On the Inference of Fe+9 Ion Temperature in the Solar Corona from the 2019 July 2 Total Solar Eclipse
Abstract
We report here on the first inferences of the Fe+9 ion temperature derived from spectroscopic observations of the Fe X 637.4nm emission line, over a heliocentric distance range of 1.075-1.368 R⊙ within two polar coronal holes. The observations were conducted during the total solar eclipse of 2019 July 2 at the Cerro Tololo International Observatory. Our inferences are compared with published values for Mg+9 and O+5 from ultraviolet observations from UVCS/SOHO. Fe+9 exhibits the same consistent trend of an increase in ionic temperature as a function of distance. At the closest distance to the Sun, the Fe+9 temperature is ~1.17×107 K and ~2.31×107 K at 1.368 R⊙, compared to the 106 K electron temperature. Such inferences provide critical input parameters for models exploring the physical mechanisms to heat the corona and accelerate the solar wind. This work was funded by NSF grant AGS-1834662 and AST-1839436 to the University of Hawaíi at Manoa.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #235
- Pub Date:
- January 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020AAS...23521002Y