Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：SPRINGER  

Interplanetary scintillation (IPS) analysis is an effective technique for remotely sensing solar-wind disturbances, such as stream-interaction regions (SIRs) and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are the main drivers of space weather. Here, we employed 327-MHz IPS observations conducted at the Institute of Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University for the period of 1997 - 2019 to determine IPS indices that represent the density-fluctuation level of the inner heliosphere. We then compared these indices with the solar-wind density and speed measured near the Earth. Consequently, we found weak but significant positive correlations between the IPS indices and both the solar-wind density and speed gradient at a time lag of 0 days. This suggests that an increase in IPS indices corresponds to the arrival of the compression region associated with SIR or CME at the Earth, which is consistent with model calculations. Significant negative correlations were observed between the IPS and disturbance storm time (Dst) indices at a time lag of a few days; however, the correlations were too weak to enable reliable predictions of space weather. Possible reasons for these weak correlations are also discussed. Using the IPS indices, we determined the solar-cycle variation in the occurrence rate of solar-wind disturbances for the analysis period. The occurrence rates exhibited two maxima corresponding to the solar maximum and minimum, which are generally consistent with the combined effects of CME and SIR. The lower occurrence rates in Cycle 24 than in Cycle 23 reflect a weaker solar activity. These results suggest that the proposed IPS indices are useful for studying the long-term characteristics of solar-wind disturbances.

DOI： 10.1007/s11207-023-02116-7

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Frontiers Media SA  

The Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA), sited on the high desert plains of Chajnantor in Chile, has opened a new window onto solar physics in 2016 by providing continuum observations at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths with an angular resolution comparable to that available at optical (O), ultraviolet (UV), extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and X-ray wavelengths, and with superior time resolution. In the intervening years, progress has been made testing and commissioning new observing modes and capabilities, in developing data calibration strategies, and in data imaging and restoration techniques. Here we review ALMA current solar observing capabilities, the process by which a user may propose to use the instrument, and summarize the observing process and work flow. We then discuss some of the challenges users may encounter in imaging and analyzing their data. We conclude with a discussion of additional solar observing capabilities and modes under consideration that are intended to further exploit the unique spectral coverage provided by ALMA.

DOI： 10.3389/fspas.2022.977368

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Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Elsevier BV  

DOI： 10.1016/j.asr.2022.09.028

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DOI： 10.1016/j.asr.2022.08.076

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Wiley  

DOI： 10.1002/gdj3.165

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Other Link： https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/gdj3.165

Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：American Astronomical Society  

Abstract

Understanding the mechanism(s) of solar wind acceleration is important in astrophysics and geophysics. A promising model of solar wind acceleration is known as the wave/turbulence-driven (WTD) model, in which Alfvén waves feed energy to the solar wind. In this study, we tested the WTD model with global measurements of wind speed from interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations. For Carrington rotations in minimal and maximal activity phases, we selected field lines calculated by the potential-field source-surface method in high and midlatitudes and compared the simulated and observed wind velocities. The simulation was performed in a self-consistent manner by solving the magnetohydrodynamic equations from the photosphere to the solar wind. In high-latitude regions, the simulated solar wind velocity agrees better with the IPS observation than with the classical Wang–Sheeley empirical estimation, both in maximal and minimal activity phases. In midlatitude regions, the agreement worsens, possibly because of the inaccuracy of the WTD model and/or the magnetic-field extrapolation. Our results indicate that the high-latitude solar wind is likely to be driven by waves and turbulence and that the physics-based prediction of the solar wind velocity is highly feasible with an improved magnetic-field extrapolation.

DOI： 10.3847/1538-4357/ac581e

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Other Link： https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ac581e/pdf

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP Publishing Ltd  

Computer-assisted tomography (CAT) for interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations enables the determination of the global distribution of solar wind speed. We compared solar wind speeds derived from the CAT analysis of IPS observations between 1985 and 2019 with in situ observations conducted by the near-Earth and Ulysses spacecraft. From this comparison, we found that solar wind speeds from the IPS observations for 2009-2019 were systematically higher than the in situ observations, whereas those for the period until 2008 were in good agreement with the in situ observations. Further, we found that the discrepancy between IPS and the in situ observations is improved by changing the power index of the empirical relation between the solar wind speed and density fluctuations. The CAT analysis using an optimal value for the power index determined from the comparison between IPS and in situ observations revealed long-term variations in the solar wind speed distribution over three cycles, leading to a better understanding of the time-varying global heliosphere. We found that polar solar winds become highly anisotropic at the Cycle 24/25 minimum, which is a peculiar aspect of this minimum. The IPS observations showed general agreement with the Parker Solar Probe observations around the perihelion of Orbit 1; this supports the reliability of the CAT analysis. The results of this study suggest that the physical properties of solar wind microturbulence may vary with a long-term decline in the solar activity, which provides important implication on the solar wind acceleration.

