408 research outputs found
The redshifted network contrast of transition region emission
Aims: We study the VUV emission of the quiet Sun and the net redshift of
transition region lines in the SUMER spectral range. We aim at establishing a
link with atmospheric processes and interpreting the observed downflow as the
most evident part of the prevailing global coronal mass transport. Methods: We
rank and arrange all pixels of a monochromatic raster scan by radiance and
define equally-sized bins of bright, faint, and medium-bright pixels. Comparing
the bright pixels with the faint pixels, we determine the spectrally-resolved
network contrast for 19 emission lines. We then compare the contrast centroids
of these lines with the position of the line itself. We establish a
relationship between the observed redshift of the network contrast with the
line formation temperature. Results: We find that the network contrast is
offset in wavelength compared to the emission line itself. This offset, if
interpreted as redshift, peaks at middle transition region temperatures and is
10 times higher than the previously reported net redshift of transition region
emission lines. We demonstrate that the brighter pixels are more redshifted,
causing both a significant shift of the network contrast profile and the
well-known net redshift. We show that this effect can be reconstructed from the
radiance distribution. This result is compatible with loop models, which assume
downflows near both footpoints.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Computation of Kolmogorov's Constant in Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence
In this paper we calculate Kolmogorov's constant for magnetohydrodynamic
turbulence to one loop order in perturbation theory using the direct
interaction approximation technique of Kraichnan. We have computed the
constants for various , i.e., fluid to magnetic energy ratios
when the normalized cross helicity is zero. We find that increases from
1.47 to 4.12 as we go from fully fluid case to a situation when , then it decreases to 3.55 in a fully magnetic limit .
When , we find that .Comment: Latex, 10 pages, no figures, To appear in Euro. Phys. Lett., 199
On the nature of spectral line broadening in solar coronal dimmings
We analyze the profiles of iron emission lines observed in solar coronal
dimmings associated with coronal mass ejections, using the EUV Imaging
Spectrometer on board Hinode. We quantify line profile distortions with
empirical coefficients (asymmetry and peakedness) that compare the fitted
Gaussian to the data. We find that the apparent line broadenings reported in
previous studies are likely to be caused by inhomogeneities of flow velocities
along the line of sight, or at scales smaller than the resolution scale, or by
velocity fluctuations during the exposure time. The increase in the amplitude
of Alfv\'en waves cannot, alone, explain the observed features. A
double-Gaussian fit of the line profiles shows that, both for dimmings and
active region loops, one component is nearly at rest while the second component
presents a larger Doppler shift than that derived from a single-Gaussian fit.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures - Accepted for publication in Ap
Wave instabilities in an anisotropic magnetized space plasma
We study wave instability in an collisionless, rarefied hot plasma (e.g.
solar wind or corona). We consider the anisotropy produced by the magnetic
field, when the thermal gas pressures across and along the field become
unequal. We apply the 16-moment transport equations (obtained from the
Boltzmann-Vlasov kinetic equation) including the anisotropic thermal fluxes.
The general dispersion relation for the incompressible wave modes is derived.
It is shown that a new, more complex wave spectrum with stable and unstable
behavior is possible, in contrast to the classic fire-hose modes obtained in
terms of the 13-moment integrated equations.Comment: 5 pages, length reduced to that of a Research Note, A&A (in press
On active region loops: Hinode/EIS observations
Coronal loops are fundamental building blocks of the solar active regions and
the corona. Therefore, a clear understanding of the physics of coronal loops
will help us understand the physics of active region heating in particular and
coronal heating in general. This requires a precise measurement of physical
quantities such as electron densities and filling factors, temperatures, and
flows in coronal loops. In this paper we have carried out an investigation of a
spatially well resolved coronal loop using the EIS onboard Hinode to measure
the above mentioned physical quantities. Based on this study we find that a
nano-flare model could explain most of the observed characteristics of this
loop.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures, Accepted in Ap
The quiet Sun average Doppler shift of coronal lines up to 2 MK
The average Doppler shift shown by spectral lines formed from the
chromosphere to the corona reveals important information on the mass and energy
balance of the solar atmosphere, providing an important observational
constraint to any models of the solar corona. Previous spectroscopic
observations of vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) lines have revealed a persistent
average wavelength shift of lines formed at temperatures up to 1 MK. At higher
temperatures, the behaviour is still essentially unknown. Here we analyse
combined SUMER/SoHO and EIS/Hinode observations of the quiet Sun around disk
centre to determine, for the first time, the average Doppler shift of several
