Publication detail

Intricacies of the fine structure of the eclipse corona

RUŠIN, V. DRUCKMÜLLER, M. MINAROVJECH, M. SANIGA, M.

Original Title

Intricacies of the fine structure of the eclipse corona

Type

journal article - other

Language

English

Original Abstract

The inner white-light corona (up to 2 solar radii) can only be observed during total solar eclipses. New mathematical methods of the corona image processing and digital photo cameras or CCD cameras allow us to detect very faint structures (of a few arcseconds) in this part of the corona, even from images taken with relatively small telescopes (1-2 meters in the focal length). In the present paper we will discuss such structures as observed during the last few solar eclipses, mainly those of 2001 and 2006. Obtained results show that the white-light corona is highly structured not only in the sense of a variety of different types of its classical objects, e.g., polar plumes, helmet streamers, threadlike streamers, etc, but also within these objects themselves. Voids, loops, radial and non-radial threads, and other yetundefined dark structures (empty space) are well visible especially inside helmet streamers. This strongly indicates that the classical picture of the corona characterized by a hydrostatic distribution of density and temperature is no longer a sufficient assumption. It is magnetic forces that play a dominant role in shaping and structuring this part the corona. Given a remarkable similarity between the EUV corona as observed by SOHO and the white-light corona observed by us during the above-mentioned eclipses up to two solar radii. We suggest that the missing observations of the white-light corona should be replaced by those of the EUV one. Moreover, the last eclipse observations also indicate that the knots of some prominences extend well into the white-light corona. So, the next total eclipses of the Sun, of 1 August 2008 and 22 July 2009, offer an excellent opportunity for preparing joint observations for space-borne and ground-based eclipse teams.

Keywords

White-light corona, sun

Authors

RUŠIN, V.; DRUCKMÜLLER, M.; MINAROVJECH, M.; SANIGA, M.

RIV year

2007

Released

28. 11. 2007

Publisher

Springer

Location

Netherlands

ISBN

0004-640X

Periodical

ASTROPHYSICS AND SPACE SCIENCE

Year of study

2008 (313)

Number

4

State

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Pages from

345

Pages to

349

Pages count

5

BibTex

@article{BUT44581,
  author="Vojtěch {Rušin} and Miloslav {Druckmüller} and Milan {Minarovjech} and Metod {Saniga}",
  title="Intricacies of the fine structure of the eclipse corona",
  journal="ASTROPHYSICS AND SPACE SCIENCE",
  year="2007",
  volume="2008 (313)",
  number="4",
  pages="345--349",
  issn="0004-640X"
}