17010406
A comparative study between eruptive X-class flares associated with coronal mass ejections and confined X-class flares
We examine the two kinds of major energetic phenomena that occur in the solar atmosphere: eruptive and confined events. The former describes flares with associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs), while the latter denotes flares without associated CMEs. We find that about 90% of X-class flares are eruptive, but the remaining 10% are confined. To probe why the largest energy releases could be either eruptive or confined, we investigate four X-class events from each of the two types. Both sets of events are selected to have very similar intensities (X1.0 to X3.6) and duration (rise time under 13 minutes and decay time over 9 minutes) in soft X-ray observations, to reduce any bias due to flare size on CME occurrence. We find that the occurrence of eruption (or confinement) is sensitive to the displacement of the location of the energy release, defined as the distance between the flare site and the flux-weighted magnetic center of the source active region. The displacement is 6-17 Mm for confined events but as large as 22-37 Mm for eruptive events. This means that confined events occur closer to the magnetic center, while the eruptive events tend to occur close to the edge of active regions. We use the potential field source-surface model to infer the coronal magnetic field above the source active regions and calculate the flux ratio of low ( 7.1). These results imply that a stronger overlying arcade field may prevent energy releases in the low corona from being eruptive, resulting in flares, but without CMEs.
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
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.
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.
17712450
Cosmic star formation history associated with quasar activity: An approach using the black hole-to-bulge mass correlation
The tight correlation between the masses of central black holes and their host spheroids in nearby galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) suggests that black hole growth is closely related to their spheroid formation. Based on our previous work regarding such a joint evolutionary scheme and the consequential black hole-to-bulge mass correlation, we use the X-ray luminosity function of AGN and the cosmological evolution rate, which are from ROSAT X-ray surveys, to estimate the cosmic star formation history associated with the black hole growth. By the basic assumption that the major black hole growth occurs during the luminous AGN phase, the luminosity function of AGNs as a function of redshift traces not only the accretion history of the black holes but also the cosmic star formation history of the spheroids. Although the space density of the especially luminous quasars is very low, we show that the total amount of star formation associated with the massive black hole growth is almost the same as that of Lyman break galaxies detected by the current optical deep surveys. We thus argue that the optical deep surveys may miss about half of the net star formation in our universe. This is probably due in part to significant dust extinction, as well as the small field of view of previous optical surveys, which cannot sample such rare events with relatively short timescale. However, the far-infrared emission from the dust heated by ongoing star formation during the black hole growth could sufficiently account for the observed SCUBA number counts and would be the probable dominating energy source of the SCUBA population.
125000747
Search for the rare decays J/psi ---> D-(s) e+ nu(e), J/psi ---> anti-D0 e+ e-
Abstract We report on a search for the decays J / ψ → D s − e + ν e + c.c. , J / ψ → D − e + ν e + c.c. , and J / ψ → D 0 ¯ e + e − + c.c. in a sample of 5.8 × 10 7 J / ψ events collected with the BESII detector at the BEPC. No excess of signal above background is observed, and 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions are set: B ( J / ψ → D s − e + ν e + c.c. ) 4.9 × 10 −5 , B ( J / ψ → D − e + ν e + c.c. ) 1.2 × 10 −5 , and B ( J / ψ → D 0 ¯ e + e − + c.c. ) 1.1 × 10 −5 .
118456467
VARIATIONS OF SOLAR ELECTRON AND PROTON FLUX IN MAGNETIC CLOUD BOUNDARY LAYERS AND COMPARISONS WITH THOSE ACROSS THE SHOCKS AND IN THE RECONNECTION EXHAUSTS
The magnetic cloud boundary layer (BL) is a dynamic region formed by the interaction of the magnetic cloud (MC) and the ambient solar wind. In the present study, we comparatively investigate the proton and electron mean flux variations in the BL, in the interplanetary reconnection exhaust (RE), and across the MC-driven shock by using the Wind data from 1995 to 2006. In general, the proton flux has higher increments at lower energy bands compared with the ambient solar wind. Inside the BL, the core electron flux increases quasi-isotropically and the increments decrease monotonously with energy from similar to 30% (at 18 eV) to similar to 10% (at 70 eV); the suprathermal electron flux usually increases in either parallel or antiparallel direction; the correlation coefficient of electron flux variations in parallel and antiparallel directions changes sharply from similar to 0.8 below 70 eV to similar to 0 above 70 eV. Similar results are also found for RE. However, different phenomena are found across the shock where the electron flux variations first increase and then decrease with a peak increment (>200%) near 100 eV. The correlation coefficient of electron flux variations in parallel and antiparallel directions is always around 0.8. The similar behavior of flux variations in BL and RE suggests that reconnection may commonly occur in BL. Our work also implies that the strong energy dependence and direction selectivity of electron flux variations, which were previously thought to have not enough relevance to magnetic reconnection, could be considered as an important signature of solar wind reconnection in the statistical point of view.
119261888
Cosmological Perturbations in Horava-Lifshitz Gravity
We study cosmological perturbations in Horava-Lifshitz Gravity, a recently proposed potentially ultraviolet-complete quantum theory of gravity. We consider scalar metric fluctuations about a homogeneous and isotropic space-time. Starting from the most general metric, we work out the complete second order action for the perturbations. We then make use of the residual gauge invariance and of the constraint equations to reduce the number of dynamical degrees of freedom. At first glance, it appears that there is an extra scalar metric degree of freedom. However, introducing the Sasaki-Mukhanov variable, the combination of spatial metric fluctuation and matter inhomogeneity for which the action in general relativity has canonical form, we find that this variable has the standard time derivative term in the second order action, and that the extra degree of freedom is nondynamical. The limit lambda -> 1 is well behaved, unlike what is obtained when expanding about Minkowski space-time. Thus, there is no strong coupling problem for Horava-Lifshitz gravity when considering cosmological solutions. We also compute the spectrum of cosmological perturbations. If the potential in the action is taken to be of "detailed balance" form, we find a cancellation of the highest derivative terms in the action for the curvature fluctuations. As a consequence, the initial spectrum of perturbations will not be scale-invariant in a general space-time background, in contrast to what happens when considering Horava-Lifshitz matter leaving the gravitational sector unperturbed. However, if we break the detailed balance condition, then the initial spectrum of curvature fluctuations is indeed scale-invariant on ultraviolet scales. As an application, we consider fluctuations in an inflationary background and draw connections with the "trans-Planckian problem" for cosmological perturbations. In the special case in which the potential term in the action is of detailed balance form and in which lambda = 1, the equation of motion for cosmological perturbations in the far UV takes the same form as in general relativity. However, in general the equation of motion is characterized by a modified dispersion relation.
1190941
Higher moments of net proton multiplicity distributions at RHIC.
We report the first measurements of the kurtosis (κ), skewness (S), and variance (σ2) of net-proton multiplicity (Np-Np) distributions at midrapidity for Au+Au collisions at square root of s(NN)=19.6, 62.4, and 200 GeV corresponding to baryon chemical potentials (μB) between 200 and 20 MeV. Our measurements of the products κσ2 and Sσ, which can be related to theoretical calculations sensitive to baryon number susceptibilities and long-range correlations, are constant as functions of collision centrality. We compare these products with results from lattice QCD and various models without a critical point and study the square root of s(NN) dependence of κσ2. From the measurements at the three beam energies, we find no evidence for a critical point in the QCD phase diagram for μB below 200 MeV.