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The dissipation of turbulence in astrophysical systems is fundamental to energy transfer and heating in environments ranging from the solar wind and corona to accretion disks and the intracluster medium. Although turbulent dissipation is relatively well understood in fluid dynamics, astrophysical plasmas often exhibit exotic behaviour, arising from the lack of interparticle collisions, which complicates turbulent dissipation and heating in these systems. Recent observations by NASAs Parker Solar Probe mission in the inner heliosphere have shed new light on the role of ion cyclotron resonance as a potential candidate for turbulent dissipation and plasma heating. Here, using in situ observations of turbulence and wave populations, we show that ion cyclotron waves provide a major pathway for dissipation and plasma heating in the solar wind. Our results support recent theoretical predictions of turbulence in the inner heliosphere, known as the helicity barrier, that suggest a role of cyclotron resonance in ion-scale dissipation. Taken together, these results provide important constraints for turbulent dissipation and acceleration efficiency in astrophysical plasmas.

Solar irradiance variations across various timescales, from minutes to centuries, represent a potential natural driver of past regional and global climate cold phases. To accurately assess the Sun's effect on climate, particularly during periods of exceptionally low solar activity, known as grand minima, an accurate reconstruction of solar forcing is essential. While direct measurements of the total solar irradiance (TSI) only began in the late 1970s, with the advent of space radiometers, indirect evidence from various historical proxies suggests that the Sun's magnetic activity has undergone possible significant fluctuations over much longer timescales. Employing diverse and independent methods for TSI reconstruction is essential to gaining a comprehensive understanding of this issue. This study employs a semi-empirical model to reconstruct TSI over the past millennium. Our approach uses an estimated open solar magnetic field (F o ), derived from cosmogenic isotope data, as a proxy for solar activity. We reconstruct the cyclic variations of TSI, due to the solar surface magnetic features, by correlating F o with the parameter of active region functional form. We obtain the long-term TSI trend by applying the empirical mode decomposition algorithm to the reconstructed F o to filter out the 11 yr and 22 yr solar variability. We prepare a reconstructed TSI record, spanning 971 to 2020 CE. The estimated departure from modern TSI values occurred during the Spörer minimum (around 1400 CE), with a decrease of approximately 2.3 Wm−2. A slightly smaller decline of 2.2 Wm−2 is reported during the Maunder minimum, between 1645 and 1715 CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a fresh perspective on solar chromosphere heating and plasma outflows, focusing on the contribution of waves generated by solar granulation. Utilizing a 2.5D numerical experiment for the partially ionized lower solar atmosphere, we investigate the dissipation of these waves and their impact on plasma outflows and chromospheric heating via ion-neutral collisions. Employing the JOint ANalytical and Numerical Approach code, we adopt two-fluid model equations, examining partially ionized hydrogen plasma dynamics, including protons+electrons and neutrals, treated as two separate fluids that are coupled through ion-neutral collisions. Our investigation focuses on a quiet solar chromosphere region characterized by gravitational stratification and magnetic confinement by an initially set single magnetic arcade. The primary source of the waves is the solar convection beneath the photosphere. Our results demonstrate that ion-neutral collisions result in the dissipation of such waves, releasing thermal energy that heats the chromosphere plasma. Notably, this is accompanied by upward-directed plasma flows. Finally, we conclude that wave dissipation due to ion-neutral collisions in the two-fluid plasma model induces chromosphere heating and plasma outflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oscillatory reconnection is a specific type of time-dependent reconnection which involves periodic changes in the magnetic topology of a null point. The mechanism has been reported for a variety of magnetic field strengths and configurations, background temperatures, and densities. All these studies report an oscillation in the current density at the null point, but also report a variety of periods, amplitudes, and overall behaviors. We conduct a parametric study for equilibrium magnetic field strength and initial background temperature, solving two-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamic equations around a magnetic X-point. We introduce a parameter space for the ratio of internal to magnetic energy and find self-similar solutions for simulations where this ratio is below 0.1 (which represents a magnetically dominated environment or, equivalently, a low-beta plasma). Self-similarity can be seen in oscillations in the current density at the null (including amplitude and period), ohmic heating, and the temperature generated via reconnection jets. The parameter space of energy ratios also allows us to contextualize previous studies of the oscillatory reconnection mechanism and bring those different studies together into a single unified understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-energy electrons carry much of a solar flare's energy. Therefore, understanding changes in electron beam distributions during their propagation is crucial. A key focus of this paper is how the cospatial return current reduces the energy flux carried by these accelerated electrons. We systematically compute this reduction for various beam and plasma parameters relevant to solar flares. Our 1D model accounts for collisions between beam and plasma electrons, return-current electric-field deceleration, thermalization in a warm target approximation, and runaway electron contributions. The results focus on the classical (Spitzer) regime, offering a valuable benchmark for energy flux reduction and its extent. Return-current losses are only negligible for the