DOI： 10.3847/1538-4357/ac1862

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Frontiers Media SA  

The investigation of multi-spacecraft coordinated observations during the cruise phase of BepiColombo (ESA/JAXA) are reported, with a particular emphasis on the recently launched missions, Solar Orbiter (ESA/NASA) and Parker Solar Probe (NASA). Despite some payload constraints, many instruments onboard BepiColombo are operating during its cruise phase simultaneously covering a wide range of heliocentric distances (0.28 AU–0.5 AU). Hence, the various spacecraft configurations and the combined in-situ and remote sensing measurements from the different spacecraft, offer unique opportunities for BepiColombo to be part of these unprecedented multipoint synergistic observations and for potential scientific studies in the inner heliosphere, even before its orbit insertion around Mercury in December 2025. The main goal of this report is to present the coordinated observation opportunities during the cruise phase of BepiColombo (excluding the planetary flybys). We summarize the identified science topics, the operational instruments, the method we have used to identify the windows of opportunity and discuss the planning of joint observations in the future.

DOI： 10.3389/fspas.2021.718024

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH  

Out of the two Venus flybys that BepiColombo uses as a gravity assist manoeuvre to finally arrive at Mercury, the first took place on 15 October 2020. After passing the bow shock, the spacecraft travelled along the induced magnetotail, crossing it mainly in the Yvso direction. In this paper, the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter Magnetometer (MPO-MAG) data are discussed, with support from three other plasma instruments: the Planetary Ion Camera (SERENA-PICAM) of the SERENA suite, the Mercury Electron Analyser (MEA), and the BepiColombo Radiation Monitor (BERM). Behind the bow shock crossing, the magnetic field showed a draping pattern consistent with field lines connected to the interplanetary magnetic field wrapping around the planet. This flyby showed a highly active magnetotail, with e.g. strong flapping motions at a period of similar to 7 min This activity was driven by solar wind conditions. Just before this flyby, Venus's induced magnetosphere was impacted by a stealth coronal mass ejection, of which the trailing side was still interacting with it during the flyby. This flyby is a unique opportunity to study the full length and structure of the induced magnetotail of Venus, indicating that the tail was most likely still present at about 48 Venus radii.

DOI： 10.5194/angeo-39-811-2021

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：SPRINGER  

Although solar activity may significantly impact the global environment and socioeconomic systems, the mechanisms for solar eruptions and the subsequent processes have not yet been fully understood. Thus, modern society supported by advanced information systems is at risk from severe space weather disturbances. Project for solar-terrestrial environment prediction (PSTEP) was launched to improve this situation through synergy between basic science research and operational forecast. The PSTEP is a nationwide research collaboration in Japan and was conducted from April 2015 to March 2020, supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. By this project, we sought to answer the fundamental questions concerning the solar-terrestrial environment and aimed to build a next-generation space weather forecast system to prepare for severe space weather disasters. The PSTEP consists of four research groups and proposal-based research units. It has made a significant progress in space weather research and operational forecasts, publishing over 500 refereed journal papers and organizing four international symposiums, various workshops and seminars, and summer school for graduate students at Rikubetsu in 2017. This paper is a summary report of the PSTEP and describes the major research achievements it produced.

DOI： 10.1186/s40623-021-01486-1

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

<title>Abstract</title>The dual spacecraft mission BepiColombo is the first joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to explore the planet Mercury. BepiColombo was launched from Kourou (French Guiana) on October 20th, 2018, in its packed configuration including two spacecraft, a transfer module, and a sunshield. BepiColombo cruise trajectory is a long journey into the inner heliosphere, and it includes one flyby of the Earth (in April 2020), two of Venus (in October 2020 and August 2021), and six of Mercury (starting from 2021), before orbit insertion in December 2025. A big part of the mission instruments will be fully operational during the mission cruise phase, allowing unprecedented investigation of the different environments that will encounter during the 7-years long cruise. The present paper reviews all the planetary flybys and some interesting cruise configurations. Additional scientific research that will emerge in the coming years is also discussed, including the instruments that can contribute.

DOI： 10.1007/s11214-021-00797-9

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Other Link： http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11214-021-00797-9/fulltext.html

Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

<title>Abstract</title>Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) cause various disturbances of the space environment; therefore, forecasting their arrival time is very important. However, forecasting accuracy is hindered by limited CME observations in interplanetary space. This study investigates the accuracy of CME arrival times at the Earth forecasted by three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations based on interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations. In this system, CMEs are approximated as spheromaks with various initial speeds. Ten MHD simulations with different CME initial speed are tested, and the density distributions derived from each simulation run are compared with IPS data observed by the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (ISEE), Nagoya University. The CME arrival time of the simulation run that most closely agrees with the IPS data is selected as the forecasted time. We then validated the accuracy of this forecast using 12 halo CME events. The average absolute arrival-time error of the IPS-based MHD forecast is approximately 5.0 h, which is one of the most accurate predictions that ever been validated, whereas that of MHD simulations without IPS data, in which the initial CME speed is derived from white-light coronagraph images, is approximately 6.7 h. This suggests that the assimilation of IPS data into MHD simulations can improve the accuracy of CME arrival-time forecasts. The average predicted arrival times are earlier than the actual arrival times. These early predictions may be due to overestimation of the magnetic field included in the spheromak and/or underestimation of the drag force from the background solar wind, the latter of which could be related to underestimation of CME size or background solar wind density.

