125 research outputs found
Origin of spatial variations of scattering polarization in the wings of the Ca {\sc i} 4227 \AA line
Polarization that is produced by coherent scattering can be modified by
magnetic fields via the Hanle effect. According to standard theory the Hanle
effect should only be operating in the Doppler core of spectral lines but not
in the wings. In contrast, our observations of the scattering polarization in
the Ca {\sc i} 4227 \AA line reveals the existence of spatial variations of the
scattering polarization throughout the far line wings. This raises the question
whether the observed spatial variations in wing polarization have a magnetic or
non-magnetic origin. A magnetic origin may be possible if elastic collisions
are able to cause sufficient frequency redistribution to make the Hanle effect
effective in the wings without causing excessive collisional depolarization, as
suggested by recent theories for partial frequency redistribution with coherent
scattering in magnetic fields. To model the wing polarization we apply an
extended version of the technique based on the "last scattering approximation".
This model is highly successful in reproducing the observed Stokes
polarization (linear polarization parallel to the nearest solar limb),
including the location of the wing polarization maxima and the minima around
the Doppler core, but it fails to reproduce the observed spatial variations of
the wing polarization in terms of magnetic field effects with frequency
redistribution. This null result points in the direction of a non-magnetic
origin in terms of local inhomogeneities (varying collisional depolarization,
radiation-field anisotropies, and deviations from a plane-parallel atmospheric
stratification).Comment: Accepted in May 2009 for publication in The Astrophysical Journa
Calibration of the 6302/6301 Stokes V line ratio in terms of the 5250/5247 ratio
Four decades ago the Stokes V line ratio in the Fe I 5247.06 and 5250.22
{\AA} lines was introduced as a powerful means of exploring the intrinsic field
strengths at sub-pixel scales, which led to the discovery that most of the
photospheric flux is in intermittent kG form. The "green" 5247-5250 line pair
is unique because it allows the magnetic-field effects to be isolated from the
thermodynamic effects. No other line pair with this property has since been
identified. In recent years much of the magnetic-field diagnostics has been
based on the "red" Fe I 6301.5 and 6302.5 {\AA} line pair, since it was chosen
in the design of the Hinode space observatory. Although thermodynamic effects
severely contaminate the magnetic-field signatures for this line ratio, it is
still possible to use it to extract information on intrinsic magnetic fields,
but only after it has been "renormalized", since otherwise it produces
fictitious, superstrong fields everywhere. In the present work we explore the
joint behavior of these two line ratios to determine how the "contaminated" red
line ratio can be translated into the corresponding green line ratio, which
then allows for a direct interpretation in terms of intrinsic magnetic fields.
Our observations are mainly based on recordings with the ZIMPOL-3
spectro-polarimeter at IRSOL in Locarno, Switzerland, complemented by data from
the STOP telescope at the Sayan solar observatory (Irkutsk, Russia). The IRSOL
observations are unique by allowing both the green and red line pairs to be
recorded simultaneously on the same CCD sensor. We show how the line ratios
depend on both the measured flux densities and on the heliocentric distance
(the \mu\ value on the solar disk), and finally derive the calibration function
that enables the red line ratio to be translated to the green ratio for each
\mu\ value
First polarimetric observations and modeling of the FeH F^4 Delta-X^4 Delta system
Lines of diatomic molecules are more temperature and pressure sensitive than
atomic lines, which makes them ideal tools for studying cool stellar
atmospheres an internal structure of sunspots and starspots. The FeH F^4
Delta-X^4 Delta system represents such an example that exhibits in addition a
large magnetic field sensitivity. The current theoretical descriptions of these
transitions including the molecular constants involved are only based on
intensity measurements because polarimetric observations have not been
available so far, which limits their diagnostic value. We present for the first
time spectropolarimetric observations of the FeH F^4 Delta-X^4 Delta system
measured in sunspots to investigate their diagnostic capabilities for probing
solar and stellar magnetic fields. We investigate whether the current
theoretical model of FeH can reproduce the observed Stokes profiles including
their magnetic properties. The polarimetric observations are compared with
synthetic Stokes profiles modeled with radiative transfer calculations. This
allows us to infer the temperature and the magnetic field strength of the
observed sunspots. We find that the current theory successfully reproduces the
magnetic properties of a large number of lines in the FeH F^4 Delta-X^4 Delta
system. In a few cases the observations indicate a larger Zeeman splitting than
predicted by the theory. There, our observations have provided additional
constraints, which allowed us to determine empirical molecular constants. The
FeH F^4 Delta-X^4 Delta system is found to be a very sensitive magnetic
diagnostic tool. Polarimetric data of these lines provide us with more direct
information to study the coolest parts of astrophysical objects.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Magnetic properties of photospheric regions having very low magnetic flux
The magnetic properties of the quiet Sun are investigated using a novel
inversion code, FATIMA, based on the Principal Component Analysis of the
observed Stokes profiles. The stability and relatively low noise sensitivity of
this inversion procedure allows for the systematic inversion of large data sets
with very weak polarization signal. Its application to quiet Sun observations
of network and internetwork regions reveals that a significant fraction of the
quiet Sun contains kilogauss fields (usually with very small filling factors)
and confirms that the pixels with weak polarization account for most of the
magnetic flux. Mixed polarities in the resolution element are also found to
occur more likely as the polarization weakens.Comment: To apapear in ApJ. 39 pages, 12 figures (2 of them are color figures
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