Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters Research Articles

Electron Cyclotron Maser Emission and the Brightest Solar Radio Bursts

This paper investigates the incidence of coherent emission in solar radio bursts, using a revised catalog of 3800 solar radio bursts observed by the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters from 1988 to 2023. We focus on the 1.0 and 2.0 GHz data, where radio fluxes of order 1010 Jy have been observed. Previous work has suggested that these bursts are due to electron cyclotron maser (ECM) emission. In at least one well-studied case, the bright emission at 1 GHz consists of narrowband spikes of millisecond duration. Coherent emission at 1 GHz can be distinguished from traditional incoherent gyrosynchrotron flare emission based on the radio spectrum: Gyrosynchrotron emission at 1 GHz usually has a spectrum rising with frequency, so bursts in which 1 GHz is stronger than higher-frequency measurements are unlikely to be incoherent gyrosynchrotron. Based on this criterion, it is found that for bursts exceeding 100 sfu, three-quarters of all bursts at 1 GHz and half of all 2 GHz bursts have a dominant coherent emission component, assumed to be ECM. The majority of the very bright bursts at 1 GHz are highly circularly polarized, consistent with a coherent emission mechanism, but not always 100% polarized. The frequency range from 1 to 2 GHz is heavily utilized for terrestrial applications, and these results are relevant for understanding the extreme flux levels that may impact such applications. Further, they provide a reference for comparison with the study of ECM emission from other stars and potentially exoplanets.

Relationship of peak fluxes of solar radio bursts and X-ray class of solar flares: Application to early great solar flares

Abstract Large solar flares occasionally trigger significant space-weather disturbances that affect the technological infrastructures of modern civilization, and therefore require further investigation. Although these solar flares have been monitored by satellite observations since the 1970s, large solar flares occur only infrequently and restrict systematic statistical research owing to data limitations. However, Toyokawa Observatory has operated solar radio observations at low frequencies (at 3.75 and 9.4 GHz) since 1951 and captured the early great flares as solar radio bursts. To estimate the magnitudes of flares that occurred before the start of solar X-ray (SXR) observations with the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) satellites, we show the relationship between microwave fluxes at 3.75 and 9.4 GHz and X-ray fluxes of flares that occurred after 1988. In total, we explored 341 solar flares observed with the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters and Toyokawa Observatory from 1988–2014 and compared them with the SXR observations recorded by the GOES satellites. The correlation coefficient was approximately 0.7. Therefore, the GOES X-ray class can be estimated from the peak flux at 3.75 and 9.4 GHz with a large variance and an error of factor of 3 (1σ). Thus, for the first time, we quantitatively estimated the light curves of two early solar flares observed in 1956 February by the Toyokawa solar radio observations using the relationship between SXR thermal radiation and microwave nonthermal radiation (Neupert, 1968, ApJ, 153, 59).

Flare quasi-periodic pulsation associated with recurrent jets

Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs), which carry time features and plasma characteristics of flare emissions, are frequently observed in light curves of solar/stellar flares. In this study, we investigated non-stationary QPPs associated with recurrent jets during an M1.2 flare on 2022 July 14. A quasi-period of ∼45±10 s, determined by the wavelet transform technique, is simultaneously identified at wavelengths of soft/hard X-ray and microwave emissions, which are recorded by the Gravitational Wave High-Energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor, Fermi and the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters, respectively. A group of recurrent jets with an intermittent cadence of about 45 ± 10 s are found in the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) image series at 304 Å, but they are 180 s earlier than the flare QPP. All observational facts suggest that the flare QPPs could be excited by recurrent jets, and they should be associated with non-thermal electrons that are periodically accelerated by a repeated energy release process, such as repetitive magnetic reconnection. Moreover, the same quasi-period is discovered at double footpoints connected by a hot flare loop in AIA 94 Å, and the phase speed is measured to be ∼1,420 km s−1. Based on the differential emission measure, the average temperatures, number densities, and magnetic field strengths at the loop top and footpoint are estimated to be ∼7.7/6.7 MK, ∼7.5/3.6 × 1010 cm−3, and ∼143/99 G, respectively. Our measurements indicate that the 45-s QPP is probably modulated by the kink-mode wave of the flare loop.

