Total Magnetic Field Strength Research Articles

The dependence of the magnetism of a near-limb sunspot on height

Context. The physical parameters of the sunspot are not fully understood, especially the height dependence of the magnetic field. So far, it is also an open question as to which heights the He I 10 830 Å spectral line is formed at. Aims. Our aim is to investigate the magnetic and dynamical properties in the atmosphere above a sunspot, from the photosphere to the chromosphere. We analyzed the photospheric and chromospheric magnetic field properties of a stable sunspot in AR 12553 on June 20, 2016 using spectropolarimetric observations obtained with the GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph (GRIS) at the 1.5-meter GREGOR telescope. Methods. A spectral-line inversion technique was used to infer the magnetic field vector and Doppler velocities from the full Stokes profiles. In total, three spectral lines were inverted and the variation of the magnetic properties was qualified using the average values of the radial circles. The sunspot is located close to the solar limb, and thus this allows us to make a geometrical determination of the height of the spectral line He I 10 830 Å. Results. We find the height of helium spectral line to be 970 km above the photospheric spectral lines directly from observation at a stable sunspot. The total magnetic field strength decreases with height over the sunspot; the rates are −0.34 G km−1 for the umbra and −0.28 G km−1 for the penumbra. The inclination increases with increasing height in the umbra, but decreases in the penumbra. In the umbra, the vertical component (Bz) decreases with height, while the horizontal component (Bhor) remains almost constant. In the penumbra this is reversed, as Bz remains nearly constant over height, while Bhor decreases. We also observe fast velocities with 30 km s−1 in small chromospheric patches on the central side of the spot. Conclusions. The key parameters depending on height in the sunspot are the Bz component of the magnetic field for the umbra and the Bhor component of the magnetic field for the penumbra. The observation revealed supersonic downward velocities in and near the outer penumbra.

Sliding-window cross-correlation and mutual information methods in the analysis of solar wind measurements

Context. When describing the relationships between two data sets, four crucial aspects must be considered, namely: timescales, intrinsic lags, linear relationships, and non-linear relationships. We present a tool that combines these four aspects and visualizes the underlying structure where two data sets are highly related. The basic mathematical methods used here are cross-correlation and mutual information (MI) analyses. As an example, we applied these methods to a set of two-month’s worth of solar wind density and total magnetic field strength data. Aims. Two neighboring solar wind parcels may have undergone different heating and acceleration processes and may even originate from different source regions. However, they may share very similar properties, which would effectively “hide” their different origins. When this hidden information is mixed with noise, describing the relationships between two solar wind parameters becomes challenging. Time lag effects and non-linear relationships between solar wind parameters are often overlooked, while simple time-lag-free linear relationships are sometimes insufficient to describe the complex processes in space physics. Thus, we propose this tool to analyze the monotonic (or linear) and non-monotonic (or non-linear) relationships between a pair of solar wind parameters within a certain time period, taking into consideration the effects of different timescales and possible time lags. Methods. Our tool consists of two parts: the sliding-window cross-correlation (SWCC) method and sliding-window mutual information (SWMI) method. As their names suggest, both parts involve a set of sliding windows. By independently sliding these windows along the time axis of the two time series, this technique can assess the correlation coefficient (and mutual information) between any two windowed data sets with any time lags. Visualizing the obtained results enables us to identify structures where two time series are highly correlated, while providing information on the relevant timescales and time lags. Results. We applied our proposed tool to solar wind density and total magnetic field strength data. Structures with distinct timescales were identified. Our tool also detected the presence of short-term anti-correlations coexisting with long-term positive correlations between solar wind density and magnetic field strength. Some non-monotonic relationships were also found. Conclusions. The visual products of our tool (the SWCC+SWMI maps) represent an innovative extension of traditional numerical methods, offering users a more intuitive perspective on the data. The SWCC and SWMI methods can be used to identify time periods where one parameter has a strong influence on the other. Of course, they can also be applied to other data, such as multi-wavelength photometric and spectroscopic time series, thus providing a new tool for solar physics analyses.

