Short-Period Waves That Heat the Corona Detected at the 1999 Eclipse

As a part of a study of the cause of solar coronal heating, we searched for high-frequency (1 Hz) intensity oscillations in coronal loops in the [Fexiv] coronal green line. We summarize results from observations made at the 11 August 1999 total solar eclipse from Râmnicu-Vâlcea, Romania, through clear skies. We discuss the image reduction and analysis through two simultaneous series of coronal CCD images digitized at 10 Hz for a total time of about 140 s. One series of images was taken through a 3.6 Å filter isolating the 5303 Å[Fexiv] coronal green line and the other through a 100 Å filter in the nearby K-corona continuum. Previous observations, described in Pasachoff et al. (2000), showed no evidence for oscillations in the [Fexiv] green line at a level greater than 2% of coronal intensity. We describe several improvements made over the 1998 eclipse that led to increased image clarity and sensitivity. The corona was brighter in 1999 with the solar maximum, further improving the data. We use Fourier analysis to search in the [Fexiv] channel for intensity oscillations in loops at the base of the corona. Such oscillations in the 1-Hz range are predicted as a result of density fluctuations from the resonant absorption of MHD waves. The dissipation of a significant amount of mechanical energy from the photosphere into the corona through this mechanism could provide sufficient energy to heat the corona. A Monte Carlo model of the data suggests the presence of enhanced power, particularly in the 0.75–1.0 Hz range, and we conclude that MHD waves remain a viable method for coronal heating.     

A Study of the Rotation of the Solar Corona

Synoptic photoelectric observations of the coronal Fexiv and Fex emission lines at 530.3 nm and 637.4 nm, respectively, are analyzed to study the rotational behavior of the solar corona as a function of latitude, height, time and temperature between 1976 (1983 for Fex) and 2001. An earlier similar analysis of the Fexiv data at 1.15 R over only one 11-year solar activity cycle (Sime, Fisher, and Altrock, 1989, Astrophys. J. 336, 454) found suggestions of solar-cycle variations in the differential (latitude-dependent) rotation. These results are tested over the longer epoch now available. In addition, the new Fexiv 1.15 R results are compared with those at 1.25 R and with results from the Fex line. I find that for long-term averages, both ions show a weakly-differential rotation period that may peak near 80° latitude and then decrease to the poles. However, this high-latitude peak may be due to sensing low-latitude streamers at higher latitudes. There is an indication that the Fexiv rotation period may increase with height between 40° and 70° latitude. There is also some indication that Fex may be rotating slower than Fexiv in the mid-latitude range. This could indicate that structures with lower temperatures rotate at a slower rate. As found in the earlier study, there is very good evidence for solar-cycle-related variation in the rotation of Fexiv. At latitudes up to about 60°, the rotation varies from essentially rigid (latitude-independent) near solar minimum to differential in the rising phase of the cycle at both 1.15 R and 1.25 R . At latitudes above 60°, the rotation at 1.15 R appears to be nearly rigid in the rising phase and strongly differential near solar minimum, almost exactly out of phase with the low-latitude variation.     

Interpretation of Localized Deficits in Coronal Emission

Coronal images recorded above the limb in Fexiv (530.3 nm) and Fex (637.5 nm) sometimes have localized regions of anomalously low emission, with the appearance of an abrupt gap in the background corona. These dark spaces have been previously described in the literature in the case of the 530.3 nm line and tentatively explained by reduced coronal plasma density and/or a decrease in the line intensity due to temperatures above or below the optimal ionization temperature for Fexiv. However, loops are sometimes observed spanning gaps, with diminished loop brightness over the region of the gap. It is concluded that at least some of these regions of reduced brightness are caused by absorption of the coronal emission. An analysis reveals that absorption by coronal ions is inadequate as a mechanism to explain the phenomenon. Absorption by neutral hydrogen is, however, consistent with the observations in terms of the reduced brightness of the gaps. The concentration of cool material in the coronal environment associated with large magnetic fields on the disk could explain the gaps. Hence, neutral hydrogen continuum absorption appears to provide a plausible interpretation of, at least, some coronal gaps. Based on this result and from measured intensities, the electron density in the region of a gap is derived and found to be consistent with estimates derived elsewhere.     

