HR: 0830h
AN: SP51B-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Scientific Studies Using MACS: Coronal Reconnection Measurements and Solar Wind Acceleration Diagnostics
AU: * St. Cyr, O C
EM: Chris.StCyr@nasa.gov
AF: NASA, Solar Physics Branch Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Davila, J M
EM: davila@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA, Solar Physics Branch Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Reginald, N L
EM: reginald@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Department of Physics, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064 United States
AU: Brosius, J
EM: brosius@comstoc.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Department of Physics, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064 United States
AU: Moran, T
EM: moran@orpheus.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Department of Physics, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064 United States
AB: We have developed an instrument and an observational technique that exploits the shape of the K-coronal visible spectrum, 380-450 nm, to determine simultaneously both the thermal electron temperature and its bulk flow speed (see Reginald et al poster, this conference). For a given electron density along the line of sight, the shape of the K-coronal visible spectrum is influenced by the thermal electron temperature and its bulk flow speed. The bulk flow speed of the coronal electrons in the solar wind causes a Doppler-shift in the shape of the K-coronal spectrum depending on the magnitude of the speed. The simple reason for the red shift is that the wavelength-independent Thomson scattered coronal electrons observe a red-shifted photosphere as they move away from the Sun at the bulk flow speed. In addition, recent models have shown that identical streamers could be distinguished through their influence on the shape of the K-coronal visible spectrum in different wavelength regions. Modeling efforts have expanded to include a scenario where the observing line of sight passes through a coronal reconnection area. Using realistic parameters for the reconnection, and assuming that it produces bulk electron flows both toward and away from the Sun, our preliminary results indicate that the resulting red and blue-shifted K-coronal spectrum should be detectable with the MACS instrument.
DE: 7509 Corona
DE: 7514 Energetic particles (2114)
DE: 7835 Magnetic reconnection
SC: Solar Physics Division - AAS [SP]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly