Qiuzhuo Cai, Guiping Ruan, Chenxi Zheng, Brigitte Schmieder, Jinhan Guo, Yao Chen, Jiangtao Su, Yang Liu, Jihong Liu, Wenda Cao
Aims. Recurring jets are observed in the solar atmosphere, which can erupt intermittently. By the observation of intermittent jets, we want to understand the causes of periodic eruption characteristics. Methods. We report intermittent jets observed by the GST. The analysis was aided by 1400 Å and 2796 Å data from IRIS.These observational instruments allowed us to analyze the temporal characteristics of jet events. Results. The jet continued for up to 4 hours. The time distance diagram shows that the peak of the jet has obviously periodic eruption characteristics (5 minutes) during 18:00 UT-18:50 UT. We also found periodic brightening phenomenon (5 minutes) during jets bursts in the observed bands in the Transition Region (1400 Å and 2796 Å), which may be a response to intermittent jets in the upper solar atmosphere.The time lag is 3 minutes. Evolutionary images in the TiO band revealed the horizontal movement of granulation at the location of jet. Compared to the quiet region of the Sun, we found that the footpoint of the jet is enhanced at the center of the H α spectral line profile, with no significant changes in the line wings. This suggests the presence of prolonged heating at the footpoint of the jet. In the mixed-polarity magnetic field region of the jet, we observed magnetic flux emergence, cancellation, and shear indicating possible intermittent magnetic reconnection. That is confirmed by the NLFFF model reconstructed using the magneto-friction method. Conclusions. The multi-wavelength analysis indicates that the events we studied were triggered by magnetic reconnection caused by mixed-polarity magnetic fields. We suggest that the horizontal motion of the granulation in the photosphere drives the magnetic reconnection, which is modulated by p-mode oscillations.
Wei Wu, Robert Sych, Jie Chen, Jiang-tao Su
At present, many works about magneto-hydrodynamics wave diagnostics in magnetic flux tubes are based on some pioneer works not considering the contributions of magnetic twist. Other works considered the effect on magneto-hydrodynamics waves, but the dispersion relationship they presented only gave the wave modes of m=0,1,2. The kink mode of m=-1 was absent. Therefore, in this work we would like to present a complete dispersion relationship that includes both magnetic twist and the wave mode of m=-1. Analogous to the m=+1 wave mode, the mode of m=-1 also exhibits the mode change at finite kr0, from body to surface mode. The phase speeds of this mode are usually less than those of m=+1 mode. The harmonic curves of m=+1/-1 modes in dispersion relationship diagrams are approximately symmetric in respect to a characteristic velocity, e.g. the tube velocity in flux tubes. Based on the present dispersion relationship, we revisit the issue of spiral wave patterns in sunspot and find that the magnetic twist has no great influence on their morphology in the frame of linear perturbation analysis.
J. T. Su, J. Jing, S. Wang, T. Wiegelmann, H. M. Wang
Photospheric vector magnetograms from Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory are utilized as the boundary conditions to extrapolate both non-linear force-free and potential magnetic fields in solar corona. Based on the extrapolations, we are able to determine the free magnetic energy (FME) stored in active regions (ARs). Over 3000 vector magnetograms in 61 ARs were analyzed. We compare FME with ARs' flare index (FI) and find that there is a weak correlation ($<60\%$) between FME and FI. FME shows slightly improved flare predictability relative to total unsigned magnetic flux of ARs in the following two aspects: (1) the flare productivity predicted by FME is higher than that predicted by magnetic flux and (2) the correlation between FI and FME is higher than that between FI and magnetic flux. However, this improvement is not significant enough to make a substantial difference in time-accumulated FI, rather than individual flare, predictions.
