119292805
Influence of Coronal Holes on CMEs in Causing SEP Events
The issue of the influence of coronal holes (CHs) on coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in causing solar energetic particle (SEP) events is revisited. It is a continuation and extension of our previous work, in which no evident effects of CHs on CMEs in generating SEPs were found by statistically investigating 56 CME events. This result is consistent with the conclusion obtained by Kahler in 2004. We extrapolate the coronal magnetic field, define CHs as the regions consisting of only open magnetic field lines and perform a similar analysis on this issue for 76 events in total by extending the study interval to the end of 2008. Three key parameters, CH proximity, CH area and CH relative position, are involved in the analysis. The new result confirms the previous conclusion that CHs did not show any evident effect on CMEs in causing SEP events.
17103243
An analytical model probing the internal state of coronal mass ejections based on observations of their expansions and propagations
[1] In this paper, a generic self-similar flux rope model is proposed to probe the internal state of CMEs in order to understand the thermodynamic process and expansion of CMEs in interplanetary space. Using this model, three physical parameters and their variations with heliocentric distance can be inferred based on coronagraph observations of CMEs' propagation and expansion. One is the polytropic index Γ of the CME plasma, and the other two are the average Lorentz force and the thermal pressure force inside CMEs. By applying the model to the 8 October 2007 CME observed by STEREO/SECCHI, we find that (1) the polytropic index of the CME plasma increased from initially 1.24 to more than 1.35 quickly and then slowly decreased to about 1.34; it suggests that there be continuously heat injected/converted into the CME plasma and the value of Γ tends to be , a critical value inferred from the model for a force-free flux rope; (2) the Lorentz force directed inward while the thermal pressure force outward, and both of them decreased rapidly as the CME moved out; the direction of the two forces reveals that the thermal pressure force is the internal driver of the CME expansion, whereas the Lorentz force prevented the CME from expanding. Some limitations of the model and approximations are discussed meanwhile.
55072733
Source Region of the Decameter–Hectometric Type II Radio Burst: Shock–Streamer Interaction Region
D–H type II radio bursts are widely thought to be caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). However, it is still unclear where the exact source of the type IIs on the shock surface is. We identify the source regions of the decameter–hectometric (D–H) type IIs based on imaging observations from SOHO/LASCO and the radio dynamic spectrum from Wind/Waves. The analysis of two well-observed events suggests that the sources of these two events are located in the interaction regions between shocks and streamers, and that the shocks are enhanced significantly in these regions.
41231566
Quantitative Analysis of CME Deflections in the Corona
In this paper, ten CME events viewed by the STEREO twin spacecraft are analyzed to study the deflections of CMEs during their propagation in the corona. Based on the three-dimensional information of the CMEs derived by the graduated cylindrical shell (GCS) model (Thernisien, Howard, and Vourlidas in Astrophys. J.652, 1305, 2006), it is found that the propagation directions of eight CMEs had changed. By applying the theoretical method proposed by Shen et al. (Solar Phys.269, 389, 2011) to all the CMEs, we found that the deflections are consistent, in strength and direction, with the gradient of the magnetic energy density. There is a positive correlation between the deflection rate and the strength of the magnetic energy density gradient and a weak anti-correlation between the deflection rate and the CME speed. Our results suggest that the deflections of CMEs are mainly controlled by the background magnetic field and can be quantitatively described by the magnetic energy density gradient (MEDG) model.
