• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.99-106
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• 2007

Statistical analyses were performed to investigate the relative success and accuracy of daily maximum X-ray flux (MXF) predictions, using both multilinear regression and autoregressive time-series prediction methods. As input data for this work, we used 14 solar activity parameters recorded over the prior 2 year period (1989-1990) during the solar maximum of cycle 22. We applied the multilinear regression method to the following three groups: all 14 variables (G1), the 2 so-called 'cause' variables (sunspot complexity and sunspot group area) showing the highest correlations with MXF (G2), and the 2 'effect' variables (previous day MXF and the number of flares stronger than C4 class) showing the highest correlations with MXF (G3). For the advanced three days forecast, we applied the autoregressive timeseries method to the MXF data (GT). We compared the statistical results of these groups for 1991 data, using several statistical measures obtained from a $2{\times}2$ contingency table for forecasted versus observed events. As a result, we found that the statistical results of G1 and G3 are nearly the same each other and the 'effect' variables (G3) are more reliable predictors than the 'cause' variables. It is also found that while the statistical results of GT are a little worse than those of G1 for relatively weak flares, they are comparable to each other for strong flares. In general, all statistical measures show good predictions from all groups, provided that the flares are weaker than about M5 class; stronger flares rapidly become difficult to predict well, which is probably due to statistical inaccuracies arising from their rarity. Our statistical results of all flares except for the X-class flares were confirmed by Yates' $X^2$ statistical significance tests, at the 99% confidence level. Based on our model testing, we recommend a practical strategy for solar X-ray flare predictions.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.spc1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2003

In this paper, we review recent studies on the magnetic helicity changes of solar active regions by photospheric horizontal motions. Recently, Chae(200l) developed a methodology to determine the magnetic helicity change rate via photospheric horizontal motions. We have applied this methodology to four cases: (1) NOAA AR 8100 which has a series of homologous X-ray flares, (2) three active regions which have four eruptive major X-ray flares, (3) NOAA AR 9236 which has three eruptive X-class flares, and (4) NOAA AR 8668 in which a large filament was under formation. As a result, we have found several interesting results. First, the rate of magnetic helicity injection strongly depends on an active region and its evolution. Its mean rate ranges from 4 to $17 {\times} 10^{40}\;Mx^2\;h^{-1}$. Especially when the homologous flares occurred and when the filament was formed, significant rates of magnetic helicity were continuously deposited in the corona via photospheric shear flows. Second, there is a strong positive correlation between the magnetic helicity accumulated during the flaring time interval of the homologous flares in AR 8100 and the GOES X-ray flux integrated over the flaring time. This indicates that the occurrence of a series of homologous flares is physically related to the accumulation of magnetic helicity in the corona by photospheric shearing motions. Third, impulsive helicity variations took place near the flaring times of some strong flares. These impulsive variations whose time scales are less than one hour are attributed to localized velocity kernels around the polarity inversion line. Fourth, considering the filament eruption associated with an X1.8 flare started about 10 minutes before the impulsive variation of the helicity change rate, we suggest that the impulsive helicity variation is not a cause of the eruptive solar flare but its result. Finally, we discuss the physical implications on these results and our future plans.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.29 no.spc1
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• pp.291-294
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• 1996

The .Japanese sun observing satellite, Yohkoh, has been operational for five years and her scientific instruments are still in good condition. They have revealed ample of evidences that solar flares were triggered by magnetic reconnection, which was, for the first time, clearly indicated to take place in the solar corona. Cusp structures in soft X-rays and a new type of hard X-ray sources at the top of flaring loops have strongly supported the scenario originally proposed by C-S-H-KP. Nonthermal energy input in hard X-rays and thermal energy estimated from soft X-rays are fundamentally consistent with the interpretation of thick-target and chromospheric-evaporation models (Neupert effect). X-ray jets, another discovery of Yohkoh, were also associated with magnetic reconnection, as a result of the interaction of emerging fluxes with pre-existing coronal loops. Temperature structures of active regions, quiet sun, and coronal holes had very dynamic differential-emission-measure (DEM) distributions and high-temperature tails of DEM were considered to come from the contribution of flare-like activity.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.64.3-64.3
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• 2015

We have developed a set of daily solar flare peak flux forecast models for strong flares using multiple linear regression and artificial neural network methods. We consider input parameters as solar activity data from January 1996 to December 2013 such as sunspot area, X-ray flare peak flux and weighted total flux of previous day, and mean flare rates of McIntosh sunspot group (Zpc) and Mount Wilson magnetic classification. For a training data set, we use the same number of 61 events for each C-, M-, and X-class from Jan. 1996 to Dec. 2004, while other previous models use all flares. For a testing data set, we use all flares from Jan. 2005 to Nov. 2013. The best three parameters related to the observed flare peak flux are weighted total flare flux of previous day (r = 0.51), X-ray flare peak flux (r = 0.48), and Mount Wilson magnetic classification (r = 0.47). A comparison between our neural network models and the previous models based on Heidke Skill Score (HSS) shows that our model for X-class flare is much better than the models and that for M-class flares is similar to them. Since all input parameters for our models are easily available, the models can be operated steadily and automatically in near-real time for space weather service.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.37.2-37.2
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• 2009