GangHua Lin, GaoFei Zhu, Xiao Yang, YongLiang Song, Mei Zhang, Suo Liu, XiaoFan Wang, JiangTao Su, Sheng Zheng, JiaFeng Zhang, DongYi Tao, ShuGuang Zeng, HaiMin Wang, Chang Liu, Yan Xu
Jun 16, 2020·astro-ph.SR·PDF Filaments are very common physical phenomena on the Sun and are often taken as important proxies of solar magnetic activities. The study of filaments has become a hot topic in the space weather research. For a more comprehensive understanding of filaments, especially for an understanding of solar activities of multiple solar cycles, it is necessary to perform a combined multifeature analysis by constructing a data set of multiple solar cycle data. To achieve this goal, we constructed a centennial data set that covers the H$α$ data from five observatories around the world. During the data set construction, we encountered varieties of problems, such as data fusion, accurate determination of the solar edge, classifying data by quality, dynamic threshold, and so on, which arose mainly due to multiple sources and a large time span of data. But fortunately, these problems were well solved. The data set includes seven types of data products and eight types of feature parameters with which we can implement the functions of data searching and statistical analyses. It has the characteristics of better continuity and highly complementary to space observation data, especially in the wavelengths not covered by space observations, and covers many solar cycles (including more than 60 yr of high-cadence data). We expect that this new comprehensive data set as well as the tools will help researchers to significantly speed up their search for features or events of interest, for either statistical or case study purposes, and possibly help them get a better and more comprehensive understanding of solar filament mechanisms.
Yuandeng Shen, Zehao Tang, Yuhu Miao, Jiangtao Su, Yu Liu
May 31, 2018·astro-ph.SR·PDF We present two events to study the driving mechanism of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves that are not associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), by using high resolution observations taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board Solar Dynamics Observatory. Observational results indicate that the observed EUV waves were accompanied by ares and coronal jets, but without CMEs that were regarded as the driver of most EUV waves in previous studies. In the first case, it is observed that a coronal jet ejected along a transequatorial loop system at a plane-of-the-sky (POS) speed of $335 \pm 22$ km/s, in the meantime, an arc-shaped EUV wave appeared on the eastern side of the loop system. In addition, the EUV wave further interacted with another interconnecting loop system and launched a fast propagating (QFP) magnetosonic wave along the loop system, which had a period of 200 s and a speed of $388 \pm 65$ km/s, respectively. In the second case, we also observed a coronal jet ejected at a POS speed of $282 \pm 44$ km/s along a transequatorial loop system and the generation of bright EUV wave on the eastern side of the loop system. Based on the observational results, we propose that the observed EUV waves on the eastern side of the transequatorial loop systems are fast-mode magnetosonic waves, and they were driven by the sudden lateral expansion of the transequatorial loop systems due to the direct impingement of the associated coronal jets, while the QFP wave in the first case formed due to the dispersive evolution of the disturbance caused by the interaction between the EUV wave and the interconnecting coronal loops. It is noted that EUV waves driven by sudden loop expansions have shorter lifetimes than those driven by CMEs.
Dong Li, Xianyong Bai, Hui Tian, Jiangtao Su, Zhenyong Hou, Yuanyong Deng, Kaifan Ji, Zongjun Ning
We investigate the traveling kink oscillation triggered by a solar flare on 2022 September 29. The observational data is mainly measured by the Solar Upper Transition Region Imager (SUTRI), the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), and the Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX). The transverse oscillations with apparent decaying in amplitudes, which are nearly perpendicular to the oscillating loop, are observed in passbands of SUTRI 465 A, AIA 171 A, and 193 A. The decaying oscillation is launched by a solar flare erupted closely to one footpoint of coronal loops, and then it propagates along several loops. Next, the traveling kink wave is evolved to a standing kink oscillation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the evolution of a traveling kink pulse to a standing kink wave along coronal loops. The standing kink oscillation along one coronal loop has a similar period of about 6.3 minutes at multiple wavelengths, and the decaying time is estimated to about 9.6-10.6 minutes. Finally, two dominant periods of 5.1 minutes and 2.0 minutes are detected in another oscillating loop, suggesting the coexistence of the fundamental and third harmonics.
Hongqi Zhang, Shangbin Yang, Yu Gao, Jiangtao Su, D. D. Sokoloff, K. Kuzanyan
Jul 16, 2010·astro-ph.SR·PDF The magnetic chirality in solar atmosphere has been studied based on the soft X-ray and magnetic field observations. It is found that some of large-scale twisted soft X-ray loop systems occur for several months in the solar atmosphere, before the disappearance of the corresponding background large-scale magnetic field. It provides the observational evidence of the helicity of the large-scale magnetic field in the solar atmosphere and the reverse one relative to the helicity rule in both hemispheres with solar cycles. The transfer of the magnetic helicity from the subatmosphere is consistent with the formation of large-scale twisted soft X-ray loops in the both solar hemispheres.
