Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The WHI Corona from Differential Emission Measure Tomography

  • The Sun – Earth Connection Near Solar Minimum
  • Published:
Solar Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) tomographic reconstruction of the local differential emission measure (LDEM) of the global solar corona during the whole heliosphere interval (WHI, Carrington rotation CR 2068) is presented, based on STEREO/EUVI images. We determine the 3D distribution of the electron density, mean temperature, and temperature spread, in the range of heliocentric heights 1.03 to 1.23 R ⊙. The reconstruction is complemented with a potential-field source-surface (PFSS) magnetic-field model. The streamer-core, streamer-leg, and subpolar regions are analyzed and compared to a similar analysis previously performed for CR 2077, very near the absolute minimum of Solar Cycle 23. In each region, the typical values of density and temperature are similar in both periods. The WHI corona exhibits a streamer structure of relatively smaller volume and latitudinal extension than during CR 2077, with a global closed-to-open density contrast about 6% lower, and a somewhat more complex morphology. The average basal electron density is found to be about 2.23 and 1.08×108 cm−3, in the streamer core and subpolar regions, respectively. The electron temperature is quite uniform over the analyzed height range, with average values of about 1.13 and 0.93 MK, in the streamer core and subpolar regions, respectively. Within the streamer closed region, both periods show higher temperatures at mid-latitudes and lower temperatures near the Equator. Both periods show β>1 in the streamer core and β<1 in the surrounding open regions, with CR 2077 exhibiting a stronger contrast. Hydrostatic fits to the electron density are performed, and the scale height is compared to the LDEM mean electron temperature. Within the streamer core, the results are consistent with an isothermal hydrostatic plasma regime, with the temperatures of ions and electrons differing by up to about 10%. In the subpolar open regions, the results are consistent with departures from thermal equilibrium with T ions>T e (and values of T ions/T e up to about 1.5), and/or the presence of wave-pressure mechanisms linear in the density.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Altschuler, M.D., Perry, R.M.: 1972, Solar Phys. 23, 410.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Altschuler, M.D., Levine, R.H., Harvey, J.: 1977, Solar Phys. 51, 345.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Arnaud, M., Raymond, J.C.: 1992, Astrophys. J. 398, 39.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Banerjee, D., Teriaca, L., Doyle, J.G., Wilhelm, K.: 1998, Astron. Astrophys. 339, 208.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Butala, M.D., Hewett, R.J., Frazin, R.A., Kamalabadi, F.: 2010, Solar Phys. 262, 495.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, U., Mandelbaum, P., Seely, J.L., Doschek, G.A., Gursky, H.: 1992, Astrophys. J. 81, 387.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, U., Doschek, G.A., Schühle, U., Wilhelm, K.: 1999, Astrophys. J. 518, 500.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Feng, L., Inhester, B., Solanki, S.K., Wilhelm, K., Wiegelmann, T., Podlipnik, B., Howard, R.A., Plunkett, S.P., Wuelser, J.P., Gan, W.Q.: 2009, Astrophys. J. 700, 292.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Fineschi, S., Gardner, L.D., Kohl, J.L., Romoli, M., Noci, G.C.: 1998, In: Silvano, F. (ed.) X-Ray and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy and Polarimetry II, Proc. SPIE 3443, 67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frazin, R.A.: 2000, Astrophys. J. 530, 1026.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Frazin, R.A., Janzen, P.: 2002, Astrophys. J. 570, 408.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Frazin, R.A., Kamalabadi, F.: 2005, Solar Phys. 228, 219.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Frazin, R.A., Kamalabadi, F., Weber, M.A.: 2005, Astrophys. J. 628, 1070.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Frazin, R.A., Vásquez, A.M., Kamalabadi, F.: 2009, Astrophys. J. 701, 547.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, S.E., Fludra, A., Bagenal, F., Biesecker, D., Del Zanna, G., Bromage, B.: 1999, J. Geophys. Res. 104, 9691.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, S.E., Foster, D., Burkepile, J., de Toma, G., Stanger, A.: 2006, Astrophys. J. 641, 590.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Grevesse, N., Sauval, A.J.: 1998, Space Sci. Rev. 85, 161.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Guhathakurta, M., Fisher, R.R.: 1994, Solar Phys. 152, 181.