The Temperature Dependence of Solar Active Region Outflows

TL;DR

This study investigates the temperature-dependent behavior of solar active region outflows using spectroscopic data, revealing complex dynamics and different structures at various temperatures, challenging previous assumptions about their nature.

Contribution

It demonstrates that active region outflows are temperature-dependent and are distinct from fan loops, providing new insights into solar plasma dynamics.

Findings

Outflows are observed mainly in Fe XI - Fe XV emission lines.

Lower temperature structures (Si VII) show downflows and fan-like morphology.

Outflows and fan loops are on different magnetic field lines.

Abstract

Spectroscopic observations with the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on Hinode have revealed large areas of high speed outflows at the periphery of many solar active regions. These outflows are of interest because they may connect to the heliosphere and contribute to the solar wind. In this Letter we use slit rasters from EIS in combination with narrow band slot imaging to study the temperature dependence of an active region outflow and show that it is more complicated than previously thought. Outflows are observed primarily in emission lines from Fe XI - Fe XV. Observations at lower temperatures (Si VII), in contrast, show bright fan-like structures that are dominated by downflows. The morphology of the outflows is also different than that of the fans. This suggests that the fan loops, which often show apparent outflows in imaging data, are contained on closed field lines and are not directly related to the active region outflows.