Diagnostics of active and eruptive prominences through hydrogen and helium lines modelling

Labrosse, N., Vial, J.-C. and Gouttebroze, P. (2008) Diagnostics of active and eruptive prominences through hydrogen and helium lines modelling. Annales Geophysicae, 26(10), pp. 2961-2965.

Abstract

In this study we show how hydrogen and helium lines modelling can be used to make a diagnostic of active and eruptive prominences. One motivation for this work is to identify the physical conditions during prominence activation and eruption. Hydrogen and helium lines are key in probing different parts of the prominence structure and inferring the plasma parameters. However, the interpretation of observations, being either spectroscopic or obtained with imaging, is not straightforward. Their resonance lines are optically thick, and the prominence plasma is out of local thermodynamic equilibrium due to the strong incident radiation coming from the solar disk. In view of the shift of the incident radiation occurring when the prominence plasma flows radially, it is essential to take into account velocity fields in the prominence diagnostic. Therefore we need to investigate the effects of the radial motion of the prominence plasma on hydrogen and helium lines. The method that we use is the resolution of the radiative transfer problem in the hydrogen and helium lines out of local thermodynamic equilibrium. We study the variation of the computed integrated intensities in H and He lines with the radial velocity of the prominence plasma. We can confirm that there exist suitable lines which can be used to make a diagnostic of the plasma in active and eruptive prominences in the presence of velocity fields.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Labrosse, Dr Nicolas
• Authors: Labrosse, N., Vial, J.-C., and Gouttebroze, P.
• Subjects: Q Science > QE Geology; Q Science > QC Physics
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Research Group: Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Journal Name: Annales Geophysicae
• Publisher: European Geosciences Union
• ISSN: 0992-7689
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2008 European Geosciences Union
• First Published: First published in Annales Geophysicae 26(10):2961-2965
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
46593	1	Solar, stellar and cosmological plasmas: a synthesis of data, modelling and theory.	Declan Diver	Science & Technologies Facilities Council (STFC)	ST/F002149/1	Physics and Astronomy