lowest nonthermal fluxes. We calculate the conditions for return-current losses to become significant and estimate the extent of the modification to the beam's energy flux density. We also calculate two additional conditions that occur for higher injected fluxes: (1) where runaway electrons become significant, and (2) where current-driven instabilities might become significant, requiring a model that self-consistently accounts for them. Condition 2 is relaxed and the energy flux losses are reduced in the presence of runaway electrons. All results are dependent on beam and cospatial plasma parameters. We also examine the importance of the reflection of beam electrons by the return-current electric field. We show that the interpretation of a number of flares needs to be reviewed to account for the effects of return currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hyperfine transition of atomic hydrogen at a wavelength of about 21 cm is an essential tool for studies of interstellar gas. It has been argued that also fine-structure transitions of hydrogen could be detected in astronomical sources. Our aim is to detect the fine-structure transition 2 2 P 3 / 2 − 2 2 S 1 / 2 of hydrogen at ∼10 GHz in the radio spectrum of the Sun, with a spectral resolution which enables a detailed study of the line profile. The Sun was observed with the 13.7 m radio telescope at the Metsähovi Radio Observatory, in Finland. We detect emission from two of the three hyperfine components of the transition. The width of the components is ∼15 MHz, much less than the expected natural line width of ∼100 MHz (broadened solely by the uncertainty principle). At red-shifted Doppler velocities, the lines show enhanced emission and possibly self-absorption. If the absorption happens at the chromosphere, our observations challenge the traditional view that chromospheric temperature increases gradually towards higher altitudes. Our unconventional results have to be confirmed by further observations. This transition would be the only known spectral line in the Sun at radio frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of active region (AR) lifetimes are mostly restricted to short-lived ARs. The aim of this paper is to include recurrent ARs, which should be identified unambiguously. The first step is the algorithmic listing of possible returns; then, the candidates are visually checked using the unique HTML-feature of the Debrecen sunspot database. The final step is application of an asymmetric Gaussian function, introduced in previous articles, for short-lived ARs. This function has a surprisingly good fit to the data on correctly identified recurrent sunspot groups over several rotations enabling the reconstruction of the development on the far side of the sun. The Gnevyshev–Waldmeier rule for the area–lifetime relationship is not applicable for recurrent ARs; however, as a novel approach, a linear regression analysis extended to long lifetimes made it possible to recognize two populations of sizes for which two different area–lifetime relationships can be obtained. The lifetimes exhibit weak dependencies on the heliographic latitude and solar cycle phase. If an asymmetric Gaussian cannot be fit to the data, then they presumably belong to consecutive members of an active nest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minifilaments are widespread small-scale structures in the solar atmosphere. To better understand their formation and eruption mechanisms, we investigate the entire life of a sigmoidal minifilament located below a large quiescent filament observed by Big Bear Solar Observatory/Goode Solar Telescope on 2015 August 3. The H α structure initially appears as a group of arched threads, then transforms into two J-shaped arcades, and finally forms a sigmoidal shape. Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly observations in 171 Å show that two coronal jets occur around the southern footpoint of the minifilament before the minifilament eruption. The minifilament eruption starts from the southern footpoint, then interacts with the overlying filament and fails. The aforementioned observational changes correspond to three episodes of flux cancellations observed by SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. Unlike previous studies, the flux cancellation occurs between the polarity where the southern footpoint of the minifilament is rooted and an external polarity. We construct two magnetic field models before the eruption using the flux rope insertion method and find a hyperbolic flux tube above the flux cancellation site. The observation and modeling results suggest that the eruption is triggered by the external magnetic reconnection between the core field of the minifilament and the external fields due to flux cancellations. This study reveals a new triggering mechanism for minifilament eruptions and a new relationship between minifilament eruptions and coronal jets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a new solar feed for the PEPSI nighttime spectrograph of the LBT. It enables spectroscopy of the Sun‐as‐a‐star in circular polarization (CP) and linear polarization (LP) with a spectral resolution of 250,000 (≈0.025Å or 600ms−1$$ 600\kern0.1em \mathrm{m}\kern0.1em {\mathrm{s}}^{-1} $$) for the wavelength range 383–907 nm. The polarimeter is a dual‐beam design with a modified Wollaston prism as beam splitter and linear polarizer combined with a retractable super‐achromatic λ/4$$ \lambda /4 $$ retarder. The Wollaston beam diameter is 14 mm and large enough that it does not require a classical telescopic feed anymore. Both polarimetric beams are re‐imaged into respective integration spheres from which two fibers feed the scrambled light to the spectrograph. The system is fully automated in the sense that it finds the Sun in the morning, closes the guider loop, observes a predefined number of individual spectra, and moves to a home position at the end of the day. Among the scientific aims is Zeeman–Doppler imaging of the Sun as a star over the next activity cycle. Our first‐light application detects a clear Stokes‐V/I profile with a full amplitude of 1×10−4$$ 1\times {10}^{-4} $$ on, for example, October 13, 2023, suggesting a solar disk‐averaged line‐of‐sight net magnetic field of +0.37±0.02 G. Comparison of this value with a contemporary full‐disk line‐of‐sight magnetogram suggests an unsigned mean field of about ≈13 G. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geo-effectiveness of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is determined primarily by their magnetic fields. Modeling of gyrosynchrotron (GS) emission is a promising remote sensing technique to measure the CME magnetic field at coronal heights. However, faint GS emission from CME flux ropes is hard to detect in the presence of bright solar emission from the solar corona. With high dynamic-range spectropolarimetric meter wavelength solar images provided by the Murchison Widefield Array, we have detected faint GS emission from a CME out to ∼8.3 R ⊙, the largest heliocentric distance reported to date. High-fidelity polarimetric calibration also allowed us to robustly detect circularly polarized emission from GS emission. For the first time in the literature, Stokes V detection has jointly been used with Stokes I spectra to constrain GS models. One expects that the inclusion of polarimetric measurement will provide tighter constraints on the GS model parameters. Instead, we found that homogeneous GS models, which have been used in all prior works, are unable to model both the total intensity and circular polarized emission simultaneously. This strongly suggests the need for using inhomogeneous GS models to robustly estimate the CME magnetic field and plasma parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Henri Deslandres initiated imaging spectroscopy of the solar atmosphere in 1892 at Paris Observatory. He developed two kinds of spectrographs: the 'spectrohéliographe des formes', i.e. the monochromatic instrument to reveal chromospheric structures (such as filaments, prominences, plages and active regions); and the 'spectrohéliographe des vitesses', i.e. the spectroheliograph to record line profiles of cross-sections of the Sun, in order to measure the Doppler shifts of dynamic features. Deslandres moved to Meudon and hired Lucien d'Azambuja in 1899; together they built the large quadruple spectroheliograph. CaII K systematic observations of the full Sun started in 1908 and were followed in 1909 by Hα with two dedicated 3-metre spectroheliographs. Daily observations were organized by d'Azambuja who also intensively used the large 7-metre spectroheliograph for his research and thesis (1930). This paper summarizes fifty years of investigations by Mr and Mrs d'Azambuja, who explored various photospheric and chromospheric lines, obtaining special spectroheliograms with the high dispersion 7-metre instrument. They also intensively observed filaments and prominences, reported results in an extensive memoir (1948) and recorded rare solar activity events with the two 3-metre spectroheliographs, until their retirement in 1959. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce a new method for exact decomposition of propagating, nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) disturbances into their component eigenenergies associated with the familiar slow, Alfvén, and fast wave eigenmodes, and the entropy and field-divergence pseudoeigenmodes. First, the mathematical formalism is introduced, where it is illustrated how the ideal-MHD eigensystem can be used to construct a decomposition of the time variation of the total energy density into contributions from the eigenmodes. The decomposition method is then demonstrated by applying it to the output of three separate nonlinear MHD simulations. The analysis of the simulations confirms that the component wave modes of a composite wavefield are uniquely identified by the method. The slow, Alfvén, and fast energy densities are shown to evolve in exactly the way expected from comparison with known linear solutions and nonlinear properties, including processes such as mode conversion. Along the way, some potential pitfalls for the numerical implementation of the decomposition method are identified and discussed. We conclude that the exact, nonlinear decomposition method introduced is a powerful and promising tool for understanding the nature of the decomposition of MHD waves as well as analyzing and interpreting the output of dynamic MHD simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hour-long, gradual phase of solar flares is well observed across the electromagnetic spectrum, demonstrating many multiphase aspects, where cold condensations form within the heated post-flare system, but a complete 3D model is lacking. Using a state-of-the-art 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulation, we identify the key role played by the Lorentz force through the entire flare lifespan, and show that slow variations in the post-flare magnetic field achieve the bulk of the energy release. Synthetic images in multiple passbands closely match flare observations, and we quantify the role of conductive, radiative, and Lorentz force work contributions from flare onset to decay. This highlights how the non-force-free nature of the magnetic topology is crucial to trigger Rayleigh–Taylor dynamics, observed as waving coronal rays in extreme ultraviolet observations. Our C-class solar flare reproduces multiphase aspects such as post-flare coronal rain. In agreement with observations, we find strands of cooler plasma forming spontaneously by catastrophic cooling, leading to cool plasma draining down the post-flare loops. As there is force balance between magnetic pressure and tension and the plasma pressure in gradual-phase flare loops, this has potential for coronal seismology to decipher the magnetic field strength variation from observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) marked China’s first comprehensive solar mission in space. Drawing upon the previous reports covering 2018‒2020 and 2020‒2022, we present here an update on the ASO-S made from 2022 to 2024. In August 2022, ASO-S completed its Phase D study and was successfully launched on October 9, 2022. The commissioning phase was carried out and concluded within the first nine months following the launch. The data and associated analysis software have been opened to the community and the research on the early ASO-S data has been well developed. We anticipate also the achievements in data research pertaining to ASO-S in the near future.

