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Register a new userProperties of high-frequency wave power halos around active regions: an analysis of multi-height data from HMI and AIA onboard SDO
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S. P. Rajaguru
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We study properties of waves of frequencies above the photospheric acoustic cut-off of $approx$5.3 mHz, around four active regions, through spatial maps of their power estimated using data from Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The wavelength channels 1600 {AA} and 1700 {AA} from AIA are now known to capture clear oscillation signals due to helioseismic p modes as well as waves propagating up through to the chromosphere. Here we study in detail, in comparison with HMI Doppler data, properties of the power maps, especially the so called acoustic halos seen around active regions, as a function of wave frequencies, inclination and strength of magnetic field (derived from the vector field observations by HMI) and observation height. We infer possible signatures of (magneto-)acoustic wave refraction from the observation height dependent changes, and hence due to changing magnetic strength and geometry, in the dependences of power maps on the photospheric magnetic quantities. We discuss the implications for theories of p mode absorption and mode
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The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) returns high-resolution images of the solar atmosphere in seven extreme ultraviolet wavelength channels. The images are processed on the ground to remove intensity spikes arising from energetic particles hitting the instrument, and the despiked images are provided to the community. In this work a three-hour series of images from the 171 A channel obtained on 2017 February 28 was studied to investigate how often the despiking algorithm gave false positives caused by compact brightenings in the solar atmosphere. The latter were identified through spikes appearing in the same detector pixel for three consecutive frames, and 1096 examples were found from the 900 image frames. These three-spikes were assigned to 126 dynamic solar features, and it is estimated that the three-spike method identifies 25% of the total number of features affected by despiking. For any 10 minute sequence of AIA 171 A images there are therefore around 28 solar features that have their intensity modified by despiking. The features are found in active regions, quiet Sun and coronal holes and, in relation to solar surface area, there is a greater proportion within coronal holes. In 96% of the cases, the despiked structure is a compact brightening of size 2 arcsec or less and the remaining 4% have narrow, elongated structures. In all cases, the events are not rendered invisible by the AIA processing pipeline, but the total intensity over the events lifetimes can be reduced by up to 67%. Scientists are recommended to always restore the original intensities to AIA data when studying short-lived or rapidly-evolving features that exhibit fine-scale structure.
We take advantage of the HMI/SDO instrument to study the naked emergence of active regions from the first imprints of the magnetic field on the solar surface. To this end, we followed the first 24 hours in the life of two rather isolated ARs that appeared on the surface when they were about to cross the central meridian. We analyze the correlations between Doppler velocities and the orientation of the vector magnetic field finding, consistently, that the horizontal fields connecting the main polarities are dragged to the surface by relatively-strong upflows and are associated to elongated granulation that is, on average, brighter than its surroundings. The main magnetic footpoints, on the other hand, are dominated by vertical fields and downflowing plasma. The appearance of moving dipolar features, MDFs, (of opposite polarity to that of the AR) in between the main footpoints, is a rather common occurrence once the AR reaches a certain size. The buoyancy of the fields is insufficient to lift up the magnetic arcade as a whole. Instead, weighted by the plasma that it carries, the field is pinned down to the photosphere at several places in between the main footpoints, giving life to the MDFs and enabling channels of downflowing plasma. MDF poles tend to drift towards each other, merge and disappear. This is likely to be the signature of a reconnection process in the dipped field lines, which relieves some of the weight allowing the magnetic arcade to finally rise beyond the detection layer of the HMI spectral line.
Waves have long been thought to contribute to the heating of the solar corona and the generation of the solar wind. Recent observations have demonstrated evidence of quasi-periodic longitudinal disturbances and ubiquitous transverse wave propagation in many different coronal environments. This paper investigates signatures of different types of oscillatory behaviour, both above the solar limb and on-disk, by comparing findings from the Coronal Multi-channel Polarimeter (CoMP) and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) for the same active region. We study both transverse and longitudinal motion by comparing and contrasting time-distance images of parallel and perpendicular cuts along/across active region fan loops. Comparisons between parallel space-time features in CoMP Doppler velocity and transverse oscillations in AIA images are made, together with space-time analysis of propagating quasi-periodic intensity features seen near the base of loops in AIA. Signatures of transverse motions are observed along the same magnetic structure using CoMP Doppler velocity (Vphase=600-750km/s, P=3-6mins) and in AIA/SDO above the limb (P=3-8mins). Quasi-periodic intensity features (Vphase=100-200km/s, P=6-11mins) also travel along the base of the same structure. On the disk, signatures of both transverse and longitudinal intensity features were observed by AIA; both show similar properties to signatures found along structures anchored in the same active region three days earlier above the limb. Correlated features are recovered by space-time analysis of neighbouring tracks over perpendicular distances of <2.6Mm.
To elucidate the flare trigger mechanism, we have analyzed several flare events which were observed by Hinode/Solar Optical Telescope (SOT), in our previous study. Because of the limitation of SOT field of view, however, only four events in the Hinode data sets have been utilizable. Therefore, increasing the number of events is required for evaluating the flare trigger models. We investigated the applicability of data obtained by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) to increase the data sample for a statistical analysis of the flare trigger process. SDO regularly observes the full disk of the sun and all flares although its spatial resolution is lower than that of Hinode. We investigated the M6.6 flare which occurred on 13 February 2011 and compared the analyzed data of SDO with the results of our previous study using Hinode/SOT data. Filter and vector magnetograms obtained by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and filtergrams from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) 1600A were employed. From the comparison of small-scale magnetic configurations and chromospheric emission prior to the flare onset, we confirmed that the trigger region is detectable with the SDO data. We also measured the magnetic shear angles of the active region and the azimuth and strength of the flare-trigger field. The results were consistent with our previous study. We concluded that statistical studies of the flare trigger process are feasible with SDO as well as Hinode data. We also investigated the temporal evolution of the magnetic field before the flare onset with SDO.
The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is designed to study oscillations and the mag- netic field in the solar photosphere. It observes the full solar disk in the Fe I absorption line at 6173AA . We use the output of a high-resolution 3D, time- dependent, radiation-hydrodynamic simulation based on the CO5BOLD code to calculate profiles F({lambda},x,y,t) for the Fe I 6173{AA} line. The emerging profiles F({lambda},x,y,t) are multiplied by a representative set of HMI filter transmission profiles R_i({lambda},1 leq i leq 6) and filtergrams I_i(x,y,t;1 leq i leq 6) are constructed for six wavelengths. Doppler velocities V_HMI(x,y,t) are determined from these filtergrams using a simplified version of the HMI pipeline. The Doppler velocities are correlated with the original velocities in the simulated atmosphere. The cross- correlation peaks near 100 km, suggesting that the HMI Doppler velocity signal is formed rather low in the solar atmosphere. The same analysis is performed for the SOHO/MDI Ni I line at 6768AA . The MDI Doppler signal is formed slightly higher at around 125 km. Taking into account the limited spatial resolution of the instruments, the apparent formation height of both the HMI and MDI Doppler signal increases by 40 to 50 km. We also study how uncertainties in the HMI filter-transmission profiles affect the calculated velocities.
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