Comparative morphology of EIT/SOHO images and He ii excitation

Morphological differences between coronal images on the one hand, and a Hei image on the other, are used to demonstrate the independence of Heii excitation from coronal radiation. The distribution of magnetic flux is found to be more important for Heii excitation. Collisional excitation by non-thermal electrons produced in nano-flare events is proposed as the mechanism for Heii excitation.     

Oscillations in the Coronal Green-Line Intensity Observed at Lominický Štít and Norikura Nearly Simultaneously.

We studied intensity oscillations of the coronal green line ([Fexiv] 530.3 nm) observed with two coronagraphs at Lomnický tít and Norikura nearly simultaneously. In the spectroscopic data obtained at Norikura, we have detected and confirmed the earlier detection of 5-minute oscillations in photoelectric photometer observations made at Lomnický tít. Quasi-periodic structures in the green-line intensity with a tangential speed up to 400 km s^–1 have been detected for the first time. We briefly discuss the implications of these oscillations on the coronal heating mechanisms.     

LASCO observations of the coronal rotation

The near-rigid rotation of the corona above the differential rotation of the photosphere has important implications for the form of the global coronal magnetic field. The magnetic reconfiguring associated with the shear region where the rigidly-rotating coronal field lines interface with the differentially-rotating photospheric field lines could provide an important energy source for coronal heating. We present data on coronal rotation as a function of altitude provided by the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) instrument aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. LASCO comprises of three coronagraphs (C1, C2, and C3) with nested fields-of-view spanning 1.1 R to 30 R. An asymmetry in brightness, both of the Fexiv emission line corona and of the broad-band electron scattered corona, has been observed to be stable over at least a one-year period spanning May 1996 to May 1997. This feature has presented a tracer for the coronal rotation and allowed period estimates to be made to beyond 15R, up to 5 times further than previously recorded for the white-light corona. The difficulty in determining the extent of differential motion in the outer corona is demonstrated and latitudinally averaged rates formed and determined as a function of distance from the Sun. The altitude extent of the low latitude closed coronal field region is inferred from the determined rotation periods which is important to the ability of the solar atmosphere to retain energetic particles. For the inner green line corona (<2 R) we determine a synodic rotation period of (27.4±0.1) days, whereas, for the outer white- light corona, (>2.5 R) we determine a rotation period of (27.7±0.1) days.     

CORONAL RADIATION AND HELIUM λ584 EMISSION IN ACTIVE REGIONS

Based on EUV observations of eleven sunspot regions obtained with the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer, CDS, on SOHO we have studied the spatial distribution, temporal variation and wavelength shift of the Hei 584 line. We find a relatively high spatial correlation between the coronal line Fexvi 360 and the Hei 584 line. This points to coronal back-radiation as an important contributor to the formation of the Hei line in active regions. However, contribution to the line formation from another source is suggested by the following two findings: First, the red-shifted line profiles of both Hei 584 and the transition region lines tend to be more intense than blue-shifted profiles. Second, the Hei 584 emission changes significantly faster than the coronal line emission.     

Wavelength Shifts in the Solar Photospheric Spectrum

Wavelength shifts converted to velocities between solar lines observed at disc center and laboratory wavelengths of Fei, Feii, Tii, Nii, and Fei lines in the near infrared are plotted as a function of the logarithm of their solar equivalent width in milliångstroms. The need for wavelengths based on the wavelength standards is stressed. A comparison of photographic Fei solar wavelength is shown to agree, on the average, with Fourier Transform Spectrometer solar wavelengths within less than 0.5 milliångstroms. Using Balthasar's limb effect tables we convert the disc center velocities to limb velocities and find, though the scatter is large, that there is little evidence for a super-gravitational red shift.     

