NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) small explorer mission will study how the solar atmosphere is energized. IRIS contains an imaging spectrograph that covers the Mg II h&k lines as well as a slit-jaw imager centered at Mg II k. Understanding the observations requires forward modeling of Mg II h&k line formation from 3D radiation-MHD models.
We compute the vertically emergent h&k intensity from a snapshot of a dynamic 3D radiation-MHD model of the solar atmosphere, and investigate which diagnostic information about the atmosphere is contained in the synthetic line profiles. We find that the Doppler shift of the central line depression correlates strongly with the vertical velocity at optical depth unity, which is typically located less than 200 km below the transition region (TR). By combining the Doppler shifts of the h and the k line we can retrieve the sign of the velocity gradient just below the TR. The intensity in the central line depression is anticorrelated with the formation height, especially in subfields of a few square Mm. This intensity could thus be used to measure the spatial variation of the height of the transition region. The intensity in the line-core emission peaks correlates with the temperature at its formation height, especially for strong emission peaks. The peaks can thus be exploited as a temperature diagnostic. The wavelength difference between the blue and red peaks provides a diagnostic of the velocity gradients in the upper chromosphere. The intensity ratio of the blue and red peaks correlates strongly with the average velocity in the upper chromosphere. We conclude that the Mg II h&k lines are excellent probes of the very upper chromosphere just below the transition region, a height regime that is impossible to probe with other spectral lines.
The Mg II h&k lines are the prime chromospheric diagnostics of NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). In the previous papers of this series we used a realistic three-dimensional radiative magnetohydrodynamics model to calculate the h&k lines in detail and investigated how their spectral features relate to the underlying atmosphere. In this work, we employ the same approach to investigate how the h&k diagnostics fare when taking into account the finite resolution of IRIS and different noise levels. In addition, we investigate the diagnostic potential of several other photospheric …
We report multi-wavelength ultraviolet observations taken with the IRIS satellite, concerning the emergence phase in the upper chromosphere and transition region of an emerging flux region (EFR) embedded in the pre-existing field of active region NOAA 12529. IRIS data are complemented by full-disk observations of the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite, relevant to the photosphere and the corona. The photospheric configuration of the EFR is also analyzed by measurements taken with the spectropolarimeter aboard the Hinode satellite, when the EFR was fully developed. Recurrent intense brighteni…
The C II 133.5 nm multiplet has been observed by NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) in unprecedented spatial resolution. The aims of this work are to characterize these new observations of the C II lines, place them in context with previous work, and to identify any additional value the C II lines bring when compared with other spectral lines. We make use of wide, long exposure IRIS rasters covering the quiet Sun and an active region. Line properties such as velocity shift and width are extracted from individual spectra and analyzed. The lines have a variety of shapes (mostly …
We present a statistical analysis of power distribution of oscillations in a plage region in active region NOAA AR12651, observed jointly with ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array), IRIS (Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph), and SDO (Solar Dynamics Observatory). We employ coordinated ALMA Band-6 (1.25 mm) brightness temperature maps, IRIS Slit-Jaw Images in 2796 Å passband, and observations in six passbands (1600 Å, 304 Å, 131 Å, 171 Å, 193 Å and 211 Å) of AIA (Atmospheric Imaging Assembly) onboard SDO. We perform Lomb-Scargle transforms to study the distribution of oscillatio…
Active region (AR) outflows have been studied in detail since the launch of \textit{Hinode}/EIS and are believed to provide a possible source of mass and energy to the slow solar wind. In this work, we investigate the lower atmospheric counterpart of AR outflows using observations from the \textit{Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph} (\textit{IRIS}). We find that the \textit{IRIS} \siiv, \cii\ and \mgii\ transition region (TR) and chromospheric lines exhibit different spectral features in the outflows as compared to neighboring regions at the footpoints ("moss") of hot AR loops. The average …
