The Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (STCE) is a collaborative network of the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, the Royal Observatory of Belgium and the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium.
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Published by the STCE - this issue : 13 Mar 2015. The Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (STCE) is a collaborative network of the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, the Royal Observatory of Belgium and the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium. |
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Though the Sun was devoid of big sunspot groups this week, no less than 9 M-class flares were recorded. These medium flares were produced by only 2 active regions: NOAA 2290 (5) and NOAA 2297. Interestingly, both regions were at the solar limb when they unleashed their flares. In fact, the last two (and strongest) M-class events of NOAA 2290 were produced when the region had already rounded the northwest solar limb, whereas NOAA 2297 had already released 2 of its 4 M-class events before it rounded the southeast limb.
Both regions were not very big, but they were magnetically complex. This resulted in two strong flares: NOAA 2290 produced an M8.2 flare on 03 March peaking at 01:35UT, and NOAA 2297 produced an M9.2 flare on 07 March peaking at 02:22UT. In all cases, the bulk of the related coronal mass ejections was not directed to Earth.
This movie at http://youtu.be/qHALNFnTp-A shows 3 M-class flares in EUV as seen by SDO/AIA (http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/). It first shows the impressive eruption related to the M3.7 flare from NOAA 2297 on 02 March in temperatures of about 80.000 degrees (AIA304). This is followed by the duo of M-class flares early on 06 March (M3.0 and M1.5), showing a very hot cusp (pale blue flamelike feature) over the post-flare coronal loops. This is a clip combining images in hot temperatures (AIA131; blue; multimillion degrees) with images seen in the AIA171 filter (yellow; temperatures around 700.000 degrees). The last clip shows the impressive coronal loops that followed the M9.2 flare late on 07 March (AIA171).
The ionosphere is a layer of charged particles in the Earth's atmosphere, located from about 60km to 1000km above the Earth's surface.
As the Sun's radiation ionizes this layer, the ionosphere is a plasma of ions and free electrons (hence its name). These electrons perturb the propagation of communication signals by inducing a so-called ionospheric delay. The number of electrons is represented by the Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC). It is directly related to the signal propagation delay due to the ionosphere.
We see a strange behaviour of the red curve on the early morning March 01 and 02 due to a disturbed geomagnetic field. The solar wind emanating from a southern polar coronal hole (see 'Geomagnetic Activity') left a clear imprint in the ionosphere.
check
http://gnss.be/Atmospheric_Maps/ionospheric_event.php?date=2015-03-01
Solar flare activity fluctuated between low and moderate during the week.
In order to view the activity of this week in more detail, we suggest to go to the following website from which all the daily (normal and difference) movies can be accessed:http://proba2.oma.be/ssa
This page also lists the recorded flaring events.
A weekly overview movie can be found here (SWAP week 258).
http://proba2.oma.be/swap/data/mpg/movies/weekly_movies/weekly_movie_2015_03_02.mp4
Details about some of this week’s events, can be found further below.
Solar activity was concentrated in 2 periods. NOAA 2290 was responsible for 5 M-class flares in 24 hours, with the last and strongest (M8.2) flare peaking early on 3 March (01:35UT) from behind the northwest limb. None of the associated CMEs had an Earth-directed component. A few days later, early on 06 March, NOAA 2297 rounded the southeast limb having produced already 2 M-class flares. This active region was also the source of the strongest event of the week, an M9.2 flare peaking on 07 March at 22:22UT. The bulk of the associated CME was directed away from the Earth. Combined, NOAA 2290 and 2297 produced all 9 M-class flares and 30 of the 38 C-class flares this week. The proton flux was at nominal levels during the entire period.
