We report the discovery and characterization of high-speed (>100 km/s) horizontal flows in solar active regions, making use of the Sun-as-a-star spectroscopy in the range 5-105 nm provided by the EVE(Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment) spectrometers on the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These apparent flows are persistent on time scales of days, and are well observed in lines of Mg x, Si xii and Fe xvi for example. They are prograde, as evidenced directly by blueshifts/redshifts peaking at the east/west limb passages of isolated active regions. The high-speed flow behaviour does not depend upon active-region latitude or solar cycle, with similar behaviour in Cycles 24 and 25.
Using simultaneous observations from the EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) and imaging from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), we characterise the temperature dependence of apparent hot flows in solar active regions. The EVE instrument performs Sun-as-a-star spectroscopy and is composed of two spectrographs: MEGS-A and MEGS-B (Multiple EUV Grating Spectrograph-A, -B). It is known that EVE can measure wavelength shifts and thus can observe relative Doppler velocities in solar atmospheric plasmas over an extended temperature range. However, MEGS-A is affected by a known astigmatism effect (Chamberlin: Solar Phys.291, 1665, 2016); inhomogeneities in EUV brightness on the solar surface result in purely instrumental wavelength errors. We validate our methods by independently quantifying this effect and comparing to Chamberlin’s results, and we explore the wavelength dependence as an extension of his formula as derived for He ii 304 Å. MEGS-B is unaffected by this instrumental effect in any case, and this has allowed us to find evidence of hot prograde flows in active regions. Using our image-based models for the astigmatism and flows, we independently confirm our original MEGS-B result. We now extend our knowledge of the temperature dependence of these flows via the additional Fe emission lines available in MEGS-A. We find a monotonic increase of apparent flow speed with temperature up through lines of Fe xvi, nominally formed at about 6.4 MK.
Using simultaneous observations from the EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) and imaging from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), we characterise the temperature dependence of apparent hot flows in solar active regions. The EVE instrument performs Sun-as-a-star spectroscopy and is composed of two spectrographs, MEGS-A and MEGS-B. It is known that EVE can measure wavelength shifts, and thus can observe relative Doppler velocities in solar atmospheric plasmas over an extended temperature range. However, MEGS-A is a↵ected by a known astigmatism e↵ect (Chamberlin, 2016); inho-mogeneities in EUV brightness on the solar surface result in purely instrumental wavelength errors. We validate our methods by independently quantifying this e↵ect and comparing to Chamberlin’s results, and explore the wavelength dependence as an extension of his formula as derived for He ii 304Å304Å. MEGS-B is una↵ected by this instrumental e↵ect in any case, and this has allowed us to find evidence of hot prograde flows in active regions. Using our image-based models for astigmatism and flows, we independently confirm the MEGS-B results (Hud-son et al., 2022). We now extend our knowledge of the temperature dependence of these flows via the additional Fe emission lines available in MEGS-A. We find a monotonic increase of apparent flow speed with temperature up through lines of Fe xvi, nominally formed at about 6.4 MK.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.