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Coronal holes

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Abstract

Coronal holes are extensive regions of extremely low density in the solar corona within 60° of latitude from the equator. (They are not to be confused with the well-known coronal cavities which surround quiescent prominences beneath helmet streamers.) We have superposed maps of the calculated current-free (potential) coronal magnetic field with maps of the coronal electron density for the period of November 1966, and find that coronal holes are generally characterized by weak and diverging magnetic field lines. The chromosphere underlying the holes is extremely quiet, being free of weak plages and filaments. The existence of coronal holes clearly has important implications for the energy balance in the transition region and the solar wind.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo., U.S.A.

    Martin D. Altschuler & Dorothy E. Trotter

  2. Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.

    Frank Q. Orrall

Authors
  1. Martin D. Altschuler
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  2. Dorothy E. Trotter
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  3. Frank Q. Orrall
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Additional information

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

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Altschuler, M.D., Trotter, D.E. & Orrall, F.Q. Coronal holes. Sol Phys 26, 354–365 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00165276

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00165276

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