Solar coronal plumes and the fast solar wind

The spectral profiles of the coronal Ne viii line at 77 nm have different shapes in quiet-Sun regions and coronal holes (CHs). A single Gaussian fit of the line profile provides an adequate approximation in quiet-Sun areas, whereas a strong shoulder on the long-wavelength side is a systematic feature in CHs. Although this has been noticed since 1999, no physical reason for the peculiar shape could be given. In an attempt to identify the cause of this peculiarity, we address three problems that could not be conclusively resolved in a review article by a study team of the International Space Science Institute (ISSI; Wilhelm et al. 2011) : (1) The physical processes operating at the base and inside of plumes as well as their interaction with the solar wind (SW). (2) The possible contribution of plume plasma to the fast SW streams. (3) The signature of the first-ionization potential (FIP) effect between plumes and inter-plume regions (IPRs). Before the spectroscopic peculiarities in IPRs and plumes in polar coronal holes (PCHs) can be further investigated with the instrument Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation (SUMER) aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), it is mandatory to summarize the results of the review to place the spectroscopic observations into context. Finally, a plume model is proposed that satisfactorily explains the plasma flows up and down the plume field lines and leads to the shape of the neon line in PCHs.Comment: 8 Pages; 3 Figures; To appear in Journal of Astrophysics & Astronomy (Special Issue; Eds. V. Fedun, A.K. Srivastava, R. Erdelyi, J.C. Pandey

Gravitational redshift and the vacuum index of refraction

A physical process of the gravitational redshift was described in an earlier paper (Wilhelm & Dwivedi 2014) that did not require any information for the emitting atom neither on the local gravitational potential U nor on the speed of light c. Although it could be shown that the correct energy shift of the emitted photon resulted from energy and momentum conservation principles and the speed of light at the emission site, it was not obvious how this speed is controlled by the gravitational potential. The aim of this paper is to describe a physical process that can accomplish this control. We determine the local speed of light c by deducing a gravitational index of refraction nG as a function of the potential U assuming a specific aether model, in which photons propagate as solitons. Even though an atom cannot locally sense the gravitational potential U (cf. Muller et al. 2010), the gravitational redshift will nevertheless be determined by U (cf. Wolf et al. 2010)- mediated by the local speed of light c.Comment: 8 Page

Spectroscopic Observations and Modelling of Impulsive Alfv\'en Waves Along a Polar Coronal Jet

Using the Hinode/EIS 2$"$ spectroscopic observations, we study the intensity, velocity, and FWHM variations of the strongest Fe XII 195.12 \AA\ line along the jet to find the signature of Alfv\'en waves. We simulate numerically the impulsively generated Alfv\'en waves within the vertical Harris current-sheet, forming the jet plasma flows, and mimicking their observational signatures. Using the FLASH code and the atmospheric model with embedded weakly expanding magnetic field configuration within a vertical Harris current-sheet, we solve the two and half-dimensional (2.5-D) ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations to study the evolution of Alfv\'en waves and vertical flows forming the plasma jet. At a height of $\sim 5~\mathrm{Mm}$ from the base of the jet, the red-shifted velocity component of Fe XII 195.12 \AA\ line attains its maximum ($5~\mathrm{km\,s}^{-1}$) which converts into a blue-shifted one between the altitude of $5-10~\mathrm{Mm}$. The spectral intensity continously increases up to $10~\mathrm{Mm}$, while FWHM still exhibits the low values with almost constant trend. This indicates that the reconnection point within the jet's magnetic field topology lies in the corona $5-10~\mathrm{Mm}$ from its footpoint anchored in the Sun's surface. Beyond this height, FWHM shows a growing trend. This may be the signature of Alfv\'en waves that impulsively evolve due to reconnection and propagate along the jet. From our numerical data, we evaluate space- and time- averaged Alfv\'en waves velocity amplitudes at different heights in the jet's current-sheet, which contribute to the non-thermal motions and spectral line broadening. The synthetic width of Fe XII $195.12~\mathrm{\AA}$ line exhibits similar trend of increment as in the observational data, possibly proving the existence of impulsively generated (by reconnection) Alfv\'en waves which propagate along the jet