arXiv subjects

Bart De Pontieu

Publications and source records attributed to Bart De Pontieu.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Solar H-alpha features with hot onsets. IV. Network fibrils

Even in quiet areas underneath coronal holes the solar chromosphere contains ubiquitous heating events. They tend to be small scale and short lived, hence difficult to identify. Here we do not address their much-debated contribution to outer-atmosphere heating, but their aftermaths. We performed a statistical analysis of high-resolution observations in the Balmer H-alpha line to suggest that many slender dark H-alpha fibrils spreading out from network represent cooling gas that outlines tracks of preceding rapid type II spicule events or smaller similar but as yet unresolved heating agents in which the main gas constituent, hydrogen, ionizes at least partially. Subsequent recombination then causes dark H-alpha fibrils enhanced by nonequilibrium overopacity. We suggest that the extraordinary fibrilar appearance of the H-alpha chromosphere around network results from intermittent, frequent small-scale prior heating.

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arXiv2019

IRIS observations of short-term variability in moss associated with transient hot coronal loops

We observed rapid variability ($\lesssim 60$ s) at the footpoints of transient hot ($\sim 8-10$ MK) coronal loops in active region cores, with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). The high spatial ($\sim 0.33$ arcsec) and temporal ($\lesssim 5$-10 s) resolution is often crucial for the detection of this variability. We show how, in combination with 1D RADYN loop modeling, these IRIS spectral observations of the transition region (TR) and chromosphere provide powerful diagnostics of the properties of coronal heating and energy transport (thermal conduction and/or non-thermal electrons (NTE)). Our simulations of nanoflare heated loops indicate that emission in the Mg II triplet can be used as a sensitive diagnostic for non-thermal particles. In our events we observe a large variety of IRIS spectral properties (intensity, Doppler shifts, broadening, chromospheric/TR line ratios, Mg II triplet emission) even for different footpoints of the same coronal events. In several events, we find spectroscopic evidence for NTE (e.g., TR blue-shifts and Mg II triplet emission) suggesting that particle acceleration can occur even for very small magnetic reconnection events which are generally below the detection threshold of hard X-ray instruments that provide direct detection of emission of non-thermal particles.

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arXiv2019

Ion-neutral interactions and non-equilibrium ionization in the solar chromosphere

The thermal structure of the chromosphere is regulated through a complex interaction of various heating processes, radiative cooling, and the ionization degree of the plasma. Here we study the impact on the thermal properties of the chromosphere when including the combined action of non-equilibrium ionization (NEI) of hydrogen and helium and ion-neutral interaction effects. We have performed a 2.5D radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulation including ion-neutral interaction effects by solving the generalized Ohm's law (GOL) as well as NEI for hydrogen and helium using the Bifrost code. The GOL equation includes ambipolar diffusion and the Hall term. We compare this simulation with another simulation that computes the ionization in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) including ion-neutral interaction effects. Our numerical models reveal substantial thermal differences in magneto-acoustic shocks, the wake behind the shocks, spicules, low-lying magnetic loops, and the transition region. In particular, we find that heating through ambipolar diffusion in shock wakes is substantially less efficient, while in the shock fronts themselves it is more efficient, under NEI conditions than when assuming LTE.

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arXiv2019

Hi-C 2.1 Observations of Jetlet-like Events at Edges of Solar Magnetic Network Lane

We present high-resolution, high-cadence observations of six, fine-scale, on-disk jet-like events observed by the High-resolution Coronal Imager 2.1 (Hi-C 2.1) during its sounding-rocket flight. We combine the Hi-C 2.1 images with images from SDO/AIA, and IRIS, and investigate each event's magnetic setting with co-aligned line-of-sight magnetograms from SDO/HMI. We find that: (i) all six events are jetlet-like (having apparent properties of jetlets), (ii) all six are rooted at edges of magnetic network lanes, (iii) four of the jetlet-like events stem from sites of flux cancelation between majority-polarity network flux and merging minority-polarity flux, and (iv) four of the jetlet-like events show brightenings at their bases reminiscent of the base brightenings in coronal jets. The average spire length of the six jetlet-like events (9,000$\pm$3000km) is three times shorter than that for IRIS jetlets (27,000$\pm$8000km). While not ruling out other generation mechanisms, the observations suggest that at least four of these events may be miniature versions of both larger-scale coronal jets that are driven by minifilament eruptions and still-larger-scale solar eruptions that are driven by filament eruptions. Therefore, we propose that our Hi-C events are driven by the eruption of a tiny sheared-field flux rope, and that the flux-rope field is built and triggered to erupt by flux cancelation.

