Collapsing magnetic traps (CMTs) have been suggested as one of the mechanisms that could contribute to particle energisation in solar flares. The basic idea behind CMTs is that charged particles will be trapped on the magnetic field lines below the reconnection region of a flare. This thesis discusses a number of important new aspects in particle energisation processes in CMTs, based on the model by Giuliani et al. (2005). In particular, we extend previous studies of particle acceleration in this CMT model to the relativistic regime and compare our results obtained using relativistic guiding centre theory with results obtained using the non-relativistic guiding centre theory. The similarities and differences found are discussed. We then present a detailed study of the question, what leads to the trapping or escape of particle orbits from CMTs. The answer to this question is investigated by using results from the non-relativistic orbit calculations with guiding centre theory and a number of simple models for particle energy gain in CMTs. We find that there is a critical pitch angle dividing trapped particle orbits from the escaping particle orbits and that this critical pitch angle does not coincide with the initial loss cone angle. Furthermore, we also present a calculation of the time evolution of an anisotropic pressure tensor and of the plasma density under the assumptions that they evolve in line with our kinematic MHD CMT model and that the pressure tensor satisfies the double-adiabatic Chew-Goldburger-Low (CGL) theory. Finally, we make a first step to introduce Coulomb scattering by a Maxwellian background plasma into our guiding centre equations by changing them into a set of stochastic differential equations. We study the influence of a static background plasma onto selected particle orbits by pitch angle scattering and energy losses, and look at its effect on the particle energy and the trapping conditions.

Abstract In this thesis solar active longitudes of X-ray flares and sunspots are studied. The fact that solar activity does not occur uniformly at all heliographic longitudes was noticed by Carrington as early as in 1843. The longitude ranges where solar activity occurs preferentially are called active longitudes. Active longitudes have been found in various manifestations of solar activity, such as sunspots, flares, radio emission bursts, surface and heliospheric magnetic fields, and coronal emissions. However, the active longitudes found when using different rigidly rotating reference frames differ significantly from each other. One reason is that the whole Sun does not rotate rigidly but differentially at different layers and different latitudes. The other reason is that the rotation of the Sun also varies with time. Earlier studies used a dynamic rotation frame for the differential rotation of the Sun and found two persistent active longitudes of sunspots in 1878-1996. However, the migration of active longitudes with respect to the Carrington rotation was treated there rather coarsely. We improved the accuracy of migration to less than one hour. Accordingly, not only the rotation parameters for each class of solar flares and sunspots are found to agree well with each other, but also the non-axisymmetry of flares and sunspots is systematically increased. We also studied the long-term variation of solar surface rotation. Using the improved analysis, the spatial distribution of sunspots in 1876-2008 is analyzed. The statistical evidence for different rotation in the northern and southern hemispheres is greatly improved by the revised treatment. Moreover, we have given consistent evidence for the periodicity of about one century in the north-south difference.

Solar flare is a process which releases magnetic energy stored in the solar corona due to the effect of magnetic reconnection. Similar activity has been observed on other stellar types, namely type K and M stars, which usually have vast and strong magnetic field. Often during flares on M stars we observe asymmetry of profiles of some spectral lines with enhanced red wing. The cause of these asymmetries is not well understood. The aim of this thesis is to analyse spectra of AD Leo, which is frequently flaring dMe star, and to model radiation of the Hα line coming from flare loops analogically to flare loops on the Sun. The light curves of selected spectral lines rise sharply during initial phases of flares and gradually fall back to preflare state. The light curves of continua surrounding these selected spectral lines rise sharply in the blue part of the spectrum during flares. The continua in the red part exhibit only small rise. Simulations of Hα radiation coming from flare loops yield asymmetric profiles with highly enhanced red wings. 1

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation ionizes the neutral components in the atmosphere, which is partly responsible for the formation of the ionosphere, and contributes to heating of the atmosphere. Solar flares change the solar spectrum at times by several orders of magnitude. These changes modify the Earth's upper atmosphere, causing problems to communication systems and space operations, such as increased satellite drag. Unfortunately, solar UV measurements are limited since they can only be observed with space-based sensors. In order to work around this limitation, the solar radio emissions at a wavelength of 10.7 cm have been used as a proxy for the solar UV radiation. These measurements, known as the F10.7 index, are a snapshot of the solar activity at the time they are taken and do not capture the changes that occur throughout the day, such as flares. In order to capture this daily variation, we used 1-second cadence solar radio data and compared it to solar UV measurements taken once per orbit by the TIMED satellite. We found significant correlations between some radio frequencies and different UV wavelengths during quiet times. These correlations changed in terms of radio frequency and UV wavelength during solar flares.

Thesis. 1977. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Science. / Bibliography : leaves 57-58. / by Bonnie J. Buratti. / M.S.

