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D-H type II radio bursts are widely thought to be caused by the 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., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Solar Physics

Carrier dynamics in single-layer graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is studied using spatially and temporally resolved pump-probe spectroscopy by measuring both differential transmission and differential reflection. By studying the expansion of a Gaussian spatial profile of carriers excited by a 1500-nm pump pulse with a 1761-nm probe pulse, we observe a diffusion of hot carriers of 5500 square centimeter per second. We also observe that the expansion of the carrier density profile decreases to a slow rate within 1 ps, which is unexpected. Furthermore, by using an 810-nm probe pulse we observe that both the differential transmission and reflection change signs, but also that this sign change can be permanently removed by exposure of the graphene to femtosecond laser pulses of relatively high fluence. This indicates that the differential transmission and reflection at later times may not be directly caused by carriers, but may be from some residue material from the sample fabrication or transfer process., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures

Reconnection of the self-generated magnetic fields in laser-plasma interaction was first investigated experimentally by Nilson {\it et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 255001 (2006)] by shining two laser pulses a distance apart on a solid target layer. An elongated current sheet (CS) was observed in the plasma between the two laser spots. In order to more closely model magnetotail reconnection, here two side-by-side thin target layers, instead of a single one, are used. It is found that at one end of the elongated CS a fan-like electron outflow region including three well-collimated electron jets appears. The ($>1$ MeV) tail of the jet energy distribution exhibits a power-law scaling. The enhanced electron acceleration is attributed to the intense inductive electric field in the narrow electron dominated reconnection region, as well as additional acceleration as they are trapped inside the rapidly moving plasmoid formed in and ejected from the CS. The ejection also induces a secondary CS.

At which height will a prominence inclined to be unstable, or where is the most probable critical height for the prominence destabilization? This question is statistically studied based on 362 solar limb prominences well-recognized by SLIPCAT 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 (SD) process. After a comprehensive analysis of the DPs, the following findings are discovered. (1) Most DPs become unstable at the height of 0.06 -- 0.14 R$_\odot$ from the solar surface, and there are two most probable critical heights, at which a prominence is much likely to get unstable; the primary one is 0.13 R$_\odot$ and the secondary one is 0.19 R$_\odot$. (2) There exists upper limit for the erupting velocity of eruptive prominences (EPs), which decreases following a power law with increasing height and mass; the kinetic energy of EPs accordingly has an upper limit too, which decreases as critical height increases. (3) Stable prominences (SPs) are generally longer and heavier than DPs, and not higher than 0.4 R$_\odot$. (4) About 62% of EPs were associated with CMEs; but there is no difference in apparent properties between EPs associated with and without CMEs., Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables

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 et al., 2006], it is found that the propagation directions of eight CMEs had changed. By applying the theoretical method proposed by Shen et al. [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., Comment: 19 pages, 20 figures

Numerical studies of the interplanetary "multiple magnetic clouds (Multi-MC)" are performed by a 2.5-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model in the heliospheric meridional plane. Both slow MC1 and fast MC2 are initially emerged along the heliospheric equator, one after another with different time interval. The coupling of two MCs could be considered as the comprehensive interaction between two systems, each comprising of an MC body and its driven shock. The MC2-driven shock and MC2 body are successively involved into interaction with MC1 body. The momentum is transferred from MC2 to MC1. After the passage of MC2-driven shock front, magnetic field lines in MC1 medium previously compressed by MC2-driven shock are prevented from being restored by the MC2 body pushing. MC1 body undergoes the most violent compression from the ambient solar wind ahead, continuous penetration of MC2-driven shock through MC1 body, and persistent pushing of MC2 body at MC1 tail boundary. As the evolution proceeds, the MC1 body suffers from larger and larger compression, and its original vulnerable magnetic elasticity becomes stiffer and stiffer. So there exists a maximum compressibility of Multi-MC when the accumulated elasticity can balance the external compression. With respect to Multi-MC geoeffectiveness, the evolution stage is a dominant factor, whereas the collision intensity is a subordinate one. The magnetic elasticity, magnetic helicity of each MC, and compression between each other are the key physical factors for the formation, propagation, evolution, and resulting geoeffectiveness of interplanetary Multi-MC., Comment: 56 pages, 11 figures

