• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2016

In recent years, there has been renewed activity in the study of local plasma density enhancements in the low latitude F region ionosphere (low latitude plasma blobs). Satellite, all-sky airglow imager, and radar measurements have identified the characteristics of these blobs, and their coupling to Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs). New information related to blobs has also been obtained from the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite. In this paper, we briefly review experimental, theoretical and modeling studies related to low latitude plasma blobs.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.81-81
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• 2003

We report the plasma blob events that were observed from KOMPSAT-1 (2250 LT, 685-km altitude) and from DMSP F15 (2130 LT,840-km altitude) in the low-latitude ionosphere. The global distribution of blobs showed a season-longitudinal dependence similar to the distribution of the equatorial plasma bubbles, although they were observed along the ${\pm}$15 dip latitudes. The blobs drifted upward relative to the ambient plasmas, and the electron temperatures and H+ proportions were lower within the blobs compared to those in the background. These characteristics of the plasma blobs are very similar to the characteristics of the equatorial plasma bubbles. Then, we suggest that the blobs were originated from the lower altitudes by the mechanism that drives an upward drift of the plasma bubbles. The blob events did not occur in a correlated way with the magnetic activity or daily variation of the solar activity.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.82.1-82.1
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• 2017

After a coronal mass ejection occur, plasma blobs are often observed along the post-CME ray. Searching for features related to the plasma blobs would be important in understanding their origin. We investigated the morphology of solar flares at EUV wavelengths, around the estimated times when blobs were formed. We focused on three events - 2013 September 21 and 22, 2015 March 7 and 8, and 2017 July 13 and 14 - observed by Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). Around the blob ejection times on 2013 September 21 and 22 and 2017 July 13 and14, we found regions with recurrent events of pronounced flux increase in EUV images. Around those of 2015 March 7 and 8, however, we could not observe such recurrent flux increase. This illustrates that even though blob ejections along different post-CME rays look similar in the high corona, the assocated features in the low corona may differ. We conclude that magnetic morphology and CME triggering process should be carefully examined in order to classify plasma blobs by their nature.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.41.3-41.3
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• 2019

To find out the origin and formation mechanism of LASCO-C2 post-CME blobs, we investigate 2 LASCO-C2 blobs and 35 low corona blobs observed by K-Cor on 2017 September 10 from 17:11 to 18:58 UT. By visual inspection of a post-CME ray and the locations of low corona blobs in K-Cor and LASCO-C2 images with examining the time-height data of all blobs, we find the following results: (1) The post-CME ray structure is well identified in the K-Cor images than LASCO-C2 ones. (2) Low corona blobs can be classified into two groups according to their formation mechanisms: 27 blobs belong to Group 1, generated by the tearing mode instability near the middles of current sheets as described by Furth et al., 1963; Shibata & Tanuma, 2001; Shen et al., 2011, the others belong to Group 2, formed by the tearing mode instability near the tips of current sheets as shown in Figure 5 of Sitnov et al., 2002. (3) Group 1 has low initial appearance heights <1.30 Rs>, broad speed range (38 ~ 945 km/s), and high accelerations <4,272 m/s² > than Group 2, which has initial appearance heights <1.72 Rs>, speed range (579 ~ 843 km/s), and accelerations <1,413 m/s² >. (4) among 8 blobs for Group 2, only 2 blobs are temporally and spatially associated with 2 LASCO-C2 ones and their initial observation heights are 1.93 and 1.79 Rs, respectively. Our results firstly demonstrate that LASCO-C2 blobs form the heights from about 1.7 to 2.0 Rs and they are generated by the tearing mode instability near the tips of current sheets.

• 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.54 no.2
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• pp.61-70
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• 2021

We investigate 20 post-coronal mass ejection (CME) blobs formed in the post-CME current sheet (CS) that were observed by K-Cor on 2017 September 10. By visual inspection of the trajectories and projected speed variations of each blob, we find that all blobs except one show irregular "zigzag" trajectories resembling transverse oscillatory motions along the CS, and have at least one oscillatory pattern in their instantaneous radial speeds. Their oscillation periods are ranging from 30 to 91 s and their speed amplitudes from 128 to 902 km s-1. Among 19 blobs, 10 blobs have experienced at least two cycles of radial speed oscillations with different speed amplitudes and periods, while 9 blobs undergo one oscillation cycle. To examine whether or not the apparent speed oscillations can be explained by vortex shedding, we estimate the quantitative parameter of vortex shedding, the Strouhal number, by using the observed lateral widths, linear speeds, and oscillation periods of the blobs. We then compare our estimates with theoretical and experimental results from MHD simulations and fluid dynamic experiments. We find that the observed Strouhal numbers range from 0.2 to 2.1, consistent with those (0.15-3.0) from fluid dynamic experiments of bluff spheres, while they are higher than those (0.15-0.25) from MHD simulations of cylindrical shapes. We thus find that blobs formed in a post-CME CS undergo kinematic oscillations caused by fluid dynamic vortex shedding. The vortex shedding is driven by the interaction of the outward-moving blob having a bluff spherical shape with the background plasma in the post-CME CS.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.67.3-68
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• 2017

