arXiv subjects

J. Martin Laming

Publications and source records attributed to J. Martin Laming.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

The FIP and Inverse FIP Effects in Solar and Stellar Coronae

We review our state of knowledge of coronal element abundance anomalies in the Sun and stars. We concentrate on the first ionization potential (FIP) effect observed in the solar corona and slow-speed wind, and in the coronae of solar-like dwarf stars, and the "inverse FIP" effect seen in the corona of stars of later spectral type; specifically M dwarfs. These effects relate to the enhancement or depletion, respectively, in coronal abundance with respect to photospheric values of elements with FIP below about 10~eV. They are interpreted in terms of the ponderomotive force due to the propagation and/or reflection of magnetohydrodynamic waves in the chromosphere. This acts on chromospheric ions, but not neutrals, and so can lead to ion-neutral fractionation. A detailed description of the model applied to closed magnetic loops, and to open field regions is given, accounting for the observed difference in solar FIP fractionation between the slow and fast wind. It is shown that such a model can also account for the observed depletion of helium in the solar wind. The helium depletion is sensitive to the chromospheric altitude where ion-neutral separation occurs, and the behavior of the helium abundance in the closed magnetic loop strongly suggests that the waves have a coronal origin. This, and other similar inferences may be expected to have a strong bearing on theories of solar coronal heating. Chromospheric waves originating from below as acoustic waves mode convert, mainly to fast mode waves, can also give rise to ion-neutral separation. Depending on the geometry of the magnetic field, this can result in FIP or Inverse FIP effects. We argue that such configurations are more likely to occur in later-type stars (known to have stronger field in any case), and that this explains the occurrence of the Inverse FIP effect in M dwarfs.

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arXiv2015

Wave Propagation at Oblique Shocks: How Did Tycho Get Its Stripes?

We describe a new model for the "stripes" of synchrotron radiation seen in the remnant of Tycho's supernova. In our picture, cosmic rays streaming ahead of the forward shock generate parallel (with respect to the local magnetic field direction) circularly polarized Alfven waves that are almost free of dissipation, and due to being circularly polarized exhibit no spatial variation of magnetic field strength. Following interaction with the SNR shock with nonzero obliquity, these parallel waves become obliquely propagating, due the the wave refraction (different in principle for the different plane wave components), and dissipation sets in. The magnetosonic polarization decays faster, due to transit time damping, leaving only the Alfven mode. This surviving mode now exhibits a spatial variation of the magnetic field, leading to local maxima and minima in the synchrotron emission, i.e. the stripes. We attribute the initial wave generation to the Bell instability, which in contrast to the resonant generation of upstream Alfven waves, gives rise to a preferred wavelength, and hence the single wave period at which the stripes are seen. Based on estimates for damping rates due to turbulent cascade and transit time damping, we estimate the dependence of the visibility of the stripes on the shock obliquity, and determine a maximum cosmic ray energy in Tycho's SNR in the range $6\times 10^{14} - 1\times 10^{15}$ eV.

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arXiv2014

Electron Heating, Magnetic Field Amplification, and Cosmic Ray Precursor Length at Supernova Remnant Shocks

We investigate the observability, by direct and indirect means, of a shock precursor arising from magnetic field amplification by cosmic rays. We estimate the depth of such a precursor under conditions of nonresonant amplification, which can provide magnetic field strengths comparable to those inferred for supernova remnants. Magnetic field generation occurs as the streaming cosmic rays induce a plasma return current, and may be quenched either by nonresonant or resonant channels. In the case of nonresonant saturation, the cosmic rays become magnetized and amplification saturates at higher magnetic fields. The precursor can extend out to $10^{17} - 10^{18}$ cm and is potentially detectable. If resonant saturation occurs, the cosmic rays are scattered by turbulence and the precursor length will likely be much smaller. The dependence of precursor length on shock velocity has implications for electron heating. In the case of resonant saturation, this dependence is similar to that in the more familiar resonantly generated shock precursor, which when expressed in terms of the cosmic ray diffusion coefficient $\varkappa $ and shock velocity $v_s$ is $\varkappa /v_s$. In the nonresonantly saturated case, the precursor length declines less quickly with increasing $v_s$. Where precursor length proportional to $1/v_s$ gives constant electron heating, this increased precursor length could be expected to lead to higher electron temperatures for nonresonant amplification. This should be expected at faster supernova remnant shocks than studied by previous works. Existing results and new data analysis of SN 1006 and Cas A suggest some observational support for this idea.

