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Polar plumes observed at the total solar eclipse in 2009

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Abstract

During the total solar eclipse of July 22, 2009, we carried out a white-light observation in Anji, Zhejiang, China. The aim was to observe the polar plumes (PPs) with high spatial and temporal resolutions in white-light. With the observational data, we investigate the properties and evolution of the PPs and compare them with those of the low-latitude plumes (LPs). We find that both the PPs and the LPs have comparable lengths and widths, and the mean length and width are 300 Mm and 16 Mm, respectively. The average inclination angle (13 degree) of the PPs is smaller than that (32 degree) of the LPs. Generally, the plumes which are closer to the coronal hole center are more vertical. We trace the PPs and the LPs in the sequence of images and find that none of them disappears and no new one is created. Additionally, neither plasma outflow nor transverse oscillation is observed. These imply that the evolution process of plumes is much longer than the timescale of eclipse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Solar Activity, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China

    ShuHong Yang, Jun Zhang, ZhiYong Zhang, ZhaoWang Zhao, YangBing Liu, Qian Song, ShangBin Yang, XingMing Bao, LePing Li, Zhe Chu & Ting Li

  2. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    ShuHong Yang & Ting Li

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  1. ShuHong Yang
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  2. Jun Zhang
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  3. ZhiYong Zhang
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  4. ZhaoWang Zhao
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  6. Qian Song
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  9. LePing Li
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  10. Zhe Chu
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  11. Ting Li
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Correspondence to ShuHong Yang.

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Yang, S., Zhang, J., Zhang, Z. et al. Polar plumes observed at the total solar eclipse in 2009. Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 54, 1906 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-011-4471-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-011-4471-1

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