Variations of Coronal Radiations at Optical Wavelengths

Abstract

This paper reviews observations of the variation over long and short time scales of solar coronal flux as observed from ground-based optical observatories. This includes data from Fe X, Fe XIV, Ca XV and the white-light electron corona. The various parameters are compared and contrasted as indicators of global coronal structure and output. The overall envelope of Ca XV minimizes before and during sunspot minimum, begins its slow rise in phase with the solar cycle, but maximizes late with strong 150-day oscillations resulting in values of zero at the local minima. Within the sensitivity of the observations, the increase of the envelope from Cycle minimum to maximum is over a factor of 30. Excluding possible secondary maxima and ignoring strong 150-day oscillations, the general envelope of Fe X appears to indicate a slow decline in intensity following sunspot maximum. Earlier observations indicate a Cycle minimum-to-maximum variation of a factor of 2 to 3. Later observations indicate a factor of 4 to 5. The overall picture for Fe XIV indicates that it varies in phase with the sunspot cycle. However, multiple maxima occur. The amplitudes of all observed Cycles are probably approximately equal, and the increase from Cycle minimum to maximum is approximately a factor of 10. The variation of the polarized and unpolarized white light corona is in phase with the sunspot cycle, although it may have a slower decline to minimum than the sunspot number. The increase from Cycle minimum to maximum is a factor of 2 to 3. Notable periodicities seen in the emission-line corona are (approximately) 27, 150, 180, 220 and 340 days and 3.4 years.