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arXiv2019

Fine-scale explosive energy release at sites of prospective magnetic flux cancellation in the core of the solar active region observed by Hi-C 2.1, IRIS and SDO

The second Hi-C flight (Hi-C2.1) provided unprecedentedly-high spatial and temporal resolution ($\sim$250km, 4.4s) coronal EUV images of Fe IX/X emission at 172 Å, of AR 12712 on 29-May-2018, during 18:56:21-19:01:56 UT. Three morphologically-different types (I: dot-like, II: loop-like, III: surge/jet-like) of fine-scale sudden-brightening events (tiny microflares) are seen within and at the ends of an arch filament system in the core of the AR. Although type Is (not reported before) resemble IRIS-bombs (in size, and brightness wrt surroundings), our dot-like events are apparently much hotter, and shorter in span (70s). We complement the 5-minute-duration Hi-C2.1 data with SDO/HMI magnetograms, SDO/AIA EUV images, and IRIS UV spectra and slit-jaw images to examine, at the sites of these events, brightenings and flows in the transition-region and corona and evolution of magnetic flux in the photosphere. Most, if not all, of the events are seated at sites of opposite-polarity magnetic flux convergence (sometimes driven by adjacent flux emergence), implying likely flux cancellation at the microflare's polarity inversion line. In the IRIS spectra and images, we find confirming evidence of field-aligned outflow from brightenings at the ends of loops of the arch filament system. In types I and II the explosion is confined, while in type III the explosion is ejective and drives jet-like outflow. The light-curves from Hi-C, AIA and IRIS peak nearly simultaneously for many of these events and none of the events display a systematic cooling sequence as seen in typical coronal flares, suggesting that these tiny brightening-events have chromospheric/transition-region origin.

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arXiv2019

The Multi-slit Approach to Coronal Spectroscopy with the Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE)

The Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) is a proposed mission aimed at understanding the physical mechanisms driving the heating of the solar corona and the eruptions that are at the foundation of space weather. MUSE contains two instruments, a multi-slit EUV spectrograph and a context imager. It will simultaneously obtain EUV spectra (along 37 slits) and context images with the highest resolution in space (0.33-0.4 arcsec) and time (1-4 s) ever achieved for the transition region and corona. The MUSE science investigation will exploit major advances in numerical modeling, and observe at the spatial and temporal scales on which competing models make testable and distinguishable predictions, thereby leading to a breakthrough in our understanding of coronal heating and the drivers of space weather. By obtaining spectra in 4 bright EUV lines (Fe IX 171A, Fe XV 284A, Fe XIX-XXI 108A) covering a wide range of transition region and coronal temperatures along 37 slits simultaneously, MUSE will be able to "freeze" the evolution of the dynamic coronal plasma. We describe MUSE's multi-slit approach and show that the optimization of the design minimizes the impact of spectral lines from neighboring slits, generally allowing line parameters to be accurately determined. We also describe a Spectral Disambiguation Code to resolve multi-slit ambiguity in locations where secondary lines are bright. We use simulations of the corona and eruptions to perform validation tests and show that the multi-slit disambiguation approach allows accurate determination of MUSE observables in locations where significant multi-slit contamination occurs.

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arXiv2019

The High-Resolution Coronal Imager, Flight 2.1

The third flight of the High-Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C 2.1) occurred on May 29, 2018, the Sounding Rocket was launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The instrument has been modified from its original configuration (Hi-C 1) to observe the solar corona in a passband that peaks near 172 Angstrom and uses a new, custom-built low-noise camera. The instrument targeted Active Region 12712, and captured 78 images at a cadence of 4.4 sec (18:56:22 - 19:01:57 UT; 5 min and 35 sec observing time). The image spatial resolution varies due to quasi-periodic motion blur from the rocket; sharp images contain resolved features of at least 0.47 arcsec. There are coordinated observations from multiple ground- and space-based telescopes providing an unprecedented opportunity to observe the mass and energy coupling between the chromosphere and the corona. Details of the instrument and the data set are presented in this paper.

