On non-axisymmetric magnetic equilibria in stars     

Jonathan Braithwaite 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2008,386(4):1947-1958

In previous work, stable approximately axisymmetric equilibrium configurations for magnetic stars were found by numerical simulation. Here, I investigate the conditions under which more complex, non-axisymmetric configurations can form. I present numerical simulations of the formation of stable equilibria from turbulent initial conditions and demonstrate the existence of non-axisymmetric equilibria consisting of twisted flux tubes lying horizontally below the surface of the star, meandering around the star in random patterns. Whether such a non-axisymmetric equilibrium or a simple axisymmetric equilibrium forms depends on the radial profile of the strength of the initial magnetic field. The results could explain observations of non-dipolar fields on stars such as the B0.2 main-sequence star τ Sco or the pulsar 1E 1207.4-5209. The secular evolution of these equilibria due to Ohmic and buoyancy processes is also examined.  相似文献   

Grain alignment in dense interstellar environments: spectropolarimetry of the 4.67-μm CO-ice feature in the field star Elias 16 (Taurus dark cloud)     

J. H. Hough  D. K. Aitken  D. C. B. Whittet  A. J. Adamson  A. Chrysostomou 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2008,387(2):797-802

We present spectropolarimetry of the solid CO feature at 4.67 μm along the line of sight to Elias 16, a field star background to the Taurus dark cloud. A clear increase in polarization is observed across the feature with the peak of polarization shifted in wavelength relative to the peak of absorption. This shows that dust grains in dense, cold environments (temperatures ∼20 K or less) can align and produce polarization by dichroic absorption. For a grain model, consisting of a core with a single mantle, the polarization feature is best modelled by a thick CO mantle, possibly including 10 per cent water-ice, with the volume ratio of mantle to bare grain of ∼5. Radiative torques could be responsible for the grain alignment provided the grain radius is at least 0.5 μm. This would require the grain cores to have a radius of at least 0.3 μm, much larger than grain sizes in the diffuse interstellar medium. Sizes of this order seem reasonable on the basis of independent evidence for grain growth by coagulation, as well as mantle formation, inside dense clouds.  相似文献   

Solar coronal heating by magnetic cancellation – III. Thermodynamics     

B. von Rekowski  A. W. Hood 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2008,384(3):972-986

We present two-dimensional numerical magnetohydrodynamics simulations of a coronal X-ray bright point (XBP) caused by a cancelling magnetic feature (CMF). Cancellation is driven by converging motions of two magnetic bipolar sources. These sources are initially disconnected from each other so that both, the CMF and the associated reconnection/heating event (i.e. the XBP), are modelled in a self-consistent way. In the initial state, there is no X-point but two separatrices are present. Hence, the reconnection/heating and the cancellation phases have not yet started. Our numerical experiments end shortly after the converging magnetic bipole has fully cancelled. By this time, reconnection in the inner domain has ceased and occurs only at the base. Solving the energy equation with various heating and cooling terms included, and considering different bottom boundary conditions, reveals that the unrealistically high temperatures produced by Ohmic heating are reduced to more moderate temperatures of 1.5–2 MK consistent with observations of XBPs, if thermal conduction is included and density and temperature are fixed at the base.  相似文献   

Nonlinear Force-Free Modeling of Coronal Magnetic Fields. II. Modeling a Filament Arcade and Simulated Chromospheric and Photospheric Vector Fields     

Thomas R. Metcalf  Marc L. DeRosa  Carolus J. Schrijver  Graham Barnes  Adriaan A. van Ballegooijen  Thomas Wiegelmann  Michael S. Wheatland  Gherardo Valori  James M. McTtiernan 《Solar physics》2008,247(2):269-299

We compare a variety of nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) extrapolation algorithms, including optimization, magneto-frictional, and Grad – Rubin-like codes, applied to a solar-like reference model. The model used to test the algorithms includes realistic photospheric Lorentz forces and a complex field including a weakly twisted, right helical flux bundle. The codes were applied to both forced “photospheric” and more force-free “chromospheric” vector magnetic field boundary data derived from the model. When applied to the chromospheric boundary data, the codes are able to recover the presence of the flux bundle and the field’s free energy, though some details of the field connectivity are lost. When the codes are applied to the forced photospheric boundary data, the reference model field is not well recovered, indicating that the combination of Lorentz forces and small spatial scale structure at the photosphere severely impact the extrapolation of the field. Preprocessing of the forced photospheric boundary does improve the extrapolations considerably for the layers above the chromosphere, but the extrapolations are sensitive to the details of the numerical codes and neither the field connectivity nor the free magnetic energy in the full volume are well recovered. The magnetic virial theorem gives a rapid measure of the total magnetic energy without extrapolation though, like the NLFFF codes, it is sensitive to the Lorentz forces in the coronal volume. Both the magnetic virial theorem and the Wiegelmann extrapolation, when applied to the preprocessed photospheric boundary, give a magnetic energy which is nearly equivalent to the value derived from the chromospheric boundary, but both underestimate the free energy above the photosphere by at least a factor of two. We discuss the interpretation of the preprocessed field in this context. When applying the NLFFF codes to solar data, the problems associated with Lorentz forces present in the low solar atmosphere must be recognized: the various codes will not necessarily converge to the correct, or even the same, solution. On 07/07/2007, the NLFFF team was saddened by the news that Tom Metcalf had died as the result of an accident. We remain grateful for having had the opportunity to benefit from his unwavering dedication to the problems encountered in attempting to understand the Sun’s magnetic field; Tom had completed this paper several months before his death, leading the team through the many steps described above.  相似文献   

