Statistical analysis of UV spectra of a quiescent prominence observed by IRIS

Abstract

The paper analyzes the structure and dynamics of a quiescent prominence that occurred on October 22, 2013. We aim to determine the physical characteristics of the observed prominence using MgII k and h, CII (1334 and 1336 A), and SiIV (1394 A) lines observed by IRIS. We employed the 1D non-LTE modeling of MgII lines assuming static isothermal-isobaric slabs. We selected a large grid of models with realistic input parameters and computed synthetic MgII lines. The method of Scargle periodograms was used to detect possible prominence oscillations. We analyzed 2160 points of the observed prominence in five different sections along the slit averaged over ten pixels due to low signal to noise ratio in the CII and SiIV lines. We computed the integrated intensity for all studied lines, while the central intensity and reversal ratio was determined only for both MgII and CII 1334 lines. We plotted several correlations: time evolution of the integrated intensities and central intensities, scatter plots between all combinations of line integrated intensities, and reversal ratio as a function of integrated intensity. We also compared MgII observations with the models. Results show that more than two-thirds of MgII profiles and about one-half of CII 1334 profiles are reversed. Profiles of SiIV are generally unreversed. The MgII and CII lines are optically thick, while the SiIV line is optically thin. The studied prominence shows no global oscillations in the MgII and CII lines. Therefore, the observed time variations are caused by random motions of fine structures with velocities up to 10 km/s. The observed average ratio of MgII k to MgII h line intensities can be used to determine the prominence's characteristic temperature. Certain disagreements between observed and synthetic line intensities of MgII lines point to the necessity of using more complex 2D multi-thread modeling in the future.

arXiv comment13 pages, 21 figures

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• Solar prominence diagnostics from non-LTE modelling of Mgii h&k line profiles
• Modelling of Mg II lines in solar prominences
• Spectro-imagery of an active tornado-like prominence: formation and evolution
• Mgii h&k fine structure prominence modelling and the consequences for observations
• Soft X-ray heating as a mechanism of optical continuum generation in solar-type star superflares
• Magnetic field diagnostics of prominences with the Mg II k line: 3D Stokes inversions versus traditional methods
• Two-horn quiescent prominence observed in H-alpha and MgII h&k lines with THEMIS and IRIS
• The diversity of spectral shapes of hydrogen Lyman lines and Mg II lines in a quiescent prominence