M. Minarovjech

Comparing eclipse observations of the 2008 August 1 solar corona with an MHD model prediction

Context. The structure of the white-light and emission solar coronas and their MHD modelling are the context of our work. Aims. A comparison is made between the structure of the solar corona as observed during the 2008 August 1 total eclipse from Mongolia and that predicted by an MHD model. Methods. The model has an improved energy formulation, including the effect of coronal heating, conduction of heat parallel to the magnetic field, radiative losses, and acceleration by Alfven waves. Results. The white-light corona, which was visible up to 20 solar radii, was of an intermediate type with well-pronounced helmet streamers situated above a chain of prominences at position angles of 48, 130, 241, and 322 degrees. Two polar coronal holes, filled with a plethora of thin polar plumes, were observed. High-quality pictures of the green (530.3 nm, Fe XIV) corona were obtained with the help of two narrow-passband filters (centered at the line itself and the vicinity of 529.1 nm background), with a FWHM of 0.15 nm. Conclusions. The large-scale shape of both the white-light and green corona was found to agree well with that predicted by the model. In this paper we describe the morphological properties of the observed corona, and how it compares with that predicted by the model. A more detailed analysis of the quantitative properties of the corona will be addressed in a future publication.

The 2008 August 1 Eclipse Solar-Minimum Corona Unraveled

We discuss the results stemming from observations of the white-light and [Fe XIV] emission corona during the total eclipse of the Sun of 2008 August 1, in Mongolia (Altaj region) and in Russia (Akademgorodok, Novosibirsk, Siberia). Corresponding to the current extreme solar minimum, the white-light corona, visible up to 20 solar radii, was of a transient type with well pronounced helmet streamers situated above a chain of prominences at position angles 48°, 130°, 241°, and 322°. A variety of coronal holes, filled with a number of thin polar plumes, were seen around the poles. Furthering an original method of image processing, stars up to 12 mag, a Kreutz-group comet (C/2008 O1) and a coronal mass ejection (CME) were also detected, with the smallest resolvable structures being of, and at some places even less than, 1 arcsec. Differences, presumably motions, in the corona and prominences are seen even with the 19 minutes time difference between our sites. In addition to the high-resolution coronal images, which show the continuum corona (K-corona) that results from electron scattering of photospheric light, images of the overlapping green-emission-line (530.3 nm, [Fe XIV]) corona were obtained with the help of two narrow-passband filters (centered on the line itself and for the continuum in the vicinity of 529.1 nm, respectively), each with an FWHM of 0.15 nm. Through solar observations, on whose scheduling and details we consulted, with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, Hinodes XRT and SOT, Transition Region and Coronal Explorer, and STEREO, as well as Wilcox Solar Observatory and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Michelson Doppler Imager magnetograms, we set our eclipse observations in the context of the current unusually low and prolonged solar minimum.

Polar Plume Brightening During the 2006 March 29 Total Eclipse

We discuss a remarkable brightening in a polar plume, as inferred from unique coordinated observations of the white-light corona during the total eclipse of the Sun of 2006 March 29. The polar plume (also known as a polar ray, with distinctions that we discuss) was observed at the positional angle of 9°; the velocity at which the brightening propagated was about 65 km s−1, which is close to the values derived by modeling of mass/energy transfer in polar plumes/rays as well as to those acquired from images from the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope on the European Space Agency/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO/EIT). Comparing our data with those from the SOHO/LASCO C2 coronagraph, we estimate the lifetime of the polar ray to be less than 24 hr.

Ramanujan sums analysis of long-period sequences and 1/f noise

Ramanujan sums are exponential sums with exponent defined over the irreducible fractions. Until now, they have been used to provide converging expansions to some arithmetical functions appearing in the context of number theory. In this paper, we provide an application of Ramanujan sum expansions to periodic, quasiperiodic and complex time series, as a vital alternative to the Fourier transform. The Ramanujan-Fourier spectrum of the Dow Jones index over 13 years and of the coronal index of solar activity over 69 years are taken as illustrative examples. Distinct long periods may be discriminated in place of the 1/fα spectra of the Fourier transform.

