Motions in Prominence Barbs Observed on the Solar Limb

Abstract

Abstract We analyze and discuss an example of prominence barbs observed on the limb on 2016 January 7 by the Hinode/Solar Optical Telescope in Ca ii and Hα, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, with slit jaw images and Mg ii spectral data, and the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. In the recent literature there has been a debate concerning whether these features, sometimes referred to as “tornadoes,” are rotating. Our data analysis provides no evidence for systematic rotation in the barbs. We do find line-of-sight motions in the barbs that vary with location and time. We also discuss observations of features moving along the barbs. These moving features are elongated parallel to the solar limb and tend to come in clusters of features moving along the same or similar paths in the plane of the sky during a period of 10 minutes to an hour, moving toward or away from the limb. The motion may have a component along the line of sight as well. The spectral data indicate that the features are Doppler shifted. We discuss possible explanations for these features.