IRIS NUV diagnostics for Ellerman bombs: spectral properties, thermodynamics, and formation height

Fuente: arXiv
Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Poquet, I. J. Soler, Baso, C. J. Díaz, Dalda, A. Sainz, van der Voort, L. H. M. Rouppe, Nóbrega-Siverio, D., Joshi, R.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
_version_ 1866914531322626048
author Poquet, I. J. Soler
Baso, C. J. Díaz
Dalda, A. Sainz
van der Voort, L. H. M. Rouppe
Nóbrega-Siverio, D.
Joshi, R.
author_facet Poquet, I. J. Soler
Baso, C. J. Díaz
Dalda, A. Sainz
van der Voort, L. H. M. Rouppe
Nóbrega-Siverio, D.
Joshi, R.
contents Context. Ellerman bombs (EBs) are observational signatures of small-scale magnetic reconnection, key to understanding the lower solar atmosphere. While their role in active regions has been widely studied using the H$α$ line, near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectra routinely observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) offer a promising alternative for EB identification, enabling large-scale studies. Aims. We aim to identify the most important spectral signatures of EBs in the IRIS NUV spectra. With this, we seek to develop a robust criterion for their detection solely using the IRIS NUV spectra. In parallel, we determine the typical atmospheric stratification associated with EBs. Methods. We used four coordinated observations between the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST) and IRIS. Using the H$α$ line as a reference, we detected 18 different EBs and studied their associated IRIS NUV spectra. In addition, we used the IRIS$^{2+}$ inversion tool to infer the temperature, line-of-sight velocity, and non-thermal broadening from the EB spectra. Results. The defining feature of EBs in the IRIS NUV is the enhancement of the wings of the subordinated Mg II triplet in between the Mg II h&k lines. Inversions reveal that these signatures are produced by localized temperature increase of $Δ$ T~1650 K around log$τ$=-3.8. Using only the Mg II triplet signatures, we found a detection criterion that successfully recovered 14 of 18 H$α$-detected EBs. In addition, the shape of the Mg II h&k lines in relation to the Mg II triplet can serve as a proxy for the EB formation height. Conclusions. The NUV spectrum observed by IRIS is a good candidate for detecting EBs, opening the doors to large-scale studies across the extensive IRIS database, removing the dependence on H$α$ observations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_03818
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle IRIS NUV diagnostics for Ellerman bombs: spectral properties, thermodynamics, and formation height
Poquet, I. J. Soler
Baso, C. J. Díaz
Dalda, A. Sainz
van der Voort, L. H. M. Rouppe
Nóbrega-Siverio, D.
Joshi, R.
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Context. Ellerman bombs (EBs) are observational signatures of small-scale magnetic reconnection, key to understanding the lower solar atmosphere. While their role in active regions has been widely studied using the H$α$ line, near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectra routinely observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) offer a promising alternative for EB identification, enabling large-scale studies. Aims. We aim to identify the most important spectral signatures of EBs in the IRIS NUV spectra. With this, we seek to develop a robust criterion for their detection solely using the IRIS NUV spectra. In parallel, we determine the typical atmospheric stratification associated with EBs. Methods. We used four coordinated observations between the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST) and IRIS. Using the H$α$ line as a reference, we detected 18 different EBs and studied their associated IRIS NUV spectra. In addition, we used the IRIS$^{2+}$ inversion tool to infer the temperature, line-of-sight velocity, and non-thermal broadening from the EB spectra. Results. The defining feature of EBs in the IRIS NUV is the enhancement of the wings of the subordinated Mg II triplet in between the Mg II h&k lines. Inversions reveal that these signatures are produced by localized temperature increase of $Δ$ T~1650 K around log$τ$=-3.8. Using only the Mg II triplet signatures, we found a detection criterion that successfully recovered 14 of 18 H$α$-detected EBs. In addition, the shape of the Mg II h&k lines in relation to the Mg II triplet can serve as a proxy for the EB formation height. Conclusions. The NUV spectrum observed by IRIS is a good candidate for detecting EBs, opening the doors to large-scale studies across the extensive IRIS database, removing the dependence on H$α$ observations.
title IRIS NUV diagnostics for Ellerman bombs: spectral properties, thermodynamics, and formation height
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.03818