arXiv subjects

S. Normo

Publications and source records attributed to S. Normo.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The location and propagation of fine structures in type II solar radio bursts

Solar eruptions such as coronal mass ejections can drive collisionless shocks that are good particle accelerators. Electrons accelerated by these shocks can be observed remotely via the electromagnetic emission they generate at low radio frequencies. The radio signatures of shock-accelerated electrons at the Sun are type II radio bursts that can be used to track the propagation of the shock wave in the solar corona and beyond. However, type II radio bursts can have complex morphologies in dynamic spectra, being composed of numerous fine time and frequency structures. Here, we aim to determine the location and propagation of the fine structures composing type II bursts using radio imaging from the Nan\c{c}ay Radioheliograph. We investigate the origin of a type II radio burst that was only co-temporal with a flare and a coronal wave, and it was not associated with a CME eruption. The type II burst still showed complex morphology. We find that emission lanes and fine structures composing the type II burst originate from multiple locations around the flare site. The source regions also move in peculiar non-uniform propagation directions following the shock expansion. Our findings are consistent with the idea that multiple radio emission source regions form as a shock propagates through the solar corona.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Comprehensive study of solar type II radio bursts and the properties of the associated shock waves

Type II radio bursts are solar radio emissions generated by electrons accelerated by coronal shocks. These bursts are typically found close to expanding coronal mass ejections (CMEs), making them valuable for studying the properties and dynamics of CME-driven shocks in the solar corona. Here, we aim to determine the regions in the solar corona where shock waves accelerate electrons and determine their characteristic properties. To do this, we combine radio observations of type II solar radio bursts with magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the solar corona. We analyse ten type II radio bursts from Solar Cycle 25 exhibiting emissions. The novelty of this study lies in using radio imaging data for all type II bursts to examine the positions of the radio sources. The radio source positions, combined with a geometrical fitting of the CME shock and the MHD simulations, are used to determine essential shock parameters at the acceleration region, such as the Alfv\'en Mach number $(M_{\rm A}$ and $\theta_{\rm BN}$. The shock parameters are then combined with the properties of the radio emission and the associated eruption in a comprehensive study. We found that for all events, the type II bursts are located near or inside coronal streamers. The estimated shock speeds are high, resulting in the formation of super-critical shocks ($3.8~\leq~M_{\rm A}~\leq~7.7$) at the type II locations. In most events, type II bursts are located at oblique shocks rather than near-perpendicular geometries, suggesting that the shock structure is more complex at local scales than the simple spherical shock models usually applied to CME shocks. Our results suggest that CME-streamer interaction regions are necessary for the generation of type II bursts, as they provide ideal plasma conditions for the formation of super-critical shocks and the subsequent acceleration of electrons.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Imaging and spectropolarimetric observations of a band-split type II solar radio burst with LOFAR

Type II solar radio bursts are generated by electrons accelerated by coronal shock waves. They appear in dynamic spectra as lanes drifting from higher to lower frequencies at the plasma frequency and its harmonic. These lanes can often be split into two or more sub-bands that have similar drift rates. This phenomenon is called band-splitting, and its physical origins are still under debate. Our aim is to investigate the origin of band-splitting using novel imaging and spectropolarimetric observations of a type II solar radio burst from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR). We used LOFAR imaging at multiple frequencies and time steps to track the locations of the radio sources corresponding to the two components of the band-split emission lane. In addition, we estimated the degree of circular polarisation (dcp) for both components using LOFAR's full Stokes dynamic spectra. From the imaging of the type II burst, we found two close but clearly separated emission regions clustered over several frequencies spanning each split band. One emission region corresponds to the lower frequency band and the other to the higher frequency band of the split lane. Using the full Stokes dynamic spectra, we also found the dcp to be very similar for both bands. The two distinct emission regions suggest that the split bands originate from two separate regions at the shock. The similar values of dcp for both sub-bands correspond to similar values of magnetic field strength in the two regions and indicate little to no change in the emission region plasma. Thus, our findings are in contradiction with previous theories, which have suggested that split bands originate in the same region but upstream and downstream of the shock. Instead, our results suggest that both bands originate in two separate upstream regions since we find a clear separation in locations and no magnetic compression.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Determining the acceleration regions of in situ electrons using remote radio and X-ray observations

Solar energetic particles in the heliosphere are produced by flaring processes on the Sun or shocks driven by coronal mass ejections. These particles are regularly detected remotely as electromagnetic radiation (X-rays or radio emission), which they generate through various processes, or in situ by spacecraft monitoring the Sun and the heliosphere. We aim to combine remote-sensing and in situ observations of energetic electrons to determine the origin and acceleration mechanism of these particles. Here, we investigate the acceleration location, escape, and propagation directions of electron beams producing radio bursts observed with the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), hard X-ray (HXR) emission and, in situ electrons observed at Solar Orbiter (SolO) on 3 October 2023. These observations are combined with a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the electron acceleration locations and results from a magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) model of the solar corona in order to investigate the origin and connectivity of electrons observed remotely at the Sun to in situ electrons. We observed a type II radio burst with good connectivity to SolO, where a significant electron event was detected. However, type III radio bursts and Hard X-rays were also observed co-temporally with the elctron event but likely connected to SolO by different far-sided field lines. The injection times of the SolO electrons are simultaneous with both the onset of the type II radio burst, the group of type III bursts and the presence of a second HXR peak, however, the most direct connection to SolO is that of the type II burst location. The in situ electron spectra point to shock acceleration of electrons with a short-term connection to the source region.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Estimating the lateral speed of a fast shock driven by a coronal mass ejection at the location of solar radio emissions

Fast coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can drive shock waves capable of accelerating electrons to high energies. These shock-accelerated electrons act as sources of electromagnetic radiation, often in the form of solar radio bursts. Recent findings suggest that radio imaging of solar radio bursts can provide a means to estimate the lateral expansion of CMEs and associated shocks in the low corona. Our aim is to estimate the expansion speed of a CME-driven shock at the locations of radio emission using 3D reconstructions of the shock wave from multiple viewpoints. We estimated the 3D location of radio emission using radio imaging from the Nan\c{c}ay Radioheliograph and the 3D location of the shock. The 3D shock was reconstructed using white-light and extreme ultraviolet images of the CME from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, Solar Dynamics Observatory, and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. The lateral expansion speed of the CME-driven shock at the electron acceleration locations was then estimated using the approximate 3D locations of the radio emission on the surface of the shock. The radio bursts associated with the CME were found to reside at the flank of the expanding CME-driven shock. We identified two prominent radio sources at two different locations and found that the lateral speed of the shock was in the range of $800-1000\,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$ at these locations. Such a high speed during the early stages of the eruption already indicates the presence of a fast shock in the low corona. We also found a larger ratio between the radial and lateral expansion speed compared to values obtained higher up in the corona. The high shock speed obtained is indicative of a fast acceleration during the initial stage of the eruption. This acceleration is most likely one of the key parameters contributing to the presence of metric radio emissions, such as type II radio bursts.

astro-ph.SR↗