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At least 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

The 1992/93 eclipse of 31 Cygni

Extensive new ultraviolet and optical spectra of an atmospheric eclipse define the physical properties throughout the wind and chromosphere of 31 Cyg. These data require mass loss of approximately 3 x 10(exp -8) solar masses/yr in a wind that may merge smoothly into the chromosphere. Considerations of how energy is injected into the wind, however, suggest that the chromosphere and wind are separate structures. Most, if not all, of the velocity structure in metallic lines, which we have heretofore simulated with Doppler widths in the range 15-25 km/s, results from differential expansion of the atmosphere. Electron densities in the inner R(sub star) of the chromosphere are in the range 1.5 x 10(exp 9) - 2 x 10(exp 8)/cu cm, which implies clumping of the gas. The ionization of oxygen and nitrogen is consistent with clumping by factors of 3-30 in the outer chromosphere, roughly the amount required to give enough gas pressure to support the chromosphere. Chromospheric gas in 31 Cyg becomes hotter with increasing height, thus with decreasing optical depth, in a way that seems similar for all the zeta Aur binaries. Excitation temperature for Fe II in 1992/93 rises from about 5000 K at the deepest points sampled to about 12,500 K high in the wind. Strengths of violet Balmer lines give an excitation temperature for hydrogen of 6200-6500 K above a radial mass column density of approximately 0.01 g/sq cm. This amount of excitation implies that Lyman-alpha is thermalized beneath about 4 x 10(exp -3) g/sq cm. The outer atmosphere was symmetrical to within a factor of 2 in 1992/93, although it was clearly variable at this level, and it had similar mass column densities as in 1982. One manifestation of the variability was a flow toward the B star at phases 0.013-0.022 spanning velocities 45-100 km/s. Several lines of evidence point to a complicated and variable ionization in the wind: At large distance from the K star, measured mass column densities are less by up to a factor of 3 than required by a smoothly flowing wind. Also, much of the gas beyond r = 350 solar radii = 1.75 R(sub star) has a negative radial velocity. Radial velocities of the shell lines imply the outer atmosphere rotates in the direction of orbital motion, possibly through the deflection of wind flow lines in this direction.

Eaton, Joel A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

GHRS Observations of Cool, Low-Gravity Stars: The Outer Atmosphere and Wind of the Nearby K Supergiant Lambda Velorum - 5

UV spectra of lambda Velorum taken with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) on the Hubble Space Telescope are used to probe the structure of the outer atmospheric layers and wind and to estimate the mass-loss rate from this K5 lb-II supergiant. VLA radio observations at lambda = 3.6 cm are used to obtain an independent check on the wind velocity and mass-loss rate inferred from the UV observations, Parameters of the chromospheric structure are estimated from measurements of UV line widths, positions, and fluxes and from the UV continuum flux distribution. The ratios of optically thin C II] emission lines indicate a mean chromospheric electron density of log N(sub e) approximately equal 8.9 +/- 0.2 /cc. The profiles of these lines indicate a chromospheric turbulence (v(sub 0) approximately equal 25-36 km/s), which greatly exceeds that seen in either the photosphere or wind. The centroids of optically thin emission lines of Fe II and of the emission wings of self-reversed Fe II lines indicate that they are formed in plasma approximately at rest with respect to the photosphere of the star. This suggests that the acceleration of the wind occurs above the chromospheric regions in which these emission line photons are created. The UV continuum detected by the GHRS clearly traces the mean flux-formation temperature as it increases with height in the chromosphere from a well-defined temperature minimum of 3200 K up to about 4600 K. Emission seen in lines of C III] and Si III] provides evidence of material at higher than chromospheric temperatures in the outer atmosphere of this noncoronal star. The photon-scattering wind produces self-reversals in the strong chromospheric emission lines, which allow us to probe the velocity field of the wind. The velocities to which these self-absorptions extend increase with intrinsic line strength, and thus height in the wind, and therefore directly map the wind acceleration. The width and shape of these self-absorptions reflect a wind turbulence of approximately equal 9-21 km/s. We further characterize the wind by comparing the observations with synthetic profiles generated with the Lamers et al. Sobolev with Exact Integration (SEI) radiative transfer code, assuming simple models of the outer atmospheric structure. These comparisons indicate that the wind in 1994 can be described by a model with a wind acceleration parameter beta approximately 0.9, a terminal velocity of 29-33 km/s, and a mass-loss rate approximately 3 x 10(exp -9) solar M/yr. Modeling of the 3.6 cm radio flux observed in 1997 suggests a more slowly accelerating wind (higher beta) and/or a higher mass-loss rate than inferred from the UV line profiles. These differences may be due to temporal variations in the wind or from limitations in one or both of the models. The discrepancy is currently under investigation.

