| 1. |
- Si, Ran, et al.
(author)
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A First Spectroscopic Measurement of the Magnetic-field Strength for an Active Region of the Solar Corona
- 2020
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 898:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- For all involved in astronomy, the importance of monitoring and determining astrophysical magnetic-field strengths is clear. It is also a well-known fact that the corona magnetic fields play an important part in the origin of solar flares and the variations of space weather. However, after many years of solar corona studies, there is still no direct and continuous way to measure and monitor the solar magnetic-field strength. We present here a scheme that allows such a measurement, based on a careful study of an exotic class of atomic transitions, known as magnetic induced transitions, in Fe9+. In this contribution we present a first application of this methodology and determine a value of the coronal field strength using the spectroscopic data from Hinode.
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| 2. |
- Hayakawa, Hisashi, et al.
(author)
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The extreme space weather event in 1903 october/november : An outburst from the quiet sun
- 2020
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 897:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- While the Sun is generally more eruptive during its maximum and declining phases, observational evidence shows certain cases of powerful solar eruptions during the quiet phase of solar activity. Occurring in the weak Solar Cycle 14 just after its minimum, the extreme space weather event in 1903 October-November is one of these cases. Here, we reconstruct the time series of geomagnetic activity based on contemporary observational records. With the mid-latitude magnetograms, the 1903 magnetic storm is thought to be caused by a fast coronal mass ejection (≈1500 km s-1) and is regarded as a superstorm with an estimated minimum of the equivalent disturbance storm time index (Dst') of ≈-531 nT. The reconstructed time series has been compared with the equatorward extension of auroral oval (≈44. 1 in invariant latitude) and the time series of telegraphic disturbances. This case study shows that potential threats posed by extreme space weather events exist even during weak solar cycles or near their minima.
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| 3. |
- Cliver, E. W., et al.
(author)
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Solar Longitude Distribution of High-energy Proton Flares : Fluences and Spectra
- 2020
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 900:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The distribution of the longitudes of solar flares associated with the high-energy proton events called ground level events (GLEs) can be approximated by a Gaussian with a peak at ∼W60, with a full range from ∼E90 to ∼W150. The longitudes of flares associated with the top third (24 of 72) of GLEs in terms of their >430 MeV fluences (F 430) are primarily distributed over E20-W100 with a skew toward disk center. This 120 span in longitude is comparable to the latitudinal spans of powerful coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from limb flares. Only 5 of 24 strong GLEs are located within the W40-80 zone of good magnetic connection to Earth. GLEs with hard spectra, i.e., a spectral index SI30/200(= log(F 30/F 200)) < 1.5, also tend to avoid W40-80 source regions. Three-fourths of such events (16 of 21) arise in flares outside this range. The above tendencies favor a CME-driven shock source over a flare-resident acceleration process for high-energy solar protons. GLE spectra show a trend, with broad scatter, from hard spectra for events originating in eruptive flares beyond the west limb to soft spectra for GLEs with sources near central meridian. This behavior can be explained in terms of: (1) dominant near-Sun quasi-perpendicular shock acceleration of protons for far western (>W100) GLEs; (2) quasi-parallel shock acceleration for well-connected (W40-80) GLEs, and (3) proton acceleration/trapping at CME-driven bow shocks from central meridian (E20-W20) that strike the Earth.
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| 4. |
- Harper, Graham M., et al.
(author)
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Sofia-exes observations of betelgeuse during the great dimming of 2019/2020
- 2020
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 893:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In 2019 October Betelgeuse began a decline in V-band brightness that went beyond the minimum expected from its quasi-periodic ∼420 day cycle, becoming the faintest in recorded photometric history. Observations obtained in 2019 December with Very Large Telescope/SPHERE have shown that the southern half of the star has become markedly fainter than in 2019 January, indicating that a major change has occurred in, or near, the photosphere. We present Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) high spectral-resolution observations of [Fe II] 25.99 μm and [S I] 25.25 μm emission lines from Betelgeuse obtained during the unprecedented 2020 February V-band brightness minimum to investigate potential changes in the circumstellar flow. These spectra are compared to observations obtained in 2015 and 2017 when the V magnitude was typical of brighter phases. We find only very small changes in the gas velocities reflected by either of the line profiles, no significant changes in the flux to continuum ratios, and hence no significant changes in the [Fe ii]/[S i] flux ratios. There is evidence that absorption features have appeared in the 2020 continuum. The Alfvén wave-crossing time from the upper photosphere is sufficiently long that one would not expect a change in the large-scale magnetic field to reach the circumstellar [Fe ii] and [S i] line-forming regions, 3 < R (R ∗) < 20. However, the light-crossing time is of order a few hours and a reduction in luminosity may reduce the dust-gas heating rate and [O i] 63.19 μm emission, which has contributions from R > 20R ∗, where significant circumstellar oxygen-rich dust is observed.
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| 5. |
- Jacobson-Galán, Wynn V., et al.
(author)
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Late-time Observations of Calcium-rich Transient SN 2019ehk Reveal a Pure Radioactive Decay Power Source
- 2021
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 908:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present multiband Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the calcium-rich supernova (SN) SN 2019ehk at 276-389 days after explosion. These observations represent the latest B-band to near-IR photometric measurements of a calcium-rich transient to date and allow for the first opportunity to analyze the late-time bolometric evolution of an object in this observational SN class. We find that the late-time bolometric light curve of SN 2019ehk can be described predominantly through the radioactive decay of 56Co for which we derive a mass of M(56Co) = (2.8 ± 0.1) × 10-2 M o. Furthermore, the rate of decline in bolometric luminosity requires the leakage of γ-rays on timescale t γ = 53.9 ± 1.30 days, but we find no statistical evidence for incomplete positron trapping in the SN ejecta. While our observations cannot constrain the exact masses of other radioactive isotopes synthesized in SN 2019ehk, we estimate a mass ratio limit of M(57Co)/M(56Co) ≤ 0.030. This limit is consistent with the explosive nucleosynthesis produced in the merger of low-mass white dwarfs, which is one of the favored progenitor scenarios in early-time studies of SN 2019ehk.
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