29 research outputs found
Determination of Electromagnetic Source Direction as an Eigenvalue Problem
Low-frequency solar and interplanetary radio bursts are generated at
frequencies below the ionospheric plasma cutoff and must therefore be measured
in space, with deployable antenna systems. The problem of measuring both the
general direction and polarization of an electromagnetic source is commonly
solved by iterative fitting methods such as linear regression that deal
simultaneously with both directional and polarization parameters. We have
developed a scheme that separates the problem of deriving the source direction
from that of determining the polarization, avoiding iteration in a
multi-dimensional manifold. The crux of the method is to first determine the
source direction independently of concerns as to its polarization. Once the
source direction is known, its direct characterization in terms of Stokes
vectors in a single iteration if desired, is relatively simple. This study
applies the source-direction determination to radio signatures of flares
received by STEREO. We studied two previously analyzed radio type III bursts
and found that the results of the eigenvalue decomposition technique are
consistent with those obtained previously by Reiner et al. (Solar Phys. 259,
255, 2009). For the type III burst observed on 7 December 2007, the difference
in travel times from the derived source location to STEREO A and B is the same
as the difference in the onset times of the burst profiles measured by the two
spacecraft. This is consistent with emission originating from a single,
relatively compact source. For the second event of 29 January 2008, the
relative timing does not agree, suggesting emission from two sources separated
by 0.1 AU, or perhaps from an elongated region encompassing the apparent source
locations.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, Accepted in Solar Physic
Recent Advances in Understanding Particle Acceleration Processes in Solar Flares
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.Comment: 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
An Observational Overview of Solar Flares
We present an overview of solar flares and associated phenomena, drawing upon
a wide range of observational data primarily from the RHESSI era. Following an
introductory discussion and overview of the status of observational
capabilities, the article is split into topical sections which deal with
different areas of flare phenomena (footpoints and ribbons, coronal sources,
relationship to coronal mass ejections) and their interconnections. We also
discuss flare soft X-ray spectroscopy and the energetics of the process. The
emphasis is to describe the observations from multiple points of view, while
bearing in mind the models that link them to each other and to theory. The
present theoretical and observational understanding of solar flares is far from
complete, so we conclude with a brief discussion of models, and a list of
missing but important observations.Comment: This is an article for a monograph on the physics of solar flares,
inspired by RHESSI observations. The individual articles are to appear in
Space Science Reviews (2011
The psychological science accelerator’s COVID-19 rapid-response dataset
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments. Data were provided by 73,223 participants with varying completion rates. Participants completed the survey from 111 geopolitical regions in 44 unique languages/dialects. The anonymized dataset described here is provided in both raw and processed formats to facilitate re-use and further analyses. The dataset offers secondary analytic opportunities to explore coping, framing, and self-determination across a diverse, global sample obtained at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be merged with other time-sampled or geographic data
Diva - Towards Microarcsecond Global Astrometry
DIVA (Deutsches Interferometer fur Vielkanalphotometrie und Astrometrie) is a small satellite designed to perform astrometric and photometric observations of at least one million stars. The instrument simultaneously observes two celestial fields of 0.5 degrees diameter each, separated by at least 60 degrees. The optical configuration consists of two Fizeau interferometers with a baseline of 10 cm, one for each field of view. A beam-combining mirror feeds light from both fields into a single telescope. Fringe dispersion is created by objective prisms, one per field of view. DIVA operates in a revolving scanning mode with a scanning law similar to that of Hipparcos. Light is recorded in the focal plane by a CCD mosaic operated in time-delayed integration mode, clocked synchronously with the satellite's rotation. The maximum diameter of the satellite will be about 1 m, the total mass about 100 kg. DIVA will exceed the performance of Hipparcos in all important parameters. It will perform a..