Numerical studies have been performed to interpret the observed "shock overtaking magnetic cloud (MC)" event by a 2.5 dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model in heliospheric meridional plane. Results of an individual MC simulation show that the MC travels with a constant bulk flow speed. The MC is injected with very strong inherent magnetic field over that in the ambient flow and expands rapidly in size initially. Consequently, the diameter of MC increases in an asymptotic speed while its angular width contracts gradually. Meanwhile, simulations of MC-shock interaction are also presented, in which both a typical MC and a strong fast shock emerge from the inner boundary and propagate along heliospheric equator, separated by an appropriate interval. The results show that the shock firstly catches up with the preceding MC, then penetrates through the MC, and finally merges with the MC-driven shock into a stronger compound shock. The morphologies of shock front in interplanetary space and MC body behave as a central concave and a smooth arc respectively. The compression and rotation of magnetic field serve as an efficient mechanism to cause a large geomagnetic storm. The MC is highly compressed by the the overtaking shock. Contrarily, the transport time of incidental shock influenced by the MC depends on the interval between their commencements. Maximum geoeffectiveness results from that when the shock enters the core of preceding MC, which is also substantiated to some extent by a corresponding simplified analytic model. Quantified by $Dst$ index, the specific result gives that the geoeffectiveness of an individual MC is largely enhanced with 80% increment in maximum by an incidental shock., Comment: 45 pages, 9 figures

Numerical studies of the interplanetary "shock overtaking magnetic cloud (MC)" event are continued by a 2.5 dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model in heliospheric meridional plane. Interplanetary direct collision (DC)/oblique collision (OC) between an MC and a shock results from their same/different initial propagation orientations. For radially erupted MC and shock in solar corona, the orientations are only determined respectively by their heliographic locations. OC is investigated in contrast with the results in DC \citep{Xiong2006}. The shock front behaves as a smooth arc. The cannibalized part of MC is highly compressed by the shock front along its normal. As the shock propagates gradually into the preceding MC body, the most violent interaction is transferred sideways with an accompanying significant narrowing of the MC's angular width. The opposite deflections of MC body and shock aphelion in OC occur simultaneously through the process of the shock penetrating the MC. After the shock's passage, the MC is restored to its oblate morphology. With the decrease of MC-shock commencement interval, the shock front at 1 AU traverses MC body and is responsible for the same change trend of the latitude of the greatest geoeffectiveness of MC-shock compound. Regardless of shock orientation, shock penetration location regarding the maximum geoeffectiveness is right at MC core on the condition of very strong shock intensity. An appropriate angular difference between the initial eruption of an MC and an overtaking shock leads to the maximum deflection of the MC body. The larger the shock intensity is, the greater is the deflection angle. The interaction of MCs with other disturbances could be a cause of deflected propagation of interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME)., Comment: 38 pages, 8 figures

The numerical studies of the interplanetary coupling between multiple magnetic clouds (MCs) are continued by a 2.5-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model in the heliospheric meridional plane. The interplanetary direct collision (DC) / oblique collision (OC) between both MCs results from their same/different initial propagation orientations. Here the OC is explored in contrast to the results of the DC (Xiong et al., 2007). Both the slow MC1 and fast MC2 are consequently injected from the different heliospheric latitudes to form a compound stream during the interplanetary propagation. The MC1 and MC2 undergo contrary deflections during the process of oblique collision. Their deflection angles of $|\delta \theta_1|$ and $|\delta \theta_2|$ continuously increase until both MC-driven shock fronts are merged into a stronger compound one. The $|\delta \theta_1|$, $|\delta \theta_2|$, and total deflection angle $\Delta \theta$ ($\Delta \theta = |\delta \theta_1| + |\delta \theta_2|$) reach their corresponding maxima when the initial eruptions of both MCs are at an appropriate angular difference. Moreover, with the increase of MC2's initial speed, the OC becomes more intense, and the enhancement of $\delta \theta_1$ is much more sensitive to $\delta \theta_2$. The $|\delta\theta_1|$ is generally far less than the $|\delta\theta_2|$, and the unusual case of $|\delta\theta_1|\simeq|\delta\theta_2|$ only occurs for an extremely violent OC. But because of the elasticity of the MC body to buffer the collision, this deflection would gradually approach an asymptotic degree. Therefore, the deflection due to the OC should be considered for the evolution and ensuing geoeffectiveness of interplanetary interaction among successive coronal mass ejections (CMEs)., Comment: 51 pages, 13 figures, JGR - Space Physics, in press