Relative Abundance Measurements in Plumes and Interplumes

TL;DR

This study measures and compares elemental abundances in solar coronal plumes and interplumes using spectroscopic data, revealing time-dependent FIP bias variations that inform solar wind origin theories.

Contribution

It introduces a differential emission measure analysis to assess FIP bias ratios in plumes and interplumes, highlighting their potential roles in solar wind formation.

Findings

FIP bias ratios are sometimes higher in plumes than interplumes.

FIP bias enhancements can vary over time.

Results provide constraints on plume formation and heating mechanisms.

Abstract

We present measurements of relative elemental abundances in plumes and interplumes. Plumes are bright, narrow structures in coronal holes that extend along open magnetic field lines far out into the corona. Previous work has found that in some coronal structures the abundances of elements with a low first ionization potential (FIP) < 10 eV are enhanced relative to their photospheric abundances. This coronal-to-photospheric abundance ratio, commonly called the FIP bias, is typically 1 for element with a high-FIP (> 10 eV). We have used EIS spectroscopic observations made on 2007 March 13 and 14 over an ~24 hour period to characterize abundance variations in plumes and interplumes. To assess their elemental composition, we have used a differential emission measure (DEM) analysis, which accounts for the thermal structure of the observed plasma. We have used lines from ions of iron, silicon, and sulfur. From these we have estimated the ratio of the iron and silicon FIP bias relative to that for sulfur. From the results, we have created FIP-bias-ratio maps. We find that the FIP-bias ratio is sometimes higher in plumes than in interplumes and that this enhancement can be time dependent. These results may help to identify whether plumes or interplumes contribute to the fast solar wind observed in situ and may also provides constraints on the formation and heating mechanisms of plumes.