Bibcode
Štěpán, J.; Trujillo-Bueno, J.; Carlsson, M.; Leenaarts, J.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 758, Issue 2, article id. L43, 5pp, (2012).
Advertised on:
10
2012
Citations
21
Refereed citations
17
Description
In order to understand the heating of the solar corona it is crucial to
obtain empirical information on the magnetic field in its lower boundary
(the transition region). To this end, we need to measure and model the
linear polarization produced by scattering processes in strong UV lines,
such as the hydrogen Lyα line. The interpretation of the observed
Stokes profiles will require taking into account that the outer solar
atmosphere is highly structured and dynamic, and that the height of the
transition region may well vary from one place in the atmosphere to
another. Here, we report on the Lyα scattering polarization
signals we have calculated in a realistic model of an enhanced network
region, resulting from a state-of-the-art radiation magnetohydrodynamic
simulation. This model is characterized by spatially complex variations
of the physical quantities at transition region heights. The results of
our investigation lead us to emphasize that scattering processes in the
upper solar chromosphere should indeed produce measurable linear
polarization in Lyα. More importantly, we show that via the Hanle
effect the model's magnetic field produces significant changes in the
emergent Q/I and U/I profiles. Therefore, we argue that by measuring the
polarization signals produced by scattering processes and the Hanle
effect in Lyα and contrasting them with those computed in
increasingly realistic atmospheric models, we should be able to decipher
the magnetic, thermal, and dynamic structure of the upper chromosphere
and transition region of the Sun.
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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