Search

The empirical relationship between the non-thermal 5GHz radio luminosity and the soft X-ray luminosity of active stellar coronae, canonically called the G��del-Benz relationship (G��del & Benz 1993), has been a cornerstone of stellar radio astronomy as it explicitly ties the radio emission to the coronal heating mechanisms. The relationship extends from microflares on the Sun to the coronae of the most active stars suggesting that active coronae are heated by a flare-like process (Benz & G��del 1994). The relationship is thought to originate from a consistent partition of the available flare energy into relativistic charges, that emit in the radio-band via the incoherent gyrosynchrotron mechanism, and heating of the bulk coronal plasma, that emits in the X-ray band via the Bremsstrahlung mechanism. Consequently, coherent emission from stellar and sub-stellar objects is not expected to adhere to this empirical relationship, as is observed in ultracool dwarf stars and brown dwarfs. Here we report a population of radio-detected chromospherically active stars that surprisingly follows the G��del-Benz relationship despite their radio emission being classified as coherent emission by virtue of its high circularly polarised fraction and high brightness temperature. Our results prompt a re-examination of the physics behind the G��del-Benz relationship, its implication for the mechanism of coronal heating and particle acceleration in active stars and the phenomenological connection between solar and stellar flares., Under review, ApJL

The Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) is the HXR instrument onboard Solar Orbiter designed to observe solar flares over a broad range of flare sizes, between 4-150 keV. We report the first STIX observations of microflares recorded during the instrument commissioning phase in order to investigate the STIX performance at its detection limit. This first result paper focuses on the temporal and spectral evolution of STIX microflares occuring in the AR12765 in June 2020, and compares the STIX measurements with GOES/XRS, SDO/AIA, and Hinode/XRT. For the observed microflares of the GOES A and B class, the STIX peak time at lowest energies is located in the impulsive phase of the flares, well before the GOES peak time. Such a behavior can either be explained by the higher sensitivity of STIX to higher temperatures compared to GOES, or due to the existence of a nonthermal component reaching down to low energies. The interpretation is inconclusive due to limited counting statistics for all but the largest flare in our sample. For this largest flare, the low-energy peak time is clearly due to thermal emission, and the nonthermal component seen at higher energies occurs even earlier. This suggests that the classic thermal explanation might also be favored for the majority of the smaller flares. In combination with EUV and SXR observations, STIX corroborates earlier findings that an isothermal assumption is of limited validity. Future diagnostic efforts should focus on multi-wavelength studies to derive differential emission measure distributions over a wide range of temperatures to accurately describe the energetics of solar flares. Commissioning observations confirm that STIX is working as designed. As a rule of thumb, STIX detects flares as small as the GOES A class. For flares above the GOES B class, detailed spectral and imaging analyses can be performed., Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures

Aims. The main aim of the present analysis is to decipher (i) the small-scale bright features in solar images of the quiet Sun and active regions obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and (ii) the ALMA correspondence of various known chromospheric structures visible in the H-alpha images of the Sun. Methods. Small-scale ALMA bright features in the quiet Sun region were analyzed using single-dish ALMA observations (1.21 mm, 248 GHz) and in an active region using interferometric ALMA measurements (3 mm, 100 GHz). With the single-dish observations, a full-disk solar image is produced, while interferometric measurements enable the high-resolution reconstruction of part of the solar disk, including the active region. The selected quiet Sun and active regions are compared with the H-alpha (core and wing sum), EUV, and soft X-ray images and with the magnetograms. Results. In the quiet Sun region, enhanced emission seen in the ALMA is almost always associated with a strong line-of-sight (LOS) magnetic field. Four coronal bright points were identified, while other small-scale ALMA bright features are most likely associated with magnetic network elements and plages. In the active region, in 14 small-scale ALMA bright features randomly selected and compared with other images, we found five good candidates for coronal bright points, two for plages, and five for fibrils. Two unclear cases remain: a fibril or a jet, and a coronal bright point or a plage. A comparison of the H-alpha core image and the 3 mm ALMA image of the analyzed active region showed that the sunspot appears dark in both images (with a local ALMA radiation enhancement in sunspot umbra), the four plage areas are bright in both images and dark small H-alpha filaments are clearly recognized as dark structures of the same shape also in ALMA., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics

In the first few chapters of the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, creation is described as something that happened well before our time. Astrophysics reports on the other hand that stars and planets are still forming today according to natural laws, calling the concept of divine creation into question. Religious ideas cannot be derived from scientific results. The editors of this volume asked me to explain how religion and cosmology relate for me as an astrophysicist—not how they should relate as suggested in many previous books, but how they relate for me in my personal perspective as a person who happens to be a scientist. Astrophysics and religion start from different observations, measurements, and experiences, but they intersect for me, for example when I become aware of the amazing efficacy of the universe to form stars or when I realize that all that has formed will decay. Connections between science and life experience become obvious at such meeting points. Metaphors provide the language for such participatory experiences, and bridge astrophysics and religion. From my perspective, the universe is not just a cold and mostly inhabitable space. It is a generous temporary gift necessary for life, providing nourishment, energy, and development. Another view of reality opens when I see the universe as a gracious creation that continues both today and in the future.

