91 research outputs found
Analysis of time dependent phenomena observed with the LPSP OSO-8 instrument
Data obtained by the Laboratoire de Physique Stellaire et Planetaire's ultraviolet spectrometer onboard the OSO-8 spacecraft were analyzed in an effort to dynamically model the solar chromosphere as an aid in enhancing knowledge of the dynamical processes themselves and of spectral line formation in the dynamic chromosphere. Repeated spectral scans of strong, optically thick resonance lines formed in the solar chromosphere were examined for indications of oscillatory velocities and intensities among other indications of velocity which were studied, the blue peak is reasonably well defined, and the position of a parabolic filter fitted by the least squares method was used to define it. Observed chromospheric oscillation periods are discussed as well as the variations in altitude of the emitting region which result primarily from the motion up and down during the oscillation
Analysis of time dependent phenomena observed with the LPSP OSO-8 instrument
The dynamics of the solar photosphere and chromosphere are studied. Observations obtained by the Laboratorie de Physique Stellaire et Planetaire's (LPSP) ultraviolet spectrometer onboard the OSO-8 spacecraft are analyzed, and dynamic models of the chromosphere and the emitted resonance line spectrum are calculated. Some of the unpublished data analysis and theoretical modeling which are being prepared for publication are discussed. A discussion of the state of the theory of velocity fields in the solar atmosphere is also presented. An invited review presented at the OSO-8 Workshop on the topic of oscillatory motions in the quiet sun is included. The results of the OSO-8 data analysis prepared in close collaboration with LPSP scientists are presented. Material for two articles is also presented
Proper orthogonal decomposition of solar photospheric motions
The spatio-temporal dynamics of the solar photosphere is studied by
performing a Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) of line of sight velocity
fields computed from high resolution data coming from the MDI/SOHO instrument.
Using this technique, we are able to identify and characterize the different
dynamical regimes acting in the system. Low frequency oscillations, with
frequencies in the range 20-130 microHz, dominate the most energetic POD modes
(excluding solar rotation), and are characterized by spatial patterns with
typical scales of about 3 Mm. Patterns with larger typical scales of 10 Mm, are
associated to p-modes oscillations at frequencies of about 3000 microHz.Comment: 8 figures in jpg in press on PR
Searching for p-modes in MOST Procyon data: Another view
Photometry of Procyon obtained by the MOST satellite in 2004 has been
searched for p modes by several groups, with sometimes contradictory
interpretations. We explore two possible factors that complicate the analysis
and may lead to erroneous reports of p modes in these data. Two methods are
used to illustrate the role of subtle instrumental effects in the photometry:
time-frequency analysis, and a search for regularly spaced peaks in a Fourier
spectrum based on the echelle diagramme approach. We find no convincing
evidence of a p-mode signal in the MOST Procyon data. We can account for an
apparent excess of power close to the p-mode frequency range and signs of
structure in an echelle diagramme in terms of instrumental effects.Comment: Article accepted, to appear in A&
The Detection of Multimodal Oscillations on Alpha UMa
We have used the star camera on the WIRE satellite to observe the K0 III star
Alpha UMa, and we report the apparent detection of 10 oscillation modes. The
lowest frequency mode is at 1.82 microhertz, and appears to be the fundamental
mode. The mean spacing between the mode frequencies is 2.94 microhertz, which
implies that all detected modes are radial. The mode frequencies are consistent
with the physical parameters of a K0 III star, if we assume that only radial
modes are excited. Mode amplitudes are 100 -- 400 micromagnitudes, which is
consistent with the scaling relation of Kjeldsen & Beddinge (1995).Comment: ApJ Letters, in press. 14 pages, including 3 figure
The global oscillation network group site survey. II. Results
The Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) Project will place a network of instruments around the world to observe solar oscillations as continuously as possible for three years. The Project has now chosen the six network sites based on analysis of survey data from fifteen sites around the world. The chosen sites are: Big Bear Solar Observatory, California; Mauna Loa Solar Observatory, Hawaii; Learmonth Solar Observatory, Australia; Udaipur Solar Observatory, India; Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife; and Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, Chile.