The O I 135.56 nm line is covered by NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) small explorer mission which studies how the solar atmosphere is energized. We here study the formation and diagnostic potential of this line by means of non-LTE modelling employing both 1D semi-empirical and 3D radiation-Magneto Hydrodynamic (RMHD) models. We study the basic formation mechanisms and derive a quintessential model atom that incorporates the essential atomic physics for the formation of the O I 135.56 nm line. This atomic model has 16 levels and describes recombination cascades through highl…
A triplet of subordinate lines of Mg II exists in the region around the h&k lines. In solar spectra these lines are seen mostly in absorption, but in some cases can become emission lines. The aim of this work is to study the formation of this triplet, and investigate any diagnostic value they can bring. Using 3D radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulations of quiet Sun and flaring flux emergence, we synthesize spectra and investigate how spectral features respond to the underlying atmosphere. We find that emission in the lines is rare and is typically caused by a steep temperature increase in the…
The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph(IRIS) with its high spatial and temporal resolution brings exceptional plasma diagnostics of solar chromospheric and coronal activity during magnetic reconnection. The aim of this work is to study the fine structure and dynamics of the plasma at a jet base forming a mini flare between two emerging magnetic fluxes (EMFs) observed with IRIS and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) instruments. We proceed to a spatio-temporal analysis of IRIS spectra observed in the spectral ranges of Mg II, C II, and Si IV ions. Doppler velocities from Mg II lines are co…
The C I 135.58 line is located in the wavelength range of NASA's Interface Region Imagin Spectrograph (IRIS) small explorer mission. We here study the formation and diagnostic potential of this line by means of non local-thermodynamic-equilibrium modeling, employing both 1D and 3D radiation-magnetohydrodynamic models. The C I/C II ionization balance is strongly influenced by photoionization by Ly-alpha emission. The emission in the C I 135.58 line is dominated by a recombination cascade and the line forming region is optically thick. The Doppler shift of the line correlates strongly with the v…
We use 3D radiation magnetohydrodynamic models to investigate how the thermodynamic quantities in the simulation are encoded in observable quantities, thus exploring the diagnostic potential of the 133.5 nm lines. We find that the line core intensity is correlated with the temperature at the formation height but the correlation is rather weak, especially when the lines are strong. The line core Doppler shift is a good measure of the line-of-sight velocity at the formation height. The line width is both dependent on the width of the absorption profile (thermal and non-thermal width) and an opac…
NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) space mission will study how the solar atmosphere is energized. IRIS contains an imaging spectrograph that covers the Mg II h&k lines as well as a slit-jaw imager centered at Mg II k. Understanding the observations will require forward modeling of Mg II h&k line formation from 3D radiation-MHD models. This paper is the first in a series where we undertake this forward modeling. We discuss the atomic physics pertinent to h&k line formation, present a quintessential model atom that can be used in radiative transfer computations and discuss the …
We present joint Hinode/EIS and IRIS observations of Fe XII lines in active regions, both on-disk and off-limb. We use an improved calibration for the EIS data, and find that the 192.4 A / 1349 A observed ratio is consistent with the values predicted by CHIANTI and the coronal approximation in quiescent areas, but not in all active region observations, where the ratio is often lower than expected by up to a factor of about two. We investigate a number of physical mechanisms that could affect this ratio, such as opacity and absorption from cooler material. We find significant opacity in the EIS…
Observations by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) in the Mg II h & k spectral lines have provided a new diagnostic window towards the knowledge of the complex physical conditions in the solar chromosphere. Theoretical efforts focused on understanding the behavior of these lines have allowed us to obtain a better and more accurate vision of the chromosphere. These efforts include forward modeling, numerical simulations, and inversions. In this paper, we focus our attention on the uncertainties associated with the thermodynamic model atmosphere obtained after the inversion of the …
Multi-wavelength ultraviolet (UV) observations by the IRIS satellite in active region NOAA 12529 have recently pointed out the presence of long-lasting brightenings, akin to UV bursts, and simultaneous plasma ejections occurring in the upper chromosphere and transition region during secondary flux emergence. These signatures have been interpreted as evidence of small-scale, recurrent magnetic reconnection episodes between the emerging flux region (EFR) and the pre-existing plage field. Here, we characterize the UV emission of these strong, intermittent brightenings and we study the surge activ…
