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We present joint Hinode Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (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 Å/1349 Å 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 Fe xii 193 and 195 Å lines, but not in the 192.4 Å line, in agreement with previous findings. As we cannot rule out possible EUV absorption by H, He, and He ii in the on-disk observations, we focus on an off-limb observation where such absorption is minimal. After considering these, as well as possible nonequilibrium effects, we suggest that the most likely explanation for the observed low Fe xii 192.4 Å/1349 Å ratio is the presence of non-Maxwellian electron distributions in the active regions. This is in agreement with previous findings based on EIS and IRIS observations independently.

The assumption of an equilibrium (Maxwellian) distribution of electron energies cannot explain observed high intensities of the Si XIId satellite lines relative to the Si XIII allowed lines during the flares. However, the presence of n-distribution with a higher and narrower shape than the Maxwellian one is able to explain this behavior. We calculated the ionization equilibrium for the non-thermal n-distributions using the latest atomic data for each element up to the proton number of 30. Significant changes in the shape and maxima of the ion abundance peak occur and can strongly influence the temperature diagnostics.

Aims. We analyzed effects of the bi-Maxwellian electron distribution representing electron temperature anisotropy along and across the magnetic field on the ionization and excitation equilibrium with consequences on the temperature diagnostics of the flare plasma. Methods. The bi-Maxwellian energy distributions were calculated numerically. Synthetic X-ray line spectra of the bi-Maxwellian distributions were calculated using non-Maxwellian ionization, recombination, excitation and de-excitation rates. Results. We found that the anisotropic bi-Maxwellian velocity distributions transform to the nonthermal energy distributions with a high-energy tail. Their maximum is shifted to lower energies and contains a higher number of the low-energy particles in comparison with the Maxwellian one. Increasing the deviation of the parameter p = T∥/T⊥ from 1, changes the shape of bi-Maxwellian distributions and ionization equilibrium, and relative line intensities also increase. The effects are more significant for the bi-Maxwellian distribution with T∥ > T⊥. Moreover, considering different acceleration mechanisms and collisional isotropization it is possible that the bi-Maxwellian distributions with high deviations from the Maxwellian distribution are more probable for those with p > 1 than for those with p < 1. Therefore, distributions with p > 1 can be much more easily diagnosed than those with p < 1. Furthermore, we compared the effects of the bi-Maxwellian distributions on the ionization equilibrium and temperature diagnostics with those for the κ-distributions obtained previously. We found that they are similar and at the present state it is difficult to distinguish between the bi-Maxwellian and κ-distributions from the line ratios.

The EUV lines suitable to diagnose possible κ-distributions in the solar corona are examined. A set of synthetic spectra for various values of the κ-parameter, characterizing the non-thermal κ-distributions, electron densities, and the mean energy of the distributions are calculated in the spectral range corresponding to the Hinode/EIS and Coronas-F/SPIRIT detectors. The strong EUV lines of Fe in various degrees of ionization are used to analyze the sensitivity of the line ratios to the shape of the distribution function, electron density, and temperature or the parameter T of the κ-distribution. The EUV lines suitable for the diagnostics of the distribution function are proposed and the conditions for their usage are discussed.

The responses to plasma emission of the TRACE EUV filters are computed by integrating their spectral responses over the synthetic spectra obtained from the CHIANTI database. The filter responses to emission are functions of temperature, electron density, and the assumed electron distribution function. It is shown here that, for the nonthermal κ-distributions, the resulting responses to emission are more broadly dependent on T , and their maxima are flatter than for the Maxwellian electron distribution. The positions of the maxima can also be shifted. Filter reponses to T are density-dependent as well. The influence of the nonthermal κ-distributions on the diagnostics of T from the observations in all three EUV filters is discussed.