Introduction: Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) and tearing mode (TM) instabilities are one of the most important mechanisms of solar wind energy, momentum and plasma transport within the magnetosphere. Methods: To investigate the conditions under which KHTM instabilities occur in the Earth environment it is fundamental to combine simultaneous multipoint in situ measurements and MHD simulations. We analyzed data from the THEMIS and Cluster spacecraft considering two Space Weather (SWE) events starting with an M2.0 flare event (hereafter Case-1) that occurred on 21 June 2015 and the most-intensive flare (X9.3) of solar cycle 24 that occurred on 6 September 2017 (hereafter Case-2). Results: Our analysis utilized a 2D MHD model for incompressible and viscous flow. The results from Case-1 indicate the presence of KH and TM instabilities, suggesting existence of observed low-amplitude oscillations at the nose of the magnetopause. However, the MHD simulations for Case-2 did not show any evidence of KH vortices, but did reveal the presence of "magnetic island" structures during a low-shear condition. The reconnection rate derived from the observations is compared with the computed one in the presence of developed instabilities inside the Earth's magnetopause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial titled "The future of space physics 2022" discusses the efforts of the space physics community in producing white papers for research on space physics, mission programs, and funding. It introduces a research topic called "The Future of Space Physics 2022," which contains 64 publications covering various topics in space physics. The document provides a summary of various concepts for new space missions in the field of heliophysics, including studying mesoscale dynamical structures in the solar wind and exploring the interaction between the heliosphere and the interstellar medium. It also emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in the space community, the role of data science and computer simulations in heliophysics research, and the potential of citizen science in advancing space-physics research. The authors express their hope for the future of the heliophysics field and acknowledge the contributions of various individuals and organizations. [Extracted from the article]

Solar bright points (BPs) are small-scale magnetic features observed on the solar surface. They play a significant role in the transfer of energy and mass between the solar photosphere and the corona. This article presents a comprehensive statistical analysis of BPs in different solar areas: quiet Sun (QS), active regions (AR), and coronal holes (CH). We separate the BPs into two categories: network and internetwork. Our study aims to understand the spatial distribution and properties of BPs in these areas, which can help improve our knowledge of the Sun's magnetic activity and energy transfer processes. Our research highlights the close relationship between the spatial distribution and characteristics of BPs and the solar magnetic field. Using machine learning, we achieved efficient and accurate BP detection, enabling analysis of a larger dataset. The prevalence of network BPs in the QS and internetwork BPs in CH suggests differences in magnetic field concentration. In AR, BPs are evenly distributed between network and internetwork areas, reflecting the complex nature of the magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic reconnection is understood to be the main physical process that facilitates the transformation of magnetic energy into heat, motion, and particle acceleration during solar eruptions. Yet, observational constraints on reconnection region properties and dynamics are limited due to a lack of high-cadence and high-spatial-resolution observations. By studying the evolution and morphology of postreconnected field-lines footpoints, or flare ribbons and vector photospheric magnetic field, we estimate the magnetic reconnection flux and its rate of change with time to study the flare reconnection process and dynamics of the current sheet above. We compare high-resolution imaging data to study the evolution of the fine structure in flare ribbons as ribbons spread away from the polarity inversion line. Using data from two illustrative events (one M- and X-class flare), we explore the relationship between the ribbon-front fine structure and the temporal development of bursts in the reconnection region. Additionally, we use the RibbonDB database to perform statistical analysis of 73 (C- to X-class) flares and identify quasiperiodic pulsation (QPP) properties using the Wavelet Transform. Our main finding is the discovery of QPP signatures in the derived magnetic reconnection rates in both example events and the large flare sample. We find that the oscillation periods range from 1 to 4 minutes. Furthermore, we find nearly cotemporal bursts in Hard X-ray (HXR) emission profiles. We discuss how dynamical processes in the current sheet involving plasmoids can explain the nearly cotemporal signatures of quasiperiodicity in the reconnection rates and HXR emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a novel method for modeling the global, steady solar wind using photospheric magnetic fields as a driving boundary condition. Prior wind models in this class include both rapid heuristic methods that use potential field extrapolation and variants thereof, trading rigor for computation speed, and detailed 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models that attempt to simulate the entire solar corona with a degree of physical rigor, but require large amounts of computation. The Field Line Universal relaXer, an open-source numerical code that implements the "fluxon" semi-Lagrangian approach to MHD modeling, provides an intermediate approach between these two general classes. In particular, the fluxon approach to MHD describes the magnetic field through discrete analogs of magnetic field lines, relaxing these structures to a stationary state of force balance. In this work we introduce a 1D solar wind solution along each field line, providing an ensemble of solutions that are interpolated back onto a uniform grid at an outer boundary surface. This provides advantages in physical rigor over heuristic semianalytic techniques, and in computational efficiency over full 3D MHD techniques. Here we describe the underlying methodology and the FLUXPipe modeling pipeline process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploration of Uranus, a key archetype for ice giant planets and a gateway to understanding distant exoplanets, is acquiring increasing interest in recent years, especially after the Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) mission has been prioritized in the Planetary Science Decadal Survey 2023–2032. This paper presents the results of numerical simulations aimed at providing experimental constraints on the parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) parameter γ , a measure of space–time curvature in general relativity (GR), during the cruise phase of a spacecraft travelling to