The greatest shadow on Earth

In a total solar eclipse, the Moon completely covers the Sun, casting a shadow several hundred km wide across the face of the Earth. This paper describes observations of the 14 November 2012 total eclipse of the Sun visible from north Queensland, Australia. The edge of the umbra was captured on video during totality, and this video is provided for teaching purposes. A series of simple 'kitchen' experiments are described which demonstrate the 'sunset' effect seen on the horizon during a total solar eclipse and also the curved umbra seen in the sky when the eclipsed Sun is relatively close to the horizon.

Multi-site study of additive genetic effects on fractional anisotropy of cerebral white matter: Comparing meta and megaanalytical approaches for data pooling

Combining datasets across independent studies can boost statistical power by increasing the numbers of observations and can achieve more accurate estimates of effect sizes. This is especially important for genetic studies where a large number of observations are required to obtain sufficient power to detect and replicate genetic effects. There is a need to develop and evaluate methods for joint-analytical analyses of rich datasets collected in imaging genetics studies. The ENIGMA-DTI consortium is developing and evaluating approaches for obtaining pooled estimates of heritability through meta-and mega-genetic analytical approaches, to estimate the general additive genetic contributions to the intersubject variance in fractional anisotropy (FA) measured from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We used the ENIGMA-DTI data harmonization protocol for uniform processing of DTI data from multiple sites. We evaluated this protocol in five family-based cohorts providing data from a total of 2248 children and adults (ages: 9-85) collected with various imaging protocols. We used the imaging genetics analysis tool, SOLAR-Eclipse, to combine twin and family data from Dutch, Australian and Mexican-American cohorts into one large "mega-family". We showed that heritability estimates may vary from one cohort to another. We used two meta-analytical (the sample-size and standard-error weighted) approaches and a mega-genetic analysis to calculate heritability estimates across-population. We performed leave-one-out analysis of the joint estimates of heritability, removing a different cohort each time to understand the estimate variability. Overall, meta- and mega-genetic analyses of heritability produced robust estimates of heritability.

