The Mount Wilson Ca <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis> K Plage Index Time Series

It is well established that both total and spectral solar irradiance are modulated by variable magnetic activity on the solar surface. However, there is still disagreement about the contribution of individual solar features for changes in the solar output, in particular over decadal time scales. Ionized Ca ii K line spectroheliograms are one of the major resources for these long-term trend studies, mainly because such measurements have been available now for more than 100 years. In this paper we introduce a new Ca ii K plage and active network index time series derived from the digitization of almost 40 000 photographic solar images that were obtained at the 60-foot solar tower, between 1915 and 1985, as a part of the monitoring program of the Mount Wilson Observatory. We describe here the procedure we applied to calibrate the images and the properties of our new defined index, which is strongly correlated to the average fractional area of the visible solar disk occupied by plages and active network. We show that the long-term variation of this index is in an excellent agreement with the 11-year solar-cycle trend determined from the annual international sunspot numbers series. Our time series agrees also very well with similar indicators derived from a different reduction of the same data base and other Ca ii K spectroheliograms long-term synoptic programs, such as those at Kodaikanal Observatory (India), and at the National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak (USA). Finally, we show that using appropriate proxies it is possible to extend this time series up to date, making this data set one of the longest Ca ii K index series currently available.     

A Century of Solar Ca <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis> Measurements and Their Implication for Solar UV Driving of Climate

Spectroheliograms and disk-integrated flux monitoring in the strong resonance line of Ca ii (K line) provide the longest record of chromospheric magnetic plages. We compare recent reductions of the Ca ii K spectroheliograms obtained since 1907 at the Kodaikanal, Mt. Wilson, and US National Solar Observatories. Certain differences between the individual plage indices appear to be caused mainly by differences in the spectral passbands used. Our main finding is that the indices show remarkably consistent behavior on the multidecadal time scales of greatest interest to global warming studies. The reconstruction of solar ultraviolet flux variation from these indices differs significantly from the 20th-century global temperature record. This difference is consistent with other findings that, although solar UV irradiance variation may affect climate through influence on precipitation and storm tracks, its significance in global temperature remains elusive.     

The Solar Ultraviolet Spectrum Estimated Using the Mg <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis> Index and Ca <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis> K Disk Activity

As part of a program to estimate the solar spectrum back to the early twentieth century, we have generated fits to UV spectral irradiance measurements from 1 – 410 nm. The longer wavelength spectra (150 – 410 nm) were fit as a function of two solar activity proxies, the Mg ii core-to-wing ratio, or Mg ii index, and the total Ca ii K disk activity derived from ground based observations. Irradiance spectra at shorter wavelengths (1 – 150 nm) where used to generate fits to the Mg ii core-to-wing ratio alone. Two sets of spectra were used in these fitting procedures. The fits at longer wavelengths (150 to 410 nm) were derived from the high-resolution spectra taken by the Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM) on the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS). Spectra measured by the Solar EUV Experiment (SEE) instrument on the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite were used for the fits at wavelengths from 1 to 150 nm. To generate fits between solar irradiance and solar proxies, this study uses the above irradiance data, the NOAA composite Mg ii index, and daily Ca ii K disk activity determined from images measured by Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). In addition to the fitting coefficients between irradiance and solar proxies, other results from this study include an estimated relationship between the fraction of the disk with enhanced Ca ii K activity and the Mg ii index, an upper bound of the average solar UV spectral irradiance during periods where the solar disk contains only regions of the quiet Sun, as was believed to be present during the Maunder Minimum, as well as results indicating that slightly more than 60% of the total solar irradiance (TSI) variability occurs between 150 and 400 nm.     

