High resolution soft X-ray spectroscopy and the quest for the hot (5–10 MK) plasma in solar active regions

Giulio Del Zanna; Vincenzo Andretta; Peter J. Cargill; Alain J. Corso; Adrian N. Daw; Leon Golub; James A. Klimchuk; Helen E. Mason

doi:10.3389/fspas.2021.638489

High resolution soft X-ray spectroscopy and the quest for the hot (5–10 MK) plasma in solar active regions

Giulio Del Zanna, Vincenzo Andretta, Peter J. Cargill, Alain J. Corso, Adrian N. Daw, Leon Golub, James A. Klimchuk, Helen E. Mason

School of Mathematics and Statistics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We discuss the diagnostics available to study the 5–10 MK plasma in the solar corona, which is key to understanding the heating in the cores of solar active regions. We present several simulated spectra, and show that excellent diagnostics are available in the soft X-rays, around 100 Å, as six ionization stages of Fe can simultaneously be observed, and electron densities derived, within a narrow spectral region. As this spectral range is almost unexplored, we present an analysis of available and simulated spectra, to compare the hot emission with the cooler component. We adopt recently designed multilayers to present estimates of count rates in the hot lines, with a baseline spectrometer design. Excellent count rates are found, opening up the exciting opportunity to obtain high-resolution spectroscopy of hot plasma.

Original language	English
Article number	638489
Number of pages	19
Journal	Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
Volume	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.638489
Publication status	Published - 12 Apr 2021

Keywords

Sun-active regions
Sun-atmosphere
X-ray
Spectroscopy
Coronal heating

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10.3389/fspas.2021.638489Licence: CC BY

Del-Zanna_2021_fAS_high-resolution_CC
Copyright © 2021 Del Zanna, Andretta, Cargill, Corso, Daw, Golub, Klimchuk and Mason. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Final published version, 2.66 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{3fbea090e7a940a2a2ea384d300a625d,

title = "High resolution soft X-ray spectroscopy and the quest for the hot (5–10 MK) plasma in solar active regions",

abstract = "We discuss the diagnostics available to study the 5–10 MK plasma in the solar corona, which is key to understanding the heating in the cores of solar active regions. We present several simulated spectra, and show that excellent diagnostics are available in the soft X-rays, around 100 {\AA}, as six ionization stages of Fe can simultaneously be observed, and electron densities derived, within a narrow spectral region. As this spectral range is almost unexplored, we present an analysis of available and simulated spectra, to compare the hot emission with the cooler component. We adopt recently designed multilayers to present estimates of count rates in the hot lines, with a baseline spectrometer design. Excellent count rates are found, opening up the exciting opportunity to obtain high-resolution spectroscopy of hot plasma.",

keywords = "Sun-active regions, Sun-atmosphere, X-ray, Spectroscopy, Coronal heating",

author = "{Del Zanna}, Giulio and Vincenzo Andretta and Cargill, {Peter J.} and Corso, {Alain J.} and Daw, {Adrian N.} and Leon Golub and Klimchuk, {James A.} and Mason, {Helen E.}",

note = "Funding: GD and HM acknowledge support from STFC (UK) via the consolidated grants to the atomic astrophysics group (AAG) at DAMTP, University of Cambridge (ST/P000665/1 and ST/T000481/1). The work of JK was supported by the GSFC Internal Scientist Funding Model (competitive work package) program. AD acknowledges support through NASA Heliophysics awards 13-HTIDS13 2-0074 and 16-HTIDS16_2-0064.",

year = "2021",

month = apr,

day = "12",

doi = "10.3389/fspas.2021.638489",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

journal = "Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences",

issn = "2296-987X",

publisher = "Frontiers Media S. A.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - High resolution soft X-ray spectroscopy and the quest for the hot (5–10 MK) plasma in solar active regions

AU - Del Zanna, Giulio

AU - Andretta, Vincenzo

AU - Cargill, Peter J.

AU - Corso, Alain J.

AU - Daw, Adrian N.

AU - Golub, Leon

AU - Klimchuk, James A.

AU - Mason, Helen E.

N1 - Funding: GD and HM acknowledge support from STFC (UK) via the consolidated grants to the atomic astrophysics group (AAG) at DAMTP, University of Cambridge (ST/P000665/1 and ST/T000481/1). The work of JK was supported by the GSFC Internal Scientist Funding Model (competitive work package) program. AD acknowledges support through NASA Heliophysics awards 13-HTIDS13 2-0074 and 16-HTIDS16_2-0064.

PY - 2021/4/12

Y1 - 2021/4/12

N2 - We discuss the diagnostics available to study the 5–10 MK plasma in the solar corona, which is key to understanding the heating in the cores of solar active regions. We present several simulated spectra, and show that excellent diagnostics are available in the soft X-rays, around 100 Å, as six ionization stages of Fe can simultaneously be observed, and electron densities derived, within a narrow spectral region. As this spectral range is almost unexplored, we present an analysis of available and simulated spectra, to compare the hot emission with the cooler component. We adopt recently designed multilayers to present estimates of count rates in the hot lines, with a baseline spectrometer design. Excellent count rates are found, opening up the exciting opportunity to obtain high-resolution spectroscopy of hot plasma.

AB - We discuss the diagnostics available to study the 5–10 MK plasma in the solar corona, which is key to understanding the heating in the cores of solar active regions. We present several simulated spectra, and show that excellent diagnostics are available in the soft X-rays, around 100 Å, as six ionization stages of Fe can simultaneously be observed, and electron densities derived, within a narrow spectral region. As this spectral range is almost unexplored, we present an analysis of available and simulated spectra, to compare the hot emission with the cooler component. We adopt recently designed multilayers to present estimates of count rates in the hot lines, with a baseline spectrometer design. Excellent count rates are found, opening up the exciting opportunity to obtain high-resolution spectroscopy of hot plasma.

KW - Sun-active regions

KW - Sun-atmosphere

KW - X-ray

KW - Spectroscopy

KW - Coronal heating

U2 - 10.3389/fspas.2021.638489

DO - 10.3389/fspas.2021.638489

M3 - Article

SN - 2296-987X

VL - 8

JO - Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences

JF - Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences

M1 - 638489

ER -

High resolution soft X-ray spectroscopy and the quest for the hot (5–10 MK) plasma in solar active regions

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