George L. Withbroe

The temperature structure, mass, and energy flow in the corona and inner solar wind

Remote-sensing and in situ data are used to constrain a radiative energy balance model in order to study the radial variations of coronal temperatures, densities, and outflow speeds in several types of coronal holes and in an unstructured quiet region of the corona. A one-fluid solar wind model is used which takes into account the effects of radiative and inward conductive losses in the low corona and the chromospheric-coronal transition region. The results show that the total nonradiative energy input in magnetically open coronal regions is 5 + or - 10 to the 5th ergs/sq cm, and that most of the energy heating the coronal plasma is dissipated within 2 solar radii of the solar surface. 106 references.

PROPERTIES OF A CORONAL HOLE DERIVED FROM EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS.

A description is given of the results of an analysis of EUV observations of a large coronal hole observed by the Harvard College Observatory (HCO) experiment on OSO-4 in 1967, November. Models were constructed for the chromospheric-coronal transition and coronal layers of the two types of regions. A comparison of the model of the hole and the normal quiet sun indicates that the electron pressure in the hole is reduced by a factor of three and the coronal temperature is lower by 600,000 K.

Solar wind diagnostics from Doppler-enhanced scattering

Solar wind ions can attain sufficient outflow speed, w, to cause line excitation by chromospheric or transition region radiation in a nearby line. It is shown that this extends the diagnostic possibilities of a coronal EUV line to much larger values of w than would be possible if pumping were limited to radiation from the same spectral line. For the 1037.6 A coronal line of O VI, the pumping effect of the chromospheric C II 1037.0 A line is efficient for w between 100 and 250 km/s. An approximate expression for the line ratio for a doublet of the Li or Na isoelectronic sequences is derived, and the diagnostic capabilities of doublet line ratios, either by themselves or combined with the observation of other quantities, are discussed. In particular, that the determination of doublet line ratios at several heights can be sufficient to yield the solar wind velocity at those heights together with a constraint on other coronal parameters. 18 references.

SOLAR XUV LIMB BRIGHTENING OBSERVATIONS I: The Lithium-Like Ions

OSO-IV observations of the equatorial limb brightening of XUV resonance lines of Nv, O vi, Ne viii, Mg x and Si xii are interpreted with a modified version of a coronal model developed by Dupree and Goldberg (1967). Good agreement is obtained between the observed limb brightening and that predicted by the model. The sensitivity of the predicted limb-brightening curves to changes in parameters describing the model is discussed. Coronal abundances for N, O, Ne, Mg, and Si are obtained.

Spatial and temporal variations of EUV coronal bright points

This paper reports results of an analysis of Skylab observations of coronal bright points made in EUV spectral lines formed in the chromosphere, chromospheric-coronal transition region and corona. The most important result is that the observed bright points exhibited large variations in EUV emission over time scales as short as 5.5 min, the temporal resolution of the data. In most cases strong enhancements in the coronal line were accompanied by strong enhancements in the chromospheric and transition region lines. The intensity variations appear to take place within substructures of the bright points, which most likely consist of miniature loops evolving on time scales of a few minutes. Coronal cooling times derived from the data are consistent with an intermittent, impulsive coronal heating mechanism for bright points.

The analysis of XUV emission lines

A technique for analyzing measurements of XUV spectral line intensities is described. Application of the technique to OSO-4 and OSO-6 spectra indicates that the mean coronal temperature is 2.1 × 106 K in typical active solar regions and that the mean coronal temperature in typical quiet regions ranges from 1.5 × 106 to 2.1 × 106 K. One active region spectrum shows evidence for substantial quantities of coronal material with 2 × 106 < T < 3.5 × 106 K. Measurements from limb spectra show evidence that (1) coronal abundances of N and O are low relative to heavier elements; or (2) that the ionization equilibrium calculations used may contain systematic errors; or (3) that the XUV intensity measurements may be incorrectly calibrated.

Extreme-ultraviolet observations of coronal holes - Initial results from Skylab

We compare the appearance and physical parameters of the solar chromosphere, transition zone, and corona in areas of coronal holes with that of quiet areas outside the hole. Measurements of the height of emission of various ions in a coronal hole appearing at the polar limb give a quantitative indication of the increased thickness of the transition zone underlying coronal holes.

The extreme-ultraviolet spectrum of a solar active region.

Extreme-ultraviolet spectra (280-1370 A) of the brightest point in McMath Region 10266 and of the quiet solar atmosphere are presented as measured by the Harvard scanning spectrometer on OSO-6. Line identifications and physical parameters of the active region are discussed. (auth)

Extreme ultraviolet observations of active regions in the chromosphere and the corona

New observations of solar active regions have been obtained by the Harvard College Observatory EUV spectroheliometer aboard the OSO-IV spacecraft. From the observations we have determined the enhancement in active regions of the emission from ions formed at various temperatures in the chromosphere and corona. The results are in accord with a simple model of active regions, for which the active region pressure is about 5 times the quiet sun pressure; the temperature gradient in the transition zone is about 5 times the quiet sun value; and the coronal temperature above active regions is slightly increased.

A Doppler dimming determination of coronal outflow velocity

Outflow velocities in a polar coronal hole are derived from observations made during a 1982 sounding rocket flight. The velocity results are derived from a Doppler dimming analysis of resonantly scattered H I Ly-alpha. This analysis indicates radial outflow velocities of 217 km/s at 2 solar radii from sun-center with an uncertainty range of 153 to 251 km/s at a confidence level of 67 percent. These results are best characterized as strong evidence for supersonic outflow within 2 solar radii of sun-center in a polar coronal hole. Several means for obtaining improved accuracy in future observations are discussed.