Yuandeng Shen, Yu Liu, Jiangtao Su, Ahmed Ibrahim
We present an observational study of the kinematics and fine structure of an unwinding polar jet, with high temporal and spatial observations taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) and the Solar Magnetic Activity Research Telescope (SMART). During the rising period, the shape of the jet resembled a cylinder with helical structures on the surface, while the mass of the jet was mainly distributed on the cylinder's shell. In the radial direction, the jet expanded successively at its western side. The radial expansion presented three distinct phases: the gradually expanding phase, the fast expanding phase, and the steady phase. Each phase lasted for about 12 minutes. The angular speed of the unwinding jet and the twist transferred into the outer corona during the eruption are estimated to be 11.1 \times 10{-3} rad/s (period = 564 s) and 1.17 to 2.55 turns (or 2.34 to 5.1π) respectively. On the other hand, by calculating the azimuthal component of the magnetic field in the jet and comparing the free energy stored in the non-potential magnetic field with the jet's total energy, we find that the non-potential magnetic field in the jet is enough to supply the energy for the ejection. These new observational results strongly support the scenario that the jets are driven by the magnetic twist, which is stored in the twisted closed field of a bipole, and released through magnetic reconnection between the bipole and its ambient open field.
Yuandeng Shen, Yu Liu, Jiangtao Su
Feb 22, 2012·astro-ph.SR·PDF We report two sympathetic solar eruptions, including a partial and a full flux rope eruption in a quadrupolar magnetic region, where a large and a small filament resided above the middle and the east neutral lines respectively. The large filament first rose slowly at a speed of 8 km/s for 23 minutes and then it was accelerated to 102 km/s. Finally, this filament erupted successfully and caused a coronal mass ejection. During the slow rising phase, various evidence for breakout-like external reconnection has been identified at high and low temperature lines. The eruption of the small filament started around the end of the large filament's slow rising. This filament erupted partially and no associating coronal mass ejection could be detected. Based on a potential field extrapolation, we find that the topology of the three-dimensional coronal field above the source region is composed of three low-lying lobes and a large overlying flux system, and a null point located between the middle lobe and the overlying antiparallel flux system. We propose a possible mechanism within the framework of the magnetic breakout model to interpret the sympathetic filament eruptions, in which the magnetic implosion mechanism is thought to be a possible linkage between the sympathetic eruptions, and the external reconnection at the null point transfers field lines from the middle lobe to the lateral lobes and thereby leads to the full (partial) eruption of the observed large (small) filament. Other possible mechanisms are also discussed briefly. We conclude that the structural properties of coronal fields are important for producing sympathetic eruptions.
Yuandeng Shen, Yu Liu, Ying D. Liu, P. F. Chen, Jiangtao Su, Zhi Xu, Zhong Liu
We present high-resolution observations of a quiescent solar prominence which was consisted of a vertical and a horizontal foot encircled by an overlying spine, and counter-streaming mass flows were ubiquitous in the prominence. While the horizontal foot and the spine were connecting to the solar surface, the vertical foot was suspended above the solar surface and supported by a semicircular bubble structure. The bubble first collapsed and then reformed at a similar height, finally, it started to oscillate for a long time. We find that the collapsing and oscillation of the bubble boundary were tightly associated with a flare-like feature located at the bottom of the bubble. Based on the observational results, we propose that the prominence should be composed of an overlying horizontal spine encircling a low-lying horizontal and a vertical foot, in which the horizontal foot was consisted of shorter field lines running partially along the spine and with the both ends connecting to the solar surface, while the vertical foot was consisted of piling-up dips due to the sagging of the spine fields and supported by a bipolar magnetic system formed by parasitic polarities (i.e., the bubble). The upflows in the vertical foot were possibly caused by the magnetic reconnection at the separator between the bubble and the overlying dips, which intruded into the persistent downflow field and formed the picture of counter-streaming mass flows. In addition, the counter-streaming flows in the horizontal foot were possibly caused by the imbalanced pressure at the both ends.
Hongqi Zhang, Jiangtao Su, Xiaofan Wang, Xingming Bao, Yu Liu, Yingzi Sun, Mingyu Zhao
Huairou Solar Observing Station of the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been in operation since 1987. Successful observations of the solar vector magnetic field have been conducted during its operation. Based on the achievements at Huairou, we analyze the methods of observing the solar magnetic field, including discussions of the approximation of the transfer theory of the solar magnetic field in the atmosphere, wide field of view polarized observation, and some questions on the inversion of solar magnetic field data. We also present relevant challenges for further research.
