Search

Recent studies show that active-region (AR) upflowing plasma, observed by the EUV-Imaging Spectrometer (EIS), onboard Hinode, can gain access to open field-lines and be released into the solar wind (SW) via magnetic-interchange reconnection at magnetic null-points in pseudo-streamer configurations. When only one bipolar AR is present on the Sun and it is fully covered by the separatrix of a streamer, such as AR 10978 in December 2007, it seems unlikely that the upflowing AR plasma can find its way into the slow SW. However, signatures of plasma with AR composition have been found at 1 AU by Culhane et al. (2014) apparently originating from the West of AR 10978. We present a detailed topology analysis of AR 10978 and the surrounding large-scale corona based on a potential-field source-surface (PFSS) model. Our study shows that it is possible for the AR plasma to get around the streamer separatrix and be released into the SW via magnetic reconnection, occurring in at least two main steps. We analyse data from the Nan\c{c}ay Radioheliograph (NRH) searching for evidence of the chain of magnetic reconnections proposed. We find a noise storm above the AR and several varying sources at 150.9 MHz. Their locations suggest that they could be associated with particles accelerated during the first-step reconnection process and at a null point well outside of the AR. However, we find no evidence of the second-step reconnection in the radio data. Our results demonstrate that even when it appears highly improbable for the AR plasma to reach the SW, indirect channels involving a sequence of reconnections can make it possible., Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures. appears in Solar Physics, 2014

Seeking to establish whether active region upflow material contributes to the slow solar wind, we examine in detail the plasma upflows from Active Region (AR)10978, which crossed the Sun's disc in the interval 8 to 16 December, 2007 during Carrington rotation (CR)2064. In previous work, using data from the Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer, upflow velocity evolution was extensively studied as the region crossed the disc while a linear force-free magnetic extrapolation was used to confirm aspects of the velocity evolution and to establish the presence of quasi-separatrix layers at the upflow source areas. The plasma properties, temperature, density and first ionisation potential bias (FIP-bias) were measured with the spectrometer during the disc passage of the active region. Global potential field source surface (PFSS) models showed that AR 10978 was completely covered by the closed field of a helmet streamer that is part of the streamer belt. Thus it is not clear how any of the upflowing AR-associated plasma could reach the source surface at 2.5 R(Sun)and contribute to the slow solar wind. However a detailed examination of solar-wind in-situ data obtained by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft at the L1 point shows that the increase in O^7+/O^6+, C^6+/C^5+ and Fe/O - a FIP-bias proxy - are present before the heliospheric current sheet crossing. These increases, along with an accompanying reduction in proton velocity and an increase in density are characteristic of both AR and slow-wind plasma. Finally we describe a two-step reconnection process by which some of the upflowing plasma from the AR could reach the heliosphere.

Understanding the solar outer atmosphere requires concerted, simultaneous solar observations from the visible to the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and soft X-rays, at high spatial resolution (between 0.1" and 0.3"), at high temporal resolution (on the order of 10 s, i.e., the time scale of chromospheric dynamics), with a wide temperature coverage (0.01 MK to 20 MK, from the chromosphere to the flaring corona), and the capability of measuring magnetic fields through spectropolarimetry at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Simultaneous spectroscopic measurements sampling the entire temperature range are particularly important. These requirements are fulfilled by the Japanese Solar-C mission (Plan B), composed of a spacecraft in a geosynchronous orbit with a payload providing a significant improvement of imaging and spectropolarimetric capabilities in the UV, visible, and near-infrared with respect to what is available today and foreseen in the near future. The Large European Module for solar Ultraviolet Research (LEMUR), described in this paper, is a large VUV telescope feeding a scientific payload of high-resolution imaging spectrographs and cameras. LEMUR consists of two major components: a VUV solar telescope with a 30 cm diameter mirror and a focal length of 3.6 m, and a focal-plane package composed of VUV spectrometers covering six carefully chosen wavelength ranges between 17 and 127 nm. The LEMUR slit covers 280" on the Sun with 0.14" per pixel sampling. In addition, LEMUR is capable of measuring mass flows velocities (line shifts) down to 2 km/s or better. LEMUR has been proposed to ESA as the European contribution to the Solar C mission., Comment: 35 pages, 14 figures. To appear on Experimental Astronomy

