arXiv subjects

W. Schmutz

Publications and source records attributed to W. Schmutz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Height-dependent thermal properties of extreme-ultraviolet campfires in the quiet Sun

Small-scale impulsive energy-release events are widely considered a key ingredient of quiet-Sun coronal heating. We quantified the thermal-energy content of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) campfires, examined their impulsive heating characteristics, and investigated how their properties vary with atmospheric height. We analysed 1,468 campfires from an observing sequence on 30 May 2020 with Solar Orbiter/EUI HRIEUV at 174 A. Temperatures and emission measures were adopted from SDO/AIA diagnostics, and geometric uncertainties were explored using multiple volume models. Statistical properties were characterised using cumulative distribution functions and maximum-likelihood techniques and compared with Solar Orbiter/STIX microflares and SDO/AIA nanoflare-like events. Campfire durations show a clear dependence on height: short-duration events occur at all heights, whereas longer-lived brightenings are preferentially associated with chromospheric layers. Emitting volumes and thermal energies, by contrast, show no comparable height dependence. Background-subtracted thermal energies span approximately 10^20-10^24 erg, with rare events reaching approximately 5 x 10^24 erg. The statistically robust power-law regime extends over approximately 10^22-10^24 erg. Directly detected campfires contribute a sub-percent fraction of the canonical quiet-Sun heating requirement; approximate corrections for the detection threshold and DEM completeness could raise this contribution to a value of order a few percent. EUV campfires extend the flare energy distribution towards lower energies and provide height-resolved constraints on impulsive heating in the quiet Sun. The height dependence of event durations, combined with broadly invariant energy and volume distributions, indicates that atmospheric stratification primarily modulates cooling and dissipation timescales rather than the characteristic energy scale.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Lithium in V505 Per

We determine the surface lithium abundance of the eclipsing binary components in V 505 Per (HIP 10961), A(Li)=2.65+/-0.07 and 2.35+/-0.1, which supports the rather unexpected conclusion that their surface Li abundances differ. We find effective temperatures 6600 K + 6550 K (~150 K higher than previously reported), which place the stars at the hot limit of the Lithium Dip, thus aleviating the previously suggested discrepancy with cluster stars of similar ages and temperatures. These temperatures are also more consistent with the system's Gaia spectral energy distribution. Our iron abundances, [Fe/H]=-0.15+\-0.07 and -0.25+\-0.1, agree with predictions of the higher temperatures deduced from our spectra and from evolutionary tracks. The surface rotation rate implied by our line profiles, 12.5+\-1 km/s, is smaller than the synchronous rotation rate, a curious result given the circular orbit and the age of the system.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

SPICE Connection Mosaics to link the Sun's surface and the heliosphere

We present an analysis of the first connection mosaic made by the SPICE instrument on board of the ESA / NASA Solar Orbiter mission on March 2nd, 2022. The data will be used to map coronal composition that will be compared with in-situ measurements taken by SWA/HIS to establish the coronal origin of the solar wind plasma observed at Solar Orbiter. The SPICE spectral lines were chosen to have varying sensitivity to the First Ionization Potential (FIP) effect, and therefore the radiances of the spectral lines will vary significantly depending on whether the elemental composition is coronal or photospheric. We investigate the link between the behavior of sulfur with the hypothesis that Alfvén waves drive FIP fractionation above the chromosphere. We perform temperature diagnostics using line ratios and Emission Measure (EM) loci, and compute relative FIP biases using three different approaches (two line ratio (2LR), ratios of linear combinations of spectral lines (LCR), and differential emission measure (DEM) inversion) to perform composition diagnostics in the corona. We then compare the SPICE composition analysis and EUI data of the potential solar wind source regions to the SWA / HIS data products. Radiance maps are extracted from SPICE spectral data cubes, with values matching previous observations. We find isothermal plasma of around LogT = 5.8 for the active region loops targeted, and that higher FIP-bias values are present at the footpoints of the coronal loops associated with two active regions. Comparing the results with the SWA/HIS data products encourages us to think that Solar Orbiter was connected to a source of slow solar wind during this observation campaign. We demonstrate FIP fractionation in observations of the upper chromosphere and transition region, emphasized by the behavior of the intermediate-FIP element sulfur.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

A multiple spacecraft detection of the 2 April 2022 M-class flare and filament eruption during the first close Solar Orbiter perihelion