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arXiv2019

Spectral Evidence for Heating at Large Column Mass in Umbral Solar Flare Kernels I: IRIS NUV Spectra of the X1 Solar Flare of 2014 Oct 25

The GOES X1 flare SOL2014-10-25T17:08:00 was a three-ribbon solar flare observed with IRIS in the near and far ultraviolet. One of the flare ribbons crossed a sunspot umbra, producing a dramatic, $\sim1000$% increase in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) continuum radiation. We comprehensively analyze the ultraviolet spectral data of the umbral flare brightenings, which provide new challenges for radiative-hydrodynamic modeling of the chromospheric velocity field and the white-light continuum radiation. The emission line profiles in the umbral flare brightenings exhibit redshifts and profile asymmetries, but these are significantly smaller than in another, well-studied X-class solar flare. We present a ratio of the NUV continuum intensity to the Fe II 2814.45 Ang intensity. This continuum-to-line ratio is a new spectral diagnostic of significant heating at high column mass (log $m/$[g cm$^{-2}] >-2$) during solar flares because the continuum and emission line radiation originate from relatively similar temperatures but moderately different optical depths. The full spectral readout of these IRIS data also allow for a comprehensive survey of the flaring NUV landscape: in addition to many lines of Fe II and Cr II, we identify a new solar flare emission line, He I $\lambda2829.91$ (as previously identified in laboratory and early-type stellar spectra). The Fermi/GBM hard X-ray data provide inputs to radiative-hydrodynamic models (which will be presented in Paper II) in order to better understand the large continuum-to-line ratios, the origin of the white-light continuum radiation, and the role of electron beam heating in the low atmosphere.

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arXiv2019

Recovering Thermodynamics from Spectral Profiles observed by IRIS: A Machine and Deep Learning Approach

Inversion codes allow reconstructing a model atmosphere from observations. With the inclusion of optically thick lines that form in the solar chromosphere, such modelling is computationally very expensive because a non-LTE evaluation of the radiation field is required. In this study, we combine the results provided by these traditional methods with machine and deep learning techniques to obtain similar-quality results in an easy-touse, much faster way. We have applied these new methods to Mg II h&k lines observed by IRIS. As a result, we are able to reconstruct the thermodynamic state (temperature, line-of-sight velocity, non-thermal velocities, electron density, etc.) in the chromosphere and upper photosphere of an area equivalent to an active region in a few CPU minutes, speeding up the process by a factor of $10^5$-$10^6$. The open-source code accompanying this paper will allow the community to use IRIS observations to open a new window to a host of solar phenomena.

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arXiv2019

On the origin of the magnetic energy in the quiet solar chromosphere

The presence of magnetic field is crucial in the transport of energy through the solar atmosphere. Recent ground-based and space-borne observations of the quiet Sun have revealed that magnetic field accumulates at photospheric heights, via a local dynamo or from small-scale flux emergence events. However, most of this small-scale magnetic field may not expand into the chromosphere due to the entropy drop with height at the photosphere. Here we present a study that uses a high resolution 3D radiative MHD simulation of the solar atmosphere with non-grey and non-LTE radiative transfer and thermal conduction along the magnetic field to reveal that: 1) the net magnetic flux from the simulated quiet photosphere is not sufficient to maintain a chromospheric magnetic field (on average), 2) processes in the lower chromosphere, in the region dominated by magneto-acoustic shocks, are able to convert kinetic energy into magnetic energy, 3) the magnetic energy in the chromosphere increases linearly in time until the r.m.s. of the magnetic field strength saturates at roughly 4 to 30 G (horizontal average) due to conversion from kinetic energy, 4) and that the magnetic features formed in the chromosphere are localized to this region.

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arXiv2019

Multi-component Decomposition of Astronomical Spectra by Compressed Sensing

The signal measured by an astronomical spectrometer may be due to radiation from a multi-component mixture of plasmas with a range of physical properties (e.g. temperature, Doppler velocity). Confusion between multiple components may be exacerbated if the spectrometer sensor is illuminated by overlapping spectra dispersed from different slits, with each slit being exposed to radiation from a different portion of an extended astrophysical object. We use a compressed sensing method to robustly retrieve the different components. This method can be adopted for a variety of spectrometer configurations, including single-slit, multi-slit (e.g., the proposed MUlti-slit Solar Explorer mission; MUSE) and slot spectrometers (which produce overlappograms).

