The solar atmosphere was traditionally represented with a simple one-dimensional model. Over the past few decades, this paradigm shifted for the chromosphere and corona that constitute the outer atmosphere, which is now considered a dynamic structured envelope. Recent observations by IRIS (Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph) reveal that it is difficult to determine what is up and down even in the cool 6000-K photosphere just above the solar surface: this region hosts pockets of hot plasma transiently heated to almost 100,000 K. The energy to heat and accelerate the plasma requires a considerable fraction of the energy from flares, the largest solar disruptions. These IRIS observations not only confirm that the photosphere is more complex than conventionally thought, but also provide insight into the energy conversion in the process of magnetic reconnection.The energy produced in the core of the Sun by the fusion of hydrogen into helium is transported toward the surface first by radiation, and then by convection. The layer where the photons become free to escape defines the visible surface of the Sun. The atmosphere of the Sun above the surface was traditionally described as one-dimensionally stratified. Moving outward from the photosphere, the innermost layer, the temperature drops before rising again slightly in the middle layer, the chromosphere. When the outgoing energytransported by a heating mechanism that is not yet fully understood -can no longer be buffered by radiative loss and hydrogen ionization, the temperature rises steeply. This transition marks the boundary of the corona, the outermost layer, which is brilliantly visible to the naked eye in a total solar eclipse. Semi-empirical models represent this simplified one-dimensional stratification well (1). However, more advanced observations and models have established that the outer atmosphere (chromosphere and corona) is highly structured and dynamic (2,3,4). Modern models of the solar atmosphere also take

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Coronal jets represent important manifestations of ubiquitous solar transients, which may be the source of significant mass and energy input to the upper solar atmosphere and the solar wind. While the energy involved in a jet-like event is smaller than that of "nominal" solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), jets share many common properties with these phenomena, in particular, the explosive magnetically driven dynamics. Studies of jets could, therefore, provide critical insight for understanding the larger, more complex drivers of the solar activity. On the other side of the size-spectrum, the study of jets could also supply important clues on the physics of transients close or at the limit of the current spatial resolution such as spicules. Furthermore, jet phenomena may hint to basic process for heating the corona and accelerating the solar wind; consequently their study gives us the opportunity to attack a broad range of solar-heliospheric problems.Comment: 53 pages, 24 figure

Abstract.A far-ultraviolet and extreme-ultraviolet (FUV, EUV) spectral atlas of the Sun between 670Å and 1609Å in the first order of diffraction has been derived from observations obtained with the SUMER (Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation) spectrograph on the spacecraft SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory). The atlas contains spectra of the average quiet Sun, a coronal hole and a sunspot on the disk. Different physical parameters prevalent in the bright network (BN) and in the cell interior (CI) -contributing in a distinct manner to the average quiet-Sun emission -have their imprint on the BN/CI ratio, which is also shown for almost the entire spectral range. With a few exceptions, all major lines are given with their identifications and wavelengths. Lines that appear in second order are superimposed on the first order spectra. These lines are clearly marked in the atlas. The spectra include emissions from atoms and ions in the temperature range 6 × 10 3 K to 2 × 10 6 K, i.e., continua and emission lines emitted from the lower chromosphere to the corona. This spectral atlas, with its broad wavelength coverage, provides a rich source of new diagnostic tools to study the physical parameters in the chromosphere, the transition region and the corona. In particular, the wavelength range below 1100Å as observed by SUMER represents a significant improvement over the spectra produced in the past. In view of the manifold appearance and temporal variation of the solar atmosphere, it is obvious that our atlas can only be a -hopefully typical -snapshot. Brief descriptions of the data reduction and calibration procedures are given. The spectral radiances are determined with a relative uncertainty of 0.15 to 0.30 (1σ) and the wavelength scale is accurate to typically 10 mÅ. The atlas is also available in a machine readable form.

Semiempirical atmospheric models of solar surface features as observed at moderate resolution are useful tools for understanding the observed solar spectral irradiance variations. Paper I described a set of models constructed to reproduce the observed radiance spectrum for solar surface features at ∼2 arcsec resolution that constitute an average over small-scale features such as granulation. Paper II showed that a revision of previous models of low-chromospheric inter-network regions explains the observed infrared CO lines in addition to the UV and radio continuum from submillimeter to centimetric wavelengths. The present paper (1) shows that the Ca ii H and K line wing observations are also explained by the new quiet-Sun-composite model, (2) introduces new low-chromospheric models of magnetic features that follow the ideas in Paper II, (3) introduces new upper chromospheric structures for all quiet-Sun and active-region models, and (4) shows how the new set of models explains EUV/FUV observations of spectral radiance and irradiance. This paper also discusses the chromospheric radiative-loss estimates in each of the magnetic features. The new set of models provides a basis for the spectral irradiance synthesis at EUV/FUV wavelengths based on the features observed on the solar surface.