Yuandeng Shen, Yu Liu, Ying D. Liu, Jiangtao Su, Zehao Tang, Yuhu Miao
May 31, 2018·astro-ph.SR·PDF The detailed observational analysis of a homologous Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave event is presented to study the driving mechanism and the physical property of the EUV waves, combining high resolution data taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory. It is observed that four homologous EUV waves originated from the same active region AR11476 within about one hour, and the time separations between consecutive waves were of 8 - 20 minutes. The waves showed narrow arc-shaped wavefronts and propagated in the same direction along a large-scale transequatorial loop system at a speed of 648 - 712 km/s and a deceleration of 0.985 - 1.219 km/s2. The EUV waves were accompanied by weak flares, coronal jets, and radio type III bursts, in which the EUV waves were delayed with respect to the start times of the radio type III bursts and coronal jets about 2 - 13 and 4 - 9 minutes, respectively. Different to previous studies of homologous EUV waves, no coronal mass ejections were found in the present event. Based on the observational results and the close temporal the spatial relationship between the EUV waves and the coronal jets, for the first time, we propose that the observed homologous EUV waves were large-amplitude nonlinear fast-mode magnetosonic waves or shocks driven by the associated recurrent coronal jets, resemble the generation mechanism of a piston shock in a tube. In addition, it is found that the recurrent jets were tightly associated with the alternating flux cancellation and emergence in the eruption source region and radio type III bursts.
Jingjing Guo, Xianyong Bai, Yuanyong Deng, Hui Liu, Jiaben Lin, Jiangtao Su, Xiao Yang, Kaifan Ji
Dec 14, 2020·astro-ph.SR·PDF The method of solar magnetic field calibration for the filter-based magnetograph is normally the linear calibration method under weak-field approximation that cannot generate the strong magnetic field region well due to the magnetic saturation effect. We try to provide a new method to carry out the nonlinear magnetic calibration with the help of neural networks to obtain more accurate magnetic fields. We employed the data from Hinode/SP to construct a training, validation and test dataset. The narrow-band Stokes I, Q, U, and V maps at one wavelength point were selected from all the 112 wavelength points observed by SP so as to simulate the single-wavelength observations of the filter-based magnetograph. We used the residual network to model the nonlinear relationship between the Stokes maps and the vector magnetic fields. After an extensive performance analysis, it is found that the trained models could infer the longitudinal magnetic flux density, the transverse magnetic flux density, and the azimuth angle from the narrow-band Stokes maps with a precision comparable to the inversion results using 112 wavelength points. Moreover, the maps that were produced are much cleaner than the inversion results. The method can effectively overcome the magnetic saturation effect and infer the strong magnetic region much better than the linear calibration method. The residual errors of test samples to standard data are mostly about 50 G for both the longitudinal and transverse magnetic flux density. The values are about 100 G with our previous method of multilayer perceptron, indicating that the new method is more accurate in magnetic calibration.
Xinping Zhou, Yuandeng Shen, Ying D. Liu, Huidong Hu, Jiangtao Su, Zehao Tang, Chengrui Zhou, Yadan Duan, Song Tan
Apr 12, 2022·astro-ph.SR·PDF Large-scale Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves are frequently observed as an accompanying phenomenon of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Previous studies mainly focus on EUV waves with single wavefronts that are generally thought to be driven by the lateral expansion of CMEs. Using high spatio-temporal resolution multi-angle imaging observations taken by the Solar Dynamic Observatory and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, we present the observation of a broad quasi-periodic fast propagating (QFP) wave train composed of multiple wavefronts along the solar surface during the rising phase of a GOES M3.5 flare on 2011 February 24. The wave train transmitted through a lunate coronal hole (CH) with a speed of 840 +/-67 km/s, and the wavefronts showed an intriguing refraction effect when they passed through the boundaries of the CH. Due to the lunate shape of the CH, the transmitted wavefronts from the north and south arms of the CH started to approach each other and finally collided, leading to the significant intensity enhancement at the collision site. This enhancement might hint the occurrence of interference between the two transmitted wave trains. The estimated magnetosonic Mach number of the wave train is about 1.13, which indicates that the observed wave train was a weak shock. Period analysis reveals that the period of wave train was $\sim$90 seconds, in good agreement with that of the accompanying flare. Based on our analysis results, we conclude that the broad QFP wave train was a large-amplitude fast-mode magnetosonic wave or a weak shock driven by some non-linear energy release processes in the accompanying flare.
