Stability and waves of transonic laboratory and space plasmas

The properties of magnetohydrodynamic waves and instabilities of laboratory and space plasmas are determined by the overall magnetic confinement geometry and by the detailed distributions of the density, pressure, magnetic field, and background velocity of the plasma. Consequently, measurement of the spectrum of MHD waves (MHD spectroscopy) gives direct information on the internal state of the plasma, provided a theoretical model is available to solve the forward as well as the inverse spectral problems. This terminology entails a program, viz. to improve the accuracy of our knowledge of plasmas, both in the laboratory and in space. Here, helioseismology (which could be considered as one of the forms of MHD spectroscopy) may serve as a luminous example. The required study of magnetohydrodynamic waves and instabilities of both laboratory and space plasmas has been conducted for many years starting from the assumption of static equilibrium. Recently, there is a outburst of interest for plasma states where this assumption is violated. In fusion research, this interest is due to the importance of neutral beam heating and pumped divertor action for the extraction of heat and exhaust needed in future tokamak reactors. Both result in rotation of the plasma with speeds that do not permit the assumption of static equilibrium anymore. In astrophysics, observations in the full range of electromagnetic radiation has revealed the primary importance of plasma flows in such diverse situations as coronal flux tubes, stellar winds, rotating accretion disks, and jets emitted from radio galaxies. These flows have speeds which substantially influence the background stationary equilibrium state, if such a state exists at all. Consequently, it is important to study both the stationary states of magnetized plasmas with flow and the waves and instabilities they exhibit. We will present new results along these lines, extending from the discovery of gaps in the continuous spectrum and low-frequency Alfvén waves driven by rotation to the nonlinear flow patterns that occur when the background speed traverses the full range from sub-slow to super-fast. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Evolution of magnetic fields and cosmic ray acceleration in supernova remnants

Observations show that the magnetic field in young supernova remnants (SNRs) is significantly stronger than can be expected from the compression of the circumstellar medium (CSM) by a factor of four expected for strong blast waves. Additionally, the polarization is mainly radial, which is also contrary to expectation from compression of the CSM magnetic field. Cosmic rays (CRs) may help to explain these two observed features. They can increase the compression ratio to factors well over those of regular strong shocks by adding a relativistic plasma component to the pressure, and by draining the shock of energy when CRs escape from the region. The higher compression ratio will also allow for the contact discontinuity, which is subject to the Rayleigh–Taylor (R–T) instability, to reach much further out to the forward shock. This could create a preferred radial polarization of the magnetic field. With an Adaptive Mesh Refinement MHD code (AMRVAC), we simulate the evolution of SNRs with three different configurations of the initial CSM magnetic field, and look at two different equations of state in order to look at the possible influence of a CR plasma component. The spectrum of CRs can be simulated using test particles, of which we also show some preliminary results that agree well with available analytical solutions.     

A statistical analysis of low frequency geomagnetic field pulsations at two Antarctic geomagnetic observatories in the polar cap region

The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of low frequency (∼0.5–5 mHz) geomagnetic field fluctuations as recorded at two Antarctic stations within the polar cap: the Italian observatory Mario Zucchelli Station (TNB) and the French–Italian observatory Dome C (DMC) in order to investigate the spatial extension and propagation characteristics of the phenomena observed at very high latitude. The stations have approximately the same geographic latitude, but a very different corrected geomagnetic latitude, being DMC close to the geomagnetic pole and TNB closer to the auroral oval.     

