The subterahertz solar cycle: Polar and equatorial radii derived from SST and ALMA

TL;DR

This study measures the Sun's polar and equatorial radii at subterahertz frequencies using SST and ALMA data, revealing correlations with solar activity and enhancing understanding of solar atmospheric structure.

Contribution

It provides new measurements of solar radii at multiple subterahertz frequencies and analyzes their variation over time in relation to solar activity.

Findings

SST radii agree with existing frequency trends.

ALMA radii at 230 GHz align with literature.

Radius variations correlate with solar activity in equatorial regions.

Abstract

At subterahertz frequencies -- i.e., millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths -- there is a gap of measurements of the solar radius as well as other parameters of the solar atmosphere. As the observational wavelength changes, the radius varies because the altitude of the dominant electromagnetic radiation is produced at different heights in the solar atmosphere. Moreover, radius variations throughout long time series are indicative of changes in the solar atmosphere that may be related to the solar cycle. Therefore, the solar radius is an important parameter for the calibration of solar atmospheric models enabling a better understanding of the atmospheric structure. In this work we use data from the Solar Submillimeter-wave Telescope (SST) and from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), at the frequencies of 100, 212, 230, and 405 GHz, to measure the equatorial and polar radii of the Sun. The radii measured with extensive data from the SST agree with the radius-vs-frequency trend present in the literature. The radii derived from ALMA maps at 230 GHz also agree with the radius-vs-frequency trend, whereas the 100-GHz radii are slightly above the values reported by other authors. In addition, we analyze the equatorial and polar radius behavior over the years, by determining the correlation coefficient between solar activity and subterahertz radii time series at 212 and 405 GHz (SST). The variation of the SST-derived radii over 13 years are correlated to the solar activity when considering equatorial regions of the solar atmosphere, and anticorrelated when considering polar regions. The ALMA derived radii time series for 100 and 230 GHz show very similar behaviors with those of SST.