Global Oscillations Research Articles

Chinese sunspot drawings and their digitization – (II) accuracy analysis for digitized sunspot hand-drawing records of Yunnan Observatories

Sunspots are the most striking and easily observed magnetic structures of the Sun, and statistical analysis of solar historical data could reveal a wealth of information on the long-term variation of solar activity cycle. The hand-drawn sunspot records of Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences have been accumulating for more than 60 years, and nearly 16 000 images have been preserved. In the future, the observation mode of recording sunspots by hand-drawing will be replaced inevitably by digital images observed either at ground or in space. To connect the hand-drawn sunspot data and the purely digital sunspot data in future, it is necessary to analyze the systematic errors of the data which are observed by the two observation modes in the period of transition. In this paper, we choose 268 round sunspots (H-type in modified Zurich sunspot classification) from the drawing of Yunnan Observatories to compare their positions and areas with the CCD observations made by Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) and Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG). We find that the latitude and longitude accuracy of hand-drawn sunspot are within −0.127 and 2.29 degree respectively, and the area accuracy is about 16.36 sunspot unit (μHem). Systematic errors apparently decrease with large sunspot.

Large-Scale Solar Magnetic Fields Observed with the Infrared Spectro-Polarimeter IRmag at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan: Comparison of Measurements Made in Different Spectral Lines and Observatories

This study presents the results of a quantitative analysis of IRmag (infrared Stokes spectro-polarimeter, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, (NAOJ)/Mitaka) observations in three spectral lines Fe i 1564.8 nm, Si i 1082.72 nm, He i 1083.0 nm, and comparison between IRmag magnetograms and ones from the Solar Dynamic Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (SDO/HMI), Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG), Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO), and Solar Telescope for Operative Predictions (STOP). It is shown that there is a good correlation between observations in all three IRmag spectral lines, but with significant differences in the measured field strengths caused by different depths of formation and, probably, by calibration issues. The correlation of IRmag magnetograms with ones from other observatories, and between different observatories among each other, is as good as 0.70 – 0.95, depending on the combination, but nevertheless there are significant systematic differences (linear-regression coefficients deviating from unity) between different data sets (up to a factor of three or even more).

Impacts of climatic variability on northward flowing rivers in North America, using a paired basin approach

AbstractNorthward flowing rivers are the most vulnerable system to a general early warming trend in terms of flood risk. In a changing climate, how well we understand the variability of precipitation and streamflow and the correspondence between them determines the appropriateness and efficiency of river engineering activities, flood control structures, and water resource management policies. Using both time and frequency domain approaches, this study investigated variations and periodicities in precipitation and discharge of two neighboring northward flowing river basins, the Red River of the North (referred to hereafter as the Red River) basin and the Little Missouri River basin in North America. Additionally, this study also characterized whether the most dominant quasiperiodic climate variation El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affected regional precipitation and streamflow. Results indicated that the southern and central Red River basin experienced significant increases in precipitation and discharge, particularly in cold season, while the Little Missouri River basin had no statistically significant change in precipitation or discharge. The global atmospheric oscillation ENSO had little effects on the regional precipitation and streamflow increases in the Red River basin. Furthermore, strong spectral coherences and prominent annual/semi‐annual periodicities in precipitation and discharge were revealed, confirming how precipitation determines frequency peaks and primary oscillation cycles of discharges in both basins. By removing broad‐scale climatic driver, this study indicated that some local forcing is most likely responsible for the excessive water abundances in the Red River basin, among which agriculture land usages stand out to be the most promising driver.