Aims. The Spectrometer Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) on Solar Orbiter is a hard X-ray imaging spectrometer, which covers the energy range from 4 to 150 keV. STIX observes hard X-ray bremsstrahlung emissions from solar flares and therefore provides diagnostics of the hottest (⪆10 MK) flare plasma while quantifying the location, spectrum, and energy content of flare-accelerated nonthermal electrons. Methods. To accomplish this, STIX applies an indirect bigrid Fourier imaging technique using a set of tungsten grids (at pitches from 0.038 to 1 mm) in front of 32 coarsely pixelated CdTe detectors to provide information on angular scales from 7 to 180 arcsec with 1 keV energy resolution (at 6 keV). The imaging concept of STIX has intrinsically low telemetry and it is therefore well-suited to the limited resources available to the Solar Orbiter payload. To further reduce the downlinked data volume, STIX data are binned on board into 32 selectable energy bins and dynamically-adjusted time bins with a typical duration of 1 s during flares. Results. Through hard X-ray diagnostics, STIX provides critical information for understanding the acceleration of electrons at the Sun and their transport into interplanetary space and for determining the magnetic connection of Solar Orbiter back to the Sun. In this way, STIX serves to link Solar Orbiter’s remote and in-situ measurements.

Science Verification (SV) data of solar observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope have been released to the scientific community. Understanding the centre-to-limb brightness function is necessary to compare features in full-disk images. Our goals are to find the empirical centre-to-limb brightness functions in two available spectral bands and create flattened images with centre-to-limb brightness variations removed. We used a second-order polynomial fit of the cosine of incidence angle to data points as a function of radial distance to the centre of the solar disk. The method also includes iterative removal of outliers based on the inter-quartile range. Fitting functions for all available images proved to describe the data adequately with comparatively small errors in the fitting coefficients. In both bands we found brightening towards the limb, which is a consequence of the increase in electron temperature with radial distance in this region of the solar atmosphere. This study found that the brightness temperature $[T_{\mathrm{b}}]$ of an active region has about 180 K difference between estimates with and without the limb brightening at radial distance ${\approx}\,0.75~\mbox{R}_{\odot }$ in Band 6. We also made flattened images with limb brightening removed. The limb-brightening effect in ALMA images is significant enough (of the order of 10% for Band 3 and about 15% in Band 6) that it cannot be neglected in further analyses. Since the effect of the side lobes was not included in this study, these values probably represent the lower limit of the limb brightening. The shape of the limb-brightening function can also be used to constrain electron densities and temperatures in various layers of the solar atmosphere.

A new multichannel spectrometer, Phoenix-3, is in operation having capabilities to observe solar flare radio emissions in the 0.1 - 5 GHz range at an unprecedented spectral resolution of 61.0 kHz with high sensitivity. The present setup for routine observations allows measuring circular polarization, but requires a data compression to 4096 frequency channels in the 1 - 5 GHz range and to a temporal resolution of 200 ms. First results are presented by means of a well observed event that included narrowband spikes at 350 - 850 MHz. Spike bandwidths are found to have a power-law distribution, dropping off below a value of 2 MHz for full width at half maximum (FWHM). The narrowest spikes have a FWHM bandwidth less than 0.3 MHz or 0.04% of the central frequency. The smallest half-power increase occurs within 0.104 MHz at 443.5 MHz, which is close to the predicted natural width of maser emission. The spectrum of spikes is found to be asymmetric, having an enhanced low-frequency tail. The distribution of the total spike flux is approximately an exponential., Solar Physics, in press

The radio emission during 201 X-ray selected solar flares was surveyed from 100 MHz to 4 GHz with the Phoenix-2 spectrometer of ETH Zurich. The selection includes all RHESSI flares larger than C5.0 jointly observed from launch until June 30, 2003. Detailed association rates of radio emission during X-ray flares are reported. In the decimeter wavelength range, type III bursts and the genuinely decimetric emissions (pulsations, continua, and narrowband spikes) were found equally frequently. Both occur predominantly in the peak phase of hard X-ray (HXR) emission, but are less in tune with HXRs than the high-frequency continuum exceeding 4 GHz, attributed to gyrosynchrotron radiation. In 10% of the HXR flares, an intense radiation of the above genuine decimetric types followed in the decay phase or later. Classic meter-wave type III bursts are associated in 33% of all HXR flares, but only in 4% they are the exclusive radio emission. Noise storms were the only radio emission in 5% of the HXR flares, some of them with extended duration. Despite the spatial association (same active region), the noise storm variations are found to be only loosely correlated in time with the X-ray flux. In a surprising 17% of the HXR flares, no coherent radio emission was found in the extremely broad band surveyed. The association but loose correlation between HXR and coherent radio emission is interpreted by multiple reconnection sites connected by common field lines., Solar Physics, in press

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is a new powerful tool for observing the Sun at high spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution. These capabilities can address a broad range of fundamental scientific questions in solar physics. The radiation observed by ALMA originates mostly from the chromosphere - a complex and dynamic region between the photosphere and corona, which plays a crucial role in the transport of energy and matter and, ultimately, the heating of the outer layers of the solar atmosphere. Based on first solar test observations, strategies for regular solar campaigns are currently being developed. State-of-the-art numerical simulations of the solar atmosphere and modeling of instrumental effects can help constrain and optimize future observing modes for ALMA. Here we present a short technical description of ALMA and an overview of past efforts and future possibilities for solar observations at submillimeter and millimeter wavelengths. In addition, selected numerical simulations and observations at other wavelengths demonstrate ALMA's scientific potential for studying the Sun for a large range of science cases., Comment: 73 pages, 21 figures ; Space Science Reviews (accepted December 10th, 2015); accepted version

Correction to: Solar Phys This article was published with an erroneous version of Figure 3. Please find in this document the correct version of the figure.

