Patrick S. McIntosh

Coronal holes as sources of solar wind

We investigate the association of high-speed solar wind with coronal holes during the Skylab mission by: (1) direct comparison of solar wind and coronal X-ray data; (2) comparison of near-equatorial coronal hole area with maximum solar wind velocity in the associated streams; and (3) examination of the correlation between solar and interplanetary magnetic polarities. We find that all large near-equatorial coronal holes seen during the Skylab period were associated with high-velocity solar wind streams observed at 1 AU.

The classification of sunspot groups

The 3-component McIntosh classification of sunspots was introduced in 1966, adopted for interchange and publication of data in 1969, and has been used increasingly in recent years. The McIntosh classification uses a modified Zurich evolutionary sequence as its first component, class, where two of the Zurich classes are omitted and more quantitative definitions are used. It then adds descriptions of the largest spot (second component) and the degree of spottedness in the group interior (third component) to define 60 distinct types of sunspot groups. Definitions of the McIntosh classification system and their rationale are presented herein. Correlations with solar flares excel those with the earlier Zurich classification, prompting the use of the McIntosh classification in an expert system (Theo) for predicting X-ray solar flares.

Observations of the reappearance of polar coronal holes and the reversal of the polar magnetic field

We examine observations relating to the evolution of the polar magnetic field around sunspot maximum, when the net polar flux reverses polarity and coronal holes redevelop around the poles. Coronal hole observations during the last two solar maxima are examined in detail. Long-term averages of the latitudinal dependence of the photospheric magnetic field and the evolutionary pattern of the polar crown filaments are used to trace the poleward motion of the reversal of the large-scale surface field, and are compared to the redevelopment of the polar holes. The polar holes evolve from small, mid-latitude holes of new-cycle polarity which expand poleward until they join and cover the pole. We find that the appearance of these mid-latitude holes, the peak of flux emergence at low latitudes, and the polar polarity reversal all occur within a few solar rotations. Lagging 6 months to 1 1/2 yr after this time, the polar crown disappears and the polar holes redevelop.These results are examined in the context of phenomenological models of the solar cycle. We believe the following results in particular must be accounted for in successful models of the solar cycle: (1) The process of polarity reversal and redevelopment of the polar holes is discontinuous, occurring in 2 or 3 longitude bands, with surges of flux of old-cycle polarity interrupting the poleward migration of new-cycle flux. There is a persistent asymmetry in these processes between the two hemispheres; the polarity reversal in the two hemispheres is offset by 6 months to 1 1/2 yr. (2) Contrary to the Babcock hypothesis, the polar crown disappears months after the magnetic polar reversal. We suggest one possible scenario to explain this effect. (3) Our observations support suggestions of a poleward meridional flow around solar maximum that cannot be accounted for by Leighton-type diffusion.

Travelling interplanetary disturbances detected using interplanetary scintillation at 327 MHz

Based on the advance predictions of two flare-generated shock fronts, obtained from the Space Environment Centre (SEC, NOAA, Boulder), observations of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) were carried out with the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) on a grid of appropriately located sources during the period 31 October to 5 November, 1992. Solar wind velocities were derived by fitting model spectra to the observed spectra and two travelling interplanetary disturbances were detected. Both disturbances were traced back to an active region on the Sun which was located close to a large coronal hole. The roles of flares and coronal holes in producing such disturbances are examined and it is shown that in the present case both the coronal hole and the active region probably played key roles in generating the two IPS disturbances.

Properties of white light flares

All four large EUV bursts (peak 10–1030 Å flux enhancements ⩾ 2 ergs cm−2 s−1 at 1 AU as deduced from sudden frequency deviations), for which there were available concurrent white light observations of at least fair quality, were detected as white light flares. The rise times and maxima of the white light emissions coincided with rise times and maxima of the EUV bursts. The frequency of strong EUV bursts suggests that white light flares may occur at the rate of five or six per year near sunspot maximum. All of the white light flare areas coincided with intense bright areas of the Hα flares. These small areas appeared to be sources of high velocity ejecta in Hα. The white light flares occurred as several knots or patches of 2 to 15 arc-sec diameter, with bright cores perhaps less than 2 arc-sec diameter (1500 km). They preferred the outer penumbral borders of strong sunspots within 10 arc-sec of a longitudinal neutral line in the magnetic field. The peak continuum flux enhancement over the 3500–6500 Å wavelength range is about the same order of magnitude as the peak 10–1030 Å flux enhancement.

