arXiv subjects

Baolin Tan

Publications and source records attributed to Baolin Tan.

53 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

A Very Small and Super Strong Zebra Pattern Burst at the Beginning of a Solar Flare

Microwave emission with spectral zebra pattern structures (ZPs) is observed frequently in solar flares and the Crab pulsar. The previous observations show that ZP is only a structure overlapped on the underlying broadband continuum with slight increments and decrements. This work reports an extremely unusual strong ZP burst occurring just at the beginning of a solar flare observed simultaneously by two radio telescopes located in China and Czech Republic and by the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) telescope on board NASA's satellite Solar Dynamics Observatory on 2013 April 11. It is a very short and super strong explosion whose intensity exceeds several times that of the underlying flaring broadband continuum emission, lasting for just 18 s. EUV images show that the flare starts from several small flare bursting points (FBPs). There is a sudden EUV flash with extra enhancement in one of these FBPs during the ZP burst. Analysis indicates that the ZP burst accompanying EUV flash is an unusual explosion revealing a strong coherent process with rapid particle acceleration, violent energy release, and fast plasma heating simultaneously in a small region with short duration just at the beginning of the flare.

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arXiv2013

Statistics and Classification of the Microwave Zebra Patterns Associated with Solar Flares

The microwave zebra pattern (ZP) is the most interesting, intriguing, and complex spectral structure frequently observed in solar flares. A comprehensive statistical study will certainly help us to understand the formation mechanism, which is not exactly clear now. This work presents a comprehensive statistical analysis on a big sample with 202 ZP events collected from observations at the Chinese Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer at Huairou and the Ondrejov Radiospectrograph in Czech Republic at frequencies of 1.00 - 7.60 GHz during 2000 - 2013. After investigating the parameter properties of ZPs, such as the occurrence in flare phase, frequency range, polarization degree, duration, etc., we find that the variation of zebra stripe frequency separation with respect to frequency is the best indicator for a physical classification of ZPs. Microwave ZPs can be classified into 3 types: equidistant ZP, variable-distant ZP, and growing-distant ZP, possibly corresponding to mechanisms of Bernstein wave model, whistler wave model, and double plasma resonance model, respectively. This statistical classification may help us to clarify the controversies between the existing various theoretical models, and understand the physical processes in the source regions.

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arXiv2013

Quasi-periodic wiggles of microwave zebra structures in a solar flare

Quasi-periodic wiggles of microwave zebra pattern structures with period range from about 0.5 s to 1.5 s are found in a X-class solar flare on 2006 December 13 at the 2.6-3.8 GHz with the Chinese Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer (SBRS/Huairou). Periodogram and correlation analysis show that the wiggles have two-three significant periodicities and almost in phase between stripes at different frequency. The Alfven speed estimated from the zebra pattern structures is about 700 Km/s. We obtain the spatial size of the waveguiding plasma structure to be about 1 Mm with the detected period of about 1 s. It suggests the ZP wiggles can be associated with the fast mag- netoacoustic oscillations in the flaring active region. The lack of a significant phase shift between wiggles of different stripes suggests that the ZP wiggles are caused by a standing sausage oscillation.

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arXiv2013

Small Scale Microwave Bursts in Long-duration Solar Flares

Solar small scale microwave bursts (SMBs), including microwave dot, spike, and narrow band type III bursts, are characterized with very short timescales, narrow frequency bandwidth, and very high brightness temperatures. Based on observations of the Chinese Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer at Huairou with superhigh cadence and frequency resolution, this work presents an intensive investigation of SMBs in several flares occurred in active region NOAA 10720 during 2005 Jan 14-21. Especially long-duration flares, SMBs occurred not only in early rising and impulsive phase, but also in the flare decay phase, and even in time of after the flare ending. These SMBs are strong bursts with inferred brightness temperature at least 8.18*10^11 - 1.92*10^13 K, very short lifetime of 5-18 ms, relative frequency bandwidths of 0.7-3.5%, and superhigh frequency drifting rates. Together with their obviously different polarizations from the background emission (the quiet Sun, and the underlying flaring broadband continuum), such SMBs should be individual independent strong coherent bursts which is related to some non-thermal energy releasing and production of energetic particles in small scale source region. These facts show the existence of small scale strong non-thermal energy releasing activities after the flare maxima, which is meaningful to the prediction of space weather. Physical analysis indicates that plasma mechanism may be the most favorable candidate for the formation of SMBs. From plasma mechanism, the velocities and kinetic energy of fast electrons can be deduced, and the region of electron acceleration can also be tracke.