Study of Time Evolution of Thermal and Nonthermal Emission from an M-class Solar Flare

We conduct a wide-band X-ray spectral analysis in the energy range of 1.5–100 keV to study the time evolution of the M7.6-class flare of 2016 July 23, with the Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSat and the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) spacecraft. With the combination of MinXSS for soft X-rays and RHESSI for hard X-rays, a nonthermal component and three-temperature multithermal component—“cool” (T ≈ 3 MK), “hot” (T ≈ 15 MK), and “superhot” (T ≈ 30 MK)—were measured simultaneously. In addition, we successfully obtained the spectral evolution of the multithermal and nonthermal components with a 10 s cadence, which corresponds to the Alfvén timescale in the solar corona. We find that the emission measures of the cool and hot thermal components are drastically increasing more than hundreds of times and the superhot thermal component is gradually appearing after the peak of the nonthermal emission. We also study the microwave spectra obtained by the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters, and we find that there is continuous gyrosynchrotron emission from mildly relativistic nonthermal electrons. In addition, we conducted a differential emission measure (DEM) analysis by using Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory and determined that the DEM of cool plasma increases within the flaring loop. We find that the cool and hot plasma components are associated with chromospheric evaporation. The superhot plasma component could be explained by the thermalization of the nonthermal electrons trapped in the flaring loop.

Over seven decades of solar microwave data obtained with Toyokawa and Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters

AbstractMonitoring observations of solar microwave fluxes and their polarization began in Japan during the 1950s at Toyokawa and Mitaka. At present (April 2022), monitoring observations continues with the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters (NoRP) at the Nobeyama campus of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). In this paper, we present a brief history of the solar microwave monitoring observations preceding those now carried out by NoRP. We then review the solar microwave flux and polarization measurements obtained at Toyokawa and Nobeyama, and their metadata. The datasets are publicly provided by the Solar Data Archive System (SDAS) operated by the Astronomy Data Center of the NAOJ, via http (https://solar.nro.nao.ac.jp/norp/) and FTP (ftp://solar‐pub.nao.ac.jp/pub/nsro/norp/) protocols.

Quasi-periodic Accelerations of Energetic Particles during a Solar Flare

We report the observation of nonstationary quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in high-energy particles during the impulsive phase of an X4.8 flare on 2002 July 23 (SOL2002-07-23T00:35). The X4.8 flare was simultaneously measured by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters, and Nobeyama Radioheliograph. The quasi-period of ∼50 ± 15 s, determined by the wavelet transform, is detected in the γ-ray line emission. Using the same method, a quasi-period of ∼90 ± 20 s is found in the γ-ray continuum, hard X-ray (HXR), and radio emissions during almost the same time. Our observations suggest that the flare QPPs should be associated with energetic ions and nonthermal electrons that are quasi-periodically accelerated by the repetitive magnetic reconnection. The different quasi-periods between the γ-ray line and continuum/HXR/radio emissions indicate an apparent difference in acceleration or propagation between energetic ions and nonthermal electrons of this solar flare.

