Solar jets, characterized by small-scale plasma ejections along open magnetic field lines or the legs of large-scale coronal loops, play a crucial role in the dynamics of the solar atmosphere. Although spectral and EUV images have been widely used to analyze the formation and evolution of jets, the detailed 3D structure at the base of the jet has not been studied in detail due to the limitations in the spatial resolution of observations. Solar Orbiter enables us to investigate the structure of solar jets with much higher spatial and temporal resolutions and from a different angle than from Earth. By combining observations made by instruments onboard Solar Orbiter with data from the SDO, we analyzed recurrent solar jets originating in a mixed-polarity region near an active region. Additionally, we employed potential field and magnetohydrostatic extrapolation techniques to determine the magnetic field topology associated with the jets. The jets display dynamic, multi-strand outflows emanating from compact bright kernels above the magnetic inversion line, with apparent speeds exceeding 100 km/s. Magnetic field evolution reveals continuous flux cancellation at the jet footpoints. Throu
One of the most commonly observed solar radio sources in the metric and decametric wavelengths is the solar noise storm. These are generally associated with active regions and are believed to be powered by the plasma emission mechanism. Since plasma emission emits primarily at the fundamental and harmonic of the local plasma frequency, it is significantly affected by density inhomogeneities in the solar corona. The source can become significantly scatter-broadened due to the multi-path propagation caused by refraction from the density inhomogeneities. Past observational and theoretical estimates suggest some minimum observable source size in the solar corona. The details of this limit, however, depends on the modeling approach and details of the coronal turbulence model chosen. Hence pushing the minimum observable source size to smaller values can help constrain the plasma environment of the observed sources. In this work, we for the first time, use data from the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in the 250--500 MHz band, to determine multiple instances of very small-scale structures in the noise storms. We also find that these structures are stable over timescales of 15--30
In this study, the non-potential magnetic field parameters of active region NOAA 9077 are investigated; this AR experienced a super-strong X5.7 solar flare. Using advanced extrapolation techniques, the 3D magnetic field structure from vector magnetograms is obtained from the Solar Magnetic Field Telescope (SMFT) at Huairou Solar Observing Station (HSOS). Then various non-potential parameters are calculated, including current density, shear angle, quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs), twist, and field line helicity. By analyzing the spatial and temporal distributions of these parameters, we aim to shed light on the relationship between magnetic field properties and solar flare occurrence. Our findings reveal that high twist and complex magnetic field configurations are prevalent before flares, while these features tend to weaken after the eruption. Additionally, we observe decreases in helicity and free energy after the flare, while the free energy peaks approximately 1.5 days prior to the onset of the flare. Furthermore, we investigate the distribution of quasi-separatrix layers and twist, finding high degrees of complexity before flares. Multiple patterns of high current density regions
We study the solar-activity and solar-polarity dependence of galactic cosmic-ray intensity (CRI) on the solar and heliospheric parameters playing a significant role in solar modulation. We utilize the data for cosmic-ray intensity as measured by neutron monitors, solar activity as measured by sunspot number (SSN), interplanetary plasma/field parameters, solar-wind velocity [V] and magnetic field [B], as well as the tilt of the heliospheric current sheet [Λ] and analyse these data for Solar Cycles 20 - 24 (1965 - 2011). We divide individual Solar Cycles into four phases, i.e. low, high, increasing, and decreasing solar activity. We perform regression analysis to calculate and compare the CRI-response to changes in different solar/interplanetary parameters during (i) different phases of solar activity and (ii) similar activity phases but different polarity states. We find that the CRI-response is different during negative (A<0) as compared to positive (A>0) polarity states not only with SSN and Λ but also with B and V. The relative CRI-response to changes in various parameters, in negative (A<0) as compared to positive (A>0) state, is solar-activity dependent; it is ~2 to
The Sun drives a supersonic wind which inflates a giant plasma bubble in our very local interstellar neighborhood, the heliosphere. It is bathed in an extremely variable background of energetic ions and electrons which originate from a number of sources. Solar energetic particles (SEPs) are accelerated in the vicinity of the Sun, whereas shocks driven by solar disturbances are observed to accelerate energetic storm particles (ESPs). Moreover, a dilute population with a distinct composition forms the anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs) which are of a mixed interstellar-heliospheric origin. Particles are also accelerated at planetary bow shocks. We will present recent observations of energetic particles by Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe, as well as other spacecraft that allow us to study the acceleration and transport of energetic particles at multiple locations in the inner heliosphere.