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arXiv2019

The solar chromosphere at millimetre and ultraviolet wavelengths. I. Radiation temperatures and a detailed comparison

Solar observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) provide us with direct measurements of the brightness temperature in the solar chromosphere. We study the temperature distributions obtained with ALMA Band 6 (in four sub-bands at 1.21, 1.22, 1.29, and 1.3 mm) for various areas at, and in the vicinity of, a sunspot, comprising quasi-quiet and active regions with different amounts of underlying magnetic fields. We compare these temperatures with those obtained at near- and far-ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths (and with the line-core intensities of the optically-thin far-UV spectra), co-observed with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) explorer. These include the emission peaks and cores of the Mg II k 279.6 nm and Mg II h 280.4 nm lines as well as the line cores of C II 133.4 nm, O I 135.6 nm, and Si IV 139.4 nm, sampling the mid-to-high chromosphere and the low transition region. Splitting the ALMA sub-bands resulted in an slight increase of spatial resolution in individual temperature maps, thus, resolving smaller-scale structures compared to those produced with the standard averaging routines. We find that the radiation temperatures have different, though somewhat overlapping, distributions in different wavelengths and in the various magnetic regions. Comparison of the ALMA temperatures with those of the UV diagnostics should, however, be interpreted with great caution, the former is formed under the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions, the latter under non-LTE. The mean radiation temperature of the ALMA Band 6 is similar to that extracted from the IRIS C II line in all areas with exception of the sunspot and pores where the C II poses higher radiation temperatures. In all magnetic regions, the Mg II lines associate with the lowest mean radiation temperatures in our sample. These will provide constraints for future numerical models.

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arXiv2018

Evidence of Twisting and Mixed-polarity Solar Photospheric Magnetic Field in Large Penumbral Jets: IRIS and Hinode Observations

A recent study using {\it Hinode} (SOT/FG) data of a sunspot revealed some unusually large penumbral jets that often repeatedly occurred at the same locations in the penumbra, namely at the tail of a penumbral filament or where the tails of multiple penumbral filaments converged. These locations had obvious photospheric mixed-polarity magnetic flux in \NaI\ 5896 Stokes-V images obtained with SOT/FG. Several other recent investigations have found that extreme ultraviolet (EUV)/X-ray coronal jets in quiet Sun regions (QRs), coronal holes (CHs) and near active regions (ARs) have obvious mixed-polarity fluxes at their base, and that magnetic flux cancellation prepares and triggers a minifilament flux-rope eruption that drives the jet. Typical QR, CH, and AR coronal jets are up to a hundred times bigger than large penumbral jets, and in EUV/X-ray images show clear twisting motion in their spires. Here, using IRIS \MgII\ k 2796 Å SJ images and spectra in the penumbrae of two sunspots we characterize large penumbral jets. We find redshift and blueshift next to each other across several large penumbral jets, and interpret these as untwisting of the magnetic field in the jet spire. Using Hinode/SOT (FG and SP) data, we also find mixed-polarity magnetic flux at the base of these jets. Because large penumbral jets have mixed-polarity field at their base and have twisting motion in their spires, they might be driven the same way as QR, CH and AR coronal jets.

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arXiv2018

IRIS and SDO Observations of Solar Jetlets Resulting from Network-Edge Flux Cancelation

Recent observations show that the buildup and triggering of minifilament eruptions that drive coronal jets result from magnetic flux cancelation at the neutral line between merging majority- and minority-polarity magnetic flux patches. We investigate the magnetic setting of ten on-disk small-scale UV/EUV jets (jetlets), smaller than coronal X-ray jets but larger than chromospheric spicules) in a coronal hole by using IRIS UV images and SDOAIA EUV images and line-of-sight magnetograms from SDO/HMI. We observe recurring jetlets at the edges of magnetic network flux lanes in the coronal hole. From magnetograms co-aligned with the IRIS and AIA images, we find, clearly visible in nine cases, that the jetlets stem from sites of flux cancelation proceeding at an average rate of 1.5 X 10^18 Mx hr^{-1}, and show brightenings at their bases reminiscent of the base brightenings in larger-scale coronal jets. We find that jetlets happen at many locations along the edges of network lanes (not limited to the base of plumes) with average lifetimes of 3 min and speeds of 70 kms. The average jetlet-base width (4000 km) is three to four times smaller than for coronal jets (18,000 km). Based on these observations of ten obvious jetlets, and our previous observations of larger-scale coronal jets in quiet regions and coronal holes, we infer that flux cancelation is an essential process in the buildup and triggering of jetlets. Our observations suggest that network jetlet eruptions might be small-scale analogs of both larger-scale coronal jets and the still-larger-scale eruptions producing CMEs.