Simultaneous Observations of Chromospheric Evaporation and Condensation during a C-class Flare

Abstract We explored simultaneous observations of chromospheric evaporation and condensation during the impulsive phase of a C6.7 flare on 2019 May 9. The solar flare was simultaneously observed by multiple instruments, i.e., the New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST), the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), Fermi, the Mingantu Spectral Radioheliograph, and the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters. Using the single Gaussian fitting and the moment analysis technique, redshifted velocities at slow speeds of 15–19 km s−1 are found in the cool lines of C ii and Si iv at one flare footpoint location. Redshifts are also seen in the Hα line-of-sight velocity image measured by NVST at double footpoints. Those redshifts with slow speeds can be regarded as the low-velocity downflows driven by the chromospheric condensation. Meanwhile, the converging motions from double footpoints to the loop top are found in the high-temperature EUV images, such as AIA 131, 94, and 335 Å. Their apparent speeds are estimated to be roughly 126–210 km s−1, which could be regarded as the high-velocity upflows caused by the chromospheric evaporation. The nonthermal energy flux is estimated to be about 5.7 × 1010 erg s−1 cm−2. The characteristic timescale is roughly equal to 1 minute. All these observational results suggest an explosive chromospheric evaporation during the flare impulsive phase. While a hard X-ray/microwave pulse and a type III radio burst are found simultaneously, indicating that the explosive chromospheric evaporation is driven by the nonthermal electron.

Quasi-Periodic Pulsations Detected in Ly $\alpha $ and Nonthermal Emissions During Solar Flares

We report quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) with double periods during three solar flares (viz. SOL2011-Feb-15T01:44, SOL2011-Sep-25T04:31, SOL2012-May-17T01:25). The flare QPPs were observed from light curves in Ly$\alpha$, hard X-ray (HXR) and microwave emissions, with the Ly$\alpha$ emission recorded by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, the HXR emission recorded by the Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager and the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, and the microwave emission recorded by the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters and Radioheliograph. By using the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, QPPs with double periods of about two minutes and one minute were first found in the Ly$\alpha$ emission. Then using the same method, a QPP with nearly the same period of about two minutes was also found in HXR and microwave emissions. Considering the possible common origin (nonthermal electrons) between Ly$\alpha$ and HXR/microwave emission, we suggest that the two-minute QPP results from the periodic acceleration of nonthermal electrons during magnetic reconnections. The ratio between the double periods in the Ly$\alpha$ emission was found to be close to two, which is consistent with the theoretical expectation between the fundamental and harmonic modes. However, we cannot rule out other possible driving mechanisms for the one-minute QPPs in HXR/microwave emissions due to their relatively large deviations.

Statistical properties of radio flux densities of solar flares

Short timescale flux variations are closely related to the energy release process of magnetic reconnection during solar flares. Radio light curves at 1, 2, 3.75, 9.4, and 17 GHz of 209 flares observed by the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeter from 2000 to 2010 are analyzed with a running smooth technique. We find that the impulsive component (with a variation timescale shorter than 1 s) of 1 GHz emission of most flares peaks at a few tens of solar flux unit and lasts for about 1 minute and the impulsive component of 2 GHz emission lasts a shorter period and peaks at a lower flux level, while at the three high frequency channels the occurrence frequency of flares increases with the decrease of the flux density up to the noise level of the corresponding background. However, the gradual components of these emissions have similar duration and peak flux density distributions. We also derive the power spectrum on different timescales and a normalized wavelet analysis is used to confirm features on short timescales. At a time resolution of 0.1 s, more than ∼60% of these radio light curves show significant flux variation on 1 s or shorter time scales. This fraction increases with the decrease of frequency and reaches ∼100% at 1 GHz, implying that short timescale processes are universal in solar flares. We also study the correlation between the impulsive radio flux densities and soft X-ray fluxes obtained with the GOES satellites and find that more than 65% of the flares with an impulsive component have their impulsive radio emission reach a peak value ahead of the soft X-ray fluxes and this fraction increases with the radio frequency.

