72 research outputs found
The 2008 August 1 Eclipse Solar-Minimum Corona Unraveled
We discuss results stemming from observations of the white-light and [Fe XIV]
emission corona during the total eclipse of the Sun of 2008 August 1, in
Mongolia (Altaj region) and in Russia (Akademgorodok, Novosibirsk, Siberia).
Corresponding to the current extreme solar minimum, the white-light corona,
visible up to 20 solar radii, was of a transient type with well-pronounced
helmet streamers situated above a chain of prominences at position angles 48,
130, 241 and 322 degrees. A variety of coronal holes, filled with a number of
thin polar plumes, were seen around the poles. Furthering an original method of
image processing, stars up to 12 magnitude, a Kreutz-group comet (C/2008 O1),
and a coronal mass ejection (CME) were also detected, with the smallest
resolvable structures being of, and at some places even less than, 1 arcsec.
Differences, presumably motions, in the corona and prominences are seen even
with the 19-min time difference between our sites. In addition to the
high-resolution coronal images, which show the continuum corona (K-corona) that
results from electron scattering of photospheric light, images of the
overlapping green-emission-line (530.3 nm, [Fe XIV]) corona were obtained with
the help of two narrow-passband filters (centered on the line itself and for
the continuum in the vicinity of 529.1 nm, respectively), each with FWHM of
0.15 nm. Through solar observations, on whose scheduling and details we
consulted, with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, Hinode's XRT and SOT,
TRACE, and STEREO, as well as Wilcox Solar Observatory and SOHO/MDI
magnetograms, we set our eclipse observations in the context of the current
unusually low and prolonged solar minimum.Comment: Accepted in The Astrophysical Journal, 6 July 200
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Fine-Scale Structure in Cometary Dust Tails I::Analysis of Striae in Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) through Temporal Mapping
Striated features, or striae, form in cometary dust tails due to an as-yet unconstrained process or processes. For the first time we directly display the formation of striae, at C/2006 P1 McNaught, using data from the SOHO LASCO C3 coronagraph. The nature of this formation suggests both fragmentation and shadowing effects are important in the formation process. Using the SOHO data with STEREO-A and B data from the HI-1 and HI-2 instruments, we display the evolution of these striae for two weeks, with a temporal resolution of two hours or better. This includes a period of morphological change on 2007 January 13–14 that we attribute to Lorentz forces caused by the comet’s dust tail crossing the heliospheric current sheet. The nature of this interaction also implies a mixing of different sized dust along the striae, implying that fragmentation must be continuous or cascading. To enable this analysis, we have developed a new technique – temporal mapping – that displays cometary dust tails directly in the radiation beta (ratio of radiation pressure to gravity) and dust ejection time phase space. This allows for the combination of various data sets and the removal of transient motion and scaling effects
Thermodynamics of the Solar Corona and Evolution of the Solar Magnetic Field as Inferred from the Total Solar Eclipse Observations of 2010 July 11
We report on the first multi-wavelength coronal observations, taken simultaneously in white light, Hα 656.3 nm, Fe IX 435.9 nm, Fe X 637.4 nm, Fe XI 789.2 nm, Fe XIII 1074.7 nm, Fe XIV 530.3 nm, and Ni XV 670.2 nm, during the total solar eclipse of 2010 July 11 from the atoll of Tatakoto in French Polynesia. The data enabled temperature differentiations as low as 0.2 × 106 K. The first-ever images of the corona in Fe IX and Ni XV showed that there was very little plasma below 5 × 105 K and above 2.5 × 106 K. The suite of multi-wavelength observations also showed that open field lines have an electron temperature near 1× 106 K, while the hottest, 2× 106 K, plasma resides in intricate loops forming the bulges of streamers, also known as cavities, as discovered in our previous eclipse observations. The eclipse images also revealed unusual coronal structures, in the form of ripples and streaks, produced by the passage of coronal mass ejections and eruptive prominences prior to totality, which could be identified with distinct temperatures for the first time. These trails were most prominent at 106 K. Simultaneous Fe X 17.4 nm observations from Proba2/SWAP provided the first opportunity to compare Fe X emission at 637.4 nm with its extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) counterpart. This comparison demonstrated the unique diagnostic capabilities of the coronal forbidden lines for exploring the evolution of the coronal magnetic field and the thermodynamics of the coronal plasma, in comparison with their EUV counterparts in the distance range of 1-3 R ☉. These diagnostics are currently missing from present space-borne and ground-based observatories
Mapping the Distribution of Electron Temperature and Fe Charge States in the Corona with Total Solar Eclipse Observations
The inference of electron temperature from the ratio of the intensities of emission lines in the solar corona is valid only when the plasma is collisional. Once collisionless, thermodynamic ionization equilibrium no longer holds, and the inference of an electron temperature and its gradient from such measurements is no longer valid. At the heliocentric distance where the transition from a collision-dominated to a collisionless plasma occurs, the charge states of different elements are established, or frozen-in. These are the charge states which are subsequently measured in interplanetary space. We show in this study how the 2006 March 29 and 2008 August 1 eclipse observations of a number of Fe emission lines yield an empirical value for a distance, which we call Rt , where the emission changes from being collisionally to radiatively dominated. Rt ranges from 1.1 to 2.0 R ☉, depending on the charge state and the underlying coronal density structures. Beyond that distance, the intensity of the emission reflects the distribution of the corresponding Fe ion charge states. These observations thus yield the two-dimensional distribution of electron temperature and charge state measurements in the corona for the first time. The presence of the Fe X 637.4 nm and Fe XI 789.2 nm emission in open magnetic field regions below Rt , such as in coronal holes and the boundaries of streamers, and the absence of Fe XIII 1074.7 nm and Fe XIV 530.3 nm emission there indicate that the sources of the solar wind lie in regions where the electron temperature is less than 1.2 × 106 K. Beyond Rt , the extent of the Fe X [Fe9+] and Fe XI emission [Fe10+], in comparison with Fe XIII [Fe12+] and Fe XIV [Fe13+], matches the dominance of the Fe10+ charge states measured by the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer, SWICS, on Ulysses, at –43° latitude at 4 AU, in March-April 2006, and Fe9+ and Fe10+ charge states measured by SWICS on the Advanced Composition Explorer, ACE, in the ecliptic plane at 1 AU, at the time of both eclipses. The remarkable correspondence between these two measurements establishes the first direct link between the distribution of charge states in the corona and in interplanetary space
Spectroscopic Coronal Observations during the Total Solar Eclipse of 11 July 2010
The flash spectrum of the solar chromosphere and corona was measured with a
slitless spectrograph before, after, and during the totality of the solar
eclipse, of 11 July 2010, at Easter Island, Chile. This eclipse took place at
the beginning of the Solar Cycle 24, after an extended minimum of solar
activity. The spectra taken during the eclipse show a different intensity ratio
of the red and green coronal lines compared with those taken during the total
solar eclipse of 1 August 2008, which took place towards the end of the Solar
Cycle 23. The characteristic coronal forbidden emission line of forbidden Fe
XIV (5303 {\AA}) was observed on the east and west solar limbs in four areas
relatively symmetrically located with respect to the solar rotation axis.