Projective line over the finite quotient ring GF(2)[x]/〈x 3 ™ x〉 and quantum entanglement: The Mermin “magic” square/pentagram

In 1993, Mermin gave surprisingly simple proofs of the Bell-Kochen-Specker (BKS) theorem in Hilbert spaces of dimensions four and eight respectively using what has since been called the Mermin-Peres “magic” square and the Mermin pentagram. The former is a 3×3 array of nine observables commuting pairwise in each row and column and arranged such that their product properties contradict those of the assigned eigenvalues. The latter is a set of ten observables arranged in five groups of four lying along five edges of the pentagram and characterized by a similar contradiction. We establish a one-to-one correspondence between the operators of the Mermin-Peres square and the points of the projective line over the product ring GF(2) ⊗ GF(2). Under this map, the concept mutually commuting transforms into mutually distant, and the distinguishing character of the third column’s observables has its counterpart in the distinguished properties of the coordinates of the corresponding points, whose entries are either both zero divisors or both units. The ten operators of the Mermin pentagram correspond to a specific subset of points of the line over GF(2)[x]/〈x3 ™ x〉. But the situation in this case is more intricate because there are two different configurations that seem to serve our purpose equally well. The first one comprises the three distinguished points of the (sub)line over GF(2), their three “Jacobson” counterparts, and the four points whose both coordinates are zero divisors. The other con.guration features the neighborhood of the point (1, 0) (or, equivalently, that of (0, 1)). We also mention some other ring lines that might be relevant to BKS proofs in higher dimensions.

Prominences and the Green Corona Over the Solar Activity Cycle

Prominences, in contrast to other solar activity features, may appear at all heliographic latitudes. The position of zones where prominences are mainly concentrated depends on the cycle phase of solar activity. It is shown, for prominence observations made at Lomnický Stit over the period 1967–1996, how the position of prominence zones changes over a solar cycle, and how these zones could be connected with other solar activity features. Our results obtained could be an additional source to do a better prediction of solar activity. Time-latitudinal distribution is also shown for the green corona (Fe XIV, 530.3 nm). Distribution of the green coronal maxima shows that there are equator-migrating zones in the solar corona that migrate from latitudes of 45° (starting approximately 2–3 years after the cycle start) to higher latitudes 70°, and then turn (around the cycle maximum) towards the equator, reaching the equator in the next minimum (this duration lasts 18–19 years). Polar branches separate from these zones at the cycle minimum (2–3 years before above-mentioned zones) at latitudes of 50°, reaching the poles at the maximum of the present cycle. The picture becomes dim when more polar prominence zones are observed. Prominences show both the poleward and equatorward migration. Comparison between both solar activity features is also discussed.

Long-term cyclic variations of prominences, green and red coronae over solar cycles

Long-term cyclic variations in the distribution of prominences and intensities of green (530.3 nm) and red (637.4 nm) coronal emission lines over solar cycles 18–23 are presented. Polar prominence branches will reach the poles at different epochs in cycle 23: the north branch at the beginning in 2002 and the south branch a year later (2003), respectively. The local maxima of intensities in the green line show both poleward- and equatorward-migrating branches. The poleward branches will reach the poles around cycle maxima like prominences, while the equatorward branches show a duration of 18 years and will end in cycle minima (2007). The red corona shows mostly equatorward branches. The possibility that these branches begin to develop at high latitudes in the preceding cycles cannot be excluded.

Coronal line photometer

A new photoelectric photometer to determine intensities of the spectral lines of the solar corona is described. The measurements cover the range from 400 nm to 900 nm with a time resolution up to 0.04 s. Starting from 1 January, 1991 the new photometer is used for patrol observations of the green (λ530.3 nm) and the red (λ637.4 nm) coronal lines at the coronal station Lomnický Štít.

Short-Term Oscillations in Green and Red Coronal Lines

Analysis of the 530.3 (green) and 637.4 (red) nm coronal line intensities is carried out on the basis of data sets obtained with a photo-electric photometer at Lomnicky Stit coronal station. The most significant oscillations (waves) have periods of 312 s in the green corona, and 296 s in the red one. Some other, shorter periods, i.e. of 222, 90, ..., 30 s (important) etc. were detected too with less significance. The relative power of individual oscillations varies between individual data sets.

The Green Corona Index and Soft X-Ray Flux

We present the behaviour of the coronal index (CI) of solar activity over the period 1986-(May) 1996. These data are not only a good tool for studying the activity of the Sun as a star, but they also represent an invaluable source of information in our quest to understand the properties of the heliosphere as a whole. Having compared the variations of CI and of the solar 0.05–0.8 nm soft X-ray flux over the period 1986–1995 we did not find any significant correlation between the two quantities. This favours a scenario in which the sources of the soft X-ray flux are small-scale regions of the corona, and processes of both ionization and recombination do not occur in the same volume of the solar corona as for the green corona.