Magnetic target nonlinear positioning method based on planar regular octagon tensor system

The magnetic target location technology based on the principle of magnetic gradient tensor has broad engineering application prospects. However, commonly used target positioning methods are easily interfered with by the geomagnetic environment. We proposed a magnetic target nonlinear positioning method to achieve precise localization of magnetic objects. An ellipsoid fitting method based on the total least square algorithm is proposed to correct the measurement system’s magnetic interference and array error. The results show that the algorithm can reduce the root mean square error of the total magnetic field strength by 93.05% to 0.1007 uT. The tensor components are all limited to 100 nT m−1. Then, a target positioning function is constructed with the magnetic moment information introduced as a constraint term, and the location of the magnetic target is optimally calculated using the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. The field experimental results indicate when the magnetic targets are located at (5,0,0) and (10,−5,0), the positioning errors are 5.11% and 6.62%. This technology can also achieve high-precision path tracking of magnetic targets.

Disentangling Magnetic Fields in NGC 6946 with Wide-band Polarimetry

We present λ13 cm polarization observations of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 6946 with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) to examine the nearside halo magnetic fields. Despite λ13 cm exhibiting similar two-dimensional morphology as observed at longer (λ18–22 cm) or shorter (λ3 and λ6 cm) wavelengths, more complete frequency coverage will be required to explain the gap in polarization in the southwest quadrant of the galaxy. We fit models of the turbulent and coherent line-of-sight magnetic fields to the fractional degree of linearly polarized emission at λ3, λ6, λ13, λ18, and λ22 cm from observations taken with the WSRT, Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, and Effelsberg telescopes. The results favor a multilayer turbulent magneto-ionized medium consistent with current observations of edge-on galaxies. We constrain the physical properties of the synchrotron-emitting thin and thick disks (scale heights of 300 pc and 1.4 kpc, respectively) along with the thermal thick disk and halo (scale heights of 1 and 5 kpc, respectively). Our preferred model indicates a clumpy and highly turbulent medium within 1 kpc of the midplane, and a diffuse extraplanar layer with a substantially lower degree of Faraday depolarization. In the halo, we estimate a regular magnetic field strength of 0.4–2.2 μG and that turbulence and a total magnetic field strength of ∼6 μG result in a Faraday dispersion of σ RM = 4–48 rad m−2. This work is an example of how the advanced capabilities of modern radio telescopes are opening a new frontier for the study of cosmic magnetism.

Anomalous Response of Mercury’s Magnetosphere to Solar Wind Compression: Comparison to Earth

Magnetic field intensity increases when solar wind compresses a planet’s magnetosphere. The compression can be measured using the ratio of compressed magnetic fields to purely dipolar magnetic fields just inside the magnetopause. For Earth, the ratio is proportional to the subsolar standoff distance of the magnetopause. Data from in-orbit observations by the MESSENGER spacecraft indicate an opposite ratio for Mercury; the compression ratio is inversely proportional to the subsolar standoff distance. The additional magnetic fields induced by currents at the top of Mercury’s core enhance the total magnetic field strength. We also evaluated differences in the subsolar standoff of Mercury’s magnetopause according to the north–south polarity of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Previous studies have not identified meaningful differences in subsolar standoff distance between those in northward versus southward IMF polarities for Mercury; however, we found that the difference is statistically significant at a large IMF B Z (15–20 nT). The magnetic reconnection that occurs behind the cusp for a large northward IMF transfers the magnetic flux to the dayside and increases the subsolar standoff distance. The eroded magnetic flux for a large southward IMF is compensated by the induced magnetic fields.