Earth Tides and Lense–Thirring Effect

The general relativistic Lense—Thirring effect can be measured by inspecting a suitable combination of the orbital residuals of the nodes of LAGEOS and LAGEOS II and the perigee of LAGEOS II. The solid and ocean Earth tides affect the recovery of the parameter by means of which the gravitomagnetic signal is accounted for in the combined residuals. Thus an extensive analysis of the perturbations induced on these orbital elements by the solid and ocean Earth tides is carried out. It involves the l=2 terms for the solid tides and the l=2,3,4 terms for the ocean tides. The perigee of LAGEOS II turns out to be very sensitive to the l=3 part of the ocean tidal spectrum, contrary to the nodes of LAGEOS and LAGEOS II. The uncertainty in the solid tidal perturbations, mainly due to the Love number k ₂, ranges from 0.4% to 1.5%, while the ocean tides are uncertain at 5–15% level. The obtained results are used in order to check in a preliminary way which tidal constituents the Lense-Thirring shift is sensitive to. In particular it is tested if the semisecular 18.6-year zonal tide really does not affect the combined residuals. It turns out that, if modeled at the level of accuracy worked out in the paper, the l=2,4 m=0 and also, to a lesser extent, the l=3, m=0 tidal perturbations cancel out.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

EUV Full-Sun Imaged Spectral Atlas Using the SOHO Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer

The Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) carries out a regular program of measuring the full-disk irradiance using the Normal Incidence Spectrograph (NIS). The full-disk solar spectrum is returned in the wavelength bands 308–379 Å and 513–633 Å, with a spectral resolution between 0.3 and 0.6 Å. A recent modification to the CDS on-board software allows simultaneous moderate resolution monochromatic images to be made of the stronger lines in these wavelength ranges. We report on observations made 23 April 1998, 21 May 1998, and 22 June 1998. A total of 69 monochromatic full-Sun images are extracted from the spectral line data. For the first time, spectrally resolved images of the full Sun in Heii 303.8 Å and Sixi 303.3 Å are presented and compared. Velocity maps of the Sun in singly ionized helium are presented. Correlations of intensity to velocity over a wide range of transition region and coronal temperatures are shown. Lines from Hei to Fexiv show statistical red shifts of 1–7 km s^–1 between active regions and quiet Sun areas. Velocity maps of Mgix andx are presented, showing strong upflow and downflow regions associated with active regions, but not correlated with the brightest emission. Changes in line width are also presented in Hei, with discussion of similar features in other lines of comparable temperature. Corrections which need to be applied to CDS/NIS data to extract meaningful velocities and line widths are presented and discussed. The identifications of the lines in the CDS spectrum are examined. The spatial and spectral variation of the background component of the CDS spectrum is examined.     

Short-Term Periodicities in the Time Series of Solar Radio Emissions at Different Solar Altitudes

A spectral analysis of the time series of daily values of 12 parameters, namely, ten solar radio emissions in the range 275–1755 MHz, 2800 MHz solar radio flux, and sunspot numbers for six continuous intervals of 132 values each during June 1997–July 1999 showed considerable differences from one interval to the next, indicating a nonstationary nature. A 27-day periodicity was noticed in Interval 2 (26.8 days), 3 (27.0 days), 5 (25.5 days), 6 (27.0 days). Other periodicities were near 11.4, 12.3, 13.3, 14.5, 15.5, 16.5, 35, 40, 50–70 days. Periodicities were very similar in a large vertical span of the coronal region corresponding to 670–1755 MHz. Above this region, the homogeneity disappeared. Below this region, there were complications and distortions due to localized solar surface phenomena.     

SWRI/LASP Sounding Rocket Inter-Calibration With The Eit Instrument On Board SOHO

Two successful sounding rocket flights were launched on 15 May 1997 and 2 November 1998 with an objective of providing inter-calibration with several of the instruments on board SOHO and TRACE. We will discuss here the results of the inter-calibration between the SwRI/LASP rocket imaging instruments and the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) on SOHO. The Multiple XUV Imager (MXUVI) sounding rocket instrument is a multi-layer mirror telescope equipped with an internal occulter and light trap to provide full-disk images of Feix/x 17.1 nm and off-limb observations of Heii 30.4 nm. The SOHO/EIT instrument is also a full-disk multi-layer imager with four channels, Fe ix/x 17.1 nm, Fexii 19.5 nm, Fexv 28.4 nm and Heii 30.4 nm. By comparison with the EIT observations taken at the same time, we provide new flat-field determinations for EIT which help quantify the sensitivity degradation of the EIT detector, as well as provide a measure of the off-limb stray-light characteristics of the two instruments. We find that the EIT stray-light function is strongly asymmetric, with greater stray light in the 17.1 and 19.5 nm quadrants than the 30.4 and 28.4 nm quadrants. Two possible causes of this asymmetry are the polishing processes of the EIT mirrors and the asymmetric support grid pattern in the foil mesh at the EIT pupil.     