The Solar Orbiter mission completed its first remote-sensing observation windows in the spring of 2022. On 2/4/2022, an M-class flare followed by a filament eruption was seen both by the instruments on board the mission and from several observatories in Earth's orbit. The complexity of the observed features is compared with the predictions given by the standard flare model in 3D. We use the observations from a multi-view dataset, which includes EUV imaging to spectroscopy and magnetic field measurements. These data come from IRIS, SDO, Hinode, as well as several instruments on Solar Orbiter. Information given by SDO/HMI and Solar Orbiter PHI/HRT shows that a parasitic polarity emerging underneath the filament is responsible for bringing the flux rope to an unstable state. As the flux rope erupts, Hinode/EIS captures blue-shifted emission in the transition region and coronal lines in the northern leg of the flux rope prior to the flare peak. Solar Orbiter SPICE captures the whole region, complementing the Doppler diagnostics of the filament eruption. Analyses of the formation and evolution of a complex set of flare ribbons and loops show that the parasitic emerging bipole plays an important role in the evolution of the flaring region. While the analysed data are overall consistent with the standard flare model, the present particular magnetic configuration shows that surrounding magnetic activity such as nearby emergence needs to be taken into account to fully understand the processes at work. This filament eruption is the first to be covered from different angles by spectroscopic instruments, and provides an unprecedented diagnostic of the multi-thermal structures present before and during the flare. This dataset of an eruptive event showcases the capabilities of coordinated observations with the Solar Orbiter mission.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

First observations from the SPICE EUV spectrometer on Solar Orbiter

We present first science observations taken during the commissioning activities of the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument on the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission. SPICE is a high-resolution imaging spectrometer operating at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths. In this paper we illustrate the possible types of observations to give prospective users a better understanding of the science capabilities of SPICE. The paper discusses the first observations of the Sun on different targets and presents an example of the full spectra from the quiet Sun, identifying over 40 spectral lines from neutral hydrogen and ions of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, neon, sulphur, magnesium, and iron. These lines cover the temperature range between 20,000 K and 1 million K (10MK in flares), providing slices of the Sun's atmosphere in narrow temperature intervals. We provide a list of count rates for the 23 brightest spectral lines. We show examples of raster images of the quiet Sun in several strong transition region lines, where we have found unusually bright, compact structures in the quiet Sun network, with extreme intensities up to 25 times greater than the average intensity across the image. The lifetimes of these structures can exceed 2.5 hours. We identify them as a transition region signature of coronal bright points and compare their areas and intensity enhancements. We also show the first above-limb measurements with SPICE above the polar limb in C III, O VI, and Ne VIII lines, and far off limb measurements in the equatorial plane in Mg IX, Ne VIII, and O VI lines. We discuss the potential to use abundance diagnostics methods to study the variability of the elemental composition that can be compared with in situ measurements to help confirm the magnetic connection between the spacecraft location and the Sun's surface, and locate the sources of the solar wind.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2019

The Solar Orbiter SPICE instrument -- An extreme UV imaging spectrometer

The Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument is a high-resolution imaging spectrometer operating at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths. In this paper, we present the concept, design, and pre-launch performance of this facility instrument on the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission. The goal of this paper is to give prospective users a better understanding of the possible types of observations, the data acquisition, and the sources that contribute to the instrument's signal. The paper discusses the science objectives, with a focus on the SPICE-specific aspects, before presenting the instrument's design, including optical, mechanical, thermal, and electronics aspects. This is followed by a characterisation and calibration of the instrument's performance. The paper concludes with descriptions of the operations concept and data processing. The performance measurements of the various instrument parameters meet the requirements derived from the mission's science objectives. The SPICE instrument is ready to perform measurements that will provide vital contributions to the scientific success of the Solar Orbiter mission.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2018

From Solar to Stellar Brightness Variations: The Effect of Metallicity

Context. Comparison studies of Sun-like stars with the Sun suggest an anomalously low photometric variability of the Sun compared to Sun-like stars with similar magnetic activity. Comprehensive understanding of stellar variability is needed, to find a physical reasoning for this observation. Aims. We investigate the effect of metallicity and effective temperature on the photometric brightness change of Sun-like stars seen at different inclinations. The considered range of fundamental stellar parameters is sufficiently small so the stars, investigated here, still count as Sun-like or even as solar twins. Methods. To model the brightness change of stars with solar magnetic activity, we extend a well established model of solar brightness variations, SATIRE (which stands for Spectral And Total Irradiance Reconstruction), which is based on solar spectra, to stars with different fundamental parameters. For that we calculate stellar spectra for different metallicities and effective temperature using the radiative transfer code ATLAS9. Results. We show that even a small change (e.g. within the observational error range) of metallicity or effective temperature significantly affects the photometric brightness change compared to the Sun. We find that for Sun-like stars, the amplitude of the brightness variations obtained for Strömgren (b + y)/2 reaches a local minimum for fundamental stellar parameters close to the solar metallicity and effective temperature. Moreover, our results show that the effect of inclination decreases for metallicity values greater than the solar metallicity. Overall, we find that an exact determination of fundamental stellar parameters is crucially important for understanding stellar brightness changes.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