Surges often appear as a result of the emergence of magnetized plasma from the solar interior. Traditionally, they are observed in chromospheric lines such as H$α$ 6563 Åand Ca II 8542 Å. However, whether there is a response to the surge appearance and evolution in the Si IV lines or, in fact, in many other transition region lines has not been studied. In this paper we analyze a simultaneous episode of an H$α$ surge and a Si IV burst that occurred on 2016 September 03 in active region AR12585. To that end, we use coordinated observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) an…
Solar spectra of ultraviolet bursts and flare ribbons from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) have suggested high electron densities of $>10^{12}$ cm$^{-3}$ at transition region temperatures of 0.1 MK, based on large intensity ratios of Si IV $λ$1402.77 to O IV $λ$1401.16. In this work a rare observation of the weak O IV $λ$1343.51 line is reported from an X-class flare that peaked at 21:41 UT on 2014 October 24. This line is used to develop a theoretical prediction of the Si IV $λ$1402.77 to O IV $λ$1401.16 ratio as a function of density that is recommended to be used in the hig…
The O IV intercombination lines observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) between 1397 and 1407 A provide useful density diagnostics. This document presents data that address two issues related to these lines: (1) the contribution of S IV to the O IV 1404.8 line; and (2) the range of sensitivity of the O IV 1399.8/1401.2 ratio.
Spectral lines allow us to probe the thermodynamics of the solar atmosphere, but the shape of a single spectral line may be similar for different thermodynamic solutions. Multiline analyses are therefore crucial, but computationally cumbersome. We investigate correlations between several chromospheric and transition region lines to restrain the thermodynamic solutions of the solar atmosphere during flares. We used machine-learning methods to capture the statistical dependencies between 6 spectral lines sourced from 21 large solar flares observed by NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph …
Ellerman bombs (EBs) are a kind of solar activities that is suggested to occur in the lower atmosphere. Recent observations using the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) show connections of EBs and IRIS bombs (IBs), implying that EBs might be heated to a much higher temperature ($8\times10^{4}$ K) than previous results. Here we perform a spectral analysis of the EBs simultaneously observed by the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) and IRIS. The observational results show clear evidence of heating in the lower atmosphere, indicated by the wing enhancement in H$α$, Ca II 8542 Å and …
While previous work explored the fractality and self-organized criticality (SOC) of flares and nanoflares in wavelengths emitted in the solar corona (such as in hard X-rays, soft X-rays, and EUV wavelenghts), we focus here on impulsive phenomena in the photosphere and transition region, as observed with the {\sl Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS)} in the temperature range of $T_e \approx 10^4-10^6$ K. We find the following fractal dimensions (in increasing order): $D_A=1.21 \pm 0.07$ for photospheric granulation, $D_A=1.29 \pm 0.15$ for plages in the transition region, $D_A=1.54 \pm …
Ellerman bombs and UV bursts are transient brightenings that are ubiquitously observed in the lower atmospheres of active and emerging flux regions. Here we present inversion results of SST/CRISP and CHROMIS, as well as IRIS data of such transient events. Combining information from the Mg II h & k, Si IV and Ca II 8542A and Ca II H & K lines, we aim to characterise their temperature and velocity stratification, as well as their magnetic field configuration. We find average temperature enhancements of a few thousand kelvin close to the classical temperature minimum, but localised peak temperatu…
We observed rapid variability ($\lesssim 60$ s) at the footpoints of transient hot ($\sim 8-10$ MK) coronal loops in active region cores, with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). The high spatial ($\sim 0.33$ arcsec) and temporal ($\lesssim 5$-10 s) resolution is often crucial for the detection of this variability. We show how, in combination with 1D RADYN loop modeling, these IRIS spectral observations of the transition region (TR) and chromosphere provide powerful diagnostics of the properties of coronal heating and energy transport (thermal conduction and/or non-thermal electr…
