Accurately Calculating the Solar Orientation of the TIANGONG-2 Ultraviolet Forward Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z.; Li, S.

2018-04-01

The Ultraviolet Forward Spectrometer is a new type of spectrometer for monitoring the vertical distribution of atmospheric trace gases in the global middle atmosphere. It is on the TianGong-2 space laboratory, which was launched on 15 September 2016. The spectrometer uses a solar calibration mode to modify its irradiance. Accurately calculating the solar orientation is a prerequisite of spectral calibration for the Ultraviolet Forward Spectrometer. In this paper, a method of calculating the solar orientation is proposed according to the imaging geometric characteristics of the spectrometer. Firstly, the solar orientation in the horizontal rectangular coordinate system is calculated based on the solar declination angle algorithm proposed by Bourges and the solar hour angle algorithm proposed by Lamm. Then, the solar orientation in the sensor coordinate system is achieved through several coordinate system transforms. Finally, we calculate the solar orientation in the sensor coordinate system and evaluate its calculation accuracy using actual orbital data of TianGong-2. The results show that the accuracy is close to the simulation method with STK (Satellite Tool Kit), and the error is not more than 2 %. The algorithm we present does not need a lot of astronomical knowledge, but only needs some observation parameters provided by TianGong-2.

Signatures of Nonlinear Waves in Coronal Plumes and Holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ofman, Leon

1999-01-01

In recent Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer/Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (UVCS/SOHO) White Light Channel (WLC) observations we found quasi-periodic variations in the polarized brightness (pB) in the polar coronal holes at heliocentric distances of 1.9-2.45 solar radii. The motivation for the observation is the 2.5D Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model of solar wind acceleration by nonlinear waves, that predicts compressive fluctuations in coronal holes. To help identify the waves observed with the UVCS/WLC we model the propagation and dissipation of slow magnetosonic waves in polar plumes using 1D MHD code in spherical geometry, We find that the slow waves nonlinearly steepen in the gravitationally stratified plumes. The nonlinear steepening of the waves leads to enhanced dissipation due to compressive viscosity at the wave-fronts.

Interface definition for the Far Ultraviolet Spectrometer Experiment S169

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fastie, W. G.

1971-01-01

A final contract for development, fabrication, test and flight of the ultraviolet spectrometer experiment on an Apollo space mission is reported. Two interface control documents were completed and signed off and three more were essentially completed. Supporting preliminary concepts formulation, design study and component investigation, specification and subcontract negotiation were accomplished.

Contamination control program plan for the ultraviolet spectrometer experiment, revision E

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilmore, D. B.

1972-01-01

The contamination control program plan delineates the cleanliness requirements to be attained and maintained, and the methods to be utilized, in the fabrication, handling, test, calibration, shipment, pre-installation checkout and installation for the ultraviolet spectrometer experiment prototype, qualification and flight equipment.

EUNIS; Extreme-Ultraviolet Normal-Incidence Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Roger J.; Davila, Joseph M.; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

GSFC is in the process of assembling an Extreme-Ultraviolet Normal Incidence Spectrometer called EUNIS, to be flown as a sounding rocket payload. The instrument builds on the many technical innovations pioneered by our highly successful SERTS experiment, which has now flown a total of ten times, most recently last summer. The new design will have somewhat improved spatial and spectral resolutions, as well as two orders of magnitude greater sensitivity, permitting high signal/noise EUV spectroscopy with a temporal resolution near 1 second for the first time ever. In order to achieve such high time cadence, a novel detector system is being developed, based on Active-Pixel-Sensor electronics, a key component of our design.

The Apollo 17 far ultraviolet spectrometer experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fastie, W. G.

1972-01-01

The Apollo 17 command service module in lunar orbit will carry a far ultraviolet scanning spectrometer whose prime mission will be to measure the composition of the lunar atmosphere. Additional observations will include the spectral lunar albedo, the temporary atmosphere injected by the engines of the lunar exploration module, the solar system atmosphere, the galactic atmosphere and the spectra of astronomical sources, including the earth. A detailed description of the experimental equipment which observes the spectral range 1180 to 1680 A, the observing program and broad speculation about the possible results of the experiment, are presented.

Plasma Heating During Coronal Mass Ejections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, N. A.; Shen, C.; Rimple, R.; Raymond, J. C.

2016-12-01

Several recent observational analyses have shown that plasma heating enters into the energy budget of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) at about the same order of magnitude as the kinetic energy. The ultimate source of the heating is the magnetic field, but the mechanisms by which magnetic energy is converted to thermal energy are poorly understood. We will review observational evidence for CME heating and discuss candidate mechanisms that may be responsible for the heating. We will discuss the Python implementation of a non-equilibrium ionization model and its application to CME plasma, and report on progress on modeling three events where the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) observed the same ejecta at multiple heights.

Development and testing of the ultraviolet spectrometer for the Mariner Mars 1971 spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrar, J. W.

1972-01-01

The Mariner Mars 1971 ultraviolet spectrometer is an Ebert-Fastie type of the same basic design as the Mariner Mars 1969 instrument. Light enters the instrument and is split into component wavelengths by a scanning reflection diffraction grating. Two monochrometer exit slits allow the use of two independent photomultiplier tube sensors. Channel 1 has a spectral range of 1100 to 1692 A with a fixed gain, while Channel 2 has a spectral range of 1450 to 3528 A with an automatic step gain control, providing a dynamic range over the expected atmosphere and surface brightness of Mars. The scientific objectives, basic operation, design, testing, and calibration for the Mariner Mars 1971 ultraviolet spectrometer are described. The design discussion includes those modifications that were necessary to extend the lifetime of the instrument in order to accomplish the Mariner Mars 1971 mission objectives.

Wide-Field Ultraviolet Spectrometer for Planetary Exospheres and Thermospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fillingim, M. O.; Wishnow, E. H.; Miller, T.; Edelstein, J.; Lillis, R. J.; Korpela, E.; England, S.; Shourt, W. V.; Siegmund, O.; McPhate, J.; Courtade, S.; Curtis, D. W.; Deighan, J.; Chaffin, M.; Harmoul, A.; Almatroushi, H. R.

2016-12-01

Understanding the composition, structure, and variability of a planet's upper atmosphere - the exosphere and thermosphere - is essential for understanding how the upper atmosphere is coupled to the lower atmosphere, magnetosphere and near-space environment, and the Sun. Ultraviolet spectroscopy can directly observe emissions from constituents in the exosphere and thermosphere. From such observations, the structure, composition, and variability can be determined.We will present the preliminary design for a wide field ultraviolet imaging spectrometer for remote sensing of planetary atmospheres. The imaging spectrometer achieves an extremely large instantaneous 110 degree field of view with no moving scanning mirror. The imaging resolution is very appropriate for extended atmospheric emission studies, with a resolution of better than 0.3 degrees at the center to 0.4 degrees at the edges of the field. The spectral range covers 120 - 170 nm, encompassing emissions from H, O, C, N, CO, and N2, with an average spectral resolution of 1.5 nm. The instrument is composed of a 2-element wide-field telescope, a 3-element Offner spectrometer, and a sealed MCP detector system contained within a compact volume of about 40 x 25 x 20 cm. We will present the optical and mechanical design as well as the predicted optical performance.The wide instantaneous FOV simplifies instrument and spacecraft operations by removing the need for multiple scans (either from a scan mirror or spacecraft slews) to cover the regions of interest. This instrumentation can allow for two-dimensional spectral information to be built up with simple spacecraft operation or just using spacecraft motion. Applications to the terrestrial geocorona and thermosphere will be addressed as well as applications to the upper atmospheres of other planetary objects.

Determining coronal electron temperatures from observations with UVCS/SOHO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fineschi, S.; Esser, R.; Habbal, S. R.; Karovska, M.; Romoli, M.; Strachan, L.; Kohl, J. L.; Huber, M. C. E.

1995-01-01

The electron temperature is a fundamental physical parameter of the coronal plasma. Currently, there are no direct measurements of this quantity in the extended corona. Observations with the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) aboard the upcoming Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission can provide the most direct determination of the electron kinetic temperature (or, more precisely, the electron velocity distribution along the line of sight). This measurement is based on the observation of the Thomson-scattered Lyman alpha (Ly-alpha) profile. This observation is made particularly challenging by the fact that the integrated intensity of the electron-scattered Ly-alpha line is about 10(exp 3) times fainter than that of the resonantly-scattered Ly-alpha component. In addition, the former is distributed across 50 A (FWHM), unlike the latter that is concentrated in 1 A. These facts impose stringent requirements on the stray-light rejection properties of the coronagraph/spectrometer, and in particular on the requirements for the grating. We make use of laboratory measurements of the UVCS Ly-alpha grating stray-light, and of simulated electron-scattered Ly-alpha profiles to estimate the expected confidence levels of electron temperature determination. Models of different structures typical of the corona (e.g., streamers, coronal holes) are used for this parameter study.

Calibration of a microchannel plate based extreme ultraviolet grazing incident spectrometer at the Advanced Light Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bakeman, M. S.; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720; Tilborg, J. van

We present the design and calibration of a microchannel plate based extreme ultraviolet spectrometer. Calibration was performed at the Advance Light Source (ALS) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). This spectrometer will be used to record the single shot spectrum of radiation emitted by the tapered hybrid undulator (THUNDER) undulator installed at the LOASIS GeV-class laser-plasma-accelerator. The spectrometer uses an aberration-corrected concave grating with 1200 lines/mm covering 11-62 nm and a microchannel plate detector with a CsI coated photocathode for increased quantum efficiency in the extreme ultraviolet. A touch screen interface controls the grating angle, aperture size, and placementmore » of the detector in vacuum, allowing for high-resolution measurements over the entire spectral range.« less

SOLAR-B Mission Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) Instrument Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doschek, George A.

2001-01-01

This Monthly Progress Report covers the reporting period through June 2001, Phase C/D, Detailed Design and Development Through Launch Plus Thirty Days, for selected components and subsystems of the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) instrument, hereafter referred to as EIS Instrument Components. This document contains the program status through the reporting period and forecasts the status for the upcoming reporting period.

Solar-B Mission Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) Instrument Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doschek, George A.

2002-01-01

This Monthly Progress Report covers the reporting period August 2002 of the Detailed Design and Development through Launch plus Thirty Days, Phase C/D, for selected components and subsystems of the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) instrument, hereafter referred to as EIS Instrument Components. This document contains the program status through the reporting period and forecasts the status for the upcoming reporting period.

SOLAR-B Mission Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) Instrument Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doschek, George A.

2001-01-01

This Monthly Progress Report covers the reporting period July 2001 of the Detailed Design and Development through Launch plus Thirty Days, Phase C/D, for selected components and subsystems of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) instrument, hereafter referred to as EIS Instrument Components. This document contains the program status through the reporting period and forecasts the status for the upcoming reporting period.

Test of prototype ITER vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer and its application to impurity study in KSTAR plasmas.

PubMed

Seon, C R; Hong, J H; Jang, J; Lee, S H; Choe, W; Lee, H H; Cheon, M S; Pak, S; Lee, H G; Biel, W; Barnsley, R

2014-11-01

To optimize the design of ITER vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrometer, a prototype VUV spectrometer was developed. The sensitivity calibration curve of the spectrometer was calculated from the mirror reflectivity, the grating efficiency, and the detector efficiency. The calibration curve was consistent with the calibration points derived in the experiment using the calibrated hollow cathode lamp. For the application of the prototype ITER VUV spectrometer, the prototype spectrometer was installed at KSTAR, and various impurity emission lines could be measured. By analyzing about 100 shots, strong positive correlation between the O VI and the C IV emission intensities could be found.

High-resolution crystal spectrometer for the 10-60 A extreme ultraviolet region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beiersdorfer, P.; Brown, G.V.; Goddard, R.

2004-10-01

A vacuum crystal spectrometer with nominal resolving power approaching 1000 is described for measuring emission lines with wavelength in the extreme ultraviolet region up to 60 A. The instrument utilizes a flat octadecyl hydrogen maleate crystal and a thin-window 1D position-sensitive gas proportional detector. This detector employs a 1-{mu}m-thick 100x8 mm{sup 2} aluminized polyimide window and operates at one atmosphere pressure. The spectrometer has been implemented on the Livermore electron beam ion traps. The performance of the instrument is illustrated in measurements of the newly discovered magnetic field-sensitive line in Ar{sup 8+}.

Returning Coronal Hole

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-06

A substantial coronal hole rotated across the face of the sun this past week and is again streaming solar wind towards Earth (Jan. 30 - Feb. 2, 2017). This same coronal hole was facing Earth about a month ago and has rotated into a similar position again. Coronal holes are areas of open magnetic field from which solar wind particles stream into space. In this wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light it appears as a dark area near the center and lower portion of the sun. Movies are available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11177

Normal-incidence EXtreme-Ultraviolet imaging Spectrometer - NEXUS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dere, K. P.

2003-05-01

NEXUS is the result of a breakthrough optical design that incorporates new technologies to achieve high optical throughput at high spatial (1 arcsec) and spectral (1-2 km s-1) resolution over a wide field of view in an optimal extreme-ultraviolet spectral band. This achievement was made possible primarily by two technical developments. First, a coating of boron-carbide deposited onto a layer of iridium provided a greatly enhanced reflectivity at EUV wavelengths that would enable NEXUS to observe the Sun over a wide temperature range at high cadence. The reflectivity of these coatings have been measured and demonstrated in the laboratory. The second key development was the use of a variable-line-spaced toroidal grating spectrometer. The spectrometer design allowed the Sun to be imaged at high spatial and spectral resolution along a 1 solar radius-long slit and over a wavelength range from 450 to 800 Å, nearly an entire spectral order. Because the spectrograph provided a magnification of about a factor of 6, only 2 optical elements are required to achieved the desired imaging performance. Throughput was enhanced by the use of only 2 reflections. The could all be accomodated within a total instrument length of 1.5m. We would like to acknowledge support from ONR

ACTIVE REGION MOSS: DOPPLER SHIFTS FROM HINODE/EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET IMAGING SPECTROMETER OBSERVATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tripathi, Durgesh; Mason, Helen E.; Klimchuk, James A.

2012-07-01

Studying the Doppler shifts and the temperature dependence of Doppler shifts in moss regions can help us understand the heating processes in the core of the active regions. In this paper, we have used an active region observation recorded by the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on board Hinode on 2007 December 12 to measure the Doppler shifts in the moss regions. We have distinguished the moss regions from the rest of the active region by defining a low-density cutoff as derived by Tripathi et al. in 2010. We have carried out a very careful analysis of the EIS wavelength calibrationmore » based on the method described by Young et al. in 2012. For spectral lines having maximum sensitivity between log T = 5.85 and log T = 6.25 K, we find that the velocity distribution peaks at around 0 km s{sup -1} with an estimated error of 4-5 km s{sup -1}. The width of the distribution decreases with temperature. The mean of the distribution shows a blueshift which increases with increasing temperature and the distribution also shows asymmetries toward blueshift. Comparing these results with observables predicted from different coronal heating models, we find that these results are consistent with both steady and impulsive heating scenarios. However, the fact that there are a significant number of pixels showing velocity amplitudes that exceed the uncertainty of 5 km s{sup -1} is suggestive of impulsive heating. Clearly, further observational constraints are needed to distinguish between these two heating scenarios.« less

Solar maximum mission/ultraviolet spectrometer and polarimeter studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henze, William, Jr.

1993-01-01

This final report for NASA Contract No. NAS8-35921 describes various studies performed for the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter (UVSP) experiment, one of several instruments on the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite which was launched on 14 February 1980. The UVSP consisted primarily of a Gregorian telescope and an Ebert-Fastie spectrometer with a polarimeter that could be inserted into the light path. The spacecraft and most of the instruments, including the UVSP, operated successfully until 23 November 1980, when part of the SMM attitude control system (fine pointing control) failed. The UVSP was then unable to observe the Sun until 18 April 1984, when the SMM was visited by the space shuttle and the attitude control module was replaced by astronauts. The SMM mission ended when the spacecraft reentered the atmosphere of the Earth and was thereby destroyed on 2 December 1989. The topics covered in this report include the following: (1) ultraviolet stellar polarimetry (probably the first such attempted measurement); no polarization as detected and the upper limits, based on the sensitivity as determined by the observed count rate, are rather high; (2) an investigation into the possible position of the UVSP wavelength drive after it became stuck on 26 April 1985; (3) fast timing tests for sit-and-state observations involving one or two detectors; (4) development of computer subroutines to allow the calculation of the component of the SMM spacecraft orbital velocity along the line of sight to the Sun at any desired time during the 1984/1985 period when the UVSP wavelength drive was operating properly; (5) listing of published research papers; (6) description of the UVSP catalog of observations; and (7) description of UVSP calibration report and data users guide.

Ultraviolet spectrometer and polarimeter (UVSP) software development and hardware tests for the solar maximum mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruner, M. E.; Haisch, B. M.

1986-01-01

The Ultraviolet Spectrometer/Polarimeter Instrument (UVSP) for the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) was based on the re-use of the engineering model of the high resolution ultraviolet spectrometer developed for the OSO-8 mission. Lockheed assumed four distinct responsibilities in the UVSP program: technical evaluation of the OSO-8 engineering model; technical consulting on the electronic, optical, and mechanical modifications to the OSO-8 engineering model hardware; design and development of the UVSP software system; and scientific participation in the operations and analysis phase of the mission. Lockheed also provided technical consulting and assistance with instrument hardware performance anomalies encountered during the post launch operation of the SMM observatory. An index to the quarterly reports delivered under the contract are contained, and serves as a useful capsule history of the program activity.

Coronal Hole Coming Around

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-06

A substantial coronal hole began to rotate into view over the past few days (Dec. 1-2, 2016). Coronal holes are magnetically open areas of the sun's magnetic field structure that spew streams of high speed solar wind into space. In about a week or so that coronal hole might send streams of particles in the direction of Earth. Often times these streams can interact with Earth's magnetosphere and generate aurora. The images were taken in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. Movies are available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21208

Brightness and magnetic evolution of solar coronal bright points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ugarte-Urra, I.

2004-12-01

This thesis presents a study of the brightness and magnetic evolution of several Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) coronal bright points (hereafter BPs). BPs are loop-like features of enhanced emission in the coronal EUV and X-ray images of the Sun, that are associated to the interaction of opposite photospheric magnetic polarities with magnetic fluxes of ≈1018 - 1019 Mx. The study was carried out using several instruments on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO): the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EIT), the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) and the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI), supported by the high resolution imaging from the Transition Region And Coronal Explorer (TRACE). The results confirm that, down to 1'' (i.e. ~715 km) resolution, BPs are made of small loops with lengths of ~6 Mm and cross-sections of ~2 Mm. The loops are very dynamic, evolving in time scales as short as 1 - 2 minutes. This is reflected in a highly variable EUV response with fluctuations highly correlated in spectral lines at transition region temperatures (in the range 3.2x10^4 - 3.5x10^5 K), but not always at coronal temperatures. A wavelet analysis of the intensity variations reveals, for the first time, the existence of quasi-periodic oscillations with periods ranging 400 -- 1000 s, in the range of periods characteristic of the chromospheric network. The link between BPs and network bright points is discussed, as well as the interpretation of the oscillations in terms of global acoustic modes of closed magnetic structures. A comparison of the magnetic flux evolution of the magnetic polarities to the EUV flux changes is also presented. Throughout their lifetime, the intrinsic EUV emission of BPs is found to be dependent on the total magnetic flux of the polarities. In short time scales, co-spatial and co-temporal TRACE and MDI images, reveal the signature of heating events that produce sudden EUV brightenings simultaneous to magnetic flux cancellations. This is interpreted in

Multidimensional spectrometer

DOEpatents

Zanni, Martin Thomas; Damrauer, Niels H.

2010-07-20

A multidimensional spectrometer for the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and a method for making multidimensional spectroscopic measurements in the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The multidimensional spectrometer facilitates measurements of inter- and intra-molecular interactions.

Low coronal signatures of coronal mass ejections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attrill, Gemma Diana Ruth

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are vast eruptions of magnetised plasma that explode from the solar atmosphere. This thesis focuses on understanding the nascent stages of CMEs, and their magnetic development as they expand into the interplanetary space of our solar system. This is an important part of our effort to understand the space weather environment that we live in, and increasingly interact with through satellite communications technologies. Predominantly through combining extreme ultra-violet imaging and magnetogram data, two low coronal signatures of CMEs, namely coronal waves and dimmings, are studied. A comprehensive list of observational properties of EIT coronal waves is compiled and potential counterparts in radio, Ha, soft X-rays and He n wavelengths are also discussed. New observational constraints on EIT coronal waves are presented, most notably diffuse coronal waves are shown to have a magnetic nature. Finding that many observational constraints are not satisfactorily explained by current theories, a new model for understanding the physical nature of diffuse coronal waves is developed. The new model interprets diffuse coronal "wave" bright fronts to be the low coronal magnetic footprint of CMEs. Implications for developing our understanding of how CMEs become large-scale in the low corona are discussed. Application of the model demonstrates how an understanding of the formation of complex global-scale coronal dimmings can be derived. For the first time it is shown that study of the evolution and magnetic nature of coronal dimming regions can be used to probe the post-eruptive evolution of the CME. Finally, a study is presented regarding why and how CME-related dimmings recover, despite the "open" magnetic connectivity of the ejecta to the Sun being maintained as indicated by electron heat flux measurements at 1 AU.

ANOMALOUS RELATIVE AR/CA CORONAL ABUNDANCES OBSERVED BY THE HINODE/EUV IMAGING SPECTROMETER NEAR SUNSPOTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doschek, G. A.; Warren, H. P.; Feldman, U.

2015-07-20

In determining the element abundance of argon (a high first ionization potential; FIP element) relative to calcium (a low FIP element) in flares, unexpectedly high intensities of two Ar xiv lines (194.40, 187.96 Å) relative to a Ca xiv line (193.87 Å) intensity were found in small (a few arcseconds) regions near sunspots in flare spectra recorded by the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer on the Hinode spacecraft. In the most extreme case the Ar xiv line intensity relative to the Ca xiv intensity was 7 times the value expected from the photospheric abundance ratio, which is about 30 times the abundancemore » of argon relative to calcium in active regions, i.e., the measured Ar/Ca abundance ratio is about 10 instead of 0.37 as in active regions. The Ar xiv and Ca xiv lines are formed near 3.4 MK and have very similar contribution functions. This is the first observation of the inverse FIP effect in the Sun. Other regions show increases of 2–3 over photospheric abundances, or just photospheric abundances. This phenomenon appears to occur rarely and only over small areas of flares away from the regions containing multi-million degree plasma, but more work is needed to quantify the occurrences and their locations. In the bright hot regions of flares the Ar/Ca abundance ratio is coronal, i.e., the same as in active regions. In this Letter we show three examples of the inverse FIP effect.« less

Coronal Hole Faces Earth

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-14

A substantial coronal hole rotated into a position where it is facing Earth (Aug. 9-11, 2017). Coronal holes are areas of open magnetic field that spew out charged particles as solar wind that spreads into space. If that solar wind interacts with our own magnetosphere it can generate aurora. In this view of the sun in extreme ultraviolet light, the coronal hole appears as the dark stretch near the center of the sun. It was the most distinctive feature on the sun over the past week. Movies are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21874

An equatorial coronal hole at solar minimum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bromage, B. J. I.; DelZanna, G.; DeForest, C.; Thompson, B.; Clegg, J. R.

1997-01-01

The large transequatorial coronal hole that was observed in the solar corona at the end of August 1996 is presented. It consists of a north polar coronal hole called the 'elephant's trunk or tusk'. The observations of this coronal hole were carried out with the coronal diagnostic spectrometer onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The magnetic field associated with the equatorial coronal hole is strongly connected to that of the active region at its base, resulting in the two features rotating at almost the same rate.

GADICON spectrometer for ionosphere far-ultraviolet observation: prototype design, manufacturing, and testing.

PubMed

Yu, Lei

2016-08-20

The design, manufacturing, and testing of an imaging spectrometer prototype that will address new scientific requirements by the observation of the lower atmosphere's impact on the ionosphere are presented. The two sided lateral limb observation covering 130-180 nm far-ultraviolet (FUV) region allows the instrument to perform particle measurements in the daytime and nighttime. In this paper, we focus upon the working design principle, observation, and calibration.

Substantial Coronal Holes

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-21

A pair of large coronal holes rotated into view over the past few days (Oct. 20-21, 2016). Coronal holes appear dark in certain wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light, such as in the wavelength used here. These holes are areas of open magnetic field that spew solar wind into space. Sometimes, when they are facing Earth, they can cause geomagnetic disturbances that generate aurora. The lines you see were drawn to represent how solar scientists are modeling the magnetic field lines. Movies are available at the Photojournal http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA15378

The Solar Chromosphere/Corona Interface. I. Far-Ultraviolet to Extreme-Ultraviolet Observations and Modeling of Unresolved Coronal Funnels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martinez-Galarce, Dennis S.; Walker, Arthur C., III; Barbee, Troy W., II; Hoover, Richard B.

2003-01-01

A coronal funnel model, developed by D. Rabin, was tested against a calibrated spectroheliogram recorded in the 170-1 75 A bandpass. This image was recorded on board a sounding-rocket experiment flown on 1994 November 3, called the Multi-Spectral Solar Telescope Array II (MSSTA II). MSSTA, a joint project of Stanford University, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory' is an observing platform composed of a set of normal-incidence, multilayer-coated optics designed to obtain narrow-bandpass, high-resolution images (1 sec.- 3 sec.) at selected far-ultraviolet (FUV), extreme-ultraviolet (EUV), and soft X-ray wavelengths (44-1550 A). Using full disk images centered at 1550 A (C IV) and 173 A (Fe IX/X), the funnel model, which is based on coronal back-heating, was tested against the data incorporating observed constraints on global coverage and measured flux. Found was a class of funnel models that could account for the quiescent, globally diffuse and unresolved emission seen in the 171-175 A bandpass, where the funnels are assumed to be rooted in the C IV supergranular network. These models, when incorporated with the CHIANTI spectral code, suggest that this emission is mostly of upper transition region origin and primarily composed of Fe IX plasma. The funnels are found to have constrictions, Gamma approx. 6-20, which is in good agreement with the observations. Further, the fitted models simultaneously satisfy global areal constraints seen in both images; namely,that a global network of funnels must cover approx. 700 - 95% of the total solar surface area seen in the 171-175 A image, and a 5% of the disk area seen in the 1550 A bandpass. These findings support the configuration of the EUV magnetic network as suggested by Reeves et al. and put forth in more detail by Gabriel. Furthermore, the models are in good agreement with differential emission measure estimates made of the transition region by J. C. Raymond & J. G

A Triumvirate: Three Coronal Holes

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-09-10

Three substantial coronal holes rotated across the face of the Sun the week of Sept. 8-10, 2015 as seen by NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory. Coronal holes are areas where the Sun magnetic field is open and a source of streaming solar wind. They appear darker in extreme ultraviolet light because there is less material in the hole areas being imaged in this specific wavelength of light. It is a little unusual to have three coronal holes at the same time, but neither is it a rare occurrence. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19950

Extreme-ultraviolet observations of global coronal wave rotation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Attrill, G. D. R.; Long, D. M.; Green, L. M.

2014-11-20

We present evidence of global coronal wave rotation in EUV data from SOHO/EIT, STEREO/EUVI, and SDO/AIA. The sense of rotation is found to be consistent with the helicity of the source region (clockwise for positive helicity, anticlockwise for negative helicity), with the source regions hosting sigmoidal structures. We also study two coronal wave events observed by SDO/AIA where no clear rotation (or sigmoid) is observed. The selected events show supporting evidence that they all originate with flux rope eruptions. We make comparisons across this set of observations (both with and without clear sigmoidal structures). On examining the magnetic configuration ofmore » the source regions, we find that the nonrotation events possess a quadrupolar magnetic configuration. The coronal waves that do show a rotation originate from bipolar source regions.« less

Lengthy Coronal Hole

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-09

An elongated coronal hole rotated across the face of the sun this past week so that it is now streaming solar wind towards Earth (Jan. 2-5, 2017). Coronal holes are areas of open magnetic field from which solar wind particles stream into space. In this wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light it appears as a dark area near the center and lower portion of the sun. The particle stream will likely generate aurora here on Earth. Check spaceweather.com for updates on auroral activity. Movies are available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14093

Extensive Coronal Hole

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-02

A large coronal hole has been spewing solar wind particles in the general direction of Earth over the past few days (Aug. 31- Sept. 1, 2017). It is the extensive dark area that stretches from the top of the sun and angles down to the right. Coronal holes are areas of open magnetic field, which allow charge particles to escape into space. They appear dark in certain wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light such as shown here. These clouds of particles can cause aurora to appear, particularly in higher latitude regions. Movies are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21942

EUVE observations of Algol: Detection of a continuum and implications for the coronal (Fe/H) abundance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, Robert A.; Lemen, James R.; Schmitt, Jurgen H. M. M.; Pye, John P.

1995-01-01

We report results from the first extreme ultraviolet spectrum of the prototypical eclipsing binary Algol (beta Per), obtained with the spectrometers on the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE). The Algol spectrum in the 80-350 A range is dominated by emission lines of Fe XVI-XXIV, and the He II 304 A line. The Fe emission is characteristic of high-temperature plasma at temperatures up to at least log T approximately 7.3 K. We have successfully modeled the observed quiescent spectrum using a continuous emission measure distribution with the bulk of the emitting material at log T greater than 6.5. We are able to adequately fit both the coronal lines and continuum data with a cosmic abundance plasma, but only if Algol's quiescent corona is dominated by material at log T greater than 7.5, which is physically ruled out by prior X-ray observations of the quiescent Algol spectrum. Since the coronal (Fe/H) abundance is the principal determinant of the line-to-continuum ratio in the EUV, allowing the abundance to be a free parameter results in models with a range of best-fit abundances approximately = 15%-40% of solar photospheric (Fe/H). Since Algol's photospheric (Fe/H) appears to be near-solar, the anomalous EUV line-to-continuum ratio could either be the result of element segregation in the coronal formation process, or other, less likely mechanisms that may enhance the continuum with respect to the lines.

Earth-Directed Coronal Hole

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-09-21

A dark coronal hole that was facing towards Earth for several days spewed streams of solar wind in our direction (Sept. 18-21, 2016). A coronal hole is a magnetically open region. The magnetic fields have opened up allowing solar wind (comprised of charged particles) to stream into space. Gusts of solar wind can generate beautiful aurora when they reach Earth. The video clip shows the sun in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. Movies are available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21067

Dynamical behaviour in coronal loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haisch, Bernhard M.

1986-01-01

Rapid variability has been found in two active region coronal loops observed by the X-ray Polychromator (XRP) and the Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS) onboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM). There appear to be surprisingly few observations of the short-time scale behavior of hot loops, and the evidence presented herein lends support to the hypothesis that coronal heating may be impulsive and driven by flaring.

Dynamical behaviour in coronal loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haisch, Bernhard M.

Rapid variability has been found in two active region coronal loops observed by the X-ray Polychromator (XRP) and the Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS) onboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM). There appear to be surprisingly few observations of the short-time scale behavior of hot loops, and the evidence presented herein lends support to the hypothesis that coronal heating may be impulsive and driven by flaring.

Absolute sensitivity calibration of an extreme ultraviolet spectrometer for tokamak measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guirlet, R.; Schwob, J. L.; Meyer, O.; Vartanian, S.

2017-01-01

An extreme ultraviolet spectrometer installed on the Tore Supra tokamak has been calibrated in absolute units of brightness in the range 10-340 Å. This has been performed by means of a combination of techniques. The range 10-113 Å was absolutely calibrated by using an ultrasoft-X ray source emitting six spectral lines in this range. The calibration transfer to the range 113-182 Å was performed using the spectral line intensity branching ratio method. The range 182-340 Å was calibrated thanks to radiative-collisional modelling of spectral line intensity ratios. The maximum sensitivity of the spectrometer was found to lie around 100 Å. Around this wavelength, the sensitivity is fairly flat in a 80 Å wide interval. The spatial variations of sensitivity along the detector assembly were also measured. The observed trend is related to the quantum efficiency decrease as the angle of the incoming photon trajectories becomes more grazing.

Observational Signatures of Coronal Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlburg, R. B.; Einaudi, G.; Ugarte-Urra, I.; Warren, H. P.; Rappazzo, A. F.; Velli, M.; Taylor, B.

2016-12-01

Recent research on observational signatures of turbulent heating of a coronal loop will be discussed. The evolution of the loop is is studied by means of numericalsimulations of the fully compressible three-dimensionalmagnetohydrodynamic equations using the HYPERION code. HYPERION calculates the full energy cycle involving footpoint convection, magnetic reconnection,nonlinear thermal conduction and optically thin radiation.The footpoints of the loop magnetic field are convected by random photospheric motions. As a consequence the magnetic field in the loop is energized and develops turbulent nonlinear dynamics characterized by the continuous formation and dissipation of field-aligned current sheets: energy is deposited at small scales where heating occurs. Dissipation is non-uniformly distributed so that only a fraction of thecoronal mass and volume gets heated at any time. Temperature and density are highly structured at scales which, in the solar corona, remain observationally unresolved: the plasma of the simulated loop is multi-thermal, where highly dynamical hotter and cooler plasma strands arescattered throughout the loop at sub-observational scales. Typical simulated coronal loops are 50000 km length and have axial magnetic field intensities ranging from 0.01 to 0.04 Tesla.To connect these simulations to observations the computed numberdensities and temperatures are used to synthesize the intensities expected inemission lines typically observed with the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer(EIS) on Hinode. These intensities are then employed to compute differentialemission measure distributions, which are found to be very similar to those derivedfrom observations of solar active regions.

Coronal Hole Facing Earth

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-08

An extensive equatorial coronal hole has rotated so that it is now facing Earth (May 2-4, 2018). The dark coronal hole extends about halfway across the solar disk. It was observed in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. This magnetically open area is streaming solar wind (i.e., a stream of charged particles released from the sun) into space. When Earth enters a solar wind stream and the stream interacts with our magnetosphere, we often experience nice displays of aurora. Videos are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00624

Coronal Hole Facing Earth

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-15

An extensive equatorial coronal hole has rotated so that it is now facing Earth (May 2-4, 2018). The dark coronal hole extends about halfway across the solar disk. It was observed in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. This magnetically open area is streaming solar wind (i.e., a stream of charged particles released from the sun) into space. When Earth enters a solar wind stream and the stream interacts with our magnetosphere, we often experience nice displays of aurora. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00577

Earth-Facing Coronal Holes

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-09

Two good-sized coronal holes have rotated around to the center of the sun where they will be spewing solar wind towards Earth (Nov. 8-9, 2016). Coronal holes are areas of open magnetic field from which solar wind particles stream into space. In this wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light they appear as the two dark areas at the center and lower portion of the sun. The stream of particles should reach Earth in a few days and are likely to generate aurora. Videos are available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16909

Doing Solar Science With Extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray High Resolution Imaging Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doschek, G. A.

2005-12-01

In this talk I will demonstrate how high resolution extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and/or X-ray imaging spectroscopy can be used to provide unique information for solving several current key problems of the solar atmosphere, e.g., the morphology and reconnection site of solar flares, the structure of the transition region, and coronal heating. I will describe the spectra that already exist relevant to these problems and what the shortcomings of the data are, and how an instrument such as the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on Solar-B as well as other proposed spectroscopy missions such as NEXUS and RAM will improve on the existing observations. I will discuss a few particularly interesting properties of the spectra and atomic data for highly ionized atoms that are important for the science problems.

Research in extreme ultraviolet and far ultraviolet astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowyer, C. S.

1985-01-01

The Far Ultraviolet imager (FUVI) was flown on the Aries class sounding rocket 24.015, producing outstanding results. The diffuse extreme ultraviolet (EUV) background spectrometer which is under construction is described. It will be launched on the Black Brant sounding rocket flight number 27.086. Ongoing design studies of a high resolution spectrometer are discussed. This instrument incorporates a one meter normal incidence mirror and will be suitable for an advanced Spartan mission.

An extreme ultraviolet spectrometer experiment for the Shuttle Get Away Special Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conway, R. R.; Mccoy, R. P.; Meier, R. R.; Mount, G. H.; Prinz, D. K.; Young, J. M.; Carruthers, G. R.

1984-01-01

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometer experiment operated successfully during the STS-7 mission in an experiment to measure the global and diurnal variation of the EUV airglow. The spectrometer is an F 3.5 Wadsworth mount with mechanical collimator, a 75 x 75 mm grating, and a bare microchannel plate detector providing a spectral resolution of 7 X FWHM. Read-out of the signal is through discrete channels or resistive anode techniques. The experiment includes a microcomputer, 20 Mbit tape recorder, and a 28V, 40 Ahr silver-zinc battery. It is the first GAS payload to use an opening door. The spectrometer's 0.1 x 4.2 deg field of view is pointed vertically out of the shuttle bay. During the STS-7 flight data were acquired continuously for a period of 5 hours and 37 minutes, providing spectra of the 570 A to 850 A wavelength region of the airglow. Five diurnal cycles of the 584 A emission of neutral helium and the 834 A emission of ionized atomic oxygen were recorded. The experiment also recorded ion events and pressure pulses associated with thruster firings. The experiment is to fly again on Mission 41-F.

Ultraviolet Raman Wide-Field Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrometer for Standoff Trace Explosive Detection.

PubMed

Hufziger, Kyle T; Bykov, Sergei V; Asher, Sanford A

2017-02-01

We constructed the first deep ultraviolet (UV) Raman standoff wide-field imaging spectrometer. Our novel deep UV imaging spectrometer utilizes a photonic crystal to select Raman spectral regions for detection. The photonic crystal is composed of highly charged, monodisperse 35.5 ± 2.9 nm silica nanoparticles that self-assemble in solution to produce a face centered cubic crystalline colloidal array that Bragg diffracts a narrow ∼1.0 nm full width at half-maximum (FWHM) UV spectral region. We utilize this photonic crystal to select and image two different spectral regions containing resonance Raman bands of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) and NH 4 NO 3 (AN). These two deep UV Raman spectral regions diffracted were selected by angle tuning the photonic crystal. We utilized this imaging spectrometer to measure 229 nm excited UV Raman images containing ∼10-1000 µg/cm 2 samples of solid PETN and AN on aluminum surfaces at 2.3 m standoff distances. We estimate detection limits of ∼1 µg/cm 2 for PETN and AN films under these experimental conditions.

Dynamics of the eruptive prominence of 6 May 1980 and its relationship to the coronal transient

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mein, N.; Schmieder, B.; Simon, G.; Tandberg-Hanssen, E.; Wu, S. T.

1982-01-01

The active prominence of the 6 May 1980 has been observed between 5.23 and 10.22 UT with the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter (UVSP) on board the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite. Intensities of 1548 A line of CIV and dopplershifts have been derived. A motion of the magnetic tube maintaining the prominence material is noted. This motion is followed by a coronal transient observed with the Coronagraph and Polarimeter (C/P) between 11 and 13 UT. It is suggested that the event is related to a MHD wave induced by a flare occurring behind the solar disk, and a MHD modeling of the perturbation is proposed.

Coronal Hole Rotating Towards Us

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-22

A good-sized coronal hole came around to where it is just about facing Earth (May 16-18, 2018). Coronal holes are areas of open magnetic field from which solar wind (consisting of charged particles) streams into space. The video clip covers two days and was taken in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. Such streams of particles take several days to reach Earth, but they can generate aurora, particularly nearer the poles. An animation is available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00575

OBSERVATIONAL SIGNATURES OF CORONAL LOOP HEATING AND COOLING DRIVEN BY FOOTPOINT SHUFFLING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dahlburg, R. B.; Taylor, B. D.; Einaudi, G.

The evolution of a coronal loop is studied by means of numerical simulations of the fully compressible three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equations using the HYPERION code. The footpoints of the loop magnetic field are advected by random motions. As a consequence, the magnetic field in the loop is energized and develops turbulent nonlinear dynamics characterized by the continuous formation and dissipation of field-aligned current sheets: energy is deposited at small scales where heating occurs. Dissipation is nonuniformly distributed so that only a fraction of the coronal mass and volume gets heated at any time. Temperature and density are highly structured at scalesmore » that, in the solar corona, remain observationally unresolved: the plasma of our simulated loop is multithermal, where highly dynamical hotter and cooler plasma strands are scattered throughout the loop at sub-observational scales. Numerical simulations of coronal loops of 50,000 km length and axial magnetic field intensities ranging from 0.01 to 0.04 T are presented. To connect these simulations to observations, we use the computed number densities and temperatures to synthesize the intensities expected in emission lines typically observed with the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer on Hinode. These intensities are used to compute differential emission measure distributions using the Monte Carlo Markov Chain code, which are very similar to those derived from observations of solar active regions. We conclude that coronal heating is found to be strongly intermittent in space and time, with only small portions of the coronal loop being heated: in fact, at any given time, most of the corona is cooling down.« less

Autonomous portable solar ultraviolet spectroradiometer (APSUS) - a new CCD spectrometer system for localized, real-time solar ultraviolet (280-400 nm) radiation measurement.

PubMed

Hooke, Rebecca; Pearson, Andy; O'Hagan, John

2014-01-01

Terrestrial solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation has significant implications for human health and increasing levels are a key concern regarding the impact of climate change. Monitoring solar UV radiation at the earth's surface is therefore of increasing importance. A new prototype portable CCD (charge-coupled device) spectrometer-based system has been developed that monitors UV radiation (280-400 nm) levels at the earth's surface. It has the ability to deliver this information to the public in real time. Since the instrument can operate autonomously, it is called the Autonomous Portable Solar Ultraviolet Spectroradiometer (APSUS). This instrument incorporates an Ocean Optics QE65000 spectrometer which is contained within a robust environmental housing. The APSUS system can gather reliable solar UV spectral data from approximately April to October inclusive (depending on ambient temperature) in the UK. In this study the new APSUS unit and APSUS system are presented. Example solar UV spectra and diurnal UV Index values as measured by the APSUS system in London and Weymouth in the UK in summer 2012 are shown. © 2014 Crown copyright. Photochemistry and Photobiology © 2014 The American Society of Photobiology. This article is published with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland and Public Health England.

Elongated Coronal Hole

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-19

Over the past week, the single, largest feature on the sun was a long coronal hole that stretched out across more than half the diameter of the sun (Mar. 13-15, 2018). Coronal holes appear dark in certain wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light like the one you see here. They are areas of open magnetic fields from which solar wind rushes out into space. This area likely generated the beautiful aurora that were reportedly observed on March 14th in regions near Earth's poles. With the Earth set in the image to show scale, you get a good sense of just how extensive this hole is. Movies are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22345

High-resolution ultraviolet observations of interstellar lines toward Zeta Persei observed with the balloon-borne ultraviolet stellar spectrometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Snow, T.P.; Lamers, H.J.G.L.M.; Joseph, C.L.

1987-10-01

The balloon-borne ultraviolet stellar spectrometer payload has been used to obtain high-resolution data on interstellar absorption lines toward Zeta Per. The only lines clearly present in the 2150-2450 region were several Fe II features, which show double structure. The two velocity components were sufficiently well separated that it was possible to construct separate curves of growth to derive the Fe II column densities for the individual components. These column densities and the component velocity separation were then used to compute a realistic two-component curve of growth for the line of sight to Zeta Per, which was then used to reanalyzemore » existing ultraviolet data from Copernicus. The results were generally similar to an earlier two-component analysis of the Copernicus data, with the important exception that the silicon depletion increased from near zero to about 1 dex. This makes the Zeta Per depletion pattern quite similar to those derived for other reddened lines of sight, supporting the viewpoint that the general diffuse interstellar medium has a nearly constant pattern of depletions. 31 references.« less

Observational Consequences of Coronal Heating Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winebarger, Amy R.; Cirtain, Jonathan C.; Golub, Leon; Kobayashi, Ken

2014-01-01

The coronal heating problem remains unsolved today, 80 years after its discovery, despite 50 years of suborbital and orbital coronal observatories. Tens of theoretical coronal heating mechanisms have been suggested, but only a few have been able to be ruled out. In this talk, we will explore the reasons for the slow progress and discuss the measurements that will be needed for potential breakthrough, including imaging the solar corona at small spatial scales, measuring the chromospheric magnetic fields, and detecting the presence of high temperature, low emission measure plasma. We will discuss three sounding rocket instruments developed to make these measurements: the High resolution Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C), the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectropolarimeter (CLASP), and the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS).

Flux Cancelation as the Trigger of Quiet-Region Coronal Jet Eruptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Panesar, Navdeep K.; Sterling, Alphonse; Moore, Ronald L.

2017-01-01

Coronal jets are frequent magnetically channeled narrow eruptions. They occur in various solar environments: quiet regions, coronal holes and active regions. All coronal jets observed in EUV (Extreme UltraViolet) and X-ray images show a bright spire with a base brightening, also known as jet bright point (JBP). Recent studies show that coronal jets are driven by small-scale filament eruptions. Sterling et al. 2015 did extensive study of 20 polar coronal hole jets and found that X-ray jets are mainly driven by the eruption of minifilaments. What leads to these minifilament eruptions?

Computer program design specifications for the Balloon-borne Ultraviolet Stellar Spectrometer (BUSS) science data decommutation program (BAPS48)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, R. M.

1975-01-01

The Balloon-Borne Ultraviolet Stellar Spectrometer (BUSS) Science Data Docummutation Program (BAPS48) is a pulse code modulation docummutation program that will format the BUSS science data contained on a one inch PCM tracking tape into a seven track serial bit stream formatted digital tape.

Coronal Elemental Abundances in Solar Emerging Flux Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Deborah; Brooks, David H.; van Driel-Gesztelyi, Lidia; James, Alexander W.; Démoulin, Pascal; Long, David M.; Warren, Harry P.; Williams, David R.

2018-03-01

The chemical composition of solar and stellar atmospheres differs from the composition of their photospheres. Abundances of elements with low first ionization potential (FIP) are enhanced in the corona relative to high-FIP elements with respect to the photosphere. This is known as the FIP effect and it is important for understanding the flow of mass and energy through solar and stellar atmospheres. We used spectroscopic observations from the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer on board the Hinode observatory to investigate the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of coronal plasma composition within solar emerging flux regions inside a coronal hole. Plasma evolved to values exceeding those of the quiet-Sun corona during the emergence/early-decay phase at a similar rate for two orders of magnitude in magnetic flux, a rate comparable to that observed in large active regions (ARs) containing an order of magnitude more flux. During the late-decay phase, the rate of change was significantly faster than what is observed in large, decaying ARs. Our results suggest that the rate of increase during the emergence/early-decay phase is linked to the fractionation mechanism that leads to the FIP effect, whereas the rate of decrease during the later decay phase depends on the rate of reconnection with the surrounding magnetic field and its plasma composition.

Space- and Ground-based Coronal Spectro-Polarimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fineschi, Silvano; Bemporad, Alessandro; Rybak, Jan; Capobianco, Gerardo

This presentation gives an overview of the near-future perspectives of ultraviolet and visible-light spectro-polarimetric instrumentation for probing coronal magnetism from space-based and ground-based observatories. Spectro-polarimetric imaging of coronal emission-lines in the visible-light wavelength-band provides an important diagnostics tool of the coronal magnetism. The interpretation in terms of Hanle and Zeeman effect of the line-polarization in forbidden emission-lines yields information on the direction and strength of the coronal magnetic field. As study case, this presentation will describe the Torino Coronal Magnetograph (CorMag) for the spectro-polarimetric observation of the FeXIV, 530.3 nm, forbidden emission-line. CorMag - consisting of a Liquid Crystal (LC) Lyot filter and a LC linear polarimeter - has been recently installed on the Lomnicky Peak Observatory 20cm Zeiss coronagraph. The preliminary results from CorMag will be presented. The linear polarization by resonance scattering of coronal permitted line-emission in the ultraviolet (UV)can be modified by magnetic fields through the Hanle effect. Space-based UV spectro-polarimeters would provide an additional tool for the disgnostics of coronal magnetism. As a case study of space-borne UV spectro-polarimeters, this presentation will describe the future upgrade of the Sounding-rocket Coronagraphic Experiment (SCORE) to include the capability of imaging polarimetry of the HI Lyman-alpha, 121.6 nm. SCORE is a multi-wavelength imager for the emission-lines, HeII 30.4 nm and HI 121.6 nm, and visible-light broad-band emission of the polarized K-corona. SCORE has flown successfully in 2009. This presentation will describe how in future re-flights SCORE could observe the expected Hanle effect in corona with a HI Lyman-alpha polarimeter.

The Fundamental Structure of Coronal Loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winebarger, Amy; Warren, Harry; Cirtain, Jonathan; Kobayashi, Ken; Korreck, Kelly; Golub, Leon; Kuzin, Sergey; Walsh, Robert; DePontieu, Bart; Title, Alan;

Calibration of the Voyager Ultraviolet Spectrometers and the Composition of the Heliosphere Neutrals: Reassessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Jaffel, Lotfi; Holberg, J. B.

2016-06-01

The data harvest from the Voyagers’ (V 1 and V 2) Ultraviolet Spectrometers (UVS) covers encounters with the outer planets, measurements of the heliosphere sky-background, and stellar spectrophotometry. Because their period of operation overlaps with many ultraviolet missions, the calibration of V1 and V2 UVS with other spectrometers is invaluable. Here we revisit the UVS calibration to assess the intriguing sensitivity enhancements of 243% (V1) and 156% (V2) proposed recently. Using the Lyα airglow from Saturn, observed in situ by both Voyagers, and remotely by International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), we match the Voyager values to IUE, taking into account the shape of the Saturn Lyα line observed with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope. For all known ranges of the interplanetary hydrogen density, we show that the V1 and V2 UVS sensitivities cannot be enhanced by the amounts thus far proposed. The same diagnostic holds for distinct channels covering the diffuse He I 58.4 nm emission. Our prescription is to keep the original calibration of the Voyager UVS with a maximum uncertainty of 30%, making both instruments some of the most stable EUV/FUV spectrographs in the history of space exploration. In that frame, we reassess the excess Lyα emission detected by Voyager UVS deep in the heliosphere, to show its consistency with a heliospheric but not galactic origin. Our finding confirms results obtained nearly two decades ago—namely, the UVS discovery of the distortion of the heliosphere and the corresponding obliquity of the local interstellar magnetic field (˜ 40^\\circ from upwind) in the solar system neighborhood—without requiring any revision of the Voyager UVS calibration.

An Airborne Infrared Spectrometer for Solar Eclipse Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samra, Jenna; DeLuca, Edward E.; Golub, Leon; Cheimets, Peter; Philip, Judge

2016-05-01

The airborne infrared spectrometer (AIR-Spec) is an innovative solar spectrometer that will observe the 2017 solar eclipse from the NSF/NCAR High-Performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER). AIR-Spec will image five infrared coronal emission lines to determine whether they may be useful probes of coronal magnetism.The solar magnetic field provides the free energy that controls coronal heating, structure, and dynamics. Energy stored in coronal magnetic fields is released in flares and coronal mass ejections and ultimately drives space weather. Therefore, direct coronal field measurements have significant potential to enhance understanding of coronal dynamics and improve solar forecasting models. Of particular interest are observations of field lines in the transitional region between closed and open flux systems, providing important information on the origin of the slow solar wind.While current instruments routinely observe only the photospheric and chromospheric magnetic fields, AIR-Spec will take a step toward the direct observation of coronal fields by measuring plasma emission in the infrared at high spatial and spectral resolution. During the total solar eclipse of 2017, AIR-Spec will observe five magnetically sensitive coronal emission lines between 1.4 and 4 µm from the HIAPER Gulfstream V at an altitude above 14.9 km. The instrument will measure emission line intensity, width, and Doppler shift, map the spatial distribution of infrared emitting plasma, and search for waves in the emission line velocities.AIR-Spec consists of an optical system (feed telescope, grating spectrometer, and infrared detector) and an image stabilization system, which uses a fast steering mirror to correct the line-of-sight for platform perturbations. To ensure that the instrument meets its research goals, both systems are undergoing extensive performance modeling and testing. These results are shown with reference to the science requirements.

Numerical Simulation of DC Coronal Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlburg, Russell B.; Einaudi, G.; Taylor, Brian D.; Ugarte-Urra, Ignacio; Warren, Harry; Rappazzo, A. F.; Velli, Marco

2016-05-01

Recent research on observational signatures of turbulent heating of a coronal loop will be discussed. The evolution of the loop is is studied by means of numerical simulations of the fully compressible three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equations using the HYPERION code. HYPERION calculates the full energy cycle involving footpoint convection, magnetic reconnection, nonlinear thermal conduction and optically thin radiation. The footpoints of the loop magnetic field are convected by random photospheric motions. As a consequence the magnetic field in the loop is energized and develops turbulent nonlinear dynamics characterized by the continuous formation and dissipation of field-aligned current sheets: energy is deposited at small scales where heating occurs. Dissipation is non-uniformly distributed so that only a fraction of thecoronal mass and volume gets heated at any time. Temperature and density are highly structured at scales which, in the solar corona, remain observationally unresolved: the plasma of the simulated loop is multi thermal, where highly dynamical hotter and cooler plasma strands are scattered throughout the loop at sub-observational scales. Typical simulated coronal loops are 50000 km length and have axial magnetic field intensities ranging from 0.01 to 0.04 Tesla. To connect these simulations to observations the computed number densities and temperatures are used to synthesize the intensities expected in emission lines typically observed with the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on Hinode. These intensities are then employed to compute differential emission measure distributions, which are found to be very similar to those derived from observations of solar active regions.

The far-ultraviolet /1180-1950 A/ emission spectrum of Arcturus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckinney, W. R.; Giles, J. W.; Moos, H. W.

1976-01-01

The far-ultraviolet (1180-1950 A) emission spectrum of the K2 IIIp star, Arcturus, has been obtained with a rocket-borne multichannel spectrometer. The use of multiple detectors gave an increase in effective observing time and permitted an improvement in spectral resolution over two previous rocket measurements. H I at 1216-A and O I at 1304 A are the only identified emissions, and the observed H I 1216-A flux is low compared with previous observations. A third unidentified feature was observed at 1511 A. The absence of many lines found in emission from the sun is striking. The absence of certain features implies that the coronal temperature must be either below 50,000 K or above 350,000 K.

Extreme ultraviolet spectra of S IX and S X relevant to solar coronal plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Safdar; Kato, Hiroyuki; Nakamura, Nobuyuki

2017-10-01

We present extreme ultraviolet laboratory spectra of highly charged S IX and S X measured using a compact electron beam ion trap. The data were recorded using a flat-field grazing incidence spectrometer in the wavelength range between 210 and 290 Å. The beam energy was tuned for three different values at 365, 410 and 465 eV while keeping electron beam current constant at 10 mA. By measuring the beam energy dependence, we identified several lines originating from S IX and S X ions with the support of collisional-radiative modeling. We compared them with the present calculations and transitions listed in the NIST data base and found in good agreement.

Characteristics of the Time Variable Component of the Coronal Heating Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habbal, Shadia R.; Poland, Art (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The goal of the proposed study was to explore the non-steady nature of the coronal heating processes and its manifestations in the inner corona and interplanetary space by coordinating coronal SOHO observations in white light, ultraviolet, and extreme ultraviolet, with complementary radio occultation measurements during an unprecedented and rare coincidence of a total solar eclipse with the superior conjunction of a planetary spacecraft, Galileo, in February 1998. In addition, radio occultation measurements by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft in May 1998 spanned the inner heliosphere observed by coronal SOHO instruments and probing it to within 0.5 R(sub S), above the solar surface. Inferences of physical properties derived from these simultaneous observations were subsequently used in solar wind model computations to yield the range of plasma parameters characteristic of the fast and slow solar wind.

Coronal Hole All Spread Out

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-16

This image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a broad coronal hole was the dominant feature this week on the sun (Nov. 7-9, 2017). It was easily recognizable as the dark expanse across the top of the sun and extending down in each side. Coronal holes are magnetically open areas on the sun that allow high-speed solar wind to gush out into space. They always appear darker in extreme ultraviolet. This one was likely the source of bright aurora that shimmered for numerous observers, with some reaching down even to Nebraska. Movies are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22113

High Accuracy Ultraviolet Index of Refraction Measurements Using a Fourier Transform Spectrometer

PubMed Central

Gupta, Rajeev; Kaplan, Simon G.

2003-01-01

We have constructed a new facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to measure the index of refraction of transmissive materials in the wavelength range from the visible to the vacuum ultraviolet. An etalon of the material is illuminated with synchrotron radiation, and the interference fringes in the transmittance spectrum are measured using a Fourier transform spectrometer. The refractive index of calcium fluoride, CaF2, has been measured from 600 nm to 175 nm and the resulting values agree with a traditional goniometric measurement to within 1 × 10−5. The uncertainty in the index values is currently limited by the uncertainty in the thickness measurement of the etalon. PMID:27413620

The plasma filling factor of coronal bright points. II. Combined EIS and TRACE results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dere, K. P.

2009-04-01

Aims: In a previous paper, the volumetric plasma filling factor of coronal bright points was determined from spectra obtained with the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). The analysis of these data showed that the median plasma filling factor was 0.015. One interpretation of this result was that the small filling factor was consistent with a single coronal loop with a width of 1-2´´, somewhat below the apparent width. In this paper, higher spatial resolution observations with the Transition Region and Corona Explorer (TRACE) are used to test this interpretation. Methods: Rastered spectra of regions of the quiet Sun were recorded by the EIS during operations with the Hinode satellite. Many of these regions were simultaneously observed with TRACE. Calibrated intensities of Fe xii lines were obtained and images of the quiet corona were constructed from the EIS measurements. Emission measures were determined from the EIS spectra and geometrical widths of coronal bright points were obtained from the TRACE images. Electron densities were determined from density-sensitive line ratios measured with EIS. A comparison of the emission measure and bright point widths with the electron densities yielded the plasma filling factor. Results: The median electron density of coronal bright points is 3 × 109 cm-3 at a temperature of 1.6 × 106 K. The volumetric plasma filling factor of coronal bright points was found to vary from 3 × 10-3 to 0.3 with a median value of 0.04. Conclusions: The current set of EIS and TRACE coronal bright-point observations indicate the median value of their plasma filling factor is 0.04. This can be interpreted as evidence of a considerable subresolution structure in coronal bright points or as the result of a single completely filled plasma loop with widths on the order of 0.2-1.5´´ that has not been spatially resolved in these measurements.

SOHO Observations of a Coronal Mass Ejection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akmal, Arya; Raymond, John C.; Vourlidas, Angelos; Thompson, Barbara; Ciaravella, A.; Ko, Y.-K.; Uzzo, M.; Wu, R.

2001-06-01

We describe a coronal mass ejection (CME) observed on 1999 April 23 by the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS), the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), and the Large-Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraphs (LASCO) aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). In addition to the O VI and C III lines typical of UVCS spectra of CMEs, this 480 km s-1 CME exhibits the forbidden and intercombination lines of O V at λλ1213.8 and 1218.4. The relative intensities of the O V lines represent an accurate electron density diagnostic not generally available at 3.5 Rsolar. By combining the density with the column density derived from LASCO, we obtain the emission measure of the ejected gas. With the help of models of the temperature and time-dependent ionization state of the expanding gas, we determine a range of heating rates required to account for the UV emission lines. The total thermal energy deposited as the gas travels to 3.5 Rsolar is comparable to the kinetic and gravitational potential energies. We note a core of colder material radiating in C III, surrounded by hotter material radiating in the O V and O VI lines. This concentration of the coolest material into small regions may be a common feature of CMEs. This event thus represents a unique opportunity to describe the morphology of a CME, and to characterize its plasma parameters.

New Instruments to Isolate the Coronal Heating Mechanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winebarger, Amy

2014-01-01

The coronal heating problem remains unsolved today, 80 years after its discovery, despite 50 years of suborbital and orbital coronal observatories. Tens of theoretical coronal heating mechanisms have been suggested, but only a few have been able to be ruled out. In this talk, we will explore the reasons for the slow progress and discuss the measurements that will be needed for potential breakthrough, including imaging the solar corona at small spatial scales, measuring the chromospheric magnetic fields, and detecting the presence of high temperature, low-emission measure plasma. We will discuss three sounding rocket instruments developed to make these measurements: the High-resolution Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C), the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectropolarimeter (CLASP), and the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS).

Exploring the fine structure at the limb in coronal holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karovska, Magarita; Blundell, Solon F.; Habbal, Shadia Rifai

1994-01-01

The fine structure of the solar limb in coronal holes is explored at temperatures ranging from 10(exp 4) to 10(exp 6) K. An image enhancement algorithm orignally developed for solar eclipse observations is applied to a number of simultaneous multiwavelength observations made with the Harvard Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer experiment on Skylab. The enhanced images reveal the presence of filamentary structures above the limb with a characteristic separation of approximately 10 to 15 sec . Some of the structures extend from the solar limb into the corona to at least 4 min above the solar limb. The brightness of these structures changes as a function of height above the limb. The brightest emission is associated with spiculelike structures in the proximity of the limb. The emission characteristic of high-temperature plasma is not cospatial with the emission at lower temperatures, indicating the presence of different temperature plasmas in the field of view.