Deciphering the radio–star formation correlation on kpc scales

The relation between the resolved star formation rate (SFR) per unit area and the nonthermal radio continuum emission is studied in 21 Virgo cluster galaxies and the two nearby spiral galaxies, NGC 6946 and M 51. For the interpretation and understanding of our results, we used a 3D model where star formation, 2D cosmic-ray (CR) propagation, and the physics of synchrotron emission are included. Based on the linear correlation between the SFR per unit area and the synchrotron emission and its scatter, radio-bright and radio-dim regions can be robustly defined for our sample of spiral galaxies. We identified CR diffusion or streaming as the physical causes of radio-bright regions of unperturbed symmetric spiral galaxies as NGC 6946. The enhanced magnetic field in the region of interstellar medium (ISM) compression via ram pressure is responsible for the southwestern radio-bright region in NGC 4501. We identified the probable causes of radio-bright regions in several galaxies as CR transport, via either gravitational tides (M 51) or galactic winds (NGC 4532) or ram pressure stripping (NGC 4330 and NGC 4522). Three galaxies are overall radio dim: NGC 4298, NGC 4535, and NGC 4567. Based on our model of synchrotron-emitting disks, we suggest that the overall radio-dim galaxies have a significantly lower magnetic field than expected by equipartition between the magnetic and turbulent energy densities. We suggest that this is linked to the difference between the timescales of the variation in the SFR and the small-scale dynamo. In NGC 4535, shear motions increase the total magnetic field strength via the induction equation, which leads to enhanced synchrotron emission with respect to the SFR in an otherwise radio-dim galactic disk. Radio-bright regions frequently coincide with asymmetric ridges of polarized radio continuum emission, and we found a clear albeit moderate correlation between the polarized radio continuum emission and the radio/SFR ratio. When compression or shear motions of the ISM are present in the galactic disk, the radio-bright regions are linked to the commonly observed asymmetric ridges of polarized radio continuum emission and represent a useful tool for the interaction diagnostics. The magnetic field is enhanced (as observed in NGC 4535 and NGC 4501) and ordered by these ISM compression and shear motions. Whereas the enhancement of the magnetic field is rather modest and does not significantly influence the radio-SFR correlation, the main effect of ISM compression and shear motions is the ordering of the magnetic field, which significantly affects the CR transport. Cosmic-ray energy losses and transport also affect the spectral index, which we measured between 4.85 and 1.4 GHz. The influence of CR losses and transport on the spectral index distribution with respect to the synchrotron/SFR ratio is discussed with the help of model calculations. Based on our results, we propose a scenario for the interplay between star formation, CR electrons, and magnetic fields in spiral galaxies.

Characterizing three-dimensional magnetic field, turbulence, and self-gravity in the star-forming region L1688

ABSTRACT Interaction of three-dimensional magnetic fields, turbulence, and self-gravity in the molecular cloud is crucial in understanding star formation but has not been addressed so far. In this work, we target the low-mass star-forming region L1688 and use the spectral emissions of 12CO, 13CO, C18O, and H i, as well as polarized dust emissions. To obtain the 3D direction of the magnetic field, we employ the novel polarization fraction analysis. In combining with the plane-of-the-sky (POS) magnetic field strength derived from the Davis–Chandrasekhar–Fermi (DCF) method and the new differential measure analysis (DMA) technique, we present the first measurement of L1688’s three-dimensional magnetic field, including its orientation and strength. We find that L1688’s magnetic field has two statistically different inclination angles. The low-intensity tail has an inclination angle ≈55° on average, while that of the central dense clump is ≈30°. We find the global mean value of total magnetic field strength is Btot ≈ $135 \,\mathrm{\mu }{\rm G}$ from DCF and Btot ≈ $75 \,\mathrm{\mu }{\rm G}$ from DMA. We use the velocity gradient technique (VGT) to separate the magnetic fields’ POS orientation associated with L1688 and its foreground/background. The magnetic fields’ orientations are statistically coherent. The probability density function of H2 column density and VGT reveal that L1688 is potentially undergoing gravitational contraction at large scale ≈1.0 pc and gravitational collapse at small scale ≈0.2 pc. The gravitational contraction mainly along the magnetic field resulting in an approximate power-law relation $B_{\rm tot}\propto n_{\rm H}^{1/2}$ when volume density nH is less than approximately 6.0 × 103 cm−3.

The Decay Process of an α-configuration Sunspot

The decay of sunspot plays a key role in magnetic flux transportation in solar active regions (ARs). To better understand the physical mechanism of the entire decay process of a sunspot, an α-configuration sunspot in AR NOAA 12411 was studied. Based on the continuum intensity images and vector magnetic field data with stray light correction from Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, the area, vector magnetic field and magnetic flux in the umbra and penumbra are calculated with time, respectively. Our main results are as follows: (1) The decay curves of the sunspot area in its umbra, penumbra, and whole sunspot take the appearance of Gaussian profiles. The area decay rates of the umbra, penumbra and whole sunspot are −1.56 MSH day−1, −12.61 MSH day−1 and −14.04 MSH day−1, respectively; (2) With the decay of the sunspot, the total magnetic field strength and the vertical component of the penumbra increase, and the magnetic field of the penumbra becomes more vertical. Meanwhile, the total magnetic field strength and vertical magnetic field strength for the umbra decrease, and the inclination angle changes slightly with an average value of about 20°; (3) The magnetic flux decay curves of the sunspot in its umbra, penumbra, and whole sunspot exhibit quadratic patterns, their magnetic flux decay rates of the umbra, penumbra and whole sunspot are −9.84 × 1019 Mx day−1, −1.59 × 1020 Mx day−1 and −2.60 × 1020 Mx day−1, respectively. The observation suggests that the penumbra may be transformed into the umbra, resulting in the increase of the average vertical magnetic field strength and the reduction of the inclination angle in the penumbra during the decay of the sunspot.

Statistical Plasma Properties of the Planar and Nonplanar ICME Magnetic Clouds during Solar Cycles 23 and 24

Various remote and in situ observations, along with several models, simulations, and kinetic studies, have been proposed in recent years, suggesting that the morphology of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) magnetic cloud can vary from cylindrical, elliptical, toroidal, flattened, pancaked, etc. Recently, Raghav et al. proposed for the first time a unique morphological characteristic of an ICME magnetic cloud at 1 au that showed characteristics of a planar magnetic structure, using in situ data from the ACE spacecraft. In this study, we statistically investigate the plasma properties of planar and nonplanar ICMEs from 1998–2017 at 1 au. The detailed study of 469 ICMEs suggests that 136 (∼29%) ICMEs are planar, whereas 333 (∼71%) are nonplanar. Furthermore, total interplanetary magnetic field strength, average plasma parameters, i.e., plasma density, beta, thermal pressure, and magnetic pressure in planar ICME, are significantly higher than in the nonplanar ICME. Also, we noticed that the thickness of planar ICMEs is less compared to nonplanar ICMEs. This analysis demonstrates that planar ICMEs are formed due to the high compression of ICME. Moreover, we also observed the southward/northward magnetic field component’s double strength during planar ICMEs compared to nonplanar ICMEs. It implies that planar ICMEs are more geoeffective than nonplanar ICMEs.

Investigating the Asymmetry of Magnetic Field Profiles of “Simple” Magnetic Ejecta through an Expansion-modified Flux Rope Model

Magnetic clouds (MCs) are most often fitted with flux rope models that are static and have symmetric magnetic field profiles. However, spacecraft measurements near 1 au show that MCs usually expand when propagating away from the Sun and that their magnetic field profiles are asymmetric. Both effects are expected to be related, since expansion has been shown to result in a shift of the peak of the magnetic field toward the front of the MC. In this study, we investigate the effects of expansion on the asymmetry of the total magnetic field strength profile of MCs. We restrict our study to the simplest events, i.e., those that are crossed close to the nose of the MC. From a list of 25 such “simple” events, we compare the fitting results of a specific expanding Lundquist model with those of a classical force-free circular cross-sectional static Lundquist model. We quantify the goodness of the fits by the χ 2 of the total magnetic field and identify three types of MCs: (i) those with little expansion, which are well fitted by both models; (ii) those with moderate expansion, which are well fitted by the expanding model, but not by the static model; and (iii) those with expansion, whose asymmetry of the magnetic field cannot be explained. We find that the assumption of self-similar expansion cannot explain the measured asymmetry in the magnetic field profiles of some of these magnetic ejecta (MEs). We discuss our results in terms of our understanding of the magnetic fields of the MEs and their evolution from the Sun to Earth.

Solar and Geomagnetic Activity Enhance the Effects of Air Pollutants on Atrial Fibrillation

Cardiac arrhythmias have been associated with intense solar and geomagnetic activity (SGA) and exposures to air pollution.We examined whether oscillations of SGA can modify the effect of hourly exposures to air pollutants on atrial fibrillation ≥30 seconds (AF) risk in patients with dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). The effects of SGA on ambient particulate matter <2.5 µm (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), ultrafine particles (PN), and associations with AF were assessed. Measures of SGA included solar wind proton density (SW), total interplanetary magnetic field strength (IMF), and Kp index, a measure of global geomagnetic activity. Over all time lags between 0 and 24hr, periods of increased SGA (>50th percentile in SGA) enhanced the effects of all three air pollutants on AF, while during periods of reduced SGA the associations were considerably weaker or absent. During periods of intense SW 6 hours prior to an AF event, the odds ratio (OR) for PM2.5 exposure per IQR of 5.6 µg/m3 was 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3 to 2.3, p-value: 0.0001). For periods of reduced SW, the OR for PM2.5 exposure per IQR was 1.2 (95% CI: 0.9 to 1.5; p-value: 0.27). There were similar effects for PN and BC exposures. In patients with multiple AF events per hour, the associations with air pollutants during intense SGA were even greater. The effects of air pollutants up to 24 h before AF events were enhanced during periods of increased SGA. Our results suggest that these effects may account for variation in AF risk.

HI-H2 transition: Exploring the role of the magnetic field

Context. Atomic gas in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) is organized in filamentary structures. These structures usually host cold and dense molecular clumps. The Galactic magnetic field is considered to play an important role in the formation of these clumps. Aims. Our goal is to explore the role of the magnetic field in the HI-H2 transition process. Methods. We targeted a diffuse ISM filamentary cloud toward the Ursa Major cirrus where gas transitions from atomic to molecular. We probed the magnetic field properties of the cloud with optical polarization observations. We performed multiwavelength spectroscopic observations of different species in order to probe the gas phase properties of the cloud. We observed the CO (J = 1−0) and (J = 2−1) lines in order to probe the molecular content of the cloud. We also obtained observations of the [C ii] 157.6µm emission line in order to trace the CO-dark H2 gas and estimate the mean volume density of the cloud. Results. We identified two distinct subregions within the cloud. One of the regions is mostly atomic, while the other is dominated by molecular gas, although most of it is CO-dark. The estimated plane-of-the-sky magnetic field strength between the two regions remains constant within uncertainties and lies in the range 13–30 µG. The total magnetic field strength does not scale with density. This implies that gas is compressed along the field lines. We also found that turbulence is trans-Alfvénic, with MA ≈ 1. In the molecular region, we detected an asymmetric CO clump whose minor axis is closer, with a 24° deviation, to the mean magnetic field orientation than the angle of its major axis. The H i velocity gradients are in general perpendicular to the mean magnetic field orientation except for the region close to the CO clump, where they tend to become parallel. This phenomenon is likely related to gas undergoing gravitational infall. The magnetic field morphology of the target cloud is parallel to the H i column density structure of the cloud in the atomic region, while it tends to become perpendicular to the H i structure in the molecular region. On the other hand, the magnetic field morphology seems to form a smaller offset angle with the total column density shape (including both atomic and molecular gas) of this transition cloud. Conclusions. In the target cloud where the H i–H2 transition takes place, turbulence is trans-Alfvénic, and hence the magnetic field plays an important role in the cloud dynamics. Atomic gas probably accumulates preferentially along the magnetic field lines and creates overdensities where molecular gas can form. The magnetic field morphology is probed better by the total column density shape of the cloud, and not its H i column density shape.

Dynamic Magnetic Hysteresis Modeling Based on Improved Parametric Magneto-Dynamic Model

For the difficulty of accurate simulation of dynamic hysteresis loop at high frequency, a simple and effective method is proposed. Firstly, combined with accuracy and generality, the classical inverse Jile-Atherton (J-A) model is selected to simulate the hysteresis characteristics. The parameters of the J-A model are identified by the velocity controlled particle swarm optimization (VCPSO); Secondly, combined with the characteristics of high-frequency magnetic field distribution of silicon steel, an improvement of the parametric magneto dynamics is proposed to accurately calculate the magnetic field corresponding to eddy current loss. Finally, according to the theory of Bertotti model, the magnetic field corresponding to excess loss is introduced to ensure the accuracy of total dynamic magnetic field strength simulation. The effectiveness of the method is verified by a comparison with the measured hysteresis cycle. In addition, under the coupling of improved parametric magneto dynamics (IPMD) model and J-A model, the high-frequency power loss can be accurately predicted.

Small-scale magnetic fields of the spectroscopic binary T Tauri stars V1878 Ori and V4046 Sgr

Aims. The goal of this study is to investigate the small-scale magnetic fields of the two spectroscopic binary T Tauri stars V1878 Ori and V4046 Sgr. This is done to complete the observational characterisation of the surface magnetic fields of these stars because only their large-scale magnetic fields have been studied with Zeeman Doppler imaging (ZDI) so far. Methods. To investigate the small-scale magnetic fields, the differential Zeeman intensification of near-infrared Ti I lines was investigated using high-resolution archival spectra obtained with the ESPaDOnS spectrograph at the CFHT. In order to study the binary components separately, the spectra were disentangled by considering observations taken at different orbital phases. The Zeeman-intensification analysis was performed based on detailed polarised radiative transfer calculations aided by the Markov chain Monte Carlo inference, treating magnetic field filling factors and other stellar parameters that could affect the spectra as free parameters. Results. The obtained average magnetic field strengths of the components of V1878 Ori are 1.33 ± 0.08 and 1.57 ± 0.09 kG, respectively. Previous ZDI studies of V1878 Ori recovered about 14 and 20% of this total magnetic field strength. For V4046 Sgr, the magnetic field strengths are 1.96 ± 0.18 and 1.83 ± 0.18 kG, respectively. In this case, about 12 and 9% of the total magnetic field strength was detected by ZDI. Conclusions. The small-scale magnetic field strengths obtained from Zeeman intensification are similar for the two components of each binary. This is in contrast to the large-scale magnetic fields obtained from ZDI investigations, performed using the same observations, which found that magnetic field strengths and topologies vary significantly in the components of the two binaries. While the large-scale field might look significantly different, the overall magnetic energy, primarily carried by the small-scale magnetic fields, appears to be quite similar. This indicates that the efficiency of the magnetic dynamo is comparable for the components of the two binaries.

Geophysical Analysis Using Proton Precession Magnetometer GSM-19T as Information on Fault Presence in Medana, North Lombok, Indonesia

Lombok island is included in one of the areas prone to earthquakes due to the existence of a subduction zone resulting from the meeting of the Indian-Australian Plate. In this study, the magnetic method was used to determine the subsurface structure of the fault as a research objective. The instrument used in this study consisted of a Proton Precession Magnetometer GSM-19T v7.0 Geomagnet measuring instrument with an accuracy of 0.1 nT to measure the total magnetic field strength. Garmin 60CSx GPS to determine position (latitude and longitude), elevation, time and point of measurement location. The geological compass determines the position and direction of the north-south fault which includes the dip/strike. Some software is also used in processing this geomagnetic data, namely Software (Numeri, Mag2DC, Surfer 9.0) and MS Excel 2013. Based on the results of data processing with 2D and Mag2DC forward modeling, the subsurface structure is obtained in the form of a normal fault, with the average susceptibility value is 0.00605 in Susceptibility (SI) which is a type of limestone. The depth of this normal fault is estimated to be at a depth of 31.5 meters to 74.0 meters.

Generic profile of a long-lived corotating interaction region and associated recurrent Forbush decrease

Context.Corotating interaction regions (CIRs), formed by the interaction of slow solar wind and fast streams that originate from coronal holes (CHs), produce recurrent Forbush decreases, which are short-term depressions in the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) flux.Aims.Our aim is to prepare a reliable set of CIR measurements to be used as a textbook for modeling efforts. For that purpose, we observe and analyse a long-lived CIR, originating from a single CH, recurring in 27 consecutive Carrington rotations 2057–2083 in the time period from June 2007–May 2009.Methods.We studied the in situ measurements of this long-lived CIR as well as the corresponding depression in the cosmic ray (CR) count observed by SOHO/EPHIN throughout different rotations. We performed a statistical analysis, as well as the superposed epoch analysis, using relative values of the key parameters: the total magnetic field strength,B, the magnetic field fluctuations,dBrms, plasma flow speed,v, plasma density,n, plasma temperature,T, and the SOHO/EPHIN F-detector particle count, and CR count.Results.We find that the mirrored CR count-time profile is correlated with that of the flow speed, ranging from moderate to strong correlation, depending on the rotation. In addition, we find that the CR count dip amplitude is correlated to the peak in the magnetic field and flow speed of the CIR. These results are in agreement with previous statistical studies. Finally, using the superposed epoch analysis, we obtain a generic CIR example, which reflects the in situ properties of a typical CIR well.Conclusions.Our results are better explained based on the combined convection-diffusion approach of the CIR-related GCR modulation. Furthermore, qualitatively, our results do not differ from those based on different CHs samples. This indicates that the change of the physical properties of the recurring CIR from one rotation to another is not qualitatively different from the change of the physical properties of CIRs originating from different CHs. Finally, the obtained generic CIR example, analyzed on the basis of superposed epoch analysis, can be used as a reference for testing future models.

