Evidence for Wave Heating of the Quiet Sun Corona

We have measured the energy and dissipation of Alfvenic waves in the quiet Sun. A magnetic field was used to infer the location and orientation of the magnetic field lines along which the waves are expected to travel. The waves were measured using spectral lines to infer the wave amplitude. The waves cause a non-thermal broadening of the spectral lines, which can be expressed as a non-thermal velocity v_nt. By combining the spectroscopic measurements with this magnetic field model we were able to trace the variation of v_nt along the magnetic field. At the footpoints of the quiet Sun loops we find that waves inject an energy flux in the range of 1.2-5.2 x 10^5 erg cm^-2 s^-1. At the minimum of this range, this amounts to more than 80% of the energy needed to heat the quiet Sun. We also find that these waves are dissipated over a region centered on the top of the loops. The position along the loop where the damping begins is strongly correlated with the length of the loop, implying that the damping mechanism depends on the global loop properties rather than on local collisional dissipation.Comment: Submitted to the Astrophysical Journa

Inferring the Coronal Density Irregularity from EUV Spectra

Understanding the density structure of the solar corona is important for modeling both coronal heating and the solar wind. Direct measurements are difficult because of line-of-sight integration and possible unresolved structures. We present a new method for quantifying such structure using density-sensitive EUV line intensities to derive a density irregularity parameter, a relative measure of the amount of structure along the line of sight. We also present a simple model to relate the inferred irregularities to physical quantities, such as the filling factor and density contrast. For quiet Sun regions and interplume regions of coronal holes, we find a density contrast of at least a factor of three to ten and corresponding filling factors of about 10-20%. Our results are in rough agreement with other estimates of the density structures in these regions. The irregularity diagnostic provides a useful relative measure of unresolved structure in various regions of the corona.Comment: Submitted to the Astrophysical Journa

Uncertainties in Dielectronic Recombination Rate Coefficients: Effects on Solar and Stellar Upper Atmosphere Abundance Determinations

We have investigated how the relative elemental abundances inferred from the solar upper atmosphere are affected by uncertainties in the dielectronic recombination (DR) rate coefficients used to analyze the spectra. We find that the inferred relative abundances can be up to a factor of ~5 smaller or ~1.6 times larger than those inferred using the currently recommended DR rate coefficients. We have also found a plausible set of variations to the DR rate coefficients which improve the inferred (and expected) isothermal nature of solar coronal observations at heights of >~ 50 arcsec off the solar limb. Our results can be used to help prioritize the enormous amount of DR data needed for modeling solar and stellar upper atmospheres. Based on the work here, our list of needed rate coefficients for DR onto specific isoelectronic sequences reads, in decreasing order of importance, as follows: O-like, C-like, Be-like, N-like, B-like, F-like, Li-like, He-like, and Ne-like. It is our hope that this work will help to motivate and prioritize future experimental and theoretical studies of DR.Comment: 33 pages, including 3 figures and 4 tables. To be published in Ap

Can Heavy Ion Storage Rings Contribute to Our Understanding of the Charge State Distributions in Cosmic Atomic Plasmas?

Interpreting cosmic spectra from ionized atomic gas hinges on our understanding the underlying physical processes which produce the observed spectra. Of particular importance are electron-ion recombination and electron impact ionization. These processes control the charge state distribution (CSD) of the gas. The CSD is intimately tied in to the observed spectral features and can also affect the thermal structure of the plasma. Heavy ion storage rings play a crucial role in improving our knowledge of electron-ion recombination and electron impact ionization, thereby deepening our understanding of the cosmos. Here we will review some of the astrophysical motivation behind laboratory astrophysics research with atomic ions at heavy ion storage rings. We also present some recent results, discuss some of the astrophysical implications, and present future astrophysical needs

Ionization Balance, Chemical Abundances, and the Metagalactic Radiation Field at High Redshift

We have carried out a series of model calculations of the photoionized intergalactic medium (IGM) to determine the effects on the predicted ionic column densities due to uncertainties in the published dielectronic recombination (DR) rate coefficients. Based on our previous experimental work and a comparison of published theoretical DR rates, we estimate there is in general a factor of 2 uncertainty in existing DR rates used for modeling the IGM. We demonstrate that this uncertainty results in factors of ~1.9 uncertainty in the predicted N V and Si IV column densities, ~2.0 for O VI, and ~1.7 for C IV. We show that these systematic uncertainties translate into a systematic uncertainty of up to a factor of ~3.1 in the Si/C abundance ratio inferred from observations. The inferred IGM abundance ratio could thus be less than (Si/C)☉ or greater than 3(Si/C)☉. If the latter is true, then it suggests the metagalactic radiation field is not due purely to quasars but includes a significant stellar component. Lastly, column density ratios of Si IV to C IV versus C II to C IV are often used to constrain the decrement in the metagalactic radiation field at the He II absorption edge. We show that the variation in the predicted Si IV to C IV ratio due to a factor of 2 uncertainty in the DR rates is almost as large as that due to a factor of 10 change in the decrement. Laboratory measurements of the relevant DR resonance strengths and energies are the only unambiguous method of removing the effects of these atomic physics uncertainties from models of the IGM