DOI： 10.1186/s40623-020-01345-5

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Other Link： http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40623-020-01345-5/fulltext.html

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.3847/2041-8213/ab62a5

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Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

We investigated the relationship between the spectral structures of type II solar radio bursts in the hectometric and kilometric wavelength ranges and solar energetic particles (SEPs). To examine the statistical relationship between type II bursts and SEPs, we selected 26 coronal mass ejection (CME) events with similar characteristics (e.g., initial speed, angular width, and location) observed by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph, regardless of the characteristics of the corresponding type II bursts and the SEP flux. Then, we compared associated type II bursts observed by the Radio and Plasma Wave Experiment on board the Wind spacecraft and the SEP flux observed by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite orbiting around the Earth. We found that the bandwidth of the hectometric type II bursts and the peak flux of the SEPs has a positive correlation (with a correlation coefficient of 0.64). This result supports the idea that the nonthermal electrons of type II bursts and the nonthermal ions of SEPs are generated by the same shock and suggests that more SEPs may be generated for a wider or stronger CME shock with a longer duration. Our result also suggests that considering the spectral structures of type II bursts can improve the forecasting accuracy for the peak flux of gradual SEPs.

DOI： 10.3847/1538-4357/ab57ff

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：SPRINGER  

Interplanetary (IP) shocks traveling between the Sun and the Earth's orbit were clearly detected in interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations made at Toyokawa (Japan) and Pushchino (Russia), in association with two halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that occurred on 04 and 06 September 2017. Since the observation times at Toyokawa and Pushchino differ by about six hours, a combined analysis of the IPS data obtained at these sites enabled high-cadence tracking of the IP shock for one of the CME events. The plane-of-sky locations where the IP disturbances were observed at Toyokawa were generally consistent with those at Pushchino. The propagation speeds of IP shocks inferred from IPS observations were higher than the average speeds derived from the occurrence time of IP shocks at Earth. This difference was ascribed to the deceleration of the CME-driven shocks during propagation. The east-west asymmetry of the propagation speed of IP shocks was also revealed from IPS observations. Solar-wind disturbances moving at a speed significantly slower than the average speed of the IP shock were identified from the IPS observations of the 06 September 2017 halo CME event. A wide longitudinal extent of these slow disturbances was suggested by the fact they were observed not only west but also east of the Sun; i.e. the opposite side to the flare/CME site. The origin of the slow disturbances is considered to represent either wing portions of the highly warped IP shock or the post-shock dense materials.

DOI： 10.1007/s11207-019-1487-6

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Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：SPRINGEROPEN  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) cause disturbances in the environment of the Earth when they arrive at the Earth. However, the prediction of the arrival of CMEs still remains a challenge. We have developed an interplanetary scintillation (IPS) estimation system based on a global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the inner heliosphere to predict the arrival time of CMEs. In this system, the initial speed of a CME is roughly derived from white-light coronagraph observations. Then, the propagation of the CME is calculated by a global MHD simulation. The IPS response is estimated by the three-dimensional density distribution of the inner heliosphere derived from the MHD simulation. The simulated IPS response is compared with the actual IPS observations made by the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, and shows good agreement with that observed. We demonstrated how the simulation system works using a halo CME event generated by a X9.3 flare observed on September 5, 2017. We find that the CME simulation that best estimates the IPS observation can more accurately predict the time of arrival of the CME at the Earth. These results suggest that the accuracy of the CME arrival time can be improved if our current MHD simulations include IPS data.

DOI： 10.1186/s40623-019-1019-5

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DOI： 10.1007/s11207-019-1418-6

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DOI： 10.3847/1538-4357/aaf4f2

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Institute of Physics Publishing  

Various magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves have recently been detected in the solar corona and investigated intensively in the context of coronal heating and coronal seismology. In this Letter, we report the first detection of short-period propagating fast sausage mode waves in a metric radio spectral fine structure observed with the Assembly of Metric-band Aperture Telescope and Real-time Analysis System. Analysis of Zebra patterns (ZPs) in a type-IV burst revealed a quasi-periodic modulation in the frequency separation between the adjacent stripes of the ZPs (Δf ). The observed quasi-periodic modulation had a period of 1-2 s and exhibited a characteristic negative frequency drift with a rate of 3-8 MHz s-1. Based on the double plasma resonance model, the most accepted generation model of ZPs, the observed quasi-periodic modulation of the ZP can be interpreted in terms of fast sausage mode waves propagating upward at phase speeds of 3000-8000 km s-1. These results provide us with new insights for probing the fine structure of coronal loops.

DOI： 10.3847/2041-8213/aab2a5

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

We present the first high-resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of a sunspot at wavelengths of 1.3 and 3 mm, obtained during the solar ALMA Science Verification campaign in 2015, and compare them with the predictions of semi-empirical sunspot umbral/penumbral atmosphere models. For the first time, millimeter observations of sunspots have resolved umbral/penumbral brightness structure at the chromospheric heights, where the emission at these wavelengths is formed. We find that the sunspot umbra exhibits a radically different appearance at 1.3 and 3 mm, whereas the penumbral brightness structure is similar at the two wavelengths. The inner part of the umbra is similar to 600 K brighter than the surrounding quiet Sun (QS) at 3 mm and is similar to 700 K cooler than the QS at 1.3 mm, being the coolest part of sunspot at this wavelength. On average, the brightness of the penumbra at 3 mm is comparable to the QS brightness, while at 1.3 mm it is similar to 1000 K brighter than the QS. Penumbral brightness increases toward the outer boundary in both ALMA bands. Among the tested umbral models, that of Severino et al. provides the best fit to the observational data, including both the ALMA data analyzed in this study and data from earlier works. No penumbral model among those considered here gives a satisfactory fit to the currently available measurements. ALMA observations at multiple millimeter wavelengths can be used for testing existing sunspot models, and serve as an important input to constrain new empirical models.