基于矢量数据的三维航迹规划方法

提出了基于矢量数据的三维航迹规划方法。通过将威胁数据以矢量的方式与地形等高线结合起来对规划空间进行灵活表述，使得航迹规划可以充分考虑地形／威胁的影响，同时在规划时考虑了低空飞行器性能及其他约束。试验结果表明，该方法可以快速有效地完成三维航迹规划，给出的结果既满足各种约束条件又符合人的直觉。     

Distributed three-dimensional cooperative guidance via receding horizon control

The paper presents a new three-dimensional (3D) cooperative guidance approach by the receding horizon control (RHC) technique. The objective is to coordinate the impact time of a group of interceptor missiles against the stationary target. The framework of a distributed RHC scheme is developed, in which each interceptor missile is assigned its own finite-horizon optimal control problem (FHOCP) and only shares the information with its neighbors. The solution of the local FHOCP is obtained by the constrained particle swarm optimization (PSO) method that is integrated into the distributed RHC framework with enhanced equality and inequality con-straints. The numerical simulations show that the proposed guidance approach is feasible to imple-ment the cooperative engagement with satisfied accuracy of target capture. Finally, the computation efficiency of the distributed RHC scheme is discussed in consideration of the PSO parameters, con-trol update period and prediction horizon.     

太阳风速度的源表面二维结构

以IPS观测数据为基础，在考虑了加速剖面对太阳风源位置和速度大小的影响下，探讨了1984年1745-1755Carrington周太阳风速度在源表面上的二维分布.结果显示：观测和理论结果均显示出此期间北半球太阳风速度明显高于南半球，特别是经度0一30°，300-360°N的高速流均有不同程度的从极区向南侵的现象.低速带与磁中性线有一定程度的类似即均为单峰结构.但理论和观测给出的低速带的峰值位置与磁中性线的峰值位置略有差异，而且磁中性线的报幅大于观测和理论的结果.     

What are the physical mechanisms of eruptions and CMEs?

CMEs are due to physical phenomena that drive both, eruptions and flares in active regions. Eruptions/CMEs must be driven from initially force-free current-carrying magnetic field. Twisted flux ropes, sigmoids, current lanes and pattern in photospheric current maps show a clear evidence of currents parallel to the magnetic field. Eruptions occur starting from equilibria which have reached some instability threshold. Revisiting several data sets of CME observations we identified different mechanisms leading to this unstable state from a force free field. Boundary motions related to magnetic flux emergence and shearing favor the increase of coronal currents leading to the large flares of November 2003. On the other hand, we demonstrated by numerical simulations that magnetic flux emergence is not a sufficient condition for eruptions. Filament eruptions are interpreted either by a torus instability for an event occurring during the minimum of solar activity either by the diffusion of the magnetic flux reducing the tension of the restraining arcade. We concluded that CME models (tether cutting, break out, loss of equilibrium models) are based on these basic mechanisms for the onset of CMEs.     

较小尺度磁螺旋线管相互作用的数值研究

在子午面内,偶极子场和六极子场适当叠加得到势磁场,势磁场与太阳风长时间相瓦作用得到特殊的冕流背景结构.在这种背景结构下,两个较小尺度的磁螺旋线管模型能够连续浮入到计算域,在计算域内相互作用,触发了日冕物质抛射(CME).在数值模拟这一过程时,较小尺度的磁螺旋线管模型具有同心圆形磁场结构,模型中心等离子压强与边界压强之比m=2,模型的半径分别取为a=0.07 R.和a=0.1 Rs(Rs为太阳半径).在这两种情况下,得到了两种典型的计算结果.当a=0.07 Rs时,两个磁螺旋线管模型相瓦作用,在7 Rs内融合成一个磁螺旋线管模型,向外传播;当a=0.1 Rs时,两个磁螺旋线管模型相互作用,作为一个整体向外传播,在计算域内没有融合到一起,基本上保持各自的磁场结构.      

Progress of Solar Corona Study in China

Solar corona study is an important aspect of space weather research.In recent years,great achieVements have been acquired on the solar corona study by the space physics group of China.This paper gives a brief outline of these progresses that have been made during 2006--2008.This kind of research includes observational study of the corona,theoretical investigations,statistical analysis based on a large number of data sets,numerical method for MHD modeling,numerical study of space weather events,and prediction methods for the complicated processes originating from the solar corona.Each is given as a separate part in the following.