Magnetic Flux Cancellation as the Trigger of Solar Coronal Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGlasson, R.; Panesar, N. K.; Sterling, A. C.; Moore, R. L.

2017-12-01

Coronal jets are narrow eruptions in the solar corona, and are often observed in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray images. They occur everywhere on the solar disk: in active regions, quiet regions, and coronal holes (Raouafi et al. 2016). Recent studies indicate that most coronal jets in quiet regions and coronal holes are driven by the eruption of a minifilament (Sterling et al. 2015), and that this eruption follows flux cancellation at the magnetic neutral line under the pre-eruption minifilament (Panesar et al. 2016). We confirm this picture for a large sample of jets in quiet regions and coronal holes using multithermal (304 Å 171 Å, 193 Å, and 211 Å) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) /Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and line-of-sight magnetograms from the SDO /Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). We report observations of 60 randomly selected jet eruptions. We have analyzed the magnetic cause of these eruptions and measured the base size and the duration of each jet using routines in SolarSoft IDL. By examining the evolutionary changes in the magnetic field before, during, and after jet eruption, we found that each of these jets resulted from minifilament eruption triggered by flux cancellation at the neutral line. In agreement with the above studies, we found our jets to have an average base diameter of 7600 ± 2700 km and an average duration of 9.0 ± 3.6 minutes. These observations confirm that minifilament eruption is the driver and magnetic flux cancellation is the primary trigger mechanism for nearly all coronal hole and quiet region coronal jet eruptions.

Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) Overview from the Emirates Mars Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lootah, F. H.; Almatroushi, H. R.; AlMheiri, S.; Holsclaw, G.; Deighan, J.; Chaffin, M.; Reed, H.; Lillis, R. J.; Fillingim, M. O.; England, S.

2017-12-01

The Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) instrument is one of three science instruments on board the "Hope Probe" of the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM). EMM is a United Arab Emirates' (UAE) mission to Mars, launching in 2020, to explore the global dynamics of the Martian atmosphere, while sampling on both diurnal and seasonal timescales. The EMUS instrument is a far-ultraviolet imaging spectrograph that measures emissions in the spectral range 100-170 nm. Using a combination of its one-dimensional imaging and spacecraft motion, it will build up two-dimensional far-ultraviolet images of the Martian disk and near-space environment at several important wavelengths: the Lyman beta atomic hydrogen emission (102.6 nm), the Lyman alpha atomic hydrogen emission (121.6 nm), two atomic oxygen emissions (130.4 nm and 135.6 nm), and the carbon monoxide fourth positive group band emission (140 nm-170 nm). Radiances at these wavelengths will be used to derive the column abundance of atomic oxygen, and carbon monoxide in the Martian thermosphere, and the density of atomic oxygen and atomic hydrogen in the Martian exosphere both with spatial and sub-seasonal variability. The EMUS instrument consists of a single telescope mirror feeding a Rowland circle imaging spectrograph with selectable spectral resolution (1.3 nm, 1.8 nm, or 5 nm), and a photon-counting and locating detector (provided by the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley). The EMUS spatial resolution of less than 300 km on the disk is sufficient to characterize spatial variability in the Martian thermosphere (100-200 km altitude) and exosphere (>200 km altitude). The instrument is jointly developed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai, UAE.

Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) Overview from the Emirates Mars Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almatroushi, Hessa; Lootah, Fatma; Holsclaw, Greg; Deighan, Justin; Chaffin, Michael; Lillis, Robert; Fillingim, Matthew; England, Scott; AlMheiri, Suhail; Reed, Heather

2017-04-01

The Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) instrument is one of three science instruments to be carried on board the Emirate Mars Mission (EMM), the "Hope Probe". EMM is a United Arab Emirates' (UAE) mission to Mars launching in 2020 to explore the dynamics in the Martian atmosphere globally, while sampling on both diurnal and seasonal timescales. The EMUS instrument is a far-ultraviolet imaging spectrograph that measures emissions in the spectral range 100-170 nm. Using spacecraft motion, it will build up two-dimensional far-ultraviolet images of the Martian disk and near-space environment at several important wavelengths: Lyman beta atomic hydrogen emission (102.6 nm), Lyman alpha atomic hydrogen emission (121.6 nm), atomic oxygen emission (130.4 nm and 135.6 nm), and carbon monoxide fourth positive group band emission (140 nm-170 nm). Radiances at these wavelengths will be used to derive the column abundance of atomic oxygen, and carbon monoxide in the Martian thermosphere, and the density of atomic oxygen and atomic hydrogen in the Martian exosphere both with spatial and sub-seasonal variability. EMUS consists of a single telescope mirror feeding a Rowland circle imaging spectrograph capable of selectable spectral resolution (1.3 nm, 1.8 nm, or 5 nm) with a photon-counting and locating detector (provided by the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley). The EMUS spatial resolution of less than 300km on the disk is sufficient to characterize spatial variability in the Martian thermosphere (100-200 km altitude) and exosphere (>200 km altitude). The instrument is jointly developed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai, UAE

DIRECT OBSERVATION OF SOLAR CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELDS BY VECTOR TOMOGRAPHY OF THE CORONAL EMISSION LINE POLARIZATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kramar, M.; Lin, H.; Tomczyk, S., E-mail: kramar@cua.edu, E-mail: lin@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: tomczyk@ucar.edu

We present the first direct “observation” of the global-scale, 3D coronal magnetic fields of Carrington Rotation (CR) Cycle 2112 using vector tomographic inversion techniques. The vector tomographic inversion uses measurements of the Fe xiii 10747 Å Hanle effect polarization signals by the Coronal Multichannel Polarimeter (CoMP) and 3D coronal density and temperature derived from scalar tomographic inversion of Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)/Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) coronal emission lines (CELs) intensity images as inputs to derive a coronal magnetic field model that best reproduces the observed polarization signals. While independent verifications of the vector tomography results cannot be performed, wemore » compared the tomography inverted coronal magnetic fields with those constructed by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations based on observed photospheric magnetic fields of CR 2112 and 2113. We found that the MHD model for CR 2112 is qualitatively consistent with the tomography inverted result for most of the reconstruction domain except for several regions. Particularly, for one of the most noticeable regions, we found that the MHD simulation for CR 2113 predicted a model that more closely resembles the vector tomography inverted magnetic fields. In another case, our tomographic reconstruction predicted an open magnetic field at a region where a coronal hole can be seen directly from a STEREO-B/EUVI image. We discuss the utilities and limitations of the tomographic inversion technique, and present ideas for future developments.« less

Expected scientific performance of the three spectrometers on the extreme ultraviolet explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vallerga, J. V.; Jelinsky, P.; Vedder, P. W.; Malina, R. F.

1990-01-01

The expected in-orbit performance of the three spectrometers included on the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer astronomical satellite is presented. Recent calibrations of the gratings, mirrors and detectors using monochromatic and continuum EUV light sources allow the calculation of the spectral resolution and throughput of the instrument. An effective area range of 0.2 to 2.8 sq cm is achieved over the wavelength range 70-600 A with a peak spectral resolution (FWHM) of 360 assuming a spacecraft pointing knowledge of 10 arc seconds (FWHM). For a 40,000 sec observation, the average 3 sigma sensitivity to a monochromatic line source is 0.003 photons/sq cm s. Simulated observations of known classes of EUV sources, such as hot white dwarfs, and cataclysmic variables are also presented.

Magnetic Flux Cancellation as the Trigger Mechanism of Solar Coronal Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGlasson, Riley A.; Panesar, Navdeep K.; Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L.

2017-01-01

Coronal jets are narrow eruptions in the solar corona, and are often observed in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-Ray images. They occur everywhere on the solar disk: in active regions, quiet regions, and coronal holes (Raouafi et al. 2016). Recent studies indicate that most coronal jets in quiet regions and coronal holes are driven by the eruption of a minifilament (Sterling et al. 2015), and that this eruption follows flux cancellation at the magnetic neutral line under the pre-eruption minifilament (Panesar et al. 2016). We confirm this picture for a large sample of jets in quiet regions and coronal holes using multithermal extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and line-of-sight magnetograms from the SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). We report observations of 60 randomly selected jet eruptions. We have analyzed the magnetic cause of these eruptions and measured the base size and the duration of each jet using routines in SolarSoft IDL. By examining the evolutionary changes in the magnetic field before, during, and after jet eruption, we found that each of these jets resulted from minifilament eruption triggered by flux cancellation at the neutral line. In agreement with the above studies, we found our jets to have an average base diameter of 7600 +/- 2700 km and an average jet-growth duration of 9.0 +/- 3.6 minutes. These observations confirm that minifilament eruption is the driver and that magnetic flux cancellation is the primary trigger mechanism for nearly all coronal hole and quiet region coronal jet eruptions.

Using coronal seismology to estimate the magnetic field strength in a realistic coronal model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, F.; Peter, H.

2015-09-01

Aims: Coronal seismology is used extensively to estimate properties of the corona, e.g. the coronal magnetic field strength is derived from oscillations observed in coronal loops. We present a three-dimensional coronal simulation, including a realistic energy balance in which we observe oscillations of a loop in synthesised coronal emission. We use these results to test the inversions based on coronal seismology. Methods: From the simulation of the corona above an active region, we synthesise extreme ultraviolet emission from the model corona. From this, we derive maps of line intensity and Doppler shift providing synthetic data in the same format as obtained from observations. We fit the (Doppler) oscillation of the loop in the same fashion as done for observations to derive the oscillation period and damping time. Results: The loop oscillation seen in our model is similar to imaging and spectroscopic observations of the Sun. The velocity disturbance of the kink oscillation shows an oscillation period of 52.5 s and a damping time of 125 s, which are both consistent with the ranges of periods and damping times found in observations. Using standard coronal seismology techniques, we find an average magnetic field strength of Bkink = 79 G for our loop in the simulation, while in the loop the field strength drops from roughly 300 G at the coronal base to 50 G at the apex. Using the data from our simulation, we can infer what the average magnetic field derived from coronal seismology actually means. It is close to the magnetic field strength in a constant cross-section flux tube, which would give the same wave travel time through the loop. Conclusions: Our model produced a realistic looking loop-dominated corona, and provides realistic information on the oscillation properties that can be used to calibrate and better understand the result from coronal seismology. A movie associated with Fig. 1 is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Multiple detector focal plane array ultraviolet spectrometer for the AMPS laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feldman, P. D.

1975-01-01

The possibility of meeting the requirements of the amps spectroscopic instrumentation by using a multi-element focal plane detector array in a conventional spectrograph mount was examined. The requirements of the detector array were determined from the optical design of the spectrometer which in turn depends on the desired level of resolution and sensitivity required. The choice of available detectors and their associated electronics and controls was surveyed, bearing in mind that the data collection rate from this system is so great that on-board processing and reduction of data are absolutely essential. Finally, parallel developments in instrumentation for imaging in astronomy were examined, both in the ultraviolet (for the Large Space Telescope as well as other rocket and satellite programs) and in the visible, to determine what progress in that area can have direct bearing on atmospheric spectroscopy.

Invisibility of Solar Active Region Umbra-to-Umbra Coronal Loops: New Evidence that Magnetoconvection Drives Solar-Stellar Coronal Heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiwari, Sanjiv K.; Thalmann, Julia K.; Panesar, Navdeep K.; Moore, Ronald L.; Winebarger, Amy R.

2017-01-01

Coronal heating generally increases with increasing magnetic field strength: the EUV/X-ray corona in active regions is 10--100 times more luminous and 2--4 times hotter than that in quiet regions and coronal holes, which are heated to only about 1.5 MK, and have fields that are 10--100 times weaker than that in active regions. From a comparison of a nonlinear force-free model of the three-dimensional active region coronal field to observed extreme-ultraviolet loops, we find that (1) umbra-to-umbra coronal loops, despite being rooted in the strongest magnetic flux, are invisible, and (2) the brightest loops have one foot in an umbra or penumbra and the other foot in another sunspot's penumbra or in unipolar or mixed-polarity plage. The invisibility of umbra-to-umbra loops is new evidence that magnetoconvection drives solar-stellar coronal heating: evidently, the strong umbral field at both ends quenches the magnetoconvection and hence the heating. Our results from EUV observations and nonlinear force-free modeling of coronal magnetic field imply that, for any coronal loop on the Sun or on any other convective star, as long as the field can be braided by convection in at least one loop foot, the stronger the field in the loop, the stronger the coronal heating.

Exploration of the Characteristics of the Time Variable Component of the Coronal Heating Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, William (Technical Monitor); Habbal, Shadia R.

2003-01-01

By coordinating coronal SOHO observations in white light, ultraviolet, extreme ultraviolet, with radio occultation measurements, and complementing these with modeling, two break-throughs were achieved from this funding: (1) The discovery that minor ions are accelerated much faster than protons in the fast solar wind, and (2) that the imprint of coronal density structures is carried outwards from the Sun into the solar wind. Three refereed papers and one invited review, published in the proceedings of the conference, resulted from this funding. A summary of each is given.

Genesis Solar Wind Interstream, Coronal Hole and Coronal Mass Ejection Samples: Update on Availability and Condition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allton, J. H.; Gonzalez, C. P.; Allums, K. K.

2017-01-01

Recent refinement of analysis of ACE/SWICS data (Advanced Composition Explorer/Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer) and of onboard data for Genesis Discovery Mission of 3 regimes of solar wind at Earth-Sun L1 make it an appropriate time to update the availability and condition of Genesis samples specifically collected in these three regimes and currently curated at Johnson Space Center. ACE/SWICS spacecraft data indicate that solar wind flow types emanating from the interstream regions, from coronal holes and from coronal mass ejections are elementally and isotopically fractionated in different ways from the solar photosphere, and that correction of solar wind values to photosphere values is non-trivial. Returned Genesis solar wind samples captured very different kinds of information about these three regimes than spacecraft data. Samples were collected from 11/30/2001 to 4/1/2004 on the declining phase of solar cycle 23. Meshik, et al is an example of precision attainable. Earlier high precision laboratory analyses of noble gases collected in the interstream, coronal hole and coronal mass ejection regimes speak to degree of fractionation in solar wind formation and models that laboratory data support. The current availability and condition of samples captured on collector plates during interstream slow solar wind, coronal hole high speed solar wind and coronal mass ejections are de-scribed here for potential users of these samples.

X-ray spectrum of Capella and its relation to coronal structure and ultraviolet emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mewe, R.; Gronenschild, E. H. B. M.; Heise, J.; Brinkman, A. C.; Dijkstra, J. H.; Westergaard, N. J.; Schnopper, H. W.; Seward, F. D.; Chlebowski, T.; Kuin, N. P. M.

1982-01-01

The binary system Capella has been observed on 1979 March 15 and on 1980 March 15-17, with the objective grating spectrometer on board the Einstein Observatory. The spectrum measured with the 1000 1/mm grating covers the range 5-30 A with a resolution less than 1 A. The spectra show evidence for a bimodal temperature distribution of emission measure in an optically thin plasma with one component about 5,000,000 K and the other one about 10,000,000 K. Spectral features can be identified with line emissions from O VIII, Fe XVII, Fe XVIII, Fe XXIV, and Ne X ions. Good spectral fits have been obtained assuming standard cosmic abundances. The data are interpreted in terms of emission from hot static coronal loops rather similar to the magnetic arch structures found on the sun. It is shown that the conditions for such a model can exist on Capella. Typical values of loop base pressure and half-length are derived for both temperature components and discussed in relation to UV observations.

New Evidence that Magnetoconvection Drives Solar–Stellar Coronal Heating

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tiwari, Sanjiv K.; Panesar, Navdeep K.; Moore, Ronald L.

2017-07-10

How magnetic energy is injected and released in the solar corona, keeping it heated to several million degrees, remains elusive. Coronal heating generally increases with increasing magnetic field strength. From a comparison of a nonlinear force-free model of the three-dimensional active region coronal field to observed extreme-ultraviolet loops, we find that (1) umbra-to-umbra coronal loops, despite being rooted in the strongest magnetic flux, are invisible, and (2) the brightest loops have one foot in an umbra or penumbra and the other foot in another sunspot’s penumbra or in unipolar or mixed-polarity plage. The invisibility of umbra-to-umbra loops is new evidencemore » that magnetoconvection drives solar-stellar coronal heating: evidently, the strong umbral field at both ends quenches the magnetoconvection and hence the heating. Broadly, our results indicate that depending on the field strength in both feet, the photospheric feet of a coronal loop on any convective star can either engender or quench coronal heating in the loop’s body.« less

Computed tomography imaging spectrometer (CTIS) with 2D reflective grating for ultraviolet to long-wave infrared detection especially useful for surveying transient events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muller, Richard E. (Inventor); Mouroulis, Pantazis Z. (Inventor); Maker, Paul D. (Inventor); Wilson, Daniel W. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

The optical system of this invention is an unique type of imaging spectrometer, i.e. an instrument that can determine the spectra of all points in a two-dimensional scene. The general type of imaging spectrometer under which this invention falls has been termed a computed-tomography imaging spectrometer (CTIS). CTIS's have the ability to perform spectral imaging of scenes containing rapidly moving objects or evolving features, hereafter referred to as transient scenes. This invention, a reflective CTIS with an unique two-dimensional reflective grating, can operate in any wavelength band from the ultraviolet through long-wave infrared. Although this spectrometer is especially useful for rapidly occurring events it is also useful for investigation of some slow moving phenomena as in the life sciences.

The Magnetic Evolution of Coronal Hole Bright Points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Y.; Muglach, K.

2017-12-01

Space weather refers to the state of the heliosphere and the geospace environment that are caused primarily by solar activity. Coronal mass ejections and flares originate in active regions and filaments close to the solar surface and can cause geomagnetic storms and solar energetic particles events, which can damage both spacecraft and ground-based systems that are critical for society's well-being. Coronal bright points are small-scale magnetic regions on the sun that seem to be similar to active regions, but are about an order of magnitude smaller. Due to their shorter lifetime, the complete evolutionary cycle of these mini active regions can be studied, from the time they appear in extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) images to the time they fade. We are using data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) to study both the coronal EUV flux and the photospheric magnetic field and compare them to activities of the coronal bright point.

Chromospheres of Coronal Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Wood, Brian E.

1996-01-01

We summarize the main results obtained from the analysis of ultraviolet emission line profiles of coronal late-type stars observed with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. The excellent GHRS spectra provide new information on magnetohydrodynamic phenomena in the chromospheres and transition regions of these stars. One exciting new result is the discovery of broad components in the transition region lines of active stars that we believe provide evidence for microflare heating in these stars.

Automated Identification of Coronal Holes from Synoptic EUV Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamada, Amr; Asikainen, Timo; Virtanen, Ilpo; Mursula, Kalevi

2018-04-01

Coronal holes (CHs) are regions of open magnetic field lines in the solar corona and the source of the fast solar wind. Understanding the evolution of coronal holes is critical for solar magnetism as well as for accurate space weather forecasts. We study the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) synoptic maps at three wavelengths (195 Å/193 Å, 171 Å and 304 Å) measured by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SOHO/EIT) and the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA) instruments. The two datasets are first homogenized by scaling the SDO/AIA data to the SOHO/EIT level by means of histogram equalization. We then develop a novel automated method to identify CHs from these homogenized maps by determining the intensity threshold of CH regions separately for each synoptic map. This is done by identifying the best location and size of an image segment, which optimally contains portions of coronal holes and the surrounding quiet Sun allowing us to detect the momentary intensity threshold. Our method is thus able to adjust itself to the changing scale size of coronal holes and to temporally varying intensities. To make full use of the information in the three wavelengths we construct a composite CH distribution, which is more robust than distributions based on one wavelength. Using the composite CH dataset we discuss the temporal evolution of CHs during the Solar Cycles 23 and 24.

Rapid Acceleration of a Coronal Mass Ejection in the Low Corona and Implications of Propagation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallagher, Peter T.; Lawrence, Gareth R.; Dennis, Brian R.

2003-01-01

A high-velocity Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) associated with the 2002 April 21 X1.5 flare is studied using a unique set of observations from the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS), and the Large-Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO). The event is first observed as a rapid rise in GOES X-rays, followed by simultaneous conjugate footpoint brightenings connected by an ascending loop or flux-rope feature. While expanding, the appearance of the feature remains remarkably constant as it passes through the TRACE 195 A passband and LASCO fields-of-view, allowing its height-time behavior to be accurately determined. An analytic function, having exponential and linear components, is found to represent the height-time evolution of the CME in the range 1.05-26 R. The CME acceleration rises exponentially to approx. 900 km/sq s within approximately 20-min, peaking at approx.1400 m/sq s when the leading edge is at approx. 1.7 R. The acceleration subsequently falls off as a slowly varying exponential for approx.,90-min. At distances beyond approx. 3.4 R, the height-time profile is approximately linear with a constant velocity of approx. 2400 km/s. These results are briefly discussed in light of recent kinematic models of CMEs.

Deformation and deceleration of coronal wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Z. K.; Qu, Z. Q.; Yan, X. L.; Zhao, L.; Ma, L.

2013-08-01

Aims: We studied the kinematics and morphology of two coronal waves to better understand the nature and origin of coronal waves. Methods: Using multi-wavelength observations of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) on board the twin spacecraft Solar-TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), we present morphological and dynamic characteristics of consecutive coronal waves on 2011 March 24. We also show the coronal magnetic field based on the potential field source surface model. Results: This event contains several interesting aspects. The first coronal wave initially appeared after a surge-like eruption. Its front was changed and deformed significantly from a convex shape to a line-shaped appearance, and then to a concave configuration during its propagation to the northwest. The initial speeds ranged from 947 km s-1 to 560 km s-1. The first wave decelerated significantly after it passed through a filament channel. After the deceleration, the final propagation speeds of the wave were from 430 km s-1 to 312 km s-1. The second wave was found to appear after the first wave in the northwest side of the filament channel. Its wave front was more diffused and the speed was around 250 km s-1, much slower than that of the first wave. Conclusions: The deformation of the first coronal wave was caused by the different speeds along different paths. The sudden deceleration implies that the refraction of the first wave took place at the boundary of the filament channel. The event provides evidence that the first coronal wave may be a coronal MHD shock wave, and the second wave may be the apparent propagation of the brightenings caused by successive stretching of the magnetic field lines.

Low-cost 3D printed 1  nm resolution smartphone sensor-based spectrometer: instrument design and application in ultraviolet spectroscopy.

PubMed

Wilkes, Thomas C; McGonigle, Andrew J S; Willmott, Jon R; Pering, Tom D; Cook, Joseph M

2017-11-01

We report on the development of a low-cost spectrometer, based on off-the-shelf optical components, a 3D printed housing, and a modified Raspberry Pi camera module. With a bandwidth and spectral resolution of ≈60  nm and 1 nm, respectively, this device was designed for ultraviolet (UV) remote sensing of atmospheric sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), ≈310  nm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of both a UV spectrometer and a nanometer resolution spectrometer based on smartphone sensor technology. The device performance was assessed and validated by measuring column amounts of SO 2 within quartz cells with a differential optical absorption spectroscopy processing routine. This system could easily be reconfigured to cover other UV-visible-near-infrared spectral regions, as well as alternate spectral ranges and/or linewidths. Hence, our intention is also to highlight how this framework could be applied to build bespoke, low-cost, spectrometers for a range of scientific applications.

Berkeley extreme-ultraviolet airglow rocket spectrometer: BEARS.

PubMed

Cotton, D M; Chakrabarti, S

1992-09-20

We describe the Berkeley extreme-UV airglow rocket spectrometer, which is a payload designed to test several thermospheric remote-sensing concepts by measuring the terrestrial O I far-UV and extreme-UV dayglow and the solar extreme-UV spectrum simultaneously. The instrument consisted of two near-normal Rowland mount spectrometers and a Lyman-alpha photometer. The dayglow spectrometer covered two spectral regions from 980 to 1040 A and from 1300 to 1360 A with 1.5-A resolution. The solar spectrometer had a bandpass of 250-1150 A with an ~ 10-A resolution. All three spectra were accumulated by using a icrochannel-plate-intensified, two-dimensional imaging detector with three separate wedge-and strip anode readouts. The hydrogen Lyman-alpha photometer was included to monitor the solar Lyman-alpha irradiance and geocoronal Lyman-alpha emissions. The instrument was designed, fabricated, and calibrated at the University of California, Berkeley and was successfully launched on 30 September 1988 aboard the first test flight of a four-stage sounding rocket, Black Brant XII.

Simultaneous Extreme-Ultraviolet Explorer and Optical Observations of Ad Leonis: Evidence for Large Coronal Loops and the Neupert Effect in Stellar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawley, Suzanne L.; Fisher, George H.; Simon, Theodore; Cully, Scott L.; Deustua, Susana E.; Jablonski, Marek; Johns-Krull, Christopher; Pettersen, Bjorn R.; Smith, Verne; Spiesman, William J.;

Alignment and Calibration of an Airborne Infrared Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vira, A.

2017-12-01

The airborne infrared spectrometer (AIR-Spec) will measure the coronal plasma emission lines in the infrared at high spatial and spectral resolution. These results will enhance our understanding of the coronal dynamics and improve solar forecasting models. To measure the infrared coronal emission lines, the airborne system will fly on the NSF/NCAR High-Performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER) during the total solar eclipse in August 2017. The flight path was calculated to maximize the observation time. A detailed analysis of our flight path will be reported. The optical system consists of a fast steering mirror, telescope, grating spectrometer, and slit-jaw imager. Light from the sun is directed into the f/15 telescope by a fast steering mirror. The telescope focuses the light on the slitjaw and the remaining light enters the grating spectrometer through the slit. The poster will include a discussion of the alignment procedures for the telescope and spectrograph. All of the spectrometer optics are cooled to cryogenic temperatures, which complicates the alignment process. After the telescope and spectrometer are aligned independently, the telescope needs to be precisely aligned to the spectrometer. Several alignment methods were used to ensure that the telescope is focused at the slitjaw and normal to the spectrometer. In addition to the optical alignment, there are a few calibrations to complete: 1) flat field, 2) spectral, and 3) radiometric. The flat field gives us a measure of the pixel to pixel variations. The spectral calibration is used to determine the conversion factor between wavelength and pixel. The radiometric calibration is used to map the camera output to radiance. All these calibrations are necessary for processing our data from the solar eclipse. We will report on our methods and results for the optical alignment and calibration for AIR-Spec. AIR-Spec is supported by NSF and Smithsonian Institution through the

Coronagraph observations and analyses of the ultraviolet solar corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohl, John L.

1989-01-01

The major activities on the Spartan Ultraviolet Coronal Spectrometer project include both scientific and experimental/technical efforts. In the scientific area, a detailed analysis of the previously reported Doppler dimming of HI Ly-alpha from the July 1982 rocket flight has determined an outflow velocity at 2 solar radii from sun center to be between 153 and 251 km/s at 67 percent confidence. The technical activities include, several improvements made to the instrument that will result in enhanced scientific performance or in regaining a capability that had deteriorated during the delay time in the launch date. These include testing and characterizing the detector for OVI radiation, characterizing a serrated occulter at UV and visible wavelengths, fabricating and testing telescope mirrors with improved edges, testing and evaluating a new array detector system, modifying the slit mask mechanism and installing a mask in the instrument to block the Ly-alpha resonance line when the electron scattered component is being observed.

Eclipse Science Results from the Airborne Infrared Spectrometer (AIR-Spec)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samra, J.; Cheimets, P.; DeLuca, E.; Golub, L.; Judge, P. G.; Lussier, L.; Madsen, C. A.; Marquez, V.; Tomczyk, S.; Vira, A.

2017-12-01

We present the first science results from the commissioning flight of the Airborne Infrared Spectrometer (AIR-Spec), an innovative solar spectrometer that will observe the 2017 solar eclipse from the NSF/NCAR High-Performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER). During the eclipse, AIR-Spec will image five magnetically sensitive coronal emission lines between 1.4 and 4 microns to determine whether they may be useful probes of coronal magnetism. The instrument will measure emission line intensity, FWHM, and Doppler shift from an altitude of over 14 km, above local weather and most of the absorbing water vapor. Instrumentation includes an image stabilization system, feed telescope, grating spectrometer, infrared camera, and visible slit-jaw imager. Results from the 2017 eclipse are presented in the context of the mission's science goals. AIR-Spec will identify line strengths as a function of position in the solar corona and search for the high frequency waves that are candidates for heating and acceleration of the solar wind. The instrument will also identify large scale flows in the corona, particularly in polar coronal holes. Three of the five lines are expected to be strong in coronal hole plasmas because they are excited in part by scattered photospheric light. Line profile analysis will probe the origins of the fast and slow solar wind. Finally, the AIR-Spec measurements will complement ground based eclipse observations to provide detailed plasma diagnostics throughout the corona. AIR-Spec will measure infrared emission of ions observed in the visible from the ground, giving insight into plasma heating and acceleration at radial distances inaccessible to existing or planned spectrometers.

Core and Wing Densities of Asymmetric Coronal Spectral Profiles: Implications for the Mass Supply of the Solar Corona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patsourakos, S.; Klimchuk, J. A.; Young, P. R.

2014-02-01

Recent solar spectroscopic observations have shown that coronal spectral lines can exhibit asymmetric profiles, with enhanced emissions at their blue wings. These asymmetries correspond to rapidly upflowing plasmas at speeds exceeding ≈50 km s-1. Here, we perform a study of the density of the rapidly upflowing material and compare it with that of the line core that corresponds to the bulk of the plasma. For this task, we use spectroscopic observations of several active regions taken by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer of the Hinode mission. The density sensitive ratio of the Fe XIV lines at 264.78 and 274.20 Å is used to determine wing and core densities. We compute the ratio of the blue wing density to the core density and find that most values are of order unity. This is consistent with the predictions for coronal nanoflares if most of the observed coronal mass is supplied by chromospheric evaporation driven by the nanoflares. However, much larger blue wing-to-core density ratios are predicted if most of the coronal mass is supplied by heated material ejected with type II spicules. Our measurements do not rule out a spicule origin for the blue wing emission, but they argue against spicules being a primary source of the hot plasma in the corona. We note that only about 40% of the pixels where line blends could be safely ignored have blue wing asymmetries in both Fe XIV lines. Anticipated sub-arcsecond spatial resolution spectroscopic observations in future missions could shed more light on the origin of blue, red, and mixed asymmetries.

Core and Wing Densities of Asymmetric Coronal Spectral Profiles: Implications for the Mass Supply of the Solar Corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patsourakos, S.; Klimchuk, J. A.; Young, P. R.

2014-01-01

Recent solar spectroscopic observations have shown that coronal spectral lines can exhibit asymmetric profiles, with enhanced emissions at their blue wings. These asymmetries correspond to rapidly upflowing plasmas at speeds exceeding approximately equal to 50 km per sec. Here, we perform a study of the density of the rapidly upflowing material and compare it with that of the line core that corresponds to the bulk of the plasma. For this task, we use spectroscopic observations of several active regions taken by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer of the Hinode mission. The density sensitive ratio of the Fe(sub XIV) lines at 264.78 and 274.20 Angstroms is used to determine wing and core densities.We compute the ratio of the blue wing density to the core density and find that most values are of order unity. This is consistent with the predictions for coronal nanoflares if most of the observed coronal mass is supplied by chromospheric evaporation driven by the nanoflares. However, much larger blue wing-to-core density ratios are predicted if most of the coronal mass is supplied by heated material ejected with type II spicules. Our measurements do not rule out a spicule origin for the blue wing emission, but they argue against spicules being a primary source of the hot plasma in the corona. We note that only about 40% of the pixels where line blends could be safely ignored have blue wing asymmetries in both Fe(sub XIV) lines. Anticipated sub-arcsecond spatial resolution spectroscopic observations in future missions could shed more light on the origin of blue, red, and mixed asymmetries.

SLOW PATCHY EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET PROPAGATING FRONTS ASSOCIATED WITH FAST CORONAL MAGNETO-ACOUSTIC WAVES IN SOLAR ERUPTIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guo, Y.; Ding, M. D.; Chen, P. F., E-mail: guoyang@nju.edu.cn

2015-08-15

Using the high spatiotemporal resolution extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we conduct a statistical study of the observational properties of the coronal EUV propagating fronts. We find that it might be a universal phenomenon for two types of fronts to coexist in a large solar eruptive event. It is consistent with the hybrid model of EUV propagating fronts, which predicts that coronal EUV propagating fronts consist of both a fast magneto-acoustic wave and a nonwave component. We find that the morphologies, propagation behaviors, and kinematic features of the two EUVmore » propagating fronts are completely different from each other. The fast magneto-acoustic wave fronts are almost isotropic. They travel continuously from the flaring region across multiple magnetic polarities to global distances. On the other hand, the slow nonwave fronts appear as anisotropic and sequential patches of EUV brightening. Each patch propagates locally in the magnetic domains where the magnetic field lines connect to the bottom boundary and stops at the magnetic domain boundaries. Within each magnetic domain, the velocities of the slow patchy nonwave component are an order of magnitude lower than that of the fast-wave component. However, the patches of the slow EUV propagating front can jump from one magnetic domain to a remote one. The velocities of such a transit between different magnetic domains are about one-third to one-half of those of the fast-wave component. The results show that the velocities of the nonwave component, both within one magnetic domain and between different magnetic domains, are highly nonuniform due to the inhomogeneity of the magnetic field in the lower atmosphere.« less

Understanding Coronal Dimming and its Relation to Coronal Mass Ejections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, J. P.; Woods, T. N.; Caspi, A.; Hock, R. A.

2013-12-01

When extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emitting material in the corona is lost during a coronal mass ejection (CME), the solar spectral irradiance is impacted and these effects are observed in data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). This process is one of the physical mechanisms that can lead to the observation of 'coronal dimming,' a phenomenon lasting eight hours on average and rarely persisting longer than one day. Other mechanisms that can cause observed dimming include obscuration of bright material (e.g., flare arcade) by dark material (e.g., filament), temperature evolution (e.g., cool plasma being heated causing transient decreases in characteristic emission lines), and propagation of global waves. Each of these processes has a unique spectral signature, which will be explained and exemplified. In particular, the 7 August 2010 M1.0 flare with associated ~870 km/s CME will be analyzed in detail using both AIA and EVE to demonstrate new techniques for isolating dimming due to the CME ('core dimming'). Further analysis will estimate CME mass and velocity using only parameterization of core dimming and compare these estimates to traditionally calculated CME kinetics.

Sprawling Coronal Hole

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-16

A large coronal hole stands out as the most obvious feature on the sun this week (Oct. 12-13, 2017). The dark structure, shaped kind of like the Pi symbol, spreads across much of the top of the sun. Though one cannot tell from this image and video clip in false-color extreme ultraviolet light, it is spewing high-speed solar wind particles into space and has been doing this all week. It is likely that these charged particles have been interacting with Earth's atmosphere and generating many aurora displays in regions near the poles the past several days. Animations are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22047

Relationship of EUV Irradiance Coronal Dimming Slope and Depth to Coronal Mass Ejection Speed and Mass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, James Paul; Woods, Thomas N.; Webb, David F.; Thompson, Barbara J.; Colaninno, Robin C.; Vourlidas, Angelos

2016-01-01

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) coronal dimmings are often observed in response to solar eruptive events. These phenomena can be generated via several different physical processes. For space weather, the most important of these is the temporary void left behind by a coronal mass ejection (CME). Massive, fast CMEs tend to leave behind a darker void that also usually corresponds to minimum irradiance for the cooler coronal emissions. If the dimming is associated with a solar are, as is often the case, the are component of the irradiance light curve in the cooler coronal emission can be isolated and removed using simultaneous measurements of warmer coronal lines. We apply this technique to 37dimming events identified during two separate two-week periods in 2011, plus an event on 2010 August 7 analyzed in a previous paper, to parameterize dimming in terms of depth and slope. We provide statistics on which combination of wavelengths worked best for the flare-removal method, describe the fitting methods applied to the dimming light curves, and compare the dimming parameters with corresponding CME parameters of mass and speed. The best linear relationships found are nu(sub CME) [km/s] approx. equals 2.36 x 10 6 [km/%] x s(sub dim) [%/s] m(sub CME) [g] approx. equals 2.59 x 10(exp.15 [g/%] x the square root of d(sub dim) [%].These relationships could be used for space weather operations of estimating CME mass and speed using near-real-time irradiance dimming measurements.

“Dandelion” Filament Eruption and Coronal Waves Associated with a Solar Flare on 2011 February 16

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cabezas, Denis P.; Ishitsuka, Mutsumi; Ishitsuka, José K.

Coronal disturbances associated with solar flares, such as H α Moreton waves, X-ray waves, and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) coronal waves, are discussed herein in relation to magnetohydrodynamic fast-mode waves or shocks in the corona. To understand the mechanism of coronal disturbances, full-disk solar observations with high spatial and temporal resolution over multiple wavelengths are of crucial importance. We observed a filament eruption, whose shape is like a “dandelion,” associated with the M1.6 flare that occurred on 2011 February 16 in H α images taken by the Flare Monitoring Telescope at Ica University, Peru. We derive the three-dimensional velocity field ofmore » the erupting filament. We also identify winking filaments that are located far from the flare site in the H α images, whereas no Moreton wave is observed. By comparing the temporal evolution of the winking filaments with those of the coronal wave seen in the EUV images data taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory and by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager on board the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory-Ahead , we confirm that the winking filaments were activated by the EUV coronal wave.« less

Discovery of New Coronal Lines at 2.843 and 2.853 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samra, Jenna E.; Judge, Philip G.; DeLuca, Edward E.; Hannigan, James W.

2018-04-01

Two new emission features were observed during the 2017 August 21 total solar eclipse by a novel spectrometer, the Airborne Infrared Spectrometer (AIR-Spec), flown at 14.3 km altitude aboard the NCAR Gulfstream-V aircraft. We derive wavelengths in air of 2.8427 ± 0.00009 μm and 2.8529 ± 0.00008 μm. One of these lines belongs to the 3{{{p}}}53{{d}}{}3{{{F}}}3^\\circ \\to 3{{{p}}}53{{d}}{}3{{{F}}}4^\\circ transition in Ar-like Fe IX. This appears to be the first detection of this transition from any source. Minimization of residual wavelength differences using both measured wavelengths, together with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) extreme ultraviolet wavelengths, does not clearly favor assignment to Fe IX. However, the shorter wavelength line appears more consistent with other observed features formed at similar temperatures to Fe IX. The transition occurs between two levels within the excited 3{{{p}}}53{{d}} configuration, 429,000 cm‑1 above the ground level. The line is therefore absent in photo-ionized coronal-line astrophysical sources such as the Circinus Galaxy. Data from a Fourier transform interferometer (FTIR) deployed from Wyoming show that both lines are significantly attenuated by telluric H2O, even at dry sites. We have been unable to identify the longer wavelength transition.

Fully reflective deep ultraviolet to near infrared spectrometer and entrance optics for resonance Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, B.; Bäckström, J.; Budelmann, D.; Maeser, R.; Rübhausen, M.; Klein, M. V.; Schoeffel, E.; Mihill, A.; Yoon, S.

2005-07-01

We present the design and performance of a new triple-grating deep ultraviolet to near-infrared spectrometer. The system is fully achromatic due to the use of reflective optics. The minimization of image aberrations by using on- and off- axis parabolic mirrors as well as elliptical mirrors yields a strong stray light rejection with high resolution over a wavelength range between 165 and 1000nm. The Raman signal is collected with a reflective entrance objective with a numerical aperture of 0.5, featuring a Cassegrain-type design. Resonance Raman studies on semiconductors and on correlated compounds, such as LaMnO3, highlight the performance of this instrument, and show diverse resonance effects between 1.96 and 5.4eV.

Performance Assessment of a Plate Beam Splitter for Deep-Ultraviolet Raman Measurements with a Spatial Heterodyne Raman Spectrometer.

PubMed

Lamsal, Nirmal; Angel, S Michael

2017-06-01

In earlier works, we demonstrated a high-resolution spatial heterodyne Raman spectrometer (SHRS) for deep-ultraviolet (UV) Raman measurements, and showed its ability to measure UV light-sensitive compounds using a large laser spot size. We recently modified the SHRS by replacing the cube beam splitter (BS) with a custom plate beam splitter with higher light transmission, an optimized reflectance/transmission ratio, higher surface flatness, and better refractive index homogeneity than the cube beam splitter. Ultraviolet Raman measurements were performed using a SHRS modified to use the plate beam splitter and a matching compensator plate and compared to the previously described cube beam splitter setup. Raman spectra obtained using the modified SHRS exhibit much higher signals and signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and show fewer spectral artifacts. In this paper, we discuss the plate beam splitter SHRS design features, the advantages over previous designs, and discuss some general SHRS issues such as spectral bandwidth, S/N ratio characteristics, and optical efficiency.

Coronal Rain, Solar Storm

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-03-19

Explanation: In this picture, the Sun's surface is quite dark. A frame from a movie recorded on November 9th by the orbiting TRACE telescope, it shows coronal loops lofted over a solar active region. Glowing brightly in extreme ultraviolet light, the hot plasma entrained above the Sun along arching magnetic fields is cooling and raining back down on the solar surface. Hours earlier, on November 8th, astronomers had watched this particular active region produce a not so spectacular solar flare. Still, the M-class flare spewed forth an intense storm of particles, suddenly showering satellites near the Earth with high energy protons. The flare event was also associated with a large coronal mass ejection, a massive cloud of material which impacted our fair planet's magnetic field about 31 hours later. The result ... a strong geomagnetic storm. Credit: NASA/GSFC/TRACE To learn more go to: nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/trace To learn more about NASA's Sun Earth Day go here: sunearthday.nasa.gov/2010/index.php

Measuring spatially varying, multispectral, ultraviolet bidirectional reflectance distribution function with an imaging spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongsong; Lyu, Hang; Liao, Ningfang; Wu, Wenmin

2016-12-01

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data in the ultraviolet (UV) band are valuable for many applications including cultural heritage, material analysis, surface characterization, and trace detection. We present a BRDF measurement instrument working in the near- and middle-UV spectral range. The instrument includes a collimated UV light source, a rotation stage, a UV imaging spectrometer, and a control computer. The data captured by the proposed instrument describe spatial, spectral, and angular variations of the light scattering from a sample surface. Such a multidimensional dataset of an example sample is captured by the proposed instrument and analyzed by a k-mean clustering algorithm to separate surface regions with same material but different surface roughnesses. The clustering results show that the angular dimension of the dataset can be exploited for surface roughness characterization. The two clustered BRDFs are fitted to a theoretical BRDF model. The fitting results show good agreement between the measurement data and the theoretical model.

Solar minimum Lyman alpha sky background observations from Pioneer Venus orbiter ultraviolet spectrometer - Solar wind latitude variation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ajello, J. M.

1990-01-01

Measurements of interplanetary H I Lyman alpha over a large portion of the celestial sphere were made at the recent solar minimum by the Pioneer Venus orbiter ultraviolet spectrometer. These measurements were performed during a series of spacecraft maneuvers conducted to observe Halley's comet in early 1986. Analysis of these data using a model of the passage of interstellar wind hydrogen through the solar system shows that the rate of charge exchange with solar wind protons is 30 percent less over the solar poles than in the ecliptic. This result is in agreement with a similar experiment performed with Mariner 10 at the previous solar minimum.

Up-down asymmetry measurement of tungsten distribution in large helical device using two extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Y., E-mail: liu.yang@nifs.ac.jp; Zhang, H. M.; Morita, S.

Two space-resolved extreme ultraviolet spectrometers working in wavelength ranges of 10-130 Å and 30-500 Å have been utilized to observe the full vertical profile of tungsten line emissions by simultaneously measuring upper- and lower-half plasmas of LHD, respectively. The radial profile of local emissivity is reconstructed from the measured vertical profile in the overlapped wavelength range of 30-130 Å and the up-down asymmetry is examined against the local emissivity profiles of WXXVIII in the unresolved transition array spectrum. The result shows a nearly symmetric profile, suggesting a good availability in the present diagnostic method for the impurity asymmetry study.

Ultraviolet spectrometer and polarimeter (UVSP) catalog of observations. Volume 2: Experiments 30720-63057, April 1985 - February 1988

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henze, William, Jr.

1993-01-01

A catalog of observations (experiments) obtained by the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter (UVSP) on the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) from Feb. 1980 to Nov. 1989 is presented. The information for each entry includes the time of each observation, the observed position of the Sun, the spacecraft roll angle, the slit used, and instrument parameters such as raster size, pixel spacing, wavelength, polarimeter usage, gate time, etc. The document is split into three volumes: Volume 1 contains experiments 1-30719 (February 1980-April 1985); Volume 2 contains experiments 30720-63057 (April 1985-February 1988); and Volume 3 contains experiments 63058-99771 (February 1988-November 1989).

Ultraviolet spectrometer and polarimeter (UVSP) catalog of observations. Volume 1: Experiments 1-30719, February 1980 - April 1985

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henze, William, Jr.

1993-01-01

A catalog of observations (experiments) obtained by the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter (UVSP) on the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) from Feb. 1980 to Nov. 1989 is presented. The information for each entry includes the time of each observation, the observed position of the Sun, the spacecraft roll angle, the slit used, and instrument parameters such as raster size, pixel spacing, wavelength, polarimeter usage, gate time, etc. The document is split into three volumes: Volume 1 contains experiments 1-30719 (February 1980-April 1985); Volume 2 contains experiments 30720-63057 (April 1985-February 1988); and Volume 3 contains experiments 63058-99771 (February l988-November 1989).

Temperature Structure of a Coronal Cavity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kucera, T. A.; Gibson, S. E.; Schmit, D. J.

2011-01-01

we analyze the temperature structure of a coronal cavity observed in Aug. 2007. coronal cavities are long, low-density structures located over filament neutral lines and are often seen as dark elliptical features at the solar limb in white light, EUV and x-rays. when these structures erupt they form the cavity portions of CMEs. It is important to establish the temperature structure of cavities in order to understand the thermodynamics of cavities in relation to their three-dimensional magnetic structure. To analyze the temperature we compare temperature ratios of a series of iron lines observed by the Hinode/EUv Imaging spectrometer (EIS). We also use those lines to constrain a forward model of the emission from the cavity and streamer. The model assumes a coronal streamer with a tunnel-like cavity with elliptical cross-section and a Gaussian variation of height along the tunnel lenth. Temperature and density can be varied as a function of altitude both in the cavity and streamer. The general cavity morphology and the cavity and streamer density have already been modeled using data from STEREO's SECCHI/EUVI and Hinode/EIS (Gibson et al 2010 and Schmit & Gibson 2011).

Antarctic Ultraviolet Radiation Climatology from Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lubin, Dan

2004-01-01

This project has successfully produced a climatology of local noon spectral surface irradiance covering the Antarctic continent and the Southern Ocean, the spectral interval 290-700 nm (UV-A, UV-B, and photosynthetically active radiation, PAR), and the entire sunlit part of the year for November 1979-December 1999. Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data were used to specify column ozone abundance and UV-A (360- or 380-nm) reflectivity, and passive microwave (MW) sea ice concentrations were used to specify the surface albedo over the Southern Ocean. For this latter task, sea ice concentration retrievals from the Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) and its successor, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) were identified with ultraviolet/visible-wavelength albedos based on an empirical TOMS/MW parameterization developed for this purpose (Lubin and Morrow, 2001). The satellite retrievals of surface albedo and UV-A reflectivity were used in a delta-Eddington radiative transfer model to estimate cloud effective optical depth. These optical depth estimates were then used along with the total ozone and surface albedo to calculate the downwelling spectral UV and PAR irradiance at the surface. These spectral irradiance maps were produced for every usable day of TOMS data between 1979-1999 (every other day early in the TOMS program, daily later on).

Small Flare and a Coronal Mass Ejection

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-31

The sun shot out a small coronal mass ejection that was also associated with a small flare (Jan. 22, 2018). The video, which covers about 5 hours, shows the burst of plasma as the magnetic loops break apart. Immediately the magnetic fields brighten intensely and begin to reorganize themselves in coils above the active region. The images were taken in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. Videos are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22184

Automated coronal hole identification via multi-thermal intensity segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garton, Tadhg M.; Gallagher, Peter T.; Murray, Sophie A.

2018-01-01

Coronal holes (CH) are regions of open magnetic fields that appear as dark areas in the solar corona due to their low density and temperature compared to the surrounding quiet corona. To date, accurate identification and segmentation of CHs has been a difficult task due to their comparable intensity to local quiet Sun regions. Current segmentation methods typically rely on the use of single Extreme Ultra-Violet passband and magnetogram images to extract CH information. Here, the coronal hole identification via multi-thermal emission recognition algorithm (CHIMERA) is described, which analyses multi-thermal images from the atmospheric image assembly (AIA) onboard the solar dynamics observatory (SDO) to segment coronal hole boundaries by their intensity ratio across three passbands (171 Å, 193 Å, and 211 Å). The algorithm allows accurate extraction of CH boundaries and many of their properties, such as area, position, latitudinal and longitudinal width, and magnetic polarity of segmented CHs. From these properties, a clear linear relationship was identified between the duration of geomagnetic storms and coronal hole areas. CHIMERA can therefore form the basis of more accurate forecasting of the start and duration of geomagnetic storms.

SOHO Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) Mission Operations and Data Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohl, John L.; Gurman, Joseph (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

The scientific goal of UVCS is to obtain detailed empirical descriptions of the extended solar corona as it evolves over the solar cycle and to use these descriptions to identify and understand the physical processes responsible for coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and the phenomena that establish the plasma properties of the solar wind as measured by 'in situ' solar wind instruments. This report covers the period from 01 February 2002 to 15 February 2003. During that time, UVCS observations have consisted of three types: 1) standard synoptic observations comprising, primarily, the H I Ly alpha line profile and the O VI 103.2 and 103.7 nm intensity over a range of heights from 1.5 to about 3.0 solar radii and covering 360 degrees about the sun, 2) sit and stare watches for CMEs, and 3) special observations designed by the UVCS Lead Observer of the Week for a specific scientific purpose. The special observations are often coordinated with those of other space-based and ground-based instruments and they often are part of SOHO joint observation programs and campaigns. Lead observers have included UVCS Co-Investigators, scientists from the solar physics community and several graduate and undergraduate level students. UVCS has continued to achieve its purpose of using powerful spectroscopic diagnostic techniques to obtain a much more detailed description of coronal structures and dynamic phenomena than existed before the SOHO mission. The new descriptions of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and coronal structures from UVCS have inspired a large number of theoretical studies aimed at identifying the physical processes responsible for CMEs and solar wind acceleration in coronal holes and streamers. UVCS has proven to be a very stable instrument. Stellar observations have demonstrated its stability. UVCS has required no flight software modifications and all mechanisms are operational. The UVCS O VI Channel with its redundant optical

An Optics Free Spectrometer for the Extreme Ultraviolet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Judge, D. L.; Daybell, M. D.; Hoffman, J. R.; Gruntman, M. A.; Ogawa, H. S.; Samson, J. A. R.

1994-01-01

The optics-free spectrometer is a photon spectrometer. It provides the photon spectrum of a broadband source by converting photons of energy E into electrons of energy E', according to the Einstein relation, E' = E - Ei. E, is the ionization threshold of the gas target of interest (any of the rare gases are suitable) and E is the incoming photon energy. As is evident from the above equation, only a single order spectrum is produced throughout the energy range between the first and second ionization potentials of the rare gas used. Photons with energy above the second ionization potential produce two groups of electrons, but they are readily distinguished from each other. This feature makes this device extremely useful for determining the true spectrum of a continuum source or a many line source. The principle of operation and the laboratory results obtained with a representative configuration of the optics-free spectrometer are presented.

MULTI-STRAND CORONAL LOOP MODEL AND FILTER-RATIO ANALYSIS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bourouaine, Sofiane; Marsch, Eckart, E-mail: bourouaine@mps.mpg.d

2010-01-10

We model a coronal loop as a bundle of seven separate strands or filaments. Each of the loop strands used in this model can independently be heated (near their left footpoints) by Alfven/ion-cyclotron waves via wave-particle interactions. The Alfven waves are assumed to penetrate the strands from their footpoints, at which we consider different wave energy inputs. As a result, the loop strands can have different heating profiles, and the differential heating can lead to a varying cross-field temperature in the total coronal loop. The simulation of Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) observations by means of this loop modelmore » implies two uniform temperatures along the loop length, one inferred from the 171:195 filter ratio and the other from the 171:284 ratio. The reproduced flat temperature profiles are consistent with those inferred from the observed extreme-ultraviolet coronal loops. According to our model, the flat temperature profile is a consequence of the coronal loop consisting of filaments, which have different temperatures but almost similar emission measures in the cross-field direction. Furthermore, when we assume certain errors in the simulated loop emissions (e.g., due to photometric uncertainties in the TRACE filters) and use the triple-filter analysis, our simulated loop conditions become consistent with those of an isothermal plasma. This implies that the use of TRACE or EUV Imaging Telescope triple filters for observation of a warm coronal loop may not help in determining whether the cross-field isothermal assumption is satisfied or not.« less

Dynamical and Physical Properties of a Post-Coronal Mass Ejection Current Sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ko, Yuan-Kuen; Raymond, John C.; Lin, Jun; Lawrence, Gareth; Li, Jing; Fludra, Andrzej

2003-01-01

In the eruptive process of the Kopp-Pneuman type, the closed magnetic field is stretched by the eruption so much that it is usually believed to be " open " to infinity. Formation of the current sheet in such a configuration makes it possible for the energy in the coronal magnetic field to quickly convert into thermal and kinetic energies and cause significant observational consequences, such as growing postflare/CME loop system in the corona, separating bright flare ribbons in the chromosphere, and fast ejections of the plasma and the magnetic flux. An eruption on 2002 January 8 provides us a good opportunity to look into these observational signatures of and place constraints on the theories of eruptions. The event started with the expansion of a magnetic arcade over an active region, developed into a coronal mass ejection (CME), and left some thin streamer-like structures with successively growing loop systems beneath them. The plasma outflow and the highly ionized states of the plasma inside these streamer-like structures, as well as the growing loops beneath them, lead us to conclude that these structures are associated with a magnetic reconnection site, namely, the current sheet, of this eruptive process. We combine the data from the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer, Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment, EUV Imaging Telescope, and Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, as well is from the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory Mark IV K-coronameter, to investigate the morphological and dynamical properties of this event, as well as the physical properties of the current sheet. The velocity and acceleration of the CME reached up to 1800 km/s and 1 km/sq s, respectively. The acceleration is found to occur mainly at the lower corona (<2.76 Solar Radius). The post-CME loop systems showed behaviors of both postflare loops (upward motion with decreasing speed) and soft X-ray giant arches (upward motion with constant

Coronal Structures in Cool Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliversen, Ronald (Technical Monitor); Dupree, Andrea K.

2005-01-01

We have extended our study of the structure of coronas in cool stars to very young stars still accreting from their surrounding disks. In addition we are pursing the connection between coronal X-rays and a powerful diagnostic line in the infrared, the He I 10830Angstrom transition of helium. Highlights of these are summarized below including publications during this reporting period and presentations. Spectroscopy of the infrared He I (lambda10830) line with KECK/NIRSPEC and IRTF/CSHELL and of the ultraviolet C III (lambda977) and O VI (lambda1032) emission with FUSE reveals that the classical T Tauri star TW Hydrae exhibits P Cygni profiles, line asymmetries, and absorption indicative of a continuous, fast (approximately 400 kilometers per second), hot (approximately 300,000 K) accelerating outflow with a mass loss rate approximately 10(exp -11)-10(exp -12) solar mass yr(sup -1) or larger. Spectra of T Tauri N appear consistent with such a wind. The source of the emission and outflow seems restricted to the stars themselves. Although the mass accretion rate is an order of magnitude less for TW Hya than for T Tau, the outflow reaches higher velocities at chromospheric temperatures in TW Hya. Winds from young stellar objects may be substantially hotter and faster than previously thought. The ultraviolet emission lines, when corrected for absorption are broad. Emission associated with the accretion flow and shock is likely to show turbulent broadening. We note that the UV line widths are significantly larger than the X-ray line widths. If the X-rays from TW Hya are generated at the accretion shock, the UV lines may not be directly associated with the shock. On the other hand, studies of X-ray emission in young star clusters, suggest that the strength of the X-ray emission is correlated with stellar rotation, thus casting doubt on an accretion origin for the X-rays. We are beginning to access the infrared spectral region where the He I 108308Angstroms transition

SOHO Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) Mission Operations and Data Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurman, Joseph (Technical Monitor); Kohl, John L.

2004-01-01

The scientific goal of UVCS is to obtain detailed empirical descriptions of the extended solar corona as it evolves over the solar cycle and to use these descriptions to identify and understand the physical processes responsible for coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and the phenomena that establish the plasma properties of the solar wind as measured by "in situ" solar wind instruments. This report covers the period from 15 February 2003 to 14 April 2004. During that time, UVCS observations have consisted of three types: 1) standard synoptic observations comprising, primarily, the H I Lyalpha line profile and the 0 VI 103.2 and 103.7 nm intensity over a range of heights from 1.5 to about 3.0 solar radii and covering 360 degrees about the Sun, 2) sit and stare observations for major flare watches, and 3) special observations designed by the UVCS Lead Observer of the Week for a specific scientific purpose. The special observations are often coordinated with those of other space-based and ground-based instruments and they often are part of SOHO joint observation programs and campaigns. Lead observers have included UVCS Co-Investigators, scientists from the solar physics community and several graduate and undergraduate level students. UVCS has continued to achieve its purpose of using powerful spectroscopic diagnostic techniques to obtain a much more detailed description of coronal structures and dynamic phenomena than existed before the SOHO mission. The new descriptions of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and coronal structures from UVCS have inspired a large number of theoretical studies aimed at identifying the physical processes responsible for CMEs and solar wind acceleration in coronal holes and streamers. UVCS has proven to be a very stable instrument. Stellar observations have demonstrated its radiometric stability. UVCS has not required any flight software modifications and all mechanisms are operational. The UVCS 0 VI

Do solar decimetric spikes originate in coronal X-ray sources?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, M.; Benz, A. O.

2009-06-01

Context: In the standard solar flare scenario, a large number of particles are accelerated in the corona. Nonthermal electrons emit both X-rays and radio waves. Thus, correlated signatures of the acceleration process are predicted at both wavelengths, coinciding either close to the footpoints of a magnetic loop or near the coronal X-ray source. Aims: We attempt to study the spatial connection between coronal X-ray emission and decimetric radio spikes to determine the site and geometry of the acceleration process. Methods: The positions of radio-spike sources and coronal X-ray sources are determined and analyzed in a well-observed limb event. Radio spikes are identified in observations from the Phoenix-2 spectrometer. Data from the Nançay radioheliograph are used to determine the position of the radio spikes. RHESSI images in soft and hard X-ray wavelengths are used to determine the X-ray flare geometry. Those observations are complemented by images from GOES/SXI. Results: We find that the radio emission originates at altitudes much higher than the coronal X-ray source, having an offset from the coronal X-ray source amounting to 90´´ and to 113´´ and 131´´ from the two footpoints, averaged over time and frequency. Conclusions: Decimetric spikes do not originate from coronal X-ray flare sources contrary to previous expectations. However, the observations suggest a causal link between the coronal X-ray source, related to the major energy release site, and simultaneous activity in the higher corona.

Coronal Physics and the Chandra Emission Line Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brickhouse, N. S.; Drake, J. J.

2000-01-01

With the launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, high resolution X-ray spectroscopy of cosmic sources has begun. Early, deep observations of three stellar coronal sources Capella, Procyon, and HR 1099 are providing not only invaluable calibration data, but also benchmarks for plasma spectral models. These models are needed to interpret data from stellar coronae, galaxies and clusters of galaxies, supernova, remnants and other astrophysical sources. They have been called into question in recent years as problems with understanding low resolution ASCA and moderate resolution Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite (EUVE) data have arisen. The Emission Line Project is a collaborative effort, to improve the models, with Phase I being the comparison of models with observed spectra of Capella, Procyon, and HR 1099. Goals of these comparisons are (1) to determine and verify accurate and robust diagnostics and (2) to identify and prioritize issues in fundamental spectroscopy which will require further theoretical and/or laboratory work. A critical issue in exploiting the coronal data for these purposes is to understand the extent, to which common simplifying assumptions (coronal equilibrium, negligible optical depth) apply. We will discuss recent, advances in our understanding of stellar coronae, in this context.

