Non-thermal Velocity in the Transition Region of Active Regions and its Centre-to-Limb Variation

TL;DR

This study measures non-thermal velocities in the transition region of an active solar region using IRIS data, revealing their distribution, correlation with plasma properties, and minimal center-to-limb variation, offering insights into solar plasma heating.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of non-thermal velocities in active region transition zones, linking them to plasma populations and magnetic structures.

Findings

NTVs range between 16-20 km/s in strong-field regions

NTVs are well correlated with redshifts and line intensities

Minimal center-to-limb variation observed in NTVs

Abstract

We derive the non-thermal velocities (NTVs) in the transition region of an active region using the \ion{Si}{4}~1393.78~{\AA} line observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and compare them with the line-of-sight photospheric magnetic fields obtained by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The active region consists of two strong field regions with opposite polarity, separated by a weak field corridor, that widened as the active region evolved. The means of the NTV distributions in strong-field regions (weak field corridors) range between $\sim$18{--}20 (16{--}18)~km~s$^{-1}$, albeit the NTV maps show much larger range. In addition, we identify a narrow lane in the middle of the corridor with significantly reduced NTV. The NTVs do not show a strong center-to-limb variation, albeit somewhat larger values near the disk center. The NTVs are well correlated with redshifts as well as line intensities. The results obtained here and those presented in our companion paper on Doppler shifts suggest two populations of plasma in the active region emitting in \ion{Si}{4}. The first population exists in the strong field regions and extends partway into the weak field corridor between them. We attribute this plasma to spicules heated to $\sim$0.1 MK (often called type II spicules). They have a range of inclinations relative to vertical. The second population exists in the center of the corridor, is relatively faint, and has smaller velocities, likely horizontal. These results provide further insights into the heating of the transition region.