Bibcode
de Wijn, A. G.; Socas-Navarro, H.; Vitas, N.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 836, Issue 1, article id. 29, 4 pp. (2017).
Advertised on:
2
2017
Journal
Citations
1
Refereed citations
1
Description
We report on the detection of linear polarization of the forbidden [O i]
630.03 nm spectral line. The observations were carried out in the
broader context of the determination of the solar oxygen abundance, an
important problem in astrophysics that still remains unresolved. We
obtained spectro-polarimetric data of the forbidden [O i] line at 630.03
nm as well as other neighboring permitted lines with the Solar Optical
Telescope of the Hinode satellite. A novel averaging technique was used,
yielding very high signal-to-noise ratios in excess of 105.
We confirm that the linear polarization is sign-reversed compared to
permitted lines as a result of the line being dominated by a magnetic
dipole transition. Our observations open a new window for solar oxygen
abundance studies, offering an alternative method to disentangle the Ni
i blend from the [O i] line at 630.03 nm that has the advantage of
simple LTE formation physics.
Related projects
Magnetism, Polarization and Radiative Transfer in Astrophysics
Magnetic fields pervade all astrophysical plasmas and govern most of the variability in the Universe at intermediate time scales. They are present in stars across the whole Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, in galaxies, and even perhaps in the intergalactic medium. Polarized light provides the most reliable source of information at our disposal for the
Tanausú del
Pino Alemán