The left picture taken by SDO/HMI in visible light shows the photospheric appearance of NOAA AR 2290 on Feb 27. At the moment of the M-flares, March 02 and 03, the NOAA 2290 was not visible any more. The right picture shows NOAA AR 2297 on the day it produced 2 M-flares: March 06.
| DAY | BEGIN | MAX | END | LOC | XRAY | OP | 10CM | TYPE | Cat | NOAA |
| 02 | 0631 | 0639 | 0644 | N19W84 | M1.0 | 1F | III/1VI/1II/1 | 90 | 2290 | |
| 02 | 0937 | 0948 | 0958 | M1.1 | 90 | 2290 | ||||
| 02 | 0852 | 0948 | 0958 | M1.1 | 90 | 2290 | ||||
| 02 | 1510 | 1528 | 1537 | M3.7 | 16 | 90 | 2290 | |||
| 02 | 1921 | 1931 | 1936 | M4.1 | III/1 | 90 | 2290 | |||
| 03 | 0125 | 0135 | 0142 | N21W87 | M8.2 | SB | IV/1II/1III/1 | 2290 | ||
| 05 | 1706 | 1811 | 1826 | M1.2 | 2297 | |||||
| 06 | 0414 | 0457 | 0527 | M3.0 | 120 | III/1 | 2297 | |||
| 06 | 0655 | 0815 | 0828 | M1.5 | CTM/1 | 2297 | ||||
| 07 | 2145 | 2222 | 2258 | M9.2 | 260 | II/1IV/2 | 2297 |
| LOC: approximate heliographic location | TYPE: radio burst type |
| XRAY: X-ray flare class | Cat: Catania sunspot group number |
| OP: optical flare class | NOAA: NOAA active region number |
| 10CM: peak 10 cm radio flux |
At the beginning of the week, the geomagnetic field was under the influence of a high speed stream from a negative polarity southern polar coronal hole (CH). It resulted in active (Dourbes) to minor storming conditions (Kp=5) on 02 March. The CH is clearly visible in the SDO AIA image below.
A sector boundary crossing occurred on 04 March, with the direction of the Interplanetary Magnetic field changing from towards to away from the Sun. Unsettled to locally (Dourbes) active geomagnetic conditions were registered.
Starting on 06 March, Earth's magnetic field became influenced by the high-speed stream of a positive polarity equatorial CH (see picture below) resulting in quiet to sporadically active geomagnetic conditions for the remainder of the week.
The figure shows the time evolution of the Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) (in red) during the last week at three locations:
a) in the northern part of Europe(N61°, 5°E)
b) above Brussels(N50.5°, 4.5°E)
c) in the southern part of Europe(N36°, 5°E)
This figure also shows (in grey) the normal ionospheric behaviour expected based on the median VTEC from the 15 previous days.
The VTEC is expressed in TECu (with TECu=10^16 electrons per square meter) and is directly related to the signal propagation delay due to the ionosphere (in figure: delay on GPS L1 frequency).
The Sun's radiation ionizes the Earth's upper atmosphere, the ionosphere, located from about 60km to 1000km above the Earth's surface.The ionization process in the ionosphere produces ions and free electrons. These electrons perturb the propagation of the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals by inducing a so-called ionospheric delay.
See http://stce.be/newsletter/GNSS_final.pdf for some more explanations ; for detailed information, see http://gnss.be/ionosphere_tutorial.php
Start : 2015-03-16 - End : 2015-03-19
This international conference will provide an overview of our
current understanding of Sun-Climate Connections starting at
processes on the Sun itself over space weather and solar wind
towards solar influence on the upper atmosphere down to the ocean.
It will also provide insights into the heatedly debated role of the
Sun in climate change. In four sessions the various contributions
of solar variability influence on Earth's climate will be presented
and discussed by bringing together solar physicists, space
scientists, atmospheric scientists, climate modellers, and
paleoclimatologists.
We expect contributions from scientists participating in
SCOSTEP/ROSMIC, SPARC-SOLARIS/HEPPA, the EU cost network TOSCA, as
well as any other interested scientists. The conference will last
three full days, beginning Monday morning, 16 March 2013. The
programme will consist of invited and keynote lectures, a few
contributed oral presentations and ample time dedicated to poster
sessions. The fourth day will be devoted to public outreach
activities as well as panel discussions.
Website: http://scc.geomar.de/
Start : 2015-04-28 - End : 2015-05-01
At present, solar researches and study of active late-type stars
achieve a significant advance thanks new observational facilities
and progress of the theory. The problems of an evolution of
activity at the billion year-time-scales start to be discussed.