spectral lines formed between 1 and 2 MK, where the largest part of the quiet
coronal emission is formed. The measurements are based on a novel technique
applied to EIS spectra to measure the difference in Doppler shift between lines
formed at different temperatures. Simultaneous wavelength-calibrated SUMER
spectra allow establishing the absolute value at the reference temperature of 1
MK. The average line shifts at 1 MK < T < 1.8 MK are modestly, but clearly
bluer than those observed at 1 MK. By accepting an average blue shift of about
(-1.8+/-0.6) km/s at 1 MK (as provided by SUMER measurements), this translates
into a maximum Doppler shift of (-4.4+/-2.2) km/s around 1.8 MK. The measured
value appears to decrease to about (-1.3+/-2.6) km/s at the Fe XV formation
temperature of 2.1 MK. The measured average Doppler shift between 0.01 and 2.1
MK, for which we provide a parametrisation, appears to be qualitatively and
roughly quantitatively consistent with what foreseen by 3-D coronal models
where heating is produced by dissipation of currents induced by photospheric
motions and by reconnection with emerging magnetic flux.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures. Astronomy and Astrophysics (in press
ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2-LIKE1gene a member of the AS2/LOB family, controls proximal-distal patterning in Arabidopsis petals
The formation and the development of the floral organs require an intercalate expression of organ-specific genes. At the same time, meristem-specific genes are repressed to complete the differentiation of the organs in the floral whorls. In an Arabidopsis activation tagging population, a mutant affected in inflorescence architecture was identified. This gain-of-function mutant, designateddownwards siliques1 (dsl1-D), has shorter internodes and the lateral organs such as flowers are bending downwards, similar to the loss-of-function brevipedicellus (bp) mutant. The affected gene in dsl1-D appeared to be ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2-LIKE1 (ASL1)/LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIESdomain gene 36 (LBD36), which is a member of the ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 (AS2)/LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES (LOB) domain gene family. Analysis of the loss-of-function mutant asl1/lbd36 did not show morphological aberration. Double mutant analysis of asl1/lbd36 together with as2, the ASL1/LBD36 closest homologue, demonstrates that these two members of the AS2/LOB family act partially redundant to control cell fate determination in Arabidopsis petals. Moreover, molecular analysis revealed that overexpression of ASL1/LBD36 leads to repression of the homeobox gene BP, which supports the model that an antagonistic relationship between ASL/LBD and homeobox members is required for the differentiation of lateral organ
How to use magnetic field information for coronal loop identification?
The structure of the solar corona is dominated by the magnetic field because
the magnetic pressure is about four orders of magnitude higher than the plasma
pressure. Due to the high conductivity the emitting coronal plasma (visible
e.g. in SOHO/EIT) outlines the magnetic field lines. The gradient of the
emitting plasma structures is significantly lower parallel to the magnetic
field lines than in the perpendicular direction. Consequently information
regarding the coronal magnetic field can be used for the interpretation of
coronal plasma structures. We extrapolate the coronal magnetic field from
photospheric magnetic field measurements into the corona. The extrapolation
method depends on assumptions regarding coronal currents, e.g. potential fields
(current free) or force-free fields (current parallel to magnetic field). As a
next step we project the reconstructed 3D magnetic field lines on an EIT-image
and compare with the emitting plasma structures. Coronal loops are identified
as closed magnetic field lines with a high emissivity in EIT and a small
gradient of the emissivity along the magnetic field.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure
Alfv\'en Reflection and Reverberation in the Solar Atmosphere
Magneto-atmospheres with Alfv\'en speed [a] that increases monotonically with
height are often used to model the solar atmosphere, at least out to several
solar radii. A common example involves uniform vertical or inclined magnetic
field in an isothermal atmosphere, for which the Alfv\'en speed is exponential.
We address the issue of internal reflection in such atmospheres, both for
time-harmonic and for transient waves. It is found that a mathematical boundary
condition may be devised that corresponds to perfect absorption at infinity,
and, using this, that many atmospheres where a(x) is analytic and unbounded
present no internal reflection of harmonic Alfv\'en waves. However, except for
certain special cases, such solutions are accompanied by a wake, which may be
thought of as a kind of reflection. For the initial-value problem where a
harmonic source is suddenly switched on (and optionally off), there is also an
associated transient that normally decays with time as O(t-1) or O(t-1 ln t),
depending on the phase of the driver. Unlike the steady-state harmonic
solutions, the transient does reflect weakly. Alfv\'en waves in the solar
corona driven by a finite-duration train of p-modes are expected to leave such
transients.Comment: Accepted by Solar Physic
Solar Wind Turbulence and the Role of Ion Instabilities
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