arXiv subjects

Juan Martinez-Sykora

Publications and source records attributed to Juan Martinez-Sykora.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Evidence of Non-Thermal Particles in Coronal Loops Heated Impulsively by Nanoflares

The physical processes causing energy exchange between the Sun's hot corona and its cool lower atmosphere remain poorly understood. The chromosphere and transition region (TR) form an interface region between the surface and the corona that is highly sensitive to the coronal heating mechanism. High resolution observations with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) reveal rapid variability (about 20 to 60 seconds) of intensity and velocity on small spatial scales at the footpoints of hot dynamic coronal loops. The observations are consistent with numerical simulations of heating by beams of non-thermal electrons, which are generated in small impulsive heating events called "coronal nanoflares". The accelerated electrons deposit a sizable fraction of their energy in the chromosphere and TR. Our analysis provides tight constraints on the properties of such electron beams and new diagnostics for their presence in the nonflaring corona.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

A Detailed Comparison Between The Observed and Synthesized Properties of a Simulated Type ii Spicule

We performed a 3D radiative MHD simulation of the solar atmosphere. This simulation shows a jet-like feature that shows similarities to the type II spicules observed for the first time with Hinode. Rapid Blueshifted Events (RBEs) on the solar disk are associated with these spicules. Observational results suggest they may contribute significantly in supplying the corona with hot plasma. We perform a detailed comparison of the properties of the simulated jet with those of type II spicules (observed with Hinode) and RBEs (with ground-based instruments). We analyze variety of synthetic emission and absorption lines from the simulations including chromospheric Ca II and Ha to TR and coronal temperatures (10E4 to several 10E6K). We compare their synthetic intensities, line profiles, Doppler shifts, line widths and asymmetries with observations from Hinode/SOT and EIS, SOHO/SUMER, SST and SDO/AIA. Many properties of the synthetic observables resemble the observations, and we describe in detail the physical processes that lead to these observables. Detailed analysis of the synthetic observables provides insight into how observations should be analyzed to derive information about physical variables in such a dynamic event. For example, we find that LOS superposition in the optically thin atmosphere requires the combination of Doppler shifts and spectral line asymmetry to determine the velocity in the jet. Other properties differ from the observations, especially in the chromospheric lines. The mass density of the part of the spicule with a chromospheric temperature is too low to produce significant opacity in chromospheric lines. These and other discrepancies are described in detail, and we discuss which mechanisms and physical processes may need to be included in the MHD simulations to mimic the thermodynamic processes of the chromosphere and corona, in particular to reproduce type II spicules.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Observing coronal nanoflares in active region moss

The High-resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) has provided Fe XII 193A images of the upper transition region moss at an unprecedented spatial (~0.3-0.4 arcsec) and temporal (5.5s) resolution. The Hi-C observations show in some moss regions variability on timescales down to ~15s, significantly shorter than the minute scale variability typically found in previous observations of moss, therefore challenging the conclusion of moss being heated in a mostly steady manner. These rapid variability moss regions are located at the footpoints of bright hot coronal loops observed by SDO/AIA in the 94A channel, and by Hinode/XRT. The configuration of these loops is highly dynamic, and suggestive of slipping reconnection. We interpret these events as signatures of heating events associated with reconnection occurring in the overlying hot coronal loops, i.e., coronal nanoflares. We estimate the order of magnitude of the energy in these events to be of at least a few $10^{23}rg, also supporting the nanoflare scenario. These Hi-C observations suggest that future observations at comparable high spatial and temporal resolution, with more extensive temperature coverage are required to determine the exact characteristics of the heating mechanism(s).

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

Investigating the reliability of coronal emission measure distribution diagnostics using 3D radiative MHD simulations

Determining the temperature distribution of coronal plasmas can provide stringent constraints on coronal heating. Current observations with the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph onboard Hinode and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory provide diagnostics of the emission measure distribution (EMD) of the coronal plasma. Here we test the reliability of temperature diagnostics using 3D radiative MHD simulations. We produce synthetic observables from the models, and apply the Monte Carlo Markov chain EMD diagnostic. By comparing the derived EMDs with the "true" distributions from the model we assess the limitations of the diagnostics, as a function of the plasma parameters and of the signal-to-noise of the data. We find that EMDs derived from EIS synthetic data reproduce some general characteristics of the true distributions, but usually show differences from the true EMDs that are much larger than the estimated uncertainties suggest, especially when structures with significantly different density overlap along the line-of-sight. When using AIA synthetic data the derived EMDs reproduce the true EMDs much less accurately, especially for broad EMDs. The differences between the two instruments are due to the: (1) smaller number of constraints provided by AIA data, (2) broad temperature response function of the AIA channels which provide looser constraints to the temperature distribution. Our results suggest that EMDs derived from current observatories may often show significant discrepancies from the true EMDs, rendering their interpretation fraught with uncertainty. These inherent limitations to the method should be carefully considered when using these distributions to constrain coronal heating.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

2D Radiative MHD Simulations of the Importance of Partial Ionization in the Chromosphere

The solar chromosphere is weakly ionized and interactions between ionized particles and neutral particles likely have significant consequences for the thermodynamics of the plasma. We investigate the importance of introducing neutral particles using numerical 2.5D radiative MHD simulations obtained with the Bifrost code. The models span from the upper layers of the convection zone to the low corona, and solve the full MHD equations with non-grey and NLTE radiative transfer, and thermal conduction. The effects of partial ionization are implemented using the generalized Ohm's law. The approximations required in going from three fluids to the generalized Ohm's law are tested in our simulations. The Ohmic diffusion, the Hall term, and ambipolar diffusion show strong variations in the chromosphere. These strong variations of the various magnetic diffusivities are absent or significantly underestimated when, as has been common for these types of studies, using the VAL-C model as a basis for estimates. In addition, we find that differences in estimating the magnitude of ambipolar diffusion arise depending on which method is used to calculate the ion-neutral collision frequency. These differences cause uncertainties in the different magnetic diffusivity terms. In the chromosphere, we find that the ambipolar diffusion is of the same order of magnitude or even larger than the numerical diffusion used to stabilize our code. As a consequence, ambipolar diffusion produces a strong impact on the modeled atmosphere. Perhaps more importantly, it suggests that at least in the chromospheric domain, self-consistent simulations of the solar atmosphere driven by magneto-convection can accurately describe the impact of the dominant form of resistivity (ambipolar diffusion). This suggests that such simulations may be more realistic in their approach to the lower solar atmosphere than previously assumed.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

Two components of the coronal emission revealed by EUV spectroscopic observations

Recent spectroscopic observations have revealed the ubiquitous presence of blueward asymmetries of emission lines formed in the solar corona and transition region. These asymmetries are most prominent in loop footpoint regions, where a clear correlation of the asymmetry with the Doppler shift and line width determined from the single Gaussian fit is found. Such asymmetries suggest at least two emission components: a primary component accounting for the background emission and a secondary component associated with high-speed upflows. The latter has been proposed to play a vital role in the coronal heating process and there is no agreement on its properties. Here we slightly modify the initially developed technique of Red-Blue (RB) asymmetry analysis and apply it to both artificial spectra and spectra observed by the EUV Imaging Spectrometer onboard Hinode, and demonstrate that the secondary component usually contributes a few percent of the total emission, has a velocity ranging from 50 to 150 km s-1 and a Gaussian width comparable to that of the primary one in loop footpoint regions. The results of the RB asymmetry analysis are then used to guide a double Gaussian fit and we find that the obtained properties of the secondary component are generally consistent with those obtained from the RB asymmetry analysis. Through a comparison of the location, relative intensity, and velocity distribution of the blueward secondary component with the properties of the upward propagating disturbances revealed in simultaneous images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we find a clear association of the secondary component with the propagating disturbances.

astro-ph.SR↗