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arXiv2013

A Peculiar Microwave Quasi-periodic Pulsation with Zigzag Pattern in a CME-related Flare on 2005-01-15

A peculiar microwave quasi-periodic pulsation with zigzag pattern (Z-QPP) is observed first by the Chinese Solar Broadband Spectrometer in Huairou (SBRS/Huairou) at 1.10-1.34 GHz in a solar flare on 2005-01-15. The Z-QPP occurred just in the early rising phase of the flare with weakly right-handed circular polarization. Its period is only several decades millisecond. Particularly, before and after the pulsation, there are many spectral fine structures, such as zebra patterns, fibers, and millisecond spikes. The microwave Z-QPP can provide some kinematic information of the source region in the early rising phase of the flare, and the source width changes from about 1000 km to 3300 km, even if we have no imaging observations. The abundant spectral fine structures possibly reflect the dynamic features of non-thermal particles.

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arXiv2013

3-D nonlinear force-free field reconstruction of solar active region 11158 by direct boundary integral equation

A 3-D coronal magnetic field is reconstructed for NOAA 11158 on Feb 14, 2011. A GPU-accelerated direct boundary integral equation (DBIE) method is implemented. This is about 1000 times faster than the original DBIE used on solar NLFFF modeling. Using the SDO/HMI vector magnetogram as the bottom boundary condition, the reconstructed magnetic field lines are compared with the projected EUV loop structures from different views three-dimensionally by SDO/AIA and STEREO A/B spacecraft simultaneously for the first time. They show very good agreement so that the topological configurations of the magnetic fields can be analyzed, thus its role in the flare process of the active region can be better understood. A quantitative comparison with some stereoscopically reconstructed coronal loops shows that the present averaged misalignment angles are at the same order as the state-of-the-art results obtained with reconstructed coronal loops as prescribed conditions and better than other NLFFF methods. It is found that the observed coronal loop structures can be grouped into bundles of closed and open loops with some central bright coronal loops around the polarity inversion line (PIL). The reconstructed highly-shearing magnetic field lines agree very well with the low-lying S-shaped filament channel along PIL. They are in a pivot position to all other surrounding coronal structures, and a group of electric current lines co-aligned with the central bright EUV loops overlying the filament channel is also obtained. This central lower-lying magnetic field loop system must have played a key role in powering the flare. It should be noted that while a strand-like coronal feature along PIL may be related to the filament, one cannot simply attribute all the coronal bright features along PIL to manifestation of the filament without any stereoscopically information. It shows that DBIE is rigorous and effective.

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arXiv2012

The Mid-term and Long-term Solar Quasi-periodic Cycles and the Possible Relationship with Planetary Motions

This work investigates the solar quasi-periodic cycles with multi-timescales and the possible relationships with planetary motions. The solar cycles are derived from long-term observations of the relative sunspot number and microwave emission at frequency of 2.80 GHz. A series of solar quasi-periodic cycles with multi-timescales are registered. These cycles can be classified into 3 classes: (1) strong PLC (PLC is defined as the solar cycle with a period very close to the ones of some planetary motions, named as planetary-like cycle) which is related strongly with planetary motions, including 9 periodic modes with relatively short period (P<12 yr), and related to the motions of the inner planets and of Jupiter; (2) weak PLC, which is related weakly to planetary motions, including 2 periodic modes with relatively long period (P>12 yr), and possibly related to the motions of outer planets; (3) non-PLC, which so far has no obvious evidence to show the relationship with any planetary motions. Among planets, Jupiter plays a key role in most periodic modes by its sidereal motion or spring tidal motions with other planets. Among planetary motions, the spring tidal motion of the inner planets and of Jupiter dominates the formation of most PLCs. The relationships between multi-timescale solar periodic modes and the planetary motions will help us to understand the essential natures and prediction of solar activities.