Leping Li, Jun Zhang, Hardi Peter, Lakshmi Pradeep Chitta, Jiangtao Su, Chun Xia, Hongqiang Song, Yijun Hou
Aug 29, 2018·astro-ph.SR·PDF Employing Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) multi-wavelength images, we report the coronal condensation during the magnetic reconnection (MR) between a system of open and closed coronal loops. Higher-lying magnetically open structures, observed in AIA 171 A images above the solar limb, move downward and interact with the lower-lying closed loops, resulting in the formation of dips in the former. An X-type structure forms at the interface. The interacting loops reconnect and disappear. Two sets of newly-reconnected loops then form and recede from the MR region. During the MR process, bright emission appears sequentially in the AIA 131 A and 304 A channels repeatedly in the dips of higher-lying open structures. This indicates the cooling and condensation process of hotter plasma from ~0.9 MK down to ~0.6 MK, and then to ~0.05 MK, also supported by the light curves of the AIA 171 A, 131 A, and 304 A channels. The part of higher-lying open structures supporting the condensations participate in the successive MR. The condensations without support by underlying loops then rain back to the solar surface along the newly-reconnected loops. Our results suggest that the MR between coronal loops leads to the condensation of hotter coronal plasma and its downflows. MR thus plays an active role in the mass cycle of coronal plasma because it can initiate the catastrophic cooling and condensation. This underlines that the magnetic and thermal evolution has to be treated together and cannot be separated, even in the case of catastrophic cooling.
Yuming Wang, Xianyong Bai, Changyong Chen, Linjie Chen, Xin Cheng, Lei Deng, Linhua Deng, Yuanyong Deng, Li Feng, Tingyu Gou, Jingnan Guo, Yang Guo, Xinjun Hao, Jiansen He, Junfeng Hou, Huang Jiangjiang, Zhenghua Huang, Haisheng Ji, Chaowei Jiang, Jie Jiang, Chunlan Jin, Xiaolei Li, Yiren Li, Jiajia Liu, Kai Liu, Liu Liu, Rui Liu, Rui Liu, Chengbo Qiu, Chenglong Shen, Fang Shen, Yuandeng Shen, Xiangjun Shi, Jiangtao Su, Yang Su, Yingna Su, Mingzhe Sun, Baolin Tan, Hui Tian, Yamin Wang, Lidong Xia, Jinglan Xie, Ming Xiong, Mengjiao Xu, Xiaoli Yan, Yihua Yan, Shangbin Yang, Shuhong Yang, Shenyi Zhang, Quanhao Zhang, Yonghe Zhang, Jinsong Zhao, Guiping Zhou, Hong Zou
Oct 19, 2022·astro-ph.SR·PDF Solar Ring (SOR) is a proposed space science mission to monitor and study the Sun and inner heliosphere from a full 360° perspective in the ecliptic plane. It will deploy three 120°-separated spacecraft on the 1-AU orbit. The first spacecraft, S1, locates 30° upstream of the Earth, the second, S2, 90° downstream, and the third, S3, completes the configuration. This design with necessary science instruments, e.g., the Doppler-velocity and vector magnetic field imager, wide-angle coronagraph, and in-situ instruments, will allow us to establish many unprecedented capabilities: (1) provide simultaneous Doppler-velocity observations of the whole solar surface to understand the deep interior, (2) provide vector magnetograms of the whole photosphere - the inner boundary of the solar atmosphere and heliosphere, (3) provide the information of the whole lifetime evolution of solar featured structures, and (4) provide the whole view of solar transients and space weather in the inner heliosphere. With these capabilities, Solar Ring mission aims to address outstanding questions about the origin of solar cycle, the origin of solar eruptions and the origin of extreme space weather events. The successful accomplishment of the mission will construct a panorama of the Sun and inner-heliosphere, and therefore advance our understanding of the star and the space environment that holds our life.