Superflares were detected on stars younger than the Sun, and the
frequency of superflares occurrence was evaluated. The first
hypotheses were proposed for evaluation of flare activity level and
expected stellar wind fluxes at the epoch when the regular cycle on
the Sun was only established. Now it is a time to discuss further
directions of perspective investigations which are essential for
evaluation of space factor affecting on geo- and bio-sphere in
those epochs and space weather forecast.
Website:
http://www.tau.ac.il/institutes/advanced/cosmic/Conferences/2015-VarSITI_Superflares/VarSITI-2015_ISR.html
Start : 2015-05-02 - End : 2015-05-08
Start : 2015-05-18 - End : 2015-05-22
URSI AT-RASC 2015 will be the first edition of the newly
established triennial URSI Atlantic Radio Science Conference as one
of the URSI Flagship Conferences. AT-RASC 2015 will have an open
scientific program composed of submitted papers within the domains
covered by all ten Commissions of URSI.
Website: http://www.at-rasc.com/
Start : 2015-05-25 - End : 2015-05-29
25-27 May 2015: BUKS 2015 - MHD waves: Observational aspects
from ground to space - MHD waves: Theory - where are we? - MHD
instabilities
27-28 May 2015: Ruderman Honorary meeting - Theory of linear MHD
waves - MHD waves instabilities - Non-linear waves in plasmas
29 May 2015: Joint BUKS/Ruderman's conferences excursion -
Boat excursion to Szentendre, Visegrad and Esztergom
Website:
http://swat.group.shef.ac.uk/Conferences/BUKS_2015/index.html
Start : 2015-06-01 - End : 2015-07-24
The Space Weather Summer School at Los Alamos National
Laboratory, established in 2011 under the founding Director Josef
Koller, is dedicated to space weather, space science and
applications. Every year we solicit applications for the Los Alamos
Space Weather Summer School. This summer school is sponsored and
supported by a number or organizations at LANL. This year our top
sponsors include the Los Alamos Institute of Geophysics, Planetary
Physics and Signatures (IGPPS) and the Laboratory Directed Research
and Development Office (LDRD). The summer school brings together
top space science students with internationally recognized
researchers at LANL in an educational and collaborative
atmosphere.
Website:
http://www.swx-school.lanl.gov/
Start : 2015-06-08 - End : 2015-06-12
The RadioSun Workshop and Summer School 2015 is the fourth
international academic seminar supported by the International
Research Staff Exchange Scheme of the Seventh Fromework Programme
of the European Union (FP7-IRSES-295272-RADIOSUN). The aims of this
project are to establish close research interaction and
collaboration between the key EU and non-EU research groups
involved in the research of the Sun in the radio band;
qualitatively advance our knowledge of the physical processes
operating in the solar atmosphere, the basic mechanisms responsible
for its evolution and dynamics and its effect on the Earth; and
provide younger researchers with extensive training in relevant
research techniques and with universal transfer.
Website:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/physics/staff/research/davidpascoe/radiosun
Start : 2015-06-09 - End : 2015-06-12
The last five years have seen substantial progress in our
understanding of the solar dynamo, fueled by continuing advances in
observations and modeling. With the launch of NASA's Solar Dynamics
Observatory (SDO) in 2010 came an unprecedented window on the
evolving magnetic topology of the Sun, highlighting its intricate
3D structure and global connectivity. The Helioseismic Magnetic
Imager (HMI) instrument on SDO in particular has provided
potentially transformative yet enigmatic insights into the internal
dynamics of the solar convection zone that underlie the dynamo.
Attempts to detect subsurface convective motions from helioseismic
inversions have yielded only upper limits on the large-scale
convective amplitude, challenging our understanding of global solar
convection. Yet, potential signatures of giant cells have been
detected in photospheric Dopplergrams. Estimates of the meridional
flow from HMI and complementary instruments (SOHO/MDI and GONG)
have been equally tantalizing and enigmatic. Several disparate
techniques, including local and global helioseismic inversions and
correlation tracking of surface features, have yielded evidence of
a multi-cellular meridional flow but they differ on the detailed
flow structure and amplitude. This multi-cellular meridional flow
has potentially profound implications for flux-transport dynamo
models that previously assumed a very different structure with a
single circulation cell per hemisphere.