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arXiv2012

The Morphologic Properties of Magnetic networks over the Solar Cycle 23

The morphologic properties of the magnetic networks during Carrington Rotations (CR) 1955 to 2091 (from 1999 to 2010) have been analyzed by applying the watershed algorithm to magnetograms observed by the Michelson Doppler Interferometer (MDI) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. We find that the average area of magnetic cells on the solar surface at lower latitudes (within +-50 degree) are smaller than those at higher latitudes (beyond +-50 degree). Statistical analysis of these data indicates that the magnetic networks are of fractal in nature, and the average fractal dimension is D_f = 1.253+-0.011. We also find that both the fractal dimension and the size of the magnetic networks are anti-correlated with the sunspot area. This is perhaps because a strong magnetic field can suppress spatially modulated oscillation, compress the boundaries of network cells, leading to smoother cell boundaries. The fractal dimension of the cell deviates that predicted from an isobar of Kolmogorov homogeneous turbulence.

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arXiv2012

Relaxation of magnetic field relative to plasma density revealed from microwave zebra patterns associated with solar flares

It is generally considered that the emission of microwave zebra pattern (ZP) structures requires high density and high temperatures, which is similar to the situation of the flaring region where primary energy releases. Therefore, the parameters analysis of ZPs may reveal the physical conditions of the flaring source region. This work investigates the variations of 74 microwave ZP structures observed by Chinese Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer (SBRS/Huairou) at 2.6-3.8 GHz in 9 solar flares, and found that the ratio between the plasma density scale height LN and the magnetic field scale height LB in emission source displays a tendency of decrease during the flaring processes. The ratio LN/LB is about 3-5 before the maximum of flares. It decreases to about 2 after the maximum. The detailed analysis of three typical X-class flares implied that the variation of LN/LB during the flaring process is most likely due to the topological changes of the magnetic field in the flaring source region, and the step-wise decrease of LN/LB possibly reflects the magnetic field relaxation relative to the plasma density when the flaring energy released. This result may also constrain the solar flare modeling to some extent.

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arXiv2012

Microwave burst with fine spectral structures in a solar flare on 2011 August 9

On August 9, 2011, there was an X6.9 flare event occurred near the west limb of solar disk. From the observation obtained by the spectrometer of the Chinese Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer in Huairou (SBRS/Huairou) around the flare, we find that this powerful flare has only a short-duration microwave burst of about only 5 minutes, and during the short-duration microwave burst, there are several kinds of fine structures on the spectrogram. These fine structures include very short-period pulsations, millisecond spike bursts, and type III bursts. The most interesting is that almost all of the pulses of very short-period pulsation (VSP) are structured by clusters of millisecond timescales of spike bursts or type III bursts. And there exists three different kinds of frequency drift rates in the VSP: the frequency drift rates with absolute value of about 55 - 130 MHz s^{-1} in the pulse groups, the frequency drift rates with absolute value of about 2.91 - 16.9 GHz s^{-1} on each individual pulse, and the frequency drift rates with absolute value of about 15 - 25 GHz s$^{-1}$) at each individual spike burst or type III burst.

