36 research outputs found
Observation of a short-lived pattern in the solar chromosphere
In this work we investigate the dynamic behavior of inter-network regions of
the solar chromosphere. We observed the chromosphere of the quiet Sun using a
narrow-band Lyot filter centered at the Ca II K 2v emission peak with a
bandpass of 0.3A. We achieved a spatial resolution of on average 0.7" at a
cadence of 10s. In the inter-network we find a mesh-like pattern that features
bright grains at the vertices. The pattern has a typical spatial scale of 1.95"
and a mean evolution time scale of 53s with a standard deviation of 10s. A
comparison of our results with a recent three-dimensional radiation
hydrodynamical model implies that the observed pattern is of chromospheric
origin. The measured time scales are not compatible with those of reversed
granulation in the photosphere although the appearance is similar. A direct
comparison between network and inter-network structure shows that their typical
time scales differ by at least a factor of two. The existence of a rapidly
evolving small-scale pattern in the inter-network regions supports the picture
of the lower chromosphere as a highly dynamical and intermittent phenomenon.Comment: Letter A&A 4 pages 5 figure
Morphology and Dynamics of the Low Solar Chromosphere
The Interferometric Bidimensional Spectrometer (IBIS) installed at the Dunn
Solar Telescope of the NSO/SP is used to investigate the morphology and
dynamics of the lower chromosphere and the virtually non-magnetic fluctosphere
below. The study addresses in particular the structure of magnetic elements
that extend into these layers. We choose different quiet Sun regions in and
outside coronal holes. In inter-network regions with no significant magnetic
flux contributions above the detection limit of IBIS, we find intensity
structures with the characteristics of a shock wave pattern. The magnetic flux
elements in the network are long lived and seem to resemble the spatially
extended counterparts to the underlying photospheric magnetic elements. We
suggest a modification to common methods to derive the line-of-sight magnetic
field strength and explain some of the difficulties in deriving the magnetic
field vector from observations of the fluctosphere.Comment: accepted by ApJ, 16 pages, 8 figure
The solar chromosphere at high resolution with IBIS. I. New insights from the Ca II 854.2 nm line
(Abridged)
Aims: In this paper, we seek to establish the suitability of imaging
spectroscopy performed in the Ca II 854.2 nm line as a means to investigate the
solar chromosphere at high resolution.
Methods: We utilize monochromatic images obtained with the Interferometric
BIdimensional Spectrometer (IBIS) at multiple wavelengths within the Ca II
854.2 nm line and over several quiet areas. We analyze both the morphological
properties derived from narrow-band monochromatic images and the average
spectral properties of distinct solar features such as network points,
internetwork areas and fibrils.
Results: The spectral properties derived over quiet-Sun targets are in full
agreement with earlier results obtained with fixed-slit spectrographic
observations, highlighting the reliability of the spectral information obtained
with IBIS. Furthermore, the very narrowband IBIS imaging reveals with much
clarity the dual nature of the Ca II 854.2 nm line: its outer wings gradually
sample the solar photosphere, while the core is a purely chromospheric
indicator. The latter displays a wealth of fine structures including bright
points, akin to the Ca II H2V and K2V grains, as well as fibrils originating
from even the smallest magnetic elements. The fibrils occupy a large fraction
of the observed field of view even in the quiet regions, and clearly outline
atmospheric volumes with different dynamical properties, strongly dependent on
the local magnetic topology. This highlights the fact that 1-D models
stratified along the vertical direction can provide only a very limited
representation of the actual chromospheric physics.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures. Accepted in A&A. Revised version after referee's
comments. New Fig. 1 and 7. Higher quality figures in
http://www.arcetri.astro.it/~gcauzzi/papers/ibis.caii.pd
Tracking magnetic bright point motions through the solar atmosphere
