arXiv subjects

Xianyong Bai

Publications and source records attributed to Xianyong Bai.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Coronal microjets in quiet-Sun regions observed with the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager onboard Solar Orbiter

We report the smallest coronal jets ever observed in the quiet Sun with recent high resolution observations from the High Resolution Telescopes (HRI-EUV and HRI-Lyα) of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) onboard Solar Orbiter. In the HRI-EUV (174 Å) images, these microjets usually appear as nearly collimated structures with brightenings at their footpoints. Their average lifetime, projected speed, width, and maximum length are 4.6 min, 62 km s^(-1), 1.0 Mm, and 7.7 Mm, respectively. Inverted-Y shaped structures and moving blobs can be identified in some events. A subset of these events also reveal signatures in the HRI-Lyα (H I Lyα at 1216 Å) images and the extreme ultraviolet images taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Our differential emission measure analysis suggests a multi-thermal nature and an average density of ~1.4x10^9 cm^(-3) for these microjets. Their thermal and kinetic energies were estimated to be ~3.9x10^24 erg and ~2.9x10^23 erg, respectively, which are of the same order of the released energy predicted by the nanoflare theory. Most events appear to be located at the edges of network lanes and magnetic flux concentrations, suggesting that these coronal microjets are likely generated by magnetic reconnection between small-scale magnetic loops and the adjacent network field.

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arXiv2021

Measurements of the magnetic field strengths at the bases of stellar coronae using the magnetic-field-induced transition theory

Measurements of the magnetic field in the stellar coronae are extremely difficult. Recently, it was proposed that the magnetic-field-induced transition (MIT) of the Fe X 257 Å line can be used to measure the coronal magnetic field of the Sun. We performed forward modeling with a series of global stellar magnetohydrodynamics models to investigate the possibility of extending this method to other late-type stars. We first synthesized the emissions of several Fe X lines for each stellar model, then calculated the magnetic field strengths using the intensity ratios of Fe X 257 Å to several other Fe X lines based on the MIT theory. Finally, we compared the derived field strengths with those in the models, and concluded that this method can be used to measure at least the magnetic field strengths at the coronal bases of stars with a mean surface magnetic flux density about one order of magnitude higher than that of the Sun. Our investigation suggests the need of an extreme ultraviolet spectrometer to perform routine measurements of the stellar coronal magnetic field.

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arXiv2021

Forward Modeling of Solar Coronal Magnetic Field Measurements Based on a Magnetic-field-induced Transition in Fe X

It was recently proposed that the intensity ratios of several extreme ultraviolet spectral lines from the Fe X ion can be used to measure the solar coronal magnetic field based on the magnetic-field-inducedtransition (MIT) theory. To verify the suitability of this method, we performed forward modelingwith a three-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamic model of a solar active region. Intensities of several spectral lines from Fe X were synthesized from the model. Based on the MIT theory, intensity ratios of the MIT line Fe X 257 A to several other Fe X lines were used to derive the magnetic field strengths, which were then compared with the field strengths in the model. We also developed a new method to simultaneously estimate the coronal density and temperature from the Fe X 174/175 and 184/345 A line ratios. Using these estimates, we demonstrated that the MIT technique can provide reasonably accurate measurements of the coronal magnetic field in both on-disk and off-limb solar observations. Our investigation suggests that a spectrometer that can simultaneously observe the Fe X 174, 175, 184, 257, and 345 A lines and allow an accurate radiometric calibration for these lines is highly desired to achieve reliable measurements of the coronal magnetic field. We have also evaluatedthe impact of the uncertainty in the Fe X 3p4 3d 4D5/2 and 4D7/2 energy difference on the magnetic field measurements.

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arXiv2021

Solar observation with the Fourier transform spectrometer I : Preliminary results of the visible and near-infrared solar spectrum

The Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) is a core instrument for solar observation with high spectral resolution, especially in the infrared. The Infrared System for the Accurate Measurement of Solar Magnetic Field (AIMS), working at 10-13 $μm$, will use a FTS to observe the solar spectrum. The Bruker IFS-125HR, which meets the spectral resolution requirement of AIMS but just equips with a point source detector, is employed to carry out preliminary experiment for AIMS. A sun-light feeding experimental system is further developed. Several experiments are taken with them during 2018 and 2019 to observe the solar spectrum in the visible and near infrared wavelength, respectively. We also proposed an inversion method to retrieve the solar spectrum from the observed interferogram and compared it with the standard solar spectrum atlas. Although there is a wavelength limitation due to the present sun-light feeding system, the results in the wavelength band from 0.45-1.0 $μm$ and 1.0-2.2 $μm$ show a good consistence with the solar spectrum atlas, indicating the validity of our observing configuration, the data analysis method and the potential to work in longer wavelength. The work provided valuable experience for the AIMS not only for the operation of a FTS but also for the development of its scientific data processing software.

