169 research outputs found
The role of damped Alfven waves on magnetospheric accretion models of young stars
We examine the role of Alfven wave damping in heating the plasma in the
magnetic funnels of magnetospheric accretion models of young stars. We study
four different damping mechanisms of the Alfven waves: nonlinear, turbulent,
viscous-resistive and collisional. Two different possible origins for the
Alfven waves are discussed: 1) Alfven waves generated at the surface of the
star by the shock produced by the infalling matter; and 2) Alfven waves
generated locally in the funnel by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. We find
that, in general, the damping lengths are smaller than the tube length. Since
thermal conduction in the tube is not efficient, Alfven waves generated only at
the star's surface cannot heat the tube to the temperatures necessary to fit
the observations. Only for very low frequency Alfven waves ~10^{-5} the ion
cyclotron frequency, is the viscous-resistive damping length greater than the
tube length. In this case, the Alfven waves produced at the surface of the star
are able to heat the whole tube. Otherwise, local production of Alfven waves is
required to explain the observations. The turbulence level is calculated for
different frequencies for optically thin and thick media. We find that
turbulent velocities varies greatly for different damping mechanisms, reaching
\~100 km s^{-1} for the collisional damping of small frequency waves.Comment: 29 pages, 12 figures, to appear in The Astrophysical Journa
Twisting Flux Tubes as a cause of Micro-Flaring Activity
High-cadence optical observations of an H-alpha blue-wing bright point near
solar AR NOAA 10794 are presented. The data were obtained with the Dunn Solar
Telescope at the National Solar Observatory/Sacramento Peak using a newly
developed camera system, the Rapid Dual Imager. Wavelet analysis is undertaken
to search for intensity-related oscillatory signatures, and periodicities
ranging from 15 to 370 s are found with significance levels exceeding 95%.
During two separate microflaring events, oscillation sites surrounding the
bright point are observed to twist. We relate the twisting of the oscillation
sites to the twisting of physical flux tubes, thus giving rise to reconnection
phenomena. We derive an average twist velocity of 8.1 km/s and detect a peak in
the emitted flux between twist angles of 180 and 230 degrees.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure
Dissipative Dynamics of Collisionless Nonlinear Alfven Wave Trains
The nonlinear dynamics of collisionless Alfven trains, including resonant
particle effects is studied using the kinetic nonlinear Schroedinger (KNLS)
equation model. Numerical solutions of the KNLS reveal the dynamics of Alfven
waves to be sensitive to the sense of polarization as well as the angle of
propagation with respect to the ambient magnetic field. The combined effects of
both wave nonlinearity and Landau damping result in the evolutionary formation
of stationaryOA S- and arc-polarized directional and rotational
discontinuities. These waveforms are freqently observed in the interplanetary
plasma.Comment: REVTeX, 6 pages (including 5 figures). This and other papers may be
found at http://sdphpd.ucsd.edu/~medvedev/papers.htm
Determining the Magnetic Field Orientation of Coronal Mass Ejections from Faraday Rotation
We describe a method to measure the magnetic field orientation of coronal
mass ejections (CMEs) using Faraday rotation (FR). Two basic FR profiles,
Gaussian-shaped with a single polarity or "N"-like with polarity reversals, are
produced by a radio source occulted by a moving flux rope depending on its
orientation. These curves are consistent with the Helios observations,
providing evidence for the flux-rope geometry of CMEs. Many background radio
sources can map CMEs in FR onto the sky. We demonstrate with a simple flux rope
that the magnetic field orientation and helicity of the flux rope can be
determined 2-3 days before it reaches Earth, which is of crucial importance for
space weather forecasting. An FR calculation based on global
magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of CMEs in a background heliosphere shows
that FR mapping can also resolve a CME geometry curved back to the Sun. We
discuss implementation of the method using data from the Mileura Widefield
Array (MWA).Comment: 22 pages with 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophys.