In this study, we present a new empirical forecasting method of solar proton events based on flare parameters. For this we used NOAA solar energetic particle (SEP) events from 1976 to 2006 and their associated X-ray flare data. As a result, we found that about only 3.5% (1.9% for M-class and 21.3% for X-class) of the flares are associated with the proton events. It is also found that this fraction strongly depends on longitude; for example, the fraction for $30W^{\circ}$ < L < $90W^{\circ}$ is about three times larger than that for $30^{\circ}E$ < L < $90^{\circ}E$. The occurrence probability of solar proton events for flares with long duration (> 0.3 hours) is about 2 (X-class flare) to 7 (M-class flare) times larger than that for flares with short duration (< 0.3 hours). The relationship between X-ray flare peak flux and proton peak flux as well as its correlation coefficient are strongly dependent on longitude. Using these results for prediction of proton flux, we divided the data into 6 subgroups depending on two parameters: (1) 3 longitude ranges (east, center, and west) and (2) flare impulsive times (long and short). For each subgroup, we make a linear regression between the X-ray flare peak flux and the corresponding proton peak flux. The result shows that the proton flux in the eastern region is much better correlated with the X-ray flux than that in the western region.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2010.04a
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• pp.38.2-38.2
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• 2010

We have examined the occurrence probability of solar proton events (SPEs) and their peak fluxes depending three flare parameters (X-ray peak flux, longitude, and impulsive time). For this we used NOAA SPEs from 1976 to 2006, and their associated X-ray flare data. As a result, we selected 166 proton events that were associated with major flares; 85 events associated with X-class flares and 81 events associated with M-class flares. Especially the occurrence probability strongly depends on these three parameters. In addition, the relationship between X-ray flare peak flux and proton peak flux as well as its correlation coefficient are strongly dependent on longitude and impulsive time. Among NOAA SPEs from 1997 to 2006, most of the events are related to both flares and CMEs but a few fraction of events (5/93) are only related with CMEs. We carefully identified the sources of these events using LASCO CME catalog and SOHO MDI data. Specifically, we examined the directions of CMEs related with the events and the history of active regions. As a result, we were able to determine active regions which are likely to produce SPEs without ambiguity as well as their longitudes at the time of SPEs by considering solar rotation rate. From this study, we found that the longitudes of five active regions are all between $90^{\circ}W$ and $120^{\circ}W$. When the flare peak time is assume to be the CME event time, we confirmed that the dependence of their rise times (proton peak time - flare peak time) on longitude are consistent with the previous empirical formula. These results imply that five events should be also associated with flares which were not observed because they occurred from back-side. Now we are examining the occurrence probability of SPEs depending on CME parameters. Finally, we will discuss the future prospects on the development of an empirical SPE forecast model based on the information of flares and CMEs.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.46.2-46.2
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• 2016

We explore the similarity and difference of the quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) observed during the solar and stellar X-ray flares. For this, we identified 59 solar QPPs in the X-ray observed by the Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and 52 stellar QPPs from X-ray Multi Mirror Newton observatory (XMM-Newton). The Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method and least-square-fit with the damped sine function are applied to obtain the periods and damping times of the QPPs. We found that (1) the periods and damping times of the stellar QPPs are 7.80 and 13.80 min, which are comparable with those of the solar QPPs 0.55 and 0.97 min. (2) The ratio of the damping times to the periods observed in the stellar QPPs are found to be statistically identical to the solar QPPs, (3) The damping times are well describe by the power law. The power indices of the solar and stellar QPPs are $0.891{\pm}0.172$ and $0.953{\pm}0.198$, which are consistent with the previous results. Thus, we conclude that the underlying mechanism responsible for the stellar QPPs are the natural oscillations of the flaring or adjacent coronal loops as in the Sun.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2020

The recent study of Chae et al. (2017) found a one-to-one correspondence between plasma blobs outflowing along a ray formed after a coronal mass ejection (CME) and small X-ray flares. In the present work, we have examined the spatial configuration and the eruption process of the flares that are associated with the blobs by analyzing EUV images and magnetograms taken by the SDO/AIA and HMI. We found that the main flare and the successive small flares took place in a quadrupolar magnetic configuration characterized by predominant magnetic fields of positive polarity, two minor magnetic fragments of negative polarity, and a curved polarity inversion line between them, which suggests that the formation process of the blobs may be similar to that of the parent CME. We also found that the successive flares resulted in a gradual change of the quadrupolar magnetic configuration, and the relevant migration of flaring kernels. The three-dimensional geometry and the property of the current sheet, that is often supposed to be embedded in an observed post-CME ray, seem to keep changing because of mutual feedback between the successive flares and the temporal change of the magnetic field configuration. Our results suggest that the observed post-CME rays may not reflect the characteristics of the current sheet responsible for the impulsive phase of the flare.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.29 no.spc1
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• pp.315-316
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• 1996

Based on X-ray (1-8 ${\AA}$) flux data for 1972-1995 the integral spectra of solar flare energy were computed. It has been shown that the spectral index $\beta$ of the integral energy spectrum (IES) vanes systematically with the 11-year cycle phase. The interval of $\beta$-variations (0.47 <$\beta$<1) is characteristic of UV-Cet stars. The maximum energy of the X-ray flares does not exceed $10^{32}$ erg.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.61-66
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• 2003

We have examined the relationship between the speeds of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and the GOES X-ray peak fluxes of associated flares. Noting that previous studies were possibly affected by projection effects and random association effects, we have considered two sets of carefully selected CME-flare events: four homologous events and four well-observed limb events. In the respective samples, good correlations are found between the CME speeds and the GOES X-ray peak fluxes of the associated flares. A similarly good correlation is found for all eight events of both samples when the CME speeds of the homologous events are corrected for projection effect. Our results suggest that a close relationship possibly exists between CME kinematics and flaring processes.