Observation evidence for entropy switch model of substorm onset

The cause of substorm onset is not yet understood. Chen CX (2016) proposed an entropy switch model, in which substorm onset results from the development of interchange instability. In this study, we sought observational evidence for this model by using Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) data. We examined two events, one with and the other without a streamer before substorm onset. In contrast to the stable magnetosphere, where the total magnetic field strength is a decreasing function and entropy is an increasing function of the downtail distance, in both events the total magnetic field strength and entropy were reversed before substorm onset. After onset, the total magnetic field strength, entropy, and other plasma quantities fluctuated. In addition, a statistical study was performed. By confining the events with THEMIS satellites located in the downtail region between ~8 and ~12 Earth radii, and 3 hours before and after midnight, we found the occurrence rate of the total magnetic field strength reversal to be 69% and the occurrence rate of entropy reversal to be 77% of the total 205 events.

Exact nonlinear solutions for three-dimensional Alfvén-wave packets in relativistic magnetohydrodynamics

We show that large-amplitude, non-planar, Alfvén-wave (AW) packets are exact nonlinear solutions of the relativistic magnetohydrodynamic equations when the total magnetic-field strength in the local fluid rest frame ( $b$ ) is a constant. We derive analytic expressions relating the components of the fluctuating velocity and magnetic field. We also show that these constant- $b$ AWs propagate without distortion at the relativistic Alfvén velocity and never steepen into shocks. These findings and the observed abundance of large-amplitude, constant- $b$ AWs in the solar wind suggest that such waves may be present in relativistic outflows around compact astrophysical objects.

Solar and geomagnetic activity enhance the effects of air pollutants on atrial fibrillation.

Cardiac arrhythmias have been associated with intense solar and geomagnetic activity (SGA) and exposures to air pollution. We examined whether oscillations of SGA can modify the effect of hourly exposures to air pollutants on atrial fibrillation ≥30 s (AF) risk in patients with dual-chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. The effects of SGA on ambient particulate matter <2.5 µm (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), ultrafine particles (PN), and associations with AF were assessed. Measures of SGA included solar wind proton density (SW), total interplanetary magnetic field strength (IMF), and Kp index, a measure of global geomagnetic activity. Overall time lags between 0 and 24 h, periods of increased SGA (>50th percentile in IMF, SW, and Kp index) enhanced the effects of all three air pollutants on AF, while during periods of reduced SGA the associations were considerably weaker or absent. During periods of intense SW 6 h prior to an AF event, the odds ratio (OR) for PM2.5 exposure per interquartile range (IQR) of 5.6 µg/m3 was 1.7 [95% confident interval (CI) 1.3-2.3, P = 0.0001]. For periods of reduced SW, the OR for PM2.5 exposure per IQR was 1.2 (95% CI 0.9-1.5; P = 0.27). There were similar effects for PN and BC exposures. In patients with multiple AF events per hour, the associations with air pollutants during intense SGA were even greater. The effects of air pollutants up to 24 h before AF events were enhanced during periods of increased SGA. Our results suggest that these effects may account for variation in AF risk.

CHANG-ES XXIII: influence of a galactic wind in NGC 5775

ABSTRACT We present new radio continuum images of the edge-on starburst galaxy NGC 5775, from LOFAR (140 MHz) and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array CHANG-ES survey (1500 MHz). We trace the non-thermal radio halo up to 13 kpc from the disc, measuring the non-thermal spectral index and estimating the total equipartition magnetic field strength (≈13 $\mu$G in the disc and ≈7 $\mu$G above the plane). The radio halo has a similar extent at both frequencies, displays evidence for localized cosmic ray streaming coinciding with prominent H α filaments and vertical extensions of the regular magnetic field, and exhibits a boxy morphology especially at 140 MHz. In order to understand the nature of the disc–halo flow, we extend our previous model of cosmic ray propagation by implementing an iso-thermal wind with a tunable ‘flux tube’ (approximately hyperboloidal) geometry. This updated model is successful in matching the vertical distribution of non-thermal radio emission, and the vertical steepening of the associated spectral index, in a consistent conceptual framework with few free parameters. Our new model provides the opportunity to estimate the mass outflow driven by the star formation process, and we find an implied rate of $\dot{M}\approx 3$–$6\, \mathrm{M_{\odot }\, yr^{-1}}$ (≈40–80 per cent of the star formation rate) if the escape velocity is reached, with substantial uncertainty arising from the poorly understood distribution of interstellar medium material entrained in the vertical flow. The wind may play a role in influencing the vertical gradient in rotational velocity.