Resolving the Azimuthal Ambiguity in Vector Magnetogram Data with the Divergence-Free Condition: Theoretical Examination     

A. D. Crouch  G. Barnes 《Solar physics》2008,247(1):25-37

We demonstrate that the azimuthal ambiguity that is present in solar vector magnetogram data can be resolved with line-of-sight and horizontal heliographic derivative information by using the divergence-free property of magnetic fields without additional assumptions. We discuss the specific derivative information that is sufficient to resolve the ambiguity away from disk centre, with particular emphasis on the line-of-sight derivative of the various components of the magnetic field. Conversely, we also show cases where ambiguity resolution fails because sufficient line-of-sight derivative information is not available. For example, knowledge of only the line-of-sight derivative of the line-of-sight component of the field is not sufficient to resolve the ambiguity away from disk centre.  相似文献   

Multiresolution Analysis of Active Region Magnetic Structure and its Correlation with the Mount Wilson Classification and Flaring Activity     

J. Ireland  C. A. Young  R. T. J. McAteer  C. Whelan  R. J. Hewett  P. T. Gallagher 《Solar physics》2008,252(1):121-137

Two different multiresolution analyses are used to decompose the structure of active-region magnetic flux into concentrations of different size scales. Lines separating these opposite polarity regions of flux at each size scale are found. These lines are used as a mask on a map of the magnetic field gradient to sample the local gradient between opposite polarity regions of given scale sizes. It is shown that the maximum, average, and standard deviation of the magnetic flux gradient for α,β,β γ, and β γ δ active-regions increase in the order listed, and that the order is maintained over all length scales. Since magnetic flux gradient is strongly linked to active-region activity, such as flares, this study demonstrates that, on average, the Mt. Wilson classification encodes the notion of activity over all length scales in the active-region, and not just those length scales at which the strongest flux gradients are found. Further, it is also shown that the average gradients in the field, and the average length-scale at which they occur, also increase in the same order. Finally, there are significant differences in the gradient distribution, between flaring and non-flaring active regions, which are maintained over all length scales. It is also shown that the average gradient content of active-regions that have large flares (GOES class “M” and above) is larger than that for active regions containing flares of all flare sizes; this difference is also maintained at all length scales. All of the reported results are independent of the multiresolution transform used. The implications for the Mt. Wilson classification of active-regions in relation to the multiresolution gradient content and flaring activity are discussed.  相似文献   

Intensity and Magnetic Field Distribution of Sunspots     

Trevor Leonard  Debi Prasad Choudhary 《Solar physics》2008,252(1):33-41

We study the relationship between the brightness (I) and magnetic field (B) distributions of sunspots using 272 samples observed at the San Fernando Observatory and the National Solar Observatory, Kitt Peak, whose characteristics varied widely. We find that the I – B relationship has a quadratic form for the spots with magnetic field less than about 2000 G. The slope of the linear part of the I – B curve varies by about a factor of three for different types of spots. In general the slope increases as the spot approaches disk center. The I – B slope does not have a clear dependency on the spot size but the lower limit appears to increase as a function of the ratio of umbra and penumbra area. The I – B slope changes as a function of age of the sunspots. We discuss various sunspot models using these results.  相似文献   

NTSCGNSS-2型GPS/GLONASS时间传递接收机的性能测试   总被引：1，自引：1，他引：0  

高玉平  戚素娟 《时间频率学报》2008,31(1)

与全球定位系统(GPS)不同的是全球导航卫星系统(GLONASS)的P码未加密,向所有用户开放,更有利于时间比对.结合国内外需求,中国科学院国家授时中心研制了GPS/GLONASS时间传递接收机NTSCGNSS-2.介绍了GLONASS信号特点和对NTSCGNSS-2的初步测试结果.  相似文献   

临潼-蒲城数字微波时间传输系统建设及初步结果     

董绍武  漆溢  刘春侠  王改霞  袁海波  李纬 《时间频率学报》2008,31(2)

中国科学院国家授时中心的临潼--蒲城微波时间传输系统承担着守时基准钟房(临潼)与发播控制钟房(蒲城)之间的时间同步比对任务.截至2006年底,该系统已经连续工作了28年,由于设备老化等原因,系统的可靠性和性能指标严重下降.概括介绍了微波时间传输系统的技术改造方案和数字微波系统实现的功能,初步结果表明改造后的微波时间传输系统的性能得到了提高.  相似文献   

行星际磁通量绳尺度及能量研究     

冯恒强  韩运侠  吴德金  赵寄昆 《天文学进展》2008,26(4)

行星际磁通量绳是太阳风中一种重要的磁结构.从1995-2001年的Wind卫星的观测资料中认证了144个行星际磁通量绳.其时间尺度介于几十分钟到几十小时之间,其空间尺度呈现连续分布.通过估算磁通量绳单位长度的能量和总能量发现:磁通量绳的能量分布和耀斑的类似都呈现很好的幂率谱.通过讨论行星际磁通量绳和太阳活动爆发的关系,建议所有的小、中、大尺度通量绳都直接起源于太阳上的爆发,和磁云对应于通常的日冕物质抛射一样,中、小尺度的通量绳对应相对较小的日冕物质抛射.  相似文献