Ultraviolet Observations of Coronal Mass Ejection Impact on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko by Rosetta Alice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noonan, John W.; Stern, S. Alan; Feldman, Paul D.; Broiles, Thomas; Wedlund, Cyril Simon; Edberg, Niklas J. T.; Schindhelm, Eric; Parker, Joel Wm.; Keeney, Brian A.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; Steffl, Andrew J.; Knight, Matthew M.; Weaver, Harold A.; Feaga, Lori M.; A’Hearn, Michael; Bertaux, Jean-Loup

2018-07-01

The Alice ultraviolet spectrograph on the European Space Agency Rosetta spacecraft observed comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in its orbit around the Sun for just over two years. Alice observations taken in 2015 October, two months after perihelion, show large increases in the comet’s Lyβ, O I 1304, O I 1356, and C I 1657 Å atomic emission that initially appeared to indicate gaseous outbursts. However, the Rosetta Plasma Consortium instruments showed a coronal mass ejection (CME) impact at the comet coincident with the emission increases, suggesting that the CME impact may have been the cause of the increased emission. The presence of the semi-forbidden O I 1356 Å emission multiplet is indicative of a substantial increase in dissociative electron impact emission from the coma, suggesting a change in the electron population during the CME impact. The increase in dissociative electron impact could be a result of the interaction between the CME and the coma of 67P or an outburst coincident with the arrival of the CME. The observed dissociative electron impact emission during this period is used to characterize the O2 content of the coma at two peaks during the CME arrival. The mechanism that could cause the relationship between the CME and UV emission brightness is not well constrained, but we present several hypotheses to explain the correlation.

The far ultraviolet /1200-1900 A/ spectrum of Jupiter obtained with a rocket-borne multichannel spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giles, J. W.; Moos, H. W.; Mckinney, W. R.

1976-01-01

Far-ultraviolet spectra of Jupiter with a significant improvement in sensitivity and spectral resolution have been obtained from a sounding rocket by using a 10-channel spectrometer behind a pointing telescope. The major results obtained from these spectra are: (1) measurement of the Jovian H I 1216-A brightness (a comparison with other measurements indicates that the Ly-alpha emission is likely to be variable); (2) measurement of the wavelength-dependent albedo for Rayleigh-scattered solar radiation from about 1550 to 1875 A with approximately 25-A resolution, making it possible to set revised upper limits on the abundances of some of the minor constituents in the upper Jovian atmosphere; and (3) a demonstration that weak emissions between approximately 1250 and 1500 A and near 1600 A are probably the Lyman bands of H2 excited by low-energy electrons.

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP OF FLARE SIGNATURES AND THE FORCE-FREE CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thalmann, J. K.; Veronig, A.; Su, Y., E-mail: julia.thalmann@uni-graz.at

We investigate the plasma and magnetic environment of active region NOAA 11261 on 2011 August 2 around a GOES M1.4 flare/CME (SOL2011-08-02T06:19). We compare coronal emission at the (extreme) ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths, using SDO AIA and RHESSI images, in order to identify the relative timing and locations of reconnection-related sources. We trace flare ribbon signatures at ultraviolet wavelengths in order to pin down the intersection of previously reconnected flaring loops in the lower solar atmosphere. These locations are used to calculate field lines from three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear force-free magnetic field models, established on the basis of SDO HMI photosphericmore » vector magnetic field maps. Using this procedure, we analyze the quasi-static time evolution of the coronal model magnetic field previously involved in magnetic reconnection. This allows us, for the first time, to estimate the elevation speed of the current sheet’s lower tip during an on-disk observed flare as a few kilometers per second. A comparison to post-flare loops observed later above the limb in STEREO EUVI images supports this velocity estimate. Furthermore, we provide evidence for an implosion of parts of the flaring coronal model magnetic field, and identify the corresponding coronal sub-volumes associated with the loss of magnetic energy. Finally, we spatially relate the build up of magnetic energy in the 3D models to highly sheared fields, established due to the dynamic relative motions of polarity patches within the active region.« less

The EUV Helium Spectrum in the Quiet Sun: A By-Product of Coronal Emission?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andretta, Vincenzo; DelZanna, Giulio; Jordan, Stuart D.; Oegerle, William (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

In this paper we test one of the mechanisms proposed to explain the intensities and other observed properties of the solar helium spectrum, and in particular of its Extreme-Ultraviolet (EUV) resonance lines. The so-called Photoionisation-Recombination (P-R) mechanism involves photoionisation of helium atoms and ions by EUV coronal radiation, followed by recombination cascades. We present calibrated measurements of EUV flux obtained with the two CDS spectrometers on board SOHO, in quiescent solar regions. We were able to obtain an essentially complete estimate of the total photoionizing flux in the wavelength range below 504 A (the photoionisation threshold for He(I)), as well as simultaneous measurements with the same instruments of the intensities of the strongest EUV helium lines: He(II) lambda304, He(I) lambda584, and He(I) lambda537. We find that there are not enough EUV photons to account for the observed helium line intensities. More specifically, we conclude that He(II) intensities cannot be explained by the P-R mechanism. Our results, however, leave open the possibility that the He(I) spectrum could be formed by the P-R mechanism, with the He(II) lambda304 line as a significant photoionizating source.

Solar Imaging UV/EUV Spectrometers Using TVLS Gratings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Roger J.

2003-01-01

It is a particular challenge to develop a stigmatic spectrograph for UV, EUV wavelengths since the very low normal-incidence reflectance of standard materials most often requires that the design be restricted to a single optical element which must simultaneously provide both reimaging and spectral dispersion. This problem has been solved in the past by the use of toroidal gratings with uniform line-spaced rulings (TULS). A number of solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometers have been based on such designs, including SOHO/CDS, Solar-B/EIS, and the sounding rockets Solar Extreme ultraviolet Research Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS) and Extreme Ultraviolet Normal Incidence Spectrograph (EUNIS). More recently, Kita, Harada, and collaborators have developed the theory of spherical gratings with varied line-space rulings (SVLS) operated at unity magnification, which have been flown on several astronomical satellite missions. We now combine these ideas into a spectrometer concept that puts varied-line space rulings onto toroidal gratings. Such TVLS designs are found to provide excellent imaging even at very large spectrograph magnifications and beam-speeds, permitting extremely high-quality performance in remarkably compact instrument packages. Optical characteristics of three new solar spectrometers based on this concept are described: SUMI and RAISE, two sounding rocket payloads, and NEXUS, currently being proposed as a Small-Explorer (SMEX) mission.

Comparison between two models of energy balance in coronal loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mac Cormack, C.; López Fuentes, M.; Vásquez, A. M.; Nuevo, F. A.; Frazin, R. A.; Landi, E.

2017-10-01

In this work we compare two models to analyze the energy balance along coronal magnetic loops. For the first stationary model we deduce an expression of the energy balance along the loops expressed in terms of quantities provided by the combination of differential emission measure tomography (DEMT) applied to EUV images time series and potential extrapolations of the coronal magnetic field. The second applied model is a 0D hydrodynamic model that provides the evolution of the average properties of the coronal plasma along the loops, using as input parameters the loop length and the heating rate obtained with the first model. We compare the models for two Carrington rotations (CR) corresponding to different periods of activity: CR 2081, corresponding to a period of minimum activity observed with the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) on board of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), and CR 2099, corresponding to a period of activity increase observed with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The results of the models are consistent for both rotations.

Compact advanced extreme-ultraviolet imaging spectrometer for spatiotemporally varying tungsten spectra from fusion plasmas.

PubMed

Song, Inwoo; Seon, C R; Hong, Joohwan; An, Y H; Barnsley, R; Guirlet, R; Choe, Wonho

2017-09-01

A compact advanced extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometer operating in the EUV wavelength range of a few nanometers to measure spatially resolved line emissions from tungsten (W) was developed for studying W transport in fusion plasmas. This system consists of two perpendicularly crossed slits-an entrance aperture and a space-resolved slit-inside a chamber operating as a pinhole, which enables the system to obtain a spatial distribution of line emissions. Moreover, a so-called v-shaped slit was devised to manage the aperture size for measuring the spatial resolution of the system caused by the finite width of the pinhole. A back-illuminated charge-coupled device was used as a detector with 2048 × 512 active pixels, each with dimensions of 13.5 × 13.5 μm 2 . After the alignment and installation on Korea superconducting tokamak advanced research, the preliminary results were obtained during the 2016 campaign. Several well-known carbon atomic lines in the 2-7 nm range originating from intrinsic carbon impurities were observed and used for wavelength calibration. Further, the time behavior of their spatial distributions is presented.

Orbiting solar observatory 8 high resolution ultraviolet spectrometer experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Oscillations, physical properties of the solar atmosphere, motions in the quiet solar atmosphere, coronal holes, motions in solar active regions, solar flares, the structure of plage regions, an atlas, and aeronomy are summarized. Photometric sensitivity, scattered light, ghosts, focus and spectral resolution, wavelength drive, photometric sensitivity, and scattered light, are also summarized. Experiments are described according to spacecraft made and experiment type. Some of the most useful data reduction programs are described.

Solar Wind Characteristics from SOHO-Sun-Ulysses Quadrature Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poletto, Giannina; Suess, Steve T.; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Over the past few years, we have been running SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory)-Sun-Ulysses quadrature campaigns, aimed at comparing the plasma properties at coronal altitudes with plasma properties at interplanetary distances. Coronal plasma has been observed by SOHO experiments: mainly, we used LASCO (Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment) data to understand the overall coronal configuration at the time of quadratures and analyzed SUMER (Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation), CDS (Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer) and UVCS (Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer) data to derive its physical characteristics. At interplanetary distances, SWICS (Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer) and SWOOPS (Solar Wind Observation over the Poles of the Sun) aboard Ulysses provided us with interplanetary plasma data. Here we report on results from some of the campaigns. We notice that, depending on the geometry of the quadrature, i.e. on whether the radial to Ulysses traverses the corona at high or low latitudes, we are able to study different kinds of solar wind. In particular, a comparison between low-latitude and high-latitude wind, allowed us to provide evidence for differences in the acceleration of polar, fast plasma and equatorial, slow plasma: the latter occurring at higher levels and through a more extended region than fast wind. These properties are shared by both the proton and heavy ions outflows. Quadrature observations may provide useful information also on coronal vs. in situ elemental composition. To this end, we analyzed spectra taken in the corona, at altitudes ranging between approx. 1.02 and 2.2 solar radii, and derived the abundances of a number of ions, including oxygen and iron. Values of the O/Fe ratio, at coronal levels, have been compared with measurements of this ratio made by SWICS at interplanetary distances. Our results are compared with previous findings and predictions from modeling efforts.

A Two-Fluid, MHD Coronal Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suess, S. T.; Wang, A.-H.; Wu, S. T.; Poletto, G.; McComas, D. J.

1999-01-01

We describe first results from a numerical two-fluid MHD model of the global structure of the solar Corona. The model is two-fluid in the sense that it accounts for the collisional energy exchange between protons and electrons. As in our single-fluid model, volumetric heat and Momentum sources are required to produce high speed wind from Corona] holes, low speed wind above streamers, and mass fluxes similar to the empirical solar wind. By specifying different proton and electron heating functions we obtain a high proton temperature in the coronal hole and a relatively low proton temperature above the streamer (in comparison with the electron temperature). This is consistent with inferences from SOHO/UltraViolet Coronagraph Spectrometer instrument (UVCS), and with the Ulysses/Solar Wind Observations Over the Poles of the Sun instrument (SWOOPS) proton and electron temperature measurements which we show from the fast latitude scan. The density in the coronal hole between 2 and 5 solar radii (2 and 5 R(sub S)) is similar to the density reported from SPARTAN 201.-01 measurements by Fisher and Guhathakurta [19941. The proton mass flux scaled to 1 AU is 2.4 x 10(exp 8)/sq cm s, which is consistent with Ulysses observations. Inside the closed field region, the density is sufficiently high so that the simulation gives equal proton and electron temperatures due to the high collision rate. In open field regions (in the coronal hole and above the streamer) the proton and electron temperatures differ by varying amounts. In the streamer the temperature and density are similar to those reported empirically by Li et al. [1998], and the plasma beta is larger than unity everywhere above approx. 1.5 R(sub S), as it is in all other MHD coronal streamer models [e.g., Steinolfson et al., 1982; also G. A. Gary and D. Alexander, Constructing the coronal magnetic field, submitted to Solar Physics, 1998].

INFERRING THE CORONAL DENSITY IRREGULARITY FROM EUV SPECTRA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hahn, M.; Savin, D. W., E-mail: mhahn@astro.columbia.edu

2016-09-20

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 structures using density-sensitive extreme ultraviolet 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 densitymore » contrast of at least a factor of 3–10 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.« less

Mechanisms and Observations of Coronal Dimming for the 2010 August 7 Event

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, James P.; Woods, Thomas N.; Caspi, Amir; Thompson, Barbara J.; Hock, Rachel A.

2014-01-01

Coronal dimming of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission has the potential to be a useful forecaster of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). As emitting material leaves the corona, a temporary void is left behind which can be observed in spectral images and irradiance measurements. The velocity and mass of the CMEs should impact the character of those observations. However, other physical processes can confuse the observations. We describe these processes and the expected observational signature, with special emphasis placed on the differences. We then apply this understanding to a coronal dimming event with an associated CME that occurred on 2010 August 7. Data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory's (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) are used for observations of the dimming, while the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory's (SoHO) Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory's (STEREO) COR1 and COR2 are used to obtain velocity and mass estimates for the associated CME. We develop a technique for mitigating temperature effects in coronal dimming from full-disk irradiance measurements taken by EVE. We find that for this event, nearly 100% of the dimming is due to mass loss in the corona.

Mechanisms and observations of coronal dimming for the 201 August 7 event

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mason, James Paul; Woods, T. N.; Caspi, A.

2014-07-01

Coronal dimming of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission has the potential to be a useful forecaster of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). As emitting material leaves the corona, a temporary void is left behind which can be observed in spectral images and irradiance measurements. The velocity and mass of the CMEs should impact the character of those observations. However, other physical processes can confuse the observations. We describe these processes and the expected observational signature, with special emphasis placed on the differences. We then apply this understanding to a coronal dimming event with an associated CME that occurred on 2010 August 7.more » Data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) are used for observations of the dimming, while the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory's Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory's COR1 and COR2 are used to obtain velocity and mass estimates for the associated CME. We develop a technique for mitigating temperature effects in coronal dimming from full-disk irradiance measurements taken by EVE. We find that for this event, nearly 100% of the dimming is due to mass loss in the corona.« less

How to Design a Spectrometer.

PubMed

Scheeline, Alexander

2017-10-01

Designing a spectrometer requires knowledge of the problem to be solved, the molecules whose properties will contribute to a solution of that problem and skill in many subfields of science and engineering. A seemingly simple problem, design of an ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectrometer, is used to show the reasoning behind the trade-offs in instrument design. Rather than reporting a fully optimized instrument, the Yin and Yang of design choices, leading to decisions about financial cost, materials choice, resolution, throughput, aperture, and layout are described. To limit scope, aspects such as grating blaze, electronics design, and light sources are not presented. The review illustrates the mixture of mathematical rigor, rule of thumb, esthetics, and availability of components that contribute to the art of spectrometer design.

Berkeley extreme-ultraviolet airglow rocket spectrometer - BEARS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cotton, D. M.; Chakrabarti, S.

1992-01-01

The Berkeley EUV airglow rocket spectrometer (BEARS) instrument is described. The instrument was designed in particular to measure the dominant lines of atomic oxygen in the FUV and EUV dayglow at 1356, 1304, 1027, and 989 A, which is the ultimate source of airglow emissions. The optical and mechanical design of the instrument, the detector, electronics, calibration, flight operations, and results are examined.

Photon-counting array detectors for space and ground-based studies at ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet /VUV/ wavelengths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Timothy, J. G.; Bybee, R. L.

1981-01-01

The Multi-Anode Microchannel Arrays (MAMAs) are a family of photoelectric photon-counting array detectors, with formats as large as (256 x 1024)-pixels that can be operated in a windowless configuration at vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and soft X-ray wavelengths or in a sealed configuration at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. This paper describes the construction and modes of operation of (1 x 1024)-pixel and (24 x 1024)-pixel MAMA detector systems that are being built and qualified for use in sounding-rocket spectrometers for solar and stellar observations at wavelengths below 1300 A. The performance characteristics of the MAMA detectors at ultraviolet and VUV wavelengths are also described.

Stereoscopy and Tomography of Coronal Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Patoul, J.

2012-04-01

The hot solar corona consists of a low density plasma, which is highly structured by the magnetic field. To resolve and study the corona, several solar Ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray telescopes are operated with high spatial and temporal resolution. EUV (Extreme UV) image sequences of the lower solar corona have revealed a wide variety of structures with sizes ranging from the Sun's diameter to the limit of the angular resolution. Active regions can be observed with enhanced temperature and density, as well as 'quiet' regions, coronal holes with lower density and numerous other transient phenomena such as plumes, jets, bright points, flares, filaments, coronal mass ejections, all structured by the coronal magnetic field. In this work, we analyze polar plumes in a sequence of Solar EUV images taken nearly simultaneously by the three telescopes on board of the spacecraft STEREO/SECCHI A and B, and SOHO/EIT. Plumes appear in EUV images as elongated objects starting on the surface of the Sun extending super-radially into the corona. Their formation and contribution to the fast solar wind and other coronal phenomena are still under debate. Knowledge of the polar plume 3-D geometry can help to understand some of the physical processes in the solar corona. In this dissertation we develop new techniques for the characterization of polar plume structures in solar coronal images (Part II) then we analyze these structures using the techniques (Part III): We design a new technique capable of automatically identifying plumes in solar EUV images close to the limb at 1.01-1.39 Ro. This plume identification is based on a multi-scale Hough-wavelet analysis. We show that the method is well adapted to identifying the location, width and orientation of plumes. Starting from Hough-wavelet analysis, we elaborate on two other techniques to determine 3-D plume localization and structure: (i) tomography employing data from a single spacecraft over more than half a rotation and (ii) stereoscopy

A search for far-ultraviolet emissions from the lunar atmosphere.

PubMed

Fastie, W G; Feldman, P D; Henry, R C; Moos, H W; Barth, C A; Thomas, G E; Donahue, T M

1973-11-16

An ultraviolet spectrometer aboard the Apollo 17 orbiting spacecraft attempted to measure ultraviolet emissions from the lunar atmosphere. The only emissions observed were from a transient atmosphere introduced by the lunar landing engine. The absence of atomic hydrogen implies that solar wind protons are converted to hydrogen molecules at the lunar surface.

The Coronal Analysis of SHocks and Waves (CASHeW) framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozarev, Kamen A.; Davey, Alisdair; Kendrick, Alexander; Hammer, Michael; Keith, Celeste

2017-11-01

Coronal bright fronts (CBF) are large-scale wavelike disturbances in the solar corona, related to solar eruptions. They are observed (mostly in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light) as transient bright fronts of finite width, propagating away from the eruption source location. Recent studies of individual solar eruptive events have used EUV observations of CBFs and metric radio type II burst observations to show the intimate connection between waves in the low corona and coronal mass ejection (CME)-driven shocks. EUV imaging with the atmospheric imaging assembly instrument on the solar dynamics observatory has proven particularly useful for detecting large-scale short-lived CBFs, which, combined with radio and in situ observations, holds great promise for early CME-driven shock characterization capability. This characterization can further be automated, and related to models of particle acceleration to produce estimates of particle fluxes in the corona and in the near Earth environment early in events. We present a framework for the coronal analysis of shocks and waves (CASHeW). It combines analysis of NASA Heliophysics System Observatory data products and relevant data-driven models, into an automated system for the characterization of off-limb coronal waves and shocks and the evaluation of their capability to accelerate solar energetic particles (SEPs). The system utilizes EUV observations and models written in the interactive data language. In addition, it leverages analysis tools from the SolarSoft package of libraries, as well as third party libraries. We have tested the CASHeW framework on a representative list of coronal bright front events. Here we present its features, as well as initial results. With this framework, we hope to contribute to the overall understanding of coronal shock waves, their importance for energetic particle acceleration, as well as to the better ability to forecast SEP events fluxes.

A novel technique to measure intensity fluctuations in EUV images and to detect coronal sound waves nearby active regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stenborg, G.; Marsch, E.; Vourlidas, A.; Howard, R.; Baldwin, K.

2011-02-01

Context. In the past years, evidence for the existence of outward-moving (Doppler blue-shifted) plasma and slow-mode magneto-acoustic propagating waves in various magnetic field structures (loops in particular) in the solar corona has been found in ultraviolet images and spectra. Yet their origin and possible connection to and importance for the mass and energy supply to the corona and solar wind is still unclear. There has been increasing interest in this problem thanks to the high-resolution observations available from the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imagers on the Solar TErrestrial RElationships Observatory (STEREO) and the EUV spectrometer on the Hinode mission. Aims: Flows and waves exist in the corona, and their signatures appear in EUV imaging observations but are extremely difficult to analyse quantitatively because of their weak intensity. Hence, such information is currently available mostly from spectroscopic observations that are restricted in their spatial and temporal coverage. To understand the nature and origin of these fluctuations, imaging observations are essential. Here, we present measurements of the speed of intensity fluctuations observed along apparently open field lines with the Extreme UltraViolet Imagers (EUVI) onboard the STEREO mission. One aim of our paper is to demonstrate that we can make reliable kinematic measurements from these EUV images, thereby complementing and extending the spectroscopic measurements and opening up the full corona for such an analysis. Another aim is to examine the assumptions that lead to flow versus wave interpretation for these fluctuations. Methods: We have developed a novel image-processing method by fusing well established techniques for the kinematic analysis of coronal mass ejections (CME) with standard wavelet analysis. The power of our method lies with its ability to recover weak intensity fluctuations along individual magnetic structures at any orientation , anywhere within the full solar disk , and

Ultraviolet spectrometer observations of Uranus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broadfoot, A. L.; Herbert, F.; Holberg, J. B.; Hunten, D. M.; Kumar, S.; Sandel, B. R.; Shemansky, D. E.; Dessler, A. J.; Linick, S.; Springer, R.

1986-01-01

The Voyager 2 UV spectrometer was used to scan the Uranus atmosphere at wavelengths from 500-1700 A with a field of view of 0.1 x 0.86 deg. The temperature and composition of the upper atmosphere were determined through occultations of light from gamma Pegasi, nu Geminorum and the sun. The data indicated a substantial gas density (100 million H atoms/cu cm) at about 28,000 km from the Uranus center, suggesting that gas drag plays a significant role in ring evolution. The distributions of CH4 and C2H2 in the lower atmosphere were also estimated. An electroglow emission was detected on the sunlit side, and attributed to emissions from atomic and molecular hydrogen excited by low energy electrons. An auroral glow was also observed, and exhibited evidence of an energy input equal to that of the electroglow. Finally, estimates of the C2H2 mixing ratio and the vertical column abundance of H2 are calculated.

Coronal Holes and Magnetic Flux Ropes Interweaving Solar Cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowder, Chris; Yeates, Anthony; Leamon, Robert; Qiu, Jiong

2016-10-01

Coronal holes, dark patches observed in solar observations in extreme ultraviolet and x-ray wavelengths, provide an excellent proxy for regions of open magnetic field rooted near the photosphere. Through a multi-instrument approach, including SDO data, we are able to stitch together high resolution maps of coronal hole boundaries spanning the past two solar activity cycles. These observational results are used in conjunction with models of open magnetic field to probe physical solar parameters. Magnetic flux ropes are commonly defined as bundles of solar magnetic field lines, twisting around a common axis. Photospheric surface flows and magnetic reconnection work in conjunction to form these ropes, storing magnetic stresses until eruption. With an automated methodology to identify flux ropes within observationally driven magnetofrictional simulations, we can study their properties in detail. Of particular interest is a solar-cycle length statistical description of eruption rates, spatial distribution, magnetic orientation, flux, and helicity. Coronal hole observations can provide useful data about the distribution of the fast solar wind, with magnetic flux ropes yielding clues as to ejected magnetic field and the resulting space weather geo-effectiveness. With both of these cycle-spanning datasets, we can begin to form a more detailed picture of the evolution and consequences of both sets of solar magnetic features.

[Optimum design of imaging spectrometer based on toroidal uniform-line-spaced (TULS) spectrometer].

PubMed

Xue, Qing-Sheng; Wang, Shu-Rong

2013-05-01

Based on the geometrical aberration theory, a optimum-design method for designing an imaging spectrometer based on toroidal uniform grating spectrometer is proposed. To obtain the best optical parameters, twice optimization is carried out using genetic algorithm(GA) and optical design software ZEMAX A far-ultraviolet(FUV) imaging spectrometer is designed using this method. The working waveband is 110-180 nm, the slit size is 50 microm x 5 mm, and the numerical aperture is 0.1. Using ZEMAX software, the design result is analyzed and evaluated. The results indicate that the MTF for different wavelengths is higher than 0.7 at Nyquist frequency 10 lp x mm(-1), and the RMS spot radius is less than 14 microm. The good imaging quality is achieved over the whole working waveband, the design requirements of spatial resolution 0.5 mrad and spectral resolution 0.6 nm are satisfied. It is certificated that the optimum-design method proposed in this paper is feasible. This method can be applied in other waveband, and is an instruction method for designing grating-dispersion imaging spectrometers.

CORONAL FOURIER POWER SPECTRA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CORONAL SEISMOLOGY AND CORONAL HEATING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ireland, J.; McAteer, R. T. J.; Inglis, A. R., E-mail: jack.ireland@nasa.gov

The dynamics of regions of the solar corona are investigated using Atmospheric Imaging Assembly 171 Å and 193 Å data. The coronal emission from the quiet Sun, coronal loop footprints, coronal moss, and from above a sunspot is studied. It is shown that the mean Fourier power spectra in these regions can be described by a power law at lower frequencies that tails to a flat spectrum at higher frequencies, plus a Gaussian-shaped contribution that varies depending on the region studied. This Fourier spectral shape is in contrast to the commonly held assumption that coronal time series are well describedmore » by the sum of a long timescale background trend plus Gaussian-distributed noise, with some specific locations also showing an oscillatory signal. The implications of the observed spectral shape on the fields of coronal seismology and the automated detection of oscillations in the corona are discussed. The power-law contribution to the shape of the Fourier power spectrum is interpreted as being due to the summation of a distribution of exponentially decaying emission events along the line of sight. This is consistent with the idea that the solar atmosphere is heated everywhere by small energy deposition events.« less

Brightness and magnetic evolution of solar coronal bright points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ugarte Urra, Ignacio

This thesis presents a study of the brightness and magnetic evolution of several Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) coronal bright points (hereafter BPs). The study was carried out using several instruments on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, supported by the high resolution imaging from the Transition Region And Coronal Explorer. The results confirm that, down to 1" resolution, BPs are made of small loops with lengths of [approximate]6 Mm and cross-sections of ≈2 Mm. The loops are very dynamic, evolving in time scales as short as 1 - 2 minutes. This is reflected in a highly variable EUV response with fluctuations highly correlated in spectral lines at transition region temperatures, but not always at coronal temperatures. A wavelet analysis of the intensity variations reveals the existence of quasi-periodic oscillations with periods ranging 400--1000s, in the range of periods characteristic of the chromospheric network. The link between BPs and network bright points is discussed, as well as the interpretation of the oscillations in terms of global acoustic modes of closed magnetic structures. A comparison of the magnetic flux evolution of the magnetic polarities to the EUV flux changes is also presented. Throughout their lifetime, the intrinsic EUV emission of BPs is found to be dependent on the total magnetic flux of the polarities. In short time scales, co-spatial and co-temporal coronal images and magnetograms, reveal the signature of heating events that produce sudden EUV brightenings simultaneous to magnetic flux cancellations. This is interpreted in terms of magnetic reconnection events. Finally, a electron density study of six coronal bright points produces values of ≈1.6×10 9 cm -3 , closer to active region plasma than to quiet Sun. The analysis of a large coronal loop (half length of 72 Mm) introduces the discussion on the prospects of future plasma diagnostics of BPs with forthcoming solar missions.

Soho Ultraviolet Coronograph Spectrometer (UVCS) Mission Operations and Data Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohl, John L.; Gurman, Joseph (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The scientific goal of UVCS is to obtain detailed empirical descriptions of the extended solar corona as it evolves over the solar cycle and to use these descriptions to identify and understand the physical processes responsible for coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and the phenomena that establish the plasma properties of the solar wind as measured by 'in situ' solar wind instruments. This report covers the period from 01 December 2000 to 31 January 2002. During that time, UVCS observations have consisted of three types: (1) standard synoptic observations comprising, primarily, the H I Ly(alpha) line profile and the O VI 103.2 and 103.7 nm intensity over a range of heights from 1.5 to about 3.0 solar radii and covering 360 degrees about the sun; (2) sit and stare watches for CMEs; and (3) special observations designed by the UVCS Lead Observer of the Week for a specific scientific purpose. The special observations are often coordinated with those of other space-based and ground-based instruments and they often are part of SOHO joint observation programs and campaigns. Lead observers have included UVCS Co-Investigators, scientists from the solar physics community and several graduate and undergraduate level students.

Observation and Modeling of Chromospheric Evaporation in a Coronal Loop Related to Active Region Transient Brightening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, G. R.; Sarkar, Aveek; Tripathi, Durgesh

2018-04-01

Using the observations recorded by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer and X-Ray Telescope both on board Hinode, we present evidence of chromospheric evaporation in a coronal loop after the occurrence of two active region transient brightenings (ARTBs) at the two footpoints. The chromospheric evaporation started nearly simultaneously in all of the three hot channels of AIA 131, 94, and 335 Å and was observed to be temperature dependent, being fastest in the highest temperature channel. The whole loop became fully brightened following the ARTBs after ≈25 s in 131 Å, ≈40 s in 94 Å, and ≈6.5 minutes in 335 Å. The differential emission measurements at the two footpoints (i.e., of two ARTBs) and at the loop top suggest that the plasma attained a maximum temperature of ∼10 MK at all these locations. The spectroscopic observations from IRIS revealed the presence of redshifted emission of ∼20 km s‑1 in cooler lines like C II and Si IV during the ARTBs that was cotemporal with the evaporation flow at the footpoint of the loop. During the ARTBs, the line width of C II and Si IV increased nearly by a factor of two during the peak emission. Moreover, enhancement in the line width preceded that in the Doppler shift, which again preceded enhancement in the intensity. The observed results were qualitatively reproduced by 1D hydrodynamic simulations, where energy was deposited at both of the footpoints of a monolithic coronal loop that mimicked the ARTBs identified in the observations.

Development of two-channel prototype ITER vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer with back-illuminated charge-coupled device and microchannel plate detectors.

PubMed

Seon, C R; Choi, S H; Cheon, M S; Pak, S; Lee, H G; Biel, W; Barnsley, R

2010-10-01

A vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrometer of a five-channel spectral system is designed for ITER main plasma impurity measurement. To develop and verify the system design, a two-channel prototype system is fabricated with No. 3 (14.4-31.8 nm) and No. 4 (29.0-60.0 nm) among the five channels. The optical system consists of a collimating mirror to collect the light from source to slit, two holographic diffraction gratings with toroidal geometry, and two different electronic detectors. For the test of the prototype system, a hollow cathode lamp is used as a light source. To find the appropriate detector for ITER VUV system, two kinds of detectors of the back-illuminated charge-coupled device and the microchannel plate electron multiplier are tested, and their performance has been investigated.

Assessment of Transition Element Speciation in Glasses Using a Portable Transmission Ultraviolet-Visible-Near-Infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) Spectrometer.

PubMed

Hunault, Myrtille; Lelong, Gérald; Gauthier, Michel; Gélébart, Frédéric; Ismael, Saindou; Galoisy, Laurence; Bauchau, Fanny; Loisel, Claudine; Calas, Georges

2016-05-01

A new low-cost experimental setup based on two compact dispersive optical spectrometers has been developed to measure optical absorption transmission spectra over the 350-2500 nm energy range. We demonstrate how near-infrared (NIR) data are essential to identify the coloring species in addition to ultraviolet visible data. After calibration with reference glasses, the use of an original sample stage that maintains the window panel in the vertical position enables the comparison of ancient and modern glasses embedded in a panel from the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris, without any sampling. The spectral resolution enables to observe fine resonances arising in the absorption bands of Cr(3+), and the complementary information obtained in the NIR enables to determine the contribution of Fe(2+), a key indicator of glassmaking conditions. © The Author(s) 2016.

Plasma Evolution within an Erupting Coronal Cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, David M.; Harra, Louise K.; Matthews, Sarah A.; Warren, Harry P.; Lee, Kyoung-Sun; Doschek, George A.; Hara, Hirohisa; Jenkins, Jack M.

2018-03-01

Coronal cavities have previously been observed to be associated with long-lived quiescent filaments and are thought to correspond to the associated magnetic flux rope. Although the standard flare model predicts a coronal cavity corresponding to the erupting flux rope, these have only been observed using broadband imaging data, restricting an analysis to the plane-of-sky. We present a unique set of spectroscopic observations of an active region filament seen erupting at the solar limb in the extreme ultraviolet. The cavity erupted and expanded rapidly, with the change in rise phase contemporaneous with an increase in nonthermal electron energy flux of the associated flare. Hot and cool filamentary material was observed to rise with the erupting flux rope, disappearing suddenly as the cavity appeared. Although strongly blueshifted plasma continued to be observed flowing from the apex of the erupting flux rope, this outflow soon ceased. These results indicate that the sudden injection of energy from the flare beneath forced the rapid eruption and expansion of the flux rope, driving strong plasma flows, which resulted in the eruption of an under-dense filamentary flux rope.

Fluorescence of molecular hydrogen excited by solar extreme-ultraviolet radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feldman, P. D.; Fastie, W. G.

1973-01-01

During trans-earth coast, the Apollo 17 ultraviolet spectrometer was scheduled to make observations of the far ultraviolet background in selected regions of the sky. In the course of one of these observations, the spacecraft fuel cells were routinely purged of excess hydrogen and water vapor. The ultraviolet fluorescence spectrum of the purged molecular hydrogen excited by solar extreme ultraviolet radiation is interpreted by absorption of solar L-beta and L-gamma radiation in the nearly resonant (6, 0) and (11, 0) Lyman bands. The results are deemed significant for ultraviolet spectroscopic investigations of the atmospheres of the moon and planets since Lyman-band fluorescence provides an unambiguous means of identification of molecular hydrogen in upper atmospheres.

X-ray and extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy on DIII-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Victor, B. S.; Allen, S. L.; Beiersdorfer, P.; Magee, E. W.

2017-06-01

Two spectrometers were installed to measure tungsten emission in the core of DIII-D plasmas during a metal rings experimental campaign. The spectral range of the high-resolution (1340 spectral channels), variable-ruled grating X-ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (XEUS) extends from 10-71 dot A. The spectral range of the second spectrometer, the Long-Wavelength Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (LoWEUS), measures between 31-174 dot A. Three groups of tungsten lines were identified with XEUS: W38+-W45+ from 47-63 dot A, W27+-W35+ from 45-55 dot A, and W28+-W33+ from 16-30 dot A. Emission lines from tungsten charge states W28+, W43+, W44+, and W45+ are identified and the line amplitude is presented versus time. Peak emission of W43+-W45+ occurs between core Te=2.5-3 keV, and peak emission of W28+ occurs at core Te<=1.3 keV. One group of tungsten lines, W40+-W45+, between 120-140 dot A, was identified with LoWEUS. W43+-W45+ lines measured with LoWEUS track the sawtooth cycle. Sensitivity to the sawtooth cycle and the correlation of the peak emission with core electron temperature show that these spectrometers track the on-axis tungsten emission of DIII-D plasmas.

White-light coronal mass ejections: A new perspective from LASCO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

St.Cyr, O. C.; Howard, R. A.; Simnett, G. M.; Gurman, J. B.; Plunkett, S. P.; Sheeley, N. R., Jr.; Schwenn, R.; Koomen, M. J.; Brueckner, G. E.; Michels, D. J.;

Wolter-Schwarzschild optics for the extreme-ultraviolet - The Berkeley stellar spectrometer and the EUV Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malina, R. F.; Bowyer, S.; Finley, D.; Cash, W.

1979-01-01

The design, fabrication and performance of two Wolter-Schwarzschild grazing incidence optics are described. Both telescopes have been figured by single point diamond turning and have achieved better than 15-arcsec on-axis imaging. The telescope for the stellar spectrometer is an f/10 Type II system with an effective area of 225 sq cm at 250 A and 300 cm2 at 500 A. The primary has a maximum diameter of 38 cm and was fabricated in three elements. The copper-plated aluminum substrate was diamond turned; following nickel plating, the surface was polished and coated with evaporated gold. The performance during a sounding rocket flight is discussed. The prototype telescope for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer is an f/1.24 Type I system with an effective field of view of 5.0-deg diameter. The telescope has a maximum diameter of 40 cm and was fabricated as a single element. The aluminum substrate is to be diamond turned; the nickel plated surface will be polished and electroplated with gold. The design choice and defocusing optimization aimed at maximizing the field of view and number of image pixels is examined.

Prospects for the design of an ultraviolet imaging Fourier transform spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemaire, Philippe

2017-11-01

Recent results from solar observations in the far and extremeultraviolet (FUV/EUV) obtained from SOHO (SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory) and TRACE (Transition Region Camera) show the extreme variability of the solar atmosphere. Within the limited resolution of the instruments (1-2 arcseconds) horizontal and vertical velocities up-to 100 to 400 km s-1 have been measured. With an horizontal velocity of 100 km s-1 an one arsecond structure crosses the one arcsecond slit width of a classical slit spectrometer in less than 10 seconds. In the future, with higher angular resolution (e.g. 0.1 arcsecond), the capability to study small structures will be greatly reduced by a classical slit spectrometer. To be able to characterize the small scale solar atmospheric structures formed in the 104 K to 106 K temperature range (which emit in the 30 to 180 nm wavelength range) a spectrometer without slit (or with wide slit) is required. At the same time to obtain an accurate measurement of the doppler velocity an high spectral resolution is needed. The two requirements, high spectral resolution and large slit, are difficult to be simultaneously fulfilled with a classical slit spectrometer within the limited volume of a space instrumentation. Also, we propose to use an Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (IFTS) to provide simultaneously a bidimensionnal field and an accurate determination of line profiles and positions. The development of Fourier Transform Spectrometers (FTS), although popular in the infrared, has been very limited in the UV/FUV by the lack of very high quality beam splitter. Since 10 years, the use of diffraction gratings as beam splitters has been suggested and few intruments have been built ([Chak 94]; [Clea 92]; [File 00]). These instruments illustrate some applications in the new wavelength domain opened by using a beam splitter grating, but do not yet provide the full capabilities of an FTS. In this paper we present several optical schemes which can

Solar Coronal UV Spectroscopy for Solar Wind and SEP Acceleration Investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moses, John Daniel; Ko, Yuan-Kuen; Laming, John Martin; Strachan, Leonard; Tun Beltran, Samuel

2015-04-01

Of all the new areas of solar physics opened by the landmark SOHO mission, the scientific discoveries of the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) are unique in both the importance of the new questions raised by these observations and the lack of subsequent investigations to resolve these questions. For example, the first direct evidence of wave-particle coupling as an acceleration mechanism for the solar wind was obtained from UVCS spectro-coronagraphic observations, yet the real limits on the ratio of the parallel to perpendicular ion temperatures (with respect to the magnetic field) in coronal holes and streamers is still unresolved. Another unresolved issue is the role of suprathermal seed particles in rapid diffusive shock acceleration of SEPs. Although the theory has been placed on firmer theoretical ground by recent in situ investigations, observations of these suprathermal particles in the corona was never conclusively obtained with UVCS.Any follow-on UV Spectro-coronagraph must possess two improvements over UVCS in order to address the questions raised during the SOHO mission: 1) increased effective aperture and 2) improved spectrographic contrast (i.e. reduced scattered light). Technological developments in optics, optical design, UV detectors, composite structures, cleanliness control and electronics make it possible to achieve the requisite improvements in a next-generation UV spectro-coronagraph within the constraints of an affordable mission. We discuss specific instrument and mission approaches developed over the last 5 years and the feasibility of implementing them within the next 5 years.

Solar Coronal UV Spectroscopy for Solar Wind and Sep Acceleration Investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moses, J. D.; Laming, J. M.; Ko, Y. K.; Strachan, L.

2014-12-01

Of all the new areas of solar physics opened by the landmark SOHO mission, the scientific discoveries of the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) are unique in both the importance of the new questions raised by these observations and the lack of subsequent investigations to resolve these questions. For example, the first direct evidence of wave-particle coupling as an acceleration mechanism for the solar wind was obtained from UVCS spectro-coronagraphic observations, yet the real limits on the ratio of the parallel to perpendicular ion temperatures (with respect to the magnetic field) in coronal holes and streamers is still unresolved. Another unresolved issue is the role of suprathermal seed particles in rapid diffusive shock acceleration of SEPs. Although the theory has been placed on firmer theoretical ground by recent in situinvestigations, observations of these suprathermal particles in the corona were never conclusively obtained with UVCS. Any follow-on UV Spectro-coronagraph must possess two improvements over UVCS in order to address the questions raised during the SOHO mission: 1) increased effective aperture and 2) improved spectrographic contrast (i.e. reduced scattered light). Technological developments in optics, optical design, UV detectors, composite structures, cleanliness control and electronics make it possible to achieve the requisite improvements in a next-generation UV spectro-coronagraph within the constraints of an affordable mission. We discuss specific instrument and mission approaches developed over the last 5 years and the feasibility of implementing them within the next 5 years.

Automated Coronal Loop Identification using Digital Image Processing Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J. K.; Gary, G. A.; Newman, T. S.

2003-05-01

The results of a Master's thesis study of computer algorithms for automatic extraction and identification (i.e., collectively, "detection") of optically-thin, 3-dimensional, (solar) coronal-loop center "lines" from extreme ultraviolet and X-ray 2-dimensional images will be presented. The center lines, which can be considered to be splines, are proxies of magnetic field lines. Detecting the loops is challenging because there are no unique shapes, the loop edges are often indistinct, and because photon and detector noise heavily influence the images. Three techniques for detecting the projected magnetic field lines have been considered and will be described in the presentation. The three techniques used are (i) linear feature recognition of local patterns (related to the inertia-tensor concept), (ii) parametric space inferences via the Hough transform, and (iii) topological adaptive contours (snakes) that constrain curvature and continuity. Since coronal loop topology is dominated by the magnetic field structure, a first-order magnetic field approximation using multiple dipoles provides a priori information that has also been incorporated into the detection process. Synthesized images have been generated to benchmark the suitability of the three techniques, and the performance of the three techniques on both synthesized and solar images will be presented and numerically evaluated in the presentation. The process of automatic detection of coronal loops is important in the reconstruction of the coronal magnetic field where the derived magnetic field lines provide a boundary condition for magnetic models ( cf. , Gary (2001, Solar Phys., 203, 71) and Wiegelmann & Neukirch (2002, Solar Phys., 208, 233)). . This work was supported by NASA's Office of Space Science - Solar and Heliospheric Physics Supporting Research and Technology Program.

A Closer Look at the Alpha Persei Coronal Conundrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayres, Thomas R.

2017-03-01

A ROSAT survey of the Alpha Per open cluster in 1993 detected its brightest star, the mid-F supergiant α Persei: the X-ray luminosity and spectral hardness were similar to coronally active late-type dwarf members. Later, in 2010, a Hubble Cosmic Origins Spectrograph SNAPshot of α Per found the far-ultraviolet (FUV) coronal-proxy Si IV unexpectedly weak. This, and a suspicious offset of the ROSAT source, suggested that a late-type companion might be responsible for the X-rays. Recently, a multifaceted program tested that premise. Ground-based optical coronography and near-UV imaging with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide-Field Camera 3 searched for any close-in faint candidate coronal objects, but without success. Then, a Chandra pointing found the X-ray source single and coincident with the bright star. Significantly, the Si IV emissions of α Per, in a deeper FUV spectrum collected by the HST Cosmic Origin Spectrograph as part of the joint program, are aligned well with chromospheric atomic oxygen (which must be intrinsic to the luminous star), within the context of cooler late-F and early-G supergiants, including Cepheid variables. This pointed to the X-rays as the fundamental anomaly. The overluminous X-rays still support the case for a hyperactive dwarf secondary, albeit now spatially unresolved. However, an alternative is that α Per represents a novel class of coronal source. Resolving the first possibility now has become more difficult, because the easy solution—a well-separated companion—has been eliminated. Testing the other possibility will require a broader high-energy census of the early-F supergiants.

A Closer Look at the Alpha Persei Coronal Conundrum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ayres, Thomas R., E-mail: Thomas.Ayres@Colorado.edu

2017-03-01

A ROSAT survey of the Alpha Per open cluster in 1993 detected its brightest star, the mid-F supergiant α Persei: the X-ray luminosity and spectral hardness were similar to coronally active late-type dwarf members. Later, in 2010, a Hubble Cosmic Origins Spectrograph SNAPshot of α Per found the far-ultraviolet (FUV) coronal-proxy Si iv unexpectedly weak. This, and a suspicious offset of the ROSAT source, suggested that a late-type companion might be responsible for the X-rays. Recently, a multifaceted program tested that premise. Ground-based optical coronography and near-UV imaging with Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) Wide-Field Camera 3 searched formore » any close-in faint candidate coronal objects, but without success. Then, a Chandra pointing found the X-ray source single and coincident with the bright star. Significantly, the Si iv emissions of α Per, in a deeper FUV spectrum collected by the HST Cosmic Origin Spectrograph as part of the joint program, are aligned well with chromospheric atomic oxygen (which must be intrinsic to the luminous star), within the context of cooler late-F and early-G supergiants, including Cepheid variables. This pointed to the X-rays as the fundamental anomaly. The overluminous X-rays still support the case for a hyperactive dwarf secondary, albeit now spatially unresolved. However, an alternative is that α Per represents a novel class of coronal source. Resolving the first possibility now has become more difficult, because the easy solution—a well-separated companion—has been eliminated. Testing the other possibility will require a broader high-energy census of the early-F supergiants.« less

Low-resolution ultraviolet spectroscopy of several hot stars observed from Apollo 17

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henry, R. C.; Weinstein, A.; Feldman, P. D.; Fastie, W. G.; Moos, H. W.

1975-01-01

Low-resolution ultraviolet spectra were obtained for six early-type stars in 1972 December, using an Ebert spectrometer mounted in the service module of the Apollo 17 spacecraft. The spectrometer scanned from 1180 A to 1680 A, with a speed that varied with wavelength according to a program chosen for lunar studies. Spectral resolution was 11 A. The ultraviolet absolute calibration of the instrument was determined by comparison with National Bureau of Standards calibrated photodiodes, and is believed known to plus or minus 10 percent. The absolute intensities are in good general agreement with the observations of other stars and with the predictions of stellar model-atmosphere calculations.

Automated Coronal Loop Identification Using Digital Image Processing Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jong K.; Gary, G. Allen; Newman, Timothy S.

2003-01-01

The results of a master thesis project on a study of computer algorithms for automatic identification of optical-thin, 3-dimensional solar coronal loop centers from extreme ultraviolet and X-ray 2-dimensional images will be presented. These center splines are proxies of associated magnetic field lines. The project is pattern recognition problems in which there are no unique shapes or edges and in which photon and detector noise heavily influence the images. The study explores extraction techniques using: (1) linear feature recognition of local patterns (related to the inertia-tensor concept), (2) parametric space via the Hough transform, and (3) topological adaptive contours (snakes) that constrains curvature and continuity as possible candidates for digital loop detection schemes. We have developed synthesized images for the coronal loops to test the various loop identification algorithms. Since the topology of these solar features is dominated by the magnetic field structure, a first-order magnetic field approximation using multiple dipoles provides a priori information in the identification process. Results from both synthesized and solar images will be presented.

Investigation of coronal holes in the radio and far-ultraviolet ranges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheridan, K. V.; Smerd, S. F.

1977-01-01

Results of coronal-hole observations carried out in the far-UV with a spectro-heliometer aboard Skylab are compared with corresponding results of ground-based radioheliograph measurements performed at frequencies of 80 and 160 MHz. It is found that the electron density derived from the far-UV observations for the transition region and lower corona is nearly three times greater than the value computed on the basis of the radio data. Unsuccessful attempts are made to eliminate this discrepancy by recalibrating the radio data and by recalculating the ionization equilibrium. A substantial local enhancement of the heavy-element abundance in certain parts of the transition region and inner chromosphere is considered as a possible cause of the discrepancy.

Coronal and Prominence Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poland, Arthur I. (Editor)

1986-01-01

Various aspects of solar prominences and the solar corona are discussed. The formation of prominences, prominence diagnostics and structure, prominence dissappearance, large scale coronal structure, coronal diagnostics, small scale coronal structure, and non-equilibrium/coronal heating are among the topics covered.

X-ray and extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy on DIII-D

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Victor, Brian S.; Allen, Steve L.; Beiersdorfer, P.

Two spectrometers were installed to measure tungsten emission in the core of DIII-D plasmas during a metal rings experimental campaign. The spectral range of the high-resolution (1340 spectral channels), variable-ruled grating X-ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (XEUS) extends from10–71more » $$\\dot{A}$$ . The spectral range of the second spectrometer, the Long-Wavelength Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (LoWEUS), measures between 31–174$$\\dot{A}$$ . Three groups of tungsten lines were identified with XEUS: W 38+-W 45+ from 47–63$$\\dot{A}$$ , W 27+-W 35+ from 45–55$$\\dot{A}$$ , and W 28+-W 33+ from 16–30$$\\dot{A}$$ . Emission lines from tungsten charge states W 28+, W 43+, W 44+, and W 45+ are identified and the line amplitude is presented versus time. Peak emission of W 43+-W 45+ occurs between core Te=2.5-3 keV, and peak emission of W28+ occurs at core Te 1:3 keV. One group of tungsten lines, W 40+-W 45+, between 120–140$$\\dot{A}$$ , was identified with LoWEUS. W 43+- W 45+ lines measured with LoWEUS track the sawtooth cycle. Furthermore, sensitivity to the sawtooth cycle and the correlation of the peak emission with core electron temperature show that these spectrometers track the on-axis tungsten emission of DIII-D plasmas.« less

X-ray and extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy on DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Victor, Brian S.; Allen, Steve L.; Beiersdorfer, P.; ...

2017-06-14

Two spectrometers were installed to measure tungsten emission in the core of DIII-D plasmas during a metal rings experimental campaign. The spectral range of the high-resolution (1340 spectral channels), variable-ruled grating X-ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (XEUS) extends from10–71more » $$\\dot{A}$$ . The spectral range of the second spectrometer, the Long-Wavelength Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (LoWEUS), measures between 31–174$$\\dot{A}$$ . Three groups of tungsten lines were identified with XEUS: W 38+-W 45+ from 47–63$$\\dot{A}$$ , W 27+-W 35+ from 45–55$$\\dot{A}$$ , and W 28+-W 33+ from 16–30$$\\dot{A}$$ . Emission lines from tungsten charge states W 28+, W 43+, W 44+, and W 45+ are identified and the line amplitude is presented versus time. Peak emission of W 43+-W 45+ occurs between core Te=2.5-3 keV, and peak emission of W28+ occurs at core Te 1:3 keV. One group of tungsten lines, W 40+-W 45+, between 120–140$$\\dot{A}$$ , was identified with LoWEUS. W 43+- W 45+ lines measured with LoWEUS track the sawtooth cycle. Furthermore, sensitivity to the sawtooth cycle and the correlation of the peak emission with core electron temperature show that these spectrometers track the on-axis tungsten emission of DIII-D plasmas.« less

Exploring Mercury's Surface in UltraViolet from Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izenberg, N.

2017-12-01

The MESSENGER Mission's Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS) component of its Mercury Atmosphere and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) instrument obtained approximately 4600 point observations of Mercury's surface in middle ultraviolet (MUV; 210 nm - 300 nm) and far ultraviolet (FUV; 119.1 - 122.5 nm and 129.2 - 131.5 nm) wavelengths over the course of its orbital mission, mostly in Mercury's southern hemisphere. Given the very low (<1 to 2 wt %) average abundance of iron in the silicates of Mercury observed by multiple MESSENGER instruments, the near- to middle-ultraviolet wavelengths encompassing the oxygen metal charge transfer band (<400 nm), which is more sensitive to the presence of iron than the classic 1 micron absorption band, provides potentially useful additional compositional insight into the top layer of Mercury's regolith. The presence of nano- and microphase carbon also has potentially significant expression in the ultraviolet, and the interplay and variation between carbon and iron in mercury surface materials is an active area of investigation. Analysis of middle-UV surface reflectance and parameters appear to support the presence of varying amounts of carbon in different spectral or geologic units on Mercury. Far-UV reflectance data is currently under-utilized, but analysis of lunar surface by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) indicate that the data are sensitive to both composition and space weathering. The far-UV reflectance from MASCS may provide similar information for the Mercury surface, complementing results from longer wavelengths. MESSENGER data products for surface reflectance include middle-UV reflectance spectra, ultraviolet far-UV reflectance values, combined middle-UV through near-infrared spectra (210 nm - 1450 nm), a global `spectral cube' of near-UV to near-IR, and an upcoming UV spectral cube.

INSCAN PRO: a fast ultraviolet spectrometer design approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myer, Brian Walker; Dias, João. Mendanha

2013-11-01

Spectroscopy diagnostic techniques have applications in such diverse areas as mechanical and aerospace engineering, physical chemistry, optics, food and pharmaceutical industries. However, the technological state-of-the-art spectrometers do not allow very fast processes to be evaluated or controlled. This ability is crucial in the optimization of industrial processes (welding, burning flames, spark ignition, pulsed radiolysis…) where more theoretical-experimental analysis should be performed. The INSCAN project aims to overcome this technological limitation, to satisfy needs in academia and industrial markets, by developing a compact spectrometer with focal lengths less than 200 mm, taking into account three important aspects: acquisition rate of approximately 10 kHz spectra, spectral resolution on the order of 0.1 nm and operating in the spectral range 200 nm to 700 nm. Initial work is described on the optical design of the device and several possible approaches to achieve the specifications are considered. To guide the first order design, we relate the optical linewidth, spectral bandwidth and imaging properties to component characteristics. The symmetrical Czerny-Turner optical mount was chosen for its flexibility and elaborated using ZEMAX. Predictions made based on the simulated system are compared with calibration and characterization measurements on an experimental test bench used to refine the model assumptions.

Modified Homogeneous Data Set of Coronal Intensities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorotovič, I.; Minarovjech, M.; Lorenc, M.; Rybanský, M.

2014-07-01

The Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences has published the intensities, recalibrated with respect to a common intensity scale, of the 530.3 nm (Fe xiv) green coronal line observed at ground-based stations up to the year 2008. The name of this publication is Homogeneous Data Set (HDS). We have developed a method that allows one to successfully substitute the ground-based observations by satellite observations and, thus, continue with the publication of the HDS. For this purpose, the observations of the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite, were exploited. Among other data the EIT instrument provides almost daily 28.4 nm (Fe xv) emission-line snapshots of the corona. The Fe xiv and Fe xv data (4051 observation days) taken in the period 1996 - 2008 have been compared and good agreement was found. The method to obtain the individual data for the HDS follows from the correlation analysis described in this article. The resulting data, now under the name of Modified Homogeneous Data Set (MHDS), are identical up to 1996 to those in the HDS. The MHDS can be used further for studies of the coronal solar activity and its cycle. These data are available at http://www.suh.sk.

Spectrometer system for diffuse extreme ultraviolet radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labov, Simon E.

1989-01-01

A unique grazing incidence spectrometer system has been designed to study diffuse line emission between 80 and 650 A with 10-30 A resolution. The minimum detectable emission line strength during a 5-min observation ranges from 100-2000 ph/sq cm sec str. The instrument uses mechanically ruled reflection gratings placed in front of a linear array of mirrors. These mirrors focus the spectral image on microchannel plate detectors located behind thin filters. The field of view is 40 min of arc by 15 deg, and there is no spatial imaging. This instrument has been fabricated, calibrated, and successfully flown on a sounding rocket to observe the astronomical background radiation.

Evidence for the equality of the solar photospheric and coronal abundance of iron

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, K. J. H.; Pike, C. D.; Lang, J.; Zarro, D. M.; Fludra, A.; Watanabe, T.; Takahashi, M.

1995-01-01

The Fe K-alpha and K-beta X-ray lines (wavelengths 1.94 and 1.76 A) in the solar X-ray spectrum are formed by fluoroescence of photospheric iron atoms, and the ratio of the intensity of either to the He-like iron (Fe XXV) resonance line at 1.85 A is a function of the photospheric-to-coronal abundance of iron. The temperature dependence of this ratio is weak as long as the flare temperature T(sub e) greater than or approximately equal to 15 x 10(exp 6)K. Comparison of the theoretical value of this intensity ratio with observations from crystal spectrometers on Yohkoh, Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and P78-1 are consistent with the photospheric abundance of Fe being equal to the coronal.

Signature of open magnetic field lines in the extended solar corona and of solar wind acceleration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antonucci, E.; Giordano, S.; Benna, C.; Kohl, J. L.; Noci, G.; Michels, J.; Fineschi, S.

1997-01-01

The observations carried out with the ultraviolet coronagraph spectrometer onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) are discussed. The purpose of the observations was to determine the line of sight and radial velocity fields in coronal regions with different magnetic topology. The results showed that the regions where the high speed solar wind flows along open field lines are characterized by O VI 1032 and HI Lyman alpha 1216 lines. The global coronal maps of the line of sight velocity were reconstructed. The corona height, where the solar wind reaches 100 km/s, was determined.

Overview of Key Results from SDO Extreme ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woods, Tom; Eparvier, Frank; Jones, Andrew; Mason, James; Didkovsky, Leonid; Chamberlin, Phil

2016-10-01

The SDO Extreme ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) includes several channels to observe the solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral irradiance from 1 to 106 nm. These channels include the Multiple EUV Grating Spectrograph (MEGS) A, B, and P channels from the University of Colorado (CU) and the EUV SpectroPhometer (ESP) channels from the University of Southern California (USC). The solar EUV spectrum is rich in many different emission lines from the corona, transition region, and chromosphere. The EVE full-disk irradiance spectra are important for studying the solar impacts in Earth's ionosphere and thermosphere and are useful for space weather operations. In addition, the EVE observations, with its high spectral resolution of 0.1 nm and in collaboration with AIA solar EUV images, have proven valuable for studying active region evolution and explosive energy release during flares and coronal eruptions. These SDO measurements have revealed interesting results such as understanding the flare variability over all wavelengths, discovering and classifying different flare phases, using coronal dimming measurements to predict CME properties of mass and velocity, and exploring the role of nano-flares in continual heating of active regions.

The Extreme Ultraviolet spectrometer on bard the Hisaki satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshioka, K.; Murakami, G.; Yamazaki, A.; Tsuchiya, F.; Kagitani, M.; Kimura, T.; Yoshikawa, I.

2017-12-01

The extreme ultraviolet spectroscope EXCEED (EXtrem ultraviolet spetrosCope for ExosphEric Dynamics) on board the Hisaki satellite was launched in September 2013 from the Uchinoura space center, Japan. It is orbiting around the Earth with an orbital altitude of around 950-1150 km. This satellite is dedicated to and optimized for observing the atmosphere and magnetosphere of terrestrial planets such as Mercury, Venus, Mars, as well as Jupiter. The instrument consists of an off axis parabolic entrance mirror, switchable slits with multiple filters and shapes, a toroidal grating, and a photon counting detector, together with a field of view guiding camera. The design goal is to achieve a large effective area but with high spatial and spectral resolution. Based on the after-launch calibration, the spectral resolution of EXCEED is found to be 0.3-0.5 nm FWHM (Full Width at Half Maximum) over the entire spectral band, and the spatial resolution is around 17". The evaluated effective area is larger than 1cm2. In this presentation, the basic concept of the instrument design and the observation technique are introduced. The current status of the spacecraft and its future observation plan are also shown.

Final stress analysis report ultraviolet spectrometer S169

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, S.

1971-01-01

The stress analysis report verifies the structural integrity of the Apollo S-169 UV-spectrometer experiment. The methods by which the various members were analyzed are described. A detailed summary of results for the individual structural elements appears in the form of a table of minimum margins of safety. No negative margins of safety were experienced. It is concluded that the component structure is more than adequate to withstand the environmental load conditions given in the design criteria.

