Manifestations of electric currents observed in the K-corona

Abstract

The 2D distribution of tangential velocities of the coronal plasma electron component (K-corona) was obtained and interpreted. Coronal continuum linear polarization films in the green spectral range obtained during the total solar eclipse of March 29, 2006, are used. The developed method of high-precision linear polarimetry made it possible to obtain the first 2D distribution in the K-corona linear polarimetry history for the polarization angle sign at distances smaller than 1.5 Rsun. For clarity, we accepted that clockwise deviations of the polarization direction from tangential to the solar limb have positive polarity, whereas counterclockwise deviations have negative polarity. The distribution differs from the anticipated pattern for scattering by resting electrons and reveals a correlation with the coronal structure and the presence of diffuse and structural components and largeand small-scale regions of opposite polarities. The interpretation in the scope of scattering by moving electrons indicates that free electron tangential velocities (tangential electric currents) are strongly fragmented in the inner corona.