Has the maximum of Solar Cycle 23 appeared?

In this note, we define firstly a compositive parameter as an index describing the level of solar activity in a solar cycle. The parameter is derived from a combination of the smoothed monthly mean sunspot number with the fluctuation of the associated monthly mean sunspot numbers to the smoothed one. Then, a method is developed for estimating the time of the appearance of a solar maximum based on the conception of similar cycles. An application of the method to the 23rd solar cycle shows that the maximum of the cycle should have appeared in the period from April to August 2000, and the descending phase of Cycle 23 has come.     

A method to predict amplitude and date of maximum sunspot number

A method to predict the amplitude and date of the maximum sunspot number is introduced. The regression analysis of the relationship between the variation rate of monthly sunspot numbers in the initial stage of solar cycles and both of the maximum and the time-length of ascending period of the cycle showed that they are closely correlative. In general, the maximum will be larger and the ascending period will be shorter when the rate is larger. The rate of sunspot numbers in the initial 2 years of the 23rd cycle is thus analyzed based on these grounds and the maximum of the cycle is predicted. For the smoothed monthly sunspot numbers, the maximum will be about 139.2±18.8 and the time-length of ascending period will be about 3.31±0.42 years, that is to say, the maximum will appear around the spring of the year 2000. For the mean monthly ones, the maximum will be near 170.1±22.9 and the time-length of ascending period will be about 3.42±0.46 years, that is to say, the appearing date of the maximum will be later.     

太阳活动峰年和谷年期间黑子群与耀斑的统计分析

基于NOAA/SWPC公布的太阳活动数据,我们选取第24太阳活动峰年附近的12个连续月份(2011年7月至2012年6月)和第23太阳活动周谷年附近的12个连续月份(2005年7月至2006年6月),统计了这两段时间中太阳黑子群和耀斑的活动规律,并根据时间、黑子群分布纬度、寿命和磁场类型等对峰年和谷年进行了详细分析和比较,主要结论如下所述.(1)黑子群数随时间的变化在峰年和谷年均比较随机,峰年期间黑子数比谷年增多1.5倍左右.耀斑爆发与黑子群活动具有良好的相关性,但峰年期间存在某个月份耀斑数很少的现象,而谷年期间存在某个月份耀斑数集中增多的现象.(2)无论峰年还是谷年,δ类型黑子群的耀斑产率(耀斑总数与黑子群总数之比)最大,但β型黑子群产生的耀斑爆发最多.耀斑产率与磁场类型有密切关系,但与其所处太阳活动周中的阶段无关.(3)黑子群和耀斑的纬度分布的南北不对称性,以X级耀斑最为显著.峰年较谷年的耀斑数增加主要集中在C级和M级.(4)耀斑产率同黑子群寿命具有良好的相关性,但黑子群的数目同它们的寿命之间没有明显的规律.     

应用机器学习方法的太阳质子事件短期预报模型

本文选取三个描述太阳活动区磁场复杂性和非势性的特征物理量纵向磁场最大水平梯度｜△↓-hBz｜m,强梯度中性线长度L,孤立奇点数目η.对这三个参量统计计算后结果作为预报因子,应用支持向量机作为预报方法建立一个基于磁场特征物理量的太阳质子事件短期预报模型,该模型可以预报活动区未来24小时是否爆发太阳质子事件.2002和2003年连续两年的样本检测并和基于传统预报因子的模型进行了比对,结果显示预报模型具有较高的准确率和较低的虚报率,从而验证了太阳光球磁场参量作为太阳质子事件预报因子的有效性.     

Cross wavelet analysis of the relationship between total solar irradiance and sunspot number

Using the observational data of total solar irradiance (TSI) from 1976 to 2006, the evolution of total solar irradiance and the rela-tionship between TSI and sunspot number (SSN) have been analyzed with the wavelet technique. The results of the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) indicate that the TSI has multi-scale evolutionary characteristics. In the low frequency band, the TSI and SSN show similar variation with a significant and steady oscillation period from 8 to 11.4 a. While in the high frequency band, only around the maximum time of solar cycles, both the TSI and SSN present a significant intermittent oscillation period from 2 to 6 months. The results of the cross wavelet transform indicate that there is significant in-phase resonance oscillation between the TSI and SSN in 8–11.4 a band, where the variation of the SSN is 2 months ahead of that of TSI. Those results confirm the SSN as the primary cause for TSI’s periodic variation in the time scale of 8–11.4 a. However for the 2–6 month band, significant resonance periodicity is observed only within the maximum time of solar cycle, but the phase relationship between the TSI and SSN is unsteady. Finally, a reliable TSI monthly series from 1878 to 1975 is reconstructed and tested.     

