Bibcode
Orozco Suárez, D.; Asensio Ramos, A.; Trujillo-Bueno, J.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 761, Issue 2, article id. L25, 6 pp. (2012).
Advertised on:
12
2012
Citations
44
Refereed citations
37
Description
We present observational evidence of apparent plasma rotational motions
in the feet of a solar prominence. Our study is based on spectroscopic
observations taken in the He I 1083.0 nm multiplet with the Tenerife
Infrared Polarimeter attached to the German Vacuum Tower Telescope. We
recorded a time sequence of spectra with 34 s cadence placing the slit
of the spectrograph almost parallel to the solar limb and crossing two
feet of an intermediate size, quiescent hedgerow prominence. The data
show opposite Doppler shifts, ±6 km s–1, at the
edges of the prominence feet. We argue that these shifts may be
interpreted as prominence plasma rotating counterclockwise around the
vertical axis to the solar surface as viewed from above. The evolution
of the prominence seen in EUV images taken with the Solar Dynamics
Observatory provided us with clues to interpret the results as swirling
motions. Moreover, time-distance images taken far from the central
wavelength show plasma structures moving parallel to the solar limb with
velocities of about 10-15 km s–1. Finally, the shapes
of the observed intensity profiles suggest the presence of, at least,
two components at some locations at the edges of the prominence feet.
One of them is typically Doppler shifted (up to ~20 km
s–1) with respect to the other, thus suggesting the
existence of supersonic counter-streaming flows along the line of sight.
Related projects
Magnetism, Polarization and Radiative Transfer in Astrophysics
Magnetic fields pervade all astrophysical plasmas and govern most of the variability in the Universe at intermediate time scales. They are present in stars across the whole Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, in galaxies, and even perhaps in the intergalactic medium. Polarized light provides the most reliable source of information at our disposal for the
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