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arXiv2013

Electron-Ion Temperature Equilibration in Collisionless Shocks: the Supernova Remnant-Solar Wind Connection

Collisionless shocks are loosely defined as shocks where the transition between pre-and post-shock states happens on a length scale much shorter than the collisional mean free path. In the absence of collision to enforce thermal equilibrium post-shock, electrons and ions need not have the same temperatures. While the acceleration of electrons for injection into shock acceleration processes to produce cosmic rays has received considerable attention, the related problem of the shock heating of quasi-thermal electrons has been relatively neglected. In this paper we review that state of our knowledge of electron heating in astrophysical shocks, mainly associated with supernova remnants (SNRs), shocks in the solar wind associated with the terrestrial and Saturnian bowshocks, and galaxy cluster shocks. The solar wind and SNR samples indicate that the ratio of electron temperature to ion temperature declines with increasing shock speed or Alfvenic Mach number. We discuss the extent to which such behavior can be understood via cosmic ray-generated waves in a shock precursor, which then subsequently damp by heating electrons. Finally, we speculate that a similar mechanism may be at work for both solar wind and SNR shocks.

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arXiv2013

On the Remote Detection of Suprathermal Ions in the Solar Corona and their Role as Seeds for Solar Energetic Particle Production

Forecasting large Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events associated with shocks driven by fast coronal mass ejections (CME) pose a major difficulty in the field of Space Weather. Besides issues associated with CME initiation, the SEP intensities are difficult to predict, spanning 3 orders of magnitude at any given CME speed. Many lines of indirect evidence point to the pre-existence of suprathermal seed particles for injection into the acceleration process as a key ingredient limiting the SEP intensity of a given event. This paper outlines the observational and theoretical basis for the inference that a suprathermal particle population is present prior to large SEP events, explores various scenarios for generating seed particles and their observational signatures, and explains how such suprathermals could be detected through measuring the wings of the H I Ly-alpha line.

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arXiv2013

The Coronal Abundances of Mid-F Dwarfs

A Chandra spectrum of the moderately active nearby F6 V star Pi3 Ori is used to study the coronal properties of mid-F dwarfs. We find that Pi3 Ori's coronal emission measure distribution is very similar to those of moderately active G and K dwarfs, with an emission measure peak near $\log T=6.6$ seeming to be ubiquitous for such stars. In contrast to coronal temperature, coronal abundances are known to depend on spectral type for main sequence stars. Based on this previously known relation, we expected Pi3 Ori's corona to exhibit an extremely strong "FIP effect," a phenomenon first identified on the Sun where elements with low "First Ionization Potential" (FIP) are enhanced in the corona. We instead find that Pi3 Ori's corona exhibits a FIP effect essentially identical to that of the Sun and other early G dwarfs, perhaps indicating that the increase in FIP bias towards earlier spectral types stops or at least slows for F stars. We find that Pi3 Ori's coronal characteristics are significantly different from two previously studied mid-F stars, Procyon (F5 IV-V) and Tau Boo (F7 V). We believe Pi3 Ori is more representative of the coronal characteristics of mid-F dwarfs, with Procyon being different because of luminosity class, and Tau Boo being different because of the effects of one of two close companions, one stellar (Tau Boo B: M2 V) and one planetary.

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arXiv2013

On the Detectability of 57Fe Axion-Photon Mode Conversion in the Sun

The purpose of this paper is to assess the feasibility of axion detection by X-ray spectroscopy of the sun. We review the theory of axion-photon mode conversion with special attention to axions emitted in the 14.4 keV M1 decay of 57Fe at the solar center. These then mode convert to photons in the outer layers of the solar envelope, and may in principle be detected subsequently as X-rays. For axion masses above about 10^-4 eV, resonant mode conversion at a layer where the axion mass matches the local electron plasma frequency is necessary. For axion masses above about 10^-2 eV, this mode conversion occurs too deep in the solar atmosphere for the resulting photon to escape the solar surface and be detected before Compton scattering obscures the line. At the (detectable) axion masses below this, the flux of mode converted photons predicted by axion models appears to be too low for detection to be feasible with current instrumentation. Nonresonant mode conversion for axion masses below 10^-4 eV is also plausible, but with still lower predicted fluxes, since the axion coupling constant is related to it mass. Prospects for meaningful constraints on massive axion parameters from X-ray observations of this transition from the Sun do not appear to be promising. However parameters for massless counterparts (e.g. the "arion") may still result from such observations. It may mode convert in the outer layers of the solar atmosphere, but is not restricted by this to have a small coupling constant.

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arXiv2012

The Origin of Kepler's Supernova Remnant

It is now well established that Kepler's supernova remnant is the result of a Type Ia explosion. With an age of 407 years, and an angular diameter of ~ 4', Kepler is estimated to be between 3.0 and 7.0 kpc distant. Unlike other Galactic Type Ia supernova remnants such as Tycho and SN 1006, and SNR 0509-67.5 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, Kepler shows evidence for a strong circumstellar interaction. A bowshock structure in the north is thought to originate from the motion of a mass-losing system through the interstellar medium prior to the supernova. We present results of hydrodynamical and spectral modeling aimed at constraining the circumstellar environment of the system and the amount of 56Ni produced in the explosion. Using models that contain either 0.3 M_sun (subenergetic) or 1 M_sun (energetic) of 56Ni, we simulate the interaction between supernova Ia ejecta and various circumstellar density models. Based on dynamical considerations alone, we find that the subenergetic models favor a distance to the SNR of < 6.4 kpc, while the model that produces 1 M_sun of 56Ni requires a distance to the SNR of > 7 kpc. The X-ray spectrum is consistent with an explosion that produced ~ 1 M_sun of 56Ni, ruling out the subenergetic models, and suggesting that Kepler's SNR was a SN 1991T-like event. Additionally, the X-ray spectrum rules out a pure 1/r^2 wind profile expected from isotropic mass loss up to the time of the supernova. Introducing a small cavity around the progenitor system results in modeled X-ray spectra that are consistent with the observed spectrum. If a wind shaped circumstellar environment is necessary to explain the dynamics and X-ray emission from the shocked ejecta in Kepler's SNR, then we require that the distance to the remnant be greater than 7 kpc.

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arXiv2012

The Coronal Abundance Anomalies of M Dwarfs

We analyze Chandra X-ray spectra of the M0 V+M0 V binary GJ 338. As quantified by X-ray surface flux, these are the most inactive M dwarfs ever observed with X-ray grating spectroscopy. We focus on measuring coronal abundances, in particular searching for evidence of abundance anomalies related to First Ionization Potential (FIP). In the solar corona and wind, low FIP elements are overabundant, which is the so-called "FIP effect." For other stars, particularly very active ones, an "inverse FIP effect" is often observed, with low FIP elements being underabundant. For both members of the GJ 338 binary, we find evidence for a modest inverse FIP effect, consistent with expectations from a previously reported correlation between spectral type and FIP bias. This amounts to strong evidence that all M dwarfs should exhibit the inverse FIP effect phenomenon, not just the active ones. We take the first step towards modeling the inverse FIP phenomenon in M dwarfs, building on past work that has demonstrated that MHD waves coursing through coronal loops can lead to a ponderomotive force that fractionates elements in a manner consistent with the FIP effect. We demonstrate that in certain circumstances this model can also lead to an inverse FIP effect, pointing the way to more detailed modeling of M dwarf coronal abundances in the future.

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arXiv2012

On the Origin of the Slow Speed Solar Wind: Helium Abundance Variations

The First Ionization Potential (FIP) effect is the by now well known enhancement in abundance over photospheric values of Fe and other elements with first ionization potential below about 10 eV observed in the solar corona and slow speed solar wind. In our model, this fractionation is achieved by means of the ponderomotive force, arising as Alfvén waves propagate through or reflect from steep density gradients in the solar chromosphere. This is also the region where low FIP elements are ionized, and high FIP elements are largely neutral leading to the fractionation as ions interact with the waves but neutrals do not. Helium, the element with the highest FIP and consequently the last to remain neutral as one moves upwards can be depleted in such models. Here, we investigate this depletion for varying loop lengths and magnetic field strengths. Variations in this depletion arise as the concentration of the ponderomotive force at the top of the chromosphere varies in response to Alfvén wave frequency with respect to the resonant frequency of the overlying coronal loop, the magnetic field, and possibly also the loop length. We find that stronger depletions of He are obtained for weaker magnetic field, at frequencies close to or just above the loop resonance. These results may have relevance to observed variations of the slow wind solar He abundance with wind speed, with slower slow speed solar wind having a stronger depletion of He.

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arXiv2011

A Chandra X-ray Survey of Ejecta in the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

We present a survey of the X-ray emitting ejecta in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant based on an extensive analysis of over 6000 spectral regions extracted on 2.5-10" angular scales using the Chandra 1 Ms observation. We interpret these results in the context of hydrodynamical models for the evolution of the remnant. The distributions of fitted temperature and ionization age, and the implied mass coordinates, are highly peaked and suggest that the ejecta were subjected to multiple secondary shocks following reverse shock interaction with ejecta inhomogeneities. Based on the fitted emission measure and element abundances, and an estimate of the emitting volume, we derive masses for the X-ray emitting ejecta and also show the distribution of the mass of various elements over the remnant. An upper limit to the total shocked Fe mass visible in X-rays appears to be roughly 0.13 M_sun, which accounts for nearly all of the mass expected in Fe ejecta. We find two populations of Fe ejecta, that associated with normal Si-burning and that possibly associated with alpha-rich freeze-out, with a mass ratio of approximately 2:1. Essentially all of the observed Fe (both components) lies well outside the central regions of the SNR, possibly having been ejected by hydrodynamic instabilities during the explosion. We discuss this, and its implications for the neutron star kick.

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arXiv2011

HST-COS Observations of Hydrogen, Helium, Carbon and Nitrogen Emission from the SN 1987A Reverse Shock

We present the most sensitive ultraviolet observations of Supernova 1987A to date. Imaging spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telescope-Cosmic Origins Spectrograph shows many narrow (dv \sim 300 km/s) emission lines from the circumstellar ring, broad (dv \sim 10 -- 20 x 10^3 km/s) emission lines from the reverse shock, and ultraviolet continuum emission. The high signal-to-noise (> 40 per resolution element) broad LyA emission is excited by soft X-ray and EUV heating of mostly neutral gas in the circumstellar ring and outer supernova debris. The ultraviolet continuum at λ> 1350A can be explained by HI 2-photon emission from the same region. We confirm our earlier, tentative detection of NV λ1240 emission from the reverse shock and we present the first detections of broad HeII \lambda1640, CIV \lambda1550, and NIV] \lambda1486 emission lines from the reverse shock. The helium abundance in the high-velocity material is He/H = 0.14 +/- 0.06. The NV/H-alpha line ratio requires partial ion-electron equilibration (T_{e}/T_{p} \approx 0.14 - 0.35). We find that the N/C abundance ratio in the gas crossing the reverse shock is significantly higher than that in the circumstellar ring, a result that may be attributed to chemical stratification in the outer envelope of the supernova progenitor. The N/C abundance ratio may have been stratified prior to the ring expulsion, or this result may indicate continued CNO processing in the progenitor subsequent to the expulsion of the circumstellar ring.

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arXiv2011

Non-WKB Models of the FIP Effect: The Role of Slow Mode Waves

A model for element abundance fractionation between the solar chromosphere and corona is further developed. The ponderomotive force due to Alfven waves propagating through, or reflecting from the chromosphere in solar conditions generally accelerates chromospheric ions, but not neutrals, into the corona. This gives rise to what has become known as the First Ionization Potential (FIP) Effect. We incorporate new physical processes into the model. The chromospheric ionization balance is improved, and the effect of different approximations is discussed. We also treat the parametric generation of slow mode waves by the parallel propagating Alfven waves. This is also an effect of the ponderomotive force, arising from the periodic variation of the magnetic pressure driving an acoustic mode, which adds to the background longitudinal pressure. This can have subtle effects on the fractionation, rendering it quasi-mass independent in the lower regions of the chromosphere. We also briefly discuss the change in the fractionation with Alfven wave frequency, relative to the frequency of the overlying coronal loop resonance.

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arXiv2011

The Effect of a Cosmic Ray Precursor in SN 1006?

Like many young supernova remnants, SN 1006 exhibits what appear to be clumps of ejecta close to or protruding beyond the main blast wave. In this paper we examine 3 such protrusions along the east rim. They are semi-aligned with ejecta fingers behind the shock-front, and exhibit emission lines from O VII and O VIII. We first interpret them in the context of an upstream medium modified by the saturated nonresonant Bell instability which enhances the growth of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities when advected postshock. We discuss their apparent periodicity if the spacing is determined by properties of the remnant or by a preferred size scale in the cosmic ray precursor. We also briefly discuss the alternative that these structures have an origin in the ejecta structure of the explosion itself. In this case the young evolutionary age of SN 1006 would imply density structure within the outermost layers of the explosion with potentially important implications for deflagration and detonation in thermonuclear supernova explosion models.

