th cycle. The corrected values of F10.7 in the 24th cycle are proposed for analysis of ionospheric trends during that cycle.     

80 years education of aerospace science and technology in Tsinghua University

The development of aerospace science and technology largely relies on the education and academic contribution of students in universities covering aerospace science and technology. The School of Aerospace Engineering of Tsinghua University, with a history of eighty years since the set-up of its Department of Aeronautical Engineering in 1938, graduated 5273 undergraduate students, 1939 master students and 931 Ph.D. students. This paper provides an overview and analysis of the data related to undergraduate, master and Ph.D. students of this school. These data include the historical evolution of number of students and the actual status of students like their various interests and academic performance. The data and information shared in this paper may be useful for comparative study and for those who need primitive data to study relevant issues such as mental health of students, promotion of gender balance and educational improvement.     

Comparison of GPS-TEC measurements with NeQuick2 and IRI model predictions in the low latitude East African region during varying solar activity period (1998 and 2008–2015)

This paper examines the performances of NeQuick2, the latest available IRI-2016, IRI-2012 and IRI-2007 models in describing the monthly and seasonal mean total electron content (TEC) over the East African region. This is to gain insight into the success of the various model types and versions at characterizing the ionosphere within the equatorial ionization anomaly. TEC derived from five Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers installed at Addis Ababa (ADD, 5.33°N, 111.99°E Geog.), Asab (ASAB, 8.67°N, 116.44°E Geog.), Ambo (ABOO, 5.43°N, 111.05°E Geog.), Nairobi (RCMN, ?4.48°N, 108.46°E Geog.) and Nazret (NAZR, 4.78°N, 112.43°E Geog.), are compared with the corresponding values computed using those models during varying solar activity period (1998 and 2008–2015). We found that different models describe the equatorial and anomaly region ionosphere best depending on solar cycle, season and geomagnetic activity levels. Our results show that IRI-2016 is the best model (compared to others in terms of discrepancy range) in estimating the monthly mean GPS-TEC at NAZR, ADD and RCMN stations except at ADD during 2008 and 2012. It is also found that IRI-2012 is the best model in estimating the monthly mean TEC at ABOO station in 2014. IRI show better agreement with observations during June solstice for all the years studied at ADD except in 2012 where NeQuick2 better performs. At NAZR, NeQuick2 better performs in estimating seasonal mean GPS-TEC during 2011, while IRI models are best during 2008–2009. Both NeQuick2 and IRI models underestimate measured TEC for all the seasons at ADD in 2010 but overestimate at NAZR in 2009 and RCMN in 2008. The periodic variations of experimental and modeled TEC have been compared with solar and geomagnetic indices at ABOO and ASAB in 2014 and results indicate that the F10.7 and sunspot number as indices of solar activity seriously affects the TEC variations with periods of 16–32?days followed by the geomagnetic activity on shorter timescales (roughly periods of less than 16?days). In this case, NeQuick2 derived TEC shows better agreement with a long term period variations of GPS-TEC, while IRI-2016 and IRI-2007 show better agreement with observations during short term periodic variations. This indicates that the dependence of NeQuick2 derived TEC on F10.7 is seasonal. Hence, we suggest that representation of geomagnetic activity indices is required for better performance over the low latitude region.     

Essential features of long-term changes of areas and diameters of sunspot groups in solar activity cycles 12–24

We analyze the Greenwich catalog data on areas of sunspot groups of last thirteen solar cycles. Various parameters of sunspots are considered, namely: average monthly smoothed areas, maximum area for each year and equivalent diameters of groups of sunspots. The first parameter shows an exceptional power of the 19th cycle of solar activity, which appears here more contrastively than in the numbers of spots (that is, in Wolf’s numbers). It was found that in the maximum areas of sunspot groups for a year there is a unique phenomenon: a short and high jump in the 18th cycle (in 1946–1947) that has no analogues in other cycles. We also studied the integral distributions for equivalent diameters and found the following: (a) the average value of the index of power-law approximation is 5.4 for the last 13 cycles and (b) there is reliable evidence of Hale's double cycle (about 44?years). Since this indicator reflects the dispersion of sunspot group diameters, the results obtained show that the convective zone of the Sun generates embryos of active regions in different statistical regimes which change with a cycle of about 44?years.     

Thermospheric winds over Abuja during solar minimum period

Monthly variations of averaged nighttime thermospheric winds have been investigated over Abuja, Nigeria (Geographic: 9.06°N, 7.5°E; Geomagnetic: 1.60°S). The reports are based on Fabry-Perot interferometer measurements of Doppler shifts and Doppler broadening of the 630.0 nm spectral emission. The results were obtained during a period of weak solar activity with the solar flux (F10.7) typically below 70 solar flux units. Inspection of the average monthly thermospheric winds from October 2017 to December 2017 found December meridional winds to be more equatorward than the October and November winds. Zonal winds are eastward with pre-midnight maximum speeds going above 100 m/s. Compared to Jicamarca zonal winds in the Peruvian sector for the same month of October, the magnitude of maximum Abuja zonal wind speed is weaker. We compare the observed diurnal variation with the recently updated Horizontal wind model (HWM 14). Most of the observational features of thermospheric wind diurnal variation are captured in the model variation. The HWM14 generally showed good agreement with the Abuja October and November zonal wind observations but overestimates the December meridional winds. Expected longer period analysis of the results from Abuja will stimulate a better understanding of wind climatology over the West African sector.     

Two successive partial mini-filament confined ejections

Active region (AR) NOAA 11476 produced a series of confined plasma ejections, mostly accompanied by flares of X-ray class M, from 08 to 10 May 2012. The structure and evolution of the confined ejections resemble that of EUV surges; however, their origin is associated to the destabilization and eruption of a mini-filament, which lay along the photospheric inversion line (PIL) of a large rotating bipole. Our analysis indicate that the bipole rotation and flux cancellation along the PIL have a main role in destabilizing the structure and triggering the ejections. The observed bipole emerged within the main following AR polarity. Previous studies have analyzed and discussed in detail two events of this series in which the mini-filament erupted as a whole, one at 12:23 UT on 09 May and the other at 04:18 UT on 10 May. In this article we present the observations of the confined eruption and M4.1 flare on 09 May 2012 at 21:01 UT (SOL2012-05-09T21:01:00) and the previous activity in which the mini-filament was involved. For the analysis we use data in multiple wavelengths (UV, EUV, X-rays, and magnetograms) from space instruments. In this particular case, the mini-filament is seen to erupt in two different sections. The northern section erupted accompanied by a C1.6 flare and the southern section did it in association with the M4.1 flare. The global structure and direction of both confined ejections and the location of a far flare kernel, to where the plasma is seen to flow, suggest that both ejections and flares follow a similar underlying mechanism.