Small reconnection events in the lower solar atmosphere can lead to its heating, but whether such heating can propagate into higher atmospheric layers and potentially contribute to coronal heating is an open question. We carry out a large statistical analysis of all IRIS observations from 2013 and 2014. We identified "IRIS burst" (IB) spectra via a k-means analysis by classifying and selecting Si IV spectra with superimposed blend lines on top of bursts, which indicate low atmospheric heating. We found that ~8% of all observations show IBs with about 0.01% of all recorded IRIS spectra being IB…
Nanoflares are regarded as one of the major mechanisms of magnetic energy release and coronal heating in the solar outer atmosphere. We conduct a statistical study on the response of the chromosphere and transition region to nanoflares, as observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), by using an algorithm for the automatic detection of these events. The initial atmospheric response to these small heating events is observed, with IRIS, as transient brightening at the footpoints of coronal loops heated to high temperatures (>4 MK). For four active regions, observed over 143 hour…
Using high-resolution transition region (TR) observations taken by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) mission, Tian et al. (2014b) revealed numerous short-lived subarcsecond bright dots (BDs) above sunspots (mostly located in the penumbrae), which indicate yet unexplained small-scale energy releases. Moreover, whether these subarcsecond TR brightenings have any signature in the lower atmosphere and how they are formed are still not fully resolved. This paper presents a multi-wavelength study of the TR penumbral BDs using a coordinated observation of a near disk-center sunspot wit…
A recent analysis of UV data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph {\em IRIS} reports plasma "bombs" with temperatures near \hot{} within the solar photosphere. This is a curious result, firstly because most bomb plasma pressures $p$ (the largest reported case exceeds $10^3$ dyn~cm$^{-2}$) fall well below photospheric pressures ($> 7\times10^3$), and secondly, UV radiation cannot easily escape from the photosphere. In the present paper the {\em IRIS} data is independently analyzed. I find that the bombs arise from plasma originally at pressures between $\lta80$ and 800 dyne~cm$^{-2}$ …
The 133.5 nm lines are important observables for the NASA/SMEX mission Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). To make 3D non-LTE radiative transfer computationally feasible it is crucial to have a model atom with as few levels as possible while retaining the main physical processes. We here develop such a model atom and we study the general formation properties of the C II lines. We find that a nine-level model atom of C I-C III with the transitions treated assuming complete frequency redistribution (CRD) suffices to describe the 133.5 nm lines. 3D scattering effects are important for t…
Surges have regularly been observed mostly in H$_α$ 6563~Å and Ca~{\sc ii} 8542~Å. However, surge$'$s response to other prominent lines of the interface-region (Mg~{\sc ii} k 2796.35~Å $\&$ h 2803.52~Å, O~{\sc iv} 1401.15~Å, Si~{\sc iv} 1402.77~Å) is not well studied. Here, the evolution and kinematics of six homologous surges are analysed using IRIS and AIA observations. These surges were observed on 7$^{th}$ July 2014, located very close to the limb. DEM analysis is performed on these surges where the co-existence of cool (log T/K = 6.35) and relatively hot (log T/K = 6.95) components have b…
Coronal Holes (CHs) have subdued intensity and net blueshifts when compared to Quiet Sun (QS) at coronal temperatures. At transition region temperatures, such differences are obtained for regions with identical photospheric absolute magnetic flux density ($\vert$B$\vert$). In this work, we use spectroscopic measurements of the \car 1334~Å line from Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), formed at chromospheric temperatures, to investigate the intensity, Doppler shift, line width, skew, and excess kurtosis variations with $\vert$B$\vert$. We find the intensity, Doppler shift, and line wi…
The intensity of the \oiv~2s$^{2}$ 2p $^{2}$P-2s2p$^{2}$ $^{4}$P and \siv~3 s$^{2}$ 3p $^{2}$P- 3s 3p$^{2}$ $^{4}$ P intercombination lines around 1400~Å~observed with the \textit{Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph} (IRIS) provide a useful tool to diagnose the electron number density ($N_\textrm{e}$) in the solar transition region plasma. We measure the electron number density in a variety of solar features observed by IRIS, including an active region (AR) loop, plage and brightening, and the ribbon of the 22-June-2015 M 6.5 class flare. By using the emissivity ratios of \oiv\ and \siv\ lin…
Investigating the propagation of small-scale flare energy in the lower and upper atmosphere of solar active region
Physical Research Laboratory（物理研究实验室）；Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar（甘地纳加尔印度理工学院）；University of Cambridge（剑桥大学）；University of Sheffield（谢菲尔德大学）；Eötvös Loránd University（罗兰大学）；Gyula Bay Zoltán Solar Observatory (GSO)（久拉·巴伊·佐尔坦太阳观测站）
