Density diagnostics and coronal plasma

Abstract

The electron density in the coronal plasma using diagnostic line intensity ratios has been studied. These studies have provided clues to our understanding of physical processes in the quiet Sun, coronal holes, sunspot and active regions. In this paper some new work on the determination of theoretical electron density in the solar atmosphere has been presented using computed line intensities from Mg VI, Si VIII, and S X ions based on the Kopp and Orrall model. Some of these lines are weak; the theoretical line intensities should be useful in resolving them from stronger ones when observations at higher spectral resolution may become available from future solar missions like SOHO. © 1991.