Our study investigates the properties of Alfvén waves in partially ionised solar plasmas in the presence of steady, field-aligned, flows of charged and neutral particles. Our work aims to understand how such flows modify wave propagation and damping in environments where ion-neutral collisions are significant. We employ a two-fluid model that treats ions and neutrals as separate, colliding fluids and incorporates background steady flows for both species. Using a combination of analytical dispersion analysis and numerical solutions, we examine the impact of these flows on the behaviour of Alfvén waves. Our results show that steady flows lead to substantial modifications of wave properties, including Doppler shifts, propagation direction reversal, flow-dependent changes in damping rates, and the appearance of a new mode associated with neutral flow and collisional coupling. We also identify conditions under which flow-driven mode conversion can arise. Our results offer new insights into the interplay between plasma flows and particle collisions in the regions of the solar atmosphere where partial ionisation is relevant.
We study solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) during the deep solar minimum, including the declining phase, of solar cycle 23 and compare the results of this unusual period with the results obtained during similar phases of the previous solar cycles 20, 21, and 22. These periods consist of two epochs each of negative and positive polarities of the heliospheric magnetic field from the north polar region of the Sun. In addition to cosmic ray data, we utilize simultaneous solar and interplanetary plasma/field data including the tilt angle of the heliospheric current sheet. We study the relation between simultaneous variations in cosmic ray intensity and solar/interplanetary parameters during the declining and the minimum phases of cycle 23. We compare these relations with those obtained for the same phases in the three previous solar cycles. We observe certain peculiar features in cosmic ray modulation during the minimum of solar cycle 23 including the record high GCR intensity. We find, during this unusual minimum, that the correlation of GCR intensity is poor with sunspot number (R = -0.41), better with interplanetary magnetic field (R = -0.66), still better with solar wi
The Sun provides a critical benchmark for the general study of stellar structure and evolution. Also, knowledge about the internal properties of the Sun is important for the understanding of solar atmospheric phenomena, including the solar magnetic cycle. Here I provide a brief overview of the theory of stellar structure and evolution, including the physical processes and parameters that are involved. This is followed by a discussion of solar evolution, extending from the birth to the latest stages. As a background for the interpretation of observations related to the solar interior I provide a rather extensive analysis of the sensitivity of solar models to the assumptions underlying their calculation. I then discuss the detailed information about the solar interior that has become available through helioseismic investigations and the detection of solar neutrinos, with further constraints provided by the observed abundances of the lightest elements. Revisions in the determination of the solar surface abundances have led to increased discrepancies, discussed in some detail, between the observational inferences and solar models. I finally briefly address the relation of the Sun to ot
We present results of a dual eclipse expedition to observe the solar corona from two sites during the annular solar eclipse of 2023 October 14, using a novel coronagraph designed to be accessible for amateurs and students to build and deploy. The coronagraph "CATEcor" builds on the standardized eclipse observing equipment developed for the Citizen CATE 2024 experiment. The observing sites were selected for likelihood of clear observations, for historic relevance (near the Climax site in the Colorado Rocky Mountains), and for centrality to the annular eclipse path (atop Sandia Peak above Albuquerque, New Mexico). The novel portion of CATEcor is an external occulter assembly that slips over the front of a conventional dioptric telescope, forming a "shaded-truss" externally occulted coronagraph. CATEcor is specifically designed to be easily constructed in a garage or "makerspace" environment. We successfully observed some bright features in the solar corona to an altitude of approximately 2.25 R$_\odot$ during the annular phases of the eclipse. Future improvements to the design, in progress now, will reduce both stray light and image artifacts; our objective is to develop a design tha
Neutrinos generated during solar flares remain elusive. However, after $50$ years of discussion and search, the potential knowledge unleashed by their discovery keeps the search crucial. Neutrinos associated with solar flares provide information on otherwise poorly known particle acceleration mechanisms during solar flare. For neutrino detectors, the separation between atmospheric neutrinos and solar flare neutrinos is technically encumbered by an energy band overlap. To improve differentiation from background neutrinos, we developed a method to determine the temporal search window for neutrino production during solar flares. Our method is based on data recorded by solar satellites, such as Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), and GEOTAIL. In this study, we selected 23 solar flares above the X5.0 class that occurred between 1996 and 2018. We analyzed the light curves of soft X-rays, hard X-rays, $γ$-rays, line $γ$-rays from neutron capture as well as the derivative of soft X-rays. The average search windows are determined as follows: $4,178$ s for soft X-ray, $700$ s for derivative of soft X-ray, $9