太阳耀斑和日食期间电离层行为的统计和模拟研究

The ionosphere is the ionized component of the Earth's upper atmosphere. Solar EUV radiation is the source of ionospheric ionization. Thus the ionosphere is affected strongly by the variations in solar radiation. Solar flares and solar eclipses can induce remarkable short time changes in solar radiation: the solar radiation would increase suddenly during solar flares and decrease significantly during solar eclipses. Solar flare and eclipse events not only affect directly the photochemical processes, but also affect the dynamic processes, and even affect the neutral atmosphere, which is strongly coupled with the ionosphere. The study on the ionospheric response to solar flares and eclipses can advance our knowledge on the ionosphere and its photochemical and dynamic processes and help us to evaluate the ionospheric parameters (such as ion loss coefficients). In addition, the study on the ionospheric responses to solar flares and eclipses is an important part of the ionospheric space weather, which can provide guides for space weather monitoring. This thesis devotes to the study on the ionospheric responses to solar flares and solar eclipses. I have developed two models to simulate the variations of solar EUV radiation during solar flares and solar eclipses, and involved in developing a 2D mid- and low-latitude ionospheric model. On the basis of some observed data and the ionospheric model, I study the temporal and spatial variations of the ionosphere during solar flares and eclipses, and investigate the influences of solar activity, solar zenith angle, neutral gas density, and magnetic dip angle on the ionospheric responses to solar flares and solar eclipses. The main points of my works and results are summarized as follows. 1. The ionospheric response to the X17.2 solar flare on October 28, 2003 was modeled via using a one-dimension theoretical ionospheric model. The simulated variation of TEC is in accordance with the observations, though there are some differences in the amplitude of the variation. Then I carried out a series of simulations to explore the local time and seasonal dependences of the ionospheric responses to solar flares. These calculations show that the ionospheric responses are largely related with the solar zenith angle (SZA). During the daytime (small SZA), most of the increases in electron density occur at altitudes below 300 km with a peak at around 115 km; whereas around sunrise and sunset (SZA>90°), the strongest ionospheric responses occur at much higher altitudes. The TEC increases slower at sunrise than at sunset, which is caused by the difference in the evolution of SZA at sunrise and sunset: SZA decreases with time at sunrise and increase with time at sunset. The ionospheric response is largest in summer and smallest in winter, which is also related to the seasonal difference of SZA. 2. Based on the observations from the ionosondes in Europe and the ionospheric model, I investigated the differences of the ionosphere responses to solar eclipses between the E-layer and F1-layer. Both the observation and simulation show that the decrease in foF1 due to the solar eclipses is larger than that in foE. This effect is due to that the F1 region locates at the transition height between the atomic ion layer and the molecular ion layer. With the revised model of solar radiation during solar flares, our model calculates the radiations from both the inside and outside of photosphere. Large discrepancy can be found between the observations and the calculations with an unrevised model, while the calculations with the revised model consist with the observations. 3. I also explore the effects of the F2-layer height, local time, solar cycle, and magnetic dip angle on the ionospheric responses to solar eclipses via using an ionospheric model and study on the solar zenith angle and the dip dependences by analyzing the data derived from 23 ionosonde stations during seven eclipse events. Both the measured and simulated results show that these factors have significant effect on the ionospheric response. The larger F2-layer height causes the smaller decrease in foF2, which is because that the electron density response decreases with height. The larger dip results in the smaller eclipse effect on the F2 layer, because the larger dip would cause the more diffusion from the top ionosphere which can make up for the plasma loss. The foF2 response is largest at midday and decreases with the increasing SZA. The foF2 response is larger at high solar activity than at low solar activity. The simulated results show that the local time and solar activity discrepancy of the eclipse effect mainly attribute to the difference of the background neutral gas density. 4. I carried out a statistical study on the latitudinal dependence of the ionospheric response to solar eclipses and modeled this latitudinal dependence by the ionospheric model. Both the observations and simulations show that the foF2 and TEC responses have the same latitudinal dependence: the eclipse effects on foF2 and TEC are smaller at low latitudes than at middle latitudes; at the middle latitudes (>40°), the eclipse effect decreases with increasing latitude. In addition, the simulated results show the change in electron temperature at the heights of above 300 km of low latitudes is much smaller than that at the same heights of middle latitudes. This is due to the smaller decrease in photoelectron production rate at its conjugate low heights. 5. By analyzing the observed data during the October 3, 2005 solar eclipse, I find some significant disturbances in the conjugate region of the eclipse region, including a decrease in Te, an increase in foF2 and TEC, and an uprising in hmF2. I also simulated the ionosphere behavior during this eclipse using a mid-low latitude ionospheric model. The simulations reproduce the measured ionospheric disturbances mentioned above in the conjugated hemisphere. The simulations show that the great loss of arriving photoelectron heat from the eclipse region is the principal driving source for the disturbances in the conjugate hemisphere.

Time signatures of impulsively generated coronal fast wave trains

Impulsively generated short-period fast magneto-acoustic wave trains, guided by solar and stellar coronal loops, are numerically modelled. In the developed stage of the evolution, the wave trains have a characteristic quasi-periodic signature. The quasi-periodicity results from the geometrical dispersion of the guided fast modes, determined by the transverse profile of the loop. A typical feature of the signature is a tadpole wavelet Spectrum: a narrow-spectrum tail precedes a broad-band head. The instantaneous period of the oscillations in the wave train decreases gradually with time. The period and the spectral amplitude evolution are shown to be determined by the steepness of the transverse density profile and the density contrast ratio in the loop. The propagating wave trains recently discovered with the Solar Eclipse Coronal Imaging System (SECIS) instrument are noted to have similar wavelet spectral features, which strengthens the interpretation of SECIS results as guided fast wave trains.

The Maunder minimum (1645-1715) was indeed a grand minimum: a reassessment of multiple datasets

Aims. Although the time of the Maunder minimum (1645–1715) is widely known as a period of extremely low solar activity, it is still being debated whether solar activity during that period might have been moderate or even higher than the current solar cycle (number 24). We have revisited all existing evidence and datasets, both direct and indirect, to assess the level of solar activity during the Maunder minimum. Methods. We discuss the East Asian naked-eye sunspot observations, the telescopic solar observations, the fraction of sunspot active days, the latitudinal extent of sunspot positions, auroral sightings at high latitudes, cosmogenic radionuclide data as well as solar eclipse observations for that period. We also consider peculiar features of the Sun (very strong hemispheric asymmetry of the sunspot location, unusual differential rotation and the lack of the K-corona) that imply a special mode of solar activity during the Maunder minimum. Results. The level of solar activity during the Maunder minimum is reassessed on the basis of all available datasets. Conclusions. We conclude that solar activity was indeed at an exceptionally low level during the Maunder minimum. Although the exact level is still unclear, it was definitely lower than during the Dalton minimum of around 1800 and significantly below that of the current solar cycle #24. Claims of a moderate-to-high level of solar activity during the Maunder minimum are rejected with a high confidence level.