Carpenter, Kenneth G.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Detection of Three-minute Oscillations in Full-disk Ly α Emission during a Solar Flare

In this Letter we report the detection of chromospheric 3-minute oscillations in disk-integrated EUV irradiance observations during a solar flare. A wavelet analysis of detrended Ly α (from GOES /EUVS) and Lyman continuum (from Solar Dynamics Observatory ( SDO )/EVE) emission from the 2011 February 15 X-class flare (SOL2011-02-15T01:56) revealed a ∼3 minute period present during the flare’s main phase. The formation temperature of this emission locates this radiation at the flare’s chromospheric footpoints, and similar behavior is found in the SDO /Atmospheric Imaging Assembly 1600 and 1700 Å channels, which are dominated by chromospheric continuum. The implication is that the chromosphere responds dynamically at its acoustic cutoff frequency to an impulsive injection of energy. Since the 3-minute period was not found at hard X-ray (HXR) energies (50–100 keV) in Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager data we can state that this 3-minute oscillation does not depend on the rate of energization of non-thermal electrons. However, a second period of 120 s found in both HXR and chromospheric lightcurves is consistent with episodic electron energization on 2-minute timescales. Our finding on the 3-minute oscillation suggests that chromospheric mechanical energy should be included in the flare energy budget, and the fluctuations in the Ly α line may influence the composition and dynamics of planetary atmospheres during periods of high activity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1986

Temporal variations of solar EUV, UV, and 10,830-A radiations

The temporal characteristics of the full-disk chromospheric EUV fluxes agree well with those of the ground-based measurements of the chromospheric He I absorption line at 10,830 A and differ systematically from those of the coronal EUV and 10.7-cm flux. The ratio of the flux increase during the rise of solar cycle 21 to that during solar rotation variations is uniformly high for the chromospheric EUV and corroborating 10,830-A fluxes, highest for the transition region and 'cool' coronal EUV fluxes (T less than 2 x 10 to the 6th K), and lowest for the 'hot' coronal EUV and 10.7-cm flux. The rise and decay rates of episodes of major activity progress from those for the hot coronal EUV lines and the 10.7-cm flux to slower values for the chromospheric H Lyman alpha line, 10,830-A line, and photospheric 2050-A UV flux. It is suggested that active region remnants contribute significantly to the solar cycle increase and during the decay of episodes of major activity. The ratio of power in 13-day periodicity to that for 27 days in high (1/3) for the photospheric UV flux, medium (1/6) for the chromospheric EUV and 10,830-A fluxes, and small to negligible for the hot coronal EUV fluxes. These ratios are used to estimate the dependence of active region emission on the solar central meridian distance for chromospheric and coronal EUV flux.

Donnelly, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS2022

The Atmospheric Response to High Nonthermal Electron-beam Fluxes in Solar Flares. II. Hydrogen-broadening Predictions for Solar Flare Observations with the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope

Redshifted components of chromospheric emission lines in the hard X-ray impulsive phase of solar flares have recently been studied through their 30 s evolution with the high resolution of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph. Radiative-hydrodynamic flare models show that these redshifts are generally reproduced by electron-beam-generated chromospheric condensations. The models produce large ambient electron densities, and the pressure broadening of the hydrogen Balmer series should be readily detected in observations. To accurately interpret the upcoming spectral data of flares with the DKIST, we incorporate nonideal, nonadiabatic line-broadening profiles of hydrogen into the RADYN code. These improvements allow time-dependent predictions for the extreme Balmer line wing enhancements in solar flares. We study two chromospheric condensation models, which cover a range of electron-beam fluxes (1 − 5 × 10^(11) erg s^(−1) cm^(−2)) and ambient electron densities (1 − 60 × 10^(13) cm^(−3)) in the flare chromosphere. Both models produce broadening and redshift variations within 10 s of the onset of beam heating. In the chromospheric condensations, there is enhanced spectral broadening due to large optical depths at Hα, Hβ, and Hγ, while the much lower optical depth of the Balmer series H12−H16 provides a translucent window into the smaller electron densities in the beam-heated layers below the condensation. The wavelength ranges of typical DKIST/ViSP spectra of solar flares will be sufficient to test the predictions of extreme hydrogen wing broadening and accurately constrain large densities in chromospheric condensations.

Adam F. Kowalski↗
DOE OSTI2013

Magnetic reconnection in a weakly ionized plasma

Magnetic reconnection in partially ionized plasmas is a ubiquitous phenomenon spanning the range from laboratory to intergalactic scales, yet it remains poorly understood and relatively little studied. Here, we present results from a self-consistent multi-fluid simulation of magnetic reconnection in a weakly ionized reacting plasma with a particular focus on the parameter regime of the solar chromosphere. The numerical model includes collisional transport, interaction and reactions between the species, and optically thin radiative losses. This model improves upon our previous work in Leake et al.[“Multi-fluid simulations of chromospheric magnetic reconnection in a weakly ionized reacting plasma,” Astrophys. J. 760, 109 (2012)] by considering realistic chromospheric transport coefficients, and by solving a generalized Ohm's law that accounts for finite ion-inertia and electron-neutral drag. We find that during the two dimensional reconnection of a Harris current sheet with an initial width larger than the neutral-ion collisional coupling scale, the current sheet thins until its width becomes less than this coupling scale, and the neutral and ion fluids decouple upstream from the reconnection site. During this process of decoupling, we observe reconnection faster than the single-fluid Sweet-Parker prediction, with recombination and plasma outflow both playing a role in determining the reconnection rate. As the current sheet thins further and elongates, it becomes unstable to the secondary tearing instability, and plasmoids are seen. The reconnection rate, outflows, and plasmoids observed in this simulation provide evidence that magnetic reconnection in the chromosphere could be responsible for jet-like transient phenomena such as spicules and chromospheric jets.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

BOSS Ultracool Dwarfs. I. Colors and magnetic activity of M and L dwarfs

We present the colors and activity of ultracool (M7–L8) dwarfs from the Tenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We combine previous samples of SDSS M and L dwarfs with new data obtained from the Baryon Oscillation Sky Survey (BOSS) to produce the BOSS Ultracool Dwarf (BUD) sample of 11820 M7–L8 dwarfs. By combining SDSS data with photometry from 2MASS and the Wide-field Infrared Sky Explorer (WISE) mission, we present ultracool dwarf colors from i−z to W2−W3 as a function of spectral type, and extend the SDSS–2MASS–WISE color locus to include ultracool dwarfs. The i−z, i−J, and z−J colors provide the best indication of spectral type for M7–L3 dwarfs. We also examine ultracool dwarf chromospheric activity through the presence and strength of Hα emission. The fraction of active dwarfs rises through the M spectral sequence until it reaches ∼90% at spectral type L0. The fraction of active dwarfs then declines to 50% at spectral type L5; no Hα emission is observed in the late-L dwarfs in the BUD sample. The fraction of active L0–L5 dwarfs is much higher than previously observed. The strength of activity declines with spectral type from M7 through L3, after which the data do not show a clear trend. Using one-dimensional chromosphere models, we explore the range of filling factors and chromospheric temperature structures that are consistent with Hα observations of M0–L7 dwarfs. M dwarf chromospheres have a similar, smoothly varying range of temperature and surface coverage, while L dwarf chromospheres are cooler and have smaller filling factors.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

