Vertical velocities and oscillations in quiescent filaments

Analysis of He i 10 830 Å spectral observations of a large, quiescent filament reveals a pronounced oscillatory behaviour of the vertical mass motion. The filament is situated in a quiet region more than 15° away from the nearest active region.It is concluded that the magnetic field of the quiescent filament, which occurs in the form of long thin flux ropes, moves with the gas and that there is no net mass flow perpendicular to the most frequently observed horizontal field lines. The oscillatory motion is accompanied by phase dependent variation of the He i line intensity which could possibly imply wave induced compression of the plasma.