Website:
https://www2.hao.ucar.edu/Workshop/Solar-Dynamo-Frontiers
Start : 2015-07-13 - End : 2015-07-24
The CISM Summer School is intended to give students a
comprehensive immersion in the subject of space weather: what it
is, what it does, and what can be done about it. Space weather is
many things: beautiful when seen through the eyes of a sun-viewing
telescope, fascinating when studied for its alien worlds of
magnetic structures and phenomena, awesome when witnessed as a
solar eruption or auroral storm, and devastating to the users of
services it disrupts. Space weather links the Sun, the Earth, and
the space in between in a branching chain of consequences. Weather
systems on the Sun can spawn interplanetary storms of colossal size
and energy that envelop the whole planet in electrical hurricanes.
Such storms attack high-tech, complex, and expensive technological
systems that provide much of the infrastructure that allows modern
society to function.
Website:
https://www2.hao.ucar.edu/Events/2015-CISM-Summer-School
Start : 2015-07-21 - End : 2015-07-23
The conference will review past and recent achievements, as well
as future challenges in the field of solar coronal loop
physics.
Website:
http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/astro/cl7/index.html
Start : 2015-07-28 - End : 2015-08-04
Heliophysics is all of the science common to the field of the
Sun-Earth connections. This fast-developing field of research
covers many traditional sub-disciplines of space physics,
astrophysics, and climate studies. The NASA Living with a Star
program, with its focus on the basic science underlying all aspects
of space weather, acts as a catalyst to bring the many research
disciplines together to deepen our understanding of the system of
systems formed by the Sun-Earth connection.
Website:
http://www.heliophysics.ucar.edu/
Start : 2015-07-30 - End : 2015-08-06
The 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC) will be held
from July 30 to August 6, 2015, in The Hague, The Netherlands. It
is an important and large conference in the field of Astroparticle
Physics. The ICRC covers: cosmic-ray physics, solar and
heliospheric physics, gamma-ray astronomy, neutrino astronomy, and
dark matter physics.
Website: http://icrc2015.nl
Start : 2015-08-31 - End : 2015-09-04
The purpose of this conference is to discuss the latest
questions and results in solar and stellar physics. Solar and
stellar seismology will be one particular focus but contributions
on all aspects of solar-stellar relations will be welcome. We aim
to establish links and synergies between the day- and night-time
fields of astrophysics.
Website:
http://www.iac.es/congreso/solarnet-3meeting/
Start : 2015-09-02 - End : 2015-09-04
The Workshop will address how the joint exploration of the
corona and inner heliosphere will lead to advances in our
understanding of coronal heating and solar wind acceleration, the
magnetic and plasma structure of the heliosphere, and the
acceleration of energetic particles at shocks and flares. The
workshop will inspire research that will make use of SO and SPP
observations within the context of the NASA Heliophysics
Observatory System and identify key areas for preparatory research.
Synergistic observations from other ground based and space based
assets will also be addressed.
Website:
http://www.solarprobeplus.org/2015/
Start : 2015-10-05 - End : 2015-10-09
This CSPM-2015 scientific meeting will cover various aspects of
solar dynamic and magnetic phenomena which are observed over the
entire electromagnetic spectrum: white-light, Hα, Ca II,
and radio from ground and in a variety of other wavelengths (white
light, UV and EUV, and X-rays) from space. Emphasis will also be
placed on instrumentation, observing techniques, and solar image
processing techniques, as well as theory and modelling through
detailed radiative transfer in increasingly realistic MHD models.
The long-term (cyclic) evolution of solar magnetism and its
consequence for the solar atmosphere, eruptive phenomena, solar
irradiation variations, and space weather, will be in focus. Here,
special attention will be devoted to the long-term observations
made in Coimbra and also to the results of the SPRING / SOLARNET
and SCOSTEP VarSITI studies. In particular, the weak solar activity
during the current solar maximum will be discussed. Finally, since
this meeting is organised around the 90th anniversary of performing
the first spectroheliographic observations in Coimbra, a session
will be specially dedicated to new solar instruments (both
ground-based and space-borne) that will give access to unexplored
solar atmospheric features and dynamic phenomena over the coming
years.