SOLAR H{alpha} OSCILLATIONS FROM INTENSITY AND DOPPLER OBSERVATIONS

Chromospheric wave activity around flares and filaments has been a research focus for years, and could provide indirect measurements of local conditions that are not otherwise accessible. One interesting observed phenomenon is oscillations in filaments, activated by distant flares and the large-scale waves they produce. Characteristics of these oscillations, such as periods, amplitudes, and lifetimes, can provide unique information about the filament. We measure oscillation properties in flares and filaments from H{alpha} chromospheric data using a new method that provides important spatial and frequency content of the dynamics. We apply the method to two flare events where filaments are observed to oscillate and determine their properties. We find strong oscillatory signal in flaring active regions in the chromosphere over a range of frequencies. Two filaments are found to oscillate without any detectable chromospheric wave acting as an activation mechanism. We find that filaments oscillate with periods of tens of minutes, but variations are significant at small spatial scales along the filamentary region. The results suggest that there is a frequency dependence of the oscillation amplitude, as well as a spatial dependence along single filaments that is more difficult to quantify. It also appears that the strength of the oscillations does not necessarily depend on the strength of the trigger, although there are other possible effects that make this conclusion preliminary. Applications of this technique to other events and different data sets will provide important new insights into the local energy densities and magnetic fields associated with dynamic chromospheric structures.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RADIATIVE TRANSFER TO ANALYZE HANLE EFFECT IN Ca II K LINE AT 3933 A

Radiative transfer (RT) studies of the linearly polarized spectrum of the Sun (the second solar spectrum) have generally focused on line formation, with an aim to understand the vertical structure of the solar atmosphere using one-dimensional (1D) model atmospheres. Modeling spatial structuring in the observations of the linearly polarized line profiles requires the solution of multi-dimensional (multi-D) polarized RT equation and a model solar atmosphere obtained by magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations of the solar atmosphere. Our aim in this paper is to analyze the chromospheric resonance line Ca II K at 3933 A using multi-D polarized RT with the Hanle effect and partial frequency redistribution (PRD) in line scattering. We use an atmosphere that is constructed by a two-dimensional snapshot of the three-dimensional MHD simulations of the solar photosphere, combined with columns of a 1D atmosphere in the chromosphere. This paper represents the first application of polarized multi-D RT to explore the chromospheric lines using multi-D MHD atmospheres, with PRD as the line scattering mechanism. We find that the horizontal inhomogeneities caused by MHD in the lower layers of the atmosphere are responsible for strong spatial inhomogeneities in the wings of the linear polarization profiles, while the use of horizontally homogeneous chromosphere (FALC) produces spatially homogeneous linear polarization in the line core. The introduction of different magnetic field configurations modifies the line core polarization through the Hanle effect and can cause spatial inhomogeneities in the line core. A comparison of our theoretical profiles with the observations of this line shows that the MHD structuring in the photosphere is sufficient to reproduce the line wings and in the line core, but only line center polarization can be reproduced using the Hanle effect. For a simultaneous modeling of the line wings and the line core (including the line center), MHD atmospheres with inhomogeneities in the chromosphere are required.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A DETAILED COMPARISON BETWEEN THE OBSERVED AND SYNTHESIZED PROPERTIES OF A SIMULATED TYPE II SPICULE

