The e-CALLISTO is a network of CALLISTO (Compact Astronomical Low-frequency, Low-cost Instrument for Spectroscopy in Transportable Observatories) spectrometers which detect solar radio bursts 24 hours a day in frequency range 45-870 MHz. The number of channels per spectrum is 200 and the time resolution of whole spectrum is 0.25 second. The Korean e-CALLISTO station was developed by Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) collaborating with Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) since 2007. In this paper, we report replacement of the tracking mount and development of the control program using Visual C++/MFC. The program can make the tracking mount track the Sun and schedule CALLISTO to start and to finish its observation automatically using the Solar Position Algorithm (SPA). Daily tracking errors (RMSE) are 0.0028 degree in azimuthal axis and 0.0019 degree in elevational axis between 2014 January and 2015 July. We expect that the program can save time and labor to make the observations of solar activity for space weather monitoring, and improve CALLISTO data quality due to the stable and precise tracking methods.

Using sunspot number data from 270 historical stations for the period 1981-2013, we investigate their personal reduction coefficients (k) statistically. Chang & Oh (2012) perform a simulation showing that the k varies with the solar cycle. We try to verify their results using observational data. For this, a weighted mean and weighted standard deviation of monthly sunspot number are used to estimate the error from observed data. We find that the observed error (noise) is much smaller than that used in the simulation. Thus no distinct k-variation with the solar cycle is observed contrary to the simulation. In addition, the probability distribution of k is determined to be non-Gaussian with a fat-tail on the right side. This result implies that the relative sunspot number after 1981 might be overestimated since the mean value of k is less than that of the Gaussian distribution.

We have developed a data integration system for ground-based space weather facilities in Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). The data integration system is necessary to analyze and use ground-based space weather data efficiently, and consists of a server system and data monitoring systems. The server system consists of servers such as data acquisition server or web server, and storage. The data monitoring systems include data collecting and processing applications and data display monitors. With the data integration system we operate the Space Weather Monitoring Lab (SWML) where real-time space weather data are displayed and our ground-based observing facilities are monitored. We expect that this data integration system will be used for the highly efficient processing and analysis of the current and future space weather data at KASI.

Using the MHD coronal seismology technique, we estimated the magnetic field for three spicules observed in 2008 June. For this study, we used the high resolution Ca II H line (3968.5 ˚A) images observed by the Hinode SOT and considered a vertical thin flux tube as a spicule model. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to estimate the spicule magnetic field using the Hinode observation. From the observed oscillation properties, we determined the periods, amplitudes, minimum wavelengths, and wave speeds. We interpreted the observed oscillations as MHD kink waves propagating through a vertical thin flux tube embedded in a uniform field environment. Then we estimated spicule magnetic field assuming spicule densities. Major results from this study are as follows : (1) we observed three oscillating spicules having durations of 5-7 minutes, oscillating periods of 2-3 minutes, and transverse displacements of 700-1000 km. (2) The estimated magnetic field in spicules is about 10-18 G for lower density limit and about 43-76 G for upper density limit. (3) In this analysis, we can estimate the minimum wavelength of the oscillations, such as 60000 km, 56000 km, and 45000 km. This may be due to the much longer wavelength comparing with the height of spicules. (4) In the first event occurred on 2008 June 03, the oscillation existed during limited time (about 250 s). This means that the oscillation may be triggered by an impulsive mechanism (like low atmospheric reconnection), not continuous. Being compared with the ground-based observations of spicule oscillations, our observation indicates quite different one, i.e., more than one order longer in wavelength, a factor of 3-4 larger in wave speed, and 2-3 times longer in period.

X-ray plasma ejections often occurred around the impulsive phases of solar flares and have been well observed by the SXT aboard Yohkoh. Though the X-ray plasma ejections show various morphological shapes, there has been no attempt at classifying the morphological groups for a large sample of the X-ray plasma ejections. In this study, we have classified 137 X-ray plasma ejections according to their shape for the first time. Our classification criteria are as follows: (1) a loop type shows ejecting plasma with the shape of loops, (2) a spray type has a continuous stream of plasma without showing any typical shape, (3) a jet type shows collimated motions of plasma, (4) a confined ejection shows limited motions of plasma near a flaring site. As a result, we classified the flare-associated X-ray plasma ejections into five groups as follows: loop-type (60 events), spray-type (40 events), jet-type (11 events), confined ejection (18 events), and others (8 events). As an illustration, we presented time sequence images of several typical events to discuss their morphological characteristics, speed, CME association, and magnetic field configuration. We found that the jet-type events tend to have higher speeds and better association with CMEs than those of the loop-type events. It is also found that the CME association (11/11) of the jet-type events is much higher than that (5/18) of the confined ejections. These facts imply that the physical characteristics of the X-ray plasma ejections are closely associated with magnetic field configurations near the reconnection regions.

Solar flares present a number of radiative characteristics indicative of kinetic processes of high energy particles. Proper understanding of the kinetic processes, however, relies on how well we can separate the acceleration from transport characteristics. In this paper, we discuss microwave and hard X-ray bursts as a powerful tool in investigating the acceleration and transport of high energy electrons. After a brief review of the studies devoted to the kinetic process of solar flare particles, we cast them into a simple formulation which allows us to handle the injection, trap, and precipitation of flare electrons self-consistently. The formulation is then taken as a basis for interpreting and analyzing a set of impulsive and gradual bursts occurred on 2001 April 6 observed with the Owens Valley Solar Array, and HXT/WBS onboard Yohkoh satellite. We quantify the acceleration, trap, and precipitation processes during each burst in terms of relevant time scales, and also determine ambient density and magnetic field. Our result suggests that it should be the acceleration property, in particular, electron pitch angle distribution, rather than the trap condition, that is mainly responsible for the distinctive properties of the impulsive and gradual flares.

We have investigated one dimensional steady flow model of a typical magnetic flux tube in the solar transition region constrained to observed Differential Emission Measure (DEM) for the average quiet-Sun deduced by Raymond & Doyle (1981) with a flux tube geometry conforming to Doppler shifts of UV lines measured by Chae, Yun & Poland (1998). Because local heating and filling factor in the transition region are not well known, we considered two extreme cases, one characterized by the filling factor= 1 ('filled-up model') and the other set by local heating=0 ('not-heated model'). We examined how much the heating is required for the flux tube by recomputing a model through adjustment of the filling factor in such a way that 'not-heated model' accounts for the observed DEM.