Chromospheric evaporation refers to dynamic mass motions in flare loops as a
result of rapid energy deposition in the chromosphere. These have been observed
as blueshifts in X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) spectral lines
corresponding to upward motions at a few tens to a few hundreds of km/s. Past
spectroscopic observations have also revealed a dominant stationary component,
in addition to the blueshifted component, in emission lines formed at high
temperatures (~10 MK). This is contradictory to evaporation models predicting
predominant blueshifts in hot lines. The recently launched Interface Region
Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) provides high resolution imaging and spectroscopic
observations that focus on the chromosphere and transition region in the UV
passband. Using the new IRIS observations, combined with coordinated
observations from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer, we study the chromospheric
evaporation process from the upper chromosphere to corona during an X1.0 flare
on 2014 March 29. We find evident evaporation signatures, characterized by
Doppler shifts and line broadening, at two flare ribbons separating from each
other, suggesting that chromospheric evaporation takes place in successively
formed flaring loops throughout the flare. More importantly, we detect dominant
blueshifts in the high temperature Fe XXI line (~10 MK), in agreement with
theoretical predictions. We also find that, in this flare, gentle evaporation
occurs at some locations in the rise phase of the flare, while explosive
evaporation is detected at some other locations near the peak of the flare.
There is a conversion from gentle to explosive evaporation as the flare
evolves.Comment: ApJ in pres