Enhanced Non-Thermal Line Broadening inside Coronal Cavities above Solar Prominences revealed by Spectral Imaging CoronaGraph

TL;DR

This study uses spectral imaging to analyze coronal cavities above solar prominences, revealing enhanced non-thermal velocities and turbulence, which suggest wave activity and interactions between prominence and coronal materials.

Contribution

First spectroscopic analysis of coronal cavities using SICG, revealing detailed velocity structures and turbulence characteristics.

Findings

Coronal cavities show asymmetric, ring-like Doppler shift structures.

Non-thermal velocities inside cavities are higher than in surrounding regions.

Core cavity regions exhibit the highest non-thermal and Doppler velocities.

Abstract

Coronal cavities, often associated with prominences, are crucial structures in understanding coronal heating and the eruption mechanism of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Previous studies have identified their lower density, higher temperature, and flux rope structures. However, spectroscopic observations are still relatively scarce. In this study, we utilize the newly developed Spectral Imaging Coronagraph (SICG), Chinese H$\alpha$ Solar Explorer (CHASE), and AIA/SDO to analyze the morphology, temperature, Doppler shift, and non-thermal velocity of two coronal cavities observed on November 13, 2024. We find that coronal cavities are distinctly visible in SICG \ion{Fe}{14} 5303~\AA\ and AIA 193~\AA, whereas they are nearly absent in SICG \ion{Fe}{10} 6374~\AA\ and AIA 171~\AA. The spectroscopic measurements show that the two coronal cavities display asymmetric, ring-like structures in the \ion{Fe}{14} 5303~\AA\ Doppler shift maps. The non-thermal velocities inside coronal cavities are significantly higher than those of the surrounding streamer areas. In addition, the core regions of coronal cavities, located directly above the prominences, exhibit the highest non-thermal velocities and Doppler velocities. Our results suggest the presence of waves and turbulence in coronal cavities, which are likely more intense than those in the adjacent streamer regions. We suggest that the interaction and exchange between the cold, dense prominence materials and the hot, low-density coronal materials are the main drivers of the waves and turbulence inside coronal cavities.