Solar observations with the Nancay Radioheliograph in support of the Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe missions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl-Ludwig Klein ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Active Regions ◽  
Data Acquisition System ◽  
Total Solar Eclipse ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Eclipse Observations ◽  
Solar Observations ◽  
Mass Ejection ◽  
Orbiter Mission ◽  
Probe Mission ◽  
Perihelion Passage

<p>The Nancay Radioheliograph is dedicated to imaging the solar corona at decimetre-to-metre wavelengths. The imaged structures are the quiet corona, through thermal bremsstrahlung, and bright collective emissions due to electrons accelerated in quiescent, flaring and eruptive active regions. The instrument produced nearly daily maps of the Sun between 1996 and 2015, at several frequencies in the 150-450 MHz range with sub-second cadence. The observations were stopped in 2015 for a major technical upgrade through the replacement of the correlator and the data acquisition system. They were resumed in November 2020, and at the time of writing the commissioning of the instrument is well underway. This contribution will give a brief overview of the technical changes and present observations at eight frequencies of solar activity since November 2020, including the coronal mass ejection (CME) of December 14 seen in some images of the total solar eclipse, observations conducted during the present perihelion passage of the Parker Solar Probe mission, as well as during periods of interest to the Solar Orbiter mission. The data are freely available, and special products of common visualisation with the space missions will be illustrated.</p>

scholarly journals Our dynamic sun: 2017 Hannes Alfvén Medal lecture at the EGU

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 805-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Priest
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Active Regions ◽  
Particle Energy ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Strong Shear ◽  
Outer Atmosphere ◽  
Mass Ejection

Abstract. This lecture summarises how our understanding of many aspects of the Sun has been revolutionised over the past few years by new observations and models. Much of the dynamic behaviour of the Sun is driven by the magnetic field since, in the outer atmosphere, it represents the largest source of energy by far. The interior of the Sun possesses a strong shear layer at the base of the convection zone, where sunspot magnetic fields are generated. A small-scale dynamo may also be operating near the surface of the Sun, generating magnetic fields that thread the lowest layer of the solar atmosphere, the turbulent photosphere. Above the photosphere lies the highly dynamic fine-scale chromosphere, and beyond that is the rare corona at high temperatures exceeding 1 million degrees K. Possible magnetic mechanisms for heating the corona and driving the solar wind (two intriguing and unsolved puzzles) are described. Other puzzles include the structure of giant flux ropes, known as prominences, which have complex fine structure. Occasionally, they erupt and produce huge ejections of mass and magnetic fields (coronal mass ejections), which can disrupt the space environment of the Earth. When such eruptions originate in active regions around sunspots, they are also associated with solar flares, in which magnetic energy is converted to kinetic energy, heat and fast-particle energy. A new theory will be presented for the origin of the twist that is observed in erupting prominences and for the nature of reconnection in the rise phase of an eruptive flare or coronal mass ejection.

scholarly journals Polarization of white-light solar corona and sky polarization effect during total solar eclipse on March 29, 2006

2019 ◽  
pp. 83-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Merzlyakov ◽  
Ts. Tsvetkov ◽  
L. Starkova ◽  
R. Miteva
Keyword(s):  
Solar Corona ◽  
Solar Eclipse ◽  
White Light ◽  
Linear Dependence ◽  
Polarization Effect ◽  
Thomson Scattering ◽  
Total Solar Eclipse ◽  
Degree Of Polarization ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Eclipse Observations

Ground-based total solar eclipse observations are still the key method for coronal investigations. The question about its white-light degree of polarization remains unanswered. There are hypotheses claiming that the degree of polarization in certain regions of the corona may be higher than the maximal theoretically predicted value determined by Thomson scattering. We present polarization of the white-light solar corona observations obtained by three different teams during the March 29, 2006 solar total eclipse. We give an interpretation on how the polarization of the sky impacts brightness of the polarized solar corona, depending on the landscape during the totality. Moreover, it is shown that the singular polarization points of the corona are in linear dependence with the height of the Sun above the horizon.

