Accession Number:

ADA193026

Title:

The Properties of Solar Coronal Active Regions Deduced from X-Ray Line Spectra,

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

AEROSPACE CORP EL SEGUNDO CA SPACE SCIENCES LAB

Personal Author(s):

• McKenzie, D. L.

Report Date:

1988-02-05

Pagination or Media Count:

34.0

Abstract:

Coronal active regions, the sites of energetic solar flares, have temperatures higher than 10 K and emit strongly in the X-ray region of the spectrum. In this report X-ray emission line-ratio diagnostics for electron density and temperature are applied to over 100 spectra of nonflaring active regions taken by the SOLEX B spectrometer aboard the U.S. Department of Defense Space Test Programs P78-1 Satellite from March to November 1979. The purpose is to draw general conclusions from analysis of the spectra of a large variety of regions. In the course of the study, we were also able to evaluate existing theoretical calculations of the helium-like ion line ratios. A number of them can now be rejected as inconsistent with the data. Future work may modify the conclusions of the study, but not significantly.

Descriptors:

• *SOLAR CORONA
• *X RAY SPECTRA
• COMPUTATIONS
• CORONAS
• ELECTRON DENSITY
• ENERGETIC PROPERTIES
• LINE SPECTRA
• SOLAR ACTIVITY
• SOLAR FLARES
• THEORY
• X RAYS
• ELECTRON ENERGY

Subject Categories:

• Astrophysics
• Atomic and Molecular Physics and Spectroscopy

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE