arXiv subjects

Roelf Du Toit Strauss

Publications and source records attributed to Roelf Du Toit Strauss.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Anomalous cosmic rays within the inner heliosphere: Observations of helium by the High Energy Telescope onboard Solar Orbiter

Radial gradients of cosmic rays are key parameters for understanding the transport of particles in space. Solar Orbiter, launched on 2020 February 10, approaches the Sun approximately every half year, with a closest perihelion distance of 0.29 au after the end of 2022 during the nominal mission phase. The two double-ended high energy telescopes(HET)onboard the Solar Orbiter measure energetic particles in the energy range between a few MeV/nuc and a few hundred MeV/nuc, which are dominated by anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs) and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) during solar quiet times. By obtaining the radial gradient of the ACR helium in the inner heliosphere, we advance our understanding of how the transport of the cosmic rays is affected by the particle drift effect and the large-scale magnetic field. The helium observations at Solar Orbiter/HET between 11.1 and 49 MeV/nuc are analyzed. Since we focus on quiet time measurements, we remove the periods of solar energetic particle (SEP) events. The intensities are averaged over the Carrington rotation period. The helium observations from the Proton and Helium Instrument(EPHIN)onboard SOHO were utilized as the baseline to correct the long-term variation caused by the solar modulations. We present the first observation of ACR helium at Solar Orbiter/HET between 2020 February and 2022 July in the inner heliosphere before the sun became fully active. We derive the radial gradient of the ACR helium between 0.3 and 1 au. The averaged radial gradient between 11.1 and 49MeV/nuc is about 22$\pm$4%/au and the averaged value between 11.1 and 41.2MeV/nuc is raised to 32$\pm$8%/au after removing the GCR contribution, which is estimated by a GCR model. In addition, the temporal variation of radial gradients indicates that the gradients are increasing with the enhancement of the solar modulation and the increased tilt angle of the heliospheric current sheet.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2026

First Detailed MeerKAT Imaging Spectroscopy of a Solar Flare

Radio observations provide powerful diagnostics of energy release, particle acceleration, and transport processes in solar flares. However, despite recent progress in radio interferometric imaging spectroscopy, current instruments still face limitations in image fidelity and resolution, restricting detailed spectroscopic studies of flaring regions. Here we present high-fidelity imaging spectroscopy of a M1.3 GOES class flare with MeerKAT, a precursor to the future-generation array SKA-Mid. Radio emissions at the observed frequencies typically originate in the low corona, offering valuable insights into magnetic reconnection and primary energy-release sites. The obtained images achieve an unprecedented dynamic range exceeding 10^3, enabling simultaneous analysis of bright coherent bursts and faint incoherent emission from the active region. Multiple spatially distinct coherent sources are identified, implying contributions from different populations of accelerated electrons. The incoherent emission extends beyond AIA structures, highlighting MeerKAT's ability to detect dilute but hot plasma invisible to Extreme Ultraviolet instruments. Combined with co-temporal Hard X-ray images and magnetic field extrapolations, the radio sources are located within distinct magnetic structures, further revealing their association with different populations of accelerated electrons. These results demonstrate MeerKAT imaging spectroscopy as powerful diagnostics of solar flares and pave the way for future solar flare studies with SKA-Mid.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

A Generalized Diffusion Tensor for Fully Anisotropic Diffusion of Energetic Particles in the Heliospheric Magnetic Field

The spatial diffusion of cosmic rays in turbulent magnetic fields can, in the most general case, be fully anisotropic, i.e. one has to distinguish three diffusion axes in a local, field-aligned frame. We reexamine the transformation for the diffusion tensor from this local to a global frame, in which the Parker transport equation for energetic particles is usually formulated and solved. Particularly, we generalize the transformation formulas to allow for an explicit choice of two principal local perpendicular diffusion axes. This generalization includes the 'traditional' diffusion tensor in the special case of isotropic perpendicular diffusion. For the local frame, we motivate the choice of the Frenet-Serret trihedron which is related to the intrinsic magnetic field geometry. We directly compare the old and the new tensor elements for two heliospheric magnetic field configurations, namely the hybrid Fisk and the Parker field. Subsequently, we examine the significance of the different formulations for the diffusion tensor in a standard 3D model for the modulation of galactic protons. For this we utilize a numerical code to evaluate a system of stochastic differential equations equivalent to the Parker transport equation and present the resulting modulated spectra. The computed differential fluxes based on the new tensor formulation deviate from those obtained with the 'traditional' one (only valid for isotropic perpendicular diffusion) by up to 60% for energies below a few hundred MeV depending on heliocentric distance.

physics.space-ph↗