Yuandeng Shen, Yu Liu, Jiangtao Su, Hui Li, Ruijuan Zhao, Zhanjun Tian, Kiyoshi Ichimoto, Kazunari Shibata
Jul 23, 2013·astro-ph.SR·PDF We present observations of the diffraction, refraction, and reflection of a global extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave propagating in the solar corona. These intriguing phenomena are observed when the wave interacts with two remote active regions, and they together exhibit the wave property of this EUV wave. When the wave approached AR11465, it became weaker and finally disappeared in the active region, but a few minutes latter a new wavefront appeared behind the active region, and it was not concentric with the incoming wave. In addition, a reflected wave was also observed simultaneously on the wave incoming side. When the wave approached AR11459, it transmitted through the active region directly and without reflection. The formation of the new wavefront and the transmission could be explained with diffraction and refraction effects, respectively. We propose that the different behaviors observed during the interactions may caused by different speed gradients at the boundaries of the two active regions. For the origin of the EUV wave, we find that it formed ahead of a group of expanding loops a few minutes after the start of the loops' expansion, which represents the initiation of the associated coronal mass ejection (CME). Based on these results, we conclude that the EUV wave should be a nonlinear magnetosonic wave or shock driven by the associated CME, which propagated faster than the ambient fast-mode speed and gradually slowed down to an ordinary linear wave. Our observations support the hybrid model that includes both fast wave and slow non-wave components.
Xianyong Bai, Yuanyong Deng, Fei Teng, Jiangtao Su, Xinjie Mao, Guoping Wang
Sep 17, 2014·astro-ph.SR·PDF In this paper, we try to improve the magnetogram calibration method of the Solar Magnetic Field Telescope (SMFT). The improved calibration process fits the observed full Stokes information, using six points on the profile of Fe ı 5324.18 Å line, and the analytical Stokes profiles under the Milne-Eddington atmosphere model, adopting the Levenberg-Marquardt least-square fitting algorithm. In Comparison with the linear calibration methods, which employs one point, there is large difference in the strength of longitudinal field $B_l$ and tranverse field $B_t$, caused by the non-linear relationship, but the discrepancy is little in the case of inclination and azimuth. We conclude that it is better to deal with the non-linear effects in the calibration of $B_l$ and $B_t$ using six points. Moreover, in comparison with SDO/HMI, SMFT has larger stray light and acquires less magnetic field strength. For vector magnetic fields in two sunspot regions, the magnetic field strength, inclination and azimuth angles between SMFT and HMI are roughly in agrement, with the linear fitted slope of 0.73/0.7, 0.95/1.04 and 0.99/1.1. In the case of pores and quiet regions ($B_l$ $<$ 600 G), the fitted slopes of the longitudinal magnetic field strength are 0.78 and 0.87 respectively.
Yan Xu, Wenda Cao, Mingde Ding, Lucia Kleint, Jiangtao Su, Chang Liu, Haisheng Ji, Jongchul Chae, Ju Jing, Kyuhyoun Cho, Kyungsuk Cho, Dale Gary, Haimin Wang
Jan 18, 2016·astro-ph.SR·PDF Solar flares are sudden flashes of brightness on the Sun and are often associated with coronal mass ejections and solar energetic particles which have adverse effects in the near Earth environment. By definition, flares are usually referred to bright features resulting from excess emission. Using the newly commissioned 1.6~m New Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory, here we show a striking "negative" flare with a narrow, but unambiguous "dark" moving front observed in He I 10830 Å, which is as narrow as 340 km and is associated with distinct spectral characteristics in H-alpha and Mg II lines. Theoretically, such negative contrast in He I 10830 Å can be produced under special circumstances, by nonthermal-electron collisions, or photoionization followed by recombination. Our discovery, made possible due to unprecedented spatial resolution, confirms the presence of the required plasma conditions and provides unique information in understanding the energy release and radiative transfer in astronomical objects.
Ding Yuan, Jiangtao Su, Fangran Jiao, Robert W. Walsh
Mar 29, 2016·astro-ph.SR·PDF Solar dynamics and turbulence occur at all heights of the solar atmosphere and could be described as stochastic processes. We propose that finite lifetime transients recurring at a certain place could trigger quasi-periodic processes in the associated structures. In this study, we developed a mathematical model for finite lifetime and randomly occurring transients, and found that quasi-periodic processes, with period longer than the time scale of the transients, are detectable intrinsically in form of trains. We simulate their propagation in an empirical solar atmospheric model with chromosphere, transition region and corona. We found that, due to the filtering effect of the chromospheric cavity, only the resonance period of the acoustic resonator is able to propagate to the upper atmosphere, such a scenario is applicable to slow magnetoacoustic waves in sunspots and active regions. If the thermal structure of the atmosphere is less wild and acoustic resonance does not take effect, the long period oscillations could propagate to the upper atmosphere. Such case would be more likely to occur at polar plumes.