We have performed a three-dimensional radiative MHD simulation of the solar atmosphere. This simulation shows a jet-like feature that shows similarities to the type II spicules observed for the first time with Hinode's Solar Optical Telescope. Rapid blueshifted events (RBEs) on the solar disk are associated with these spicules. Observational results suggest they may contribute significantly in supplying the corona with hot plasma. We perform a detailed comparison of the properties of the simulated jet with those of type II spicules (observed with Hinode) and RBEs (with ground-based instruments). We analyze a wide variety of synthetic emission and absorption lines from the simulations including chromospheric (Ca II 8542 A, Ca II H, and H{alpha}) to transition region and coronal temperatures (10,000 K to several million K). We compare their synthetic intensities, line profiles, Doppler shifts, line widths, and asymmetries with observations from Hinode/SOT and EIS, SOHO/SUMER, the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope, and SDO/AIA. Many properties of the synthetic observables resemble the observations, and we describe in detail the physical processes that lead to these observables. Detailed analysis of the synthetic observables provides insight into how observations should be analyzed to derive information about physical variables in such a dynamic event. For example, we find that line-of-sight superposition in the optically thin atmosphere requires the combination of Doppler shifts and spectral line asymmetry to determine the velocity in the jet. In our simulated type II spicule, the lifetime of the asymmetry of the transition region lines is shorter than that of the coronal lines. Other properties differ from the observations, especially in the chromospheric lines. The mass density of the part of the spicule with a chromospheric temperature is too low to produce significant opacity in chromospheric lines. The synthetic Ca II 8542 A and H{alpha} profiles therefore do not show signal resembling RBEs. These and other discrepancies are described in detail, and we discuss which mechanisms and physical processes may need to be included in the MHD simulations to mimic the thermodynamic processes of the chromosphere and corona, in particular to reproduce type II spicules.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Emergence of granular-sized magnetic bubbles through the solar atmosphere. I. Spectropolarimetric observations and simulations

We study a granular-sized magnetic flux emergence event that occurred in NOAA 11024 in 2009 July. The observations were made with the CRISP spectropolarimeter at the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope achieving a spatial resolution of 0.''14. Simultaneous full Stokes observations of the two photospheric Fe I lines at 630.2 nm and the chromospheric Ca II 854.2 nm line allow us to describe in detail the emergence process across the solar atmosphere. We report here on three-dimensional (3D) semi-spherical bubble events, where instead of simple magnetic footpoints, we observe complex semi-circular feet straddling a few granules. Several phenomena occur simultaneously, namely, abnormal granulation, separation of opposite-polarity legs, and brightenings at chromospheric heights. However, the most characteristic signature in these events is the observation of a dark bubble in filtergrams taken in the wings of the Ca II 854.2 nm line. There is a clear coincidence between the emergence of horizontal magnetic field patches and the formation of the dark bubble. We can infer how the bubble rises through the solar atmosphere as we see it progressing from the wings to the core of Ca II 854.2 nm. In the photosphere, the magnetic bubble shows mean upward Doppler velocities of 2 km s{sup –1} and expands at a horizontal speed of 4 km s{sup –1}. In about 3.5 minutes it travels some 1100 km to reach the mid chromosphere, implying an average ascent speed of 5.2 km s{sup –1}. The maximum separation attained by the magnetic legs is 6.''6. From an inversion of the observed Stokes spectra with the SIR code, we find maximum photospheric field strengths of 480 G and inclinations of nearly 90° in the magnetic bubble interior, along with temperature deficits of up to 250 K at log τ = –2 and above. To aid the interpretation of the observations, we carry out 3D numerical simulations of the evolution of a horizontal, untwisted magnetic flux sheet injected in the convection zone, using the Bifrost code. The computational domain spans from the upper convection zone to the lower corona. In the modeled chromosphere, the rising flux sheet produces a large, cool, magnetized bubble. We compare this bubble with the observed ones and find excellent agreement, including similar field strengths and velocity signals in the photosphere and chromosphere, temperature deficits, ascent speeds, expansion velocities, and lifetimes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

ACOUSTIC WAVES GENERATED BY IMPULSIVE DISTURBANCES IN A GRAVITATIONALLY STRATIFIED MEDIUM

Even though it is well-known from observations of the Sun that three-minute period chromospheric oscillations persist in the internetwork quiet regions and sunspot umbrae, until now their origin and persistence has defied clear explanation. Here we provide a clear and simple explanation for it with a demonstration of how such oscillations at the chromosphere's cutoff frequency naturally arise in a gravitationally stratified medium when it is disturbed. The largest-wavenumber vertical components of a chromospheric disturbance produce the highest-frequency wave packets, which propagate out of the disturbed region at group speeds that are close to the sound speed. Meanwhile, the smallest-wavenumber components develop into wave packets of frequencies close to the acoustic cutoff frequency that propagate at group speeds that are much lower than the sound speed. Because of their low propagation speed, these low-frequency wave packets linger in the disturbed region and nearby, and thus, are the ones that an observer would identify as the persistent, chromospheric three-minute oscillations. We emphasize that we can account for the power of the persistent chromospheric oscillations as coming from the repeated occurrence of disturbances with length scales greater than twice the pressure scale height in the upper photosphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

