京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第22257号 / 理博第4571号 / 新制||理||1656(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科地球惑星科学専攻 / (主査)教授 田口 聡, 教授 秋友 和典, 准教授 藤 浩明 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

The ionosphere is an electrically charged atmospheric region which is coupled to the sun, the magnetosphere, and the neutral atmosphere. The ionospheric state can significantly impact technological systems, especially those which utilize radio frequency energy. By studying ionospheric disturbances, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of not only the ionosphere itself, but also the natural and technological systems it is coupled to. This dissertation research utilizes high frequency (HF) radio remote sensing techniques to study three distinct types of ionospheric disturbances. First, ground magnetometers and a new mid latitude SuperDARN HF radar at Blackstone, Virginia are used to observe magnetospheric Pi2 ultra low frequency (ULF) pulsations in the vicinity of the plasmapause. Prior to these pulsations, two Earthward moving fast plasma flows were detected by spacecraft in the magnetotail. Signatures of inner magnetospheric compression observed by the Blackstone radar provide conclusive evidence that the plasma flow bursts directly generated the ground Pi2 signature via a compressional wave. This mechanism had previously been hypothesized, but never confirmed. Next, ten SuperDARN radars in the North American Sector are used to investigate the sources and characteristics of atmospheric gravity waves (AGW) associated medium scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) at both midlatitudes and high latitudes. Consistent with prior studies, the climatological MSTID population in both latitudinal regions was found to peak in the fall and winter and have a dominant equatorward propagation direction. Prior studies suggested these MSTIDs were caused by mechanisms associated with auroral and space weather activity; however, it is shown here that the AE and Sym-H indices are poorly correlated with MSTID observations. A new, multi-week timescale of MSTID activity is reported. This leads to the finding that MSTID occurrence is highly correlated with an index representative of polar vortex activity, possibly controlled by a filtering mechanism that is a function of stratospheric neutral wind direction. Finally, a case study of a radio blackout of transionospheric HF communications caused by an X2.9 class solar flare is presented. This study demonstrates the potential of a novel technique employing signals of opportunity and automated receiving networks voluntarily created by an international community of amateur radio operators. / Ph. D.

