D. Moses

EIT OBSERVATIONS OF THE EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET SUN

The Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) on board the SOHO spacecraft has been operational since 2 January 1996. EIT observes the Sun over a 45 x 45 arc min field of view in four emission line groups: Feix, x, Fexii, Fexv, and Heii. A post-launch determination of the instrument flatfield, the instrument scattering function, and the instrument aging were necessary for the reduction and analysis of the data. The observed structures and their evolution in each of the four EUV bandpasses are characteristic of the peak emission temperature of the line(s) chosen for that bandpass. Reports on the initial results of a variety of analysis projects demonstrate the range of investigations now underway: EIT provides new observations of the corona in the temperature range of 1 to 2 MK. Temperature studies of the large-scale coronal features extend previous coronagraph work with low-noise temperature maps. Temperatures of radial, extended, plume-like structures in both the polar coronal hole and in a low latitude decaying active region were found to be cooler than the surrounding material. Active region loops were investigated in detail and found to be isothermal for the low loops but hottest at the loop tops for the large loops.Variability of solar EUV structures, as observed in the EIT time sequences, is pervasive and leads to a re-evaluation of the meaning of the term ‘quiet Sun’. Intensity fluctuations in a high cadence sequence of coronal and chromospheric images correspond to a Kolmogorov turbulence spectrum. This can be interpreted in terms of a mixed stochastic or periodic driving of the transition region and the base of the corona. No signature of the photospheric and chromospheric waves is found in spatially averaged power spectra, indicating that these waves do not propagate to the upper atmosphere or are channeled through narrow local magnetic structures covering a small fraction of the solar surface. Polar coronal hole observing campaigns have identified an outflow process with the discovery of transient Fexii jets. Coronal mass ejection observing campaigns have identified the beginning of a CME in an Fexii sequence with a near simultaneous filament eruption (seen in absorption), formation of a coronal void and the initiation of a bright outward-moving shell as well as the coronal manifestation of a ‘Moreton wave’.

Observations of Correlated White-Light and Extreme-Ultraviolet Jets from Polar Coronal Holes

Time-lapse sequences of white-light images recorded with the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) frequently show long, narrow structures moving outward over the Suns polar regions at high apparent speeds. By comparing the LASCO observations with Fe XII λ195 spectroheliograms made with the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) on SOHO between 1997 April and 1998 February, we have identified 27 correlated white-light and extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) jet events. In each case, the EUV jet was observed near the limb of the polar coronal hole 20-60 minutes before the corresponding white-light jet was registered in the coronagraphs 2-6 R☉ field of view. The jets originate near flaring EUV bright points and are presumably triggered by field line reconnection between magnetic bipoles and neighboring unipolar flux. The leading edges of the white-light jets propagate outward at speeds of 400-1100 km s-1, whereas the bulk of their material travels at much lower velocities averaging around 250 km s-1 at heliocentric distances of 2.9-3.7 R☉. These lower velocities may reflect the actual outflow speeds of the background polar wind.

The correspondence between X-ray bright points and evolving magnetic features in the quiet sun

Coronal bright points, first identified as X-ray Bright Points (XBPs), are compact, short-lived and associated with small-scale, opposite polarity magnetic flux features. Previous studies have yielded contradictory results suggesting that XBPs are either primarily a signature of emerging flux in the quiet Sun, or of the disappearance of pre-existing flux. With the goal of improving our understanding of the evolution of the quiet Sun magnetic field, we present results of a study of more recent data on XBPs and small-scale evolving magnetic structures. The coordinated data set consists of X-ray images obtained during rocket flights on 15 August and 11 December, 1987, full-disk magnetograms obtained at the National Solar Observatory - Kitt Peak, and time-lapse magnetograms of multiple fields obtained at Big Bear Solar Observatory. We find that XBPs were more frequently associated with pre-existing magnetic features of opposite polarity which appeared to be cancelling than with emerging or new flux regions. Most young, emerging regions were not associated with XBPs. However, some XBPs were associated with older ephemeral regions, some of which were cancelling with existing network or intranetwork poles. Nearly all of the XBPs corresponded to opposite polarity magnetic features which wereconverging towards each other; some of these had not yet begun cancelling. We suggest that most XBPs form when converging flow brings oppositely directed field lines together, leading to reconnection and heating of the newly-formed loops in the low corona.

Jovian electrons at 1 AU: 1978-1984

Data on Jovian electrons sensed with a spectrometer on board the ISEE spacecraft at 1 AU are studied in terms of intensity variations over time and shape and variations of the electron spectra with time. Design and performance features of the electron spectrometer are described. The analyses cover solar cycle modulation of intensity, the synodic intensity modulation, micromodulation over a period of days, and adiabatic deceleration of electrons propagating in the expanding solar wind. Emphasis is placed on the effects of maximum solar activity on Jovian electron emission and propagation, noting a confirmed 13 mos intensity variation in the Jovian electrons.