DOI： 10.3847/1538-4357/aa91cc

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

The total solar fluxes at 1, 2, 3.75, and 9.4 GHz were observed continuously from 1957 to 1994 at Toyokawa, Japan, and from 1994 until now at Nobeyama, Japan, with the current Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters. We examined the multi-frequency and long-term data sets, and found that not only the microwave solar flux but also its monthly standard deviation indicate the long-term variation of solar activity. Furthermore, we found that the microwave spectra at the solar minima of Cycles 20-24 agree with each other. These results show that the average atmospheric structure above the upper chromosphere in the quiet-Sun has not varied for half a century, and suggest that the energy input for atmospheric heating from the sub-photosphere to the corona have not changed in the quiet-Sun despite significantly differing strengths of magnetic activity in the last five solar cycles.

DOI： 10.3847/1538-4357/aa8c75

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Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：SPRINGER HEIDELBERG  

We have developed a digital fast Fourier transform spectrometer made of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The base instrument has independent ADC and FPGA modules, which allow us to implement different spectrometers in a relatively easy manner. Two types of spectrometers have been instrumented: one with 4.096 GS/s sampling speed and 2048 frequency channels and the other with 2.048 GS/s sampling speed and 32,768 frequency channels. The signal processing in these spectrometers has no dead time, and the accumulated spectra are recorded in external media every 8 ms. A direct sampling spectroscopy up to 8 GHz is achieved by a microwave track-and-hold circuit, which can reduce the analog receiver in front of the spectrometer. Highly stable spectroscopy with a wide dynamic range was demonstrated in a series of laboratory experiments and test observations of solar radio bursts.

DOI： 10.1186/s40623-017-0681-8

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arXiv

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：SPRINGER  

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope has commenced science observations of the Sun starting in late 2016. Since the Sun is much larger than the field of view of individual ALMA dishes, the ALMA interferometer is unable to measure the background level of solar emission when observing the solar disk. The absolute temperature scale is a critical measurement for much of ALMA solar science, including the understanding of energy transfer through the solar atmosphere, the properties of prominences, and the study of shock heating in the chromosphere. In order to provide an absolute temperature scale, ALMA solar observing will take advantage of the remarkable fast-scanning capabilities of the ALMA 12 m dishes to make single-dish maps of the full Sun. This article reports on the results of an extensive commissioning effort to optimize the mapping procedure, and it describes the nature of the resulting data. Amplitude calibration is discussed in detail: a path that uses the two loads in the ALMA calibration system as well as sky measurements is described and applied to commissioning data. Inspection of a large number of single-dish datasets shows significant variation in the resulting temperatures, and based on the temperature distributions, we derive quiet-Sun values at disk center of 7300 K at lambda = 3 mm and 5900 K at lambda = 1.3 mm. These values have statistical uncertainties of about 100 K, but systematic uncertainties in the temperature scale that may be significantly larger. Example images are presented from two periods with very different levels of solar activity. At a resolution of about 25 '', the 1.3 mm wavelength images show temperatures on the disk that vary over about a 2000 K range. Active regions and plages are among the hotter features, while a large sunspot umbra shows up as a depression, and filament channels are relatively cool. Prominences above the solar limb are a common feature of the single-dish images.

DOI： 10.1007/s11207-017-1123-2

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

We report the discovery of a brightness enhancement in the center of a large sunspot umbra at a wavelength of 3 mm using the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA). Sunspots are among the most prominent features on the solar surface, but many of their aspects are surprisingly poorly understood. We analyzed a lambda = 3 mm (100 GHz) mosaic image obtained by ALMA that includes a large sunspot within the active region AR12470, on 2015 December 16. The 3 mm map has a 300 '' x 300 '' field of view and 4 ''.9 x 2 ''.2 spatial resolution, which is the highest spatial resolution map of an entire sunspot in this frequency range. We find a gradient of 3 mm brightness from a high value in the outer penumbra to a low value in the inner penumbra/outer umbra. Within the inner umbra, there is a marked increase in 3 mm brightness temperature, which we call an umbral brightness enhancement. This enhanced emission corresponds to a temperature excess of 800 K relative to the surrounding inner penumbral region and coincides with excess brightness in the 1330 and 1400 angstrom slit-jaw images of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), adjacent to a partial lightbridge. This lambda = 3 mm brightness enhancement may be an intrinsic feature of the sunspot umbra at chromospheric heights, such as a manifestation of umbral flashes, or it could be related to a coronal plume, since the brightness enhancement was coincident with the footpoint of a coronal loop observed at 171 angstrom.

