Chromospheric Evaporation in an X1.0 Flare on 2014 March 29 Observed with IRIS and EIS

TL;DR

This study uses IRIS and EIS observations to analyze chromospheric evaporation during an X1.0 solar flare, revealing both gentle and explosive evaporation signatures and confirming theoretical predictions of blueshifts in hot lines.

Contribution

First detailed spectroscopic analysis of chromospheric evaporation during an X1.0 flare combining IRIS and EIS data, confirming predicted blueshifts in hot lines.

Findings

Detection of blueshifts in Fe XXI line (~10 MK) during the flare.

Observation of both gentle and explosive evaporation phases.

Conversion from gentle to explosive evaporation during flare evolution.

Abstract

Chromospheric evaporation refers to dynamic mass motions in flare loops as a result of rapid energy deposition in the chromosphere. These have been observed as blueshifts in X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) spectral lines corresponding to upward motions at a few tens to a few hundreds of km/s. Past spectroscopic observations have also revealed a dominant stationary component, in addition to the blueshifted component, in emission lines formed at high temperatures (~10 MK). This is contradictory to evaporation models predicting predominant blueshifts in hot lines. The recently launched Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) provides high resolution imaging and spectroscopic observations that focus on the chromosphere and transition region in the UV passband. Using the new IRIS observations, combined with coordinated observations from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer, we study the chromospheric evaporation process from the upper chromosphere to corona during an X1.0 flare on 2014 March 29. We find evident evaporation signatures, characterized by Doppler shifts and line broadening, at two flare ribbons separating from each other, suggesting that chromospheric evaporation takes place in successively formed flaring loops throughout the flare. More importantly, we detect dominant blueshifts in the high temperature Fe XXI line (~10 MK), in agreement with theoretical predictions. We also find that, in this flare, gentle evaporation occurs at some locations in the rise phase of the flare, while explosive evaporation is detected at some other locations near the peak of the flare. There is a conversion from gentle to explosive evaporation as the flare evolves.