High-cadence, multiwavelength observations and simulations are employed for the analysis of solar photospheric magnetic bright points (MBPs) in the quiet Sun. The observations were obtained with the Rapid Oscillations in the Solar Atmosphere (ROSA) imager and the Interferometric Bidimensional Spectrometer at the Dunn Solar Telescope. Our analysis reveals that photospheric MBPs have an average transverse velocity of approximately 1 km s−1, whereas their chromospheric counterparts have a slightly higher average velocity of 1.4 km s−1. Additionally, chromospheric MBPs were found to be around 63 per cent larger than the equivalent photospheric MBPs. These velocity values were compared with the output of numerical simulations generated using the MURAM code. The simulated results were similar, but slightly elevated, when compared to the observed data. An average velocity of 1.3 km s−1 was found in the simulated G-band images and an average of 1.8 km s−1 seen in the velocity domain at a height of 500 km above the continuum formation layer. Delays in the change of velocities were also analysed. Average delays of ∼4 s between layers of the simulated data set were established and values of ∼29 s observed between G-band and Ca II K ROSA observations. The delays in the simulations are likely to be the result of oblique granular shock waves, whereas those found in the observations are possibly the result of a semi-rigid flux tube
Magnetic fields in solar plage regions: insights from high-sensitivity spectropolarimetry
Plage regions are patches of concentrated magnetic field in the Sun's
atmosphere where hot coronal loops are rooted. While previous studies have shed
light on the properties of plage magnetic fields in the photosphere, there are
still challenges in measuring the overlying chromospheric magnetic fields,
which are crucial to understanding the overall heating and dynamics. Here, we
utilize high-sensitivity, spectropolarimetric data obtained by the four-meter
Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) to investigate the dynamic environment
and magnetic field stratification of an extended, decaying plage region. The
data show strong circular polarization signals in both plage cores and
surrounding fibrils. Notably, weak linear polarization signals clearly
differentiate between plage patches and the fibril canopy, where they are
relatively stronger. Inversions of the Ca II 8542 spectra show
an imprint of the fibrils in the chromospheric magnetic field, with typical
field strength values ranging from 200-300 G in fibrils. We confirm the
weak correlation between field strength and cooling rates in the lower
chromosphere. Additionally, we observe supersonic downflows and strong velocity
gradients in the plage periphery, indicating dynamical processes occurring in
the chromosphere. These findings contribute to our understanding of the
magnetic field and dynamics within plages, emphasizing the need for further
research to explore the expansion of magnetic fields with height and the
three-dimensional distribution of heating rates in the lower chromosphere.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
Radiative emission of solar features in the Ca II K line: comparison of measurements and models
We study the radiative emission of various types of solar features, such as
quiet Sun, enhanced network, plage, and bright plage regions, identified on
filtergrams taken in the Ca II K line. We analysed fulldisk images obtained
with the PSPT, by using three interference filters that sample the Ca II K line
with different bandpasses. We studied the dependence of the radiative emission
of disk features on the filter bandpass. We also performed a NLTE spectral
synthesis of the Ca II K line integrated over the bandpass of PSPT filters. The
synthesis was carried out by utilizing both the PRD and CRD with the most
recent set of semi empirical atmosphere models in the literature and some
earlier atmosphere models. We measured the CLV of intensity values for various
solar features identified on PSPT images and compared the results obtained with
those derived from the synthesis. We find that CRD calculations derived using
the most recent quiet Sun model, on average, reproduce the measured values of
the quiet Sun regions slightly more accurately than PRD computations with the
same model. This may reflect that the utilized atmospheric model was computed
assuming CRD. Calculations with PRD on earlier quiet Sun model atmospheres
reproduce measured quantities with a similar accuracy as to that achieved here
by applying CRD to the recent model. We also find that the median contrast
values measured for most of the identified bright features, disk positions, and
filter widths are, on average, a factor 1.9 lower than those derived from PRD
simulations performed using the recent bright feature models. The discrepancy
between measured and modeled values decreases by 12% after taking into account
straylight effects on PSPT images. PRD computations on either the most recent
or the earlier atmosphere models of bright features reproduce measurements from