DOI： 10.3847/2041-8213/aa71b5

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arXiv

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The polarization characteristics of zebra patterns (ZPs) in type IV solar bursts were studied. We analyzed 21 ZP events observed by the. Assembly of Metric-band Aperture Telescope and Real-time Analysis System between 2010 and 2015 and identified the following characteristics: a degree of circular polarization (DCP) in the range of 0%-70%, a temporal delay of 0-70 ms between the two circularly polarized components (i.e., the right- and left-handed components), and dominant ordinary-mode emission in about 81% of the events. For most events, the relation between the dominant and delayed components could be interpreted in the framework of fundamental plasma emission and depolarization during propagation, though the values of DCP and delay were distributed across wide ranges. Furthermore, it was found that the DCP and delay were positively correlated (rank correlation coefficient R = 0.62). As a possible interpretation of this relationship, we considered a model based on depolarization due to reflections at sharp density boundaries assuming fundamental plasma emission. The model calculations of depolarization including multiple reflections and group delay during propagation in the inhomogeneous corona showed that the DCP and delay decreased as the number of reflections increased, which is consistent with the observational results. The dispersive polarization characteristics could be explained by the different numbers of reflections causing depolarization.

DOI： 10.3847/1538-4357/aa74c1

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

Eruptive phenomena such as plasmoid ejections or jets are important features of solar activity and have the potential to improve our understanding of the dynamics of the solar atmosphere. Such ejections are often thought to be signatures of the outflows expected in regions of fast magnetic reconnection. The 304 angstrom EUV line of helium, formed at around 10(5) K, is found to be a reliable tracer of such phenomena, but the determination of physical parameters from such observations is not straightforward. We have observed a plasmoid ejection from an X-ray bright point simultaneously at millimeter wavelengths with ALMA, at EUV wavelengths with SDO/AIA, and in soft X-rays with Hinode/XRT. This paper reports the physical parameters of the plasmoid obtained by combining the radio, EUV, and X-ray data. As a result, we conclude that the plasmoid can consist either of (approximately) isothermal similar to 10(5) K plasma that is optically thin at 100 GHz, or a similar to 10(4) K core with a hot envelope. The analysis demonstrates the value of the additional temperature and density constraints that ALMA provides, and future science observations with ALMA will be able to match the spatial resolution of space-borne and other high-resolution telescopes.

DOI： 10.3847/2041-8213/aa70e3

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Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：SPRINGER  

The absolute brightness temperature of the Sun at millimeter wavelengths is an important diagnostic of the solar chromosphere. Because the Sun is so bright, measurement of this property usually involves the operation of telescopes under extreme conditions and requires a rigorous performance assessment of the telescope. In this study, we establish solar observation and calibration techniques at 2.6 mm wavelength for the Nobeyama 45 m telescope and accurately derive the absolute solar brightness temperature. We tune the superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) receiver by inducing different bias voltages onto the SIS mixer to prevent saturation. Then, we examine the linearity of the receiver system by comparing outputs derived from different tuning conditions. Furthermore, we measure the lunar filled beam efficiency of the telescope using the New Moon, and then derive the absolute brightness temperature of the Sun. The derived solar brightness temperature is 7700 +/- 310 K at 115 GHz. The telescope beam pattern is modeled as a summation of three Gaussian functions and derived using the solar limb. The real shape of the Sun is determined via deconvolution of the beam pattern from the observed map. Such well-calibrated single-dish observations are important for high-resolution chromospheric studies because they provide the absolute temperature scale that is lacking from interferometer observations.

DOI： 10.1007/s11207-016-1044-5

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arXiv

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：EDP SCIENCES S A  

Context. Large-scale globally propagating waves in the solar corona have been studied extensively, mainly using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations. In a few events, corresponding wave signatures have been detected in microwave radioheliograms provided by the Nobeyama radioheliograph (NoRH). Several aspects of these observations seem to contradict the conclusions drawn from EUV observations.
Aims. We investigate whether the microwave observations of global waves are consistent with previous findings.
Methods. We revisited the wave of 1997 Sep. 24, which is still the best-defined event in microwaves. We obtained radioheliograms at 17 and 34 GHz from NoRH and studied the morphology, kinematics, perturbation profile evolution, and emission mechanism of the propagating microwave signatures.
Results. We find that the NoRH wave signatures are morphologically consistent with both the associated coronal wave as observed by SOHO/EIT and the Moreton wave seen in H alpha. The NoRH wave is clearly decelerating, which is typically found for large-amplitude coronal waves associated with Moreton waves, and its kinematical curve is consistent with the EIT wavefronts. The perturbation profile shows a pronounced decrease in amplitude. Based on the derivation of the spectral index of the excess microwave emission, we conclude that the NoRH wave is due to optically thick free-free bremsstrahlung from the chromosphere.
Conclusions. The wavefronts seen in microwave radioheliograms are chromospheric signatures of coronal waves, and their characteristics support the interpretation of coronal waves as large-amplitude fast-mode MHD waves or shocks.

DOI： 10.1051/0004-6361/201628591

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We estimated the accuracy of coronal magnetic fields derived from radio observations by comparing them to potential field calculations and the differential emission measure measurements using EUV observations. We derived line-of-sight components of the coronal magnetic field from polarization observations of the thermal bremsstrahlung in the NOAA active region 11150, observed around 3:00 UT on 2011 February 3 using the Nobeyama Radioheliograph at 17 GHz. Because the thermal bremsstrahlung intensity at 17 GHz includes both chromospheric and coronal components, we extracted only the coronal component by measuring the coronal emission measure in EUV observations. In addition, we derived only the radio polarization component of the corona by selecting the region of coronal loops and weak magnetic field strength in the chromosphere along the line of sight. The upper limits of the coronal longitudinal magnetic fields were determined as 100-210 G. We also calculated the coronal longitudinal magnetic fields from the potential field extrapolation using the photospheric magnetic field obtained from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. However, the calculated potential fields were certainly smaller than the observed coronal longitudinal magnetic field. This discrepancy between the potential and the observed magnetic field strengths can be explained consistently by two reasons:. (1) the underestimation of the coronal emission measure resulting from the limitation of the temperature range of the EUV observations, and (2) the underestimation of the coronal magnetic field resulting from the potential field assumption.

DOI： 10.3847/0004-637X/818/1/8

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

We investigate the upper chromosphere and the transition region of the sunspot umbra using the radio brightness temperature at 34 GHz (corresponding to 8.8 mm observations) as observed by the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH). Radio free-free emission in the longer millimeter range is generated around the transition region, and its brightness temperature yields the region's temperature and density distribution. We use the NoRH data at 34 GHz by applying the Steer-CLEAN image synthesis. These data and the analysis method enable us to investigate the chromospheric structures in the longer millimeter range with high spatial resolution and sufficient visibilities. We also perform simultaneous observations of one sunspot using the NoRH and the Nobeyama 45 m telescope operating at 115 GHz. We determine that 115 GHz emission mainly originates from the lower chromosphere while 34 GHz emission mainly originates from the upper chromosphere and transition region. These observational results are consistent with the radio emission characteristics estimated from current atmospheric models of the chromosphere. On the other hand, the observed brightness temperature of the umbral region is almost the same as that of the quiet region. This result is inconsistent with current sunspot models, which predict a considerably higher brightness temperature of the sunspot umbra at 34 GHz. This inconsistency suggests that the temperature of the region at which the 34 GHz radio emission becomes optically thick should be lower than that predicted by the models.

DOI： 10.3847/0004-637X/816/2/91

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arXiv

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

We investigated the polarization characteristics of a zebra pattern (ZP) in a type-IV solar radio burst observed with AMATERAS on 2011 June 21 for the purpose of evaluating the generation processes of ZPs. Analyzing highly resolved spectral and polarization data revealed the frequency dependence of the degree of circular polarization and the delay between two polarized components for the first time. The degree of circular polarization was 50%-70% right-handed and it varied little as a function of frequency. Cross-correlation analysis determined that the left-handed circularly polarized component was delayed by 50-70 ms relative to the right-handed component over the entire frequency range of the ZP and this delay increased with the frequency. We examined the obtained polarization characteristics by using pre-existing ZP models and concluded that the ZP was generated by the double-plasma-resonance process. Our results suggest that the ZP emission was originally generated in a completely polarized state in the O-mode and was partly converted into the X-mode near the source. Subsequently, the difference between the group velocities of the O-mode and X-mode caused the temporal delay.

DOI： 10.1088/2041-8205/808/2/L45

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

Solar micro-type III radio bursts are elements of the so-called type III storms and are characterized by short-lived, continuous, and weak emissions. Their frequency of occurrence with respect to radiation power is quite different from that of ordinary type III bursts, suggesting that the generation process is not flare-related, but due to some recurrent acceleration processes around the active region. We examine the relationship of micro-type III radio bursts with coronal streamers. We also explore the propagation channel of bursts in the outer corona, the acceleration process, and the escape route of electron beams. It is observationally confirmed that micro-type III bursts occur near the edge of coronal streamers. The magnetic field line of the escaping electron beams is tracked on the basis of the frequency drift rate of micro-type III bursts and the electron density distribution model. The results demonstrate that electron beams are trapped along closed dipolar field lines in the outer coronal region, which arise from the interface region between the active region and the coronal hole. A 22 year statistical study reveals that the apex altitude of the magnetic loop ranges from 15 to 50 R-S. The distribution of the apex altitude has a sharp upper limit around 50 RS suggesting that an unknown but universal condition regulates the upper boundary of the streamer dipolar field.

DOI： 10.1088/0004-637X/808/2/191

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

The brightness temperature of the radio free-free emission at millimeter range is an effective tool for characterizing the vertical structure of the solar chromosphere. In this paper, we report on the first single-dish observation of a sunspot at 85 and 115 GHz with sufficient spatial resolution for resolving the sunspot umbra using the Nobeyama 45 m telescope. We used radio attenuation material, i.e., a solar filter, to prevent the saturation of the receivers. Considering the contamination from the plage by the side lobes, we found that the brightness temperature of the umbra should be lower than that of the quiet region. This result is inconsistent with the preexisting atmospheric models. We also found that the brightness temperature distribution at millimeter range strongly corresponds to the ultraviolet continuum emission at 1700 angstrom, especially at the quiet region.