The study of variations in solar activity is important for understanding the underlying mechanism of solar activity and for predicting the level of activity in view of the activity impact on space weather and global climate. Here we have used the amplitudes (the peak values of the 13-month smoothed international sunspot number) of Solar Cycles 1-24 to predict the relative amplitudes of the solar cycles during the rising phase of the upcoming Gleissberg cycle. We fitted a cosine function to the amplitudes and times of the solar cycles after subtracting a linear fit of the amplitudes. The best cosine fit shows overall properties (periods, maxima, minima, etc.) of Gleissberg cycles, but with large uncertainties. We obtain a pattern of the rising phase of the upcoming Gleissberg cycle, but there is considerable ambiguity. Using the epochs of violations of the Gnevyshev-Ohl rule (G-O rule) and the `tentative inverse G-O rule' of solar cycles during the period 1610-2015, and also using the epochs where the orbital angular momentum of the Sun is steeply decreased during the period 1600-2099, we infer that Solar Cycle 25 will be weaker than Cycle 24. Cycles 25 and 26 will have almost same
The Solar Cycle is reviewed. The 11-year cycle of solar activity is characterized by the rise and fall in the numbers and surface area of sunspots. A number of other solar activity indicators also vary in association with the sunspots including; the 10.7cm radio flux, the total solar irradiance, the magnetic field, flares and coronal mass ejections, geomagnetic activity, galactic cosmic ray fluxes, and radioisotopes in tree rings and ice cores. Individual solar cycles are characterized by their maxima and minima, cycle periods and amplitudes, cycle shape, the equatorward drift of the active latitudes, hemispheric asymmetries, and active longitudes. Cycle-to-cycle variability includes the Maunder Minimum, the Gleissberg Cycle, and the Gnevyshev-Ohl (even-odd) Rule. Short-term variability includes the 154-day periodicity, quasi-biennial variations, and double-peaked maxima. We conclude with an examination of prediction techniques for the solar cycle and a closer look at cycles 23 and 24.
Spectroscopic observations at extreme and far ultraviolet wavelengths have revealed systematic upflows in the solar transition region and corona. These upflows are best seen in the network structures of the quiet Sun and coronal holes, boundaries of active regions, and dimming regions associated with coronal mass ejections. They have been intensively studied in the past two decades because they are highly likely to be closely related to the formation of the solar wind and heating of the upper solar atmosphere. We present an overview of the characteristics of these upflows, introduce their possible formation mechanisms, and discuss their potential roles in the mass and energy transport in the solar atmosphere. Though past investigations have greatly improved our understanding of these upflows, they have left us with several outstanding questions and unresolved issues that should be addressed in the future. New observations from the Solar Orbiter mission, the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope and the Parker Solar Probe will likely provide critical information to advance our understanding of the generation, propagation and energization of these upflows.
Magnetic clouds (MCs) are transient magnetic structures giving the strongest southward magnetic field (Bz south) in the solar wind. The sheath regions of MCs may also carry southward magnetic field. Southward magnetic field is responsible for causing space-weather disturbances. We report a comprehensive analysis of MCs and Bz components in their sheath regions during 1995 to 2017. Eighty-five percent of 303 MCs contain a south Bz up to 50 nT. Sheath Bz during the 23 years may reach as high as 40 nT. The MCs of strongest magnetic magnitude and Bz south occur in the declining phase of the solar cycle. The bipolar MCs have solar-cycle dependence in their polarity, but not in the occurrence frequency. Unipolar MCs show solar-cycle dependence in their occurrence frequency but not in their polarity. MCs with the highest speeds, largest total B magnitudes and sheath Bz south are from source regions closer to the solar disk center. About 80% of large Dst storms are caused by MC events. The combinations of south Bz in the sheath and the south-first MCs in close succession have given the largest storms. The solar-cycle dependence of bipolar MCs is extended to 2017, spanning 42 years. We find
Using data from the Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) that covers the period from 1995 to 1998 we study the change in frequencies of solar oscillations with solar activity. From these frequencies we attempt to determine any possible variation in solar structure with solar activity. We do not find any evidence of a change in the convection zone depth or extent of overshoot below the convection zone during the solar cycle.