By solving the energy-equilibrium equation in the stationary case, we derive analytical formulae in the form of scaling laws for non-uniformly heated and gravitationally stratified coronal loops. The heating is assumed to be localized in the chromosphere and to exponentially decrease with increasing distance along the loop strand. This exponential behavior of the heating and pressure profiles implies that we need to use the mean-value theorem, and in turn fit the mean-value parameters of the scaling laws to the results of the numerical simulations. The radiative-loss function is approximated by a power-law function of the temperature, and its effect on the resulting scaling laws for coronal loops is studied. We find that this effect is more important than the effect of varying loop geometry. We also find that the difference in lengths of the different loop strands in a loop with expanding cross-section does not produce differences in the EUV emission of these strands significant enough to explain the observed narrowness of the coronal loops.

Electron beams accelerated during solar flares carry electric currents which should be neutralized by so-called return currents. Both the electron beam and return current modify the electron distribution function in the solar transition region and low corona. Thus, they influence the intensities of the spectral lines formed in these layers. Synthetic spectra for the solar flare atmosphere are computed from model conditions and the possibilities of diagnostics of the return current from the EUV and X-ray line spectra are discussed.

Aims. We aim to prove and diagnose the occurrence of nonthermal electron distributions in solar flare plasma using X-ray spectral observations. Methods. An M4.9 flare on 2003 January 7/8 was observed with the RESIK instrument in the 3−6 A wavelength range (2− 4k eV) and with RHESSI at energies above 6 keV. The temporal behavior of RESIK flare spectra has been analyzed for two different types of velocity distributions – a thermal (Maxwellian) distribution and a nonthermal plasma distribution of free electrons. The Si xiv, Si xiii ,a nd Sixiid satellite lines observed with RESIK in the 5−6 A range were used to determine the degree of deviation from Maxwellian, and the equivalent non-Maxwellian pseudo-temperature, τ. The diagnostics presented are sensitive to the shape of the distribution in the energy range where the maximum of the electron distribution occurs (where the bulk of electrons reside) and does not include the influence of the shape of the high-energy tail of the distribution. Under the assumption of a Maxwellian distribution of electron velocities, the plasma temperature was determined from an emission measure (EM) loci analysis and a differential emission measure (DEM) analysis of RESIK spectra. The high-energy end of the flare radiative emission was investigated through RHESSI spectral analysis. Results. The nonthermal analysis of RESIK spectra has shown that the largest deviations of the plasma electron distribution from Maxwellian appeared during the impulsive phase of the flare. The decay phase spectra had an almost isothermal character. The pseudotemperature, τ, reached its maximum around the peak time of the soft and hard X-ray fluxes. The temporal behavior of the temperatures derived from the thermal analysis was similar to the behavior of the nonthermal pseudo-temperature. The values of the pseudotemperature were consistent with the temperatures obtained in both thermal analyses, but lower than the temperatures derived from the slope of the RHESSI continua. In comparison with the synthetic isothermal or multithermal spectra, the nonthermal synthetic spectra fitted the observed Si xiid satellite lines much more closely (the error is less than 10%). The fluxes in the Si XIId satellite lines in isothermal or multithermal spectra have been underestimated by a factor of three or more in comparison to the observed fluxes. The value of this factor varies with time and it is different for the different satellite lines. Conclusions. Evidence was found for considerable deviations of the distribution of free electrons from Maxwellian in the plasma during a solar flare. These occurred mainly during the flare impulsive phase and can be diagnosed using existing X-ray spectral observations.

Dzifcakova previously developed a method for calculating the influence of nonthermal electron-velocity distributions on the intensities of spectral lines (Solar Phys.234, 243, 2006; In: Lacoste, H., Ouwehand, L. (eds.) SOHO-17. 10 Years of SOHO and Beyond, SP-617, ESA, Noordwijk, 89, 2006). Here, we study this method in detail for the test case: Fe xv. It involves fitting a parametric form to the electron-excitation data in the CHIANTI atomic database. We assess the reliability of these fits by comparing them with the source atomic data, both Upsilons (Maxwellian-averaged collision strengths) and the original collision strengths. An accuracy for the method of better than 15% is deduced for all transitions, with a much higher accuracy than this for the strong electric-dipole transitions. A κ-distribution, which has an increased number of electrons in the high-energy tail of the distribution, is considered as an example. The shape of the κ-distribution affects the electron-excitation rate and thus the relative intensities of the spectral lines. Since the shape of the electron distribution function also influences the ionization balance of Fe, both effects change the final intensities of the lines. Synthetic spectra for Fe xv and Fe xvi in the wavelength range 50 – 80 A are presented for a κ-distribution and compared with solar observations.