Magnetic Landscape of Sun's Polar Region
We present the magnetic landscape of the polar region of the Sun that is
unprecedented in terms of high spatial resolution, large field of view, and
polarimetric precision. These observations were carried out with the Solar
Optical Telescope aboard \emph{Hinode}. Using a Milne-Eddington inversion, we
found many vertically-oriented magnetic flux tubes with field strength as
strong as 1 kG that are scattered in latitude between 70-90 degree. They all
have the same polarity, consistent with the global polarity of the polar
region. The field vectors were observed to diverge from the center of the flux
elements, consistent with a view of magnetic fields that expand and fan out
with height. The polar region is also covered with ubiquitous horizontal
fields. The polar regions are the source of the fast solar wind channelled
along unipolar coronal magnetic fields whose photospheric source is evidently
rooted in the strong field, vertical patches of flux. We conjecture that
vertical flux tubes with large expansion around the photosphere-corona boundary
serve as efficient chimneys for Alfven waves that accelerate the solar wind.Comment: Astrophysical Journal in press V1 and V2 are the sam
On Solving the Coronal Heating Problem
This article assesses the current state of understanding of coronal heating,
outlines the key elements of a comprehensive strategy for solving the problem,
and warns of obstacles that must be overcome along the way.Comment: Accepted by Solar Physics; Published by Solar Physic
Oscillations and waves in solar spicules
Since their discovery, spicules have attracted increased attention as energy/mass bridges between the dense and dynamic photosphere and the tenuous hot solar corona. Mechanical energy of photospheric random and coherent motions can be guided by magnetic field lines, spanning from the interior to the upper parts of the solar atmosphere, in the form of waves and oscillations. Since spicules are one of the most pronounced features of the chromosphere, the energy transport they participate in can be traced by the observations of their oscillatory motions. Oscillations in spicules have been observed for a long time. However the recent high-resolutions and high-cadence space and ground based facilities with superb spatial, temporal and spectral capacities brought new aspects in the research of spicule dynamics. Here we review the progress made in imaging and spectroscopic observations of waves and oscillations in spicules. The observations are accompanied by a discussion on theoretical modelling and interpretations of these oscillations. Finally, we embark on the recent developments made on the presence and role of Alfven and kink waves in spicules. We also address the extensive debate made on the Alfven versus kink waves in the context of the explanation of the observed transverse oscillations of spicule axes
Excitation of standing kink oscillations in coronal loops
In this work we review the efforts that have been done to study the
excitation of the standing fast kink body mode in coronal loops. We mainly
focus on the time-dependent problem, which is appropriate to describe flare or
CME induced kink oscillations. The analytical and numerical studies in slab and
cylindrical loop geometries are reviewed. We discuss the results from very
simple one-dimensional models to more realistic (but still simple) loop
configurations. We emphasise how the results of the initial value problem
complement the eigenmode calculations. The possible damping mechanisms of the
kink oscillations are also discussed
Acoustic Power Absorption and its Relation with Vector Magnetic Field of a Sunspot
The distribution of acoustic power over sunspots shows an enhanced absorption
near the umbra--penumbra boundary. Earlier studies revealed that the region of
enhanced absorption coincides with the region of strongest transverse potential
field. The aim of this paper is to (i) utilize the high-resolution vector
magnetograms derived using Hinode SOT/SP observations and study the
relationship between the vector magnetic field and power absorption and (ii)
study the variation of power absorption in sunspot penumbrae due to the
presence of spine-like radial structures. It is found that (i) both potential
and observed transverse fields peak at a similar radial distance from the
center of the sunspot, and (ii) the magnitude of the transverse field, derived
from Hinode observations, is much larger than the potential transverse field
derived from SOHO/MDI longitudinal field observations. In the penumbra, the
radial structures called spines (intra-spines) have stronger (weaker) field
strength and are more vertical (horizontal). The absorption of acoustic power
in the spine and intra-spine shows different behaviour with the absorption
being larger in the spine as compared to the intra-spine.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, In Press Solar Physics, Topical Issue on
Helio-and-Astroseismolog
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