Context. The solar chromosphere and the lower transition region is believed to play a crucial role in the heating of the solar corona. Models that describe the chromosphere (and the lower transition region), accounting for its highly dynamic and structured character are, so far, found to be lacking. This is partly due to the breakdown of complete frequency redistribution in the chromospheric layers and also because of the difficulty in obtaining complete sets of observations that adequately constrain the solar atmosphere at all relevant heights. Aims. We aim to obtain semi-empirical model atmo…
The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) has been obtaining near- and far-ultraviolet images and spectra of the solar atmosphere since July 2013. The unique combination of near and far-ultraviolet spectra and images at subarcsecond resolution and high cadence allows the tracing of mass and energy through the critical interface between the solar surface and the corona or solar wind. IRIS has enabled research into the fundamental physical processes thought to play a role in the low solar atmosphere such as ion-neutral interactions, magnetic reconnection, the generation, propagation, and …
Helical magnetic flux rope (MFR) is a fundamental structure of corona mass ejections (CMEs) and has been discovered recently to exist as a sigmoidal channel structure prior to its eruption in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) high temperature passbands of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). However, when and where the MFR is built up are still elusive. In this paper, we investigate two MFRs (MFR1 and MFR2) in detail, whose eruptions produced two energetic solar flares and CMEs on 2014 April 18 and 2014 September 10, respectively. The AIA EUV images reveal that for a long time prior to their er…
We observe plasma flows in cool loops using the Slit-Jaw Imager (SJI) onboard the Interface Region Imaging Spectrometer (IRIS). Huang et al. (2015) observed unusually broadened Si IV 1403 angstrom line profiles at the footpoints of such loops that were attributed to signatures of explosive events (EEs). We have chosen one such uni-directional flowing cool loop system observed by IRIS where one of the footpoints is associated with significantly broadened Si IV line profiles. The line profile broadening indirectly indicates the occurrence of numerous EEs below the transition region (TR), while i…
Loops are one of the fundamental structures that trace the geometry of the magnetic field in the solar atmosphere. Their evolution and dynamics provide a crucial proxy for studying how the magnetized structures are formed and heated in the solar atmosphere. Here, we report on spectroscopic observations of a set of transition region loops taken by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) at Si IV 1394 Å with a sit-and-stare mode. The loops are corresponding to the flux emergence at its very late phase when the emerged magentic features in the photosphere have fully developed. We find th…
The IRIS Mg II k line serves as a very good tool to diagnose the heating processes in solar flares. Recent studies have shown that apart from the usual red asymmetries which are interpreted as the result of condensation downflows, this line could also show a blue-wing enhancement. To investigate how such a blue asymmetry is formed, we perform a grid of radiative hydrodynamic simulations and calculate the corresponding line profiles. We find that such a spectral feature is likely to originate from the upward plasma motion in the upper chromosphere. However, the formation region that is responsi…
The solar atmosphere was traditionally represented with a simple one-dimensional model. Over the past few decades, this paradigm shifted for the chromosphere and corona that constitute the outer atmosphere, which is now considered a dynamic structured envelope. Recent observations by IRIS (Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph) reveal that it is difficult to determine what is up and down even in the cool 6000-K photosphere just above the solar surface: this region hosts pockets of hot plasma transiently heated to almost 100,000 K. The energy to heat and accelerate the plasma requires a conside…
Numerical simulations of the solar chromosphere predict a diverse thermal structure with both hot and cool regions. Observations of plage regions in particular feature broader and brighter chromospheric lines, which suggest that they are formed in hotter and denser conditions than in the quiet-Sun, but also implies a non-thermal component whose source is unclear. We revisit the problem of the stratification of temperature and microturbulence in plage now adding millimeter continuum observations provided by ALMA to inversions of near-ultraviolet IRIS spectra as a powerful new diagnostic to dise…
