Intermittent behavior in the transition region and the low corona of the quiet Sun

¹ US Naval Research Laboratory, Space Science Division, Washington, DC 20375, USA
² Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6NT, UK
³ Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris XI – CNRS, Bât. 121, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France

Corresponding author: S. Patsourakos, spatsourakos@buttercup1.nrl.navy.mil

Received: 12 June 2001
Accepted: 24 January 2002

Abstract

We present an analysis of light-curves obtained in the O IV and Ne VIII transition region and low corona lines, that were simultaneously recorded in a quiet Sun region by SUMER/SOHO. By using the flatness spectrum of the observed light-curves we searched for intermittency signatures. It was found that a significant proportion of points in the observed area exhibit clear indications of intermittency, irrespectively of their intrinsic intensity. Our findings give favor to an impulsively heated transition region and corona via intermittent-type MHD turbulence.