Basic and other measurements of radiation at station Ny-Ålesund (2015-03)

On 20 March 2015, a total solar eclipse occurred over Ny-Ålesund (78.9° N, 11.9° E), Svalbard, in the high Arctic. It was the first time that the surface radiation components during the totality of a solar eclipse were measured by a Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) station. With the Ny-Ålesund long-term radiation data set as background (available at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.150000), we present here the peculiarities of the radiation components and basic meteorology observed during the eclipse event. The supplementary data set contains the basic BSRN radiation and surface meteorological data in 1 min resolution for March 2015, and is available at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.854326. The eclipse radiation data will be a useful auxiliary data set for further studies on micrometeorological surface-atmosphere exchange processes in the Svalbard environment, and may serve as a test case for radiative transfer studies.

Professional papers of the Signal service, no. 1-16, 18.

No. 17 forms pt.2 (app.71) of the Annual report of the chief signal officer for the year 1885 (Annual report of the secretary of war ... 1885, vol. IV, pt. 2) It is issued also in the Congressional series, no. 2375 (49th Cong., 1st sess. House. Ex. doc.1, pt.2).

Recherches astronomiques de l'Observatoire d'Utrecht.

Ceased with volume 18:2. Superseded by the Bullletin of the Astronomical Institutes of the Netherlands, Supplement series.

The application of a novel fluidised photo reactor under UV-Visible and natural solar irradiation in the photocatalytic generation of hydrogen

With advancements in the development of visible light responsive catalysts for H2 production frequently being reported, photocatalytic water splitting has become an attractive method as a potential ‘solar fuel generator’. The development of novel photo reactors which can enhance the potential of such catalyst, however, is rarely reported. This is particularly important as many reactor configurations are mass transport limited, which in term limits the efficiency of more effective photocatalysts in larger scale applications. This paper describes the performance of a novel fluidised photo reactor for the production of H2 over two catalysts under UV-Visible light and natural solar illumination. Catalysts Pt-C3N4 and NaTaO3.La were dispersed in the reactor and the rate of H2 was determined by GC-TCD analysis of the gas headspace. The unit was an annular reactor constructed from stainless steel 316 and quartz glass with a propeller located in the base to control fluidisation of powder catalysts. Reactor properties such as propeller rotational speed were found to enhance the photo activity of the system through the elimination of mass transport limitations and increasing light penetration. The optimum conditions for H2 evolution were found to be a propeller rotational speed of 1035 rpm and 144 W of UV-Visible irradiation, which produced a rate of 89 µmol h-1 g-1 over Pt-C3N4. Solar irradiation was provided by the George Ellery Hale Solar Telescope, located at the California Institute of Technology.

El sistema solar : un paseo por el universo

El CEIP Manuel P??rez de Bollullos Par del Condado (Huelva) ha recibido el Primer Premio de P??ginas Web Educativas de la Junta de Andaluc??a, y ha sido galardonado con la Medalla de Oro al M??rito Educativo

El sistema solar en los periódicos.

Un eclipse solar sirve para iniciar un proyecto de investigación a partir de noticias de los periódicos. Los alumnos amplían sus conocimientos sobre hechos reales que se producen mientras los están estudiando. También se pretende profundizar en las propiedades del sistema de escritura, con especial atención a la tipografía utilizada; así como proporcionales material para desarrollar la lectura alfabética y la comprensión oral. Además del soporte papel el alumno navega por Internet para familiarizarse con el soporte digital.

