Spectroscopic Measurement of Coronal Compositions

Although the elemental composition in all parts of the solar photosphere appears to be the same this is clearly not the case with the solar upper atmosphere (SUA). Spectroscopic studies show that in the corona elemental composition along solar equatorial regions is usually different from polar regions; composition in quiet Sun regions is often different from coronal hole and active region compositions and the transition region composition is frequently different from the coronal composition along the same line of sight. In the following two issues are discussed. The first involves abundance ratios between the high-FIP O and Ne and the low-FIP Mg and Fe that are important for meaningful comparisons between photospheric and SUA compositions and the second involves a review of composition and time variability of SUA plasmas at heights of 1.0≤h≤1.5R _⊙.     

What Determines the Composition of SEPs in Gradual Events?

Gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events are evidently accelerated by coronal/interplanetary shocks driven by coronal mass ejections. This talk addresses the different factors which determine the composition of the accelerated ions. The first factor is the set of available seed populations including the solar wind core and suprathermal tail, remnant impulsive events from preceding solar flares, and remnant gradual events. The second factor is the fractionation of the seed ions by the injection process, that is, what fraction of the ions are extracted by the shock to participate in diffusive shock acceleration. Injection is a controversial topic since it depends on the detailed electromagnetic structure of the shock transition and the transport of ions in these structured fields, both of which are not well understood or determined theoretically. The third factor is fractionation during the acceleration process, due to the dependence of ion transport in the turbulent electromagnetic fields adjacent to the shock on the mass/charge ratio. Of crucial importance in the last two factors is the magnetic obliquity of the shock. The form of the proton-excited hydromagnetic wave spectrum is also important. Finally, more subtle effects on ion composition arise from the superposition of ion contributions over the time history of the shock along the observer’s magnetic flux tube, and the sequence of flux tubes sampled by the observer.     

Relationship between daily variation of cosmogenic nuclide Be-7 concentration in atmosphere and solar activities

Daily Be-7 concentrations in air at the height of 15 m are continuously observed at 38°15.2′N, 140°20.9′E, between 2000 and 2001. The average concentration and the relative standard deviation were 4.0 mBq/m³ and 50% in 2000–2001, respectively. The Be-7 concentrations increased 2.5% with the decrease in the sunspot numbers by 6.7% for the term of two years. From the power spectral analysis, the periodicity of 26 days is shown for the daily Be-7 concentrations. The folding analysis indicates that the time variation of the Be-7 concentration is similar to that of the ground-based neutron counting rate, and the phase delay for the minimum portion of Be-7 concentration was roughly 8 days to the maximum sunspot number. These results indicate that the Be-7 concentrations in the air at ground level have 26 day periodicity as a component of time variations and the time variation is caused by the solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays, which corresponds to the variation of the sunspot number due to the rotation of the sun.     

1989年3月大宇宙线暴事件的特征

本文分析了1989年3月一系列大耀斑等离子体抛射引起的宇宙线强度变化的特征.除对中子成分分析外,还对μ介子成分及其各向异性特征作了分析,讨论了宇宙线强度变化与太阳耀斑特性和地磁扰动之间的关系。分析发现,宇宙线的Forbush下降不仅与太阳耀斑的级别、持续时间,以及在日面上的位置有关,而且还与光学耀斑是否伴有强的X射线暴、是否有强的射电爆发,以及是否引起强的地磁暴紧密有关.各向异性分析表明,3月大事件的各向异性明显小于宁静时的各向异性,这可能是因为受到太阳活动强烈调制之后,宇宙线各向异性趋于减小的原因.     

Progress on Space Solar Telescope in 2004 - 2006

The progress on Chinese Space Solar Telescope (SST) in 2004-2006 is introduced. The scientific objectives are further clarified and the ground operation system has been planned. The 7 key technical problems of SST satellite platform and payloads have been tackled, which lay solid scientific and technological foundations for engineering prototype phase of the SST project. At present the SST project undergoes evaluation by CNSA and CAS so as to enter the engineering prototype phase of the SST project if it is finally approved.     