Physical properties of solar chromospheric plages

We compute a new grid of plage models to determine the difference in temperature versus mass column density structure T(m) between plage regions and the quiet solar chromosphere, and to test whether the solar chromosphere is geometrically thinner in plages. We compare partial redistribution calculations of Mg ii h and k and Ca ii K to NRL Skylab observations of Mg ii h and k in six active regions and Ca ii K intensities obtained from spectroheliograms taken at approximately the same time as the Mg ii observations. We find that the plage observations are better matched by models with linear (in log m) temperature distributions and larger values of m ₀ (the mass column density at the 8000 K layer in the chromosphere), than by models with larger low chromosphere temperature gradients but values of m ₀ similar to the quiet Sun. Our derived temperature structures are in agreement with the grid originally proposed by Shine and Linsky, but our analysis is in contrast to the study by Kelch which implies that stellar chromospheric geometrical thickness is not affected by chromospheric activity. We conclude that either the stellar Mg ii observations upon which the Kelch study was based are of poorer quality than had been assumed, or that the spatial averaging of inhomogeneous structures, which is inherent in the stellar data, does not lead to a best fit one-component model similar in detail to that of a stellar or a solar plage.Visiting Astronomer at Kitt Peak National Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under contract with the National Science Foundation.Staff member, Quantum Physics Division, National Bureau of Standards.     

Physical properties of solar chromospheric plages

Double pass photoelectric observations are presented of five Caii lines (H, K, 8498 Å, 8542 Å, and 8662 Å) in a number of solar plages of different degrees of activity, quiet regions, and a sunspot. The data are compared with previous work. All five lines show increasing emission together in plages and the least opaque of the infrared triplet lines appears to exhibit core emission prior to the more opaque members of the multiplet. The question of source function equality is considered and the differences and similarities among plage profiles and between plage and quiet profiles are shown qualitatively and quantitatively.Staff Member, Laboratory Astrophysics Division, National Bureau of Standards.Visiting Astronomer at Kitt Peak National Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. Inc., under contract with the National Science Foundation.     

The impact of aging on the rotation rate of calcium plages in the years 1967–1977

An analysis of Ca ii spectroheliograms obtained at Catania Astrophysical Observatory throughout the years 1967–1977 has been carried out, to throw light on the complex relationship linking (Ternullo, 1986) the angular rotation rate of Ca plages with their age, as well as with solar cycle phase, and with latitude. Given the rotation law w =, a + b sin² I, solar-cycle-related oscillatory properties both of a and b coefficients are described, both for young and old Ca plages.The aging-dependent rate-increments vary, for each epoch, both in module and sign with latitude; that results in deep distortions of the differential rotation latitudinal profile, which exhibits, when old plages are taken into account, a fine structure (Ternullo, 1987). Such a fine structure is absent in the young plage differential rotation profile.Throughout the time interval under examination, the torsional waves observed by Howard and LaBonte (1980) have appeared to be in close spatial relationship with the latitude bands where aging-dependent rate increments occur.

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Multiple-Scale Pattern Recognition Applied to Faint Intergranular G-band Structures

Small-scale solar magnetic flux concentrations are studied in two-dimensional G-band images at very high spatial resolution and compared with Ca ii H enhancements. Among 970 small-sized G-band intergranular structures (IgS), 45% are co-spatial with isolated locations of Ca ii H excess and thus considered as magnetic (MIgS); they may be even twice as frequent as the known G-band bright points. The IgS are recognized in the G-band image by a new algorithm operating in four steps: (1) A set of equidistant detection levels yields a pattern of primary “cells”; (2) for each cell, the intrinsic intensity profile is normalized to its brightest pixel; (3) the cell sizes are shrunk by a unitary single-intensity clip; (4) features in contact at an appropriate reference level are merged by removal of the respective common dividing lines. Optionally, adjoining structures may be excluded from this merging process (e.g., chains of segmented IgS), referring to the parameterized number and intensity of those pixels where enveloping feature contours overlap. From the thus recognized IgS pattern, MIgS are then selected by their local Ca ii H contrast and their mean G-band-to-continuum brightness ratio.     