The new fa ility Ata ama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is apable of observing the Sun in the wavelength range from 0.3 mm to 10 mm with an unpre edented spatial, temporal and spe tral resolution. The rst aim of the present work is to identify di erent stru tures in the solar atmosphere (quiet Sun, a tive regions, laments on the dis , and oronal holes) in a full dis solar ALMA image at 1.21 mm obtained on De ember 18, 2015 during a CSV-EOC ampaign. It is ompared with full dis solar images from the same day in the H line (Cerro Tololo Observatory, NISP), and at three EUV wavelengths (30.4 nm, 21.1 nm, 17.1 nm ; a omposite SDO image). Positions of the quiet Sun areas, a tive regions, laments on the dis , and oronal holes are identi ed in the ALMA image. To interpret solar observations with ALMA it is important to ompare the measured and al ulated intensities of various solar stru tures. So, the se ond aim of this work is to al ulate the intensity (brightness temperature) for those stru tures (quiet Sun, a tive regions, laments on the dis , and oronal holes) for a broad wavelength range (from 0.3 mm to 10 mm), losely related to that of the ALMA, and to ompare the results with available ALMA observations. Thermal bremsstrahlung is the dominant radiation me hanism for explanation of the observed phenomena. A pro edure for al ulating the brightness temperature for a given wavelength and model atmosphere, whi h integrates the radiative transfer equation for thermal bremsstrahlung, is used. At the wavelength of 1.21 mm a tive regions appear as bright areas, while laments on the dis and oronal holes are not dis ernible from the quiet Sun ba kground. The models generally agree with the observed results: A tive regions are bright primarily due to higher densities, laments an appear bright, dark or not at all and oronal holes annot be easily identi ed.

Self-organization is a property of dissipative nonlinear processes that are governed by a global driving force and a local positive feedback mechanism, which creates regular geometric and/or temporal patterns, and decreases the entropy locally, in contrast to random processes. Here we investigate for the first time a comprehensive number of (17) self-organization processes that operate in planetary physics, solar physics, stellar physics, galactic physics, and cosmology. Self-organizing systems create spontaneous “order out of randomness”, during the evolution from an initially disordered system to an ordered quasi-stationary system, mostly by quasi-periodic limit-cycle dynamics, but also by harmonic (mechanical or gyromagnetic) resonances. The global driving force can be due to gravity, electromagnetic forces, mechanical forces (e.g., rotation or differential rotation), thermal pressure, or acceleration of nonthermal particles, while the positive feedback mechanism is often an instability, such as the magneto-rotational (Balbus-Hawley) instability, the convective (Rayleigh-Bénard) instability, turbulence, vortex attraction, magnetic reconnection, plasma condensation, or a loss-cone instability. Physical models of astrophysical self-organization processes require hydrodynamic, magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD), plasma, or N-body simulations. Analytical formulations of self-organizing systems generally involve coupled differential equations with limit-cycle solutions of the Lotka-Volterra or Hopf-bifurcation type., Space Science Reviews, 214, ISSN:1572-9672, ISSN:0038-6308

DeepQA is a large-scale natural language processing (NLP) question-and-answer system that responds across a breadth of structured and unstructured data, from hundreds of analytics that are combined with over 50 models, trained through machine learning. After the 2011 historic milestone of defeating the two best human players in the Jeopardy! game show, the technology behind IBM Watson, DeepQA, is undergoing gamification into real-world business problems. Gamifying a business domain for Watson is a composite of functional, content, and training adaptation for nongame play. During domain gamification for medical, financial, government, or any other business, each system change affects the machine-learning process. As opposed to the original Watson Jeopardy!, whose class distribution of positive-to-negative labels is 1:100, in adaptation the computed training instances, question-and-answer pairs transformed into true-false labels, result in a very low positive-to-negative ratio of 1:100 000. Such initial extreme class imbalance during domain gamification poses a big challenge for the Watson machine-learning pipelines. The combination of ingested corpus sets, question-and-answer pairs, configuration settings, and NLP algorithms contribute toward the challenging data state. We propose several data engineering techniques, such as answer key vetting and expansion, source ingestion, oversampling classes, and question set modifications to increase the computed true labels. In addition, algorithm engineering, such as an implementation of the Newton-Raphson logistic regression with a regularization term, relaxes the constraints of class imbalance during training adaptation. We conclude by empirically demonstrating that data and algorithm engineering are complementary and indispensable to overcome the challenges in this first Watson gamification for real-world business problems.