Bright rays are often observed after coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupt. These rays are dynamical structures along which plasmas move outward. We investigated the outflows along the post-CME rays observed by the COR2 on board STEREO Behind on 2013 September 21 and 22. We tracked two CMEs, two ray tips, and seven blobs using the NAVE optical flow technique. As a result, we found that the departure times of blobs and ray tips from the optimally chosen starting height of 0.5 $R{\odot}$ coincided with the occurrence times of the corresponding recurrent small flares within 10 minutes. These small flares took place many hours after the major flares. This result supports a magnetic reconnection origin of the outward flows along the post-CME ray and the importance of magnetic islands for understanding the process of magnetic reconnection. The total energy of magnetic reconnection maintaining the outflows for 40 hr is estimated at 1.4' 1030 erg. Further investigations of plasma outflows along post-CME rays will shed much light on the physical properties of magnetic reconnection occurring in the solar corona.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.58.4-59
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• 2021

This presentation introduces Korea's SNIPE (Small scale magNespheric and Ionospheric Plasma Experiment) mission, formation flying CubeSat constellation. Observing particles and waves on a single satellite suffers from inherent space-time ambiguity. To observe spatial and temporal variations of the micro-scale plasma structures on the topside ionosphere, four 6U CubeSats (~ 10 kg) will be launched into a polar orbit of the altitude of ~500 km in 2021. The distances of each satellite will be controlled from 10 km to more than 100 km by formation flying algorithm. The SNIPE mission is equipped with identical scientific instruments, solid-state telescope, magnetometer, and Langmuir probe. All the payloads have a high temporal resolution (sampling rates of about 10 Hz). Iridium modules provide an opportunity to upload changes in operational modes when geomagnetic storms occur. SNIPE's observations of the dimensions, occurrence rates, amplitudes, and spatiotemporal evolution of polar cap patches, field-aligned currents (FAC), radiation belt microbursts, and equatorial and mid-latitude plasma blobs and bubbles will determine their significance to the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere interaction and quantify their impact on space weather.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.40.3-41
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• 2017

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute The observation of particles and waves using a single satellite inherently suffers from space-time ambiguity. Recently, such ambiguity has often been resolved by multi-satellite observations; however, the inter-satellite distances were generally larger than 100 km. Hence, the ambiguity could be resolved only for large-scale (> 100 km) structures while numerous microscale phenomena have been observed at low altitude satellite orbits. In order to resolve those spatial and temporal variations of the microscale plasma structures on the topside ionosphere, SNIPE mission consisted of four (TBD) nanosatellites (~10 kg) will be launched into a polar orbit at an altitude of 700 km (TBD). Two pairs of satellites will be deployed on orbit and the distances between each satellite will be from 10 to 100 km controlled by a formation flying algorithm. The SNIPE mission is equipped with scientific payloads which can measure the following geophysical parameters: density/temperature of cold ionospheric electrons, energetic (~100 keV) electron flux, and magnetic field vectors. All the payloads will have high temporal resolution (~ 16 Hz (TBD)). This mission is planned to launch in 2020. The SNIPE mission aims to elucidate microscale (100 m-10 km) structures in the topside ionosphere (below altitude of 1,000 km), especially the fine-scale morphology of high-energy electron precipitation, cold plasma density/temperature, field-aligned currents, and electromagnetic waves. Hence, the mission will observe microscale structures of the following phenomena in geospace: high-latitude irregularities, such as polar-cap patches; field-aligned currents in the auroral oval; electro-magnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves; hundreds keV electrons' precipitations, such as electron microbursts; subauroral plasma density troughs; and low-latitude plasma irregularities, such as ionospheric blobs and bubbles. We have developed a 6U nanosatellite bus system as the basic platform for the SNIPE mission. Three basic plasma instruments shall be installed on all of each spacecraft, Particle Detector (PD), Langmuir Probe (LP), and Scientific MAGnetometer (SMAG). In addition we now discuss with NASA and JAXA to collaborate with the other payload opportunities into SNIPE mission.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.68-68
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• 2017

Measurements of solar wind speed near the Sun (< 0.1 AU) are important for understanding acceleration mechanism of solar wind as well as space weather predictions, but hard to directly measure them. For the first time, we provide 2D solar wind speed maps in the LASCO field of view using three consecutive days data. By applying the Fourier convolution and inverse Fourier transform, we decompose the 3D intensity data (r, PA, t) into the 4D one (r, PA, t, v). Then, we take the weighted mean along speed to determine the solar wind speeds that gives V(r, PA, t) in every 30 min. The estimated radial speeds are consistent with those given by an artificial flow and plasma blobs. We find that the estimated speeds are moderately correlated with those from slow CMEs and those from IPS observations. A comparison of yearly solar wind speed maps in 2000 and 2009 shows that they have very remarkable differences: azimuthally uniform distribution in 2000 and bi-modal distribution (high speed near the poles and low speed near the equator) in 2009.