An Optically Thin View of the Solar Chromosphere from Observations of the O i 1355 Å Spectral Line

Abstract

The O i 1355 Å spectral line is one of the only optically thin lines that are both routinely observed and thought to be formed in the chromosphere. We present an analysis of a variety of observations of this line with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), and compare it with other IRIS diagnostics as well as diagnostics of the photospheric magnetic field. We utilize special deep exposure modes on IRIS and provide an overview of the statistical properties of this spectral line for several different regions on the Sun. We analyze the spatiotemporal variations of the line intensity and find that it is often significantly enhanced when and where magnetic flux of opposite polarities cancel. Significant emission occurs in association with chromospheric spicules. Because of the optically thin nature of the O i line, the nonthermal broadening can provide insight into unresolved small-scale motions. We find that the nonthermal broadening is modest, with typical values of 5–10 km s−1, and shows some center-to-limb variation, with a modest increase toward the limb. The dependence with the height of the intensity and line broadening off-limb is compatible with the line broadening being dominated by the superposition of Alfvén waves on different structures. The nonthermal broadening shows a modest but significant enhancement above locations that are in between photospheric magnetic flux concentrations in plage, i.e., where the magnetic field is likely to be more inclined with respect to the line of sight. Our measurements provide strict constraints on future theoretical models of the chromosphere.