Il a été découvert récemment que les pulsations d’intensité de longue période (entre 3 et 16 heures) sont très répandues dans la couronne solaire et en particulier dans les boucles coronales. Les processus de chauffage des boucles coronales, qui permettent de porter le plasma à des températures de l’ordre du million de degrés et de le maintenir confiné à ces températures,restent mal compris. Ces pulsations dans l’extrême ultraviolet amènent de nouvelles contraintes observationnelles pour les modèles de boucles coronales et par conséquent pour mieux comprendre leur dynamique et leur chauffage. Le thème central de cette thèse est l’exploration des origines physiques possibles pour ce phénomène.J’ai dans un premier temps utilisé un code de détection, initialement développé pour les données de l’imageur SoHO/EIT, sur l’archive de l’instrument SDO/AIA. J’ai pu détecter des milliers d’événements sur six ans de données,la moitié d’entre eux se concentrant dans des régions actives et environ la moitié encore de ces événements pouvant êtreclairement identifiés dans des boucles. Parmi ces milliers d’événements, j’ai sélectionné trois cas associés à des boucles, avecun signal de détection fort et permettant d’explorer une large gamme de périodes.Grâce à l’utilisation des six bandes coronales d’AIA, j’ai pu dans un deuxième temps réaliser une analyse de lastructure thermique de ces boucles via la reconstruction de la mesure d’émission différentielle (DEM, pour Differential Emission Measure) et l’étude des décalages temporels entre les intensités des six bandes. La température et la densité du plasma reconstruites évoluent de façon périodique avec un retard temporel entre ces deux quantités. Ce comportement,caractéristique de cycles d’évaporation et de condensation du plasma, m’a permis de rapprocher ces pulsations d’intensité à un phénomène bien connu dans les simulations numériques et pour des structures comme les protubérances et la pluie coronale : l’absence d’équilibre thermique ou thermal non-equilibrium (TNE). Une analyse des caractéristiques des spectres de puissances observés a permis par ailleurs de confirmer cette conclusion. Le TNE intervient lorsque le chauffage dans les boucles est stratifié en altitude, avec un chauffage plus important à basse altitude et lorsque le chauffage est quasi-constant.L’identification non ambigüe du TNE dans les boucles a donc des implications très importantes pour la compréhension du chauffage des boucles.Dans un troisième temps, je me suis attachée à reproduire ces pulsations d’intensité par la simulation et à déterminer les propriétés intrinsèques des boucles qui favorisent l’apparition de ces cycles d’évolution dans certaines boucles. J’ai notamment utilisé des extrapolations du champ magnétique des trois régions étudiées en détail avec AIA, pour étudier la géométrie de boucles. Ces géométries ont ensuite été utilisées en entrée du code de simulation hydrodynamique 1D. J’ai alors balayé l’espace des paramètres des fonctions de chauffage utilisées et pu déterminer que les conditions d’apparition de cycles de TNE proviennent d’une combinaison de la géométrie de la boucle et des paramètres du chauffage (asymétrie et puissance). Ce qui explique que certaines boucles présentent des pulsations d’intensité et d’autres non. J’ai de plus étudiéune simulation en particulier, dont les paramètres physiques du plasma sont proches de ceux observés pour un cas étudié avec AIA. Les intensités EUV alors simulées reproduisent bien celles observées. Le modèle étudié permet d’expliquer les pulsations observées en terme de cycles d’évaporation et de condensation. / Long-period EUV intensity pulsations (periods from 3 to 16 hours) have been found recently to be very common in thesolar corona and especially in coronal loops. The heating mechanism(s) of solar coronal loops that generate million-degreeplasma and maintain it confined at this temperature remain unknown. These intensity pulsations (extreme ultraviolet)provide new constraints for loops models and thus to better understand coronal loops dynamics and heating. The centraltopic of this thesis is to explore the possible physical explanations for this phenomenon.First, I used a detection code, initially developed for SoHO/EIT images, on the SDO/AIA archive. I detected thousandsof events in the six years of data, half of them corresponding to active regions and about the half of whom are identifiedas corresponding to coronal loops. I selected three cases of long-period intensity pulsation events in loops, with a cleardetection signal and allowing to scan different periods.Second, using the six coronal channels of AIA, I made a detailed study of the thermal structure of these loops. I usedboth differential emission measure (DEM) reconstructions and an analysis of the time-lags between the intensities in thesix channels. The temperature and the density are found to be periodic with a time delay between these two physicalparameters of the plasma. This behavior is characteristic of evaporation and condensation cycles of the plasma and itallowed me to connect these intensity pulsations to thermal non-equilibrium (TNE), a well-know phenomenon in numericalsimulations and for structures such as prominences and coronal rain. Moreover, an analysis based only on the shape ofpower spectra allowed to confirm this conclusion. TNE happens when the heating is highly-stratified (mainly concentratedat low altitudes) and quasi-constant. Unambiguous identification of TNE in coronal loops has thus important implicationsfor understanding coronal heating.Third, I aimed at reproducing the observed intensity pulsations by simulations and at determining the intrinsicproperties of coronal loops that favor these particular cycles of evolution. I made extrapolations of the magnetic fieldfor the three regions studied to determine the loops geometry. These geometries have been then used as inputs for 1Dhydrodynamic simulations. I conducted a parameter space study that revealed that the TNE cycles occurrence is sensitiveto a combination of the loop geometry and heating parameters (asymmetry and heating power). This allows me to explainwhy these pulsations are encountered in some loops but not in all. I studied one simulation in particular, matching theobserved characteristics of the plasma evolution. I derived the corresponding AIA synthetic intensities which reproducedthe main characteristics of the observed pulsations. This model allows me to explain the observed pulsations as evaporationand condensation cycles.

<p>The running of gas turbines with low emissions causes high pressure pulsations to arise in the combustion chamber. These pulsations are high amplitude sound vibrations. At some frequencies these are harmful to the gas turbine. Hence these pulsations are monitored to avoid operating conditions where pulsations are specifically harmful. It is necessary to expose the system of known pulsations to verify the functionality of the monitoring process. </p><p>This report describes the development of a generator of pressure pulsations to verify the monitoring system. The output should be of harmonic form with a frequency of greater than 160 Hz and 15 mbar in amplitude. To begin with, a few alternatives to a pulsation generator are described. In light of studies of these possibilities the alternative based on a roller bearing is selected. This is considered as one of the easier alternatives to design. </p><p>An existing generator of pressure pulsations has been analyzed. The calculations from this analysis supported the construction of the new device. The new generator far exceeded the specification regarding frequency, amplitude and harmonics of the pulsations. With a few modifications, such as encapsulation, the pulsation generator will be ready for usage. It could then serve as a mobile device for the inspection of the pulsation monitoring system. Possibly the device could be equipped with a faster and stronger motor. This would permit the device to be used for the calibration of pulsation monitoring sensors.</p>

