The WHI Corona from Differential Emission Measure Tomography

TL;DR

This paper presents a 3D tomographic reconstruction of the solar corona's differential emission measure during the WHI period, revealing detailed electron density and temperature distributions and comparing them to a previous solar minimum period.

Contribution

It introduces a novel 3D reconstruction method of the solar corona's plasma parameters using STEREO/EUVI images during the WHI, extending previous analyses to a different solar minimum.

Findings

The WHI corona has a smaller, more complex streamer structure than CR-2077.

Average electron densities are about 2.23 x 10^8 cm^-3 in streamer cores.

Electron temperatures are approximately 1.13 MK in streamer cores and 0.93 MK in subpolar regions.

Abstract

A three dimensional (3D) tomographic reconstruction of the local differential emission measure (LDEM) of the global solar corona during the whole heliosphere interval (WHI, Carrington rotation CR-2068) is presented, based on STEREO/EUVI images. We determine the 3D distribution of the electron density, mean temperature, and temperature spread, in the range of heliocentric heights 1.03 to 1.23 Rsun. The reconstruction is complemented with a potential field source surface (PFSS) magnetic-field model. The streamer core, streamer legs, and subpolar regions are analyzed and compared to a similar analysis previously performed for CR-2077, very near the absolute minimum of the Solar Cycle 23. In each region, the typical values of density and temperature are similar in both periods. The WHI corona exhibits a streamer structure of relatively smaller volume and latitudinal extension than during CR-2077, with a global closed-to-open density contrast about 6% lower, and a somewhat more complex morphology. The average basal electron density is found to be about 2.23 and 1.08 x 10^8 cm^-3, in the streamer core and subpolar regions, respectively. The electron temperature is quite uniform over the analyzed height range, with average values of about 1.13 and 0.93 MK, in the streamer core and subpolar regions, respectively. Within the streamer closed region, both periods show higher temperatures at mid-latitudes and lower temperatures near the equator. Both periods show beta>1 in the streamer core and beta<1 in the surrounding open regions, with CR-2077 exhibiting a stronger contrast. Hydrostatic fits to the electron density are performed, and the scale height is compared to the LDEM mean electron temperature. Within the streamer core, the results are consistent with an isothermal hydrostatic plasma regime, with the temperatures of ions and electrons differing by up to about 10% .. (continues)..