1,298 research outputs found
How much more can sunspots tell us about the solar dynamo?
Sunspot observations inspired solar dynamo theory and continue to do so. Simply counting them established the sunspot cycle and its period. Latitudinal distributions introduced the tough constraint that the source of sunspots moves equator-ward as the cycle progresses. Observations of Hale's polarity law mandated hemispheric asymmetry. How much more can sunspots tell us about the solar dynamo? We draw attention to a few outstanding questions raised by inherent sunspot properties. Namely, how to explain sunspot rotation rates, the incoherence of follower spots, the longitudinal spacing of sunspot groups, and brightness trends within a given sunspot cycle. After reviewing the first several topics, we then present new results on the brightness of sunspots in Cycle 24 as observed with the Helioseismic Magnetic Imager (HMI). We compare these results to the sunspot brightness observed in Cycle 23 with the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI). Next, we compare the minimum intensities of five sunspots simultaneously observed by the Hinode Solar Optical Telescope Spectropolarimeter (SOT-SP) and HMI to verify that the minimum brightness of sunspot umbrae correlates well to the maximum field strength. We then examine 90 and 52 sunspots in the north and south hemisphere, respectively, from 2010 - 2012. Finally, we conclude that the average maximum field strengths of umbra 40 Carrington Rotations into Cycle 24 are 2690 Gauss, virtually indistinguishable from the 2660 Gauss value observed at a similar time in Cycle 23 with MDI
The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Vector Magnetic Field Pipeline: Optimization of the Spectral Line Inversion Code
The Very Fast Inversion of the Stokes Vector (VFISV) is a Milne-Eddington
spectral line inversion code used to determine the magnetic and thermodynamic
parameters of the solar photosphere from observations of the Stokes vector in
the 6173 A Fe I line by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the
Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). We report on the modifications made to the
original VFISV inversion code in order to optimize its operation within the HMI
data pipeline and provide the smoothest solution in active regions. The changes
either sped up the computation or reduced the frequency with which the
algorithm failed to converge to a satisfactory solution. Additionally, coding
bugs which were detected and fixed in the original VFISV release, are reported
here.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physic
The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Vector Magnetic Field Pipeline: SHARPs -- Space-weather HMI Active Region Patches
A new data product from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard
the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) called Space-weather HMI Active Region
Patches (SHARPs) is now available. SDO/HMI is the first space-based instrument
to map the full-disk photospheric vector magnetic field with high cadence and
continuity. The SHARP data series provide maps in patches that encompass
automatically tracked magnetic concentrations for their entire lifetime; map
quantities include the photospheric vector magnetic field and its uncertainty,
along with Doppler velocity, continuum intensity, and line-of-sight magnetic
field. Furthermore, keywords in the SHARP data series provide several
parameters that concisely characterize the magnetic-field distribution and its
deviation from a potential-field configuration. These indices may be useful for
active-region event forecasting and for identifying regions of interest. The
indices are calculated per patch and are available on a twelve-minute cadence.
Quick-look data are available within approximately three hours of observation;
definitive science products are produced approximately five weeks later. SHARP
data are available at http://jsoc.stanford.edu and maps are available in either
of two different coordinate systems. This article describes the SHARP data
products and presents examples of SHARP data and parameters.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures. Accepted to Solar Physic
Placing the RPL32 Promoter Upstream of a Second Promoter Results in a Strongly Increased Number of Stably Transfected Mammalian Cell Lines That Display High Protein Expression Levels
The use of high stringency selection systems commonly results in a strongly diminished number of stably transfected mammalian cell lines. Here we placed twelve different promoters upstream of an adjacent primary promoter and tested whether this might result in an increased number of colonies; this is in the context of a stringent selection system. We found that only the promoter of the human ribosomal protein, RPL32, induced a high number of colonies in CHO-DG44 cells. This phenomenon was observed when the RPL32 promoter was combined with the CMV, SV40, EF1-α, and the β-actin promoters. In addition, these colonies displayed high protein expression levels. The RPL32 promoter had to be functionally intact, since the deletion of a small region upstream of the transcription start site demolished its positive action. We conclude that adding the RPL32 promoter to an expression cassette in cis may be a powerful tool to augment gene expression levels
The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Vector Magnetic Field Pipeline: Overview and Performance
The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) began near-continuous full-disk
solar measurements on 1 May 2010 from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). An
automated processing pipeline keeps pace with observations to produce
observable quantities, including the photospheric vector magnetic field, from
sequences of filtergrams. The primary 720s observables were released in mid
2010, including Stokes polarization parameters measured at six wavelengths as
well as intensity, Doppler velocity, and the line-of-sight magnetic field. More
advanced products, including the full vector magnetic field, are now available.
Automatically identified HMI Active Region Patches (HARPs) track the location
and shape of magnetic regions throughout their lifetime.
The vector field is computed using the Very Fast Inversion of the Stokes
Vector (VFISV) code optimized for the HMI pipeline; the remaining 180 degree
azimuth ambiguity is resolved with the Minimum Energy (ME0) code. The
Milne-Eddington inversion is performed on all full-disk HMI observations. The
disambiguation, until recently run only on HARP regions, is now implemented for
the full disk. Vector and scalar quantities in the patches are used to derive
active region indices potentially useful for forecasting; the data maps and
indices are collected in the SHARP data series, hmi.sharp_720s. Patches are
provided in both CCD and heliographic coordinates.
HMI provides continuous coverage of the vector field, but has modest spatial,
spectral, and temporal resolution. Coupled with limitations of the analysis and
interpretation techniques, effects of the orbital velocity, and instrument
performance, the resulting measurements have a certain dynamic range and
sensitivity and are subject to systematic errors and uncertainties that are
characterized in this report.Comment: 42 pages, 19 figures, accepted to Solar Physic
Systematically Asymmetric Heliospheric Magnetic Field: Evidence for a Quadrupole Mode and Non-axisymmetry with Polarity Flip-flops
Recent studies of the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) have detected
interesting, systematic hemispherical and longitudinal asymmetries which have a
profound significance for the understanding of solar magnetic fields. The in
situ HMF measurements since 1960s show that the heliospheric current sheet
(HCS) is systematically shifted (coned) southward during solar minimum times,
leading to the concept of a bashful ballerina. While temporary shifts can be
considerably larger, the average HCS shift (coning) angle is a few degrees,
less than the tilt of the solar rotation axis. Recent solar
observations during the last two solar cycles verify these results and show
that the magnetic areas in the northern solar hemisphere are larger and their
intensity weaker than in the south during long intervals in the late declining
to minimum phase. The multipole expansion reveals a strong quadrupole term
which is oppositely directed to the dipole term. These results imply that the
Sun has a symmetric quadrupole S0 dynamo mode that oscillates in phase with the
dominant dipole A0 mode. Moreover, the heliospheric magnetic field has a strong
tendency to produce solar tilts that are roughly opposite in longitudinal
phase. This implies is a systematic longitudinal asymmetry and leads to a
"flip-flop" type behaviour in the dominant HMF sector whose period is about 3.2
years. This agrees very well with the similar flip-flop period found recently
in sunspots, as well as with the observed ratio of three between the activity
cycle period and the flip-flop period of sun-like stars. Accordingly, these
results require that the solar dynamo includes three modes, A0, S0 and a
non-axisymmetric mode. Obviously, these results have a great impact on solar
modelling.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, Solar Physics, Topical Issue of Space Climate
Symposium, in pres
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