Uranus. Leveraging advanced radio tracking systems akin to those aboard the JUICE and BepiColombo missions, we explore the potential of solar conjunction experiments (SCEs) to refine current measurements of γ by exploiting the spacecraft's long journey in the outer Solar System. We discuss the anticipated enhancements over previous estimates, underscoring the prospect of detecting violations of GR. Our simulations predict that by using an advanced radio tracking system, it is possible to obtain an improvement in the estimation of γ up to more than an order of magnitude with respect to the latest measurement performed by the Cassini–Huygens mission in 2002, contingent on the calibration capabilities against solar plasma noise. The results reveal that a number of SCEs during the mission can substantially strengthen the validation of GR. In tandem with fundamental physics tests, the use of radio links during SCEs presents a valuable opportunity to dissect the solar corona's plasma dynamics, contributing to solar physics and space weather forecasting. This paper also enumerates methodologies to analyze electron density, localize plasma features, and deduce solar wind velocity, enriching the scientific yield of the experiments beyond the primary objective of testing GR during the cruise phase of a mission to Uranus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 2021 September 28, a C1.6 class flare occurred in active region NOAA 12871, located approximately at 27°S and 51°W on the solar disk with respect to Earth's point of view. This event was followed by a partial halo coronal mass ejection (CME) that caused the deflection of preexisting coronal streamer structures, as observed in visible-light coronagraphic images. An associated type II radio burst was also detected by both space- and ground-based instruments, indicating the presence of a coronal shock propagating into interplanetary space. By using H i Ly α (121.6 nm) observations from the Metis coronagraph on board the Solar Orbiter mission, we demonstrate for the first time the capability of UV imaging to provide, via a Doppler dimming technique, an upper limit estimate of the evolution of the 2D proton kinetic temperature in the CME-driven shock sheath as it passes through the field of view of the instrument. Our results suggest that over the 22 minutes of observations, the shock propagated with a speed decreasing from about 740 ± 110 km s−1 to 400 ± 60 km s−1. At the same time, the postshock proton temperatures peaked at latitudes around the shock nose and decreased with time from about 6.8 ± 1.01 MK to 3.1 ± 0.47 MK. The application of the Rankine–Hugoniot jump conditions demonstrates that these temperatures are higher by a factor of about 2–5 than those expected from simple adiabatic compression, implying that significant shock heating is still going on at these distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data obtained from Parker Solar Probe (PSP) since 2021 April have shown the first in situ observation of the solar corona, where the solar wind is formed and accelerated. Here, we investigate the alpha-proton differential flow and its characteristics across the critical Alfvén surface (CAS) using data from PSP during encounters 8–10 and 12–13. We first show the positive correlation between the alpha-proton differential velocity and the bulk solar wind speed at PSP encounter distances. Then we explore how the characteristics of the differential flow vary across the CAS and how they are affected by Alfvénic fluctuations including switchbacks. We find that the differential velocity below the CAS is generally smaller than that above the CAS, and the local Alfvén speed well limits the differential speed both above and below the CAS. The deviations from the alignment between the differential velocity and the local magnetic field vector are accompanied by large-amplitude Alfvénic fluctuations and decreases in the differential speed. Moreover, we observe that V α p increases from M A < 1 to M A ≃ 2 and then starts to decrease, which suggests that alphas may remain preferentially accelerated well above the CAS. Our results also reveal that in the sub-Alfvénic solar wind both protons and alphas show a strong correlation between their velocity fluctuations and magnetic field fluctuations, with a weaker correlation for alphas. By contrast, in the super-Alfvénic regime the correlation remains high for protons, but is reduced for alphas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an editorial that discusses the current state of space physics and the open questions that still exist in the field. It highlights the progress that has been made in understanding various aspects of space, such as planetary magnetospheres, the solar environment, and the interstellar medium. The editorial also introduces a research topic that includes 17 papers addressing different space physics issues, ranging from wave-particle interactions to the coupling of the Sun and Earth's atmosphere. The goal of this research topic is to assess the state of space physics, identify outstanding questions, and encourage dialogue among researchers. [Extracted from the article]

Meticulous study of sunspots on the Sun's photosphere over the centuries has led to the conclusion that they are areas of high magnetism that contribute to solar activities. High and low activities associated with their polarities were recognized in a cyclical pattern, therefore questioning the mechanisms behind the Sun's predictive nature. The solar dynamo model was put forth in the 1960s and provided an understanding of the generation of the Sun's intense magnetic field; however, they were missing one critical ingredient. The tachocline was found with helioseismology in 1992 by measuring oscillations that travel throughout the Sun. Most solar physicists agree that the magnetic field is generated in the tachocline due to shearing forces of the convection zone acting against the rigid radiative zone. The poloidal field at the start of a cycle becomes distorted throughout the progression due to the Sun's differential rotation and pulls these field lines around the Sun. This creates a toroidal field, in which the stretching of the lines permits them to grow in strength. Turbulent convective flows cause them to twist and produce magnetic flux tubes. As the tubes expand, they become less dense and achieve magnetic buoyancy, which then rises and emerges out of the photosphere, appearing as sunspots with a bipolar nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic reconnection in the lower atmosphere is a critical process in determining the chromospheric dynamics, such as Ellerman bombs and UV bursts. Because the heating of the atmosphere significantly depends on the ionization degree and plasma β, which varies with height, it is essential to diagnose the height at which the magnetic reconnection takes place. Multiwavelength spectropolarimetry is a powerful solution to fulfill this requirement. We verify the diagnostic capabilities and usefulness of near-infrared multiwavelength spectropolarimetric observations for understanding magnetic reconnection