Three-dimensional stereoscopic analysis of a coronal mass ejection and comparison with UV spectroscopic data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Susino, Roberto; Bemporad, Alessandro; Dolei, Sergio, E-mail: susino@oato.inaf.it, E-mail: sdo@oact.inaf.it

2014-07-20

A three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the 2007 May 20 partial-halo coronal mass ejection (CME) has been made using STEREO/EUVI and STEREO/COR1 coronagraphic images. The trajectory and kinematics of the erupting filament have been derived from Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) image pairs with the 'tie-pointing' triangulation technique, while the polarization ratio technique has been applied to COR1 data to determine the average position and depth of the CME front along the line of sight. This 3D geometrical information has been combined for the first time with spectroscopic measurements of the O VI λλ1031.91, 1037.61 line profiles made with the Ultraviolet Coronagraphmore » Spectrometer (UVCS) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. Comparison between the prominence trajectory extrapolated at the altitude of UVCS observations and the core transit time measured from UVCS data made possible a firm identification of the CME core observed in white light and UV with the prominence plasma expelled during the CME. Results on the 3D structure of the CME front have been used to calculate synthetic spectral profiles of the O VI λ1031.91 line expected along the UVCS slit, in an attempt to reproduce the measured line widths. Observed line widths can be reproduced within the uncertainties only in the peripheral part of the CME front; at the front center, where the distance of the emitting plasma from the plane of the sky is greater, synthetic widths turn out to be ∼25% lower than the measured ones. This provides strong evidence of line broadening due to plasma heating mechanisms in addition to bulk expansion of the emitting volume.« less

Coronal O VI emission observed with UVCS/SOHO during solar flares: Comparison with soft X-ray observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancuso, S.; Giordano, S.; Raymond, J. C.

2016-06-01

In this work, we derive the O VI 1032 Å luminosity profiles of 58 flares, during their impulsive phase, based on off-limb measurements by the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) aboard the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The O VI luminosities from the transition region plasma (here defined as the region with temperatures 5.0 ≤ log T (K) ≤ 6.0) were inferred from the analysis of the resonantly scattered radiation of the O VI coronal ions. The temperature of maximum ionization for O VI is log Tmax (K) = 5.47. By comparison with simultaneous soft X-ray measurements, we investigate the likely source (chromospheric evaporation, footpoint emission, or heated prominence ejecta) for the transition region emission observed during the impulsive phase. In our study, we find evidence of the main characteristics predicted by the evaporation scenario. Specifically, most O VI flares precede the X-ray peaks typically by several minutes with a mean of 3.2 ± 0.1 min, and clear correlations are found between the soft X-ray and transition region luminosities following power laws with indices ~ 0.7 ± 0.3. Overall, the results are consistent with transition region emission originating from chromospheric evaporation; the thermal X-ray emission peaks after the emission from the evaporation flow as the loops fill with hot plasma. Finally, we were able to infer flow speeds in the range ~20-100 km s-1 for one-third of the events, 14 of which showed speeds between 60 and 80 km s-1. These values are compatible with those found through direct spectroscopic observations at transition region temperatures by the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on board Hinode.

Future space missions and ground observatory for measurements of coronal magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fineschi, Silvano; Gibson, Sarah; Bemporad, Alessandro; Zhukov, Andrei; Damé, Luc; Susino, Roberto; Larruquert, Juan

2016-07-01

This presentation gives an overview of the near-future perspectives for probing coronal magnetism from space missions (i.e., SCORE and ASPIICS) and ground-based observatory (ESCAPE). Spectro-polarimetric imaging of coronal emission-lines in the visible-light wavelength-band provides an important diagnostics tool of the coronal magnetism. The interpretation in terms of Hanle and Zeeman effect of the line-polarization in forbidden emission-lines yields information on the direction and strength of the coronal magnetic field. As study case, this presentation will describe the Torino Coronal Magnetograph (CorMag) for the spectro-polarimetric observation of the FeXIV, 530.3 nm, forbidden emission-line. CorMag - consisting of a Liquid Crystal (LC) Lyot filter and a LC linear polarimeter. The CorMag filter is part of the ESCAPE experiment to be based at the French-Italian Concordia base in Antarctica. The linear polarization by resonance scattering of coronal permitted line-emission in the ultraviolet (UV)can be modified by magnetic fields through the Hanle effect. Space-based UV spectro-polarimeters would provide an additional tool for the disgnostics of coronal magnetism. As a case study of space-borne UV spectro-polarimeters, this presentation will describe the future upgrade of the Sounding-rocket Coronagraphic Experiment (SCORE) to include new generation, high-efficiency UV polarizer with the capability of imaging polarimetry of the HI Lyman-α, 121.6 nm. SCORE is a multi-wavelength imager for the emission-lines, HeII 30.4 nm and HI 121.6 nm, and visible-light broad-band emission of the polarized K-corona. SCORE has flown successfully in 2009. The second lauch is scheduled in 2016. Proba-3 is the other future solar mission that would provide the opportunity of diagnosing the coronal magnetic field. Proba-3 is the first precision formation-flying mission to launched in 2019). A pair of satellites will fly together maintaining a fixed configuration as a 'large rigid

Modified tandem gratings anastigmatic imaging spectrometer with oblique incidence for spectral broadband

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Chengguang; Wang, Shurong; Huang, Yu; Xue, Qingsheng; Li, Bo; Yu, Lei

2015-09-01

A modified spectrometer with tandem gratings that exhibits high spectral resolution and imaging quality for solar observation, monitoring, and understanding of coastal ocean processes is presented in this study. Spectral broadband anastigmatic imaging condition, spectral resolution, and initial optical structure are obtained based on geometric aberration theory. Compared with conventional tandem gratings spectrometers, this modified design permits flexibility in selecting gratings. A detailed discussion of the optical design and optical performance of an ultraviolet spectrometer with tandem gratings is also included to explain the advantage of oblique incidence for spectral broadband.

Can coronal hole spicules reach coronal temperatures?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madjarska, M. S.; Vanninathan, K.; Doyle, J. G.

2011-08-01

Aims: The present study aims to provide observational evidence of whether coronal hole spicules reach coronal temperatures. Methods: We combine multi-instrument co-observations obtained with the SUMER/SoHO and with the EIS/SOT/XRT/Hinode. Results: The analysed three large spicules were found to be comprised of numerous thin spicules that rise, rotate, and descend simultaneously forming a bush-like feature. Their rotation resembles the untwisting of a large flux rope. They show velocities ranging from 50 to 250 kms-1. We clearly associated the red- and blue-shifted emissions in transition region lines not only with rotating but also with rising and descending plasmas. Our main result is that these spicules although very large and dynamic, are not present in the spectral lines formed at temperatures above 300 000 K. Conclusions: In this paper we present the analysis of three Ca ii H large spicules that are composed of numerous dynamic thin spicules but appear as macrospicules in lower resolution EUV images. We found no coronal counterpart of these and smaller spicules. We believe that the identification of phenomena that have very different origins as macrospicules is due to the interpretation of the transition region emission, and especially the He ii emission, wherein both chromospheric large spicules and coronal X-ray jets are present. We suggest that the recent observation of spicules in the coronal AIA/SDO 171 Å and 211 Å channels probably comes from the existence of transition region emission there. Movie is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Identification of Low Coronal Sources of “Stealth” Coronal Mass Ejections Using New Image Processing Techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alzate, Nathalia; Morgan, Huw, E-mail: naa19@aber.ac.uk

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are generally associated with low coronal signatures (LCSs), such as flares, filament eruptions, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) waves, or jets. A number of recent studies have reported the existence of stealth CMEs as events without LCSs, possibly due to observational limitations. Our study focuses on a set of 40 stealth CMEs identified from a study by D’Huys et al. New image processing techniques are applied to high-cadence, multi-instrument sets of images spanning the onset and propagation time of each of these CMEs to search for possible LCSs. Twenty-three of these events are identified as small, low-mass, unstructuredmore » blobs or puffs, often occurring in the aftermath of a large CME, but associated with LCSs such as small flares, jets, or filament eruptions. Of the larger CMEs, seven are associated with jets and eight with filament eruptions. Several of these filament eruptions are different from the standard model of an erupting filament/flux tube in that they are eruptions of large, faint flux tubes that seem to exist at large heights for a long time prior to their slow eruption. For two of these events, we see an eruption in Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph C2 images and the consequent changes at the bottom edge of the eruption in EUV images. All 40 events in our study are associated with some form of LCS. We conclude that stealth CMEs arise from observational and processing limitations.« less

Rocket flight performance of a preprototype Apollo 17 UV spectrometer S-169

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fastie, W. G.

1971-01-01

The design, construction, testing, calibration, flight performance and flight data of an Ebert ultraviolet spectrometer are described which is an accurate representation of the conceptual design of the Apollo 17 UV spectrometer. The instrument was flown in an Aerobee 350 rocket from Wallops Island, Va., at 7:10 p.m. EDT on June 10, 1971 to an altitude of 328 km with a solar elevation angle of about 11 deg.

Evaluation of gratings for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mrowka, Stan; Martin, Chris; Bowyer, Stuart; Malina, Roger F.

1986-01-01

Extensive grating calibration facilities have been developed at the Space Sciences Laboratory at Berkley, which are now being used for the evaluation of the gratings for the spectrometer on the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer. Measurements of efficiency scattering and imaging quality can be made at wavelengths from 44A to 2500A.

The Coronal Monsoon: Thermal Nonequilibrium Revealed by Periodic Coronal Rain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auchère, Frédéric; Froment, Clara; Soubrié, Elie; Antolin, Patrick; Oliver, Ramon; Pelouze, Gabriel

2018-02-01

We report on the discovery of periodic coronal rain in an off-limb sequence of Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly images. The showers are co-spatial and in phase with periodic (6.6 hr) intensity pulsations of coronal loops of the sort described by Auchère et al. and Froment et al. These new observations make possible a unified description of both phenomena. Coronal rain and periodic intensity pulsations of loops are two manifestations of the same physical process: evaporation/condensation cycles resulting from a state of thermal nonequilibrium. The fluctuations around coronal temperatures produce the intensity pulsations of loops, and rain falls along their legs if thermal runaway cools the periodic condensations down and below transition-region temperatures. This scenario is in line with the predictions of numerical models of quasi-steadily and footpoint heated loops. The presence of coronal rain—albeit non-periodic—in several other structures within the studied field of view implies that this type of heating is at play on a large scale.

To BG or not to BG: Background Subtraction for EIT Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beene, J. E.; Schmelz, J. T.

2003-05-01

One of the few observational tests for various coronal heating models is to determine the temperature profile along coronal loops. Since loops are such an abundant coronal feature, this method originally seemed quite promising - that the coronal heating problem might actually be solved by determining the temperature as a function of arc length and comparing these observations with predictions made by different models. But there are many instruments currently available to study loops, as well as various techniques used to determine their temperature characteristics. Consequently, there are many different, mostly conflicting temperature results. We chose data for ten coronal loops observed with the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), and chose specific pixels along each loop, as well as corresponding nearby background pixels where the loop emission was not present. Temperature analysis from the 171-to-195 and 195-to-284 angstrom image ratios was then performed on three forms of the data: the original data alone, the original data with a uniform background subtraction, and the original data with a pixel-by-pixel background subtraction. The original results show loops of constant temperature, as other authors have found before us, but the 171-to-195 and 195-to-284 results are significantly different. Background subtraction does not change the constant-temperature result or the value of the temperature itself. This does not mean that loops are isothermal, however, because the background pixels, which are not part of any contiguous structure, also produce a constant-temperature result with the same value as the loop pixels. These results indicate that EIT temperature analysis should not be trusted, and the isothermal loops that result from EIT (and TRACE) analysis may be an artifact of the analysis process. Solar physics research at the University of Memphis is supported by NASA grants NAG5-9783 and NAG5-12096.

Coronal hole boundaries evolution at small scales. I. EIT 195 Å  and TRACE 171 Å view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madjarska, M. S.; Wiegelmann, T.

2009-09-01

Aims: We aim to study the small-scale evolution at the boundaries of an equatorial coronal hole connected with a channel of open magnetic flux to the polar region and an “isolated” one in the extreme-ultraviolet spectral range. We determine the spatial and temporal scale of these changes. Methods: Imager data from TRACE in the Fe ix/x 171 Å passband and EIT on-board Solar and Heliospheric Observatory in the Fe xii 195 Å passband were analysed. Results: We found that small-scale loops known as bright points play an essential role in coronal hole boundary evolution at small scales. Their emergence and disappearance continuously expand or contract coronal holes. The changes appear to be random on a time scale comparable to the lifetime of the loops seen at these temperatures. No signature was found for a major energy release during the evolution of the loops. Conclusions: Although coronal holes seem to maintain their general shape during a few solar rotations, a closer look at their day-by-day and even hour-by-hour evolution demonstrates significant dynamics. The small-scale loops (10´´-40´´ and smaller) which are abundant along coronal hole boundaries contribute to the small-scale evolution of coronal holes. Continuous magnetic reconnection of the open magnetic field lines of the coronal hole and the closed field lines of the loops in the quiet Sun is more likely to take place. Movies are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Mapping the solar wind HI outflow velocity in the inner heliosphere by coronagraphic ultraviolet and visible-light observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolei, S.; Susino, R.; Sasso, C.; Bemporad, A.; Andretta, V.; Spadaro, D.; Ventura, R.; Antonucci, E.; Abbo, L.; Da Deppo, V.; Fineschi, S.; Focardi, M.; Frassetto, F.; Giordano, S.; Landini, F.; Naletto, G.; Nicolini, G.; Nicolosi, P.; Pancrazzi, M.; Romoli, M.; Telloni, D.

2018-05-01

We investigated the capability of mapping the solar wind outflow velocity of neutral hydrogen atoms by using synergistic visible-light and ultraviolet observations. We used polarised brightness images acquired by the LASCO/SOHO and Mk3/MLSO coronagraphs, and synoptic Lyα line observations of the UVCS/SOHO spectrometer to obtain daily maps of solar wind H I outflow velocity between 1.5 and 4.0 R⊙ on the SOHO plane of the sky during a complete solar rotation (from 1997 June 1 to 1997 June 28). The 28-days data sequence allows us to construct coronal off-limb Carrington maps of the resulting velocities at different heliocentric distances to investigate the space and time evolution of the outflowing solar plasma. In addition, we performed a parameter space exploration in order to study the dependence of the derived outflow velocities on the physical quantities characterising the Lyα emitting process in the corona. Our results are important in anticipation of the future science with the Metis instrument, selected to be part of the Solar Orbiter scientific payload. It was conceived to carry out near-sun coronagraphy, performing for the first time simultaneous imaging in polarised visible-light and ultraviolet H I Lyα line, so providing an unprecedented view of the solar wind acceleration region in the inner corona. The movie (see Sect. 4.2) is available at https://www.aanda.org

Dynamic interferometer alignment and its utility in UV Fourier transform spectrometer systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorval, Rick K.; Engel, James R.; Wyntjes, Geert J.

1993-01-01

Dynamic alignment has been demonstrated as a practical approach to alignment maintenance for systems in the infrared region of the spectrum. On the basis of work done by OPTRA, this technique was introduced in commercial Fourier transform spectrometer systems in 1982 and in various forms is now available from a number of manufacturers. This paper reports on work by OPTRA to extend the basic technique to systems operating in the ultraviolet. In addition, this paper reports the preliminary results of the development of an alignment system using a laser diode in place of a gas laser normally found in dynamic alignment systems. A unique optical system and spatial heterodyne technique allows for achievement of a metrology system with characteristics that fully satisfy the requirements of an ultraviolet spectrometer system.

EUV Waves Driven by the Sudden Expansion of Transequatorial Loops Caused by Coronal Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yuandeng; Tang, Zehao; Miao, Yuhu; Su, Jiangtao; Liu, Yu

2018-06-01

We present two events to study the driving mechanism of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves that are not associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), by using high-resolution observations taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Observational results indicate that the observed EUV waves were accompanied by flares and coronal jets, but not the CMEs that were regarded as drivers of most EUV waves in previous studies. In the first case, it is observed that a coronal jet is ejected along a transequatorial loop system at a plane-of-the-sky (POS) speed of 335 ± 22 km s{}-1; in the meantime, an arc-shaped EUV wave appeared on the eastern side of the loop system. In addition, the EUV wave further interacted with another interconnecting loop system and launched a fast propagating (QFP) magnetosonic wave along the loop system, which had a period of 200 s and a speed of 388 ± 65 km s{}-1, respectively. In the second case, we observed a coronal jet that ejected at a POS speed of 282 ± 44 km s{}-1 along a transequatorial loop system as well as the generation of bright EUV waves on the eastern side of the loop system. Based on the observational results, we propose that the observed EUV waves on the eastern side of the transequatorial loop systems are fast-mode magnetosonic waves and that they are driven by the sudden lateral expansion of the transequatorial loop systems due to the direct impingement of the associated coronal jets, while the QFP wave in the fist case formed due to the dispersive evolution of the disturbance caused by the interaction between the EUV wave and the interconnecting coronal loops. It is noted that EUV waves driven by sudden loop expansions have shorter lifetimes than those driven by CMEs.

Complex refractive index of Martian dust - Mariner 9 ultraviolet observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pang, K.; Ajello, J. M.; Hord, C. W.; Egan, W. G.

1976-01-01

Mariner 9 ultraviolet spectrometer observations of the 1971 dust clouds obscuring the surface of Mars have been analyzed by matching the observed dust phase function with Mie scattering calculations for size distributions of homogeneous and isotropic material. Preliminary results indicate an effective particle radius of not less than 0.2. The real component of the index of refraction is not less than 1.8 at both 268 and 305 nm; corresponding values for the imagery component are 0.02 and 0.01. These values are consistent with those found by Mead (1970) for the visible and near-visible wavelengths. The refractive index and the absorption coefficient increase rapidly with decreasing wavelength in going from the visible to the ultraviolet, indicating the presence of an ultraviolet absorption band which may shield organisms from ultraviolet irradiation.

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer mission - Overview and initial results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haisch, B.; Bowyer, S.; Malina, R. F.

1993-01-01

The history of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) astronomy is briefly reviewed, and an overview of the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer mission, launched into a near-earth (550 km) orbit on June 7, 1992, is presented. First, the principal objective of the mission are summarized. The instrumentation and operation of the mission are then described, with particular attention given to the sky survey instruments, the deep survey instrument, and the spectrometers. The discussion also covers the current view of the interstellar medium, early results from the mission, and future prospects for EUV astronomy.

Coronal ``Wave'': Magnetic Footprint of a Coronal Mass Ejection?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attrill, Gemma D. R.; Harra, Louise K.; van Driel-Gesztelyi, Lidia; Démoulin, Pascal

2007-02-01

We investigate the properties of two ``classical'' EUV Imaging Telescope (EIT) coronal waves. The two source regions of the associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) possess opposite helicities, and the coronal waves display rotations in opposite senses. We observe deep core dimmings near the flare site and also widespread diffuse dimming, accompanying the expansion of the EIT wave. We also report a new property of these EIT waves, namely, that they display dual brightenings: persistent ones at the outermost edge of the core dimming regions and simultaneously diffuse brightenings constituting the leading edge of the coronal wave, surrounding the expanding diffuse dimmings. We show that such behavior is consistent with a diffuse EIT wave being the magnetic footprint of a CME. We propose a new mechanism where driven magnetic reconnections between the skirt of the expanding CME magnetic field and quiet-Sun magnetic loops generate the observed bright diffuse front. The dual brightenings and the widespread diffuse dimming are identified as innate characteristics of this process.

Coronal partings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikulin, Igor F.; Dumin, Yurii V.

2016-02-01

The basic observational properties of "coronal partings"-the special type of quasi-one-dimensional magnetic structures, identified by a comparison of the coronal X-ray and EUV images with solar magnetograms-are investigated. They represent the channels of opposite polarity inside the unipolar large-scale magnetic fields, formed by the rows of magnetic arcs directed to the neighboring sources of the background polarity. The most important characteristics of the partings are discussed. It can be naturally assumed that-from the evolutionary and spatial points of view-the partings can transform into the coronal holes and visa versa. The classes of global, intersecting, and complex partings are identified.

Interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bless, R. C.; Savage, B. D.

1972-01-01

Interstellar extinction curves over the region 3600-1100 A for 17 stars are presented. The observations were made by the two Wisconsin spectrometers onboard the OAO-2 with spectral resolutions of 10 A and 20 A. The extinction curves generally show a pronounced maximum at 2175 plus or minus 25 A, a broad minimum in the region 1800-1350 A, and finally a rapid rise to the far ultraviolet. Large extinction variations from star to star are found, especially in the far ultraviolet; however, with only two possible exceptions in this sample, the wavelength at the maximum of the extinction bump is essentially constant. These data are combined with visual and infrared observations to display the extinction behavior over a range in wavelength of about a factor of 20.

Real-time radiative divertor feedback control development for the NSTX-U tokamak using a vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soukhanovskii, V. A., E-mail: vlad@llnl.gov; Kaita, R.; Stratton, B.

2016-11-15

A radiative divertor technique is planned for the NSTX-U tokamak to prevent excessive erosion and thermal damage of divertor plasma-facing components in H-mode plasma discharges with auxiliary heating up to 12 MW. In the radiative (partially detached) divertor, extrinsically seeded deuterium or impurity gases are used to increase plasma volumetric power and momentum losses. A real-time feedback control of the gas seeding rate is planned for discharges of up to 5 s duration. The outer divertor leg plasma electron temperature T{sub e} estimated spectroscopically in real time will be used as a control parameter. A vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer McPherson Modelmore » 251 with a fast charged-coupled device detector is developed for temperature monitoring between 5 and 30 eV, based on the Δn = 0, 1 line intensity ratios of carbon, nitrogen, or neon ion lines in the spectral range 300–1600 Å. A collisional-radiative model-based line intensity ratio will be used for relative calibration. A real-time T{sub e}-dependent signal within a characteristic divertor detachment equilibration time of ∼10–15 ms is expected.« less

Real-time radiative divertor feedback control development for the NSTX-U tokamak using a vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer

DOE PAGES

Soukhanovskii, V. A.; Kaita, R.; Stratton, B.

2016-08-04

Here, a radiative divertor technique is planned for the NSTX-U tokamak to prevent excessive erosion and thermal damage of divertor plasma-facing components in H-mode plasma discharges with auxiliary heating up to 12 MW. In the radiative (partially detached) divertor, extrinsically seeded deuterium or impurity gases are used to increase plasma volumetric power and momentum losses. A real-time feedback control of the gas seeding rate is planned for discharges of up to 5 s duration. The outer divertor leg plasma electron temperature T e estimated spectroscopically in real time will be used as a control parameter. A vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer McPhersonmore » Model 251 with a fast charged-coupled device detector is developed for temperature monitoring between 5 and 30 eV, based on the Δn = 0, 1 line intensity ratios of carbon, nitrogen, or neon ion lines in the spectral range 300–1600 Å. A collisional-radiative model-based line intensity ratio will be used for relative calibration. A real-time T e-dependent signal within a characteristic divertor detachment equilibration time of ~10–15 ms is expected.« less

The Lockheed OSO-8 program. Task 2: Analysis of data from the high resolution ultraviolet spectrometer experiment. [carbon 4 and silicon 4 line and emission spectra from solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruner, E. C., Jr.

1980-01-01

The complete set of C 4 time sequences generated by the University of Colorado high resolution ultraviolet spectrometer experiment on OSO-8 were examined in a comprehensive and systematic fashion. As a result a new limit is placed on the acoustic flux passing through the transition zone of the Sun's atmosphere. It is found to be three orders of magnitude too small to heat the corona, and is consistent with zero. In collaborative efforts, the properties of transient C 4 brightenings were examined in considerable detail.

A High Resolution Fourier-Transform Spectrometer for the Measurement of Atmospheric Column Abundances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cageao, R.; Sander, S.; Blavier, J.; Jiang, Y.; Nemtchinov, V.

2000-01-01

A compact, high resolution Fourier-transform spectrometer for atmospheric near ultraviolet spectroscopy has been installed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Table Mountain Facility (34.4N, 117.7 W, elevation 2290m).

FORWARD MODELING OF STANDING KINK MODES IN CORONAL LOOPS. II. APPLICATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yuan, Ding; Doorsselaere, Tom Van, E-mail: DYuan2@uclan.ac.uk

2016-04-15

Magnetohydrodynamic waves are believed to play a significant role in coronal heating, and could be used for remote diagnostics of solar plasma. Both the heating and diagnostic applications rely on a correct inversion (or backward modeling) of the observables into the thermal and magnetic structures of the plasma. However, due to the limited availability of observables, this is an ill-posed issue. Forward modeling is designed to establish a plausible mapping of plasma structuring into observables. In this study, we set up forward models of standing kink modes in coronal loops and simulate optically thin emissions in the extreme ultraviolet bandpasses,more » and then adjust plasma parameters and viewing angles to match three events of transverse loop oscillations observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. We demonstrate that forward models could be effectively used to identify the oscillation overtone and polarization, to reproduce the general profile of oscillation amplitude and phase, and to predict multiple harmonic periodicities in the associated emission intensity and loop width variation.« less

Ground Based Ultraviolet Remote Sensing of Volcanic Gas Plumes

PubMed Central

Kantzas, Euripides P.; McGonigle, Andrew J. S.

2008-01-01

Ultraviolet spectroscopy has been implemented for over thirty years to monitor volcanic SO2 emissions. These data have provided valuable information concerning underground magmatic conditions, which have been of utility in eruption forecasting efforts. During the last decade the traditionally used correlation spectrometers have been upgraded with miniature USB coupled UV spectrometers, opening a series of exciting new empirical possibilities for understanding volcanoes and their impacts upon the atmosphere. Here we review these technological developments, in addition to the scientific insights they have precipitated, covering the strengths and current limitations of this approach. PMID:27879780

The Copernicus ultraviolet spectral atlas of Sirius

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogerson, John B., Jr.

1987-01-01

A near-ultraviolet spectral atlas for the A1 V star Alpha CMa (Sirius) has been prepared from data taken by the Princeton spectrometer aboard the Copernicus satellite. The spectral region from 1649 to 3170 A has been scanned with a resolution of 0.1 A. The atlas is presented in graphs, and line identifications for the absorption features have been tabulated.

The Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSats: instrument capabilities and early science analysis on the quiet Sun, active regions, and flares.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Christopher S.; Woods, Tom; Caspi, Amir; Dennis, Brian R.; MinXSS Instrument Team, NIST-SURF Measurement Team

2018-01-01

Detection of soft X-rays (sxr) from the Sun provide direct information on coronal plasma at temperatures in excess of ~1 MK, but there have been relatively few solar spectrally resolved measurements from 0.5 – 10. keV. The Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSat is the first solar science oriented CubeSat mission flown for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, and has provided measurements from 0.8 -12 keV, with resolving power ~40 at 5.9 keV, at a nominal ~10 second time cadence. MinXSS design and development has involved over 40 graduate students supervised by professors and professionals at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Instrument radiometric calibration was performed at the National Institute for Standard and Technology (NIST) Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility (SURF) and spectral resolution determined from radioactive X-ray sources. The MinXSS spectra allow for determining coronal abundance variations for Fe, Mg, Ni, Ca, Si, S, and Ar in active regions and during flares. Measurements from the first of the twin CubeSats, MinXSS-1, have proven to be consistent with the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) 0.1 – 0.8 nm energy flux. Simultaneous MinXSS-1 and Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) observations have provided the most complete sxr spectral coverage of flares in recent years. These combined measurements are vital in estimating the heating flare loops by non-thermal accelerated electrons. MinXSS-1 measurements have been combined with the Hinode X-ray Telescope (XRT) and Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO-AIA) to further constrain the coronal temperature distribution during quiescent times. The structure of the temperature distribution (especially for T > 5 MK) is important for deducing heating processes in the solar atmosphere. MinXSS-1 observations yield some of the tightest constraints on the high temperature component of the coronal plasma, in the

MHD Modelling of Coronal Loops: Injection of High-Speed Chromospheric Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petralia, A.; Reale, F.; Orlando, S.; Klimchuk, J. A.

2014-01-01

Context. Observations reveal a correspondence between chromospheric type II spicules and bright upward-moving fronts in the corona observed in the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) band. However, theoretical considerations suggest that these flows are probably not the main source of heating in coronal magnetic loops. Aims. We investigate the propagation of high-speed chromospheric flows into coronal magnetic flux tubes and the possible production of emission in the EUV band. Methods. We simulated the propagation of a dense 104 K chromospheric jet upward along a coronal loop by means of a 2D cylindrical MHD model that includes gravity, radiative losses, thermal conduction, and magnetic induction. The jet propagates in a complete atmosphere including the chromosphere and a tenuous cool (approximately 0.8 MK) corona, linked through a steep transition region. In our reference model, the jet initial speed is 70 km per second, its initial density is 10(exp 11) per cubic centimeter, and the ambient uniform magnetic field is 10 G. We also explored other values of jet speed and density in 1D and different magnetic field values in 2D, as well as the jet propagation in a hotter (approximately 1.5 MK) background loop. Results. While the initial speed of the jet does not allow it to reach the loop apex, a hot shock-front develops ahead of it and travels to the other extreme of the loop. The shock front compresses the coronal plasma and heats it to about 10(exp 6) K. As a result, a bright moving front becomes visible in the 171 Angstrom channel of the SDO/AIA mission. This result generally applies to all the other explored cases, except for the propagation in the hotter loop. Conclusions. For a cool, low-density initial coronal loop, the post-shock plasma ahead of upward chromospheric flows might explain at least part of the observed correspondence between type II spicules and EUV emission excess.

Results from the calibration of the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welsh, Barry Y.; Jelinsky, Pat; Vedder, Peter W.; Vallerga, John V.; Finley, David S.; Malina, Roger F.

1991-01-01

The paper describes the main features and selected results of the calibration of the scientific instruments to be flown on the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer in 1991. The instrument payload includes three grazing incidence scanning telescopes and an EUV spectrometer/deep survey instrument covering the spectral region 70-800 A. The measured imaging characteristics, the effective areas, and the details of spectral responses of the instruments are presented. Diagrams of the cross-sectional views of the scanning telescope and the deep-survey/spectrometer telescope are included.

The Copernicus ultraviolet spectral atlas of Vega

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogerson, John B., Jr.

1989-01-01

A near-ultraviolet spectral atlas for the A0 V star Alpha Lyr (Vega) has been prepared from data taken by the Princeton spectrometer aboard the Copernicus satellite. The spectral region from 2000 to 3187 A has been scanned with a resolution of 0.1 A. The atlas is presented in graphs with a normalized continuum, and an identification table for the absorption features has been prepared.

The Copernicus ultraviolet spectral atlas Tau Scorpii

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogerson, J. B., Jr.; Upson, W. L., II

1977-01-01

An ultraviolet spectral atlas was presented for the B0 V star, Tau Scorpii. It was scanned from 949 to 1560 A by the Princeton spectrometer aboard the Copernicus satellite. From 949 to 1420 A the observations have a nominal resolution of 0.05 A. At the longer wavelengths, the resolution was 0.1 A. The atlas was presented in both tables and graphs.

MAGNETIC FLUX CANCELATION AS THE TRIGGER OF SOLAR QUIET-REGION CORONAL JETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Panesar, Navdeep K.; Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L.

We report observations of 10 random on-disk solar quiet-region coronal jets found in high-resolution extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory ( SDO )/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and having good coverage in magnetograms from the SDO /Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). Recent studies show that coronal jets are driven by the eruption of a small-scale filament (called a minifilament ). However, the trigger of these eruptions is still unknown. In the present study, we address the question: what leads to the jet-driving minifilament eruptions? The EUV observations show that there is a cool-transition-region-plasma minifilament present prior to each jetmore » event and the minifilament eruption drives the jet. By examining pre-jet evolutionary changes in the line of sight photospheric magnetic field, we observe that each pre-jet minifilament resides over the neutral line between majority-polarity and minority-polarity patches of magnetic flux. In each of the 10 cases, the opposite-polarity patches approach and merge with each other (flux reduction between 21% and 57%). After several hours, continuous flux cancelation at the neutral line apparently destabilizes the field holding the cool-plasma minifilament to erupt and undergo internal reconnection, and external reconnection with the surrounding coronal field. The external reconnection opens the minifilament field allowing the minifilament material to escape outward, forming part of the jet spire. Thus, we found that each of the 10 jets resulted from eruption of a minifilament following flux cancelation at the neutral line under the minifilament. These observations establish that magnetic flux cancelation is usually the trigger of quiet-region coronal jet eruptions.« less

Small Coronal Holes Near Active Regions as Sources of Slow Solar Wind

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Y.-M., E-mail: yi.wang@nrl.navy.mil

We discuss the nature of the small areas of rapidly diverging, open magnetic flux that form in the strong unipolar fields at the peripheries of active regions (ARs), according to coronal extrapolations of photospheric field measurements. Because such regions usually have dark counterparts in extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) images, we refer to them as coronal holes, even when they appear as narrow lanes or contain sunspots. Revisiting previously identified “AR sources” of slow solar wind from 1998 and 1999, we find that they are all associated with EUV coronal holes; the absence of well-defined He i 1083.0 nm counterparts to some ofmore » these holes is attributed to the large flux of photoionizing radiation from neighboring AR loops. Examining a number of AR-associated EUV holes during the 2014 activity maximum, we confirm that they are characterized by wind speeds of ∼300–450 km s{sup −1}, O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} ratios of ∼0.05–0.4, and footpoint field strengths typically of order 30 G. The close spacing between ARs at sunspot maximum limits the widths of unipolar regions and their embedded holes, while the continual emergence of new flux leads to rapid changes in the hole boundaries. Because of the highly nonradial nature of AR fields, the smaller EUV holes are often masked by the overlying canopy of loops, and may be more visible toward one solar limb than at central meridian. As sunspot activity declines, the AR remnants merge to form much larger, weaker, and longer-lived unipolar regions, which harbor the “classical” coronal holes that produce recurrent high-speed streams.« less

Characteristics of EUV Coronal Jets Observed with STEREO/SECCHI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisticò, G.; Bothmer, V.; Patsourakos, S.; Zimbardo, G.

2009-10-01

In this paper we present the first comprehensive statistical study of EUV coronal jets observed with the SECCHI (Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation) imaging suites of the two STEREO spacecraft. A catalogue of 79 polar jets is presented, identified from simultaneous EUV and white-light coronagraph observations, taken during the time period March 2007 to April 2008, when solar activity was at a minimum. The twin spacecraft angular separation increased during this time interval from 2 to 48 degrees. The appearances of the coronal jets were always correlated with underlying small-scale chromospheric bright points. A basic characterization of the morphology and identification of the presence of helical structure were established with respect to recently proposed models for their origin and temporal evolution. Though each jet appeared morphologically similar in the coronagraph field of view, in the sense of a narrow collimated outward flow of matter, at the source region in the low corona the jet showed different characteristics, which may correspond to different magnetic structures. A classification of the events with respect to previous jet studies shows that amongst the 79 events there were 37 Eiffel tower-type jet events, commonly interpreted as a small-scale (˜35 arc sec) magnetic bipole reconnecting with the ambient unipolar open coronal magnetic fields at its loop tops, and 12 lambda-type jet events commonly interpreted as reconnection with the ambient field happening at the bipole footpoints. Five events were termed micro-CME-type jet events because they resembled the classical coronal mass ejections (CMEs) but on much smaller scales. The remaining 25 cases could not be uniquely classified. Thirty-one of the total number of events exhibited a helical magnetic field structure, indicative for a torsional motion of the jet around its axis of propagation. A few jets are also found in equatorial coronal holes. In this study we present sample

Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. XXXII - An atlas of ultraviolet stellar spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Code, A. D.; Meade, M. R.

1979-01-01

Ultraviolet stellar fluxes are presented in graphs and tables for 164 bright stars in the spectral region from 1200 to 3600 A. The spectra represent a subset of OAO 2 spectrometer data on file at the National Space Science Data Center. The monochromatic flux is given in units of erg per (sq cm-s-A) with a spectral resolution of about 22 A in the region from 3600 to 1850 A and of approximately 12 A in the region from 1850 to 1160 A.

Reexamination of the coronal index of solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rybanský, M.; Rušin, V.; Minarovjech, M.; Klocok, L.; Cliver, E. W.

2005-08-01

The coronal index (CI) of solar activity is the irradiance of the Sun as a star in the coronal green line (Fe XIV, 530.3 nm or 5303 Å). It is derived from ground-based observations of the green corona made by the network of coronal stations (currently Kislovodsk, Lomnický Štít, Norikura, and Sacramento Peak). The CI was introduced by Rybanský (1975) to facilitate comparison of ground-based green line measurements with satellite-based extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray observations. The CI since 1965 is based on the Lomnický Štít photometric scale; the CI was extended to earlier years by Rybanský et al. (1994) based on cross-calibrations of Lomnický Štít data with measurements made at Pic du Midi and Arosa. The resultant 1939-1992 CI had the interesting property that its value at the peak of the 11-year cycle increased more or less monotonically from cycle 18 through cycle 22 even though the peak sunspot number of cycle 20 exhibited a significant local minimum between that of cycles 19 and 21. Rušin and Rybanský (2002) recently showed that the green line intensity and photospheric magnetic field strength were highly correlated from 1976 to 1999. Since the photospheric magnetic field strength is highly correlated with sunspot number, the lack of close correspondence between the sunspot number and the CI from 1939 to 2002 is puzzling. Here we show that the CI and sunspot number are highly correlated only after 1965, calling the previously-computed coronal index for earlier years (1939-1965) into question. We can use the correlation between the CI and sunspot number (also the 2800 MHz radio flux and the cosmic ray intensity) to recompute daily values of the CI for years before 1966. In fact, this method can be used to obtain CI values as far back as we have reliable sunspot observations (˜1850). The net result of this exercise is a CI that closely tracks the sunspot number at all times. We can use the sunspot-CI relationship (for 1966-2002) to identify

The Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winebarger, A. R.; Savage, S. L.; Kobayashi, K.; Champey, P. R.; McKenzie, D. E.; Golub, L.; Testa, P.; Reeves, K.; Cheimets, P.; Cirtain, J. W.; Walsh, R. W.; Bradshaw, S. J.; Warren, H.; Mason, H. E.; Del Zanna, G.

2017-12-01

For over four decades, X-ray, EUV, and UV spectral observations have been used to measure physical properties of the solar atmosphere. At wavelengths below 10 nm, however, observations of the solar corona with simultaneous spatial and spectral resolution are limited, and not since the late 1970's have spatially resolved solar X-ray spectra been measured. Because the soft X-ray regime is dominated by emission lines formed at high temperatures, X-ray spectroscopic techniques yield insights to fundamental physical processes that are not accessible by any other means. Using a novel implementation of corrective optics, the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS) will measure, for the first time, the solar spectrum from 0.6- 2.4 nm with a 6 arcsec resolution over an 8 arcmin slit. The MaGIXS mission will address on of the fundamental problems of coronal physics: the nature of coronal heating. There are several observables in the MaGIXS wavelength range that will constrain the heating frequency and hence discriminate between competing coronal heating theories. In this presentation, we will present the MaGIXS scientific motivation and provide an update on instrument development. MaGIXS will be launched from White Sands Missile Range in the summer of 2019.

Proton radiation damage assessment of a CCD for use in a Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gow, J. P. D.; Mason, J.; Leese, M.; Hathi, B.; Patel, M.

2017-01-01

This paper describes the radiation environment and radiation damage analysis performed for the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVIS) channel launched onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) in 2016. The aim of the instrument is to map the temporal and spatial variation of trace gases such as ozone and dust/cloud aerosols in the atmosphere of Mars. The instrument consists of a set of two miniature telescope viewing optics which allow for selective input onto the optical bench, where an e2v technologies CCD30-11 will be used as the detector. A Geometry Description Markup Language model of the spacecraft and instrument box was created and through the use of ESA's SPace ENVironment Information System (SPENVIS) an estimate of the 10 MeV equivalent proton fluence was made at a number of radiation sensitive regions within NOMAD, including that of the CCD30-11 which is the focus of this paper. The end of life 10 MeV equivalent proton fluence at the charge coupled device was estimated to be 4.7 × 109 protons.cm-2 three devices were irradiated at different levels up a 10 MeV equivalent fluence of 9.4 × 109 protons.cm-2. The dark current, charge transfer inefficiency, charge storage, and cosmetic quality of the devices was investigated pre- and post-irradiation, determining that the devices will continue to provide excellent science throughout the mission.

Martian atmospheric O3 retrieval development for the NOMAD-UVIS spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hewson, W.; Mason, J. P.; Leese, M.; Hathi, B.; Holmes, J.; Lewis, S. R.; Iriwin, P. G. J.; Patel, M. R.

2017-09-01

The composition of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols is a highly variable and poorly constrained component of the martian atmosphere, and by affecting martian climate and UV surface dose, represents a key parameter in the assessment of suitability for martian habitability. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) carries the Open University (OU) designed Ultraviolet and VIsible Spectrometer (UVIS) instrument as part of the Belgian-led Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) spectrometer suite. NOMAD will begin transmitting science observations of martian surface and atmosphere back-scattered UltraViolet (UV) and visible radiation in Spring 2018, which will be processed to derive spatially and temporally averaged atmospheric trace gas and aerosol concentrations, intended to provide a better understanding of martian atmospheric photo-chemistry and dynamics, and will also improve models of martian atmospheric chemistry, climate and habitability. Work presented here illustrates initial development and testing of the OU's new retrieval algorithm for determining O3 and aerosol concentrations from the UVIS instrument.

Uric acid detection using uv-vis spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norazmi, N.; Rasad, Z. R. Abdul; Mohamad, M.; Manap, H.

2017-10-01

The aim of this research is to detect uric acid (UA) concentration using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrometer in the Ultraviolet (UV) region. Absorption technique was proposed to detect different uric acid concentrations and its UV absorption wavelength. Current practices commonly take a lot of times or require complicated structures for the detection process. By this proposed spectroscopic technique, every concentration can be detected and interpreted into an absorbance value at a constant wavelength peak in the UV region. This is due to the chemical characteristics belong to the uric acid since it has a particular absorption cross-section, σ which can be calculated using Beer’s Lambert law formula. The detection performance was displayed using Spectrasuite sofware. It showed fast time response about 3 seconds. The experiment proved that the concentrations of uric acid were successfully detected using UV-Vis spectrometer at a constant absorption UV wavelength, 294.46 nm in a low time response. Even by an artificial sample of uric acid, it successfully displayed a close value as the ones reported with the use of the medical sample. It is applicable in the medical field and can be implemented in the future for earlier detection of abnormal concentration of uric acid.

Disruption of a coronal streamer by an eruptive prominence and coronal mass ejection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Illing, R. M. E.; Hundhausen, A. J.

1986-01-01

The coronal mass ejection of August 18, 1980 is analyzed using images from the coronagraph on the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite. The event occurred at the site of a large coronal helmet streamer and evolved into the three-part structure of a bright frontal shell, followed by a relatively dark space surrounding a bright filamentary core as seen in many mass ejections of the SMM epoch. The bright core can be identified as material from a prominence whose eruption was observed from the ground. The mass of the frontal shell is equal to that of the coronal helmet streamer, indicating that the shell is the coronal material previously in the helmet streamer, displaced and set into motion by the erupting prominence and surrounding cavity. The mass ejected in the bright core (or prominences) is estimated to be 50 percent larger than the 'coronal' material in the front loop.

A Catalog of Coronal "EIT Wave" Transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, B. J.; Myers, D. C.

2005-01-01

SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) data have been visually searched for coronal "EIT wave" transients over the period beginning 24 March 1997 extending through 24 June 1998. The dates covered start at the beginning of regular high-cadence (more than 1 image every 20 minutes) observations, ending at the 4-month interruption of SOHO observations in mid-1998. 176 events are included in this catalog. The observations range from "candidate" events, which were either weak or had insufficient data coverage, to events which were well-defined and were clearly distinguishable in the data. Included in the catalog are times of the EIT images in which the events are observed, diagrams indicating the observed locations of the wavefronts and associated active regions, and the speeds of the wavefronts. The measured speeds of the wavefronts varied from less than 50 to over 700 km/sec with "typical" speeds of 200-400 Msec.

Initiation and Early Evolution of the Coronal Mass Ejection on 2009 May 13 from Extreme-ultraviolet and White-light Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reva, A. A.; Ulyanov, A. S.; Bogachev, S. A.; Kuzin, S. V.

2014-10-01

We present the results of the observations of a coronal mass ejection (CME) that occurred on 2009 May 13. The most important feature of these observations is that the CME was observed from the very early stage (the solar surface) up to a distance of 15 solar radii (R ⊙). Below 2 R ⊙, we used the data from the TESIS extreme-ultraviolet telescopes obtained in the Fe 171 Å and He 304 Å lines, and above 2 R ⊙, we used the observations of the LASCO C2 and C3 coronagraphs. The CME was formed at a distance of 0.2-0.5R ⊙ from the Sun's surface as a U-shaped structure, which was observed both in the 171 Å images and in the white light. Observations in the He 304 Å line showed that the CME was associated with an erupting prominence, which was not located above—as the standard model predicts—but rather in the lowest part of the U-shaped structure close to the magnetic X point. The prominence location can be explained with the CME breakout model. Estimates showed that CME mass increased with time. The CME trajectory was curved—its heliolatitude decreased with time. The CME started at a latitude of 50° and reached the ecliptic plane at distances of 2.5 R ⊙. The CME kinematics can be divided into three phases: initial acceleration, main acceleration, and propagation with constant velocity. After the CME, onset GOES registered a sub-A-class flare.

Initiation and early evolution of the coronal mass ejection on 2009 May 13 from extreme-ultraviolet and white-light observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reva, A. A.; Ulyanov, A. S.; Bogachev, S. A.

2014-10-01

We present the results of the observations of a coronal mass ejection (CME) that occurred on 2009 May 13. The most important feature of these observations is that the CME was observed from the very early stage (the solar surface) up to a distance of 15 solar radii (R {sub ☉}). Below 2 R {sub ☉}, we used the data from the TESIS extreme-ultraviolet telescopes obtained in the Fe 171 Å and He 304 Å lines, and above 2 R {sub ☉}, we used the observations of the LASCO C2 and C3 coronagraphs. The CME was formed at a distancemore » of 0.2-0.5R {sub ☉} from the Sun's surface as a U-shaped structure, which was observed both in the 171 Å images and in the white light. Observations in the He 304 Å line showed that the CME was associated with an erupting prominence, which was not located above—as the standard model predicts—but rather in the lowest part of the U-shaped structure close to the magnetic X point. The prominence location can be explained with the CME breakout model. Estimates showed that CME mass increased with time. The CME trajectory was curved—its heliolatitude decreased with time. The CME started at a latitude of 50° and reached the ecliptic plane at distances of 2.5 R {sub ☉}. The CME kinematics can be divided into three phases: initial acceleration, main acceleration, and propagation with constant velocity. After the CME, onset GOES registered a sub-A-class flare.« less

Rocket-UV Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burgess, Julian; Westberg, Karl

1961-01-01

This is a report of the second three months (March-May 1961) of a program to design and fabricate an ultraviolet spectrometer and fine guidance control for use in an Aerobee-Hi rocket. The work is being done under Subcontract No. 1 under Contract NASr-3 between Princeton University and the National Aeronautical and Space Administration. The design goals for this instrument are described in the report for the first three month period (Perkin-Elmer Engineering Report No. 5906). The accomplishments of the second three month period include the solution of certain design problems, the establishment of an effective liaison system with personnel at Goddard Space Flight Center, and the completion of certain design and fabrication tasks.

The Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomczyk, S.; Landi, E.; Zhang, J.; Lin, H.; DeLuca, E. E.

2015-12-01

Measurements of coronal and chromospheric magnetic fields are arguably the most important observables required for advances in our understanding of the processes responsible for coronal heating, coronal dynamics and the generation of space weather that affects communications, GPS systems, space flight, and power transmission. The Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO) is a proposed ground-based suite of instruments designed for routine study of coronal and chromospheric magnetic fields and their environment, and to understand the formation of coronal mass ejections (CME) and their relation to other forms of solar activity. This new facility will be operated by the High Altitude Observatory of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (HAO/NCAR) with partners at the University of Michigan, the University of Hawaii and George Mason University in support of the solar and heliospheric community. It will replace the current NCAR Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (http://mlso.hao.ucar.edu). COSMO will enhance the value of existing and new observatories on the ground and in space by providing unique and crucial observations of the global coronal and chromospheric magnetic field and its evolution. The design and current status of the COSMO will be reviewed.

Development of a tunable filter for coronal polarimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomczyk, S.; Mathew, S. K.; Gallagher, D.

2016-07-01

Measuring magnetic fields in the solar corona is crucial to understanding and predicting the Sun's generation of space weather that affects communications, GPS systems, space flight, and power transmission. The Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory Large Coronagraph (COSMO LC) is a proposed 1.5 m aperture coronagraph designed to synoptically observe magnetic fields and plasma properties in the large-scale corona to improve our understanding of solar processes that cause space weather. The LC will observe coronal emission lines over the wavelength range from 500 to 1100 nm with a field of view of 1° and a spatial resolution of 2 arcsec. A spectral resolution greater than 8000 over the wavelength range is needed to resolve the polarization signatures of magnetic fields in the emission line profiles. The aperture and field of view of the LC set an étendue requirement of 1.39 m2 deg2 for the postfocus instrumentation. We find that a tunable wide-field birefringent filter using Lithium Niobate crystals can meet the étendue and spectral resolution requirements for the LC spectrometer. We have tested a number of commercially available crystals and verify that crystals of the required size and birefringence uniformity are available. We also evaluate electro-optical tuning of a Lithium Niobate birefringent filter by the application of high voltage. This tunable filter represents a key enabling technology for the COSMO LC.

The Copernicus ultraviolet spectral atlas of Gamma Pegasi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogerson, J. B., Jr.

1985-01-01

An ultraviolet spectral atlas is presented for the B2 IV star Gamma Pegasi, which has been scanned from 970 to 1501 A by the Princeton spectrometer aboard the Copernicus satellite. From 970 to 1430 A the observations have a nominal resolution of 0.05 A. At the longer wavelengths the resolution is 0.1 A. The atlas is presented in graphs. Line identifications are also listed.

The Copernicus ultraviolet spectral atlas of Tau Scorpii

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogerson, J. B., Jr.; Upson, W. L., II

1977-01-01

An ultraviolet spectral atlas is presented for the B0 V star, Tau Scorpii. It has been scanned from 949 to 1560 A by the Princeton spectrometer aboard the Copernicus satellite. From 949 to 1420 A the observations have a nominal resolution of 0.05 A. At the longer wavelengths, the resolution is 0.1 A. The atlas is presented in both tables and graphs.

Solar Coronal Jets Extending to High Altitudes Observed during the 2017 August 21 Total Eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanaoka, Yoichiro; Hasuo, Ryuichi; Hirose, Tsukasa; Ikeda, Akiko C.; Ishibashi, Tsutomu; Manago, Norihiro; Masuda, Yukio; Morita, Sakuhiro; Nakazawa, Jun; Ohgoe, Osamu; Sakai, Yoshiaki; Sasaki, Kazuhiro; Takahashi, Koichi; Toi, Toshiyuki

2018-06-01

Coronal jets, which extend from the solar surface to beyond 2 R ⊙, were observed in the polar coronal hole regions during the total solar eclipse on 2017 August 21. In a time-series of white-light images of the corona spanning 70 minutes taken with our multi-site observations of this eclipse, six jets were found as narrow structures upwardly ejected with an apparent speed of about 450 km s‑1 in polar plumes. On the other hand, extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) images taken with the Atmospheric Image Assembly of the Solar Dynamics Observatory show that all of the eclipse jets were preceded by EUV jets. Conversely, all the EUV jets whose brightnesses are comparable to ordinary soft X-ray jets and that occurred in the polar regions near the eclipse period, were observed as eclipse jets. These results suggest that ordinary polar jets generally reach high altitudes and escape from the Sun as part of the solar wind.

Reconnection-Driven Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in a Simulated Coronal-Hole Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uritskiy, Vadim M.; Roberts, Merrill A.; DeVore, C. Richard; Karpen, Judith T.

2017-01-01

Extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray jets occur frequently in magnetically open coronal holes on the Sun, especially at high solar latitudes. Some of these jets are observed by white-light coronagraphs as they propagate through the outer corona toward the inner heliosphere, and it has been proposed that they give rise to microstreams and torsional Alfven waves detected in situ in the solar wind. To predict and understand the signatures of coronal-hole jets, we have performed a detailed statistical analysis of such a jet simulated with an adaptively refined magnetohydrodynamics model. The results confirm the generation and persistence of three-dimensional, reconnection-driven magnetic turbulence in the simulation. We calculate the spatial correlations of magnetic fluctuations within the jet and find that they agree best with the Meuller - Biskamp scaling model including intermittent current sheets of various sizes coupled via hydrodynamic turbulent cascade. The anisotropy of the magnetic fluctuations and the spatial orientation of the current sheets are consistent with an ensemble of nonlinear Alfven waves. These properties also reflect the overall collimated jet structure imposed by the geometry of the reconnecting magnetic field. A comparison with Ulysses observations shows that turbulence in the jet wake is in quantitative agreement with that in the fast solar wind.

Vertical Oscillation of a Coronal Cavity Triggered by an EUV Wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Q. M.; Ji, H. S.

2018-06-01

In this paper, we report our multiwavelength observations of the vertical oscillation of a coronal cavity on 2011 March 16. The elliptical cavity with an underlying horn-like quiescent prominence was observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The width and height of the cavity are 150″ and 240″, and the centroid of cavity is 128″ above the solar surface. At ∼17:50 UT, a C3.8 two-ribbon flare took place in active region 11169 close to the solar western limb. Meanwhile, a partial halo coronal mass ejection erupted and propagated at a linear speed of ∼682 km s‑1. Associated with the eruption, a coronal extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave was generated and propagated in the northeast direction at a speed of ∼120 km s‑1. Once the EUV wave arrived at the cavity from the top, it pushed the large-scale overlying magnetic field lines downward before bouncing back. At the same time, the cavity started to oscillate coherently in the vertical direction and lasted for ∼2 cycles before disappearing. The amplitude, period, and damping time are 2.4–3.5 Mm, 29–37 minutes, and 26–78 minutes, respectively. The vertical oscillation of the cavity is explained by a global standing MHD wave of fast kink mode. To estimate the magnetic field strength of the cavity, we use two independent methods of prominence seismology. It is found that the magnetic field strength is only a few Gauss and less than 10 G.

CONVERGING SUPERGRANULAR FLOWS AND THE FORMATION OF CORONAL PLUMES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Y.-M.; Warren, H. P.; Muglach, K., E-mail: yi.wang@nrl.navy.mil, E-mail: harry.warren@nrl.navy.mil, E-mail: karin.muglach@nasa.gov

Earlier studies have suggested that coronal plumes are energized by magnetic reconnection between unipolar flux concentrations and nearby bipoles, even though magnetograms sometimes show very little minority-polarity flux near the footpoints of plumes. Here we use high-resolution extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) images and magnetograms from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) to clarify the relationship between plume emission and the underlying photospheric field. We find that plumes form where unipolar network elements inside coronal holes converge to form dense clumps, and fade as the clumps disperse again. The converging flows also carry internetwork fields of both polarities. Although the minority-polarity flux is sometimesmore » barely visible in the magnetograms, the corresponding EUV images almost invariably show loop-like features in the core of the plumes, with the fine structure changing on timescales of minutes or less. We conclude that the SDO observations are consistent with a model in which plume emission originates from interchange reconnection in converging flows, with the plume lifetime being determined by the ∼1 day evolutionary timescale of the supergranular network. Furthermore, the presence of large EUV bright points and/or ephemeral regions is not a necessary precondition for the formation of plumes, which can be energized even by the weak, mixed-polarity internetwork fields swept up by converging flows.« less

MODELING THE LINE-OF-SIGHT INTEGRATED EMISSION IN THE CORONA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CORONAL HEATING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Viall, Nicholeen M.; Klimchuk, James A.

2013-07-10

One of the outstanding problems in all of space science is uncovering how the solar corona is heated to temperatures greater than 1 MK. Though studied for decades, one of the major difficulties in solving this problem has been unraveling the line-of-sight (LOS) effects in the observations. The corona is optically thin, so a single pixel measures counts from an indeterminate number (perhaps tens of thousands) of independently heated flux tubes, all along that pixel's LOS. In this paper we model the emission in individual pixels imaging the active region corona in the extreme ultraviolet. If LOS effects are notmore » properly taken into account, erroneous conclusions regarding both coronal heating and coronal dynamics may be reached. We model the corona as an LOS integration of many thousands of completely independently heated flux tubes. We demonstrate that despite the superposition of randomly heated flux tubes, nanoflares leave distinct signatures in light curves observed with multi-wavelength and high time cadence data, such as those data taken with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These signatures are readily detected with the time-lag analysis technique of Viall and Klimchuk in 2012. Steady coronal heating leaves a different and equally distinct signature that is also revealed by the technique.« less

Mining the HST "Advanced Spectral Library (ASTRAL)": The Evolution of Winds from non-coronal to hybrid giant stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielsen, Krister E.; Carpenter, Ken G.; Kober, Gladys V.; Rau, Gioia

2018-01-01

The HST/STIS treasury program ASTRAL enables investigations of the character and dynamics of the wind and chromosphere of cool stars, using high quality spectral data. This paper shows how the wind features change with spectral class by comparing the non-coronal objects (Alpha Ori, Gamma Cru) with the hybrid stars (Gamma Dra, Beta Gem). In particular we study the intrinsic strength variation of the numerous FeII profiles observed in the near-ultraviolet HST spectrum that are sensitive to the wind opacity, turbulence and flow velocity. The FeII relative emission strength and wavelengths shifts between the absorption and emission components reflects the acceleration of the wind from the base of the chromosphere. We present the analysis of the outflowing wind characteristics when transitioning from the cool non-coronal objects toward the warmer objects with chromospheric emission from significantly hotter environments.

The diffuse extreme-ultraviolet background - Constraints on hot coronal plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paresce, F.; Stern, R.

1981-01-01

The Apollo-Soyuz data and data reported by Cash et al. (1976) have been reanalyzed in terms of both isothermal models and temperature distribution models. In the latter case, a power-law form is assumed for the relation between emission measure and temperature. A new upper limit on diffuse flux in the 20-73 eV band derived from Apollo-Soyuz observations made in the earth's shadow has been incorporated in the calculation. In the considered investigation the results of the new analysis are presented and the implications for the physical properties of the hot component of the interstellar medium are discussed. The analysis of the Berkeley extreme ultraviolet (EUV) diffuse background measurements using either isothermal or power law temperature distribution models for the emitting plasma indicates excellent qualitative agreement with hard X-ray data that suggest the sun to be immersed in a hot plasma that pervades most of space out to approximately 100 pc.

The Copernicus ultraviolet spectral atlas of Beta Orionis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogerson, J. B., Jr.; Upson, W. L., II

1982-01-01

An ultraviolet spectral atlas is presented for the B8 Ia star Beta Orionis, which has been scanned from 999 to 1561 A by the Princeton spectrometer aboard the Copernicus satellite. From 999 to 1420 A the observations have a nominal resolution of 0.05 A. At the longer wavelengths the resolution is 0.1 A. The atlas is presented in graphs. Lines identified in the spectrum are also listed.

The Copernicus ultraviolet spectral atlas of Iota Herculis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Upson, W. L., II; Rogerson, J. B., Jr.

1980-01-01

An ultraviolet spectral atlas is presented for the B3 IV star Iota Herculis, which has been scanned from 999 to 1467 A by the Princeton spectrometer aboard the Copernicus satellite. From 999 to 1422 A the observations have a nominal resolution of 0.05 A. At the longer wavelengths the resolution is 0.1 A. The atlas is presented in graphs. Lines identified in the spectrum are also listed.

Coronal Structures in Cool Stars: XMM-NEWTON Hybrid Stars and Coronal Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dupree, Andrea K.; Mushotzky, Richard (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

This program addresses the evolution of stellar coronas by comparing a solar-like corona in the supergiant Beta Dra (G2 Ib-IIa) to the corona in the allegedly more evolved state of a hybrid star, alpha TrA (K2 II-III). Because the hybrid star has a massive wind, it appears likely that the corona will be cooler and less dense as the magnetic loop structures are no longer closed. By analogy with solar coronal holes, when the topology of the magnetic field is configured with open magnetic structures, both the coronal temperature and density are lower than in atmospheres dominated by closed loops. The hybrid stars assume a pivotal role in the definition of coronal evolution, atmospheric heating processes and mechanisms to drive winds of cool stars. We are attempting to determine if this model of coronal evolution is correct by using XMM-NEWTON RGS spectra for the 2 targets we were allocated through the Guest Observer program.

