84 research outputs found
From GHz to mHz: A Multiwavelength Study of the Acoustically Active 14 August 2004 M7.4 Solar Flare
We carried out an electromagnetic acoustic analysis of the solar flare of 14
August 2004 in active region AR10656 from the radio to the hard X-ray spectrum.
The flare was a GOES soft X-ray class M7.4 and produced a detectable sun quake,
confirming earlier inferences that relatively low-energy flares may be able to
generate sun quakes. We introduce the hypothesis that the seismicity of the
active region is closely related to the heights of coronal magnetic loops that
conduct high-energy particles from the flare. In the case of relatively short
magnetic loops, chromospheric evaporation populates the loop interior with
ionized gas relatively rapidly, expediting the scattering of remaining trapped
high-energy electrons into the magnetic loss cone and their rapid precipitation
into the chromosphere. This increases both the intensity and suddenness of the
chromospheric heating, satisfying the basic conditions for an acoustic emission
that penetrates into the solar interior.Comment: Accepted in Solar Physic
Determining Absorption, Emissivity Reduction, and Local Suppression Coefficients inside Sunspots
The power of solar acoustic waves is reduced inside sunspots mainly due to
absorption, emissivity reduction, and local suppression. The coefficients of
these power-reduction mechanisms can be determined by comparing time-distance
cross-covariances obtained from sunspots and from the quiet Sun. By analyzing
47 active regions observed by SOHO/MDI without using signal filters, we have
determined the coefficients of surface absorption, deep absorption, emissivity
reduction, and local suppression. The dissipation in the quiet Sun is derived
as well. All of the cross-covariances are width corrected to offset the effect
of dispersion. We find that absorption is the dominant mechanism of the power
deficit in sunspots for short travel distances, but gradually drops to zero at
travel distances longer than about 6 degrees. The absorption in sunspot
interiors is also significant. The emissivity-reduction coefficient ranges from
about 0.44 to 1.00 within the umbra and 0.29 to 0.72 in the sunspot, and
accounts for only about 21.5% of the umbra's and 16.5% of the sunspot's total
power reduction. Local suppression is nearly constant as a function of travel
distance with values of 0.80 and 0.665 for umbrae and whole sunspots
respectively, and is the major cause of the power deficit at large travel
distances.Comment: 14 pages, 21 Figure
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
Modeling the Subsurface Structure of Sunspots
While sunspots are easily observed at the solar surface, determining their
subsurface structure is not trivial. There are two main hypotheses for the
subsurface structure of sunspots: the monolithic model and the cluster model.
Local helioseismology is the only means by which we can investigate
subphotospheric structure. However, as current linear inversion techniques do
not yet allow helioseismology to probe the internal structure with sufficient
confidence to distinguish between the monolith and cluster models, the
development of physically realistic sunspot models are a priority for
helioseismologists. This is because they are not only important indicators of
the variety of physical effects that may influence helioseismic inferences in
active regions, but they also enable detailed assessments of the validity of
helioseismic interpretations through numerical forward modeling. In this paper,
we provide a critical review of the existing sunspot models and an overview of
numerical methods employed to model wave propagation through model sunspots. We
then carry out an helioseismic analysis of the sunspot in Active Region 9787
and address the serious inconsistencies uncovered by
\citeauthor{gizonetal2009}~(\citeyear{gizonetal2009,gizonetal2009a}). We find
that this sunspot is most probably associated with a shallow, positive
wave-speed perturbation (unlike the traditional two-layer model) and that
travel-time measurements are consistent with a horizontal outflow in the
surrounding moat.Comment: 73 pages, 19 figures, accepted by Solar Physic
Recent Developments in Helioseismic Analysis Methods and Solar Data Assimilation
MR and AS have received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement no. 307117
Advances in Global and Local Helioseismology: an Introductory Review
Helioseismology studies the structure and dynamics of the Sun's interior by
observing oscillations on the surface. These studies provide information about
the physical processes that control the evolution and magnetic activity of the
Sun. In recent years, helioseismology has made substantial progress towards the
understanding of the physics of solar oscillations and the physical processes
inside the Sun, thanks to observational, theoretical and modeling efforts. In
addition to the global seismology of the Sun based on measurements of global
oscillation modes, a new field of local helioseismology, which studies
oscillation travel times and local frequency shifts, has been developed. It is
capable of providing 3D images of the subsurface structures and flows. The
basic principles, recent advances and perspectives of global and local
helioseismology are reviewed in this article.Comment: 86 pages, 46 figures; "Pulsation of the Sun and Stars", Lecture Notes
in Physics, Vol. 832, Rozelot, Jean-Pierre; Neiner, Coralie (Eds.), 201
A Pre-Landing Assessment of Regolith Properties at the InSight Landing Site
This article discusses relevant physical properties of the regolith at the Mars InSight landing site as understood prior to landing of the spacecraft. InSight will land in the northern lowland plains of Mars, close to the equator, where the regolith is estimated to be ≥3--5 m thick. These investigations of physical properties have relied on data collected from Mars orbital measurements, previously collected lander and rover data, results of studies of data and samples from Apollo lunar missions, laboratory measurements on regolith simulants, and theoretical studies. The investigations include changes in properties with depth and temperature. Mechanical properties investigated include density, grain-size distribution, cohesion, and angle of internal friction. Thermophysical properties include thermal inertia, surface emissivity and albedo, thermal conductivity and diffusivity, and specific heat. Regolith elastic properties not only include parameters that control seismic wave velocities in the immediate vicinity of the Insight lander but also coupling of the lander and other potential noise sources to the InSight broadband seismometer. The related properties include Poisson’s ratio, P- and S-wave velocities, Young’s modulus, and seismic attenuation. Finally, mass diffusivity was investigated to estimate gas movements in the regolith driven by atmospheric pressure changes. Physical properties presented here are all to some degree speculative. However, they form a basis for interpretation of the early data to be returned from the InSight mission.Additional co-authors: Nick Teanby and Sharon Keda
Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures
Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo
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