A new model for flux emergence and the evolution of sunspots and the large-scale fields

Existing models for the evolution of sunspots and sunspot groups, describing the subsurface structure of the magnetic fields and their interactions with the convective motions, are briefly reviewed. It is shown that they are generally unable to account for the most recent data concerning the relationship between the large-scale solar magnetic field structures and the magnetic fields of active regions. In particular, it is shown that the former do not arise directly from the decay of the latter, as required by the Babcock model and all other models based on it. Other observations which are not adequately explained by current models are also cited.A new model is put forward based on the expulsion of toroidal magnetic flux by the dominant (i.e. giant) cells of the convection zone. The flux expelled above these cells forms the large-scale field and thus the configuration of this field provides a clue to the structure of the giant cell patterns. The flux expelled below the cells becomes twisted into a rope as in the Babcock model but a loop or stitch forms only in the region of upflow of the giant cells. The interaction of this loop with intermediate-sized cells as it rises to the surface determines the configuration and extent of the active region which appears at the surface. The compatibility of the model with other observations is discussed and its implications for theories of the solar cycle are noted.

Association of X-ray arches with chromospheric neutral lines

Daily maps of magnetic neutral lines derived from Hα observations have been superimposed on solar X-ray images for the period 15–30 June 1973. Nearly all X-ray-emitting structures consist of systems of arches covering chromospheric neutral lines. Areas of low emissivity, coronal holes, appear as the areas between arcades of arches. The presence of a coronal hole, therefore, is determined by the spacing between neutral lines and the scale of the arches over those neutral lines. X-ray emissivity on the solar disk extends from neutral lines in proportion to the vertical and horizontal scale of the arches over those neutral lines. Increasing scale of arches corresponds with increasing age of magnetic fields associated with the neutral line. All X-ray filament cavities coincided with neutral lines, but filaments appeared under cavities for only part of their length and for only a fraction of the disk passage.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE SOLAR SOURCE FOR THE 18 OCTOBER 1995 MAGNETIC CLOUD

It is necessary to identify signatures of solar sources in order to improve predictions of solar-caused geomagnetic activity. This is not a straightforward task as the relationship is not well understood. We apply an algorithm, derived from numerical simulations to identify the solar source of an interplanetary event that was observed by the WIND spacecraft on October 18, 1995 and was followed by a geomagnetic storm. No specific geomagnetic activity had been predicted at Space Weather Operations (SWO) in Boulder, CO, on the basis of earlier solar observations. The algorithm is used to estimate the time and location of the expected solar source of this interplanetary event. A review of solar observations prior to the WIND observations showed that solar activity precursors could be identified. A long-duration-event was seen by GOES in soft X-rays at the same time as a type IV burst was observed in metric radio wavelengths, and a rearrangement of fields was observed by the soft X-ray telescope on the Yohkoh satellite. This suggests that the algorithm is useful for post facto identification of solar sources, and that such combinations of solar activity should be further investigated for use in geomagnetic forecasting.

Comparison of Hα synoptic charts with the large-scale solar magnetic field as observed at Stanford

Two methods of observing the neutral line of the large-scale photospheric magnetic field are compared: (1) neutral line positions inferred from Hα photographs (McIntosh, 1972a, 1975; McIntosh and Nolte, 1975) and (2) observations of the photospheric magnetic field made with low spatial resolution (3′) and high sensitivity using the Stanford magnetograph. The comparison is found to be very favorable.

A piston-driven shock in the solar corona

A solar flare that occurred on the west limb at 1981, March 25, 20∶38 UT generated a massive, rapidly-expanding optical coronal transient, which moved outward with an approximately constant velocity of 800 km s−1. An associated magnetohydrodynamic shock travelled out ahead of the transient with a velocity estimated to be approximately 1000 km s−1. The optical and radio data on the transient and shock fit well with general theories concerning piston-driven shocks and with current MHD models for propagation of such shocks through the solar corona.