Yes / A web-based prototype system for predicting solar energetic particle (SEP) events and solar flares for use by space launch operators is presented. The system has been developed as a result of the European Space Agency (ESA) project SEPsFLAREs (Solar Events Prediction system For space LAunch Risk Estimation). The system consists of several modules covering the prediction of solar flares and early SEP Warnings (labeled Warning tool), the prediction of SEP event occurrence and onset, and the prediction of SEP event peak and duration. In addition, the system acquires data for solar flare nowcasting from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)-based techniques (GNSS Solar Flare Detector, GSFLAD and the Sunlit Ionosphere Sudden Total Electron Content Enhancement Detector, SISTED) as additional independent products that may also prove useful for space launch operators. / This work has been developed in the frame of 34 SEPsFLAREs project (ESA Contract Number 4000109626/13/NL/ 35 AK), which is an activity funded by ESA/ESTEC Space Environ- 36 ment (TEC-EES) section. The authors of this work are grateful to 37 ESA’s MONITOR project (Contract Number 4000100988/2010/F/ 38 WE) for allowing the use of GSFLAD and SISTED products. 39 We also thank AGAUR (Generalitat de Catalunya) for the financial 40 support from Grant PDJ 2014 00074.

No / The three seismic sources, S1, S2, and S3, detected from MDI Dopplergrams using the time-distance (TD) diagram technique are presented with the locations, areas, and vertical and horizontal velocities of the visible wave displacements. Within the data cube of 120 Mm, the horizontal velocities and the wave propagation times vary slightly from source to source. The momenta and start times measured from the TD diagrams in sources S1-S3 are compared with those delivered to the photosphere by different kinds of high-energy particles with the parameters deduced from hard X-ray and ¿-ray emission, as well as by the hydrodynamic shocks caused by these particles. The energetic protons (power laws combined with quasi-thermal ones, or jets) are shown to deliver momentum high enough and to form the hydrodynamic shocks deep enough in a flaring atmosphere to allow them to be delivered to the photosphere through much shorter distances and times. Then the seismic waves observed in the sources S2 and S3 can be explained by the momenta produced by hydrodynamic shocks, which are caused by mixed proton beams and jets occurring nearly simultaneously with the third burst of hard X-ray and ¿-ray emission in the loops with footpoints in the locations of these sources. The seismic wave in source S1, delayed by 4 and 2 minutes from the first and second hard X-ray bursts, respectively, is likely to be associated with a hydrodynamic shock occurring in this loop from precipitation of a very powerful and hard electron beam with higher energy cutoff mixed with quasi-thermal protons generated by either of these two bursts.

No / A crucial challenge to successful flare prediction is forecasting periods that transition between "flare-quiet" and "flare-active." Building on earlier studies in this series in which we describe the methodology, details, and results of flare forecasting comparison efforts, we focus here on patterns of forecast outcomes (success and failure) over multiday periods. A novel analysis is developed to evaluate forecasting success in the context of catching the first event of flare-active periods and, conversely, correctly predicting declining flare activity. We demonstrate these evaluation methods graphically and quantitatively as they provide both quick comparative evaluations and options for detailed analysis. For the testing interval 2016-2017, we determine the relative frequency distribution of two-day dichotomous forecast outcomes for three different event histories (i.e., event/event, no-event/event, and event/no-event) and use it to highlight performance differences between forecasting methods. A trend is identified across all forecasting methods that a high/low forecast probability on day 1 remains high/low on day 2, even though flaring activity is transitioning. For M-class and larger flares, we find that explicitly including persistence or prior flare history in computing forecasts helps to improve overall forecast performance. It is also found that using magnetic/modern data leads to improvement in catching the first-event/first-no-event transitions. Finally, 15% of major (i.e., M-class or above) flare days over the testing interval were effectively missed due to a lack of observations from instruments away from the Earth-Sun line.

The objective of this thesis is to use radio emissions from lightning, known as `radio atmospherics' or `sferics', to study the temporal and spatial variation of the lower ionosphere, a layer of ionized atmosphere beginning at $\sim$70 km altitude (D-region). Very Low Frequency (VLF, 3$-$30kHz) radio waves are a useful diagnostic for lower ionospheric monitoring due to their reflection from this region and global propagation. Traditionally, the lower ionosphere has been sensed using single-frequency VLF transmitters allowing for analysis of a single propagation path, as there are only a small number of transmitters. A lightning stroke, however, releases an intense amount of impulsive broadband VLF radio energy in the form of a sferic, which propagates through the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. Lightning is globally distributed and very frequent, so a sferic is therefore also a useful diagnostic of the D-region. This is true both for ambient or quiet conditions, and for ionospheric perturbations such as solar flare x-ray bursts. Lightning strokes effectively act as separate VLF transmitting sources. As such, they uniquely provide the ability to add a spatial component to ionospheric remote sensing, in addition to their broadband signature which cannot be achieved with man-made transmitters. We describe the methods of processing in detail. As an example, we analyze a solar flare during which time there is a significant change in magnitude and frequency content of sferics. This disturbance varies with distance from the source, as well as time. We describe the methods of processing in detail, and show results at Palmer Station, Antarctica for both a quiet and active solar day.

In this paper we analyze the small C1.5 class solar flare observed on June 30th 2013 by the Swedish Solar Telescope. The evolution of asym- metries in the H-alpha line profile of the solar flare was studied where it could be seen how the number of red asymmetric regions had a maximum value near the beginning of the flare and then decreases rapidly in the first 4 minutes of the observations. This could be interpreted as a correlation with the HXR and microwave emissions of the impulsive phase of the flare as these emissions also typically have a similar rapid increase and decrease of emission intensity.