L. A. Lukanina

Dual-frequency radio sounding with spacecraft signals: Quasi-periodic perturbations in the circumsolar plasma

A large volume of coronal radio sounding has been accumulated over the years 1991–2009 by the ULYSSES, MARS-EXPRESS, and ROSETTA spacecraft. A description of the dual-frequency radio sounding investigations of the circumsolar plasma and the methods for processing of the signal frequency fluctuations are presented. It is demonstrated that a quasi-periodic sporadic component with a period of 3–8 min is present in the radio frequency fluctuation temporal spectra. The characteristics of the quasi-periodic oscillations are studied for various heliolatitudes and distances from the Sun. Wavelet analysis is applied to two radio tracking sessions in order to assess its effectivity in the detection and analysis of waves at specific periods. It is argued that the quasi-periodic component in the frequency perturbations is most probably caused by fast magnetoacoustic waves generated locally via nonlinear interactions with propagating coronal Alfvén waves.

Frequency fluctuation of spacecraft radio signals in the circumsolar plasma

Frequency fluctuation data of monochromatic radio waves propagating through the circumsolar plasma in 1975–2002 are systematized and analyzed. The radial dependences of the intensity of the frequency fluctuations are obtained for the decimeter radio waves in the circumsolar plasma from the results of radio sounding using the Ulysses and Galileo spacecrafts. It is demonstrated that the radial profile of the rms frequency fluctuations can be approximated by a power-law function whose exponent is determined by the intensity of the plasma inhomogeneities, the velocity of solar wind, the spectral index of the spatial spectrum of the plasma fluctuations, and the outer scale of turbulence. It is also shown that three different frequency fluctuation regimes are found in the solar wind acceleration region and in the inner and outer regions of the stable solar wind.

Quasi-periodic Faraday-rotation fluctuations of the polarization plane during radio sounding of the circumsolar plasma

The statistical characteristics of Faraday-rotation fluctuations (FRFs) of a radio-wave polarization plane are analyzed when the circumsolar plasma is sounded by the signals of a Helios 1 space probe. The time spectra and auto- and crosscorrelation functions of FRFs, which are measured simultaneously at two ground stations separated by large distances, have been determined. The wavelet spectra of FRFs are presented, and the opportunities of the wavelet transform and other techniques used to reveal quasi-periodic FRFs with different periods are investigated. It is demonstrated that the quasi-periodic magnetic field oscillations, which are excited by the trains of Alfvén waves propagating through the solar supercorona (their period varies between 2 and 160 min), are observed at the heliocentric distances of 3–12 solar radii.

Frequency fluctuations of coherent signals from spacecraft observed during dual-frequency radio sounding of the circumsolar plasma in 2004–2008

We have performed spectral processing of the data of experiments on radio sounding of circumsolar plasma by coherent S- and X-band signals from the spacecraft Ulysses, Mars Express, Rosetta, and Venus Express carried out from 1991 to 2009. The experiments were realized in the mode of coherent response, when a signal stabilized by the hydrogen standard is transmitted from the ground station to a spacecraft, received by the onboard systems, and retransmitted to the Earth with conserved coherence. Thus, the signal sounding the coronal plasma passes twice through the medium: on the propagation path ground station — spacecraft and on the same path in the opposite direction. The spectra of frequency fluctuations in both the bands are obtained and, using them, the radial dependences of fluctuation intensities are found, which can be approximated by a power law. It is shown that the ratio of intensities of frequency fluctuations in the S- and X-bands is comparable with the theoretical value and characterizes the degree of correlation of irregularities of the electron density along the propagation path ground station — spacecraft and back. Analysis of the correlation of frequency fluctuations on the two paths allows one to get a lower estimate of the outer scale of the circumsolar plasma turbulence. For heliocentric distances R = 10 solar radii (RS) the outer scale is larger than 0.25RS.

Analysis of radio wave frequency fluctuations in the circumsolar plasma: Galileo coronal sounding data

Spectral and correlation analyses of the frequency fluctuations of radio waves measured in the course of the radio sounding of the circumsolar plasma by the signals of the Galileo spacecraft in 1995–2002 are performed. The radial dependences of the fluctuation intensities are obtained, and disturbed plasma structures (similar to coronal mass ejections) that pass through the radio ray path are detected. The radio-sounding data are compared with the results of plasma measurements on the Wind satellite. A relationship between events in near-Earth space and the circumsolar plasma is established. The correlation of radio wave frequency fluctuations along different ray paths in the circumsolar plasma is studied. The exponents of the spatial spectrum of turbulence and the solar wind velocity are determined at different heliocentric distances.

