Structure of solar coronal loops: from miniature to large-scale

We will use new data from the High-resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) with unprecedented spatial resolution of the solar corona to investigate the structure of coronal loops down to 0.2 arcsec. During a rocket flight Hi-C provided images of the solar corona in a wavelength band around 193 A that is dominated by emission from Fe XII showing plasma at temperatures around 1.5 MK. We analyze part of the Hi-C field-of-view to study the smallest coronal loops observed so far and search for the a possible sub-structuring of larger loops. We find tiny 1.5 MK loop-like structures that we interpret as miniature coronal loops. These have length of the coronal segment above the chromosphere of only about 1 Mm and a thickness of less than 200 km. They could be interpreted as the coronal signature of small flux tubes breaking through the photosphere with a footpoint distance corresponding to the diameter of a cell of granulation. We find loops that are longer than 50 Mm to have a diameter of about 2 arcsec or 1.5 Mm, consistent with previous observations. However, Hi-C really resolves these loops with some 20 pixels across the loop. Even at this greatly improved spatial resolution the large loops seem to have no visible sub-structure. Instead they show a smooth variation in cross-section. The fact that the large coronal loops do not show a sub-structure at the spatial scale of 0.1 arcsec per pixel implies that either the densities and temperatures are smoothly varying across these loops or poses an upper limit on the diameter of strands the loops might be composed of. We estimate that strands that compose the 2 arcsec thick loop would have to be thinner than 15 km. The miniature loops we find for the first time pose a challenge to be properly understood in terms of modeling.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A (Jun 19, 2013), 11 pages, 10 figure

Influence of large-strain deformation on the microstructure, texture, and mechanical response of tantalum bar

Numerous studies have established the influence of impurities, crystallographic texture, temperature, and strain rate separately or collectively on the constitutive response of annealed tantalum, in particular plate Ta-stock. However, fewer detailed studies have examined the evolution of crystallographic texture and the mechanical response of tantalum bar or rod material following prestraining to large strains {epsilon} > I. In this paper the influence of large plastic prestraining on the microstructure evolution, texture evolution, and mechanical response of high-purity tantalum bar material is presented. Tantalum cylinders annealed at 1200 {degrees}C were quasi-statically upset forged, with intermediate lubrication, to true strains of 0.4, 0.95, and 1.85. Microstructural and textural banding within the starting Ta-bar was characterized in detail. It was found that different oriented bands evolved differently during large-strain forging leading to significant scatter in the mechanical response. Aspects of defect storage, work-hardening response, and texture evolution in Ta-bar as a function of forging strain are discussed

Magnetic field diagnostics and spatio-temporal variability of the solar transition region

Magnetic field diagnostics of the transition region from the chromosphere to the corona faces us with the problem that one has to apply extreme UV spectro-polarimetry. While for coronal diagnostic techniques already exist through infrared coronagraphy above the limb and radio observations on the disk, for the transition region one has to investigate extreme UV observations. However, so far the success of such observations has been limited, but there are various projects to get spectro-polarimetric data in the extreme UV in the near future. Therefore it is timely to study the polarimetric signals we can expect for such observations through realistic forward modeling. We employ a 3D MHD forward model of the solar corona and synthesize the Stokes I and Stokes V profiles of C IV 1548 A. A signal well above 0.001 in Stokes V can be expected, even when integrating for several minutes in order to reach the required signal-to-noise ratio, despite the fact that the intensity in the model is rapidly changing (just as in observations). Often this variability of the intensity is used as an argument against transition region magnetic diagnostics which requires exposure times of minutes. However, the magnetic field is evolving much slower than the intensity, and thus when integrating in time the degree of (circular) polarization remains rather constant. Our study shows the feasibility to measure the transition region magnetic field, if a polarimetric accuracy on the order of 0.001 can be reached, which we can expect from planned instrumentation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physics (4.Mar.2013), 19 pages, 9 figure

Dynamo generated field emergence through recurrent plasmoid ejections

Magnetic buoyancy is believed to drive the transport of magnetic flux tubes from the convection zone to the surface of the Sun. The magnetic fields form twisted loop-like structures in the solar atmosphere. In this paper we use helical forcing to produce a large-scale dynamo-generated magnetic field, which rises even without magnetic buoyancy. A two layer system is used as computational domain where the upper part represents the solar atmosphere. Here, the evolution of the magnetic field is solved with the stress--and--relax method. Below this region a magnetic field is produced by a helical forcing function in the momentum equation, which leads to dynamo action. We find twisted magnetic fields emerging frequently to the outer layer, forming arch-like structures. In addition, recurrent plasmoid ejections can be found by looking at space--time diagrams of the magnetic field. Recent simulations in spherical coordinates show similar results.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figures, To appear in the proceedings of the IAU273 "Physics of Sun and Star Spots

Hydrostatic extrusion of BSCCO/Ag composite wire

The application of hydrostatic extrusion processing to composite wire fabrication offers several advantages over conventional reduction techniques. These include enhanced uniformity, increased reduction capability, and successful extrusion of normally brittle materials. Specifically, this work involved an experiment to screen the effects of seven extrusion process parameters on the uniformity and density of as-extruded BSCCO-core wire, and the required extrusion pressure. Results suggest the following factors to be potentially significant: (1) back pressure, extrusion ratio, and die angle on core uniformity, (2) packing method, extrusion ratio, silver powder additions, and temperature on density, and (3) extrusion ratio and temperature on extrusion pressure

Advanced characterization of twins using automated EBSD

This poster describes resuns obtained using an automated, crystallographically-based technique for twin identification. The technique is based on the automated EBSD. The key features of the analysis are identification of potential twin boundaries by their misorientation character, identification of the distinct boundary planes among the symmetrically equiwlent candidates. and validation of these boundaries through comparison with the boundary and twin plane traces in the sample cross section. Results on the application of this technique to deformation twins in zirconium are analyzed for the effect of twin type and amount and sense of uniaxial deformation. The accumulation of strain tends to increase the misorientation deviation at least to the degree of the trace deviation compared with recrystalllzation twins in nickel

Zirconium deformation behavior: insights from EBSD measurements.

The deformation of crystal-bar zirconium was investigated as a function of strain and strain rate through electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) characterization. The resultant data provided spatially resolved information on microstructure and texture evolution, individual twin system activity, and subsequent strain partitioning between twinned volume and parent grains. A range of deformation conditions was represented through quasi-static compression, 4-point beam bend tests at room and cryogenic temperature, and Taylor cylinder impact experiments. Effects from the interplay between slip and twinning deformation modes on anisotropic plasticity are considered in order to address the apparent trend toward isotropy at high rates. The role of various length scales on deformation behavior will be considered, along with the implications of these length scales on the assumptions typically invoked for plasticity modeling