• Application of a magnetic-field-induced transition in Fe X to solar and stellar coronal magnetic field measurements

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Magnetic fields play a key role in driving a broad range of dynamic phenomena in the atmospheres of the Sun and other stars. Routine and accurate measurements of the magnetic fields at all the atmospheric layers are of critical importance to understand these magnetic activities, but in the solar and stellar coronae such a measurement is still a challenge due to the weak field strength and the high temperature. Recently, a magnetic-field-induced transition (MIT) of Fe X at 257.26 {\AA} has been proposed for the magnetic field measurements in the solar and stellar coronae. In this review, we present an overview of recent progresses in the application of this method in astrophysics. We start by introducing the theory underlying the MIT method and reviewing the existing atomic data critical for the spectral modeling of Fe X lines. We also discuss the laboratory measurements that verify the potential capability of the MIT technique as a probe for diagnosing the plasma magnetic fields. We then continue by investigating the suitability and accuracy of solar and stellar coronal magnetic field measurements based on the MIT method through forward modeling. Furthermore, we discuss the application of the MIT method to the existing spectroscopic observations obtained by the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer onboard Hinode. This novel technique provides a possible way for routine measurements of the magnetic fields in the solar and stellar coronae, but still requires further efforts to improve its accuracy. Finally, the challenges and prospects for future research on this topic are discussed.

  • Application of a magnetic-field-induced transition in Fe X to solar and stellar coronal magnetic field measurements

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Magnetic fields play a key role in driving a broad range of dynamic phenomena in the atmospheres of the Sun and other stars. Routine and accurate measurements of the magnetic fields at all the atmospheric layers are of critical importance to understand these magnetic activities, but in the solar and stellar coronae such a measurement is still a challenge due to the weak field strength and the high temperature. Recently, a magnetic-field-induced transition (MIT) of Fe X at 257.26 {\AA} has been proposed for the magnetic field measurements in the solar and stellar coronae. In this review, we present an overview of recent progresses in the application of this method in astrophysics. We start by introducing the theory underlying the MIT method and reviewing the existing atomic data critical for the spectral modeling of Fe X lines. We also discuss the laboratory measurements that verify the potential capability of the MIT technique as a probe for diagnosing the plasma magnetic fields. We then continue by investigating the suitability and accuracy of solar and stellar coronal magnetic field measurements based on the MIT method through forward modeling. Furthermore, we discuss the application of the MIT method to the existing spectroscopic observations obtained by the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer onboard Hinode. This novel technique provides a possible way for routine measurements of the magnetic fields in the solar and stellar coronae, but still requires further efforts to improve its accuracy. Finally, the challenges and prospects for future research on this topic are discussed.

  • Solar coronal magnetic field measurements using spectral lines available in Hinode/EIS observations: Strong and weak field techniques and temperature diagnostics

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Recently, it has been proposed that the magnetic-field-induced transition (MIT) in Fe X can be used to measure coronal magnetic field strengths. Several techniques, the direct line ratio technique and the weak and strong magnetic field techniques, are developed to apply the MIT theory to spectroscopic observations taken by EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard Hinode. However, the suitability of coronal magnetic field measurements based on the weak and strong magnetic field techniques has not been evaluated. Besides, temperature diagnostics is also important for measuring coronal magnetic field based on the MIT theory, but how to determine the accurate formation temperature of the Fe X lines from EIS observations still needs investigation. In this study, we synthesized emissions of several spectral lines from a 3D radiation magnetohydrodynamic model of a solar active region, and then derived magnetic field strengths using different methods. We first compared the magnetic field strengths derived from the weak and strong magnetic field techniques to the values in the model. Our study suggests that both weak and strong magnetic field techniques underestimate the coronal magnetic field strength. Then we developed two methods to calculate the formation temperature of the Fe X lines. One is based on differential emission measure analyses, and the other is deriving temperature from the Fe IX and Fe XI line pairs. However, neither of the two methods can provide temperature determination for accurate coronal magnetic field measurements as those derived from the Fe X 174/175 and 184/345 {\AA} line ratios. More efforts are still needed for accurate coronal magnetic field measurements using EIS observations.

