arXiv subjects

C. Xia

Publications and source records attributed to C. Xia.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

The Birth of a Major Coronal Mass Ejection with Intricate Magnetic Structure from Multiple Active Regions

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the eruptions of magnetised plasma from the Sun and are considered the main driver of adverse space weather events. Hence, undrstanding its formation process, particularly the magnetic topology, is critical for accurate space weather prediction. Here, based on imaging observations and three-dimensional (3D) data-constrained thermodynamic magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulation in spherical coordinates, we exhibit the birth of a CME with intricate magnetic structure from multiple active regions (ARs) due to 3D magnetic reconnection. It is observed as a coronal jet between active regions, accompanied by the back-flowing of filament materials along the jet spine after the passage of the eruptive filament. This jet connects two dimming regions within different active regions. This is an observational proxy of 3D magnetic reconnection between the CME flux rope and the null-point magnetic field lines crossing active regions. Hereafter, the thermodynamic data-constrained MHD simulation successfully reproduces the observed jet and the reconnection process that flux ropes partake in, leading to a CME flux rope with a complex magnetic structure distinct from its progenitor. The generality of this scenario is then validated by data-inspired MHD simulations in a simple multipolar magnetic configuration. This work demonstrates the role of multiple active regions in forming CMEs with intricate magnetic structures. On the one hand, a non-coherent flux rope where not all twisted magnetic field lines wind around one common axis is naturally formed. On the other hand, our findings suggest that the topology of a real CME flux rope may not be solely determined by a single active region, particularly during periods of solar maximum.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Simultaneous existence of the ocsillations, counterstreaming flows and mass injections in solar quiescent prominences

Solar prominences are very spectacular structures embedded in the tenuous and hot solar corona. The counterstreaming flows, a common feature in solar quiescent prominences, have been discovered for more than twenty years. However, the mechanism driving the counterstreaming flows is still elusive. To unveil the nature of this phenomenon, we analyzed the data of a quiescent prominence observed by the New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST), the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), and the Solar Dynamical Observatory (SDO). It is found that there is a distinct longitudinal oscillation of prominence plasma along the higher part of the prominence spine in H$\alpha$ observations. The oscillation period is approximately 83 minutes and the amplitude is about 32 Mm. The counterstreaming flows are dominant in the middle part of the prominence spine. The velocities of the counterstreaming flows range from about 4 km s$^{-1}$ to 11 km s$^{-1}$. Moreover, the intermittent mass flows with the upward plumes from the top of the bubbles and tornado-like barbs are observed to be injected into the lower part of the prominence spine from the lower atmosphere. The velocities of these injected mass flows range from about 3 km s$^{-1}$ to 30 km s$^{-1}$. Some injected mass flows exhibit redshifted Doppler signals, while others exhibit blueshifted signals. Based on these high resolution observations, it is found that different parts of the prominence spine exhibit the different dynamic characteristics. These results further advance the understanding of the ubiquitous counterstreaming flows in solar quiescent prominences.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Chemically peculiar stars on the pre-main sequence

Context. The chemically peculiar (CP) stars of the upper main sequence are defined by spectral peculiarities that indicate unusual elemental abundance patterns in the presence of diffusion in the calm, stellar atmospheres. Some of them have a stable local magnetic field of up to several kiloGauss. The pre-main-sequence evolution of these objects is still a mystery and contains many open questions. Aims. We identify CP stars on the pre-main sequence to determine possible mechanisms that lead to the occurrence of chemical peculiarities in the (very) early stages of stellar evolution. Methods. We identified likely pre-main-sequence stars by fitting the spectral energy distributions. The subsequent analysis using stellar spectra and photometric time series helped us to distinguish between CP and non-CP stars. Additionally, we compared our results to the literature to provide the best possible quality assessment. Results. Out of 45 candidates, about 70 % seem to be true CP stars or CP candidates. Furthermore, 9 sources appear to be CP stars on the pre-main sequence, and all are magnetic. We finally report a possible CP2 star that is also a pre-main-sequence star and was not previously in the literature. Conclusions. The evolution of the peculiarities seems to be related to the (strong) magnetic fields in these CP2 stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Data-driven Modeling of a Coronal Magnetic Flux Rope: from Birth to Death

