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The galloping chromosphere

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Abstract

Oscillating velocity fields can be observed on Hα filtergrams as a shifting pattern of intensity fluctuations known as ‘the galloping chromosphere’. The characteristics of this activity are those of horizontal running waves of typical period (∼ 300 s) and long wavelength (∼ 20000 km) that can be interpreted as acoustic-gravity waves propagating in the acoustic domain. Periods are longer in dark, structured regions, and in fibrils, and the change is quantitatively consistent with the reduction of resonance frequency in a magnetic field of 1 to 10 G. These easily observed fluctuations thus offer a means of estimating magnetic-field strength at specific locations in the chromosphere.

Phase velocities are high, ranging upward from typical values between 50 and 100 km s−1, and tending to be lower in active regions, where periods are longer, and toward the limb, where, we speculate, shorter wavelengths are seen at higher levels in the atmosphere.

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  1. C. Sawyer

    Present address: Sacramento Peak Observatory, 88349, Sunspot, N.M., U.S.A.

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  1. Environmental Research Laboratories, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 80302, Boulder, Colo., U.S.A.

    C. Sawyer

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  1. C. Sawyer
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Sawyer, C. The galloping chromosphere. Sol Phys 35, 63–81 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00156958

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00156958

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