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arXiv2011

In Situ Heating of the 2007 May 19 CME Ejecta Detected by STEREO/PLASTIC and ACE

In situ measurements of ion charge states can provide unique insight into the heating and evolution of coronal mass ejections when tested against realistic non-equilibrium ionization modeling. In this work we investigate the representation of the CME magnetic field as an expanding spheromak configuration, where the plasma heating is prescribed by the choice of anomalous resistivity and the spheromak dynamics. We chose as a test case, the 19 May 2007 CME observed by STEREO and ACE. The spheromak is an appealing physical model, because the location and degree of heating is fixed by the choice of anomalous resistivity and the spheromak expansion rate which we constrain with observations. This model can provide the heating required between 1.1$R_{\sun}$ and earth orbit to produce charge states observed in the CME flux rope. However this source of heating in the spheromak alone has difficulty accounting for the rapid heating to Fe$^{8 - 11+}$ at lower heights, as observed in STEREO EUVI due to the rapid radiative cooling that occurs at the high densities involved. Episodes of heating and cooling clearly unrelated to spheromak expansion are observed prior to the eruption, and presumably still play a role during the eruption itself. Spheromak heating is also not capable of reproducing the high Fe charge states (Fe$^{16+}$ and higher) seen in situ exterior to the flux rope in this CME. Thus while the spheromak configuration may be a valid model for the magnetic topology, other means of energization are still required to provide much of the rapid heating observed.

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arXiv2010

A Decline in the Nonthermal X-ray Emission from Cassiopeia A

We present new Chandra ACIS-S3 observations of Cassiopeia A which, when combined with earlier ACIS-S3 observations, show evidence for a steady ~ 1.5-2%/yr decline in the 4.2-6.0 keV X-ray emission between the years 2000 and 2010. The computed flux from exposure corrected images over the entire remnant showed a 17% decline over the entire remnant and a slightly larger (21%) decline from regions along the remnant's western limb. Spectral fits of the 4.2-6.0 keV emission across the entire remnant, forward shock filaments, and interior filaments indicate the remnant's nonthermal spectral powerlaw index has steepened by about 10%, with interior filaments having steeper powerlaw indices. Since TeV electrons, which give rise to the observed X-ray synchrotron emission, are associated with the exponential cutoff portion of the electron distribution function, we have related our results to a change in the cutoff energy and conclude that the observed decline and steepening of the nonthermal X-ray emission is consistent with a deceleration of the remnant's ~5000 km/s forward shock of ~10--40 km/s/yr

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arXiv2010

Science Objectives for an X-Ray Microcalorimeter Observing the Sun

We present the science case for a broadband X-ray imager with high-resolution spectroscopy, including simulations of X-ray spectral diagnostics of both active regions and solar flares. This is part of a trilogy of white papers discussing science, instrument (Bandler et al. 2010), and missions (Bookbinder et al. 2010) to exploit major advances recently made in transition-edge sensor (TES) detector technology that enable resolution better than 2 eV in an array that can handle high count rates. Combined with a modest X-ray mirror, this instrument would combine arcsecondscale imaging with high-resolution spectra over a field of view sufficiently large for the study of active regions and flares, enabling a wide range of studies such as the detection of microheating in active regions, ion-resolved velocity flows, and the presence of non-thermal electrons in hot plasmas. It would also enable more direct comparisons between solar and stellar soft X-ray spectra, a waveband in which (unusually) we currently have much better stellar data than we do of the Sun.

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arXiv2009

The Circumstellar Medium of Cassiopeia A Inferred from the Outer Ejecta Knot Properties

We investigate the effect of the circumstellar medium density profile on the X-ray emission from outer ejecta knots in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant using the 1 Ms Chandra observation. The spectra of a number of radial series of ejecta knots at various positions around the remnant are analyzed using techniques similar to those devised in previous papers. We can obtain a reasonable match to our data for a circumstellar density profile proportional to r^-2 as would arise from the steady dense wind of a red supergiant, but the agreement is improved if we introduce a small (0.2-0.3 pc) central cavity around the progenitor into our models. Such a profile might arise if the progenitor emitted a fast tenuous stellar wind for a short period immediately prior to explosion. We review other lines of evidence supporting this conclusion. The spectra also indicate the widespread presence of Fe-enriched plasma that was presumably formed by complete Si burning during the explosion, possibly via alpha-rich freezeout. This component is typically associated with hotter and more highly ionized gas than the bulk of the O- and Si-rich ejecta.

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