We have analyzed IRIS spectral and slit-jaw observations of a quiet region near the South Pole. In this article we present an overview of the observations, the corrections, and the absolute calibration of the intensity. We focus on the average profiles of strong (Mg ii h and k, C ii and Si iv), as well as of weak spectral lines in the near ultraviolet (NUV) and the far ultraviolet (FUV), including the Mg ii triplet, thus probing the solar atmosphere from the low chromosphere to the transition region. We give the radial variation of bulk spectral parameters as well as line ratios and turbulent velocities. We present measurements of the formation height in lines and in the NUV continuum, from which we find a linear relationship between the position of the limb and the intensity scale height. We also find that low forming lines, such as the Mg ii triplet, show no temporal variations above the limb associated with spicules, suggesting that such lines are formed in a homogeneous atmospheric layer and, possibly, that spicules are formed above the height of 2 arc sec. We discuss the spatio-temporal structure near the limb from images of intensity as a function of position and time. In these images, we identify p-mode oscillations in the cores of lines formed at low heights above the photosphere, slow moving bright features in O i and fast moving bright features in C ii. Finally, we compare the Mg ii k and h line profiles, together with intensity values of the Balmer lines from the literature, with computations from the PROM57Mg non-LTE model developed at the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale and estimated values of the physical parameters. We obtain electron temperatures in the range of $\sim8000$ K at small heights to $\sim20000$ K at large heights, electron densities from $1.1 \times 10^{11}$ to $4 \times 10^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$ and a turbulent velocity of $\sim24$km/s.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physic
Aims. We investigate small scale energy release events which can provide clues on the heating mechanism of the solar corona. Methods. We analyzed spectral and imaging data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatoty (SDO), and magnetograms from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) aboard SDO. Results. We report observations of small flaring loops in the penumbra of a large sunspot on July 19, 2013. Our main event consisted of a loop spanning ∼ 15 , from the umbral-penumbral boundary to an opposite polarity region outside the penumbra. It lasted approximately 10 minutes with a two minute impulsive peak and was observed in all AIA/SDO channels, while the IRIS slit was located near its penumbral footpoint. Mass motions with an apparent velocity of ∼ 100 km s −1 were detected beyond the brightening, starting in the rise phase of the impulsive peak; these were apparently associated with a higher-lying loop. We interpret these motions in terms of two-loop interaction. IRIS spectra in both the C ii and Si iv lines showed very extended wings, up to about 400 km/s, first in the blue (upflows) and subsequently in the red wing. In addition to the strong lines, emission was detected in the weak lines of Cl i, O i and C i, as well as in the Mg ii triplet lines. Absorption features in the profiles of the C ii doublet, the Si iv doublet and the Mg ii h and k lines indicate the existence of material with a lower source function between the brightening and the observer. We attribute this absorption to the higher loop and this adds further credibility to the two-loop interaction hypothesis. Tilts were detected in the absorption spectra, as well as in the spectra of Cl i, O i, and C i lines, possibly indicating rotational motions from the untwisting of magnetic flux tubes. Conclusions. We conclude that the absorption features in the C ii, Si iv and Mg ii profiles originate in a higher-lying, descending loop; as this approached the already activated lower-lying loop, their interaction gave rise to the impulsive peak, the very broad line profiles and the mass motions.
<p>Although the sources of the fast solar wind are known (the coronal holes), the exact acceleration mechanism of the fast solar wind is still not fully understood. An important factor that can improve our understanding is the combination of remote sensing and in-situ measurements.</p><p>In order to combine them, it is necessary to accurately identify the source location of the in-situ solar wind with a process called back-mapping. Back-mapping consists mainly of two parts.<br>The first one is the ballistic mapping where the solar wind radially draws the magnetic field into the Parker Spiral, down to a point in the outer corona. <br>The second one is the magnetic mapping where the solar wind follows the magnetic field line topology down to the solar surface. The magnetic field in this region is derived from a global model, like the potential field source surface extrapolations (PFSS).</p><p>In this study we focus on this back-mapping of the fast solar wind and try to determine all the uncertainties and sources of error that can affect the final location deduced on the solar surface. We compare different models for the ballistic mapping and also for the magnetic mapping and explore which free parameters have the greatest effect in the back-mapped locations.<br>Finally, we provide an uncertainty estimation for the back-mapped footpoints and compare our results with existing frameworks, like the Connectivity-Tool of IRAP.</p><div></div>
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