arXiv subjects

S. Tsuneta

Publications and source records attributed to S. Tsuneta.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2018

CLASP Constraints on the Magnetization and Geometrical Complexity of the Chromosphere-Corona Transition Region

The Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP) is a suborbital rocket experiment that on 3rd September 2015 measured the linear polarization produced by scattering processes in the hydrogen Ly-$α$ line of the solar disk radiation, whose line-center photons stem from the chromosphere-corona transition region (TR). These unprecedented spectropolarimetric observations revealed an interesting surprise, namely that there is practically no center-to-limb variation (CLV) in the $Q/I$ line-center signals. Using an analytical model, we first show that the geometrical complexity of the corrugated surface that delineates the TR has a crucial impact on the CLV of the $Q/I$ and $U/I$ line-center signals. Secondly, we introduce a statistical description of the solar atmosphere based on a three-dimensional (3D) model derived from a state-of-the-art radiation magneto-hydrodynamic simulation. Each realization of the statistical ensemble is a 3D model characterized by a given degree of magnetization and corrugation of the TR, and for each such realization we solve the full 3D radiative transfer problem taking into account the impact of the CLASP instrument degradation on the calculated polarization signals. Finally, we apply the statistical inference method presented in a previous paper to show that the TR of the 3D model that produces the best agreement with the CLASP observations has a relatively weak magnetic field and a relatively high degree of corrugation. We emphasize that a suitable way to validate or refute numerical models of the upper solar chromosphere is by confronting calculations and observations of the scattering polarization in ultraviolet lines sensitive to the Hanle effect.

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arXiv2018

A Statistical Inference Method for Interpreting the CLASP Observations

On 3rd September 2015, the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha SpectroPolarimeter (CLASP) successfully measured the linear polarization produced by scattering processes in the hydrogen Lyman-$α$ line of the solar disk radiation, revealing conspicuous spatial variations in the $Q/I$ and $U/I$ signals. Via the Hanle effect the line-center $Q/I$ and $U/I$ amplitudes encode information on the magnetic field of the chromosphere-corona transition region (TR), but they are also sensitive to the three-dimensional structure of this corrugated interface region. With the help of a simple line formation model, here we propose a statistical inference method for interpreting the Lyman-$α$ line-center polarization observed by CLASP.

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arXiv2017

Discovery of Scattering Polarization in the Hydrogen Lyman-$α$ Line of the Solar Disk Radiation

There is a thin transition region (TR) in the solar atmosphere where the temperature rises from 10,000 K in the chromosphere to millions of degrees in the corona. Little is known about the mechanisms that dominate this enigmatic region other than the magnetic field plays a key role. The magnetism of the TR can only be detected by polarimetric measurements of a few ultraviolet (UV) spectral lines, the Lyman-$α$ line of neutral hydrogen at 121.6 nm (the strongest line of the solar UV spectrum) being of particular interest given its sensitivity to the Hanle effect (the magnetic-field-induced modification of the scattering line polarization). We report the discovery of linear polarization produced by scattering processes in the Lyman-$α$ line, obtained with the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP) rocket experiment. The Stokes profiles observed by CLASP in quiet regions of the solar disk show that the $Q/I$ and $U/I$ linear polarization signals are of the order of 0.1 % in the line core and up to a few percent in the nearby wings, and that both have conspicuous spatial variations with scales of $\sim 10$ arcsec. These observations help constrain theoretical models of the chromosphere-corona TR and extrapolations of the magnetic field from photospheric magnetograms. In fact, the observed spatial variation from disk to limb of polarization at the line core and wings already challenge the predictions from three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical models of the upper solar chromosphere.

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arXiv2015

Photospheric Flow Field Related to the Evolution of the Sun's Polar Magnetic Patches Observed by Hinode SOT

We investigated the role of photospheric plasma motions in the formation and evolution of polar magnetic patches using time-sequence observations with high spatial resolution. The observations were obtained with the spectropolarimeter on board the Hinode satellite. From the statistical analysis using 75 magnetic patches, we found that they are surrounded by strong converging, supergranulation associated flows during their apparent life time and that the converging flow around the patch boundary is better observed in the Doppler velocity profile in the deeper photosphere. Based on our analysis we suggest that the like-polarity magnetic fragments in the polar region are advected and clustered by photospheric converging flows thereby resulting in the formation of polar magnetic patches. Our observations show that, in addition to direct cancellation magnetic patches decay by fragmentation followed by unipolar disappearance or unipolar disappearance without fragmentation. It is possible that the magnetic patches of existing polarity fragment or diffuse away into smaller elements and eventually cancel out with opposite polarity fragments that reach the polar region around solar cycle maximum. This could be one of the possible mechanisms by which the existing polarity decay during the reversal of the polar magnetic field.