phenomena by synthesizing the Stokes vector from a realistic magnetohydrodynamic simulation. The analysis considers two magnetic reconnection regions occurring at different heights. In the case of magnetic reconnection at low altitude, both red- and blueshifted components originating from reconnection bidirectional flow are identified in the photospheric lines, Fe i 8468 Å, K i 7664 Å, and K i 7698 Å. In the case of magnetic reconnection at high altitudes, chromospheric lines, Ca ii 8498 Å and 8542 Å, show emission due to the heating that occurs at the upper part of the formation layer. These results suggest that multiwavelength spectropolarimetric observations are capable of distinguishing the height where magnetic reconnection occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the temporal evolution of quasi-biennial oscillations (QBOs) using acoustic mode oscillation frequencies from the Global Oscillation Network Group. The data used here span more than 25 yr, covering solar cycles 23 and 24 and the ascending phase of cycle 25. The analysis reveals that QBO-like signals are present in both the cycles, but with different periods. The dominant QBO period in cycle 23 is found to be about 2 yr, while it is about 3 yr in cycle 24. Furthermore, the quasi-biennial oscillatory signals are present only during the ascending and high-activity phases of cycle 23 and quickly weaken around 2005, during the declining phase. In comparison, the QBO signals are present throughout cycle 24, starting from 2009 to 2017. We also explored the depth dependence in QBO signals and obtained a close agreement at all depths, except in the near-surface shear layer. A detailed analysis of the near-surface shear layer suggests that the source region of QBOs is probably within a few thousand kilometers just below the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar flares sometimes lead to coronal mass ejections that directly affect Earth's environment. However, a large fraction of flares, including on solar-type stars, are confined flares. What are the differences in physical properties between confined and eruptive flares? For the first time, we quantify the thermodynamic and magnetic properties of hundreds of confined and eruptive flares of GOES class C5.0 and above, 480 flares in total. We first analyze large flares of GOES class M1.0 and above observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, 216 flares in total, including 103 eruptive and 113 confined flares, from 2010 until 2016 April; we then look at the entire data set of 480 flares above class C5.0. We compare GOES X-ray thermodynamic flare properties, including peak temperature and emission measure, and active-region (AR) and flare-ribbon magnetic field properties, including reconnected magnetic flux and peak reconnection rate. We find that for fixed peak X-ray flux, confined and eruptive flares have similar reconnection fluxes; however, for fixed peak X-ray flux confined flares have on average larger peak magnetic reconnection rates, are more compact, and occur in larger ARs than eruptive flares. These findings suggest that confined flares are caused by reconnection between more compact, stronger, lower-lying magnetic fields in larger ARs that reorganizes a smaller fraction of these regions' fields. This reconnection proceeds at faster rates and ends earlier, potentially leading to more efficient flare particle acceleration in confined flares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filaments are one of the most common features in the solar atmosphere and are of significance in solar, stellar, and laboratory plasma physics. Using data from the Chinese H α Solar Explorer, the Solar Upper Transition Region Imager, and the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we report on multiwavelength imaging and spectral observations of the activation of a small filament. The filament activation produces several localized dynamic brightenings, which are probably produced by internal reconnections of the braided magnetic fields in the filament. The filament expands during the activation, and its threads reconnect with the ambient magnetic fields, which leads to the formation of hot arcades or loops overlying the filament. The thermal energy of each of these localized brightenings is estimated in the order of 1025–1027 erg, and the total energy is estimated to be ∼1.77 × 1028 erg. Our observations demonstrate that the internal magnetic reconnections in the filament can lead to localized heating in the filament threads and prompt external reconnections with ambient corona structures and thus could contribute to the energy and mass transferring into the corona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) and tearing mode (TM) instabilities are one of the most important mechanisms of solar wind energy, momentum and plasma transport within the magnetosphere.Methods: To investigate the conditions under which KHTM instabilities occur in the Earth environment it is fundamental to combine simultaneous multipoint in situ measurements and MHD simulations. We analyzed data from the THEMIS and Cluster spacecraft considering two Space Weather (SWE) events starting with an M2.0 flare event (hereafter Case-1) that occurred on 21 June 2015 and the most-intensive flare (X9.3) of solar cycle 24 that occurred on 6 September 2017 (hereafter Case-2).Results: Our analysis utilized a 2D MHD model for incompressible and viscous flow. The results from Case-1 indicate the presence of KH and TM instabilities, suggesting existence of observed low-amplitude oscillations at the nose of the magnetopause. However, the MHD simulations for Case-2 did not show any evidence of KH vortices, but did reveal the presence of “magnetic island” structures during a low-shear condition. The reconnection rate derived from the observations is compared with the computed one in the presence of developed instabilities inside the Earth’s magnetopause.

Studies of active region (AR) lifetimes are mostly restricted to short-lived ARs. The aim of this paper is to include recurrent ARs, which should be identified unambiguously. The first step is the algorithmic listing of possible returns; then, the candidates are visually checked using the unique HTML-feature of the Debrecen sunspot database. The final step is application of an asymmetric Gaussian function, introduced in previous articles, for short-lived ARs. This function has a surprisingly good fit to the data on correctly identified recurrent sunspot groups over several rotations enabling the reconstruction of the development on the far side of the sun. The Gnevyshev–Waldmeier rule for the area–lifetime relationship is not applicable for recurrent ARs; however, as a novel approach, a linear regression analysis extended to long lifetimes made it possible to recognize two populations of sizes for which two different area–lifetime relationships can be obtained. The lifetimes exhibit weak dependencies on the heliographic latitude and solar cycle phase. If an asymmetric Gaussian cannot be fit to the data, then they presumably belong to consecutive members of an active nest.

