• Magnetic Twists of Solar Filaments

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Solar filaments are cold and dense materials situated in magnetic dips, which show distinct radiation characteristics compared to the surrounding coronal plasma. They are associated with coronal sheared and twisted magnetic field lines. However, the exact magnetic configuration supporting a filament material is not easy to be ascertained because of the absence of routine observations of the magnetic field inside filaments. Since many filaments lie above weak-field regions, it is nearly impossible to extrapolate their coronal magnetic structures by applying the traditional methods to noisy photospheric magnetograms, in particular the horizontal components. In this paper, we construct magnetic structures for some filaments with the regularized Biot--Savart laws and calculate their magnetic twists. Moreover, we make a parameter survey for the flux ropes of the Titov-Demoulin-modified model to explore the factors affecting the twist of a force-free magnetic flux rope. It is found that the twist of a force-free flux rope is proportional to its axial length to minor radius ratio, and is basically independent of the overlying background magnetic field strength. Thus, we infer that long quiescent filaments are likely to be supported by more twisted flux ropes than short active-region filaments, which is consistent with observations.

  • First detection of transverse vertical oscillation during the expansion of coronal loops

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: In this Letter, we perform a detailed analysis of the M5.5-class eruptive flare occurring in active region 12929 on 2022 January 20. The eruption of a hot channel generates a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) and a dome-shaped extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave at speeds of 740$-$860 km s$^{-1}$. The CME is associated with a type II radio burst, implying that the EUV wave is a fast-mode shock wave. During the impulsive phase, the flare shows quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in EUV, hard X-ray, and radio wavelengths. The periods of QPPs range from 18 s to 113 s, indicating that flare energy is released and nonthermal electrons are accelerated intermittently with multiple time scales. The interaction between the EUV wave and low-lying adjacent coronal loops (ACLs) results in contraction, expansion, and transverse vertical oscillation of ACLs. The speed of contraction in 171, 193, and 211 {\AA} is higher than that in 304 {\AA}. The periods of oscillation are 253 s and 275 s in 304 {\AA} and 171 {\AA}, respectively. A new scenario is proposed to explain the interaction. The equation that interprets the contraction and oscillation of the overlying coronal loops above a flare core can also interpret the expansion and oscillation of ACLs, suggesting that the two phenomena are the same in essence.

  • Statistical analysis of the Si I 6560.58 \r{A} line observed by CHASE

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The Si I 6560.58 \r{A} line in the H$\alpha$ blue wing is blended with a telluric absorption line from water vapor in ground-based observations. Recent observations with the space-based telescope CHASE provide a new window to study this line. We aim to study the Si I line statistically and to explore possible diagnostics. We select three scannings in the CHASE observations, and measure the equivalent width (EW) and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) for each pixel on the solar disk. We then calculate the theoretical EW and FWHM from the VALC model. An active region is also studied in particular for difference in the quiet Sun and the sunspots. The Si I line is formed at the bottom of the photosphere. The EW of this line increases from the disk center to $\mu$ = 0.2, and then decreases toward the solar limb, while the FWHM shows a monotonically increasing trend. Theoretically predicted EW agrees well with observations, while the predicted FWHM is far smaller due to the absence of unresolved turbulence in models. The macroturbulent velocity is estimated to be 2.80 km s$^{-1}$ at the disk center, and increases to 3.52 km s$^{-1}$ at $\mu$ = 0.2. We do not find any response to flare heating in current observations. Doppler shifts and line widths of the Si I 6560.58 \r{A} and Fe I 6569.21 \r{A} lines can be used to study the mass flows and turbulence of the different photospheric layers. The Si I line has good potentials to diagnose the dynamics and energy transport in the photosphere.

  • Statistical analysis of the Si I 6560.58 \r{A} line observed by CHASE

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The Si I 6560.58 \r{A} line in the H$\alpha$ blue wing is blended with a telluric absorption line from water vapor in ground-based observations. Recent observations with the space-based telescope CHASE provide a new window to study this line. We aim to study the Si I line statistically and to explore possible diagnostics. We select three scannings in the CHASE observations, and measure the equivalent width (EW) and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) for each pixel on the solar disk. We then calculate the theoretical EW and FWHM from the VALC model. An active region is also studied in particular for difference in the quiet Sun and the sunspots. The Si I line is formed at the bottom of the photosphere. The EW of this line increases from the disk center to $\mu$ = 0.2, and then decreases toward the solar limb, while the FWHM shows a monotonically increasing trend. Theoretically predicted EW agrees well with observations, while the predicted FWHM is far smaller due to the absence of unresolved turbulence in models. The macroturbulent velocity is estimated to be 2.80 km s$^{-1}$ at the disk center, and increases to 3.52 km s$^{-1}$ at $\mu$ = 0.2. We do not find any response to flare heating in current observations. Doppler shifts and line widths of the Si I 6560.58 \r{A} and Fe I 6569.21 \r{A} lines can be used to study the mass flows and turbulence of the different photospheric layers. The Si I line has good potentials to diagnose the dynamics and energy transport in the photosphere.

  • Calibration procedures for the CHASE/HIS science data

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The H{\alpha} line is an important optical line in solar observations containing the information from the photosphere to the chromosphere. To study the mechanisms of solar eruptions and the plasma dynamics in the lower atmosphere, the Chinese H{\alpha} Solar Explorer (CHASE) was launched into a Sun-synchronous orbit on October 14, 2021. The scientific payload of the CHASE satellite is the H{\alpha} Imaging Spectrograph (HIS). The CHASE/HIS acquires, for the first time, seeing-free H{\alpha} spectroscopic observations with high spectral and temporal resolutions. It consists of two observational modes. The raster scanning mode provides full-Sun or region-of-interest spectra at H{\alpha} (6559.7-6565.9 {\AA}) and Fe I (6567.8-6570.6 {\AA}) wavebands. The continuum imaging mode obtains full-Sun photospheric images at around 6689 {\AA}. In this paper, we present detailed calibration procedures for the CHASE/HIS science data, including the dark-field and flat-field correction, slit image curvature correction, wavelength and intensity calibration, and coordinate transformation. The higher-level data products can be directly used for scientific research.

  • The Chinese H{\alpha} Solar Explorer (CHASE) mission: An overview

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The Chinese H{\alpha} Solar Explorer (CHASE), dubbed "Xihe" - Goddess of the Sun, was launched on October 14, 2021 as the first solar space mission of China National Space Administration (CNSA). The CHASE mission is designed to test a newly developed satellite platform and to acquire the spectroscopic observations in the H{\alpha} waveband. The H{\alpha} Imaging Spectrograph (HIS) is the scientific payload of the CHASE satellite. It consists of two observational modes: raster scanning mode and continuum imaging mode. The raster scanning mode obtains full-Sun or region-of-interest spectral images from 6559.7 to 6565.9 {\AA} and from 6567.8 to 6570.6 {\AA} with 0.024 {\AA} pixel spectral resolution and 1 minute temporal resolution. The continuum imaging mode obtains photospheric images in continuum around 6689 {\AA} with the full width at half maximum of 13.4 {\AA}. The CHASE mission will advance our understanding of the dynamics of solar activity in the photosphere and chromosphere. In this paper, we present an overview of the CHASE mission including the scientific objectives, HIS instrument overview, data calibration flow, and first results of on-orbit observations.