Revised historical solar irradiance forcing

Context. There is no consensus on the amplitude of the historical solar forcing. The estimated magnitude of the total solar irradiance difference between Maunder minimum and present time ranges from 0.1 to 6 W/m2 making uncertain the simulation of the past and future climate. One reason for this disagreement is the applied evolution of the quiet Sun brightness in the solar irradiance reconstruction models. This work addresses the role of the quiet Sun model choice and updated solar magnetic activity proxies on the solar forcing reconstruction. Aims. We aim to establish a plausible range of the solar irradiance variability on decadal to millennial time scales. Methods. The spectral solar irradiance (SSI) is calculated as a weighted sum of the contributions from sunspot umbra/penumbra, fac- ulae and quiet Sun, which are pre-calculated with the spectral synthesis code NESSY. We introduce activity belts of the contributions from sunspots and faculae and a new structure model for the quietest state of the Sun. We assume that the brightness of the quiet Sun varies in time proportionally to the secular (22-year smoothed) variation of the solar modulation potential. Results. A new reconstruction of the TSI and SSI covering the period 6000 BCE - 2015 CE is presented. The model simulates solar irradiance variability during the satellite era well. The TSI change between the Maunder and recent minima ranges between 3.7 and 4.5 W/m2 depending on the applied solar modulation potential. The implementation of a new quietest Sun model reduces, by approximately a factor of two, the relative solar forcing compared to the largest previous estimation, while the application of updated solar modulation potential increases the forcing difference between Maunder minimum and the present by 25-40 %.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2017

Numerical simulations and infrared spectro-interferometry reveal the wind collision region in gamma2 Velorum

Colliding stellar winds in massive binary systems have been studied through their radio, optical lines and strong X-ray emission for decades. More recently, near-infrared spectrointerferometric observations have become available in a few systems, but isolating the contribution from the individual stars and the wind collision region still remains a challenge. In this paper, we study the colliding wind binary gamma2 Velorum and aim at identifying the wind collision zone from infrared interferometric data, which provide unique spatial information to determine the wind properties. Our analysis is based on multi-epoch VLTI/AMBER data that allows us to separate the spectral components of both stars. First, we determine the astrometric solution of the binary and confirm previous distance measurements. We then analyse the spectra of the individual stars, showing that the O star spectrum is peculiar within its class. Then, we perform three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of the system from which we extract model images, visibility curves and closure phases which can be directly compared with the observed data. The hydrodynamic simulations reveal the 3D spiral structure of the wind collision region, which results in phase-dependent emission maps. Our model visibility curves and closure phases provide a good match when the wind collision region accounts for 3 to 10 per cent of the total flux in the near infrared. The dialogue between hydrodynamic simulations, radiative transfer models and observations allows us to fully exploit the observations. Similar efforts will be crucial to study circumstellar environments with the new generation of VLTI instruments like GRAVITY and MATISSE.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

High solar cycle spectral variations inconsistent with stratospheric ozone observations

Some of the natural variability in climate is understood to come from changes in the Sun. A key route whereby the Sun may influence surface climate is initiated in the tropical stratosphere by the absorption of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation by ozone, leading to a modification of the temperature and wind structures and consequently to the surface through changes in wave propagation and circulation. While changes in total, spectrally-integrated, solar irradiance lead to small variations in global mean surface temperature, the `top-down' UV effect preferentially influences on regional scales at mid-to-high latitudes with, in particular, a solar signal noted in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The amplitude of the UV variability is fundamental in determining the magnitude of the climate response but understanding of the UV variations has been challenged recently by measurements from the SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite, which show UV solar cycle changes up to 10 times larger than previously thought. Indeed, climate models using these larger UV variations show a much greater response, similar to NAO observations. Here we present estimates of the ozone solar cycle response using a chemistry-climate model (CCM) in which the effects of transport are constrained by observations. Thus the photolytic response to different spectral solar irradiance (SSI) datasets can be isolated. Comparison of the results with the solar signal in ozone extracted from observational datasets yields significantly discriminable responses. According to our evaluation the SORCE UV dataset is not consistent with the observed ozone response whereas the smaller variations suggested by earlier satellite datasets, and by UV data from empirical solar models, are in closer agreement with the measured stratospheric variations. Determining the most appropriate SSI variability to apply in models...