Abstract One obvious feature of the solar cycle is its variation from one cycle to another. In this article, we review the dynamo models for the long-term variations of the solar cycle. By long-term variations, we mean the cycle modulations beyond the 11-year periodicity and these include, the Gnevyshev–Ohl/Even–Odd rule, grand minima, grand maxima, Gleissberg cycle, and Suess cycles. After a brief review of the observed data, we present the dynamo models for the solar cycle. By carefully analyzing the dynamo models and the observed data, we identify the following broad causes for the modulation: (1) magnetic feedback on the flow, (2) stochastic forcing, and (3) time delays in various processes of the dynamo. To demonstrate each of these causes, we present the results from some illustrative models for the cycle modulations and discuss their strengths and weakness. We also discuss a few critical issues and their current trends. The article ends with a discussion of our current state of ignorance about comparing detailed features of the magnetic cycle and the large-scale velocity from the dynamo models with robust observations.

Several long-standing theories postulate that turbulent dissipation can heat solar wind protons in situ. Turbulent dissipation can occur via current sheets, which are small-scale structures embedded in the solar wind magnetic field. This study examines the role that switchbacks—intermediate-scale reversals in the interplanetary magnetic field—may play in heating the solar wind by generating current sheets. We explore this possible relationship by analyzing the characteristics of current sheets within and around switchback regions. Previous studies investigated current sheet properties during Parker Solar Probe's first solar encounter, analyzed current sheets using a wide range of statistics, and explored trends that switchbacks follow with radial distance from the Sun. The present study builds on these works by analyzing the distribution and maximum values of solar wind current sheets using the Partial Variance of Increments method and focusing on how these properties correlate with the presence of switchbacks to better understand how switchbacks contribute to current sheet activity. We conclude that there are no increased current sheet populations observed within and around switchbacks, with most current sheets being observed outside switchbacks. We find a consistent distribution of current sheets regardless of whether there is concurrent switchback activity. We also observe that current sheets follow a uniform occurrence rate with increased distance from the Sun, while switchback regions significantly evolve with larger radial distances. Our findings suggest that local turbulence may be responsible for generating solar wind current sheets and does so with the same efficiency inside and outside of switchback regions.

The slow solar wind has been recently observed to have a number of intervals that are dominated by large-scale Alfvénic fluctuations, especially within 1 au, with similar turbulence characteristics to those found in fast wind streams, including a 1/ f range. These results suggest that the slow solar wind exists in at least two flavors: the typical slow wind that generally does not exhibit a 1/ f range and an Alfvénic wind that is more similar to fast wind streams. The Alfvénic slow wind is usually differentiated from the typical slow wind (not dominated by Alfvénic fluctuations) by the normalized cross helicity, σ _c . Values of ∣ σ _c ∣ near unity are associated with Alfvénic fluctuations, whereas values near zero are typically thought of as non-Alfvénic. This classification by cross helicity excludes the case of solar wind fluctuations dominated by balanced Alfvénic turbulence, i.e., the turbulence regime where there is equal energy flux of counterpropagating fluctuations propagating along the mean field. We use a large statistical analysis to isolate intervals of slow wind at 1 au in a 20 yr period of Wind data. These intervals are sorted into subsets corresponding to the type of slow wind via the mean values of their magnetic compressibility and cross helicity. Our analysis finds several intervals of low-cross-helicity slow wind dominated by balanced Alfvénic turbulence, which possess similar characteristics found in high-cross-helicity streams. Our results support the conclusion that a 1/ f spectrum may be a property associated with streams dominated by Alfvénic turbulence, whether the turbulence is balanced or imbalanced.

The heliosphere is permeated with highly structured solar wind originating from the Sun. One of the primary science objectives of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) is to determine the structures and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind. However, establishing the connection between in situ measurements and structures and dynamics in the solar atmosphere is challenging: most of the magnetic footpoint mapping techniques have significant uncertainties in the source localization of a plasma parcel observed in situ, and the PSP plasma measurements suffer from a limited field of view. Therefore, it lacks a universal tool to self-contextualize the in situ measurements. Here we develop a novel time series visualization method named Gaussianity Scalogram. Utilizing this method, by analyzing the magnetic magnitude data from both PSP and Ulysses, we successfully identify in situ structures that are possible remnants of solar atmospheric and magnetic structures spanning more than 7 orders of magnitude, from years to seconds, including polar and midlatitude coronal holes, as well as structures compatible with supergranulation, “jetlets” and “picoflares.” Furthermore, computer simulations of Alfvénic turbulence successfully reproduce the Gaussianization of magnetic magnitude, supporting the observed distribution. Building upon these discoveries, the Gaussianity Scalogram can help future studies to reveal the fractal-like fine structures in the solar wind time series from both PSP and a decades-old data archive.