A spatio-temporal analysis of IRIS spectra of MgII, CII, and SiIV ions allows us to study the dynamics and the stratification of the flare atmosphere along the line of sight during the magnetic reconnection phase at the jet base. Strong asymmetric MgII and CII line profiles with extended blue wings observed at the reconnection site are interpreted by the presence of two chromospheric temperature clouds: one explosive cloud with blueshifts at 290 km/s and one cloud with smaller Doppler shift (around 36 km/s). Simultaneously at the same location a mini flare was observed with strong emission in …
The formation of the transition-region O IV and Si IV lines observable by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is investigated for both Maxwellian and non-Maxellian conditions characterized by a kappa-distribution exhibiting a high-energy tail. The \ion{Si}{4} lines are formed at lower temperatures than the O IV lines for all kappa. In non-Maxwellian situations with lower kappa, the contribution functions are shifted to lower temperatures. Combined with the slope of the differential emission measure, it is possible for the Si IV lines to be formed at very different regions of solar…
A three-dimensional picture of the solar atmosphere's thermodynamics can be obtained by jointly analyzing multiple spectral lines that span many formation heights. In paper I, we found strong correlations between spectral shapes from a variety of different ions during solar flares in comparison to the quiet Sun. We extend these techniques to address the following questions: which regions of the solar atmosphere are most connected during a solar flare, and what are the most likely responses across several spectral windows based on the observation of a single Mg II spectrum? Our models are deriv…
Solar flares are transient yet dramatic events in the atmosphere of the Sun, during which a vast amount of magnetic energy is liberated. This energy is subsequently transported through the solar atmosphere or into the heliosphere, and together with coronal mass ejections flares comprise a fundamental component of space weather. Thus, understanding the physical processes at play in flares is vital. That understanding often requires the use of forward modelling in order to predict the hydrodynamic and radiative response of the solar atmosphere. Those predictions must then be critiqued by observa…
NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) provides high resolution observations of the solar atmosphere through UV spectroscopy and imaging. Since the launch of IRIS in June 2013, we have conducted systematic observation campaigns in coordination with the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST) on La Palma. The SST provides complementary high-resolution observations of the photosphere and chromosphere. The SST observations include spectro-polarimetric imaging in photospheric Fe I lines and spectrally-resolved imaging in the chromospheric Ca II 8542 A, H-alpha, and Ca II K lines. We present…
One of the most important features in the solar atmosphere is magnetic network and its rela- tionship with the transition region (TR), and coronal brightness. It is important to understand how energy is transported into the corona and how it travels along the magnetic-field lines be- tween deep photosphere and chromosphere through the TR and corona. An excellent proxy for transportation is the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) raster scans and imaging observations in near-ultraviolet (NUV) and far-ultraviolet (FUV) emission channels with high time-spatial resolutions. In this study,…
In the work described here we investigate atomic processes leading to the formation of emission lines within the IRIS wavelength range at temperatures near $10^5$~K. We focus on (1) non-equilibrium and (2) density-dependent effects influencing the formation and radiative properties of S IV and O IV. These two effects have significant impacts on spectroscopic diagnostic measurements of quantities associated with the plasma that emission lines from S IV and O IV provide. We demonstrate this by examining nanoflare-based coronal heating to determine what the detectable signatures are in transition…
Ellerman bombs are transient brightenings of the extended wings of the solar Balmer lines in emerging active regions. We describe their properties in the ultraviolet lines sampled by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), using simultaneous imaging spectroscopy in H$α$ with the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST) and ultraviolet images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory for Ellerman bomb detection and identification. We select multiple co-observed Ellerman bombs for detailed analysis. The IRIS spectra strengthen the view that Ellerman bombs mark reconnection between bipolar kilogauss…
Observations of multi-wavelength and therefore height-dependent information following events throughout the solar atmosphere and unambiguously assigning a relation between these rapidly evolving layers are rare and difficult to obtain. Yet, they are crucial for our understanding of the physical processes that couple the different regimes in the solar atmosphere. We characterize the exploding granule event with simultaneous observations of Hinode spectroplarimetric data in the solar photosphere and Hinode broadband CaIIH images combined with Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) slit spe…