  • Solar coronal magnetic field measurements using spectral lines available in Hinode/EIS observations: Strong and weak field techniques and temperature diagnostics

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Recently, it has been proposed that the magnetic-field-induced transition (MIT) in Fe X can be used to measure coronal magnetic field strengths. Several techniques, the direct line ratio technique and the weak and strong magnetic field techniques, are developed to apply the MIT theory to spectroscopic observations taken by EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard Hinode. However, the suitability of coronal magnetic field measurements based on the weak and strong magnetic field techniques has not been evaluated. Besides, temperature diagnostics is also important for measuring coronal magnetic field based on the MIT theory, but how to determine the accurate formation temperature of the Fe X lines from EIS observations still needs investigation. In this study, we synthesized emissions of several spectral lines from a 3D radiation magnetohydrodynamic model of a solar active region, and then derived magnetic field strengths using different methods. We first compared the magnetic field strengths derived from the weak and strong magnetic field techniques to the values in the model. Our study suggests that both weak and strong magnetic field techniques underestimate the coronal magnetic field strength. Then we developed two methods to calculate the formation temperature of the Fe X lines. One is based on differential emission measure analyses, and the other is deriving temperature from the Fe IX and Fe XI line pairs. However, neither of the two methods can provide temperature determination for accurate coronal magnetic field measurements as those derived from the Fe X 174/175 and 184/345 {\AA} line ratios. More efforts are still needed for accurate coronal magnetic field measurements using EIS observations.

  • Forward Modeling of Magnetic-field Measurements at the Bases of Stellar Coronae through Extreme-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Measurements of the stellar coronal magnetic field are of great importance in understanding the stellar magnetic activity, yet the measurements have been extremely difficult. Recent studies proposed a new method of magnetic field measurements based on the magnetic-field-induced-transition (MIT) of the Fe~{\sc{x}} ion. Here we construct a series of stellar coronal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) models and synthesize several Fe~{\sc{x}} emission lines at extreme-ultraviolet wavelengths, and then diagnose the magnetic field strength at the bases of the coronae using the MIT technique. Our results show that the technique can be applied to some stars with magnetic fields more than three times higher than that of the Sun at solar maximum. Furthermore, we investigate the uncertainty of the derived magnetic field strength caused by photon counting error and find that a signal-noise ratio of $\sim$50 for the Fe~{\sc{x}} 175 {\AA}~line is required to achieve effective measurements of the stellar coronal magnetic field.

  • Forward Modeling of Magnetic-field Measurements at the Bases of Stellar Coronae through Extreme-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Measurements of the stellar coronal magnetic field are of great importance in understanding the stellar magnetic activity, yet the measurements have been extremely difficult. Recent studies proposed a new method of magnetic field measurements based on the magnetic-field-induced-transition (MIT) of the Fe~{\sc{x}} ion. Here we construct a series of stellar coronal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) models and synthesize several Fe~{\sc{x}} emission lines at extreme-ultraviolet wavelengths, and then diagnose the magnetic field strength at the bases of the coronae using the MIT technique. Our results show that the technique can be applied to some stars with magnetic fields more than three times higher than that of the Sun at solar maximum. Furthermore, we investigate the uncertainty of the derived magnetic field strength caused by photon counting error and find that a signal-noise ratio of $\sim$50 for the Fe~{\sc{x}} 175 {\AA}~line is required to achieve effective measurements of the stellar coronal magnetic field.