A first step towards proton flux forecasting

We present a preliminary version of a potential tool for real time proton flux prediction which provides proton flux profiles and cumulative fluence profiles at 0.5 and 2 MeV of solar energetic particle events, from their onset up to the arrival of the interplanetary shock at the spacecraft position (located at 1 or 0.4 AU). Based on the proton transportation model by Lario et al. [Lario, D., Sanahuja, B., Heras, A.M. Energetic particle events: efficiency of interplanetary shocks as 50 keV E < 100 MeV proton accelerators. Astrophys. J. 509, 415–434, 1998] and the magnetohydrodynamic shock propagation model of Wu et al. [Wu, S.T., Dryer, M., Han, S.M. Non-planar MHD model for solar flare-generated disturbances in the Heliospheric equatorial plane. Sol. Phys. 84, 395–418, 1983], we have generated a database containing “synthetic” profiles of the proton fluxes and cumulative fluences of 384 solar energetic particle events. We are currently validating the applicability of this code for space weather forecasting by comparing the resulting “synthetic” flux profiles with those of several real events.     

Transition region line-shifts in the rebound shock spicule model

Spectral emission lines created in the solar chromosphere — corona transition region show net red-shifts. It has been proposed that this may be the result of the return of spicular material. We simulate a spicule numerically using the rebound shock model and find that the resulting hydrodynamic evolution leads to a perceived up-flow in transition region spectral lines even though the average velocity in the line forming region is directed downward. The explanation for this apparent paradox is found in the correlation between density and velocity in the waves generated by the rebound shock spicule.     

Evolution of the Protosolar Nebula and Formation of the Giant Planets

The formation of planetary systems is intimately tied to the question of the evolution of the gas and solid material in the early nebula. Current models of evolution of circumstellar disks are reviewed here with emphasis on the so-called “alpha models” in which angular momentum is transported outward by turbulent viscosity, parameterized by an dimensionless parameter α. A simple 1D model of protoplanetary disks that includes gas and embedded particles is used to introduce key questions on planetesimal formation. This model includes the aerodynamic properties of solid ice and rock grains to calculate their migration and growth. We show that the evolution of the nebula and migration and growth of its solids proceed on timescales that are generally not much longer than the timescale necessary to fully form the star-disk system from the molecular cloud. Contrary to a widely used approach, planet formation therefore can neither be studied in a static nebula nor in a nebula evolving from an arbitrary initial condition. We propose a simple approach to both account for sedimentation from the molecular cloud onto the disk, disk evolution and migration of solids. Giant planets have key roles in the history of the forming Solar System: they formed relatively early, when a significant amount of hydrogen and helium were still present in the nebula, and have a mass that is a sizable fraction of the disk mass at any given time. Their composition is also of interest because when compared to the solar composition, their enrichment in elements other than hydrogen and helium is a witness of sorting processes that occured in the protosolar nebula. We review likely scenarios capable of explaining both the presence of central dense cores in Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune and their global composition. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

模拟地球同步轨道辐照环境对光学太阳反射镜性能的影响

研究了模拟地球同步轨道辐照环境对卫星用温控涂层-光学太阳反射镜(OSR)性能的影响。对所研制的两类OSR 片进行的辐照试验项目有,真空紫外辐照、低能电子和两种能量的质子辐照。此外还进行了等离子体环境条件下的表面充/放电效应试验。经过相当于安装在地球同步轨道卫星南北极位置处,在空间七年所受到的电子、质子和紫外辐照总剂量的辐照后,导电型OSR 的太阳光谱吸收率α_s 由0.068增加到0.078,法向发射率ε_n 由0.83降低到0.72;而非导电型OSR的α_s 由0.066增加到0.085,ε_n 由0.82降低到0.76。表面充/放电试验的结果表明:导电型OSR 的充电电位仅在15～40V 之间,而非导电型OSR 的充电电位则可高达13kV。因此导电型OSR能有效地控制表面的充/放电现象。