Chromium Nucleosynthesis and Silicon–Carbon Shell Mergers in Massive Stars

Abstract We analyze the production of the element Cr in galactic chemical evolution (GCE) models using the NuGrid nucleosynthesis yields set. We show that the unusually large [Cr/Fe] abundance at [Fe/H] ≈ 0 reported by previous studies using those yields and predicted by our Milky Way model originates from the merging of convective Si-burning and C-burning shells in a 20 model at metallicity Z = 0.01, about an hour before the star explodes. This merger mixes the incomplete burning material in the Si shell, including 51V and 52Cr, out to the edge of the carbon/oxygen (CO) core. The adopted supernova model ejects the outer 2 of the CO core, which includes a significant fraction of the Cr-rich material. When including this 20 M ⊙ model at Z = 0.01 in the yields interpolation scheme of our GCE model for stars between 15 and 25 , we overestimate [Cr/Fe] by an order of magnitude at [Fe/H] ≈ 0 relative to observations in the Galactic disk. This raises a number of questions regarding the occurrence of Si–C shell mergers in nature, the accuracy of different simulation approaches, and the impact of such mergers on the presupernova structure and explosion dynamics. According to the conditions in this 1D stellar model, the substantial penetration of C-shell material into the Si shell could launch a convective–reactive global oscillation if a merger does take place. In any case, GCE provides stringent constraints on the outcome of this stellar evolution phase.

Sterile neutrinos with altered dispersion relations revisited

In this paper we investigate neutrino oscillations with altered dispersion relations in the presence of sterile neutrinos. Modified dispersion relations represent an agnostic way to parameterize new physics. Models of this type have been suggested to explain global neutrino oscillation data, including deviations from the standard three-neutrino paradigm as observed by a few experiments. We show that, unfortunately, in this type of models new tensions arise turning them incompatible with global data.

Solar-Cycle Variation of the Subsurface Flows of Active- and Quiet-Region Subsets

We study the solar-cycle variation of subsurface flows for both active and quiet solar regions. We derive flows from the surface to a depth of 16 Mm using ring-diagram analysis applied to Dopplergrams obtained with the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) Dynamics Program, the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG), and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument. We derive the temporal variation of the zonal and meridional flows in a consistent manner for Solar Cycles 23 and 24 combining the flows from the three data sources scaled to match HMI-derived flows. The subsurface flows associated with active and quiet regions show the same variation with the solar cycle with alternating bands of faster- and slower-than-average zonal and meridional flows moving from mid-latitudes toward the equator during the course of a cycle. We derive the differences between the amplitudes of the extrema of the fast and the slow flows. For Cycle 24, the average difference between the fast- and slow-flow amplitude is $9.5 \pm 0.5~\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-1}$ for the zonal flows and $7.0 \pm 0.4~\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-1}$ for the meridional flows of the quiet-region subset averaged over 2 to 12 Mm within $\pm 30^{\circ}$ latitude. For the active-region subset, the average difference is $10.4 \pm 0.9~\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-1}$ for the zonal flows and $9.3 \pm 0.7~\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-1}$ for the meridional flows. We subtract the flows of the quiet-region subset from those of the active-region one to determine the contribution of active regions to the long-term flow pattern. The resulting meridional flow associated with active regions has a maximum amplitude near 3.1 Mm and its amplitude decreases with depth. This implies that the converging flows attributed to active regions are a shallow-layer phenomenon.

