Velocity Characteristics of Evaporated Plasma Using Hinode/EIS

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

Scientific paper

It is widely assumed that the process of chromospheric evaporation is responsible for much of the EUV and thermal X-ray emission observed during solar flares. Previous studies have relied primarily on the detection of blueshifts of a single, high-temperature emission line (e.g. Ca XIX on SMM/BCS, Fe XIX on SOHO/CDS). With the launch of Hinode, the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) now offers us the opportunity to diagnose this fundamental process across a broad range of temperatures, at high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution. In this study, the advanced capabilities of EIS were used to measure Doppler shifts in 15 emission lines covering the temperature range T = 0.05 - 16 MK during the impulsive phase of a C-class flare on 2007 December 14. Blueshifts indicative of the evaporated material were observed in six emission lines from Fe XIV-XXIV (2-16 MK). Upflow velocity was found to scale with temperature as vup (km/s) = 5 - 17 T (MK). Although the hottest emission lines, Fe XXIII and Fe XXIV, exhibited upflows of >250 km/s, their line profiles were found to be dominated by a stationary component in contrast to the predictions of the standard flare model. Emission from O VI-Fe XIII lines (0.5-1.5 MK) was found to be redshifted by vdown (km/s) = 60 - 17 T (MK) and was interpreted as the downward-moving `plug’ characteristic of explosive evaporation. These downflows occur at temperatures significantly higher than previously expected; up to 1.5 MK. Both upflows and downflows were spatially and temporally correlated with HXR emission observed by RHESSI that provided the properties of the electron beam deemed to be the driver of the evaporation. The energy contained in the electron beam was found to be >1011 ergs/cm2/s which is consistent with the value required to drive explosive chromospheric evaporation from hydrodynamic simulations.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Velocity Characteristics of Evaporated Plasma Using Hinode/EIS does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Velocity Characteristics of Evaporated Plasma Using Hinode/EIS, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Velocity Characteristics of Evaporated Plasma Using Hinode/EIS will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1113426

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.