55112542
Statistical Study of Coronal Mass Ejection Source Locations: II. Role of Active Regions in CME Production
This is the second paper of the statistical study of coronal mass ejection (CME) source locations, in which the relationship between CMEs and active regions (ARs) is statistically studied on the basis of the information of CME source locations and the ARs automatically extracted from magnetic synoptic charts of Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) during 1997 -- 1998. It is found that about 63% of the CMEs are related with ARs, at least about 53% of the ARs produced one or more CMEs, and particularly about 14% of ARs are CME-rich (3 or more CMEs were generated) during one transit across the visible disk. Several issues are then tried to clarify: whether or not the CMEs originating from ARs are distinct from others, whether or not the CME kinematics depend on AR properties, and whether or not the CME productivity depends on AR properties. The statistical results suggest that (1) there is no evident difference between AR-related and non-AR-related CMEs in terms of CME speed, acceleration and width, (2) the size, strength and complexity of ARs do little with the kinematic properties of CMEs, but have significant effects on the CME productivity, and (3) the sunspots in all the most productive ARs at least belong to $\beta\gamma$ type, whereas 90% of those in CME-less ARs are $\alpha$ or $\beta$ type only. A detailed analysis on CME-rich ARs further reveals that (1) the distribution of the waiting time of same-AR CMEs, consists of two parts with a separation at about 15 hours, which implies that the CMEs with a waiting time shorter than 15 hours are probably truly physical related, and (2) an AR tends to produce such related same-AR CMEs at a pace of 8 hours, but cannot produce two or more fast CMEs (>800 km/s) within a time interval of 15 hours. This interesting phenomenon is particularly discussed.
115149137
CONTRACTING AND ERUPTING COMPONENTS OF SIGMOIDAL ACTIVE REGIONS
It has recently been noted that solar eruptions can be associated with the contraction of coronal loops that are not involved in magnetic reconnection processes. In this paper, we investigate five coronal eruptions originating from four sigmoidal active regions, using high-cadence, high-resolution narrowband EUV images obtained by the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). The magnitudes of the flares associated with the eruptions range from GOES class B to class X. Owing to the high-sensitivity and broad temperature coverage of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board SDO, we are able to identify both the contracting and erupting components of the eruptions: the former is observed in cold AIA channels as the contracting coronal loops overlying the elbows of the sigmoid, and the latter is preferentially observed in warm/hot AIA channels as an expanding bubble originating from the center of the sigmoid. The initiation of eruption always precedes the contraction, and in the energetically mild events (B- and C-flares), it also precedes the increase in GOES soft X-ray fluxes. In the more energetic events, the eruption is simultaneous with the impulsive phase of the nonthermal hard X-ray emission. These observations confirm that loop contraction is an integrated process in eruptions with partially opened arcades. The consequence of contraction is a new equilibrium with reduced magnetic energy, as the contracting loops never regain their original positions. The contracting process is a direct consequence of flare energy release, as evidenced by the strong correlation of the maximal contracting speed, and strong anti-correlation of the time delay of contraction relative to expansion, with the peak soft X-ray flux. This is also implied by the relationship between contraction and expansion, i.e., their timing and speed.
17248811
A new surface treatment for the prototype RPCs of the BESIII spectrometer
The prototype resistive plate chambers (RPCs) for the BESIII spectrometer were constructed by using resistive electrodes made from a special type of phenolic paper laminates developed by us. The surface quality of these laminates is superior to other bakelite plates that have been used to construct RPCs elsewhere. A method for adjusting the resistivety of these laminates was also developed. Extensive studies were conducted by using a number of prototype RPCs in the last several years. Tests have shown prototype RPCs made by using our resistive plates without the linseed oil treatment can achieve the level of performance comparable to RPCs with linseed oil treated bakelite or resistive glass electrodes. In this paper, we will discuss the construction of these prototype RPCs. The test results of a prototype RPC that have been monitored for a year will be reported. Based on favorable test results of prototypes, the RPC production for the muon identifier of the BESIII spectrometer has started at the Beijing Gaonengkedi Science and Technology Co. Ltd. in early 2004 using the technology that we developed.
1289258
Energetic electrons associated with magnetic reconnection in the magnetic cloud boundary layer.
