Thermodynamic models and fine structure of prominences

✍ Scribed by O. Engvold

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1980
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 246 KB
• Volume: 67
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0038-0938
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00149812

✦ Synopsis

Observed Ha brightness versus size of emission substructures of quiescent prominences are compared with values predicted from thermodynamical models. The measured size of an emission element of a given brightness is substantially less than the theoretical value.

Two possible causes for the discrepancy are suggested: (1) The partial filling of a recording aperture, due to the prominence fine structure, may affect the measurements seriously. Caution is therefore urged against using face values of observed brightness vs ratios in model calculations in cases of partly optically thick lines. (2) Changes of individual fine structure elements on a time scale of a few minutes implies that the prominence plasma may be in a non-stationary radiative state.