HELIOSTAT III - THE SOLAR CHROMOSPHERE

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1 HELIOSTAT III - THE SOLAR CHROMOSPHERE SYNOPSIS: In this lab you will observe, identify, and sketch features that appear in the solar chromosphere. With luck, you may have the opportunity to watch a solar flare in progress. EQUIPMENT The heliostat, paper, and pencil. WARNING: The intense solar light from the heliostat can cause instant eye damage! Do NOT look back up the beam of sunlight! Part I. Chromosphere Features on the Solar Disk Overlying the solar photosphere is the chromosphere, or 'sphere of color', which is named for the red light emitted from this layer by hydrogen gas. The chromosphere is a thousand times dimmer than the photosphere; it can only be observed during a total solar eclipse, or by using a hydrogenalpha (H-a) filter. The H-a filter permits you to observe only the red light emitted at a wavelength of 6563 Ångstroms by hydrogen atoms in the solar atmosphere. An additional view of the chromosphere is provided by the ultraviolet light emitted by calcium atoms present in the Sun; a calcium-k filter is used to show this layer, which lies about 500 km above the photosphere, but about 2000 km below the H-a chromosphere. Your instructor will direct sunlight from an interesting sunspot or sunspot group into the SCRIBES module of the heliostat, which provides three simultaneous video images of the same solar region: a photosphere (white light) view, a lower-chromosphere (calcium-k) view, and an upperchromosphere (H-a) view. I.1 Using the photosphere image, sketch the appearance of the sunspot(s) and surrounding solar region, either freehand or by directly tracing onto a sheet of paper. Be as accurate and detailed as possible. Identify and label the dark umbra and lighter penumbra regions, if any, of the spots. Note and sketch the presence (or absence) of additional features around the spot, such as mottling of the photosphere or (if the "seeing" is good enough) the presence of tiny granulation cells, rising blobs of gas only about 1000 km across. If your region is near the limb, note how the spot is foreshortened by the oblique view. The video view of the Sun includes only about 1/20th of its total disk area. A diagonal line drawn across the monitor screen is long enough to encompass about 28 Earth diameters.

2 I.2 Provide a reference "scale" to your drawing by adding to your sketch a circle representing the approximate size of the Earth. I.3 Observe and sketch the same region using the calcium-k image. Label the bright patches, called plages ("PLA-juhs") that tend to surround the spots. These regions delineate the "active region" where the magnetic fields associated with sunspots are the strongest; note that the visible sunspot is usually much smaller than the total active area associated with the spot. Look for and sketch any large, ill-defined circlets of bright emission, which are the boundaries of super-granulation convection cells. Note and sketch any other features of interest that are present. I.4 Observe and sketch the same region using the hydrogen-alpha image. In this view, the tenuous hydrogen gas in the upper chromosphere is forced to conform to the magnetic fields; the result is a finger-like fibril structure over the entire chromosphere which produces a "picture" of the lines of magnetic force (just as iron filings line up with the magnetic field of a bar magnet). If viewed near the the limb, the fibrils may be seen to extend outwards to form flame-like or bush-like structures known as spicules. Bright plage regions may also be present, although usually not as prominent as in calcium-k. Look for, sketch, and label prominent dark patches or long string-like structures called filaments. Filaments are clouds of hydrogen gas that extend far above the surrounding region, and which tend to form in, and delineate the areas of, magnetically neutral zones. If the region is quite active, you may also be able to observe surges and sprays that rise high into the chromosphere in response to flares. Part II. Chromosphere Features at the Solar Limb Your lab instructor will re-aim the heliostat so as to display an interesting portion of the solar chromosphere that extends beyond the limb of the Sun (the brightness of the H-a video monitor may have to be turned up, and the contrast down, in order to enhance the features on the limb). II.1 II.2 In the H-a view of the Sun, look for and sketch the flame-like spicules that extend beyond the sharp edge of the lower chromosphere/upper photosphere. What is their height in "Earth diameters"? in kilometers (one Earth diameter = 13,000 km)? Do these appear in the calcium-k image? in the photosphere image? The bright patch of glowing hydrogen gas that extends out into space (presuming that one can be found today) is called a