ON THE ACTIVE REGION BRIGHT GRAINS OBSERVED IN THE TRANSITION REGION IMAGING CHANNELS OF IRIS

The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) provides spectroscopy and narrow band slit-jaw (SJI) imaging of the solar chromosphere and transition region at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions. Combined with high-resolution context spectral imaging of the photosphere and chromosphere as provided by the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope (SST), we can now effectively trace dynamic phenomena through large parts of the solar atmosphere in both space and time. IRIS SJI 1400 images from active regions, which primarily sample the transition region with the Si iv 1394 and 1403 Å lines, reveal ubiquitous bright “grains” which are short-lived (two to five minute) bright roundish small patches of sizes 0.″5–1.″7 that generally move limbward with velocities up to about 30 km s{sup −1}. In this paper, we show that many bright grains are the result of chromospheric shocks impacting the transition region. These shocks are associated with dynamic fibrils (DFs), most commonly observed in Hα. We find that the grains show the strongest emission in the ascending phase of the DF, that the emission is strongest toward the top of the DF, and that the grains correspond to a blueshift and broadening of the Si iv lines. We note that the SJI 1400 grains can also be observed in the SJI 1330 channel which is dominated by C ii lines. Our observations show that a significant part of the active region transition region dynamics is driven from the chromosphere below rather than from coronal activity above. We conclude that the shocks that drive DFs also play an important role in the heating of the upper chromosphere and lower transition region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

FORMATION AND PLASMA CIRCULATION OF SOLAR PROMINENCES

Solar prominences are long-lived cool and dense plasma curtains in the hot and rarefied outer solar atmosphere or corona. The physical mechanism responsible for their formation and especially for their internal plasma circulation has been uncertain for decades. The observed ubiquitous downflows in quiescent prominences are difficult to interpret because plasma with high conductivity seems to move across horizontal magnetic field lines. Here we present three-dimensional numerical simulations of prominence formation and evolution in an elongated magnetic flux rope as a result of in situ plasma condensations fueled by continuous plasma evaporation from the solar chromosphere. The prominence is born and maintained in a fragmented, highly dynamic state with continuous reappearance of multiple blobs and thread structures that move mainly downward, dragging along mass-loaded field lines. The circulation of prominence plasma is characterized by the dynamic balance between the drainage of prominence plasma back to the chromosphere and the formation of prominence plasma via continuous condensation. Plasma evaporates from the chromosphere, condenses into the prominence in the corona, and drains back to the chromosphere, establishing a stable chromosphere–corona plasma cycle. Synthetic images of the modeled prominence with the Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly closely resemble actual observations, with many dynamical threads underlying an elliptical coronal cavity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Propagation of Torsional Alfvén Waves from the Photosphere to the Corona: Reflection, Transmission, and Heating in Expanding Flux Tubes

It has been proposed that Alfvén waves play an important role in the energy propagation through the solar atmospheric plasma and its heating. Here we theoretically investigate the propagation of torsional Alfvén waves in magnetic flux tubes expanding from the photosphere up to the low corona and explore the reflection, transmission, and dissipation of wave energy. We use a realistic variation of the plasma properties and the magnetic field strength with height. Dissipation by ion–neutral collisions in the chromosphere is included using a multifluid partially ionized plasma model. Considering the stationary state, we assume that the waves are driven below the photosphere and propagate to the corona, while they are partially reflected and damped in the chromosphere and transition region. The results reveal the existence of three different propagation regimes depending on the wave frequency: low frequencies are reflected back to the photosphere, intermediate frequencies are transmitted to the corona, and high frequencies are completely damped in the chromosphere. The frequency of maximum transmissivity depends on the magnetic field expansion rate and the atmospheric model, but is typically in the range of 0.04–0.3 Hz. Magnetic field expansion favors the transmission of waves to the corona and lowers the reflectivity of the chromosphere and transition region compared to the case with a straight field. As a consequence, the chromospheric heating due to ion–neutral dissipation systematically decreases when the expansion rate of the magnetic flux tube increases.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Kink Instability of Flux Ropes in Partially Ionized Plasmas