Magnetic flux ropes are a bundle of twisted magnetic field lines produced by internal electric currents, which are responsible for solar eruptions and are the major drivers of geomagnetic storms. As such, it is crucial to develop a numerical model that can capture the entire evolution of a flux rope, from its birth to death, in order to predict whether adverse space weather events might occur or not. In this paper, we develop a data-driven modeling that combines a time-dependent magneto-frictional approach with a thermodynamic magnetohydrodynamic model. Our numerical modeling successfully reproduces the formation and confined eruption of an observed flux rope, and unveils the physical details behind the observations. Regarding the long-term evolution of the active region, our simulation results indicate that the flux cancellation due to collisional shearing plays a critical role in the formation of the flux rope, corresponding to a substantial increase in magnetic free energy and helicity. Regarding the eruption stage, the deformation of the flux rope during its eruption can cause an increase in the downward tension force, which suppresses it from further rising. This finding may shed light on why some torus-unstable flux ropes lead to failed eruptions after large-angle rotations. Moreover, we find that twisted fluxes can accumulate during the confined eruptions, which would breed the subsequent eruptive flares.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

A case study of ACV variables discovered in the Zwicky Transient Facility survey

Magnetic chemically peculiar (mCP) stars exhibit complex atmospheres that allow the investigation of the interplay of atomic diffusion, magnetic fields, and stellar rotation. A non-uniform surface distribution of chemical elements and the non-alignment of the rotational and magnetic axes result in the variability of several observables. Photometrically variable mCP stars are referred to as alpha2 Canum Venaticorum (ACV) variables. The present work presents a case study of known variables from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) survey, with the aim of investigating the survey's suitability for the detection and study of new ACV variables. Using suitable selection criteria based on the known characteristics of ACV variables, candidate ACV stars were selected from the ZTF Catalog of Periodic Variable Stars. All light curves were inspected in detail to select the most promising candidates. Where available, low-resolution spectra from the LAMOST were employed to classify the stars on the MK system and confirm their status as mCP stars. We have identified 86 new promising ACV star candidates. 15 of these stars have LAMOST spectra available, which, in all cases, confirm them as classical mCP stars, which highlights the viability of our approach. The sample stars can be sorted into four subgroups characterized by distinct light curve shapes. Anti-phase variations in different photometric passbands, in particular, is a unique characteristic of a subset of ACV stars readily usable for their identification. The availability of data in three different passbands (g, r, and i) is a major advantage of the ZTF survey. On the basis of our experience with other photometric surveys and the analysis of light curves, we conclude that the ZTF is well suited for the search for, and the analysis of, ACV variables, which, however, are not considered in the available ZTF variable star catalogues.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

Flare stars in nearby Galactic open clusters based on {\it TESS} data

The study is devoted to search for flare stars among confirmed members of Galactic open clusters using high-cadence photometry from {\it TESS} mission. We analyzed 957 high-cadence light curves of members from 136 open clusters. As a result, 56 flare stars were found, among them 8 hot B-A type objects. Of all flares, 63\% were detected in a sample of cool stars ($T_{\rm eff}<5000$~K), and 29\% -- in stars of spectral type G, while 23\% in K-type stars and approximately 34\% of all detected flares are in M-type stars. Using the FLATW'RM (FLAre deTection With Ransac Method) flare finding algorithm, we estimated parameters of flares and rotation period of detected flare stars. The flare with the largest amplitude appears on the M3 type EQ\,Cha star. Statistical analysis did not reveal any direct correlation between ages, rotation periods and flaring activity.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2019

Reconnection and particle acceleration in interacting flux ropes -- II. 3D effects on test particles in magnetically dominated plasmas

We analyze particle acceleration in explosive reconnection events in magnetically dominated proton-electron plasmas. Reconnection is driven by large-scale magnetic stresses in interacting current-carrying flux tubes. Our model relies on development of current-driven instabilities on macroscopic scales. These tilt-kink instabilities develop in an initially force-free equilibrium of repelling current channels. Using MHD methods we study a 3D model of repelling and interacting flux tubes in which we simultaneously evolve test particles, guided by electromagnetic fields obtained from MHD. We identify two stages of particle acceleration; Initially particles accelerate in the current channels, after which the flux ropes start tilting and kinking and particles accelerate due to reconnection processes in the plasma. The explosive stage of reconnection produces non-thermal energy distributions with slopes that depend on plasma resistivity and the initial particle velocity. We also discuss the influence of the length of the flux ropes on particle acceleration and energy distributions. This study extends previous 2.5D results to 3D setups, providing all ingredients needed to model realistic scenarios like solar flares, black hole flares and particle acceleration in pulsar wind nebulae: formation of strong resistive electric fields, explosive reconnection and non-thermal particle distributions. By assuming initial energy equipartition between electrons and protons, applying low resistivity in accordance with solar corona conditions and limiting the flux rope length to a fraction of a solar radius we obtain realistic energy distributions for solar flares with non-thermal power law tails and maximum electron energies up to 11 MeV and maximum proton energies up to 1 GeV.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Three-dimensional MHD Simulations of Solar Prominence Oscillations in a Magnetic Flux Rope