Total solar intensity at each site yields information on local cloud cover, extinction coefficient, and transparency fluctuations. In addition, the performance of 192 reasonable components analysis. An accompanying paper describes the analysis methods in detail; here we present the results of both the network and individual site analyses.
The selected network has a duty cycle of 93.3%, in good agreement with numerical simulations. The power spectrum of the network observing window shows a first diurnal sidelobe height of 3 × 10⁻⁴ with respect to the central component, an improvement of a factor of 1300 over a single site. The background level of the network spectrum is lower by a factor of 50 compared to a single-site spectrum
Stochastic excitation of acoustic modes in stars
For more than ten years, solar-like oscillations have been detected and
frequencies measured for a growing number of stars with various characteristics
(e.g. different evolutionary stages, effective temperatures, gravities, metal
abundances ...).
Excitation of such oscillations is attributed to turbulent convection and
takes place in the uppermost part of the convective envelope. Since the
pioneering work of Goldreich & Keely (1977), more sophisticated theoretical
models of stochastic excitation were developed, which differ from each other
both by the way turbulent convection is modeled and by the assumed sources of
excitation. We review here these different models and their underlying
approximations and assumptions.
We emphasize how the computed mode excitation rates crucially depend on the
way turbulent convection is described but also on the stratification and the
metal abundance of the upper layers of the star. In turn we will show how the
seismic measurements collected so far allow us to infer properties of turbulent
convection in stars.Comment: Notes associated with a lecture given during the fall school
organized by the CNRS and held in St-Flour (France) 20-24 October 2008 ; 39
pages ; 11 figure
Solar Models: current epoch and time dependences, neutrinos, and helioseismological properties
We calculate accurate solar models and report the detailed time dependences
of important solar quantities. We use helioseismology to constrain the
luminosity evolution of the sun and report the discovery of semi-convection in
evolved solar models that include diffusion. In addition, we compare the
computed sound speeds with the results of p-mode observations by BiSON, GOLF,
GONG, LOWL, and MDI instruments. We contrast the neutrino predictions from a
set of eight standard-like solar models and four deviant (or deficient) solar
models with the results of solar neutrino experiments. For solar neutrino and
for helioseismological applications, we present present-epoch numerical
tabulations of characteristics of the standard solar model as a function of
solar radius, including the principal physical and composition variables, sound
speeds, neutrino fluxes, and functions needed for calculating solar neutrino
oscillations.Comment: Accepted ApJ. Have used refined satellite value for solar luminosity.
Changes slightly best neutrino fluxes. Include new references, number density
of scatterers of sterile neutrinos, some additional helioseismological
predictions. 70 pages, 16 figures, additional material at
http://www.sns.ias.edu/~jn
Seismology of the Sun : Inference of Thermal, Dynamic and Magnetic Field Structures of the Interior
Recent overwhelming evidences show that the sun strongly influences the
Earth's climate and environment. Moreover existence of life on this Earth
mainly depends upon the sun's energy. Hence, understanding of physics of the
sun, especially the thermal, dynamic and magnetic field structures of its
interior, is very important. Recently, from the ground and space based
observations, it is discovered that sun oscillates near 5 min periodicity in
millions of modes. This discovery heralded a new era in solar physics and a
separate branch called helioseismology or seismology of the sun has started.
Before the advent of helioseismology, sun's thermal structure of the interior
was understood from the evolutionary solution of stellar structure equations
that mimicked the present age, mass and radius of the sun. Whereas solution of
MHD equations yielded internal dynamics and magnetic field structure of the
sun's interior. In this presentation, I review the thermal, dynamic and
magnetic field structures of the sun's interior as inferred by the
helioseismology.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of the meeting "3rd International
Conference on Current Developments in Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Nano
Physics with Applications", December 14-16, 2011, New Delhi, Indi
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