Time-variation of the near 5-month period of sunspot numbers

The variation of the near 5-month period of sunspot numbers is discussed on the basis of the wavelet transform of the daily sunspot number series in the 14th—22nd solar cycles. The result shows that the period exists in every cycle and its energy density (amplitude) is comparatively large in the peak section of the cycle. In the distinct cycle, the length and intensity of the period is different, which means that the period varies with time. The near 25-day period is also analyzed and it is found to be timevariable and even not very stable in the peak section of the cycle. The variations of the two periods show that the near 5-month period should not be simply regarded as the multiples of the near 25-day period.     

Unusual activity of the Sun during recent decades compared to the previous 11,000 years

Direct observations of sunspot numbers are available for the past four centuries, but longer time series are required, for example, for the identification of a possible solar influence on climate and for testing models of the solar dynamo. Here we report a reconstruction of the sunspot number covering the past 11,400 years, based on dendrochronologically dated radiocarbon concentrations. We combine physics-based models for each of the processes connecting the radiocarbon concentration with sunspot number. According to our reconstruction, the level of solar activity during the past 70 years is exceptional, and the previous period of equally high activity occurred more than 8,000 years ago. We find that during the past 11,400 years the Sun spent only of the order of 10% of the time at a similarly high level of magnetic activity and almost all of the earlier high-activity periods were shorter than the present episode. Although the rarity of the current episode of high average sunspot numbers may indicate that the Sun has contributed to the unusual climate change during the twentieth century, we point out that solar variability is unlikely to have been the dominant cause of the strong warming during the past three decades.     

第23周太阳活动不对性分析

运用了二个太阳活动指数,即太阳黑子群数和黑子面积来分析第23周太阳活动的不对称性,文中引进了一个新概念“累计的不对称性”来描述太阳活动的不对称性分布,进一步通过计算两个半球上太阳活动指数的实际概率说明了太阳活动的不对称性。结果显示：（1）在第23周开始的前6年左右,太阳活动存在微弱的不对称性;（2）不同太阳活动现象或指数的不对称性,并不发生在同一活动周的同一时期。     

Periodicity of sunspot activity in the modern solar cycles

Sunspot number, sunspot area and sunspot unit area are usually used to show sunspot activity. In this paper,periodicity of sunspot activity of modern solar cycles has been investigated through analyzing the monthly mean values of the three indices in the time interval of May 1874 to May 2004 by use of the wavelet transform. Their global power spectra and local power spectra are given while the statistical tests of these spectra are taken into account. The main results are (1) the local wavelet power spectrum of the sunspot number seems like that of the sunspot area, indicating that the periodicity of the both indices is similar. The local power spectrum of the sunspot unit area resembles the local power spectra of the previous two indices, but looks more complicated. (2) the possible periods in sunspot activity are about 10.6 (or 10.9 years for the sunspot unit area), 31,and 42 years, and the period of about 10.6 years is statistically significant in the considered time. For the periods of about 31 and 42 years, their power peaks are under the 95% confidence level line but over the mean red-noise spectral line, and for the other rest periods, their power peaks are even under the mean red-noise spectral line, which are statistically insignificant. (3) the local power of the three periods is higher in the late stage than in the early stage of the considered time. (4) the period characteristics of the three indices, shown in the global power spectra and the local power spectra, are similar but there is difference in detail.     

110年来太阳黑子活动与南方低温冰冻灾害关系探析——以广东粤北地区为例

以2008年广东低温雨雪冰冻灾害天气及其影响为研究切入点,本文根据史料和气象资料分析了110年来广东地区出现的10次低温雨雪天气及灾害情况,认为太阳黑子活动与冰灾的产生有一定的相关关系.研究发现广东冰灾多出现在太阳活动谷年及其附近;冰灾与太阳黑子活动11年和22年的周期有相关性;太阳黑子活动谷年前后,则广东冰灾发生的机率会更高.     