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arXiv2021

Formation of solar quiescent coronal loops through magnetic reconnection in an emerging active region

Coronal loops are building blocks of solar active regions. However, their formation mechanism is still not well understood. Here we present direct observational evidence for the formation of coronal loops through magnetic reconnection as new magnetic fluxes emerge into the solar atmosphere. Extreme-ultraviolet observations of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) clearly show the newly formed loops following magnetic reconnection within a plasma sheet. Formation of the loops is also seen in the hα line-core images taken by the New Vacuum Solar Telescope. Observations from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager onboard SDO show that a positive-polarity flux concentration moves towards a negative-polarity one with a speed of ~0.4 km/s, before the formation of coronal loops. During the loop formation process, we found signatures of flux cancellation and subsequent enhancement of the transverse field between the two polarities. The three-dimensional magnetic field structure reconstructed through a magnetohydrostatic model shows field lines consistent with the loops in AIA images. Numerous bright blobs with an average width of 1.37 Mm appear intermittently in the plasma sheet and move upward with a projected velocity of ~114 km/s. The temperature, emission measure and density of these blobs are about 3 MK, 2.0x10^(28) cm^(-5) and 1.2x10^(10) cm^(-3), respectively. A power spectral analysis of these blobs indicates that the observed reconnection is likely not dominated by a turbulent process. We have also identified flows with a velocity of 20 to 50 km/s towards the footpoints of the newly formed coronal loops.

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arXiv2021

Small-scale Bright Blobs Ejected from a Sunspot Light Bridge

Light bridges (LBs) are bright lanes that divide an umbra into multiple parts in some sunspots. Persistent oscillatory bright fronts at a temperature of $\sim$$10^5$ K are commonly observed above LBs in the 1400/1330 Å~passbands of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). Based on IRIS observations, we report small-scale bright blobs from the oscillating bright front above a light bridge. Some of these blobs reveal a clear acceleration, whereas the others do not. The average speed of these blobs projected onto the plane of sky is $71.7\pm14.7$ km s$^{-1}$, with an initial acceleration of $1.9\pm1.3$ km s$^{-2}$. These blobs normally reach a projected distance of 3--7 Mm from their origin sites. From the transition region images we find an average projected area of $0.57\pm0.37$ Mm$^{2}$ for the blobs. The blobs were also detected in multi-passbands of the Solar Dynamics Observatory, but not in the H$α$ images. These blobs are likely to be plasma ejections, and we investigate their kinematics and energetics. Through emission measure analyses, the typical temperature and electron density of these blobs are found to be around $10^{5.47}$ K and $10^{9.7}$ cm$^{-3}$, respectively. The estimated kinetic and thermal energies are on the order of $10^{22.8}$ erg and $10^{23.3}$ erg, respectively. These small-scale blobs appear to show three different types of formation process. They are possibly triggered by induced reconnection or release of enhanced magnetic tension due to interaction of adjacent shocks, local magnetic reconnection between emerging magnetic bipoles on the light bridge and surrounding unipolar umbral fields, and plasma acceleration or instability caused by upward shocks, respectively.

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arXiv2020

A nonlinear solar magnetic field calibration method for the filter-based magnetograph by the residual network

The method of solar magnetic field calibration for the filter-based magnetograph is normally the linear calibration method under weak-field approximation that cannot generate the strong magnetic field region well due to the magnetic saturation effect. We try to provide a new method to carry out the nonlinear magnetic calibration with the help of neural networks to obtain more accurate magnetic fields. We employed the data from Hinode/SP to construct a training, validation and test dataset. The narrow-band Stokes I, Q, U, and V maps at one wavelength point were selected from all the 112 wavelength points observed by SP so as to simulate the single-wavelength observations of the filter-based magnetograph. We used the residual network to model the nonlinear relationship between the Stokes maps and the vector magnetic fields. After an extensive performance analysis, it is found that the trained models could infer the longitudinal magnetic flux density, the transverse magnetic flux density, and the azimuth angle from the narrow-band Stokes maps with a precision comparable to the inversion results using 112 wavelength points. Moreover, the maps that were produced are much cleaner than the inversion results. The method can effectively overcome the magnetic saturation effect and infer the strong magnetic region much better than the linear calibration method. The residual errors of test samples to standard data are mostly about 50 G for both the longitudinal and transverse magnetic flux density. The values are about 100 G with our previous method of multilayer perceptron, indicating that the new method is more accurate in magnetic calibration.