THE Fe XXV EXCITATION EQUILIBRIUM IN THE SOLAR CORONA FOR THE ELECTRON POWER DISTRIBUTIONS USING A PSEUDO-TEMPERATURE

The excitation equilibrium of Fexxv in the solar corona for electron power distributions is presented. A parametric form of the distribution function is used to demonstrate the changes in the excitation equilibrium due to the shape of the distribution. A pseudo-temperature is used for better understanding of the changes in the excitation equilibrium. The Fexxv line intensities depend on the shape of the electron distribution and unusual Fe line ratios can be observed for non-thermal distribution. The results can be used in specific applications in the solar corona, especially in diagnostics of the impulsive phase of solar flares, where the deviations from the Maxwellian distribution can be large.     

Infrared Imaging Solar Spectrograph At Purple Mountain Observatory

Since 1986, we have made some improvements to the multichannel solar spectrograph at Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) step by step, and now we have developed and added to it a multichannel infrared imaging solar spectrograph. The original spectrograph can be used to observe simultaneously solar activity at 9 wave bands including Caii H and K line, Mgi b line, Hei D3 line and H through H. The newly developed infrared imaging spectrograph can work in three wavelengths, i.e., Hei 10830 Å, Caii 8542 Å, and H. We replaced plates in the original system with CCDs and placed an image reducer before each CCD in order to match the CCD pixel size. The dispersions for Hei 10830 Å, Caii 8542 Å, and H of the new imaging solar spectrograph are 0.0693 Å, 0.0767 Å, and 0.0754 Å per CCD pixel respectively, and each vertical CCD pixel represents 0.34 arc sec of solar disk. We can obtain the line-center and off-band intensities of the three lines and the intensities of continua adjacent to these lines through the new instrument. We can also acquire velocity maps and line profiles. Therefore, it is specially suitable for two-dimensional (2D) spectroscopic observations of solar flares and active regions. We carry out scanning observation by rotating the second mirror of the coelostat system. In this paper, we introduce the improvements we made and the new imaging solar spectrograph. Some observation results are also presented in this article.     

Infrared Spectroscopy from San Fernando Observatory: He I 1083 nm, O I 1316 nm, and Fe I 1565 nm

Imaging spectroscopy of the Sun was carried out at the California State University Northridge San Fernando Observatory using an InGaAs near-IR video camera. Using the Sii 1082.71 nm and Hei 1083.03 nm lines the Evershed effect is measured simultaneously in the photosphere and the chromosphere for three sunspots; the speed of the Evershed flow is measured to be between 3 to 8 times greater in the Hei line than in the Sii line, and the direction is radially inward in the chromosphere and outward in the photosphere. Telluric absorption lines prevented a meaningful measurement of Oi 1128.7 nm limb emission, but an upper limit of 20×10^–3 B is measured for chromospheric limb emission at Oi 1316.3 nm. Zeeman splitting in Fei 1564.9 nm was observed in six sunspot umbrae, and a linear relationship between magnetic field and umbral continuum intensity is confirmed.     

Flare-related changes in the profiles of six photospheric spectral lines

The profiles of six photospheric absorption spectral lines (Fei 5250 Å, Fei 5324 Å, Fei 5576 Å, Cai 5590 Å, Cai 6103 Å and Fei 6165 Å), measured in the kernel of a 2N solar flare and in a quiet-Sun area, were compared. The observations were carried out with an echelle spectrograph of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. It was shown that, compared to the quiet-Sun profiles, the flare profiles are shallower in the line core and are less steep in the wings. Therefore, measurements of the longitudinal magnetic field made with a magnetograph system which uses the Cai 6103 Å  spectral line, can be underestimated by 18–25% in areas of bright H ribbons of a moderate solar flare. Modeling of the solar photosphere performed by using a synthesis method showed that, in a solar flare, the enhanced core emission seems to be related to heating of the photosphere by the flare, whereas the decrease of the slope of the wings was presumably caused by the inhomogeneity of the photospheric magnetic field.     

