Institute Of Solar-Terrestrial Physics Research Articles

Relative concentration of oxygen atoms and molecules at a height of 120 km according to the data of ionospheric measurements

It is convenient to use the semi-empirical model (SEM), developed by the authors earlier and describing the relation of the electron density at heights of the middle ionosphere (120–200 km) to the parameters of the thermosphere and the integral flux of the ionizing solar radiation, to estimate the gas composition characteristics using the data of ionospheric measurements [Shchepkin et al., 2008]. The ratios of the concentrations of oxygen atoms and nitrogen molecules to those of oxygen molecules and atoms at a height of 120 km are compared using two SEM versions. The first version is based on the usage of the coefficients obtained from the measurements of N(h) profiles at Moscow observatory. The electron densities at heights of 120–200 km, obtained at the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics in 2003–2006 using the digisonde, were the experimental data for the second version.

Simulation of the current sheet in a flare-active region and comparison to radio data

Numerical three-dimensional MHD simulations demonstrated that a current sheet (CS) was formed over active region AR 0365 before the flare of May 27, 2003, and the energy was accumulated in its magnetic field. Maps of the photospheric magnetic field in its preflare state were used in the simulations to define the boundary conditions instead of the usually applied approximation of the field in an active region by dipoles or magnetic charges. The CS was formed in the vicinity of a singular line as a result of focusing the magnetic field disturbances observed before the flare. The calculated CS position corresponded to the maximum brightness temperature of the flare detected by the Siberian Solar Radio Telescope SSRT (Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Irkutsk). This testifies that the flare could result from the dissipation of energy accumulated in the field of the CS, which arose over the active region.

The Main Results and the Perspectives in the Researches at SSRT

In this report briefly presented the contemporary state of the experimental base of Radio Astrophysical Observatory (RAO) of the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP), the methodology of radioheliographic monitoring of the solar corona, the SSRT database, the RAO Web-pages, factors limiting the effective use of SSRT. Here are formulated the original results of the basic directions of the solar activity researches and the problems solutions on SSRT: (1) active regions at various development stages, morphology, modeling,signs of energy accumulation and flares buildup, forecast of powerful flares; (2) scenario, topology and the fine temporal picture of flares development, signs of primary energy release, radio emission mechanisms, scatter effects of radio emission in turbulent corona, energetic particles fluxes; (3) filaments; (4) CME with the localization of their initiation at the solar disk background, development scenario of filament activation + CME +flare; (5) coronal holes, and (6) bright coronal points.

DYNAMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TRAVELING WAVE PACKETS OF TOTAL ELECTRON CONTENT DISTURBANCES

Using the COPHASE method and the GPS interferometry method for travelling ionospheric disturbances, we analyze in detail the spatio-temporal properties of travelling wave packets (TWP) of total electron content (TEC) disturbances. The analysis is performed on the example of a clearest TWP manifestation observed in California, USA, in October 18, 2001, using the GLOBDET technique, developed at the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of RAS for global detection and monitoring of natural and technogenic ionospheric disturbances on the basis of TEC variations retrieved from the global network of GPS receivers. In the time domain, TWPs are quasi-periodic TEC oscillations of duration about 1 h, period of 10–20 min, and amplitude exceeding that of the background TEC fluctuations by at least one order of magnitude. The velocity and direction of TWP motion are similar to those of mid-latitude mesoscale travelling ionospheric disturbances, as obtained earlier from the analysis of phase parameters of HF radio signals and the signals of geostationary satellites and discrete space radio sources.

A spectropolarimetric study of theH α radiation from ellerman bombs

Polarization data are given for three whiskers recorded with the large solar vacuum telescope at the Baikal Observatory, Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences. The observed degree of polarization varies from 2 to 13%. The direction of the polarization plane for the mediumintensity whisker was tangential, while that for the weakest one was radial. The brightest whisker had the polarization plane direction close to radial at the center of the line but tangential at the flanks. It is assumed that the polarization is due to impact excitation of a hydrogen-atom ensemble in the solar chromosphere by an electron beam, and estimates are made of the beam energy.

Some results of empirical modelling of quasi-trapped electron fluxes for geostationary altitudes

The work done at the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) on the development of a dynamical model of electron fluxes at geostationary orbits is briefly reviewed. Experimental data from geostationary satellites are represented as the sum of different components with different sources. In this study, we used both the expansion into a Fourier series in terms of local time and special function approximating substorm flux bursts analytically. The problem of using L- B coordinates is discussed, and a new M-MLT coordinate system is suggested. First results derived by using this new system are presented.