A filament eruption, accompanied by a B9.5 flare, coronal dimming and an EUV wave, was observed by the Solar TERrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) on 19 May 2007, beginning at about 13:00 UT. Here, we use observations from the SECCHI/EUVI telescopes and other solar observations to analyze the behavior and geometry of the filament before and during the eruption. At this time, STEREO A and B were separated by about 8.5 degrees, sufficient to determine the three-dimensional structure of the filament using stereoscopy. The filament could be followed in SECCHI/EUVI 304 A stereoscopic data from about 12 hours before to about 2 hours after the eruption, allowing us to determine the 3D trajectory of the erupting filament. From the 3D reconstructions of the filament and the chromospheric ribbons in the early stage of the eruption, simultaneous heating of both the rising filamentary material and the chromosphere directly below is observed, consistent with an eruption resulting from magnetic reconnection below the filament. Comparisons of the filament during eruption in 304 A and Halpha show that when it becomes emissive in He II, it tends to disappear in Halpha, indicating that the disappearance probably results from heating or motion, not loss, of filamentary material., Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physics

From Doppler velocity maps of active regions constructed from spectra obtained by the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on the Hinode spacecraft we observe large areas of outflow (20-50 km/s) that can persist for at least a day. These outflows occur in areas of active regions that are faint in coronal spectral lines formed at typical quiet Sun and active region temperatures. The outflows are positively correlated with non-thermal velocities in coronal plasmas. The bulk mass motions and non-thermal velocities are derived from spectral line centroids and line widths, mostly from a strong line of Fe XII at 195.12 Angstroms. The electron temperature of the outflow regions estimated from an Fe XIII to Fe XII line intensity ratio is about 1.2-1.4 MK. The electron density of the outflow regions derived from a density sensitive intensity ratio of Fe XII lines is rather low for an active region. Most regions average around 7E10+8 cm(-3), but there are variations on pixel spatial scales of about a factor of 4. We discuss results in detail for two active regions observed by EIS. Images of active regions in line intensity, line width, and line centroid are obtained by rastering the regions. We also discuss data from the active regions obtained from other orbiting spacecraft that support the conclusions obtained from analysis of the EIS spectra. The locations of the flows in the active regions with respect to the longitudinal photospheric magnetic fields suggest that these regions might be tracers of long loops and/or open magnetic fields that extend into the heliosphere, and thus the flows could possibly contribute significantly to the solar wind., Comment: one tex file, 11 postscript figure files

We present a detailed examination of strongly blueshifted emission lines observed with the EUV Imaging Spectrometer on board the {\it Hinode} satellite. We found two kinds of blueshifted phenomenon associated with the X3.4 flare that occurred on 2006 December 13. One was related to a plasmoid ejection seen in soft X-rays. It was very bright in all the lines used for the observations. The other was associated with the faint arc-shaped ejection seen in soft X-rays. The soft X-ray ejection is thought to be an MHD fast-mode shock wave. This is therefore the first spectroscopic observation of an MHD fast-mode shock wave associated with a flare., Comment: 18 pages, 1 table, 6 figures. ApJ, accepted