Subtraction of the continuum flash-spectrum background led to the
identification of several extremely weak emission lines, including forbidden Ca
XV (5694 {\AA}), which is normally detected only in regions of very high
excitation, e.g., during flares or above large sunspots. The height of the
chromosphere was measured spectrophotometrically, using spectral lines from
light elements and compared with the equivalent height of the lower
chromosphere measured using spectral lines from heavy elements.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 1 table; Solar Physics, 2012, Februar
Mapping the Distribution of Electron Temperature and Fe Charge States in the Corona with Total Solar Eclipse Observations
Signatures of the slow solar wind streams from active regions in the inner corona
Some of local sources of the slow solar wind can be associated with
spectroscopically detected plasma outflows at edges of active regions
accompanied with specific signatures in the inner corona. The EUV telescopes
(e.g. SPIRIT/CORONAS-F, TESIS/CORONAS-Photon and SWAP/PROBA2) sometimes
observed extended ray-like structures seen at the limb above active regions in
1MK iron emission lines and described as "coronal rays". To verify the
relationship between coronal rays and plasma outflows, we analyze an isolated
active region (AR) adjacent to small coronal hole (CH) observed by different
EUV instruments in the end of July - beginning of August 2009. On August 1 EIS
revealed in the AR two compact outflows with the Doppler velocities V =10-30
km/s accompanied with fan loops diverging from their regions. At the limb the
ARCH interface region produced coronal rays observed by EUVI/STEREO-A on July
31 as well as by TESIS on August 7. The rays were co-aligned with open magnetic
field lines expanded to the streamer stalks. Using the DEM analysis, it was
found that the fan loops diverged from the outflow regions had the dominant
temperature of ~1 MK, which is similar to that of the outgoing plasma streams.
Parameters of the solar wind measured by STEREO-B, ACE, WIND, STEREO-A were
conformed with identification of the ARCH as a source region at the
Wang-Sheeley-Arge map of derived coronal holes for CR 2086. The results of the
study support the suggestion that coronal rays can represent signatures of
outflows from ARs propagating in the inner corona along open field lines into
the heliosphere.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physics; 31 Pages; 13 Figure
The Science of Sungrazers, Sunskirters, and Other Near-Sun Comets
This review addresses our current understanding of comets that venture close to the Sun, and are hence exposed to much more extreme conditions than comets that are typically studied from Earth. The extreme solar heating and plasma environments that these objects encounter change many aspects of their behaviour, thus yielding valuable information on both the comets themselves that complements other data we have on primitive solar system bodies, as well as on the near-solar environment which they traverse. We propose clear definitions for these comets: We use the term near-Sun comets to encompass all objects that pass sunward of the perihelion distance of planet Mercury (0.307 AU). Sunskirters are defined as objects that pass within 33 solar radii of the Sun’s centre, equal to half of Mercury’s perihelion distance, and the commonly-used phrase sungrazers to be objects that reach perihelion within 3.45 solar radii, i.e. the fluid Roche limit. Finally, comets with orbits that intersect the solar photosphere are termed sundivers. We summarize past studies of these objects, as well as the instruments and facilities used to study them, including space-based platforms that have led to a recent revolution in the quantity and quality of relevant observations. Relevant comet populations are described, including the Kreutz, Marsden, Kracht, and Meyer groups, near-Sun asteroids, and a brief discussion of their origins. The importance of light curves and the clues they provide on cometary composition are emphasized, together with what information has been gleaned about nucleus parameters, including the sizes and masses of objects and their families, and their tensile strengths. The physical processes occurring at these objects are considered in some detail, including the disruption of nuclei, sublimation, and ionisation, and we consider the mass, momentum, and energy loss of comets in the corona and those that venture to lower altitudes. The different components of comae and tails are described, including dust, neutral and ionised gases, their chemical reactions, and their contributions to the near-Sun environment. Comet-solar wind interactions are discussed, including the use of comets as probes of solar wind and coronal conditions in their vicinities. We address the relevance of work on comets near the Sun to similar objects orbiting other stars, and conclude with a discussion of future directions for the field and the planned ground- and space-based facilities that will allow us to address those science topics
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