Effects of magnetic shear,spot, and plage rotation on prominence evolution

We have studied the evolution of two dark H filaments as prominences during their disk passage from 12 to 19 February, 1992 and 6 to 17 March, 1992, using Kodaikanal Observatory H and Caii K spectroheliograms. Both the filaments were well outside the spot regions. However, they were connected to sunspots by small threads. Outside the spot regions, the filaments were also anchored between opposite polarity plage regions. Both the filaments were almost straight in the beginning. However, they acquired a curved shape (inverted U-shape) as the spot and plages underwent rotation. It is shown that rotation of the plage and spot plays an important role in the evolution of prominences, one serving as the anchor and the other imparting necessary shear. Once the shear reaches a critical value it starts unwinding the filaments, resulting in the fine structure of the two prominences studied.     

Contribution of chromospheric features to UV irradiance variability from spatially-resolved Ca II K spectroheliograms

We have digitized the Ca ii K spectroheliograms, observed at the National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak, for the period 1980 (maximum of solar cycle 21), 1985 (minimum of solar cycle 21), 1987 (beginning of the ascending phase of solar cycle 22), 1988 and 1989 (ascending phase and maximum of solar cycle 22), and 1992 (declining phase of solar cycle 22). A new method for analyzing the K spectroheliograms has been developed and applied to the K images for the time interval of 1992. Using histograms of intensity, we have segregated and measured the cumulative intensity and area of various chromospheric features like the plages, magnetic network and intranetwork elements. Also, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) derived from the histograms has been introduced as a new index for describing the chromospheric activity in the K-line. The full-disk intensity (spatial K index) has been derived from spatially-resolved K images and compared to the spectral K index derived from the line profiles for the full disk. Both the spatial K index and FWHM have been compared to the UV irradiance measured in the Mg ii h and k lines by the NOAA9 satellite and found that they are highly correlated with the Mg ii h and k c/w ratio.NRC Resident Research Associate, on leave from Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore 560034, India.     

Weak Emission Lines in the Wings of Solar H and K

The rare-earth ions cerium ii, lanthanum ii, dysprosium ii, and additionally zirconium ii and iron ii, are seen as weak emission features in the wings of the solar Ca ii H and K lines. The strength of these emission lines increases on the disk toward the limb. We provide recent high-resolution observations at disk center and at the limb. The identity of the weak lines is re-worked. We point out the unique role of eclipse spectra in distinguishing between the photospheric and chromospheric origins of emission lines. It is then demonstrated from our full disk (Sun-as-a-Star) and center disk archives, 1974 – 2010, that no activity cycle related signal is evident (save for the H and K lines themselves).     

Observation of standing kink waves in solar spicules

We analyze the time series of Ca ii H-line obtained from Hinode/SOT on the solar limb. The time-distance analysis shows that the axis of spicule undergos quasi-periodic transverse displacement at different heights from the photosphere. The mean period of transverse displacement is ∼180 s and the mean amplitude is 1 arc sec. Then, we solve the dispersion relation of magnetic tube waves and plot the dispersion curves with upward steady flows. The theoretical analysis shows that the observed oscillation may correspond to the fundamental harmonic of standing kink waves.     

The Imaging Vector Magnetograph at Haleakalā IV: Stokes Polarization Spectra in the Sodium D<Subscript>1</Subscript> 589.6 nm Spectral Line

The Imaging Vector Magnetograph (IVM) at the Mees Solar Observatory, Haleakalā, Maui, Hawai’i, obtained many years of vector magnetic-field data in the photospheric Fe i 630.25 nm line. In the latter period of its operation, the IVM was modified to allow routine observations in the chromospheric Na i D₁ line, as well as the Fe i line. We describe the sodium observational data in detail, including the data-reduction steps that differ from those employed for the Fe i 630.25 nm line, to obtain calibrated Stokes polarization spectra. We have performed a systematic comparison between the observational data and synthetic NLTE Na i D₁ Stokes spectra derived for a variety of solar-appropriate atmospheric and magnetic configurations. While the Na i D₁ Stokes polarization signals from the solar atmosphere are expected to be weak, they should generally be within the IVM capability. A comparison between synthetic spectra and observational data indicates that this is indeed the case.     

