Spectroscopic study of solar transition region oscillations in the quiet-Sun observed by IRIS using Si IV spectral line

TL;DR

This study analyzes IRIS Si IV spectral data to characterize solar transition region oscillations, revealing their nature as propagating or standing slow magnetoacoustic waves with specific periods and phase differences.

Contribution

It provides a detailed spectroscopic analysis of TR oscillations in the quiet Sun, identifying their wave modes and phase relationships using wavelet analysis and a noise model.

Findings

Mean periods of 7-8 minutes for bright regions

Presence of propagating and standing slow magnetoacoustic waves

Phase differences indicating wave propagation directions

Abstract

In the present paper, we use Si IV 1393.755 \AA\ spectral line observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) in the quiet-Sun to determine physical nature of the solar transition region (TR) oscillations. We analyze the properties of these oscillations using wavelet tools (e.g., power, cross-power, coherence, and phase difference) along with the stringent noise model (i.e., power-law + constant). We estimate the period of the intensity and Doppler velocity oscillations at each chosen location in the quiet-Sun (QS) and quantify the distribution of the statistically significant power and associated periods in one bright and two dark regions. In the bright TR region, the mean periods in intensity and velocity are 7 min, and 8 min respectively. In the dark region, the mean periods in intensity and velocity are 7 min, and 5.4 min respectively. We also estimate the phase difference between the intensity and Doppler velocity oscillations at each location. The statistical distribution of phase difference is estimated, which peaks at -119\degree $\pm$ 13\degree, 33\degree $\pm$ 10\degree, 102\degree $\pm$ 10\degree\ in the bright region, while at -153\degree $\pm$ 13\degree, 6\degree $\pm$ 20\degree, 151\degree $\pm$ 10\degree\ in the dark region. The statistical distribution reveals that the oscillations are caused by propagating slow magnetoacoustic waves encountered with the TR. Some of these locations may also be associated with the standing slow waves. Even, in the given time domain, several locations exhibit presence of both propagating and standing oscillations at different frequencies.