Website:
http://www.mat.uc.pt/~cspm2015/
Start : 2015-10-19 - End : 2015-10-23
The workshop aims to gather experts from the various fields of
remote sensing observations of the inner heliosphere,
including white light, EUV, and radio observation,
together with modellers in order to tackle key outstanding science
and space weather operational issues, establish closer
working relations, and devise the best ways to move the field
forward as a whole. In addition, the science learned from remote
Âsensing observations is critical to improving our
capabilities of space weather forecasting. The workshop
aims to look at ways in which we can more easily and efficiently
share and access the various types of data between individual
groups and subÂcommunities and to officially launch the
IPS Common Data Format v1.0 (IPSCDFv1.0) now in use. It also aims
to allow investigations into ways in which we model the inner
heliosphere looking at the advantages and disadvantages of the
available modelling, updates on present and future
remoteÂsensing capabilities, and investigating further
the ways in which these data sets all complement each other and are
necessary to gain knowledge and understanding of the fundamental
physical processes that occur within the inner heliosphere. These
are critical processes that are key to both Heliophysics science as
well as to spaceÂweather operations and forecasting.
Website:
http://www.sciesmex.unam.mx/workshop2015/
Start : 2015-11-10 - End : 2015-11-13
Observations of the Sun and Earth from space have revolutionized
our view and understanding about impacts of solar variability and
anthropogenic forcing on Earth climate. For more than three solar
cycles since 1978, the total and spectral solar irradiance (TSI and
SSI) and global terrestrial atmosphere/surface have been observed
continuously, enabling unprecedented quality data for Sun-climate
studies. The primary objective of this symposium is to convene
climate scientists, solar physicists, and experimentalists together
for a better understanding how Earth climate system changes and
responds to solar variability.
Website:
http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/sorce/news-events/meetings/2015-sun-climate-symposium/
Start : 2016-07-30 - End : 2016-08-07
The 41st COSPAR Scientific Assembly will be held in Istanbul,
Turkey from 30 July - 7 August 2016. This Assembly is open to all
bona fide scientists.
Website:
https://www.cospar-assembly.org/
Theoretical course on the Sun and space weather for participants to the astronomy course in Public Observatory MIRA, Grimbergen (Belgium). Given on 19 March 2014 for 35 attendees.
http://www.spaceweather.eu/en/repository/show?id=557
Presentation given during a users' visit about the STCE operational space weather services and products.
http://www.spaceweather.eu/en/repository/show?id=558
Presentation given during a users' visit about the STCE operational space weather services and products.
http://www.spaceweather.eu/en/repository/show?id=559
Presentation given during a users' visit about the STCE operational space weather services and products.
http://www.spaceweather.eu/en/repository/show?id=560
Presentation given during a users' visit about the STCE operational space weather services and products.
http://www.spaceweather.eu/en/repository/show?id=561
Presentation given during a users' visit about the STCE operational space weather services and products.
http://www.spaceweather.eu/en/repository/show?id=562
Presentation given during a users' visit about the STCE operational space weather services and products.
http://www.spaceweather.eu/en/repository/show?id=563
Invited review submitted to the journal Revue E. This article is the first in a series of 3 articles.
De Zon, Helios, Sol, ... er bestaan vele namen voor die gele bol die dagelijks ons hemelgewelf doorkruist en onze warmte- en lichtbron bij uitstek is. Dankzij satellietwaarnemingen hebben we onze ster leren kennen als een dyna- misch en explosief hemelobject dat aan de basis ligt van het zogenaamde ruimteweer dat een belangrijke impact heeft op onze technologie.
http://www.spaceweather.eu/en/repository/show?id=564
On the occasion of the solar eclipse of March 20, 2015, we contributed to the March 2015 edition of the amateur astronomer journal 'Zenit'. We highlighted the outcome of LASCO onboard of SOHO and focussed on the role of the STCE on space missions like PROBA2, PROBA3 and Solar Orbiter.
The text is written in Dutch.
http://www.spaceweather.eu/en/repository/show?id=565