0000000001186252

AUTHOR

P. Testa

Hot Plasma Detected in Active Regions by HINODE/XRT and SDO/AIA

Multiple ratios of Hinode/XRT filters showed evidence of a minor very hot emission measure component in active regions. Recently also SDO/AIA detected hot plasma in the core of an active region. Here we provide estimates showing that the amount of emission measure of the hot component detected with SDO is consistent with that detected with Hinode/XRT.

research product

Temperature Diagnostics of a Solar Active Region Using a Single-Filter Observation of Hinode/XRT

Broad-band X-ray observations can provide limited temperature diagnostics through filter ratios. A high cadence observation of an active region made with a single Hinode/XRT filter allows us to use an alternative approach in which we measure the time fluctuations of the pixel count rate and use the variance as temperature proxy. We show the results and discuss limitations of method.

research product

The structure of coronal plasma in active stellar coronae from density measurements

We have analyzed high-resolution X-ray spectra of a sample of 22 active stars observed with the High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) on Chandra in order to investigate their coronal plasma density, using the lines of the He-like ions O VII, Mg XI, and Si XIII. Si XII lines in all stars of the sample axe compatible with the low-density limit (i.e. n(e) = 10(30) erg/s); O VII lines yield much lower densities of a few 10(10) cm(-3). Our results indicate that the "hot" and "cool" plasma resides in physically different structures. Our findings imply remarkably compact coronal structures, especially for the hotter (similar to 7 MK) plasma emitting the Mg xi lines characterized by…

research product

X-ray flare modeling in the single giant HR 9024

We analyze a Chandra-HETGS observation of the single G-type giant HR 9024. The high flux allows us to examine spectral line and continuum diagnostics at high temporal resolution, to derive plasma parameters (thermal distribution, abundances, temperature, ...). A time-dependent 1D hydrodynamic loop model with semi-length 10$^{12}$cm ($\sim R_{\star}$), and impulsive footpoint heating triggering the flare, satisfactorily reproduces the observed evolution of temperature and emission measure, derived from the analysis of the strong continuum emission. The observed characteristics of the flare appear to be common features in very large flares in active stars (also pre-main sequence stars), possi…

research product

Temperature and density structure of hot and cool loops derived from the analysis of TRACE data

We address the plasma structuring both across and along the magnetic field in two sets of solar coronal loops, observed with TRACE in the 17lÅ and 195Å passbands. We derive, after proper background removal, the density stratification and the thermal structure of the plasma in the fibrils forming the loops with two techniques: a) filter ratio diagnostic (195 Å/171 Å) and b) modeling intensity profiles along the fibrils with hydrostatic models. We find evidence of a hot fibril (T ∼ 5·106 K), with temperature and density stratification well-described with a typical non-isothermal hydrostatic loop model, and evidence of rather cold fibrils (T ∼ 2 · 105 K), isothermal and probably in dynamic con…

research product

Size of coronal structures in active stellar coronae from the detection of x-ray resonant scattering

We have analyzed high-resolution X-ray spectra of a large sample of active stars observed with the High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer on Chandra in order to investigate the properties of optical thickness of the coronal plasma. The analysis of Lyman series lines arising from hydrogen-like oxygen and neon ions shows in the coronae of the active RS CVn-type binaries II Peg and IM Peg significant decrements in the Ly alpha/Ly beta ratios as compared with theoretical predictions and with the same ratios observed in similar active binaries. We interpret these depletions in terms of resonance scattering of line photons out of the line-of-sight. These observations present the first stro…

research product