Using data from the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) covering the period from 1995 to 1998, we study the change with solar activity in solar f-mode frequencies. The results are compared with similar changes detected from the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) data. We find variations in f-mode frequencies which are correlated with solar activity indices. If these changes are due to variation in solar radius then the implications are that the solar radius decreases by about 5 km from minimum to maximum activity.
Imaging the low-frequency radio Sun is an intrinsically challenging problem. Meter-wavelength solar emission spans angular scales from a few arcminutes to a few degrees. These emissions show temporal and spectral variability on a sub-second and sub-MHz scales. The brightness temperature of these emissions also varies by many orders of magnitude, which requires high-dynamic-range spectroscopic snapshot imaging. With the unique array configuration of the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), and the robust calibration and imaging pipeline, Automated Imaging Routine for the Compact Arrays for the Radio Sun (AIRCARS) produces the best spectroscopic snapshot solar images available to date. The working principle and the strength of this algorithm are demonstrated using statistical analysis and simulation. AIRCARS uses the partial phase stability of the MWA, which has a compact core with a large number of antenna elements distributed over a small array footprint. The strength of this algorithm makes it a state-of-the-art calibration and imaging pipeline for low-frequency solar imaging, which is expected to be highly suitable for the upcoming Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and other future radio
We analyze the occurrence frequency distributions of peak fluxes $P$, total fluxes $E$, and durations $T$ of solar flares over the last three solar cycles (during 1980--2010) from hard X-ray data of HXRBS/SMM, BATSE/CGRO, and RHESSI. From the synthesized data we find powerlaw slopes with mean values of $α_P=1.72\pm0.08$ for the peak flux, $α_E=1.60\pm0.14$ for the total flux, and $α_T=1.98\pm0.35$ for flare durations. We find a systematic anti-correlation of the powerlaw slope of peak fluxes as a function of the solar cycle, varying with an approximate sinusoidal variation $α_P(t)=α_0+Δα\cos{[2π(t-t_0)/T_{cycle}]}$, with a mean of $α_0=1.73$, a variation of $Δα=0.14$, a solar cycle period $T_{cycle}=12.6$ yrs, and a cycle minimum time $t_0=1984.1$. The powerlaw slope is flattest during the maximum of a solar cycle, which indicates a higher magnetic complexity of the solar corona that leads to an overproportional rate of powerful flares.
The Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSat is the first solar science oriented CubeSat mission flown for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, with the main objective of measuring the solar soft X-ray (SXR) flux and a science goal of determining its influence on Earth's ionosphere and thermosphere. These observations can also be used to investigate solar quiescent, active region, and flare properties. The MinXSS X-ray instruments consist of a spectrometer, called X123, with a nominal 0.15 keV full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) resolution at 5.9 keV and a broadband X-ray photometer, called XP. Both instruments are designed to obtain measurements from 0.5 - 30 keV at a nominal time cadence of 10 seconds. A description of the MinXSS instruments, performance capabilities, and relation to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) 0.1 - 0.8 nm flux are discussed in this article. Early MinXSS results demonstrate the capability to measure variations of the solar spectral SXR flux between 0.8 - 12 keV from at least GOES A5 - M5 (5 $\times$ 10$^{-8}$ - 5 $\times$ 10$^{-5}$ W m$^{-2}$) levels and infer physical properties (temperature and emission measure) from the
We have studied the 27-day variations and their harmonics of the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity, solar wind velocity, and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) components in the recent prolonged solar minimum 23 24. The time evolution of the quasi-periodicity in these parameters connected with the Suns rotation reveals that their synodic period is stable and is aprox 26-27 days. This means that the changes in the solar wind speed and IMF are related to the Suns near equatorial regions in considering the differential rotation of the Sun. However, the solar wind parameters observed near the Earths orbit provide only the conditions in the limited local vicinity of the equatorial region in the heliosphere (within in latitude). We also demonstrate that the observed period of the GCR intensity connected with the Suns rotation increased up to aprox 33-36 days in 2009. This means that the process driving the 27-day variations of the GCR intensity takes place not only in the limited local surroundings of the equatorial region but in the global 3-D space of the heliosphere, covering also higher latitude regions. A relatively long period ( aprox 34 days) found for 2009 in the GCR intensity