We explore the relationship among three coronal mass ejections (CMEs), observed on 28 October 2003, 7 November 2004, and 20 January 2005, the type II burst-associated shock waves in the corona and solar wind, as well as the arrival of their related shock waves and magnetic clouds at 1 AU. Using six different coronal/interplanetary density models, we calculate the speeds of shocks from the frequency drifts observed in metric and decametric radio wave data. We compare these speeds with the velocity of the CMEs as observed in the plane-of-the-sky white-light observations and calculated with a cone model for the 7 November 2004 event. We then follow the propagation of the ejecta using Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) measurements, which were available for the 7 November 2004 and 20 January 2005 events. Finally, we calculate the travel time of the interplanetary (IP) shocks between the Sun and Earth and discuss the velocities obtained from the different data. This study highlights the difficulties in making velocity estimates that cover the full CME propagation time., Comment: 24 pages, 14 figures, the original publication is available at http://www.springerlink.com

Two types of active region feature prominent at transition region temperatures are identified in Hinode/EIS data of AR 10938 taken on 2007 January 20. The footpoints of 1 MK TRACE loops are shown to emit strongly in emission lines formed at log T=5.4-5.8, allowing the temperature increase along the footpoints to be clearly seen. A density diagnostic of Mg VII yields the density in the footpoints, with one loop showing a decrease from 3x10^9 cm^-3 at the base to 1.5x10^9 cm^-3 at a projected height of 20 Mm. The second feature is a compact active region transition region brightening which is particularly intense in O V emission (log T=5.4) but also has a signature at temperatures up to log T=6.3. The Mg VII diagnostic gives a density of 4x10^10 cm^-3, and emission lines of Mg VI and Mg VII show line profiles broadened by 50 km/s and wings extending beyond 200 km/s. Continuum emission in the short wavelength band is also found to be enhanced, and is suggested to be free-bound emission from recombination onto He^+., Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, submitted to PASJ Hinode first results issue

Quiet Sun and active region spectra from the Hinode/EIS instrument are presented, and the strongest lines from different temperature regions discussed. A list of emission lines recommended to be included in EIS observation studies is presented based on analysis of blending and diagnostic potential using the CHIANTI atomic database. In addition we identify the most useful density diagnostics from the ions covered by EIS., Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PASJ Hinode first results issue

We report on the successful sounding rocket flight of the high resolution (R=3000-4000) J-PEX EUV spectrometer. J-PEX is a novel normal incidence instrument, which combines the focusing and dispersive elements of the spectrometer into a single optical element, a multilayer-coated grating. The high spectral resolution achieved has had to be matched by unprecedented high spatial resolution in the imaging microchannel plate detector used to record the data. We illustrate the performance of the complete instrument through an analysis of the 220-245A spectrum of the white dwarf G191-B2B obtained with a 300 second exposure. The high resolution allows us to detect a low-density ionized helium component along the line of sight to the star and individual absorption lines from heavier elements in the photosphere., Comment: 11 pages, including 9 figure and 2 tables. To be published in Proc SPIE, vol 4854

We report a high-resolution (R=3000-4000) spectroscopic observation of the DA white dwarf G191-B2B in the extreme ultraviolet band 220-245 A. A low- density ionised He component is clearly present along the line-of-sight, which if completely interstellar implies a He ionisation fraction considerably higher than is typical of the local interstellar medium. However, some of this material may be associated with circumstellar gas, which has been detected by analysis of the C IV absorption line doublet in an HST STIS spectrum. A stellar atmosphere model assuming a uniform element distribution yields a best fit to the data which includes a significant abundance of photospheric He. The 99-percent confidence contour for the fit parameters excludes solutions in which photospheric He is absent, but this result needs to be tested using models allowing abundance gradients., Comment: LATEX format: 10 pages and 3 figures: accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters

The Hinode satellite (formerly Solar-B) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS/JAXA) was successfully launched in September 2006. As the successor to the Yohkoh mission, it aims to understand how magnetic energy is transferred from the photosphere to the upper atmospheres and resulting in explosive energy releases. Hinode is an observatory style mission, with all the instruments being designed and built to work together to address the science aims. There are three instruments onboard: the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT), the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS), and the X-ray Telescope (XRT). This paper overviews the mission, including the satellite, the scientific payload and operations. It will conclude with discussions on how the international science community can participate in the analysis of the mission data.