Longitudinal filament oscillations enhanced by two C-class flares

Context. Large-amplitude, longitudinal filament oscillations triggered by solar flares have been well established in the literature. However, filament oscillations enhanced by flares have never been reported. Aims. In this paper we report the multiwavelength observations of a very long filament in active region (AR) 11112 on 2010 October 18. The filament was composed of two parts, the eastern part (EP) and the western part (WP). We focus on longitudinal oscillations of the EP, which were enhanced by two homologous C-class flares in the same AR. Methods. The filament was observed in Hα wavelength by the Global Oscillation Network Group and in extreme ultraviolet wavelengths by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Line-of-sight magnetograms were provided by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board SDO. The global three-dimensional magnetic fields were obtained using the potential field source surface modeling. Soft X-ray light curves of the two flares were recorded by the GOES spacecraft. White light images of the corona were observed by the LASCO/C2 coronagraph on board SOHO. To reproduce part of the observations, we perform one-dimensional, hydrodynamic numerical simulations using the MPI-AMRVAC code. Results. The C1.3 flare was confined without a coronal mass ejection (CME). Both EP and WP of the filament were slightly disturbed and survived the flare. After 5 h, eruption of the WP generated a C2.6 flare and a narrow jet-like CME. Three oscillating threads (thda, thdb, thdc) are obviously identified in the EP, and their oscillations are naturally divided into three phases by the two flares. The initial amplitude ranges from 1.6 to 30 Mm with a mean value of ∼14 Mm. The period ranges from 34 to 73 min with a mean value of ∼53 min. The curvature radii of the magnetic dips are estimated to be 29 to 133 Mm with a mean value of ∼74 Mm. The damping times ranges from ∼62 to ∼96 min with a mean value of ∼82 min. The value of τ/P is between 1.2 and 1.8. For thda in the EP, the amplitudes were enhanced by the two flares from 6.1 Mm to 6.8 Mm after the C1.3 flare, and further to 21.4 Mm after the C2.6 flare. The period variation as a result of perturbation from the flares was within 20%. The attenuation became faster after the C2.6 flare. Conclusions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of large-amplitude, longitudinal filament oscillations enhanced by flares. Numerical simulations reproduce the oscillations of thda very well. The simulated amplitudes and periods are close to the observed values, while the damping time in the last phase is longer, implying additional mechanisms should be taken into account apart from radiative loss.

Solar Rossby waves observed in GONG++ ring-diagram flow maps

Context. Solar Rossby waves have only recently been unambiguously identified in Helioseimsic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and Michelson Doppler Imager maps of flows near the solar surface. So far this has not been done with the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) ground-based observations, which have different noise properties. Aims. We use 17 years of GONG++ data to identify and characterize solar Rossby waves using ring-diagram helioseismology. We compare directly with HMI ring-diagram analysis. Methods. Maps of the radial vorticity were obtained for flows within the top 2 Mm of the surface for 17 years of GONG++ data. The data were corrected for systematic effects including the annual periodicity related to the B0 angle. We then computed the Fourier components of the radial vorticity of the flows in the co-rotating frame. We performed the same analysis on the HMI data that overlap in time. Results. We find that the solar Rossby waves have measurable amplitudes in the GONG++ sectoral power spectra for azimuthal orders between m = 3 and m = 15. The measured mode characteristics (frequencies, lifetimes, and amplitudes) from GONG++ are consistent with the HMI measurements in the overlap period from 2010 to 2018 for m ≤ 9. For higher-m modes the amplitudes and frequencies agree within two sigmas. The signal-to-noise ratio of modes in GONG++ power spectra is comparable to those of HMI for 8 ≤ m ≤ 11, but is lower by a factor of two for other modes. Conclusions. The GONG++ data provide a long and uniform data set that can be used to study solar global-scale Rossby waves from 2001.

Effects of Global Climate Oscillations on Intermonthly to Interannual Variability of Sea levels along the English Channel Coasts (NW France)

Summary This work examines the multiscale variability in sea level along the English Channel coasts (NW France) using a wavelet multiresolution decomposition of water level values and climate oscillations in order to gain insights in the connection between the global atmospheric circulation and the local-scale variability of the monthly extreme surges. Changes in surges have exhibited different oscillatory components from the intermonthly (∼3–6-months) to the interannual scales (∼1.5-years, ∼2–4-years, ∼5–8-years) with mean explained variances of ∼40% and ∼25% of the total variability respectively. The correlation between the multiresolution components of surges and 28 exceptional stormy events with different intensities has revealed that energetic events are manifested at all timescales while moderate events are limited to short scales. By considering the two hypotheses of (1) the physical mechanisms of the atmospheric circulation change according to the timescales and (2) their connection with the local variability improves the prediction of the extremes, the multiscale components of the monthly extreme surges have been investigated using four different climate oscillations (Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Sea-Level Pressure (SLP), Zonal Wind (ZW), and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)); results show statistically significant correlations with ∼3–6-months, ∼1.5-years, ∼2–4-years, and ∼5–8-years, respectively. Such physical links, from global to local scales, have been considered to model the multiscale monthly extreme surges using a time-dependent Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution. The incorporation of the climate information in the GEV parameters has considerably improved the fitting of the different timescales of surges with an explained variance higher than 30%. This improvement exhibits their nonlinear relationship with the large-scale atmospheric circulation.