The fine structure of the solar atmosphere in the far ultraviolet

High resolution spectroheliograms in the ultraviolet emission lines He i, He ii, O iv, O v, and Ne vii have been photographed during a sounding rocket flight. Simultaneously, broad band filtergrams of the far ultraviolet solar corona were obtained from the same flight. This paper describes qualitatively the spatial distribution of the UV emission. A comparison with an H filtergram is made. The most significant results can be summarized as follows: We find most of the ultraviolet emission concentrated around spicules, with different degree of concentration, decreasing with higher temperatures. 4 different areas of ultraviolet emission can be distinguished. (1) The normal network, bright in all UV emission lines from the chromosphere into the corona. (2) The coronal holes, bright in all UV emission lines up to 600 000 K but depressed in coronal lines from 1 million degrees upward. (3) The coronal depressions near active centers, absence of all ultraviolet emissions and (4) Active regions, where ultraviolet emission comes from plages, sunspots and coronal loops. High non-thermal Doppler velocities can be found in certain plage kernels around 10⁵ to 2 × 10⁵ K. Sunspots are bright in the ultraviolet, but do not exhibit He i or He ii emission. The corona above sunspots is weak. Sunspots do not show high non-thermal Doppler velocities. The He i and He ii emission does not follow either chromospheric, transition zone or coronal pattern; one can recognize some typical behavior of each.     

On the relative residual intensities of the calcium H and K lines

We have observed the solar Caii H and K lines to obtain well-calibrated ratios of their core residual intensities. From three independent calibrations, one using a standard lamp, we conclude that the residual intensity ratio r(K₃)/r(H₃) is 1.048 ± 0.03 in the quiet chromosphere and 1.20 ± 0.03 in a plage region. These ratios correspond closely to those observed in stars with quiet and active chromospheres, respectively. For a chromospheric model suggested by the calcium lines and a four-level Caii ion, we compute H and K line profiles varying the direct collisional coupling and indirect radiative and collisional coupling via the 3 ² D level. We conclude that enhanced chromospheric activity in the sun and late-type stars results more from a steepening of the chromospheric thermal gradient than from a change in density.Kitt Peak National Observatory Contribution No. 530.Of the University of Colorado and the National Bureau of Standards.Operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under contract with the National Science Foundation.     

Some Peculiarities of Intensity Oscillations in Ca <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis> Lines under Coronal Holes

Observations of the central intensity of the Ca ii K and 849.8 nm lines are used to derive the ratios of the oscillation power in the frequency ranges of the “five-minute” (W ₅) and “three-minute” (W ₃) oscillations. It is shown that at high significance level ratios, (W ₅/W ₃) >1 at coronal hole bases, and W ₅/W ₃ ≈1 in quiet chromospheric areas far from holes.     

Long Term Variations in Chromospheric Features from Ca-K Images at Kodaikanal

There is a collection of about 100 years of Ca-K line spectroheliograms at the Kodaikanal Observatory (KKL) obtained on daily basis with a single instrument that can be used to study long term variations of various chromospheric features. All the Ca-K images have been digitized using specially developed digitizers with uniform and highly stable light source, high quality lens and 4k×4k format CCD camera. The digitization has been carried out in a room with controlled temperature and humidity. The digitized data are in 16-bit format with pixel resolution of 0.86 arcsec. The digitized images have been calibrated by a process that includes flat-fielding, density to intensity conversion, centering the image, and rotation of the image to make the solar north pole in the fixed direction. Then we applied correction for the limb darkening effect and also made the background in the image uniform. The image background was normalized to unity that enabled us to use the intensity contrast to identify different features, such as plages, enhanced (EN), active (AN), and quite network on images and classified them by using different image contrast and area threshold values. After several experiments with different threshold values for different features and careful analysis of a large number of images, we could fix the threshold values of intensity contrast larger than 1.35 and area larger than 1 arcmin² for plages, larger than 1.35 but area less than 1 arcmin² for EN, and between 1.25?–?1.35 for AN. We compared the quarterly averaged and half yearly averaged plage areas obtained from KKL with the Mount Wilson (MWO) data and sunspot number. We find that the plage area extracted from the KKL is highly correlated with the MWO plage area, though there is a slight difference between the two data set in cycle 19. The plage area of KKL is also highly correlated with the sunspot number. The areas of EN and AN are also found to have smaller quasi-periodic variations apart from the solar cycle variations.     

