55316070
Kinematic Evolution of a Slow CME in Corona Viewed by STEREO-B on 8 October 2007
We studied the kinematic evolution of the 8 October 2007 CME in the corona based on observations from Sun – Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) onboard satellite B of Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO). The observational results show that this CME obviously deflected to a lower latitude region of about 30° at the beginning. After this, the CME propagated radially. We also analyze the influence of the background magnetic field on the deflection of this CME. We find that the deflection of this CME at an early stage may be caused by a nonuniform distribution of the background magnetic-field energy density and that the CME tended to propagate to the region with lower magnetic-energy density. In addition, we found that the velocity profile of this gradual CME shows multiphased evolution during its propagation in the COR1-B FOV. The CME velocity first remained constant: 23.1 km s−1. Then it accelerated continuously with a positive acceleration of ≈7.6 m s−2.
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.
67817261
Critical Height for the Destabilization of Solar Prominences: Statistical Results from STEREO Observations
At which height is a prominence inclined to be unstable, or where is the most probable critical height for the prominence destabilization? This question was statistically studied based on 362 solar limb prominences well recognized by Solar Limb Prominence Catcher and Tracker from 2007 April to the end of 2009. We found that there are about 71% disrupted prominences (DPs), among which about 42% of them did not erupt successfully and about 89% of them experienced a sudden destabilization process. After a comprehensive analysis of the DPs, we
119228154
Full halo coronal mass ejections: Do we need to correct the projection effect in terms of velocity?
[1] The projection effect is one of the biggest obstacles in learning the real properties of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and forecasting their geoeffectiveness. To evaluate the projection effect, 86 full halo CMEs (FHCMEs) listed in the Coordinated Data Analysis Workshop CME catalog from 1 March 2007 to 31 May 2012 are investigated. By applying the Graduated Cylindrical Shell model, we obtain the deprojected values of the propagation velocity, direction, and angular width of these FHCMEs and compare them with the projected values measured in the plane-of-sky. Although these CMEs look full halo in the view angle of SOHO, it is found that their propagation directions and angular widths could vary in a large range, implying projection effect is a major reason causing a CME being halo, but not the only one. Furthermore, the comparison of the deprojected and projected velocities reveals that most FHCMEs originating within 45° of the Sun-Earth line with a projected speed slower than 900 km s−1 suffer from large projection effect, while the FHCMEs originating far from the vicinity of solar disk center or moving faster than 900 km s−1have small projection effect. Thus, for the latter class of FHCMEs, it is not necessary to correct the measured velocities.
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.
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.
118677216
CMB Temperature and Matter Power Spectrum in a Decay Vacuum Dark Energy Model
In this paper, a decay vacuum model $\bar{\rho}_\Lambda=3\sigma M_p^2H_0 H$ is revisited by detailed analysis of background evolution and perturbation equations. We show the imprints on CMB temperature and matter power spectrum from the effective coupling terms between dark sectors by comparing to the standard cosmological constant model and observational data points (WMAP7 and SDSS DR7). We find that the decay vacuum model can describe the expansion rate at late times as well as the standard cosmological constant model but it fails to simultaneously reproduce the observed CMB and matter power spectrum. Its generalization $\bar{\rho}_\Lambda=3M_p^2(\xi_1 H_0 H+\xi_2 H^2)$ is also discussed. Detailed analysis of the background evolution shows that the dimensionless parameter $\xi_{2}$ would be zero to avoid the unnatural 'fine tuning' and to keep the positivity of energy density of dark matter and dark energy in the early epoch.
120326286
Correlation functions of the SU(2)-invariant Thirring model with a boundary
Using the bosonization and oscillator expressions of bulk and boundary Zamolodchikov - Faddeev algebras, the correlators of Jost functions via operators are obtained in the case of SU(2)-invariant Thirring model with a boundary.
120632182
Direct measurements of the branching fractions for inclusive K± and inclusive semileptonic decays of D+ and D0 mesons
Abstract With singly-tagged D ¯ samples selected from the data collected at and around 3.773 GeV with the BESII detector at the BEPC collider, we have measured the branching fractions for the inclusive K ± decays of D + and D 0 mesons, which are BF ( D + → K − X ) = ( 24.7 ± 1.3 ± 1.2 ) % , BF ( D + → K + X ) = ( 6.1 ± 0.9 ± 0.4 ) % , BF ( D 0 → K − X ) = ( 57.8 ± 1.6 ± 3.2 ) % and BF ( D 0 → K + X ) = ( 3.5 ± 0.7 ± 0.3 ) % , respectively. We have also measured the branching fractions for the inclusive semileptonic decays of D + and D 0 mesons to be BF ( D + → e + X ) = ( 15.2 ± 0.9 ± 0.8 ) % and BF ( D 0 → e + X ) = ( 6.3 ± 0.7 ± 0.4 ) % . These yield the ratio of their partial widths to be Γ ( D + → e + X ) / Γ ( D 0 → e + X ) = 0.95 ± 0.12 ± 0.07 .
119112752
CMB statistical anisotropies of classical and quantum origins
We examine the impact of different anisotropic relics on inflation, in particular the predictions on the density perturbations. These relics can be the source of the large scale anomalies in the cosmic microwave background. There are two different types of background relics, one from the matter sector and the other purely from the metric. Although the angular-dependence of the statistical anisotropy in both cases are degenerate, the scale-dependence are observationally distinctive. In addition, we demonstrate that non-Bunch-Davies vacuum states can extend the statistical anisotropy to much shorter scales, and leave a scale-dependence that is insensitive to the different backgrounds but sensitive to the initial quantum state.
119295443
RESIDUAL ENERGY IN MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE
There is mounting evidence in solar wind observations and in numerical simulations that kinetic and magnetic energies are not in equipartition in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. The origin of their mismatch, the residual energy Er = Ev – Eb , is not understood well. In the present work this effect is studied analytically in the regime of weak MHD turbulence. We find that residual energy is spontaneously generated by turbulent dynamics, and it has a negative sign, in good agreement with the observations. We find that the residual energy condenses around k || = 0 with its k ||-spectrum broadening linearly with k ⊥, where k || and k ⊥ are the wavenumbers parallel and perpendicular to the background magnetic field, and the field-perpendicular spectrum of the residual energy has the scaling Er (k ⊥)∝k –1 ⊥ in the inertial interval. These results are found to be in agreement with numerical simulations. We propose that residual energy plays a fundamental role in Alfvenic turbulence and it should be taken into account for the correct interpretation of observational and numerical data.