异常的第24太阳活动周——新千年的第一个完整的太阳活动周

介绍自2007年下半年到现在的非常低的太阳活动状况:无黑子活动天数为16太阳活动周以来最多,不排除24周的无黑子天数是现代黑子周内最多的可能;高纬度(35°)黑子的纬度为12周最低;从2003年11月～2008年9月,较高纬度(20°)每月没有黑子或只有1个黑子,共计持续了58个月,也为12周以来第一次观测到;太阳风速度、太阳风压、10cm电磁波辐射、太阳极区磁场、太阳总光度辐射等参量都为有观测资料以来的最低.对于这种极低太阳活动的现象,介绍了从当前的日震观测给予的解释、也从Gleissberg周期的长尺度、超长太阳活动周期尺度给予了解释.依据目前的观测,我们确定24黑子活动周于2008年11月开始.综合多种经典太阳活动预报方法给出的对24周太阳活动水平的预报,以及美国国家航空航天局和美国国家海洋大气局对24周的未来发展趋势的预报,认为24周太阳活动水平估计比23周将要弱30%左右.异常的24太阳活动周为太阳物理和日地关系物理研究带来机遇.     

Revisit of short-term periodicities in solar mean magnetic field

Short-term variations of the solar mean magnetic field （SMMF） were investigated through re-analyzing the data from the Wilcox Solar Observatory during the last four solar activity cycles using continuous wavelet transforms. We demonstrated the time-variable characters of short-term periods of SMMF. Our results indicate that the SMMF has main periods of about 27 and 13.5 days not only in the minimum and maximum years of each activity cycle, but also in the increase and decrease of the solar cycle. The result is partly different from the conclusion that the SMMF has dominant period of about 27 days during the solar maxima and about 13.5 days during the solar minimum years （Ye et al. in Solar Phys 279：411418, 2012）. The entire time span of SMMF was investigated and discussed further.     

The nature of the solar activity during the Maunder Minimum revealed by the Guliya ice core record

Whether the solar activity was very low, and especially whether the solar cycle existed, during the Maunder Minimum (1645–1715 AD), have been disputed for a long time. In this paper we use the Guliya NO₃ ⁻ data, which can reflect the solar activity, to analyze the characteristics of the solar activity during the Maunder Minimum. The results show that the solar activity was indeed low, and solar cycle displayed normal as present, i.e. about 11a, in that period. Moreover, it was found that the solar activity contains a 36-year periodic component probably, which might be related to the variations in the length of the sunspot cycle. This finding is of importance for the study of the relationship between the sun variability and the Earth climate change.     

The unusual minimum of sunspot cycle 23 caused by meridional plasma flow variations

Direct observations over the past four centuries show that the number of sunspots observed on the Sun's surface varies periodically, going through successive maxima and minima. Following sunspot cycle 23, the Sun went into a prolonged minimum characterized by a very weak polar magnetic field and an unusually large number of days without sunspots. Sunspots are strongly magnetized regions generated by a dynamo mechanism that recreates the solar polar field mediated through plasma flows. Here we report results from kinematic dynamo simulations which demonstrate that a fast meridional flow in the first half of a cycle, followed by a slower flow in the second half, reproduces both characteristics of the minimum of sunspot cycle 23. Our model predicts that, in general, very deep minima are associated with weak polar fields. Sunspots govern the solar radiative energy and radio flux, and, in conjunction with the polar field, modulate the solar wind, the heliospheric open flux and, consequently, the cosmic ray flux at Earth.     

第22太阳活动周软X射线耀斑的统计研究

根据GOES卫星资料 (1～ 8 ) ,统计了第 2 2太阳活动周 (1986 .9～ 1996 .10 )软X射线耀斑数 ,共计 2 0 930个耀斑 ,其中X级最少 ,不到 1% ;M级为 10 % ;C级最多 ,约占 6 0 % .统计发现 ,此活动周有两个峰 ,分别在 1989年和 1991年 ,1989年平均耀斑指数为 4 2 7,1991年为 4 6 8;C、M及X级耀斑数在活动周的上升期迅速增大 ,两年多时间就达到极大 ;而下降期缓慢减小 ,长达 4年多 ;耀斑发生率随软X射线峰值流量的变化呈幂律谱分布 ,谱指数为 - 2 .135 ,相关系数为- 0 .987;小耀斑易受背景影响 ,B级耀斑以及C级耀斑中的较小者在峰年及其前后往往湮没在背景中 ,无法辨别 .还发现X射线耀斑的光学对应体 (Hα耀斑 )与X射线耀斑的比率随X射线耀斑级别的增高而增大 ,X级的光学对应体达 94 % ,M级为 83% ,C级为 6 3% ,B级只有 30 % .     

Phase relationship between the relative sunspot number and solar 10.7 cm flux

A range of analysis approaches,namely continuous wavelet,cross wavelet,and wavelet coherence analyses,are employed to clarify the phase relationship between the smoothed monthly mean sunspot number and solar 10.7 cm flux(F10.7).Analysis shows that there is a region of high spectral power sitting across the Schwabe cycle belt,where the two time series are in phase.However,analysis of the cross-wavelet transform and wavelet coherence unveils asynchronous behavior featured with phase mixing in the high-frequency components of sunspot activity and solar F10.7,which may explain the different activity properties of the photosphere and corona on a short time scale.     

利用人工智能神经网络预测广州市PM2.5日浓度

利用差分整合移动平均自回归模型(ARIMA)、后向传播神经网络(BP)以及长短期记忆神经网络(LSTM), 对广州市2015—2019年的PM_2.5浓度数据进行训练和预报, 研究集合经验模态(EEMD)分解和时间分辨率对不同模型预报准确性的影响。结果表明, EEMD分解可以显著地提升低频分量的预报效果; 提高输入数据的时间分辨率可以提升预报效果, 尤其在ARIMA自回归模型预报中较为明显, 用神经网络进行预报时需要考虑输入数据量增加带来模型复杂度增加的问题。由于模型使用前一天(t -1)的PM_2.5作为输入数据, 即只能预报t+1天的PM_2.5值。为增加模型的预报时效, 采用滚动预报的方式对模型进行优化, 能够显著地提升预报时效, 实现对t+n天的连续预报, 且预报误差与后报结果相当。将时间精度为6 h的数据作为输入, 用ARIMA模型进行预报的效果最好, 最小MAE值为6.478。     

反向传播神经网络及其改进算法用于光伏MPPT的研究

研究了反向传播神经网络(BPNN)、粒子群优化反向传播神经网络(PSO-BPNN)、萤火虫优化反向传播神经网络(FA-BPNN),以及斐波那契优化反向传播神经网络(IM-FSM-BPNN)用于光伏组件在局部阴影下最大功率点的跟踪，以及上述算法在太阳能无人机中飞行光伏发电跟踪。结果首先表明，局部阴影下，IM-FSM-BPNN功率预测精度最低，跟踪时间最长，鲁棒性差，原因是控制参数多，依赖参数初始值。FA-BPNN功率预测精度最高且鲁棒性较好，原因是在训练过程中有效避免梯度消失的问题。其次，在样本数据量增加和太阳能无人机的应用中，发现FA-BPNN的预测效果好和IM-FSM-BPNN的局限性。最后，探讨了参数变化对预测结果的影响。IM-FSM-BPNN、PSO-BPNN和FA-BPNN较BPNN更适用于多样本数据预测，IM-FSM-BPNN相较于其他3种算法更适用于较小的学习率，4种算法的平均跟踪时间和功率平均预测精度随隐含层节点数震荡。     

洪水预报误差分布的极大熵法

首先根据实际洪水预报误差出现在有限区域的特点,应用极大熵原理,建立了洪水总量预报误差分布的极大熵模型;通过几个不同流域的计算,得出随着降雨量的增大,产流预报误差趋于一个稳定值的结论. 同时将该模型计算的分布与正态分布进行了比较,结果表明用极大熵法求得的误差概率分布能更好地描述洪水总量预报误差的分布特性,可以根据实际降雨量的大小确定不同的最大不确定性的误差分布,为分析不同量级洪水预报的风险提供依据.     

1998—2020年三峡库区最大1h降水的时空变化特征

以年、月最大1 h降水强度及其发生时间为指标,采用趋势检验、周期分析、经验正交函数和降水过程综合强度评估方法,分析了1998—2020年三峡库区最大1 h降水的时空变化特征。结果表明：库区年最大1 h降水发生时间有每隔约10 a前移至汛前的现象,主汛期7月最大1 h降水强度有8 a的循环周期;与2010年以前比,2010年后的库区强降水落区表现出自上游向坝址迁移的走势;若最大1 h降水强度相近,则降水持续时间长、覆盖范围广的降水过程,综合强度更高,对防洪安全影响更大。