A certain class of non-thermal electron distributions can exhibit more mono-energetic shape and a higher peak than the Maxwellian distribution. This type of electron distribution can be observed mainly in flaring plasmas. We have studied the influence of this kind of electron energy distribution on the excitation equilibrium of Fe VIII – Fe XVI in the solar corona. The changes in synthetic spectra of the emission lines belonging to these ions due to this non-thermal distribution are shown. The possibilities of finding the shape of the energy distribution function of electrons from the Fe line ratios are also discussed. The results can be used for diagnostics of coronal plasmas where the deviations of particle energy distributions from the Maxwellian one can be significant.

Context. The solar atmosphere contains a wide variety of transient features, here, we discuss data relating to one such feature. Aims. To explore via simultaneous spectral and imaging data the nature of high-velocity flow events in the solar transition region. Methods. High spectral and temporal resolution data from SUMER/SoHO plus high resolution images from TRACE are used. Results. In the transient feature discussed, we see a factor of two enhancement in N v 1238, coupled with a factor of two decrease in O v 629 visible over 3″–4″ along the slit. Furthermore, the O v line shows a secondary component with a down-flow of ≈ 75 km s -1 , while the N v line shows only a small additional broadening of the line. Conclusions. Inclusion of an electron density dependent ionization calculation will increase the N v radiance over that of O v at large electron densities. We suggest this feature can be explained via a highly focused jet at the O v/Ovi formation temperature resulting from reconnection. Also, we believe that this event is not unique but that their detection depends on the availability of simultaneous spectral and imaging data of comparable spatial and temporal resolution.

Changes in the excitation equilibrium of Feviii – Fe xv in the solar corona due to the electron non-thermal κ-distribution are studied. The shape of the distribution affects the electron excitation rate and thus the relative intensities of the spectral lines. Since the shape of the electron distribution function influences also the ionization equilibrium of Fe, both effects change the final intensities of the lines. Possibilities for diagnostics of the shape of the electron distribution in the solar corona are discussed. Synthetic spectrum of Fe for T = 1.58× 106 K and n e = 108 cm−3 is shown together with the synthetic spectra computed with DEM for the quiet Sun.

EUV bi-directional jets are a prominent class of phenomena characterizing the solar transition region. Using simultaneously obtained SUMER observations in the chromospheric Si ii 1251.16 A and C i 1251.17 A, transition region N v 1238.8 A and coronal Mg x 625 A lines we show an example of a bi-directional jet observed in the chromospheric and the transition region lines but not showing any detectable signature in the coronal line. The phenomenon, however, was also clearly detected by the TRACE imager with the 171 A filter. This discrepancy is explained here with a non-Maxwellian electron distribution which makes a significant fraction of the plasma in the TRACE 171 A pass-band to be derived from temperatures around ≈ 300 000 K, as opposed to ≈ 800 000 K. This could have implications for other phenomena observed in the TRACE pass-bands, including the transition region ‘moss’ and the 3- and 5-min oscillations.

The ionization and excitation equilibrium of C and O for the electron κ-distribution in the solar corona is studied. The change of the distribution shape changes the ionization, recombination and excitation rates. These changes influence the relative ion abundance and the level populations. The ionization peaks are wider and the level populations are usually lower for this kind of non-thermal distribution. The diagnostics of the electron distribution shape from ionic composition and from the line intensities is shown. The synthetic spectrum in the region 500–2000 A shows that some C iv, C iii and O iv lines are very sensitive to the shape of the electron distribution function. The enhancement of these lines by a factor 2–6 is observed for a strongly non-thermal distribution in comparison with the Maxwellian one. This result has been tested for DEMs in the CHIANTI database.