plage and bright plage regions with a similar accuracy.Comment: 14 pages, 18 figures, accepted by A&
Insight into the solar plage chromosphere with DKIST
The strongly coupled hydrodynamic, magnetic, and radiation properties of the
plasma in the solar chromosphere makes it a region of the Sun's atmosphere that
is poorly understood. We use data obtained with the high-resolution Visible
Broadband Imager (VBI) equipped with an H filter and the Visible
Spectro-Polarimeter (ViSP) at the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope to
investigate the fine-scale structure of the plage chromosphere. To aid the
interpretation of the VBI imaging data, we also analyze spectra from the
CHROMospheric Imaging Spectrometer on the Swedish Solar Telescope. The analysis
of spectral properties, such as enhanced line widths and line depths explains
the high contrast of the fibrils relative to the background atmosphere
demonstrating that H is an excellent diagnostic for the enigmatic
fine-scale structure of the chromosphere. A correlation between the parameters
of the H line indicates that opacity broadening created by overdense
fibrils could be the main reason for the spectral line broadening observed
frequently in chromospheric fine-scale structures. Spectropolarimetric
inversions of the ViSP data in the Ca II 8542 {\AA} and Fe I 6301/6302 {\AA}
lines are used to construct semiempirical models of the plage atmosphere.
Inversion outputs indicate the existence of dense fibrils in the Ca II 8542
{\AA} line. The analyses of the ViSP data show that the morphological
characteristics, such as orientation, inclination and length of fibrils are
defined by the topology of the magnetic field in the photosphere. Chromospheric
maps reveal a prominent magnetic canopy in the area where fibrils are directed
towards the observer.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, accepted in Ap
Magnetic field effects in energy relaxation mediated by Kondo impurities
We study the energy distribution function of quasiparticles in voltage biased
mesoscopic wires in presence of magnetic impurities and applied magnetic field.
The system is described by a Boltzmann equation where the collision integral is
determined by coupling to spin 1/2 impurities. We derive an effective coupling
to a dissipative spin system which is valid well above Kondo temperature in
equilibrium or for sufficiently smeared distribution functions in
non-equilibrium. For low magnetic field an enhancement of energy relaxation is
found whereas for larger magnetic fields the energy relaxation decreases again
meeting qualitatively the experimental findings by Anthore et al.
(cond-mat/0109297). This gives a strong indication that magnetic impurities are
in fact responsible for the enhanced energy relaxation in copper wires. The
quantitative comparison, however, shows strong deviations for energy relaxation
with small energy transfer whereas the large energy transfer regime is in
agreement with our findings.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figure
DKIST unveils the serpentine topology of quiet Sun magnetism in the photosphere
We present the first quiet Sun spectropolarimetric observations obtained with the Visible SpectroPolarimeter at the 4 m Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. We recorded observations in a wavelength range that includes the magnetically sensitive Fe i 6301.5/6302.5 Ã… doublet. With an estimated spatial resolution of 0farcs08, this represents the highest spatial resolution full-vector spectropolarimetric observations ever obtained of the quiet Sun. We identified 53 small-scale magnetic elements, including 47 magnetic loops and four unipolar magnetic patches, with linear and circular polarization detected in all of them. Of particular interest is a magnetic element in which the polarity of the magnetic vector appears to change three times in only 400 km and which has linear polarization signals throughout. We find complex Stokes V profiles at the polarity inversion lines of magnetic loops and discover degenerate solutions, as we are unable to conclusively determine whether these arise due to gradients in the atmospheric parameters or smearing of opposite-polarity signals. We analyze a granule that notably has linear and circular polarization signals throughout, providing an opportunity to explore its magnetic properties. On this small scale, we see the magnetic field strength range from 25 G at the granular boundary to 2 kG in the intergranular lane (IGL) and sanity-check the values with the weak and strong field approximations. A value of 2 kG in the IGL is among the highest measurements ever recorded for the internetwork