Radial dependence of the level of amplitude fluctuations of spacecraft radio signals probing circumsolar plasma

The statistical characteristics of amplitude fluctuations of radio signals propagating through circumsolar plasma at various distances from the Sun are investigated during various phases of solar activity. Primary data obtained in large-scale series of radio-probing sessions are systemized. During these sessions, circumsolar plasma was probed with signals from spacecraft launched by Russia and other countries. It is found that the dependences of the relative level of amplitude fluctuations (scintillation index) on the solar-offset distance of a radio beam can be approximated with power functions with exponents depending on the heliocentric distance. When the distance between a probed region and the photosphere is large, this exponent is close to the value 1.5. As the Sun is approached, the exponent grows to a value of 1.8–2.05 reached at a heliocentric distance of about four solar radii. The scintillation index is calculated theoretically with allowance for the radial dependence of turbulence characteristics, such as the spectral index and outer scale.

Quasi-periodic radio frequency fluctuations in the circumsolar plasma observed during radio sounding experiments

Experimental radio sounding data of the circumsolar plasma, recorded with the help of the Ulysses, Mars Express, Venus Express, and Rosetta spacecraft, have been systematically analyzed. These data were processed via spectral and correlation methods with the aim of detecting quasi-periodic frequency fluctuations. Integral wavelet spectra have been constructed for the purpose of identifying periodic radio frequency fluctuations at different periods. Comparative analysis of the methods for detecting the quasi-periodic disturbances of the radio frequency in the circumsolar plasma has been carried out. It is demonstrated that frequency fluctuations with periods of 1–80 min are observed regularly in radio sounding experiments of the solar wind plasma.

Investigation of coronal mass ejections by the two-position radio sounding method

The two-position radio sounding of the solar wind by the Galileo and Cassini spacecraft has been first performed. These spacecraft followed the Sun from east to west from May 12 to 24, 2000 and sounded the regions spaced in radial directions by several millions of kilometers. Stable correlation has been revealed between fluctuation effects detected in spatially spaced radio-sounding paths of disturbed plasma structures of the coronal mass ejection (CME) type. The radio effects have been found to correlate also with the data on the solar wind density near the Earth orbit. It has been shown that the two-position radio-sounding method together with the data on solar radiation in the X-ray and optic ranges and with the results of local plasma measurements provides information on the structure and velocity of the propagation of CMEs from the photosphere to the Earth orbit. In the most powerful event recorded on May 13, 2000, the CME velocity at the heliocentric distances of about 15R⊙ (R⊙ is the solar radius) reached 1200 km/s. At (15–25) R⊙, the velocity was about 1300 km/s. At distances larger than 25R⊙, disturbance was decelerated from 1300 to 450 km/s near the Earth orbit.

Observations of corotating solar wind structures at radio sounding by signals of the Rosetta and Mars Express spacecraft

In the implementation of the space projects Rosetta and Mars Express, a large-scale series of experiments has been carried out on radio sounding circumsolar plasma by decimeter (S-band) and centimeter (X-band) signals of the Rosetta comet probe (from October 3 to October 31, 2010) and the Mars Express satellite of Mars (from December 25, 2010 to March 27, 2011). It was found that in the phase of ingress the spacecraft behind the Sun, the intensity of the frequency fluctuations increases in accordance with a power function whose argument is the solar offset distance of radio ray path, and when the spacecraft is removed from the Sun (the egress phase), frequency fluctuations are reduced. Periodic strong increases in the fluctuation level, exceeding by a factor of 3–12 the background values of this value determined by the regular radial dependences, are imposed on the regular dependences. It was found that increasing the fluctuations of radio waves alternates with the periodicity m × T or n × T, where m = 1/2, n = 1, аnd T is the synodic period of the Sun’s rotation (T ≈ 27 days). It was shown that the corotating structures associated with the interaction regions of different speed fluxes are formed in the area of solar wind acceleration and at distances of 6–20 solar radii already have a quasi-stationary character.

Faraday-rotation fluctuations from radio-sounding measurements of the circumsolar plasma using polarized signals from the HELIOS-1 and HELIOS-2 space probes

Fluctuations in the Faraday rotation of the plane of polarization of S-band (2.3 GHz) radio signals transmitted through the solar corona by the HELIOS-1 AND HELIOS-2 space probes are analyzed. Simultaneous measurements of the Faraday-rotation fluctuations at the Goldstone and Canberra stations have yielded estimates of the velocity of perturbations of the magnetic field in the circumsolar plasma at heliocentric distances of three to six solar radii. The velocity of these perturbations is a combination of the Alfvén and solar-wind speeds. Temporal spectra of the Faraday-rotation fluctuations are obtained based on a large volume of observational data obtained in various years in four cycles of radio-sounding experiments. Filtration of the input data using spectral, correlation, and wavelet analyses shows that trains of quasi-periodic oscillations of the magnetic field with various amplitudes and periods from 2 to 160 min are regularly present in the Faraday-rotation fluctuations. This quasi-periodic character of these perturbations supports their connection with Alfvén waves propagating in the circumsolar plasma.