The determination of vector magnetic fields in prominences from the observations of the Stokes profiles in the D3 line of helium

A method is presented to measure the magnetic field vector in prominences by means of the polarimetric observations in the D₃ line of He obtained with the High Altitude Observatory Stokes polarimeter. The characteristics of the observed Stokes profiles are discussed. The theory of the Hanle effect is reformulated in the representation of the irreducible tensors of the density matrix, and is generalized to derive the circular polarization profiles across the spectral line in terms of the intensity and direction of the prominence magnetic field. The circular polarization profile so deduced can be employed to obtain useful information which adds to that carried by the linear polarization observations. A non-linear least-squares algorithm is proposed to derive the measurement of the magnetic field from the observations, and a consistency check is suggested to test the adequacy of the theoretical model to describe the physics of the He I atomic excitation in prominences.On leave from: Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi, 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.