Internal Structure of the 2019 April 2 CME

2021 ◽  
Vol 922 (2) ◽  
pp. 234
Author(s):  
Brian E. Wood ◽  
Carlos R. Braga ◽  
Angelos Vourlidas
Keyword(s):  
Coronal Mass Ejection ◽  
Internal Structure ◽  
Flux Rope ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Mass Loading ◽  
Linear Features ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Mass Ejection ◽  
Perihelion Passage

Abstract We present the first analysis of internal coronal mass ejection (CME) structure observed very close to the Sun by the Wide-field Imager for Solar PRobe (WISPR) instrument on board the Parker Solar Probe (PSP). The transient studied here is a CME observed during PSP’s second perihelion passage on 2019 April 2, when PSP was only 40 R ⊙ from the Sun. The CME was also well observed from 1 au by the STEREO-A spacecraft, which tracks the event all the way from the Sun to 1 au. However, PSP/WISPR observes internal structure not apparent in the images from 1 au. In particular, two linear features are observed, one bright and one dark. We model these features as two loops within the CME flux rope (FR) channel. The loops can be interpreted as bundles of field lines, with the brightness of the bright loop indicative of lots of mass being loaded into those field lines, and with the dark loop being devoid of such mass loading. It is possible that these loops are actually representative of two independent FR structures within the overall CME outline.

scholarly journals Understanding the Origins of Problem Geomagnetic Storms Associated with “Stealth” Coronal Mass Ejections

2021 ◽  
Vol 217 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nariaki V. Nitta ◽  
Tamitha Mulligan ◽  
Emilia K. J. Kilpua ◽  
Benjamin J. Lynch ◽  
Marilena Mierla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Activity ◽  
Coronal Mass Ejections ◽  
Geomagnetic Storms ◽  
Active Regions ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections ◽  
Source Regions ◽  
Solar Eruptions ◽  
Cycle 24 ◽  
Mass Ejection

AbstractGeomagnetic storms are an important aspect of space weather and can result in significant impacts on space- and ground-based assets. The majority of strong storms are associated with the passage of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) in the near-Earth environment. In many cases, these ICMEs can be traced back unambiguously to a specific coronal mass ejection (CME) and solar activity on the frontside of the Sun. Hence, predicting the arrival of ICMEs at Earth from routine observations of CMEs and solar activity currently makes a major contribution to the forecasting of geomagnetic storms. However, it is clear that some ICMEs, which may also cause enhanced geomagnetic activity, cannot be traced back to an observed CME, or, if the CME is identified, its origin may be elusive or ambiguous in coronal images. Such CMEs have been termed “stealth CMEs”. In this review, we focus on these “problem” geomagnetic storms in the sense that the solar/CME precursors are enigmatic and stealthy. We start by reviewing evidence for stealth CMEs discussed in past studies. We then identify several moderate to strong geomagnetic storms (minimum Dst $< -50$ < − 50  nT) in solar cycle 24 for which the related solar sources and/or CMEs are unclear and apparently stealthy. We discuss the solar and in situ circumstances of these events and identify several scenarios that may account for their elusive solar signatures. These range from observational limitations (e.g., a coronagraph near Earth may not detect an incoming CME if it is diffuse and not wide enough) to the possibility that there is a class of mass ejections from the Sun that have only weak or hard-to-observe coronal signatures. In particular, some of these sources are only clearly revealed by considering the evolution of coronal structures over longer time intervals than is usually considered. We also review a variety of numerical modelling approaches that attempt to advance our understanding of the origins and consequences of stealthy solar eruptions with geoeffective potential. Specifically, we discuss magnetofrictional modelling of the energisation of stealth CME source regions and magnetohydrodynamic modelling of the physical processes that generate stealth CME or CME-like eruptions, typically from higher altitudes in the solar corona than CMEs from active regions or extended filament channels.

scholarly journals The spectral impact of magnetic activity on disc-integrated HARPS-N solar observations: exploring new activity indicators

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (3) ◽  
pp. 4279-4290
Author(s):  
A P G Thompson ◽  
C A Watson ◽  
R D Haywood ◽  
J C Costes ◽  
E de Mooij ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Filling Factor ◽  
Active Regions ◽  
Magnetic Activity ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Solar Dynamics Observatory ◽  
Radial Velocity Component ◽  
Solar Observations ◽  
Solar Dynamics ◽  
Absorption Features ◽  
Low Activity