We study the ascent of granular-sized magnetic bubbles from the solar photosphere through the chromosphere into the transition region and above, for the first time. Such events occurred in a flux emerging region in NOAA 11850 on September 25, 2013. During that time, the first co-observing campaign between the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope and the IRIS spacecraft was carried out. Simultaneous observations of the chromospheric H$α$ 656.28 nm and \ion{Ca}{2} 854.2 nm lines, plus the photospheric \ion{Fe}{1} 630.25 nm line, were made with the CRISP spectropolarimeter at the SST reaching a spatial re…
Coronal loops are basic building blocks of solar atmosphere and are observed on various length scales. However, their formation mechanism is still unclear. In this paper, we present the spectroscopic and imaging observations of small-scale transients and subsequent formation of transient loops. For the purpose, we have utilized the multi-wavelength observations recorded by AIA and IRIS-SJI, along with spectroscopic measurements provided by IRIS. For the photospheric magnetic field data, we obtained line-of-sight magnetogram data provided by HMI. Small-scale transients are simultaneously observ…
Internetwork (IN) magnetic fields are highly dynamic, short-lived magnetic structures that populate the interior of supergranular cells. Since they emerge all over the Sun, these small-scale fields bring a substantial amount of flux, and therefore energy, to the solar surface. Because of this, IN fields are crucial for understanding the quiet Sun (QS) magnetism. However, they are weak and produce very small polarization signals, which is the reason why their properties and impact on the energetics and dynamics of the solar atmosphere are poorly known. Here we use coordinated, high-resolution, …
Ubiquitous small-scale vortices have recently been found in the lower atmosphere of the quiet Sun in state-of-the-art solar observations and in numerical simulations. We investigate the characteristics and temporal evolution of a granular-scale vortex and its associated upflows through the photosphere and chromosphere of a quiet Sun internetwork region. We analyzed high spatial and temporal resolution ground- and spaced-based observations of a quiet Sun region. The observations consist of high-cadence time series of wideband and narrowband images of both H-alpha 6563 A and Ca II 8542 A lines o…
We present joint observations of the Sun by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). The observations were made of a solar active region on 2015 December 18 as part of the ALMA science verification effort. A map of the Sun's continuum emission of size $2.4' \times 2.3'$ was obtained by ALMA at a wavelength of 1.25 mm (239 GHz) using mosaicing techniques. A contemporaneous map of size $1.9'\times 2.9'$ was obtained in the Mg II h doublet line at 2803.5Å by IRIS. Both mm/submm$-λ$ continuum emission and ultraviolet (UV) line em…
Formation of the H$β$ $λ$4861.34 Å line is an important topic related to the diagnosis of the basic configuration of magnetic fields in the solar and stellar chromospheres. Specifically, broadening of the H$β$ $λ$4861.34 Å line occurs due to the magnetic and micro-electric fields in the solar atmosphere. The formation of H$β$ in the model umbral atmosphere is presented based on the assumption of non-local thermodynamic equilibrium. It is found that the model umbral chromosphere is transparent to the Stokes parameters of the H$β$ line, which implies that the observed signals of magnetic fields …
Various small-scale structures abound in the solar atmosphere above active regions, playing an important role in the dynamics and evolution therein. We report on a new class of small-scale transition region structures in active regions, characterized by strong emissions but extremely narrow Si IV line profiles as found in observations taken with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). Tentatively named as Narrow-line-width UV bursts (NUBs), these structures are located above sunspots and comprise of one or multiple compact bright cores at sub-arcsecond scales. We found six NUBs in tw…
The properties of non-statistical equilibrium ionization of silicon and oxygen ions are analyzed in this work. We focus on four solar targets (quiet sun, coronal hole, plage, quiescent active region, AR, and flaring AR) as observed with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). IRIS is best suited for this work due to the high cadence (up to 0.5s), high spatial resolution (up to 0.32"), and high signal to noise ratios for O IV and Si IV. We find that the observed intensity ratio between lines of three times ionized silicon and oxygen ions depends on their total intensity and that this …