The Space Weather and Ultraviolet Solar Variability (SWUSV) Microsatellite Mission

PubMed Central

Damé, Luc; Meftah, Mustapha; Hauchecorne, Alain; Keckhut, Philippe; Sarkissian, Alain; Marchand, Marion; Irbah, Abdenour; Quémerais, Éric; Bekki, Slimane; Foujols, Thomas; Kretzschmar, Matthieu; Cessateur, Gaël; Shapiro, Alexander; Schmutz, Werner; Kuzin, Sergey; Slemzin, Vladimir; Urnov, Alexander; Bogachev, Sergey; Merayo, José; Brauer, Peter; Tsinganos, Kanaris; Paschalis, Antonis; Mahrous, Ayman; Khaled, Safinaz; Ghitas, Ahmed; Marzouk, Besheir; Zaki, Amal; Hady, Ahmed A.; Kariyappa, Rangaiah

2013-01-01

We present the ambitions of the SWUSV (Space Weather and Ultraviolet Solar Variability) Microsatellite Mission that encompasses three major scientific objectives: (1) Space Weather including the prediction and detection of major eruptions and coronal mass ejections (Lyman-Alpha and Herzberg continuum imaging); (2) solar forcing on the climate through radiation and their interactions with the local stratosphere (UV spectral irradiance from 180 to 400 nm by bands of 20 nm, plus Lyman-Alpha and the CN bandhead); (3) simultaneous radiative budget of the Earth, UV to IR, with an accuracy better than 1% in differential. The paper briefly outlines the mission and describes the five proposed instruments of the model payload: SUAVE (Solar Ultraviolet Advanced Variability Experiment), an optimized telescope for FUV (Lyman-Alpha) and MUV (200–220 nm Herzberg continuum) imaging (sources of variability); UPR (Ultraviolet Passband Radiometers), with 64 UV filter radiometers; a vector magnetometer; thermal plasma measurements and Langmuir probes; and a total and spectral solar irradiance and Earth radiative budget ensemble (SERB, Solar irradiance & Earth Radiative Budget). SWUSV is proposed as a small mission to CNES and to ESA for a possible flight as early as 2017–2018. PMID:25685424

The Space Weather and Ultraviolet Solar Variability (SWUSV) Microsatellite Mission.

PubMed

Damé, Luc

2013-05-01

We present the ambitions of the SWUSV (Space Weather and Ultraviolet Solar Variability) Microsatellite Mission that encompasses three major scientific objectives: (1) Space Weather including the prediction and detection of major eruptions and coronal mass ejections (Lyman-Alpha and Herzberg continuum imaging); (2) solar forcing on the climate through radiation and their interactions with the local stratosphere (UV spectral irradiance from 180 to 400 nm by bands of 20 nm, plus Lyman-Alpha and the CN bandhead); (3) simultaneous radiative budget of the Earth, UV to IR, with an accuracy better than 1% in differential. The paper briefly outlines the mission and describes the five proposed instruments of the model payload: SUAVE (Solar Ultraviolet Advanced Variability Experiment), an optimized telescope for FUV (Lyman-Alpha) and MUV (200-220 nm Herzberg continuum) imaging (sources of variability); UPR (Ultraviolet Passband Radiometers), with 64 UV filter radiometers; a vector magnetometer; thermal plasma measurements and Langmuir probes; and a total and spectral solar irradiance and Earth radiative budget ensemble (SERB, Solar irradiance & Earth Radiative Budget). SWUSV is proposed as a small mission to CNES and to ESA for a possible flight as early as 2017-2018.

Electrospray-assisted ultraviolet aerodynamic particle sizer spectrometer for real-time characterization of bacterial particles.

PubMed

Jung, Jae Hee; Lee, Jung Eun; Hwang, Gi Byoung; Lee, Byung Uk; Lee, Seung Bok; Jurng, Jong Soo; Bae, Gwi Nam

2010-01-15

The ultraviolet aerodynamic particle sizer (UVAPS) spectrometer is a novel, commercially available aerosol counter for real-time, continuous monitoring of viable bioaerosols based on the fluorescence induced from living microorganisms. For aerosolization of liquid-based microorganisms, general aerosolization methods such as atomization or nebulization may not be adequate for an accurate and quantitative characterization of the microorganisms because of the formation of agglomerated particles. In such cases, biological electrospray techniques have an advantage because they generate nonagglomerated particles, attributable to the repulsive electrical forces among particles with unipolar charges. Biological electrosprays are quickly gaining potential for the detection and control of living organisms in applications ranging from mass spectrometry to developmental microbiology. In this study, we investigated the size distribution, total concentration, and fluorescence percentage of bacterial particles in a real-time manner by electrospray-assisted UVAPS. A suspension containing Escherichia coli as a test microorganism was sprayed in a steady cone-jet mode using a specially designed electrospray system with a point-to-orifice-plate configuration based on charge-reduced electrospray size spectrometry. With the electrospray process, 98% of the total E. coli particle number concentration had a size of <1 mum and the geometric mean diameter was 0.779 mum, as compared with the respective values of 78% and 0.907 mum after nebulization. The fractions of fluorescence responsive particles and of particles that contained viable organisms in culture were 12% and 7%, respectively, from the electrospray process and 34% and 24% from nebulization. These results demonstrate that (1) the presence of agglomerated particles can lead to markedly overestimated fluorescence and culturability percentages compared with the values obtained from nonagglomerated particles, and (2) electrospray

Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. XXI - Absolute energy distribution of stars in the ultraviolet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bless, R. C.; Code, A. D.; Fairchild, E. T.

1976-01-01

The absolute energy distribution in the ultraviolet is given for the stars alpha Vir, eta UMa, and alpha Leo. The calibration is based on absolute heterochromatic photometry between 2920 and 1370 A carried out with an Aerobee sounding rocket. The fundamental radiation standard is the synchrotron radiation from 240-MeV electrons in a certain synchrotron storage ring. On the basis of the sounding-rocket calibration, the preliminary OAO-2 spectrometer calibration has been revised; the fluxes for the three program stars are tabulated in energy per second per square centimeter per unit wavelength interval.

The Preflight Photometric Calibration of the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope EIT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dere, K. P.; Moses, J. D.; Delaboudiniere, J. -P.; Brunaud, J.; Carabetian, C.; Hochedez, J. -F.; Song, X. Y.; Catura, R. C.; Clette, F.; Defise, J. -M.

2000-01-01

This paper presents the preflight photometric calibration of the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The EIT consists of a Ritchey-Chretien telescope with multilayer coatings applied to four quadrants of the primary and secondary mirrors, several filters and a backside-thinned CCD detector. The quadrants of the EIT optics were used to observe the Sun in 4 wavelength bands that peak near 171, 195, 284, and 304 . Before the launch of SOHO, the EIT mirror reflectivities, the filter transmissivities and the CCD quantum efficiency were measured and these values are described here. The instrumental throughput in terms of an effective area is presented for each of the various mirror quadrant and filter wheel combinations. The response to a coronal plasma as a function of temperature is also determined and the expected count rates are compared to the count rates observed in a coronal hole, the quiet Sun and an active region.

Large-Scale Coronal Heating, Clustering of Coronal Bright Points, and Concentration of Magnetic Flux

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falconer, D. A.; Moore, R. L.; Porter, J. G.; Hathaway, D. H.

1998-01-01

By combining quiet-region Fe XII coronal images from SOHO/EIT with magnetograms from NSO/Kitt Peak and from SOHO/MDI, we show that on scales larger than a supergranule the population of network coronal bright points and the magnetic flux content of the network are both markedly greater under the bright half of the quiet corona than under the dim half. These results (1) support the view that the heating of the entire corona in quiet regions and coronal holes is driven by fine-scale magnetic activity (microflares, explosive events, spicules) seated low in the magnetic network, and (2) suggest that this large-scale modulation of the magnetic flux and coronal heating is a signature of giant convection cells.

Coroners and death certification law reform: the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and its aftermath.

PubMed

Luce, Tom

2010-10-01

After considering various different options for half a decade, the last Government legislated in 2009 to reform the England and Wales coroner and death certification systems. The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 provides for the creation of a new Chief Coroner post to lead the jurisdiction and for local medical examiners to oversee a new death certification scheme applicable equally to burial and cremation cases. In October 2010 the new Government announced that it judges the main coroner reform to be unaffordable, will not proceed with it and plans to repeal the provisions. It intends to implement the new death certification arrangements, which is welcome. The decision to abort the main coroner reform in spite of longstanding and widespread recognition of the need for major change is deplorable though in line with other failures over the last century to properly modernise this neglected service.

Key aspects of coronal heating

PubMed Central

Klimchuk, James A.

2015-01-01

We highlight 10 key aspects of coronal heating that must be understood before we can consider the problem to be solved. (1) All coronal heating is impulsive. (2) The details of coronal heating matter. (3) The corona is filled with elemental magnetic stands. (4) The corona is densely populated with current sheets. (5) The strands must reconnect to prevent an infinite build-up of stress. (6) Nanoflares repeat with different frequencies. (7) What is the characteristic magnitude of energy release? (8) What causes the collective behaviour responsible for loops? (9) What are the onset conditions for energy release? (10) Chromospheric nanoflares are not a primary source of coronal plasma. Significant progress in solving the coronal heating problem will require coordination of approaches: observational studies, field-aligned hydrodynamic simulations, large-scale and localized three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations, and possibly also kinetic simulations. There is a unique value to each of these approaches, and the community must strive to coordinate better. PMID:25897094

Transverse Oscillations of Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruderman, Michael S.; Erdélyi, Robert

2009-12-01

On 14 July 1998 TRACE observed transverse oscillations of a coronal loop generated by an external disturbance most probably caused by a solar flare. These oscillations were interpreted as standing fast kink waves in a magnetic flux tube. Firstly, in this review we embark on the discussion of the theory of waves and oscillations in a homogeneous straight magnetic cylinder with the particular emphasis on fast kink waves. Next, we consider the effects of stratification, loop expansion, loop curvature, non-circular cross-section, loop shape and magnetic twist. An important property of observed transverse coronal loop oscillations is their fast damping. We briefly review the different mechanisms suggested for explaining the rapid damping phenomenon. After that we concentrate on damping due to resonant absorption. We describe the latest analytical results obtained with the use of thin transition layer approximation, and then compare these results with numerical findings obtained for arbitrary density variation inside the flux tube. Very often collective oscillations of an array of coronal magnetic loops are observed. It is natural to start studying this phenomenon from the system of two coronal loops. We describe very recent analytical and numerical results of studying collective oscillations of two parallel homogeneous coronal loops. The implication of the theoretical results for coronal seismology is briefly discussed. We describe the estimates of magnetic field magnitude obtained from the observed fundamental frequency of oscillations, and the estimates of the coronal scale height obtained using the simultaneous observations of the fundamental frequency and the frequency of the first overtone of kink oscillations. In the last part of the review we summarise the most outstanding and acute problems in the theory of the coronal loop transverse oscillations.

Higher-speed coronal mass ejections and their geoeffectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, A. K.; Bhargawa, Asheesh; Tonk, Apeksha

2018-06-01

We have attempted to examine the ability of coronal mass ejections to cause geoeffectiveness. To that end, we have investigated total 571 cases of higher-speed (> 1000 km/s) coronal mass ejection events observed during the years 1996-2012. On the basis of angular width (W) of observance, events of coronal mass ejection were further classified as front-side or halo coronal mass ejections (W = 360°); back-side halo coronal mass ejections (W = 360°); partial halo (120°< W < 360°) and non-halo (W < 120°). From further analysis, we found that front halo coronal mass ejections were much faster and more geoeffective in comparison of partial halo and non-halo coronal mass ejections. We also inferred that the front-sided halo coronal mass ejections were 67.1% geoeffective while geoeffectiveness of partial halo coronal mass ejections and non-halo coronal mass ejections were found to be 44.2% and 56.6% respectively. During the same period of observation, 43% of back-sided CMEs showed geoeffectiveness. We have also investigated some events of coronal mass ejections having speed > 2500 km/s as a case study. We have concluded that mere speed of coronal mass ejection and their association with solar flares or solar activity were not mere criterion for producing geoeffectiveness but angular width of coronal mass ejections and their originating position also played a key role.

Low-Latitude Solar Coronal Hole Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haislmaier, Karl; Petrie, G.

2013-01-01

Little is known about the origin of low-latitude solar coronal holes (CHs) and their relation to the magnetic flux distribution of the underlying Solar Photosphere. Two recent reports (Karachik et al. 2010, Wang et al. 2010) suggest that CH formation might be correlated with the decay of active regions (ARs) in the photosphere. In order to explore the nature and extent of such correlations, we surveyed GONG (Global Oscillations Network Group) synoptic magnetograms and STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) synoptic extreme ultraviolet images of Carrington rotations 2047-2112. From these two data sets, 41 AR-CH pairs were identified, accounting for ~34% of all ARs that appeared during the surveyed rotations. Each of these AR-CH pairs fell into one of two general classes: 1) those where the CHs were associated with the leading polarity fluxes of decaying ARs whose lagging fluxes largely decayed away, and 2) those where the CHs were associated with the lagging fluxes of surviving ARs. Perhaps surprisingly, the positive and negative fluxes of the ARs generally remained well balanced after their CHs developed. Extrapolated coronal potential-field source-surface (PFSS) models linked the CH creation and development to changes in magnetic connectivity with the surroundings as the AR flux became more diffuse over time. These considerations lead us to conclude that CHs are associated with low intensity, unipolar magnetic flux regions in the photosphere, which are most readily created by the turbulent diffusion and decay of AR flux. This work is carried out through the National Solar Observatory Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) site program, which is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the National Science Foundation REU Program. The National Solar Observatory is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

Spectroscopic observations of the extended corona during the SOHO whole sun month

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strachan, L.; Raymond, J. C.; Panasyuk, A. V.; Fineschi, S.; Gardner, L. D.; Antonucci, E.; Giordano, S.; Romoli, M.; Noci, G.; Kohl, J. L.

1997-01-01

The spatial distribution of plasma parameters in the extended corona, derived from the ultraviolet coronagraph spectrometer (UVCS) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), was investigated. The observations were carried out during the SOHO whole month campaign. Daily coronal scans in the H I Lyman alpha and O VI lambda-lambda 1032 A and 1037 A were used. Maps of outflow velocities of O(5+), based on Doppler dimming of the O VI lines, are discussed. The velocity distribution widths of O(5+) are shown to be a clear signature of coronal holes while the velocity distributions for H(0) show a much smaller effect. The possible physical explanations for some of the observed features are discussed.

Properties of Coronal Shocks at the Origin of SEP events Observed by Only One Single Spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lario, D.; Kwon, R.

2017-12-01

The simultaneous observation of solar energetic particle (SEP) events by multiple spacecraft distributed in the interplanetary medium depends not only on the spatial separation among the different spacecraft, but also on the properties of the particle sources and the characteristics of the SEP transport in interplanetary space. Among the SEP events observed by STEREO-A, STEREO-B and/or near-Earth spacecraft during solar cycle 24, we select SEP events observed by a single spacecraft (specifically, the SEP events observed only by near-Earth spacecraft on 2012 April 5, 2011 September 4, and 2013 August 17). We analyze whether the properties of the coronal shock associated with the origin of the events (as seen in extreme-ultraviolet and white-light coronal images) differ from those associated with SEP events observed by two or three spacecraft. For the selected events we find that the associated CMEs are, in general, narrower than those associated with SEP events observed by two or three spacecraft. The confined extension of the parent coronal shock and the absence of magnetic connection between distant spacecraft and the regions of the expanding coronal shock able to efficiently accelerate SEPs seem to be the conditions leading to intense SEP events observed only over narrow regions of interplanetary space by spacecraft magnetically connected to regions close to the parent eruption site. Weak and gradual intensity increases observed in extended regions of space might involve transport processes and/or later connections established with interplanetary shocks. Systematic analyses of a larger number of events are required before drawing firm conclusions.

Dynamic simulation of coronal mass ejections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinolfson, R. S.; Wu, S. T.

1980-01-01

A model is developed for the formation and propagation through the lower corona of the loop-like coronal transients in which mass is ejected from near the solar surface to the outer corona. It is assumed that the initial state for the transient is a coronal streamer. The initial state for the streamer is a polytropic, hydrodynamic solution to the steady-state radial equation of motion coupled with a force-free dipole magnetic field. The numerical solution of the complete time-dependent equations then gradually approaches a stationary coronal streamer configuration. The streamer configuration becomes the initial state for the coronal transient. The streamer and transient simulations are performed completely independent of each other. The transient is created by a sudden increase in the pressure at the base of the closed-field region in the streamer configuration. Both coronal streamers and coronal transients are calculated for values of the plasma beta (the ratio of thermal to magnetic pressure) varying from 0.1 to 100.

High-resolution crystal spectrometer for the 10-60 (angstrom) EUV region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beiersdorfer, P; Brown, G V; Goddard, R

2004-02-20

A vacuum crystal spectrometer with nominal resolving power approaching 1000 is described for measuring emission lines with wavelength in the extreme ultraviolet region up to 60 Angstroms. The instrument utilizes a flat octadecyl hydrogen maleate (OHM) crystal and a thin-window 1-D position-sensitive gas proportional detector. This detector employs a 1 {micro}m-thick 100 x8 mm{sup 2} aluminized polyimide window and operates at one atmosphere pressure. The spectrometer has been implemented on the Livermore electron beam ion traps. The performance of the instrument is illustrated in measurements of the newly discovered magnetic field-sensitive line in Ar{sup 8+}.

Radio Studies of Coronal Holes.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

Withbroe (1978) has pointed out, "The transport of energy by thermal conduction into the transition zone is a primary coronal cooling mechanism." Thus, the...temperature and particle density gradients in the transition zone are of critical importance in understanding the energy balance of a coronal hole. The...coronal hole has been provided by Konp and Orrall (1977), but a quantitative understanding requires a detailed knowledge of the energy balance in the

Reconnection-driven Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in a Simulated Coronal-hole Jet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uritsky, Vadim M.; Roberts, Merrill A.; DeVore, C. Richard

Extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray jets occur frequently in magnetically open coronal holes on the Sun, especially at high solar latitudes. Some of these jets are observed by white-light coronagraphs as they propagate through the outer corona toward the inner heliosphere, and it has been proposed that they give rise to microstreams and torsional Alfvén waves detected in situ in the solar wind. To predict and understand the signatures of coronal-hole jets, we have performed a detailed statistical analysis of such a jet simulated by an adaptively refined magnetohydrodynamics model. The results confirm the generation and persistence of three-dimensional, reconnection-driven magnetic turbulencemore » in the simulation. We calculate the spatial correlations of magnetic fluctuations within the jet and find that they agree best with the Müller–Biskamp scaling model including intermittent current sheets of various sizes coupled via hydrodynamic turbulent cascade. The anisotropy of the magnetic fluctuations and the spatial orientation of the current sheets are consistent with an ensemble of nonlinear Alfvén waves. These properties also reflect the overall collimated jet structure imposed by the geometry of the reconnecting magnetic field. A comparison with Ulysses observations shows that turbulence in the jet wake is in quantitative agreement with that in the fast solar wind.« less

Online investigations on ozonation products of pyrene and benz[ a]anthracene particles with a vacuum ultraviolet photoionization aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Shaokai; Zhang, Yang; Meng, Junwang; Shu, Jinian

The reaction products of ozone with pyrene and benz[ a]anthracene absorbed on azelaic acid particles under the pseudo-first-order reaction conditions have been investigated with a vacuum ultraviolet photoionization aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (VUV-ATOFMS). The pyrene and benz[ a]anthracene particles with the initial concentrations of ˜1 mg m -3 are respectively exposed to ˜22 ppm ozone in a reaction chamber with a volume of ˜180 L. The time-of-flight mass spectra of the particulate ozonides are obtained. The assignments of the mass spectra reveal that 4-carboxy-5-phenanthrene-carboxyaldehyde (71%) and hydroxypyrene (23%) are the main solid state ozonides of pyrene, while 2-(2-formyl)phenyl-3-naphthoic acid (35%), hydroxybenz[ a]anthrone (30%), and benz[ a]anthracene-7,12-dione (18%) are the main solid state ozonides of benz[ a]anthracene. The pathways of the ozonations are proposed in the paper.

Solar radio bursts of spectral type II, coronal shocks, and optical coronal transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maxwell, A.; Dryer, M.

1981-01-01

An examination is presented of the association of solar radio bursts of spectral type II and coronal shocks with solar flare ejecta observed in H-alpha, the green coronal line, and white-light coronagraphs. It is suggested that fast-moving optical coronal transients should for the most part be identified with piston-type phenomena well behind the outward-traveling shock waves that generate type II radio bursts. A general model is presented which relates type II radio bursts and coronal shocks to optically observed ejecta and consists of three main velocity regimes: (1) a quasi-hemispherical shock wave moving outward from the flare at speeds of 1000-2000 km/sec and Alfven Mach number of about 1.5; (2) the velocity of the piston driving the shock, on the order of 0.8 that of the shock; and (3) the regime of the slower-moving H-alpha ejecta, with velocities of 300-500 km/sec.

On the Importance of the Flare's Late Phase for the Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Irradiance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woods, Thomas N.; Eparvier, Frank; Jones, Andrew R.; Hock, Rachel; Chamberlin, Phillip C.; Klimchuk, James A.; Didkovsky, Leonid; Judge, Darrell; Mariska, John; Bailey, Scott;

Geometry of solar coronal rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippov, B. P.; Martsenyuk, O. V.; Platov, Yu. V.; Den, O. E.

2016-02-01

Coronal helmet streamers are the most prominent large-scale elements of the solar corona observed in white light during total solar eclipses. The base of the streamer is an arcade of loops located above a global polarity inversion line. At an altitude of 1-2 solar radii above the limb, the apices of the arches sharpen, forming cusp structures, above which narrow coronal rays are observed. Lyot coronagraphs, especially those on-board spacecrafts flying beyond the Earth's atmosphere, enable us to observe the corona continuously and at large distances. At distances of several solar radii, the streamers take the form of fairly narrow spokes that diverge radially from the Sun. This radial direction displays a continuous expansion of the corona into the surrounding space, and the formation of the solar wind. However, the solar magnetic field and solar rotation complicate the situation. The rotation curves radial streams into spiral ones, similar to water streams flowing from rotating tubes. The influence of the magnetic field is more complex and multifarious. A thorough study of coronal ray geometries shows that rays are frequently not radial and not straight. Coronal streamers frequently display a curvature whose direction in the meridional plane depends on the phase of the solar cycle. It is evident that this curvature is related to the geometry of the global solar magnetic field, which depends on the cycle phase. Equatorward deviations of coronal streamers at solar minima and poleward deviations at solar maxima can be interpreted as the effects of changes in the general topology of the global solar magnetic field. There are sporadic temporal changes in the coronal rays shape caused by remote coronal mass ejections (CMEs) propagating through the corona. This is also a manifestation of the influence of the magnetic field on plasma flows. The motion of a large-scale flux rope associated with a CME away from the Sun creates changes in the structure of surrounding field

First Use of Synoptic Vector Magnetograms for Global Nonlinear, Force-Free Coronal Magnetic Field Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tadesse, T.; Wiegelmann, T.; Gosain, S.; MacNeice, P.; Pevtsov, A. A.

2014-01-01

Context. The magnetic field permeating the solar atmosphere is generally thought to provide the energy for much of the activity seen in the solar corona, such as flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), etc. To overcome the unavailability of coronal magnetic field measurements, photospheric magnetic field vector data can be used to reconstruct the coronal field. Currently, there are several modelling techniques being used to calculate three-dimensional field lines into the solar atmosphere. Aims. For the first time, synoptic maps of a photospheric-vector magnetic field synthesized from the vector spectromagnetograph (VSM) on Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigations of the Sun (SOLIS) are used to model the coronal magnetic field and estimate free magnetic energy in the global scale. The free energy (i.e., the energy in excess of the potential field energy) is one of the main indicators used in space weather forecasts to predict the eruptivity of active regions. Methods. We solve the nonlinear force-free field equations using an optimization principle in spherical geometry. The resulting threedimensional magnetic fields are used to estimate the magnetic free energy content E(sub free) = E(sub nlfff) - E(sub pot), which is the difference of the magnetic energies between the nonpotential field and the potential field in the global solar corona. For comparison, we overlay the extrapolated magnetic field lines with the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations by the atmospheric imaging assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Results. For a single Carrington rotation 2121, we find that the global nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) magnetic energy density is 10.3% higher than the potential one. Most of this free energy is located in active regions.

Compact Solid-State 213 nm Laser Enables Standoff Deep Ultraviolet Raman Spectrometer: Measurements of Nitrate Photochemistry.

PubMed

Bykov, Sergei V; Mao, Michael; Gares, Katie L; Asher, Sanford A

2015-08-01

We describe a new compact acousto-optically Q-switched diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) intracavity frequency-tripled neodymium-doped yttrium vanadate laser capable of producing ~100 mW of 213 nm power quasi-continuous wave as 15 ns pulses at a 30 kHz repetition rate. We use this new laser in a prototype of a deep ultraviolet (UV) Raman standoff spectrometer. We use a novel high-throughput, high-resolution Echelle Raman spectrograph. We measure the deep UV resonance Raman (UVRR) spectra of solid and solution sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) at a standoff distance of ~2.2 m. For this 2.2 m standoff distance and a 1 min spectral accumulation time, where we only monitor the symmetric stretching band, we find a solid state NaNO3 detection limit of ~100 μg/cm(2). We easily detect ~20 μM nitrate water solutions in 1 cm path length cells. As expected, the aqueous solutions UVRR spectra of NaNO3 and NH4NO3 are similar, showing selective resonance enhancement of the nitrate (NO3(-)) vibrations. The aqueous solution photochemistry is also similar, showing facile conversion of NO3(-) to nitrite (NO2(-)). In contrast, the observed UVRR spectra of NaNO3 and NH4NO3 powders significantly differ, because their solid-state photochemistries differ. Whereas solid NaNO3 photoconverts with a very low quantum yield to NaNO2, the NH4NO3 degrades with an apparent quantum yield of ~0.2 to gaseous species.

Three-Dimensional Morphology of a Coronal Prominence Cavity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, S. E.; Kucera, T. A.; Rastawicki, D.; Dove, J.; deToma, G.; Hao, J.; Hill, S.; Hudson, H. S.; Marque, C.; McIntosh, P. S.;

Understanding the Physical Nature of Coronal "EIT Waves".

PubMed

Long, D M; Bloomfield, D S; Chen, P F; Downs, C; Gallagher, P T; Kwon, R-Y; Vanninathan, K; Veronig, A M; Vourlidas, A; Vršnak, B; Warmuth, A; Žic, T

2017-01-01

For almost 20 years the physical nature of globally propagating waves in the solar corona (commonly called "EIT waves") has been controversial and subject to debate. Additional theories have been proposed over the years to explain observations that did not agree with the originally proposed fast-mode wave interpretation. However, the incompatibility of observations made using the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory with the fast-mode wave interpretation was challenged by differing viewpoints from the twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft and data with higher spatial and temporal resolution from the Solar Dynamics Observatory . In this article, we reexamine the theories proposed to explain EIT waves to identify measurable properties and behaviours that can be compared to current and future observations. Most of us conclude that the so-called EIT waves are best described as fast-mode large-amplitude waves or shocks that are initially driven by the impulsive expansion of an erupting coronal mass ejection in the low corona.

Understanding the Physical Nature of Coronal "EIT Waves"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, D. M.; Bloomfield, D. S.; Chen, P.-F.; Downs, C.; Gallagher, P. T.; Kwon, R.-Y.; Vanninathan, K.; Veronig, A.; Vourlidas, A.; Vrsnak, B.; Warmuth, A.; Zic, T.

2016-10-01

For almost 20 years the physical nature of globally-propagating waves in the solar corona (commonly called "EIT waves") has been controversial and subject to debate. Additional theories have been proposed throughout the years to explain observations that did not fit with the originally proposed fast-mode wave interpretation. However, the incompatibility of observations made using the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory with the fast-mode wave interpretation have been challenged by differing viewpoints from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft and higher spatial/temporal resolution data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory. In this paper, we reexamine the theories proposed to explain "EIT waves" to identify measurable properties and behaviours that can be compared to current and future observations. Most of us conclude that "EIT waves" are best described as fast-mode large-amplitude waves/shocks, which are initially driven by the impulsive expansion of an erupting coronal mass ejection in the low corona.

Coronal Seismology -- Achievements and Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruderman, Michael

Coronal seismology is a new and fast developing branch of the solar physics. The main idea of coronal seismology is the same as of any branches of seismology: to determine basic properties of a medium using properties of waves propagating in this medium. The waves and oscillations in the solar corona are routinely observed in the late space missions. In our brief review we concentrate only on one of the most spectacular type of oscillations observed in the solar corona - the transverse oscillations of coronal magnetic loops. These oscillations were first observed by TRACE on 14 July 1998. At present there are a few dozens of similar observations. Shortly after the first observation of the coronal loop transverse oscillations they were interpreted as kink oscillations of magnetic tubes with the ends frozen in the dense photospheric plasma. The frequency of the kink oscillation is proportional to the magnetic field magnitude and inversely proportional to the tube length times the square root of the plasma density. This fact was used to estimate the magnetic field magnitude in the coronal loops. In 2004 the first simultaneous observation of the fundamental mode and first overtone of the coronal loop transverse oscillation was reported. If we model a coronal loop as a homogeneous magnetic tube, then the ratio of the frequencies of the first overtone and the fundamental mode should be equal to 2. However, the ratio of the observed frequencies was smaller than 2. This is related to the density variation along the loop. If we assume that the corona is isothermal and prescribe the loop shape (usually it is assumed that it has the shape of half-circle), then, using the ratio of the two frequencies, we can determine the temperature of the coronal plasma. The first observation of transverse oscillations of the coronal loops showed that they were strongly damped. This phenomenon was confirmed by the subsequent observations. At present, the most reliable candidate for the

VUV spectroscopy in impurity injection experiments at KSTAR using prototype ITER VUV spectrometer.

PubMed

Seon, C R; Hong, J H; Song, I; Jang, J; Lee, H Y; An, Y H; Kim, B S; Jeon, T M; Park, J S; Choe, W; Lee, H G; Pak, S; Cheon, M S; Choi, J H; Kim, H S; Biel, W; Bernascolle, P; Barnsley, R

2017-08-01

The ITER vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) core survey spectrometer has been designed as a 5-channel spectral system so that the high spectral resolving power of 200-500 could be achieved in the wavelength range of 2.4-160 nm. To verify the design of the ITER VUV core survey spectrometer, a two-channel prototype spectrometer was developed. As a subsequent step of the prototype test, the prototype VUV spectrometer has been operated at KSTAR since the 2012 experimental campaign. From impurity injection experiments in the years 2015 and 2016, strong emission lines, such as Kr xxv 15.8 nm, Kr xxvi 17.9 nm, Ne vii 46.5 nm, Ne vi 40.2 nm, and an array of largely unresolved tungsten lines (14-32 nm) could be measured successfully, showing the typical photon number of 10 13 -10 15 photons/cm 2 s.

Multidimensional Modeling of Coronal Rain Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, X.; Xia, C.; Keppens, R.

2013-07-01

We present the first multidimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations that capture the initial formation and long-term sustainment of the enigmatic coronal rain phenomenon. We demonstrate how thermal instability can induce a spectacular display of in situ forming blob-like condensations which then start their intimate ballet on top of initially linear force-free arcades. Our magnetic arcades host a chromospheric, transition region, and coronal plasma. Following coronal rain dynamics for over 80 minutes of physical time, we collect enough statistics to quantify blob widths, lengths, velocity distributions, and other characteristics which directly match modern observational knowledge. Our virtual coronal rain displays the deformation of blobs into V-shaped features, interactions of blobs due to mostly pressure-mediated levitations, and gives the first views of blobs that evaporate in situ or are siphoned over the apex of the background arcade. Our simulations pave the way for systematic surveys of coronal rain showers in true multidimensional settings to connect parameterized heating prescriptions with rain statistics, ultimately allowing us to quantify the coronal heating input.

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowyer, S.; Malina, R. F.

1991-01-01

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) mission, currently scheduled from launch in September 1991, is described. The primary purpose of the mission is to survey the celestial sphere for astronomical sources of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation with the use of three EUV telescope, each sensitive to a different segment of the EUV band. A fourth telescope is planned to perform a high-sensitivity search of a limited sample of the sky in the shortest wavelength bands. The all-sky survey is planned to be carried out in the first six months of the mission in four bands, or colors, 70-180 A, 170-250 A, 400-600 A, and 500-700 A. The second phase of the mission is devoted to spectroscopic observations of EUV sources. A high-efficiency grazing-incidence spectrometer using variable line-space gratings is planned to provide spectral data with about 1-A resolution. An end-to-end model of the mission, from a stellar source to the resulting scientific data, is presented. Hypothetical data from astronomical sources were processed through this model and are shown.

A survey of ultraviolet interstellar absorption lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bohlin, R. C.; Jenkins, E. B.; Spitzer, L., Jr.; York, D. G.; Hill, J. K.; Savage, B. D.; Snow, T. P., Jr.

1983-01-01

A telescope-spectrometer on the Copernicus spacecraft made possible the measurement of many ultraviolet absorption lines produced by the interstellar gas. The present survey provides data on ultraviolet absorption lines in the spectra of 88 early-type stars. The stars observed are divided into four classes, including reddened stars, unreddened bright stars, moderately reddened bright stars, and unreddened and moderately reddened faint stars. Data are presented for equivalent width, W, radial velocity V, and rms line width, D, taking into account some 10 to 20 lines of N I, O I, Si II, P II, S II, Cl I, Cl II, Mn II, Fe II, Ni II, Cu II, and H2. The data are based on multiple scans for each line. Attention is given to details of observations, the data reduction procedure, and the computation of equivalent width, mean velocity, and velocity dispersion.

Three Coronal Holes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-04-16

For much of this week the sun featured three substantial coronal holes (Apr. 3-6, 2018). Coronal holes appear as large dark areas which are identified with arrows in the still image. These are areas of open magnetic field from which high speed solar wind rushes out into space. This wind, if it interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, can cause aurora to appear near the poles. They are not at all uncommon. Animations are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22414

A Catalog of Coronal "EIT Wave" Transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, B. J.; Myers, D. C.

2009-01-01

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) data have been visually searched for coronal "EIT wave" transients over the period beginning from 1997 March 24 and extending through 1998 June 24. The dates covered start at the beginning of regular high-cadence (more than one image every 20 minutes) observations, ending at the four-month interruption of SOHO observations in mid-1998. One hundred and seventy six events are included in this catalog. The observations range from "candidate" events, which were either weak or had insufficient data coverage, to events which were well defined and were clearly distinguishable in the data. Included in the catalog are times of the EIT images in which the events are observed, diagrams indicating the observed locations of the wave fronts and associated active regions, and the speeds of the wave fronts. The measured speeds of the wave fronts varied from less than 50 to over 700 km s(exp -1) with "typical" speeds of 200-400 km s(exp -1).

Multi-spacecraft Observations of the Coronal and Interplanetary Evolution of a Solar Eruption Associated with Two Active Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, H.; Liu, Y. D.; Wang, R.; Zhao, X.; Zhu, B.; Yang, Z.

2017-12-01

We investigate the coronal and interplanetary evolution of a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched on 2010 September 4 from a source region linking two active regions (ARs), 11101 and 11103, using extreme ultraviolet imaging, magnetogram, white-light, and in situ observations from SDO, STEREO, SOHO, VEX, and Wind. A potential-field source-surface model is employed to examine the configuration of the coronal magnetic field surrounding the source region. The graduated cylindrical shell model and a triangulation method are applied to determine the kinematics of the CME in the corona and interplanetary space. From the remote sensing and in situ observations, we obtain some key results: (1) the CME was deflected in both the eastward and southward directions in the low corona by the magnetic pressure from the two ARs, and possibly interacted with another ejection, which caused that the CME arrived at VEX that was longitudinally distant from the source region; (2) although VEX was closer to the Sun, the observed and derived CME arrival times at VEX are not earlier than those at Wind, which suggests the importance of determining both the frontal shape and propagation direction of the CME in interplanetary space; and (3) the ICME was compressed in the radial direction while the longitudinal transverse size was extended.

Observational features of equatorial coronal hole jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisticò, G.; Bothmer, V.; Patsourakos, S.; Zimbardo, G.

2010-03-01

Collimated ejections of plasma called "coronal hole jets" are commonly observed in polar coronal holes. However, such coronal jets are not only a specific features of polar coronal holes but they can also be found in coronal holes appearing at lower heliographic latitudes. In this paper we present some observations of "equatorial coronal hole jets" made up with data provided by the STEREO/SECCHI instruments during a period comprising March 2007 and December 2007. The jet events are selected by requiring at least some visibility in both COR1 and EUVI instruments. We report 15 jet events, and we discuss their main features. For one event, the uplift velocity has been determined as about 200 km s-1, while the deceleration rate appears to be about 0.11 km s-2, less than solar gravity. The average jet visibility time is about 30 min, consistent with jet observed in polar regions. On the basis of the present dataset, we provisionally conclude that there are not substantial physical differences between polar and equatorial coronal hole jets.

Solar coronal temperature diagnostics using emission line from multiple stages of ionization of iron

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brosius, Jeffrey W.; Davila, Joseph M.; Thomas, Roger J.; Thompson, William T.

1994-01-01

We obtained spatially resolved extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) spectra of AR 6615 on 1991 May 7 with NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center's Solar EUV Rocket Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS). Included are emission lines from four different stages of ionization of iron: Fe(+15) lambda 335 A, Fe(+14) lambda 327 A, Fe(+13) lambda 334 A, and Fe(+12) lambda 348 A. Using intensity ratios from among these lines, we have calculated the active region coronal temperature along the Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS) slit. Temperatures derived from line ratios which incorporate adjacent stages of ionization are most sensitive to measurement uncertainties and yield the largest scatter. Temperatures derived from line ratios which incorporate nonadjacent stages of ionization are less sensitive to measurement uncertainties and yield little scatter. The active region temperature derived from these latter ratios has an average value of 2.54 x 10(exp 6) K, with a standard deviation approximately 0.12 x 10(exp 6) K, and shows no significant variation with position along the slit.

Coronal Hole Front and Center

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-05-18

A substantial coronal hole had rotated so that it temporarily faced right towards Earth May, 17-19, 2016. This coronal hole area is the dark area at the top center of this image from NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory.

The Role of Inverse Compton Scattering in Solar Coronal Hard X-Ray and γ-Ray Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Bin; Bastian, T. S.

2012-05-01

Coronal hard X-ray (HXR) and continuum γ-ray sources associated with the impulsive phase of solar flares have been the subject of renewed interest in recent years. They have been interpreted in terms of thin-target, non-thermal bremsstrahlung emission. This interpretation has led to rather extreme physical requirements in some cases. For example, in one case, essentially all of the electrons in the source must be accelerated to non-thermal energies to account for the coronal HXR source. In other cases, the extremely hard photon spectra of the coronal continuum γ-ray emission suggest that the low-energy cutoff of the electron energy distribution lies in the MeV energy range. Here, we consider the role of inverse Compton scattering (ICS) as an alternate emission mechanism in both the ultra- and mildly relativistic regimes. It is known that relativistic electrons are produced during powerful flares; these are capable of upscattering soft photospheric photons to HXR and γ-ray energies. Previously overlooked is the fact that mildly relativistic electrons, generally produced in much greater numbers in flares of all sizes, can upscatter extreme-ultraviolet/soft X-ray photons to HXR energies. We also explore ICS on anisotropic electron distributions and show that the resulting emission can be significantly enhanced over an isotropic electron distribution for favorable viewing geometries. We briefly review results from bremsstrahlung emission and reconsider circumstances under which non-thermal bremsstrahlung or ICS would be favored. Finally, we consider a selection of coronal HXR and γ-ray events and find that in some cases the ICS is a viable alternative emission mechanism.

Simulations of Emerging Magnetic Flux. II. The Formation of Unstable Coronal Flux Ropes and the Initiation of Coronal Mass Ejections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leake, James E.; Linton, Mark G.; Antiochos, Spiro K.

2014-01-01

We present results from three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the emergence of a twisted convection zone flux tube into a pre-existing coronal dipole field. As in previous simulations, following the partial emergence of the sub-surface flux into the corona, a combination of vortical motions and internal magnetic reconnection forms a coronal flux rope. Then, in the simulations presented here, external reconnection between the emerging field and the pre-existing dipole coronal field allows further expansion of the coronal flux rope into the corona. After sufficient expansion, internal reconnection occurs beneath the coronal flux rope axis, and the flux rope erupts up to the top boundary of the simulation domain (approximately 36 Mm above the surface).We find that the presence of a pre-existing field, orientated in a direction to facilitate reconnection with the emerging field, is vital to the fast rise of the coronal flux rope. The simulations shown in this paper are able to self-consistently create many of the surface and coronal signatures used by coronal mass ejection (CME) models. These signatures include surface shearing and rotational motions, quadrupolar geometry above the surface, central sheared arcades reconnecting with oppositely orientated overlying dipole fields, the formation of coronal flux ropes underlying potential coronal field, and internal reconnection which resembles the classical flare reconnection scenario. This suggests that proposed mechanisms for the initiation of a CME, such as "magnetic breakout," are operating during the emergence of new active regions.

Magnetic Flux Cancelation as the Trigger of Solar Coronal Jets in Coronal Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panesar, Navdeep K.; Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L.

2018-02-01

We investigate in detail the magnetic cause of minifilament eruptions that drive coronal-hole jets. We study 13 random on-disk coronal-hole jet eruptions, using high-resolution X-ray images from the Hinode/X-ray telescope(XRT), EUV images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), and magnetograms from the SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). For all 13 events, we track the evolution of the jet-base region and find that a minifilament of cool (transition-region-temperature) plasma is present prior to each jet eruption. HMI magnetograms show that the minifilaments reside along a magnetic neutral line between majority-polarity and minority-polarity magnetic flux patches. These patches converge and cancel with each other, with an average cancelation rate of ∼0.6 × 1018 Mx hr‑1 for all 13 jets. Persistent flux cancelation at the neutral line eventually destabilizes the minifilament field, which erupts outward and produces the jet spire. Thus, we find that all 13 coronal-hole-jet-driving minifilament eruptions are triggered by flux cancelation at the neutral line. These results are in agreement with our recent findings for quiet-region jets, where flux cancelation at the underlying neutral line triggers the minifilament eruption that drives each jet. Thus, from that study of quiet-Sun jets and this study of coronal-hole jets, we conclude that flux cancelation is the main candidate for triggering quiet-region and coronal-hole jets.

SOHO/CDS Measurements of Coronal EUV Polarization above the Limb

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Roger J.

2002-01-01

Attempts to measure polarization in coronal extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission above the solar limb have been made using the SOHO/CDS normal-incidence spectrometer which has a polarization sensitivity of about 50%, a property that causes variations in intensity response as a function of the spacecraft's roll angle for polarized light. Such observations were made on the disk and up to 0.22 solar radii above the solar limb in a number of EUV lines during two special roll-maneuvers of the SOHO spacecraft. Measurements of intensity gradients were made above a modestly active equatorial region in 1997 and above a relatively cool polar region in 2001. Observed emission lines include He I 584 A, He II 304 A, O IV 555+610 A, O V 630 A, Mg IX 368 A, Mg X 610+625 A, and Si XI 303 A, formed at temperatures that evenly cover the range in log T from 4.1 to 6.2. Near the disk, measured intensities of all lines fall off exponentially at different rates that can be used to determine the density scale-heights of the emitting plasma, since this emission is dominated by collisional excitation with an Ne-squared dependence. Assuming hydrostatic equilibrium, the intensity gradient for each line can then be converted into a 'scale-height temperature', which is found to be closely related to the ionization temperature of each line over the wide range of lines and solar conditions observed. Thus the large-scale corona is remarkably uniform, even though clearly displaying a great deal of structure and non-uniformity on smaller spatial scales. Beyond a certain distance, intensity gradients of the cooler lines switch over to a flatter exponential slope, suggesting that this radiation is dominated by resonance scattering which varies as Ne to the first power. Such radiation should also be linearly polarized in the plane containing the line-of-sight and the solar center, a signature that would strongly confirm this interpretation.

Jets in Polar Coronal Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scullion, E.; Popescu, M. D.; Banerjee, D.; Doyle, J. G.; Erdélyi, R.

2009-10-01

Here, we explore the nature of small-scale jet-like structures and their possible relation to explosive events and other known transient features, like spicules and macrospicules, using high-resolution spectroscopy obtained with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation instrument. We present a highly resolved spectroscopic analysis and line parameter study of time-series data for jets occurring on-disk and off-limb in both a northern and a southern coronal hole. The analysis reveals many small-scale transients which rapidly propagate between the mid-transition region (N IV 765 Å line formation: 140,000 K) and the lower corona (Ne VIII 770 Å line formation: 630,000 K). In one example, a strong jet-like event is associated with a cool feature not present in the Ne VIII 770 Å line radiance or Doppler velocity maps. Another similar event is observed, but with a hot component, which could be perceived as a blinker. Our data reveal fast, repetitive plasma outflows with blueshift velocities of ≈145 km s-1 in the lower solar atmosphere. The data suggest a strong role for smaller jets (spicules), as a precursor to macrospicule formation, which may have a common origin with explosive events.

Spectroscopic Observations of a Solar Flare and the Associated Coronal Mass Ejection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, S.; Tian, H.; McKillop, S.

2013-12-01

We used data from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on board Hinode to examine a coronal mass ejection and a preceding flare observed on 21 November 2012 between 15:00 and 17:00 UT. Images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on the Solar Dynamics Observatory were used to align the data from EIS with specific events occurring. We analyzed spectra of a few emission lines at three locations on the flare site and one location in the erupting prominence. On the flare site, we found line profiles showing typical characteristics of chromospheric evaporation: downflows at cooler lines and upflows at hotter lines. At one particular location on the flare site, we clearly identified dominant downflows on the order of 100 km/s in lines through Fe VIII to Fe XVI. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such strong high-speed downflows have been spectroscopically observed in the impulsive phase of solar flares. The profile of the Fe VIII 184.54 line reveals two peaks and we were able to use the double Gaussian fit to separate the rapid downflows of dense material from the nearly stationary coronal background emission. For the erupting prominence, we were able to analyze multiple lines, cooler and warmer, of interest using this double Gaussian fit to separate the background emission from the emission of the ejected material. Our results show that the LOS velocities of the ejected material are about 100 km/s in the lower corona. Additionally, in each region of interest, we used the ratio of the density-sensitive line pair FeXII 195/186 to determine the electron density. Our results clearly show that the coronal densities were greatly enhanced during the flare. The density of the ejected material is also much larger than the typical coronal density. This research was supported by the NSF grant for the Solar Physics REU Program at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (AGS-1263241).

The Connection Between the Longitudinal Extent of SEP Events and the Properties of Coronal Shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raouafi, N. E.; Lario, D.; Kwon, R. Y.; Riley, P.

2016-12-01

Under the paradigm that the acceleration of solar energetic particles (SEPs) is mainly due to shocks initially driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), the observation of a SEP event (generated by a single solar eruption) from distant heliospheric locations poses the question of whether shocks are at the origin of the wide-longitudinal spread of the SEP events. The combination of remote-sensing observations of the corona in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and white-light (WL) images obtained from multiple vantage points allows us to reconstruct the 3D large-scale structure of the coronal shocks formed around CMEs, and hence estimate the speed of their fronts. On the other hand, coronal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations allow us to estimate the characteristics of the medium where the shocks propagate and expand. The extent of the shocks and their capability to accelerate SEPs depend on the properties of this medium. We analyze, for the well-studied SEP events of 11 Apr 2013 and 25 Feb 2014 observed by the two STEREO spacecraft and near-Earth observers [Lario et al., 2014, 2016], whether (1) the extent of the shocks as seen in EUV and WL images are determined by the pre-event medium background provided by the MHD simulations, and (2) the properties of the associated shocks at different longitudes are consistent with the thesis that the SEPs observed by the different spacecraft are accelerated and injected by the expanding shocks.

Coronal holes as sources of solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nolte, J. T.; Krieger, A. S.; Timothy, A. F.; Gold, R. E.; Roelof, E. C.; Vaiana, G.; Lazarus, A. J.; Sullivan, J. D.; Mcintosh, P. S.

1976-01-01

We investigate the association of high-speed solar wind with coronal holes during the Skylab mission by: (1) direct comparison of solar wind and coronal X-ray data; (2) comparison of near-equatorial coronal hole area with maximum solar wind velocity in the associated streams; and (3) examination of the correlation between solar and interplanetary magnetic polarities. We find that all large near-equatorial coronal holes seen during the Skylab period were associated with high-velocity solar wind streams observed at 1 AU.

Evidence of thermal conduction depression in hot coronal loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tongjiang; Ofman, Leon; Sun, Xudong; Provornikova, Elena; Davila, Joseph

2015-08-01

Slow magnetoacoustic waves were first detected in hot (>6 MK) flare loops by the SOHO/SUMER spectrometer as Doppler shift oscillations in Fe XIX and Fe XXI lines. These oscillations are identified as standing slow-mode waves because the estimated phase speeds are close to the sound speed in the loop and some cases show a quarter period phase shift between velocity and intensity oscillations. The observed very rapid excitation and damping of standing slow mode waves have been studied by many authors using theories and numerical simulations, however, the exact mechanisms remain not well understood. Recently, flare-induced longitudinal intensity oscillations in hot post-flare loops have been detected by SDO/AIA. These oscillations have the similar physical properties as SUMER loop oscillations, and have been interpreted as the slow-mode waves. The multi-wavelength AIA observations with high spatio-temporal resolution and wide temperature coverage allow us to explore the wave excitation and damping mechanisms with an unprecedented detail to develope new coronal seismology. In this paper, we present accurate measurements of the effective adiabatic index (γeff) in the hot plasma from the electron temperature and density wave signals of a flare-induced longitudinal wave event using SDO/AIA data. Our results strikingly and clearly reveal that thermal conduction is highly depressed in hot (˜10 MK) post-flare loops and suggest that the compressive viscosity is the dominant wave damping mechanism which allows determination of the viscosity coefficient from the observables by coronal seismology. This new finding challenges our current understanding of thermal energy transport in solar and stellar flares, and may provide an alternative explanation of long-duration events and enhance our understand of coronal heating mechanism. We will discuss our results based on non-ideal MHD theory and simulations. We will also discuss the flare trigger mechanism based on magnetic topology

Reference ultraviolet wavelengths of CrIII measured by Fourier transform spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smillie, D. G.; Pickering, J. C.; Smith, P. L.

2008-10-01

We report CrIII ultraviolet (UV) transition wavelengths measured using a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS), for the first time, available for use as wavelength standards. The doubly ionized iron group element spectra dominate the observed opacity of hot B stars in the UV, and improved, accurate, wavelengths are required for the analysis of astronomical spectra. The spectrum was excited using a chromium-neon Penning discharge lamp and measured with the Imperial College vacuum ultraviolet FTS. 140 classified 3d34s-3d34p CrIII transition lines, in the spectral range 38000 to 49000 cm-1 (2632 to 2041 Å), the strongest having wavelength uncertainties less than one part in 107, are presented.

Coronal magnetohydrodynamic waves and oscillations: observations and quests.

PubMed

Aschwanden, Markus J

2006-02-15

Coronal seismology, a new field of solar physics that emerged over the last 5 years, provides unique information on basic physical properties of the solar corona. The inhomogeneous coronal plasma supports a variety of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) wave modes, which manifest themselves as standing waves (MHD oscillations) and propagating waves. Here, we briefly review the physical properties of observed MHD oscillations and waves, including fast kink modes, fast sausage modes, slow (acoustic) modes, torsional modes, their diagnostics of the coronal magnetic field, and their physical damping mechanisms. We discuss the excitation mechanisms of coronal MHD oscillations and waves: the origin of the exciter, exciter propagation, and excitation in magnetic reconnection outflow regions. Finally, we consider the role of coronal MHD oscillations and waves for coronal heating, the detectability of various MHD wave types, and we estimate the energies carried in the observed MHD waves and oscillations: Alfvénic MHD waves could potentially provide sufficient energy to sustain coronal heating, while acoustic MHD waves fall far short of the required coronal heating rates.

Coronal Heating and the Increase of Coronal Luminosity with Magnetic Flux

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, R. L.; Falconer, D. A.; Porter, J. G.; Hathaway, D. H.; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We present the observed scaling of coronal luminosity with magnetic flux in a set of quiet regions. Comparison of this with the observed scaling found for active regions suggests an underlying difference between coronal heating in active regions and quiet regions. From SOHO/EIT coronal images and SOHO/MDI magnetograms of four similar large quiet regions, we measure L(sub corona) and Phi(sub total) in random subregions ranging in area from about four supergranules [(70,000 km)(exp 2)] to about 100 supergranules [(0.5 R(sub sun))(exp 2)], where L(sub corona) is the luminosity of the corona in a subregion and Phi(sub total) is the flux content of the magnetic network in the subregion. This sampling of our quiet regions yields a correlation plot of Log L(sub corona) vs Log Phi(sub total) appropriate for comparison with the corresponding plot for active regions. For our quiet regions, the mean values of L(sub corona) and Phi(sub total) both increase linearly with area (simply because each set of subregions of the same area has very nearly the same mean coronal luminosity per unit area and mean magnetic flux per unit area), and in each constant-area set the values of L(sub corona) and Phi(sub total) 'scatter' about their means for that area. This results in the linear least-squares fit to the Log ((L (sub corona)), vs Log ((Phi (sub total)) plot having a slope somewhat less than one. If active regions mimicked our quiet regions in that all large sets of same-area active regions had the same mean coronal luminosity per unit area and same mean magnetic flux per unit area, then the least-squares fit to their Log((L (sub corona)) vs Log((Phi (sub total)) plot would also have a slope of less than one. Instead, the slope for active regions is 1.2. Given the observed factor of three scatter about the least-squares linear fit, this slope is consistent with Phi(sub total) on average increasing linearly with area (A) as in quiet regions, but L(sub corona) on average increasing as

The Influence of the Solar Coronal Radiation on Coronal Plasma Structures, I: Determination of the Incident Coronal Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Gerrard M.; Labrosse, Nicolas

2018-02-01

Coronal structures receive radiation not only from the solar disc, but also from the corona. This height-dependent incident radiation plays a crucial role in the excitation and the ionisation of the illuminated plasma. The aim of this article is to present a method for computing the detailed incident radiation coming from the solar corona, which is perceived at a point located at an arbitrary height. The coronal radiation is calculated by integrating the radiation received at a point in the corona over all of the corona visible from this point. The emission from the corona at all wavelengths of interest is computed using atomic data provided by CHIANTI. We obtain the spectrum illuminating points located at varying heights in the corona at wavelengths between 100 and 912 Å when photons can ionise H or He atoms and ions in their ground states. As expected, individual spectral lines will contribute most at the height within the corona where the local temperature is closest to their formation temperature. As there are many spectral lines produced by many ions, the coronal intensity cannot be assumed to vary in the same way at all wavelengths and so must be calculated for each separate height that is to be considered. This code can be used to compute the spectrum from the corona illuminating a point at any given height above the solar surface. This brings a necessary improvement to models where an accurate determination of the excitation and ionisation states of coronal plasma structures is crucial.

Explaining observed red and blue-shifts using multi-stranded coronal loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regnier, S.; Walsh, R. W.; Pearson, J.

2012-03-01

Magnetic plasma loops have been termed the building blocks of the solar atmosphere. However, it must be recognised that if the range of loop structures we can observe do consist of many ''sub-resolution'' elements, then current one-dimensional hydrodynamic models are really only applicable to an individual plasma element or strand. Thus a loop should be viewed is an amalgamation of these strands. They could operate in thermal isolation from one another with a wide range of temperatures occurring across the structural elements. This scenario could occur when the energy release mechanism consists of localised, discrete bursts of energy that are due to small scale reconnection sites within the coronal magnetic field- the nanoflare coronal heating mechanism. These energy bursts occur in a time-dependent manner, distributed along the loop/strand length, giving a heating function that depends on space and time. An important observational discovery with the Hinode/EIS spectrometer is the existence of red and blue-shifts in coronal loops depending on the location of the footpoints (inner or outer parts of the active region), and the temperature of the emission line in which the Doppler shifts are measured. Based on the multi-stranded model developed by Sarkar and Walsh (2008, ApJ, 683, 516), we show that red and blue-shifts exist in different simulated Hinode/EIS passbands: cooler lines (OV-SiVII) being dominated by red-shifts, whilst hotter lines (FeXV-CaXVII) are a combination of both. The distribution of blue-shifts depends on the energy input and not so much on the heating location. Characteristic Doppler shifts generated fit well with observed values. We also simulate the Hinode/EIS rasters to closely compare our simulation with the observations. Even if not statistically significant, loops can have footpoints with opposite Doppler shifts.

Thermal Non-equilibrium Revealed by Periodic Pulses of Random Amplitudes in Solar Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auchère, F.; Froment, C.; Bocchialini, K.; Buchlin, E.; Solomon, J.

2016-08-01

We recently detected variations in extreme ultraviolet intensity in coronal loops repeating with periods of several hours. Models of loops including stratified and quasi-steady heating predict the development of a state of thermal non-equilibrium (TNE): cycles of evaporative upflows at the footpoints followed by falling condensations at the apex. Based on Fourier and wavelet analysis, we demonstrate that the observed periodic signals are indeed not signatures of vibrational modes. Instead, superimposed on the power law expected from the stochastic background emission, the power spectra of the time series exhibit the discrete harmonics and continua expected from periodic trains of pulses of random amplitudes. These characteristics reinforce our earlier interpretation of these pulsations as being aborted TNE cycles.

Thermal Non-Equilibrium Revealed by Periodic Pulses of Random Amplitudes in Solar Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auchère, F.; Froment, C.; Bocchialini, K.; Buchlin, E.; Solomon, J.

2016-10-01

We recently detected variations in extreme ultraviolet intensity in coronal loops repeating with periods of several hours. Models of loops including stratified and quasi-steady heating predict the development of a state of thermal non-equilibrium (TNE): cycles of evaporative upflows at the footpoints followed by falling condensations at the apex. Based on Fourier and wavelet analysis, we demonstrate that the observed periodic signals are indeed not signatures of vibrational modes. Instead, superimposed on the power law expected from the stochastic background emission, the power spectra of the time series exhibit the discrete harmonics and continua expected from periodic trains of pulses of random amplitudes. These characteristics reinforce our earlier interpretation of these pulsations as being aborted TNE cycles.

Signatures of Alfvén waves in the polar coronal holes as seen by EIS/Hinode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, D.; Pérez-Suárez, D.; Doyle, J. G.

2009-07-01

Context: We diagnose the properties of the plume and interplume regions in a polar coronal hole and the role of waves in the acceleration of the solar wind. Aims: We attempt to detect whether Alfvén waves are present in the polar coronal holes through variations in EUV line widths. Methods: Using spectral observations performed over a polar coronal hole region with the EIS spectrometer on Hinode, we study the variation in the line width and electron density as a function of height. We use the density sensitive line pairs of Fe xii 186.88 Å and 195.119 Å and Fe xiii 203.82 Å and 202.04 Å. Results: For the polar region, the line width data show that the nonthermal line-of-sight velocity increases from 26~km s-1 at 10´´ above the limb to 42~km s-1 some 150´´ (i.e. ~110 000 km) above the limb. The electron density shows a decrease from 3.3 × 10^9~cm-3 to 1.9 × 10^8~cm-3 over the same distance. Conclusions: These results imply that the nonthermal velocity is inversely proportional to the quadratic root of the electron density, in excellent agreement with what is predicted for undamped radially propagating linear Alfvén waves. Our data provide signatures of Alfvén waves in the polar coronal hole regions, which could be important for the acceleration of the solar wind. Table [see full textsee full textsee full text] and Fig. [see full textsee full textsee full text] are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Note: Retrofitting an analog spectrometer for high resolving power in NUV-NIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Andrew S.; Batishchev, Oleg V.

2017-11-01

We demonstrate how an older spectrometer designed for photographic films can be efficiently retrofitted with a narrow laser-cut slit and a modern μm-pixel-size imaging CMOS camera, yielding sub-pm resolution in the broad near ultraviolet to near infrared (NUV-NIR) spectral range. Resolving power approaching 106 is achieved. Such digital retrofitting of an analog instrument is practical for research and teaching laboratories.