Microwave and Hard X-Ray Flare Observations by NoRH/NoRP and RHESSI: Peak-flux Correlations

Abstract This paper presents initial results from a statistical study of solar microwave and hard X-ray flares jointly observed over the past two solar cycles by the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters, the Nobeyama Radio Heliograph, and the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager. As has been previously demonstrated, the microwave (17 GHz and 34 GHz) peak flux shows a linear correlation with the nonthermal hard X-ray bremsstrahlung peak emission seen above 50 keV. The correlation holds for the entire rise phase of each individual burst, while the decay phases tend to show more extended emission at microwaves than is generally attributed to particle trapping. While the correlation is highly significant (coefficient of 0.92) and holds over more than four orders of magnitude, individual flares can be above or below the fitted line by an average factor of about 2. By restricting the flare selection to source morphologies with the radio emission from the top of the flare loop, the correlation tightens significantly, with a correlation coefficient increasing to 0.99 and the scatter reduced to a factor of 1.3. These findings corroborate the assumption that gyrosynchrotron microwave and hard X-ray bremsstrahlung emissions are produced by the same flare-accelerated electron population. The extent of the linear correlation over four orders of magnitude suggests that magnetic field strengths within nonthermal 17 GHz sources are surprisingly similar over a wide range of flare sizes.

Flare parameters inferred from a 3D loop model data base

We developed a data base of pre-calculated flare images and spectra exploring a set of parameters which describe the physical characteristics of coronal loops and accelerated electron distribution. Due to the large number of parameters involved in describing the geometry and the flaring atmosphere in the model used, we built a large data base of models (∼250 000) to facilitate the flare analysis. The geometry and characteristics of non-thermal electrons are defined on a discrete grid with spatial resolution greater than 4 arcsec. The data base was constructed based on general properties of known solar flares and convolved with instrumental resolution to replicate the observations from the Nobeyama radio polarimeter spectra and Nobeyama radioheliograph (NoRH) brightness maps. Observed spectra and brightness distribution maps are easily compared with the modelled spectra and images in the data base, indicating a possible range of solutions. The parameter search efficiency in this finite data base is discussed. 8 out of 10 parameters analysed for 1000 simulated flare searches were recovered with a relative error of less than 20 per cent on average. In addition, from the analysis of the observed correlation between NoRH flare sizes and intensities at 17 GHz, some statistical properties were derived. From these statistics, the energy spectral index was found to be δ ∼ 3, with non-thermal electron densities showing a peak distribution ⪅107 cm−3, and Bphotosphere ⪆ 2000 G. Some bias for larger loops with heights as great as ∼2.6 × 109 cm, and looptop events were noted. An excellent match of the spectrum and the brightness distribution at 17 and 34 GHz of the 2002 May 31 flare is presented as well.

Variation of the Solar Microwave Spectrum in the Last Half Century

Abstract The total solar fluxes at 1, 2, 3.75, and 9.4 GHz were observed continuously from 1957 to 1994 at Toyokawa, Japan, and from 1994 until now at Nobeyama, Japan, with the current Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters. We examined the multi-frequency and long-term data sets, and found that not only the microwave solar flux but also its monthly standard deviation indicate the long-term variation of solar activity. Furthermore, we found that the microwave spectra at the solar minima of Cycles 20–24 agree with each other. These results show that the average atmospheric structure above the upper chromosphere in the quiet-Sun has not varied for half a century, and suggest that the energy input for atmospheric heating from the sub-photosphere to the corona have not changed in the quiet-Sun despite significantly differing strengths of magnetic activity in the last five solar cycles.

Correlation of near-Earth proton enhancements >100 MeV with parameters of solar microwave bursts

We analyze the relations between various combinations of peak fluxes and fluences of solar microwave bursts at 35 GHz recorded with the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters during 1990–2015, and corresponding parameters of proton enhancements with E>100 MeV exceeding 0.1 pfu registered by GOES monitors in near-Earth environment. The highest correlation has been found between the microwave and proton fluences. This fact reflects a dependence of the total number of protons on the total duration of the acceleration process. In the events with strong flares, the correlation coefficients of proton fluences with microwave and soft X-ray 
 fluences are higher than those with speeds of coronal mass ejections. The results indicate a statistically larger contribution of flare processes to acceleration of high-energy protons. Acceleration by shock waves seems to be less important at high energies in events associated with strong flares, although its contribution probably prevails in weaker events. The probability of a detectable proton enhancement was found to directly depend on the peak flux and duration of a microwave burst. This can be used for diagnostics of proton enhancements based on microwave observations.