Laboratory experiments of rip current systems are performed in a wave basin with a bar and rip channel geometry at the Ocean Engineering Laboratory at the University of Delaware. The experiments include both in situ water level and velocity measurements and optical visualization of the flow field under a variety of normal-incident wave conditions. Digital video is used to record surface drifters moving through a rip current system. A method is presented that tracks these digitally-recorded drifters into long Lagrangian sequences. The laboratory measurements capture both an Eulerian and Lagrangian description of the rip current system. Time-averaged rip current properties are calculated and analyzed using both in situ and video measurements. From the video, Lagrangian velocities are computed with forward differencing of the low-pass filtered drifter tracks. Wave properties are also estimated using the orbital drifter motions and linear (Airy) wave theory. The effects of various wave conditions on the time-averaged rip current systems are investigated to show that wave height is a critical parameter. Measurements of circulation cells are obtained by spatially averaging the drifter track velocity measurements into a polar grid ranging from 0.25 m to 3.25 m from the center of the cell. Circulation cell features, such as the center of circulation and cell width, are calculated to characterize their response to various wave conditions. Spectral analyses are used to characterize the rip current pulsations in the experimental measurements. Three frequencies are found to be energetic in several of the experiments in the low frequency band: the wave group frequency, a lower frequency, and the interaction of the wave group and lower frequencies. Some experiments have significant energy at each of the three peaks, where others have only one or none. The lower frequency motions have also been found in the video measurements and attributed to rip meandering. Possible causes for the low-frequency pulsations, including wave basin seiching, circulation cell instabilities, and wave-current interaction, are discussed. This thesis adds to previous rip current studies by providing a spatially-large and time-varying perspective of rip current systems as a whole.

Three γ Doradus-type stars are analysed: HD139095, HD153580, and HD197541. Long-term observation campaigns have been conducted on each star, with over 300 spectra of each star being gathered for analysis using the HERCULES spectrograph at Mount John University Observatory. For each star, cross-correlation techniques were used to obtain representative line profiles for each spectrum. The analysis of these line profiles has resulted in frequency and pulsation mode identifications for these three stars. Abundance analysis has also been performed on HD139095 and HD197541, and their fundamental parameters are confirmed as being consistent with the γ Doradus class of stars. HD153580 and HD197541, previously only candidates for the class, can now be classified as bona fide γ Doradus type stars. The frequencies and modes identified in this thesis will be very useful in constraining future theoretical models, allowing us to better understand and model the interiors of γ Doradus stars.

The running of gas turbines with low emissions causes high pressure pulsations to arise in the combustion chamber. These pulsations are high amplitude sound vibrations. At some frequencies these are harmful to the gas turbine. Hence these pulsations are monitored to avoid operating conditions where pulsations are specifically harmful. It is necessary to expose the system of known pulsations to verify the functionality of the monitoring process. This report describes the development of a generator of pressure pulsations to verify the monitoring system. The output should be of harmonic form with a frequency of greater than 160 Hz and 15 mbar in amplitude. To begin with, a few alternatives to a pulsation generator are described. In light of studies of these possibilities the alternative based on a roller bearing is selected. This is considered as one of the easier alternatives to design. An existing generator of pressure pulsations has been analyzed. The calculations from this analysis supported the construction of the new device. The new generator far exceeded the specification regarding frequency, amplitude and harmonics of the pulsations. With a few modifications, such as encapsulation, the pulsation generator will be ready for usage. It could then serve as a mobile device for the inspection of the pulsation monitoring system. Possibly the device could be equipped with a faster and stronger motor. This would permit the device to be used for the calibration of pulsation monitoring sensors.

No description available.

Beta Cephei-type variables are early B-type stars that are characterized by oscillations observable in their optical light curves. At least one Beta Cep-variable also shows periodic variability in X-rays. Here we study the X-ray light curves in a sample of beta Cep-variables to investigate how common X-ray pulsations are for this type of stars. We searched the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray archives and selected stars that were observed by these telescopes for at least three optical pulsational periods. We retrieved and analyzed the X-ray data for kappa Sco, beta Cru, and alpha Vir. The X-ray light curves of these objects were studied to test for their variability and periodicity. While there is a weak indication for X-ray variability in beta Cru, we find no statistically significant evidence of X-ray pulsations in any of our sample stars. This might be due either to the insufficient data quality or to the physical lack of modulations. New, more sensitive observations should settle this question.

X-ray emission from stars much more massive than the Sun was discovered only 35 years ago. Such stars drive fast stellar winds where shocks can develop, and it is commonly assumed that the X-rays emerge from the shock-heated plasma. Many massive stars additionally pulsate. However, hitherto it was neither theoretically predicted nor observed that these pulsations would affect their X-ray emission. All X-ray pulsars known so far are associated with degenerate objects, either neutron stars or white dwarfs. Here we report the discovery of pulsating X-rays from a non-degenerate object, the massive B-type star ξ1 CMa. This star is a variable of β Cep-type and has a strong magnetic field. Our observations with the X-ray Multi-Mirror (XMM-Newton) telescope reveal X-ray pulsations with the same period as the fundamental stellar oscillations. This discovery challenges our understanding of stellar winds from massive stars, their X-ray emission and their magnetism.