Astron. Astrophys. 363, 289-294 (2000)

Correlative relationships in an inhomogeneous solar atmosphere

A.S. Gadun  ¹, A. Hanslmeier ², A. Kuera ³, J. Rybák ³ and H. Wöhl <sup>4

1</sup> Main Astronomical Observatory of Ukrainian NAS, Goloseevo, 03680 Kiev-127, Ukraine
² Institut für Geophysik, Astrophysik und Meteorologie, Universitätsplatz 5, 8010 Graz, Austria
³ Astronomical Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 05960 Tatranská Lomnica, Slovakia
⁴ Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik, Schöneckstrasse 6, 79104 Freiburg, Germany

Received 17 February 2000 / Accepted 17 August 2000

Abstract

We analyse the correlative relationships between various quantities derived from 2-D inhomogeneous and time-dependent model atmospheres and between selected simulated line parameters to compare them with height-dependent correlations derived from spectral observations. We detect three photospheric regions: thermal convection, overshooting convection and a transition layer. We also show that correlations found for the model data and those computed within simulated spectral observations are a good testing tool for line formation depths. As an example, we examine two criteria, providing heights of line core formation in LTE, and conclude that the approach which defines this quantity as geometrical height at line center optical depth = 1 is likely more suitable for diagnostic purposes than the method based on depression contribution function.

Key words: Sun: granulation Sun: photosphere hydrodynamics line: formation

Send offprint requests to: A. Hanslmeier
(arh@bimgs1.kfunigraz.ac.at)
deceased

This article contains no SIMBAD objects.

Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. 2-D models and spectral observations
• 3. Theoretical correlative relationships
  • 3.1. Two-component representation
  • 3.2. Correlative relationships
    • 3.2.1. Two-point correlations
    • 3.2.2. One-point correlations
• 4. Comparison with line parameter correlations
• 5. Discussion and conclusion
• Acknowledgements
• References

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 2000

Online publication: December 5, 2000
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