El Niño forecasting based on the global atmospheric oscillation

AbstractThe predictability of El Niño and La Niña is investigated. In this case, the recently discovered so‐called global atmospheric oscillation (GAO) is considered. Assuming GAO to be the main mode of short‐term climatic variability, this study defines an index that characterizes the dynamics and relationships of the extratropical components of the GAO and El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Due to the general propagation of the GAO's spatial structure from west to east, another index – predictor of ENSO is defined. The cross‐wavelet analysis between both of these indices and the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) is performed. This analysis reveals a range of timescales within which the closest relationship between the GAO and ONI takes place. Using this relationship, it is possible to predict El Niño and La Niña with a lead‐time of approximately 12 months.

Small, Low-energy, Dispersive Solar Energetic Particle Events Observed by Parker Solar Probe

The Energetic Particle Instrument–Low Energy (EPI-Lo) experiment has detected several weak, low-energy (~30–300 keV nucleon⁻¹) solar energetic particle (SEP) events during its first two closest approaches to the Sun, providing a unique opportunity to explore the sources of low-energy particle acceleration. As part of the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (IS⊙IS) suite, EPI-Lo was designed to investigate the physics of energetic particles; however, in the special lowest-energy time-of-flight only product used in this study, it also responds to solar photons in a subset of approximately sunward-looking apertures lacking special light-attenuating foils. During the first three perihelia, in a frame rotating with the Sun, PSP undergoes retrograde motion, covering a 17° heliographic longitudinal range three times during the course of the ~11-day perihelion passes, permitting a unique spatial and temporal study into the location, correlation, and persistence of previously unmeasurable SEPs. We examine the signatures of these SEPs (during the first PSP perihelion pass only) and the connection to possible solar sources using remote observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), and the ground-based Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG). The orientation of the Sun relative to STEREO, SDO, and GONG makes such identifications challenging, but we do have several candidates, including an equatorial coronal hole at a Carrington longitude of ~335°. To analyze observations from EPI-Lo, which is a new type of particle instrument, we examine instrumental effects and provide a preliminary separation of the ion signal from the photon background.

Synoptic Meteorology Explains Temperate Forest Carbon Uptake

AbstractWhile substantial attention has been paid to the effects of both global climate oscillations and local meteorological conditions on the interannual variability of ecosystem carbon exchange, the relationship between the interannual variability of synoptic meteorology and ecosystem carbon exchange has not been well studied. Here we use a clustering algorithm to identify a summertime cyclonic precipitation system northwest of the Great Lakes to determine (a) the association at a daily scale between the occurrence of this system and the local meteorology and net ecosystem exchange at three Great Lakes region forested eddy covariance sites and (b) the association between the seasonal prevalence of this system and the summertime net ecosystem exchange of these sites. We find that temperature, in addition to precipitation and cloud cover, is an important explanatory factor for the suppression of net ecosystem productivity that occurs during these cyclonic events in this region. In addition, the prevalence of this cyclonic system can explain a significant proportion of the interannual variability in summertime forest ecosystem exchange in this region. This explanatory power is not due to a simple accumulation of low‐productivity days that cooccur with this meteorological event, but rather a broader association between the frequency of these events and several aspects of prevailing seasonal conditions. This work demonstrates the usefulness of conceptualizing meteorology in terms of synoptic systems for explaining the interannual variability of regional carbon fluxes.

