Polarimetry of HI Lyman-alpha for coronal magnetic field diagnostics

Silvano Fineschi; Richard B. Hoover; Muamer Zukic; Jongmin Kim; Arthur B. C. Walker II; Phillip C. Baker

doi:10.1117/12.140576

21 January 1993 Polarimetry of H-Lyman α for coronal magnetic field diagnostics

Silvano Fineschi, Richard B. Hoover, Muamer Zukic, Jongmin Kim, Arthur B. C. Walker II, Phillip C. Baker

Proceedings Volume 1742, Multilayer and Grazing Incidence X-Ray/EUV Optics for Astronomy and Projection Lithography; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.140576
Event: San Diego '92, 1992, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

We discuss and analyze the possible sources of observational and instrumental uncertainty that can be encountered in measuring magnetic fields of the solar corona through polarimetric observations of the Hanle effect of the coronal Ly-alpha line. The Hanle effect is the modification of the linear polarization of a resonantly scattered line, due to the presence of a magnetic field. Simulated observations are used to examine how polarimetric measurements of this effect are affected by the line-of-sight integration, the electron collisions, and the Ly-alpha geocorona. We plan to implement the coronal magnetic field diagnostics via the Ly-alpha Hanle effect using an all-reflecting Ly-alpha coronagraph/polarimeter (Ly-alphaCoPo) which employs reflecting multilayer mirrors, polarizers, and filters. We discuss here the requirements for such an instrument, and analyze the sources of instrumental uncertainty for polarimetric observations of the coronal Ly-alpha Hanle effect. We conclude that the anticipated polarization signal from the corona and the expected performance of the Ly-alphaCoPo instrument are such that the Ly-alpha Hanle effect method for coronal field diagnostics is feasible.

Citation Download Citation

Silvano Fineschi, Richard B. Hoover, Muamer Zukic, Jongmin Kim, Arthur B. C. Walker II, and Phillip C. Baker "Polarimetry of H-Lyman α for coronal magnetic field diagnostics", Proc. SPIE 1742, Multilayer and Grazing Incidence X-Ray/EUV Optics for Astronomy and Projection Lithography, (21 January 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.140576

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