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Observations of solar chromospheric fine structures in the light of Lyman-α

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Abstract

A Cassegrain telescope with a resolution of 2 sec of arc was successfully flown in an Aerobee-150 rocket from White Sands Missile Range on October 20, 1965. A pinhole, 33 μ in diameter, was placed at the focus of the telescope, followed by a photo-ionization detector with a lithium-fluoride window. The instrument was kept pointed at the sun by a biaxial solar pointing control.

Results indicate that in Lyman-α the solar surface shows structures whose characteristic dimensions can be as small as 2 sec of arc, which corresponds to the limit of instrumental resolution. Larger structures with very sharp gradients have also been found. Intensity ratios between bright and dark areas are typically a factor of 1.7. Isophote maps of two small selected areas are discussed in this paper. The results were obtained in an undisturbed (free of plages) portion of the solar disk.

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Author notes

  1. William A. Sloan

    Present address: The Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, U.S.A.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale University and E. O. Hulburt Center for Space Research U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

    William A. Sloan

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  1. William A. Sloan
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Jointly sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation.

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Sloan, W.A. Observations of solar chromospheric fine structures in the light of Lyman-α. Sol Phys 4, 196–211 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00148081

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00148081

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