Abstract
We studied the dynamical properties of a quiescent prominence using high-resolution observations provided by the Interface Region Imaging Spectroscopy (IRIS) and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The prominence is found to be shaped by two rotating magnetic structures. Both structures were formed after a EUV brightening followed by magnetic-flux emergence and cancelation. We computed the prominence’s Doppler velocities using the spectroscopic observations provided by IRIS. The temperature maps in the prominence regions are estimated using the Differential Emission Measure (DEM) of observations in the six Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) wavelengths obtained from SDO/AIA. The prominence has an average temperature of \(9.8\times 10^{4}\text{ K}\). The nonthermal velocity in the prominence was estimated to be between \(8\text{--}40\text{ km}\,\text{s}^{-1}\). We employed the Local Correlation Tracking (LCT) to find the plane-of-sky motions in the prominence. Thus, the measurements of plasma motions in two normal directions such as in the line-of-sight and in the plane-of-sky helped us to investigate the anticlockwise rotation of the prominence’s leg with a period of around 60 minutes when viewed from the top of it. We found dynamical motions of 20 to \(60\text{ km}\,\text{s}^{-1}\) in the prominence regions. On the other hand, one of the prominence’s legs was rotating in front of the other, first in the clockwise and after half an hour in the counterclockwise directions. We also found a sizable helical motion in the upper part of the prominence with a linear speed of \(6.71\text{ km}\,\text{s}^{-1}\). Further, the prominence was found to have significant oscillations in the frequency band 1.5–2.5 mHz, corresponding to a period range of 7–11 minutes.
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Acknowledgements
IRIS is a NASA small explorer mission developed and operated by LMSAL with mission operations executed at NASA Ames Research Center and major contributions to downlink communications funded by ESA and the Norwegian Space Centre. AIA data are courtesy of NASA’s SDO and AIA science team. We thank the referee for his/her valuable comments and suggestions that helped us to improve the manuscript. One of the authors, RAM, acknowledges support from the NITC-FRG.
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Jain Jacob P.T. analysed the observational data and drafted the manuscript. Safna Banu K. reviewed the manuscript. R. A. Maurya guided the research work and edited the manuscript.
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Jain Jacob, P.T., Ram Ajor, M. & Safna Banu, K. Dynamics of a quiescent prominence observed by IRIS and SDO/AIA. Astrophys Space Sci 368, 40 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-023-04195-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-023-04195-1