The preflare phase of the flare SOL2011-08-09T03:52 is unique in its long duration, its coverage by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and the Nobeyama Radioheliograph, and the presence of three well-developed soft X-ray (SXR) peaks. No hard X-rays (HXR) are observed in the preflare phase. Here we report that also no associated radio emission at 17 GHz was found despite the higher sensitivity of the radio instrument. The ratio between the SXR peaks and the upper limit of the radio peaks is larger by more than one order of magnitude compared to regular flares. The result suggests that the ratio between acceleration and heating in the preflare phase was different than in regular flares. Acceleration to relativistic energies, if any, occurred with lower efficiency., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, accepted by Solar Physics

Various solar features can be seen on maps of the Sun in the mm and sub-mm wavelength range. The recently installed Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is capable of observing the Sun in that wavelength range with an unprecedented spatial, temporal and spectral resolution. To interpret solar observations with ALMA the first important step is to compare ALMA maps with simultaneous images of the Sun recorded in other spectral ranges. First we identify different structures in the solar atmosphere seen in the optical, IR and EUV parts of the spectrum (quiet Sun (QS), active regions (AR), prominences on the disc, magnetic inversion lines (IL), coronal holes (CH) and coronal bright points (CBPs)) in a full disc solar ALMA image. The second aim is to measure the intensities (brightness temperatures) of those structures and compare them with the corresponding QS level. A full disc solar image at 1.21 mm obtained on December 18, 2015 during a CSV-EOC campaign with ALMA is calibrated and compared with full disc solar images from the same day in H\alpha, in He I 1083 nm core, and with SDO images (AIA at 170 nm, 30.4 nm, 21.1 nm, 19.3 nm, and 17.1 nm and HMI magnetogram). The brightness temperatures of various structures are determined by averaging over corresponding regions of interest in the ALMA image. Positions of the QS, ARs, prominences on the disc, ILs, CHs and CBPs are identified in the ALMA image. At 1.21 mm ARs appear as bright areas (but sunspots are dark), while prominences on the disc and CHs are not discernible from the QS background, although having slightly less intensity than surrounding QS regions. ILs appear as large, elongated dark structures and CBPs correspond to ALMA bright points. These results are in general agreement with sparse earlier measurements at similar wavelengths. The identification of CBPs represents the most important new result., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures

[Context] Hydrides are simple compounds containing one or a few hydrogen atoms bonded to a heavier atom. They are fundamental precursor molecules in cosmic chemistry and many hydride ions have become observable in high quality for the first time thanks to the Herschel Space Observatory. Ionized hydrides such as CH+ and OH+ (and also HCO+), which affect the chemistry of molecules such as water, provide complementary information on irradiation by far-UV (FUV) or X-rays and gas temperature., [Aims] We explore hydrides of the most abundant heavier elements in an observational survey covering young stellar objects (YSOs) with different mass and evolutionary state. The focus is on hydrides associated with the dense protostellar envelope and outflows, contrary to previous work that focused on hydrides in diffuse foreground clouds., [Methods] Twelve YSOs were observed with HIFI on Herschel in six spectral settings providing fully velocity-resolved line profiles as part of the Water in star-forming regions with Herschel (WISH) program. The YSOs include objects of low (Class 0 and I), intermediate, and high mass, with luminosities ranging from 4 L⊙ to 2 × 105 L⊙., [Results] The targeted lines of CH+, OH+, H2O+, C+, and CH are detected mostly in blue-shifted absorption. H3O+ and SH+ are detected in emission and only toward some high-mass objects. The observed line parameters and correlations suggest two different origins related to gas entrained by the outflows and to the circumstellar envelope. The derived column densities correlate with bolometric luminosity and envelope mass for all molecules, best for CH, CH+, and HCO+. The column density ratios of CH+/OH+ are estimated from chemical slab models, assuming that the H2 density is given by the specific density model of each object at the beam radius. For the low-mass YSOs the observed ratio can be reproduced for an FUV flux of 2–400 times the interstellar radiation field (ISRF) at the location of the molecules. In two high-mass objects, the UV flux is 20–200 times the ISRF derived from absorption lines, and 300–600 ISRF using emission lines. Upper limits for the X-ray luminosity can be derived from H3O+ observations for some low-mass objects., [Conclusions] If the FUV flux required for low-mass objects originates at the central protostar, a substantial FUV luminosity, up to 1.5 L⊙, is required. There is no molecular evidence for X-ray induced chemistry in the low-mass objects on the observed scales of a few 1000 AU. For high-mass regions, the FUV flux required to produce the observed molecular ratios is smaller than the unattenuated flux expected from the central object(s) at the Herschel beam radius. This is consistent with an FUV flux reduced by circumstellar extinction or by bloating of the protostar., The work on star formation at ETH Zurich was partially funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant No. 200020-113556). Astrochemistry in Leiden is supported by the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA), by a Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) professor prize, and by the European Union A-ERC grant 291141 CHEMPLAN. Support for this work was also provided by NASA (Herschel OT funding) through an award issued by JPL/ Caltech.

We review basic theoretical concepts in particle acceleration, with particular emphasis on processes likely to occur in regions of magnetic reconnection. Several new developments are discussed, including detailed studies of reconnection in three-dimensional magnetic field configurations (e.g., current sheets, collapsing traps, separatrix regions) and stochastic acceleration in a turbulent environment. Fluid, test-particle, and particle-in-cell approaches are used and results compared. While these studies show considerable promise in accounting for the various observational manifestations of solar flares, they are limited by a number of factors, mostly relating to available computational power. Not the least of these issues is the need to explicitly incorporate the electrodynamic feedback of the accelerated particles themselves on the environment in which they are accelerated. A brief prognosis for future advancement is offered., This is a chapter in a monograph on the physics of solar flares, inspired by RHESSI observations. The individual articles are to appear in Space Science Reviews (2011)

Water is a key molecule for tracing physical and chemical processes in star-forming regions. The key program “Water in star-forming regions with Herschel ” is observing several water transitions towards low-mass protostars with HIFI. Results regarding the 557 GHz transition of water are reported here showing that the line is surprisingly broad, and consists of several different velocity components. The bulk of the emission comes from shocks, where the abundance is increased by several orders of magnitude to ~10 -4 . The abundance of water in the outer envelope is determined to ~10 -8 , whereas only an upper limit of 10 -5 is derived for the inner, warm envelope.

Molecules containing one or a few hydrogen atoms and a heavier atom (hydrides) have been predicted to trace FUV radiation. In some chemical models, FUV emission by the central object or protostar of a star forming region greatly enhances some of the hydride abundances. Two massive regions, W3 IRS5 and AFGL 2591, have been observed in hydride lines by HIFI onboard the {\it Herschel Space Observatory}. We use published results as well as new observations of CH$^+$ towards W3 IRS5. Molecular column densities are derived from ground state absorption lines, radiative transfer modeling or rotational diagrams. Models assuming no internal FUV are compared with two-dimensional models including FUV irradiation of outflow walls. We confirm that the effect of FUV is clearly noticeable and greatly improves the fit. The most sensitive molecules to FUV irradiation are CH$^+$ and OH$^+$, enhanced in abundance by many orders of magnitude. Modeling in addition also full line radiative transfer, Bruderer et al (2010b) achieve good agreement of a two-dimensional FUV model with observations of CH$^+$ in AFGL 2591. It is concluded that CH$^+$ and OH$^+$ are good FUV tracers in star-forming regions., EAS Publications Series, 5th Zermatt conference on Conditions and impact of star formation: New results with Herschel and beyond (invited), submitted

The Herschel Space Observatory enables observations in the far-infrared at high spectral and spatial resolution. A particular class of molecules will be directly observable: light diatomic hydrides and their ions (CH, OH, SH, NH, CH + ,O H + ,S H + ,N H + ). These simple constituents are important both for the chemical evolution of the region and as tracers of high-energy radiation. If outflows of a forming star erode cavities in the envelope, protostellar far-UV (FUV; 6

The first flare on the Sun was observed exactly 150 years ago. During most of the long history, only secondary effects have been noticed, so flares remained a riddle. Now the primary flare products, high-energy electrons and ions, can be spatially resolved in hard X-rays (HXRs) and gamma rays on the Sun. Soft X-rays (SXRs) are observed from most stars, including young stellar objects. Structure and bulk motions of the corona are imaged on the Sun in high temperature lines and are inferred from line shifts in stellar coronae. Magnetic reconnection is the trigger for reorganization of the magnetic field into a lower energy configuration. A large fraction of the energy is converted into nonthermal particles that transport the energy to higher density gas, heating it to SXR-emitting temperatures. Flares on young stars are several orders of magnitude more luminous and more frequent; they significantly ionize protoplanetary disks and planetary ionospheres.

Context. Outflow cavities in envelopes of young stellar objects (YSOs) have been pr edicted to allow far-UV (FUV) photons to escape far from the central source, with significant observable e ffects, especially if the protostar is a forming high-mass star suspected of emitting a copious amount of FUV radiation. Indirect evidence of this picture has been provided by models and unresolved single-dish observations, but direct high-resolution data are necessary for con firmation. Previous chemical modeling has suggested that CS and HCN are good probes of the local FUV field, so make good target specie s. Aims. We directly probe the physical conditions of the material in the outflow walls to te st this prediction. Methods. Interferometric observations of the CS(7-6) and HCN(4-3) rotational lines in the high-mass star-forming region AFGL 2591 are carried out in the compact and extended configuration of the SubMillim eter Array (SMA). The velocity structure was analyzed, and integrated maps compared to K-band near-IR observations. A chemical model predicts abundances of CS and HCN for a gas under protostellar X-ray and FUV irradiation, and was used in conjunction with the data to distinguish between physical scenarios. Results. CS and HCN emission was found in spatial coincidence in extended sources displaced up to 7 ′′ from the position of the young star. Their line widths are small, excluding major shocks. Chemical model calculations predict an enhanced abundance of the two molecules in warm, dense, and FUV irradiated gas. Hot dust observed between the molecular emission and the outflow accounts for the necessary attenuation to prevent photodissociation of the molecule s. Conclusions. The SMA data suggest that the outflow walls are heated and chemically altere d by the FUV emission of the central high-mass object, providing the best direct evidence yet of large-sca le direct irradiation of outflow walls.

