• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.295-298
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• 2005

Recently a big progress has been made on the measurements of magnetic helicity of solar active regions based on photospheric magnetograms . In this paper, we present the details of Chae's method of determining the rate of helicity transfer using line-of-sight magnetograms such as taken by SORO /MDI. The method is specifically applied to full-disk magnetograms that are routinely taken at 96-minute cadence.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.29 no.spc1
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• pp.333-335
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• 1996

Here we report the results from spectroscopic observations of soloar active regions in the HeI 10830 ${\AA}$ line at the German Vacuum Tower Telescope(VTT) in Tenerife during the August 199:3 International EFR(Emerging Flux Region) Campaign. Four active regions in various stages of their evolution, i.e., NOAA7558, 7560, 7561, and 7562, were ovserved on 10 August 1993. From the observed HeI 10830 ${\AA}$ spectra in these active regions, spectroscopic quantities such as equivalent width(EW), doppler shift, doppler width, etc., were derived(see Figure l(a)) and the correlation between them were studied(see Figure l(b)). Our main results are as follows: (I)In NOAA7562, which is a young and evolving EFR, the EW is large, while it is small around a simple and roundish spot of NOAA7558. (2)In these active regions, redshift in the 10830 line is dominant when the EW is larger. (3)As the doppler width increases, the line tends to shift redward. (4)When the EW is smaller, it seems to exist another component which have dynamic characteristics different from the redshifting component. In NOAA7560 and NOAA7561, regions which have several small spots, the values of the EW are intermediate. Results (2) and (3) may suggest the possible existence of downflow above active regions, if the HeI 10830 ${\AA}$line is formed in the upper chromopshere, and it is consistent with the earlyer result from the SMM extreme-ultraviolet observation by Klimchuk(1987, Astrophys. J., 323, 368) (to be submitted. to Astronomy and Astrophysics; an extended abstract)

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.89-97
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• 2019

We demonstrate the subsurface origin of the observed evolution of the solar active region 10930 (AR10930) associated with merging and breakup of magnetic polarity regions at the solar surface. We performed a magnetohydrodynamic simulation of an emerging magnetic flux tube whose field-line twist is asymmetrically distributed along its axis, which is a key to merging and fragmentation in this active region. While emerging into the surface, the flux tube is subjected to partial splitting of its weakly twisted portion, forming separate polarity regions at the solar surface. As emergence proceeds, these separate polarity regions start to merge and then break up, while in the corona sigmoidal structures form and a solar eruption occurs. We discuss what physical processes could be involved in the characteristic evolution of an active region magnetic field that leads to the formation of a sunspot surrounded by satellite polarity regions.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.49-60
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• 2021

Observations of line of sight (LOS) Doppler velocity and non-thermal line width in the off-limb solar corona are often used for investigating the Alfvén wave signatures in the corona. In this study, we compare LOS Doppler velocities and non-thermal line widths obtained simultaneously from two different instruments, Coronal Multichannel Polarimeter (CoMP) and Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS), on various off-limb coronal regions: flaring and quiescent active regions, equatorial quiet region, and polar prominence and plume regions observed in 2012-2014. CoMP provides the polarization at the Fe xiii 10747 Å coronal forbidden lines which allows their spectral line intensity, LOS Doppler velocity, and line width to be measured with a low spectral resolution of 1.2 Å in 2-D off limb corona between 1.05 and 1.40 RSun, while Hinode/EIS gives us the EUV spectral information with a high spectral resolution (0.025 Å) in a limited field of view raster scan. In order to compare them, we make pseudo raster scan CoMP maps using information of each EIS scan slit time and position. We compare the CoMP and EIS spectroscopic maps by visual inspection, and examine their pixel to pixel correlations and percentages of pixel numbers satisfying the condition that the differences between CoMP and EIS spectroscopic quantities are within the EIS measurement accuracy: ±3 km s-1 for LOS Doppler velocity and ±9 km s-1 for non-thermal width. The main results are summarized as follows. By comparing CoMP and EIS Doppler velocity distributions, we find that they are consistent with each other overall in the active regions and equatorial quiet region (0.25 ≤ CC ≤ 0.7), while they are partially similar to each other in the overlying loops of prominences and near the bottom of the polar plume (0.02 ≤ CC ≤ 0.18). CoMP Doppler velocities are consistent with the EIS ones within the EIS measurement accuracy in most regions (≥ 87% of pixels) except for the polar region (45% of pixels). We find that CoMP and EIS non-thermal width distributions are similar overall in the active regions (0.06 ≤ CC ≤ 0.61), while they seem to be different in the others (-0.1 ≤ CC ≤ 0.00). CoMP non-thermal widths are similar to EIS ones within the EIS measurement accuracy in a quiescent active region (79% of pixels), while they do not match in the other regions (≤ 61% of pixels); the CoMP observations tend to underestimate the widths by about 20% to 40% compared to the EIS ones. Our results demonstrate that CoMP observations can provide reliable 2-D LOS Doppler velocity distributions on active regions and might provide their non-thermal width distributions.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.spc1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2003