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Howard, R.A., Moses, J.D., Vourlidas, A., Newmark, J.S., Socker, D.G., Plunkett, S.P., Korendyke, C.M., Cook, J.W., Hurley, A., Davila, J.M., et al.: 2008, Space Sci. Rev. 136, 67.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaiser, M.L., Kucera, T.A., Davila, J.M., St. Cyr, O.C., Guhathakurta, M., Christian, E.: 2008, Space Sci. Rev. 136, 5.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kohl, J.L., Esser, R., Gardner, L.D., Habbal, S., Daigneau, P.S., Dennis, E.F., Nystrom, G.U., Panasyuk, A., Raymond, J.C., Smith, P.L., et al.: 1995, Solar Phys. 162, 313.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kohl, J.L., Noci, G., Cranmer, S.R., Raymond, J.C.: 2006, Astron. Astrophys. Rev. 13, 31.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Landi, E.: 2007, Astrophys. J. 663, 1363.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J., Raymond, J.C., Acton, L.W., Kohl, J.L., Romoli, M., Noci, G., Naletto, G.: 1998, Astrophys. J. 506, 431.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Mazzotta, P., Mazzitelli, G., Colafrancesco, S., Vittorio, N.: 1998, Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. 133, 403.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Moses, D., Clette, F., Delaboudinière, J.-P., Artzner, G.E., Bougnet, M., Brunaud, J., Carabetian, C., Gabriel, A.H., Hochedez, J.F., Millier, F., et al.: 1997, Solar Phys. 175, 571.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Nerney, S., Suess, S.T.: 2005, Astrophys. J. 624, 378.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond, J.C.: 1999, Space Sci. Rev. 87, 55.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond, J.C., Kohl, J.L., Noci, G., Antonucci, E., Tondello, G., Huber, M.C.E., Gardner, L.D., Nicolosi, P., Fineschi, S., Romoli, M., et al.: 1997, Solar Phys. 175, 645.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Strachan, L., Suleiman, R., Panasyuk, A.V., Biesecker, D.A., Kohl, J.L.: 2002, Astrophys. J. 571, 1008.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Seely, J.F., Feldman, U., Schuhle, U., Wilhelm, K., Curdt, W., Lemaire, P.: 1997, Astrophys. J. Lett. 484, L87.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Suess, S.T., Wang, A.-H., Wu, S.T.: 1996, J. Geophys. Res. 101, 19957.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Tu, C.-Y., Marsch, E., Wilhelm, K., Curdt, W.: 1998, Astrophys. J. 503, 475.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Uzzo, M., Strachan, L., Vourlidas, A.: 2007, Astrophys. J. 671, 912.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • van der Holst, B., Manchester, W.B., Frazin, R.A., Vásquez, A.M., Tóth, G., Gombosi, T.I.: 2010, Astrophys. J. 725, 1373.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Vásquez, A.M., Raymond, J.C.: 2005, Astrophys. J. 619, 1132.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Vásquez, A.M., van Ballegooijen, A.A., Raymond, J.C.: 2003, Astrophys. J. 598, 1361.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Vásquez, A.M., Frazin, R.A., Kamalabadi, F.: 2009, Solar Phys. 256, 73.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Vásquez, A.M., Frazin, R.A., Manchester, W.B. IV: 2010, Astrophys. J. 715, 1352.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y.-M., Sheeley, N.R. Jr., Walters, J.H., Brueckner, G.E., Howard, R.A., Michels, D.J., Lamy, P.L., Schwenn, R., Simnett, G.M.: 1998, Astrophys. J. 498, L165.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilhelm, K., Inhester, B., Newmark, J.S.: 2002, Astron. Astrophys. 382, 328.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilhelm, K., Marsch, E., Dwivedi, B.N., Hassler, D.M., Lemaire, P., Gabriel, A.H., Huber, M.C.E.: 1998, Astrophys. J. 500, 1023.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (CONICET-UBA) and FCEN (UBA), CC 67 – Suc 28, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Alberto M. Vásquez

  2. Dept. of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Zhenguang Huang, Ward B. Manchester IV & Richard A. Frazin

Authors
  1. Alberto M. Vásquez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhenguang Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ward B. Manchester IV
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Richard A. Frazin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alberto M. Vásquez.

Additional information

The Sun – Earth Connection near Solar Minimum

Guest Editors: M.M. Bisi, B.A. Emery, and B.J. Thompson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vásquez, A.M., Huang, Z., Manchester, W.B. et al. The WHI Corona from Differential Emission Measure Tomography. Sol Phys 274, 259–284 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-010-9706-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-010-9706-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation