Coronal streamers and fine scale structures of the low latitude corona as detected with Spartan 201‐01 White Light Coronagraph

Abstract

The solar corona was observed with an externally occulted White Light Coronagraph carried on the SPARTAN 201‐01 spacecraft for a 47 hour period beginning on April 11, 1993. At this phase of the descending solar magnetic activity cycle there were well developed coronal helmet streamers located over both the east and west limbs of the sun. Of additional interest in the SPARTAN data are the finer scale streamer structures observed in the low latitude corona which are partially resolved by the SP201‐01 instrument. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the physical and morphological characteristics of the streamers and the fine scale ray structures observed in the region between streamers. A comparison of these low latitude rays with the polar rays observed in the north and south polar holes during the same flight suggest that they have similar morphology and physical characteristics.