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T-S Huang, S. Pojoga (Prairie View Solar Observatory)
Although the release of the magnetic energy occurs in the corona, the clues of energy build-up lie in the energy supply from the lower layers of the solar atmosphere. The observation and analysis of the photospheric and chromospheric phenomena preceding the flares are very helpful to the understanding of flare origins and their prediction, and constitute a valuable aid in developing numerical models of the flares.
A newly built Magneto-Optical Filter at Prairie View Solar Observatory is one compact instrument that allows high cadence, high resolution (~1 arcsec) observations in the potassium 769.9nm line. The MOF is mounted on the existing 35 cm vacuum telescope, and targets the same solar features as the main telescope. The instrument is still under development for observing the magnetograms and Dopplergrams.
During our observational campaigns, several flares were observed with the main telescope in H-alpha, while simultaneous observations of corresponding active regions were taken with the MOF. Images obtained before, during and after the flares show continuous evolution of the sunspots in the regions adjacent to the flares. An increase of the sunspot area, probably caused by new flux emergence in the region, was also recorded. All the observed flares had a moderate level and no flare kernels were observed in the potassium line images. With the completion of all MOF system more detailed information about the evolution of magnetic and Doppler fields within the flaring region will be available.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.