Turbulent and directed mass motions in various structures of the low corona

Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow, Russia

Abstract

[1]  A brief review on turbulent and ordered plasma motions in the solar corona is presented. Velocities in quiet coronal regions, coronal loops, coronal holes, and cavities around quiescent prominences are analyzed. Data based on interferometric observations of several total solar eclipses obtained earlier by the authors and in addition the values of turbulent velocities resulting from revising the 5303 line profiles were used. Published data based both on ground and space observations in visual and far ultraviolet (UV) spectral region are collected. The turbulent velocities in quiet loop structures and diffuse quiet corona seem to be similar, and the coronal plasma in the vicinity of the quiet protuberances is less turbulent than in the quiet corona or in the coronal holes. Velocities of directed motions for different structures in the corona are examined. It seems that the turbulent velocities are comparable by their magnitudes with the direct plasma velocities; however, at the same time they are slightly less.

Received 11 April 2006; revised 21 November 2006; accepted 1 March 2007; published 25 July 2007.

Keywords: coronal loops; prominences; MHD turbulence.

Index Terms: 7509 Solar Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy: Corona; 7511 Solar Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy: Coronal holes; 7513 Solar Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy: Coronal mass ejections.