Solar fine scale structures in the corona, transition region, and lower atmosphere

The American Science and Engineering Soft X-ray Imaging Payload and the Naval Research Laboratory High Resolution Telescope and Spectrograph (HRTS) were launched from White Sands on 1987 December 11 in coordinated sounding rocket flights. The goal was to investigate the correspondence of fine-scale structures from different temperature regimes in the solar atmosphere, and particularly the relationship between X-ray bright points (XBPs) and transition region explosive events. We present results of the analysis of co-aligned X-ray images, maps of sites of transition region explosive events observed in C IV 10(exp 5), HRTS 1600 A spectroheliograms of the T(sub min) region, and ground-based magnetogram and He I 10830 A images. We examined the relationship of He I 10830 A dark features and evolving magnetic features which correspond to XBPs. We note a frequent double ribbon pattern of the He I dark feature counterparts to XBPs. We discuss an analysis of the relationship of XBPs to evolving magnetic features by Webb et al., which shows that converging magnetic features of opposite polarity are the most significant magnetic field counterparts to XBPs. The magnetic bipolar features associated with XBPs appear as prominent network elements in chromospheric and transition region images. The features in C IV observations corresponding to XBP sites are in general bright, larger scale (approximately 10 arcsec) regions of complex velocity fields of order 40 km/s, which is typical of brighter C IV network elements. These C IV features do not reach the approximately 100 km/s velocities seen in the C IV explosive events. Also, there are many similar C IV bright network features without a corresponding XBP in the X-ray image. The transition region explosive events do not correspond directly to XBPs. The explosive events appear to be concentrated in the quiet Sun at the edges of strong network, or within weaker field strength network regions. We find a greater number of C IV events than expected from the results of a previous Spacelab 2 HRTS disk survey. We attribute this at least partly to better spatial resolution with the newer HRTS data. The full-disk X-ray image shows a pattern of dark lanes in quiet Sun areas. The number density of C IV events is twice as large inside as outside a dark lane (4.6 x 10(exp -3) vs. 2.3 x 10(exp -3) explosive events per arcsec (exp 2)). The dark lane corresponds to an old decaying magnetic neutral line. We suggest that this provides an increased opportunity for small-scale convergence and reconnection of opposite polarity magnetic field features, in analogy with the results of Webb et al. for XBPs but at a reduced scale of reconnection.

Solar magnetism eXplorer (SolmeX)

The magnetic field plays a pivotal role in many fields of Astrophysics. This is especially true for the physics of the solar atmosphere. Measuring the magnetic field in the upper solar atmosphere is crucial to understand the nature of the underlying physical processes that drive the violent dynamics of the solar corona—that can also affect life on Earth. SolmeX, a fully equipped solar space observatory for remote-sensing observations, will provide the first comprehensive measurements of the strength and direction of the magnetic field in the upper solar atmosphere. The mission consists of two spacecraft, one carrying the instruments, and another one in formation flight at a distance of about 200 m carrying the occulter to provide an artificial total solar eclipse. This will ensure high-quality coronagraphic observations above the solar limb. SolmeX integrates two spectro-polarimetric coronagraphs for off-limb observations, one in the EUV and one in the IR, and three instruments for observations on the disk. The latter comprises one imaging polarimeter in the EUV for coronal studies, a spectro-polarimeter in the EUV to investigate the low corona, and an imaging spectro-polarimeter in the UV for chromospheric studies. SOHO and other existing missions have investigated the emission of the upper atmosphere in detail (not considering polarization), and as this will be the case also for missions planned for the near future. Therefore it is timely that SolmeX provides the final piece of the observational quest by measuring the magnetic field in the upper atmosphere through polarimetric observations.

POLAR investigation of the Sun—POLARIS

The POLAR Investigation of the Sun (POLARIS) mission uses a combination of a gravity assist and solar sail propulsion to place a spacecraft in a 0.48 AU circular orbit around the Sun with an inclination of 75° with respect to solar equator. This challenging orbit is made possible by the challenging development of solar sail propulsion. This first extended view of the high-latitude regions of the Sun will enable crucial observations not possible from the ecliptic viewpoint or from Solar Orbiter. While Solar Orbiter would give the first glimpse of the high latitude magnetic field and flows to probe the solar dynamo, it does not have sufficient viewing of the polar regions to achieve POLARIS’s primary objective: determining the relation between the magnetism and dynamics of the Sun’s polar regions and the solar cycle.

Comparison of solar flare emission measures from broadband soft X-ray and ultraviolet spectrograph observations

Joint observations of a solar flare were obtained by the AS&E Imaging X-ray Telescope and the NRL High Resolution Telescope and Spectrograph (HRTS). We compare emission measures from soft X-ray and HRTS data. A small isolated X-ray loop close to the HRTS slit position has an emission measure ne2ΔL of 3.5×1029 cm−5, compared to an emission measure of 2.7×1029 cm−5 obtained from the intensity of flaring Fe XXI 1354 A plasma along the HRTS slit.