Solar EUV Rocket Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS) Observations of Fe XII Emission Lines

Abstract

Abstract.Theoretical electron density sensitive emission line ratios involving transitions in the 186–383 Å wavelength range are compared with observational data for a solar active region and a subflare, obtained by the Solar EUV Rocket Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS). Electron densities derived from the majority of the ratios are consistent with one another, and are also in good agreement with the values of density estimated from diagnostic lines in other species formed at similar temperatures to Fe XII. These results provide observational support for the general accuracy of the diagnostic calculations. In addition, our analysis indicates that a line at 283.70 Å in the active region spectrum is the 3s23p32D3/2−3s3p42P1/2 transition in Fe XII, the first time (to the best of our knowledge) that this line has been identified in the solar spectrum. Several of the line ratios considered are predicted to be relatively insensitive to the adopted electron temperature and density, and the generally good agreement found between theory and observation for these provides evidence for the reliability of the SERTS instrument calibration. The application of the Fe XII diagnostics to EUVE observations of the F5 subgiant Procyon is briefly discussed.