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arXiv2012

Microwave Quasi-periodic Pulsation with Millisecond Bursts in A Solar Flare on 2011 August 9

An peculiar microwave quasi-periodic pulsation (QPP) accompanying with a hard X-ray (HXR) QPP of about 20 s duration occurred just before the maximum of an X6.9 solar flare on 2011 August 9. The most interesting is that the microwave QPP is consisting of millisecond timescale superfine structures. Each microwave QPP pulse is made up of clusters of millisecond spike bursts or narrow band type III bursts. There are three different frequency drift rates: global frequency drift rate of microwave QPP pulse group, frequency drift rate of microwave QPP pulse, and frequency drift rate of individual millisecond spikes or type III bursts. The physical analysis indicates that the energetic electrons accelerating from a large-scale highly dynamic magnetic reconnecting current sheet above the flaring loop propagate downwards, impact on the flaring plasma loop, and produce HXR bursts. The tearing-mode (TM) oscillations in the current sheet modulate HXR emission and generate HXR QPP; the energetic electrons propagating downwards produce Langmuir turbulence and plasma waves, result in plasma emission. The modulation of TM oscillation on the plasma emission in the current-carrying plasma loop may generate microwave QPP. The TM instability produces magnetic islands in the loop. Each X-point will be a small reconnection site and accelerate the ambient electrons. These accelerated electrons impact on the ambient plasma and trigger the millisecond spike clusters or the group of type III bursts. Possibly each millisecond spike burst or type III burst is one of the elementary burst (EB). Large numbers of such EB clusters form an intense flaring microwave burst.

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arXiv2012

Reversed Drifting Quasi-periodic Pulsating Structure in an X1.3 Solar Flare on 2005 July 30

Based on the analysis of the microwave observations at frequency of 2.60 -- 3.80 GHz in a solar X1.3 flare event observed at Solar Broadband RadioSpectrometer in Huairou (SBRS/Huairou) on 2005 July 30, an interesting reversed drifting quasi-periodic pulsating structure (R-DPS) is confirmed. The R-DPS is mainly composed of two drifting pulsating components: one is a relatively slow very short-period pulsation (VSP) with period of about 130 -- 170 ms, the other is a relatively fast VSP with period of about 70 -- 80 ms. The R-DPS has a weak left-handed circular polarization. Based on the synthetic investigations of Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imaging (RHESSI) hard X-ray, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) soft X-ray observation, and magnetic field extrapolation, we suggest the R-DPS possibly reflects flaring dynamic processes of the emission source regions.

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arXiv2011

Microwave Zebra Pattern Structures in the X2.2 Solar Flare on Feb 15, 2011

Zebra pattern structure (ZP) is the most intriguing fine structure on the dynamic spectrograph of solar microwave burst. On 15 February 2011, there erupts an X2.2 flare event on the solar disk, it is the first X-class flare since the solar Schwabe cycle 24. It is interesting that there are several microwave ZPs observed by the Chinese Solar Broadband Radiospectrometer (SBRS/Huairou) at frequency of 6.40 ~ 7.00 GHz (ZP1), 2.60 ~ 2.75 GHz (ZP2), and the Yunnan Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer (SBRS/Yunnan) at frequency of 1.04 ~ 1.13 GHz (ZP3). The most important phenomena is the unusual high-frequency ZP structure (ZP1, up to 7.00 GHz) occurred in the early rising phase of the flare, and there are two ZP structure (ZP2, ZP3) with relative low frequencies occurred in the decay phase of the flare. By scrutinizing the current prevalent theoretical models of ZP structure generations, and comparing their estimated magnetic field strengths in the corresponding source regions, we suggest that the double plasma resonance model should be the most possible one for explaining the formation of microwave ZPs, which may derive the magnetic field strengths as about 230 - 345 G, 126 - 147 G, and 23 - 26 G in the source regions of ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3, respectively.

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arXiv2010

Microwave Quasi-periodic Pulsations in Multi-timescales Associated with a Solar Flare/CME Event