Observational data clearly indicate the presence of 3-min oscillations in sunspots in spectral lines covering a vast temperature range from the low chromosphere to those lines normally associated with coronal temperatures. We show that after folding in the sunspot plume emission measure distribution, the contribution functions for lines normally formed just below 1×106 K are shifted to lower temperatures. For example, the Fe ix 171 A line is shifted to 6×105 K for a Maxwellian distribution and to less than 5×105 K with a non-Maxwellian distribution. Other lines such as Mg ix 368 A will also be affected. This then questions some previous work regarding the suggested detection of 3-min oscillations in the corona above sunspots.

In the past few years new calculations of the ionization and recombination rates have been published. The new Fe ionization equilibrium for these new rates is available for a Maxwellian distribution. Therefore the updated Fe ionization equilibrium for the non-thermal κ-distribution with an enhanced number of particles in the high-energy tail is presented. Results for the various deviations from a Maxwellian distribution are given in tabular form and these are compared with previous ones. A method for the determination of an energy distribution different from the Maxwellian one is suggested.

The excitation equilibrium of Fe xxv in the solar corona for electron power distributions is presented. A parametric form of the distribution function is used to demonstrate the changes in the excitation equilibrium due to the shape of the distribution. A pseudo-temperature is used for better understanding of the changes in the excitation equilibrium. The Fe xxv line intensities depend on the shape of the electron distribution and unusual Fe line ratios can be observed for non-thermal distribution. The results can be used in specific applications in the solar corona, especially in diagnostics of the impulsive phase of solar flares, where the deviations from the Maxwellian distribution can be large.

The influence of electron non-Maxwellian distributions (power and κ-distribution) on the electron excitation rate in the solar corona is demonstrated. It is shown that the deviations in electron excitation rate are sufficient to affect intensities of spectral lines. As an example the diagnostics of a power-law distribution are demonstrated for a simplified calculation of the resonance lines of Fe xxiv, Fe xxv and Fe xxvi. The results can be used in diagnosing solar flare plasmas, where the deviations of the electron distribution from a Maxwellian distribution can be large.

New data for calculation of the ionization and recombination rates have have been published in the past few years. Most of these are included in CHIANTI database. We used these data to calculate collisional ionization and recombination rates for the non-Maxwellian kappa-distributions with an enhanced number of particles in the high-energy tail, which have been detected in the solar transition region and the solar wind. Ionization equilibria for elements H to Zn are derived. The kappa-distributions significantly influence both the ionization and recombination rates and widen the ion abundance peaks. In comparison with Maxwellian distribution, the ion abundance peaks can also be shifted to lower or higher temperatures. The updated ionization equilibrium calculations result in large changes for several ions, notably Fe VIII--XIV. The results are supplied in electronic form compatible with the CHIANTI database., ApJSS, accepted

We demonstrate the influence of an electron non-Maxwellian distribution function on the collisional excitation coefficient and, as an example, on the excitation equilibrium of Fe XIV in the solar corona. The results can be used for specific applications in the solar corona, especially in the active corona, where deviations from Maxwellian distribution can be significant.

We focus on the non-thermal components of the electron distribution in the keV range and analyse high-energy resolution X-ray spectra detected by RESIK and RHESSI for three solar flares.In the 2-4 keV range we assume that the electron distribution can be modelled by an n-distribution. Using a method of line-intensity ratios, we analyse allowed and satellite lines of Si observed by RESIK and estimate the parameters of this n-distribution. At higher energies we explore RHESSI bremsstrahlung spectra. Adopting a forward-fitting approach and thick-target approximation, we determine the characteristics of injected electron beams. RHESSI non-thermal component associated with the electron beam is correlated well with presence of the non-thermal n-distribution obtained from the RESIK spectra. In addition, such an n-distribution occurs during radio bursts observed in the 0.61-15.4 GHz range. Furthermore, we show that the n-distribution could also explain RHESSI emission below ~5 keV. Therefore, two independent diagnostics methods indicate the flare plasma being affected by the electron beam can have a non-thermal component in the ~2-5 keV range, which is described by the n-distribution well. Finally, spectral line analysis reveals that the n-distribution does not occupy the same location as the thermal component detected by RHESSI at ~10 keV., 18 pages, 14 figures, 10 tables