A potential lag between the open solar magnetic source flux and solar EUV and X-ray emissions as measured by the Earth's ionosphere during total solar eclipses

Measurements of the ionospheric E-region during total solar eclipses have been used to provide information about the evolution of the solar magnetic field and EUV and X-ray emissions from the solar corona and chromosphere. By measuring levels of ionisation during an eclipse and comparing these measurements with an estimate of the unperturbed ionisation levels (such as those made during a control day, where available) it is possible to estimate the percentage of ionising radiation being emitted by the solar corona and chromosphere. Previously unpublished data from the two eclipses presented here are particularly valuable as they provide information that supplements the data published to date. The eclipse of 23 October 1976 over Australia provides information in a data gap that would otherwise have spanned the years 1966 to 1991. The eclipse of 4 December 2002 over Southern Africa is important as it extends the published sequence of measurements. Comparing measurements from eclipses between 1932 and 2002 with the solar magnetic source flux reveals that changes in the solar EUV and X-ray flux lag the open source flux measurements by approximately 1.5 years. We suggest that this unexpected result comes about from changes to the relative size of the limb corona between eclipses, with the lag representing the time taken to populate the coronal field with plasma hot enough to emit the EUV and X-rays ionising our atmosphere.

Long term changes in EUV and X-ray emissions from the solar corona and chromosphere as measured by the response of the Earth’s ionosphere during total solar eclipses from 1932 to 1999

Measurements of the ionospheric E region during total solar eclipses in the period 1932-1999 have been used to investigate the fraction of Extreme Ultra Violet and soft X-ray radiation, phi, that is emitted from the limb corona and chromosphere. The relative apparent sizes of the Moon and the Sun are different for each eclipse, and techniques are presented which correct the measurements and, therefore, allow direct comparisons between different eclipses. The results show that the fraction of ionising radiation emitted by the limb corona has a clear solar cycle variation and that the underlying trend shows this fraction has been increasing since 1932. Data from the SOHO spacecraft are used to study the effects of short-term variability and it is shown that the observed long-term rise in phi has a negligible probability of being a chance occurrence.

Inferring the structure of the solar corona and inner heliosphere during the Maunder minimum using global thermodynamic magnetohydrodynamic simulations

Observations of the Sun’s corona during the space era have led to a picture of relatively constant, but cyclically varying solar output and structure. Longer-term, more indirect measurements, such as from 10Be, coupled by other albeit less reliable contemporaneous reports, however, suggest periods of significant departure from this standard. The Maunder Minimum was one such epoch where: (1) sunspots effectively disappeared for long intervals during a 70 yr period; (2) eclipse observations suggested the distinct lack of a visible K-corona but possible appearance of the F-corona; (3) reports of aurora were notably reduced; and (4) cosmic ray intensities at Earth were inferred to be substantially higher. Using a global thermodynamic MHD model, we have constructed a range of possible coronal configurations for the Maunder Minimum period and compared their predictions with these limited observational constraints. We conclude that the most likely state of the corona during—at least—the later portion of the Maunder Minimum was not merely that of the 2008/2009 solar minimum, as has been suggested recently, but rather a state devoid of any large-scale structure, driven by a photospheric field composed of only ephemeral regions, and likely substantially reduced in strength. Moreover, we suggest that the Sun evolved from a 2008/2009-like configuration at the start of the Maunder Minimum toward an ephemeral-only configuration by the end of it, supporting a prediction that we may be on the cusp of a new grand solar minimum.

Degradação do fungicida tiofanato metílico pelo processo foto-Fenton em reatores anular e solar

Effluents from pesticide industries have great difficulty to decontaminate the environment and, moreover, are characterized by high organic charge and toxicity. The research group Center for Chemical Systems Engineering (CESQ) at the Department of Chemical Engineering of Polytechnical School of University of São Paulo and Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte have been applying the Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP's) for the degradation of various types of pollutants. These processes are based on the generation of hydroxyl radicals, highly reactive substances. Thus, this dissertation aims to explore this process, since it has been proven to be quite effective in removing organic charge. Therefore, it was decided by photo-Fenton process applied to the degradation of the fungicide Thiophanate methyl in aqueous system using annular reactor (with lamp Philips HPLN 125W) and solar. The samples were collected during the experiment and analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (TOC) using a Shimadzu TOC (Shimadzu 5050A e VCP). The Doehlert experimental design has been used to evaluate the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the concentrations of methyl thiophanate (C12H14N4O4S2), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and iron ions (Fe2+), among these parameters, was considered the best experimental conditions, [Fe2+] = 0.6 mmol/L and [H2O2] = 0.038 mol/L in EXP 5 experiment and in SOL 5 experiment, obtaining a percentage of TOC removal of 60% in the annular reactor and 75% in the solar reactor