Microwave observations of quasi-periodic pulsations (QPP) in multi-timescales are confirmed to be associated with an X3.4 flare/CME event at Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer in Huairou (SBRS/Huairou) on 13 December 2006. It is most remarkable that the timescales of QPPs are distributed in a broad range from hecto-second (very long period pulsation, VLP, the period P>100 s), deca-second (long period pulsation, LPP, 10<P<100 s), few seconds (short period pulsation, SPP, 1<P<10 s), deci-second (slow-very short period pulsation, slow-VSP, 0.1<P<1.0 s), to centi-second (fast-very short period pulsation, fast-VSP, P<0.1 s), and forms a broad hierarchy of timescales. The statistical distribution in logarithmic period-duration space indicates that QPPs can be classified into two groups: group I includes VLP, LPP, SPP and part of slow-VSPs distributed around a line approximately; group II includes fast-VSP and most of slow-VSP dispersively distributed away from the above line. This feature implies that the generation mechanism of group I is different from group II. Group I is possibly related with some MHD oscillations in magnetized plasma loops in the active region, e.g., VLP may be generated by standing slow sausage mode coupling and resonating with the underlying photospheric 5-min oscillation, the modulation is amplified and forms the main framework of the whole flare/CME process; LPP, SPP, and part of slow-VSPs are most likely to be caused by standing fast modes or LRC-circuit resonance in current-carrying plasma loops. Group II is possibly generated by modulations of resistive tearing-mode oscillations in electric current-carrying flaring loops.

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arXiv2010

Multi-timescale Solar Cycles and the Possible Implications

Based on analysis of the annual averaged relative sunspot number (ASN) during 1700 -- 2009, 3 kinds of solar cycles are confirmed: the well-known 11-yr cycle (Schwabe cycle), 103-yr secular cycle (numbered as G1, G2, G3, and G4, respectively since 1700); and 51.5-yr Cycle. From similarities, an extrapolation of forthcoming solar cycles is made, and found that the solar cycle 24 will be a relative long and weak Schwabe cycle, which may reach to its apex around 2012-2014 in the vale between G3 and G4. Additionally, most Schwabe cycles are asymmetric with rapidly rising-phases and slowly decay-phases. The comparisons between ASN and the annual flare numbers with different GOES classes (C-class, M-class, X-class, and super-flare, here super-flare is defined as $\geq$ X10.0) and the annal averaged radio flux at frequency of 2.84 GHz indicate that solar flares have a tendency: the more powerful of the flare, the later it takes place after the onset of the Schwabe cycle, and most powerful flares take place in the decay phase of Schwabe cycle. Some discussions on the origin of solar cycles are presented.

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arXiv2009

Broadband Radio Spectral Observations of Solar Eclipse on 2008-08-01 and Implications on the Quiet Sun Atmospheric Model

Based on the joint-observations of the radio broadband spectral emissions of solar eclipse on August 1, 2008 at Jiuquan (total eclipse) and Huairou (partial eclipse) at the frequencies of 2.00 -- 5.60 GHz (Jiuquan), 2.60 -- 3.80 GHZ (Chinese solar broadband radiospectrometer, SBRS/Huairou), and 5.20 -- 7.60 GHz (SBRS/Huairou), the authors assemble a successive series of broadband spectrum with a frequency of 2.60 -- 7.60 GHz to observe the solar eclipse synchronously. This is the first attempt to analyze the solar eclipse radio emission under the two telescopes located at different places with broadband frequencies in the periods of total and partial eclipse. With these analyses, the authors made a new semiempirical model of the coronal plasma density of the quiet Sun and made a comparison with the classic models.

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arXiv2009

A Physical Explanation on Solar Microwave Zebra Pattern with the Current-carrying Plasma Loop Model

Microwave zebra pattern structure is an intriguing fine structure on the dynamic spectra of solar type IV radio burst. Up to now, there isn't a perfect physical model for the origin of the solar microwave zebra pattern. Recently, Ledenev, Yan and Fu (2006) put forward an interference mechanism to explain the features of microwave zebra patterns in solar continuum events. This model needs a structure with a multitude of discrete narrow-band sources of small size. Based on the model of current-carrying plasma loop and the theory of tearing mode instability, we proposed that the above structure does exist and may provide the main conditions for the interference mechanism. With this model, we may explain the frequency upper limit, the formation of the parallel and equidistant stripes, the superfine structure and intermediate frequency drift rate of the zebra stripes. If this explanation is valid, the zebra pattern structures can reveal some information of the motion and the inner structures of the coronal plasma loops.

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