Do polar faculae on the sun predict a sunspot cycle?

The paper reports the results of the analysis of the data on polar faculae for three solar cycles (1960–1986) at the Kislovodsk Station of the Pulkovo Observatory and on polar bright points in Ca ii K line for two solar cycles (1940–1957) at the Kodaikanal Station of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. We have noticed that the monthly numbers of polar faculae and polar bright points in Ca ii K line and monthly sunspot areas in each hemisphere of the following solar cycle have a correlation with each other. A new cycle of polar faculae and polar bright points in the Ca ii K line begins after the polar magnetic field reversal. We find that the smaller the period between the ending of the polar field reversal and the beginning of a new sunspot cycle is, the more intense is the cycle itself. The intensity of the forthcoming solar cycle (cycle 22) and the periods of strong fluctuations in activity expected in this cycle are also discussed.     

The He <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis> Lines in the Lyman Series Profiles of Solar Prominences

The hydrogen and helium lines are the most prominent lines in the solar prominences spectra. Observations with the SUMER spectrometer onboard SOHO showed that there are weak lines in the blue wings of the Lyman series which affect their profiles. They were all identified as He ii lines in the Lyman series wings, except for the Lα line whose profile was affected by the use of an attenuator. The He ii lines are the even Balmer lines of the He ii system, a set of lines that we complete with the odd ones. We characterize them by comparison with the blue wings of the Lyman series in order to improve the H Lyman series observations and modeling, on one hand and to provide He ii lines observations for further combined H – He i – He ii modeling, on the other hand.     

The Lower Chromosphere in a Coronal Hole

We study the Ca ii K, H, and λ 849.8 nm line profiles in two regions of the quiet Sun, one being located in the extensive low-latitude coronal hole observed on 3 through 5 August 2003, and the other being located outside the coronal hole. Comparison of the profiles was carried out separately for cells and cell boundaries of the chromospheric network. Our principal result is that space- and time-averaged profiles of the central self-reversal in the coronal hole sites differ from those outside of the hole: Intensities of the K₃ and H₃ central depressions are increased in the cells but are unchanged in the network; the height of the K₂ peaks is reduced in the cells and particularly in the network; the central self-reversal asymmetry is intensified in the network. Distinctions appear at a high confidence level. Line wings as well as average characteristics of the infrared line remain practically unchanged. We discuss probable causes for this behavior of the lower chromosphere lines.     

Improvements in the Determination of ISS Ca <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis> K Parameters

Measurements of the ionized Ca ii K line are one of the major resources for long-term studies of solar and stellar activity. They also play a critical role in many studies related to solar irradiance variability, particularly as a ground-based proxy to model the solar ultraviolet flux variation that may influence the Earth’s climate. Full disk images of the Sun in Ca ii K have been available from various observatories for more than 100 years and latter synoptic Sun-as-a-star observations in Ca ii K began in the early 1970s. One of these instruments, the Integrated Sunlight Spectrometer (ISS) has been in operation at Kitt Peak (Arizona) since late 2006. The ISS takes daily observations of solar spectra in nine spectra bands, including the Ca ii K and H lines. We describe recent improvements in data reduction of Ca ii K observations, and present time variations of nine parameters derived from the profile of this spectral line.