We have evaluated lower bounds on the degree of impact Extreme Ultraviolet/Ultraviolet (EUV/UV) line polarization expected during solar flares. This polarization arises from collisional excitation by energetic electrons with non-Maxwellian velocity distributions. Linear polarization was observed in the S I 1437 A line by the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter/Solar Maximum Mission (UVSP/SMM) during a flare on 15 July 1980. An early interpretation suggested that impact excitation by electrons propagating through the steep temperature gradient of the flaring transition region/high chromosphere produced this polarization. Our calculations show that the observed polarization in this UV line cannot be due to this effect. We find instead that, in some flare models, the energetic electrons can produce an impact polarization of a few percent in EUV neutral helium lines (i.e., lambda lambda 522, 537, and 584 A)

Fineschi, S.

Fontenla, Juan M.

Ljepojevic, N. N.

Macneice, P.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

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ELECTRON IMPACT POLARIZATION
EXPECTED IN SOLAR EUV LINES FROM
FLARING CHROMOSPHERES/TRANSITION REGIONS
S. Finesehi, 1 J. M. Fontenla, 2
P. MaeNeiee, 3 and N. N. Ljepojevie 4
To Appear In:
Proceedings of the Workshop on
Max '91/SMM Solar Flares: Observations and Theory
(held Estes Park, CO, June 3-7, 1990)
e '_ .
e_
-=
SPACE SCIENCE LABORATORY
PKEPRINT SERIES
NO. 90-124
December 1990
NRC/NAS Research Associate
CSPAR University of Alabama in Huntsville
HuntsviLle, AL 35899
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
University of Cambridge, U.K.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19930004290 2020-03-17T10:20:19+00:00Z
Electron Impact Polarization Expected in Solar EUV Lines
from Flaring Chromospheres/Transition Regions
S. Fineschi, 1 J.M. Fontenla, 2 P. MacNeice, s and N.N. Ljepojevic 4
1NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Huntsville, Alabama, 35812
2CSPAR University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama, 35899
3NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771
4University of Cambridge, U.K.
Abstract
We have evaluated lower bounds on the degree of impact EUV/UV line polarization
expected during solar flares. This polarization arises from coUisional excitation by energetic
electrons with non-Maxwellian velocity distributions. Linear polarization was observed
in the S I 1437 _ line by the UVSP/SMM during a flare on 1980 July 15. An early
interpretation suggested that impact excitation by electrons propagating through the steep
temperature gradient of the flaring transition region/high chromosphere produced this
polarization. Our calculations show that the observed polarization in this UV line cannot
be due to this effect. We find instead that, in some flare models, the energetic electrons
can produce an impact polarization of a few percent in EUV neutral helium lines (i.e.,
hA 522, 537, and 584 ,A).
I. Introduction
The aim of this paper is to find the amount of impact linear polarization erpected
to be present in atomic spectral lines formed in solar plasmas. This polarization arises
because the steep temperature gradient of the transition region leads to non-Max'wellian
velocity distributions of electrons carrying conductive heat flux.
x,.j The geometry of the adopted model is shown in Figure 1. The emitting upper chro-
mosphere/transition region (hatched area, in Figure 1) of the loop is observedat the solar
limb (where the polarization is largest). The curvature of that part of the loop is negligi-
ble, and the loop axis and the direction of the local magnetic field coincide with the solar
vertical (Z axis). The pitch angle, 8, is measuredfrom the loop axis. The temperature
structure of thesemodels is given by T(s), where s is the distance to the loop apex along
the magnetic field (or the loop axis). These models are described elsewhere (Ljepojevic
and MacNeice, 1987; MacNeice, Fontenla, and Ljepojevic, 1990). The electron velocity
distribution is
:=:(.,.,:-:),
where t_T is the electron thermal velocity and # - cos 0. This distribution
• is cylindrically _ymmetric around the loop axis;
• follows the Spitzer-HErm function for v < 2 • v T - this function is derived under the
assumption of small deviations from Maxwellian, and can expressed as:
[1_. (¢)]. (¢),
where M is the Maxwellian function and D correspons to a perturbative expansion
and we d.roped the variable s for simplicity;
• and is computed solving numerically the high-velocity form o  the Landau equation
(HVL) for v >_ 2.v T (Ljepojevic and MacNeice, 1989).
III. Emission-Line Polarization by Electron Impact
The impact polarization has been computed using a recent theoretical scheme based
on the formalism of irreducible tensor operators (Fineschi and Landi Degl'Innocenti, 1989
and 1990a). In this scheme, the statistical equilibrium equations of a multi-level atomic
system interacting with an electron beam are derived in full generality from the principles of
Quantum Mechanics. The collisional excitation is calculated for electrons having arbitrary
angular and velocity distributions. In this scheme, the effect of magnetic fields on the
impact polarization can also be accounted for. This theory gives analytical expressions for
the polarization cross sections of the electric multipole transitions due to atom-electron
collisions, provided the Born approximation be assumed.
From the above-mentioned theory the presence of a magnetic field gives, for the emit-
ted polarized radiation, a phenomenon similar to the well known Hanle-effect (i.e., impact
PRECEDING .PAC_ BLANK NOT FILMED
The degree of linear polarization is given by
P = (s,)/(So>, (4)
where
(S,)= dv dl_'f l_,'_r "Si(v,#); i=0,1. (5)
o 1
Thus, for a given distribution f, the polarization, P, is a function of: the line wavelength
A; the electron temperature T; and the type of atomic transition, jr _.., j. In the following,
we restrict ourselves to lines where J' ---. J corresponds to 1 ---* 0. In this case there is no
atomic depolarization, and the polarization is maximum, i.e., W10 = 1.
It is important to note that in the expression of (Sz), the integral over # corresponding
to the part of f which follows the Spitzer-Hiirm function is
($1) oc d#. (1 - #. D). (3/_ 2 - 1) = O. (6)
1
Therefore, no net polarization arises from the bulk of the distribution, and only the strongly
anisotropic, high-velocity electrons in the tail are responsible for the polarization.
IV. Results
The results for the expected impact polarization can be expressed as P = P(A, T). For
XUV/EUV/UV lines formed in the upper chromosphere/transition we show the "flare"
case in Figure 2, and the "quiet Sun" case in Figure 3. In all cases, the direction of
maximum polarization corresponds to the vertical. The results shown are for the transition
[J' = 1--. : = 0].
The location of some tines which are observed in the Sun has been marked. For each
of them the cross is drawn at the temperature where the emissivity (in erg crn -3 s -1 )
peaks. The upper and lower ends of the bar correspond to the temperatures where the
emissivity drops to about one third of the maximum. These temperature values were taken
from the literature, where a Maxwellian electron distribution was assumed for the line-
formation computations (Landini and Monsignori Fossi, 1990) and effects of the emitting
ions diffusion are ignored. However, these diffusion effects may affect the actual ranges of
temperature at which the lines are emitted, as shown by Avrett and Fontenla (1990).
The result plotted in Figure 2 shows that impact polarization by excitation of electrons
carrying heat flux would be present in the EUV neutral helium lines 522, 537, and 584 _.
PRECEDING P,_IGE BLANK NOT RLMEO
k....j
where Q is a function of the electron velocity and is proportional to the temperature gra-
dient. Consequently, the line polarization resulting from electrons having the Manheimer
distribution is zero:
1S_oc dp (3p2 - I) •[1-I-Q •(_3 - 3_)] = o.
I
(s)
The original Manheimer function was modified by H_noux et al. (1983b) replacing
its negative values - physically meaningless - by zero in the range 1.5v T < v z < 3v T
(v= = v. #). This procedure was first suggested by Shvarts et al. (1981). We show in
Figures 4 and 5 the distribution function we computed, and compare it with the Manheimer
and the modified Manheimer functions. In Figure 6, we show the angular distributions
which result from our calculation, and we compare it with the modified Manheimer values.
The ordinate in this figure reflects the contribution of particular energy electrons to impact
polarization. All these figures show that the modified Manheimer function is strongly
anisotropic, and in fact all the impact polarization in gdnoux et al. (1983b) calculations
is due to such modification of the original Manheimer function. For a line excitation
energy (threshold energy) corresponding to a few times the thermal energy, the modified
