Numerical simulations for MHD coronal seismology

Magnetohydrodynamic（MHD） processes are important for the transfer of energy over large scales in plasmas and so are essential to understanding most forms of dynamical activity in the solar atmosphere. The introduction of transverse structuring into models for the corona modifies the behavior of MHD waves through processes such as dispersion and mode coupling. Exploiting our understanding of MHD waves with the diagnostic tool of coronal seismology relies upon the development of sufficiently detailed models to account for all the features in observations. The development of realistic models appropriate for highly structured and dynamical plasmas is often beyond the domain of simple mathematical analysis and so numerical methods are employed. This paper reviews recent numerical results for seismology of the solar corona using MHD.

Radiative hydrodynamic simulations of the spectral characteristics of solar white-light flares

As one of the most violent activities in the solar atmosphere,white-light flares(WLFs)are generally known for their enhanced white-light(or continuum)emission,which primarily originates in the solar lower atmosphere.However,we know little about how white-light emission is produced.In this study,we aim to investigate the response of the continua at 3600Åand 4250Åand also the Hαand Lyαlines during WLFs modeled using radiative hydrodynamic simulations.We take non-thermal electron beams as the energy source for the WLFs in two different initial atmospheres and vary their parameters.Our results show that the model with non-thermal electron beam heating clearly shows enhancements in the continua at 3600Åand 4250Åas well as in the Hαand Lyαlines.A larger electron beam flux,a smaller spectral index,or an initial penumbral atmosphere leads to a stronger emission increase at 3600Å,4250Åand in the Hαline.The Lyαline,however,is more obviously enhanced in a quiet-Sun initial atmosphere with a larger electron beam spectral index.It is also notable that the continua at 3600Åand 4250Åand the Hαline exhibit a dimming at the start of heating and reach their peak emissions after the peak time of the heating function,while the Lyαline does not show such behaviors.These results can serve as a reference for the analysis of future WLF observations.

日冕物质抛射的理想MHD模型研究

概括了日冕物质抛射的一些观测结果和它们与其它太阳活动现象的相关性。简要回顾了较早期日冕物质抛射的理论研究，着重介绍了最近研究得较多的理论机制，即能量储存机制，以及其中的磁通量绳突变模型与其它理论模型的MHD数值和解析研究以及相应的重要应用．

A magnetic bald-patch flare in solar active region 11117

With SDO observations and a data-constrained magnetohydrodynamics （MHD） model, we identify a confined multi-ribbon flare that occurred on 2010 October 25 in solar active region 11117 as a magnetic bald patch （BP） flare with strong evidence. From the photospheric magnetic field observed by SDO/HMI, we find there are indeed magnetic BPs on the polarity inversion lines （PILs） which match parts of the flare ribbons. From the 3D coronal magnetic field derived from an MHD relaxation model constrained by the vector magnetograms, we find strikingly good agreement of the BP separatrix surface （BPSS） footpoints with the flare ribbons, and the BPSS itself with the hot flaring loop system. Moreover, the triggering of the BP flare can be attributed to a small flux emergence under the lobe of the BPSS, and the relevant change of coronal magnetic field through the flare is reproduced well by the pre-flare and post-flare MHD solutions, which match the corresponding pre- and post-flare AIA observations, respectively. Our work contributes to the study of non-typical flares that constitute the majority of solar flares but which cannot be explained by the standard flare model.

Testing a solar coronal magnetic field extrapolation code with the Titov–Dmoulin magnetic flux rope model

In the solar corona, the magnetic flux rope is believed to be a fundamental structure that accounts for magnetic free energy storage and solar eruptions. Up to the present, the extrapolation of the magnetic field from boundary data has been the primary way to obtain fully three-dimensional magnetic information about the corona. As a result, the ability to reliably recover the coronal magnetic flux rope is important for coronal field extrapolation. In this paper, our coronal field extrapolation code is examined with an analytical magnetic flux rope model proposed by Titov ＆ D6moulin, which consists of a bipolar magnetic configuration holding a semi-circular line-tied flux rope in force-free equilibrium. By only using the vector field at the bottom boundary as input, we test our code with the model in a representative range of parameter space and find that the model field can be reconstructed with high accuracy. In particular, the magnetic topological interfaces formed between the flux rope and the surrounding arcade, i.e., the ＂hyperbolic flux tube＂ and ＂bald patch separatrix surface,＂ are also reliably reproduced. By this test, we demonstrate that our CESE-MHD-NLFFF code can be applied to recovering the magnetic flux rope in the solar corona as long as the vector magnetogram satisfies the force-free constraints.

幂律电子谱轫致辐射积分的快速计算

SSW(Solar SoftWare)的能量电子产生X光子的轫致辐射积分计算发展到版本2时,其性能相比初始的版本1提高很多.在版本2的基础上,对这个积分进一步改进.通过对比几种轫致辐射积分方案,结果显示,最终的方案性能上比版本2可以快约2～5倍.在积分的精确性上比版本1及版本2均改进了很多,在缺省的积分控制精度下也不再产生光子谱的尖刺现象.而且,积分耗时不再敏感于积分上限取值.由于积分性能的提高,使得利用精确的轫致辐射截面计算轫致积分成为可能.结果显示,用精确轫致辐射截面比先前的近似截面积分的结果光子流量略小(≤4%),积分时间大约比先前使用近似截面多30%.