FLARE-GENERATED SHOCK WAVE PROPAGATION THROUGH SOLAR CORONAL ARCADE LOOPS AND AN ASSOCIATED TYPE II RADIO BURST

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Pankaj; Cho, Kyung-Suk; Innes, D. E., E-mail: pankaj@kasi.re.kr

2016-09-01

This paper presents multiwavelength observations of a flare-generated type II radio burst. The kinematics of the shock derived from the type II burst closely match a fast extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wave seen propagating through coronal arcade loops. The EUV wave was closely associated with an impulsive M1.0 flare without a related coronal mass ejection, and was triggered at one of the footpoints of the arcade loops in active region NOAA 12035. It was initially observed in the 335 Å images from the Atmospheric Image Assembly with a speed of ∼800 km s{sup −1} and it accelerated to ∼1490 km s{supmore » −1} after passing through the arcade loops. A fan–spine magnetic topology was revealed at the flare site. A small, confined filament eruption (∼340 km s{sup −1}) was also observed moving in the opposite direction to the EUV wave. We suggest that breakout reconnection in the fan–spine topology triggered the flare and associated EUV wave that propagated as a fast shock through the arcade loops.« less

Ponderomotive Acceleration in Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlburg, Russell B.; Laming, J. Martin; Taylor, Brian; Obenschain, Keith

2017-08-01

Ponderomotive acceleration has been asserted to be a cause of the First Ionization Potential (FIP) effect, the by now well known enhancement in abundance by a factor of 3-4 over photospheric values of elements in the solar corona with FIP less than about 10 eV. It is shown here by means of numerical simulations that ponderomotive acceleration occurs in solar coronal loops, with the appropriate magnitude and direction, as a ``byproduct'' of coronal heating. The numerical simulations are performed with the HYPERION code, which solves the fully compressible three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equations including nonlinear thermal conduction and optically thin radiation. Numerical simulations of a coronal loops with an axial magnetic field from 0.005 Teslas to 0.02 Teslas and lengths from 25000 km to 75000 km are presented. In the simulations the footpoints of the axial loop magnetic field are convected by random, large-scale motions. There is a continuous formation and dissipation of field-aligned current sheets which act to heat the loop. As a consequence of coronal magnetic reconnection, small scale, high speed jets form. The familiar vortex quadrupoles form at reconnection sites. Between the magnetic footpoints and the corona the reconnection flow merges with the boundary flow. It is in this region that the ponderomotive acceleration occurs. Mirroring the character of the coronal reconnection, the ponderomotive acceleration is also found to be intermittent.

Coronal Heating: Testing Models of Coronal Heating by Forward-Modeling the AIA Emission of the Ansample of Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malanushenko, A. V.

2015-12-01

We present a systemic exploration of the properties of coronal heating, by forward-modeling the emission of the ensemble of 1D quasi-steady loops. This approximations were used in many theoretical models of the coronal heating. The latter is described in many such models in the form of power laws, relating heat flux through the photosphere or volumetric heating to the strength of the magnetic field and length of a given field line. We perform a large search in the parameter space of these power laws, amongst other variables, and compare the resulting emission of the active region to that observed by AIA. We use a recently developed magnetic field model which uses shapes of coronal loops to guide the magnetic model; the result closely resembles observed structures by design. We take advantage of this, by comparing, in individual sub-regions of the active region, the emission of the active region and its synthetic model. This study allows us to rule out many theoretical models and formulate predictions for the heating models to come.

Space-time resolving vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer based on a rotating polyhedral mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Xiaodong; Xie, Jikang

2000-05-01

Using a rotating polyhedral mirror and a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) monochromater, a space-time resolving VUV diagnostic system is developed. Measurement of the O VI (103.2 nm) radiation on the HT-6M tokamak shows that the time resolution of the system is better than 4 ms and the space resolution is better than 2 cm. Compared with traditional instruments, this system has improved measurement efficiency, and error from shot-to-shot discharge variations is avoided.

Critical Magnetic Field Strengths for Unipolar Solar Coronal Plumes In Quiet Regions and Coronal Holes?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Avallone, Ellis; Tiwari, Sanjiv K.; Panesar, Navdeep K.; Moore, Ronald L.; Winebarger, Amy

2017-01-01

Coronal plumes are bright magnetic funnels that are found in quiet regions and coronal holes that extend high into the solar corona whose lifetimes can last from hours to days. The heating processes that make plumes bright involve the magnetic field at the base of the plume, but their intricacies remain mysterious. Raouafi et al. (2014) infer from observation that plume heating is a consequence of magnetic reconnection at the base, whereas Wang et al. (2016) infer that plume heating is a result of convergence of the magnetic flux at the plume's base, or base flux. Both papers suggest that the base flux in their plumes is of mixed polarity, but do not quantitatively measure the base flux or consider whether a critical magnetic field strength is required for plume production. To investigate the magnetic origins of plume heating, we track plume luminosity in the 171 Å wavelength as well as the abundance and strength of the base flux over the lifetimes of six unipolar coronal plumes. Of these, three are in coronal holes and three are in quiet regions. For this sample, we find that plume heating is triggered when convergence of the base flux surpasses a field strength of approximately 300 - 500 Gauss, and that the luminosity of both quiet region and coronal hole plumes respond similarly to the strength of the magnetic field in the base.

Coronal Seismology: The Search for Propagating Waves in Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schad, Thomas A.; Seeley, D.; Keil, S. L.; Tomczyk, S.

2007-05-01

We report on Doppler observations of the solar corona obtained in the Fe XeXIII 1074.7nm coronal emission line with the HAO Coronal Multi-Channel Polarimeter (CoMP) mounted on the NSO Coronal One Shot coronagraph located in the Hilltop Facility of NSO/Sacramento Peak. The COMP is a tunable filtergraph instrument that records the entire corona from the edge of the occulting disk at approximately 1.03 Rsun out to 1.4 Rsun with a spatial resolution of about 4” x 4”. COMP can be rapidly scanned through the spectral line while recording orthogonal states of linear and circular polarization. The two dimensional spatial resolution allows us to correlate temporal fluctuations observed in one part of the corona with those seen at other locations, in particular along coronal loops. Using cross spectral analysis we find that the observations reveal upward propagating waves that are characterized by Doppler shifts with rms velocities of 0.3 km/s, peak wave power in the 3-5 mHz frequency range, and phase speeds 1-3 Mm/s. The wave trajectories are consistent with the direction of the magnetic field inferred from the linear polarization measurements. We discuss the phase and coherence of these waves as a function of height in the corona and relate our findings to previous observations. The observed waves appear to be Alfvenic in character. "Thomas Schad was supported through the National Solar Observatory Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) site program, which is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the National Science Foundation REU Program." Daniel Seeley was supported through the National Solar Observatory Research Experience for Teachers (RET) site program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation RET program.

Multi-spacecraft Observations of the Coronal and Interplanetary Evolution of a Solar Eruption Associated with Two Active Regions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hu, Huidong; Liu, Ying D.; Wang, Rui

We investigate the coronal and interplanetary evolution of a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched on 2010 September 4 from a source region linking two active regions (ARs), 11101 and 11103, using extreme ultraviolet imaging, magnetogram, white-light, and in situ observations from SDO , STEREO , SOHO , VEX , and Wind . A potential-field source-surface model is employed to examine the configuration of the coronal magnetic field surrounding the source region. The graduated cylindrical shell model and a triangulation method are applied to determine the kinematics of the CME in the corona and interplanetary space. From the remote sensing andmore » in situ observations, we obtain some key results: (1) the CME was deflected in both the eastward and southward directions in the low corona by the magnetic pressure from the two ARs, and possibly interacted with another ejection, which caused that the CME arrived at VEX that was longitudinally distant from the source region; (2) although VEX was closer to the Sun, the observed and derived CME arrival times at VEX are not earlier than those at Wind , which suggests the importance of determining both the frontal shape and propagation direction of the CME in interplanetary space; and (3) the ICME was compressed in the radial direction while the longitudinal transverse size was extended.« less

Pre-flare coronal dimmings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Q. M.; Su, Y. N.; Ji, H. S.

2017-02-01

Context. Coronal dimmings are regions of decreased extreme-ultravoilet (EUV) and/or X-ray (originally Skylab, then Yohkoh/SXT) intensities, which are often associated with flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The large-scale impulsive dimmings have been thoroughly observed and investigated. The pre-flare dimmings before the flare impulsive phase, however, have rarely been studied in detail. Aims: We focus on the pre-flare coronal dimmings. We report our multiwavelength observations of the GOES X1.6 solar flare and the accompanying halo CME that was produced by the eruption of a sigmoidal magnetic flux rope (MFR) in NOAA active region (AR) 12158 on 2014 September 10. Methods: The eruption was observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). The photospheric line-of-sight magnetograms were observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board SDO. The soft X-ray (SXR) fluxes were recorded by the GOES spacecraft. The halo CME was observed by the white-light coronagraphs of the Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) on board SOHO. Results: About 96 min before the onset of the flare/CME, narrow pre-flare coronal dimmings appeared at the two ends of the twisted MFR. They extended very slowly, with their intensities decreasing with time, while their apparent widths (8-9 Mm) continued to be nearly constant. During the impulsive and decay phases of flare, typical fan-like twin dimmings appeared and expanded, with a much larger extent and lower intensities than the pre-flare dimmings. The percentage of the 171 Å intensity decrease reaches 40%. The pre-flare dimmings are most striking in 171, 193, and 211 Å with formation temperatures of 0.6-2.5 MK. The northern part of the pre-flare dimmings could also be recognized in 131 and 335 Å. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first detailed study of pre-flare coronal dimmings; they can be explained by density depletion as a result of the gradual

Rocket studies of solar corona and transition region. [X-Ray spectrometer/spectrograph telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acton, L. W.; Bruner, E. C., Jr.; Brown, W. A.; Nobles, R. A.

1979-01-01

The XSST (X-Ray Spectrometer/Spectrograph Telescope) rocket payload launched by a Nike Boosted Black Brant was designed to provide high spectral resolution coronal soft X-ray line information on a spectrographic plate, as well as time resolved photo-electric records of pre-selected lines and spectral regions. This spectral data is obtained from a 1 x 10 arc second solar region defined by the paraboloidal telescope of the XSST. The transition region camera provided full disc images in selected spectral intervals originating in lower temperature zones than the emitting regions accessible to the XSST. A H-alpha camera system allowed referencing the measurements to the chromospheric temperatures and altitudes. Payload flight and recovery information is provided along with X-ray photoelectric and UV flight data, transition camera results and a summary of the anomalies encountered. Instrument mechanical stability and spectrometer pointing direction are also examined.

Reference Ultraviolet Wavelengths of Cr III Measured by Fourier Transform Spectrometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smillie, D.G.; Pickering, J.C.; Smith, P.L.

2008-01-01

We report Cr III ultraviolet (UV) transition wavelengths measured using a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS), for the first time, available for use as wavelength standards. The doubly ionized iron group element spectra dominate the observed opacity of hot B stars in the UV, and improved, accurate, wavelengths are required for the analysis of astronomical spectra. The spectrum was excited using a chromium-neon Penning discharge lamp and measured with the Imperial College vacuum ultraviolet FTS. 140 classified 3d(exp 3)4s- 3d(exp 3)4p Cr III transition lines, in the spectral range 38,000 to 49,000 cm(exp -1) (2632 to 2041 A), the strongest having wavelength uncertainties less than one part in 10(exp 7), are presented.

Determination of Coronal Magnetic Fields from Vector Magnetograms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikic, Zoran

1997-01-01

During the course of the present contract we developed an 'evolutionary technique' for the determination of force-free coronal magnetic fields from vector magnetograph observations. The method can successfully generate nonlinear force- free fields (with non-constant-a) that match vector magnetograms. We demonstrated that it is possible to determine coronal magnetic fields from photospheric measurements, and we applied it to vector magnetograms of active regions. We have also studied theoretical models of coronal fields that lead to disruptions. Specifically, we have demonstrated that the determination of force-free fields from exact boundary data is a well-posed mathematical problem, by verifying that the computed coronal field agrees with an analytic force-free field when boundary data for the analytic field are used; demonstrated that it is possible to determine active-region coronal magnetic fields from photospheric measurements, by computing the coronal field above active region 5747 on 20 October 1989, AR6919 on 15 November 1991, and AR7260 on 18 August 1992, from data taken with the Stokes Polarimeter at Mees Solar Observatory, University of Hawaii; started to analyze active region 7201 on 19 June 1992 using measurements made with the Advanced Stokes Polarimeter at NSO/Sac Peak; investigated the effects of imperfections in the photospheric data on the computed coronal magnetic field; documented the coronal field structure of AR5747 and compared it to the morphology of footpoint emission in a flare, showing that the 'high- pressure' H-alpha footpoints are connected by coronal field lines; shown that the variation of magnetic field strength along current-carrying field lines is significantly different from the variation in a potential field, and that the resulting near-constant area of elementary flux tubes is consistent with observations; begun to develop realistic models of coronal fields which can be used to study flare trigger mechanisms; demonstrated that

Extreme ultraviolet photoionization of aldoses and ketoses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Joong-Won; Dong, Feng; Grisham, Michael E.; Rocca, Jorge J.; Bernstein, Elliot R.

2011-04-01

Gas phase monosaccharides (2-deoxyribose, ribose, arabinose, xylose, lyxose, glucose galactose, fructose, and tagatose), generated by laser desorption of solid sample pellets, are ionized with extreme ultraviolet photons (EUV, 46.9 nm, 26.44 eV). The resulting fragment ions are analyzed using a time of flight mass spectrometer. All aldoses yield identical fragment ions regardless of size, and ketoses, while also generating same ions as aldoses, yields additional features. Extensive fragmentation of the monosaccharides is the result the EUV photons ionizing various inner valence orbitals. The observed fragmentation patterns are not dependent upon hydrogen bonding structure or OH group orientation.

Small-scale filament eruptions as the driver of X-ray jets in solar coronal holes.

PubMed

Sterling, Alphonse C; Moore, Ronald L; Falconer, David A; Adams, Mitzi

2015-07-23

Solar X-ray jets are thought to be made by a burst of reconnection of closed magnetic field at the base of a jet with ambient open field. In the accepted version of the 'emerging-flux' model, such a reconnection occurs at a plasma current sheet between the open field and the emerging closed field, and also forms a localized X-ray brightening that is usually observed at the edge of the jet's base. Here we report high-resolution X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet observations of 20 randomly selected X-ray jets that form in coronal holes at the Sun's poles. In each jet, contrary to the emerging-flux model, a miniature version of the filament eruptions that initiate coronal mass ejections drives the jet-producing reconnection. The X-ray bright point occurs by reconnection of the 'legs' of the minifilament-carrying erupting closed field, analogous to the formation of solar flares in larger-scale eruptions. Previous observations have found that some jets are driven by base-field eruptions, but only one such study, of only one jet, provisionally questioned the emerging-flux model. Our observations support the view that solar filament eruptions are formed by a fundamental explosive magnetic process that occurs on a vast range of scales, from the biggest mass ejections and flare eruptions down to X-ray jets, and perhaps even down to smaller jets that may power coronal heating. A similar scenario has previously been suggested, but was inferred from different observations and based on a different origin of the erupting minifilament.

The far-ultraviolet emission spectrum of the K2 III star, Arcturus.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moos, H. W.; Rottman, G. J.

1972-01-01

A moderate-resolution far-ultraviolet spectrum of the K2 IIIp star Arcturus, obtained with a rocket-borne spectrometer, shows chromospheric emission features. Hydrogen L-alpha and O I (1303 A) are clearly identified. The O I (1304 A) stellar surface brightness is as great or greater than that of the sun. Other metal lines, including those of carbon, are weak compared to the O I line.

The Production of Titan's Ultraviolet Nitrogen Airglow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, Michael H.; Gustin, J.; Ajello, J. M.; Evans, J. S.; Meier, R. R.; Stewart, A. I. F.; Esposito, L. W.; McClintock, W. E.; Stephan, A. W.

2010-10-01

The Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) observed Titan's dayside limb on 22 June, 2009, obtaining high quality extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and far ultraviolet (FUV) spectra from a distance of only 60,000 km (23 Titan radii). The observations reveal the same EUV and FUV emissions arising from photoelectron excitation and photofragmentation of molecular nitrogen (N2) on Earth but with the altitude of peak emission much higher on Titan near 1000 km altitude. In the EUV, emission bands from the photoelectron excited N2 Carroll-Yoshino c4'-X system and N I and N II multiplets arising from photofragmentation of N2 dominate, with no detectable c4'(0,0) emission near 958 Å, contrary to many interpretations of the lower resolution Voyager 1 Ultraviolet Spectrometer data. The FUV is dominated by emission bands from the N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield a-X system and additional N I multiplets. We also identify several N2 Vegard-Kaplan A-X bands between 1500-1900 Å, two of which are located near 1561 and 1657 Å where C I multiplets were previously identified from a separate UVIS disk observation. We compare these limb emissions to predictions from a terrestrial airglow model adapted to Titan that uses a solar spectrum appropriate for these June, 2009 observations. Volume production rates and limb radiances are calculated, including extinction by methane and allowance for multiple scattering within the readily excited c4'(0,v') system, and compared to UVIS observations. We find that for these airglow data only emissions arising from processes involving N2 are present.

SUMER: Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilhelm, K.; Axford, W. I.; Curdt, W.; Gabriel, A. H.; Grewing, M.; Huber, M. C. E.; Jordan, M. C. E.; Lemaire, P.; Marsch, E.; Poland, A. I.

1988-01-01

The SUMER (solar ultraviolet measurements of emitted radiation) experiment is described. It will study flows, turbulent motions, waves, temperatures and densities of the plasma in the upper atmosphere of the Sun. Structures and events associated with solar magnetic activity will be observed on various spatial and temporal scales. This will contribute to the understanding of coronal heating processes and the solar wind expansion. The instrument will take images of the Sun in EUV (extreme ultra violet) light with high resolution in space, wavelength and time. The spatial resolution and spectral resolving power of the instrument are described. Spectral shifts can be determined with subpixel accuracy. The wavelength range extends from 500 to 1600 angstroms. The integration time can be as short as one second. Line profiles, shifts and broadenings are studied. Ratios of temperature and density sensitive EUV emission lines are established.

North-South Asymmetry in the Magnetic Deflection of Polar Coronal Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisticò, Giuseppe; Zimbardo, Gaetano; Bothmer, Volker; Patsourakos, Spiros

Solar jets observed with the Extreme Ultra-Violet Imager (EUVI) and CORonagraphs (COR) instruments aboard the STEREO mission provide a tool to probe and understand the magnetic structure of the corona. Since the corona is an environment where the magnetic pressure is greater than the kinetic pressure, the magnetic field controls the dynamics of plasma and, on average, jets during their propagation trace the magnetic field lines. We discuss the North-South asymmetry of the magnetic field of the Sun as inferred from measurements of the deflection of polar coronal hole jets when they propagate throughout the corona. We measured the position angle at 1 and at 2 solar radii for the 79 jets of the catalogue of Nisticò et al. (2009), based on the STEREO ultraviolet and visible observations, and we found that the propagation is not radial. The average jet deflection is studied both in the plane perpendicular to the line of sight, and, for a reduced number of jets in the three dimensional (3D) space. We find that the magnetic deflection of jets is larger in the North than in the South, with an asymmetry which is consistent with the N-S asymmetry of the heliospheric magnetic field inferred from the Ulysses in situ measurements, and gives clues to the study of the large scale solar magnetic field.

An Extreme-ultraviolet Wave Generating Upward Secondary Waves in a Streamer-like Solar Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Ruisheng; Chen, Yao; Feng, Shiwei; Wang, Bing; Song, Hongqiang

2018-05-01

Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves, spectacular horizontally propagating disturbances in the low solar corona, always trigger horizontal secondary waves (SWs) when they encounter the ambient coronal structure. We present the first example of upward SWs in a streamer-like structure after the passing of an EUV wave. This event occurred on 2017 June 1. The EUV wave happened during a typical solar eruption including a filament eruption, a coronal mass ejection (CME), and a C6.6 flare. The EUV wave was associated with quasi-periodic fast propagating (QFP) wave trains and a type II radio burst that represented the existence of a coronal shock. The EUV wave had a fast initial velocity of ∼1000 km s‑1, comparable to high speeds of the shock and the QFP wave trains. Intriguingly, upward SWs rose slowly (∼80 km s‑1) in the streamer-like structure after the sweeping of the EUV wave. The upward SWs seemed to originate from limb brightenings that were caused by the EUV wave. All of the results show that the EUV wave is a fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) shock wave, likely triggered by the flare impulses. We suggest that part of the EUV wave was probably trapped in the closed magnetic fields of the streamer-like structure, and upward SWs possibly resulted from the release of slow-mode trapped waves. It is believed that the interplay of the strong compression of the coronal shock and the configuration of the streamer-like structure is crucial for the formation of upward SWs.

THERMAL NON-EQUILIBRIUM REVEALED BY PERIODIC PULSES OF RANDOM AMPLITUDES IN SOLAR CORONAL LOOPS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Auchère, F.; Froment, C.; Bocchialini, K.

2016-08-20

We recently detected variations in extreme ultraviolet intensity in coronal loops repeating with periods of several hours. Models of loops including stratified and quasi-steady heating predict the development of a state of thermal non-equilibrium (TNE): cycles of evaporative upflows at the footpoints followed by falling condensations at the apex. Based on Fourier and wavelet analysis, we demonstrate that the observed periodic signals are indeed not signatures of vibrational modes. Instead, superimposed on the power law expected from the stochastic background emission, the power spectra of the time series exhibit the discrete harmonics and continua expected from periodic trains of pulsesmore » of random amplitudes. These characteristics reinforce our earlier interpretation of these pulsations as being aborted TNE cycles.« less

MACS, An Instrument and a Methodology for Simultaneous and Global Measurements of the Coronal Electron Temperature and the Solar Wind Velocity on the Solar Corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reginald, Nelson L.

2000-01-01

In Cram's theory for the formation of the K-coronal spectrum he observed the existence of temperature sensitive anti-nodes, which were separated by temperature insensitive nodes, at certain wave-lengths in the K-coronal spectrum. Cram also showed these properties were remarkably independent of altitude above the solar limb. In this thesis Cram's theory has been extended to incorporate the role of the solar wind in the formation of the K-corona, and we have identified both temperature and wind sensitive intensity ratios. The instrument, MACS, for Multi Aperture Coronal Spectrometer, a fiber optic based spectrograph, was designed for global and simultaneous measurements of the thermal electron temperature and the solar wind velocity in the solar corona. The first ever experiment of this nature was conducted in conjunction with the total solar eclipse of 11 August 1999 in Elazig, Turkey. Here twenty fiber optic tips were positioned in the focal plane of the telescope to observe simultaneously at many different latitudes and two different radial distances in the solar corona. The other ends were vertically stacked and placed at the primary focus of the spectrograph. By isolating the K-coronal spectrum from each fiber the temperature and the wind sensitive intensity ratios were calculated.

Solar and stellar coronal plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golub, L.

1985-01-01

Progress made in describing and interpreting coronal plasma processes and the relationship between the solar corona and its stellar counterparts is reported. Topics covered include: stellar X-ray emission, HEAO 2 X-ray survey of the Pleiades, closed coronal structures, X-ray survey of main-sequence stars with shallow convection zones, implications of the 1400 MHz flare emission, and magnetic field stochasticity.

Solar and stellar coronal plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golub, Leon

1989-01-01

Progress in observational, theoretical, and radio studies of coronal plasmas is summarized. Specifically work completed in the area of solar and stellar magnetic fields, related photospheric phenomena and the relationships between magnetism, rotation, coronal and chromospheric emission in solar-like stars is described. Also outlined are theoretical studies carried out in the following areas, among others: (1) neutral beams as the dominant energy transport mechanism in two ribbon-flares; (2) magneto hydrodynamic and circuit models for filament eruptions; and (3) studies of radio emission mechanisms in transient events. Finally, radio observations designed for coronal activity studies of the sun and of solar-type coronae are described. A bibliography of publications and talks is provided along with reprints of selected articles.

Coronal disturbances and their terrestrial effects /Tutorial Lecture/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, D. M.

1983-01-01

An assessment is undertaken of recent approaches to the prediction of the interplanetary consequences of coronal disturbances, with attention to the relationships of shocks and energetic particles to coronal transients, of proton events to gamma-ray and microwave bursts, of geomagnetic storms to filament eruptions, and of solar wind increases to the flare site magnetic field direction. A discussion is given concerning the novel phenomenon of transient coronal holes, which appear astride the long decay enhancements of 2-50 A X-ray emission following H-alpha filament eruptions. These voids in the corona are similar to long-lived coronal holes, which are the sources of high speed solar wind streams. The transient coronal holes may also be associated with transient solar wind speed increases.

Relations Between FUV Excess and Coronal Soft X-Ray Emission Among Dwarf Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Graeme H.; Hargrave, Mason; Eckholm, Elliot

2017-11-01

The far-ultraviolet magnitudes of late-F, G and early-K dwarfs with (B - V) ⩾ 0.50 as measured by the GALEX satellite are shown to correlate with soft X-ray luminosity. This result indicates that line and continuum emission from stellar active regions make significant contributions to the flux in the GALEX FUV band for late-F, G and K dwarfs. By contrast, detection of a correlation between FUV brightness and soft X-ray luminosity among early-F dwarfs requires subtraction of the photospheric component from the FUV flux. The range in (B - V) among F and G dwarfs over which a correlation between uncorrected FUV magnitude and X-ray luminosity is detected coincides with the range in colour over which coronal and chromospheric emission correlates with stellar rotation.

Coronal Heating by Magnetic Explosions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ronald L.; Falconer, D. A.; Porter, Jason G.; Suess, Steven T.

1998-01-01

We build a case for the persistent strong coronal heating in active regions and the pervasive quasi-steady heating of the corona in quiet regions and coronal holes being driven in basically the same way as the intense transient heating in solar flares: by explosions of sheared magnetic fields in the cores of initially closed bipoles. We begin by summarizing the observational case for exploding sheared core fields being the drivers of a wide variety of flare events, with and without coronal mass ejections. We conclude that the arrangement of an event's flare heating, whether there is a coronal mass ejection, and the time and place of the ejection relative to the flare heating are all largely determined by four elements of the form and action the magnetic field: (1) the arrangement of the impacted, interacting bipoles participating in the event, (2) which of these bipoles are active (have sheared core fields that explode) and which are passive (are heated by injection from impacted active bipoles), (3) which core field explodes first, and (4) which core-field explosions are confined within the closed field of their bipoles and which ejectively open their bipoles.

A CORONAL HOLE'S EFFECTS ON CORONAL MASS EJECTION SHOCK MORPHOLOGY IN THE INNER HELIOSPHERE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wood, B. E.; Wu, C.-C.; Howard, R. A.

2012-08-10

We use STEREO imagery to study the morphology of a shock driven by a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) launched from the Sun on 2011 March 7. The source region of the CME is located just to the east of a coronal hole. The CME ejecta is deflected away from the hole, in contrast with the shock, which readily expands into the fast outflow from the coronal hole. The result is a CME with ejecta not well centered within the shock surrounding it. The shock shape inferred from the imaging is compared with in situ data at 1 AU, wheremore » the shock is observed near Earth by the Wind spacecraft, and at STEREO-A. Shock normals computed from the in situ data are consistent with the shock morphology inferred from imaging.« less

Coronation Chemicals

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-22

This is the first laser spectrum from the ChemCam instrument on NASA Curiosity rover, sent back from Mars on Aug. 19, 2012, showing emission lines from different elements present in the target, a rock near the rover landing site dubbed Coronation.

Understanding the rotation of coronal holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.-M.; Sheeley, N. R., Jr.

1993-09-01

In an earlier study we found that the rotation of coronal holes could be understood on the basis of a nearly current-free coronal field, with the holes representing open magnetic regions. In this paper we illustrate the model by focusing on the case of CH1, the rigidly rotating boot-shaped hole observed by Skylab. We show that the interaction between the polar fields and the flux associated with active regions produces distortions in the coronal field configuration and thus in the polar-hole boundaries; these distortions corotate with the perturbing nonaxisymmetric flux. In the case of CH1, positive-polarity field lines in the northern hemisphere 'collided' with like-polarity field lines fanning out from a decaying active region complex located just below the equator, producing a midlatitude corridor of open field lines rotating at the rate of the active region complex. Sheared coronal holes result when nonaxisymmetric flux is present at high latitudes, or equivalently, when the photospheric neutral line extends to high latitudes. We demonstrate how a small active region, rotating at the local photospheric rate, can drift through a rigidly rotating hole like CH1. Finally, we discuss the role of field-line reconnection in maintaining a quasi-potential coronal configuration.

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malina, R. F.; Battel, S. J.

1989-01-01

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) mission will be the first user of NASA's new Explorer platform. The instrumentation included on this mission consists of three grazing incidence scanning telescopes, a deep survey instrument and an EUV spectrometer. The bandpass covered is 80 to 900 A. During the first six months of the mission, the scanning telescopes will be used to make all-sky maps in four bandpasses; astronomical sources wil be detected and their positions determined to an accuracy of 0.1 deg. The deep survey instrument will survey the sky with higher sensitivity along the ecliptic in two bandpasses between 80 and 500 A. Engineering and design aspects of the science payload and features of the instrument design are described.

Plans for the extreme ultraviolet explorer data base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, Herman L.; Dobson, Carl A.; Malina, Roger F.; Bowyer, Stuart

1988-01-01

The paper presents an approach for storage and fast access to data that will be obtained by the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE), a satellite payload scheduled for launch in 1991. The EUVE telescopes will be operated remotely from the EUVE Science Operation Center (SOC) located at the University of California, Berkeley. The EUVE science payload consists of three scanning telescope carrying out an all-sky survey in the 80-800 A spectral region and a Deep Survey/Spectrometer telescope performing a deep survey in the 80-250 A spectral region. Guest Observers will remotely access the EUVE spectrometer database at the SOC. The EUVE database will consist of about 2 X 10 to the 10th bytes of information in a very compact form, very similar to the raw telemetry data. A history file will be built concurrently giving telescope parameters, command history, attitude summaries, engineering summaries, anomalous events, and ephemeris summaries.

Retrieval of Total Ozone Amounts from Zenith-Sky Intensities in the Ultraviolet Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bojkov, B. R.; Bhartia, P. K.; Hilsenrath, E.; Labow, G. J.

2004-01-01

A new method to determine the total ozone column from zenith-sky intensities in the ultraviolet region has been developed for the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (SSBUV) operating at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The total ozone column amounts are derived by comparing the ratio of measured intensities from three wavelengths with the equivalent ratios calculated by a radiative transfer model. The differences between the retrieved ozone column amounts and the collocated Brewer double monochromator are within 2% for the measurement period beginning in April 2001. The methodology, as well as the influences of the ozone profiles, aerosols, surface albedo, and the solar zenith angle on the retrieved total ozone amounts will be presented.

Atomic Layer Deposition Re Ective Coatings For Future Astronomical Space Telescopes And The Solar Corona Viewed Through The Minxss (Miniature X-Ray Solar Spectrometer) Cubesats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Christopher Samuel

2017-11-01

High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), Hinode X-ray Telescope (XRT), Hinode Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) to study the solar corona. This resulted in new insights on the coronal temperature distribution and elemental abundance variations for quiescence, active regions and during solar flares.

Determination of the coronal magnetic field from vector magnetograph data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikic, Zoran

1991-01-01

A new algorithm was developed, tested, and applied to determine coronal magnetic fields above solar active regions. The coronal field above NOAA active region AR5747 was successfully estimated on 20 Oct. 1989 from data taken at the Mees Solar Observatory of the Univ. of Hawaii. It was shown that observational data can be used to obtain realistic estimates of coronal magnetic fields. The model has significantly extended the realism with which the coronal magnetic field can be inferred from observations. The understanding of coronal phenomena will be greatly advanced by a reliable technique, such as the one presented, for deducing the detailed spatial structure of the coronal field. The payoff from major current and proposed NASA observational efforts is heavily dependent on the success with which the coronal field can be inferred from vector magnetograms. In particular, the present inability to reliably obtain the coronal field has been a major obstacle to the theoretical advancement of solar flare theory and prediction. The results have shown that the evolutional algorithm can be used to estimate coronal magnetic fields.

Relating magnetic reconnection to coronal heating

PubMed Central

Longcope, D. W.; Tarr, L. A.

2015-01-01

It is clear that the solar corona is being heated and that coronal magnetic fields undergo reconnection all the time. Here we attempt to show that these two facts are related—i.e. coronal reconnection generates heat. This attempt must address the fact that topological change of field lines does not automatically generate heat. We present one case of flux emergence where we have measured the rate of coronal magnetic reconnection and the rate of energy dissipation in the corona. The ratio of these two, , is a current comparable to the amount of current expected to flow along the boundary separating the emerged flux from the pre-existing flux overlying it. We can generalize this relation to the overall corona in quiet Sun or in active regions. Doing so yields estimates for the contribution to coronal heating from magnetic reconnection. These estimated rates are comparable to the amount required to maintain the corona at its observed temperature. PMID:25897089

Hybrid Stars and Coronal Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mushotzky, Richard (Technical Monitor); Dupree, Andrea K.

2004-01-01

This program addresses the evolution of stellar coronas by comparing a solar-like corona in the supergiant Dra (G2 Ib-IIa) to the corona in the allegedly more evolved state of a hybrid star, TrA (K2 11-111). Because the hybrid star has a massive wind, it appears likely that the corona will be cooler and less dense as the magnetic loop structures are no longer closed. By analogy with solar coronal holes, when the topology of the magnetic field is configured with open magnetic structures, both the coronal temperature and density are lower than in atmospheres dominated by closed loops. The hybrid stars assume a pivotal role in the definition of coronal evolution, atmospheric heating processes and mechanisms to drive winds of cool stars.

New Solar Irradiance Measurements from the Miniature X-Ray Solar Spectrometer Cubesat

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woods, Thomas N.; Jones, Andrew; Kohnert, Richard

The goal of the Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer ( MinXSS ) CubeSat is to explore the energy distribution of soft X-ray (SXR) emissions from the quiescent Sun, active regions, and during solar flares and to model the impact on Earth's ionosphere and thermosphere. The energy emitted in the SXR range (0.1–10 keV) can vary by more than a factor of 100, yet we have limited spectral measurements in the SXRs to accurately quantify the spectral dependence of this variability. The MinXSS primary science instrument is an Amptek, Inc. X123 X-ray spectrometer that has an energy range of 0.5–30 keV withmore » a nominal 0.15 keV energy resolution. Two flight models have been built. The first, MinXSS -1, has been making science observations since 2016 June 9 and has observed numerous flares, including more than 40 C-class and 7 M-class flares. These SXR spectral measurements have advantages over broadband SXR observations, such as providing the capability to derive multiple-temperature components and elemental abundances of coronal plasma, improved irradiance accuracy, and higher resolution spectral irradiance as input to planetary ionosphere simulations. MinXSS spectra obtained during the M5.0 flare on 2016 July 23 highlight these advantages and indicate how the elemental abundance appears to change from primarily coronal to more photospheric during the flare. MinXSS -1 observations are compared to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite ( GOES ) X-ray Sensor (XRS) measurements of SXR irradiance and estimated corona temperature. Additionally, a suggested improvement to the calibration of the GOES XRS data is presented.« less

HOMOLOGOUS SOLAR EVENTS ON 2011 JANUARY 27: BUILD-UP AND PROPAGATION IN A COMPLEX CORONAL ENVIRONMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pick, M.; Démoulin, P.; Zucca, P.

2016-05-20

In spite of the wealth of imaging observations at the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV), X-ray, and radio wavelengths, there are still relatively few cases where all of the imagery is available to study the full development of a coronal mass ejection (CME) event and its associated shock. The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the role of the coronal environment in the development of CMEs and the formation of shocks, and their propagation. We have analyzed the interactions of a couple of homologous CME events with ambient coronal structures. Both events were launched in a direction farmore » from the local vertical, and exhibited a radical change in their direction of propagation during their progression from the low corona into higher altitudes. Observations at EUV wavelengths from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory were used to track the events in the low corona. The development of the events at higher altitudes was followed by the white-light coronagraphs on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory . Radio emissions produced during the development of the events were well recorded by the Nançay solar instruments. Thanks to their detection of accelerated electrons, the radio observations are an important complement to the EUV imaging. They allowed us to characterize the development of the associated shocks, and helped to unveil the physical processes behind the complex interactions between the CMEs and ambient medium (e.g., compression, reconnection).« less

Search with Copernicus for ultraviolet emission lines in the planetary nebula NGC 3242

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, R. D.; Snow, T. P., Jr.; Upson, W. L., II

1978-01-01

The high-excitation planetary nebula NGC 3242 has been observed with the ultraviolet telescope-spectrometer aboard Copernicus. Wavelength intervals corresponding to the emission lines of O VI at 1032 A, He II at 1085 A, Si III at 1206 A, and N V at 1239 A have been scanned. Upper limits to the observed fluxes are reported and compared with predicted emission-line fluxes from this object.

Emission Measure Distribution and Heating of Two Active Region Cores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripathi, Durgesh; Klimchuk, James A.; Mason, Helen E.

2011-01-01

Using data from the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer aboard Hinode, we have studied the coronal plasma in the core of two active regions. Concentrating on the area between opposite polarity moss, we found emission measure distributions having an approximate power-law form EM/T(exp 2.4) from log T = 5.55 up to a peak at log T = 6.57. The observations are explained extremely well by a simple nanoflare model. However, in the absence of additional constraints, the observations could possibly also be explained by steady heating.

Ultra-portable, wireless smartphone spectrometer for rapid, non-destructive testing of fruit ripeness.

PubMed

Das, Anshuman J; Wahi, Akshat; Kothari, Ishan; Raskar, Ramesh

2016-09-08

We demonstrate a smartphone based spectrometer design that is standalone and supported on a wireless platform. The device is inherently low-cost and the power consumption is minimal making it portable to carry out a range of studies in the field. All essential components of the device like the light source, spectrometer, filters, microcontroller and wireless circuits have been assembled in a housing of dimensions 88 mm × 37 mm × 22 mm and the entire device weighs 48 g. The resolution of the spectrometer is 15 nm, delivering accurate and repeatable measurements. The device has a dedicated app interface on the smartphone to communicate, receive, plot and analyze spectral data. The performance of the smartphone spectrometer is comparable to existing bench-top spectrometers in terms of stability and wavelength resolution. Validations of the device were carried out by demonstrating non-destructive ripeness testing in fruit samples. Ultra-Violet (UV) fluorescence from Chlorophyll present in the skin was measured across various apple varieties during the ripening process and correlated with destructive firmness tests. A satisfactory agreement was observed between ripeness and fluorescence signals. This demonstration is a step towards possible consumer, bio-sensing and diagnostic applications that can be carried out in a rapid manner.

Ultra-portable, wireless smartphone spectrometer for rapid, non-destructive testing of fruit ripeness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Anshuman J.; Wahi, Akshat; Kothari, Ishan; Raskar, Ramesh

2016-09-01

We demonstrate a smartphone based spectrometer design that is standalone and supported on a wireless platform. The device is inherently low-cost and the power consumption is minimal making it portable to carry out a range of studies in the field. All essential components of the device like the light source, spectrometer, filters, microcontroller and wireless circuits have been assembled in a housing of dimensions 88 mm × 37 mm × 22 mm and the entire device weighs 48 g. The resolution of the spectrometer is 15 nm, delivering accurate and repeatable measurements. The device has a dedicated app interface on the smartphone to communicate, receive, plot and analyze spectral data. The performance of the smartphone spectrometer is comparable to existing bench-top spectrometers in terms of stability and wavelength resolution. Validations of the device were carried out by demonstrating non-destructive ripeness testing in fruit samples. Ultra-Violet (UV) fluorescence from Chlorophyll present in the skin was measured across various apple varieties during the ripening process and correlated with destructive firmness tests. A satisfactory agreement was observed between ripeness and fluorescence signals. This demonstration is a step towards possible consumer, bio-sensing and diagnostic applications that can be carried out in a rapid manner.

Critical Magnetic Field Strengths for Unipolar Solar Coronal Plumes in Quiet Regions and Coronal Holes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avallone, E. A.; Tiwari, S. K.; Panesar, N. K.; Moore, R. L.

2017-12-01

Coronal plumes are sporadic fountain-like structures that are bright in coronal emission. Each is a magnetic funnel rooted in a strong patch of dominant-polarity photospheric magnetic flux surrounded by a predominantly-unipolar magnetic network, either in a quiet region or a coronal hole. The heating processes that make plumes bright evidently involve the magnetic field in the base of the plume, but remain mysterious. Raouafi et al. (2014) inferred from observations that plume heating is a consequence of magnetic reconnection in the base, whereas Wang et al. (2016) showed that plume heating turns on/off from convection-driven convergence/divergence of the base flux. While both papers suggest that the base magnetic flux in their plumes is of mixed polarity, these papers provide no measurements of the abundance and strength of the evolving base flux or consider whether a critical magnetic field strength is required for a plume to become noticeably bright. To address plume production and evolution, we track the plume luminosity and the abundance and strength of the base magnetic flux over the lifetimes of six coronal plumes, using Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) 171 Å images and SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) line-of-sight magnetograms. Three of these plumes are in coronal holes, three are in quiet regions, and each plume exhibits a unipolar base flux. We track the base magnetic flux over each plume's lifetime to affirm that its convergence and divergence respectively coincide with the appearance and disappearance of the plume in 171 Å images. We tentatively find that plume formation requires enough convergence of the base flux to surpass a field strength of ˜300-500 Gauss, and that quiet Sun and coronal-hole plumes both exhibit the same behavior in the response of their luminosity in 171 Å to the strength of the magnetic field in the base.

Evaluation of the Minifilament-Eruption Scenario for Solar Coronal Jets in Polar Coronal Holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baikie, Tomi K.; Sterling, Alphonse C.; Falconer, David; Moore, Ronald L.; Savage, Sabrina L.

2016-01-01

Solar coronal jets are suspected to result from magnetic reconnection low in the Sun's atmosphere. Sterling et al. (2015) looked as 20 jets in polar coronal holes, using X-ray images from the Hinode/X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and EUV images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). They suggested that each jet was driven by the eruption of twisted closed magnetic field carrying a small-scale filament, which they call a 'minifilament', and that the jet was produced by reconnection of the erupting field with surrounding open field. In this study, we carry out a more extensive examination of polar coronal jets. From 180 hours of XRT polar coronal hole observations spread over two years (2014-2016), we identified 130 clearly-identifiable X-ray jet events and thus determined an event rate of over 17 jets per day per in the Hinode/XRT field of view. From the broader set, we selected 25 of the largest and brightest events for further study in AIA 171, 193, 211, and 304 Angstrom images. We find that at least the majority of the jets follow the minifilament-eruption scenario, although for some cases the evolution of the minifilament in the onset of its eruption is more complex than presented in the simplified schematic of Sterling et al. (2015). For all cases in which we could make a clear determination, the spire of the X-ray jet drifted laterally away from the jet-base-edge bright point; this spire drift away from the bright point is consistent with expectations of the minifilament-eruption scenario for coronal-jet production. This work was supported with funding from the NASA/MSFC Hinode Project Office, and from the NASA HGI program.

Unresolved fine-scale structure in solar coronal loop-tops

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scullion, E.; Van der Voort, L. Rouppe; Wedemeyer, S.

2014-12-10

New and advanced space-based observing facilities continue to lower the resolution limit and detect solar coronal loops in greater detail. We continue to discover even finer substructures within coronal loop cross-sections, in order to understand the nature of the solar corona. Here, we push this lower limit further to search for the finest coronal loop substructures, through taking advantage of the resolving power of the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope/CRisp Imaging Spectro-Polarimeter (CRISP), together with co-observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Image Assembly (AIA). High-resolution imaging of the chromospheric Hα 656.28 nm spectral line core and wings can, under certainmore » circumstances, allow one to deduce the topology of the local magnetic environment of the solar atmosphere where its observed. Here, we study post-flare coronal loops, which become filled with evaporated chromosphere that rapidly condenses into chromospheric clumps of plasma (detectable in Hα) known as a coronal rain, to investigate their fine-scale structure. We identify, through analysis of three data sets, large-scale catastrophic cooling in coronal loop-tops and the existence of multi-thermal, multi-stranded substructures. Many cool strands even extend fully intact from loop-top to footpoint. We discover that coronal loop fine-scale strands can appear bunched with as many as eight parallel strands within an AIA coronal loop cross-section. The strand number density versus cross-sectional width distribution, as detected by CRISP within AIA-defined coronal loops, most likely peaks at well below 100 km, and currently, 69% of the substructure strands are statistically unresolved in AIA coronal loops.« less

Determination of coronal magnetic fields from vector magnetograms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikic, Zoran

1992-01-01

The determination of coronal magnetic fields from vector magnetograms, including the development and application of algorithms to determine force-free coronal fields above selected observations of active regions is studied. Two additional active regions were selected and analyzed. The restriction of periodicity in the 3-D code which is used to determine the coronal field was removed giving the new code variable mesh spacing and is thus able to provide a more realistic description of coronal fields. The NOAA active region AR5747 of 20 Oct. 1989 was studied. A brief account of progress during the research performed is reported.

SELF-ORGANIZED BRAIDING AND THE STRUCTURE OF CORONAL LOOPS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berger, Mitchell A.; Asgari-Targhi, Mahboubeh, E-mail: m.berger@exeter.ac.u, E-mail: m.asgari@ucl.ac.u

2009-11-01

The Parker model for heating of the solar corona involves reconnection of braided magnetic flux elements. Much of this braiding is thought to occur at as yet unresolved scales, for example, braiding of threads within an extreme-ultraviolet or X-ray loop. However, some braiding may be still visible at scales accessible to TRACE or Hinode. We suggest that attempts to estimate the amount of braiding at these scales must take into account the degree of coherence of the braid structure. In this paper, we examine the effect of reconnection on the structure of a braided magnetic field. We demonstrate that simplemore » models of braided magnetic fields which balance the input of topological structure with reconnection evolve to a self-organized critical state. An initially random braid can become highly ordered, with coherence lengths obeying power-law distributions. The energy released during reconnection also obeys a power law. Our model gives more frequent (but smaller) energy releases nearer to the ends of a coronal loop.« less

Constraints on active region coronal heating properties from observations and modeling of chromospheric, transition region, and coronal emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Testa, P.; Polito, V.; De Pontieu, B.; Carlsson, M.; Reale, F.; Allred, J. C.; Hansteen, V. H.

2017-12-01

We investigate coronal heating properties in active region cores in non-flaring conditions, using high spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution chromospheric/transition region/coronal observations coupled with detailed modeling. We will focus, in particular, on observations with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), joint with observations with Hinode (XRT and EIS) and SDO/AIA. We will discuss how these observations and models (1D HD and 3D MHD, with the RADYN and Bifrost codes) provide useful diagnostics of the coronal heating processes and mechanisms of energy transport.

Comparison of Two Coronal Magnetic Field Models to Reconstruct a Sigmoidal Solar Active Region with Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Aiying; Jiang, Chaowei; Hu, Qiang; Zhang, Huai; Gary, G. Allen; Wu, S. T.; Cao, Jinbin

2017-06-01

Magnetic field extrapolation is an important tool to study the three-dimensional (3D) solar coronal magnetic field, which is difficult to directly measure. Various analytic models and numerical codes exist, but their results often drastically differ. Thus, a critical comparison of the modeled magnetic field lines with the observed coronal loops is strongly required to establish the credibility of the model. Here we compare two different non-potential extrapolation codes, a nonlinear force-free field code (CESE-MHD-NLFFF) and a non-force-free field (NFFF) code, in modeling a solar active region (AR) that has a sigmoidal configuration just before a major flare erupted from the region. A 2D coronal-loop tracing and fitting method is employed to study the 3D misalignment angles between the extrapolated magnetic field lines and the EUV loops as imaged by SDO/AIA. It is found that the CESE-MHD-NLFFF code with preprocessed magnetogram performs the best, outputting a field that matches the coronal loops in the AR core imaged in AIA 94 Å with a misalignment angle of ˜10°. This suggests that the CESE-MHD-NLFFF code, even without using the information of the coronal loops in constraining the magnetic field, performs as good as some coronal-loop forward-fitting models. For the loops as imaged by AIA 171 Å in the outskirts of the AR, all the codes including the potential field give comparable results of the mean misalignment angle (˜30°). Thus, further improvement of the codes is needed for a better reconstruction of the long loops enveloping the core region.

Comparison of Two Coronal Magnetic Field Models to Reconstruct a Sigmoidal Solar Active Region with Coronal Loops

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duan, Aiying; Zhang, Huai; Jiang, Chaowei

Magnetic field extrapolation is an important tool to study the three-dimensional (3D) solar coronal magnetic field, which is difficult to directly measure. Various analytic models and numerical codes exist, but their results often drastically differ. Thus, a critical comparison of the modeled magnetic field lines with the observed coronal loops is strongly required to establish the credibility of the model. Here we compare two different non-potential extrapolation codes, a nonlinear force-free field code (CESE–MHD–NLFFF) and a non-force-free field (NFFF) code, in modeling a solar active region (AR) that has a sigmoidal configuration just before a major flare erupted from themore » region. A 2D coronal-loop tracing and fitting method is employed to study the 3D misalignment angles between the extrapolated magnetic field lines and the EUV loops as imaged by SDO /AIA. It is found that the CESE–MHD–NLFFF code with preprocessed magnetogram performs the best, outputting a field that matches the coronal loops in the AR core imaged in AIA 94 Å with a misalignment angle of ∼10°. This suggests that the CESE–MHD–NLFFF code, even without using the information of the coronal loops in constraining the magnetic field, performs as good as some coronal-loop forward-fitting models. For the loops as imaged by AIA 171 Å in the outskirts of the AR, all the codes including the potential field give comparable results of the mean misalignment angle (∼30°). Thus, further improvement of the codes is needed for a better reconstruction of the long loops enveloping the core region.« less

White Light Stray Light Test of the SOHO UVCS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, L. N.; Gardner, L. N.; Fineschi, S.

1998-01-01

During the late stages of the integration phase of the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) instrument for the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) at MATRA-Marconi in Toulouse, France, SOHO Project management at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) became concerned that the elaborate stray light rejection system for the instrument had not been tested and might possibly be misaligned such that the instrument could not deliver promised scientific returns. A white light stray light test, which would place an upper bound on the value of UVCS's stray light rejection capability, was commissioned, conceived, and carried out. This upper bound value would be indicative of the weakest coronal features the spectrometer would be capable of discerning. The test was rapidly developed at GSFC in coordination with science team members from Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CFA) and was carried out at MATRA in late February 1995. The outcome of this test helped to justify similar, much desired tests with visible and far ultraviolet light at CFA in a facility specifically designed to perform such testing.

Ultraviolet Raman scattering from persistent chemical warfare agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kullander, Fredrik; Wästerby, Pär.; Landström, Lars

2016-05-01

Laser induced Raman scattering at excitation wavelengths in the middle ultraviolet was examined using a pulsed tunable laser based spectrometer system. Droplets of chemical warfare agents, with a volume of 2 μl, were placed on a silicon surface and irradiated with sequences of laser pulses. The Raman scattering from V-series nerve agents, Tabun (GA) and Mustard gas (HD) was studied with the aim of finding the optimum parameters and the requirements for a detection system. A particular emphasis was put on V-agents that have been previously shown to yield relatively weak Raman scattering in this excitation band.

Observational Analysis of Coronal Fans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talpeanu, D.-C.; Rachmeler, L; Mierla, Marilena

2017-01-01

Coronal fans (see Figure 1) are bright observational structures that extend to large distances above the solar surface and can easily be seen in EUV (174 angstrom) above the limb. They have a very long lifetime and can live up to several Carrington rotations (CR), remaining relatively stationary for many months. Note that they are not off-limb manifestation of similarly-named active region fans. The solar conditions required to create coronal fans are not well understood. The goal of this research was to find as many associations as possible of coronal fans with other solar features and to gain a better understanding of these structures. Therefore, we analyzed many fans and created an overview of their properties. We present the results of this statistical analysis and also a case study on the longest living fan.

Statistical Detection of Propagating Waves in a Polar Coronal Hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, G. R.; O'Shea, E.; Banerjee, D.; Popescu, M.; Doyle, J. G.

Waves are important in the heating of the solar corona and the acceleration of the solar wind. We have examined a long spectral time series sampling a southern coronal hole, observed on the 25 February 1997 using the SUMER spectrometer onboard SoHO. The observations used the spectra lines NIV 765Å, formed in the transition region, and Ne VIII 770Å, formed in the low corona. The spectra indicate the presence of compressional waves with periods of about 18 min, and also significant power at shorter periods. Using Fourier techniques, we measured the phase delays between the intensity as well as the velocity oscillations in the two lines as a function of frequency. From these measurements we derive the travel time of the propagating oscillations and so the propagation speeds of the waves producing the oscillations. As the measured propagation speeds are subsonic, we conclude that the observed waves are slow magneto-acoustic ones.

Extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy diagnostics of low-temperature plasmas based on a sliced multilayer grating and glass capillary optics.

PubMed

Kantsyrev, V L; Safronova, A S; Williamson, K M; Wilcox, P; Ouart, N D; Yilmaz, M F; Struve, K W; Voronov, D L; Feshchenko, R M; Artyukov, I A; Vinogradov, A V

2008-10-01

New extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectroscopic diagnostics of relatively low-temperature plasmas based on the application of an EUV spectrometer and fast EUV diodes combined with glass capillary optics is described. An advanced high resolution dispersive element sliced multilayer grating was used in the compact EUV spectrometer. For monitoring of the time history of radiation, filtered fast EUV diodes were used in the same spectral region (>13 nm) as the EUV spectrometer. The radiation from the plasma was captured by using a single inexpensive glass capillary that was transported onto the spectrometer entrance slit and EUV diode. The use of glass capillary optics allowed placement of the spectrometer and diodes behind the thick radiation shield outside the direction of a possible hard x-ray radiation beam and debris from the plasma source. The results of the testing and application of this diagnostic for a compact laser plasma source are presented. Examples of modeling with parameters of plasmas are discussed.

The Infrared Solar Spectrum Measured by the SOLSPEC Spectrometer Onboard the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thuillier, G.; Harder, J. W.; Shapiro, A.; Woods, T. N.; Perrin, J.-M.; Snow, M.; Sukhodolov, T.; Schmutz, W.

2015-06-01

A solar spectrum extending from the extreme ultraviolet to the near-infrared is an important input for solar physics, climate research, and atmospheric physics. Ultraviolet measurements have been conducted since the beginning of the space age, but measurements throughout the contiguous visible and infrared (IR) regions are much more sparse. Ageing is a key problem throughout the entire spectral domain, but most of the effort extended to understand degradation was concentrated on the ultraviolet spectral region, and these mechanisms may not be appropriate in the IR. This problem is further complicated by the scarcity of long-term data sets. Onboard the International Space Station, the SOLSPEC spectrometer measured an IR solar spectral irradiance lower than the one given by ATLAS 3, e.g. by about 7 % at 1 700 nm. We here evaluate the consequences of the lower solar spectral irradiance measurements and present a re-analysis of the on-orbit calibration lamp and solar data trend, which lead to a revised spectrum.

Study of extreme-ultraviolet emission and properties of a coronal streamer from PROBA2/SWAP, HINODE/EIS and Mauna Loa Mk4 observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goryaev, F.; Slemzin, V.; Vainshtein, L.

2014-02-01

Wide-field extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) telescopes imaging in spectral bands sensitive to 1 MK plasma on the Sun often observe extended, ray-like coronal structures stretching radially from active regions to distances of 1.5-2 R {sub ☉}, which represent the EUV counterparts of white-light streamers. To explain this phenomenon, we investigated the properties of a streamer observed on 2010 October 20 and 21, by the PROBA2/SWAP EUV telescope together with the Hinode/EIS (HOP 165) and the Mauna Loa Mk4 white-light coronagraph. In the SWAP 174 Å band comprising the Fe IX-Fe XI lines, the streamer was detected to a distance of 2 Rmore » {sub ☉}. We assume that the EUV emission is dominated by collisional excitation and resonant scattering of monochromatic radiation coming from the underlying corona. Below 1.2 R {sub ☉}, the plasma density and temperature were derived from the Hinode/EIS data by a line-ratio method. Plasma conditions in the streamer and in the background corona above 1.2 R {sub ☉} from the disk center were determined by forward-modeling the emission that best fit the observational data in both EUV and white light. It was found that the plasma in the streamer above 1.2 R {sub ☉} is nearly isothermal, with a temperature of T = 1.43 ± 0.08 MK. The hydrostatic scale-height temperature determined from the evaluated density distribution was significantly higher (1.72 ± 0.08 MK), which suggests the existence of outward plasma flow along the streamer. We conclude that, inside the streamer, collisional excitation provided more than 90% of the observed EUV emission, whereas, in the background corona, the contribution of resonance scattering became comparable with that of collisions at R ≳ 2 R {sub ☉}.« less

Determination of coronal magnetic fields from vector magnetograms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikic, Zoran

1993-01-01

This report covers technical progress during the second year of the contract entitled 'Determination of Coronal Magnetic Fields from Vector Magnetograms,' NASW-4728, between NASA and Science Applications International Corporation, and covers the period January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1993. Under this contract SAIC has conducted research into the determination of coronal magnetic fields from vector magnetograms, including the development and application of algorithms to determine force-free coronal fields above selected observations of active regions. The contract began on June 30, 1992 and has a completion date of December 31, 1994. This contract is a continuation of work started in a previous contract, NASW-4571, which covered the period November 15, 1990 to December 14, 1991. During this second year we have concentrated on studying additional active regions and in using the estimated coronal magnetic fields to compare to coronal features inferred from observations.

Interchange Reconnection and Coronal Hole Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmondson, J. K.; Antiochos, S. K.; DeVore, C. R.; Lynch, B. J.; Zurbuchen, T. H.

2011-01-01

We investigate the effect of magnetic reconnection between open and closed field, (often referred to as "interchange" reconnection), on the dynamics and topology of coronal hole boundaries. The most important and most prevalent 3D topology of the interchange process is that of a small-scale bipolar magnetic field interacting with a large-scale background field. We determine the evolution of such a magnetic topology by numerical solution of the fully 3D MHD equations in spherical coordinates. First, we calculate the evolution of a small-scale bipole that initially is completely inside an open field region and then is driven across a coronal hole boundary by photospheric motions. Next the reverse situation is calculated in which the bipole is initially inside the closed region and driven toward the coronal hole boundary. In both cases we find that the stress imparted by the photospheric motions results in deformation of the separatrix surface between the closed field of the bipole and the background field, leading to rapid current sheet formation and to efficient reconnection. When the bipole is inside the open field region, the reconnection is of the interchange type in that it exchanges open and closed field. We examine, in detail, the topology of the field as the bipole moves across the coronal hole boundary, and find that the field remains well-connected throughout this process. Our results imply that open flux cannot penetrate deeply into the closed field region below a helmet streamer and, hence, support the quasi-steady models in which open and closed flux remain topologically distinct. Our results also support the uniqueness hypothesis for open field regions as postulated by Antiochos et al. We discuss the implications of this work for coronal observations. Subject Headings: Sun: corona Sun: magnetic fields Sun: reconnection Sun: coronal hole

Optimizing Global Coronal Magnetic Field Models Using Image-Based Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones-Mecholsky, Shaela I.; Davila, Joseph M.; Uritskiy, Vadim

2016-01-01

The coronal magnetic field directly or indirectly affects a majority of the phenomena studied in the heliosphere. It provides energy for coronal heating, controls the release of coronal mass ejections, and drives heliospheric and magnetospheric activity, yet the coronal magnetic field itself has proven difficult to measure. This difficulty has prompted a decades-long effort to develop accurate, timely, models of the field, an effort that continues today. We have developed a method for improving global coronal magnetic field models by incorporating the type of morphological constraints that could be derived from coronal images. Here we report promising initial tests of this approach on two theoretical problems, and discuss opportunities for application.

OPTIMIZING GLOBAL CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELD MODELS USING IMAGE-BASED CONSTRAINTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, Shaela I.; Davila, Joseph M.; Uritsky, Vadim, E-mail: shaela.i.jonesmecholsky@nasa.gov

The coronal magnetic field directly or indirectly affects a majority of the phenomena studied in the heliosphere. It provides energy for coronal heating, controls the release of coronal mass ejections, and drives heliospheric and magnetospheric activity, yet the coronal magnetic field itself has proven difficult to measure. This difficulty has prompted a decades-long effort to develop accurate, timely, models of the field—an effort that continues today. We have developed a method for improving global coronal magnetic field models by incorporating the type of morphological constraints that could be derived from coronal images. Here we report promising initial tests of thismore » approach on two theoretical problems, and discuss opportunities for application.« less

Origin of Pre-Coronal-Jet Minifilaments: Flux Cancellation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Panesar, Navdeep K.; Sterling, Alphonse; Moore, Ronald L.

2017-01-01

Coronal jets are frequent magnetically channeled narrow eruptions. All coronal jets observed in EUV and X-ray images show a bright spire with a base brightening, also known as jet bright point (JBP). Recent studies of jets show that coronal jets are driven by small-scale filament eruptions (e.g. Hong et al. 2011, Shen et al. 2012, Adams et al. 2014, Sterling et al. 2015). We recently investigated the triggering mechanism of ten on-disk quiet-region coronal jet eruptions and found that magnetic flux cancellation at the neutral line of minifilaments is the main cause of quiet-region jet eruptions (Panesar et al.2016).