Experimentally Derived Dielectronic Recombination Rate Coefficients For Helium-Like C V and Hydrogenic O VIII

Using published measurements of dielectronic recombination (DR) resonance strengths and energies for C V to C IV and O VIII to O VII, we have calculated the DR rate coefficient for these ions. Our derived rates are in good agreement with multiconfiguration, intermediate-coupling and multiconfiguration, fully relativistic calculations, as well as with most LS-coupling calculations. Our results are not in agreement with the recommended DR rates commonly used for modeling cosmic plasmas. We have used theoretical radiative recombination (RR) rates in conjunction with our derived DR rates to produce a total recombination rate for comparison with unified RR + DR calculations in LS coupling. Our results are not in agreement with undamped, unified calculations for C V but are in reasonable agreement with damped, unified calculations for O VIII. For C V, the Burgess general formula (GF) yields a rate that is in very poor agreement with our derived rate. The Burgess and Tworkowski modification of the GF yields a rate that is also in poor agreement. The Merts et al. modification of the GF yields a rate that is in fair agreement. For O VIII, the GF yields a rate that is in fair agreement with our derived rate. The Burgess and Tworkowski modification of the GF yields a rate that is in good agreement, and the Merts et al. modification yields a rate that is in very poor agreement. These results suggest that for ΔN = 1 DR, it is not possible to know a priori which formula will yield a rate closer to the true DR rate. We describe the technique used to obtain DR rate coefficients from laboratory measurements of DR resonance strengths and energies. For use in plasma modeling, we also present easy-to-use fitting formulae for the experimentally derived DR rates

Relative Abundance Measurements in Plumes and Interplumes

We present measurements of relative elemental abundances in plumes and interplumes. Plumes are bright, narrow structures in coronal holes that extend along open magnetic field lines far out into the corona. Previous work has found that in some coronal structures the abundances of elements with a low first ionization potential (FIP) < 10 eV are enhanced relative to their photospheric abundances. This coronal-to-photospheric abundance ratio, commonly called the FIP bias, is typically 1 for element with a high-FIP (> 10 eV). We have used EIS spectroscopic observations made on 2007 March 13 and 14 over an ~24 hour period to characterize abundance variations in plumes and interplumes. To assess their elemental composition, we have used a differential emission measure (DEM) analysis, which accounts for the thermal structure of the observed plasma. We have used lines from ions of iron, silicon, and sulfur. From these we have estimated the ratio of the iron and silicon FIP bias relative to that for sulfur. From the results, we have created FIP-bias-ratio maps. We find that the FIP-bias ratio is sometimes higher in plumes than in interplumes and that this enhancement can be time dependent. These results may help to identify whether plumes or interplumes contribute to the fast solar wind observed in situ and may also provides constraints on the formation and heating mechanisms of plumes.Comment: 21 pages; 3 tables; 12 figure

Evidence of Wave Damping at Low Heights in a Polar Coronal Hole

We have measured the widths of spectral lines from a polar coronal hole using the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer onboard Hinode. Polar coronal holes are regions of open magnetic field and the source of the fast solar wind. We find that the line widths decrease at relatively low heights. Previous observations have attributed such decreases to systematic effects, but we find that such effects are too small to explain our results. We conclude that the line narrowing is real. The non-thermal line widths are believed to be proportional to the amplitude of Alfven waves propagating along these open field lines. Our results suggest that Alfven waves are damped at unexpectedly low heights in a polar coronal hole. We derive an estimate on the upper limit for the energy dissipated between 1.1 and 1.3 solar radii and find that it is enough to account for up to 70% of that required to heat the polar coronal hole and accelerate the solar wind.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal, April 201

Rate Coefficients for D(1s) + H^+ <--> D^+ + H(1s) Charge Transfer and Some Astrophysical Implications

We have calculated the rate coefficients for D(1s) + H^+ D^+ + H(1s) using recently published theoretical cross sections. We present results for temperatures T from 1 K to 2x10^5 K and provide fits to our data for use in plasma modeling. Our calculations are in good agreement with previously published rate coefficients for 25 <= T <= 300 K, which covers most of the limited range for which those results were given. Our new rate coefficients for T >~ 100 K are significantly larger than the values most commonly used for modeling the chemistry of the early universe and of molecular clouds. This may have important implications for the predicted HD abundance in these environments. Using our results, we have modeled the ionization balance in high redshift QSO absorbers. We find that the new rate coefficients decrease the inferred D/H ratio by ~ 25 smaller than the current >~ 10% uncertainties in QSO absorber D/H measurements.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in Ap