3 prominence. A prominence is the same feature as a filament, except that it is seen in profile rather than from the top. Speculate as to why a prominence appear bright, while a filament appears dark. Sketch the prominence, and estimate its size in terms of "Earth diameters". Is this structure visible in the other video views, or is it unique to the hydrogen image? II.3 II.4 If time permits, watch for any changes in the shape or brightness of the prominence which would indicate gas motions in the upper chromosphere; alternately, your instructor may show you several time-lapse video clips of different prominences using the laserdisc player. Categorize the prominence (and any others that may be visible around the limb) according to type as illustrated on the next page. Quiescent (Quiet) Hedgerow Coronal Rain Helmet Arch Loop Spray Eruptive Impulsive Part III : Solar Flares and Aurora A computer link to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Satellite Broadcast System has recently been added at Sommers- Bausch Observatory. The computer receives minute-by-minute updates on the X-ray flux emitted by the Sun, as detected by the two GOES (Geosynchronous Orbiting Earth Satellites) space platforms. A display of the current solar X-ray activity (Option 7) can be seen on the display housed in the video cabinet in the SBO Labroom. Current changes in the Earth's magnetic field due to solar activity are also plotted (Option 8).

4 X-rays are produced in the Sun principally by flares, which are localized regions near the solar surface which abruptly erupt with temperatures in excess of 10 million degrees K! Flares appear as intense bright patches in both the H-a and calcium-k images, but are seen very rarely in photosphere views. Flares may look similar to plages but appear much brighter and show much more rapid changes in appearance and movement. They typically have a lifetime ranging from several minutes to an hour or two. III.1 III.2 III.3 Periodically monitor the plot of current X-ray flux (Option 7) from the Sun. If you are fortunate enough to be present when a flare occurs, the graph will show an abrupt rise, and the computer flare alarm may sound. Your lab instructor will find the flare in the H-a viewer. Sketch and monitor the flare's changing progress over time. Estimate the size and rate of change in the features you are observing. If a flare is not currently in progress, your instructor may show you some time-lapse video clips of solar flares using the laserdisc player. Make a sketch of the X-ray plot showing the flare activity. Note the duration and maximum intensity of the flare. (X-ray intensities are rated by letter, with A being the quietest Sun, and progressing through B, C, M, and X. Each successive letter indicates 10 times greater X-ray flux from the Sun.) Magnetic fields in the corona, or outer layer of the Sun, frequently expand rapidly over a flare region, carrying charged particles outwards from the Sun into space. If such material from a coronal mass ejection reaches the Earth, it can produce aurora, glowing ionized gasses in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Ejected solar material takes about 36 to 48 hours to reach the Earth, where it interacts with and perturbs the Earth's magnetic field. Current Earth magnetic field data is shown on the computer monitor using Option 8. Evidence of a magnetic "storm" will appear as strong fluctuations in the magnetic intensity. Another indicator is the K-Index for Boulder, which can be checked with Option 1: the larger the index number (which ranges from 1 to 9), the stronger the solar magnetic disturbance at the Earth. A local auroral display is possible with a K-Index of 7 or larger. III.4 III.5 Occasionally monitor the display for current geomagnetic activity. Decide whether or not a magnetic "storm" may be brewing. Aurora visible from Colorado is rare, but occurs on the average about once or twice a year. If the geomagnetic data indicates that

5 an auroral display is possible, you may wish to attempt to observe it. You should observe from a dark site (away from city lights) with a clear view to the north. Auroral displays tend to be more probable around midnight. The "northern lights" may appear as luminous patches in the northern sky, or may develop into vertical rays and curtains. Colors can vary from a ghostly pale-white glow to green or faint red, depending upon the altitude and intensity of the aurora.

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