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arXiv2014

Ly-alpha polarimeter design for CLASP rocket experiment

A sounding-rocket program called the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP) is proposed to be launched in the summer of 2014. CLASP will observe the solar chromosphere in Ly-alpha (121.567 nm), aiming to detect the linear polarization signal produced by scattering processes and the Hanle effect for the first time. The polarimeter of CLASP consists of a rotating half-waveplate, a beam splitter, and a polarization analyzer. Magnesium Fluoride (MgF2) is used for these optical components, because MgF2 exhibits birefringent property and high transparency at ultraviolet wavelength.

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arXiv2014

On the inversion of the scattering polarization and the Hanle effect signals in the hydrogen Lyman-$α$ line

Magnetic field measurements in the upper chromosphere and above, where the gas-to-magnetic pressure ratio $β$ is lower than unity, are essential for understanding the thermal structure and dynamical activity of the solar atmosphere. Recent developments in the theory and numerical modeling of polarization in spectral lines have suggested that information on the magnetic field of the chromosphere-corona transition region could be obtained by measuring the linear polarization of the solar disk radiation at the core of the hydrogen Lyman-$α$ line at 121.6~nm, which is produced by scattering processes and the Hanle effect. The Chromospheric Lyman-$α$ Spectropolarimeter (CLASP) sounding rocket experiment aims to measure the intensity (Stokes $I$) and the linear polarization profiles ($Q/I$ and $U/I$) of the hydrogen Lyman-$α$ line. In this paper we clarify the information that the Hanle effect can provide by applying a Stokes inversion technique based on a database search. The database contains all theoretical $Q/I$ and $U/I$ profiles calculated in a one-dimensional semi-empirical model of the solar atmosphere for all possible values of the strength, inclination, and azimuth of the magnetic field vector, though this atmospheric region is highly inhomogeneous and dynamic. We focus on understanding the sensitivity of the inversion results to the noise and spectral resolution of the synthetic observations as well as the ambiguities and limitation inherent to the Hanle effect when only the hydrogen Lyman-$α$ is used. We conclude that spectropolarimetric observations with CLASP can indeed be a suitable diagnostic tool for probing the magnetism of the transition region, especially when complemented with information on the magnetic field azimuth that can be obtained from other instruments.

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arXiv2013

The Association of Polar Faculae with Polar Magnetic Patches Examined with Hinode Observations

The magnetic properties of the Sun's polar faculae are investigated with spectropolarimetric observations of the north polar region obtained by the Hinode satellite in 2007 September. Polar faculae are embedded in nearly all magnetic patches with fluxes greater than $10^{18}$ Mx, while magnetic patches without polar faculae dominate in the flux range below $10^{18}$ Mx. The faculae are considerably smaller than their parent patches, and single magnetic patches contain single or multiple faculae. The faculae in general have higher intrinsic magnetic field strengths than the surrounding regions within their parent patches. Less than 20% of the total magnetic flux contributed by the large (${\ge}10^{18}$ Mx) concentrations, which are known to be modulated by the solar cycle, is accounted for by the associated polar faculae.

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arXiv2012

Polar Field Reversal Observations with Hinode

We have been monitoring yearly variation in the Sun's polar magnetic fields with the Solar Optical Telescope aboard {\it Hinode} to record their evolution and expected reversal near the solar maximum. All magnetic patches in the magnetic flux maps are automatically identified to obtain the number density and magnetic flux density as a function of th total magnetic flux per patch. The detected magnetic flux per patch ranges over four orders of magnitude ($10^{15}$ -- $10^{20}$ Mx). The higher end of the magnetic flux in the polar regions is about one order of magnitude larger than that of the quiet Sun, and nearly that of pores. Almost all large patches ($ \geq 10^{18}$ Mx) have the same polarity, while smaller patches have a fair balance of both polarities. The polarity of the polar region as a whole is consequently determined only by the large magnetic concentrations. A clear decrease in the net flux of the polar region is detected in the slow rising phase of the current solar cycle. The decrease is more rapid in the north polar region than in the south. The decrease in the net flux is caused by a decrease in the number and size of the large flux concentrations as well as the appearance of patches with opposite polarity at lower latitudes. In contrast, we do not see temporal change in the magnetic flux associated with the smaller patches ($ < 10^{18}$ Mx) and that of the horizontal magnetic fields during the years 2008--2012.

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arXiv2012

Nanoflare Evidence from Analysis of the X-Ray Variability of an Active Region Observed with Hinode/XRT

The heating of the solar corona is one of the big questions in astrophysics. Rapid pulses called nanoflares are among the best candidate mechanisms. The analysis of the time variability of coronal X-ray emission is potentially a very useful tool to detect impulsive events. We analyze the small-scale variability of a solar active region in a high cadence Hinode/XRT observation. The dataset allows us to detect very small deviations of emission fluctuations from the distribution expected for a constant rate. We discuss the deviations in the light of the pulsed-heating scenario.

