Bibcode
DOI
Socas-Navarro, H.; Trujillo Bueno, J.; Ruiz Cobo, B.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 544, Issue 2, pp. 1141-1154.
Advertised on:
12
2000
Journal
Citations
49
Refereed citations
42
Description
This paper presents a detailed description, analysis, and interpretation
of the spectropolarimetric observations recently reported by
Socas-Navarro, Trujillo Bueno, & Ruiz Cobo. These observations
consist of time series of Stokes I and V profiles above a sunspot umbra.
The spectral lines observed simultaneously are the Ca II chromospheric
lines at 8498 and 8542 Å and the photospheric Fe I line at 8497
Å. These spectropolarimetric observations unveil an intriguing
time-dependent behavior of the Stokes V profiles in the chromospheric
lines. This behavior should be considered as an observational reference
for future radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations of sunspot
chromospheres. The analysis of the observed time series shows that a
``normal,'' nearly antisymmetric V profile rapidly evolves toward an
``anomalous,'' completely asymmetric profile, returning later to the
normal state. The occurrence of such anomalous circular polarization
profiles repeats itself with a periodicity of ~150 s. After giving
arguments to discard other scenarios, we are able to interpret the
anomalous V profiles as a consequence of the development of a second
unresolved atmospheric component. This unresolved component seems to be
the same that produces the umbral flashes observed in other sunspots,
where it is present with a larger filling factor. Based on observations
obtained with the Gregory Coudé Telescope, operated on the island
of Tenerife by the Observatory of Göttingen University, in the
Spanish Observatorio del Teide of the Instituto de Astrofísica de
Canarias.