Solar prominences are subject to all kinds of perturbations during their lifetime, and frequently demonstrate oscillations. The study of prominence oscillations provides an alternative way to investigate their internal magnetic and thermal structures as the oscillation characteristics depend on their interplay with the solar corona. Prominence oscillations can be classified into longitudinal and transverse types. We perform three-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations of prominence oscillations along a magnetic flux rope, with the aim to compare the oscillation periods with those predicted by various simplified models and to examine the restoring force. We find that the longitudinal oscillation has a period of about 49 minutes, which is in accordance with the pendulum model where the field-ligned component of gravity serves as the restoring force. In contrast, the horizontal transverse oscillation has a period of about 10 minutes and the vertical transverse oscillation has a period of about 14 minutes, and both of them can be nicely fitted with a two-dimensional slab model. We also find that the magnetic tension force dominates most of the time in transverse oscillations, except for the first minute when magnetic pressure overwhelms.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2017

MPI-AMRVAC 2.0 for Solar and Astrophysical Applications

We report on the development of MPI-AMRVAC version 2.0, which is an open-source framework for parallel, grid-adaptive simulations of hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) astrophysical applications. The framework now supports radial grid stretching in combination with adaptive mesh refinement (AMR). The advantages of this combined approach are demonstrated with one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional examples of spherically symmetric Bondi accretion, steady planar Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton flows, and wind accretion in Supergiant X-ray binaries. Another improvement is support for the generic splitting of any background magnetic field. We present several tests relevant for solar physics applications to demonstrate the advantages of field splitting on accuracy and robustness in extremely low plasma $β$ environments: a static magnetic flux rope, a magnetic null-point, and magnetic reconnection in a current sheet with either uniform or anomalous resistivity. Our implementation for treating anisotropic thermal conduction in multi-dimensional MHD applications is also described, which generalizes the original slope limited symmetric scheme from 2D to 3D. We perform ring diffusion tests that demonstrate its accuracy and robustness, and show that it prevents the unphysical thermal flux present in traditional schemes. The improved parallel scaling of the code is demonstrated with 3D AMR simulations of solar coronal rain, which show satisfactory strong scaling up to 2000 cores. Other framework improvements are also reported: the modernization and reorganization into a library, the handling of automatic regression tests, the use of inline/online Doxygen documentation, and a new future-proof data format for input/output

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Modelling of Reflective Propagating Slow-mode Wave in a Flaring Loop

Quasi-periodic propagating intensity disturbances have been observed in large coronal loops in EUV images over a decade, and are widely accepted to be slow magnetosonic waves. However, spectroscopic observations from Hinode/EIS revealed their association with persistent coronal upflows, making this interpretation debatable. We perform a 2.5D magnetohydrodynamic simulation to imitate the chromospheric evaporation and the following reflected patterns in a flare loop. Our model encompasses the corona, transition region, and chromosphere. We demonstrate that the quasi periodic propagating intensity variations captured by the synthesized \textit{Solar Dynamics Observatory}/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) 131, 94~Å~emission images match the previous observations well. With particle tracers in the simulation, we confirm that these quasi periodic propagating intensity variations consist of reflected slow mode waves and mass flows with an average speed of 310 km/s in an 80 Mm length loop with an average temperature of 9 MK. With the synthesized Doppler shift velocity and intensity maps of the \textit{Solar and Heliospheric Observatory}/Solar Ultraviolet Measurement of Emitted Radiation (SUMER) Fe XIX line emission, we confirm that these reflected slow mode waves are propagating waves.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Coronal rain in magnetic arcades: Rebound shocks, Limit cycles, and Shear flows