In the solar atmosphere, flux ropes are subject to current-driven instabilities that are crucial in driving plasma eruptions, ejections, and heating. A typical ideal magnetohydrodynamics instability developing in flux ropes is the helical kink, which twists the flux rope axis. The growth of this instability can trigger magnetic reconnection, which can explain the formation of chromospheric jets and spicules, but its development has never been investigated in a partially ionized plasma (PIP). Here, we study the kink instability in PIP to understand how it develops in the solar chromosphere, where it is affected by charge-neutral interactions. Partial ionization speeds up the onset of the nonlinear phase of the instability, as the plasma β of the isolated plasma is smaller than the total plasma β of the bulk. The distribution of the released magnetic energy changes in fully ionized plasma and PIP, with a larger increase in internal energy associated with the PIP cases. The temperature in PIP increases faster also due to heating terms from the two-fluid dynamics. PIP effects trigger kink instability on shorter time scales, which is reflected in more explosive chromospheric flux rope dynamics. These results are crucial to understanding the dynamics of small-scale chromospheric structures—minifilament eruptions—that thus far have been largely neglected but could significantly contribute to chromospheric heating and jet formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

BIDIRECTIONAL OUTFLOWS AS EVIDENCE OF MAGNETIC RECONNECTION LEADING TO A SOLAR MICROFLARE

Magnetic reconnection is a rapid energy release process that is believed to be responsible for flares on the Sun and stars. Nevertheless, such flare-related reconnection is mostly detected to occur in the corona, while there have been few studies concerning the reconnection in the chromosphere or photosphere. Here, we present both spectroscopic and imaging observations of magnetic reconnection in the chromosphere leading to a microflare. During the flare peak time, chromospheric line profiles show significant blueshifted/redshifted components on the two sides of the flaring site, corresponding to upflows and downflows with velocities of ±(70–80) km s{sup −1}, comparable with the local Alfvén speed as expected by the reconnection in the chromosphere. The three-dimensional nonlinear force-free field configuration further discloses twisted field lines (a flux rope) at a low altitude, cospatial with the dark threads in He i 10830 Å images. The instability of the flux rope may initiate the flare-related reconnection. These observations provide clear evidence of magnetic reconnection in the chromosphere and show the similar mechanisms of a microflare to those of major flares.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2023

Formation of the Lyman Continuum during Solar Flares

The Lyman continuum (LyC; <911.12 Å) forms at the top of the chromosphere in the quiet Sun, making LyC a powerful tool for probing the chromospheric plasma during solar flares. To understand the effects of nonthermal energy deposition in the chromosphere during flares, we analyzed LyC profiles from a grid of field-aligned radiative-hydrodynamic models generated using the RADYN code as part of the F-CHROMA project. The spectral response of LyC, the temporal evolution of the departure coefficient of hydrogen, b 1 , and the color temperature, T c , in response to a range of nonthermal electron distribution functions, were investigated. The LyC intensity was seen to increase by 4–5.5 orders of magnitude during solar flares, responding most strongly to the nonthermal electron flux of the beam. Generally, b 1 decreased from 10 2 –10 3 to closer to unity during solar flares, indicating a stronger coupling to local conditions, while T c increased from 8–9 to 10–16 kK. T c was found to be approximately equal to the electron temperature of the plasma when b1 was at a minimum. Both optically thick and optically thin components of LyC were found to be in agreement with the interpretation of recent observations. The optically thick layer forms deeper in the chromosphere during a flare compared to quiescent periods, whereas the optically thin layers form at higher altitudes due to chromospheric evaporation, in low-temperature, high-density regions propagating upward. We put these results in the context of current and future missions.

Solar flares↗