Comparison of Coronal Emission Line Structure and Polarization
Abstract
Simultaneous observations obtained with the HAO/SPO coronal emission-line polarimeter and the new SPO emission-line coronagraph are compared. The polarimeter data are measured in the FeXIII (10747 Å) line and the coronagraph observations are recorded in the FeXIV (5303 Å) line. The polarimeter field-of-view is relatively coarse compared with the resolution limit of the coronagraph. Therefore, the observed coronal polarization cannot be related directly to the detailed loop structures that characterize the localized coronal distribution, but it is found that large-scale emission features have corresponding polarization signatures. Since the measured linear polarization vectors describe the projected magnetic field direction, as shown theoretically, it follows that the form of the large-scale coronal distribution describes corresponding magnetic field structures. Measured polarization values are consistent with those predicted theoretically. Interpretation of these data to obtain corresponding magnetic field directions suggests that the value usually accepted for iron abundance in the corona might be too large.
- Publication:
-
Solar Physics
- Pub Date:
- April 1984
- DOI:
- 10.1007/BF00146301
- Bibcode:
- 1984SoPh...91..299Q
- Keywords:
-
- Emission Spectra;
- Polarization Characteristics;
- Solar Corona;
- Solar Magnetic Field;
- Coronagraphs;
- Polarimetry;
- Solar Physics;
- Iron;
- Magnetic Field;
- Linear Polarization;
- Polarization Vector;
- Emission Feature