We extend our earlier multidimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations of coronal rain occurring in magnetic arcades with higher resolution, grid-adaptive computations covering a much longer ($>6$ hour) timespan. We quantify how in-situ forming blob-like condensations grow along and across field lines and show that rain showers can occur in limit cycles, here demonstrated for the first time in 2.5D setups. We discuss dynamical, multi-dimensional aspects of the rebound shocks generated by the siphon inflows and quantify the thermodynamics of a prominence-corona-transition-region like structure surrounding the blobs. We point out the correlation between condensation rates and the cross-sectional size of loop systems where catastrophic cooling takes place. We also study the variations of the typical number density, kinetic energy and temperature while blobs descend, impact and sink into the transition region. In addition, we explain the mechanisms leading to concurrent upflows while the blobs descend. As a result, there are plenty of shear flows generated with relative velocity difference around 80 km s$^{-1}$ in our simulations. These shear flows are siphon flows set up by multiple blob dynamics and they in turn affect the deformation of the falling blobs. In particular, we show how shear flows can break apart blobs into smaller fragments, within minutes.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Simulating coronal condensation dynamics in 3D

We present numerical simulations in 3D settings where coronal rain phenomena take place in a magnetic configuration of a quadrupolar arcade system. Our simulation is a magnetohydrodynamic simulation including anisotropic thermal conduction, optically thin radiative losses, and parametrised heating as main thermodynamical features to construct a realistic arcade configuration from chromospheric to coronal heights. The plasma evaporation from chromospheric and transition region heights eventually causes localised runaway condensation events and we witness the formation of plasma blobs due to thermal instability, that evolve dynamically in the heated arcade part and move gradually downwards due to interchange type dynamics. Unlike earlier 2.5D simulations, in this case there is no large scale prominence formation observed, but a continuous coronal rain develops which shows clear indications of Rayleigh-Taylor or interchange instability, that causes the denser plasma located above the transition region to fall down, as the system moves towards a more stable state. Linear stability analysis is used in the non-linear regime for gaining insight and giving a prediction of the system's evolution. After the plasma blobs descend through interchange, they follow the magnetic field topology more closely in the lower coronal regions, where they are guided by the magnetic dips.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2014

MPI-AMRVAC for Solar and Astrophysics

In this paper we present an update on the open source MPI-AMRVAC simulation toolkit where we focus on solar- and non-relativistic astrophysical magneto-fluid dynamics. We highlight recent developments in terms of physics modules such as hydrodynamics with dust coupling and the conservative implementation of Hall magnetohydrodynamics. A simple conservative high-order finite difference scheme that works in combination with all available physics modules is introduced and demonstrated at the example of monotonicity preserving fifth order reconstruction. Strong stability preserving high order Runge-Kutta time steppers are used to obtain stable evolutions in multidimensional applications realizing up to fourth order accuracy in space and time. With the new distinction between active and passive grid cells, MPI-AMRVAC is ideally suited to simulate evolutions where parts of the solution are controlled analytically, or have a tendency to progress into or out of a stationary state. Typical test problems and representative applications are discussed, with an outlook to follow-up research. Finally, we discuss the parallel scaling of the code and demonstrate excellent weak scaling up to 30 000 processors allowing to exploit modern petascale infrastructure.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

Multidimensional modeling of coronal rain dynamics

We present the first multidimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations which capture the initial formation and the long-term sustainment of the enigmatic coronal rain phenomenon. We demonstrate how thermal instability can induce a spectacular display of in-situ forming blob-like condensations which then start their intimate ballet on top of initially linear force-free arcades. Our magnetic arcades host chromospheric, transition region, and coronal plasma. Following coronal rain dynamics for over 80 minutes physical time, we collect enough statistics to quantify blob widths, lengths, velocity distributions, and other characteristics which directly match with modern observational knowledge. Our virtual coronal rain displays the deformation of blobs into $V$-shaped like features, interactions of blobs due to mostly pressure-mediated levitations, and gives the first views on blobs which evaporate in situ, or get siphoned over the apex of the background arcade. Our simulations pave the way for systematic surveys of coronal rain showers in true multidimensional settings, to connect parametrized heating prescriptions with rain statistics, ultimately allowing to quantify the coronal heating input.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Parametric survey of longitudinal prominence oscillation simulations

It is found that both microflare-sized impulsive heating at one leg of the loop and a suddenly imposed velocity perturbation can propel the prominence to oscillate along the magnetic dip. An extensive parameter survey results in a scaling law, showing that the period of the oscillation, which weakly depends on the length and height of the prominence, and the amplitude of the perturbations, scales with $\sqrt{R/g_\odot}$, where $R$ represents the curvature radius of the dip, and $g_\odot$ is the gravitational acceleration of the Sun. This is consistent with the linear theory of a pendulum, which implies that the field-aligned component of gravity is the main restoring force for the prominence longitudinal oscillations, as confirmed by the force analysis. However, the gas pressure gradient becomes non-negligible for short prominences. The oscillation damps with time in the presence of non-adiabatic processes. Compared to heat conduction, the radiative cooling is the dominant factor leading to the damping. A scaling law for the damping timescale is derived, i.e., $τ\sim l^{1.63} D^{0.66}w^{-1.21}v_{0}^{-0.30}$, showing strong dependence on the prominence length $l$, the geometry of the magnetic dip (characterized by the depth $D$ and the width $w$), and the velocity perturbation amplitude $v_0$. The larger the amplitude, the faster the oscillation damps. It is also found that mass drainage significantly reduces the damping timescale when the perturbation is too strong.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