The Musical Structure of Time in the Brain: Repetition, Rhythm, and Harmony in fMRI During Rest and Passive Movie Viewing.

Space generally overshadows time in the construction of theories in cognitive neuroscience. In this paper, we pivot from the spatial axes to the temporal, analyzing fMRI image series to reveal structures in time rather than space. To determine affinities among global brain patterns at different times, core concepts in network analysis (derived from graph theory) were applied temporally, as relations among brain images at every time point during an fMRI scanning epoch. To explore the temporal structures observed through this adaptation of network analysis, data from 180 subjects in the Human Connectome Project were examined, during two experimental conditions: passive movie viewing and rest. The temporal brain, like the spatial brain, exhibits a modular structure, where “modules” are intermittent (distributed in time). These temporal entities are here referred to as themes. Short sequences of themes – motifs – were studied in sequences from 4 to 11 s in length. Many motifs repeated at constant intervals, and are therefore rhythmic; rhythms, converted to frequencies, were often harmonic. We speculate that the structure and interaction of these global oscillations underwrites the capacity to experience and navigate a world which is both recognizably stable and noticeably changing at every moment – a temporal world. In its temporal structure, this brain-constituted world resembles music.

Solar cycle variation of νmax in helioseismic data and its implications for asteroseismology

ABSTRACT The frequency, νmax, at which the envelope of pulsation power peaks for solar-like oscillators is an important quantity in asteroseismology. We measure νmax for the Sun using 25 yr of Sun-as-a-star Doppler velocity observations with the Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON), by fitting a simple model to binned power spectra of the data. We also apply the fit to Sun-as-a-star Doppler velocity data from Global Oscillation Network Group and Global Oscillations at Low Frequency, and photometry data from VIRGO/SPM on the ESA/NASA SOHO spacecraft. We discover a weak but nevertheless significant positive correlation of the solar νmax with solar activity. The uncovered shift between low and high activity, of $\simeq 25\, \rm \mu Hz$, translates to an uncertainty of 0.8 per cent in radius and 2.4 per cent in mass, based on direct use of asteroseismic scaling relations calibrated to the Sun. The mean νmax in the different data sets is also clearly offset in frequency. Our results flag the need for caution when using νmax in asteroseismology.

Data-driven control of water reservoirs using an emulator of the climate system

This study presents a novel approach to combine a data-driven control strategy with an emulator model of the climate system in order to make the optimal control of water systems more flexible and adaptive to the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events. These latter are often associated with global climate anomalies, which are difficult to model and incorporate into optimal control algorithms. In this paper, we compare a traditional control policy conditioned only on the reservoir storage with an informed controller that enlarges the state space to include the emulated dynamics of global Sea Surface Temperature anomalies. The multi-purpose operations of Lake Como in Italy, accounting for flood control and water supply, is used as a case study. Numerical results show that the proposed approach provides a 59% improvement in system performance with respect to traditional solutions. This gain further increases during extreme drought episodes, which are influenced by global climate oscillations.

What expect us in XXI centure: further heating or cooling of climate?

The natural and anthropogenic factors of global air temperature oscillations are examined and compared. The analysis of solar radiation intensity for the last 300 years was observed, the prediction of solar activity on the period until 2100 year was carried out. Quality estimates of expected global air temperature variations in the current century were received.

Three-flavor neutrino oscillations and beyond

In this work we summarize the current status of global neutrino oscillation analyses in the three-neutrino framework. We first describe the different data samples included in the global fit, emphasizing the role of each of them in constraining a given set of parameters. Next, we discuss the main improvements obtained thanks to the consideration of the latest experimental data. The status of the yet-unknown parameters, such as the true neutrino mass ordering, the Dirac CP-violating phase and the octant of the atmospheric mixing angle is also commented. Finally, we discuss some scenarios where the measurement of the reactor mixing angle or the CP violation phase could be significantly affected by the presence of neutrino physics beyond the Standard Model.

