This thesis describes the 1983 solar shape investigation performed at the Santa Catalina Laboratory for Experimental Relativity by Astrometry (SCLERA). Solar diameter measurements, with the North Solar Pole defined as θ = 0° polar angle, have been made between the following polar coordinates: from θ = 0° to θ = 180° (the polar diameter), from θ = 90° to θ = -90° (the equatorial diameter), from θ = -45° to θ = 135° and from θ = 45° to θ = -135°. Expressing the Sun's apparent shape in terms of a Legendre series, these diameters have enabled the calculation of the P₂ (quadrupole) and P₄ (hexadecapole) shape coefficients. The theoretical framework used to provide a relationship between the observed shape of the Sun and the multipole moments of the solar gravitational potential field has been improved to include, in general, the effect of differential rotation in both latitude and radius. Using the shape coefficients and the theoretical framework, the gravitational potential multipole moments, expressed as the P₂ and P₄ coefficients of a Legendre series, have been found to be J₂ = (3.4 ± 1.3)E-6 and J₄ = (1.7 ± 1.1)E-6, respectively. It has been found that the contribution to the perihelion precession of Mercury's orbit, caused by the combined effects from the gravitational quadrupole term and general relativity, was approximately 1σ different from the observed amount after all other known Newtonian contributions had been removed from the observed precession. The total apparent oblateness ΔR (equator-polar radii) found from SCLERA observations is ΔR = 13.8 ± 1.3 milliarcseconds. The surface rotation contribution ΔR' to the apparent solar shape is ΔR' = 7.9 milliarcseconds. The quoted uncertainties represent formal statistical 1σ errors only. Also, it has been shown that large changes in the apparent limb darkening functions were occurring near the equatorial regions of the Sun during the time of the observations. Evidence for periodic shape distortions near the equator have also been found.

Frequently, the Sun explosively releases bubbles of magnetized plasma known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which can produce adverse space weather effects at Earth. Accurate space weather forecasting requires knowledge of the trajectory of CMEs. Decades of observations show that CMEs can deflect from a purely radial trajectory, however, no consensus exists as to the cause of these deflections. We developed a model for CME deflection and rotation from magnetic forces, called Forecasting a CME's Altered Trajectory (ForeCAT). ForeCAT has been designed to run fast enough for large parameter phase space studies, and potentially real-time predictions. ForeCAT reproduces the general trends seen in observed CME deflections. In particular, CMEs deflect toward regions of minimum magnetic energy - frequently the Heliospheric Current Sheet (HCS) on global scales. The background magnetic forces decrease rapidly with distance and quickly become negligible. Most deflections and rotations can be well-described by assuming constant angular momentum beyond 10 Rs. ForeCAT also reproduces individual observed CME deflections - the 2008 December 12, 2008 April 08, and 2010 July 12 CMEs. By determining the reduced chi-squared best fit between the ForeCAT results and the observations we constrain parameters related to the CME and the background solar wind. Additionally, we constrain whether different models for the low corona magnetic backgrounds can produce the observed CME deflection. We explore the space weather of cool M dwarfs (dMs) with surface magnetic field strengths of order kG. dMs have extreme CMEs and flares and close-in habitable zones. We use ForeCAT to explore the deflections corresponding to the range of plausible CME masses and speeds for the dM V374 Peg. The deflection of the dM CMEs exceeds their solar counterparts, and the strong magnetic gradients surrounding the dM's Astrospheric Current Sheet (ACS, analogous to the Sun's HCS) can trap the CMEs that reach it. Exoplanets which orbit in the plane of the ACS will suffer CME impacts 10 times more often than exoplanets with inclined orbits and are therefore less likely to retain an atmosphere than exoplanets with inclined orbits.

We solve the equations of radiation hydrodynamics to compute the time evolution toward one-dimensional equilibrium solutions using ageneralized Kramers opacity, κ=κ0 ρa Tb, with adjustable prefactor κ0 and exponents a and b on density ρ and temperature T, respectively. We choose our initial conditions to be isothermal and find that the early time evolution away from the isothermal state is fastest near the height where the optical depth is unity, and is slower both above and below it. In all cases where the quantity n=(3-b)/(1+a) is larger than -1, we find a nearly polytropic solution with ρ<img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%5Cpropto" />Tn in the lower part and a nearly isothermal solution in the upper part with a radiating surface in between, where the optical depth is unity. In the lower part, the radiative diffusivity is found to be approximately constant, while in the upper optically thin part it increases linearly. Interestingly, solutions with different parameter combinations a and b that result in the same value of n are rather similar, but not identical. Increasing the prefactor increases the temperature contrast and lowers the value of the effective temperature. We find that the Péclet number based on sound speed and pressure scale height exceeds numerically manageable values of around 104 when the prefactor κ0 is chosen to be approximately six orders of magnitude below the physically correct value. In the special case where a=-1 and b=3, the value of n is undetermined and the radiative diffusivity is strictly constant everywhere. In that case we find a stratification that is approximately adiabatic. Finally, exploratory two-dimensional calculations are presented where we include turbulent values of viscosity and diffusivity and find that onset of convection occurs when these values are around 3<img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%5Ctimes" />1013 cm2 s-1. The addition of an imposed horizontal magnetic field suppresses small-scale convection, but has not led to instability in the cases investigated so far.

Thesis (M.A.)--Guo li Taiwan shi fan da xue. / Cover title. Mimeo. copy. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

Fu ren da xue Zhongguo wen xue yan jiu suo shuo shi lun wen. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-214).

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