438 research outputs found
Topological Analysis of Emerging Bipole Clusters Producing Violent Solar Events
During the rising phase of Solar Cycle 24 tremendous activity occurred on the
Sun with fast and compact emergence of magnetic flux leading to bursts of
flares (C to M and even X-class). We investigate the violent events occurring
in the cluster of two active regions (ARs), NOAA numbers 11121 and 11123,
observed in November 2010 with instruments onboard the {\it Solar Dynamics
Observatory} and from Earth. Within one day the total magnetic flux increased
by with the emergence of new groups of bipoles in AR 11123. From all the
events on 11 November, we study, in particular, the ones starting at around
07:16 UT in GOES soft X-ray data and the brightenings preceding them. A
magnetic-field topological analysis indicates the presence of null points,
associated separatrices and quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs) where magnetic
reconnection is prone to occur. The presence of null points is confirmed by a
linear and a non-linear force-free magnetic-field model. Their locations and
general characteristics are similar in both modelling approaches, which
supports their robustness. However, in order to explain the full extension of
the analysed event brightenings, which are not restricted to the photospheric
traces of the null separatrices, we compute the locations of QSLs. Based on
this more complete topological analysis, we propose a scenario to explain the
origin of a low-energy event preceding a filament eruption, which is
accompanied by a two-ribbon flare, and a consecutive confined flare in AR
11123. The results of our topology computation can also explain the locations
of flare ribbons in two other events, one preceding and one following the ones
at 07:16 UT. Finally, this study provides further examples where flare-ribbon
locations can be explained when compared to QSLs and only, partially, when
using separatrices.Comment: 42 pages, 15 figure
Cosmic Dynamics in the Chameleon Cosmology
We study in this paper chameleon cosmology applied to
Friedmann-Robertson-Walker space, which gives rise to the equation of state
(EoS) parameter larger than -1 in the past and less than -1 today, satisfying
current observations. We also study cosmological constraints on the model using
the time evolution of the cosmological redshift of distant sources which
directly probes the expansion history of the universe. Due to the evolution of
the universe's expansion rate, the model independent Cosmological Redshift
Drift (CRD)test is expected to experience a small, systematic drift as a
function of time. The model is supported by the observational data obtained
from the test.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figure
The Asiago-ESO/RASS QSO Survey. I.The Catalog and the Local QSO Luminosity Function
This paper presents the first results of a survey for bright quasars (V <
14.5 and R30.
The photometric database is derived from the GSC and USNO catalogs. Quasars are
identified on the basis of their X-ray emission measured in the ROSAT All Sky
Survey. The surface density of quasars brighter than 15.5 mag turns out to be
, about 3 times higher than that estimated by
the PG survey. The quasar optical Luminosity Function (LF) at is computed and shown to be consistent with a Luminosity Dependent
Luminosity Evolution of the type derived by La Franca and Cristiani (1997) in
the range . The predictions of semi-analytical models of
hierarchical structure formation agree remarkably well with the present
observations.Comment: 54 pages Latex, with 7 PostScript figures. Some minor changes.
Astronomical Journal, in pres
Quasars and Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies: At the Limit?
We have detected the host galaxies of 16 nearby, radio-quiet quasars using
images obtained with the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer
(NICMOS). We confirm that these luminous quasars tend to live in luminous,
early-type host galaxies, and we use the host-galaxy magnitudes to refine the
luminosity/host-mass limit inferred from ground-based studies. If quasars obey
the relation found for massive dark
objects in nonactive galaxies, then our analysis implies that they radiate at
up to of the Eddington rate. An analogous analysis for ultraluminous
infrared galaxies shows them to accrete at up to similar Eddington fractions,
consistent with the hypothesis that some of them are powered by embedded
quasars.Comment: 9 pages, includes 2 eps figs, accepted to ApJLet
Parallel Evolution of Quasi-separatrix Layers and Active Region Upflows
Persistent plasma upflows were observed with Hinode's EUV Imaging
Spectrometer (EIS) at the edges of active region (AR) 10978 as it crossed the
solar disk. We analyze the evolution of the photospheric magnetic and velocity
fields of the AR, model its coronal magnetic field, and compute the location of
magnetic null-points and quasi-sepratrix layers (QSLs) searching for the origin
of EIS upflows. Magnetic reconnection at the computed null points cannot
explain all of the observed EIS upflow regions. However, EIS upflows and QSLs
are found to evolve in parallel, both temporarily and spatially. Sections of
two sets of QSLs, called outer and inner, are found associated to EIS upflow
streams having different characteristics. The reconnection process in the outer
QSLs is forced by a large-scale photospheric flow pattern which is present in
the AR for several days. We propose a scenario in which upflows are observed
provided a large enough asymmetry in plasma pressure exists between the
pre-reconnection loops and for as long as a photospheric forcing is at work. A
similar mechanism operates in the inner QSLs, in this case, it is forced by the
emergence and evolution of the bipoles between the two main AR polarities. Our
findings provide strong support to the results from previous individual case
studies investigating the role of magnetic reconnection at QSLs as the origin
of the upflowing plasma. Furthermore, we propose that persistent reconnection
along QSLs does not only drive the EIS upflows, but it is also responsible for
a continuous metric radio noise-storm observed in AR 10978 along its disk
transit by the Nan\c{c}ay Radio Heliograph.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figure
How Can Active Region Plasma Escape into the Solar Wind from below a Closed Helmet Streamer?
Recent studies show that active-region (AR) upflowing plasma, observed by the
EUV-Imaging Spectrometer (EIS), onboard Hinode, can gain access to open
field-lines and be released into the solar wind (SW) via magnetic-interchange
reconnection at magnetic null-points in pseudo-streamer configurations. When
only one bipolar AR is present on the Sun and it is fully covered by the
separatrix of a streamer, such as AR 10978 in December 2007, it seems unlikely
that the upflowing AR plasma can find its way into the slow SW. However,
signatures of plasma with AR composition have been found at 1 AU by Culhane et
al. (2014) apparently originating from the West of AR 10978. We present a
detailed topology analysis of AR 10978 and the surrounding large-scale corona
based on a potential-field source-surface (PFSS) model. Our study shows that it
is possible for the AR plasma to get around the streamer separatrix and be
released into the SW via magnetic reconnection, occurring in at least two main
steps. We analyse data from the Nan\c{c}ay Radioheliograph (NRH) searching for
evidence of the chain of magnetic reconnections proposed. We find a noise storm
above the AR and several varying sources at 150.9 MHz. Their locations suggest
that they could be associated with particles accelerated during the first-step
reconnection process and at a null point well outside of the AR. However, we
find no evidence of the second-step reconnection in the radio data. Our results
demonstrate that even when it appears highly improbable for the AR plasma to
reach the SW, indirect channels involving a sequence of reconnections can make
it possible.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures. appears in Solar Physics, 201
Asymmetric Landau-Zener tunneling in a periodic potential
Using a simple model for nonlinear Landau-Zener tunneling between two energy
bands of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a periodic potential, we find that the
tunneling rates for the two directions of tunneling are not the same. Tunneling
from the ground state to the excited state is enhanced by the nonlinearity,
whereas in the opposite direction it is suppressed. These findings are
confirmed by numerical simulations of the condensate dynamics. Measuring the
tunneling rates for a condensate of rubidium atoms in an optical lattice, we
have found experimental evidence for this asymmetry.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
A Uniform Analysis of the Ly-alpha forest at z = 0 - 5: I. The sample and distribution of clouds at z > 1.7
We present moderate resolution data for 39 QSOs at z 2 obtained at
the Multiple Mirror Telescope. These data are combined with spectra of
comparable resolution of 60 QSOs with redshifts greater than 1.7 found in the
literature to investigate the distribution of Ly-alpha forest lines in redshift
and equivalent width. We find a value for , the parameter describing
the number distribution of Ly-alpha forest lines in redshift, of
for lines stronger than a rest equivalent width of 0.32 , in good
agreement with some previous studies. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was applied
to the data and it is found that this single power law is a good fit over the
relevant redshift ranges. Simulations of the Lyman alpha forest were performed
to determine the completeness of the line lists and to test how well the
analysis the underlying line statistics, given this level of completeness.Comment: minor corrections to text, 37 Latex pages, 11 encapsulated Postscript
figures, uses emulateapj.sty, To appear in the Sept. 2000 ApJS, line lists
and spectra available at http://qso.as.arizona.edu/~jscott/Spectra/index.htm
Site-selective Probe of Magnetic Excitations in Rare-earth Nickelates using Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering
We have used high-resolution resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) to
study a thin film of NdNiO, a compound whose unusual spin- and bond-ordered
electronic ground state has been of long-standing interest. Below the magnetic
ordering temperature, we observe well-defined collective magnon excitations
along different high-symmetry directions in momentum space. The magnetic
spectra depend strongly on the incident photon energy, which we attribute to
RIXS coupling to different local electronic configurations of the expanded and
compressed NiO octahedra in the bond-ordered state. Both the noncollinear
magnetic ground state and the observed site-dependent magnon excitations are
well described by a model that assumes strong competition between the
antiferromagnetic superexchange and ferromagnetic double-exchange interactions.
Our study provides direct insight into the magnetic dynamics and exchange
interactions of the rare-earth nickelates, and demonstrates that RIXS can serve
as a site-selective probe of magnetism in these and other materials.Comment: Phys. Rev. X, in pres
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