Manheimer distribution gives rise to high values of polarization, much larger than the ones
obtained in our more accurate treatment. Moreover, for this modified Manheimer function
the significant departure from an angular distribution which results in zero line polarization
(dr. eq. [8]) occurs at a lower range of electron velocities (,-- 1.5 - 2 vT) compared
to our treatment (-_ 3 - 3.5 VT). Thus, by assuming the modified Manheimer function,
UV lines with relatively low threshold energy (viz., long wavelengths) can be excited by
electrons which already have strongly anisotropic velocity distribution, producing in this
way large impact polarization in the line. On the contrary, if we consider the distribution
we computed, the low threshold energy fines are mostly excited by electrons having almost
isotropic distribution, and thus low impact polarization results (see Fig. 6). Therefore, the
only spectral lines which are expected to show strong polarization are those with a threshold
energy large enough so that line excitation is predominatly by highy suprathermal electrons
(V >__ 3VT). The neutral helium lines (,_,1 522, 537, and 584 /_.), in the EUV wavelength
regime, would fulfil this requirement.
As final remark, we point out that this result does not take into account the depolariz-
ing effect due to radiative transfer in these resonance lines. This effect would be important
for large optical thickness, r, of the line emitting region. Optical thickness of EUV helium
lines in solar flares depends on a variety of conditions of heating and irradiation of the
7
PRECEDING PAGE BLANK NOT FILMEO
and bombard the chromosphere. Proton beams have been proposed by Simnett (1986) to
be important in some flares.
In order to assess the relative role played in solar flares by high or low ener_" elec-
tron beams and by proton or neutral beams, further Ha measurements as well as EUV
observations with new imaging polarimeters (Fineschi e_ aL, 1990b; Hoover et aL, 1990)
are highly needed.
Acknowledgments
We thank Marcos Machado for reading the manuscript and giving us valuable sug-
gestions. This paper was completed while S. Fineschi held a National Academy of Sci-
ences/NRC research associateship. J.M. Fontenla acknowledges support from NASA Space
Physics Division of the Office of Space Science and Applications through grant NAGW -
2096.
References
Avrett E. H., and Fontenla J. M. 1990, in "Mechanisms of Chromospheric and Coronal
Heating," Proceedings of Heidelberg Conference, eds. P. Ulmschneider, E. Priest, and
R. Rosner (Heidelberg, Germany).
Fineschi, S., and Landi Degl'Innocenti, E. 1989, J. Math. Phys.. 31 (5), 1124.
Fineschi, S., and Landi Degl'Innocenti, E. 1990a, Ap. J., submitted
Fineschi, S., Hoover, R. B., Fontenla, J. M., and Walker, A. B. C. 1990b, in "X-ray/EUV
Optics for Astronomy, Microscopy, and Projection Lithography," 1343, Proceedings
SPIE, eds. R. B. Hoover and A. B. C. Walker (San Diego, CA).
Hdnoux, J. C., Charnbe, G., Semel, M., Sahal, S., Woodgate, B., Shine, R., Beckers J.,
and Machado, M. 1983a, Ap. J., 265, 1066.
Hdnoux, J. C., Heristchi, D., Chambe, G., Machado, M., Woodgate, B., Shine, R., and
Beckers, J. 1983b, As_ron. As_rophys. 119, 233.
Hdnoux, J. C., Chambe, G., Smith D., Tamres D., Feautrier, N., Rovira, M., and Sahal-
Brdchot, S. 1990, Ap. J. Suppl., 73, 303.
Hoover, R. B., Fineschi, S., Fontenla, J. M., and Walker, A. B. C. 1990, in "X-ray/EUV
Optics for Astronomy, Microscopy, and Projection Lithography," 1343, Proceedings
SPIE, eds. R. B. Hoover and A. B. C. Walker (San Diego, CA).
9
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ZFigure I. Geometry of the loop model and coordinate sys-
tem for the calculation of the Impact linear Polarization. The
emitting upper chromosphere-transition region (hatched area)
of the loop is observed at solar ]_rnb. The curvature of that
part of the loop isnegligible, the loop axis and the direction
of the local magnetic fieldcoincide with the solar vertical,Z.
The pitch angle, 8, of the electrons is measured from the loop
axis.
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Figure 6. Plots of the symmeU-ical part,
of the Spitzer-H__,'m+H_?L (solid line) aud of the modi_ed Manheimer dis-
tribution (dotted line). (Dashed line: Maxwellian).
I ' t ' I ' r
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15


Electron impact polarization expected in solar EUV lines from flaring chromospheres/transition regions

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