Temperature and EUV Intensity in a Coronal Prominence Cavity and Streamer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kucera, T. A.; Gibson, S.E.; Schmit, D. J.; Landi, E.; Tripathi, D.

2012-01-01

We analyze the temperature and EUV line emission of a coronal cavity and surrounding streamer in terms of a morphological forward model. We use a series of iron line ratios observed with the Hinode Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (EIS) on 2007 Aug. 9 to constrain temperature as a function of altitude in a morphological forward model of the streamer and cavity. We also compare model prediction of the EIS EUV line intensities and polarized brightness (pB) data from the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) MK4. This work builds on earlier analysis using the same model to determine geometry of and density in the same cavity and streamer. The fit to the data with altitude dependent temperature profiles indicates that both the streamer and cavity have temperatures in the range 1.4-1.7 MK. However, the cavity exhibits substantial substructure such that the altitude dependent temperature profile is not sufficient to completely model conditions in the cavity. Coronal prominence cavities are structured by magnetism so clues to this structure are to be found in their plasma properties. These temperature substructures are likely related to structures in the cavity magnetic field. Furthermore, we find that the model overestimates the line intensities by a factor of 4-10, while overestimating pB data by no more than a factor of 1.4. One possible explanation for this is that there may be a significant amount of material at temperatures outside of the range log T(K) approximately equals 5.8 - 6.7 in both the cavity and the streamer.

Coronal "wave": Magnetic Footprint Of A Cme?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attrill, Gemma; Harra, L. K.; van Driel-Gesztelyi, L.; Demoulin, P.; Wuelser, J.

2007-05-01

We propose a new mechanism for the generation of "EUV coronal waves". This work is based on new analysis of data from SOHO/EIT, SOHO/MDI & STEREO/EUVI. Although first observed in 1997, the interpretation of coronal waves as flare-induced or CME-driven remains a debated topic. We investigate the properties of two "classical" SOHO/EIT coronal waves in detail. The source regions of the associated CMEs possess opposite helicities & the coronal waves display rotations in opposite senses. We observe deep dimmings near the flare site & also widespread diffuse dimming, accompanying the expansion of the EIT wave. We report a new property of these EIT waves, namely, that they display dual brightenings: persistent ones at the outermost edge of the core dimming regions & simultaneously diffuse brightenings constituting the leading edge of the coronal wave, surrounding the expanding diffuse dimmings. We show that such behaviour is consistent with a diffuse EIT wave being the magnetic footprint of a CME. We propose a new mechanism where driven magnetic reconnections between the skirt of the expanding CME & quiet-Sun magnetic loops generate the observed bright diffuse front. The dual brightenings & widespread diffuse dimming are identified as innate characteristics of this process. In addition we present some of the first analysis of a STEREO/EUVI limb coronal wave. We show how the evolution of the diffuse bright front & dimmings can be understood in terms of the model described above. We show that an apparently stationary part of the bright front can be understood in terms of magnetic interchange reconnections between the expanding CME & the "open" magnetic field of a low-latitude coronal hole. We use both the SOHO/EIT & STEREO/EUVI events to demonstrate that through successive reconnections, this new model provides a natural mechanism via which CMEs can become large-scale in the lower corona.

Coronal rain in magnetic bipolar weak fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, C.; Keppens, R.; Fang, X.

2017-07-01

Aims: We intend to investigate the underlying physics for the coronal rain phenomenon in a representative bipolar magnetic field, including the formation and the dynamics of coronal rain blobs. Methods: With the MPI-AMRVAC code, we performed three dimensional radiative magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation with strong heating localized on footpoints of magnetic loops after a relaxation to quiet solar atmosphere. Results: Progressive cooling and in-situ condensation starts at the loop top due to radiative thermal instability. The first large-scale condensation on the loop top suffers Rayleigh-Taylor instability and becomes fragmented into smaller blobs. The blobs fall vertically dragging magnetic loops until they reach low-β regions and start to fall along the loops from loop top to loop footpoints. A statistic study of the coronal rain blobs finds that small blobs with masses of less than 1010 g dominate the population. When blobs fall to lower regions along the magnetic loops, they are stretched and develop a non-uniform velocity pattern with an anti-parallel shearing pattern seen to develop along the central axis of the blobs. Synthetic images of simulated coronal rain with Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly well resemble real observations presenting dark falling clumps in hot channels and bright rain blobs in a cool channel. We also find density inhomogeneities during a coronal rain "shower", which reflects the observed multi-stranded nature of coronal rain. Movies associated to Figs. 3 and 7 are available at http://www.aanda.org

Coronal magnetic fields and the solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newkirk, G., Jr.

1972-01-01

Current information is presented on coronal magnetic fields as they bear on problems of the solar wind. Both steady state fields and coronal transient events are considered. A brief critique is given of the methods of calculating coronal magnetic fields including the potential (current free) models, exact solutions for the solar wind and field interaction, and source surface models. These solutions are compared with the meager quantitative observations which are available at this time. Qualitative comparisons between the shapes of calculated magnetic field lines and the forms visible in the solar corona at several recent eclipses are displayed. These suggest that: (1) coronal streamers develop above extended magnetic arcades which connect unipolar regions of opposite polarity; and (2) loops, arches, and rays in the corona correspond to preferentially filled magnetic tubes in the approximately potential field.

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Coronal magnetic loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitsev, Valerii V.; Stepanov, Alexander V.

2008-11-01

The goal of this review is to outline some new ideas in the physics of coronal magnetic loops, the fundamental structural elements of the atmospheres of the Sun and flaring stars, which are involved in phenomena such as stellar coronal heating, flare energy release, charged particle acceleration, and the modulation of optical, radio, and X-ray emissions. The Alfvén-Carlqvist view of a coronal loop as an equivalent electric circuit allows a good physical understanding of loop processes. Describing coronal loops as MHD-resonators explains various ways in which flaring emissions from the Sun and stars are modulated, whereas modeling them by magnetic mirror traps allows one to describe the dynamics and emission of high-energy particles. Based on these approaches, loop plasma and fast particle parameters are obtained and models for flare energy release and stellar corona heating are developed.

Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. II Interstellar extinction.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bless, R. C.; Savage, B. D.

1972-01-01

Evaluation of interstellar extinction curves over the region from 3600 to 1100 A for 17 stars. The observations were made by the two Wisconsin spectrometers on board the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2, with spectral resolutions of 10 and 20 A. The extinction curves generally show a pronounced maximum at 2175 plus or minus 25 A, a broad minimum in the region from 1800 to 1350 A, and finally a rapid rise to the far-ultraviolet. Large extinction variations from star to star are found, especially in the far-ultraviolet; however, with only two possible exceptions in this sample, the wavelength at the maximum of the extinction bump is essentially constant. These data are combined with visual and infrared observations to display the extinction behavior over a range in wavelength of about a factor of 20. The observations appear to require a multicomponent model of the interstellar dust.

New Solar Irradiance Measurements from the Miniature X-Ray Solar Spectrometer CubeSat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woods, Thomas N.; Caspi, Amir; Chamberlin, Phillip C.; Jones, Andrew; Kohnert, Richard; Mason, James Paul; Moore, Christopher S.; Palo, Scott; Rouleau, Colden; Solomon, Stanley C.; Machol, Janet; Viereck, Rodney

2017-02-01

The goal of the Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSat is to explore the energy distribution of soft X-ray (SXR) emissions from the quiescent Sun, active regions, and during solar flares and to model the impact on Earth's ionosphere and thermosphere. The energy emitted in the SXR range (0.1-10 keV) can vary by more than a factor of 100, yet we have limited spectral measurements in the SXRs to accurately quantify the spectral dependence of this variability. The MinXSS primary science instrument is an Amptek, Inc. X123 X-ray spectrometer that has an energy range of 0.5-30 keV with a nominal 0.15 keV energy resolution. Two flight models have been built. The first, MinXSS-1, has been making science observations since 2016 June 9 and has observed numerous flares, including more than 40 C-class and 7 M-class flares. These SXR spectral measurements have advantages over broadband SXR observations, such as providing the capability to derive multiple-temperature components and elemental abundances of coronal plasma, improved irradiance accuracy, and higher resolution spectral irradiance as input to planetary ionosphere simulations. MinXSS spectra obtained during the M5.0 flare on 2016 July 23 highlight these advantages and indicate how the elemental abundance appears to change from primarily coronal to more photospheric during the flare. MinXSS-1 observations are compared to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) X-ray Sensor (XRS) measurements of SXR irradiance and estimated corona temperature. Additionally, a suggested improvement to the calibration of the GOES XRS data is presented.

A comparison of photospheric electric current and ultraviolet and X-ray emission in a solar active region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haisch, B. M.; Bruner, M. E.; Hagyard, M. J.; Bonnet, R. M.

1986-01-01

This paper presents an extensive set of coordinated observations of a solar active region, taking into account spectroheliograms obtained with the aid of the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) Ultraviolet Spectrometer Polarimeter (UVSP) instrument, SMM soft X-ray polychromator (XRP) raster maps, and high spatial resolution ultraviolet images of the sun in Lyman-alpha and in the 1600 A continuum. These data span together the upper solar atmosphere from the temperature minimum to the corona. The data are compared to maps of the inferred photospheric electric current derived from the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) vector magnetograph observations. Some empirical correlation is found between regions of inferred electric current density and the brightest features in the ultraviolet continuum and to a lesser extent those seen in Lyman-alpha within an active region.

Vacuum Ultraviolet Photodissociation and Fourier Transform-Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FT-ICR) Mass Spectrometry: Revisited.

PubMed

Shaw, Jared B; Robinson, Errol W; Paša-Tolić, Ljiljana

2016-03-15

We revisited the implementation of 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) within the ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) cell of a Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. UVPD performance characteristics were examined in the context of recent developments in the understanding of UVPD and in-cell tandem mass spectrometry. Efficient UVPD and photo-ECD of a model peptide and proteins within the ICR cell of a FT-ICR mass spectrometer are accomplished through appropriate modulation of laser pulse timing, relative to ion magnetron motion and the potential applied to an ion optical element upon which photons impinge. It is shown that UVPD yields efficient and extensive fragmentation, resulting in excellent sequence coverage for model peptide and protein cations.

Dynamics of Coronal Hole Boundaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Higginson, A. K.; Antiochos, S. K.; DeVore, C. R.; Wyper, Peter F.; Zurbuchen, T. H.

2017-01-01

Remote and in situ observations strongly imply that the slow solar wind consists of plasma from the hot, closed-field corona that is released onto open magnetic field lines. The Separatrix Web theory for the slow wind proposesthat photospheric motions at the scale of supergranules are responsible for generating dynamics at coronal-holeboundaries, which result in the closed plasma release. We use three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamicsimulations to determine the effect of photospheric flows on the open and closed magnetic flux of a model coronawith a dipole magnetic field and an isothermal solar wind. A rotational surface motion is used to approximatephotospheric supergranular driving and is applied at the boundary between the coronal hole and helmet streamer.The resulting dynamics consist primarily of prolific and efficient interchange reconnection between open andclosed flux. The magnetic flux near the coronal-hole boundary experiences multiple interchange events, with someflux interchanging over 50 times in one day. Additionally, we find that the interchange reconnection occurs allalong the coronal-hole boundary and even produces a lasting change in magnetic-field connectivity in regions thatwere not driven by the applied motions. Our results show that these dynamics should be ubiquitous in the Sun andheliosphere. We discuss the implications of our simulations for understanding the observed properties of the slowsolar wind, with particular focus on the global-scale consequences of interchange reconnection.

Coronal hole evolution by sudden large scale changes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nolte, J. T.; Gerassimenko, M.; Krieger, A. S.; Solodyna, C. V.

1978-01-01

Sudden shifts in coronal-hole boundaries observed by the S-054 X-ray telescope on Skylab between May and November, 1973, within 1 day of CMP of the holes, at latitudes not exceeding 40 deg, are compared with the long-term evolution of coronal-hole area. It is found that large-scale shifts in boundary locations can account for most if not all of the evolution of coronal holes. The temporal and spatial scales of these large-scale changes imply that they are the results of a physical process occurring in the corona. It is concluded that coronal holes evolve by magnetic-field lines' opening when the holes are growing, and by fields' closing as the holes shrink.

Non-equilibrium ionization by a periodic electron beam. I. Synthetic coronal spectra and implications for interpretation of observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dzifčáková, E.; Dudík, J.; Mackovjak, Š.

2016-05-01

Context. Coronal heating is currently thought to proceed via the mechanism of nanoflares, small-scale and possibly recurring heating events that release magnetic energy. Aims: We investigate the effects of a periodic high-energy electron beam on the synthetic spectra of coronal Fe ions. Methods: Initially, the coronal plasma is assumed to be Maxwellian with a temperature of 1 MK. The high-energy beam, described by a κ-distribution, is then switched on every period P for the duration of P/ 2. The periods are on the order of several tens of seconds, similar to exposure times or cadences of space-borne spectrometers. Ionization, recombination, and excitation rates for the respective distributions are used to calculate the resulting non-equilibrium ionization state of Fe and the instantaneous and period-averaged synthetic spectra. Results: Under the presence of the periodic electron beam, the plasma is out of ionization equilibrium at all times. The resulting spectra averaged over one period are almost always multithermal if interpreted in terms of ionization equilibrium for either a Maxwellian or a κ-distribution. Exceptions occur, however; the EM-loci curves appear to have a nearly isothermal crossing-point for some values of κs. The instantaneous spectra show fast changes in intensities of some lines, especially those formed outside of the peak of the respective EM(T) distributions if the ionization equilibrium is assumed. Movies 1-5 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Comparison of photospheric electric current and ultraviolet and x-ray emission in a solar active region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haisch, B.M.; Bruner, M.E.; Hagyard, M.J.

This paper presents an extensive set of coordinated observations of a solar active region, taking into account spectroheliograms obtained with the aid of the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) Ultraviolet Spectrometer Polarimeter (UVSP) instrument, SMM soft x-ray polychromator (XRP) raster maps, and high spatial resolution ultraviolet images of the sun in Lyman-alpha and in the 1600 A continuum. These data span together the upper solar atmosphere from the temperature minimum to the corona. The data are compared to maps of the inferred photospheric electric current derived from the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) vector magnetograph observations. Some empirical correlation is foundmore » between regions of inferred electric current density and the brightest features in the ultraviolet continuum and to a lesser extent those seen in Lyman-alpha within an active region. 29 references.« less

A Fourier transform spectrometer without a beam splitter for the vacuum ultraviolet range: From the optical design to the first UV spectrum.

PubMed

de Oliveira, N; Joyeux, D; Phalippou, D; Rodier, J C; Polack, F; Vervloet, M; Nahon, L

2009-04-01

We describe a Fourier transform (FT) spectrometer designed to operate down to 60 nm (20 eV) on a synchrotron radiation beamline for high resolution absorption spectrometry. As far as we know, such an instrument is not available below 140 nm mainly because manufacturing accurate and efficient beam splitters remains a major problem at these wavelengths, especially if a wide bandwidth operation is desired. In order to overcome this difficulty, we developed an interferometer based on wave front division instead of amplitude division. It relies on a modified Fresnel bimirror configuration that requires only flat mirrors. The instrument provides path difference scanning through the translation of one reflector. During the scanning, the moving reflector is controlled by an optical system that keeps its direction constant within a tolerable value and provides an accurate interferometric measurement of the path difference variation. Therefore, a regular interferogram sampling is obtained, producing a nominal spectral impulse response and an accurate spectral calibration. The first results presented in this paper show a measured spectral resolution of delta(sigma)=0.33 cm-1 (interval between spectral samples). This was obtained with a sampling interval of 29 nm (path difference) and 512 K samples from a one-sided interferogram using a cosine FT. Such a sampling interval should allow the recording of large bandwidth spectra down to lambda=58 nm with an ultimate resolving power of 500,000 at this wavelength. In order to check the instrument performances, we first recorded an interferogram from a He-Ne stabilized laser. This provided the actual spectral impulse function, which was found to be fully satisfactory. The determination of the impulse response distortion and of the noise on the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral range provided accurate information in the sampling error profile over a typical scan. Finally, the instrument has been moved to the SU5 undulator

The green corona database and the coronal index of solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minarovjech, M.; Rušin, V.; Saniga, M.

2011-10-01

The green coronal line Fe XIV 530.3 nm ranks amongst the most pronounced emission lines in the visible part of the solar spectrum. Its observations outside solar eclipses started sporadically in 1939 (the Arosa coronal station), being extended, in 1946, to more coronal stations. It was found that the green corona intensities vary with solar cycle, so they are a good candidate to express solar activity in the corona. Several attempts have been made to create a single homogeneous coronal data set from different coronal stations. We will present our homogeneous coronal data set, based on the Lomnický Štít photometric scale. Also, the coronal index of solar activity as created from this database in the period 1939—2010 will be discussed.

Free Magnetic Energy and Coronal Heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winebarger, Amy; Moore, Ron; Falconer, David

2012-01-01

Previous work has shown that the coronal X-ray luminosity of an active region increases roughly in direct proportion to the total photospheric flux of the active region's magnetic field (Fisher et al. 1998). It is also observed, however, that the coronal luminosity of active regions of nearly the same flux content can differ by an order of magnitude. In this presentation, we analyze 10 active regions with roughly the same total magnetic flux. We first determine several coronal properties, such as X-ray luminosity (calculated using Hinode XRT), peak temperature (calculated using Hinode EIS), and total Fe XVIII emission (calculated using SDO AIA). We present the dependence of these properties on a proxy of the free magnetic energy of the active region

MHD shocks in coronal mass ejections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinolfson, R. S.

1991-01-01

The primary objective of this research program is the study of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) shocks and nonlinear simple waves produced as a result of the interaction of ejected lower coronal plasma with the ambient corona. The types of shocks and nonlinear simple waves produced for representative coronal conditions and disturbance velocities were determined. The wave system and the interactions between the ejecta and ambient corona were studied using both analytic theory and numerical solutions of the time-dependent, nonlinear MHD equations. Observations from the SMM coronagraph/polarimeter provided both guidance and motivation and are used extensively in evaluating the results. As a natural consequence of the comparisons with the data, the simulations assisted in better understanding the physical interactions in coronal mass ejections (CME's).

Comparative analyses of the ultraviolet-B flux over the continental United State based on the NASA total ozone mapping spectrometer data and USDA ground-based measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Zhiqiang; Gao, Wei; Chang, Ni-Bin

2010-10-01

In recent years, the risk of health effects caused by the increased exposure to Ultraviolet-B (UVB) due to stratospheric ozone depletion has received wide attention. In the US, there are two ways to accurately measure the UVB. They include: 1) the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) Nimbus-7 total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS), and 2) the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) ground-based network. This paper compares these two sensors' data for the ultraviolet index (UVI) nationally and regionally to support possible public health, agricultural, and ecological analyses in the future. The major findings of our study are: 1) although there are discrepancies between these two data sets, the temporal correlation coefficients can be as high as 98%. 2) Both types of data sources depict the macroscopic spatial pattern of the UVI across the continental US.indicating a strong spatial correlation; 3) The two data sources are generally consistent though the UVI of the NASA TOMS data are often about 0.13-1.05 units larger than those of the USDA ground-based measurements; and 4) Varying differences can be seen between the Midwest and two coastal regions. While the level of the UVI on the west coast has shown a decreasing trend in the past few years, its counterpart on the east coast showed an opposite trend in between 2000 and 2005. It is hard to conclude that the changes are due to variations of total ozone concentrations in this study period. The USDA ground-based measurements may be better applied for time series analysis for public health, ecological, and agricultural applications due to their ability to provide intensive calibrated point measurements.

A SOLAR CORONAL JET EVENT TRIGGERS A CORONAL MASS EJECTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Jiajia; Wang, Yuming; Shen, Chenglong

2015-11-10

In this paper, we present multi-point, multi-wavelength observations and analysis of a solar coronal jet and coronal mass ejection (CME) event. Employing the GCS model, we obtained the real (three-dimensional) heliocentric distance and direction of the CME and found it to propagate at a high speed of over 1000 km s{sup −1}. The jet erupted before the CME and shared the same source region. The temporal and spacial relationship between these two events lead us to the possibility that the jet triggered the CME and became its core. This scenario hold the promise of enriching our understanding of the triggeringmore » mechanism of CMEs and their relations to coronal large-scale jets. On the other hand, the magnetic field configuration of the source region observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/HMI instrument along with the off-limb inverse Y-shaped configuration observed by SDO/AIA in the 171 Å passband provide the first detailed observation of the three-dimensional reconnection process of a large-scale jet as simulated in Pariat et al. The eruption process of the jet highlights the importance of filament-like material during the eruption of not only small-scale X-ray jets, but likely also of large-scale EUV jets. Based on our observations and analysis, we propose the most probable mechanism for the whole event, with a blob structure overlaying the three-dimensional structure of the jet, to describe the interaction between the jet and the CME.« less

Ultraviolet Properties of Halo Coronal Mass Ejections: Doppler Shifts, Angles, Shocks, and Bulk Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciaravella, A.; Raymond, J. C.; Kahler, S. W.

2006-11-01

We present UV spectral information for 22 halo or partial halo CMEs observed by UVCS. The CME fronts show broad line profiles, while the line intensities are comparable to the background corona. The Doppler shifts of the front material are generally small, showing that the motion of gas in the fronts is mostly transverse to the line of sight. This indicates that, at least in halo CMEs, the fronts generally correspond to coronal plasma swept up by a shock or compression wave, rather than plasma carried outward by magnetic loops. This favors an ice cream cone (or a spherical shell) model, as opposed to an expanding arcade of loops. We use the line widths to discriminate between shock heating and bulk expansion. Of 14 cases where we detected the CME front, the line broadening in 7 cases can be attributed to shock heating, while in 3 cases it is the line-of-sight component of the CME expansion. For the CME cores we determine the angles between the motion and the plane of the sky, along with the actual heliocentric distances, in order to provide quantitative estimates of projection effects.

Photospheric magnetic field of an eroded-by-solar-wind coronal mass ejection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palacios, J.; Cid, C.; Saiz, E.; Guerrero, A.

2017-10-01

We have investigated the case of a coronal mass ejection that was eroded by the fast wind of a coronal hole in the interplanetary medium. When a solar ejection takes place close to a coronal hole, the flux rope magnetic topology of the coronal mass ejection (CME) may become misshapen at 1 AU as a result of the interaction. Detailed analysis of this event reveals erosion of the interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) magnetic field. In this communication, we study the photospheric magnetic roots of the coronal hole and the coronal mass ejection area with HMI/SDO magnetograms to define their magnetic characteristics.

Data evaluation, analysis, and scientific study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, S. T.

1991-01-01

Extensive work was performed in data analysis and modeling of solar active phenomena. The work consisted in the study of UV data from the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter (UVSP) instrument on board the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. These data were studied in conjunction with X-rays from the Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS) instrument, and with H-alpha and magnetographic data from ground-based observatories. The processes we studied are the active phenomena which result from the interaction of the solar magnetic fields with the plasma in the outer regions of the solar atmosphere. These processes include some very dynamic processes such as the prominence eruptions and the 'microflares'. Our research aimed at characterizing the following: the observed phenomena, the possible physical models, and the relevance to the chromospheric and coronal heating.

The Office of the Coroner

PubMed Central

McMillan, J. Stewart

1983-01-01

Society has always been concerned about deaths which do not result from natural causes. In Canada, provincial legislatures have met this concern with legislation known as the Coroners' Act in some provinces and as the Fatality Inquiries Act in others. While these statutes are not identical, their intent is the same: to ensure that all unusual deaths are fully investigated to determine their true cause. The coroner's or medical examiner's primary responsibility is to show the public how similar deaths may be avoided. PMID:21283284

Coronal Magnetism and Forward Solarsoft Idl Package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, S. E.

2014-12-01

The FORWARD suite of Solar Soft IDL codes is a community resource for model-data comparison, with a particular emphasis on analyzing coronal magnetic fields. FORWARD may be used both to synthesize a broad range of coronal observables, and to access and compare to existing data. FORWARD works with numerical model datacubes, interfaces with the web-served Predictive Science Inc MAS simulation datacubes and the Solar Soft IDL Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) package, and also includes several analytic models (more can be added). It connects to the Virtual Solar Observatory and other web-served observations to download data in a format directly comparable to model predictions. It utilizes the CHIANTI database in modeling UV/EUV lines, and links to the CLE polarimetry synthesis code for forbidden coronal lines. FORWARD enables "forward-fitting" of specific observations, and helps to build intuition into how the physical properties of coronal magnetic structures translate to observable properties.

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer mission - Instrumentation and science goals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowyer, Stuart; Malina, Roger F.; Marshall, Herman L.

1988-01-01

NASA's Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) will carry out an all-sky survey from 80 to 800A in four bandpasses. It is expected that many types of sources will be detected, including white dwarfs and late type stars. A deep survey will also be carried out along the ecliptic which will have a limiting sensitivity a factor of 10 better than the all-sky survey in the bandpass from 80 to 300A. The payload includes a spectrometer to observe the brigher sources found in the surveys with a spectral resolution of 1 to 2A.

A rocket measurement of the extreme ultraviolet dayglow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, A. B.

1976-01-01

Extreme ultraviolet spectra of the mid-latitude dayglow in the wavelength range of 550 to 1250A have been obtained with a rocket borne grating spectrometer at a resolution of 20A. Spectra were obtained in the altitude range of 140 to 280 km. The spectra are dominated by emissions from atomic multiplets and no molecular bands have been identified with certainty. The strongest emissions other than H Lyman-alpha are OI (989) and OII (834). Other prominent emissions include He I(584), N II(916) and N II(1085). An unexpected feature near 612A has an intensity comparable to He I(584).

Dynamics of Coronal Hole Boundaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Higginson, A. K.; Zurbuchen, T. H.; Antiochos, S. K.

Remote and in situ observations strongly imply that the slow solar wind consists of plasma from the hot, closed-field corona that is released onto open magnetic field lines. The Separatrix Web theory for the slow wind proposes that photospheric motions at the scale of supergranules are responsible for generating dynamics at coronal-hole boundaries, which result in the closed plasma release. We use three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations to determine the effect of photospheric flows on the open and closed magnetic flux of a model corona with a dipole magnetic field and an isothermal solar wind. A rotational surface motion is used tomore » approximate photospheric supergranular driving and is applied at the boundary between the coronal hole and helmet streamer. The resulting dynamics consist primarily of prolific and efficient interchange reconnection between open and closed flux. The magnetic flux near the coronal-hole boundary experiences multiple interchange events, with some flux interchanging over 50 times in one day. Additionally, we find that the interchange reconnection occurs all along the coronal-hole boundary and even produces a lasting change in magnetic-field connectivity in regions that were not driven by the applied motions. Our results show that these dynamics should be ubiquitous in the Sun and heliosphere. We discuss the implications of our simulations for understanding the observed properties of the slow solar wind, with particular focus on the global-scale consequences of interchange reconnection.« less

Pseudoslit Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reuter, Dennis C.; McCabe, George H.

2004-01-01

The pseudoslit spectrometer is a conceptual optoelectronic instrument that would offer some of the advantages, without the disadvantages, of prior linear-variable etalon (LVE) spectrometers and prior slit spectrometers. The pseudoslit spectrometer is so named because it would not include a slit, but the combined effects of its optical components would include a spatial filtering effect approximately equivalent to that of a slit. Like a prior LVE spectrometer, the pseudoslit spectrometer would include an LVE (essentially, a wedge-like narrowband- pass filter, the pass wavelength of which varies linearly with position in one dimension) in a focal plane covering an imaging planar array of photodetectors. However, the pseudoslit spectrometer would be more efficient because unlike a prior LVE spectrometer, the pseudoslit spectrometer would not have to be scanned across an entire field of view to obtain the spectrum of an object of interest that may occupy only a small portion of the field of view. Like a prior slit spectrometer, the pseudoslit spectrometer could acquire the entire spectrum of such a small object without need for scanning. However, the pseudoslit spectrometer would be optically and mechanically simpler: it would have fewer components and, hence, would pose less of a problem of alignment of components and would be less vulnerable to misalignment.

Features of solar wind streams on June 21-28, 2015 as a result of interactions between coronal mass ejections and recurrent streams from coronal holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shugay, Yu. S.; Slemzin, V. A.; Rod'kin, D. G.

2017-11-01

Coronal sources and parameters of solar wind streams during a strong and prolonged geomagnetic disturbance in June 2015 have been considered. Correspondence between coronal sources and solar wind streams at 1 AU has been determined using an analysis of solar images, catalogs of flares and coronal mass ejections, solar wind parameters including the ionic composition. The sources of disturbances in the considered period were a sequence of five coronal mass ejections that propagated along the recurrent solar wind streams from coronal holes. The observed differences from typical in magnetic and kinetic parameters of solar wind streams have been associated with the interactions of different types of solar wind. The ionic composition has proved to be a good additional marker for highlighting components in a mixture of solar wind streams, which can be associated with different coronal sources.

The High-energy Burst Spectrometer for SMESE Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Qiang; Chang, Jin

2009-01-01

The SMall Explorer for Solar Eruptions (SMESE) is a small satellite being developed jointly by China and France. It is planed to launch around the next solar maximum year (˜ 2011) for observing simultaneously the two most violent types of eruptive events on the sun (the coronal mass ejection (CME) and the solar flare) and investigating their relationship. As one of the 3 main payloads of the small satellite, the high energy burst spectrometer (HEBS) adopts the upto- date high-resolution LaBr3 scintillation detector to observe the high-energy solar radiation in the range 10 keV—600 MeV. Its energy resolution is better than 3.0% at 662 keV, 2-fold higher than that of current scintillation detectors, promising a breakthrough in the studies of energy release in solar flares and CMEs, particle acceleration and the relationship between solar flares and CMEs.

A simple, low-cost, versatile CCD spectrometer for plasma spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Den Hartog, D. J.; Holly, D. J.

1996-06-01

The authors have constructed a simple, low-cost CCD spectrometer capable of both high resolution ({Delta}{lambda} {le} 0.015 nm) and large bandpass (110 nm with {Delta}{lambda} {approximately}0.3 nm). These two modes of operation provide two broad areas of capability for plasma spectroscopy. The first major application is measurement of emission line broadening; the second is emission line surveys from the ultraviolet to the near infrared. Measurements have been made on a low-temperature plasma produced by a miniature electrostatic plasma source and the high-temperature plasma in the MST Reversed-Field Pinch. The spectrometer is a modified Jarrell-Ash 0.5 m Ebert-Fastie monochromator. Light ismore » coupled into the entrance slit with a fused silica fiber optic bundle. The exposure time (2 ms minimum) is controlled by a fast electromechanical shutter. The exit plane detector is a compact and robust CCD detector developed for amateur astronomy by Santa Barbara Instrument Group. The CCD detector is controlled and read out by a Macintosh{reg_sign} computer. This spectrometer is sophisticated enough to serve well in a research laboratory, yet is simple and inexpensive enough to be affordable for instructional use.« less

Observations of decay-less low-amplitude kink oscillations of EUV coronal loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisticò, Giuseppe; Nakariakov, Valery; Anfinogentov, Sergey

The high spatial and temporal resolution observations at Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) wavelengths from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) reveal new features in kink oscillations of coronal loops. We show that, in addition to the well-known rapidly decaying oscillations, a new type of kink waves is present, characterized by low-amplitude and undamped oscillations, that we define as decay-less. Typical periods range from 2.5 to 12 min in both regimes and are different for different loops, increasing with the loop length. Estimates of the loop lengths are supported by three dimensional reconstruction of the loop geometry. The amplitude for the decay-less regime is about 1 Mm, close to the spatial resolution of the AIA instruments. The oscillation phase, measured by the cross-correlation method, is found to be constant along each analysed loop, and the spatial structure of the phase of the oscillations corresponds to the fundamental standing kink mode. We show that the observed behaviours are consistent with the empirical model of a damped linear oscillator excited by a continuous low-amplitude harmonic driver, in addition to an eventual impulsive high-amplitude driver. The observed life-time of the oscillations is likely to be determined by the observational conditions rather than any physical damping. However, the balance between the driving and damping is a necessary ingredient of this model. The properties of this type of transverse oscillations make them interesting object of study in the framework of resonant absorption theory and coronal heating process.

The Fundamental Physical Processes Producing and Controlling Stellar Coronal/Transition Region/Chromospheric Activity and Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ayres, T. R.; Brown, A.

2000-01-01

Our LTSA (Long Term Space Astrophysics) research has utilized current NASA and ESA spacecraft, supporting ground-based IR, radio, and sub-mm telescopes, and the extensive archives of HST (Hubble Space Telescope), IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer), ROSAT, EUVE (Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer), and other missions. Our research effort has included observational work (with a nonnegligible groundbased component), specialized processing techniques for imaging and spectral data, and semiempirical modelling, ranging from optically thin emission measure studies to simulations of optically thick resonance lines. In our previous LTSA efforts, we have had a number of major successes, including most recently: organizing and carrying out an extensive cool star UV survey in HST cycle eight; obtaining observing time with new instruments, such as Chandra and XMM (X-ray Multi-Mirror) in their first cycles; collaborating with the Chandra GTO program and participating with the Chandra Emission Line Project on multi-wavelength observations of HR 1099 and Capella. These are the main broad-brush themes of our previous investigation: a) Where do Coronae Occur in the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram? b) Winds of Coronal and Noncoronal Stars; c) Activity, Age, Rotation Relations; d) Atmospheric Inhomogeneities; e) Heating Mechanisms, Subcoronal Flows, and Flares; f) Development of Analysis and Modelling Tools.

Ultraviolet absorption experiment MA-059

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donahue, T. M.; Hudson, R. D.; Anderson, J.; Kaufman, F.; Mcelroy, M. B.

1976-01-01

The ultraviolet absorption experiment performed during the Apollo Soyuz mission involved sending a beam of atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen resonance radiation, strong unabsorbable oxygen and nitrogen radiation, and visual radiation, all filling the same 3 deg-wide field of view from the Apollo to the Soyuz. The radiation struck a retroreflector array on the Soyuz and was returned to a spectrometer onboard the Apollo. The density of atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen between the two spacecraft was measured by observing the amount of resonance radiation absorbed when the line joining Apollo and Soyuz was perpendicular to their velocity with respect to the ambient atmosphere. Information concerning oxygen densities was also obtained by observation of resonantly fluorescent light. The absorption experiments for atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen were successfully performed at a range of 500 meters, and abundant resonance fluorescence data were obtained.

A dense plasma ultraviolet source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, J. H.; Mcfarland, D. R.

1978-01-01

The intense ultraviolet emission from the NASA Hypocycloidal-Pinch (HCP) plasma is investigated. The HCP consists of three disk electrodes whose cross section has a configuration similar to the cross section of a Mather-type plasma focus. Plasma foci were produced in deuterium, helium, xenon, and krypton gases in order to compare their emission characteristics. Time-integrated spectra in the wavelength range from 200 nm to 350 nm and temporal variations of the uv emission were obtained with a uv spectrometer and a photomultiplier system. Modifications to enhance uv emission in the iodine-laser pump band (250 to 290 nm) and preliminary results produced by these modifications are presented. Finally, the advantages of the HCP as a uv over use of conventional xenon lamps with respect to power output limit, spectral range, and lifetime are discussed.

Diagnosing the Prominence-Cavity Connection in the Solar Corona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmit, D. J.

The energetic equilibrium of the corona is described by a balance of heating, thermal conduction, and radiative cooling. Prominences can be described by the thermal instability of coronal energy balance which leads to the formation of cool condensations. Observationally, the prominence is surrounded by a density depleted elliptical structure known as a cavity. In this dissertation, we use extreme ultraviolet remote sensing observations of the prominence-cavity system to diagnose the static and dynamic properties of these structures. The observations are compared with numerical models for the time-dependent coronal condensation process and the time-independent corona-prominence magnetic field. To diagnose the density of the cavity, we construct a three-dimensional structural model of the corona. This structural model allows us to synthesize extreme ultraviolet emission in the corona in a way that incorporates the projection effects which arise from the optically thin plasma. This forward model technique is used to constrain a radial density profile simultaneously in the cavity and the streamer. We use a χ2 minimization to find the density model which best matches a density sensitive line ratio (observed with Hinode/Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer) and the white light scattered intensity (observed with Mauna Loa Solar Observatory MK4 coronagraph). We use extreme ultraviolet spectra and spectral images to diagnose the dynamics of the prominence and the surrounding corona. Based on the doppler shift of extreme ultraviolet coronal emission lines, we find that there are large regions of flowing plasma which appear to occur within cavities. These line of sight flows have speeds of 10 km/s-1 and projected spatial scales of 100 Mm. Using the Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA) dataset, we observe dynamic emission from the prominence-cavity system. The SDO/AIA dataset observes multiple spectral bandpasses with different temperature

Coronal Jets in Closed Magnetic Regions on the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyper, Peter Fraser; DeVore, C. R.

2015-04-01

Coronal jets are dynamic, collimated structures observed in solar EUV and X-ray emission. They appear predominantly in the open field of coronal holes, but are also observed in areas of closed field, especially active regions. A common feature of coronal jets is that they originate from the field above a parasitic polarity of opposite sign to the surrounding field. Some process - such as instability onset or flux emergence - induces explosive reconnection between the closed “anemone” field and the surrounding open field that generates the jet. The lesser number of coronal jets in closed-field regions suggests a possible stabilizing effect of the closed configuration with respect to coronal jet formation. If the scale of the jet region is small compared with the background loop length, as in for example type II spicules, the nearby magnetic field may be treated as locally open. As such, one would expect that if a stabilizing effect exists it becomes most apparent as the scale of the anemone region approaches that of the background coronal loops.To investigate if coronal jets are indeed suppressed along shorter coronal loops, we performed a number of simulations of jets driven by a rotation of the parasitic polarity (as in the previous open-jet calculations by Pariat et. al 2009, 2010, 2015) embedded in a large-scale closed bipolar field. The simulations were performed with the state of the art Adaptively Refined Magnetohydrodynamics Solver. We will report here how the magnetic configuration above the anemone region determines the nature of the jet, when it is triggered, and how much of the stored magnetic energy is released. We show that regions in which the background field and the parasitic polarity region are of comparable scale naturally suppress explosive energy release. We will also show how in the post-jet relaxation phase a combination of confined MHD waves and weak current layers are generated by the jet along the background coronal loops, both of which

THE CONTRIBUTION OF CORONAL JETS TO THE SOLAR WIND

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lionello, R.; Török, T.; Titov, V. S.

Transient collimated plasma eruptions in the solar corona, commonly known as coronal (or X-ray) jets, are among the most interesting manifestations of solar activity. It has been suggested that these events contribute to the mass and energy content of the corona and solar wind, but the extent of these contributions remains uncertain. We have recently modeled the formation and evolution of coronal jets using a three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code with thermodynamics in a large spherical domain that includes the solar wind. Our model is coupled to 3D MHD flux-emergence simulations, i.e., we use boundary conditions provided by such simulationsmore » to drive a time-dependent coronal evolution. The model includes parametric coronal heating, radiative losses, and thermal conduction, which enables us to simulate the dynamics and plasma properties of coronal jets in a more realistic manner than done so far. Here, we employ these simulations to calculate the amount of mass and energy transported by coronal jets into the outer corona and inner heliosphere. Based on observed jet-occurrence rates, we then estimate the total contribution of coronal jets to the mass and energy content of the solar wind to (0.4–3.0)% and (0.3–1.0)%, respectively. Our results are largely consistent with the few previous rough estimates obtained from observations, supporting the conjecture that coronal jets provide only a small amount of mass and energy to the solar wind. We emphasize, however, that more advanced observations and simulations (including parametric studies) are needed to substantiate this conjecture.« less

Long-term Spectral Evolution of Tidal Disruption Candidates Selected by Strong Coronal Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chen-Wei; Wang, Ting-Gui; Ferland, Gary; Yuan, Weimin; Zhou, Hong-Yan; Jiang, Peng

2013-09-01

We present results of follow-up optical spectroscopic Multi-Mirror Telescope (MMT) observations of seven rare, extreme coronal line-emitting galaxies reported by Wang et al. Large variations in coronal lines are found in four objects, making them strong candidates for tidal disruption events (TDEs). For the four TDE candidates, all the coronal lines with ionization states higher than [Fe VII] disappear within 5-9 yr. The [Fe VII] line faded by a factor of about five in one object (J0952+2143) within 4 yr, whereas the line emerged in another two objects that previously did not show the line. A strong increment in the [O III] flux is observed, shifting the line ratios toward the loci of active galactic nuclei on the BPT diagram. Surprisingly, we detect a non-canonical [O III] λ5007/[O III] λ4959 ratio of ~= 2 in two objects, indicating a large column density of O2 + and thus probably optically thick gas. This result also requires a very large ionization parameter and a relatively soft ionizing spectral energy distribution (e.g., a blackbody with T < 5 × 104 K). Our observations can be explained as the echoing of a strong ultraviolet to soft X-ray flare caused by TDEs on molecular clouds in the inner parsecs of the galactic nuclei. Reanalyzing the Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra reveals double-peaked or strongly blue-shouldered broad lines in three of the objects, which disappeared in the MMT spectra of two objects and faded by a factor of 10 in 8 yr in the remaining object with a decrease in both the line width and centroid offset. We interpret these broad lines as arising from decelerating biconical outflows. Our results demonstrate that the signatures of echoing can persist for as long as 10 yr and can be used to probe the gas environment in quiescent galactic nuclei.

Hot plasma associated with a coronal mass ejection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Landi, E.; Miralles, M. P.; Raymond, J. C.

2013-11-20

We analyze coordinated observations from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) and X-Ray Telescope (XRT) on board Hinode of an X-ray Plasma Ejection (XPE) that occurred during the coronal mass ejection (CME) event of 2008 April 9. The XPE was trailing the CME core from behind, following the same trajectory, and could be identified both in EIS and XRT observations. Using the EIS spectrometer, we have determined the XPE plasma parameters, measuring the electron density, thermal distribution, and elemental composition. We have found that the XPE composition and electron density were very similar to those of the pre-event active region plasma.more » The XPE temperature was higher, and its thermal distribution peaked at around 3 MK; also, typical flare lines were absent from EIS spectra, indicating that any XPE component with temperatures in excess of 5 MK was likely either faint or absent. We used XRT data to investigate the presence of hotter plasma components in the XPE that could have gone undetected by EIS and found that—if at all present—these components have small emission measure values and their temperature is in the 8-12.5 MK range. The very hot plasma found in earlier XPE observations obtained by Yohkoh seems to be largely absent in this CME, although plasma ionization timescales may lead to non-equilibrium ionization effects that could make bright lines from ions formed in a 10 MK plasma not detectable by EIS. Our results supersede the XPE findings of Landi et al., who studied the same event with older response functions for the XRT Al-poly filter; the differences in the results stress the importance of using accurate filter response functions.« less

Probing of Hermean Exosphere by ultraviolet spectroscopy: Instrument presentation, calibration philosophy and first lights results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariscal, J. F.; Rouanet, N.; Maria, J. L.; Quémerais, E.; Mine, P. O.; Zuppella, P.; Suman, M.; Nicolosi, P.; Pelizzo, M. G.; Yoshikawa, I.; Yoshioka, K.; Murakami, G.

2017-11-01

PHEBUS (Probing of Hermean Exosphere by Ultraviolet Spectroscopy) is a double spectrometer for the Extreme Ultraviolet range (55-155 nm) and the Far Ultraviolet range (145-315 nm) dedicated to the characterization of Mercury's exosphere composition and dynamics, and surface-exosphere connections. PHEBUS is part of the ESA BepiColombo cornerstone mission payload devoted to the study of Mercury. The BepiColombo mission consists of two spacecrafts: the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) and the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) on which PHEBUS will be mounted. PHEBUS is a French-led instrument implemented in a cooperative scheme involving Japan (detectors), Russia (scanner) and Italy (ground calibration). Before launch, PHEBUS team want to perform a full absolute calibration on ground, in addition to calibrations which will be made in-flight, in order to know the instrument's response as precisely as possible. Instrument overview and calibration philosophy are introduced along with the first lights results observed by a first prototype.

Overlying extreme-ultraviolet arcades preventing eruption of a filament observed by AIA/SDO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Huadong; Ma, Suli; Zhang, Jun, E-mail: hdchen@upc.edu.cn

2013-11-20

Using the multi-wavelength data from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly/Solar Dynamic Observatory (AIA/SDO) and the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation/Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (SECCHI/STEREO), we report a failed filament eruption in NOAA AR 11339 on 2011 November 3. The eruption was associated with an X1.9 flare, but without any coronal mass ejection (CME), coronal dimming, or extreme ultraviolet (EUV) waves. Some magnetic arcades above the filament were observed distinctly in EUV channels, especially in the AIA 94 Å and 131 Å wavebands, before and during the filament eruption process. Our results show that the overlying arcades expanded along withmore » the ascent of the filament at first until they reached a projected height of about 49 Mm above the Sun's surface, where they stopped. The following filament material was observed to be confined by the stopped EUV arcades and not to escape from the Sun. After the flare, a new filament formed at the low corona where part of the former filament remained before its eruption. These results support that the overlying arcades play an important role in preventing the filament from successfully erupting outward. We also discuss in this paper the EUV emission of the overlying arcades during the flare. It is rare for a failed filament eruption to be associated with an X1.9 class flare, but not with a CME or EUV waves. Therefore, this study also provides valuable insight into the triggering mechanism of the initiation of CMEs and EUV waves.« less

Disruption of coronal magnetic field arcades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikic, Zoran; Linker, Jon A.

1994-01-01

The ideal and resistive properties of isolated large-scale coronal magnetic arcades are studied using axisymmetric solutions of the time-dependent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in spherical geometry. We examine how flares and coronal mass ejections may be initiated by sudden disruptions of the magnetic field. The evolution of coronal arcades in response to applied shearing photospheric flows indicates that disruptive behavior can occur beyond a critical shear. The disruption can be traced to ideal MHD magnetic nonequilibrium. The magnetic field expands outward in a process that opens the field lines and produces a tangential discontinuity in the magnetic field. In the presence of plasma resistivity, the resulting current sheet is the site of rapid reconnection, leading to an impulsive release of magnetic energy, fast flows, and the ejection of a plasmoid. We relate these results to previous studies of force-free fields and to the properties of the open-field configuration. We show that the field lines in an arcade are forced open when the magnetic energy approaches (but is still below) the open-field energy, creating a partially open field in which most of the field lines extend away from the solar surface. Preliminary application of this model to helmet streamers indicates that it is relevant to the initiation of coronal mass ejections.

The Structure of Coronal Loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antiochos, Spiro K.

2009-01-01

It is widely believed that the simple coronal loops observed by XUV imagers, such as EIT, TRACE, or XRT, actually have a complex internal structure consisting of many (perhaps hundreds) of unresolved, interwoven "strands". According to the nanoflare model, photospheric motions tangle the strands, causing them to reconnect and release the energy required to produce the observed loop plasma. Although the strands, themselves, are unresolved by present-generation imagers, there is compelling evidence for their existence and for the nanoflare model from analysis of loop intensities and temporal evolution. A problem with this scenario is that, although reconnection can eliminate some of the strand tangles, it cannot destroy helicity, which should eventually build up to observable scales. we consider, therefore, the injection and evolution of helicity by the nanoflare process and its implications for the observed structure of loops and the large-scale corona. we argue that helicity does survive and build up to observable levels, but on spatial and temporal scales larger than those of coronal loops. we discuss the implications of these results for coronal loops and the corona, in general .

Study of the solar coronal hole rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oghrapishvili, N. B.; Bagashvili, S. R.; Maghradze, D. A.; Gachechiladze, T. Z.; Japaridze, D. R.; Shergelashvili, B. M.; Mdzinarishvili, T. G.; Chargeishvili, B. B.

2018-06-01

Rotation of coronal holes is studied using data from SDO/AIA for 2014 and 2015. A new approach to the treatment of data is applied. Instead of calculated average angular velocities of each coronal hole centroid and then grouping them in latitudinal bins for calculating average rotation rates of corresponding latitudes, we compiled instant rotation rates of centroids and their corresponding heliographic coordinates in one matrix for further processing. Even unfiltered data showed clear differential nature of rotation of coronal holes. We studied possible reasons for distortion of data by the limb effects to eliminate some discrepancies at high latitudes caused by the high order of scattering of data in that region. A study of the longitudinal distribution of angular velocities revealed the optimal longitudinal interval for the best result. We examined different methods of data filtering and realized that filtration using targeting on the local medians of data with a constant threshold is a more acceptable approach that is not biased towards a predefined notion of an expected result. The results showed a differential pattern of rotation of coronal holes.

A gigantic coronal jet ejected from a compact active region in a coronal hole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shibata, K.; Nitta, N.; Strong, K. T.; Matsumoto, R.; Yokoyama, T.; Hirayama, T.; Hudson, H.; Ogawara, Y.

1994-01-01

A gigantic coronal jet greater than 3 x 10(exp 5) km long (nearly half the solar radius) has been found with the soft X-ray telescope (SXT) on board the solar X-ray satellite, Yohkoh. The jet was ejected on 1992 January 11 from an 'anemone-type' active region (AR) appearing in a coronal hole and is one of the largest coronal X-ray jets observed so far by SXT. This gigantic jet is the best observed example of many other smaller X-ray jets, because the spatial structures of both the jet and the AR located at its base are more easily resolved. The range of apparent translational velocities of the bulk of the jet was between 90 and 240 km s(exp -1), with the corresponding kinetic energy estimated to be of order of 10(exp 28) ergs. A detailed analysis reveals that the jet was associated with a loop brightening (a small flare) that occurred in the active region. Several features of this observation suggest and are consistent with a magnetic reconnection mechanism for the production of such a 'jet-loop-brightening' event.

Energy released by the interaction of coronal magnetic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheeley, N. R., Jr.

1976-01-01

Comparisons between coronal spectroheliograms and photospheric magnetograms are presented to support the idea that as coronal magnetic fields interact, a process of field-line reconnection usually takes place as a natural way of preventing magnetic stresses from building up in the lower corona. This suggests that the energy which would have been stored in stressed fields is continuously released as kinetic energy of material being driven aside to make way for the reconnecting fields. However, this kinetic energy is negligible compared with the thermal energy of the coronal plasma. Therefore, it appears that these slow adjustments of coronal magnetic fields cannot account for even the normal heating of the corona, much less the energetic events associated with solar flares.

Coronal Heating and the Magnetic Flux Content of the Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falconer, D. A.; Moore, R. L.; Porter, J. G.; Hathaway, D. H.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Previously, from analysis of SOHO coronal images in combination with Kitt Peak magnetograms, we found that the quiet corona is the sum of two components: the large-scale corona and the coronal network. The large-scale corona consists of all coronal-temperature (T approximately 10(exp 6) K) structures larger than supergranules (greater than approximately 30,000 kilometers). The coronal network (1) consists of all coronal-temperature structures smaller than supergranules, (2) is rooted in and loosely traces the photospheric magnetic network, (3) has its brightest features seated on polarity dividing lines (neutral lines) in the network magnetic flux, and (4) produces only about 5% of the total coronal emission in quiet regions. The heating of the coronal network is apparently magnetic in origin. Here, from analysis of EIT coronal images of quiet regions in combination with magnetograms of the same quiet regions from SOHO/MDI and from Kitt Peak, we examine the other 95% of the quiet corona and its relation to the underlying magnetic network. We find: (1) Dividing the large-scale corona into its bright and dim halves divides the area into bright "continents" and dark "oceans" having spans of 2-4 supergranules. (2) These patterns are also present in the photospheric magnetograms: the network is stronger under the bright half and weaker under the dim half. (3) The radiation from the large-scale corona increases roughly as the cube root of the magnetic flux content of the underlying magnetic network. In contrast, the coronal radiation from an active region increases roughly linearly with the magnetic flux content of the active region. We assume, as is widely held, that nearly all of the large-scale corona is magnetically rooted in the network. Our results suggest that either the coronal heating in quiet regions has a large non-magnetic component, or, if the heating is predominantly produced via the magnetic field, the mechanism is significantly different than in active

LADEE UVS (UltraViolet Visible Spectrometer) and the Search for Lunar Exospheric Dust: A Detailed Spectral Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wooden, Diane H.; Cook, Amanda; Colaprete, Anthony; Shirley, Mark; Vargo, Kara; Elphic, Richard C.; Hermalyn, Brendan; Stubbs, Timothy John; Glenar, David A.

2014-01-01

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) executed science observations in lunar orbit spanning 2013-Oct-16- 2014-04-18 UT. LADEE's Ultraviolet/Visible Spectrometer (UVS) studies the composition and temporal variations of the tenuous lunar exosphere and dust environment, utilizing two sets of optics: a limb-viewing telescope, and a solar-viewer. The limb-viewing telescope observes illuminated dust and emitting gas species while the Sun is just behind the lunar limb. The solar viewer, with its diffuser, allows UVS to also stare directly at the solar disk as it approaches the limb, sampling progressively lower exosphere altitudes. Solar viewer "Occultation" activities occur at the lunar sunrise limb, as the LADEE spacecraft passes into the lunar night side, facing the Sun (the spacecraft orbit is near-equatorial retrograde). A loss of transmission of sunlight occurs by the occultation of dust grains along the line-of-sight. So-called "Inertial Limb" activities have the limb-viewing telescope pointed at the lit exosphere just after the Sun has set. Inertial Limb activities follow a similar progression of diminishing sampling altitudes but hold the solar elongation angle constant so the zodiacal light contribution remains constant while seeking to observe the weak lunar horizon glow. On the dark side of the moon, "Sodium Tail" activities pointed the limb-viewing telescope in the direction of the Moon's sodium tail (similar to anti-sunward), during different lunar phases. Of the UVS data sets, these show the largest excess of scattered blue light, indicative of the presence of small (approximately 100 nm) dust grains in the tail. Correlations are sought between dust in the sodium tail and meteor streams and magnetotail crossings to investigate impact- versus electrostatic-lofting. Once lofted, nanoparticles can become charged and picked up by the solar wind. The LADEE UVS Occultation, Inertial Limb, and Sodium Tail spectral datasets provide evidence of

Energy conversion in the coronal plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martens, P. C. H.

1986-01-01

Solar and stellar X-ray emission are the observed waste products of the interplay between magnetic fields and the motion of stellar plasma. Theoretical understanding of the process of coronal heating is of utmost importance, since the high temperature is what defines the corona in the first place. Most of the research described deals with the aspects of the several rivalling theories for coronal heating. The rest of the papers deal with processes of energy conversion related to flares.

Nonlinear Force-free Coronal Magnetic Stereoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chifu, Iulia; Wiegelmann, Thomas; Inhester, Bernd

2017-03-01

Insights into the 3D structure of the solar coronal magnetic field have been obtained in the past by two completely different approaches. The first approach are nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) extrapolations, which use photospheric vector magnetograms as boundary condition. The second approach uses stereoscopy of coronal magnetic loops observed in EUV coronal images from different vantage points. Both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. Extrapolation methods are sensitive to noise and inconsistencies in the boundary data, and the accuracy of stereoscopy is affected by the ability of identifying the same structure in different images and by the separation angle between the view directions. As a consequence, for the same observational data, the 3D coronal magnetic fields computed with the two methods do not necessarily coincide. In an earlier work (Paper I) we extended our NLFFF optimization code by including stereoscopic constrains. The method was successfully tested with synthetic data, and within this work, we apply the newly developed code to a combined data set from SDO/HMI, SDO/AIA, and the two STEREO spacecraft. The extended method (called S-NLFFF) contains an additional term that monitors and minimizes the angle between the local magnetic field direction and the orientation of the 3D coronal loops reconstructed by stereoscopy. We find that when we prescribe the shape of the 3D stereoscopically reconstructed loops, the S-NLFFF method leads to a much better agreement between the modeled field and the stereoscopically reconstructed loops. We also find an appreciable decrease by a factor of two in the angle between the current and the magnetic field. This indicates the improved quality of the force-free solution obtained by S-NLFFF.

A Two-Fluid, MHD Coronal Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suess, Steven T.; Wang, A.-H.; Wu, S. T.; Poletto, G.; McComas, D. J.

1998-01-01

We describe first results from a numerical two-fluid MHD model of the global structure of the solar corona. The model is two-fluid in the sense that it accounts for the collisional energy exchange between protons and electrons. As in our single-fluid model, volumetric heat and momentum sources are required to produce high speed wind from coronal holes, low speed wind above streamers, and mass fluxes similar to the empirical solar wind. By specifying different proton and electron heating functions we obtain a high proton temperature in the coronal hole and a relatively low proton temperature in the streamer (in comparison with the electron temperature). This is consistent with inferences from SOHO/UVCS, and with the Ulysses/SWOOPS proton and electron temperature measurements which we show from the fast latitude scan. The density in the coronal hole between 2 solar radii and 5 solar radii (2RS and 5RS) is similar to the density reported from SPARTAN 201-01 measurements by Fisher and Guhathakurta. The proton mass flux scaled to 1 AU is 2.4 x 10(exp 8)/sq cm s, which is consistent with Ulysses observations. Inside the closed field region, the density is sufficiently high so that the simulation gives equal proton and electron temperatures due to the high collision rate. In open field regions (in the coronal hole and above the streamer) the proton and electron temperatures differ by varying amounts. In the streamer, the temperature and density are similar to those reported empirically by Li et al and the plasma beta is larger than unity everywhere above approx. 1.5 R(sub s), as it is in all other MHD coronal streamer models.

A Multi-Observatory View of the Alpha Persei Coronal Conundrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayres, Thomas R.

2017-01-01

A ROSAT pointed survey of the Alpha Per open cluster in the 1990's detected its brightest star, mid-F supergiant α Persei, with an X-ray luminosity and spectral hardness similar to coronally active late-type dwarf members. Later, in 2010, a Hubble Cosmic Origins Spectrograph SNAPshot observation of α Per found far-ultraviolet (FUV) coronal-proxy emissions (specifically Si IV 1393 Å) unexpectedly weak. Together with a slight, but suspicious, offset of the ROSAT source, these anomalies raised the possibility that an unrecognized late-type companion might be responsible for the coronal X-rays. Recently, a multi-observatory program was carried out to test that premise; on the one hand to directly detect the putative companion, but on the other to better characterize the FUV spectrum of α Per in case it also was captured in X-rays. Initially, ground-based optical coronography from the Apache Point 3.5m, and later near-UV imaging with HST Wide Field Camera 3, searched for any close-in faint objects that plausibly could be significant X-ray emitters, but without success. Then, a Chandra pointing showed that the X-ray source is single and coincident with the bright star. In tandem, HST COS collected a much deeper FUV spectrum of α Per than the earlier brief SNAP. In hindsight, F supergiant Canopus (α Car: F0 Ib) also has a high X-ray luminosity and the same type of low Si IV/X-ray index as α Per. Significantly, the FUV Si IV emissions of both α Per and Canopus align well with the chromospheric atomic oxygen emissions (which must be intrinsic to the luminous stars), within the context of cooler late-F and early-G supergiants, including Cepheid variables. This pointed to the X-rays as the fundamental anomaly. Ironically, the over-luminous X-rays still support the case for a hyperactive dwarf secondary, albeit now spatially unresolved. However, an equally viable alternative is that both F supergiants are members of a novel class of X-ray emitters. Resolving the first

Ultraviolet imaging detectors for the GOLD mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegmund, O. H. W.; McPhate, J.; Curtis, T.; Jelinsky, S.; Vallerga, J. V.; Hull, J.; Tedesco, J.

2016-07-01

The GOLD mission is a NASA Explorer class ultraviolet Earth observing spectroscopy instrument that will be flown on a telecommunications satellite in geostationary orbit in 2018. Microchannel plate detectors operating in the 132 nm to 162 nm FUV bandpass with 2D imaging cross delay line readouts and electronics have been built for each of the two spectrometer channels for GOLD. The detectors are "open face" with CsI photocathodes, providing 30% efficiency at 130.4 nm and 15% efficiency at 160.8 nm. These detectors with their position encoding electronics provide 600 x 500 FWHM resolution elements and are photon counting, with event handling rates of > 200 KHz. The operational details of the detectors and their performance are discussed.

Medium-resolution far-ultraviolet spectroscopy of PKS 2155-304

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Appenzeller, I.; Mandel, H.; Krautter, J.; Bowyer, S.; Hurwitz, M.; Grewing, M.; Kramer, G.; Kappelmann, N.

1995-01-01

Using the Berkeley spectrometer of the Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS) we observed the 87-117 nm UV spectrum of the BL Lac object PKS 2155-304 with about 0.5 A resolution. In addition to the expected interstellar lines we detected higher quantum number counterparts of the intergalactic Lyman alpha lines discovered earlier with IUE and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in the direction of PKS 2155-304. The Lyman discontinuities indicate for three of the redshifted clouds a combined H I column density of 2-5 x 10(exp 16)/sq cm, while the column density for another cloud appears to be well below 5 x 10(exp 15)/sq cm. No siginificant O VI absorption in the galactic halo toward PKS 2155-304 could be detected from our data. Assuming that saturation effects are negligible for these weak features, we obtain for the O VI column density toward PKS 2155-304 a 3 sigma upper limit of 2.7 x 10(exp 14)/sq cm.

