Nonthermal broadening of extreme ultraviolet emission lines near the solar limb
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Publications and source records attributed to Doschek, G. A..
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Line profiles of optically thin extreme-ultraviolet emission lines observed in a quiet sun region at positions within and above the white-light limb with the NRL slit spectrograph (S082-B) on Skylab are discussed. Absolute line intensities and full widths at half-maximum are presented for lines formed over the temperature range from about 10,000 to 22,000 K. The line intensities are compared with the predictions of simple atmospheric models consisting of a spicule component and a thin spherically symmetric or network models, but can be explained by assuming that the emission arises from spicule-like inhomogeneities. Random mass-motion velocities are calculated. The velocity increases with increasing temperature of line formation. Near the limb and above about 4000 K the calculated velocity is consistent with the predictions of a constant acoustic flux passing through the transition zone. For the ions formed at temperatures not less than about 63,000 K, the velocity is found to increase with increasing height above the white-light limb.
The profiles of spectral lines in the 1100-2000-A range emitted by transition-zone ions in regions of solar activity are discussed. The data were recorded by the NRL spectrograph on Skylab. At the spatial resolution of the Skylab spectrograph (2 x 60 arcsec), it is shown that the line profiles result from the superposed emission of a number of physically distinct regions at different electron densities and with different mass motions. Although high densities are found for some surgelike phenomena at transition-zone temperatures, the densities can also be comparable to normal active-region densities. Line profiles, as well as spectral line intensities, must be considered if meaningful theoretical models of dynamic activity in the transition zone are to be constructed.
Skylab emission-line spectra (1175 to 1940 A) of two active regions on the solar limb are examined. Electron densities for the active regions are derived using the intensity ratios of selected intersystem and allowed lines. The intensity ratios in the active regions are compared with those observed previously in quiet-sun and coronal-hole regions. The behavior of coronal forbidden lines relative to transition-zone lines is discussed along with the solar continuum intensities near and above the limb. These continuum intensities are then compared with those at similar slit positions for the quiet sun and the previously studied coronal hole. The active-region data are found to be consistent with either (1) multithermal loops with the high-temperature plasma occupying the tops of the loops or (2) nearly isothermal loops with the hotter loops extending to higher altitudes.
A wavelength list of spectral lines between 1000 and 1940 A is presented for the solar flare that occurred on June 15, 1973. The spectra were recorded by the NRL spectrograph on Skylab. The spectral resolution is 0.06 A. Intensities, identifications, and estimates of line widths are given. The intensity of the continuum is also given at 50-A intervals between 1400 and 1900 A. The wavelength list includes about 1400 lines; about 30% of these lines are not indentified. Because of the high wavelength resolution, this line list will be useful as a source of identification for some stellar as well as solar spectra. In particular, the list should be a useful aid in the identification of lines in the spectra of stars with classifications close to that of the sun. Spectra of such stars may be obtained from the recently launched IUE spacecraft. It is also interesting to compare the list with some of the spectra of early-type stars recorded by Copernicus.
The importance of the spectral range from about 80 to 800 A for determining physical conditions in different regions of the solar atmosphere is discussed. Examples are given of line ratios that may be used to determine electron densities in quiet-sun regions, active regions, and flares. The possibility of determining electron temperatures from line ratios in the EUV is considered. It is shown that profiles, as well as intensities, of spectral lines must be obtained for a proper interpretation of the spectra. Approximate parameters are provided for a solar grazing-incidence spectrograph suitable for the study of the 80-800-A wavelength region.
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The expansion of plasmas produced by focusing a CO2 laser pulse onto solid planar targets is discussed. The plasmas are studied using an extreme-ultraviolet spectroheliograph. With titanium and iron targets the plasma blow-off observed in transitions within highly ionized species (e.g., Fe XVI) occurs parallel to the target normal. The plasma is tightly confined to narrow cylindrical structures about 0.7 mm in diameter and is observed as far as 1 cm from the target surface. The electron density is about 2.8 by 10 to the 18th power per cu cm at a distance of 0.7 mm from the target surface and decreases to approximately 6.5 by 10 to the 17th power per cu cm at a distance of 2.9 mm from the surface.
The expansion of laser-produced plasma is determined from the shapes of spectral lines of highly ionized iron emitted in the extreme ultraviolet. The plasmas were produced by focusing the pulse from a Nd:glass laser onto solid planar targets, and spectra were recorded with a high-resolution grazing-incidence spectrograph. From the Doppler broadening of lines of Fe XX and Fe XXI, expansion velocities of about 830 km/s were determined. The relative time-averaged ion abundances of Fe XVIII, Fe XIX, Fe XX, and Fe XXI are estimated for three different spectra. The abundances do not differ by more than a factor of 4 for any of the spectra.
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A search for a turbulence-free transition-zone region was conducted. The data used were spectra recorded by a slit spectrograph on Skylab. It was found that the nonthermal turbulent motions are smallest in certain active regions and quiescent prominences. The spectra of one such region, a quiescent prominence, are discussed. The nonthermal turbulence in the region is between about 2 and 7 km/s. Therefore, the widths of lines emitted by transition-zone ions are determined primarily by the ion temperature. To within the experimental error, temperatures derived from the line widths are equal to the temperatures of maximum emitting efficiency obtained using the ionization equilibrium calculations of Jordan (1969).
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Spectral-line ratios that may be used to determine the electron temperature and density in the solar transition zone and corona are identified. The problem of interpreting the intensity ratios of C III lines observed in Skylab EUV limb spectra is considered. It is shown that the intensity distribution with height above the solar limb of the 1176-A C III lines is different from that of the 1909-A C III lines in the Skylab spectra, suggesting that model atmospheres must be folded into the C III calculations for proper interpretation of the data. Possible reasons for the differences in the intensity distributions and widths of the 1176-A and 1909-A lines are discussed along with an application to the analogous lines of Si III.