Aims. The emission of decimetric flare radiation, in particular na rrowband spikes and pulsations, is generally considered to originate in accelerated, non-thermal particles. On the other hand, non-thermal hard X-rays are also understood to be products of this acceleration. Do radio emission and hard X-ray signatures originate from the same acceleration process? A strong correlation between the light curves in the radio and HXR ranges may help answer this question. Methods. The delay between the radio and hard X-ray emission was determined by cross-correlation. The time profiles of X-ray and radio emission include a wide range of energies and frequencies. Thus, correlation is not simply a yes/no question, but must be systematically searched for in various ranges. The high spectral resolution of RHESSI ensured that it was possible to carefully choose the energy range, excluding thermal emission. The broad bandwidth of Phoenix-2 allowed the selection of any emission in the full decimetre range. The energy range and duration in hard X-rays, and the frequency range in radio spectrograms were chosen to optimize the correlation. The cross-correlation coeffi cient was then analyzed by a Gaussian fitting method. Results. The measured delays have a distribution of FWHM 4.9 s and 4.7 s for pulsations and spikes, respectively, evaluated from su ch a Gaussian fitting method. The mean delay for pulsations was f ound to be−1.4±0.9 seconds (minus indicates that hard X-ray emission comes first), and for narrowband spikes to −2.5± 2.5 seconds. There are broad wings in the distribution, which we interpret as chance coincidences. The delays do not depend on centre frequency, cross-correlation coeffi cient, duration of the correlating sequence, and position on the disk. However, we find an increase in the delay for the spikes with GOES magnitude (peak soft X-ray emission) of the flare and with peak hard X-ray flux. This was not the case for pul sations. Conclusions. In contrast to previous reports, the average delays for all p ulsations and all spike groups are consistent with zero. Thus, correlated decimetric pulsations and spikes are, on average, concomitant with non-thermal X-rays.

Observations of the high-mass star forming region AFGL 2591 reveal a large abundance of CO+, a molecule known to be enhanced by far UV (FUV) and X-ray irradiation. In chemical models assuming a spherically symmetric envelope, the volume of gas irradiated by protostellar FUV radiation is very small due to the high extinction by dust. The abundance of CO+ is thus underpredicted by orders of magnitude. In a more realistic model, FUV photons can escape through an outflow region and irradiate gas at the border to the envelope. Thus, we introduce the first 2D axi-symmetric chemical model of the envelope of a high-mass star forming region to explain the CO+ observations as a prototypical FUV tracer. The model assumes an axi-symmetric power-law density structure with a cavity due to the outflow. The local FUV flux is calculated by a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code taking scattering on dust into account. A grid of precalculated chemical abundances, introduced in the first part of this series of papers, is used to quickly interpolate chemical abundances. This approach allows to calculate the temperature structure of the FUV heated outflow walls self-consistently with the chemistry. Synthetic maps of the line flux are calculated using a raytracer code. Single-dish and interferometric observations are simulated and the model results are compared to published and new JCMT and SMA observations. The two-dimensional model of AFGL 2591 is able to reproduce the JCMT single-dish observations and also explains the non-detection by the SMA. We conclude that the observed CO+ line flux and its narrow width can be interpreted by emission from the warm and dense outflow walls irradiated by protostellar FUV radiation.

The e- CALLISTO is a global network of frequency-agile solar radio spectrometers that was constructed in a collaboration between Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) and local host institutes. It is intended to monitor solar radio bursts 24 hours a day in frequency range between 45 MHz and 870 MHz. One of e- CALLISTO spectrometer was installed at Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) in 2007 October. The spectrometer gets signals from a horizontally polarized log-periodic antenna mounted on an automatic Sun-tracking system. Tracking status and data are monitored in Space Weather Monitoring Laboratory (SWML) of KASI in real time, and flare time data are transferred to ETH Zurich data archive daily. Using this spectrometer we obtained a couple of type II solar radio bursts on 2007 December 31, and found that these bursts are associated with a CME which occurred on the east limb.

Earth, Moon, and Planets, 104 (1-4), ISSN:0167-9295, ISSN:1573-0794

RHESSI observations are used to quantitatively study the hard X-ray evolution in 5 large solar flares selected for spectral hardening in the course of the event. The X-ray bremsstrahlung emission from non-thermal electrons is characterized by two spectroscopically distinct phases: impulsive and gradual. The impulsive phase usually consists of several emission spikes following a soft-hard-soft spectral pattern, whereas the gradual stage manifests itself as spectral hardening while the flux slowly decreases. Both the soft-hard-soft (impulsive) phase and the hardening (gradual) phase are well described by piecewise linear dependence of the photon spectral index on the logarithm of the hard X-ray flux. The different linear parts of this relation correspond to different rise and decay phases of emission spikes. The temporal evolution of the spectra is compared with the configuration and motion of the hard X-ray sources in RHESSI images. These observations reveal that the two stages of electron acceleration causing these two different behaviors are closely related in space and time. The transition between the impulsive and gradual phase is found to be smooth and progressive rather than abrupt. This suggests that they arise because of a slow change in a common accelerator rather than being caused by two independent and distinct acceleration processes. We propose that the hardening during the decay phase is caused by continuing particle acceleration with longer trapping in the accelerator before escape., accepted by ApJ

Context: The common flare scenario comprises an acceleration site in the corona and particle transport to the chromosphere. Using satellites available to date it has become possible to distinguish between the two processes of acceleration and transport, and study the particle propagation in flare loops in detail, as well as complete comparisons with theoretical predictions. Aims: We complete a quantitative comparison between flare hard X-ray spectra observed by RHESSI and theoretical predictions. This enables acceleration to be distinguished from transport and the nature of transport effects to be explored. Methods: Data acquired by the RHESSI satellite were analyzed using full sun spectroscopy as well as imaging spectroscopy methods. Coronal source and footpoint spectra of well observed limb events were analyzed and quantitatively compared to theoretical predictions. New concepts are introduced to existing models to resolve discrepancies between observations and predictions. Results: The standard thin-thick target solar flare model cannot explain the observations of all events. In the events presented here, propagation effects in the form of non-collisional energy loss are of importance to explain the observations. We demonstrate that those energy losses can be interpreted in terms of an electric field in the flare loop. One event seems consistent with particle propagation or acceleration in lower than average density in the coronal source. Conclusions: We find observational evidence for an electric field in flare loops caused by return currents., A&A, in press

Division II of the IAU provides a forum for astronomers studying a wide range of phenomena related to the structure, radiation and activity of the Sun, and its interaction with the Earth and the rest of the solar system. Division II encompasses three Commissions, 10, 12 and 49, and four working groups. During the last triennia the activities of the division involved some reorganization of the division and its working groups, developing new procedures for election of division and commission officers, promoting annual meetings from within the division and evaluating all the proposed meetings, evaluating the division's representatives for the IAU to international scientific organizations, and participating in general IAU business.

Various observations indicate that coronal holes generally appear as low brightness temperature regions (LTRs) in the centimeter and millimeter wavelength ranges. However, within their borders local enhancements of radiation, that is, high brightness temperature regions (HTRs), often occur. The theory behind the described behavior is not fully understood and therefore we analyze full-disk solar images obtained at a wavelength of 8 mm at Metsahovi Radio Observatory and compare them with data simultaneously taken in other wavelength ranges. The observational finding that the average brightness temperature of coronal holes is not much different from the quiet-Sun level (with localized deviations toward higher and lower intensities on the order of a few percent) is compared with theoretical models of the thermal bremsstrahlung radiation originating in the solar chromosphere, transition region, and corona. Special attention is devoted to the interpretation of the localized enhancements of radiation observed inside coronal holes at millimeter wavelengths. The main conclusion is that the most important contribution to the brightness temperature comes from an increased density in the transition region and low corona (i.e., at the heights where the temperature is below 106 K). This can explain both the LTRs and HTRs associated with coronal holes.

Solar Physics, 240 (2), ISSN:0038-0938, ISSN:1573-093X

The worldwide proliferation of wireless connected devices continues to accelerate. There are 10s of billions of wireless links across the planet with an additional explosion of new wireless usage anticipated as the Internet of Things develops. Wireless technologies do not only provide convenience for mobile applications, but are also extremely cost-effective to deploy. Thus, this trend towards wireless connectivity will only continue and Sandia must develop the necessary simulation technology to proactively analyze the associated emerging vulnerabilities. Wireless networks are marked by mobility and proximity-based connectivity. The de facto standard for exploratory studies of wireless networks is discrete event simulations (DES). However, the simulation of large-scale wireless networks is extremely difficult due to prohibitively large turnaround time. A path forward is to expedite simulations with parallel discrete event simulation (PDES) techniques. The mobility and distance-based connectivity associated with wireless simulations, however, typically doom PDES and fail to scale (e.g., OPNET and ns-3 simulators). We propose a PDES-based tool aimed at reducing the communication overhead between processors. The proposed solution will use light-weight processes to dynamically distribute computation workload while mitigating communication overhead associated with synchronizations. This work is vital to the analytics and validation capabilities of simulation and emulation atmore » Sandia. We have years of experience in Sandia’s simulation and emulation projects (e.g., MINIMEGA and FIREWHEEL). Sandia’s current highly-regarded capabilities in large-scale emulations have focused on wired networks, where two assumptions prevent scalable wireless studies: (a) the connections between objects are mostly static and (b) the nodes have fixed locations.« less

Solar flares are generally agreed to be impulsive releases of magnetic energy. Reconnection in dilute plasma is the suggested trigger for the coronal phenomenon. It releases up to 10 26 J, accelerates up to 10 38 electrons and ions and must involve a volume that greatly exceeds the current sheet dimension. The Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager satellite can image a source in the corona that appears to contain the acceleration region and can separate it from other x-ray emissions. The new observations constrain the acceleration process by a quantitative relation between spectral index and flux. We present recent observational results and compare them with theoretical modelling by a stochastic process assuming transit-time damping of fast-mode waves, escape and replenishment. The observations can only be fitted if additional assumptions on trapping by an electric potential and possibly other processes such as isotropization and magnetic trapping are made. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)

Context: Stochastic acceleration is thought to be a key mechanism in the energization of solar flare electrons. Aims: We study whether stochastic acceleration can reproduce the observed soft-hard-soft evolution of the spectral features of the hard X-ray emitted by suprathermal electron. We pay special attention to the effects of particle trapping and escape. Methods: The Fokker-Planck equation for the electron distribution is integrated numerically using the coefficients derived by Miller et al. for transit-time damping acceleration. The electron spectra are then converted to photon spectra for comparison with RHESSI observation of looptop sources. Results: The presence of particle escape softens the model spectra computed in the stochastic acceleration framework. The ratio between the efficiency of trapping and acceleration controls the spectral evolution which follows a soft-hard-soft pattern. Furthermore, a pivot point (that is, a common crossing point of the accelerated particle spectra at different times) is found at around 10 keV. It can be brought into agreement with the observed value of 20 keV by enhanced trapping through an electric potential. Conclusions: The model proposed here accounts for the key features observed in the spectral evolution of hard X-ray emission from looptop sources., expanded in answer to the referee's comments, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics

We study the H2O chemistry in star-forming environments under the influence of a central X-ray source and a central far ultraviolet (FUV) radiation field. The gas-phase water chemistry is modeled as a function of time, hydrogen density and X-ray flux. To cover a wide range of physical environments, densities between n_H = 10^4-10^9 cm^-3 and temperatures between T = 10-1000 K are studied. Three different regimes are found: For T < 100 K, the water abundance is of order 10^-7-10^-6 and can be somewhat enhanced or reduced due to X-rays, depending on time and density. For 100 K < T < 250 K, H2O is reduced from initial x(H2O) ~ 10^-4 following ice evaporation to x(H2O) ~ 10^-6 for F_X > 10^-3 ergs s-1 cm^-2 (t = 10^4 yrs) and for F_X > 10^-4 ergs s^-1 cm^-2 (t = 10^5 yrs). At higher temperatures (T > 250 K) and hydrogen densities, water can persist with x(H2O) ~ 10^-4 even for high X-ray fluxes. The X-ray and FUV models are applied to envelopes around low-mass Class 0 and I young stellar objects (YSOs). Water is destroyed in both Class 0 and I envelopes on relatively short timescales (t ~ 5000 yrs) for realistic X-ray fluxes, although the effect is less prominent in Class 0 envelopes due to the higher X-ray absorbing densities there. FUV photons from the central source are not effective in destroying water. The average water abundance in Class I sources for L_X > 10^27 ergs s^-1 is predicted to be x(H2O) < 10^-6., 12 pages, 14 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A

The large solar flares of October and November 2003 were accompanied by extremely intense radio emissions at decimeter wavelengths. The radio emission continued long after the main phase of the flares and reached an unprecedented peak flux density at 410 MHz of 6.3(±0.7) × 10 5 solar flux units on 2003, October 28. The unusual number of large flares from the same active regions yields a homologous set ideal for statistical analysis. We have compared the coherent radio emissions (as observed by the Zurich and Trieste instruments) with the X-rays measured by RHESSI and GOES. As major results, we find that the total duration, the peak flux, and radiated energy of the radio emissions correlate with the flare energy released (measured in soft X-rays). Enhanced hard X-rays (>12 keV) are always observed during the time of enhanced radio emission. In 27% of the radio subpeaks covered by RHESSI, we find X-ray subpeaks. The most intense radio emissions are not due to electron beams, but are post-flare emissions apparently not directly related to the primary energy release and acceleration process. These radio emissions, generally classified as Type IV and DCIM bursts, have previously been interpreted by loss-cone emission of trapped electrons. However, radio and hard X-ray subpeaks do not show a detailed correlation or Neupert effect, and long-term trapping can be excluded. Possible acceleration mechanisms after the main flare phase are discussed and compared with the observations.

Non-thermal and thermal parameters of 85 solar flares of GOES class B1 to M6 (background subtracted classes A1 to M6) have been compared to each other. The hard X-ray flux has been measured by RHESSI and a spectral fitting provided flux and spectral index of the non-thermal emission, as well as temperature and emission measure of the thermal emission. The soft X-ray flux was taken from GOES measurements. We find a linear correlation in a double logarithmic plot between the non-thermal flux and the spectral index. The higher the acceleration rate of a flare, the harder the non-thermal electron distribution. The relation is similar to the one found by a comparison of the same parameters from several sub-peaks of a single flare. Thus small flares behave like small subpeaks of large flares. Thermal flare properties such as temperature, emission measure and the soft X-ray flux also correlate with peak non-thermal flux. A large non-thermal peak flux entails an enhancement in both thermal parameters. The relation between spectral index and the non-thermal flux is an intrinsic feature of the particle acceleration process, depending on flare size. This property affects the reported frequency distribution of flare energies., Astronomy and Astrophysics, in press

The energy of the thermal flare plasma and the kinetic energy of the non-thermal electrons in 14 hard X-ray peaks from 9 medium-sized solar flares have been determined from RHESSI observations. The emissions have been carefully separated in the spectrum. The turnover or cutoff in the low-energy distribution of electrons has been studied by simulation and fitting, yielding a reliable lower limit to the non-thermal energy. It remains the largest contribution to the error budget. Other effects, such as albedo, non-uniform target ionization, hot target, and cross-sections on the spectrum have been studied. The errors of the thermal energy are about equally as large. They are due to the estimate of the flare volume, the assumption of the filling factor, and energy losses. Within a flare, the non-thermal/thermal ratio increases with accumulation time, as expected from loss of thermal energy due to radiative cooling or heat conduction. Our analysis suggests that the thermal and non-thermal energies are of the same magnitude. This surprising result may be interpreted by an efficient conversion of non-thermal energy to hot flare plasma.

In the past decades, the scientific view has changed from a static to a dynamic universe. So should our worldview progress and, in particular, the relation between science and religion. In today's scientific worldview, the future is open. The universe is not a clock, but an adventure. Though not directly expressed today, science is often perceived implicitly as the key to the foundations of reality, a function previously assumed mostly by religion. However, science does not include all of human experience, nor does it pose and answer ultimate metaphysical questions. Thus, science is not complete and does not fulfil the necessary conditions to be a culture. Scientific results form a part of culture and should be amalgamated with the rest. The relation between science and religion must ultimately develop beyond the classical forms--conflict, ignorance, dialogue, or integration--towards a collaboration between engaged scientists and theologians pursuing well-defined goals.