HR: 14:00h
AN: SH42D-02    [PDF]
TI: Measuring Coronal Magnetic Fields with Coronal Emission Line Polarimetry
AU: * Lin, H
EM: lin@ifa.hawaii.edu
AF: Institute for Astronomy University of Hawaii, 4761 Lower Kula Road P.O.Box 209, Kula, HI 96790 United States
AB: Magnetic field is the dominating field in the solar corona, responsible for the majestic coronal structures and dynamic events. However, no direct measurements of the coronal magnetic fields are routinely available and we can only infer the coronal magnetic field structures from observed intensity images. Although several methods for the diagnostics of coronal magnetic fields have been demonstrated, measurement of the coronal magnetic fields remains a very challenging observational task. This paper reports on a concerted effort at the Institute for Astronomy (IfA) to establish routine vector coronal magnetic field measurement capabilities using spectropolarimetric observation of the near infrared Fe XIII 1074.7 nm coronal emission line. The IfA effort includes observations of two-dimensional circular polarization maps of the emission line which carry information about the coronal magnetic field strength. High resolution observation of the linear polarization maps which yield the projected direction of the coronal magnetic field in the plane of the sky will also be obtained. The latest results from these experiments will be presented.
DE: 7509 Corona
DE: 7524 Magnetic fields
SC: SPA - Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting