1,709 research outputs found
Using Coronal Loops to Reconstruct the Magnetic Field of an Active Region Before and After a Major Flare
The shapes of solar coronal loops are sensitive to the presence of electrical
currents that are the carriers of the nonpotential energy available for
impulsive activity. We use this information in a new method for modeling the
coronal magnetic field of AR 11158 as a nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF). The
observations used are coronal images around time of major flare activity on
2011/02/15, together with the surface line-of-sight magnetic field
measurements. The data are from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager and
Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (HMI and AIA, respectively) onboard the Solar
Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The model fields are constrained to approximate the
coronal loop configurations as closely as possible, while also subject to the
force-free constraints. The method does not use transverse photospheric
magnetic field components as input, and is thereby distinct from methods for
modeling NLFFFs based on photospheric vector magnetograms. We validate the
method using observations of AR 11158 at a time well before major flaring, and
subsequently review the field evolution just prior to and following an X2.2
flare and associated eruption. The models indicate that the energy released
during the instability is about erg, consistent with what is
needed to power such a large eruptive flare. Immediately prior to the eruption
the model field contains a compact sigmoid bundle of twisted flux that is not
present in the post-eruption models, which is consistent with the observations.
The core of that model structure is twisted by full turns about
its axis.Comment: ApJ, in pres
Seismic Constraints on Interior Solar Convection
We constrain the velocity spectral distribution of global-scale solar
convective cells at depth using techniques of local helioseismology. We
calibrate the sensitivity of helioseismic waves to large-scale convective cells
in the interior by analyzing simulations of waves propagating through a
velocity snapshot of global solar convection via methods of time-distance
helioseismology. Applying identical analysis techniques to observations of the
Sun, we are able to bound from above the magnitudes of solar convective cells
as a function of spatial convective scale. We find that convection at a depth
of with spatial extent , where is the
spherical harmonic degree, comprise weak flow systems, on the order of 15 m/s
or less. Convective features deeper than are more difficult
to image due to the rapidly decreasing sensitivity of helioseismic waves.Comment: accepted, ApJ Letters, 5 figures, 10 pages (in this version
Open Pedagogy
Chapter in the book Scholarly Communication Librarianship and Open Knowledge
Editors: Maria Bonn, Joshua Bolick, and William Cross
Publisher: The Association of College Research Libraries
Year: 202
Gavestinel does not improve outcome after acute intracerebral hemorrhage: an analysis from the GAIN International and GAIN Americas studies
<p><b>Background and Purpose:</b> Glycine Antagonist in Neuroprotection (GAIN) International and GAIN Americas trials were prospectively designed, randomized, placebo-controlled trials of gavestinel, a glycine-site antagonist and putative neuroprotectant drug administered within 6 hours of suspected ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Both trials reported that gavestinel was ineffective in ischemic stroke. This analysis reports the results in those with primary intracerebral hemorrhage.</p>
<p><b>Methods:</b> The primary hypothesis was that gavestinel treatment did not alter outcome, measured at 3 months by the Barthel Index (BI), from acute intracerebral hemorrhage, based on pooled results from both trials. The BI scores were divided into 3 groups: 95 to 100 (independent), 60 to 90 (assisted independence), and 0 to 55 (dependent) or dead.</p>
<p><b>Results:</b> In total, 3450 patients were randomized in GAIN International (N=1804) and GAIN Americas (N=1646). Of these, 571 were ultimately identified to have spontaneous intracerebral hematoma on baseline head computerized tomography scan. The difference in distribution of trichotomized BI scores at 3 months between gavestinel and placebo was not statistically significant (P=0.09). Serious adverse events were reported at similar rates in the 2 treatment groups.</p>
<p><b>Conclusions:</b> These observations from the combined GAIN International and GAIN Americas trials suggest that gavestinel is not of substantial benefit or harm to patients with primary intracerebral hemorrhage. These findings are similar to results previously reported in patients with ischemic stroke.</p>
Coronal radiation belts
The magnetic field of the solar corona has a large-scale dipole character,
which maps into the bipolar field in the solar wind. Using standard
representations of the coronal field, we show that high-energy ions can be
trapped stably in these large-scale closed fields. The drift shells that
describe the conservation of the third adiabatic invariant may have complicated
geometries. Particles trapped in these zones would resemble the Van Allen Belts
and could have detectable consequences. We discuss potential sources of trapped
particles
Structure and Evolution of Giant Cells in Global Models of Solar Convection
The global scales of solar convection are studied through three-dimensional
simulations of compressible convection carried out in spherical shells of
rotating fluid which extend from the base of the convection zone to within 15
Mm of the photosphere. Such modelling at the highest spatial resolution to date
allows study of distinctly turbulent convection, revealing that coherent
downflow structures associated with giant cells continue to play a significant
role in maintaining the strong differential rotation that is achieved. These
giant cells at lower latitudes exhibit prograde propagation relative to the
mean zonal flow, or differential rotation, that they establish, and retrograde
propagation of more isotropic structures with vortical character at mid and
high latitudes. The interstices of the downflow networks often possess strong
and compact cyclonic flows. The evolving giant-cell downflow systems can be
partly masked by the intense smaller scales of convection driven closer to the
surface, yet they are likely to be detectable with the helioseismic probing
that is now becoming available. Indeed, the meandering streams and varying
cellular subsurface flows revealed by helioseismology must be sampling
contributions from the giant cells, yet it is difficult to separate out these
signals from those attributed to the faster horizontal flows of
supergranulation. To aid in such detection, we use our simulations to describe
how the properties of giant cells may be expected to vary with depth, how their
patterns evolve in time, and analyze the statistical features of correlations
within these complex flow fields.Comment: 22 pages, 16 figures (color figures are low res), uses emulateapj.cls
Latex class file, Results shown during a Press release at the AAS meeting in
June 2007. Submitted to Ap
The Influence of Spatial Resolution on Nonlinear Force-Free Modeling
The nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) model is often used to describe the
solar coronal magnetic field, however a series of earlier studies revealed
difficulties in the numerical solution of the model in application to
photospheric boundary data. We investigate the sensitivity of the modeling to
the spatial resolution of the boundary data, by applying multiple codes that
numerically solve the NLFFF model to a sequence of vector magnetogram data at
different resolutions, prepared from a single Hinode/SOT-SP scan of NOAA Active
Region 10978 on 2007 December 13. We analyze the resulting energies and
relative magnetic helicities, employ a Helmholtz decomposition to characterize
divergence errors, and quantify changes made by the codes to the vector
magnetogram boundary data in order to be compatible with the force-free model.
This study shows that NLFFF modeling results depend quantitatively on the
spatial resolution of the input boundary data, and that using more highly
resolved boundary data yields more self-consistent results. The free energies
of the resulting solutions generally trend higher with increasing resolution,
while relative magnetic helicity values vary significantly between resolutions
for all methods. All methods require changing the horizontal components, and
for some methods also the vertical components, of the vector magnetogram
boundary field in excess of nominal uncertainties in the data. The solutions
produced by the various methods are significantly different at each resolution
level. We continue to recommend verifying agreement between the modeled field
lines and corresponding coronal loop images before any NLFFF model is used in a
scientific setting.Comment: Accepted to ApJ; comments/corrections to this article are welcome via
e-mail, even after publicatio
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