849 research outputs found
On the Weakening of Chromospheric Magnetic Field in Active Regions
Simultaneous measurement of line-of-sight (LOS) magnetic and velocity fields
at the photosphere and chromosphere are presented. Fe I line at
and at are used respectively for deriving the
physical parameters at photospheric and chromospheric heights. The LOS magnetic
field obtained through the center-of-gravity method show a linear relation
between photospheric and chromospheric field for field strengths less than 700
G. But in strong field regions, the LOS magnetic field values derived from
are much weaker than what one gets from the linear relationship
and also from those expected from the extrapolation of the photospheric
magnetic field. We discuss in detail the properties of magnetic field observed
in from the point of view of observed velocity gradients. The
bisector analysis of Stokes profiles show larger velocity
gradients in those places where strong photospheric magnetic fields are
observed. These observations may support the view that the stronger fields
diverge faster with height compared to weaker fields.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap
Self-Consistent MHD Modeling of a Coronal Mass Ejection, Coronal Dimming, and a Giant Cusp-Shaped Arcade Formation
We performed magnetohydrodynamic simulation of coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
and associated giant arcade formations, and the results suggested new
interpretations of observations of CMEs. We performed two cases of the
simulation: with and without heat conduction. Comparing between the results of
the two cases, we found that reconnection rate in the conductive case is a
little higher than that in the adiabatic case and the temperature of the loop
top is consistent with the theoretical value predicted by the Yokoyama-Shibata
scaling law. The dynamical properties such as velocity and magnetic fields are
similar in the two cases, whereas thermal properties such as temperature and
density are very different.In both cases, slow shocks associated with magnetic
reconnectionpropagate from the reconnection region along the magnetic field
lines around the flux rope, and the shock fronts form spiral patterns. Just
outside the slow shocks, the plasma density decreased a great deal. The soft
X-ray images synthesized from the numerical results are compared with the soft
X-ray images of a giant arcade observed with the Soft X-ray Telescope aboard
{\it Yohkoh}, it is confirmed that the effect of heat conduction is significant
for the detailed comparison between simulation and observation. The comparison
between synthesized and observed soft X-ray images provides new interpretations
of various features associated with CMEs and giant arcades.Comment: 39 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal. The PDF file with high resplution figures can be downloaded from
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~shiota/study/ApJ62426.preprint.pdf
Reconnection Outflows and Current Sheet Observed with Hinode/XRT in the 2008 April 9 "Cartwheel CME" Flare
Supra-arcade downflows (SADs) have been observed with Yohkoh/SXT (soft X-rays
(SXR)), TRACE (extreme ultra-violet (EUV)), SoHO/LASCO (white light),
SoHO/SUMER (EUV spectra), and Hinode/XRT (SXR). Characteristics such as low
emissivity and trajectories which slow as they reach the top of the arcade are
consistent with post-reconnection magnetic flux tubes retracting from a
reconnection site high in the corona until they reach a lower-energy magnetic
configuration. Viewed from a perpendicular angle, SADs should appear as
shrinking loops rather than downflowing voids. We present XRT observations of
supra-arcade downflowing loops (SADLs) following a coronal mass ejection (CME)
on 2008 April 9 and show that their speeds and decelerations are consistent
with those determined for SADs. We also present evidence for a possible current
sheet observed during this flare that extends between the flare arcade and the
CME. Additionally, we show a correlation between reconnection outflows observed
with XRT and outgoing flows observed with LASCO.Comment: 32 pages, 23 figures, Accepted for publication by the Astrophysical
Journal (Oct. 2010
Comment on "Arbitrated quantum-signature scheme"
We investigate the quantum signature scheme proposed by Zeng and Keitel
[Phys. Rev. A 65, 042312 (2002)]. It uses Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ)
states and the availability of a trusted arbitrator. However, in our opinion
the protocol is not clearly operationally defined and several steps are
ambiguous. Moreover, we argue that the security statements claimed by the
authors are incorrect.Comment: 4 page
Discovery of possible molecular counterparts to the infrared Double Helix Nebula in the Galactic center
We have discovered two molecular features at radial velocities of -35 km/s
and 0 km/s toward the infrared Double Helix Nebula (DHN) in the Galactic center
with NANTEN2. The two features show good spatial correspondence with the DHN.
We have also found two elongated molecular ridges at these two velocities
distributed vertically to the Galactic plane over 0.8 degree. The two ridges
are linked by broad features in velocity and are likely connected physically
with each other. The ratio between the 12CO J=2-1 and J=1-0 transitions is 0.8
in the ridges which is larger than the average value 0.5 in the foreground gas,
suggesting the two ridges are in the Galactic center. An examination of the K
band extinction reveals a good coincidence with the CO 0 km/s ridge and is
consistent with a distance of 8 +/-2 kpc. We discuss the possibility that the
DHN was created by a magnetic phenomenon incorporating torsional Alfv\'en waves
launched from the circumnuclear disk (Morris, Uchida & Do 2006) and present a
first estimate of the mass and energy involved in the DHN.Comment: 32 pages, 23 figures, Accepted by Ap
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