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arXiv2010

3D view of transient horizontal magnetic fields in the photosphere

We infer the 3D magnetic structure of a transient horizontal magnetic field (THMF) during its evolution through the photosphere using SIRGAUS inversion code. The SIRGAUS code is a modified version of SIR (Stokes Inversion based on Response function), and allows for retrieval of information on the magnetic and thermodynamic parameters of the flux tube embedded in the atmosphere from the observed Stokes profiles. Spectro-polarimetric observations of the quiet Sun at the disk center were performed with the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on board Hinode with Fe I 630.2 nm lines. Using repetitive scans with a cadence of 130 s, we first detect the horizontal field that appears inside a granule, near its edge. On the second scan, vertical fields with positive and negative polarities appear at both ends of the horizontal field. Then, the horizontal field disappears leaving the bipolar vertical magnetic fields. The results from the inversion of the Stokes spectra clearly point to the existence of a flux tube with magnetic field strength of $\sim400$ G rising through the line forming layer of the Fe I 630.2 nm lines. The flux tube is located at around $\logτ_{500} \sim0$ at $Δt$=0 s and around $\logτ_{500} \sim-1.7$ at $Δt$=130 s. At $Δt$=260 s the horizontal part is already above the line forming region of the analyzed lines. The observed Doppler velocity is maximally 3 km s$^{-1}$, consistent with the upward motion of the structure as retrieved from the SIRGAUS code. The vertical size of the tube is smaller than the thickness of the line forming layer. The THMF has a clear $Ω$-shaped-loop structure with the apex located near the edge of a granular cell. The magnetic flux carried by this THMF is estimated to be $3.1\times10^{17}$ Mx.

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arXiv2008

Small-scale solar magnetic fields

As we resolve ever smaller structures in the solar atmosphere, it has become clear that magnetism is an important component of those small structures. Small-scale magnetism holds the key to many poorly understood facets of solar magnetism on all scales, such as the existence of a local dynamo, chromospheric heating, and flux emergence, to name a few. Here, we review our knowledge of small-scale photospheric fields, with particular emphasis on quiet-sun field, and discuss the implications of several results obtained recently using new instruments, as well as future prospects in this field of research.

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arXiv2008

Solar Activity: Triennial Report of IAU Commission 10 (2006-2009)

Commission 10 deals with solar activity in all of its forms, ranging from the smallest nanoflares to the largest coronal mass ejections. This report reviews scientific progress over the roughly two-year period ending in the middle of 2008. This has been an exciting time in solar physics, highlighted by the launches of the Hinode and STEREO missions late in 2006. The report is reasonably comprehensive, though it is far from exhaustive. Limited space prevents the inclusion of many significant results. The report is divided into the following sections: Photosphere and Chromosphere; Transition Region; Corona and Coronal Heating; Coronal Jets; Flares; Coronal Mass Ejection Initiation; Global Coronal Waves and Shocks; Coronal Dimming; The Link Between Low Coronal CME Signatures and Magnetic Clouds; Coronal Mass Ejections in the Heliosphere; and Coronal Mass Ejections and Space Weather. Primary authorship is indicated at the beginning of each section.

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arXiv2008

Magnetic Landscape of Sun's Polar Region

We present the magnetic landscape of the polar region of the Sun that is unprecedented in terms of high spatial resolution, large field of view, and polarimetric precision. These observations were carried out with the Solar Optical Telescope aboard \emph{Hinode}. Using a Milne-Eddington inversion, we found many vertically-oriented magnetic flux tubes with field strength as strong as 1 kG that are scattered in latitude between 70-90 degree. They all have the same polarity, consistent with the global polarity of the polar region. The field vectors were observed to diverge from the center of the flux elements, consistent with a view of magnetic fields that expand and fan out with height. The polar region is also covered with ubiquitous horizontal fields. The polar regions are the source of the fast solar wind channelled along unipolar coronal magnetic fields whose photospheric source is evidently rooted in the strong field, vertical patches of flux. We conjecture that vertical flux tubes with large expansion around the photosphere-corona boundary serve as efficient chimneys for Alfven waves that accelerate the solar wind.

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arXiv2008

Disintegration of Magnetic Flux in Decaying Sunspots as Observed with the Hinode SOT

Continuous observations of sunspot penumbrae with the Solar Optical Telescope aboard \textit{Hinode} clearly show that the outer boundary of the penumbra fluctuates around its averaged position. The penumbral outer boundary moves inward when granules appear in the outer penumbra. We discover that such granules appear one after another while moving magnetic features (MMFs) are separating from the penumbral ``spines'' (penumbral features that have stronger and more vertical fields than those of their surroundings). These granules that appear in the outer penumbra often merge with bright features inside the penumbra that move with the spines as they elongate toward the moat region. This suggests that convective motions around the penumbral outer boundary are related to the disintegration of magnetic flux in the sunspot. We also find that dark penumbral filaments frequently elongate into the moat region in the vicinity of MMFs that detach from penumbral spines. Such elongating dark penumbral filaments correspond to nearly horizontal fields extending from the penumbra. Pairs of MMFs with positive and negative polarities are sometimes observed along the elongating dark penumbral filaments. This strongly supports the notion that such elongating dark penumbral filaments have magnetic fields with a ``sea serpent''-like structure. Evershed flows, which are associated with the penumbral horizontal fields, may be related to the detachment of the MMFs from the penumbral spines, as well as to the formation of the MMFs along the dark penumbral filaments that elongate into the moat region.

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arXiv2008

The intensity contrast of solar granulation: comparing Hinode SP results with MHD simulations

The contrast of granulation is an important quantity characterizing solar surface convection. We compare the intensity contrast at 630 nm, observed using the Spectro-Polarimeter (SP) aboard the Hinode satellite, with the 3D radiative MHD simulations of V{ö}gler & Sch{ü}ssler (2007). A synthetic image from the simulation is degraded using a theoretical point-spread function of the optical system, and by considering other important effects. The telescope aperture and the obscuration by the secondary mirror and its attachment spider, reduce the simulated contrast from 14.4 % to 8.5 %. A slight effective defocus of the instrument brings the simulated contrast down to 7.5 %, close to the observed value of 7.0 %. A proper consideration of the effects of the optical system and a slight defocus, lead to sufficient degradation of the synthetic image from the MHD simulation, such that the contrast reaches almost the observed value. The remaining small discrepancy can be ascribed to straylight and slight imperfections of the instrument, which are difficult to model. Hence, Hinode SP data are consistent with a granulation contrast which is predicted by 3D radiation MHD simulations.

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arXiv2008

On-orbit Performance of the Solar Optical Telescope aboard Hinode

On-orbit performance of the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) aboard Hinode is described with some attentions on its unpredicted aspects. In general, SOT revealed an excellent performance and has been providing outstanding data. Some unexpected features exist, however, in behaviors of the focus position, throughput and structural stability. Most of them are recovered by the daily operation i.e., frequent focus adjustment, careful heater setting and corrections in data analysis. The tunable filter contains air bubbles which degrade the data quality significantly. Schemes for tuning the filter without disturbing the bubbles have been developed and tested, and some useful procedures to obtain Dopplergram and magnetogram are now available. October and March when the orbit of satellite becomes nearly perpendicular to the direction towards the sun provide a favorable condition for continuous runs of the narrow-band filter imager.

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arXiv2008

Frequent Occurrence of High-speed Local Mass Downflows on the Solar Surface

We report on new spectro-polarimetric measurements with simultaneous filter imaging observation, revealing the frequent appearance of polarization signals indicating high-speed, probably supersonic, downflows that are associated with at least three different configurations of magnetic fields in the solar photosphere. The observations were carried out with the Solar Optical Telescope onboard the {\em Hinode} satellite. High speed downflows are excited when a moving magnetic feature is newly formed near the penumbral boundary of sunspots. Also, a new type of downflows is identified at the edge of sunspot umbra that lack accompanying penumbral structures. These may be triggered by the interaction of magnetic fields sweeped by convection with well-concentrated magnetic flux. Another class of high speed downflows are observed in quiet sun and sunspot moat regions. These are closely related to the formation of small concentrated magnetic flux patches. High speed downflows of all types are transient time-dependent mass motions. These findings suggest that the excitation of supersonic mass flows are one of the key observational features of the dynamical evolution occurring in magnetic-field fine structures on the solar surface.

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arXiv2008

The Solar Optical Telescope for the Hinode Mission: An Overview

The Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) aboard the Hinode satellite (formerly called Solar-B) consists of the Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) and the Focal Plane Package (FPP). The OTA is a 50 cm diffraction-limited Gregorian telescope, and the FPP includes the narrow-band (NFI) and wide-band (BFI) filtergraphs, plus the Stokes spectro-polarimeter (SP). SOT provides unprecedented high resolution photometric and vector magnetic images of the photosphere and chromosphere with a very stable point spread function, and is equipped with an image stabilization system that reduces the error to less than 0.01 arcsec rms. Together with the other two instruments on Hinode (the X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS)), SOT is poised to address many fundamental questions about solar magneto-hydrodynamics. Note that this is an overview, and the details of the instrument are presented in a series of companion papers.

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