We have studied the magnetic helicity of active regions by using the data from (1) the photo-electric magnetograph of the Okayama Observatory (1983-1995) and (2) the video magnetograph of NAOJ/Mitaka (1992-2000). The latitude distribution of helicity showed a tendency that the regions in the north (south) hemisphere have negative (positive) helicities, respectively, which is already known as the hemispheric sign rule. If we look into the sign of helicity as a function of time, the sign rule was less definite or was reversed sometimes in the sunspot minimum phase. We also studied the relation between the magnetic helicity and the sunspot tilt angles, and found that these two quantities are positively correlated, which is opposite to the expectation of a theoretical model. The implications of this cycle-phase dependence of helicity signs and the correlation between magnetic he Ii city and sunspot tilt angles are discussed.

• 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.50 no.6
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• pp.179-184
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• 2017

We present a new method for solving an inverse problem of flux emergence which transports subsurface magnetic flux from an inaccessible interior to the surface where magnetic structures may be observed to form, such as solar active regions. To make a quantitative evaluation of magnetic structures having various characteristics, we derive physical properties of subsurface magnetic field that characterize those structures formed through flux emergence. The derivation is performed by inversion from an evolutionary relation between two observables obtained at the surface, emerged magnetic flux and injected magnetic helicity, the former of which provides scale information while the latter represents the configuration of magnetic field.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.181-186
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• 2008

Recently, Choe & Cheng (2002) have demonstrated that multiple magnetic flux systems with closed configurations can have more magnetic energy than the corresponding open magnetic fields. In relation to this issue, we have addressed two questions: (1) how much fraction of eruptive solar active regions shows multiple flux system features, and (2) what winding angle could be an eruption threshold. For this investigation, we have taken a sample of 105 front-side halo CMEs, which occurred from 1996 to 2001, and whose source regions were located near the disk center, for which magnetic polarities in SOHO/MDI magnetograms are clearly discernible. Examining their soft X-ray images taken by Yohkoh SXT in pre-eruption stages, we have classified these events into two groups: multiple flux system events and single flux system events. It is found that 74% (78/105) of the sample events show multiple flux system features. Comparing the field configuration of an active region with a numerical model, we have also found that the winding angle of the eruptive flux system is slightly above $1.5{\pi}$.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.105-113
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• 2014

We apply differential affine velocity estimator (DAVE) to the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) 12-min line-of-sight magnetograms, and separately calculate the injected magnetic helicity for the leading and the following polarities of nine emerging bipolar active regions (ARs). Comparing magnetic helicity flux of the leading polarity with the following polarity, we find that six ARs studied in this paper have the following polarity that injected more magnetic helicity flux than that of the leading polarity. We also measure the mean area of each polarity in all the nine ARs, and find that the compact polarity tend to possess more magnetic helicity flux than the fragmented one. Our results confirm the previous studies on asymmetry of magnetic helicity that emerging bipolar ARs have a polarity preference in injecting magnetic helicity. Based on the changes of unsigned magnetic flux, we divide the emergence process into two evolutionary stages: (1) an increasing stage before the peak flux and (2) a constant or decreasing stage after the peak flux. Obvious changes on magnetic helicity flux can be seen during transition from one stage to another. Seven ARs have one or both polarity that changed the sign of magnetic helicity flux. Additionally, the prevailing polarity of the two ARs, which injects more magnetic helicity, changes form the following polarity to the leading one.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.spc1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2003

Quiescent solar radiation, at microwave spectral regime, is dominated by gyroresonant and thermal Bremsstrahlung radiations from hot electrons residing in solar active region corona. These radiations are known to provide excellent diagnostics on the coronal temperature, density, and magnetic field, provided that spatially resolved spectra are available from observations. In this paper we present an imaging spectroscopy implemented for a bipolar active region, AR 7912, using the multifrequency interferometric data from the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA), as processed with a new imaging technique, so-called Spatio-Spectral Maximum Entropy Method (SSMEM). From the microwave maps at 26 frequencies in the range of 1.2-12.4 GHz at both right- and left-circular polarizations, we construct spatially resolved brightness spectra in every reconstructed pixel of about 2 arcsec interval. These spectra allowed us to determine 2-D distribution of electron temperature, magnetic field of coronal base, and emission measure at the coronal base above the active region. We briefly compare the present result with existing studies of the coronal active regions.