Prominence-cavity regions observed using SWAP 17.4 nm filtergrams and simultaneous eclipse flash spectra

TL;DR

This study compares SWAP 174 Å images with eclipse flash spectra to analyze prominence-cavity regions, revealing plasma density depressions and heating effects in the solar corona.

Contribution

It provides a detailed comparison of space-based EUV imaging and eclipse spectroscopy to study prominence cavities and their plasma characteristics.

Findings

Detection of intensity deficits at prominence boundaries

Evidence of plasma density depression in cavities

Indications of localized heating in prominence regions

Abstract

SWAP images from PROBA2 taken at 174 {\AA} in the Fe IX/X lines are compared with simultaneous slitless flash spectra obtained during the solar total eclipse of 11 July, 2010. Myriads of faint low excitation emission lines together with the He I and He II Paschen {\alpha} chromospheric lines are recorded on eclipse spectra where regions of limb prominences are obtained with space-borne imagers. We analyzed a deep flash spectrum obtained by summing 80 individual spectra to evaluate the intensity modulations of the continuum. Intensity deficits are observed and measured at the prominences boundaries in both eclipse and SWAP images. The prominence cavities interpreted as a relative depression of plasma density, produced inside the corona surrounding the prominences, and some intense heating occurring in these regions, are discussed. Photometric measurements are shown at different scales and different, spectrally narrow, intervals for both the prominences and the coronal background.