Solar Wind Velocity and Anisotropic Coronal Kinetic Temperature Measured with the O Vi Doublet Ratio

Doppler dimming of the Ovi resonance lines (1032 Å, 1037 Å) in an expanding corona is calculated including the pumping effect on the Ovi 1037.61 Å of both Cii lines at 1036.34 Å and 1037.02 Å, and the effect of the width of the absorption profiles of the coronal oxygen ions along the incident radiation. The pumping effect of the Cii line at 1036.34 Å allows us to extend to approximately 450 km s–1 the measurement of solar wind velocities with the Ovi line ratio technique. Since the emissivity ratio of the Ovi doublet depends on the width of the oxygen coronal absorbing profiles, this ratio can provide an accurate measurement of the solar wind velocity in the case that the width of the absorbing profile along the direction of the incident radiation is independently determined. However, if on the one hand the ratio of the emissivities of the Ovi doublet has limitations in probing the wind velocity, on the other hand it can be used as a diagnostics for inferring the velocity distribution of the coronal Ovi ions along the radial, and detecting possible velocity anisotropies. This diagnostics, applied to recent observational results, allows us to infer that the velocity distribution of the oxygen ions is much broader in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field direction, and that the acceleration of the fast solar wind in the first 2 solar radii is high.     

Electron Excitation Rates in the Solar Corona for non-Maxwellian Electron Distributions

The influence of electron non-Maxwellian distributions (power and -distribution) on the electron excitation rate in the solar corona is demonstrated. It is shown that the deviations in electron excitation rate are sufficient to affect intensities of spectral lines. As an example the diagnostics of a power-law distribution are demonstrated for a simplified calculation of the resonance lines of Fexxiv, Fexxv and Fexxvi. The results can be used in diagnosing solar flare plasmas, where the deviations of the electron distribution from a Maxwellian distribution can be large.     

Spectroscopic Studies of the Solar Corona – V. Physical Properties of Coronal Structures

Spectra around the 6374 Å [Fex] and 7892 Å [Fexi] emission lines were obtained simultaneously with the 25-cm coronagraph at Norikura Observatory covering an area of 200 ×500 of the solar corona. The line width, peak intensity and line-of-sight velocity for both the lines were computed using Gaussian fits to the observed line profiles at each location (4 ×4 ) of the observed coronal region. The line-width measurements show that in steady coronal structures the FWHM of the 6374 Å emission line increases with height above the limb with an average value of 1.02 mÅ arc sec^–1. The FWHM of the 7892 Å line also increases with height but at a smaller average value of 0.55 mÅ arc sec^–1. These observations agree well with our earlier results obtained from observations of the red, green, and infrared emission lines that variation of the FWHM of the coronal emission lines with height in steady coronal structures depends on plasma temperatures they represent. The FWHM gradient is negative for high-temperature emission lines, positive for relatively low-temperature lines and smaller for emission lines in the intermediate temperature range. Such a behaviour in the variation of the FWHM of coronal emission lines with height above the limb suggests that it may not always be possible to interpret an increase in the FWHM of emission line with height as an increase in the nonthermal velocity, and hence rules out the existence of waves in steady coronal structures.     

Structure and Evolution of the Transition Region Network Observed in he ii λ304

The length scale and life time of the transition region network cells were studied using Heii 304 filtergrams. The temporal structure function was calculated from spatially aligned Heii 304 images. The estimated life time of the network cell was about 27 hr. We compared this life time with the life time of photospheric magnetic network and of the extrapolated magnetic network. The spatial structure function was calculated from the Heii 304 filtergrams. The calculated spatial structure function saturates at 25000 km. The transition region network elements are bigger in size than the photospheric magnetic network element. The magnetic network element equals the size of the Heii 304 network element when the photospheric magnetic field is extrapolated to a height of 3000 km above the photosphere where the magnetic fluxes are deployed. The derived value of the diffusion speed of the network elements was 0.098 km s^–1.