Corona & solar wind
Sources of solar wind:
Since 1973, when Krieger et al. identified a coronal hole as the source of a high speed stream, people have been searching for localized regions, within holes, where fast wind might originate. As for sources of slow wind, these are, as of today, not fully identified. In this research area, Arcetri is involved along different lines:
- Hinode, STEREO, SDO have shown that X-ray jets are, in coronal holes, much more numerous than predicted on the basis of previous observations. These are small-scale, short lived ejections, that resemble larger scale flare events. A question we are trying to answer is: do X-ay jets contribute to the mass and energy flux of the wind?Satellite studies, within this area, focus on the nature of jets, on their physical parameters (that can be identified via spectroscopic techniques), and their evolution in time and spatially along the ejection, and extend to other transient CHs structures (e.g. plumes) and their role in solar wind origin and maintenance.
Images of the jet that occurred in the southern polar CH on July 1, 2008, and was imaged by HINODE/XRT in two filters
- One of the slow wind sources may reside at the edge of Active Regions (ARs), as scintillation measurements had suggested. Space experiments, like HINODE, allowed observations of ARs in the low corona, revealing the occurrence of outflows, whose behavior at higher levels is, however, difficult to predict: is outflowing plasma falling back or does it become part of the wind? In this area we analyze data acquired by UVCS/SOHO at high coronal levels (order of 2 solar radii) above Active Regions, to examine whether outflows reach these altitudes, hence supporting the hypothesis that one of the slow wind components originate from ARs.
Long-term behavior of these flows, over an AR lifetime, or over a solar cycle, are further issues that can be examined.
Images of the jet that occurred in the southern polar CH on July 1, 2008, and was imaged by HINODE/XRT in two filters.
Solar physics group
The Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory (OAA), part of the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), has a long tradition of solar physics studies, initiated more than a century ago. Nowadays, these continue with a number of researchers involved in solar and plasma physics issues, divided between the Observatory and the Astronomy and Space Sciences Department of the University of Firenze.
Scientific expertise includes solar surface magnetism, studies of explosive phenomena, solar instrumentation, and theory of the generation and transfer of polarised radiation in the solar atmosphere and the solar corona. Some of these topics are described in more detail below.
Group Members
Name | Position | Institute | Telephone | |
Gianna Cauzzi | Researcher | INAF - Arcetri | +39 055 2752 260 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Giannina Poletto | Associate | INAF - Arcetri | +39 055 2752 252 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Egidio Landi Degli Innocenti | Full Pofessor | University of Florence | +39 055 205 5223 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Marco Romoli | Researcher | University of Florence | +39 055 205 5233 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Marco Velli | Associate Professor | University of Florence | +39 055 205 5243 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Simone Landi | Researcher | University of Florence | +39 055 205 5224 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Federico Landini | PostDoc | INAF - Arcetri | +39 055 205 5221 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Mauro Focardi | PostDoc | INAF - Arcetri | +39 055 205 5213 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Maurizio Pancrazzi | PostDoc | INAF - Arcetri | +39 055 205 5230 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Stefano Pucci | PhD student | University of Florence | +39 055 205 5206 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Andrea Verdini | PostDoc | University of Florence | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Research Topics:
Optical instrumentation: the Interferometric BIdimensional Spectropolarimeter (IBIS)
Thecnology and Instrumentation for Astrophysics
Corona and Solar Wind - Space based observation of the extended solar atmosphere
Spectropolarimetry - Polarization of the radiation emitted by objects of astrophysical interest
High Resolution Solar Studies - Observation of the solar photosphere and chromosphere at high resolutions
Arcetri Space Astrophisical Plasmas
Projects:
METIS - Solar Orbiter
F-CHROMA
HERSCHEL/SCORE II
Solar Physics Group Members | ||
!-- News and Updates - IBIS First Light! --> IBIS | ||
Related Projects | ||
Publications | ||
Research Topics | ||
Corona and Solar Wind | Space-based observations of the extended solar atmosphere | |
High Resolution Solar Studies | Observations of the solar photosphere and chromosphere at high resolutions | |
Solar Activity | Studies of the solar chromospheric response to flares | |
!-- Solar Instrumentation --> Solar Instrumentation | Innovative interferometric instruments for bi-dimensional solar spectroscopy | |
Spectropolarimetry | Polarization of the radiation emitted by objects of astrophysical interest | |
Atmospheric Refraction code available here. |
Projects | Back to Solar Group Home Page |
![]() | cfa-www.harvard.edu/uvcs/ | The Observatory of Arcetri participates in the analysis of the data obtained from the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) operating on the SOHO spacecraft. |
![]() | www.themis.iac.es | The Observatory of Arcetri was responsible for designing and building the Italian Panoramic Monochromator installed at THEMIS and participates in observing runs using the range of THEMIS instruments |
![]() | esmn.astro.uu.nl | The European Solar Magnetism Network (ESMN) is a Research Training Network Funded by the European Commission that links together 11 european institutes to perform coordinated studies of solar magnetic fields using ground and space-based observations as well as theoretical interpretation. |
![]() | atst.nso.edu | The Observatory of Arcetri is part of a group of italian and european institutes evaluating a european participation in the design and construction of the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope. |