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Solar radio spectral irradiance. Christophe Marqué Royal Observatory of Belgium. The beginning. Solar radio astronomy started during WWII Conversion of radar equipments into radiotelescopes No choice of frequencies. The beginning. Active Sun.
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Solar radio spectral irradiance Christophe Marqué Royal Observatory of Belgium SOLID Meeting WP2
The beginning • Solar radio astronomy started during WWII • Conversion of radar equipments into radiotelescopes • No choice of frequencies SOLID Meeting WP2
The beginning Active Sun • Sporadic activity linked to solar eruptive events • Accelerated electrons (non thermal populations) • Different spectral types SOLID Meeting WP2
The beginning Non active Sun • Thermal emission from the corona (T~106K, Pawsey,1946) • Bremsstrahlung, Gyroresonance • 2 components: Quiet Sun & SVC SOLID Meeting WP2
The beginning “The excitement of the eclipse observations [at 10.7 cm] was soon followed by the sobering thoughts that solar radio emission from sunspots would be variable…” A. Covington, Proc. NRAO Workshop, 1983 SOLID Meeting WP2
Chromosphere Unknown Thermal bremsstrahlung Transition region Gyrosynchrotron Thermal bremsstrahlung Low corona Thermal bremsstrahlung Gyroresonance Plasma emission Gyrosynchroton High corona Thermal bremsstrahlung Plasma emission Interplanetary medium Solar radio observations The Sun is observed in radio in a large spectral window: from far I.R to km wavelengths
Solar radio spectral irradiance • Continuum emission: no lines • Flux density: W.m-2.Hz-1 • Solar Flux Unit: 10-22 W.m-2.Hz-1 = 104 Jansky • Intensity as Brightness Temperature SOLID Meeting WP2
Solar Flux radio Observatories 1000 MHz 2000 MHz 3750 MHz 9400 MHz 17000 MHz 2800 MHz 245 MHz 410 MHz 610 MHz 1415 MHz 2695 MHz 4995 MHz 8800 MHz 15400 MHz SOLID Meeting WP2
Flux Measurement • Full Sun • Parabolic dish • Horn antenna • Pentincton: strict calibration procedure 3 times per day SOLID Meeting WP2
Flux measurement: calibration • Tanaka (1973) paper • Toyokawa: reference station • Flux correction (0.9 for F10.7) • Standard for absolute calibration • Precision 1-2 % SOLID Meeting WP2
Flux measurement: natural sources of error • Atmospheric absorption • Rain • Humidity (dew/snow) on antenna • Temperature variation • Ionospheric disturbances SOLID Meeting WP2
Flux measurements: examples Ground interference Ground interference Quiet Sun level Solar flare calibration Quiet sun level
Cycle 23-24 SOLID Meeting WP2
Emission mechanism After Schmahl & Kundu 1998 SOLID Meeting WP2
Spectrum of QS &SVC • QS : S~f2 -> Thermal Bremstrahlung • SVC: ~Flat spectrum Gyroresonance/Free-Free 2001-2002 SOLID Meeting WP2
Free-Free / Gyroresonance SOLID Meeting WP2
Quiet Sun: essentially Free-Free Zirin, 1991 SOLID Meeting WP2
SVC S. White SOLID Meeting WP2
Last words • Long term spectral irradiance with good stability (with proper calibration procedure) • Care should be taken about the meaning of daily values • No Instrument degration (apart from rust & spare parts availability) • Possibility to use radio data for EUV/UV calibrations • Gold mine for long term studies of coronal evolution (n, T, & B) SOLID Meeting WP2