Can Thermal Nonequilibrium Explain Coronal Loops?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klimchuk, James A.; Karpen, Judy T.; Antiochos, Spiro K.

2010-01-01

Any successful model of coronal loops must explain a number of observed properties. For warm (approx. 1 MK) loops, these include: 1. excess density, 2. flat temperature profile, 3. super-hydrostatic scale height, 4. unstructured intensity profile, and 5. 1000-5000 s lifetime. We examine whether thermal nonequilibrium can reproduce the observations by performing hydrodynamic simulations based on steady coronal heating that decreases exponentially with height. We consider both monolithic and multi-stranded loops. The simulations successfully reproduce certain aspects of the observations, including the excess density, but each of them fails in at least one critical way. -Xonolithic models have far too much intensity structure, while multi-strand models are either too structured or too long-lived. Storms of nanoflares remain the only viable explanation for warm loops that has been proposed so far. Our results appear to rule out the widespread existence of heating that is both highly concentrated low in the corona and steady or quasi-steady (slowly varying or impulsive with a rapid cadence). Active regions would have a very different appearance if the dominant heating mechanism had these properties. Thermal nonequilibrium may nonetheless play an important role in prominences and catastrophic cooling e(veen.gts..,coronal rain) that occupy a small fraction of the coronal volume. However, apparent inconsistencies between the models and observations of cooling events have yet to be understood.

Magnetic Topology of Coronal Hole Linkages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Titov, V. S.; Mikic, Z.; Linker, J. A.; Lionello, R.; Antiochos, S. K.

2010-01-01

In recent work, Antiochos and coworkers argued that the boundary between the open and closed field regions on the Sun can be extremely complex with narrow corridors of open ux connecting seemingly disconnected coronal holes from the main polar holes, and that these corridors may be the sources of the slow solar wind. We examine, in detail, the topology of such magnetic configurations using an analytical source surface model that allows for analysis of the eld with arbitrary resolution. Our analysis reveals three important new results: First, a coronal hole boundary can join stably to the separatrix boundary of a parasitic polarity region. Second, a single parasitic polarity region can produce multiple null points in the corona and, more important, separator lines connecting these points. Such topologies are extremely favorable for magnetic reconnection, because it can now occur over the entire length of the separators rather than being con ned to a small region around the nulls. Finally, the coronal holes are not connected by an open- eld corridor of finite width, but instead are linked by a singular line that coincides with the separatrix footprint of the parasitic polarity. We investigate how the topological features described above evolve in response to motion of the parasitic polarity region. The implications of our results for the sources of the slow solar wind and for coronal and heliospheric observations are discussed.

Ultraviolet Studies of Jupiter's Hydrocarbons and Aerosols from Galileo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gladstone, G. Randall

2001-01-01

This is the final report for this project. The purpose of this project was to support PI Wayne Pryor's effort to reduce and analyze Galileo UVS (Ultraviolet Spectrometer) data under the JSDAP program. The spectral observations made by the Galileo UVS were to be analyzed to determine mixing ratios for important hydrocarbon species (and aerosols) in Jupiter's stratosphere as a function of location on Jupiter. Much of this work is still ongoing. To date, we have concentrated on analyzing the variability of the auroral emissions rather than the absorption signatures of hydrocarbons, although we have done some work in this area with related HST-STIS data.

Solar wind acceleration in the solar corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giordano, S.; Antonucci, E.; Benna, C.; Kohl, J. L.; Noci, G.; Michels, J.; Fineschi, S.

1997-01-01

The intensity ratio of the O VI doublet in the extended area is analyzed. The O VI intensity data were obtained with the ultraviolet coronagraph spectrometer (UVCS) during the SOHO campaign 'whole sun month'. The long term observations above the north pole of the sun were used for the polar coronal data. Using these measurements, the solar wind outflow velocity in the extended corona was determined. The 100 km/s level is running along the streamer borders. The acceleration of the solar wind is found to be high in regions between streamers. In the central part of streamers, the outflow velocity of the coronal plasma remains below 100 km/s at least within 3.8 solar radii. The regions at the north and south poles, characterized by a more rapid acceleration of the solar wind, correspond to regions where the UVCS observes enhanced O VI line broadenings.

Scientific Payload Of The Emirates Mars Mission: Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer (Emirs) Overview.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altunaiji, E. S.; Edwards, C. S.; Christensen, P. R.; Smith, M. D.; Badri, K. M., Sr.

2017-12-01

The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) will launch in 2020 to explore the dynamics in the atmosphere of Mars on a global scale. EMM has three scientific instruments to an improved understanding of circulation and weather in the Martian lower and middle atmosphere. Two of the EMM's instruments, which are the Emirates eXploration Imager (EXI) and Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer (EMIRS) will focus on the lower atmosphere observing dust, ice clouds, water vapor and ozone. On the other hand, the third instrument Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) will focus on both the thermosphere of the planet and its exosphere. The EMIRS instrument, shown in Figure 1, is an interferometric thermal infrared spectrometer that is jointly developed by Arizona State University (ASU) and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). It builds on a long heritage of thermal infrared spectrometers designed, built, and managed, by ASU's Mars Space Flight Facility, including the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES), and the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES). EMIRS operates in the 6-40+ µm range with 5 cm-1 spectral sampling, enabled by a Chemical Vapor-Deposited (CVD) diamond beamsplitter and state of the art electronics. This instrument utilizes a 3×3 detector array and a scan mirror to make high-precision infrared radiance measurements over most of a Martian hemisphere. The EMIRS instrument is optimized to capture the integrated, lower-middle atmosphere dynamics over a Martian hemisphere and will capture 60 global images per week ( 20 images per orbit) at a resolution of 100-300 km/pixel. After processing through an atmospheric retrieval algorithm, EMIRS will determine the vertical temperature profiles to 50km altitude and measure the column integrated global distribution and abundances of key atmospheric parameters (e.g. dust, water ice (clouds) and water vapor) over the Martian day, seasons and year.

PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF CORONAL PLASMA AT THE TRANSIT OF A SHOCK DRIVEN BY A CORONAL MASS EJECTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Susino, R.; Bemporad, A.; Mancuso, S., E-mail: susino@oato.inaf.it

2015-10-20

We report here on the determination of plasma physical parameters across a shock driven by a coronal mass ejection using white light (WL) coronagraphic images and radio dynamic spectra (RDS). The event analyzed here is the spectacular eruption that occurred on 2011 June 7, a fast CME followed by the ejection of columns of chromospheric plasma, part of them falling back to the solar surface, associated with a M2.5 flare and a type-II radio burst. Images acquired by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/LASCO coronagraphs (C2 and C3) were employed to track the CME-driven shock in the corona between 2–12 R{submore » ⊙} in an angular interval of about 110°. In this interval we derived two-dimensional (2D) maps of electron density, shock velocity, and shock compression ratio, and we measured the shock inclination angle with respect to the radial direction. Under plausible assumptions, these quantities were used to infer 2D maps of shock Mach number M{sub A} and strength of coronal magnetic fields at the shock's heights. We found that in the early phases (2–4 R{sub ⊙}) the whole shock surface is super-Alfvénic, while later on (i.e., higher up) it becomes super-Alfvénic only at the nose. This is in agreement with the location for the source of the observed type-II burst, as inferred from RDS combined with the shock kinematic and coronal densities derived from WL. For the first time, a coronal shock is used to derive a 2D map of the coronal magnetic field strength over intervals of 10 R{sub ⊙} altitude and ∼110° latitude.« less

Investigating the Wave Nature of the Outer Envelope of Halo Coronal Mass Ejections

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kwon, Ryun-Young; Vourlidas, Angelos, E-mail: rkwon@gmu.edu

We investigate the nature of the outer envelope of halo coronal mass ejections (H-CMEs) using multi-viewpoint observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory-A , -B , and SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory coronagraphs. The 3D structure and kinematics of the halo envelopes and the driving CMEs are derived separately using a forward modeling method. We analyze three H-CMEs with peak speeds from 1355 to 2157 km s{sup −1}; sufficiently fast to drive shocks in the corona. We find that the angular widths of the halos range from 192° to 252°, while those of the flux ropes range between only 58° andmore » 91°, indicating that the halos are waves propagating away from the CMEs. The halo widths are in agreement with widths of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) waves in the low corona further demonstrating the common origin of these structures. To further investigate the wave nature of the halos, we model their 3D kinematic properties with a linear fast magnetosonic wave model. The model is able to reproduce the position of the halo flanks with realistic coronal medium assumptions but fails closer to the CME nose. The CME halo envelope seems to arise from a driven wave (or shock) close to the CME nose, but it is gradually becoming a freely propagating fast magnetosonic wave at the flanks. This interpretation provides a simple unifying picture for CME halos, EUV waves, and the large longitudinal spread of solar energetic particles.« less

The nature of micro CMEs within coronal holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bothmer, Volker; Nistico, Giuseppe; Zimbardo, Gaetano; Patsourakos, Spiros; Bosman, Eckhard

Whilst investigating the origin and characteristics of coronal jets and large-scale CMEs identi-fied in data from the SECCHI (Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation) instrument suites on board the two STEREO satellites, we discovered transient events that originated in the low corona with a morphology resembling that of typical three-part struc-tured coronal mass ejections (CMEs). However, the CMEs occurred on considerably smaller spatial scales. In this presentation we show evidence for the existence of small-scale CMEs from inside coronal holes and present quantitative estimates of their speeds and masses. We interprete the origin and evolution of micro CMEs as a natural consequence of the emergence of small-scale magnetic bipoles related to the Sun's ever changing photospheric magnetic flux on various scales and their interactions with the ambient plasma and magnetic field. The analysis of CMEs is performed within the framework of the EU Erasmus and FP7 SOTERIA projects.

A contemporary view of coronal heating.

PubMed

Parnell, Clare E; De Moortel, Ineke

2012-07-13

Determining the heating mechanism (or mechanisms) that causes the outer atmosphere of the Sun, and many other stars, to reach temperatures orders of magnitude higher than their surface temperatures has long been a key problem. For decades, the problem has been known as the coronal heating problem, but it is now clear that 'coronal heating' cannot be treated or explained in isolation and that the heating of the whole solar atmosphere must be studied as a highly coupled system. The magnetic field of the star is known to play a key role, but, despite significant advancements in solar telescopes, computing power and much greater understanding of theoretical mechanisms, the question of which mechanism or mechanisms are the dominant supplier of energy to the chromosphere and corona is still open. Following substantial recent progress, we consider the most likely contenders and discuss the key factors that have made, and still make, determining the actual (coronal) heating mechanism (or mechanisms) so difficult.

Forward Modeling of a Coronal Cavity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kucera, T. A.; Gibson, S. E.; Schmit, D. J.

2011-01-01

We apply a forward model of emission from a coronal cavity in an effort to determine the temperature and density distribution in the cavity. Coronal cavities are long, low-density structures located over filament neutral lines and are often seen as dark elliptical features at the solar limb in white light, EUV and X-rays. When these structures erupt they form the cavity portions of CMEs The model consists of a coronal streamer model with a tunnel-like cavity with elliptical cross-section and a Gaussian variation of height along the tunnel length. Temperature and density can be varied as a function of altitude both in the cavity and streamer. We apply this model to a cavity observed in Aug. 2007 by a wide array of instruments including Hinode/EIS, STEREO/EUVI and SOHO/EIT. Studies such as these will ultimately help us understand the the original structures which erupt to become CMEs and ICMES, one of the prime Solar Orbiter objectives.

Corrugation Instability of a Coronal Arcade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimushkin, D. Y.; Nakariakov, V. M.; Mager, P. N.; Cheremnykh, O. K.

2017-12-01

We analyse the behaviour of linear magnetohydrodynamic perturbations of a coronal arcade modelled by a half-cylinder with an azimuthal magnetic field and non-uniform radial profiles of the plasma pressure, temperature, and the field. Attention is paid to the perturbations with short longitudinal (in the direction along the arcade) wavelengths. The radial structure of the perturbations, either oscillatory or evanescent, is prescribed by the radial profiles of the equilibrium quantities. Conditions for the corrugation instability of the arcade are determined. It is established that the instability growth rate increases with decreases in the longitudinal wavelength and the radial wave number. In the unstable mode, the radial perturbations of the magnetic field are stronger than the longitudinal perturbations, creating an almost circularly corrugated rippling of the arcade in the longitudinal direction. For coronal conditions, the growth time of the instability is shorter than one minute, decreasing with an increase in the temperature. Implications of the developed theory for the dynamics of coronal active regions are discussed.

Coronal Heating Observed with Hi-C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winebarger, Amy R.

2013-01-01

The recent launch of the High-Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) as a sounding rocket has offered a new, different view of the Sun. With approx 0.3" resolution and 5 second cadence, Hi-C reveals dynamic, small-scale structure within a complicated active region, including coronal braiding, reconnection regions, Alfven waves, and flows along active region fans. By combining the Hi-C data with other available data, we have compiled a rich data set that can be used to address many outstanding questions in solar physics. Though the Hi-C rocket flight was short (only 5 minutes), the added insight of the small-scale structure gained from the Hi-C data allows us to look at this active region and other active regions with new understanding. In this talk, I will review the first results from the Hi-C sounding rocket and discuss the impact of these results on the coronal heating problem.

SUNQUAKE GENERATION BY CORONAL MAGNETIC RESTRUCTURING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russell, A. J. B.; Mooney, M. K.; Leake, J. E.

2016-11-01

Sunquakes are the surface signatures of acoustic waves in the Sun’s interior that are produced by some but not all flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). This paper explores a mechanism for sunquake generation by the changes in magnetic field that occur during flares and CMEs, using MHD simulations with a semiempirical FAL-C atmosphere to demonstrate the generation of acoustic waves in the interior in response to changing magnetic tilt in the corona. We find that Alfvén–sound resonance combined with the ponderomotive force produces acoustic waves in the interior with sufficient energy to match sunquake observations when the magnetic fieldmore » angle changes of the order of 10° in a region where the coronal field strength is a few hundred gauss or more. The most energetic sunquakes are produced when the coronal field is strong, while the variation of magnetic field strength with height and the timescale of the change in tilt are of secondary importance.« less

Coronal Jets from Minifilament Eruptions in Active Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sterling, A. C.; Martinez, F.; Falconer, D. A.; Moore, R. L.

2016-12-01

Solar coronal jets are transient (frequently of lifetime 10 min) features that shoot out from near the solar surface, become much longer than their width, and occur in all solar regions, including coronal holes, quiet Sun, and active regions (e.g., Shimojo et al. 1996, Certain et al. 2007). Sterling et al. (2015) and other studies found that in coronal holes and in quiet Sun the jets result when small-scale filaments, called ``minifilaments,'' erupt onto nearby open or high-reaching field lines. Additional studies found that coronal-jet-onset locations (and hence presumably the minifilament-eruption-onset locations) coincided with locations of magnetic-flux cancellation. For active region (AR) jets however the situation is less clear. Sterling et al. (2016) studied jets in one active region over a 24-hour period; they found that some AR jets indeed resulted from minifilament eruptions, usually originating from locations of episodes of magnetic-flux cancelation. In some cases however they could not determine whether flux was emerging or canceling at the polarity inversion line from which the minifilament erupted; and for other jets of that region minifilaments were not conclusively apparent prior to jet occurrence. Here we further study AR jets, by observing them in a single AR over a one-week period, using X-ray images from Hinode/XRT and EUV/UV images from SDO/AIA, and line-of-sight magnetograms and white-light intensity-grams from SDO/HMI. We initially identified 13 prominent jets in the XRT data, and examined corresponding AIA and HMI data. For at least several of the jets, our findings are consistent with the jets resulting from minifilament eruptions, and originating from sights of magnetic-field cancelation. Thus our findings support that, at least in many cases, AR coronal jets result from the same physical processes that produce coronal jets in quiet-Sun and coronal-hole regions. FM was supportedby the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at

Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation of a Streamer Beside a Realistic Coronal Hole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suess, S. T.; Wu, S. T.; Wang, A. H.; Poletto, G.

1994-01-01

Existing models of coronal streamers establish their credibility and act as the initial state for transients. The models have produced satisfactory streamer simulations, but unsatisfactory coronal hole simulations. This is a consequence of the character of the models and the boundary conditions. The models all have higher densities in the magnetically open regions than occur in coronal holes (Noci, et al., 1993).

Combined metopic and unilateral coronal synostoses: a phenotypic conundrum.

PubMed

Sauerhammer, Tina M; Patel, Kamlesh; Oh, Albert K; Proctor, Mark R; Mulliken, John B; Rogers, Gary F

2014-03-01

Most types of craniosynostosis cause predictable changes in cranial shape. However, the phenotype of combined metopic and unilateral coronal synostoses is anomalous. The purpose of this observational study was to better clarify the clinical and radiographic features of this rare entity. A retrospective review of a craniofacial database was performed. Patients with combined metopic and unilateral coronal synostoses were included in this study. Data collected included demographic information, physical and radiographic findings, genetic evaluation, treatment, and operative outcomes. Of 687 patients treated between 1989 and 2010, only 3 patients had combined metopic and unilateral coronal synostoses. All patients were diagnosed through computed tomography on the first day of life. Phenotypic features included the following: (1) narrowed forehead with a prominent midline ridge, (2) severe bilateral brow retrusion with an acute indentation on the side of the patient coronal suture, (3) facial and nasal angulation similar to isolated unilateral coronal synostosis, and (4) anterior displacement of the ear on the fused side. In addition, the cranial vertex was deviated toward the side of the open coronal suture. Two patients had a head circumference below the 25th percentile; 2 of the 3 had a TWIST gene mutation consistent with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. One patient was managed through fronto-orbital advancement and required a revision. The other 2 patients had early endoscopic release, followed by postoperative helmet therapy; one improved but still required open cranial remodeling. The other has near-normal phenotype, and no further surgery is planned. Combined metopic and unilateral coronal synostoses present a rare and unusual phenotype. Although early intervention improves the deformity, revisional procedures are usually required.

CME Interaction with Coronal Holes and Their Interplanetary Consequences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gopalswamy, N.; Makela, P.; Xie, H.; Akiyama, S.; Yashiro, S.

2008-01-01

A significant number of interplanetary (IP) shocks (-17%) during cycle 23 were not followed by drivers. The number of such "driverless" shocks steadily increased with the solar cycle with 15%, 33%, and 52% occurring in the rise, maximum, and declining phase of the solar cycle. The solar sources of 15% of the driverless shocks were very close the central meridian of the Sun (within approx.15deg), which is quite unexpected. More interestingly, all the driverless shocks with their solar sources near the solar disk center occurred during the declining phase of solar cycle 23. When we investigated the coronal environment of the source regions of driverless shocks, we found that in each case there was at least one coronal hole nearby suggesting that the coronal holes might have deflected the associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) away from the Sun-Earth line. The presence of abundant low-latitude coronal holes during the declining phase further explains why CMEs originating close to the disk center mimic the limb CMEs, which normally lead to driverless shocks due to purely geometrical reasons. We also examined the solar source regions of shocks with drivers. For these, the coronal holes were located such that they either had no influence on the CME trajectories. or they deflected the CMEs towards the Sun-Earth line. We also obtained the open magnetic field distribution on the Sun by performing a potential field source surface extrapolation to the corona. It was found that the CMEs generally move away from the open magnetic field regions. The CME-coronal hole interaction must be widespread in the declining phase, and may have a significant impact on the geoeffectiveness of CMEs.

UV Resonant Raman Spectrometer with Multi-Line Laser Excitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, James L.; Kohel, James M.; Kirby, James P.; Morookian, John Michael; Pelletier, Michael J.

2013-01-01

A Raman spectrometer employs two or more UV (ultraviolet) laser wavel engths to generate UV resonant Raman (UVRR) spectra in organic sampl es. Resonant Raman scattering results when the laser excitation is n ear an electronic transition of a molecule, and the enhancement of R aman signals can be several orders of magnitude. In addition, the Ra man cross-section is inversely proportional to the fourth power of t he wavelength, so the UV Raman emission is increased by another fact or of 16, or greater, over visible Raman emissions. The Raman-scatter ed light is collected using a high-resolution broadband spectrograph . Further suppression of the Rayleigh-scattered laser light is provi ded by custom UV notch filters.

Space Oddities: The Search For Ephemeral Coronal Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, Rachel E.; Pesnell, W. Dean; Kirk, Michael S.; Karna, Nishu

2016-10-01

Ephemeral coronal holes are short-lived, volatile counterparts to equatorial coronal holes. Very little is known about their characteristics and behavior aside from their definition: open, unipolar magnetic field lines resulting in darkened regions of the corona. The first exemplar of this phenomenon was observed by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) on October 26, 2010, which spurred our search for other occurrences in order to understand the frequency and evolution of these phenomena. To accomplish this, we visually evaluated SDO 211 Å images on a 12-hour cadence between June 2010 and June 2016. Each compact and isolated dim region we encountered was flagged as a potential ephemeral coronal hole for further analysis. This preliminary effort resulted in 149 candidate holes. For further analysis of their characteristics, we applied a strict definition criterion of an ephemeral coronal hole. This criterion was a set of four factors that were created in order to ensure events being observed were isolated, individual events- the candidates had to be dark relative to the surrounding material, not influenced by a nearby eruption, not obviously connected to other coronal hole structures, and their lifetime had to occur completely within the disk crossing. This criterion was designed so that events could be completely analyzed, from beginning to end, to better understand the origins. Application of this criterion eliminated all candidates but 5 of the original 149. True ephemeral coronal holes are rare occurrences, appearing only five times in six years. Future research in this area is needed to both locate additional events and study the underlying driving forces behind these rare phenomena.

Simulations of Solar Jets Confined by Coronal Loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wyper, P. F.; De Vore, C. R.

2016-01-01

Coronal jets are collimated, dynamic events that occur over a broad range of spatial scales in the solar corona. In the open magnetic field of coronal holes, jets form quasi-radial spires that can extend far out into the heliosphere, while in closed-field regions the jet outflows are confined to the corona. We explore the application of the embedded-bipole model to jets occurring in closed coronal loops. In this model, magnetic free energy is injected slowly by footpoint motions that introduce twist within the closed dome of the jet source region, and is released rapidly by the onset of an ideal kink-like instability. Two length scales characterize the system: the width (N) of the jet source region and the footpoint separation (L) of the coronal loop that envelops the jet source. We find that both the conditions for initiation and the subsequent dynamics are highly sensitive to the ratio L/N. The longest-lasting and most energetic jets occur along long coronal loops with large L/N ratios, and share many of the features of open-field jets, while smaller L/N ratios produce shorter-duration, less energetic jets that are affected by reflections from the far-loop footpoint. We quantify the transition between these behaviors and show that our model replicates key qualitative and quantitative aspects of both quiet Sun and active-region loop jets. We also find that there connection between the closed dome and surrounding coronal loop is very extensive: the cumulative reconnected flux at least matches the total flux beneath the dome for small L/N, and is more than double that value for large L/N.

SIMULATIONS OF SOLAR JETS CONFINED BY CORONAL LOOPS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wyper, P. F.; DeVore, C. R., E-mail: peter.f.wyper@nasa.gov, E-mail: c.richard.devore@nasa.gov

Coronal jets are collimated, dynamic events that occur over a broad range of spatial scales in the solar corona. In the open magnetic field of coronal holes, jets form quasi-radial spires that can extend far out into the heliosphere, while in closed-field regions the jet outflows are confined to the corona. We explore the application of the embedded-bipole model to jets occurring in closed coronal loops. In this model, magnetic free energy is injected slowly by footpoint motions that introduce twist within the closed dome of the jet source region, and is released rapidly by the onset of an idealmore » kink-like instability. Two length scales characterize the system: the width (N) of the jet source region and the footpoint separation (L) of the coronal loop that envelops the jet source. We find that both the conditions for initiation and the subsequent dynamics are highly sensitive to the ratio L/N. The longest-lasting and most energetic jets occur along long coronal loops with large L/N ratios, and share many of the features of open-field jets, while smaller L/N ratios produce shorter-duration, less energetic jets that are affected by reflections from the far-loop footpoint. We quantify the transition between these behaviors and show that our model replicates key qualitative and quantitative aspects of both quiet Sun and active-region loop jets. We also find that the reconnection between the closed dome and surrounding coronal loop is very extensive: the cumulative reconnected flux at least matches the total flux beneath the dome for small L/N, and is more than double that value for large L/N.« less

Flux-tube divergence, coronal heating, and the solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Y.-M.

1993-01-01

Using model calculations based on a self-consistent treatment of the coronal energy balance, we show how the magnetic flux-tube divergence rate controls the coronal temperature and the properties of the solar wind. For a fixed input of mechanical and Alfven-wave energy at the coronal base, we find that as the divergence rate increases, the maximum coronal temperature decreases but the mass flux leaving the sun gradually increases. As a result, the asymptotic wind speed decreases with increasing expansion factor near the sun, in agreement with empirical studies. As noted earlier by Withbroe, the calculated mass flux at the sun is remarkably insensitive to parameter variations; when combined with magnetohydrodynamic considerations, this self-regulatory property of the model explains the observed constancy of the mass flux at earth.

PRE-FLARE CORONAL JET AND EVOLUTIONARY PHASES OF A SOLAR ERUPTIVE PROMINENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE M1.8 FLARE: SDO AND RHESSI OBSERVATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joshi, Bhuwan; Kushwaha, Upendra; Veronig, Astrid M.

We investigate the triggering, activation, and ejection of a solar eruptive prominence that occurred in a multi-polar flux system of active region NOAA 11548 on 2012 August 18 by analyzing data from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory , the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager , and the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager/Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation on board the Solar Terrestrial Relation Observatory . Prior to the prominence activation, we observed striking coronal activities in the form of a blowout jet, which is associated with the rapid eruption of a cool flux rope. Furthermore, themore » jet-associated flux rope eruption underwent splitting and rotation during its outward expansion. These coronal activities are followed by the prominence activation during which it slowly rises with a speed of ∼12 km s{sup −1} while the region below the prominence emits gradually varying EUV and thermal X-ray emissions. From these observations, we propose that the prominence eruption is a complex, multi-step phenomenon in which a combination of internal (tether-cutting reconnection) and external (i.e., pre-eruption coronal activities) processes are involved. The prominence underwent catastrophic loss of equilibrium with the onset of the impulsive phase of an M1.8 flare, suggesting large-scale energy release by coronal magnetic reconnection. We obtained signatures of particle acceleration in the form of power-law spectra with hard electron spectral index ( δ  ∼ 3) and strong HXR footpoint sources. During the impulsive phase, a hot EUV plasmoid was observed below the apex of the erupting prominence that ejected in the direction of the prominence with a speed of ∼177 km s{sup −1}. The temporal, spatial, and kinematic correlations between the erupting prominence and the plasmoid imply that the magnetic reconnection supported the fast ejection of prominence in the lower corona.« less

MHD Simulations of the Eruption of Coronal Flux Ropes under Coronal Streamers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fan, Yuhong, E-mail: yfan@ucar.edu

Using three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, we investigate the eruption of coronal flux ropes underlying coronal streamers and the development of a prominence eruption. We initialize a quasi-steady solution of a coronal helmet streamer, into which we impose at the lower boundary the slow emergence of a part of a twisted magnetic torus. As a result, a quasi-equilibrium flux rope is built up under the streamer. With varying streamer sizes and different lengths and total twists of the flux rope that emerges, we found different scenarios for the evolution from quasi-equilibrium to eruption. In the cases with a broad streamer, themore » flux rope remains well confined until there is sufficient twist such that it first develops the kink instability and evolves through a sequence of kinked, confined states with increasing height until it eventually develops a “hernia-like” ejective eruption. For significantly twisted flux ropes, prominence condensations form in the dips of the twisted field lines due to runaway radiative cooling. Once formed, the prominence-carrying field becomes significantly non-force-free due to the weight of the prominence, despite having low plasma β . As the flux rope erupts, the prominence erupts, showing substantial draining along the legs of the erupting flux rope. The prominence may not show a kinked morphology even though the flux rope becomes kinked. On the other hand, in the case with a narrow streamer, the flux rope with less than one wind of twist can erupt via the onset of the torus instability.« less

Study of an astronomical extreme ultraviolet rocket spectrometer for use on shuttle missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowyer, C. S.

1977-01-01

The adaptation of an extreme ultraviolet astronomy rocket payload for flight on the shuttle was studied. A sample payload for determining integration and flight procedures for experiments which may typically be flown on shuttle missions was provided. The electrical, mechanical, thermal, and operational interface requirements between the payload and the orbiter were examined. Of particular concern was establishing a baseline payload accommodation which utilizes proven common hardware for electrical, data, command, and possibly real time monitoring functions. The instrument integration and checkout procedures necessary to assure satisfactory in-orbit instrument performance were defined and those procedures which can be implemented in such a way as to minimize their impact on orbiter integration schedules were identified.

Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) spectrometer design and performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macenka, Steven A.; Chrisp, Michael P.

1987-01-01

The development of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) has been completed at JPL. This paper outlines the functional requirements of the spectrometer optics subsystem, and describes the spectrometer optical design. The optical subsystem performance is shown in terms of spectral modulation transfer functions, radial energy distributions, and system transmission at selected wavelengths for the four spectrometers. An outline of the spectrometer alignment is included.

Contagious Coronal Heating from Recurring Emergence of Magnetic Flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, R. L.; Falconer, D. A.; Sterling, A. C.

2002-01-01

For each of six old bipolar active regions, we present and interpret Yohkoh/SXT and SOHO/MDI observations of the development, over several days, of enhanced coronal heating in and around the old bipole in response to new magnetic flux emergence within the old bipole. The observations show: 1. In each active region, new flux emerges in the equatorward side of the old bipole, around a lone remaining leading sunspot and/or on the equatorward end of the neutral line of the old bipole. 2. The emerging field is marked by intense internal coronal heating, and enhanced coronal heating occurs in extended loops stemming from the emergence site. 3. In five of the six cases, a "rooster tail" of coronal loops in the poleward extent of the old bipole also brightens in response to the flux emergence. 4. There are episodes of enhanced coronal heating in surrounding magnetic fields that are contiguous with the old bipole but are not directly connected to the emerging field. From these observations, we suggest that the accommodation of localized newly emerged flux within an old active region entails far reaching adjustments in the 3D magnetic field throughout the active region and in surrounding fields in which the active region is embedded, and that these adjustments produce the extensive enhanced coronal heating. We Also Note That The Reason For The recurrence of flux emergence in old active regions may be that active-region flux tends to emerge in giant-cell convection downflows. If so, the poleward "rooster tail" is a coronal flag of a long-lasting downflow in the convection zone. This work was funded by NASA's Office of Space Science through the Solar Physics Supporting Research and Technology Program and the Sun-Earth Connection Guest Investigator Program.

Contagious Coronal Heating from Recurring Emergence of Magnetic Flux

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ronald L.; Falconer, David; Sterling, Alphonse; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

For each of six old bipolar active regions, we present and interpret Yohkoh/SXT and SOHO/MDI observations of the development, over several days, of enhanced coronal heating in and around the old bipole in response to new magnetic flux emerge= within the old bipole. The observations show: 1. In each active region, new flux emerges in the equatorward side of the old bipole, around a lone remaining leading sunspot and/or on the equatorward end of the neutral line of the old bipole. 2. The emerging field is marked by intense internal coronal heating, and enhanced coronal heating occurs in extended loops stemming from the emergence site. 3. In five of the six cases, a "rooster tail" of coronal loops in the poleward extent of the old bipole also brightens in response to the flux emergence. 4. There are episodes of enhanced coronal heating in surrounding magnetic fields that are contiguous with the old bipole but are not directly connected to the emerging field. From these observations, we suggest that the accommodation of localized newly emerged flux within an old active region entails far reaching adjustments in the 3D magnetic field throughout the active region and in surrounding fields in which the active region is embedded, and that these adjustments produce the extensive enhanced coronal heating. We also note that the reason for the recurrence of flux emergence in old active regions may be that active region flux tends to emerge in giant-cell convection downflows. If so, the poleward "rooster tail" is a coronal flag of a long-lasting downflow in the convection zone. This work was funded by NASA's Office of Space Science through the Solar Physics Supporting Research and Technology Program and the Sun-Earth Connection Guest Investigator Program.

Ultraviolet Extensions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Side-by-Side Comparison Click on image for larger view

This ultraviolet image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows the Southern Pinwheel galaxy, also know as Messier 83 or M83. It is located 15 million light-years away in the southern constellation Hydra.

Ultraviolet light traces young populations of stars; in this image, young stars can be seen way beyond the main spiral disk of M83 up to 140,000 light-years from its center. Could life exist around one of these far-flung stars? Scientists say it's unlikely because the outlying regions of a galaxy are lacking in the metals required for planets to form.

The image was taken at scheduled intervals between March 15 and May 20, 2007. It is one of the longest-exposure, or deepest, images ever taken of a nearby galaxy in ultraviolet light. Near-ultraviolet light (or longer-wavelength ultraviolet light) is colored yellow, and far-ultraviolet light is blue.

What Lies Beyond the Edge of a Galaxy The side-by-side comparison shows the Southern Pinwheel galaxy, or M83, as seen in ultraviolet light (right) and at both ultraviolet and radio wavelengths (left). While the radio data highlight the galaxy's long, octopus-like arms stretching far beyond its main spiral disk (red), the ultraviolet data reveal clusters of baby stars (blue) within the extended arms.

The ultraviolet image was taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer between March 15 and May 20, 2007, at scheduled intervals. Back in 2005, the telescope first photographed M83 over a shorter period of time. That picture was the first to reveal far-flung baby stars forming up to 63,000 light-years from the edge of the main spiral disk. This came as a surprise to astronomers because a galaxy's outer territory typically lacks high densities of star-forming materials.

The newest picture of M83 from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer is shown at the right, and was taken over a longer period of

A new membrane inlet interface of a vacuum ultraviolet lamp ionization miniature mass spectrometer for on-line rapid measurement of volatile organic compounds in air.

PubMed

Hou, Keyong; Wang, Junde; Li, Haiyang

2007-01-01

A novel membrane inlet interface coupled to a single-photon ionization (SPI) miniature time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been developed for on-line rapid measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light source for SPI was a commercial krypton discharge lamp with photon energy of 10.6 eV and photon flux of 10(10) photons/s. The experimental results showed that the sensitivity was 5 times as high as obtained with the traditional membrane inlet. The enrichment efficiency could be adjusted in the range of 10 to 20 times for different VOCs when a buffer cell was added to the inlet interface, and the memory effect was effectively eliminated. A detection limit as low as 25 parts-per-billion by volume (ppbv) for benzene has been achieved, with a linear dynamic range of three orders of magnitude. The rise times were 6 s, 10 s and 15 s for benzene, toluene and p-xylene, respectively, and the fall time was only 6 s for all of these compounds. The analytical capacity of this system was demonstrated by the on-line analysis of VOCs in single puff mainstream cigarette smoke, in which more than 50 compounds were detected in 2 s. Copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Configuration and calibration of a flat field grating spectrometer in the wavelength range 7-60 Å with a Manson ultrasoft x-ray source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Shi, Z.; Fei, Z.; Jin, X.; Xiao, J.; Hutton, R.; Zou, Y.

2011-06-01

An ultrasoft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet spectrometer built and calibrated in the wavelength range of 7-60 Å is reported here. Details of the alignment of this flat field spectrometer with both a laser and a telescope are presented. The light path function rather than a standard calibration function, i.e. a polynomial function, is introduced as the fit function, which gives good agreement with the spectrometer design values and makes the calibration more reliable when extended to the region outside the points used for calibration, compared with a standard calibration function. The calibration results of a Manson ultrasoft x-ray source (model 2) with source targets of Cu, Fe and Ti are presented with all the peaks marked.

CME Interaction with Large-Scale Coronal Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gopalswarny, Nat

2012-01-01

This talk presents some key observations that highlight the importance of CME interaction with other large scale structures such as CMEs and coronal holes . Such interactions depend on the phase of the solar cycle: during maximum, CMEs are ejected more frequently, so CME-CME interaction becomes dominant. During the rise phase, the polar coronal holes are strong, so the interaction between polar coronal holes and CMEs is important, which also leads to a possible increase in the number of interplanetary CMEs observed as magnetic clouds. During the declining phase, there are more equatorial coronal holes, so CMEs originating near these coronal holes are easily deflected. CMEs can be deflected toward and away from the Sun-Earth line resulting in interesting geospace consequences. For example, the largest geomagnetic storm of solar cycle 23 was due to a CME that was deflected towards the Sun-earth line from E22. CME deflection away from the Sun-Earth line diminishes the chance of a CME producing a geomagnetic storm. CME interaction in the coronagraphic field of view was first identified using enhanced radio emission, which is an indication of acceleration of low energy (approx.10 keV) electrons in the interaction site. CME interaction, therefore, may also have implications for proton acceleration. For example, solar energetic particle events typically occur with a higher intensity, whenever multiple CMEs occur in quick succession from the same source region. CME deflection may also have implications to the arrival of energetic particles to earth because magnetic connectivity may be changed by the interaction. I illustrate the above points using examples from SOHO, STEREO, Wind, and ACE data .

Unilateral coronal craniosynostosis in Abraham Lincoln and his family.

PubMed

Fishman, Ronald S

2010-09-01

Premature closure of one coronal skull suture produces a characteristic arching or relative elevation of the superior orbital rim on the involved side. This sign is associated with facial asymmetry, and both signs are usually the most conspicuous features in patients with mild unilateral coronal craniosynostosis. Photographs suggest that at least 9 individuals over 5 generations of the Abraham Lincoln family had premature closure of 1 coronal suture. In 8 males, there was involvement of the left side; in 1 female, there was involvement of the right side.

Coronal holes and high-speed wind streams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zirker, J. B.

1977-01-01

Coronal holes, regions of unusually low density and low temperature in the solar corona, are identified as Bartel's M regions, i.e., sources of high-speed wind streams that produce recurrent geomagnetic variations. Throughout the Skylab period the polar caps of the sun were coronal holes, and at lower latitudes the most persistent and recurrent holes were equatorial extensions of the polar caps. The holes rotated 'rigidly' at the equatorial synodic rate. They formed in regions of unipolar photospheric magnetic field, and their internal magnetic fields diverged rapidly with increasing distance from the sun. The geometry of the magnetic field in the inner corona seems to control both the physical properties of the holes and the global distribution of high-speed wind streams in the heliosphere. Phenomenological models for the birth and decay of coronal holes have been proposed.

Segmentation of photospheric magnetic elements corresponding to coronal features to understand the EUV and UV irradiance variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zender, J. J.; Kariyappa, R.; Giono, G.; Bergmann, M.; Delouille, V.; Damé, L.; Hochedez, J.-F.; Kumara, S. T.

2017-09-01

Context. The magnetic field plays a dominant role in the solar irradiance variability. Determining the contribution of various magnetic features to this variability is important in the context of heliospheric studies and Sun-Earth connection. Aims: We studied the solar irradiance variability and its association with the underlying magnetic field for a period of five years (January 2011-January 2016). We used observations from the Large Yield Radiometer (LYRA), the Sun Watcher with Active Pixel System detector and Image Processing (SWAP) on board PROBA2, the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Methods: The Spatial Possibilistic Clustering Algorithm (SPoCA) is applied to the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations obtained from the AIA to segregate coronal features by creating segmentation maps of active regions (ARs), coronal holes (CHs) and the quiet sun (QS). Further, these maps are applied to the full-disk SWAP intensity images and the full-disk (FD) HMI line-of-sight (LOS) magnetograms to isolate the SWAP coronal features and photospheric magnetic counterparts, respectively. We then computed full-disk and feature-wise averages of EUV intensity and line of sight (LOS) magnetic flux density over ARs/CHs/QS/FD. The variability in these quantities is compared with that of LYRA irradiance values. Results: Variations in the quantities resulting from the segmentation, namely the integrated intensity and the total magnetic flux density of ARs/CHs/QS/FD regions, are compared with the LYRA irradiance variations. We find that the EUV intensity over ARs/CHs/QS/FD is well correlated with the underlying magnetic field. In addition, variations in the full-disk integrated intensity and magnetic flux density values are correlated with the LYRA irradiance variations. Conclusions: Using the segmented coronal features observed in the EUV wavelengths as proxies to isolate the underlying

Absorption spectra of localized surface plasmon resonance observed in an inline/picoliter spectrometer cell fabricated by a near ultraviolet femtosecond laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiraishi, Masahiko; Nishiyama, Michiko; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Kubodera, Shoichi

2018-03-01

Absorption spectra based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) were obtained with an inline/picoliter spectrometer cell. The spectrometer cell was fabricated into an optical glass fiber by focusing a near UV (NUV) femtosecond laser pulses at a wavelength of 400 nm with an energy of 30 μJ. The laser beam was focused from two directions opposite to each other to fabricate a through-hole spectrometer cell. A diameter of the cell was approximately 3 μm, and the length was approximately 62.5 μm, which was nearly equal to the core diameter of the optical fiber. Liquid solution of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with a diameter of 5-10 nm was injected into the spectrometer cell with its volume of 0.4 pL. The absorption peak centered at 518 nm was observed. An increase of absorption associated with the increase of the number of nanoparticles was in agreement with the numerical calculation based on the Lambert-Beer law.

Observational Features of Equatorial Coronal Hole Jets

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-10

0 “Esplorazione del Sistema Solare ”. Some images are produced by FESTIVAL, collaborative project managed by IAS and supported by CNES, which is a...km s−1, while the deceleration rate appears to be about 0.11 km s−2, less than solar gravity. The average jet visibility time is about 30 minutes...differences between polar and equatorial coronal hole jets. Keywords. Coronal holes, jets 1 Introduction The STEREO ( Solar TErrestrial RElations

Coronal Magnetism: Hanle Effect in UV and IR Spectral Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raouafi, N. E.; Riley, P.

2014-12-01

The plasma thermodynamics in the solar upper atmosphere, particularly in the corona, are dominated by the magnetic field, which controls the flow and dissipation of energy. The relative lack of knowledge of the coronal vector magnetic field is a major handicap for the progress in coronal physics. This makes the development of measurement methods of coronal magnetic fields a high priority in solar physics. The Hanle effect in the UV and IR spectral lines is a largely unexplored diagnostic. Here we use magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to study the magnitude of the signal to be expected for typical coronal magnetic fields for selected spectral lines in the UV and IR wavelength ranges, namely the H I Lyman series (i.e., α, β, and γ), O VI 103.2 nm line, and the He I 1083 nm line. We show that the selected lines may be useful for the diagnostic of coronal magnetic fields. We also show that the combination of polarization measurements of spectral lines with different sensitivities to the Hanle effect may be most appropriate for the interpretation of the data. We propose that UV coronal magnetic field mapper should be a central part of the science payload of any future spacebased solar observatory.

Areas of Polar Coronal Holes from 1996 Through 2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webber, Hess S. A.; Karna, N.; Pesnell, W. D.; Kirk, M. S.

2014-01-01

Polar coronal holes (PCHs) trace the magnetic variability of the Sun throughout the solar cycle. Their size and evolution have been studied as proxies for the global magnetic field. We present measurements of the PCH areas from 1996 through 2010, derived from an updated perimeter-tracing method and two synoptic-map methods. The perimeter tracing method detects PCH boundaries along the solar limb, using full-disk images from the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory/Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SOHO/EIT). One synoptic-map method uses the line-of-sight magnetic field from the SOHO/Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) to determine the unipolarity boundaries near the poles. The other method applies thresholding techniques to synoptic maps created from EUV image data from EIT. The results from all three methods suggest that the solar maxima and minima of the two hemispheres are out of phase. The maximum PCH area, averaged over the methods in each hemisphere, is approximately 6 % during both solar minima spanned by the data (between Solar Cycles 22/23 and 23/24). The northern PCH area began a declining trend in 2010, suggesting a downturn toward the maximum of Solar Cycle 24 in that hemisphere, while the southern hole remained large throughout 2010.

Ultraviolet-Absorption Spectroscopic Biofilm Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Micheels, Ronald H.

2004-01-01

An ultraviolet-absorption spectrometer system has been developed as a prototype instrument to be used in continuous, real-time monitoring to detect the growth of biofilms. Such monitoring is desirable because biofilms are often harmful. For example, biofilms in potable-water and hydroponic systems act as both sources of pathogenic bacteria that resist biocides and as a mechanism for deterioration (including corrosion) of pipes. Biofilms formed from several types of hazardous bacteria can thrive in both plant-growth solutions and low-nutrient media like distilled water. Biofilms can also form in condensate tanks in air-conditioning systems and in industrial heat exchangers. At present, bacteria in potable-water and plant-growth systems aboard the space shuttle (and previously on the Mir space station) are monitored by culture-plate counting, which entails an incubation period of 24 to 48 hours for each sample. At present, there are no commercially available instruments for continuous monitoring of biofilms in terrestrial or spaceborne settings.

Coronal Heating and the Magnetic Flux Content of the Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falconer, D. A.; Moore, R. L.; Porter, J. G.; Hathaway, D. H.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Previously, from analysis of SOHO/EIT coronal images in combination with Kitt Peak magnetograms (Falconer et al 1998, ApJ, 501, 386-396), we found that the quiet corona is the sum of two components: the e-scale corona and the coronal network. The large-scale corona consists of all coronal-temperature (T approx. 10(exp 6) K) structures larger than supergranules (>approx.30,000 km). The coronal network (1) consists of all coronal-temperature structures smaller than supergranules, (2) is rooted in and loosely traces the photospheric magnetic network, (3) has its brightest features seated on polarity dividing fines (neutral lines) in the network magnetic flux, and (4) produces only about 5% of the total coronal emission in quiet regions. The heating of the coronal network is apparently magnetic in origin. Here, from analysis of EIT coronal images of quiet regions in combination with magnetograms of the same quiet regions from SOHO/MDI and from Kitt Peak, we examine the other 95% of the quiet corona and its relation to the underlying magnetic network. We find: (1) Dividing the large-scale corona into its bright and dim halves divides the area into bright "continents" and dark "oceans" having spans of 2-4 supergranules. (2) These patterns are also present in the photospheric magnetograms: the network is stronger under the bright half and weaker under the dim half. (3) The radiation from the large-scale corona increases roughly as the cube root of the magnetic flux content of the underlying magnetic network. In contrast, Fisher et A (1998, ApJ, 508, 985-998) found that the coronal radiation from an active region increases roughly linearly with the magnetic flux content of the active region. We assume, as is widely held, that nearly all of the large-scale corona is magnetically rooted in the network. Our results, together with the result of Fisher et al (1999), suggest that either the coronal heating in quiet regions has a large non-magnetic component, or, if the heating

EFFECT OF CORONAL TEMPERATURE ON THE SCALE OF SOLAR CHROMOSPHERIC JETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iijima; Yokoyama, T.H., E-mail: h.iijima@eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp

2015-10-20

We investigate the effect of coronal temperature on the formation process of solar chromospheric jets using two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the region from the upper convection zone to the lower corona. We develop a new radiative magnetohydrodynamic code for the dynamic modeling of the solar atmosphere, employing an LTE equation of state, optically thick radiative loss in the photosphere, optically thin radiative loss in the chromosphere and the corona, and thermal conduction along the magnetic field lines. Many chromospheric jets are produced in the simulations by shock waves passing through the transition region. We find that these jets are projectedmore » farther outward when the coronal temperature is lower (similar to that in coronal holes) and shorter when the coronal temperature is higher (similar to that in active regions). When the coronal temperature is high, the deceleration of the chromospheric jets is consistent with the model in which deceleration is determined by the periodic chromospheric shock waves. However, when the coronal temperature is low, the gravitational deceleration becomes more important and the chromospheric jets approach ballistic motion.« less

Characteristics of Low-latitude Coronal Holes near the Maximum of Solar Cycle 24

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hofmeister, Stefan J.; Veronig, Astrid; Reiss, Martin A.

We investigate the statistics of 288 low-latitude coronal holes extracted from SDO /AIA-193 filtergrams over the time range of 2011 January 01–2013 December 31. We analyze the distribution of characteristic coronal hole properties, such as the areas, mean AIA-193 intensities, and mean magnetic field densities, the local distribution of the SDO /AIA-193 intensity and the magnetic field within the coronal holes, and the distribution of magnetic flux tubes in coronal holes. We find that the mean magnetic field density of all coronal holes under study is 3.0 ± 1.6 G, and the percentaged unbalanced magnetic flux is 49 ± 16%.more » The mean magnetic field density, the mean unsigned magnetic field density, and the percentaged unbalanced magnetic flux of coronal holes depend strongly pairwise on each other, with correlation coefficients cc > 0.92. Furthermore, we find that the unbalanced magnetic flux of the coronal holes is predominantly concentrated in magnetic flux tubes: 38% (81%) of the unbalanced magnetic flux of coronal holes arises from only 1% (10%) of the coronal hole area, clustered in magnetic flux tubes with field strengths >50 G (10 G). The average magnetic field density and the unbalanced magnetic flux derived from the magnetic flux tubes correlate with the mean magnetic field density and the unbalanced magnetic flux of the overall coronal hole (cc>0.93). These findings give evidence that the overall magnetic characteristics of coronal holes are governed by the characteristics of the magnetic flux tubes.« less

A volume-limited ROSAT survey of extreme ultraviolet emission from all nondegenerate stars within 10 parsecs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Brian E.; Brown, Alexander; Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Kellett, Barry J.; Bromage, Gordon E.; Hodgkin, Simon T.; Pye, John P.

1994-01-01

We report the results of a volume-limited ROSAT Wide Field Camera (WFC) survey of all nondegenerate stars within 10 pc. Of the 220 known star systems within 10 pc, we find that 41 are positive detections in at least one of the two WFC filter bandpasses (S1 and S2), while we consider another 14 to be marginal detections. We compute X-ray luminosities for the WFC detections using Einstein Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) data, and these IPC luminosities are discussed along with the WFC luminosities throughout the paper for purposes of comparison. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) luminosity functions are computed for single stars of different spectral types using both S1 and S2 luminosities, and these luminosity functions are compared with X-ray luminosity functions derived by previous authors using IPC data. We also analyze the S1 and S2 luminosity functions of the binary stars within 10 pc. We find that most stars in binary systems do not emit EUV radiation at levels different from those of single stars, but there may be a few EUV-luminous multiple-star systems which emit excess EUV radiation due to some effect of binarity. In general, the ratio of X-ray luminosity to EUV luminosity increases with increasing coronal emission, suggesting that coronally active stars have higher coronal temperatures. We find that our S1, S2, and IPC luminosities are well correlated with rotational velocity, and we compare activity-rotation relations determined using these different luminosities. Late M stars are found to be significantly less luminous in the EUV than other late-type stars. The most natural explanation for this results is the concept of coronal saturation -- the idea that late-type stars can emit only a limited fraction of their total luminosity in X-ray and EUV radiation, which means stars with very low bolometric luminosities must have relatively low X-ray and EUV luminosities as well. The maximum level of coronal emission from stars with earlier spectral types is studied

Newborn Coronal Holes Associated with the Disappearance of Polarity Reversal Boundaries (P46)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelke, R.

2006-11-01

rajendra_shelke@yahoo.co.in Coronal holes play an important role in the occurrence of various kinds of solar events. The geomagnetic activity, coronal transients, type II radio bursts, and soft X ray blowouts have shown their strong association with coronal holes (Webb et al., 1978; Shelke and Pande, 1985; Bhatnagar, 1996; Hewish and Bravo, 1986). Recently, Shelke (2006) has linked the onset of interplanetary erupting stream disturbances with the evolutionary changes in the coronal holes. The present study reveals that there exists some physical relationship between the formation of new coronal holes and the disappearance of polarity reversal boundaries with or without the overlying prominences. About 124 new coronal holes are found to emerge at the locations where polarity reversal boundaries existed prior to their disappearance. Among them, nearly 66% and 18% newborn coronal holes have been associated with disappearing prominences and disappearing small unipolar magnetic regions (UMRs) with encircled polarity reversal boundaries respectively. Coronal holes and quiescent prominences are stable solar features that last for many solar rotations. A coronal hole is indicative of a radial magnetic field of a predominant magnetic polarity at the photosphere, whereas solar prominence overlying the polarity reversal boundary straddles both the polarities of a bipolar magnetic region. The new coronal hole emerges on the Sun, owing to the changes in magnetic field configuration leading to the opening of closed magnetic structure into the corona. The mechanism that leads to the eruption of polarity reversal boundaries with or without prominences seems to be interlinked with the mechanism that converts bipolar magnetic regions into unipolar magnetic regions characterizing coronal holes. The fundamental activity for the onset of erupting polarity reversal boundary seems to be the opening of preexisting closed magnetic structures into a new coronal hole, which can support mass

Standing Kink modes in three-dimensional coronal loops

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pascoe, D. J.; De Moortel, I., E-mail: dpascoe@mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk

2014-04-01

So far, the straight flux tube model proposed by Edwin and Roberts is the most commonly used tool in practical coronal seismology, in particular, to infer values of the (coronal) magnetic field from observed, standing kink mode oscillations. In this paper, we compare the period predicted by this basic model with three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations of standing kink mode oscillations, as the period is a crucial parameter in the seismological inversion to determine the magnetic field. We perform numerical simulations of standing kink modes in both straight and curved 3D coronal loops and consider excitation by internal and external drivers.more » The period of oscillation for the displacement of dense coronal loops is determined by the loop length and the kink speed, in agreement with the estimate based on analytical theory for straight flux tubes. For curved coronal loops embedded in a magnetic arcade and excited by an external driver, a secondary mode with a period determined by the loop length and external Alfvén speed is also present. When a low number of oscillations is considered, these two periods can result in a single, non-resolved (broad) peak in the power spectrum, particularly for low values of the density contrast for which the two periods will be relatively similar. In that case (and for this particular geometry), the presence of this additional mode would lead to ambiguous seismological estimates of the magnetic field strength.« less

Propagation and Dissipation of MHD Waves in Coronal Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwivedi, B. N.

2006-11-01

bholadwivedi@gmail.com In view of the landmark result on the solar wind outflow, starting between 5 Mm and 20 Mm above the photosphere in magnetic funnels, we investigate the propagation and dissipation of MHD waves in coronal holes. We underline the importance of Alfvén wave dissipation in the magnetic funnels through the viscous and resistive plasma. Our results show that Alfvén waves are one of the primary energy sources in the innermost part of coronal holes where the solar wind outflow starts. We also consider compressive viscosity and thermal conductivity to study the propagation and dissipation of long period slow longitudinal MHD waves in polar coronal holes. We discuss their likely role in the line profile narrowing, and in the energy budget for coronal holes and the solar wind. We compare the contribution of longitudinal MHD waves with high frequency Alfvén waves.

Relationship between extreme ultraviolet microflares and small-scale magnetic fields in the quiet Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Fayu; Zhang, Jun; Yang, Shuhong

2016-04-01

Microflares are small dynamic signatures observed in X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet channels. Because of their impulsive emission enhancements and wide distribution, they are thought to be closely related to coronal heating. By using the high resolution 171 Å images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and the lines-of-sight magnetograms obtained by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we trace 10794 microflares in a quiet region near the disk center with a field of view of 960''× 1068'' during 24 hr. The microflares have an occurrence rate of 4.4 × 103 hr-1 extrapolated over the whole Sun. Their average brightness, size, and lifetime are 1.7 I0 (of the quiet Sun), 9.6 Mm2, and 3.6 min, respectively. There exists a mutual positive correlation between the microflares' brightness, area and lifetime. In general, the microflares distribute uniformly across the solar disk, but form network patterns locally, which are similar to and matched with the magnetic network structures. Typical cases show that the microflares prefer to occur in magnetic cancellation regions of network boundaries. We roughly calculate the upper limit of energy flux supplied by the microflares and find that the result is still a factor of ˜15 below the coronal heating requirement.

Short term evolution of coronal hole boundaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nolte, J. T.; Krieger, A. S.; Solodyna, C. V.

1978-01-01

The evolution of coronal hole boundary positions on a time scale of approximately 1 day is studied on the basis of an examination of all coronal holes observed by Skylab from May to November 1973. It is found that a substantial fraction (an average of 38%) of all coronal hole boundaries shifted by at least 1 deg heliocentric in the course of a day. Most (70%) of these changes were on a relatively small scale (less than 3 times the supergranulation cell size), but a significant fraction occurred as discrete events on a much larger scale. The large-scale shifts in the boundary locations involved changes in X-ray emission from these areas of the sun. There were generally more changes in the boundaries of the most rapidly evolving holes, but no simple relationship between the amount of change and the rate of hole growth or decay.

The structure and evolution of coronal holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Timothy, A. F.; Krieger, A. S.; Vaiana, G. S.

1975-01-01

Soft X-ray observations of coronal holes are analyzed to determine the structure, temporal evolution, and rotational properties of those features as well as possible mechanisms which may account for their almost rigid rotational characteristics. It is shown that coronal holes are open features with a divergent magnetic-field configuration resulting from a particular large-scale magnetic-field topology. They are apparently formed when the successive emergence and dispersion of active-region fields produce a swath of unipolar field founded by fields of opposite polarity, and they die when large-scale field patterns emerge which significantly distort the original field configuration. Two types of holes are described (compact and elongated), and three possible rotation mechanisms are considered: a rigidly rotating subphotospheric phenomenon, a linking of high and low latitudes by closed field lines, and an interaction between moving coronal material and open field lines.

UV spectroscopy with the CETUS multi-object spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendrick, Stephen E.; Woodruff, Robert; Hull, Anthony; Heap, Sara; Kutyrev, Alexander; Purves, Lloyd; Danchi, William

2018-01-01

The ultraviolet multi-object spectrograph (MOS) for the Cosmic Evolution Through UV Spectroscopy (CETUS) concept is a slit-based instrument allowing multiple simultaneous observations over a wide field of view. The UV MOS will be able to target up to 100 objects at a time without the issues of confusion with nearby sources or unwanted background like zodiacal stray light. The multiplexing will allow over 100,000 galaxies to be observed over a typical mission lifetime which greatly enhances the scientific yield. The MOS utilizes a next-generation micro-shutter array, an efficient aspheric Offner-like spectrometer design with a convex grating, and nanotube light traps for suppressing unwanted wavelengths. The optical coatings are also designed for optimizing the UV throughput while minimizing out-of-band signal at the detector.

NOx reduction by sulfur tolerant coronal-catalytic apparatus and method

DOEpatents

Mathur, V.K.; Breault, R.W.; McLarnon, C.R.; Medros, F.G.

1993-08-31

This invention presents an NO[sub x] environment effective reduction apparatus comprising a sulfur tolerant coronal-catalyst such as high dielectric coronal-catalysts like glass wool, ceramic-glass wool or zirconium glass wool and method of use. In one embodiment the invention comprises an NO[sub x] reduction apparatus of sulfur tolerant coronal-catalyst adapted and configured for hypercritical presentation to an NO[sub x] bearing gas stream at a minimum of at least about 75 watts/cubic meter.

Management of distal humeral coronal shear fractures

PubMed Central

Yari, Shahram S; Bowers, Nathan L; Craig, Miguel A; Reichel, Lee M

2015-01-01

Coronal shear fractures of the distal humerus are rare, complex fractures that can be technically challenging to manage. They usually result from a low-energy fall and direct compression of the distal humerus by the radial head in a hyper-extended or semi-flexed elbow or from spontaneous reduction of a posterolateral subluxation or dislocation. Due to the small number of soft tissue attachments at this site, almost all of these fractures are displaced. The incidence of distal humeral coronal shear fractures is higher among women because of the higher rate of osteoporosis in women and the difference in carrying angle between men and women. Distal humeral coronal shear fractures may occur in isolation, may be part of a complex elbow injury, or may be associated with injuries proximal or distal to the elbow. An associated lateral collateral ligament injury is seen in up to 40% and an associated radial head fracture is seen in up to 30% of these fractures. Given the complex nature of distal humeral coronal shear fractures, there is preference for operative management. Operative fixation leads to stable anatomic reduction, restores articular congruity, and allows initiation of early range-of-motion movements in the majority of cases. Several surgical exposure and fixation techniques are available to reconstruct the articular surface following distal humeral coronal shear fractures. The lateral extensile approach and fixation with countersunk headless compression screws placed in an anterior-to-posterior fashion are commonly used. We have found a two-incision approach (direct anterior and lateral) that results in less soft tissue dissection and better outcomes than the lateral extensile approach in our experience. Stiffness, pain, articular incongruity, arthritis, and ulnohumeral instability may result if reduction is non-anatomic or if fixation fails. PMID:25984515

Wing geometry of Culex coronator (Diptera: Culicidae) from South and Southeast Brazil

PubMed Central