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arXiv2018

Impact of Type II Spicules in the Corona: Simulations and Synthetic Observables

The role of type II spicules in the corona has been a much debated topic in recent years. This paper aims to shed light on the impact of type II spicules in the corona using novel 2.5D radiative MHD simulations including ion-neutral interaction effects with the Bifrost code. We find that the formation of simulated type II spicules, driven by the release of magnetic tension, impacts the corona in various manners. Associated with the formation of spicules, the corona exhibits 1) magneto-acoustic shocks and flows which supply mass to coronal loops, and 2) transversal magnetic waves and electric currents that propagate at Alfvén speeds. The transversal waves and electric currents, generated by the spicule's driver and lasting for many minutes, are dissipated and heat the associated loop. These complex interactions in the corona can be connected with blue shifted secondary components in coronal spectral lines (Red-Blue asymmetries) observed with Hinode/EIS and SOHO/SUMER, as well as the EUV counterpart of type II spicules and propagating coronal disturbances (PCDs) observed with the 171~Å and 193~Å SDO/AIA channels.

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arXiv2018

Chromospheric counterparts of solar transition region unresolved fine structure loops

Low-lying loops have been discovered at the solar limb in transition region temperatures by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). They do not appear to reach coronal temperatures, and it has been suggested that they are the long-predicted unresolved fine structures (UFS). These loops are dynamic and believed to be visible during both heating and cooling phases. Making use of coordinated observations between IRIS and the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope, we study how these loops impact the solar chromosphere. We show for the first time that there is indeed a chromospheric signal of these loops, seen mostly in the form of strong Doppler shifts and a conspicuous lack of chromospheric heating. In addition, we find that several instances have a inverse Y-shaped jet just above the loop, suggesting that magnetic reconnection is driving these events. Our observations add several puzzling details to the current knowledge of these newly discovered structures; this new information must be considered in theoretical models.

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arXiv2018

Bridging the Gap: Capturing the Ly$α$ Counterpart of a Type-II Spicule and its Heating Evolution with VAULT2.0 and IRIS Observations

We present results from an observing campaign in support of the VAULT2.0 sounding rocket launch on September 30, 2014. VAULT2.0 is a Ly$α$ (1216 Å) spectroheliograph capable of providing spectroheliograms at high cadence. Ly$α$ observations are highly complementary to the IRIS observations of the upper chromosphere and the low transition region (TR) but have previously been unavailable. The VAULT2.0 data provide new constraints on upper-chromospheric conditions for numerical models. The observing campaign was closely coordinated with the IRIS mission. Taking advantage of this simultaneous multi-wavelength coverage of target AR 12172 and by using state-of-the-art radiative-MHD simulations of spicules, we investigate in detail a type-II spicule associated with a fast (300 km s$^{-1}$) network jet recorded in the campaign observations. Our analysis suggests that spicular material exists suspended high in the atmosphere but in lower temperatures (seen in Ly$α$) until it is heated and becomes visible in TR temperatures as a network jet. The heating begins lower in the spicule and propagates upwards as a rapidly propagating thermal front. The front is then observed as fast, plane-of-the-sky motion typical of a network jet, but contained inside the pre-existing spicule. This work supports that the high speeds reported in network jets should not be taken as real mass upflows but only as apparent speeds of a rapidly propagating heating front along the pre-existing spicule.

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arXiv2018

Transverse Wave Induced Kelvin-Helmholtz Rolls in Spicules

In addition to their jet-like dynamic behaviour, spicules usually exhibit strong transverse speeds, multi-stranded structure and heating from chromospheric to transition region temperatures. In this work we first analyse \textit{Hinode} \& \textit{IRIS} observations of spicules and find different behaviours in terms of their Doppler velocity evolution and collective motion of their sub-structure. Some have a Doppler shift sign change that is rather fixed along the spicule axis, and lack coherence in the oscillatory motion of strand-like structure, matching rotation models or long wavelength torsional Alfvén waves. Others exhibit a Doppler shift sign change at maximum displacement and coherent motion of their strands, suggesting a collective MHD wave. By comparing with an idealised 3-D MHD simulation combined with radiative transfer modelling, we analyse the role of transverse MHD waves and associated instabilities in spicule-like features. We find that Transverse Wave Induced Kelvin-Helmholtz (TWIKH) rolls lead to coherence of strand-like structure in imaging and spectral maps, as seen in some observations. The rapid transverse dynamics and the density and temperature gradients at the spicule boundary lead to ring-shaped \ion{Mg}{2} k and \ion{Ca}{2} H source functions in the transverse cross-section, potentially allowing IRIS to capture the KHI dynamics. Twists and currents propagate along the spicule at Alfvénic speeds, and the temperature variations within TWIKH rolls produce sudden appearance / disappearance of strands seen in Doppler velocity and in \ion{Ca}{2} H intensity. However, only a mild intensity increase in higher temperature lines is obtained, suggesting there is an additional heating mechanism at work in spicules.

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