physics.ao-ph↗

arXiv2014

A Chandra Observation of the Eclipsing Wolf-Rayet Binary CQ Cep

The short-period (1.64 d) near-contact eclipsing WN6+O9 binary system CQ Cep provides an ideal laboratory for testing the predictions of X-ray colliding wind shock theory at close separation where the winds may not have reached terminal speeds before colliding. We present results of a Chandra X-ray observation of CQ Cep spanning ~1 day during which a simultaneous Chandra optical light curve was acquired. Our primary objective was to compare the observed X-ray properties with colliding wind shock theory, which predicts that the hottest shock plasma (T > 20 MK) will form on or near the line-of-centers between the stars. The X-ray spectrum is strikingly similar to apparently single WN6 stars such as WR 134 and spectral lines reveal plasma over a broad range of temperatures T ~ 4 - 40 MK. A deep optical eclipse was seen as the O star passed in front of the Wolf-Rayet star and we determine an orbital period P = 1.6412400 d. Somewhat surprisingly, no significant X-ray variability was detected. This implies that the hottest X-ray plasma is not confined to the region between the stars, at odds with the colliding wind picture and suggesting that other X-ray production mechanisms may be at work. Hydrodynamic simulations that account for such effects as radiative cooling and orbital motion will be needed to determine if the new Chandra results can be reconciled with the colliding wind picture.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Correlation of Spectral Solar Irradiance with solar activity as measured by VIRGO

Context. The variability of Solar Spectral Irradiance over the rotational period and its trend over the solar activity cycle are important for understanding the Sun-Earth connection as well as for observational constraints for solar models. Recently the SIM experiment on SORCE has published an unexpected negative correlation with Total Solar Irradiance of the visible spectral range. It is compensated by a strong and positive variability of the near UV range. Aims. We aim to verify whether the anti-correlated SIM/SORCE-trend in the visible can be confirmed by independent observations of the VIRGO experiment on SOHO. The challenge of all space experiments measuring solar irradiance are sensitivity changes of their sensors due to exposure to intense UV radiation, which are difficult to assess in orbit. Methods. We analyze a 10-year time series of VIRGO sun photometer data between 2002 and 2012. The variability of Spectral Solar Irradiance is correlated with the variability of the Total Solar Irradiance, which is taken as a proxy for solar activity. Results. Observational evidence indicates that after six years only one single long-term process governs the degradation of the backup sun photometer in VIRGO which is operated once in a month. This degradation can be well approximated by a linear function over ten years. The analysis of the residuals from the linear trend yield robust positive correlations of spectral irradiance at 862, 500 and 402 nm with total irradiance. In the analysis of annual averages of these data the positive correlations change into weak negative correlations, but of little statistical significance, for the 862 nm and 402 nm data. At 500 nm the annual spectral data are still positively correlated with Total Solar Irradiance. The persisting positive correlation at 500 nm is in contradiction to the SIM/SORCE results.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

On-Orbit Degradation of Solar Instruments

We present the lessons learned about the degradation observed in several space solar missions, based on contributions at the Workshop about On-Orbit Degradation of Solar and Space Weather Instruments that took place at the Solar Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (Royal Observatory of Belgium) in Brussels on 3 May 2012. The aim of this workshop was to open discussions related to the degradation observed in Sun-observing instruments exposed to the effects of the space environment. This article summarizes the various lessons learned and offers recommendations to reduce or correct expected degradation with the goal of increasing the useful lifespan of future and ongoing space missions.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

Recent variability of the solar spectral irradiance and its impact on climate modelling