Here is reported in situ observation of energetic electrons (∼100-500 keV) associated with magnetic reconnection in the solar wind by the ACE and Wind spacecraft. The properties of this magnetic cloud driving reconnection and the associated energetic electron acceleration problem are discussed. Further analyses indicate that the electric field acceleration and Fermi-type mechanism are two fundamental elements in the electron acceleration processes and the trapping effect of the specific magnetic field configuration maintains the acceleration status that increases the totally gained energy.
120804729
Gravitational lensing effects on parameter estimation in gravitational wave detection with advanced detectors
The gravitational lensing effect is important to the detection of electromagnetic signals in astrophysics. The gravitational wave lensing effect has also been found significant to gravitational wave detection in the past decade. Recent analysis shows that the lensing events for advanced detectors could be quite plausible. The black holes in our Milky Way Galaxy may play the role of lens objects. These facts motivate us to study the lensing effects on gravitational wave signals for advanced detectors. Taking advanced LIGO and Einstein Telescope for examples, we investigate the lensing effects on the parameter extraction of gravitational wave signals. Using the Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation together with matched filtering methods, we find that the lensing effect for a lens object with small mass is negligible. But when the mass of the lens object increases to larger than 1000M(circle dot) the lensing effect becomes important. Using the template without lensing corrections would result in loss of signal detections. In contrast if we consider templates with lensing effects, the lensed signal may provide much information about the lens black hole. These facts may give us a new way to determine the parameters of the lensing object. For example, this kind of signal may also help us estimate the mass and the distance of the supermassive black hole hosted at the center of our Galaxy.
16314693
Cosmology in the Next Millennium: Combining MAP and SDSS Data to Constrain Inflationary Models
The basic cosmological parameters and the primordial power spectrum together completely specify predictions for the cosmic microwave background radiation anisotropy and large scale structure. Here we show how we can strongly constrain both $A_S^2(k)$ and the cosmological parameters by combining the data from the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) and the galaxy redshift survey from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We allow $A_S^2(k)$ to be a free function, and thus probe features in the primordial power spectrum on all scales. The primordial power spectrum in 20 steps in $\log k$ to $k\leq 0.5h$Mpc$^{-1}$ can be determined to $\sim 16%$ accuracy for $k\sim 0.01h$Mpc$^{-1}$, and to $\sim 1%$ accuracy for $k\sim 0.1h$Mpc$^{-1}$. The uncertainty in the primordial power spectrum increases by a factor up to 3 on small scales if we solve simultaneously for the dimensionless Hubble constant $h$, the cosmological constant ${\Lambda}$, the baryon fraction $\Omega_b$, the reionization optical depth $\tau_{ri}$, and the effective bias between the matter density field and the redshift space galaxy density field $b_{\it eff}$. Alternately, if we restrict $A_S^2(k)$ to be a power law, we find that inclusion of the SDSS data breaks the degeneracy between the amplitude of the power spectrum and the optical depth inherent in the MAP data, significantly reduces the uncertainties in the determination of the matter density and the cosmological constant, and allows a determination of the galaxy bias parameter. Thus, combining the MAP and SDSS data allows the independent measurement of important cosmological parameters, and a measurement of the primordial power spectrum independent of inflationary models, giving us valuable information on physics in the early Universe, and providing clues to the correct inflationary model.
119253430
Beam-energy and system-size dependence of dynamical net charge fluctuations
We present measurements of net charge fluctuations in Au+Au collisions at s(NN)=19.6, 62.4, 130, and 200 GeV, Cu+Cu collisions at s(NN)=62.4 and 200 GeV, and p+p collisions at s=200 GeV using the dynamical net charge fluctuations measure nu(+-,dyn). We observe that the dynamical fluctuations are nonzero at all energies and exhibit a modest dependence on beam energy. A weak system size dependence is also observed. We examine the collision centrality dependence of the net charge fluctuations and find that dynamical net charge fluctuations violate 1/N(ch) scaling but display approximate 1/N(part) scaling. We also study the azimuthal and rapidity dependence of the net charge correlation strength and observe strong dependence on the azimuthal angular range and pseudorapidity widths integrated to measure the correlation.