DOI： 10.1088/0004-637X/804/1/48

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arXiv

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Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1186/s40623-014-0149-z

Open Access

arXiv

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

The fine spectral structures of solar radio type-I bursts were observed by the solar radio telescope AMATERAS. The spectral characteristics, such as the peak flux, duration, and bandwidth, of the individual burst elements were satisfactorily detected by the highly resolved spectral data of AMATERAS with the burst detection algorithm that is improved in this study. The peak flux of the type-I bursts followed a power-law distribution with a spectral index of 2.9-3.3, whereas their duration and bandwidth were distributed more exponentially. There were almost no correlations between the peak flux, duration, and bandwidth. That means there was no similarity in the shapes of the burst spectral structures. We defined the growth rate of a burst as the ratio between its peak flux and duration. There was a strong correlation between the growth rate and peak flux. These results suggest that the free energy of type-I bursts that is originally generated by nonthermal electrons is modulated in the subsequent stages of the generation of nonthermal electrons, such as plasma wave generation, radio wave emissions, and propagation. The variation of the timescale of the growth rate is significantly larger than that of the coronal environments. These results can be explained by the situation wherein the source region may have the inhomogeneity of an ambient plasma environment, such as the boundary of open and closed field lines, and the superposition of entire emitted bursts was observed by the spectrometer.

DOI： 10.1088/0004-637X/789/1/4

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arXiv

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

We investigate the type IV burst event observed by AMATERAS on 2011 June 7, and reveal that the main component of the burst was emitted from the plasmoid eruption identified in the EUV images of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/AIA. We show that a slowly drifting narrowband structure (SDNS) appeared in the burst's spectra. Using statistical analysis, we reveal that the SDNS appeared for a duration of tens to hundreds of milliseconds and had a typical bandwidth of 3 MHz. To explain the mechanism generating the SDNS, we propose wave-wave coupling between Langmuir waves and whistler-mode chorus emissions generated in a post-flare loop, which were inferred from the similarities in the plasma environments of a post-flare loop and the equatorial region of Earth's inner magnetosphere. We assume that a chorus element with a rising tone is generated at the top of a post-flare loop. Using the magnetic field and plasma density models, we quantitatively estimate the expected duration of radio emissions generated from coupling between Langmuir waves and chorus emissions during their propagation in the post-flare loop, and we find that the observed duration and bandwidth properties of the SDNS are consistently explained by the proposed generation mechanism. While observations in the terrestrial magnetosphere show that the chorus emissions are a group of large-amplitude wave elements generated naturally and intermittently, the mechanism proposed in the present study can explain both the intermittency and the frequency drift in the observed spectra.

DOI： 10.1088/0004-637X/787/1/45

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：OXFORD UNIV PRESS  

Coronal and chromospheric magnetic fields are derived from polarization and spectral observations of the thermal free free emission using the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH). In magnetized plasma, the ordinary and extraordinary modes of free free emission have different optical depths. This creates a circularly polarized component in an atmosphere with a temperature gradient. We observed an active region on 2012 April 13 to derive its coronal and chromospheric magnetic fields. The observed degree of circular polarization was between 0.5% and 1.7%. The radio circular polarization images were compared with ultraviolet images observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and the photospheric magnetic field observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, both on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory. At the edge of the active region, the radio circular polarization was emitted mainly from coronal loops, and the coronal magnetic field was derived to be about 70 G. At the center of the active region, the chromospheric and coronal components cannot be separated. The derived magnetic field is about 20% to 50% of the corresponding photospheric magnetic field, which is an emission-measure-weighted average of the coronal and chromospheric magnetic fields.

DOI： 10.1093/pasj/65.sp1.S14

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

Solar radio type-I bursts were observed on 2011 January 26 by high resolution observations with the radio telescope AMATERAS in order to derive their peak flux distributions. We have developed a two-dimensional auto burst detection algorithm that can distinguish each type-I burst element from complex noise storm spectra that include numerous instances of radio frequency interference (RFI). This algorithm removes RFI from the observed radio spectra by applying a moving median filter along the frequency axis. Burst and continuum components are distinguished by a two-dimensional maximum and minimum search of the radio dynamic spectra. The analysis result shows that each type-I burst element has one peak flux without double counts or missed counts. The peak flux distribution of type-I bursts derived using this algorithm follows a power law with a spectral index between 4 and 5.

DOI： 10.1088/2041-8205/768/1/L2

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：SPRINGER  

A new radio spectropolarimeter for solar radio observation has been developed at Tohoku University and installed on the Iitate Planetary Radio Telescope (IPRT) at the Iitate observatory in Fukushima prefecture, Japan. This system, named AMATERAS (the Assembly of Metric-band Aperture TElescope and Real-time Analysis System), enables us to observe solar radio bursts in the frequency range between 150 and 500 MHz. The minimum detectable flux in the observation frequency range is less than 0.7 SFU with an integration time of 10 ms and a bandwidth of 61 kHz. Both left and right polarization components are simultaneously observed in this system. These specifications are accomplished by combining the large aperture of IPRT with a high-speed digital receiver. Observational data are calibrated and archived soon after the daily observation. The database is available online. The high-sensitivity observational data with the high time and frequency resolutions from AMATERAS will be used to analyze spectral fine structures of solar radio bursts.