Formation of Solar Filaments by Steady and Nonsteady Chromospheric Heating

It has been established that cold plasma condensations can form in a magnetic loop subject to localized heating of the footpoints. In this paper, we use grid-adaptive numerical simulations of the radiative hydrodynamic equations to parametrically investigate the filament formation process in a pre-shaped loop with both steady and finite-time chromospheric heating. Compared to previous works, we consider low-lying loops with shallow dips, and use a more realistic description for the radiative losses. We demonstrate for the first time that the onset of thermal instability satisfies the linear instability criterion. The onset time of the condensation is roughly \sim 2 hr or more after the localized heating at the footpoint is effective, and the growth rate of the thread length varies from 800 km hr-1 to 4000 km hr-1, depending on the amplitude and the decay length scale characterizing this localized chromospheric heating. We show how single or multiple condensation segments may form in the coronal portion. In the asymmetric heating case, when two segments form, they approach and coalesce, and the coalesced condensation later drains down into the chromosphere. With a steady heating, this process repeats with a periodicity of several hours. While our parametric survey confirms and augments earlier findings, we also point out that steady heating is not necessary to sustain the condensation. Once the condensation is formed, it can keep growing also when the localized heating ceases. Finally, we show that the condensation can survive continuous buffeting by perturbations resulting from the photospheric p-mode waves.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2003

A common behavior of thermoelectric layered cobaltites: incommensurate spin density wave states in [Ca$_2$Co$_{4/3}$Cu$_{2/3}$O$_4$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$] and [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$]

Magnetism of a misfit layered cobaltite [Ca$_2$Co$_{4/3}$Cu$_{2/3}$O$_4$]$_x^{\rm RS}$[CoO$_2$] ($x \sim$ 0.62, RS denotes a rocksalt-type block) was investigated by a positive muon spin rotation and relaxation ($μ^+$SR) experiment. A transition to an incommensurate ({\sf IC}) spin density wave ({\sf SDW}) state was found below 180 K (= $T_{\rm C}^{\rm on}$); and a clear oscillation due to a static internal magnetic field was observed below 140 K (= $T_{\rm C}$). Furthermore, an anisotropic behavior of the zero-field $μ^+$SR experiment indicated that the {\sf IC-SDW} propagates in the $a$-$b$ plane, with oscillating moments directed along the c axis. These results were quite similar to those for the related compound [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}^{\rm RS}$[CoO$_2$], {\sl i.e.}, Ca$_3$Co$_4$O$_9$. Since the {\sf IC-SDW} field in [Ca$_2$Co$_{4/3}$Cu$_{2/3}$O$_4$]$_{0.62}^{\rm RS}$[CoO$_2$] was approximately same to those in pure and doped [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}^{\rm RS}$[CoO$_2$], it was concluded that the {\sf IC-SDW} exist in the [CoO$_2$] planes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2003

Hidden magnetic transitions in thermoelectric layered cobaltite, [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$]

A positive muon spin rotation and relaxation ($μ^+$SR) experiment on [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$], ({\sl i.e.}, Ca$_3$Co$_4$O$_9$, a layered thermoelectric cobaltite) indicates the existence of two magnetic transitions at $\sim$ 100 K and 400 - 600 K; the former is a transition from a paramagnetic state to an incommensurate ({\sf IC}) spin density wave ({\sf SDW}) state. The anisotropic behavior of zero-field $μ^+$SR spectra at 5 K suggests that the {\sf IC-SDW} propagates in the $a$-$b$ plane, with oscillating moments directed along the c-axis; also the {\sf IC-SDW} is found to exist not in the [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$] subsystem but in the [CoO$_2$] subsystem. In addition, it is found that the long-range {\sf IC-SDW} order completes below $\sim$ 30 K, whereas the short-range order appears below 100 K. The latter transition is interpreted as a gradual change in the spin state of Co ions %% at temperatures above 400 K. These two magnetic transitions detected by $μ^+$SR are found to correlate closely with the transport properties of [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$].

cond-mat.str-el↗