О корреляции околоземных протонных возрастаний >100 МэВ с параметрами солнечных микроволновых всплесков

We analyze the relations between various combinations of peak fluxes and fluences of solar microwave bursts at 35 GHz recorded with the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters during 1990–2015, and corresponding parameters of proton enhancements with E>100 MeV exceeding 0.1 pfu registered by GOES monitors in near-Earth environment. The highest correlation has been found between the microwave and proton fluences. This fact reflects a dependence of the total number of protons on the total duration of the acceleration process. In the events with strong flares, the correlation coefficients of proton fluences with microwave and soft X-ray fluences are higher than those with speeds of coronal mass ejections. The results indicate a statistically larger contribution of flare processes to acceleration of high-energy protons. Acceleration by shock waves seems to be less important at high energies in events associated with strong flares, although its contribution probably prevails in weaker events. The probability of a detectable proton enhancement was found to directly depend on the peak flux and duration of the microwave burst, that can be used for diagnostics of proton enhancements based on microwave observations.

Turnover Frequency in Solar Microwave Bursts with an Extremely Flat Optically Thin Spectrum

Four microwave bursts have been selected from the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeter (NoRP) observations with an extremely flat spectrum in the optically thin part and a very hard spectral index between 0 and −1 in the maximum phase of all bursts. It is found that the time evolution of the turnover frequency is inversely proportional to the time profiles of the radio flux in all bursts. Based on the nonthermal gyrosynchrotron theory of Ramaty (Astrophys. J. 158, 753, 1969), the local magnetic field strength and the electron spectral index are calculated uniquely from the observed radio spectral index and the turnover frequency. We found that the electron energy spectrum is very hard (spectral index 1 – 2), and the time variation of the magnetic field strength is also inversely proportional to the radio flux as a function of time in all bursts. Hence, the time evolution of the turnover frequency can be explained directly by its dependence on the local magnetic field strength. The high turnover frequency (several tens of GHz) is mainly caused by a strong magnetic field of up to several hundred gauss, and probably by the Razin effect under a high plasma density over $10^{10}~\mbox{cm}^{-3}$ in the maximum phase of these bursts. Therefore, the extremely flat microwave spectrum can be well understood by the observed high turnover frequency and the calculated hard electron spectral index.

Relations Between Microwave Bursts and Near-Earth High-Energy Proton Enhancements and Their Origin

We further study the relations between parameters of bursts at 35 GHz recorded with the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters during 25 years, on the one hand, and solar proton events, on the other hand (Grechnev et al. in Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 65, S4, 2013a). Here we address the relations between the microwave fluences at 35 GHz and near-Earth proton fluences above 100 MeV in order to find information on their sources and evaluate their diagnostic potential. A correlation was found to be pronouncedly higher between the microwave and proton fluences than between their peak fluxes. This fact probably reflects a dependence of the total number of protons on the duration of the acceleration process. In events with strong flares, the correlation coefficients of high-energy proton fluences with microwave and soft X-ray fluences are higher than those with the speeds of coronal mass ejections. The results indicate a statistically larger contribution of flare processes to high-energy proton fluxes. Acceleration by shock waves seems to be less important at high energies in events associated with strong flares, although its contribution is probable and possibly prevails in weaker events. The probability of a detectable proton enhancement was found to directly depend on the peak flux, duration, and fluence of the 35 GHz burst, while the role of the Big Flare Syndrome might be overestimated previously. Empirical diagnostic relations are proposed.