经自适应网格改造后的SHASTA程序和磁重联数值实验

SHASTA(Sharp and Smooth Transport Algorithm)是求解二维磁流体动力学问题的单一网格程序.在将其用于磁重联问题的数值模拟时,它被修改成为采用自适应网格方法的程序.修改后的程序可以针对扩散区进行细化计算.在SHASTA程序的自适应计算实现过程中,采用了插入式的自适应修改策略,原二维磁流体力学偏微分方程的求解算法被作为独立单元使用.另外,修改中使用分层的数据结构,将每个细化层次的物理量用二维可变数组描述,并标记磁场和压强分布的陡变区为细化区域,再通过插值的方法得到细化层网格点上的物理量分布和边界条件,最后细化区域的细化计算结果被赋予给其上一层网格,并对其内容进行更新.采用细化计算进行的磁重联的模拟实验表明,相比单一网格计算,细节分辨率得到提高,相应的计算时间的增加则与模拟中的参数选择有关;而自适应程序部分带来的计算精度和稳定性的影响则依赖于边界设置、单步长的推进策略和插值算法.

基于太阳爆发灾变模型的数值实验

在Isenberg等人发展的灾变模型基础上根据接近真实的日冕环境,通过数值实验,对磁通量绳的平衡高度对光球磁场变化的响应开展了研究.利用NIRVANA程序进行了计算.日冕的等离子密度分布采用了一个半经验的模型,模拟中包含了物理耗散.考察了:磁通量绳的平衡位置及其演化特征;参考半径的变化对磁通量绳平衡位置的影响;磁通量绳内部平衡的性质以及在磁通量绳失去平衡之后一段时间内的动力学与运动学特征.结果表明:数值实验中得到的磁通量绳的平衡态位置与Isenberg等人的理论结果有微小的偏离,但是演化特征基本一致,在临界点处系统迅速失去平衡,向爆发态演化;参考半径的变化对磁通量绳平衡位置的影响与灾变模型给出的结果基本一致;磁通量绳在随着宏观磁结构演化的同时,还通过自身的调节达到内部平衡,当磁通量绳的内部和外部平衡都实现之后,系统整体也就达到了平衡状态;在爆发态下,磁通量绳的运动特征与Lin-Forbes模型和观测给出的结果一致,并且在通量绳的前方有快模激波出现;由于数值实验中包括了耗散,爆发过程中的磁能向其他形式能量的转换非常明显.

Preprocessing photospheric vector magnetograms for nonlinear force-free field extrapolation of the global corona

Nonlinear force-free magnetic field （NLFFF） extrapolation based on the observed photo- spheric magnetic field is the most important method to obtain the coronal magnetic field nowadays. However, raw photospheric magnetograms contain magnetic forces and small-scale noises, and fail to be consistent with the force-free assumption of NLFFF models. The procedure for removing the forces and noises in observed data is called preprocessing. In this paper, we extend the preprocessing code of Jiang ＆ Feng to spherical coordinates for a full sphere. We first smooth the observed data with Gaussian smoothing, and then split the smoothed magnetic field into a potential field and a non-potential field. The potential part is computed by a numerical potential field model, and the non-potential part is prepro- cessed using an optimization method to minimize the magnetic forces and magnetic torques. Applying the code to synoptic charts of the vector magnetic field from SDO/HMI, we find it can effectively reduce the noises and forces, and improve the quality of data for a better input which will be used for NLFFF extrapolations applied to the global corona.

Chaos-induced resistivity in different magnetic configurations

It is widely believed that magnetic reconnection plays an important role in various eruptive phenomena of space and astrophysical plasmas.The mechanism of anomalous resistivity,however,has been an open and unsolved problem.The chaos-induced resistivity proposed by Yoshida et al.is one of possible mechanisms for anomalous resistivity.By use of the test particle simulation,the present work studies the chaos-induced resistivity for different configurations of reconnection magnetic fields and its distribution in different chaos regions of reconnection current sheets.The results show that the chaos-induced resistivity can be 6-7 orders of magnitude higher than the classical Spitzer resistivity in the X-type chaos regions and 5 orders of magnitude in the O-type chaos regions.Moreover,in the X-type chaos regions the chaosinduced resistivity of the magnetized case is higher by a factor of 2 to 3 times than that of the unmagnetized case,but in the O-type chaos regions the chaos-induced resistivity of the magnetized case is close to or lower than that of the unmagnetized case.The present work is helpful to the understanding of the dynamics of reconnection current sheets,especially of the generation mechanism of the anomalous resistivity of collisionless reconnection regions.

Transition-region explosive events produced by plasmoid instability

Magnetic reconnection is thought to be a key process in most solar eruptions. Thanks to highresolution observations and simulations, the studied scale of the reconnection process has become smaller and smaller. Spectroscopic observations show that the reconnection site can be very small, which always exhibits a bright core and two extended wings with fast speeds, i.e., transition-region explosive events.In this paper, using the PLUTO code, we perform a 2-D magnetohydrodynamic simulation to investigate small-scale reconnection in double current sheets. Based on our simulation results, such as the line-of-sight velocity, number density and plasma temperature, we can synthesize the line profile of SiIV 1402.77? which is a well known emission line used to study transition-region explosive events on the Sun. The synthetic line profile of Si IV 1402.77? is complex with a bright core and two broad wings which can extend to nearly 200 km s^(-1). Our simulation results suggest that the transition-region explosive events on the Sun are produced by plasmoid instability during small-scale magnetic reconnection.