DOI： 10.1007/s11207-011-9919-y

Open Access

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOP PUBLISHING LTD  

The first coordinated observations of an active region using ground-based radio telescopes and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) satellites from different heliocentric longitudes were performed to study solar radio type-I noise storms. A type-I noise storm was observed between 100 and 300 MHz during a period from 2010 February 6 to 7. During this period the two STEREO satellites were located approximately 65. (ahead) and -70 degrees (behind) from the Sun-Earth line, which is well suited to observe the earthward propagating coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The radio flux of the type-I noise storm was enhanced after the preceding CME and began to decrease before the subsequent CME. This time variation of the type-I noise storm was directly related to the change of the particle acceleration processes around its source region. Potential-field source-surface extrapolation from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/ Michelson Doppler Imager (SOHO/ MDI) magnetograms suggested that there was a multipolar magnetic system around the active region from which the CMEs occurred around the magnetic neutral line of the system. From our observational results, we suggest that the type-I noise storm was activated at a side-lobe reconnection region that was formed after eruption of the preceding CME. This magnetic structure was deformed by a loop expansion that led to the subsequent CME, which then suppressed the radio burst emission.

DOI： 10.1088/0004-637X/744/2/167

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Language：English   Publisher：International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology  

Results from the intensity interferometry experiment carried out with Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH) is presented and discussed. Intensity interferometry is one of the key technologies to aim for future terahertz astronomy with high sensitivity and high image resolution. Proposed concept is to realize intensity interferometry by observing the photon bunches emitted from the thermal emission in terahertz region. This concept was proved by our experiment held with NoRH, which shows that complex visibility can be obtained even by intensity interferometry. This is the first step towards realizing intensity interferometers in terahertz wavelength. Future extension of this work includes to realize a prototype intensity interferometer with direct detectors and evaluate the performance with terahertz waves. Intensity interferometers well suits to space-borne telescopes, where each antennas can be built and operated individually, similar to VLBI systems. Direct detectors can be employed to achieve high sensitivity observations from space.

Scopus

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Language：English   Publisher：OSA - The Optical Society  

Scopus

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Language：English   Publisher：IEEE  

A radio telescope analyzes radio frequency (RF) signal from celestial objects. It consists of an antenna, a receiver, and a spectrometer. The spectrometer converts signal in the time domain into one in the frequency domain by an FFT operation. In the conventional spectrometer, first, it multiples the window coefficient by the received signal. Second, it performs the FFT operation. Third, it converts the signal into the magnitude of the complex number. Finally, to reduce the noise, it accumulates obtained power spectrum. We call this a WFA spectrometer. Since the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is faster than an FPGA, a parallel FFT computation is desired. However, since the number of on-chip memories for the FFT becomes the bottleneck, the conventional WFA spectrometer could not realize the wide-band and high-resolution. This paper proposes an AWF spectrometer which replaces the order of operations. Since the AWF spectrometer reduces the parallelism of the FFT, it is smaller than the conventional WFA spectrometer. Also, the AWF spectrometer can use a sequential FFT rather than the parallel one. It can be realized by an off-chip memory. Thus, it reduces the number of on-chip memories. Experimental results show that the proposed AWF spectrometer outperforms conventional WFA spectrometers.

DOI： 10.1109/ReConFig.2014.7032503

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers  

A radio telescope analyzes radio frequency (RF) received from celestial objects. It consists of an antenna, a receiver, and a spectrometer. The spectrometer converts the time domain into the frequency domain by a FFT operation. A solar radio burst observation requires a high-speed FFT. This paper proposes the high-speed FFT based on Six-Step FFT algorithm. We implement P parallel FFT based on Six-Step FFT algorithm on the Xilinx Virtex 7 VC707 evaluation board. Experimental results shows that the proposed parallel FFT outperforms conventional FFTs.

CiNii Research

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Language：Japanese  

CiNii Research

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Language：English   Publisher：IEEE  

A radio telescope analyzes the radio frequency (RF) received from celestial objects. It consists of an antenna, a receiver, and a spectrometer. The spectrometer converts the time domain into the frequency domain with an FFT operation. A solar radio burst observation requires a high-speed FFT. This paper proposes a P parallel N point FFT for fixed point data based on a six-step algorithm. We analyze the hardware resources for the P parallel N point FFT. We implemented 32 parallel N point FFT circuits on a Xilinx Virtex 7 VC707 board. Comparison with the existing FFT implementations shows that the proposed one is 4.52-22.64 times faster.

DOI： 10.1109/FPT.2013.6718406

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Language：English   Publisher：ASTRONOMICAL SOC PACIFIC  

The relationships between solar radio type-I bursts and soft X-ray activities were investigated using Hinode/XRT and a ground-based radio telescope belonging to Tohoku University. Although a type-I burst is thought to be generated by high energy non-thermal electrons in the solar corona, the counterpart of this radio burst in X-rays or EUV have yet to be identified. In this study, we found some small scale soft X-ray activities on the XRT images around the onset time of the type-I burst when 10 percent of the soft X-ray flux enhancement around the onset time of the radio burst is defined as a burst-related activity. However, the causal relationship between the observed soft X-ray activities and the onset of the type-I burst are unclear, and more simultaneous observations of radio bursts and X-rays are needed to investigate the coronal counterpart of the type-I burst.

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