Global Helioseismology

Helioseismology is one of the most successful fields of astrophysics. The observation and character-ization of solar oscillation has allowed solar seismologists to study the internal structure and dynamics of the Sun with unprecedented thoroughness. Ground-based networks and dedicated space missions have delivered data of exquisite quality, enabling the development of sophisticated inference techniques. The achievements of the fields count, amongst other, the determination of solar photospheric helium abundance, unacessible to spectroscopic constraints, the precise positioning of the base of the convective zone and the demonstration of the importance of microscopic diffusion in stellar radiative regions. Helioseismology played also a key role in validating the framework used to compute solar and stellar models and played an important role in the so-called solar neutrino problem. In the current era of astrophysics, with the increasing importance of asteroseismology to precisely characterize stars, the Sun still plays a crucial calibration role, acting as a benchmark for stellar models. With the revision of the solar abundances and the current discussions related to radiative opacity computations, the role of the Sun as a laboratory of fundamental physics is undisputable. In this brief review, I will discuss some of the inference techniques developed in the field of helioseismology, dedicated to the exploitation of the solar global oscillation modes.

Spike-and-Wave Discharges Are Not Pathological Sleep Spindles, Network-Level Aspects of Age-Dependent Absence Seizure Development in Rats.

Spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs) of absence epilepsy are considered as pathologic alterations of sleep spindles; however, their network-level relationship has never been convincingly revealed. In order to observe the development and generalization of the thalamocortical SWDs and the concomitant alterations of sleep related oscillations, we performed local field potential (LFP) and single unit recordings in rats for three months during their maturation. We found that while SWDs and spindles look similar in young, they become different with maturation and shift to appear in different brain states. Thus, despite being generated by the same network, they are likely two distinct manifestations of the thalamocortical activity. We show that while spindles are already mainly global oscillations, SWDs appear mainly only focally in young. They become capable to generalize later with maturation, when the out-of-focus brain regions develop a decreased inhibitory/excitatory balance. These results suggest that a hyperexcitable focus is not sufficient alone to drive generalized absence seizures. Importantly, we also found the gradual age dependent disappearance of sleep spindles coinciding with the simultaneous gradual emergence of spike and waves, which both could be reversed by the proper dosing of ethosuximide (ETX). Based on these observations we conclude that the absence seizure development might be a multi-step process, which might involve the functional impairment of cortical interneurons and network-level changes that negatively affect sleep quality.

Understanding the Plasma and Magnetic Field Evolution of a Filament Using Observations and Nonlinear Force-free Field Modeling

Abstract We present observations and magnetic field models of an intermediate filament present on the Sun in 2012 August, associated with a polarity inversion line that extends from AR 11541 in the east into the quiet Sun at its western end. A combination of Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), and Global Oscillation Network Group Hα data allow us to analyze the structure and evolution of the filament from 2012 August 4 23:00 UT to 2012 August 6 08:00 UT when the filament was in equilibrium. By applying the flux rope insertion method, nonlinear force-free field models of the filament are constructed using SDO/HMI line-of-sight magnetograms as the boundary condition at the two times given above. Guided by observed filament barbs, both modeled flux ropes are split into three sections each with a different value of axial flux to represent the nonuniform photospheric field distribution. The flux in the eastern section of the rope increases by 4 × 1020 Mx between the two models, which is in good agreement with the amount of flux canceled along the internal PIL of AR 11541, calculated to be 3.2 × 1020 Mx. This suggests that flux cancellation builds flux into the filament’s magnetic structure. Additionally, the number of field line dips increases between the two models in the locations where flux cancellation, the formation of new filament threads, and growth of the filament is observed. This suggests that flux cancellation associated with magnetic reconnection forms concave-up magnetic field that lifts plasma into the filament. During this time, the free magnetic energy in the models increases by 0.2 × 1031 ergs.