Related papers: Observations of the forward scattering Hanle effec…
The linear polarization pattern produced by scattering processes in the Ca I resonance line at 4227 angstroms is a valuable observable for probing the solar atmosphere. Via the Hanle effect, the very significant Q/I and U/I line-center…
Observations of scattering polarization and the Hanle effect in various spectral lines are increasingly used to complement traditional solar magnetic field determination techniques. One of the strongest scattering polarization signals in…
An attractive diagnostic tool for investigating the magnetism of the solar chromosphere is the observation and theoretical modeling of the Hanle and Zeeman effects in spicules, as shown in this letter for the first time. Here we report on…
Several strong resonance lines, such as H I Ly-$\alpha$, Mg II k, Ca II K, Ca I 4227 \AA\, which are characterized by deep and broad absorption profiles in the solar intensity spectrum, show conspicuous linear scattering polarization…
Solar magnetic fields leave their fingerprints in the polarization signatures of the emergent spectral line radiation. This occurs through a variety of rather unfamiliar physical mechanisms, not only via the Zeeman effect. In particular,…
Measurable linear scattering polarization signals have been predicted and detected at the solar disk center in the core of chromospheric lines. These forward-scattering polarization signals, which are of high interest for magnetic field…
When observed in quiet regions close to the solar limb, many strong resonance lines show conspicuous linear polarization signals, produced by scattering processes, with extended wing lobes. Recent studies indicate that, contrary to what was…
Polarization that is produced by coherent scattering can be modified by magnetic fields via the Hanle effect. According to standard theory the Hanle effect should only be operating in the Doppler core of spectral lines but not in the wings.…
A large set of high precision full-Stokes spectropolarimetric observations of the He-D3 line in spicules has been recorded with the ZIMPOL polarimeter at the Gregory-Coude Telescope in Locarno. The observational technique allow us to obtain…
For about a decade, spectro-polarimetry of HeI 10830 has been applied to the magnetic diagnostics of the solar chromosphere. This resonance line is very versatile, as it is visible both on disk and in off-limb structures, and it has a good…
The Zeeman effect is of limited utility for probing the magnetism of the quiet solar chromosphere. The Hanle effect in some spectral lines is sensitive to such magnetism, but the interpretation of the scattering polarization signals…
Is it physically feasible to perform chromospheric diagnosis using spatial maps of scattering polarization at the solar disk center? To investigate it we synthesized polarization maps (in 8542 Angstroms) resulting from MHD solar models and…
This paper shows the first synthetic tomography of the quiet solar chromosphere formed by spatial maps of scattering polarization. It has been calculated for the CaII 8498, 8542 and 3934 A lines by solving the NLTE (non-local…
The only way to obtain reliable empirical information on the intensity and topology of the weak magnetic fields of the quiet solar chromosphere is via the measurement and rigorous physical interpretation of polarization signals in…
We highlight the main results of a three-dimensional (3D) multilevel radiative transfer investigation about the solar disk-center polarization of the Ca {\sc ii} 8542 \AA\ line. First, we investigate the linear polarization due to the…
The Hanle effect in strong spectral lines is the physical mechanism that should be increasingly exploited for quantitative explorations of the magnetism of the quiet solar chromospheric plasma. Here we show, by means of multilevel radiative…
The chromosphere of the quiet Sun is an important stellar atmospheric region whose thermal and magnetic structure we need to decipher for unlocking new discoveries in solar and stellar physics. To this end, we must identify and exploit…
The Ly-alpha line of He II at 304 \AA\ is one of the spectral lines of choice for EUV channels of narrow-band imagers on board space telescopes, which provide spectacular intensity images of the outer solar atmosphere. Since the magnetic…
One of the key research problems in stellar physics is to decipher the small-scale magnetic activity of the quiet solar atmosphere. Recent magneto-convection simulations that account for small-scale dynamo action have provided…
The sizable linear polarization signals produced by the scattering of anisotropic radiation in the core of the Ca I 4227 $\mathrm{\r{A}}$ line constitute an important observable for probing the inhomogeneous and dynamic plasma of the lower…