We report observations of multiple subscale reconnecting current sheets embedded inside a large-scale heliospheric current sheet (HCS) reconnection exhaust. The discovery was made possible by the unusual skimming trajectory of Parker Solar Probe through a sunward-directed HCS exhaust, sampling structures convecting with the exhaust outflows for more than 3 hr during Encounter 14, at a radial distance of ∼17 solar radii. A large number of subscale current sheets (SCSs) were detected inside the HCS exhaust. Remarkably, five SCSs showed direct evidence for reconnection, displaying near-Alfvénic outflow jets and bifurcated current sheets. The reconnecting SCSs all had small magnetic shears (27°–81°), i.e., strong guide fields. The thickness of the subscale reconnecting current sheets ranged from ∼60 km to ∼5000 km (∼20–2000 ion inertial lengths). The SCS exhausts were directed predominantly in the normal or out-of-plane direction of the HCS, i.e., nearly orthogonal to the HCS exhaust direction. The presence of multiple low-magnetic-shear reconnecting current sheets inside a large-scale exhaust could be associated with coalescence of multiple large flux ropes inside the HCS exhaust. The orientation of some SCS exhausts was partly in the ecliptic plane of the HCS, which may indicate that the coalescence process is highly three-dimensional. Since the coalescence process is likely short-lived, the detection of five such events inside a single HCS crossing could imply the common occurrence of flux rope coalescence in large-scale HCS reconnection exhausts.

H i Ly α emission in the chromosphere and transition region is a key ingredient of the incident radiation to coronal neutral hydrogen for modeling corona Ly α emission. The Ly α emission distribution across the solar disk can be obtained from a Ly α Carrington map. Before the launch of the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), such a Ly α Carrington map was derived from the Carrington map at He ii 30.4 nm and sometimes is even assumed to be uniform. We construct the first Ly α Carrington map based on full-disk Ly α images acquired by the Solar Disk Imager (SDI) on board ASO-S and present two versions: the standard one is for a CR, and the other is daily updated. For modeling Ly α intensities during eruptions, the Carrington map with incorporated flare region is produced. Furthermore, we evaluate the difference between the Ly α Carrington map derived with SDI observations and that synthesized from the 30.4 nm data based on an empirical relationship between Ly α and He ii 30.4 nm intensities, particularly extended to flare intensities that have not been investigated before. The average difference of 38% proves the importance of the Ly α Carrington map built from observations directly. However, the synthetic Ly α Carrington map can be used as an approximation before SDI data are available. The comparison between the SDI Ly α Carrington map and the corresponding magnetic field synoptic map indicates that active regions in general are brighter in Ly α , while the sunspot umbras with strong magnetic field strength are usually weaker in Ly α .

We present an overview of results from a magnetofrictional model of the entire solar corona over a period of 47 yr. The simulation self-consistently reproduces decades of solar phenomena, varying in duration between rapid eruptions and the long-term solar cycles, from an input of observed active regions emerging at the photosphere. We have developed a geometric approach to use magnetic helicity to identify and localize the frequent eruptions that occur in the simulation. This method allows us to match our results to extreme-ultraviolet observations of transient events. We have analyzed the evolving magnetic topology by computing the squashing factor and segmenting the corona into discrete magnetic domains bounded by the Separatrix-Web. The simulations show a more dynamic structure to the Separatrix-Web than is predicted by potential field models, which may explain solar wind observations.

High-resolution spectral observations of the lower solar atmosphere (chromosphere and transition region) during coronal heating events, in combination with predictions from models of impulsively heated loops, provide powerful diagnostics of the properties of the heating in active region cores. Here, we analyze the first coordinated observations of such events with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and the CHROMospheric Imaging Spectrometer (CHROMIS), at the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope (SST), which provided extremely high spatial resolution and revealed chromospheric brightenings with spatial dimensions down to ∼150 km. We use machine-learning methods (k -means clustering) and find significant coherence in the spatial and temporal properties of the chromospheric spectra, suggesting, in turn, coherence in the spatial and temporal distribution of the coronal heating. The comparison of IRIS and CHROMIS spectra with simulations suggests that both nonthermal electrons with low energy (low-energy cutoff ∼5 keV) and direct heating in the corona transported by thermal conduction contribute to the heating of the low atmosphere. This is consistent with growing evidence that nonthermal electrons are not uncommon in small heating events (nanoflare to microflares), and that their properties can be constrained by chromospheric and transition region spectral observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poynting flux is the flux of magnetic energy, which is responsible for chromospheric and coronal heating in the solar atmosphere. It is defined as a cross product of the electric and magnetic fields, and in ideal MHD conditions it can be expressed in terms of the magnetic field and plasma velocity. Poynting flux has been computed for active regions and plages, but estimating it in the quiet Sun (QS) remains challenging due to resolution effects and polarimetric noise. However, with the upcoming DKIST capabilities, such estimations will become more feasible than ever before. Here, we study QS Poynting flux in SUNRISE/IMaX observations and MURaM simulations. We explore two methods for inferring transverse velocities from observations—FLCT and a neural network–based method DeepVel—and show DeepVel to be the more suitable method in the context of small-scale QS flows. We investigate the effect of azimuthal ambiguity on Poynting flux estimates, and we describe a new method for azimuth disambiguation. Finally, we use two methods for obtaining the electric field. The first method relies on an idealized Ohm's law, whereas the second is a state-of-the-art inductive electric field inversion method PDFI_SS. We compare the resulting Poynting flux values with theoretical estimates for chromospheric and coronal energy losses and find that some of the Poynting flux estimates are sufficient to match the losses. Using MURaM simulations, we show that photospheric Poynting fluxes vary significantly with optical depth, and that there is an observational bias that results in underestimated Poynting fluxes due to an unaccounted shear term contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]