  • Extended MCDHF calculations of energy levels and transition data for N I

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Accurate and extensive atomic data are essential for spectroscopic analyses of stellar atmospheres and other astronomical objects. We present energy levels, lifetimes, and transition probabilities for neutral nitrogen, the sixth most abundant element in the cosmos. The calculations employ the fully relativistic multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock and relativistic configuration interaction methods, and span the 103 lowest states up to and including 2s$^2$2p$^2$5s. Our theoretical energies are in excellent agreement with the experimental data, with an average relative difference of 0.07%. In addition, our transition probabilities are in good agreement with available experimental and theoretical data. We further verify the agreement of our data with experimental results via a re-analysis of the solar nitrogen abundance, with the results from the Babushkin and Coulomb gauges consistent to 2% or 0.01 dex. We estimated the uncertainties of the computed transition data based on a statistical analysis of the differences between the transition rates in Babushkin and Coulomb gauges. Out of the 1701 computed electric dipole transitions in this work, 83 (536) are associated with uncertainties less than 5% (10%).

  • Extended MCDHF calculations of energy levels and transition data for N I

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Accurate and extensive atomic data are essential for spectroscopic analyses of stellar atmospheres and other astronomical objects. We present energy levels, lifetimes, and transition probabilities for neutral nitrogen, the sixth most abundant element in the cosmos. The calculations employ the fully relativistic multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock and relativistic configuration interaction methods, and span the 103 lowest states up to and including 2s$^2$2p$^2$5s. Our theoretical energies are in excellent agreement with the experimental data, with an average relative difference of 0.07%. In addition, our transition probabilities are in good agreement with available experimental and theoretical data. We further verify the agreement of our data with experimental results via a re-analysis of the solar nitrogen abundance, with the results from the Babushkin and Coulomb gauges consistent to 2% or 0.01 dex. We estimated the uncertainties of the computed transition data based on a statistical analysis of the differences between the transition rates in Babushkin and Coulomb gauges. Out of the 1701 computed electric dipole transitions in this work, 83 (536) are associated with uncertainties less than 5% (10%).

  • Forward Modeling of Solar Coronal Magnetic Field Measurements Based on a Magnetic-field-induced Transition in Fe X

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: It was recently proposed that the intensity ratios of several extreme ultraviolet spectral lines from the Fe X ion can be used to measure the solar coronal magnetic field based on the magnetic-field-inducedtransition (MIT) theory. To verify the suitability of this method, we performed forward modelingwith a three-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamic model of a solar active region. Intensities of several spectral lines from Fe X were synthesized from the model. Based on the MIT theory, intensity ratios of the MIT line Fe X 257 A to several other Fe X lines were used to derive the magnetic field strengths, which were then compared with the field strengths in the model. We also developed a new method to simultaneously estimate the coronal density and temperature from the Fe X 174/175 and 184/345 A line ratios. Using these estimates, we demonstrated that the MIT technique can provide reasonably accurate measurements of the coronal magnetic field in both on-disk and off-limb solar observations. Our investigation suggests that a spectrometer that can simultaneously observe the Fe X 174, 175, 184, 257, and 345 A lines and allow an accurate radiometric calibration for these lines is highly desired to achieve reliable measurements of the coronal magnetic field. We have also evaluatedthe impact of the uncertainty in the Fe X 3p4 3d 4D5/2 and 4D7/2 energy difference on the magnetic field measurements.

  • Measurements of the magnetic field strengths at the bases of stellar coronae using the magnetic-field-induced transition theory

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Measurements of the magnetic field in the stellar coronae are extremely difficult. Recently, it was proposed that the magnetic-field-induced transition (MIT) of the Fe X 257 {\AA} line can be used to measure the coronal magnetic field of the Sun. We performed forward modeling with a series of global stellar magnetohydrodynamics models to investigate the possibility of extending this method to other late-type stars. We first synthesized the emissions of several Fe X lines for each stellar model, then calculated the magnetic field strengths using the intensity ratios of Fe X 257 {\AA} to several other Fe X lines based on the MIT theory. Finally, we compared the derived field strengths with those in the models, and concluded that this method can be used to measure at least the magnetic field strengths at the coronal bases of stars with a mean surface magnetic flux density about one order of magnitude higher than that of the Sun. Our investigation suggests the need of an extreme ultraviolet spectrometer to perform routine measurements of the stellar coronal magnetic field.