Burst Locating Capability of the Korean Solar Radio Burst Locator (KSRBL)

The Korean Solar Radio Burst Locator (KSRBL) is a solar radio spectrograph observing the broad frequency range from 0.245 to 18 GHz with the capability of locating wideband gyrosynchrotron bursts. Due to the characteristics of a spiral feed, the beam center varies in a spiral pattern with frequency, making a modulation pattern over the wideband spectrum. After a calibration process, we obtained dynamic spectra consistent with the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeter (NoRP). We compared and analyzed the locations of bursts observed by KSRBL with results from the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH) and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). As a result, we found that the KSRBL provides the ability to locate flaring sources on the Sun within around 2′.

Study of a solar flare on 2005 August 22 observed in hard X-rays and microwaves

We investigate the 2005 August 22 flare event (00:54 UT) exploiting hard X-ray (HXR) observations from the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and microwave (MW) observations from the Nobeyama Solar Radio Observatory. The HXR time profile exposes well-damped quasi-periodic pulsations with four sequential peaks, and the MW time profile follows the corresponding peaks. Based on this feature, we derive the time relationship of HXRs and MWs with multi-frequency data from the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeter, and the spatially resolvable data from RHESSI and the Nobeyama Radioheliograph. We find that both frequency dependent delays in MWs and energy dependent delays in HXRs are significant. Furthermore, MW emissions from the south source are delayed with respect to those from the north source at both 17 GHz and 34 GHz, but no significant delays are found in HXR emissions from the different sources at the same energies. To better understand all these long time delays, we derive the electron fluxes of different energies by fitting the observed HXR spectra with a single power-law thick-target model, and speculate that these delays might be related to an extended acceleration process. We further compare the time profile of a MW spectral index derived from 17 and 34 GHz fluxes with the flux densities, and find that the spectral index shows a strong anti-correlation with the HXR fluxes.

ENERGETIC ELECTRON PROPAGATION IN THE DECAY PHASE OF NON-THERMAL FLARE EMISSION

On the basis of the trap-plus-precipitation model, the peculiarities of non-thermal emission in the decay phase of solar flares have been considered. The calculation formulas for the escape rate of trapped electrons into the loss cone in terms of time profiles of hard X-ray (HXR) and microwave (MW) emission have been obtained. It has been found that the evolution of the spectral indices of non-thermal emission depend on the regimes of the pitch angle diffusion of trapped particles into the loss cone. The properties of non-thermal electrons related to the HXR and MW emission of the solar flare on 2004 November 3 are studied with Nobeyama Radioheliograph, Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters, RHESSI, and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite observations. The spectral indices of non-thermal electrons related to MW and HXR emission remained constant or decreased, while the MW escape rate as distinguished from that of the HXRs increased. This may be associated with different diffusion regimes of trapped electrons into the loss cone. New arguments in favor of an important role of the superstrong diffusion for high-energy electrons in flare coronal loops have been obtained.

Spatially Resolved Energetic Electron Properties for the 21 May 2004 Flare from Radio Observations and 3D Simulations

We investigate in detail the 21 May 2004 flare using simultaneous observations of the Nobeyama Radioheliograph, Nobeyama Radiopolarimeters, Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The flare images in different spectral ranges reveal the presence of a well-defined single flaring loop in this event. We have simulated the gyrosynchrotron microwave emission using the recently developed interactive IDL tool GX Simulator. By comparing the simulation results with the observations, we have deduced the spatial and spectral properties of the non-thermal electron distribution. The microwave emission has been found to be produced by the high-energy electrons ($>100$ keV) with a relatively hard spectrum ($\delta\simeq 2$); the electrons were strongly concentrated near the loop top. At the same time, the number of high-energy electrons near the footpoints was too low to be detected in the RHESSI images and spatially unresolved data. The SOHO Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope images and the low-frequency microwave spectra suggest the presence of an extended "envelope" of the loop with lower magnetic field. Most likely, the energetic electron distribution in the considered flare reflects the localized (near the loop top) particle acceleration (injection) process accompanied by trapping and scattering.