The lack of long and reliable time series of solar spectral irradiance (SSI) measurements makes an accurate quantification of solar contributions to recent climate change difficult. Whereas earlier SSI observations and models provided a qualitatively consistent picture of the SSI variability, recent measurements by the SORCE satellite suggest a significantly stronger variability in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range and changes in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) bands in anti-phase with the solar cycle. A number of recent chemistry-climate model (CCM) simulations have shown that this might have significant implications on the Earth's atmosphere. Motivated by these results, we summarize here our current knowledge of SSI variability and its impact on Earth's climate. We present a detailed overview of existing SSI measurements and provide thorough comparison of models available to date. SSI changes influence the Earth's atmosphere, both directly, through changes in shortwave (SW) heating and therefore, temperature and ozone distributions in the stratosphere, and indirectly, through dynamical feedbacks. We investigate these direct and indirect effects using several state-of-the art CCM simulations forced with measured and modeled SSI changes. A unique asset of this study is the use of a common comprehensive approach for an issue that is usually addressed separately by different communities. Omissis. Finally, we discuss the reliability of the available data and we propose additional coordinated work, first to build composite SSI datasets out of scattered observations and to refine current SSI models, and second, to run coordinated CCM experiments.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

The place of the Sun among the Sun-like stars

Context. Monitoring of the photometric and chromospheric HK emission data series of stars similar to the Sun in age and average activity level showed that there is an empirical correlation between the average stellar chromospheric activity level and the photometric variability. In general, more active stars show larger photometric variability. Interestingly, the measurements and reconstructions of the solar irradiance show that the Sun is significantly less variable than indicated by the empirical relationship. Aims. We aim to identify possible reasons for the Sun to be currently outside of this relationship. Methods. We employed different scenarios of solar HK emission and irradiance variability and compared them with available time series of Sun-like stars. Results. We show that the position of the Sun on the diagram of photometric variability versus chromospheric activity changes with time. The present solar position is different from its temporal mean position as the satellite era of continuous solar irradiance measurements has accidentally coincided with a period of unusually high and stable solar activity. Our analysis suggests that although present solar variability is significantly smaller than indicated by the stellar data, the temporal mean solar variability might be in agreement with the stellar data. We propose that the continuation of the photometric program and its expansion to a larger stellar sample will ultimately allow us to constrain the historical solar variability.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

The LYRA Instrument Onboard PROBA2: Description and In-Flight Performance

The Large Yield Radiometer (LYRA) is an XUV-EUV-MUV (soft X-ray to mid-ultraviolet) solar radiometer onboard the European Space Agency PROBA2 mission that was launched in November 2009. LYRA acquires solar irradiance measurements at a high cadence (nominally 20 Hz) in four broad spectral channels, from soft X-ray to MUV, that have been chosen for their relevance to solar physics, space weather and aeronomy. In this article, we briefly review the design of the instrument, give an overview of the data products distributed through the instrument website, and describe the way that data are calibrated. We also briefly present a summary of the main fields of research currently under investigation by the LYRA consortium.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

Detection of Solar Rotational Variability in the LYRA 190 - 222 nm Spectral Band

We analyze the variability of the spectral solar irradiance during the period from 7 January, 2010 until 20 January, 2010 as measured by the Herzberg channel (190-222 nm) of the Large Yield RAdiometer (LYRA) onboard PROBA2. In this period of time observations by the LYRA nominal unit experienced degradation and the signal produced by the Herzberg channel frequently jumped from one level to another. Both these factors significantly complicates the analysis. We present the algorithm which allowed us to extract the solar variability from the LYRA data and compare the results with SORCE/SOLSTICE measurements and with modeling based on the Code for the Solar Irradiance (COSI).

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

Time delays in quasi-periodic pulsations observed during the X2.2 solar flare on 2011 February 15

We report observations of quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) during the X2.2 flare of 2011 February 15, observed simultaneously in several wavebands. We focus on fluctuations on time scale 1-30 s and find different time lags between different wavebands. During the impulsive phase, the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) channels in the range 25-100 keV lead all the other channels. They are followed by the Nobeyama RadioPolarimeters at 9 and 17 GHz and the Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) channels of the Euv SpectroPhotometer (ESP) onboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). The Zirconium and Aluminum filter channels of the Large Yield Radiometer (LYRA) onboard the Project for On-Board Autonomy (PROBA2) satellite and the SXR channel of ESP follow. The largest lags occur in observations from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), where the channel at 1-8 Å leads the 0.5-4 Å channel by several seconds. The time lags between the first and last channels is up to 9 s. We identified at least two distinct time intervals during the flare impulsive phase, during which the QPPs were associated with two different sources in the Nobeyama RadioHeliograph at 17 GHz. The radio as well as the hard X-ray channels showed different lags during these two intervals. To our knowledge, this is the first time that time lags are reported between EUV and SXR fluctuations on these time scales. We discuss possible emission mechanisms and interpretations, including flare electron trapping.

astro-ph.SR↗