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arXiv2020

Automatic Detection and Correction Algorithms for Magnetic Saturation in the SMFT/HSOS longitudinal Magnetograms

longitudinal magnetic field often suffers the saturation effect in strong magnetic field region when the measurement performs in a single-wavelength point and linear calibration is adopted. In this study, we develop a method that can judge the threshold of saturation in Stokes $V/I$ observed by the Solar Magnetic Field Telescope (SMFT) and correct for it automatically. The procedure is that first perform the second-order polynomial fit to the Stokes $V/I$ \textit{vs} $I/I_{m}$ ($I_{m}$ is the maximum value of Stokes $I$) curve to estimate the threshold of saturation, then reconstruct Stokes $V/I$ in strong field region to correct for saturation. The algorithm is proved to be effective by comparing with the magnetograms obtained by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). The accurate rate of detection and correction for saturation is $\sim$99.4\% and $\sim$88\% respectively among 175 active regions. The advantages and disadvantages of the algorithm are discussed.

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arXiv2020

CYRA: the cryogenic infrared spectrograph for the Goode Solar Telescope in Big Bear

CYRA (CrYogenic solar spectrogRAph) is a facility instrument of the 1.6-meter Goode Solar Telescope (GST) at the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). CYRA focuses on the study of the near-infrared solar spectrum between 1 and 5 microns, a under explored region which is not only a fertile ground for photospheric magnetic diagnostics, but also allows a unique window into the chromosphere lying atop the photosphere. CYRA is the first ever fully cryogenic spectrograph in any solar observatory with its two predecessors, on the McMath-Pierce and Mees Telescopes, being based on warm optics except for the detectors and order sorting filters. CYRA is used to probe magnetic fields in various solar features and the quiet photosphere. CYRA measurements will allow new and better 3D extrapolations of the solar magnetic field and will provide more accurate boundary conditions for solar activity models. Superior spectral resolution of 150,000 and better allows enhanced observations of the chromosphere in the carbon monoxide (CO) spectral bands and will yield a better understanding of energy transport in the solar atmosphere. CYRA is divided into two optical sub-systems: The Fore-Optics Module and the Spectrograph. The Spectrograph is the heart of the instrument and contains the IR detector, grating, slits, filters, and imaging optics all in a cryogenically cooled Dewar (cryostat). The detector a 2048 by 2048 pixel HAWAII 2 array produced by Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC. The interior of the cryostat and the readout electronics are maintained at 90 Kelvin by helium refrigerant based cryo-coolers, while the IR array is cooled to 30 Kelvin. The Fore-Optics Module de-rotates and stabilizes the solar image, provides scanning capabilities, and transfers the GST image to the Spectrograph. CYRA has been installed and is undergoing its commissioning phase.

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arXiv2020

Mapping the magnetic field in the solar corona through magnetoseismology

Magnetoseismology, a technique of magnetic field diagnostics based on observations of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves, has been widely used to estimate the field strengths of oscillating structures in the solar corona. However, previously magnetoseismology was mostly applied to occasionally occurring oscillation events, providing an estimate of only the average field strength or one-dimensional distribution of field strength along an oscillating structure. This restriction could be eliminated if we apply magnetoseismology to the pervasive propagating transverse MHD waves discovered with the Coronal Multi-channel Polarimeter (CoMP). Using several CoMP observations of the Fe xiii 1074.7 nm and 1079.8 nm spectral lines, we obtained maps of the plasma density and wave phase speed in the corona, which allow us to map both the strength and direction of the coronal magnetic field in the plane of sky. We also examined distributions of the electron density and magnetic field strength, and compared their variations with height in the quiet Sun and active regions. Such measurements could provide critical information to advance our understanding of the Sun's magnetism and the magnetic coupling of the whole solar atmosphere.

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arXiv2020

Non-LTE Calculations of the Mg I 12.32 $μ$m Line in a Flaring Atmosphere

The infrared Mg I lines near 12 microns are a pair of emission lines which are magnetically sensitive and have been used to measure solar magnetic fields. Here we calculate the response of the Mg I 12.32 $μ$m line during a flare and find that in our modeling this line has a complicated behavior. At the beginning of the flare heating, this line shows an intensity dimming at the line center. The intensity then increases when heating continues, with increasing contributions from the heated layers in the chromosphere. The line formation height and the line width also increase as a result. As for the polarized line profiles, we find that flare heating tends to decrease the Zeeman splitting width and attenuates the Stokes $V$ lobe intensity. The wider features in the Stokes $V$ profiles are more pronounced during flare heating, which should be considered when performing magnetic field inversions.

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arXiv2018

Signatures of magnetic reconnection at the footpoints of fan shape jets on a light bridge driven by photospheric convective motions

Dynamical jets are generally found on Light bridges (LBs), which are key to studying sunspots decays. So far, their formation mechanism is not fully understood. In this paper, we used state-of-the-art observations from the Goode Solar Telescope, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, the Spectro-Polarimeter on board Hinode and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory to analyze the fan shape jets on LBs in detail. Continuous upward motion of the jets in ascending phase is found from the H$α$ velocity, which lasts for 12 minutes and is associated with the H$α$ line wing enhancements. Two mini jets appear upon the bright fronts of the fan shape jets visible in the AIA 171 Å and 193 Å channels, with a time interval as short as 1 minute. Two kinds of small scale convective motions are identified in the photospheric images, along with the H$α$ line wing enhancements. One seems to be associated with the formation of a new convection cell and the other manifests as the motion of a dark lane passing through the convection cell. The finding of three lobes Stokes V profiles and their inversion with NICOLE code indicates that there is magnetic field lines with opposite polarities in LBs. From the H$α$ -0.8 Å images, we found ribbon like brightenings propagating along the LBs, possibly indicating slipping reconnection. Our observation supports that the fan shape jets under study are caused by the magnetic reconnection and photospheric convective motions play an important role in triggering the magnetic reconnection.

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arXiv2018

High-frequency Oscillations in the Atmosphere above a Sunspot Umbra

We use high spatial and temporal resolution observations, simultaneously obtained with the New Vacuum Solar Telescope and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, to investigate the high-frequency oscillations above a sunspot umbra. A novel time--frequency analysis method, namely the synchrosqueezing transform (SST), is employed to represent their power spectra and to reconstruct the high-frequency signals at different solar atmospheric layers. A validation study with synthetic signals demonstrates that SST is capable to resolving weak signals even when their strength is comparable with the high-frequency noise. The power spectra, obtained from both SST and the Fourier transform, of the entire umbral region indicate that there are significant enhancements between 10 and 14 mHz (labeled as 12 mHz) at different atmospheric layers. Analyzing the spectrum of a photospheric region far away from the umbra demonstrates that this 12~mHz component exists only inside the umbra. The animation based on the reconstructed 12 mHz component in AIA 171 Å illustrates that an intermittently propagating wave first emerges near the footpoints of coronal fan structures, and then propagates outward along the structures. A time--distance diagram, coupled with a subsonic wave speed ($\sim$ 49 km s$^{-1}$), highlights the fact that these coronal perturbations are best described as upwardly propagating magnetoacoustic slow waves. Thus, we first reveal the high-frequency oscillations with a period around one minute in imaging observations at different height above an umbra, and these oscillations seem to be related to the umbral perturbations in the photosphere.

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arXiv2014

Improved magnetogram calibration of SMFT and its comparison with the HMI

In this paper, we try to improve the magnetogram calibration method of the Solar Magnetic Field Telescope (SMFT). The improved calibration process fits the observed full Stokes information, using six points on the profile of Fe ı 5324.18 Å line, and the analytical Stokes profiles under the Milne-Eddington atmosphere model, adopting the Levenberg-Marquardt least-square fitting algorithm. In Comparison with the linear calibration methods, which employs one point, there is large difference in the strength of longitudinal field $B_l$ and tranverse field $B_t$, caused by the non-linear relationship, but the discrepancy is little in the case of inclination and azimuth. We conclude that it is better to deal with the non-linear effects in the calibration of $B_l$ and $B_t$ using six points. Moreover, in comparison with SDO/HMI, SMFT has larger stray light and acquires less magnetic field strength. For vector magnetic fields in two sunspot regions, the magnetic field strength, inclination and azimuth angles between SMFT and HMI are roughly in agrement, with the linear fitted slope of 0.73/0.7, 0.95/1.04 and 0.99/1.1. In the case of pores and quiet regions ($B_l$ $<$ 600 G), the fitted slopes of the longitudinal magnetic field strength are 0.78 and 0.87 respectively.

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