ABSTRACT Stellar activity is the major roadblock on the path to finding true Earth-analogue planets with the Doppler technique. Thus, identifying new indicators that better trace magnetic activity (i.e. faculae and spots) is crucial to aid in disentangling these signals from that of a planet’s Doppler wobble. In this work, we investigate activity related features as seen in disc-integrated spectra from the HARPS-N solar telescope. We divide high-activity spectral echelle orders by low-activity master templates (as defined using both $\log {R^{\prime }_{HK}}$ and images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, SDO), creating ‘relative spectra’. With resolved images of the surface of the Sun (via SDO), the faculae and spot filling factors can be calculated, giving a measure of activity independent of, and in addition to, $\log {R^{\prime }_{HK}}$. We find pseudo-emission (and pseudo-absorption) features in the relative spectra that are similar to those reported in our previous work on α Cen B. In α Cen B, the features are shown to correlate better to changes in faculae filling factor than spot filling factor. In this work, we more confidently identify changes in faculae coverage of the visible hemisphere of the Sun as the source of features produced in the relative spectra. Finally, we produce trailed spectra to observe the radial velocity component of the features, which show that the features move in a redward direction as one would expect when tracking active regions rotating on the surface of a star.

Crystal spectrometry of active regions on the Sun

1973 ◽  
Vol 334 (1597) ◽  
pp. 231-239 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Line Emission ◽  
Active Regions ◽  
Field Of View ◽  
Sounding Rocket ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Crystal Spectrometer ◽  
Isothermal Model ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Solar Observations ◽  
History Of

A crystal spectrometer has been flown on a sounding rocket to study the soft X-ray line emission from the sun. Collimators, with a field of view 9 arc min square, allowed individual active regions to be observed. A detailed description of the instrument is given. Solar conditions at the time of launch are then discussed, together with a brief history of the three active regions studied. It is shown that the collimators performed satisfactorily. The spectrum of an active region is used to identify the important solar line emission, and a comparison of the spectra obtained near 1.7 nm is made. The temperatures of the regions are discussed, and it is shown that a non-isothermal model is required. A good correlation is found between the soft X-ray emission and other solar observations.

Emergence of Twisted Magnetic Flux Related Sigmoidal Brightening

2000 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 263-264
Author(s):  
K. Sundara Raman ◽  
K. B. Ramesh ◽  
R. Selvendran ◽  
P. S. M. Aleem ◽  
K. M. Hiremath
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Magnetic Flux ◽  
Ultra Violet ◽  
Active Regions ◽  
Morphological Properties ◽  
Energy Storage And Conversion ◽  
The Sun ◽  
X Rays ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Extended AbstractWe have examined the morphological properties of a sigmoid associated with an SXR (soft X-ray) flare. The sigmoid is cospatial with the EUV (extreme ultra violet) images and in the optical part lies along an S-shaped Hαfilament. The photoheliogram shows flux emergence within an existingδtype sunspot which has caused the rotation of the umbrae giving rise to the sigmoidal brightening.It is now widely accepted that flares derive their energy from the magnetic fields of the active regions and coronal levels are considered to be the flare sites. But still a satisfactory understanding of the flare processes has not been achieved because of the difficulties encountered to predict and estimate the probability of flare eruptions. The convection flows and vortices below the photosphere transport and concentrate magnetic field, which subsequently appear as active regions in the photosphere (Rust &amp; Kumar 1994 and the references therein). Successive emergence of magnetic flux, twist the field, creating flare productive magnetic shear and has been studied by many authors (Sundara Ramanet al.1998 and the references therein). Hence, it is considered that the flare is powered by the energy stored in the twisted magnetic flux tubes (Kurokawa 1996 and the references therein). Rust &amp; Kumar (1996) named the S-shaped bright coronal loops that appear in soft X-rays as ‘Sigmoids’ and concluded that this S-shaped distortion is due to the twist developed in the magnetic field lines. These transient sigmoidal features tell a great deal about unstable coronal magnetic fields, as these regions are more likely to be eruptive (Canfieldet al.1999). As the magnetic fields of the active regions are deep rooted in the Sun, the twist developed in the subphotospheric flux tube penetrates the photosphere and extends in to the corona. Thus, it is essentially favourable for the subphotospheric twist to unwind the twist and transmit it through the photosphere to the corona. Therefore, it becomes essential to make complete observational descriptions of a flare from the magnetic field changes that are taking place in different atmospheric levels of the Sun, to pin down the energy storage and conversion process that trigger the flare phenomena.

Active Regions on the Sun with Increased Flare Activity in Cycle 24

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 507-517
Author(s):  
S. A. Yazev ◽  
E. S. Isaeva ◽  
Yu. V. Ishmukhametova
Keyword(s):  
Active Regions ◽  
Flare Activity ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Cycle 24
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